Found music in Berlin. Organ grinder on market day near Winterfeldplatz. Bagpiper by Alexanderplatz. Guitarist by River Spree. Vibraphone by St. Mathias Church. Vibraphone video sample below. 
Tag: jazz
PETER KING AND THE FAST FRIENDS BAND
Fun time listening to Peter King and Fast Friends Band –
Live Music Saturday night in Aspinwall across the Allegheny River at The Tavern in the Wall.
Peter King
Fast Friends
Mark Perna on Bass.
Eric Kurtzrock on Drums.
Marc Reisman on Harmonica.
Playing the Blues.
He’s the One With the Post-It on His Head
My son Matthew in a Croatian TV Commercial
It’s just 30 seconds long. Not sure if the link will work.
Link to One-of-a-Kind Cake Topper Slide Show
Here is the link to the New York Times Style Slide Show.
There was a call to submit an unusual cake or cake-topper so I submitted one via Instagram from a wedding where I was a guest on Valentine’s Day 2010. It was exciting that it got chosen from the entries.
The Times called the bride, whose cake it was on, to get her permission to use it and hear the story of the cake topper.
It’s the second photo of the slide show with the story in the caption below but just in case…………..
The special story was told by Charlotte Rowell Sellier, granddaughter of Matthew and Catharine Walsh.
It was on top of her grandparents wedding cake on Valentine’s Day 1942
and then on Charlottes and Joel’s Valentine’s Day wedding cake in 2010.
You can read how the cake topper was used by the Walsh’s four daughters and then by all their granddaughters. A wonderful heirloom and family tradition. Lots of LOVE!
Charlotte’s Grandfather, Matthew Walsh, owned Jimmy Ryan’s Jazz Club in New York City.
This photo is a bit different from the one posted in the Times.
Here you can see the entire cake but the topper is hidden behind the hearts.
You might remember the post Wedding Flowers in the Snow, the year of the Giant Snowstorm .
xxooxxooxxooxxooxxooxxooxxooxxooxxooxxooxxooxxooxxooxxooxxooxxooxxooxxooxxooxxooxxooxxoox
(Our friend Joanne thought it would be interesting to see even more cake toppers and their stories so feel free to send them with a pic to me and I will post them in a gallery.)
Uncle Matty Sings the Christmas Blues
Everyone is happy that Matthew is visiting from Zagreb. He’s either playing the guitar or the piano, telling big brother-little brother stories to his nephews as they fall off to sleep or trying to beat Mark’s Father-in-Law Donald at 360XBox College Football. He helps wash the dishes and keeps us laughing and entertained.
Here are some Matthew moments for the blog followers in Croatia, wondering why he isn’t on the blog!
I hope to get a photo with him before he leaves. We’ll see. It feels good to have everyone together, even for a short time.
Singing the Christmas Blues – Erika’s Mom Marlene on the floor by the tree
Christmas morning. He likes his new hat, fresh off the needles.
Playing with the new Turkey and Fox Puppets with niece Anna (10)
With sister Laura and her husband James at dinner last Saturday night- Spinach Pie on the right
When we were working on the Awkward Photos
Matty with Mark and Laura Christmas Night right before Laura and James went home.
And Matthew wasn’t keen on being the main feature of the blog. So here is one more photo of the grandchildren on Christmas Eve to share the post.
Maura Anna Jack and Michael
Music and Chocolate Cake in Zagreb, Croatia
So I got home from my weekend in Ohio, Sunday night with no chance to photograph the neighborhood for the weekly photo challenge as it was dark outside. Changing the clocks didn’t help me with enough light by the time I pulled in the driveway
-but in my inbox I found a message from my son Matthew who lives in Zagreb, Croatia (9 years already!)
The subject of his email: Guest blog 🙂 The dilemma of what to post? SOLVED!
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Dear Ma, Yesterday I spent the evening with the Kaplowitz family. My dear friend Joe Kaplowitz is pretty much the only American I know over here and he invited me over for an American-style chocolate cake. Not only is he a brilliant jazz musician but he is quite an accomplished baker to boot! His beautiful wife Lela is a marvelous singer and they recently came out with a big-band album of original compositions called With Every Breath that you can hear (and buy!) here After enjoying a generously-sized hunk of cake chased by a glass of milk, Joe, Lela, their daughter Lucija and I played a cut-throat game of Name That Tune. Lucija is also a budding musician, so as you might imagine the competition was pretty stiff. Then we headed to the parlor for a concert. Joe and Lucija, who plays the violin, teamed up for a set of traditional Croatian melodies played over some soulful blues piano. Perhaps I was witnessing the concept for the next album being born. Joe’s cake was so tasty that I plan to go back over tomorrow for another sliver. In keeping with the spirit of the blog, will get the recipe tomorrow and send it to you! Love, Matthew p.s. Here is the recipe, just in from Zagreb this morningonly got 3 stars but i thought it was fabulous!
Pittsburgh jazz scene alive and well at CJ’s in the Strip
My Funny Valentine expertly played by Sean Jones on trumpet- we stopped in for about twenty minutes as we headed to megabus. Matthew was here for about ten hours.
Jazz starts at 8 on Thursdays Check out http://www.cjsinthestrip.com and to listen go to http://www.rogerhumphries.com
Tony Monaco on Hammond B3 Organ – Jazz at the Rumba Cafe
Matthew heard Tony play a couple of months ago in Zagreb at a Jazz Festival and now Tuesday night in Columbus, Ohio, Tony Monaco’s hometown. Started at nine, we stayed ’til midnight and Tony was just getting warmed up ready for another set. Reggie Jackson on drums and Derek Dicenza on guitar. Reminded me of the time Matthew and Mary and I went to the Village Vanguard and saw Dr. Lonnie Smith on Hammond B3. Matthew loves to listen to the Hammond B3, It was a fun night with James and Steve.
Gershwin & Jazz at Bakery Square
Left the gym to get coffee at Coffee Roasters and found live music. With the weather change it was chilly but I drank coffee and ate oatmeal to warm up. Tania Grubbs, Jeff Grubbs, Daniel May on keyboard (in from CA). Tania will be performing at the new 5 star hotel @ Market Square Wed Sept 8th 5:30-8:30 in Andy’s Winebar. Jeff is a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
All That Djazz – Great Gyspy Jazz at Twisp River Pub. WA
Mary, David and I enjoyed three hours of music. Final night in WA we drove up to Twisp River Pub. There was a guest clarinet, Wayne Mendro. John Weeks on the violin. Dick White on guitar arranges everything. Mike Lundstrom on dobro and singing. Ron Clark on the bass and a guitar tonight.
Here is what I found at their website. … “All That Djazz” is a Gypsy Jazz quartet based in North Central Washington state with a repertoire comparable to that of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli, the guitarist and violinist who formed the legendary “Quintet of the Hot Club of France” in 1934. The “Quintet of the Hot Club of France” is considered by many jazz historians to be the best jazz ensemble of all time. Django Reinhardt was certainly the most renowned jazz guitarist of his day. “All That Djazz” pays homage to their hero and mentor Django in the spelling of Djazz.” quote from the website for All That Djazz (click)
The light on the right is an old beer keg. Note the hops growing behind the band.