"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Cooper is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Moore is flanked out wide to the right. Chubb and Ford are split in the backfield as Watson takes the snap ... Here we go."
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Cooper is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Moore is flanked out wide to the right. Chubb and Ford are split in the backfield as Watson takes the snap ... Here we go."
2 of my comments were already said. so I will simply repeat.
Great singer.
Legend.
RIP Mr Bennett.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
About 15 years ago, I got a call from our Manager. On occasion, he'd get the call to play the role of General Contractor, when a gig popped up that didn't conflict with our established schedule.
"Clem- I got some extra cash for you, if you want it.* It falls between the Mozart Series and the next Classics run. It's Tony Bennett-" "Yes." "But I haven't told you the details-" "Doesn't matter. It fits the schedule. And it's Tony (fkn) Bennett."
The gig was really, really fun. 2 rehearsals, one concert.
The read-down rehearsal was here in town. The dress rehearsal and concert were 2 days later, on-site.
Concert venue: A nice, small, intimate auditorium in a Williams County town called Bryan, about an hour west from home.
We do "runout gigs" like this all of the time: small towns, an hour away. Tight 45 minute sets, 90 min of fun, packed into a two-hour bloc. It's a regular part of our contracted season, so we do them all the time. To get a downtime gig with the same schedule as the work timetable, with (tons) fatter money? Dude- ink me to that roster. Add in Tony Bennett? St00pit easy choice.
We read down the show with Mr. Bennett's music director. Tony's travelling combo was there, [piano bass drums guitar] and the charts practically played themselves. Tony has had 50 years to put legible, playable sheet music in his library.
Fast-forward: Bryan Arts & Education Center is the largest performance venue in this town of about 8K. It's part of a former Middle School, now repurposed as a civic center for the arts. As such, the room immediately behind the auditorium is the former school's gymnasium. That's where the hospitality station was set up for the musicians who chose to stay at the venue between reh and concert. Food trough/free range grazing area.
Local caterers brought in the stuff we're accustomed to, and there was the usual cattle call: buffet line-up. Grab a pre-made sandwich/plop a scoop on a plate. Mooooove on down through the chute. With one exception: this time, the show's star actually stood in line with us, and actually plonked himself down with us footsoldiers eating in the gym.
Sitting with us- eating pre-made sub sandwiches- someone asked him why he wasn't hanging out with Bryan's moneyed folk who bought him there. Tony: "They ain't musicians."
_________________________
That gig was a blast. Mr. Bennett played to the house with style, class and aplomb. They lost their minds.
One of my fave career memories. He was a model of class and quality.
(...and I get to tell everyone that I shared pre-made hoagies with Tony Bennett...)
* that gig netted me a cool $1750 for about 6 hours of work. That breaks down to almost $300/hr. Tony always payed his musicians, because he always saw himself as a musician.
They have handled tours all over the world. That is how he met his wife who is a back-up singer for Joe Bonamassa. He has done many tours.
They travel with the tours. They carry a complete portable kitchen. Zack does the cooking and he is bonafide 4 star chef. They have the buffet line but the food is off the chain good.
I have been to many shows backstage for pre-show meals.
Tony Bennett, enraged by racism, championed civil rights alongside MLK
In an era when most white entertainers stayed on the sidelines, the singer marched for racial equality and resisted apartheid.
In the 1950s, Tony Bennett watched with dismay as Black musicians like Nat King Cole and Duke Ellington were denied admission to concert hall dining rooms and hotels. The injustice he witnessed infuriated the young singer.
"I'd never been politically inclined, but these things went beyond politics," Bennett wrote in "The Good Life," his 1998 autobiography. "Nate and Duke were geniuses, brilliant human beings who gave the world some of the most beautiful music it's ever heard, and yet they were treated like second-class citizens. The whole situation enraged me."
That's why, when the artist and activist Harry Belafonte called up Bennett and asked him to join the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965, Bennett accepted without hesitation. He flew to Alabama and linked arms with his allies in the fight for justice.
Bennett, who died Friday at 96, entered the American musical pantheon thanks to his velvety vocals and seemingly effortless command of the standards songbook. But his civil rights activism is another essential part of his legacy, and he viewed his entrance into King's political movement as a crucial chapter in his life.
"When the march started, I had a strange sense of déjà vu," Bennett wrote in his 304-page autobiography. "I kept flashing back to a time twenty years earlier when my buddies and I had fought our way into Germany." Serving in World War II, Bennett's friendship with a Black servicemen was condemned by white Army officers.
"It felt the same way down in Selma: the white state troopers were really hostile, and they were not shy about showing it," Bennett wrote. "There was the threat of violence all along the march route, from Montgomery to Selma, some of which was broadcast on the nightly news and really helped to make the country aware of the ugliness that was still going on in the South."
Bennett was "terrified," he recalled, but Belafonte "kept his cool" and helped make sure everyone focused on the road ahead. (Belafonte died in April. He was also 96.)
Bennett did not walk all 54 miles. Instead, he went ahead to Montgomery so he could be there on March 24 to greet King and sing for the marchers alongside Ella Fitzgerald, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Sammy Davis Jr., Mahalia Jackson and others. The day after the Stars for Freedom rally, King delivered the "How Long? Not Long" speech on the steps of the Alabama state Capitol.
“I’m enormously proud that I was able to take part in such a historic event,” Bennett wrote in his autobiography, “but I’m saddened to think that it was ever necessary and that any person should suffer simply because of the color of his skin.”
When the Selma-to-Montgomery march came to an end, Bennett was driven to the airport by one of King's supporters, Viola Liuzzo, a white woman from Detroit who had three children. He later learned that she was killed by white supremacists on the drive back to Selma.
Bennett committed himself to the cause of racial equality in the decades that followed. He advocated for gifted Black artists and pushed the corporate music industry to release their records. He joined the artistic boycott of apartheid South Africa and performed for Nelson Mandela during the South African president's first state visit to Britain.
The crooner's abiding spirit of inclusion was clear to his children, including his eldest son, Danny, who recalled a "wonderful childhood."
In an interview with Good Housekeeping in 1995, Danny Bennett recalled "waking up to hear Count Basie and Duke Ellington jamming in our basement." Danny was "proud" that his father joined King's march "before it became fashionable among celebrities" to publicly crusade against racist discrimination.
"He is a good man and a good father," Danny Bennett said.
In 2007, Tony Bennett was inducted into the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame, a promenade at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park in Atlanta. The other inductees that year included the Hollywood icon Sidney Poitier, who died last year, and Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif.
Five years earlier, the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, a nonprofit organization in Atlanta, bestowed on Bennett its 20th annual "Salute to Greatness" award. King's widow, Coretta Scott King, said the singer richly deserved the honor.
"Tony is not only one of America’s premier performing artists, but he was a deeply committed friend and supporter of my husband and the civil rights movement," she said in a statement at the time. "He has continued to support the efforts of the King Center to fulfill Martin’s dream, along with so many other great causes."
Bennett, for his part, told The Atlanta-Journal Constitution that he was "over the moon." In an interview with the newspaper, Bennett reflected warmly on his friendship with Belafonte and the inspiration he drew from the latter's example.
"Harry just reaffirmed for me that we’re all political animals when injustice is happening," Bennett said. "We’re all such a small speck in the face of the universe. Every single person on this planet is important and should be respected equally."
No joke the food they serve is as good as you can get.
When they come to Atlanta they play the Fox which is one of the most beautiful theaters in the world.
I always go because I rarely get to see my son and his wife Jade. The meal before the show is always fun. We get to hang out and pig out. On top of being a terrific singer and songwriter. Jade is a sweetheart. She is Australian and has become an enormous Browns fan. They go to games on her birthday. They both call into the Nate Segura Browns show and listen all the time.
Usually I watch a few songs then head home with a loaded goodie bag.
It really is not a large crowd. More like a family meal.
They are so set up. They invested a lot of money into their equipment.
The groceries are hand selected organic and fresh.
It is no different than going to the best restaurant. Zack is obsessed with recipes. He selects them from all over the world. They tour Europe every year.
Look at the list of clients they have served. Those people expect the best and they get it.
"First down inside the 10. A score here will put us in the Super Bowl. Cooper is far to the left as Njoku settles into the slot. Moore is flanked out wide to the right. Chubb and Ford are split in the backfield as Watson takes the snap ... Here we go."
I was hoping you might have a story to share. I knew that he played lots of gigs in lots of places with local musicians and orchestras.
Dawg- I jumped at the chance, with no hesitation. The soundtrack of my childhood:
Duke Ellington Count Basie Ella, Sarah and Billie Billy Eckstine Nat Cole ...and the White Guys who could swing: Sinatra Tony
One thing all these greats had in common: they all played in front of swinging-ass big groups. Big bands + strings- a full orchestra. The charts are written to sound as good/better than the recorded versions, and their travelling combos are locked-in assault units. These gigs are a joy to play when the touring unit has their game on track.
There was no way I was going to let this opportunity pass me by. My Mom would reach down from the clouds and slap me upside my head if I did.
I have always liked the big band, swing type music. Las Vegas used to be full of that. Not so much anymore, and yes. strings make a big difference.
That is why my wife and I like Broadway productions where the music is almost always played down in the pit. That is why I was blown away back in the day when Chicago 1st appeared with their horn section and later ELO with their cello's. They weren't just minor part players in a song here and there that were studio mixed, they were a major component that gave each band a very distinctive sound.
If everybody had like minds, we would never learn.
Those greats that you listed came from the era of music of my parents.
The early years of TV and variety shows. Nat Cole was the guy that really caught me. I thought he had the best voice I had ever heard and he was just a cool dude.
It took a while before I really appreciated swing of the 40's big bands. When my close friend's brother went to Berklee Music School in Boston. He then joined Buddy Rich's band. I got to hang out with all those guys. I thought they were the coolest people on earth.
Later while in college I fell hard for Billie Holiday. I could listen to her and Lester Young all day long.
What knocked me out with big bands was the power. They could drive sound.
Tony B had such great pace. He had the timing and delivery. He was so smooth.
The Beatles and Stones really kicked off Rock, Blues and all the music that followed. It was music of my generation. I love it and still do.
But there are times I run away from rock and roll and guitars. I binge jazz and music from the 40's to mid 60's.
I imagine going to Harlem and what it must have been like to go to clubs and see those greats. It must have been magic.
I like your list. TB is in great company. My parents loved music, him among them, and much of your list. I didn't know these as much until I was older. One crooner mom loved was Perry Como. And at the risk of making a crowd, they listened to The Ink Spots, Cab Calloway (energy), and dad loved the very smooth Mills Brothers. He is among great company in heaven, and he is still a classy memory.
"Every responsibility implies opportunity, and every opportunity implies responsibility." Otis Allen Glazebrook, 1880
Last night I had a surprise visit from my son. It was great to see him. It was only for a couple hours. He is doing a couple weeks with "Dave Matthews Band." They play Atlanta tonight. He walked off the "Drake" tour. Said it was messed up. A week later everyone was fired.
He does the Joe Bonamassa full tour. That picks up again next week.
He has lots of stories of different bands and musicians and what tours are really like. He has been doing it for a long time now.
Strange when I was young. I loved going to shows. Now I can go free to lots of shows. And I just don't go. I have seen many. My ex-wife worked all the big shows in Atlanta for many years. That is how my son got started. My daughter worked on some of the Atlanta shows. She once worked the Mid-Town music festival in Atlanta. She was backstage with Bob Dylan and got him to sign the Mid Town music poster.
Dylan is not big on giving out autographs. I have it framed hanging on the wall of my bedroom.
My son's wife Jade MacRae is a really talented singer songwriter. She sings backup in the Joe Bonamassa Band. Her own albums are really good. She has become a diehard Browns fan even though she is Australian. I mean she is into the Browns. She calls into the Nate Sequra show. They are big fans of her.
It cracks me up. She is this tiny gal with a heavy Australian accent. She sports Browns gear all the time.
It really cracks me up. Prior to meeting my son. She didn't know a thing about football.
I mean nothing. Now she can talk ball. Knows the roster really well. She has really learned the game. Plays fantasy football.
She also is a Braves fan. We are tight. I told my son if your wife loves what you do and vice versa. You are a lucky guy. My son loves fly-fishing, the Browns and the Braves; and of course his wife. A chip off the old block.
She is a hard working gal. A life as a professional musician is no easy task.
A life as a professional musician is no easy task.
You said a mouthful.
My first job was hauling pianos and organs for a local music store. I must have been 7 or 8, at the time. It was our family's side-hustle. Poor people honed by/ borne of America's Great Depression learned how to 'hustle' to get by. "Uncle Babe" was my grandfather figure. He and My Pops were a duo until I was deemed old enough to carry my own weight. One Saturday morning, Pops woke me up, gifted me with my first pairs of work boots and gloves, and I entered the American work force (no more Saturday AM cartoons for me as a kid- I was the newest member of "3 Aces Moving." I kept that job until I graduated h.s.*
Self-employed: lawn care (I had 8-10 neighborhood contracts for 4-5 summers) Stock clerk: Mom&Pop IGA grocery Burger flipper at a local hamburger shop (Google: Kewpee Hotels, Lima OH) Loading dock worker at our local Lazarus Dept. store (P.M. job: unload/load semi trailers/move unloaded inventory to the appropriate departments/clean restrooms) Night watchman at a local short haul truck terminal (Duff Truck Lines, Inc- now gone) Great job- had all night to practice. Only once had to defend the gate from 4 drunken yay-hoos at 2AM- armed with only a baseball bat and some attitude. Pipefitter's Assistant Boilermaker's Assistant Insulator/painter, catwalk inspector Coke Drum operator Oil Movement/Storage Operator ("Pumper")
and finally, musician.
By far, the job that demanded the most of me was this last entry.
Messed-up work hours, endless practice/prep, high-pressure auditions/rehearsals/performances, 10's of thousands of freelance road miles, one-off gigs with asinine time-wasters, opera performances when stage props fell into the pit-
-the hardest, most demanding, most taxing 'think on your feet' work I've ever done.
...and it's all been worth it.
When you get to hang with the likes of Tony Bennett, Patti LaBelle, ELO, Boyz II Men, Al Jarreau, Lou Rawls, James Taylor, Nancy Wilson, Dave Brubeck, The Three Tenors, Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, and scores of others at the top of the field, you endure what must be borne at the bottom of the job.
Pops was right: "Anything worth having is worth the work to have it."
Gotta hustle. 24/7.
* The story behind "3Aces": Uncle Babe is part of my earliest memories, just like most kids with their Grampys. He always greeted his friends with, "Hey, Ace!" He also insisted that we all address him the same. Babe was a hustler. He never had a "go-to-work" job, but he was never unemployed. He was never without a revenue stream... and all his projects were legit/legal. He owned a mid-50's era Ford 1.5-ton/ full bed with sides. The bed corners supported 2X pillars, which formed the corners of a 3-ft tall extension cage that looked kinda like a livestock pen. That rig got Babe the contract to haul pianos and organs for Porter's Music Store- a revenue stream that lasted him from the early 60's to mid- 70's. There was a whole ceremony on my first day. Pops drove to Babe's Barn at the back of his property. Babe was sitting on a chair in front of the driver's door, paint brush in hand. He slapped on a sloppy number "3" over the previously-sloppy number "2" on his home made logo. "We're 3 Aces, now."
Babe was "Ace." Dad was "Ace#2" (the only time I ever saw him willingly acquiesce 2nd position). I was "Little Ace." Piano moving is hard on the human body. When 3 Aces closed shop in 1973, "Little Ace" was hauling 55/45 the load with Ace2, while Ace glumly assumed the original duties of Little Ace, back in the day. Cycle of Life. Second-best job I ever had.
Made me think of all the jobs I have had. It would take me a while to remember them all and the list is very long.
The first was delivering the Plain Dealer. My customers hired me for lawn cutting, dog sitting, and snow shoveling.
Jade's father is Dave MacRae professional keyboardist. Her mother Joy Yates is a professional jazz singer. Joy sang behind Sting, and Van Morrison to drop a few names. Dave is an unreal keyboard player. Both remain active and still perform.
Jade has been playing music since she was five. She is a schooled musician.
A real oddity is I saw her father play with Buddy Rich in the 1970's. My best friend's brother was the baritone sax player.
So strange that Dave MacRae's daughter from Sidney marries my son in 2019.
Jade's schedule is so demanding. Playing well over 100 dates a year. US and European tour, cruise ships, her own band playing jobs in Australia and some US dates. The miles she covers is insane. Just going home to Australia and New Zealand (her family owns a place there) is an 18 hour flight. Jade's mother is Maori and her father is English. They have lived in England but their home is in Sidney.
I traveled a lot in my life. Just thinking about the travel my son and her do is exhausting. That kind of travel sounds exotic and glamorous but it beats you down.
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