Ken Becka throws out the first pitch at the Indians game 9 June 2009

It was a galla event as Ken Becka got to throw out the first pitch before the Indians/Royals game on June 9. The event drew a large crowd of family, friends, and assorted knuckleheads as Kenny actually got the ball over the plate!

Marcia Ball @ the Beachland Ballroom 5 June 2009

Blues diva Marcia Ball and her band gave her legion of Northern Ohio fans another great show on her yearly visit to Cleveland. Last Friday's concert at the Beachland featured new songs off her "Peace, Love, and BBQ" album; more than a few past favorites including "La Ti Da" and "Crawfishin'"; as well as a couple of New Orleans standards. The full house in attendance loved every minute of it, whether it was sitting still listening to a beautiful ballad or up on their feet dancing to a boogie number.
Often praised for her piano playing, she is just as good of a singer, whether it’s a New Orleans dancing in the street number or a soulful version of Randy Newman's "Louisiana 1927." The new material sounded very good, especially "Party Town" that got everyone up and shouting, and three beautiful ballads, "Fallin' Back in Love with You," "Ride it Out," and "I Wish You Well."
She was backed by a four-piece band, including long time bass player Don Bennett, guitarist Andrew Nafzigel, drummer Corey Keller, and saxophonist Thad Scott.
Marcia Ball is one of the living legends of American roots music. She has won numerous Blues Music Awards, and is considered by many to be the finest piano player in the music industry. Northern Ohio fans will get a rare second chance this summer to see her as she will return on August 8 to be a part of "Ladies of the Blues" at Lock 3 in downtown Akron. For more information on Marcia Ball, her music and touring schedule, visit www.marciaball.com.
As always there are so many good shows coming up at the Beachland. I'm really looking forward to the return of singer/songwriter Josh Ritter on July 5; a rare solo appearance of songwriter Jimmy Webb on July 10; and blues dynamo Candye Kane on August 5. Check out www.beachlandballroom.com for all that is happening at that great club.
The photos were taken at Sokolowski's University Inn before the show, and shows the lovely Ms. Ball with her favorite Cleveland fan, as well as her favorite local chefs Mike and Bernie Sokolowski.

Rhys Miller at Nighttown 19 May 2009

Another local kid made good returned to Nighttown last week, as vocalist Rhys Miller entertained a crowd of friends, family, fans, and jazz lovers last Tuesday night. Backed by a talented band led by pianist Jackie Warren, Miller performed two sets of standards and personal favorites, helped along the way with same guest appearances by some old friends.
Amongst the classics Miller tackled were "Being in Love," "Quiet Nights Loving You," "Angel Eyes," "A Night in Tunisia," and "A Day in the Life of a Fool." More contemporary material included a slow, jazz arrangement of The Police's "Roxanne," and a similar arrangement of U2's "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking for."
Miller is a large man with a beautiful voice, with more than a little Billy Eckstine, and a touch of Sam Cooke, in it. His band at Nighttown included not only Jackie Warren on piano, but also Sammy DeLeon on percussion, Kim Reed on bass, and Ron Godale on drums. He was joined several times over the course of the evening by some old friends who are in the oldies band Generation Gap, guitarist Dave Schock and vocalist Julie Fogel, joined Miller in a very good version of James Taylor's "Her Town Too."
I really enjoyed the show, and I think the rest of the audience did too.
For more about Rhys Miller and his music, he plans to return to Nighttown later in the summer, check out www.myspace.com/rhysmillermusic. As always, there are a lot of good things coming up at Nighttown, including organist Tony Monaco and his trio on May 28; Irish vocalist Moya Brennan on June 3; and the great guitarist Duke Robillard on June 20. Visit www.nighttowncleveland.com for more information.

Dave Ritz at Wilbert's 6 May 2009

Cleveland product Dave Ritz, formerly of Genuine Son, did a solo set last Wednesday opening up for Los Angeles singer/songwriter Tony Lucca at Wilbert's. Ritz's nine song set included songs from his Genuine Son days, some new originals, and a cover of Dave Matthews' "#41."


Ritz's music influences stretch from the classic rock days of Billy Joel and Tom Petty, to current artists like Matthews. Performing with just an acoustical guitar he put on a show that started good, and got better as it went along. Much of his music could be called love songs for twentysomethings -- for that time in life after high school and after college, but when life is still filled with a lot of insecurity and fear of the future. His songwriting shows he is a pretty good observer of post-college life in 2009.


"Whiskey and Wine" is a signature tune from his Genuine Son days, although it sounded good solo probably doesn't get its total affect without a full band. "Eddie Casino," another catchy tune, probably needed a full band behind it also. "Scars of Money" was the best song of the evening, and "The Joker's Mine" had a bit of Paul Simon during his Graceland period funk to it. The closer was "Goodbye," which told of an end of a summer romance.


Ritz was comfortable and affable on stage, and although looking quite youthful you can sense he's been around a bit. He's currently working on a release called Smoke with his new band, The Riders. You can learn more about Smoke, Ritz and his band by checking out http://www.DaveRitzMusic.com.


Here's hoping we see and hear more of him around town in the near future... and with a full band backing him up.


Wilbert's has a fundraiser coming up for the Cleveland Blues Society on Sunday, May 24, featuring Madison Crawl, Crazy Marvin, and the Real Deal Blues Band. For information about all Wilbert's shows check out http://www.WilbertsMusic.com.

Gypsy Relic "Paycheck to Paycheck"

A pleasant surprise was receiving a promo copy of local rockers Gypsy Relic's first full length CD release "Paycheck to Paycheck." The band's name for some reason gave me visions of eighties metal, which I'm not a huge fane of, but I was quite surprised when I finally got it into the CD player.
Gypsy Relic is a three piece outfit made up of Dann Jasko on guitar and vocals, Brad Thompson on bass, and Chris Szuch on drums. They play all original music, blue collar rock and roll with a touch of jazz and a bit of hip hop. Bands with this line up are immediately compared to Cream, or local favorites the James Gang and Glass Harp. Those are some pretty tough comparisons, but these guys can hold their own. "Pink Hair and Polka Dot Shoes" is a great song, and "If You Leave Me Here Again," "Home," and May Never" aren't that far behind. Jasko is solid on guitar, and Thompson and Szuch give him a strong bass line to keep things moving forward.
The band has some shows coming up, including before and after the Tribe game on June 27 at Wilbert's. I'm anxious to see if they are as strong live as they are on this disc. For more information visit www.GypsyRelic.com.

Jonah Koslen and Stage Pass Now at the Winchester 18 April 2009

Jonah Koslen brought his latest project to the Winchester in Lakewood last Saturday night, a night of classic rock featuring all the songs off the 1977 MSB album Stage Pass, as well as some other old gems from Koslen's career with both MSB and Breathless.
This time around Koslen brought with him a veteran crew of local and regional musicians including Donny Thompson on drums, former Beau Coup member Bill March sharing guitar and vocals, Rik Willinger on keyboards and a variety of other things, and former Easy Streeter Van Eidum on drums.
I wasn't sure the concept for the evening, playing all the songs from Stage Pass in the order they appeared, without the rest of the original principals was going to work. But, for the most part it did. Koslen did most of the vocals, but everyone else pitched in a song or two, the musicianship was solid, and the strength of the songs overshadowed any rough spots.
Amongst the highlights were the Koslen originals "Nothings Gonna Change My Mind" (which the band did twice, the second time as the last encore); "Waste a Little Time on Me," and, of course, the album's closer "Strike Up the Band." His guitar work also shined on "Calcutta Auction," "Moving Right Along," and "Let's Get the Show on the Road." Bill March did a good job filling in for Michael Stanley on a few of the vocals, and Willinger did more than a fine job with the Daniel Pecchio flute solo that opens "Moving Right Along."
The band also through in a few Koslen tunes from early MSB albums, including "Angel Eyes," "Blue Jean Boy," and "Ladies Choice." The encore included the Breathless standards "Walk Right In" and "Taking It Back." The almost capaicity crowd of forty and fifty somethings really enjoyed the evening.
Before he heads up to the islands this summer to do his one man band thing, Koslen with this line up will be doing several more Stage Pass shows in the area. Go to www.jonahkoslen.com for more info.
It had been a while since I had been to the Winchester, but every time I do I see improvements in the club. They've redone the bathrooms, and the walls in the front bar are getting filled with some great photos of some of the performers who have graced their stage. Keep up the good work! As always, they have a lot of good things coming up, including Nashville singer/songwriter Darrell Scott on April 24; blues diva Kristine Jackson on May 1; the Sultans of Bing on May 2; Vambo Rools, a Alex Harvey Tribute band, on May 9; and the legendary Shawn Phillips on May 23. Visit www.winchester.net for more information.
The photo at left is courtesy of www.JonahKoslen.com

The Lady With All the Answers, the Cleveland Play House, 1 April 2009

The Lady With All the Answers, a one-woman show starring Mimi Kennedy, is currently playing at the Cleveland Play House until April 19. The very entertaining play tells the story of columnist Ann Landers, and is a very good look at not only her life but her rivalry with her twin sister (Dear Abbey for those who don't know); her own marriage which ended after over thirty years when her husband left her for a younger woman; and the times she lived and wrote.
Mimi Kennedy is outstanding, as she runs around the stage telling story after story, as well as a fair amount of inter action with the audience. She shares laughs and tears, as well as Ann Landers' opinions on topics such as the women's movement, gun control, and the war in Vietnam. Among the best stories are when Ms. Landers appeared on a talk show with Linda Lovelace, and her commentary on politicians of the time period like Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, and Richard Nixon.
This is a great piece of theater and I highly recommend it, especially for those of us who lived during the time when everyone did read Ann Landers.
The Play House will be wrapping up their season with a production of Thornton Wilder's Heaven's My Destination in the Drury Theater from April 24 until May 17, and their third annual FusionFest from April 29 until May 10. This year you can buy a $99 FusionFest pass that is good for all events and parking. Call 216.795.7000 ext. 4 for more information.
It has been another very good season at the Play House, and it is not too late to spend an enjoyable night of theater there before it is over. For more information check out www.clevelandplayhouse.com.