My Cousin Tone' is a jazz band of talented and extraordinary musicians. The band plays classic jazz, jazz blues, hard bop, and jazz soul from the era when Blue Note, Prestige, Verve, and Riverside all produced a collection of jazz tunes that will live on forever. The band benefited from the fantastic guidance and arrangement talents of Dick Griffo , the legendary alto sax player formerly with Woody Herman and now honors his memory along with the memory of Jim Kurzdorfer, the great bassist and original member of Spyro Gyra who served as a mentor. Come and re-live the era of jazz greatness.
This Saturday the band returns for a performance at Canvas @1206. If you are one of our fans and haven't been to Canvas@1206 yet, we encourage you to come this Saturday, July 13th. The band starts at 8pm but come earlier and enjoy a delicious meal.
The band will feature Mary McMahon on vocals doing her wonderful renditions of jazz standards. Nelson Starr will join us once again to give us his unique and fantastic music on trumpet. The rhythm section will have Karen Ragusa on bass, Jim Matteleano on keyboards, and Bill Basil on drums.
Make plans this Saturday to join us at Canvas@1206. It is a nice setting on a summer night. Great food, drinks, people, and cool jazz.
Recently, Canvas @1206 has transition to new management and reopened with great plans ahead. Bill Sabio is the new proprietor. Bill is intent on continuing the Canvas@1206 vibe we came to like with featured performances on the Canvas@1206 stage. New menus and dishes are being introduced to rave reviews so be sure to make dinner reservations. If you are one of our fans and haven't been to Canvas@1206 yet, we encourage you to come this Friday, March 22nd. The band starts at 8pm but come earlier and enjoy a delicious meal.
My Cousin Tone' kicks off the first set starting at 8pm. The first set will consist of dinner jazz music for listening pleasure. Afterwards, we will pick up the tempo a little and play some of the classic jazz tunes by the likes of Horace Silver, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, and more.
Joining us on stage Friday night will be Andy Peruzzini on trumpet and Tim Martin on alto and baritone sax. The rhythm section will have Karen Ragusa on bass, Jim Matteleano on keyboards, Bill Basil on drums, and Tony Zambito on percussion.
Make plans this Friday to join us at Canvas@1206. And come out to support Bill Sabio in his efforts to provide a venue for jazz. As you know, the Buffalo area needs these venues to keep jazz alive in our community. Join us in welcoming Bill with best wishes and supporting the addition of a dinner and jazz venue on Hertel avenue.
Tonight at 8pm we begin our performance with a great champion of jazz - Dick Griffo. Dick will be filling Iris with the sounds of his saxophone on such songs as Sister Sadie, Out of Nowhere, Cold Duck Time, Work Song, and Sugar to name just a few. We will also be performing a Dick Griffo original called Monk Like.
Sprinkled out among three sets, we have some original tunes by Nelson Starr, the local and superb composer and trumpeter. In addition, we will be playing some of our favorites as well. So come on out for a special night of jazz and to hear the one and only Dick Griffo tonight.
And don't forget to enjoy the fine foods, drinks, friendly staff, and vibrant ambiance of Iris!
The band is extremely excited about our next performance to take place at a new place dedicated to making jazz available to our community. It is called Canvas@1206 on Hertel Avenue in North Buffalo. Canvas@1206 is joint venture between Dawn Kirchmeyer and Steve McCarthy - people dedicated to excellent food, ambiance, and music. Dawn is a successful caterer noted for superb food while Steve has enjoyed success in the music industry and is a musician himself. Steve McCarthy relocated to Buffalo a year ago from London, England with a passion to help Dawn open an establishment that gives the best in food, drinks, and music.
The ambiance of Canvas@1206 is casual yet with a touch of class. Black and white photos of local blues and jazz artist grace one wall while the muted colors, hardwood floors, and high-backed chairs give it the right blend of atmosphere for jazz. The stage is located to offer viewers great sight lines and sound. Here's what was said by Buffalo Rising:
"The restaurant brings with it a scene that will only enhance the day to night offerings. This is no ordinary restaurant. Owners Dawn Kirchmeyer and Steve McCarthy are not only excited about the food, when you talk to them they paint a picture of a musical movement that culminates in finding the ultimate house band that will stream live from the restaurant via a sound studio on the second floor that will capture the acts as they perform on stage. The two want to bring back the concept of dinner with entertainment. Low sound level with high quality musicians and singers will fill the room with refreshing instrumentals and vocals, as diners enjoy the surroundings that include a bedazzled bar-top, the comfiest high-back chairs in town and a spectacular chandelier."
We will be performing beginning at 9pm on Saturday, February 11th. Come on out to support keeping jazz alive in WNY and to support two courageous owners with a dream. The dream of bringing the best in food, drinks, ambiance, and music to Hertel Avenue and Buffalo.
Please do make plans for Saturday, February 11th to come out to Canvas@1206. Stay tuned for more in the near future!
My Cousin Tone' is in rehearsals for a special concert we will be performing on Saturday, November 26 at the Iris which is housed in the Maple Entertainment Complex. We are excited to be on stage at Iris during the Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend. Giving us the opportunity to say thanks to our fabulous family, friends, and fans.
The show will get underway at 8pm and we are planning a list of songs that will feature different members of the band and 3 sets of jazz that epitomized the Blue Note era. The sets will include some of the jazz classics we've been working on and introduce original compositions by local musician and composer Nelson Starr. We will have a few jazz vocal tunes for Jillian Ritchie to showcase her magical voice and a few Horace Silver tunes to showcase the talent of Jim Matteliano on keyboards.
Saturday, November 26 is a wonderful opportunity to bring family, friends, and out of town guests visiting home for the holidays for a great time of music, food, drinks, and seeing familiar faces as well as new faces. We hope to see you there!
Stay tuned for more news as we get closer to the date. Mark your calendars for what is sure to be a festive night.
My Cousin Tone' returns to Goodrich tomorrow night at 7:30pm. This place has become our home for working on songs and trying new arrangements. We will be at it again tomorrow night working on some Nelson Starr tunes, classics jazz standards, and some adventurous songs that stretch our imagination.
We will have the amenities available that only Goodrich Coffee and Tea offers. A relaxed atmosphere, nice acoustics, great food, superb coffee and tea, and beer and wine to warm the spirits. So, come on out on a Friday night to hear My Cousin Tone' do two sets of the jazz you love. Sit back and relax as only you can at Goodrich.