Winiker Band with Cyndy Gale
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| Dave Whitney was
scheduled for this afternoon, but couldn't make it. We were
fortunate to have The Winiker Band again at the Sherborn Inn's very
successful Senior Luncheon, and it was great food, great fun, and great entertainment.
Bo Winiker on trumpet, flugelhorn and more, Bill Winiker on
drums, Neil Greene on piano and Cyndy Gale vocals. Brother Bill
was the MC for this afternoon.
He promised a panorama of great American Music, Jazz, Broadway, and Pop. They delivered that, even some opera. They opened with a tune that needs no introduction, There's No Business Like Show Business, with Cyndy on vocals, followed by It's Almost Like Being in Love, from Brigadoon, which opened in NY in 1947. They had not pre-planned the tunes for this afternoon, but with the rain falling intermittently, Bo thought the Butch Cassidy-Sundance Kid tune Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head would be appropriate. Bo vocals on this one. Moving to American Jazz (now they're in OUR territory) they did a fine rendition of Fats Waller's Ain't Misbehavin'. Sitting at Ross Petot's piano, Neil instilled a little bit of stride, just for us, with Bo on jazzy trumpet. Then he moved to a sweet, mellow flugelhorn, expertly interpolating a bit of Isn't It Romantic. Super tune. One of many this afternoon. |
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Neil discovered the beautiful and talented Cyndy in the Practice Room at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston when he was a student there. She has been singing for this band ever since. With roots in opera, she favored us with one of Pucini's sadder pieces. Excellent! Bo said "Someday we'll do a whole day of George and Ira Gershwin". Not a bad idea. We settled for Cyndy's heartfelt rendering of Embraceable You, aptly assisted by Neil on piano. This fella knows how to support a vocalist! That's a gift.
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| A frequent
customer at the Inn, 'Queen' Lynn usually
sits on her 'thrown' beside the piano - but this afternoon that area
was filled many Senior Citizens, so this time Lynn was next to the drummer. Her favorite song is
All Of
Me, and All the bands at the Sherborn Inn are required to
play it - and they do. (We're kidding - they do it because
they all love her.)
Bo introduced it as a 'rousing, rollicking classic" - and they made it one, then segued to a jazzy Chicago, piano and trumpet trading fours on a medley of tunes before returning to Chicago. They stayed in 'Chicago' for another fantastic jazzy tune from that Play - All That Jazz. Fabulous - with Bo skillfully moving from a wa wa to a growling trumpet. Bo is the consummate showman - first on trumpet, then on flugelhorn, then he pulled out a melodica. Melodica??? It looks like a miniature accordion but is played by blowing through a tube for a stirring version of Mancini's Moon River. Beautiful! |
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| Bo and Bill were
raised in nearby Millis, where their grandfather had a large poultry
farm (supplying some to Frank Perdue.) They often listened to
the radio, 1964 - Louis Armstrong's Hello Dolly. Bo
wore that vinyl out! Picked up some pointers too - he has
captured the style and essence of Louis, playing fine trumpet,
complete with handkerchief, and singing in Louis's voice.
Impressive
interpretation. The band honored a request for New York, New York, with Cyndy on vocal, segueing to Putting on the Ritz, Bill rim-tapping then using the brushes. Nice. While in New York they took us to 42nd Street, then to a show-stopping vocal by Cyndy on Memory, from "Cats". She was absolutely incredible!
The band did a full 180 with some Hip Hop. They felt we should be aware of what's going on in 'Today's music' with the top selling, and most down-loaded song of the day, Tic Toc. The Winiker Party Band presents live entertainment for parties of any sort, helps you celebrate personal milestones, anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, holidays, even office events, and is one of the top favorite wedding bands in the Greater Boston Area. They play EVERY kind of music! Just name your music. Bo said Tic Toc is the most requested song at wedding receptions. (We have no comment.) Time for the sing along. Having been through this before, we were prepared. The Bells Are Ringing, I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Heart of My Heart; by this time the whole room was into it. Some Jolson tunes. Then It Had To Be You. Give My Regards to Broadway - Bill heavy into military drumming. It's a Grand Ol' Flag, Yankee Doodle Dandy. Then to cover all bases - Dixie. California Here I Come, I've Been Working on the Railroad, Saints. (But there was no marching around with the whole audience strutting behind them, like they did when they were here one Thursday Spotlight!) Give Me That Old Time Religion. God Bless America. Take Me Out to the Ballgame. - - - Did we miss any?? Breaktime. The band had been playing continuously for 1 1/2 hours. Some of the Senior vans started loading up - but most stayed to the bitter end. The musicians had a chance to mingle with the very large crowd and met a couple from Scotland who were here visiting their daughter. So for the half-hour 'late show', the band welcomed them with a Loch Lomon medley. We were taken back to the 60's with Tijuana Brass's Whipped Cream. WOW! Look out Herb Alpert! Phenomenal trumpet! They stayed in the 60's with a high-spirited vocal by Cyndy, Put a Little Love in Your Heart. That's exactly what this band does! Lunch was over - time to move on. What, already?? They picked an appropriate Cole Porter tune for the finale, thrusting us from this pleasing, peaceful afternoon back out into the real world, where Anything Goes. You may hear two Winiker Bands every Sunday at brunch - Bill takes half the orchestra to Skipjack's Seafood Emporium, 199 Clarendon St. Boston, MA (617) 536-4949, where the band has been playing for about 19 years; and Bo takes the other half to the newer Skipjack's Seafood Restaurant, 226 Patriot's Place, Foxboro, MA next to Gillette Stadium, 508-543-2200. Bonne Appetite! www.skipjacks.com .
Today's brunch was the 4th successful Senior Music Luncheon at the Sherborn Inn. The program is offered the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month. Johnson & Wales Chef Paul Walsh serves lunch beginning at 11:30 A.M. Music is from noon until 2:00 P.M. Admission is $20.00 which includes the lunch, music, tax and gratuity. The music will range from Dixieland and Swing to Jazz, Pop, and Semi-Classical. For groups of 15 or more, admission is $18.00 per person. Reservations: Call Phil Cocco 508-655-9521 or gm@sherborninn.com .
May 12 – Lisa Marie and “All Shook Up” May 26 – John
Clark & Friends |
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© New England Traditional Jazz Plus
Milford MA 01757
http://www.nejazz.com
email
marce@nejazz.com
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By Marce, April 30, 2010