AND Tomorrow!
Who is Charlie Gracie, you might ask? He had two songs on the Billboard charts the year I was born - 1957.
Butterfly reached #5 on the charts. He just released a new album at 76 years old and has a song that’s gone to #1
on Philadelphia radio. Graham Nash plays on the album. Al Kooper produced it.
Brian Setzer was supposed to play guitar on one track - then he fell through at the last minute - so they ended up
getting my friend Richie Scarlet to play. They were impressed with Richie and asked him to put together a band to back
Charlie up for his New York Shows. Later today we’re playing 3 songs live at 12 noon EST on WFUV 90.7 FM - the Fordham University station. Tomorrow Night at 7:30 we’re playing The Bitter End on Bleeker St. in downtown Manhattan. Charlie is currently in the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in the UK. He may be inducted into the Hall here in the US - but whether he is or not, he’s playing there in May. If he’s happy with how these shows go this weekend - I may be playing at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!!
Good for you Lenny, enjoy yourself, and thanks for those links. I’d never heard of him but as an old geezer really got on that Boogie, blew my tits off !
Hey guys. Thanks for the well wishes. We did the radio show today and it went great. After they tweak the mix of the performance they’ll be sending me a cd - so I’ll post a coupla snippets when I get it.
Charlie is a real class act and a lot of fun to be around. Has he got some stories to tell?! After the show he treated us to a nice lunch in Little Italy and then we had a rehearsal for the show tomorrow night.
Hey Larry - maybe you’d like to come? I know you’re in the area. It’s at 147 Bleecker St - between Thompson and Laguardia.
Here’s the poster for tomorrow’s show:
Hey Lennie Lee - Congratulations!!! That is so awesome. I’ve been to the Bitter End before, but not to play! What a dream come true, to play with Charlie Gracie … at least it would be for me!
Report on the gig. Be really interesting. These old rockers are great, he looks ok, but some I’ve backed you really have to hold the reins a bit tight on the drums. They’re always really interesting and funny guys usually and you always find a lick or something that sticks for life.
congrats lenny! I’m a fan of your music and playing, well deserved. was a real thrill for me to get to collab on a tune with you, and wim of course, still love that track, too.
Oh, Man! This was a better experience than I’d imagined. The Bitter End is a smallish room, but it was packed
beyond capacity - and they were all very enthusiastic - cheering like mad. Charlie was such a personality and
entertainer. It was an honor to take the stage with him. Between songs he told stories of the old days with a wit
and self deprecating charm that had them laughing and clapping for more.
Although old style Rock’n’Roll is not my chosen genre, I have had some experience with it over the years, and I must say
this was one of the best gigs I’ve ever done.
I’m kicking myself for not finding my Zoom video recorder in time for the show. My wife took some
short bits of video with my iphone - but the sound quality is lacking. I will be getting some recordings of both
the live show and the radio broadcast soon.
Here’s a couple of shots from the show. I’ve often seen shows where
the bass player stood in the back alongside the drummer - but that’s never been the case with me until this show.
They had some pretty young gals in sparkly dresses singing backups who stood in front of me, and I can’t blame
them for that decision.
(Note the Guild hollow body guitar he’s playing in these shots - it’s the same one he’s playing in the poster that I posted earlier. He payed $750.00 for it back in the '50’s. Lord knows what it’s worth now.)
Great one for the CV. If those were pics from the iphone they’re good. Mine’s poo in low light.
If there’s not too much top end distortion on the iphone footage sound try fiercely killing the low end.
Mind you, as it’s all digital the other recording should be syncable.
