music

The Genesee Symphony Orchestra opens its 2019-20 season this Sunday at 4 p.m. with a concert in the auditorium of Pembroke High School.

The concert, "Symphonic Pictures I: Portraits" features "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun" by Debussy, "John Henry," by Aaron Copland, "The Swan of Tuonela," by Sibelius, and "Pictures at an Exhibition," by Mussorgsky.

This is the fourth season S. Shade Zajac leads the orchestra.

For casual fans of orchestra music or those who have never been to see an orchestra perform, this is an excellent show. The pieces are largely modernist and fun. The Mussorgsky piece is particularly exciting (watch the video) and Aaron Copland is perhaps America's greatest composer.  

If you watch the video, you will likely want to attend this show.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, and students (with ID) get in for free. Tickets are available at Roxy's Music Store, GO ART!, The YNGodess Shop, Bank of Castile in Le Roy and at geneseesymphony.com.

Pembroke High School is located at 8750 Alleghany Road (routes 5 and 77), Pembroke.

Deep Blue played in Saturday's finale of the Smokin' Eagle BBQ & Brew Battle of the Bands contest and finished second but this video, if you ask me, came out really well. You should watch it. It's Deep Blue performing the Paul Butterfield Blues Band's "Born in Chicago."

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The John Payton Project won the 2019 Smokin' Eagle BBQ & Brew's Battle of the Bands on Saturday night. Here's JPP performing the third song of their set.

Click here for coverage of Saturday's event.

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In the Fifth Annual Battle of the Bands at the Smokin' Eagle BBQ & Brew in Le Roy, after a summer-long competition, the John Payton Project came out on top in the finalist pairing of the season on Saturday night.

Second place went to Deeper Blue.

Here's a video highlighting last night's event. We'll have full-song videos from each band over the next two days.

Oakfield-Alabama's open house on Thursday night was capped off by the music department's annual cabaret show, which featured some of the students' favorite show tunes.

Submitted photo and press release:

An annual spring adventure where students in Genesee Community College's History Club visit important historical sites, museums and battlefields in April ultimately benefits the local lovers of blues music this fall.

Sonny Mayo and the Lowdown are coming to GCC's Stuart Steiner Theater on Friday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m. for an evening of excellent rhythm and blues featuring a great selection of original tunes and old favorites by a former GCC faculty member. All proceeds from the concert will be dedicated to the History Club's spring break history tour.

Frank "Sonny" Mayo is now a retired GCC public speaking professor, but he is anything but retired from his passion for music. Mayo is bringing his trio with him for a show that promises to give local music aficionados a taste of folk, blues and Americana music, and all for great cause.

Mayo released his first album, "So Far So Good," out of Nashville in 1981.The album was critically acclaimed by Record World magazine and culminated a six-year apprenticeship in Los Angeles and Nashville. Since then, Mayo has released 11 albums on the indie label, Thunder Road Music.

His most recent CD, "Chasing the Chord" was released in 2016 and is a blend of folk, blues and Americana, rich with vivid characters and editorial comments on societal issues.

Mayo has also performed as an opening act, host or shared the bill with numerous musicians including but not limited to Eric Andersen, Eric Bibb, Rory Block, The Burn Sisters, Jen Chapin, Guy Davis, Bill Morrissey, David Olney and slide guitarist Roy Rogers.

Professor Mayo was once a GCC "office neighbor" with Derek Maxfield, associate professor of history at GCC's Batavia Campus. Their collegial conversations lead to a number of dynamic opportunities through the years, to share the new music and support the experiential learning for their students.

"Educational spring breaks are an important facet to the student experience and to learning outcomes," Maxfield said. "As students see these historic places for themselves outside of a classroom, they come away with a new appreciation for the problems, opportunities and even mistakes made by people in the past.

"They also learn about themselves, the world around them, and often, they make life-long friendships. It is an honor that my former colleague and continued friend, Frank or Sonny Mayo, is willing to share an evening of music for such a worthy cause."

Presale tickets are $18 for adults and $20 at the door. GCC students and children under 12 are $10.

 Advance tickets are encouraged by contacting Maxfield, who is also GCC's History Club advisor, or Marie Kochmanski, clerk-typist in the second floor Humanities Suite, Room B259, or Michelle Forster, secretary in the third floor GCC Human Communication and Behavior Suite, Room B359.

For more information or to purchase tickets, email Maxfield at ddmaxfield@genesee.edu or call 585-343-0055, ext. 6288.

The Genesee Symphony Orchestra will perform its fall concert at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 20, in Pembroke High School Auditorium.

It is located at 8750 Alleghany Road, Pembroke (routes 5 and 77).

S. Shade Zajaz is the music director and conducter.

"Symphonic Pictures I -- Portraits" will feature:

• "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun" by Debussy
• "Jon Henry" by Copland
• "The Swan of Tuonela" by Sibelius
• "Pictures at an Exhibition" by Mussorgsky, with arrangements by Ravel

Tickets are $15 for adults; seniors $10; students with student ID, free.

Tickets are available at Roxy's Music Store, GO ART!, The Wyngodess Shop, and Bank of Castile in Le Roy.

This concert is made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program, a regrant program of the NYS Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the NYS Legislature and administered by GO ART!

The Genesee Symphony Orchestra prepares for the annual Summer Serenade, a joint fundraiser with United Way and held each year at the La Royan in Le Roy.

The 2019 concert is Aug. 25. Social hour begins at 4:30 p.m., with dinner at 5, the concert at 6:15, and dessert to follow.

Tickets are $75 a person. Garden party attire recommended.

Tickets available at Tompkins Bank of Castile in Le Roy and Roxy's Music Store or online at  www.uwrochester.org/summerserenade

Proceeds benefit the United Way Backpack Program and the GSO.

It was Southern Rock weekend at The Ridge NY in Le Roy. Here's Black Stone Cherry performing "It's In My Blood." 

Yesterday, we posted a video of a performance by Friday's headliner, Bishop Gunn.

Bishop Gunn played The Ridge NY in Le Roy on Friday night. Here they are performing their song "Let the People Know."

Tonight, Black Stone Cherry takes the Frost Ridge stage.

Canadian rock band Theory of a Deadman headlined Batavia Downs last evening in front of a jam-packed crowd to close out their 2019 summer concert series. 

The national recording artists draw a mixture of music styles of country, post-grunge and hard rock.

In 2017 the band released a new album "Wake Up Call" that features the song "Rx (Medicate)." Other top hits performed last evening were "Bad Girlfriend," "Angel" and "Hate My Life."

Above, band Finance Director Bob Pastecki with 2019 scholarship winners Kyla Leno, left, and Katie Dessert.

Submitted photos and press release:

The Batavia Concert Band closed its 94th season on Aug. 7th, and presented some special awards.

Scholarship awards were presented to Katie Dessert and Kyla Leno. Dessert received the Batavia Concert Band Board of Directors Scholarship, and Leno received the Conductor’s Choice Scholarship.

Both Dessert and Leno are Music Education majors, have played with the Batavia Concert Band for several season, and aspire to become music teachers.

Board Member Ann Arent also presented the annual Pam Frisby Friend of the Band Award. Frisby was a former Board present and ardent supporter of the Band, and this award is given in her honor. The 2019 recipient was Charlie Gould. He is a regular presence at the Wednesday evening concerts, and often leads the crowd in singing the "Star Spangled Banner."

The Board of Directors and band officers would like to thank a dedicated and enthusiastic crowd, and season-long sponsors GO-ART! and WBTA. A full listing of gold, silver and bronze sponsors may be found at www.bataviaconcertband.net

Plans are already underway for the 2020 season!

Below, Board Member Ann Arent speaking about the annual Pam Frisby Friend of the Band Award.

Below, Charlie Gould, this year's recipient of the annual Pam Frisby Friend of the Band Award.

Batavia-born, Buffalo music scene legend Michael DiSanto was hospitalized July 22 after suffering a stroke.

He will require rehabilitation after losing the use of the left side of his body.

You can read more about DiSanto's health and how the Buffalo music community is responding in the Buffalo News.

Here's a GoFundMe page to assist Michael.

Top photo is one of I took of Michael on St. Patrick's Day 2014 at Center Street. The next photo is from the Ramble in 2013, which is the first time I saw him perform and was amazed by his talent. Below are also the three songs we recorded live with him on the third floor of Eli Fish for The Batavian Sessions. If you watch nothing else today, watch his cover of "Little Red Corvette."