Mix with Rockefellers

Tin Pan in the form of Chris Pistorino-Bass, Sean Condron-Guitar, and Jesse Selengut – trumept/vocals played over on the 64th of Rockerfeller Center last night in the Rainbow Room. It was the cocktail hour for the Atlantic Theaters annual spring gala. Very classy affair – tuxedoed bartenders, fine stemware – all the gauzy showiness that one would expect.

Getting to the gig was a mini-adventure. Each of us had to go down to the basement and check in with a uniformed, thick-accented, east german sounding security official sitting behind a large elevated desk. I had to say “Tin Pan” to him about 5 times before he got it right. He spelled Sean’s name “Shon Cordon” It was all a little Kafka-eske. No matter.

We all arrived in good form – the only downside was the weather. We were up in the clouds. What is assuredly a great view was just a thick curtain of gauzy whiteness. When we did “Putting on the Ritz” Sean promised to refrain from his “Tourettic” vocalization that imitate Peter Boyle in Young Frankenstein. Instead he kept saying “putting on the ritz” like some white wigged British dandy.

Here’s a photo of Chris and Sean exiting the building. Sean is “putting on the ritz.”

Banjo Jim’s – Gordon Webster-piano, Cassidy Holden – bass, Adrian Cunningham – clarinet, Nick Russo – banjo/guitar, Jesse Selengut – trumpet/vocals

Another stellar night of music from this A-list crew. Where to start. My voice is still shredded from Friday night’s party so I must of sounded like Tom Waits on crack 🙂 Folks kept giving me compliments about it though so I must be doing something right. Some highlights: We played Tishomingo real real slow and Adrian took the sweetest prettiest solo on it. At one point (was it this tune?) he did a soft and very long – 5 or 6 bars – 2 and a half octave gliss. nice. I wrote a new verse for Careless Love while singing it:

The strangest tales are sad and true.
My life was plain till I met you.
Careless love taught me the blues.
Just hand me my walking shoes.
Gone home to my old lady tell her the news.

We did a great bluesy version of “Old Rugged Cross” that was very special and also a slamming “Bill Baily” as a closer. The rest of the band dropped out for Gordon to his thing and he really demonstrated the full breadth of his badness! He kept shifting the tempo, changing keys for a few bars at a time, weaving together great rhythms. It’s always a thrill when a musician can do something so clever and surprising that everyone in the room laughs and says “wow.” Gordon, you’re on it, man.