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

Steel Stacks, Bethelehem, Pa. (www.steelstacks.org)

In the historic South Side of Bethlehem, the Steel Stacks building and Levitt Pavilion have really grown to offer a lot of choices and activities to any person or family.  By clicking EVENTS on the subheading on the home page you can see a wide variety of free and ticketed events.  Events such as Arlo Guthrie, Matthew Morrison and comedians Ben Bailey and Rob Schneider, to name a few, are slated for this summer and fall. But what is so nice about Steel Stacks is the amount of other non-musical entertainment available.  From tours, to family programming, any visitor or even local is bound to find something they will enjoy.

Sands Event Center, Bethlehem, Pa. (www.sandseventcenter.com/events/)

Located within walking distance of the Steel stacks property is the Bethlehem Sands Casino and event center. The event center has planned some eclectic and diverse entertainment this summer and is certainly worth checking out.  Or, you can go to the Molten Lounge in the Sands Casino and check out their weekly slate of free entertainment. (www.pasands.com/nightlife/molten.html)

MusikFest Bethlehem, Pa. (www.musikfest.org/lineup/)

I would be neglecting probably one of the biggest music festivals in the country if I did not mention MusikFest. With over 500 concerts in a 10-day festival, MusikFest offers a wide range of performances both free and ticketed for just about any musical taste. Click on the website and you can clearly see where and when your favorite act will be performing.

www.lehighvalleymarketplace.com/the-sounds-of-summer/

This website is a good general site which offers you a lot of choices and information for each choice and venue.  It is worth taking a look at.

www.mcall.com/entertainment/mc-summer-band-concerts-lehigh-valley-20170506-story.html

If you are into local bands of all types, there are a lot of choices for that too.  Click on the link above and you will find from Easton to Catasauqua, Bethlehem to Macungie, a large list of venues and scheduled performances.  This alone is enough to tire anyone out!

www.discoverlehighvalley.com/events/major-events-festivals/

If fairs and festivals are your thing, discover Lehigh valley has a list of 21 different events, which offer great food, music and activities for family, friends or just yourself.  This is a great resource for activity in the greater Lehigh Valley.

Mt. Airy Casino & Resort  (www.mountairycasino.com/entertainment/)

The Poconos are about 30 miles North of the Lehigh Valley and also feature a wide range of activity both indoors and out for you to take advantage of.  Perhaps my next blog will focus more on the Poconos and the treasure trove of great things the region offers. In the meantime,  Mt. Airy Casino and Resort is a hot spot with a lot of activity and entertainment nightly and including special event concerts.  If you are thinking family or doing something with friends, check out this website: www.poconomountains.com/things-to-do/adventure-bucketlist/summer/  The summer bucket list for the Pocono area gives you a list of cool activities available to you.

There is so much more I could list here. The greater Lehigh Valley and even a little further out, it is just filled with so many options of things to do.  If you ever say, “there is nothing to do tonight”, you probably aren’t looking because with just a little amount of searching, you can really open up a ton of possibilities. Plus, this is without mentioning any of the many shopping areas, food choices and parks.  Phew, I am tired just thinking of all these possibilities!

Best of luck in finding what you are looking for this summer!!

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

There are many times when there is just nothing to do on a Saturday night. You may look for something, but, there is always a catch or something holding you back. So, you just end up staying home. Well, look no further! If you want a great opportunity to enjoy music, food and fellowship all in a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere, then you really need to consider coming to the The Redwood Café Coffee House held at the Pilgrim Presbyterian Church in Phillipsburg, NJ on Saturday, May 13th from 6:30pm-8:30pm. This is the third coffee house hosted by the church. The evening features musical performances from church and community members as well as a trivia competition all along with light refreshments and great coffee or tea. The two they held previously have been packed and drew great praise for such a wonderful evening. Not only did it give people a chance to enjoy a night of awesome music, but it also served as a great night for the church. I have been a part of this event since the beginning as I provided sound and lighting for the first two as well as assisting with the musical presentations. I am happy to say that I will be joining in on the fun and performing this time. I will be playing with the jazz ensemble from the Bethel Memorial Baptist Church as we have a few traditional hymns set in a neat jazz style.

The event, which is titled “The Redwood Café” was started in 2015 to provide a great night of gathering and fellowship for the church and local community. But, it also served a great mission called The Presbyterian Coffee Project. The mission offers a special link between congregations and communities around the world. Churches can now reach out to neighbors overseas not only with the prayers and offerings, but with the goods and products we purchase. A warm cup of coffee (or tea) in our hands is perhaps the most tangible daily connection we have with farmers around the world. It represents warmth, hospitality, fellowship, hard work and life’s pleasures both fine and simple.

Buying ‘fair trade’ through the Presbyterian Coffee Project ensures that more of the money we spend on coffee reaches the hardworking farmers who actually grow it. Fair trade far surpasses the temporary assistance provided to farmers through charity. Instead, the ongoing business of long-term, fair trade relationships consistently contributes to the living conditions of farmers, their families and their communities. Cooperatives use profits from fair trade coffee sales to establish community development or improvement programs such as schools, health clinics and training in areas such as leadership development. Fair trade farmers tend to use environmentally friendly growing practices — such as organic farming, composting and shade growing (interspersing coffee trees among other plants) — all of which benefit the farmers, the land and the quality of the coffee.

As you can see, this is a great mission. Fair Trade coffee will be for sale that night as well as an opportunity to purchase. Snacks will be available as well. There is a free will offering which helps to support this mission. If the first two events are any indication, you will definitely have a great time. I would strongly urge you to tell your friends. You won’t be disappointed.

Saturday, May 13, 2017
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Pilgrim Presbyterian Church
750 Belvidere Rd., Phillipsburg, NJ
Free Will Offering

Join us for an evening of
Live Music
Food, Fellowship
& Love for Social Justice

Fair Trade Coffee and Tea will be available.
Fair Trade Coffee is a Presbyterian Mission used to aid overseas farmers
in helping them and their community grow.

If you would like more information, please call the church at 908-859-1052

www.pilgrimpcusa.org

PLEASE MARK THIS DATE ON YOUR CALENDAR!!
••IT WILL BE A GREAT NIGHT••

I know it is the way of life today and our technology has driven our lives for the past 10 years. But, there are dangers to messaging texting and posting.  When you can sit behind a screen or phone and say something without looking at the person, as we have seen on many occasions, what can be said is often vile, cruel and hurtful.  Things we would not say in person but feel the safety of a screen to hide behind.  Is this really great for our culture? Can the young minds of today actually verbally communicate with each other?  I don’t think so.  Is our youth growing up learning to help and work with others?  I really can’t say for sure.  What would they do if social media didn’t exist?  Would they know how to handle interpersonal relationships?

Another example of being lost in a phone happened last year in Polk County, Florida.  A 27-year-old woman was walking on a sidewalk and approached a railroad crossing.  With the train approaching and the conductor blowing the whistle, she continued to walk looking down texting not having any idea that a 100ton train was coming.  Well, sure enough, she NEVER looked up and was hit by the train and thrown several feet. Here is the YouTube clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ClUvrz-7pA   She was treated for a broken arm and other trauma. No other info was given on her condition.  But I cannot, for the life of me, understand how you can walk by a crossing and not even think about looking up for the train especially with a loud horn blowing.  Didn’t we all learn to look both ways before crossing?  Oh wait, that was the 1980’s.  What is on the phone that is so important to not even consider looking where you are going?

The news reporter for the story didn’t say whether or not the phone survived.

Can we Talk????