Dan Gabel TAG Band, Taddeo Anadolis Gabel

Dan Gabel trombone/vocals, Nikolas Anadolis  piano, and Steve Taddeo drums

Blackstone Valley Music students opened with a fine a capella Trio, Vito Caccavelli guitar/voice, Nathaniel Thompson voice,  Jane Walker violin/voice

Nathaniel Thompson voice, Vito Caccavelli guitar/voice, Jane Walker violin/voice

Wee Dark Engine Room:
In that wee dark engine room,
Where the chill seeps through your soul,
How we huddled round that wee pot stove
That burned oily rags and coal.

How the winter blizzards blow, and the whaling fleet’s at rest,
Tucked in Leigh harbor’s sheltered bay, safely anchored ten abreast.
The whalers at their stations, as from she’d to she’d they go,
Carry little bags of coal with them, and a little iron stove.

They sang every chorus, taking us on the ship with this powerful, warm song about a little iron stove. They closed with Amazing Grace, a well known spiritual.  We’re thankful to Blackstone Valley Music for encouraging these young musicians in their love of music!

Dan Gabel’s Tag Trio was the feature – Tag for Taddeo, Anadolis, and Gabel.

Dan Gabel TAG Trio

Nikolas Anadolis is from Greece, and had just returned from playing piano in Romania and Germany.  A fine trio they are, and definitely enjoy playing the music of the 30’s and 40’s. They added some new material, and a few Folk songs from various countries.

Dan Gabel, crooner

They began with their theme, Whispering, Dan Gabel beginning with the verse, crooning in his best Bing.

Dan Gabel brings out Tommy Dorsey.

All of Me, was a “good ol’ good one” with Nikolas’ flying fingers all over the piano, Taddeo playing boom-chick softly with brushes.  From the mid-20’s, If I Had You brought out the Tommy Dorsey sound.

Steve Taddeo using soft brushes on drums

They moved to Cole Porter tunes, always good terrain, with two pop tunes and one not so well known.  Dan really laying it on thick like Eddy Cantor in the 1928, Let’s Do It, Let’s Fall In Love, winding it up in a British accent.

Cole Porter’s 1946 I Love You in a rhumba beat, Nikolas exhibiting his classical training.  From 1956 High Society, the seldom heard I Love You Samantha.  Found a New Baby, tom tom drums took the intro, with Dan on growling trombone, Taddeo let loose on drums.

Nikolas stretched out on this solo with Hoagie Carmichael’s Nearness of You.
Classic Masterpiece!

A played a Greek folk tune that Nik taught Dan translates to Leave Your Cares to the Wind.   Love Is Just Around The Corner, was recorded by guitarist George Van Epps around 1946-49 with drummer Nick Fatool, (born in Millville MA in 1915).

They left us with a parting song, Fat Waller’s fabulous Honeysuckle Rose, delightful piano, Taddeo still on brushes.  (He never let the full Gene Krupa loose the way he usually does.)  The audience still said this was the finest performance they’ve heard in this series of Music at Mendon.

Music at Mendon is supported by the Congregation with some grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.  This was the last presentation for the year; they will return in March 2014, and we’re sure there’s be some form of Dan Gabel Trio!

Steve Taddeo has his own Swing Senders Swing band in Waltham, and also Directs the Dick Donovan Big Band Monday nights at the American Legion, 140 River Rd. Middleton MA.

Dan Gable and The Abletones Big Band play on the first Friday of the month at the Scandinavian Athletic Center at 438 Lake St. in Shrewsbury at 7:30pm

Nikolas Anadolis attended music academies in Greece. He applied to the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he received a full International Presidential Scholarship. www.nikolasjazz.com//. 

Nik & Dan will be playing in a Community Outreach Program, spreading cheer all over New England over the coming Holidays.  Watch for them!