New Year's Eve is always an enigma for me. To spend it with my friends is wonderful, but as a musician, I always want to be making music. This New Year's Eve I decided to combine the two at IDO SUSHI, a Japanese restaurant in Greenwich Village where I have been entertaining, doing my Furry Murray Fridays since May of 2010. Not only did some of my favorite people come out like Tim and Valbourg Lynn who brought Robert Edelman and the great artist, Ilona Granet, but the Flamenco dance troupe Noche Flamenca who brought a crew of 18! (They are performing at The Cherry Lane Theater till January 12)
MY PLAN was to start playing New York songs for my 11:00 set and started with "How About You", then "I'll Take Manhattan" and a Cole Porter song written for "The New Yorkers" that I heard Bobby Short perform called "I Happen to Like New York." It has a great bridge:
"Last Sunday afternoon I took a trip to Hackensack,
But after I gave Hackensack the once over, I took the next train back."
After that I did Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind," a wonderful song that can rouse any crowd, even one that includes cynics and non-believers. I brought us to the count-down to 2011 by getting everyone to join in with my rendition of the Dominico Medugno hit, "Volare" in Italian, I might add! Then we brought in 2011 singing "New York, New York."
Usually, I invite singers up to join me at Ido Sushi and that night with several tables filled with a rhythm clapping, rowdy rapping Flamenco dance troupe, I decided to jump into 2011 immediately. I approached the big table and said, "By the way you are clapping in rhythm, I know you are a musical crowd. I also know there has to be some wonderful singers among you and if you would like to come up and sing, I would be happy to accompany you." Sometimes people are quite shy, but not our Noche Flamenca table. I immediately saw three men start to fiddle with their napkins and get up from the table!! When the first of them got to the stage, I said, "What song, what key?"He said, "Sorry, no English, just play riff and I improvise!" Well, I started playing a "montuno" that I got from Dizzy Gillespie and the singing took us to a place where we were down the tracks like a train in motion! Two singers later, 45 minutes had past and I could not have been happier doing one of the things I love to do which is to communicate with music!!!
Let me not underestimate the incredible environment that Tora and Jane have created at Ido Sushi that makes this all possible. It's magic! Ido Sushi boasts nightly music programs including my buddy, Tommy Mandel who does a "Rock Cafe" on Tuesdays. (Tommy graciously used to let me sit in at his Friday gig at The Empire Diner) "Opera Night" happens every Wednesday and Saturday. I have worked at more upscale venues for more remuneration and more famous personalities, but this was the most joyous New Year that I have had in a long time! Visit me at my Furry Murray Fridays at Ido Sushi. more info at:
http://dogtunes.com
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It's always a joy to see you in your native habitat...at the piano and entertaining. Sounds like this was a night that Margaret Mead and Marlon Perkins would have had a field day with, my furry friend! Much chagrin on my part for missing the festivities, but eager anticipation in the hangs that 2011 and beyond bring, at Ido and beyond!
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good blogging work, my friend!