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Intense rhythm section rehearsal last Wednesday. Flying through some Steely Dan, Stevie Wonder and Gino Vannelli tunes for our upcoming show at Trumpets Jazz Club on Feb 23rd. What a pleasure it is to be in the same room with these wonderfully talented players…we work hard, we have lots of laughs and we have mutual respect for each other. Playing demanding music is hard work, especially when you are trying to achieve a certain level, but first and foremost it has to be fun. That’s what it’s all about!

Next week is a full band rehearsal and adding some Sting into the mix. Can’t wait!

GOOD STUFF is gearing up for our opening night! That’s Friday, November 16th at the famous Trumpets Jazz Club in Montclair, NJ.  We’re preparing the set list and checking all of the technical aspects of the show. We already have many stories to tell about the fun we are having with this great material. Lots work involved and many lessons learned from this musical journey.

Here is an informal inside look at what a GOOD STUFF rehearsal looks like. In this particular clip, shot with an iPhone, by drummer Jay’s lovely wife Maria, we are going over a few Gino Vannelli songs for the very first time.

GOOD STUFF – Gino Vannelli Rehearsal

Artists use a palette of colors to produce beautiful works of art.  Music and art share similar principles such as tone color, pattern, rhythm, balance and emphasis.   So many incredibly talented composers, musicians, vocalists, producers and engineers have graced us with exceptional music.  A great deal of it hardly ever gets played live.

GOOD STUFF has chosen the artists we admire for the inspiration that they have brought into the lives of so many.  The amount of time and effort that went into every Steely Dan, Gino Vannelli, Sting, or Stevie Wonder album is noteworthy.  For most, one album matching the quality of any of these truly great artists would have been enough.

Throughout the years Steely Dan has given us 9 studio albums, Gino Vannelli 17,  Sting 13 and Stevie Wonder 23 studio albums. There are the 4 solo Donald Fagen and 2 Walter Becker solo albums. To say that these artists are prolific is an understatement.  Their works are always skillfully and cleverly written. Their music has some of the finest session players in the world.  Recordings always superlatively arranged, produced, recorded and engineered. In addition sung with depth, soul and perfection.

GOOD STUFF  will be performing the music of the most iconic musical artists of our time.

Firstly, rehearsal began focusing on three outstanding artists: Gino Vannelli, Sting and Stevie Wonder. Secondly, we had a great time!  We covered a lot of material and you’ll be hearing more when we press the record button for some more first takes. It is going to be fun performing material that we hold in such high esteem.  These artists have such an extensive catalog of music that we can never run out of great tunes to play. You could imagine how difficult it was to pick the right tunes to perform for our audiences. This show has some killer tunes for sure.

One thing is for sure…it’s all GOOD STUFF!

Finishing up Steely Dan segment of the show in order to focus on Gino Vannelli, Sting, and Stevie Wonder material. It is a pleasure to be performing such great music. Most importantly, we are having a blast!