New York NY -- Local 802 Rehearsal Room - smokin' drummer Michael Pratt on the Pratt Brothers Big Band today - check this band out folks! Jon Hammond
*visit their website:
http://jazzcomposersservice.com/?page_id=48 — with Michael Pratt at Associated Musicians of Greater New York, Local 802 AFM
Since its formation in 1980, The Pratt Brothers Big Band has backed such musical artists as Fran Warren, Zoot Sims, Al Grey and Roy Eldridge. They have also performed a tribute to the great arranger, Fletcher Henderson, funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
More and more radio stations are once again playing the music of the Swing Era. Co-bandleader, Dean Pratt has waited all his life for this golden opportunity. Along with fellow leader, Michael Pratt, Dean’s brother, this 16-piece band features the best musicians New York has to offer. Many are former sidemen of the Harry James, Maynard Ferguson, Woody Herman, Gerry Mulligan and Buddy Rich bands, and are currently featured on Broadway and in the New York studios.
The band plays music from the libraries of Harry James, Count Basie, Buddy Rich, and Woody Herman, but also many pieces of original music written and arranged for the PBBB.
No other big band today captures so authentically the spirit and drive that made the best bands of the Swing Era so compelling, and no band possesses such a remarkably deep and diverse book, comprising charts by such classic Big Band arrangers as Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson, Jimmy Mundy, Neal Hefti and Ernie Wilkins to more progressive arrangers such as Bob Brookmeyer, Bill Holman, Thad Jones, Francy Boland, Don Piestrup and Mike Abene—music to dance to, as well as music to listen to, no matter what the occasion. cont.. — with Michael Pratt at Associated Musicians of Greater New York, Local 802 AFM.
New York NY -- Local 802 Rehearsal Hall - Gary Morgan's PanAmericana!
Incredible Band and Music! - Jon Hammond
http://www.panamericanajazz.com/bio.php
Gary Morgan and PanAmericana! Bios:
Gary Morgan was born in Santiago, Chile, but moved to Toronto, Canada at the age of 2. Tuned to music from an early age, he digested the popular music of the day, country music, Top 40, blues, big bands, rock & roll and rhythm & blues. Formative events in his early life included hearing the bands of Lionel Hampton, Count Basie and Illinois Jaquet up close, "these guys were really having fun!", and hearing Salsa for the first time, booming from a record shop in the Times Square subway station, on a Christmas visit to New York with his parents.
Another memorable experience from his early teens was attending the fabled Jazz at Massey Hall concert of Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie et al. Memorable because he couldn't stand the music -- "too many notes" for his tender ears, and he lost his part time grocery job for deserting his fellow workers.
He started instrumental music in high school, wanted the drums, but was persuaded to take up the saxophone instead by his teacher. After a mediocre academic career, he settled down to practicing and freelanced in Toronto for 15 years, playing saxophone and woodwinds on TV variety shows, recordings, movie soundtracks, jingles and musical theater.
During this period Gary appeared with various musical artists including Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald, Nancy Wilson, Dionne Warwick, Otis Redding, Gladys Knight, (Little) Stevie Wonder, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Herman, Jose Feliciano, Quincy Jones, Lionel Hampton, Oscar Peterson, Ray Charles, Rob McConnell, Buddy Rich, Benny Goodman and Henry Mancini.
Gary also studied theory, harmony and composition privately, as well as electronic music. He began composing and arranging music for various ensembles he was performing with, and leading his own small jazz groups. Signature memories from that era included his first trips to Cuba and Brazil. Brazil, in particular, has been a dominant influence on Gary's music:
"From the moment I first stepped off the plane, I was seduced by the warmth and poetry of the culture and the people. In musical terms, the great variety of rhythmic traditions, which are part of the DNA of every Brazilian, the harmonic subtlety of the popular and art music, but most importantly the rich melodic tradition of choro, going back 100 years or more, adds a dimension that seems lacking in our popular music in America."
In 1980, sensing a need for change, Gary received a Canada Council grant to study jazz composition at the Berklee School of Music in Boston, studying with the legendary Herb Pomeroy, among others. After a productive year, he packed his bags and migrated to New York, whereupon he switched to the bass, to better experience the perspective of the rhythm section.
In 1989, Gary was invited to join the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop under the guidance of Bob Brookmeyer and Manny Albam, and later Jim McNeely, where he gained more expertise writing for large ensembles, met other similarly inclined composers and acquired practical experience in the logistics of organizing and promoting concerts.
Gary has been the recipient of composition grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and is a member of the American Federation of Musicians, Local 802.
PanAmericana! began in New York in 1997 as a compositional vehicle for Gary, as well as a repertory orchestra for modern Cuban and Brazilian classics. The recent emphasis in the band has been the orchestration and arrangement of some of the wealth of material emerging from the contemporary composers of Brazil, who do not have much exposure in this country, including such major talents as Egberto Gismonti, Milton Nascimento, Hermeto Pascoal, Jovino Santos Neto and Itibere Zwarg. This is not your father's big band. Although Gary is steeped in the big band tradition and sound, PanAmericana! represents an attempt to expand, through orchestration, his rhythmic, melodic and harmonic ideas.
PanAmericana! is based in New York City, and plays a variety of venues in the New York and New Jersey area including Birdland, Makor, Nuyorican Poets Cafe, the Garage, Trumpets Jazz Club, the Baha'i Center, as well as concerts in Central Park, Brooklyn Museum. The personnel includes many of the finest New York area latin jazz musicians.
In 2004, Gary formed an all-star Canadian orchestra, which is based in Toronto, and is available for dates in Eastern Canada. — with Norbert Stachel at Associated Musicians of Greater New York, Local 802 AFM
*WATCH THE VIDEO HERE: Jane Dornacker Excerpt From Jon Hammond Show
http://archive.org/details/JonHammondJaneDornacker-Broadcaster_Comedienne_Composerhereinperformance/
Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpIHRNe45mA
R.I.P. Jane Dornacker, Jane died tragically in the NBC Helicopter on October 22, 1986 while on-air with Joey Reynolds on WNBC. I shot this with Jane less than a month before on Sept. 27th '86, she was a huge talent and good person greatly missed! Jon Hammond
*excerpt from my cable tv show - The Jon Hammond Show
http://www.HammondCast.com
Jane's Wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Dornacker
Category:
People & Blogs
Tags:
Jane Dornacker, Tubes, WNBC, Leila And The Snakes, Jon Hammond Show, Joey Reynolds
Blip TV http://blip.tv/jon-hammond/jane-dornacker-broadcaster-comedienne-composer-here-in-performance-6302840
Vimeo http://vimeo.com/47444988
Jane Dornacker - Broadcaster, Comedienne, Composer here in performance from Jon Hammond on Vimeo.
New York NY -- R.I.P. Jane Dornacker, Jane died tragically in the NBC Helicopter on October 22, 1986 while on-air with Joey Reynolds. Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpIHRNe45mA I shot this with Jane less than a month before on Sept. 27th '86, she was a huge talent and good person greatly missed! Jon Hammond http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Dornacker Jane Dornacker (October 1, 1947 – October 22, 1986) was an American rock musician, actress, and comedienne turned traffic reporter. In 1986, while working for WNBC 660 AM Radio in New York City (which became WFAN in 1988), Dornacker was aboard during two unrelated crashes of the helicopters leased to WNBC. She survived the first crash, but was killed in the second crash into the Hudson River, which occurred as she was in the middle of a live traffic report. Her death came shortly after that of her husband, Bob Knickerbocker, orphaning their 16-year-old daughter. The NTSB investigation determined the cause of the fatal crash to have been use of improper parts and poor maintenance on the part of Spectrum Helicopters of Ridgefield Park, New Jersey. Music and acting Dornacker was the tall lead singer (Leila), keyboardist, and songwriter of the 1970s/1980s San Francisco "tack" rock group Leila and the Snakes. Pearl Gates and Pamela Wood provided supporting vocals. Their repertoire included "Rock and Roll Weirdos," "Pyramid Power" and a spoof version of Peggy Lee's "Is That All There Is?" Gates later left (and took the band with her) to form Pearl Harbor and the Explosions. Guitarist Miles Corbin went on to form the surf instrumental band the Aqua Velvets. Dornacker provided lead vocals on "Christopher Columbus" (1978), a song by R. Crumb & His Cheap Suit Serenaders. With Ron Nagle, she co-wrote the humorous hit song "Don't Touch Me There" for The Tubes. The song was sung by Re Styles and appeared on The Tubes' second studio album, Young and Rich (1976), and was released as a 7" single in the US, the UK, and Holland. The B-side was "Proud to Be an American". Jane had also toured with The Tubes as a backing singer and dancer. Dornacker was also an actress. She appeared in playwright Sam Shepard's jazz opera Inacoma at San Francisco's Magic Theatre (1977) and was featured in other works by the Overtone Theatre. She appeared in The Stand-Up, Anita Sperm and as the mysterious Nurse Murch in the film The Right Stuff. [edit]Stand up comedy and radio Dornacker developed a successful career as a stand-up comic on the San Francisco circuit and did her first work as a traffic reporter in the early-mid-1980s for KFRC, a popular Top 40 radio station. She worked with Don Rose, who was that station's morning disc jockey at the time. She was noted for her exceptionally fast speech, so fast it required concentration to understand her. As she did traffic, she would tell her daughter Naomi to get up and get to school. She moved to New York City to become a much-loved, raspy-voiced "trafficologist" and "Jane-in-a-plane." After Dornacker died, Rose arranged several tributes to establish a college fund for Naomi. Dornacker survived one helicopter crash only to die in a second helicopter crash in the same year. On April 18, 1986, Dornacker was reporting from a WNBC helicopter over the Hackensack River in New Jersey when the aircraft crashed into the river. She and the pilot survived and were able to swim to shore. [edit]Death On October 22, 1986, at 4:44 PM, while Dornacker was giving one of the station's N-Copter traffic reports during the Joey Reynolds Show on WNBC Radio in New York City, the Enstrom F-28 helicopter she was reporting from plunged into the Hudson River from an altitude of roughly 75 feet. On her final radio broadcast she was giving a report of an accident involving a tractor-trailer and a car as well as a car fire. She also stated that the outbound Holland Tunnel was heavy with traffic and that the Lincoln Tunnel was much better with traffic and a car fire. Dornacker was starting her report for incoming New Jersey traffic when the helicopter suffered mechanical failure in mid broadcast and crashed. Her last words were "Hit the water, hit the water, hit the water!" The F-28 helicopter nose-dived, struck the top of a chain link fence at a river pier, crashed into the Hudson River very near to the Manhattan shore and sank in 15 to 20 feet of water. Both occupants were trapped for nearly 10–15 minutes before help arrived. Dornacker died on her way to Saint Vincent's Hospital. She was 39 years old. Her pilot and the only other occupant, Bill Pate, was severely injured but survived. In the subsequent investigation, the NTSB found that the sprag clutch that was installed in the helicopter, which was on lease to WNBC Radio by Spectrum Helicopters of Ridgefield Park, New Jersey, was a military surplus part which was not designed for use in a civilian aircraft, and that the part had not been adequately lubricated. It directly led to a mid-air seizure of the main rotor blades. The staff of WNBC were so appalled at the revelation of this malpractice at Spectrum Helicopters that at one point they threatened to resign en masse.[citation needed] [edit]Final crash transcript Aircheck of the incident “ Joey Reynolds: "Okay, here's Jane Dornacker now in the N-Copter" (NBC chimes) Dornacker: "Thank you very much, Joey. There was indeed an accident southbound on the Major Deegan at the Mosholu Parkway, an accident, a serious accident involving a tractor trailer and a car. It has been pushed off to the shoulder, but now watch out there now, because another flatbed truck is going to have to come to clear it, so yield right-of-way. Northbound on the BQE, we've spotted that disabled vehicle in the right-hand lane before the Kosciuszko, not causing much of a backup, but further northbound there on the BQE, traffic is very heavy, past the Kosciuszko all the way over to the LIE. The outbound Holland Tunnel extra-heavy for you right now; earlier there was a car fire at Hudson and Canal Street. It has been cleared out, except heading to New Jersey, the outbound Lincoln Tunnel looks a lot better for you. In New Jersey... (helicopter engine overspeed) Hit the water! Hit the water! Hit the water! (Brief static followed by five seconds of dead air) Reynolds: Okay, we're gonna play some, uh, some music here I think. Find out what's going on with the helicopter. Something happened there. It's, uh, quarter of 5; 16 'til 5 on WNBC, on the Joey Reynolds show. We're taking an N-Copter report from Jane Dornacker; let's check in and see how they're doing there, and then we'll come right back at you. (Hip to Be Square plays) Reynolds: I hope nothing happened with Jane. We had, uh, a helicopter report, from the N-Copter. Of course, you know, once before, we had this happen. A few months ago, she went down in the, uh, in the drink. Not she, I mean, she has a... pilot. Jane is, uh... Other voice: Well, until we find out what's going on, we'll just... Reynolds: Jane was up there just now giving us a report, and sometimes it just gets cut off, too, you know. It's just an electronic thing. But, uh, this time she said, uh, "hit the water," or something like that. So we're going to find out what's going on there, so stay tuned. We hope nothing... say a little prayer, hope nothing's, nothing's wrong. That's really a... (deep breath) that's a hard, hard job. ” [edit]Aftermath Dornacker's then 16-year-old daughter, Naomi, received $325,000 in a settlement with owner Spectrum Helicopters of Ridgefield Park, NJ, and the maker of the helicopter. Naomi's father Bob Knickerbocker died shortly before her mother's death. All the New York stations grounded their traffic helicopters for a few days after that accident. A memorial concert in celebration of Jane took place at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco on Saturday, November 22, 1986. There is a memorial to her in Wayne, New Jersey, where Dornacker and her family lived. Shortly after the incident several on-air interviews with WNBC Radio staff describe the incident and their feelings in detail, including how other news organizations "pumped news" into the WNBC Radio newsroom as they were all in shock. Joey Reynolds broke down on-air when talking about her now orphaned child. WNBC played other interviews with friends and recordings of her talking about the first helicopter crash earlier that same year. Her music was also played during these tribute shows including "Don't Touch Me There" which she wrote for The Tubes. — New York NY -- Local 802 - R.I.P. Wade Barnes, passed away at only 57, never complained...very nice swingin' cat! Jon Hammond
*seen here in picture I took with Mike Camoia tenor and Bob Cunningham bass at Local 802 Monday Night Jazz Session
Drummer, Educator Wade Barnes Dies at 57
http://jazztimes.com/articles/29681-drummer-educator-wade-barnes-dies-at-57
By Jeff Tamarkin
Wade Barnes, a drummer, composer, producer, bandleader, arranger, educator and executive, passed away March 3 a age 57. The cause and place of death were not reported. Barnes was founder of the Brooklyn Four Plus One, Inc., a nonprofit whose stated mission, according to the organization’s website, is “to bring the highest quality of America’s classical music [jazz] to all ages, races, ethnic groups and socioeconomic levels.”
Originally, the site states, the Brooklyn Four Plus One, Inc. “was a band organized by drummer and educator Wade Barnes in the mid 1990s. The band was comprised of native Brooklynites deeply rooted in America’s musical culture. The ensemble conducted performances, clinics and symposia for a variety of audiences.” The group was later renamed the Brooklyn Repertory Ensemble (B.R.E.) and is now comprised of 17 members and plays for schools and arts organizations, particularly in under-served communities.
Barnes, who received multiple music degrees from colleges and universities, is credited, according to his official biography, with “facilitating a holistic conception which incorporates the entire history of American music.” He led Wade Barnes and the Bottom Line (a 10-member ensemble) and Wade Barnes and Unit Structures. During his career he also performed with “Doc” Cheatham, Earle Warren, Dicky Wells, Howard McGhee; Jimmy Garrison, Bob Cranshaw, Archie Shepp, Sonny Fortune; Jon Faddis and others. In addition, Barnes created clinics, workshops and curricula for the New York City Public Schools.
Barnes appeared on numerous recordings with several ensembles. — with Bob Cunningham at Associated Musicians of Greater New York, Local 802 AFM
The Latest Prank From TSA Airport Inspectors -- Ha Hah Ha, very funny!
I traveled yesterday with my instrument in a very special case made by Gator company that has the latest TSA approved lock which I do not use, I never lock my cases ever since 9/11. Often the TSA people do not close the latches properly - 4 latches on the case, I get it back from a flight and 1, 2, or even 3 have not been latched properly, so I have taken to putting green gaffers tape over the latches and I put a very friendly respectful letter inside the case to the TSA to ask them kindly to be careful to close the latches properly. Last night I got home with my case, the TSA Agent decided to lock the case up with his TSA Key, I am not carrying the key since I routinely do not lock the case. No other key will work and I have a lot of keys -
New York NY -- God bless the B&H people for letting me use one of their TSA keys to unlock my flight case that the smart-aleck TSA agent locked up when he inspected it, so I didn't have to break it open. Thank you B&H...B&H Photo Rules! Jon Hammond — at B&H Photo Video Pro Audio http://www.bhphotovideo.com
New York NY -- It's a little bit blurry the image, but here is the National Panasonic tube table radio that I hand-carried from California to my friend Mike's Cupcake Cafe on Ninth Avenue NYC, now installed and rockin' the cafe!
My girlfriend wrapped it good with bubble-wrap and TLC, it made the trip fine - Vintage National Panasonic RE-784A AM FM Tube Radio - this radio is from the California Historical Radio Society / CHRS. Mike is an avid radio listener, I'm sure he'll have "The Blues Hour" from WBGO 88.3 FM blaring over it at 3PM tomorrow and I'll drop in for a cup of coffee and enjoy the sound and good strong coffee! Next stop after: Local 802 Monday Night Jazz Session - Jon Hammond — at Cupcake Cafe http://www.cupcakecafe-nyc.com
545 9th Avenue (btw 40th & 41st Street)
New York NY -- Aston Martin coupe parked out in front of Uncle Jack's Steakhouse sighted on Ninth Avenue - Jon Hammond
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aston_Martin_Rapide
19 Broadway - Jon Hammond Band
Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-7_DphmfV0
10,005
*WATCH THE VIDEO HERE: Agora Stage Jam Of The Year
http://archive.org/details/LegendaryJamOfTheYearBand2012MusikmesseAgoraStage
Legendary Jam Of The Year Band 2012 Musikmesse Agora Stage
Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxS2lkIjFQQ
Led by Guitarist Musical Director Tommy Denander - Legendary Jam Of The Year Band jamming on a Jimi Hendrix tune Little Wing on the Agora Stage.
Chuck Plaisance sings this one with Jekko S. on bass, Jimmy Kresic keys, Pi TTi Hecht percussion, Jon Hammond Sk1 Hammond organ, Ricky Lawson drums, Sky Dangcil harpejji - Bobby Kimball seen at beginning announcing, just sang song before - http://www.HammondCast.com
Blip TV http://blip.tv/jon-hammond/legendary-jam-of-the-year-band-2012-musikmesse-agora-stage-6299337
Vimeo http://vimeo.com/47311151
San Lorenzo California -- Lydia Pense of Cold Blood interview with Jon Hammond on HammondCast
http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-561051 — with Lydia Pense at Starbucks San Lorenzo
owner "Jack" cruising in the 1955 T-Bird - Jon Hammond
(Jack owns series 1955, 1956 and 1957 T-Birds) very cool! JH
Jane Dornacker, NBC, Helicopter crash, Gary Morgan Panamericana, Pratt Brothers Big Band, Associated Musicians of Greater New York, HammondCast, Local 802, Jon Hammond
