Taylor Made Jazz 21st Anniversary Party

On April 25, 2008, Taylor Made Jazz an international award winning group will perform at the Tralf Music Hall to celebrate their 21rst anniversary.  This group is known for their service to our troops overseas, their community support of charities and their workshops to support music in the schools. Many of the members that performed through the years will return for the performance that night.  We are pleased to announce that the proceeds from ticket sales for this concert will benefit 2 organizations.

We often hear in the news about the problems with children in the schools and on the streets, we do not hear enough about the organizations trying to do something about it by providing alternative methods to confront the issues head on.

N.I.C.Y.O.  National Inner Cities Youth Opportunities serves Erie County with a special focus on the City of Buffalo.  The main mission of this 501-c -3 not-for-profit agency is to reduce the Minority High School Drop-out Rate.  Their Objective is to address youth delinquency, by providing alternative to violence and an alternative to incarceration programming.  NICYO’S target population is school age youth between the ages of 4 – 21 for whom they provide After School Homework help, School and Court Intervention and Counseling just to name a few programs along with safe structured Recreational Programs such as their Inner City Little League Baseball, Summer Basketball League,

Girls Sports Foundation Basketball, General Bass Instructional Tennis Program, Instructional Judo and Crusaders Marching Units.  This organization has suffered from far too many funding cuts and the community is in great need of their services.   We thank you in advance for your support and commitment to our youth and look forward to your sponsorship and much needed partnership to assist this wonderful organization.

S.A.V.E.  Students Against Violence Education. This organization started in 1994 by Connie Cavanaugh.  Their mission is to educate all students about making safe healthy and positive life choices.  They provide the workshops to help youth learn about conflict resolution to prepare them for the world around them.  For example bullying has become a common problem in school and this can impact a person for the rest of their life.  Our programs are geared to educate today’s youth about bullying, violence, learning how and where to get help, drugs/alcohol, peer pressure, decision making and consequence.  In short when we see shooting in schools on college campuses let this remind us of our responsibility to protect us all by addressing the issues ahead of time. This organization has also suffered too many budget cuts.

We are asking you to join us at our 21st anniversary celebration and support these 2 important organizations. Both organizations are 501c3. You can help change a life which can help save a life.  We hope you will share this with your co workers.

Sincerely,

Van Taylor

Nelson Starr in Buffalo

Buffalo rock luminary, Nelson Starr, does his own take-off on Tony Bourdain's "No Reservations". This well produced segment features Nelson pigging out at Ted's, Anchor Bar, and Ulrich's, among others. Also features Nelson's original music and the award-winning film work of John Paget. Coming soon: a segment featuring Nelson inhaling grilled bologna and strip steak sandwiches at the Old Pink!!!!

Click Here to Watch Video:
http://yourtrip.travelchannel.com/clip.aspx?key=30ACEB7C705DB535

Buffalo Music Hall of Fame Accepting Nominations through April 1

(BUFFALO, NY) The Buffalo Music Hall of Fame encourages local musicians, people from throughout the
Western New York music community and supporters of qualified musicians to submit nominations for the 2008 Buffalo Music Hall of Fame Induction Class. Nominations will be accepted no later than April 1. Interested parties should download an official nomination form at www.buffalomusic.org, complete the
form and submit it to The Buffalo Music Hall of Fame at: Buffalo Music Hall of Fame, P.O. Box 655, Buffalo, NY 14207. For questions regarding the nomination process, please contact the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame at 716-400-8934 or email info@bmhof.org.

Buffalo Music Award Presented to U-Crest Music

Rick Matthews presented U-Crest Music's 2007 Buffalo Music Award to Walter Piegon. Walter and his wife Patricia were unable to attend this years event. Congratulations to U-Crest Music.
 

BUFFALONIAN INVOLVED IN TWO GRAMMY NOMINATED ALBUMS

When this year’s Grammy nominations were announced, Buffalo’s Anthony Casuccio was very pleased. Two albums that he was involved in the production of were nominated: Louisiana - A Pianist’s Journey, Kenneth Boulton (Cambria Master Recordings) was nominated for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without Orchestra), and 30 Songs of the Russian People, Joseph Banowetz and Alton Chung Ming Chan (Toccata Classics) was nominated for Best Chamber Music. Casuccio mastered both of these albums, which were produced by the famed team of Victor and Marina Ledin, and with whom Casuccio has done many projects; “mastering” is the final stage of the recording process, where the final polish is added.

Born and raised in Buffalo, Casuccio has held a number of high- profile positions in the music industry and has been widely sought after for his highly-trained technical ear during his 15 years in the industry.

After graduating from Fredonia State University in 1991, he was recruited by Reader’s Digest, in partnership with BMG, to join their record label in New York City as a producer. During his 9 years there, he worked with several major record labels, remixing and remastering over 400 albums of world-renowned artists such as Tony Bennett, Roy Orbison, Linda Ronstandt, Glenn Miller, and Johnny Cash.

He then joined the Sony Music Company in San Francisco, California to lead its audio production department. For the next 2 years, he engineered and produced live music mixes for Sony’s Music Backstage show, which featured major artists such as Lifehouse, Kasey Chambers, and Eliades Ochoa (Buena Vista Social Club). Also, while in San Francisco, he sat on the Board of Governors for the San Francisco chapter of the Recording Academy, being elected to the office of 2nd Vice President.

Returning to Buffalo in 2004, Casuccio founded Xtream Audio Mastering; among his clients is fellow Buffalonian Robby Takac’s (Goo Goo Dolls) Good Charamel Records label. He teaches Recording Technology at Villa Maria College, as well as being a frequent guest speaker for Takac’s nonprofit Music In Action organization. Locally, he currently serves as Vice President of the Buffalo Music Hall Of Fame, and nationally, he has remained very active within the Grammy organization.

Casuccio’s work has been featured in Mix Magazine, Billboard Magazine, The New York Times, Gramophone, and International Piano. He mastered the 2005 Grammy-nominated Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without Orchestra) Night Breeze, Sarah Schuster Ericsson (Cambria Master Recordings), as well as To Call My Own, Barton (Netsphere), the artist’s 3rd Top 40 hit and a featured break-out single in the Billboard Dance Charts, breaking into the top 20.

The Grammy Awards Ceremony will be held on Sunday, February 10, 2008.

Frank Brunson, singer, in Buffalo Music Hall of Fame
From the Buffalo News
 

March 19, 1929 — Nov. 24, 2007

Frank Brunson of Buffalo, a Top 40 hit maker with one of the most dynamic voices to come out of Buffalo, died Saturday in Veterans Affairs Medical Center after a long illness. He was 78.
 

Mr. Brunson, inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame in 2002, made the Billboard charts 10 times during the 1970s and into 1980 with his band People’s Choice. The band specialized in a brand of funk that was huge in the discos, and its biggest hit was “Do It Any Way You Wanna,” which went to No. 11 on the Billboard pop singles chart and No. 1 on the R&B charts. It was a gold record.
 

But Mr. Brunson’s legacy went way beyond the hits. He started his career as a pop and R&B singer in the 1950s, cutting singles on Gee Records.
 

Bob Skurzewski, who is nearing completion of a book on the early years of Buffalo rock ’n’ roll, interviewed Brunson several times and became a close friend. He said Mr. Brunson told him that he walked away from the Gee deal because Gee was distributed by RCA and RCA was putting too much energy into pushing another new performer — Elvis Presley.
 

Mr. Brunson also was a good friend of the legendary Jackie Wilson. Wilson, Mr. Brunson related, had him open a show, and when he walked off into the wings to huge audience reaction, Wilson asked him what he was doing.
 

Mr. Brunson told Wilson that he was finished with his set.
 

“They don’t think you’re done,” said Wilson, sending him back onto the stage.
 

“Frank was always amazed that a star like Jackie Wilson would do that for him,” said Skurzewski. “Frank was talented . . . that little guy, that big voice.”
 

The stature gave him the nickname “Little Frankie Brunson” early in his career. The voice earned him the name “Big Daddy” when he recorded for Wilson’s label — a deal he walked away from after he released “Big Daddy’s Blues” and all of the songs he wrote had other people’s credits on them.
 

Mr. Brunson was born in Buffalo, the son of the Rev. John A. and Sarah Brunson. He began singing at his father’s churches in Dunkirk and Silver Springs.
 

After he developed heart problems in the mid-1980s, he returned to Buffalo in 1990 and wound up back in church, becoming the family man he hadn’t been able to be while on the road. For most of the 1990s, he was the rock that anchored most of the music groups at St. John Baptist, one of the city’s largest churches.
 

“It seemed to make the service; the whole service culminated at his solo,” said Gregory Treadwell, who was music coordinator for the groups Mr. Brunson worked with — the Radio Choir, Men’s Choir, United Mass Choir, St. John United Voices Choir and Frank Brunson & the Hitmen.
 

The latter group was formed specifically to perform with Mr. Brunson in the Tralf. He continued singing even after he had to use a wheelchair after suffering a stroke in 2002, Treadwell said. “He couldn’t sing as long as he wanted to, but it was a joy just to hear him sing,” said Treadwell. “Just seeing his face could cheer people up.”
 

In addition to performing, Mr. Brunson also worked with two programs affiliated with St. John Baptist — Project Gift, a program for special education students, and Project Promise — and helped form a youth choir. He took the students to perform at hospitals and for shut-ins, Treadwell said. The choir is still going today.
 

Mr. Brunson was a Navy veteran of the Korean War.
 

Survivors include his wife of 15 years, the former Shirley Seals; three sons, Mark Brunson, Eddie J. Champion and Nathan D. Hemphilll; and four daughters, Marian Hailstock, Diane Girtman, Monique Williams and Sherida Alston.
 

A funeral will be held at noon Thursday in St. John Baptist, 184 Goodell St.

— Elmer Ploetz To listen to a song by Frank Brunson, go to http://www.buffalonews.com/webextras/story/216024.html

Gordon Highlander Changes the Guard

Major Bruce A. Henderson presents flowers to his wife, Dawn, left, and mother, Jane, during an emotional farewell ceremony Saturday, when he relinquished command of the Gordon Highlanders after 20 years at the helm. John Rexinger III assumed command of the pipe band and color guard, a mainstay of many local parades and celebrations, during a brief ceremony in the West Side Rowing Club.

The Buffalo Music Hall of Fame proudly presents the release of their CD entitled "Volume 1."

This is the first disc in a series aimed at showcasing the talented members inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame. Western New York has a diverse, rich musical history and this series was created to pay tribute to some of the artists inducted into the Hall of Fame who represent the amazing musical talent found in this area.

The album is a musical journey featuring 12 great artists who have made an impact on Western New York's music history. Artists include Lance Diamond, Soul Invaders, Castellini & Andriucci, Tony Galla, Hernandez, Morgano/Veltri R&B Soul Revue, The Road, Shyboy, Stone Country Band, Weekend and Wendell Rivera.

Click Here to Listen to the BMHOF Vol. 7 CD

This year's honorees included internationally renowned pianist, Leonard Pennario; Broadway producer, Elizabeth Swados; world renowned keyboardist, Jim Ehinger; performer/writer/producer, Robert Kinkel; blues musician, Jim Wozniak; blues guitarist and singer, Tommy Z; musical stylist, Andy Kuhlberg; and guitarist, Frank Grizanti. U-Crest Music was the recipient in the Non-Performer category.
 

Click here for photo's from the 2007 Induction Ceremony

Guitar Raffle Winner

Congratulations to Eric Jelstrom of Lakeview, New York. He was the winner of the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame Guitar Giveaway at this years Music Is Art Festival at the Erie County Fair on August 11 2007. The Ibanez guitar Jam Pack was donated by the Guitar Center of WNY on Niagara Falls Blvd. It included an Ibenez AEG5EBK Guitar, AC A15 amp, guitar tuner and gig bag.

Remembering Mark Freeland-(May 1, 1957-June 14, 2007)

It is with great sadness that The Buffalo Music Hall of Fame announces the passing of one of our most beloved members Mark Freeland. Mark passed away in his sleep after a lengthy battle with cancer on Thursday June 14, 2007. He was 50. Always on the cutting edge of the local music scene Freeland left his mark with such seminal Buffalo bands as Electroman, Pegasus and The Fems and as a solo artist. He was also well known for his photography, performance art as well as a distinguished artist. He has been an unsurpassed influence on the local music and art scenes for years and will continue on thru his legacy. He is survived by numerous relatives and friends. A true pioneer, Mark will be sorely missed.

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