Joe Ruicci Joe’s Place – “Where Music Lives” Playing that night was a band called “The Beanies”. A 3 piece band featuring Al and Neil Lacroix on Bass and Guitar and Mike Manger on drums. It was the greatest moment in my short existence. It was then that I decided I would be a drummer, and music was going to be my greatest...
#jazz
Rico Ferrara Laura Nyro – “Hard To Get Into and Hard To Get Out Of” Originally Posted on Blues For A Big Town Blog May 8, 2022 “Sometimes I think being a star is kind of silly. I’d sooner be looked at like a comrade rather than a star” Laura Nyro in an interview with Melody Maker in 1976 after re-surfacing...
Dee Dee Bridgewater – More Than Just A Jazz Singer Defining Dee Dee Bridgewater as just a Jazz singer is doing Ms. Bridgewater a disservice to the nth degree. Yes, Bridgewater sings Jazz brilliantly, but she’s so much more than that. Beginning in the 70’s, Bridgewater has had a rich and varied five decade long career, and has displayed the...
Nina Simone - The High Priestess of Soul
It was in the mid 80’s when Toronto’s short lived Village Vanguard North was advertising “Sunday Brunch With Nina Simone”
Lance Anderson – Writer, Composer, Producer, Director, Performer The first time I met Lance was back in the 90’s when he came to Joe’s Place to play in Maureen Brown’s band, Big Hand I think he was very happy to be performing at the club due to the fact, we had two Hammond organs, a B3 and a C3...