Now, while Gloria isn’t touring right now, the music of Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine is alive and well with the sounds of Gloria’s Miami Sound Tribute band featuring Nikki Torres. This tribute band is one of the hottest bands right now in the country.  Having just finished recent tour dates recently that included Texas, Chicago, New York, Arizona and Miami, this band is in demand and a total hit.  The band is fronted by Ms. Nikki Torres who has an extensive background singing all over the world with many artists. The drive behind the band comes from the leader and husband to Nikki, Bill Ciaramelli. Bill serves as the drummer and musical director and is constantly working to book the band nation wide.  Bill and Nikki have created the band which covers all of Gloria’s major hits including Oye Mi Canto, 1,2,3, Conga, Get on Your Feet, Coming Out of the Dark, Turn the Beat Around and Bad Boy to name a few.

I’ve had the pleasure of performing with this group and all I can say is…Wow!!  The music is a lot of fun to play and you can’t help but to feel the energy and passion of the music.  I’ve worked with Bill and Nikki in a wedding band in Philadelphia, Pa. and Long Island, NY and have really enjoyed getting to know them and performing with them.  The band is comprised of some of New York’s finest musicians and the overall product is just awesome.  Nikki is definitely one of my favorite singers and I could sit and listen to her sing all the time.  She very accurately approaches Gloria’s music in the same style and feel as it was originally intended to be.  It is very evident by their preparation and approach that this band is well thought-out and well rehearsed.

This show really is a must see.  Plus, they are now working on a Latin Explosion show, which is a tribute show to include other legendary Latin artists. With an anxious group of talented musicians, they are ready to play and bring a new level of excitement to any stage, venue or audience.  They do not let you sit and really want you to be involved.  They really, and pardon the pun, want you to GET ON YOUR FEET!!!

I would highly encourage anyone to check them out.  The band can be found at http://rhythmmachineband.com/ where you can listen to samples, watch videos and check out where they are playing next.

Here are a few video clips:

CONGA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-N-4ncUp0KI

DEMO VIDEO WITH A MIX OF SONGS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knsWv5NfTTk

The Jack Furlong Orchestra is a talented 12pc. big band that was formed in 2014. Although still relatively new to the scene, they have entertained audiences throughout Central New Jersey for concerts, weddings and private shows.   The band is comprised of some of the top musical talent you will find.  They play a diverse selection of music from the world of jazz, classic standards, and even a hint of pop and favorite television theme songs.  I know this is shaping up to be a great concert as there will definitely be something for everyone. It will be a great way to spend a summer night in August.  More information about this concert can be found at www.jackfurlong.com/orchestra

I have had the privilege of knowing Jack for many years.  I met him while he was a music major at Lafayette College.  I was hired, at the time, to full out the trumpet section for a few semesters.  I then hired Jack to be a member of the Vince Pettinelli Orchestra and have enjoyed his music and friendship ever since.  In addition to this ensemble, Jack is well known for the award winning Jack Furlong Quartet.  Since 2006, the quartet has recorded 3 albums (And That Happened, Jazzeration, and Bunnies in Limbo.) His most recent recording, Charity, is a duet with Sean Gough, piano and features Christian hymns performed in a jazz setting. The title of Charity was chosen because all the proceeds from the CD sales were donated to 3 local charities.

Music is not the only way where Jack spends his time.  He is an avid baseball fan and local baseball umpire. In 2013 he founded the OSIP Foundation.  OSIP stands for Outstanding Sportsmanship is Paramount.  Its mission is 1) To provide financial aid and assistance to those affected by acts of aggression due to poor sportsmanship and/or fanship, and
2) To raise awareness of the need for better sportsmanship in all capacities throughout sports.
Jack ultimately believes that all sporting events and competitions in life can be held without malice and with respect for all involved.  A very noble desire and foundation created by Jack.

The Howe Commons (www.howecommons.com) is a beautiful place to listen to a concert.  The property is made up of five spacious buildings with plenty of off-street parking that blended with the quaint Colonial feeling of the town. The finished product squared off the Commons, creating a dramatic town square that accentuates the historic center-piece of the property, the Abey Building – originally a residential mansion. These common areas heightened the aesthetic appeal and provide a beautiful backdrop for any performance.

I know the concert is going to be great and a fun way to spend a Sunday evening in August. If you are able to come, it is advised to bring a lawn chair.  If the weather is iffy that day and you are unsure about making the trip, give me a call and I can let you know if it is postponed or not. You can reach me on my cell at 908-619-4502.  I hope to see you there!!!

For well over 30 years, Ken Brader and his holiday brass have entertained audiences throughout the Lehigh Valley area.  Holiday shoppers at our various performance locations have been treated with a little extra holiday cheer as they make their way through the malls. As the member with the longest tenure in the ensemble, it has been a great pleasure to share this wonderful music with so many.  Due to the many logistical issues that arise when trying to schedule performances, the group only performs during the Christmas Season.  Because of such a limited schedule, it seems like there is always a lot of anticipation to play, but, once it arrives, is over so fast and we are left with anticipating the next year.

Since its inception, the membership of the ensemble has certainly grown.  In fact, over the past several years the range of members has been anywhere from 35-50.  But, with scheduling being a constant issue, it can be difficult to get everyone to play from year to year.  While everyone raves at the glorious sound created by the trumpets, flugel horns, baritone horns, trombones, and tuba, the entire show lasts only about 20 minutes.  It always leaves the audience wanting more.  After this past show schedule in December, another longtime member, Jeff Vacha, suggested to me that we create a professional recording of the group and make a CD.  We have no really good recording except those taken from a mall performance.  But, as you can expect, there is always extraneous talking and noise from the mall which gets captured on the recording.  I brought the idea to Ken and the group and it was met with a great deal of enthusiasm and excitement. We would finally be able to take this great sound into the studio and record a clean wonderful sounding CD of our music.  We settled on Saturday, July 15^th and scheduled the session in the Bethel Memorial Baptist Church in Easton, Pa.  We worked with D Freeman, engineer and owner of Sonlight Productions in Perkasie, Pa. Their website is www.sonlightproductions.net.  D is a consummate professional and was extremely great to work with.  He understood our needs and desires and made sure we were happy.  One of our members, Rachel Ewaniuk, works with D on projects and recordings so it was good to have a member who knows our music to play a key role in the recording.  It needs to be stated that the cost of the recording was generously donated by D and his studio.  We are so very thankful to D and everyone at Sonlight Productions for donating their time and service to our project.  We could not have done this without your generosity.

We were blessed with a great day and everyone was excited to be a part of such a wonderful project.  I believe you can never take life for granted.  The fact that this group has played for so many years and just now we are able to record it really is proof of how Ken and his music creation has stood the test of time.  The initial listen in the headphones really sounded awesome and I cannot wait to share the finished product with you.  The joy and camaraderie with everyone in the room was just such a blessing.  It was also a great day for Ken as he was also able to hear his music be recorded for the world to hear.  Although it took several hours, we are so happy to have a product that will last forever.

The goal of the project is not to sell the CD but to give them away.  We want to be able to share the joyful music with those who have been longtime supporters or those who are unable anymore to come out to hear our group.  Everyone in the ensemble will receive a copy and we will have copies on hand when we perform in December.  Stay tuned for more info as I will announce once the final edits have been made and the copies are ready.  A HUGE thank you to everyone who participated and sacrificed time on their Saturday to be a part of this!

The group is comprised of myself on trumpet, Rick Case on drums, Joe DeMaio on bass, Oscar Duarte on auxiliary percussion and Jennie Tielman on piano.  Jennie was unable to make it so Linda Pettinelli (my sister) filled in quite ably for her. We played “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” and “When the Roll is Called Up Yonder”.  This was the first time that our jazz quintet has performed outside of Bethel.  When the coffee house date was set, I thought it would be great to include this group to have an opportunity to perform for a different audience away from the church campus.”

The members of the group beside myself mainly only perform with the praise team at the church.  So, when this opportunity came along, I knew it would be a great chance to get out of our comfort zone. I’ve always believed that anytime an ensemble or performer has a chance to play outside of their regular spot, it can only strengthen them. When you go to a venue that is new, there is a sense of uncertainty and you don’t always know what to expect. It actually draws everyone closer because the only thing that you can rely on initially is each other.  It is natural if you are in an unfamiliar place to cling to what you are comfortable with.  So I thought from this aspect it would be a nice bonding experience for all of us.  Then, when you begin to perform you know it sounds a little different and that forces your ears to be even more focused to what is going on.  This is always my favorite part.  When you begin to hear your music and it sounds a little different than the way it usually does, it allows you to take more chances and develop more creativity.  I believe the members of the quintet did just that on Saturday.  I felt Oscar was playing more unique rhythmic patterns and whether he recognized it or not, was branching out and expanding on the parts he normally plays. The same was true with Rick. I felt his drumming had a different vibe to it as he added some neat new grooves to both songs.  Both added a nice touch to the music allowing us to really feed off of one another.  All of these experiences I believe, will help us in the future as we continue to grow and build on the success we are having. Overall, we are most happy to be able to Glorify the Lord through our music! We were very grateful to have the opportunity.

In addition to performing, I also had the privilege of running sound and lights.  I had recently purchased some new LED lighting so I was excited to be able to use them. Memorial Hall, which is used for Sunday school, the boy scouts and an occasional covered dish was transformed so nicely with the ambiance and feel of a real coffee house.

The night was awesome. Everyone had fun, loved the entertainment and enjoyed reminiscing with the trivia contest.  As I said, “It was a great night for the church”!  The mission aside, the fact that it was a miserable rainy Saturday and yet still drew a record crowd is a great sign of strength and growth occurring within Pilgrim.  As of now, there is talk of wanting to schedule another coffee house in October.  I am already looking forward to it with plans to grow the event even more.

More information regarding the Presbyterian Coffee Project of Equal Exchange and Fairly Traded Coffee can be found on the website http://equalexchange.coop/pcusa