Jazz Guitar Music Performance

More Studio Madness Updates    

The last month or so has been filled with a series of projects that I have been producing and/or performing for other artists. I had a week long gig playing and writing for the Trenton Education Dance Institute, a big band project and video work for a vocalist named Len Guardino and the final sessions for the Jono album which has been going on one session a week for about a year! (We'll be in a Jaziz Magazine's issue this Autumn with that one.) So, I am taking a breath now and preparing to record my own album "Acoustic Meditations" during the next few weeks. After that, it's on to the jazz quartet/quintet album which is still to be named with Onaje on keys, Bob Cranshaw on bass and Buddy Williams on drums with a special guest or two for a couple of tunes. That's pretty much what's been going on in my studio world since May.

On The Live Scene

I started a "Lou Volpe Summertime Jazz Series" on Thursday nights at a really nice music room in Tenafly, NJ of all places with Jono and also a beautiful restaurant in Somers, NY called Seasons Bistro and Lounge on Tuesdays with the trio. I feature music from the different jazz masters each night and the audiences seem to love it. One night will feature works by Miles or Trane or Wes or Cannonball etc. along with many of my originals and favorites. Some nights I will feature jazz versions of popular songs by the Police or Aretha or Cold Play or any band that comes to mind. So far, so good! Please check out http://www.louvolpegroup.com/itinerary.html for more info.

I also plan to visit the great Les Paul at the Irridium on some Monday night soon and play with him once again (see photo). Such a wonderful guitar master.

I have some interesting gigs coming up this weekend and will give you a full report on Monday morning.

Well thanks for checking out this post and I hope to see you at a gig soon.

All the best to you,

Lou Volpe Jazz Guitar

http://www.louvolpejazz.com

The Studio and the Gigs!

Studio "V": 

So much going on in my project studio; My co-production album with singer/guitarist Jono is almost completed after a couple weeks of bass and drums tracking along with some guitar solo over dubs. There is a wonderful feeling of accomplishment along with a sense of mental and physical exhaustion that comes with being the engineer, producer, arranger, bassist and guitarist on this collection of Jono's tunes. It's a little like the feeling I had when I ran the NYC Marathon a few years ago! This week is vocals and acoustic guitar tracks and then, finally the mixing followed by the mastering sessions. The sound of the recordings is like Steely Dan meeting Pat Metheny and Miles with Michael Franks or Eric Clapton on vocals. (That would be a pretty cool group to see!) My next post should give you a completion date for the project and the reaction of our audiences to hearing the songs done live at our next few shows.

No rest for the weary! "Acoustic Meditations": That's the name of my solo acoustic guitar album. I just finished the demo recordings of all the tunes and will be starting to do the actual master recordings sometime next week here at Studio "V".

The jazz quartet project: I am just about done arranging and writing for my next jazz CD. We expect to start our recording sessions by mid-June with Onaje Allen Gumbs on piano, Buddy Williams on drums and the great Bob Cranshaw on bass. I am so looking forward to that one.

The live jazz scene: Thanks to all who came out to see us at the Cafe Mozart gig last Saturday. You definitely made my night. My next solo date there is June 12th. (Check the itinerary at www.louvolpegroup.com for updates.) The end of June will bring a new venture of mine called the "Lou Volpe Summer Jazz Series" which will be a weekly jazz series featuring different artists playing along with the trio/quartet probably at the Starving Artist Cafe and Gallerie in City Island .... more on that in the next post. 

Well thanks so much for reading this update of our events here at the Lou Volpe Group and I hope to see you at my next solo gig this Sunday at Frank's Waterside (www.frankswaterside.com).

All the best to you,

Lou Volpe Jazz Guitar

www.myspace.com/louvolpejazz

Performance and Studio Recording

A New Music Venue for me: I played a wonderful music room for the first time last Saturday in Ramsey, NJ called Apolo's Restaurant. When I posted the date on my website only a couple of days before the gig, I did not expect many of my fans to attend due to the short notice but was pleasantly surprised to find a full house with a lot of my friends/fans there to hear the music! The folks who just heard me for the first time were so warm to me and showed their appreciation with applause and purchases of my CDs. Thanks so much to all who came to Apolo's.

Studio Update: So much happening on the studio front! I am still recording tracks for my "Acoustic Meditations" album using a beautiful sounding Martin D35 guitar. The CD will feature all original pieces designed to relax, excite and make the listener smile! I am still composing as we are recording.

I am also arranging and putting together music for a straight ahead jazz CD of original and a few standard tunes that have been getting great reactions from the audiences at my live gigs. The musicians will include my wonderful friends Onaje Allen Gumbs on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass and my man Buddy Williams on drums. These guys have played with the best musician's on the planet and I am honored to have them with me on this project. We have a history of working together so many times backing other artists and now I have the joy of recording my music with them. We are scheduled to go into the studio in mid June. Will keep you posted on that project for sure.

And just in case I did have any free time: My dear friend Jono Frola and I are just finishing up a contemporary jazz album of mostly original tunes that Jaziz Magazine is very interested in checking out. We have the final tracking sessions scheduled in the next couple of weeks.

So that's about it for now. Thanks for reading this post and I hope to see you at my solo gig this Friday (April 17th) at Cafe Mozart, www.cafemozart.com in Mamaroneck, NY.

All the Best to you,

Lou Volpe Jazz Guitar

www.louvolpegroup.com

Thanks to my audience/The trio at Starving Artist Gallerie

The highlight of this past weekend's gigs was my performance with the trio at The Starving Artist Cafe & Gallery in City Island NY. The venue was filling up when I arrived at 4 PM in time to set up and sound check. A fan came up to me and said he saw Larry Coryell (who I played with years ago when I was with Herbie Mann's band). He mentioned me to him and Larry told him that he thought I was one of the "most under-rated guitarists on the New York music scene"! Well, I had this amazing feeling of peace, accomplishment and joy and excitement wash over me. I could have gone home then and felt like I did a great job without even playing. Larry, as you know, is one of the best guitarists we have on the planet today and he continues to inspire us all with his videos, CDs and shows. I am truly humbled by his words about me.

As if that wasn't enough fulfillment for a day (or week for that matter) we had a pretty full house to play to.....many fans who have seen our show before but also many folks who came to hear the band for the first time were there. And I have to thank everyone who came to see us play because the audience and their positive (and sometimes very loud and cheering) response to my music, much of which was brand new played for the first time made the performance much better than it would have been with out them. My heart felt gratitude goes out to each audience member there on Sunday afternoon, March 29th.

I also have to thank the two fine musicians who played with me and brought the music to life in such a beautiful and tasteful way that we touched the listeners and inspired their wonderful response. Bob Gingery played the bass. Bob has been with me for a few years now and has grown into one of the best bassists around giving a solid groove and excellent solos to the show. Our drummer, Sipho Kunene, just recently joined the group and brings us his expertise in playing just the right feel and intensity to each musical piece. Sipho is from South Africa and has a very special sound and groove that just fits so well with our music. I am so grateful to have these guys with me on stage.

A special thank you and appreciation goes out the the owner and staff at the Starving Artist. Elliott Glick is a friend/promoter of music and a gift of giving to so many people and to City Island in general. Elliott is also a musician in his own right and we appreciate all he and his wife Monica do to feature music and art and love through their work and kindness at the Starving Artist Cafe. Thanks Uncle Bill!

And thank you for reading this post! Please check out our next blog which will feature news about my upcoming CDs one of which is entitled "Acoustic Meditations".

All the best to you,

Lou Volpe Jazz Guitar

Sunday and Zen

We had a great time at the Zen Den in Teaneck, New Jersey last night and I just wanted to thank everyone for coming to the show and making it a really special performance. I played duo for two sets Sunday night with Jono on vocals and rhythm guitar. The thing that made it such a pleasure was the audience. I can feel it when the listeners are "with" us and it some how makes the music richer or just better. It definitely helps me to play better when I feel the energy of people enjoying the ride.

Hope to see you at my next Lou Volpe Group gig next Sunday afternoon at the Starving Artist in City Island, NY. I'll be with the trio playing a whole different set of music. Check www.louvolpegroup.com for time and location.

Thanks for reading this. Will keep you posted on the new CD recording sessions in my next blog. Until then,

all the best to you,

Lou

"After the Weekend" Report

It was a really good weekend of gigs and making new acquaintances and fans of my music. I was hoping to have one person who never heard me play before be moved by my music and I am happy to say I was successful!

On Thursday night, I sold quite a few CDs and had so many people come over to give me their emails and contact info so I could keep them posted of my future performances.

The band that played after our set on Friday night was applauding after each song and wanted to know where we were going to be playing next so they could check us out again. That was extremely rewarding to me because they were not into jazz at all. The cello player (yeah, cello!) was asking me about the tones and sounds I got on my Les paul and old Fender Pro amp.

The owners of the venue for Saturday's gig (the Zen Den in Teaneck, NJ) flipped over our sound and immediately booked us to play there at an art show next week!

Sunday started out a little bleak as the audience was sparse and not responding much after the songs. As the place started to fill up, I was getting more polite applause and reaction until I played the last tune, a rendition I do of "Hotel California". It seemed like the whole place was applauding and cheering after that one. I was amazed. I had figured they just heard me as background music to their brunch and not a real performance. So I sold a bunch of my CDs and ended up getting quite a few more fans on a day that I was beginning to think was a lost cause!

I think when a musician just plays sincerely for the audience and from the heart, that he/she will have a wonderful positive reaction from the listener.

Hope you check out my next post when I tell you about a couple of great bands I heard just recently. Thanks for reading this. All the best to you,

Lou Volpe Jazz Guitar

Gigs and a Mission

My performance itinerary for this weekend takes me to Westchester county and a few different parts of New Jersey.

Thursday 8-11 PM: Cafe Mozart (308 Mamaroneck Av, Mamaroneck, NY, 914 698 4167) 

Friday 8-9 PM: Bar Saints & Sinners (205 First St, Hoboken, NJ)

Saturday 7-10 PM: the Zen Den (254 De Graw Av, Teaneck, NJ, 201 692 0700)

Sunday 12-3 PM: Frank's Waterside (7200 B River Rd., North Bergen, NJ, 201 861 0700)

On Thursday I play with a wonderful singer who is strongly influenced by Sarah Vaughn and Billie Holiday. Her name is Judi Marie Canterino.

Friday and Saturday pairs me with a fine vocalist/guitarist who plays adult contemporary style music. Jono Frolo is a jazz club owner, entrepreneur, business manager, composer, musician/singer and friend and promoter of music and musicians in Northern New Jersey.

Sunday's gig has me on solo guitar playing my regular jazz brunch gig at the beautiful Frank's Waterside.

The mission for this weekend is to touch at least one person with my guitar playing. The sound, the songs and the feeling of the music all play a very important part in this goal. I plan on working towards making someone (maybe many people) feel better, lighter, uplifted, feel a bit of joy and maybe even exhilaration through my guitar playing! I will let you know in my "After the Weekend Post" how I made out on this lofty quest. Thanks for reading this and have a wonderful, enjoyable and safe weekend.

Lou Volpe Jazz Guitar

I just played at a nice club in Cresskill, NJ (Griffin's) last Saturday night with my band. The first set went really well with the audience applauding after each tune. We played some originals off our CD (sounds like Wes Montgomery meets Jeff Beck) mixed with songs made famous by Coltrane, Sting, Cold Play and Monk. (We do our own versions of the pop tunes.) I sold a few CDs afterward. During the intermission the club music got louder and louder as they switched to more rock type songs from Led Zeppelin, Floyd, Stones etc. A far cry from the more mellow sounds we were playing for the first set. More and more people were coming in now and were dancing and singing along to the "jukebox". They were really getting into the loud party atmosphere. It came time for our second set and I figured that I lost my "jazz audience". I put on a brave face expecting to lose the crowd's enthusiasm. We started with a jazz version of a rock classic that I do called "It's All Right Now" by Free. Of course we play a much mellower version than the original. I couldn't believe it when they started singing along during the chorus. We actually won them over. I was amazed! It was a great lesson for the band and I to just do what we do from the heart and end up being successful