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ALBANY - Diego Garcia made his Albany debut last September as one of the marquee performers at LarkFest. And although he acknowledged that performance when he returned to town for a headlining show at the Linda Norris Auditorium at WAMC's Performing Arts Studio on Friday evening, it was clear that he doesn't really count that one.

"This is our first show in Albany," he declared with a sly, winning grin. "The first one you'll remember, anyway. You guys were soooo drunk at LarkFest."
How the Argentinian-American singer-songwriter survived an outdoor, booze-soaked bacchanaal like LarkFest is anybody's guess. His music is almost the antithesis of the outdoor rock-fest mentality. It's lush. It's intimate. And it's undeniably, unapologetically romantic.
The Linda - a former bank transformed into a cozy concert venue - was unquestionably a much more appropriate setting for that music, as Garcia and his band eased through just over an hour's worth of love songs, love songs, nothing but love songs.
Of course, it doesn't hurt one bit that Garcia is devastatingly handsome - a kind of Latin alternative-music version of Bryan Ferry with a bit of Rob Lowe thrown in for good measure. But what matters most is the music, and Garcia's got the goods in that department, too.
The story goes that he penned the songs for his debut album, "Laura," after the love of his life left him. The fact that Laura is now his wife would seem to be proof positive of the power of music. It's also evidence of just how good Garcia's songs are - as well as how convincingly he performs them.
Strumming his acoustic guitar while he crooned, Garcia was backed by an ace quartet of musicians who supplied a warm, woody foundation. In addition to a supple bass-and-drums rhythm section, the band featured the deep, entrancing sound of Daniel Bensi on cello and the fluid, nylon-string guitar stylings of Zeke Zima, who wove his fretboard work around Garcia's passionate songs like lacework.
With just one solo album to his credit, Garcia wove his way through all of the songs on "Laura," hitting his highwater marks with the sweeping "Inside My Heart," the hip-swaying "Separate Lives" (sounding like a cousin to Fred Neil's "Everbody's Talking" thanks to Zima's guitar filagrees), the despairing film-noir-ish, Leonard Cohen-influenced album title track and the final encore of the night, "You Were Never There," a perfect blend of bossa nova rhyhms, melancholy lyrics and irresistible pop hooks.
He also led the band through a pair of unexpected cover songs - the Kinks' obscurity "This Strange Effect" and Neil Young's "Harvest Moon" - both of which he managed to transformed into his own.
Local 518 favorite Matt Durfee opened the show with a sparkling solo set featuring his nimble finger-picking guitar work and a batch of first-rate songs, highlighted by the anti-love song "Another Thing Entirely" and the murder ballad "The Whole Nine."

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Emma Torncello didn't think much of "I'm Lucky" when she first wrote the song. But when the 17-year-old Cohoes-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist showed the song to her father, Peter, he insisted that she play it for her Hammond B-3 organ teacher, Tony Perrino.

"I just kind of randomly wrote a song and didn't really think anything of it, but my dad heard me play it," Torncello said. "The next time we went to a lesson, my dad made me play it for Tony -- 'Tony, you've got to hear this, Emma just wrote it.' I thought it was terrible; I didn't think anything of it. But when Tony heard it, he immediately started setting up recording equipment to get it down."

"I'm Lucky" is now the title track on Torncello's first EP, a four-song release that features one other original co-written with Perrino and covers of Van Morrison's "Crazy Love" and Bobbie Gentry's "Ode to Billie Joe." The original demo that Perrino, a longtime Saratoga Springs producer and musician, recorded with Torncello in his basement where he teaches became the starting point to assemble the album's team of musicians, including bassist Larry DeVivo; guitarists Chuck D'Aloia, Tom Murphy and Jared Alpern; and percussionist David Macejka. Perrino, DeVivo, Murphy and Macejka, along with drummer Pete Vunbacko and guitarist Matt Hatfield, will join Torncello for an album release show at The Linda, WAMC's Performing Arts Studio, on Saturday.
Start of busy time
The band is a one-off for this show only, but the show itself is just the beginning of a busy few weeks for Torncello -- next weekend, she'll be flying to Florida to reunite with her friend Kristine Webb in their long-distance project, The Florida-New York Connection, for a show on Jan. 27. The show is part of a benefit for the ALS Association that also includes a golf tournament the next day. Torncello will be playing with Dan Toler, formerly of the Allman Brothers Band, who has worked with Perrino in the past.
"There's talk of maybe playing venues a little bit farther away -- though not as far away as Florida -- around crowds that haven't seen me before," Torncello said. "It would be interesting to try to kind of attract a different audience than the people that show up in the local area."
Perrino has been a significant influence on Torncello's music career. He helped get her recording under way and assembles the musicians she usually performs with, and he introduced her to the Hammond organ. He also pushed her to start performing at local open mic nights and venues outside of her high school a few years ago.
"In the past I had done a lot of theater production, both locally and through school, so performing was always a fun thing that I loved to do," Torncello said.
"I would do school talent shows, but it was usually only through the school. When I started taking lessons from Tony, he got me playing open mics locally and sitting in with bands that he played with, and then setting up small gigs at various places. . . . It gradually just became a little bit bigger."
But even before beginning lessons with Perrino in 2009, she had always been drawn to music. She has been singing as long as she can remember -- her vocals on "I'm Lucky" reveal strong blues and classic rock influences ranging from Morrison to Bonnie Raitt.
In second grade, she took her first piano lesson at school and soon began private classical lessons. She began developing an interest in jazz in her teens and started delving into blues. Her interest in organ came initially from Alpern, who was taking lessons with Perrino.
"Our fathers worked together in the past, and he had been interested in music for a long time and had been taking Hammond organ lessons for a while when I kind of caught wind of that," Torncello said. "I had played a couple short little open mic night songs with him and was introduced to Tony through that family, so I guess in sort of that connection I became interested in it. The first lesson, I didn't know much about the organ -- I knew what it sounded like, but my knowledge was very limited. As soon as I heard it, though, I knew I wanted to play it."
She soon found that despite some similarities to piano (the notes on the keys are all the same), the organ is a very different instrument.
"The biggest challenge was actually learning how to play the organ like an organist, not a pianist," she said. "When I first started out, Tony would be like, 'Stop, you're playing like a pianist; that's not how you're supposed to play organ.' Learning to understand that it's a different instrument, that was probably the hardest thing."
Finding a voice
Perrino has also helped Torncello with her singing. She first took voice lessons in fifth grade but became discouraged with the formality of classical vocal lessons.
"It left me a bit dejected and left me with the impression that there is only one way to sing, the only correct way, and I didn't want to sing like that," she said.
In middle school, she began singing again, receiving help from her chorus teacher at the time. When she began lessons with Perrino, he also coached her in her singing.
"He taught me to believe in what I'm singing -- it's more about getting your point across and singing with emotion, portraying it correctly," Torncello said.
Recently, she has been playing more guitar. She got her first acoustic at age 11 and over the summer began taking lessons to work on her lead playing.
"I love the sound of it, the different expressions that come about because of the guitar's sound," she said. "I wanted to be a little more practiced at lead guitar and a little more comfortable with my rhythm guitar playing."
She is looking forward to continuing to play live in support of the CD.
"I really have had the greatest opportunities; I don't take any of it for granted," she said. "I mean, I work really, really hard, but things kind of went my way the past couple of years."

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Chandler Travis made a Capital District stop, once again, at the Linda, this time dragging the rest of the Philharmonic with him. The last time in town - at Amsterdam's Riverlink Park - they were missing their mandocello-accordion player, Dinty Child. All nine members made this one, albeit with a slightly different line-up. I have seen the Philharmonic several times, but I do not believe it has been the same line-up twice, as Chandler has a stable of fantastic musicians he can draw from in case someone can't make the gig. Trumpeter Keiichi Hashimoto and pianist Cliff Spencer came along for the ride this time.

Anyone who has seen Travis knows that he possesses a dry wit that can border on hilarity, so it should be no surprise that he would have good friend Pete LaBonne along to warm up for him. LaBonne has that same sense of understated humor. He may not be quite as polished as Travis - possibly due to living in a small cabin in Upstate NY... without power - but he can be just as funny. LaBonne hit the stage to a chorus of "PETE... PETE... PETE," which of course, he joined in on. As he ran through his short set, all the members of the Philharmonic left the green room and sat with the audience to catch it, a tribute to how they all felt about him.

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Like Travis, it is very difficult to pin a music style label on him, but it's clear from songs such as "100 Monkeys Typing" and "Hillbilly Coupe De Ville" that his songwriting lies delightfully off-center. He wasn't going to let a balky guitar amp distract him too much; when Travis offered up his amp, he basically said fuck it and kept on playing, producing cheers from the audience. He did, however, borrow a familiar song from the Chandler Travis set list for the obligatory singer/songwriter sing-along, "Turning The Page", but since he wrote it, I don't think anyone minded.

The Philharmonic hit the stage dressed for the occasion - in PJs with their usual antics on full display. Just looking at the horn section (dubbed the June Trailer Dancers) jumping around between parts, you get the sense that they are not serious. You could not be more wrong. They take the music very seriously; just not themselves. They generally appear to be having as much fun as the audience. Many musicians are very good players, and others are good entertainers. The CTP is both. While taking a break from his valet duties, Fred Boak stepped up from his back-up vocals to be featured on "O Miserable Love" with the accordion, giving it an almost polka feel.

Again, trying to peg them into a particular style is really pointless as they can shift styles quicker than Travis can change costumes (which he does several times). "Mid Morning In Moscow" harkens back to the big band era with its heavy brass of Bob Pilkington on trombone and upright bass of John Clark, while "Where's My Glasses" is beyond a label, but resonates with anyone over a certain age. (In fact I'm sure most of us have sung along to its opening line without even realizing it, "FUCK... FUCK... FUCK... I just had them on"). LaBonne came up and joined them for one of his songs, "Supermarket Employee," also to the thunderous chant of "PETE... PETE...," only by this time, more of the audience knew the words.

Throughout the show, it was hard to tell who was having more fun, drummer Rikki Bates or woodwind player Berke McKelvey, as their smiles never seemed to fade. This could also be said about the audience. While they ended up playing two encores, the second was done unplugged as the CTP strolled around the aisles of The Linda singing "Things To You" and "Goodbye."

Review by Ed Conway

THE CHANDLER TRAVIS PHILHARMONIC SET LIST
Ronald
Don't Blame Me
My Father Met My Mother in New York
Where's My Glasses
Suddenly Everything is Different
Make the Small Things Pretty
Did You Ever Know
Last Thing I Needed
Graciously
Mid-Morning in Moscow
Milk Truck on Fire
All My Good Luck Is Gone
Human
Supermarket Employee (with Pete LaBonne)
January
Get Ready for Freddy
O Miserable Love
Let's Have Some Fun
Thanksgiving in Stoughton
Grand Route St. John
FIRST ENCORE
Fluffy
SECOND ENCORE
(unplugged)
Things To You
Goodbye

PETE LaBONNE SET LIST
Guest of Honor
Turning the Page
Toothy Ruthie
Hillbilly Coupe De Ville
We Rolled the Car
Pour Beer on Each Other
ENCORE
100 Monkeys Typing

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Country music that swings? Jazz with a twang? When the high-flying Austin trio Hot Club of Cowtown ambled into the spotlight Wednesday night at WAMC's Performing Arts Studio, the nearly sold-out crowd was captivated from the opening notes of the zippy "She's Killing Me."

As the band name indicates, the trio walks the line between the Gypsy jazz of Django Reinhardt's Quintette du Hot Club de France and the western swing of Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys. On Wednesday, they leaned more heavily toward the Bob Wills side -- no surprise, considering their new album, "What Makes Bob Holler," is a tribute to Wills and his magical music.

In the realm of western swing, the fiddle is king. And on stage, fiddler Elana James was queen. Whether she was singing the Bob Wills gem "What's the Matter With the Mill," sawing through her bow hairs on the bluegrass warhorse "Orange Blossom Special" or crooning an old Rodgers and Hart nugget like "You Took Advantage of Me," James was the focal point of the band, both musically and visually.

That's not to take anything away from Whit Smith, who spun marvelously inventive leads on his big old, f-hole, hollowbody guitar and sang lead on most of the band's selections. His turn on "The Devil Ain't Lazy" was masterful, as the band wove Cab Calloway-like jump 'n' jive with gospelesque call and response. He was just as commanding with his own woozy, late-night-creeping ballad "When I Lost You."

And, to be honest, the real secret weapon of the band is bassist Jake Erwin, who pummeled away at his big stand-up acoustic like a man possessed. Like any good slap-bassist -- and he's one of the best -- he plays the role of both bassist and drummer with his percussive slapping and snapping of the strings. And while his lone lead vocal turn at the microphone on "Sweet Jenny Lee" certainly wasn't about to win him any awards, he at least held his own.

Although they never did get around to playing any Django tunes, they captured the darkly romantic edge of Gypsy jazz with a pair of flashy instrumentals: "Tchavolo Swing" and "Dark Eyes." They ripped up some old-time fiddle tunes, too, including "Sally Goodin" and the hot-wired hoedown of "The Acorn Hill Breakdown." And while most of the show centered around a jaunty, big bounce dance tempo, they could play sweet and slow, too, as they proved with a heavenly rendition of the Hoagy Carmichael classic, "Stardust."

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This time, Willie Nile wasn't on crutches, and he had more than twenty new and vintage songs to prove it.

A year ago, Nile played The Linda just days after tearing a calf muscle incurred while playing a Parkinson's benefit with his good friend, Bruce Springsteen. It was a gutsy, inspired performance - easily one of the best concerts of the year in Albany.

On Saturday, February 19, Nile came back full of vigor and eager to deliver a batch of new songs from his excellent new album "The Innocent Ones" (River House Records), as well as songs dating back to the early days of his storied career.

Armed with an acoustic guitar and accompanied by deft bassist Johnny Pisano (from the Kirsten Thien Band), Nile opened with "Seeds of the Revolution" from his '90s classic "Hard Times in America," dedicating it to those in the Middle East fighting for freedom against tyranny. "Pretty Babe" and "Rite of Spring" filled the theater with fine Everly-styled harmonies. The title cut to his new album featured a rousing refrain that could stir the conscience of a cynic, and "Sideways Beautiful," inspired by Nile's children, was rife with poetic images about the outcasts in all of us. Nile switched over to the piano for a jaunty "Sunrise in NYC" and then paid tribute to his Buffalo childhood in "Back Home."

Back on acoustic, Nile had the crowd singing along on 2009's "House of 1,000 Guitars," a raucous tribute to all the greats from Jimi Hendrix to John Lee Hooker. Entertaining a request, he flashed back to a 1980 RPI gig with "It's All Over" and then sent out "When One Stands, All Stand" to local music connoisseur Sir Walford.

Even a wry unreleased song, "God Laughs," got an airing, followed by the eerie social commentary of "Cell Phones Ringing (In the Pockets of the Dead)." "One Guitar," a rousing new song to change this fractious world's consciousness ("I think it's time we spoke/I've only got six strings, but like a bell they ring"), would have brought a smile to kindred souls George Harrison and Joe Strummer.

The lone cover of the night, "Rave On" acknowledged the influence of Buddy Holly; "On the Road to Cavalry," inspired by the late Jeff Buckley, was dedicated to an ailing Richie Havens and featured a sublime bass solo by Pisano. "I'm not disillusioned," declared Nile in reference to the legacy of the 1960s and the bedlam of 2011, before launching into two encores on piano, "Yesterday's Dreams" and "Streets of New York" to bring perfect closure to the evening.

Clifton Park native and Vizztone recording artist Christine Santelli, who has called NYC her home for over a decade, opened the show with a brief but hearty four-song set. Santelli's bluesy voice and acoustic picking got the immediate attention of all during "For a Man" and "Butterfly" (from 2009's "Any Better Time"), while "My Town" and "Wouldn't Be Wise" (the latter written during a prolific few months for her MySpace site) showed her gifts for characterization and turns of phrase.

Look for the broadcast of this concert on WAMC-FM in the near future.

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