Previous Gigs

Hush Point’s™ Post-Thanksgiving Jazz Therapy Sessions at the Cornelia Street Café
Cornelia Street Café - 11/25/2017

Friday & Saturday, November 24th & 25th, mark the 50th anniversary of Hush Point’s™ Post-Thanksgiving Jazz Therapy Sessions at the Cornelia Street Café.

Thanksgiving always produces depression, but the current political situation could make it much worse. The combination of frightening political chaos and tryptophan poisoning may push some people over the edge.

If you feel you may be vulnerable, these sessions are for you.

The proven healing and spiritual rebalancing abilities of contrapuntal jazz will instill hope and light a fire under you that will propel you into the new year with steady gaze, head held high and sleeves rolled up.  

Jeremy Udden, alto & C melody saxophones
John McNeil, trumpet
Aryeh Kobrinsky, bass
Jay Sawyer, drums

As in years past, we’ll be giving away free stuff. This year it’s wheelbarrows — the big ones used for hauling cement, not those weak-ass home gardening numbers that hold 4 potted geraniums and a bag of peat moss.

 

Cornelia Street Café
29 Cornelia Street Street, NYC
(212) 989-9319
**Reservations are advised**

SETS at 8:45 & 10:15

Hush Point’s™ Post-Thanksgiving Jazz Therapy Sessions at the Cornelia Street Café
Cornelia Street Café - 11/24/2017

Friday & Saturday, November 24th & 25th, mark the 50th anniversary of Hush Point’s™ Post-Thanksgiving Jazz Therapy Sessions at the Cornelia Street Café.

Thanksgiving always produces depression, but the current political situation could make it much worse. The combination of frightening political chaos and tryptophan poisoning may push some people over the edge.

If you feel you may be vulnerable, these sessions are for you.

The proven healing and spiritual rebalancing abilities of contrapuntal jazz will instill hope and light a fire under you that will propel you into the new year with steady gaze, head held high and sleeves rolled up.  

Jeremy Udden, alto & C melody saxophones
John McNeil, trumpet
Aryeh Kobrinsky, bass
Jay Sawyer, drums

As in years past, we’ll be giving away free stuff. This year it’s wheelbarrows — the big ones used for hauling cement, not those weak-ass home gardening numbers that hold 4 potted geraniums and a bag of peat moss.

 

Cornelia Street Café
29 Cornelia Street Street, NYC
(212) 989-9319
**Reservations are advised**

SETS at 8:45 & 10:15

Trump vs. Hush Point
Cornelia Street Café - 7/21/2017

Hush Point is a modern jazz quartet that uses improvised counterpoint created at a level rarely heard today.

The band’s third CD, “Hush Point III” was released in January and everything seemed to be going well. Then, in early March, Donald Trump inexplicably began a series of Twitter attacks against Hush Point and its music. It’s highly unlikely that the President has ever listened to any Hush Point CDs, so what provoked this assault is unclear.

The first tweets were relatively mild — “Hush Point? What’s the point? ” “Where’s the melody? ” — and didn’t really merit a response. Within a few weeks, however, the level of vitriol rose sharply:

"Hush Point. Fake jazz. Sad and un-American,”

"There [sic] tunes don’t have any words! Anybody can hear that!”

“Hash Point: four boring losers going nowhere. Fans are tired of HP conterpunt [sic] fake jazz.”

These attacks continue, and call Hush Point’s music not only “fake jazz,” but “unpatriotic,” “divisive” and "elitist."

It’s time to take a stand. Hush Point is sponsoring a rally at 9:00 p.m. on Friday, July 21st at the Cornelia Street Café in Manhattan’s West Village, and we urge jazz fans everywhere to attend.

And then speak out! Go to live shows, buy Hush Point CDs — anything to tell Trump he can’t dictate what type of jazz is heard in America!! 

Your friends at Hush Point

Hush Point album release - Hush Point III
Brooklyn Conservatory - 3/30/2017

HUSH POINT news
Tonight at the Brooklyn Conservatory in Park Slope,
 Hush Point will be
celebrating the release of their third album, “Hush Point III.”

To name their third album, Hush Point held a contest,
formed several focus groups and did extensive
telephone polling.
Overwhelmingly, everyone’s favorite name
for the album was “Casablanca,” and the second
most popular title was “Kinda Blew.”
 
The members of Hush Point rejected both titles
as being cutesy and precious. And twee.
Someone, possibly bassist Aryeh Kobrinsky,
asked why we didn’t just name the album
"Hush Point Twee” and be done with it.

Drummer Anthony Pinciotti then said that since
“Halloween III,” “Rocky III” and “Weekend at Bernie’s III”
had been so successful,
we should name our album “Hush Point III.”

The rest is history.

Jeremy Udden, alto & C melody saxophones
John McNeil, trumpet
Aryeh Kobrinsky, bass
Anthony Pinciotti, drums

“HP III is a non-stop thrill ride that leaves you
covered in decaying vegetable matter.” — Compost Monthly

_________________________________________________________________

Concert starts at 8:00

_________________________________________________________________

Brooklyn Conservatory
58 Seventh Ave (at Lincoln Place)
Park Slope, Brooklyn
(718) 622-3300
$15 admission - worth it
 bkcm.org/events/

HUSH POINT - Thanksgiving at Cornelia Street Café
Cornelia Street Café - 11/26/2016

HUSH POINT
Will be playing our annual post-Thanksgiving gigs
this Friday Nov. 25th & Saturday Nov. 26th.

Hush Point creates home-grown American jazz that walks
right up to you and grabs you by your teddy bear.
Join us, and together we will make Counterpoint Great Again.

We pledged to build a wall to keep out boring music of any kind, 
and we renew that promise to you, the jazz listener. 
Furthermore, Hush Point will immediately withdraw from the
disastrous Smooth Jazz Peace Treaty (SJPT).

Jeremy Udden, alto & C melody saxophones
John McNeil, trumpet
Aryeh Kobrinsky, bass
Anthony Pinciotti, drums
____________________________________________________________________________________________

SETS  at 9:00 & 10:30
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Cornelia Street Café
29 Cornelia Street Street, NYC
(212) 989-9319
**Reservations are advised**
http://corneliastreetcafe.com/downstairs/performances.asp  

“HUSH POINT III,” HUSH POINT's soon to be released third recording
for Sunnyside might be available for purchase. We’ll try to make it happen.

HUSH POINT - Thanksgiving at Cornelia Street Café
Cornelia Street Café - 11/25/2016

HUSH POINT
Will be playing our annual post-Thanksgiving gigs
this Friday Nov. 25th & Saturday Nov. 26th.

Hush Point creates home-grown American jazz that walks
right up to you and grabs you by your teddy bear.
Join us, and together we will make Counterpoint Great Again.

We pledged to build a wall to keep out boring music of any kind, 
and we renew that promise to you, the jazz listener. 
Furthermore, Hush Point will immediately withdraw from the
disastrous Smooth Jazz Peace Treaty (SJPT).

Jeremy Udden, alto & C melody saxophones
John McNeil, trumpet
Aryeh Kobrinsky, bass
Anthony Pinciotti, drums
____________________________________________________________________________________________

SETS  at 9:00 & 10:30
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Cornelia Street Café
29 Cornelia Street Street, NYC
(212) 989-9319
**Reservations are advised**
http://corneliastreetcafe.com/downstairs/performances.asp  

“HUSH POINT III,” HUSH POINT's soon to be released third recording
for Sunnyside might be available for purchase. We’ll try to make it happen.

Hush Point at Cornelia Street Café
Cornelia Street Café - 7/29/2016

To mark the end of the political convention season,
on Friday, July 29th, HUSH POINT™ the world's most political band,
is giving the voting public a chance to decompress and
reconnect with what’s really important to American culture:
improvised counterpoint.
yay
Also, August is always dead…if you stay in New York you find
yourself in a sweat fest; if you go elsewhere, you’re with
thousands of squares in bicycle shorts and bad taste in most things.
yay
The contrapuntal music of HUSH POINT™ will act as insulation between you
and all that is tedious and give you something to hold on to when
trying to maintain your sanity.
yay
Jeremy Udden, alto saxophone
John McNeil, trumpet
Aryeh Kobrinsky, bass
Anthony Pinciotti, drums
yay
“Hush Point™ is alive!!" —— Undead Monthly
yay
“Their shoes are made of bread." —— Dada Today
____________________________________________________________________________________________

SETS  at 9:00 & 10:30
____________________________________________________________________________________________

 Cornelia Street Café
29 Cornelia Street Street, NYC
(212) 989-9319
Reservations are advised
http://corneliastreetcafe.com/downstairs/performances.asp  
yay
[HUSH POINT™ has just completed a third recording
for Sunnyside, aptly titled, “HUSH POINT III” ]

Hush Point at Cornelia Street Café
Cornelia Street Café - 11/28/2015

On November 27th &28th,
the Friday & Saturday after Thanksgiving,
HUSH POINT,
the world's cleverest band, is giving the general public
one last chance to hear them live in 2015.
These legendary musical triathletes will perform music 
from their upcoming vinyl recording for Sunnyside.

If you find yourself trapped in a Tryptophan Torpor
(or any other small sports car), the music of HUSH POINT™
will act like contrapuntal Jaws of Life, freeing you from the
clutches of boring-ass music and performing
horn-to-brain resuscitation.

Jeremy Udden, alto saxophone
John McNeil, trumpet
Aryeh Kobrinsky, bass
Anthony Pinciotti, drums

"Wha…? Wait, are they...um..." —— Cannabis Monthly

"Moose ---seaweed dormitories --- popcorn.." —— Surrealism Quarterly
____________________________________________________________________________________________

SETS  at 9:00 & 10:30
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Cornelia Street Café
29 Cornelia Street Street, NYC
(212) 989-9319
$10 cover / $10 minimum
Reservations are advised
http://corneliastreetcafe.com/downstairs/performances.asp

Hush Point at Cornelia Street Café
Cornelia Street Café - 11/27/2015

On November 27th &28th,
the Friday & Saturday after Thanksgiving,
HUSH POINT,
the world's cleverest band, is giving the general public
one last chance to hear them live in 2015.
These legendary musical triathletes will perform music 
from their upcoming vinyl recording for Sunnyside.

If you find yourself trapped in a Tryptophan Torpor
(or any other small sports car), the music of HUSH POINT™
will act like contrapuntal Jaws of Life, freeing you from the
clutches of boring-ass music and performing
horn-to-brain resuscitation.

Jeremy Udden, alto saxophone
John McNeil, trumpet
Aryeh Kobrinsky, bass
Anthony Pinciotti, drums

"Wha…? Wait, are they...um..." —— Cannabis Monthly

"Moose ---seaweed dormitories --- popcorn.." —— Surrealism Quarterly
____________________________________________________________________________________________

SETS  at 9:00 & 10:30
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Cornelia Street Café
29 Cornelia Street Street, NYC
(212) 989-9319
$10 cover / $10 minimum
Reservations are advised
http://corneliastreetcafe.com/downstairs/performances.asp

Hush Point gig this Saturday
I-Beam Brooklyn - 4/25/2015

This week the members of Hush Point are all getting their high school diplomas through the the online campus of Lern-Rite University. Their official graduation picture is shown below. To celebrate the occasion Hush Point is playing a gig at I-Beam Brooklyn this Saturday night (April 25th).

Hush Point

Jeremy Udden (alto)
John McNeil (trumpet)
Aryeh Kobrinsky (bass)
Anthony Pinciotti (drums)

Monetary cost -- $15 (suggested)
Emotional cost -- Who can say, really?

Gig time -- 8:30 should be about right.

Address of I-Beam Brooklyn: 168 7th St, Brooklyn. [See ibeambrooklyn.com/ for directions.]

HUSH POINT™ Annual Detoxification Program
Cornelia St. Café - 11/28/2014

On Friday & Saturday, Sept. 28th/29th,
HUSH POINT™
will present its annual detoxification program at the
Cornelia St. Café

Every year since 1968 HUSH POINT ™ has presented a two-day program
of spiritual, physical and musical detoxification on the Friday and Saturday
after Thanksgiving™.
If you're feeling depressed or -- even worse -- happy and jubilant,
HUSH POINT ™ will flush the toxins from your system with their patented
contrapuntal jazz™ and answer the question that's been nagging at you
for years, namely, "Can self-realization be as simple as buying
the new HUSH POINT ™ CD, Blues and Reds?" The answer is "Yes!"

Jeremy Udden, alto saxophone
John McNeil, trumpet
Aryeh Kobrinsky, bass
Anthony Pinciotti, drums

____________________________________________________________________________________________

 2 SETS, 9:00 and 10:30
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Cornelia St. Café
 29 Cornelia Street, NYC
(212) 989-9319

http://www.corneliastreetcafe.com/

HUSH POINT Annual Pre-harvest Concert
Cornelia St. Café - 9/6/2014

On Saturday, Sept. 6th,
HUSH POINT
will play its annual pre-harvest concert™ at the
Cornelia St. Café


The band will be playing hits from their first CD ("Hush Point") 
and their second album ("Blues and Reds") due out in October. 
Dancing and free-form brawling will be encouraged and filmed. 

And since Saturday is only two days away, 

the so-called "gentle reminder" follow-up email 
is included at the bottom of this one.  

Jeremy Udden, alto saxophone
John McNeil, trumpet
Aryeh Kobrinsky, bass
Anthony Pinciotti, drums

"This band…is..." —— NewYork Times
____________________________________________________________________________________________

 2 SETS, 9:00 and 10:30 
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Cornelia St. Café
 29 Cornelia Street, NYC

(212) 989-9319
2 sets starting at 9:00 
$10 cover



A gentle reminder --
Hush Point will be performing at the Cornelia St Café on Saturday, Sept. 6th. 
There's
still time to make reservations (recommended) to hear the best
contrapuntal, creative music in the entire world, if not the universe.
We want to be your friends. Act now. 
Sincerely, 
Hush Point

HUSH POINT Open Rehearsal
Douglass Street Music Collective - 5/7/2014

This not a normal gig announcement, it's more of an invitation.

On Wednesday, May 7th, HUSH POINT will have an open rehearsal at DSMC.

There's no charge -- in fact, there's free beer until it's gone.

We're recording for Sunnyside later this month, so we'll welcome feedback
from everyone. You're invited to make comments, get drunk and confrontational, request "Stairway To Heaven," you name it.

We'll start around 8:30 and play 2 sets, sort of.

Here's a picture from a recent rehearsal --

Hush Point Rehearsal

HUSH POINT

John McNeil - trumpet
Jeremy Udden - saxophone
Aryeh Kobrinsky - bass
Anthony Pinciotti - drums

@Douglass Street Music Collective
295 Douglass St
Brooklyn, NY 11217

R to Union and walk 2 minutes, or almost any train to Atlantic and walk 10 minutes.

Hush Point at 5th Estate
5th Estate : 506 5th Ave (btw 12th & 13th) - 2/19/2014
Tonight Tuesday, February 18th

HUSH POINT 

will be playing the early set(s) at 


5th Estate

in Brooklyn
_________________________________________________________________________________

John McNeil, trumpet
Jeremy Udden, alto saxophone
Aryeh Kobrinsky, bass
Vinnie Sperrazza, drums 
_________________________________________________________________________________

5th Estate :  506 5th Ave  (btw 12th & 13th)


_________________________________________________________________________________

**  Hush Point plays from 7:00 to 9:30  **
HUSH POINT performing at Seeds in Brooklyn
Seeds 617 Vanderbilt Ave (Bergen & St. Marks), Ground Floor - 2/12/2014
This Wednesday, February 12th

HUSH POINT 
will be performing at 

seeds :: brooklyn


_________________________________________________________________________________

John McNeil, trumpet
Jeremy Udden, alto saxophone
Aryeh Kobrinsky, bass
Vinnie Sperrazza, drums 
_________________________________________________________________________________

seeds :  617 Vanderbilt Ave (Bergen & St. Marks), Ground Floor


_________________________________________________________________________________

**  the music starts at 8:30  ** 
the first Hush Point gig of 2014
Bar Chord - 1008 Cortelyou Road, Brooklyn - 1/6/2014
This Monday, January 6th
Bar Chord 
presents 
the first Hush Point gig of 2014 and, coincidentally, 
the first Monday of 2014 as well. 

Such iconic rhythmo/harmonic convergence does not happen often, 
so this is your chance to observe a bit of history in the making. 

Hush Point will be performing tunes from their upcoming album, as yet untitled. 

Mixed in will be some iconic compositions from their iconic first album 
(Hush Point, Sunnyside Records). Many of these have become imbedded 
in American popular culture and are now the iconic anthems of our times.

An iconic band needs iconic players, and Hush Point has four icons. 
It's a quartet, so that's the most icons you can have.

Jeremy Udden, alto sax
John McNeil, trumpet
Aryeh Kobrinsky, bass
Vinnie Sperrazza, drums
Bar Chord 
1008 Cortelyou Road, Brooklyn (Ditmas Park)
(347) 240-6033

Music is 9-12

Q or B to Cortelyou, or F to Ditmas
Hush Point
The Cornelia Street Café - 11/29/2013
On Friday, November 29th
Hush Point 

will play two (2) sets of music from their upcoming CD.

The location will be the Cornelia Street Café and the times are 9:00 and 10:30.

Nothing more needs to be said, really. 

I mean, one could go on and on about the various merits of the band, the clarity 
and originality of concept, give brief bios of the band members, 
extol the virtues of this and that, but why? 
Hush Point is going to play some new tunes. Everyone knows how great that is. 
Check out this interview with John McNeil:
Search & Restore by Samuel Weinberg

____________________________________________________________________________________________


John McNeil, trumpet
Jeremy Udden, alto saxophone
Aryeh Kobrinsky, bass
Vinnie Sperrazza, drums
____________________________________________________________________________________________

The Cornelia Street Café

29 Cornelia Street, NYC
sets at 9:00 & 10:30 PM  
(Reservations recommended) 
HUSH POINT in live concert and without makeup.
The Cornelia Street Café - 9/20/2013

 

On Friday, September 20th,
 Cornelia St. Café presents 
HUSH POINT 
in live concert and without makeup.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Sick and tired of all that unwanted hair? 
Did your last Brazilian turn into a Southern Hemisphere Special? 
Did it make you start ratting out your friends even though nobody asked? 
HUSH POINT's patented new hair removal system is the painless way to achieve that 
prepubescent look everyone is looking for! 
The intensity of HUSH POINT's contrapuntal jazz gets hair follicles to start vibrating 
in sympathy, and any sudden change of key or tempo will snap off the 
hair shaft far below skin level. 
Movie star Julia Roberts had this to say: 
"HUSH POINT is the answer! The treatments are are musically fascinating and completely 
painless, and now I no longer look like an ape." 

John McNeil, trumpet
Jeremy Udden, alto saxophone
Aryeh Kobrinsky, bass
Vinnie Sperrazza, drums
____________________________________________________________________________________________

The Cornelia Street Café

29 Cornelia Street, NYC
sets at 9:00 & 10:30 PM  
$10 cover, $10 minimum 
(Reservations recommended) 
Hush Point Debut Album Release
The Cornelia Street Café - 5/18/2013
To celebrate the release of their eponymous debut album*
the jazz quartet commonly referred to as

Hush Point 

is prepared to make history... 

Never before has a group of jazz musicians played an entire set using nothing but intervals. 

But this Friday and Saturday, May 17th & 18th,  

Hush Point will do exactly that  -- not once, mind you, but four times in two days.

----- Scientists and acoustic engineers have long predicted a holy grail called the "Hush Point phenomenon," 
wherein those exposed to constant intervals experience a general lifting of mood and the healing of gum disease. 
Now, at last, it has arrived. ----- 

As for the CD, it's on Sunnyside and the official release date is Tuesday, May 21st.

*For those who think an "eponymous" is a large African mammal, 
it means the album is titled Hush Point. Like the band.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

John McNeil, trumpet
Jeremy Udden, alto saxophone
Aryeh Kobrinsky, bass
Vinnie Sperrazza, drums
____________________________________________________________________________________________

The Cornelia Street Café

29 Cornelia Street, NYC
sets at 9:00 & 10:30 PM  
$20 includes a drink

(Reservations recommended)

Hush Point Debut Album Release
The Cornelia Street Café - 5/17/2013
To celebrate the release of their eponymous debut album*
the jazz quartet commonly referred to as

Hush Point 

is prepared to make history... 

Never before has a group of jazz musicians played an entire set using nothing but intervals. 

But this Friday and Saturday, May 17th & 18th,  

Hush Point will do exactly that  -- not once, mind you, but four times in two days.

----- Scientists and acoustic engineers have long predicted a holy grail called the "Hush Point phenomenon," 
wherein those exposed to constant intervals experience a general lifting of mood and the healing of gum disease. 
Now, at last, it has arrived. ----- 

As for the CD, it's on Sunnyside and the official release date is Tuesday, May 21st.

*For those who think an "eponymous" is a large African mammal, 
it means the album is titled Hush Point. Like the band.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

John McNeil, trumpet
Jeremy Udden, alto saxophone
Aryeh Kobrinsky, bass
Vinnie Sperrazza, drums
____________________________________________________________________________________________

The Cornelia Street Café

29 Cornelia Street, NYC
sets at 9:00 & 10:30 PM  
$20 includes a drink

(Reservations recommended)

Hush Point
Cornelia Street Café - 3/8/2013
On Friday, March 8th 
Cornelia Street Café presents 

HUSH POINT
(formerly HUSH MONEY -- It's a long story)** 
To celebrate the Spring Sequester, the band will play tunes from 
its first CD, soon to be released.
If you're feeling a little bleak about the economic future of our republic, 
this is your chance to stand up and say to our elected officials and to the world, 
"To hell with you! I'm going to hear Hush Point™ play some 
interwoven jazz lines and cross-rhythms!"

Take a stand -- you'll feel better.  
____________________________________________________________________________________________

John McNeil, trumpet
Jeremy Udden, alto saxophone
Aryeh Kobrinsky, bass
Vinnie Sperrazza, drums
____________________________________________________________________________________________

29 Cornelia Street, NYC
(212) 989-9319

sets at 9:00 & 10:30 PM  
(Reservations recommended)
_____________________________________________________________

** Here's the long story -- a Canadian rock band already had the name "Hush Money," and they 
were working, recording etc. and generally being what's called an "active agent." 
We had done a search, of course, but not for Canadian bands. 

Anyway, legal counsel advised against using the name and here we are. Same band, new name. 
Actually, Hush Point is probably a better name when you think about it.. More accurate, maybe.
HUSH MONEY AT ShapeShifter Lab
ShapeShifter Lab - 2/6/2013
appearing this Wednesday, February 6th 
____________________________________________________________________________________________
THE SOON-TO-BE-RENAMED

    HUSH MONEY 
  AT

   ShapeShifter Lab
____________________________________________________________________________________________

John McNeil, trumpet
Jeremy Udden, alto saxophone
Aryeh Kobrinsky, bass
Vinnie Sperrazza, drums
____________________________________________________________________________________________

**  HUSH MONEY WILL PLAY AT 8:30 p.m. **
THE 2nd SET of 
a 3-BAND EVENING

 7:30 - Horizontals w/ André Matos, Jacob sacks, Eivind Opsvik and Billy Mintz
                          9:30- Crossing Oceans w/ Sara Serpa, André Matos, Dan Blake, Jacob Garchik and Adam Cruz
____________________________________________________________________________________________

ShapeShifter Lab
18 Whitwell Place
(just east of 3rd Ave, btwn 1st St & Carroll St) 
Brooklyn, NY 11215
(646) 820-9452
$15 for three sets, $10 for two

[nearest subway: R train to Union St & 4th Ave]
Hush Money at Hamilton's
New American restaurant/gastropub "Hamilton's" - 1/23/2013
On the eve of recording their first CD, John's newish quartet, Hush Money, is making a discrete local appearance for three days in order to solidify their new material before going into the studio.
New American restaurant/gastropub "Hamilton's" open since October, is already racking up great food reviews.Hamilton's is proud to host Hush Money's three-night engagement.
Hush Money features:
  • John McNeil-trumpet
  • Jeremy Udden-sax
  • Aryeh Kobrinsky-bass
  • Vinnie Sperrazza-drums
Gig Details:

WHEN:  Tues thru Thurs, Jan 22nd  thru 24th
                  2 sets starting at 9 p.m.

WHERE: 
Hamilton's:
2826 Fort Hamilton Pkwy (cor. of East 4th St.)
(718) 438-0488

LINKS:
the quartet   
the venue
http://hamiltonsbrooklyn.com/    (click on menu to see menu page)  

updated beer menu:   http://www.beermenus.com/places/7529-hamilton-s

  

email: hamiltonbkny@gmail.com 

Hush Money at Hamilton's
New American restaurant/gastropub "Hamilton's" - 1/22/2013
On the eve of recording their first CD, John's newish quartet, Hush Money, is making a discrete local appearance for three days in order to solidify their new material before going into the studio.
New American restaurant/gastropub "Hamilton's" open since October, is already racking up great food reviews.Hamilton's is proud to host Hush Money's three-night engagement.
Hush Money features:
  • John McNeil-trumpet
  • Jeremy Udden-sax
  • Aryeh Kobrinsky-bass
  • Vinnie Sperrazza-drums
Gig Details:

WHEN:  Tues thru Thurs, Jan 22nd  thru 24th
                  2 sets starting at 9 p.m.

WHERE: 
Hamilton's:
2826 Fort Hamilton Pkwy (cor. of East 4th St.)
(718) 438-0488

LINKS:
the quartet   
the venue
http://hamiltonsbrooklyn.com/    (click on menu to see menu page)  

updated beer menu:   http://www.beermenus.com/places/7529-hamilton-s

  

email: hamiltonbkny@gmail.com 

HUSH MONEY AT The Douglass Street Music Collective
The Douglass Street Music Collective - 11/30/2012
appearing this Friday, November 30th
Nowt@Nite concert number twenty-one
____________________________________________________________________________________________

HUSH MONEY
AT
The Douglass Street Music Collective
____________________________________________________________________________________________

John McNeil, trumpet
Jeremy Udden, alto saxophone
Aryeh Kobrinsky, bass
Vinnie Sperrazza, drums
____________________________________________________________________________________________

-- HUSH MONEY WILL PLAY AT 9:00 p.m. -- 
THE 2nd SET of 
a 3-BAND EVENING
____________________________________________________________________________________________


295 Douglass St. (b/w 3rd & 4th Aves.) in Gowanus, Brooklyn, NY 11217


HUSH MONEY AT The Cornelia Street Café
The Cornelia Street Café - 11/23/2012
appearing this Friday, November 23rd 
____________________________________________________________________________________________

HUSH MONEY
AT
 
The Cornelia Street Café
____________________________________________________________________________________________

John McNeil, trumpet
Jeremy Udden, alto saxophone
Aryeh Kobrinsky, bass
Vinnie Sperrazza, drums
____________________________________________________________________________________________

This is a BLACK FRIDAY performance, 
so come ready to save, with bargains galore!!!
X
Door Buster Special: Arrive at five o'clock in the morning for 
first dibs on rare jazz memorabilia -- 
Hundreds of items accidentally left at the club by chemically 
impaired musicians throughout 2012. 
X
Here's A Sneak Peek - our lowest prices ever!
X
· A whopping 25% off of all exercise equipment!
X
· Loads of artsy conversation slashed to sell -- 
X
· New concepts at rock-bottom prices (limit: 2 per customer)
X
Your one-stop shop for holiday savings!
____________________________________________________________________________________________

29 Cornelia Street, NYC
(212) 989-9319
sets at 9:00 & 10:30 PM  
$10 cover/$10 minimum
(Reservations recommended)
HUSH MONEY at Smalls NYC
smalls jazz club - 10/18/2012
appearing this Thursday, October 18th 
____________________________________________________________________________________________


HUSH MONEY
w. John McNeil & Jeremy Udden 
AT
smalls jazz club
____________________________________________________________________________________________

John McNeil, trumpet
Jeremy Udden, alto saxophone
Aryeh Kobrinsky, bass
Vinnie Sperrazza, drums
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Hush Money debuted in Brooklyn earlier this year. This will be the band's first gig in Manhattan.
"So what," you say?
Well, my rude friend, they said the same thing to Galileo, Marie Curie, Picasso and Mozart 
when their bands played a debut gig in Manhattan.
And that's the kind of spirit that Hush Money brings to the New York jazz scene.
It's a new band with new tunes, reasonably new instruments and a new way 
of pronouncing "gazeteer." Come check it out.
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Smalls
183 W. 10th St. at 7th Ave.
(212) 252-5091 
www.smallsjazzclub.com

sets at 9:00 & 10:30 PM  

John McNeil's new quartet
The Cornelia Street Café - 7/14/2012
this Saturday, July 14th 
____________________________________________________________________________________________
The Cornelia Street Café

PRESENTS

John McNeil's new quartet  

____________________________________________________________________________________________

John McNeil, trumpet
Dave Miller, guitar
Joe Martin, bass
Jochen Rueckert, drums

And special guest, violist Mat Maneri on the second set.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
As everyone knows, July 14th is Bastille Day. 
Less commonly known is that July 14th is also Ingmar Bergman's birthday. 
Combining the two  occasions into one celebration was tough -- fireworks don't invoke 
existential questions of mortality and loneliness -- so the band put together a short, 
enigmatic film to screen between sets.
[Teaser: Robespierre is feeling angst about all that guillotining, while in the background 
Madame Defarge knits a gray tea cozy with the words  "Reign of Despondency" in black yarn.]
So dress up and come hear the band play some new tunes.
And hear Mat Maneri work his magic on some old ones (2nd set).
____________________________________________________________________________________________

29 Cornelia Street, NYC
(212) 989-9319

sets at 9:00 & 10:30 PM  
$15 cover/$10 minimum
(Reservations recommended) 


The McNeil/Udden/Kobrinsky/Sperrazza Emulsion
Douglass Street Music Collective - 6/29/2012
NOWT at NITE 
presents 
an exciting, unprecedented new group -- 
an ensemble so cutting-edge that first-aid kits 
must be issued to those in the front two rows. 

Come and check out 
The McNeil/Udden/Kobrinsky/Sperrazza Emulsion. 

=> ONLY IN BROOKLYN FOR ONE HOUR! <=

Friday, June 29th at 8pm

Douglass Street Music Collective
295 Douglass St, Brooklyn between 3rd and 4th Avenues
Buzzer #1
$10 suggested donation
streaming live (video and audio) at livlive.fm!!

John McNeil - trumpet
Jeremy Udden - saxophones
Aryeh Kobrinsky - bass
Vinnie Sperrazza - drums

R train to Union St or B, D, N, Q, 2, 3, 4 or 5 to Atlantic Ave
or just walk there, for chrissake.
John McNeil's Urban Legend at The Cornelia Street Café
The Cornelia Street Café - 5/4/2012

Since this gig is on May 4th, the members of Urban Legend were torn
about whether to celebrate Ron Carter's birthday or that of conservative
commentator George Will. Normally in these situations the jazz birthday
wins out, but George Will did write a commendable book about baseball,
and such contributions cannot and should not be ignored. At the group's
weekly barbecue and sewing bee the controversy raged back and forth and
threatened to sunder the good fellowship of the band.

$25 cover (includes a drink)

Urban Legend
Friday, May 4th
Cornelia St. Café

Sets at 9 & 10:30

Band:
John McNeil -- trumpet
Bill McHenry -- tenor sax
Steve Cardenas -- guitar
Joe Martin -- bass
Rodney Green -- drums

Tea Lounge Jam Session
Tea Lounge - 3/7/2012

Jam session at the Tea Lounge (837 Union St., Park Slope, Brooklyn) from 9 to 12 (or 12:30, depending on the crowd) co-hosted by John McNeil and trombonist Mike Fahie.

$5 suggested donation (718) 789-2762

All are welcome but this is a high-level session for experienced players. Beginners are welcome to join the audience, listen and learn.

John McNeil's Urban Legend at The Cornelia Street Café
- 2/18/2012

In our society, fads come and go with alarming rapidity.
Today's medallions of veal are tomorrow's Chow Fun, if you know what I mean.

As an individual, all one can hope to do is to row one's boat eastward and pray that 
the fickle winds of fiduciary malfeasance do not bring one's dreams to naught.

To that end, Urban Legend will be performing a clutch of new tunes guaranteed to restore regularity and confidence in the shredded social fabric of our civilization. 

As always, expectations are high.

John McNeil, trumpet
Bill McHenry, tenor saxophone
Steve Cardenas, guitar
Matt Penman, bass
Diego Voglino, drums

The Cornelia Street Café
29 Cornelia Street, NYC (212) 989-9319
http://www.corneliastreetcafe.com/performances.asp

sets at 9:00 & 10:30 PM
$15 cover/$10 minimum

the john mcneil quartet at the cornelia street café
the cornelia street café - 11/25/2011

the gravy maps an archipelago
on white linen

familiar voices
cheer the creaking scaffold
of prosthetic limbs

who will carve she asks
i look away
and smile behind my rubber mask

who will carve she asks
and all are silent
thinking of the giant musk ox
with sage stuffing

and one voice answers
i i will carve
and now we dance to bartok
and stravinsky

the john mcneil quartet featuring ethan iverson on friday and saturday november 25th and 26th at the cornelia street café 2 sets starting at 9:00

 

an alternative to feeling blank alienated and undefined this holiday season

 

john mcneil -- trumpet
ethan iverson -- piano
jorge roeder -- bass
adam nussbaum -- drums

http://www.corneliastreetcafe.com/performances.asp 

Wednesday Jam Sessions with John McNeil and Mike Fahie
The Tea Lounge - 9/21/2011

Wednesday Night Jam Sessions at the Tea Lounge

Every Wednesday from now through eternity John McNeil will be appearing with trombonist Mike Fahie from 9:00 to 12:30 at:

The Tea Lounge
837 Union St.
Park Slope , Brooklyn
(718) 789-2762 

John McNeil Quartet featuring Ethan Iverson
Cornelia Street Cafe - 9/16/2011
On Friday, Sept. 16th,  
the John McNeil Quartet
[featuring Ethan Iverson]
will be performing at the 
Cornelia Street Café 

Those who follow such things will recognize that this particular 
combination of individuals is new.
 
 All four of these artists approach their
ensemble interactions as intensely as their soloing.
All four love to swing, and each is prone to wildly unpredictable flights of creativity.
John and Ethan have always loved to deconstruct and redefine tunes and
Ben Street and Adam Nussbaum enhance every setting with thrilling variety.
Suffice it to say that this will be a memorable and exciting evening. 
(Also, this month marks the 35th anniversary of the first time 
John McNeil and Adam Nussbaum played together.)

John McNeil -- trumpet 
Ethan Iverson -- piano
Ben Street -- bass  
Adam Nussbaum -- drums

Cornelia Street Café 
 29 Cornelia Street, NYC

(212) 989-9319
2 sets starting at 9:00 

Wednesday Jam Sessions with John McNeil and Mike Fahie
The Tea Lounge - 9/14/2011

Wednesday Night Jam Sessions at the Tea Lounge

Every Wednesday from now through eternity John McNeil will be appearing with trombonist Mike Fahie from 9:00 to 12:30 at:

The Tea Lounge
837 Union St.
Park Slope , Brooklyn
(718) 789-2762 

Wednesday Jam Sessions with John McNeil and Mike Fahie
The Tea Lounge - 9/7/2011

Wednesday Night Jam Sessions at the Tea Lounge

Every Wednesday from now through eternity John McNeil will be appearing with trombonist Mike Fahie from 9:00 to 12:30 at:

The Tea Lounge
837 Union St.
Park Slope , Brooklyn
(718) 789-2762 

Wednesday Jam Sessions with John McNeil and Mike Fahie
The Tea Lounge - 8/31/2011

Wednesday Night Jam Sessions at the Tea Lounge

Every Wednesday from now through eternity John McNeil will be appearing with trombonist Mike Fahie from 9:00 to 12:30 at:

The Tea Lounge
837 Union St.
Park Slope , Brooklyn
(718) 789-2762 

Wednesday Jam Sessions with John McNeil and Mike Fahie
The Tea Lounge - 8/24/2011

Wednesday Night Jam Sessions at the Tea Lounge

Every Wednesday from now through eternity John McNeil will be appearing with trombonist Mike Fahie from 9:00 to 12:30 at:

The Tea Lounge
837 Union St.
Park Slope , Brooklyn
(718) 789-2762 

Wednesday Jam Sessions with John McNeil and Mike Fahie
The Tea Lounge - 8/17/2011

Wednesday Night Jam Sessions at the Tea Lounge

Every Wednesday from now through eternity John McNeil will be appearing with trombonist Mike Fahie from 9:00 to 12:30 at:

The Tea Lounge
837 Union St.
Park Slope , Brooklyn
(718) 789-2762 

Tuesday Jazz - The Fifth Estate
The Fifth Estate - 8/16/2011

The band is:

John McNeil -- trumpet
Kenny Pexton -- ten. sax
Jorge Roeder -- bass
Diego Voglino -- drums

It's actually Diego's gig, but I'm going to act like it's mine. You know, upstaging the other players when I'm not playing by walking back and forth on stage and nodding approval of their efforts, or saying things like "Take your time now!" while others are soloing, or growling "All ri-i-ight!" during a quiet moment of a bass solo.

Start time is 10:00 -- we play the first and last set. 

The Fifth Estate
506 5th ave. (betw. 12th & 13th)
Park Slope, Brooklyn

Wednesday Jam Sessions with John McNeil and Mike Fahie
The Tea Lounge - 8/10/2011

Wednesday Night Jam Sessions at the Tea Lounge

Every Wednesday from now through eternity John McNeil will be appearing with trombonist Mike Fahie from 9:00 to 12:30 at:

The Tea Lounge
837 Union St.
Park Slope , Brooklyn
(718) 789-2762 

Wednesday Jam Sessions with John McNeil and Mike Fahie
The Tea Lounge - 8/3/2011

Wednesday Night Jam Sessions at the Tea Lounge

Every Wednesday from now through eternity John McNeil will be appearing with trombonist Mike Fahie from 9:00 to 12:30 at:

The Tea Lounge
837 Union St.
Park Slope , Brooklyn
(718) 789-2762 

Wednesday Jam Sessions with John McNeil and Mike Fahie
The Tea Lounge - 7/27/2011

Wednesday Night Jam Sessions at the Tea Lounge

Every Wednesday from now through eternity John McNeil will be appearing with trombonist Mike Fahie from 9:00 to 12:30 at:

The Tea Lounge
837 Union St.
Park Slope , Brooklyn
(718) 789-2762 

Wednesday Jam Sessions with John McNeil and Mike Fahie
The Tea Lounge - 7/20/2011

Wednesday Night Jam Sessions at the Tea Lounge

Every Wednesday from now through eternity John McNeil will be appearing with trombonist Mike Fahie from 9:00 to 12:30 at:

The Tea Lounge
837 Union St.
Park Slope , Brooklyn
(718) 789-2762 

Wednesday Jam Sessions with John McNeil and Mike Fahie
The Tea Lounge - 7/13/2011

Wednesday Night Jam Sessions at the Tea Lounge

Every Wednesday from now through eternity John McNeil will be appearing with trombonist Mike Fahie from 9:00 to 12:30 at:

The Tea Lounge
837 Union St.
Park Slope , Brooklyn
(718) 789-2762 

Wednesday Jam Sessions with John McNeil and Mike Fahie
The Tea Lounge - 7/6/2011

Wednesday Night Jam Sessions at the Tea Lounge

Every Wednesday from now through eternity John McNeil will be appearing with trombonist Mike Fahie from 9:00 to 12:30 at:

The Tea Lounge
837 Union St.
Park Slope , Brooklyn
(718) 789-2762 

John McNeil at Cornelia Street Café
Cornelia Street Café - 6/11/2011
On Saturday, June 11th,  
the John McNeil/Bill McHenry Quartet™ 
will be performing at the 
Cornelia Street Café 


Media preoccupation with penis tweets got you down? 
Feeling put upon by the steaming hell of mass transit?
Stroller-wielding parents have you cleaning your hunting rifle? 

If so, the John McNeil/Bill McHenry Quartet™ has the answer, 
my friend: white-hot cool jazz from their first two CDs plus 
a few obscure ditties destined for their next CD. 

Better than sex™ or fist fights or wagering on baseball.

John McNeil -- trumpet 
Bill McHenry -- tenor sax 
Joe Martin -- bass  
Rodney Green -- drums

Cornelia Street Café 
 29 Cornelia Street, NYC

(212) 989-9319
2 sets starting at 9:00 

John McNeil, trumpet;  Bill McHenry, tenor;  Joe Martin, bass;  Rodney Green, drums

John McNeil & Bill McHenry

Nearly a year and a half ago John McNeil and Bill McHenry recorded their 2nd CD for the Sunnnyside label, live, here at Cornelia Street. The club seems to bring out the best efforts of both players, so this gig should be memorable.

Critics have described them thusly: "What makes this group special is the constant interplay between the two horns. McNeil and McHenry are constantly playing off one another -- even when one is taking a solo, the other is either supporting or answering him, the way a pianist would customarily be expected to do"

"McNeil and McHenry hail from different generations but share an attraction to unfettered harmonic terrain. A pianoless quartet, the group's configuration leaves plenty of elbow room, an opportunity that McHenry and McNeil fully exploit by lacing reharmonizations into their improvised lines, or by abandoning harmonic constraints altogether."

Cornelia Street Cafe

John McNeil - Tomi Jazz - Golden Anniversary
TOMI JAZZ - 5/28/2011
On Saturday, May 28th
The John McNeil Quartet
will be performing at
TOMI JAZZ

New tunes, great Japanese food, the chance to celebrate the 74th 
anniversary of the opening of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge -- 
Could you ask for a better evening? I mean, you could ask, 
but you probably wouldn't get anything hipper than this. 


John McNeil -- trumpet 
Kenny Pexton -- tenor
Aryeh Kobrinski -- bass 
Diego Voglino -- drums 

Sets at 8:00 & 9:30 -- $10 cover

TOMI JAZZ
239 East 53rd St., lower level
(betw. 2nd & 3rd Aves.)
(646) 497-1254
Late Night Jazz at Tomi
TOMI JAZZ - 4/30/2011
On Saturday, April 30th
The John McNeil Quartet
will be playing the late set at
TOMI JAZZ

This will be a chance to stay up late in the city that never sleeps and pretend that it's the 1980's, when New York was still a three-set town and everyone stayed up late all the time because they were grownups who understood that the wee hours were when the magic happened. They knew that there was more to life than early-to-bed, early-to-rise, getting enough fiber, jogging and always making the prudent choice about EVERYTHING.

Tell yourself, "I don't live in Akron or Mason City for chrissakes! I live in New-effing-York, goddammit, and I'm staying out late on Saturday!" Strike a blow for maturity and personal freedom -- you'll feel better.
 
John McNeil -- trumpet 
Kenny Pexton -- tenor
Aryeh Kobrinski -- bass 
Diego Voglino -- drums 

Sets at 11:00 & 12:30 -- $10 cover

TOMI JAZZ
239 East 53rd St., lower level
(betw. 2nd & 3rd Aves.)
(646) 497-1254
Jazz Ass
Puppets Jazz Bar - 4/21/2011
On Thursday, April 21st,
Puppets Jazz Bar 
presents 
The John McNeil Quartet 

Playing their collective ass off.

****************************************************
John McNeil -- trumpet
Kenny Pexton -- tenor & clar.
Jorge Roeder -- bass
Diego Voglino -- drums
Two sets --  9 to 11:30 
$6 music charge

Puppets Jazz Bar 

481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 

April 2 at TOMI JAZZ
TOMI JAZZ - 4/2/2011
On Saturday, April 2nd
The John McNeil Quartet
will be performing at
TOMI JAZZ

Nothing is really happening on April 2nd except this gig.
Carnegie Hall will be empty, Broadway theaters will be shut down, clubs closed, 
all in observance of Charlemagne's birthday. So if you're one of those people 
who could give a rat's ass about Charlemagne, Tomi Jazz is the answer. 
 
However, given the tremendous social pressure to have some sort of remembrance,
any person 6'6" or taller that shows up at Tomi Jazz wearing a suit of armor 
 will probably get five bucks off the cover charge. 
 

John McNeil -- trumpet 
Kenny Pexton -- tenor
Aryeh Kobrinski -- bass 
Diego Voglino -- drums 

Sets at 8:00 & 9:30 -- $10 cover

TOMI JAZZ
239 East 53rd St., lower level
(betw. 2nd & 3rd Aves.)
(646) 497-1254
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 2/24/2011
On Thursday, February 24th,
Puppets Jazz Bar 
presents 
The John McNeil Quartet 

Under the old Julian Calendar, February 24th was the day added during leap years. The calendar was still inaccurate, so every few years they would add a 13th month of 27 days (also beginning on Feb. 24th). The resulting year was like, 378 days long or something.

Julius Caesar was evidently so caught up with having July named after him that he just kind of threw the rest of the calendar together. He was like, "Hey -- add a day here and there, maybe a month -- BFD, am I right? I'm Caesar, leave me the fuck alone!"


Anyway, the band is going to commemorate this ancient custom by adding a random measure to some tunes, and then adding an entire tune at the end of each set.


****************************************************
John McNeil -- trumpet
Kenny Pexton -- tenor & clar.
Jorge Roeder -- bass
Diego Voglino -- drums
Two sets --  9 to 11:30 
$6 music charge
Puppets Jazz Bar 

481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 


Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 2/11/2011
On Friday, February 11th,
Puppets Jazz Bar 
presents 
The John McNeil Quartet 
celebrating the release of Lady Gaga's "Born This Way"

We've all been waiting for Lady Gaga's new album, and now you'll have a chance to hear  jazz versions of the new album's title song, as well as such mega-hits as "Alejandro, "Bad Romance" and "Telephone."
This is GlamJazz at its best, and not to be missed. 
And it's LATE -- midnight to 2 a.m. so everyone can be grownups. 

****************************************************
John McNeil -- trumpet
Kenny Pexton -- tenor & clt.
Jorge Roeder -- bass
Diego Voglino -- drums
The Late Show -- Midnight to 2 a.m. 
$6 cover/suggested donation. 

Puppets Jazz Bar 

481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 

Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 1/7/2011
On Friday, January 7th,
at Puppets Jazz Bar 
The John McNeil Quartet 
will play its first gig of 2011.

The band has made a New Year's resolution to play especially well for the remaining 358 days of 2011 and to never again trivialize an otherwise fine solo by quoting some stupid, sophomoric nursery rhyme or lame pop tune. Not that they ever did that, but, you know, this is like extra insurance for the audience. They can relax, knowing that they're not going to be subjected to a cringe-inducing musical wink or elbow to the ribs. 

Also, January 7th is Millard Fillmore's birthday -- his 211th, to be exact.

****************************************************
John McNeil -- trumpet
Kenny Pexton -- tenor & clar.
Shawn Conley -- bass
Diego Voglino -- drums
2 sets from 9 -- 11:30
$6 cover/suggested donation. 
(Beaded goods, scrimshaw or animal pelts accepted) 
Puppets Jazz Bar 

481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 

Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 12/23/2010
On Thursday, December 23rd,
Puppets Jazz Bar 
presents 
The John McNeil Quartet 
playing holiday tunes.

An entirely new concept -- playing jazz versions of, like, Xmas carols or seasonal tunes.Since it's never been done before -- by anyone -- this could be an historic event.  
You can tell your grandchildren, "I was there when they first played 'We Three Kings' as a modal jazz waltz." They probably won't believe it and will just say, "Sure, Grandpa -- that's great," as they reach over and wipe the oatmeal off your chin, but yule know (sorry). 

****************************************************
John McNeil -- trumpet
Mike Fahie -- trombone
Jorge Roeder -- bass
Diego Voglino -- drums
2 sets from 9 -- 11:30
$6 cover/suggested donation. 
(Being attractive and/or wearing a Santa hat is not enough) 
Puppets Jazz Bar 

481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 



 ATE
Dec 9th 9:00 to 11:30 Puppets Jazz Bar Brklyn NY
Dec 9th 9:00 to 11:30 Puppets Jazz Bar Brklyn NY - 12/9/2010
On Thursday, December 9th,
Puppets Jazz Bar 
presents 
The John McNeil Quartet 
featuring Kenny Pexton
December is all about big football games, with teams mounting a last push for the playoffs or fighting for home-field advantage or, you know, just playing hard because they're like, pros or something.

Against this backdrop of gridiron action, it's only fitting that we take time on December 9th to celebrate the birthday of Hall-of-Famer Dick Butkus. Dick Butkus was a ferocious middle linebacker for the Chicago Bears, known for killing and eating opponents whole, often without any condiments.

Anyone showing up with shoulder pads and/or a Bears jersey will be invited to join the band for calisthenics and short passing drills after the first set, and a short scrimmage after set two.

****************************************************
John McNeil -- trumpet
Kenny Pexton -- tenor & clar.
Shawn Conley (the younger one) -- bass
Diego Voglino -- drums
2 sets from 9 -- 11:30
$5 suggested donation. (Being attractive and smiling seductively at the band is not enough --- please don't leave without throwing in some $ -- it's bad karma.) 
Puppets Jazz Bar 

481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 



ATE
Nov 26th & 27th
Nov 26th & 27th - 11/27/2010

 

On Friday and Saturday, Nov. 26th & 27th, 
John McNeil's Urban Legend™ 
will be performing at the 
Cornelia Street Café 

Thanksgiving stirring up old family conflicts?
Eat too much to fit into your Speedo™ ?
Disappointed that a positive holiday mood is at odds with the bitterness and paranoia sweeping the nation?

Take too much Xanax™ to avoid being charged with assault or worse?

What you need is a set or two of jazz therapy to help you detox and restore your sense of optimism. 

Urban Legend™'s team of dedicated jazz practitioners are standing by to help put you back on the path to happiness and well-being.  You're welcome.


Urban Legend™ is: 

John McNeil -- trumpet 
Kenny Pexton -- tenor & clt. 
Steve Cardenas -- guitar & whistling
Ben Allison -- bass & whistling 
Rodney Green -- drums

Cornelia Street Café 
 29 Cornelia Street, NYC
Nov 24th 8:30 to 11:30 Puppets Jazz Bar Brklyn NY
Nov 24th 8:30 to 11:30 Puppets Jazz Bar Brklyn NY - 11/24/2010
Nov 11th 8:30 to 11:30 Puppets Jazz Bar Brklyn NY
Nov 11th 8:30 to 11:30 Puppets Jazz Bar Brklyn NY - 11/11/2010
On Thursday, November 11th,
Puppets Jazz Bar 
presents 
The John McNeil Quartet 
featuring Kenny Pexton
November 11th is commonly celebrated as Armistice Day or Veteran's Day. It's a good idea to remember the people who have fought and died for this country, but there are two things that occurred on Nov. 11th that greatly overshadow  minor happenings such as the end of World War I. 

In case you haven't already guessed, the two events in question are, of course, the birthdays of Calista Flockhart and Leonardo DiCaprio. 

Born exactly 10 years apart, these two American giants have single-handedly transformed modern society into the disease-free, energy-efficient cradle of creativity and innovation envisioned by scholars of the Enlightenment. Through their efforts, the original dreams of the 18th century have been realized, and modern humans are now part of a universal cyber-consciousness through which thoughts can be exchanged instantly and the needs of all can be met by the Central Synthesizing Thingy located at Gibraltar.

****************************************************
John McNeil -- trumpet
Kenny Pexton -- tenor & clar.
Shawn Conley (the younger one) -- bass
Diego Voglino -- drums
2 sets from 9 -- 11:30
$5 suggested donation. (Being attractive and smiling seductively at the band 
is not enough --- please don't leave without throwing in some $ -- it's bad karma.) 
Puppets Jazz Bar 

481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 



 ATE
Nov. 5th Dazzle Jazz Denver, CO, 2 sets starting at 7:00
Nov. 5th Dazzle Jazz Denver, CO, 2 sets starting at 7:00 - 11/5/2010
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 10/28/2010
On Thursday, October 28th,
Puppets Jazz Bar 
presents 
The John McNeil Quartet 
featuring Kenny Pexton
October 28th is Bill Gates' birthday. To pay tribute to this giant of the tech industry,the band will periodically stop playing in the middle of a tune for no apparent reason, and then will have trouble starting the next tune. The audience will also be prevented from going to any other jazz clubs or listening to any other music whatsoever.
****************************************************
John McNeil -- trumpet
Kenny Pexton -- tenor & clar.
Sean Conly (the older one) -- bass
Diego Voglino -- drums
2 sets from 9 -- 11:30
$5 suggested donation. Strongly suggested. Don't make Diego angry.... 
Puppets Jazz Bar 

481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 


Tomi Jazz
Tomi Jazz - 10/16/2010
The John McNeil Quartet
comes to Manhattan's beautiful new jazz club,
TOMI JAZZ
You gotta problem with that? 

For the past two and a half years the John McNeil 4tet has been doing time in Brooklyn. 
It ain't all that bad, you know?
First of all, Brooklyn's got a lot of things Manhattan don't, like the JMQ, for example,
 and Doreen, that dish what works at the Purity Diner. Wowza.

But look, all that aside, we got a big heart, you know? -- 
and it's time we shared our unique freakin' talents with the rest of the city. 
But not those bozos from New Jersey -- Snooki and friends would probably pee themselves 
when they heard that famous Flatbush atonality, you know what I mean?


John McNeil -- trumpet 
Kenny Pexton -- tenor
Shawn Conley -- bass 
Diego Voglino -- drums 

Saturday, October 16
Sets at 9:30 & 10:45 -- $10 cover, no minimum

TOMI JAZZ
239 East 53rd St., lower level
(betw. 2nd & 3rd Aves.)
(646) 497-1254
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 10/6/2010
On Wednesday, October 6th,
Puppets Jazz Bar 
presents 
The John McNeil Quartet 
featuring Kenny Pexton
In an effort to widen the presence of jazz chromosomes throughout the American public, John McNeil has graciously consented to share snippets  of his DNA with the first 25 customers. 
****************************************************
John McNeil -- trumpet
Kenny Pexton -- tenor & clar.
Sean Conly (the older one) -- bass
Diego Voglino (the dangerous one) -- drums
2 sets from 8:15 -- 9:45
$5 suggested donation. Strongly suggested. Don't make me come over there.... 
Puppets Jazz Bar 

481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 

****************************************************
==>P.S. If you can't make it Wednesday, this coming Saturday (10/16) the band will be playing at Tomi Jazz on E. 53rd St. in Manhattan, 9:30 to 11:30. Because you are a trusted and devoted member of The John McNeil Church of Intervallic Hegemony, you will receive a separate notice for the Saturday gig.  
 ATE
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 9/29/2010
The John McNeil Quartet is playing at Puppets Jazz Bar tonight (Wed. 9/29). 
Fall by if you're bored with life or your apartment. 

John McNeil -- trumpet 
Kenny Pexton -- tenor & clt. 
Sean Conly -- bass 
Diego Voglino -- drums 

Two sets -- 8:15 & 9:30 - ish. 
Album Release - Cornelia Street Cafe
Album Release - Cornelia Street Cafe - 9/24/2010


This Friday 
 
September 24th at Cornelia Street Café





the JOHN McNEIL-BILL McHENRY Quartet


Celebrates the release of their new Sunnyside recording,

"Chill Morn He Climb Jenny" 


John McNeil - Chill Morn He Climb Jenny


Their first CD, "Rediscovery," remains extremely popular, so the boys decided to create a marketing bonanza by hitting the public right between the eyes with another bang-up recording. The cover of their new CD even has a nude woman, historically a sure guarantee of platinum at the very least. 



John McNeil -- trumpet 
Bill McHenry -- tenor 
Matt Penman -- bass 
Jochen Rueckert -- drums



Sets  at 9:00 & 10:30

The Cornelia Street Café
 29 Cornelia Street, NYC 
212-989-9319 
Call for reservations.

Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 8/25/2010
On Wednesday, August 25th 
Puppets Jazz Bar
presents
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
Featuring Kenny Pexton

August 25th is an auspicious day, especially in the area of philosophy. On this day, the Scottish philosopher David Hume passed away, but since no one actually witnessed his death, there's no proof that it happened. The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche also died on the 25th, just days before having his name officially changed to KAL-EL.

However, the event that most deserves world celebration is -- Wayne Shorter's birthday.
To mark this day, the band will try to refrain from playing clichés and attempt to make their solos get more interesting the longer they last.

Note: this is an early start. The gig goes from 8:15 to 11-ish. 

 John McNeil -- Trumpet  
Kenny Pexton -- Tenor & Clarinet
Sean Conly -- Bass
Diego Voglino -- Drums

Music from 8:15 to 11
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Miles' Cafe
Miles' Cafe - 7/7/2010

 

On Wednesday, July 7th

The John McNeil Quartet 

will be appearing at 
Miles' Café 
the new club in midtown. 
As part of the Grand Opening of this beautiful new venue, the band will be playing new music, new solos and new atonal expressive sound gestures. 

The music will be mysterious, enigmatic and flavored with natural hickory smoke. 
John McNeil -- trumpet 
Kenny Pexton -- tenor and clar. 
Dan Loomis -- bass 
Diego Voglino -- drums 
Music from 9 to 11
$10 cover

Miles' Café 
212 E. 52nd Street, 3rd Floor (b/w 2nd & 3rd Avenue) 

www.milescafe.com

Click here for a map and directions.

Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 6/17/2010
On Thursday, June 17th
Puppets Jazz Bar 
(and George Wein)
present
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
Featuring Kenny Pexton

Find yourself staying up late?
Maybe you lost your job and can't sleep because you're worried about money and losing your apartment, or maybe your health insurance just denied your claim for life-saving surgery. Maybe you're asking yourself existential questions or contemplating your mortality and saying, "My god, is this all there is?"
Perhaps you avoided staring into the abyss and then found the abyss outside your bedroom window watching you dress.

Sound familiar? 
Listen, my friend, late-night midweek jazz is guaranteed to put things right.
At 12:00 late Thursday night you're not doing anything but sweating into your pillow from night horrors, right? Drag your ass over to Puppets and start living life again. A couple of hot choruses based on a tone row will make you wonder why you were ever worried about that persistent cough.

Cover is 15 bucks.

 John McNeil -- Trumpet  
Kenny Pexton -- Tenor & Clarinet
Shawn Conley -- Bass
Vinnie Sperrazza -- Drums

Music from  midnight to 2:00 a.m.  

Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Cornelia Street Café
Cornelia Street Café - 6/5/2010
On Saturday, June 5th, the
Cornelia Street Café
presents
The JOHN McNEIL/BILL McHENRY QUARTET 
playing music from their new Sunnyside CD, due out in September.

This Saturday, as the McNeil/McHenry band is playing Cornelia Street, they will be saying goodbye to Poul Weis, the longtime booker of the club and the person most responsible for the consistent music policy there.
Poul is returning to Denmark very soon, perhaps to draw cartoons of you-know-who, perhaps not. Maybe he'll just play his trumpet as the lord Odin intended. At any rate, he will be missed by the musicians. For one thing, he's one of those people that is always calm, no matter what. In fact, John & Bill once set him on fire just to see what would happen. Sure enough, he methodically extinguished himself and called an ambulance... 
some screaming, sure, but not so much as you'd think.
Most of all, though, as a good musician he had empathy for the performers and would consistently make correct musical decisions.

Tough act to follow.
 

 John McNeil -- Trumpet  
Bill McHenry -- Tenor 
Neal Miner -- Bass
Jochen Rueckert -- Drums


2 sets starting at 9:00  
$10 cover
Cornelia Street Café

 29 Cornelia Street, NYC 
212-989-9319 

Connection Works and Brooklyn Jazz Wide Open
Connection Works and Brooklyn Jazz Wide Open - 5/16/2010
Sunday, May 16th, 2010 
Connection Works 
and Brooklyn Jazz Wide Open
present 
the John McNeil/Nicholas Urie Concert Jazz Ensemble
at Clover's Fine Art Gallery and Café in Brooklyn

This is a triple header -- at 2:00 John McNeil will talk about music and just about anything else, and answer questions about quantum mechanics.
[That's not exactly true. He would sound convincing but be completely wrong. People generally just want answers, though, even if they're obviously in error.]

At 3:15, an outstanding group called "Works" with Tony Malaby (tenor saxophone), Michel Gentile (flute), Daniel Kelly (piano) and Rob Garcia (drums) will perform original music and scare everyone.

Then, at 4:30, you can witness the debut of a new 11-piece group which features the music of  

John McNeil, as reimagined by composer/arranger Nicholas Urie.

The personnel is: John Replogle, Dave Smith and John McNeil (trumpet), 
Howard Johnson (tuba), Lolly Bienenfeld (trombone), Kenny Pexton (clarinet), Jeremy Udden (alto), 
Mark Small (tenor), Kenny Berger (bari & bass clarinet), Danny Weller (bass) and Tyson Stubelek (drums).


Adults: $15, (Students: $10) for the whole event. 


 Clover's Fine Art Gallery and Café
338 Atlantic Avenue (b/ Hoyt and Smith st.)
BROOKLYN, NY 11217
718-625-2121
Boerum Hill/Downtown Brooklyn district

Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 4/28/2010

 

On Wednesday, April 28th
Puppets Jazz Bar
presents
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
Featuring Kenny Pexton

This week, the filmmaker James Lester is going to film both sets at Puppets. If you've always wanted to be in the movies, now's your chance! This could be a real Hollywood-type story -- "Director discovers new romantic star while filming some degenerate jazzbos..."
Your name in lights, fame, fortune, divorce, scandal, addiction, rehab -- it's all there for you!


Cover's the same -- 6 bucks and a drink gets you a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
 

 John McNeil -- Trumpet  
Kenny Pexton -- Tenor & Clarinet
Jorge Roeder -- Bass
Diego Voglino -- Drums


Sets at 8:30 & 10:00  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 4/21/2010
On Wednesday, April 21st
Puppets Jazz Bar
presents
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
Featuring Kenny Pexton

April 21st, 753 B.C. is thought to be the day that Romulus and Remus founded Rome. The actual time was 2:30 in the afternoon, just after a delicious lunch of goat ravioli and espresso made with dirt. Luckily they named the town after Romulus, otherwise we'd be talking about "Reme" or the "Reman empire." To celebrate this important anniversary, two members of the John McNeil Quartet will fight to the death between sets.


Cover's the same -- 6 bucks and a drink.
 

 John McNeil -- Trumpet  
Kenny Pexton -- Tenor & Clarinet
Jorge Roeder -- Bass
Diego Voglino -- Drums

P.S. Next week, April 28th, an anonymous filmmaker will use his considerable skill to film the gig. If you're either good-looking or quirky, show up and he'll put you in some shots.

Sets at 8:30 & 10:00  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 4/14/2010

 

On Wednesday, April 14th

The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET
will be gigging in Indiana.

In their absence
Puppets Jazz Bar
will present

the Diego Voglino Trio  


Diego Voglino on Drums
Brad Shepik on Guitar  
Sean Conly on Bass


Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 4/7/2010

 

On Wednesday, April 7th
Puppets Jazz Bar
presents
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
Featuring Kenny Pexton

 Wednesday is Tiki Barber's birthday (and twin brother Ronde's as well). To celebrate, the band is moving to an earlier start time of 8:30 and ending at 11:00. In addition, the audience will be asked to participate in blocking and tackling drills between sets. 
Shoulder pads will be provided, but everyone should bring their own helmet and cleats. No wagering.


Cover's the same -- 6 bucks and a drink. 
 Hit the early set and be home before dark, almost.

 John McNeil -- Trumpet  
Kenny Pexton -- Tenor & Clarinet
Sean Conly -- Bass
Diego Voglino -- Drums


Sets at 8:30 & 10:00  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 4/6/2010
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET
 will be taking a brief hiatus from their
regular Wednesday gig at Puppets Jazz Bar.
The gig may start up again on March 31st,
but it definitely will be on as of
Wednesday, April 7th. 


The new time will be from 8:30 to 11:15,
with another band at 11:30.
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 3/31/2010
On Wednesday, March 31st
Puppets Jazz Bar
presents
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
Featuring Kenny Pexton

This Wednesday, the band is playing the late-night slot one last time. Beginning April 7th the gig will consist of 2 sets, 8:30 & 10,  but for this week only, the sets will be 10:30 & midnight.


Cover's the same -- 6 bucks and a drink.
NO PETS
 

 John McNeil -- Trumpet  
Kenny Pexton -- Tenor & Clarinet
Sean Conly -- Bass
Diego Voglino -- Drums


Sets at 10:30 & Midnight.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Cornelia Street Café
Cornelia Street Café - 3/26/2010
this Friday, March 26

You are invited to join

John McNeil & Bill McHenry    


in a special one-night only appearance featuring 

Billy Hart, drums; 
Ethan Iverson, piano;  
Matt Penman, bass 


The Cornelia Street Café
29 Cornelia Street, NYC  

sets at 9 & 10:30PM 
Call for reservations: (212) 989-9319
________________________________

ALSO catch John and Bill on the Joey Reynolds radio show 
TONIGHT (actually Thursday morning) 1:00 a.m. until 3 with Joe Martin on bass & Jochen Rueckert on drums Tune into WOR radio, 710 on the AM dial or listen on-line    http://www.wor710.com/pages/3600691.php
Puppet's Jazz Bar
Puppet's Jazz Bar - 3/10/2010
On Wednesday, March 10th 
Puppets Jazz Bar
presents
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
Featuring Kenny Pexton

This Wednesday the band continues the new late-night policy: 2 sets, 10:30 & midnight.


This Wednesday is also the 134th anniversary of Alexander Graham Bell's first successful telephone call.  The guy that answered told Bell that they weren't booking for July yet, and he should just send a MySpace link.

Cover -- 6 bucks and a drink.
 

 John McNeil -- Trumpet  
Kenny Pexton -- Tenor & Clarinet
Sean Conly -- Bass
Diego Voglino -- Drums

Sets at 10:30 & Midnight.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 3/3/2010
On Wednesday, March 3rd 
Puppets Jazz Bar
presents
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
Featuring Kenny Pexton

Beginning this Wednesday, the band is starting a late-night policy. We're moving from 3 sets to 2 and starting later. Set times will be 10:30 and midnight.


We are making this move not because of March Madness, but because our research has indicated that more interesting people stay up late. 

Honest to god, it had gotten so that the early set (9:00) was attended by 1) Amish families who had to get up early to milk some cows or chickens or whatever, or 2) -- even worse -- people who were trying to "live a healthy lifestyle." Jesus roller skating Christ, is there anything more boring than that?*** At least the Amish folks would help you build a barn or something.

***If you are the non-Amish, overweight cigarette smoker who's been attending the early set, we're not referring to you & your big ass. We'd never insult a paisan.

Cover's the same -- 6 bucks and a drink.
 

 John McNeil -- Trumpet  
Kenny Pexton -- Tenor & Clarinet
Mike McGuirk -- Bass
Diego Voglino -- Drums

Plus Carmen Staaf -- intermission pianist
Sets at 10:30 & Midnight.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz
Puppets Jazz - 2/24/2010

 

On Wednesday, February 24th 
Puppets Jazz Bar
presents
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
Featuring Kenny Pexton

February 24th is Dragobete, the Romanian Valentine's Day. Men, if you forgot flowers February 14th, or if you've screwed up royally since then, this is your chance to put things right. The little woman will appreciate your thoughtfulness and perhaps abandon her plans to pour boiling oil on you while you're sleeping. 

Ladies, you know that men have no desire to receive flowers or designer chocolates with little hearts on them. Men are genetically incapable of appreciating such gifts, and generally smile vacantly when such things are presented to them as a big surprise, say. You can, however, bust a guy for forgetting a holiday -- even one he doesn't know about -- and get some swag out of it. "How could you forget Dragobete, Kevin? I thought you loved me!" 
 
For 6 bucks and a drink you can spend the entire night at Puppets, listen to some white-hot, Romanian New York jazz and enjoy a full-out celebration of Dragobete including melting snow for magic potions and stepping over your partner's feet. You can also choff vegetarian food and some good pie. If you must arise early on Thursday, just catch the 9:00 set and be home before the late news. If you're a night person, catch the midnight set. 

 John McNeil -- Trumpet  
Kenny Pexton -- Tenor & Clarinet
Mike McGuirk -- Bass
Diego Voglino -- Drums

Plus Carmen Staaf -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 2/17/2010
On Wednesday, February 17th 
Puppets Jazz Bar
presents
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
Featuring Kenny Pexton

The Catholic Church has a patron saint for just about any endeavor.
This is true: 
On February 17th, 1958, Pope Pius XII declared Saint Clare of Assisi the patron saint of television. Saint Clare died in 1253, well before network TV or cable existed, so the connection seems rather tenuous.  Also, why would television need a patron saint? 


In any case, encouraged by Catholicism's great number of protective entities,the band has solicited the current pope to declare a patron saint for Blues in F.  Among the candidates put forth are Sonny Stitt and JJ Johnson. 
As yet, there has been no response from Rome, but these things take time.


For 6 bucks and a drink you can spend the entire night at Puppets, listen to some white-hot, searing New York jazz, debate the relative merits of Saint Sonny vs Saint JJ and munch some vegetarian food. And some good pie.  
If you must arise early on Thursday, just catch the 9:00 set and be home before the late news. If you're a night person, catch the midnight set. 

 John McNeil -- Trumpet  
Kenny Pexton -- Tenor & Clarinet
Michael Montgomery -- Bass
Rudy Royston -- Drums

Plus Randy Ingram -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 2/10/2010

 

On Wednesday, February 10th 
Puppets Jazz Bar
presents
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
Featuring Kenny Pexton

Valentine's Day is right around the corner, and the John McNeil Quartet wants to help you get ready for it. They can give you tips on preparing the traditional lung-and kidney rolls with hazelnuts and guava jam, show you how best to line your underwear with tinfoil, and help with all the heart-warming rituals we treasure here in America. You can even bring your partially-woven beekeeper's hats and the band will show you how to include design elements such as figs and house keys and religious pamphlets. When you present flowers to your loved one while wearing your woven hat and doing squat-thrusts, his or her smile will be worth the trouble!

For 6 bucks and a drink you can spend the entire night at Puppets, listen to some white-hot, searing New York jazz, start the traditional Valentine spreading of lies and ingest some vegetarian grub. And some good pie. If you must arise early on Thursday, just catch the 9:00 set and be home before the late news. If you're a night person, catch the midnight set. 

 John McNeil -- Trumpet  
Kenny Pexton -- Tenor & Clarinet
Michael Montgomery -- Bass
Diego Voglino  -- Drums

Plus Randy Ingram -- intermission pianist, massage therapist & tinfoil expert
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 2/2/2010
On Wednesday, February 3rd 
Puppets Jazz Bar
presents
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
Featuring Kenny Pexton

Wednesday, February 3rd, is the birthday of Dr. Henry Heimlich, the physician who discovered the Heimlich Maneuver. If not for this man, the walls of American restaurants would be bereft of entertaining, vaguely homoerotic illustrations.
  
To celebrate Dr. Henry's work, one member of the John McNeil Quartet will periodically stop playing creatively and begin spewing clichés and data. Another band member will then wrap his arms around the offending player and drive a fist into his abdomen until he once again starts playing some ideas.

For 6 bucks and a drink you can spend the entire night at Puppets, listen to some white-hot, searing New York jazz, reminisce about Mama Cass and all those who have choked to death on food and take small bites as you ingest some vegetarian grub. And some good pie. If you must arise early on Thursday, just catch the 9:00 set and be home before the late news. If you're a night person, catch the midnight set. 

 John McNeil -- Trumpet  
Kenny Pexton -- Tenor & Clarinet
Mike McGuirk -- Bass
Diego Voglino  -- Drums

Plus XXXXXXXXX -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 1/26/2010
On Wednesday, January 27th 
Puppets Jazz Bar
presents
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
Featuring Kenny Pexton

 On Wednesday, January 27th, the John McNeil Quartet will not only engage in explorations of a sonic and rhythmic nature, but will practice the healing arts for the benefit of those fortunate enough to be in attendance. The four esteemed musician/alchemists will bleed vile humours from the audience with a cohort of the finest leeches. In a trice, those whose existence has been befogged by excess bile will now experience a life clear as a forest pond, devoid of negative earth particles and bilious elements.

For 6 half-crowns and the purchase of a bracing quaff you can spend the entire night at Puppets, discuss the merits of public flogging and hearken to the band as they perform improvised New York motets. You may also ingest some vegetarian victuals, including some worthy pie. 
If you must arise early on Thursday, just catch the 9:00 set and be home before the late news. If you're a night person, catch the midnight set. 

 John McNeil -- Trumpet  
Kenny Pexton -- Tenor & Clarinet
Mike McGuirk -- Bass
Rudy Royston  -- Drums

Plus Jamie Reynolds -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 


Puppet's Jazz Bar
Puppet's Jazz Bar - 1/20/2010
On Wednesday, January 20th 
Puppets Jazz Bar
presents
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
Featuring Kenny Pexton

 Wednesday, January 20th, marks the first anniversary of Barack Obama's inauguration. To celebrate, every time a tune is called, the lone conservative band member will insist that the rest of the band debate the tune's merits and vote on whether to play it or not. If the answer is yes, that same member will then threaten to play scales up and down continuously unless the key of the tune is changed to B-flat. With any luck, at least one tune per set will actually get played.

For 6 bucks and a drink you can spend the entire night at Puppets, argue about foreign policy and health care, listen to the band play some searing New York jazz and choff some vegetarian food, including some great pie. If you have to get up early, just catch the 9:00 set and be home before the late news. If you're a night person, catch the midnight set. 

 John McNeil -- Trumpet  
Kenny Pexton -- Tenor & Clarinet
Mike McGuirk -- Bass
Diego Voglino  -- Drums

Plus Leonard Thompson -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppet's Jazz Bar
Puppet's Jazz Bar - 1/13/2010
The John McNeil Quartet 
will NOT be playing this Wednesday, Jan. 6th. 
The band is taking a week off. 
On Wed., Jan. 13th the band starts Year # 2 (Woo-woo, woo-woo!) at Puppets Jazz Bar. One of the owners, Marty Fagin, will be celebrating his birthday in an unknown but possibly raucous fashion, so it should be a good beginning to a second twelve months. 
Happy 2010. 
2009 was like a boorish uninvited guest who refuses to leave, eats everything in the refrigerator, chain-smokes smelly cigars, does number two and doesn't flush and then asks for a back rub. 
Good riddance, I say.
Puppet's Jazz Bar
Puppet's Jazz Bar - 1/13/2010

 

On Wednesday, January 13th 
Puppets Jazz Bar
presents
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
Featuring Kenny Pexton

This Wednesday, January 13th, the band starts its second year of regular Wednesdays at Puppets Jazz Bar. Coincidentally, it's also the birthday of two New York institutions: Marty Fagin (one of the owners of Puppets) and The New York Times. It's a very auspicious day all around. 

The fact that Marty's birthday was actually a week ago shouldn't detract from the sheer gravity of this Wednesday, nor should the fact that in 1785 The Times was called the Daily Universal Register. The band has new tunes and everything, so celebrations are in order. The first ten customers receive a new Chevy Volt.

For 6 bucks and a drink you can spend the entire night at Puppets, brag about your  new electric car, listen to the band play some searing New York jazz and choff some vegetarian food, including some great pie. If you have to get up early, just catch the 9:00 set and be home before the late news. If you're a night person, catch the midnight set. 

 John McNeil -- Trumpet  
Kenny Pexton -- Tenor & Clarinet
Jorge Roeder -- Bass
Diego Voglino  -- Drums

Plus Natalia Zaytseva -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 12/30/2009
On Wednesday, December 30th 
Puppets Jazz Bar
celebrates the present with
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
Featuring Kenny Pexton

Face it, the present is the only truly safe place to contemplate. When you look backwards, it's with profound regret and shame, and looking forward fills you with fear and horror, right?

 

New Year's Eve is the worst. It invites us to look positively at the future by offering us a chance to wipe the slate clean and start life afresh. We buy into it, then immediately begin to squander the chance in exactly the same ways we squandered it last year and the year before that and the year before that etc., and end up feeling even worse.

 

Make this year different: let's start the party on the 30th.

 

Don't think about anything you did before or anything you might do in the future. And don't make any goddam resolutions like "no more sugar" or "I'm going to change my sheets every week." If you must make a resolution, let it be "I'm not going to super-glue my forehead to a hyena this year." Then you have a shot, at least.

 

For 6 bucks and a drink you can spend the entire night at Puppets, listen to some searing New York jazz, say good riddance to that pile of crap called 2009 and choff some vegetarian food, including some great pie. If you have to get up early, just catch the 9:00 set and be home before the late news. If you're a night person, catch the midnight set.


 John McNeil -- Trumpet  
Kenny Pexton -- Tenor
Jorge Roeder -- Bass
Diego Voglino  -- Drums

Plus Boston legend & one-time Art Garfunkel look-alike Bert Seager -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 

Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 12/23/2009

 

On Wednesday, December 23rd 
Puppets Jazz Bar
celebrates Festivus with
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
Featuring Mike Fahie

The band will have a brand-new aluminum Festivus pole and some equally brand-new solos, some of which will use the elusive Higgs Substitution. The band will perform Festivus miracles such as ending together, not losing the form of a tune and trading eight-bar phrases.

For 6 bucks and a drink you can spend the entire night at Puppets. Air your grievances, listen to the band play some searing New York jazz  and choff some vegetarian food, including some great pie. If you have to get up early, just catch the 9:00 set and be home before the late news. If you're a night person, catch the midnight set. 

 John McNeil -- Trumpet  
Mike Fahie -- Trombone
Mike McGuirk -- Bass
Rudy Royston  -- Drums

Plus David Berkman -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 12/16/2009
On Wednesday, December 16th 
Puppets Jazz Bar
celebrates Beethoven's birthday with
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
Featuring Kenny Pexton

1770 was one hell of a year. There was the Boston Massacre, which helped start the American Revolution, Captain James Cook found Australia and claimed it for England, Marie Antoinette married Louis and Beethoven was born.

For 6 bucks and a drink you can spend the entire night at Puppets, listen to the band play a jazz adaptation of "Eroica" and choff some vegetarian food, including some great pie. If you have to get up early, just catch the 9:00 set and be home before dark, almost. If you're a night person, catch the midnight set. 

 John McNeil -- Trumpet  
Kenny Pexton -- Tenor & Clarinet
Mike McGuirk -- Bass
Rudy Royston  -- Drums

Plus Nataliya Zaytseva -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 12/9/2009
On Wednesday, December 9th 
Puppets Jazz Bar
presents
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
Featuring Kenny Pexton

December 9th is one of those rare days when two equally momentous anniversaries can be celebrated. 

The first, of course, is Dick Butkus' 67th birthday. Those of us who saw him play middle linebacker for the Chicago Bears remember the sheer savagery with which he played and the acumen and instincts he displayed in each and every game.

The second is the 43rd anniversary of Barbados joining the United Nations.There's no record of Dick Butkus ever going to Barbados, but who's to say that he didn't?  In 1966, the year Barbados joined the U.N., he was at the height of his career and could probably go anywhere he wanted in the off-season. 

For 6 bucks and a drink you can spend the entire night at Puppets, wear Chicago Bears paraphernalia, talk Barbadian politics and eat vegetarian food, including some great pie. 
If you have to get up early, just catch the 9:00 set and be home before dark, almost. If you're a night person, catch the midnight set. 

 John McNeil -- Trumpet  
Kenny Pexton -- Tenor & Clarinet
Mike McGuirk -- Bass
Diego Voglino  -- Drums

Plus Danny Fox -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 12/2/2009

 


On Wednesday, December 2nd 
Puppets Jazz Bar
presents
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
Featuring Kenny Pexton

Turkey leftovers
Tryptophan's stuporous spell 
 Live jazz gives you wings


 John McNeil -- Trumpet  
Kenny Pexton -- Tenor & Clarinet
Mike McGuirk -- Bass
Rudy Royston  -- Drums

Plus Dred Scott-- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 11/28/2009

 

Please join the  
John McNeil/ Bill McHenry Quartet 
for a live recording 
on November 27th & 28th 
at The Cornelia Street Café 

This CD will be the sequel to Rediscovery, the boys' first recording together for Sunnyside and loved by all. 

This is your chance to be immortalized by shouting "Woooo" or just screaming something unintelligible. Every live recording needs these sounds, and it is the audience's responsibility to provide them. Also, if you're suffering psychic pain from Thanksgiving family confrontation or feeling bloated from eating to excess, this music is guaranteed to ease your discomfort. 

John McNeil -- Trumpet 
Bill McHenry -- Tenor 
Joe Martin -- Bass 
Jochen Rueckert -- drums

2 sets starting at 9:00, $10 cover. 

The Cornelia Street Café
 29 Cornelia Street, NYC 
212-989-9319 
Call for reservations.
*******************************************************************************************
In addition, John & Bill are playing a pre-Thanksgiving gig on Wednesday, Nov. 25th at Puppets in Brooklyn. For all you agoraphobes out there, you can hear some searing jazz without venturing across the East River, and you can fortify yourself to face the rigors of Thanksgiving. 

The band is the same except for Diego Voglino on drums.
Plus Jamie Reynolds -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 11/18/2009

 

On Wednesday, November 18th 
Puppets Jazz Bar
presents
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
Featuring Kenny Pexton

November 18th is Gary Sheffield's birthday.  For those who are unfamiliar with baseball, Sheffield is one of those guys who feels insulted if he's only being paid 12 million a year instead of 12.5 mil. Some would say that when he's unhappy, his performance suffers. We understand -- it's hard to concentrate when you're being ground into the dirt with an iron boot and forced to honor a "contract" that you"signed." It's a question of human dignity. 

The musicians of the John McNeil Quartet play their hearts out for as little as 10 million per. There's never any holding out or dogging it on stage. By one a.m. the floor is awash in sweat, blood and valve oil.

For 6 bucks and a drink you can spend the entire night at Puppets, root for your favorite player, eat vegetarian food and some great pie. If you have to get up early, just catch the 9:00 set and be home before dark, almost. If you're a night owl, catch the midnight set. 

 John McNeil -- Trumpet  
Kenny Pexton -- Tenor & Clarinet
Mike McGuirk -- Bass
Rudy Royston  -- Drums

Plus Kelly Powers -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 11/11/2009
On Wednesday, November 11th 
Puppets Jazz Bar
observes Armistice Day with
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
Featuring Kenny Pexton
 and 
special guest Ethan Iverson

On November 11, 1918, the world decided that 16,000,000 deaths were enough to satisfy everyone's honor and mercifully halted the killing machine known as World War I. They could have stopped it sooner, of course, but it was thought that the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month was more poetic. Everyone was ordered to keep shooting until all those elevens lined up, and those killed in the interim had the satisfaction of being part of something symmetrical. WWI was to be "the war to end all wars." If only.

That's all sad history, reminding us to enjoy ourselves while we can. 

For 6 bucks and a drink you can spend the entire night at Puppets, listen to searing New York jazz, eat vegetarian food and some great pie. If you have to get up early, just catch the 9:00 set and be home before dark, almost. If you're a night owl, catch the midnight set. 

 John McNeil -- Trumpet  
Kenny Pexton -- Tenor & Clarinet
Mike McGuirk -- Bass
Diego Voglino  -- Drums

Plus Ethan Iverson -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 11/4/2009
On Wednesday, November 4th 
Puppets Jazz Bar
celebrates the reunification of
The JOHN McNEIL/BILL McHENRY QUARTET 

Originally formed in 1928, the McNeil/McHenry Quartet celebrates its eighty-first year in the jazz business with a special reunion gig. The boys took a year off to pursue other projects such as malaria research and futzing around with the human genome, but are now ready to resume playing the creative, swinging and vaguely disturbing jazz that made them legendary and feared throughout North America.

For 6 bucks and a drink you can spend the entire night at Puppets, listen to forgotten jazz classics made new, eat vegetarian food and some great pie. If you have to get up early, catch the 9:00 set and be home before dark, almost. 

 John McNeil -- Trumpet  
Bill McHenry -- Tenor
David Wong -- Bass
Jochen Rueckert -- Drums

Plus Dred Scott -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 10/28/2009
On Wednesday, October 28th 
Puppets Jazz Bar
presents
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
featuring
Noah Preminger


Warm up your Trick-or-Treating chops with some hot jazz and correspondingly cold beverages.   

Arrive wearing a mask and we'll dedicate a tune to you.
(That is, if we can even recognize who you are with that stupid mask on.)

 John McNeil -- Trumpet  
Noah Preminger -- Tenor
Mike McGuirk -- Bass
Diego Voglino -- Drums

Plus JP Schlegelmilch -- intermission pianist

Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 10/21/2009
On Wednesday, October 21st
Puppets Jazz Bar
bravely presents 
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
featuring Prix du Monde winner, saxophonist
Kenny Pexton 

This Wednesday there is a confluence of events that presents irrefutable evidence of a cosmic watchmaker, an intelligence behind the curtain of perceived reality. October 21st is the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Guggenheim museum, and -- get this -- Kenny Pexton makes his first appearance as a member of the John McNeil Quartet. It gives one pause to consider such synchronicity. Mr. Pexton has happily relocated to New York and will continue to blaze across the jazz firmament like a civilization-destroying comet.
 

For 6 bucks and a drink you can spend the whole evening at Puppets, listen to searing New York jazz, eat vegetarian grub and suck up some great pie.
 

 John McNeil -- Trumpet  
Kenny Pexton -- Tenor Sax & Clarinet
Mike McGuirk -- Bass
Rudy Royston -- Drums

Plus Dan Tepfer -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 10/14/2009
On Wednesday, October 14th 
Puppets Jazz Bar
celebrates the Battle of Hastings with 
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
featuring trombonist extraordinaire 
Mike Fahie

On October 14th, 1066, William of Normandy beat the crap out of  
Harold the Saxon near Hastings, England. The next day, Billy the Conqueror decreed that henceforth all swear words and vulgarity were to be expressed in Anglo-Saxon and polite, genteel conversation in Norman French. Or he would cut off your hands and feet. 

For 6 silver pieces and a glass of mead ye can spende the entyre night at Puppets, listen to hogsheads of searing New York jazz, eat of worthy vegetarian victuals and suck ye some great pie.
 

 John McNeil -- Trumpet  
Mike Fahie -- Trombone
Mike McGuirk -- Bass
Diego Voglino -- Drums

Plus Carmen Staaf -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 9/30/2009
On Wednesday, September 30th 
Puppets Jazz Bar
presents 
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
featuring trombonist extraordinaire 
Mike Fahie

Come and observe history in the making!  Never before have four jazz musicians occupied the same stage for three solid sets without uttering the word absquatulate.

For 6 bucks and a drink you can spend the whole night at Puppets, listen to white hot, searing New York jazz and eat mouth-watering vegetarian grub.  And great pie.
 

 John McNeil -- Trumpet  
Mike Fahie -- Trombone
Mike McGuirk -- Bass
Diego Voglino -- Drums

Plus Wynton Flanagan -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 9/23/2009
On Wednesday, September 23rd 
Puppets Jazz Bar
celebrates John McNeil's & Chaka Khan's Un-Birthday with
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 

John McNeil's and Chaka Khan's actual birthday is March 23rd, so if you do the math you can see that September 23rd is six months later -- the requirement for un-birthdays.

Chaka Khan recorded a jazz album with Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Chick Corea et al, and so deserves to have her un-birthday celebrated in a true jazz club by true jazz musicians. One of the songs she sang was "Take the 'A' Train," and someone wrote an intervallic arrangement of it. The John McNeil Quartet should play 
said arrangement, but they won't because it's too hard. Maybe by next March.

 For 6 bucks and a drink you can hang the whole night at Puppets, listen to New York jazz and talk to reknowned bassist Victor Bailey about his paintings which hang in the front part of the club. 

You can also have a veggie burger and some real good pie. 
If you have a 9 to 5, hit the 9:00 set and be home early.
 John McNeil -- Trumpet
Noah Preminger -- Tenor 
Mike McGuirk -- Bass
Rudy Royston -- Drums

Plus Jamie Reynolds -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 9/16/2009

On Wednesday, September 16th 
Puppets Jazz Bar
presents
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 

Playing a bunch of jazz solos and tunes and rarely getting lost. And hardly ever having to stop and start over.


 For 6 bucks and a belt of the hard stuff you can hang the whole night at Puppetsand listen to the band play white-hot New York jazz. If bassist Victor Bailey drops in, you can talk to him about his paintings hanging in the front part of the club. 

You can also eat yourself some veggie burgers and some real good pie. If you have a 9 to 5, hit the 9:00 set and be home early.
 John McNeil -- Trumpet
Noah Preminger -- Tenor 
Mike McGuirk -- Bass
Rudy Royston -- Drums

Plus Carmen Staaf -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 9/9/2009
On Wednesday, September 9th 
Puppets Jazz Bar
invites you to join
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
in welcoming back tenor hero Noah Preminger.

Noah has been in Portugal.  He has a great tan. You really need to check it out. He also changed his name to Pablo --- Noah Pablo. Next, he says he might go to France and change his name to De Gaulle. De Gaulle Pablo. It's getting hard to keep track..... 


 For 6 bucks and a glass of Amontillado you can hang the whole night at Puppets, talk to Mr. Pablo about Portugal and listen to the band play white-hot solos. If Victor Bailey drops in, you can talk to him about the paintings he did in the front part of the club. 

You can also eat yourself some veggie burgers and some real good pie. If you have a 9 to 5, hit the 9:00 set and be home early.
 John McNeil -- Trumpet
Noah De Gaulle Pablo (Preminger) -- Tenor 
Mike McGuirk -- Bass
Diego Voglino -- Drums

Plus Dr. Randy Ingram -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 




Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 9/2/2009
On Wednesday, September 2nd 
Puppets Jazz Bar
invites you to join
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
featuring Mike Fahie

in celebrating Horace Silver's birthday.


Horace was born in 1928 and, according to noted jazz historian Bill McHenry, started writing songs immediately. For some inexplicable reason, however, he gave all his songs German titles. McHenry offers no explanation beyond pointing out that there were German immigrants in Horace's home town of Norwalk, Connecticut. It was a phase that the young musician grew out of, but he did (with modifications) re-use some of the original tune titles such as "Song For My Fatherland," "Herr Blues," "Hassenpfeffer's Dream" and "Sister Schnitzel." 


 For 6 euros and a stein of Pilsner you can hang the whole night at Puppets, sing a few lieder and listen to the band play stuff Horace would have written if he had been born 25 years later, which he wasn't, and therefore didn't. 

You can also eat yourself some veggie burgers and some real good pie. 
If you have a 9 to 5, hit the 9:00 set and be home early.
 John McNeil -- Trumpet
Mike Fahie -- Trombone 
Mike McGuirk -- Bass
Diego Voglino -- Drums

Plus Carmen Staaf -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 8/26/2009

 

On Wednesday, August 26th 
Puppets Jazz Bar
presents 
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
featuring Mike Fahie

celebrating the 70th anniversary of 
The First Baseball Telecast!
 

For this memorable event, Puppets has hired Bob Costas to do play-by-play for each solo, with Dave Douglas and Hall-of-Famer Frank Wess providing color commentary.

Costas: "Whoa! Flat 9. Odd choice on a major chord, Frank?"        

Wess: "Not for him, Bob. He hears all kinda stuff like that." 
Costas: "McNeil could be lost ... now he's really taking his time emptying his spit valve."
Douglas: "He's not lost, Bob -- his polychordal lines just have a late break." 


 For 6 bucks and a Rheingold you can hang the whole night at Puppets, talk baseball and listen to the band go 4-for-4 with a walk. You can also suck up some veggie burgers and some truly memorable pie. If you have a 9 to 5, hit the 9:00 set and be home early.
 John McNeil -- Trumpet
Mike Fahie -- Trombone 
Mike McGuirk -- Bass
Rudy Royston -- Drums

Plus Carmen Staaf -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 




Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 8/19/2009

On Wednesday, August 19th 
Puppets Jazz Bar 
presents
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
featuring superb trombonist Mike Fahie


As Americans everywhere know, this Wednesday marks the 20th anniversary of Tadeusz Mazowiecki's nomination to be Poland's first non-communist Prime Minister since 1947.

 Then-President Wojciech "The Red Kielbasa" Jaruzelski wasn't too happy about it to say the least. First, he hated low brass music and Tadeusz "Slide" Mazowiecki played the trombone all the time -- at rallies, speeches, picnics, you name it.**   There was also the fact that brother Tadeusz was a member of Solidarność and Jaruzelski wished all those guys would just get TB and go away.  

**Oddly enough, Mazowiecki looked exactly like Mike Fahie, this Wednesday's trombonist.
 

 For 6 zlotys and a vodka you can hang the whole night at Puppets. You can talk politics and pierogys and listen to the band play East European jazz solos. You can also scarf some veggie burgers and some truly memorable pie. If you have a 9 to 5, hit the 9:00 set and be home early.
 John McNeil -- Trumpetski 
Mike Fahie -- Tromboncze 
Mike McGuirk -- Basz
Diego Voglino -- Hałaśliwy Wbijać

Plus Mike "Mo' Kluskies" Kanan -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 




Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 8/12/2009

 


On Wednesday, August 12th 
Puppets Jazz Bar 
presents
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
featuring Noah Preminger


August 12th is the birthday of trumpeter Mike Metheny's brother, Pat. Mike told us that Pat plays the banjo or something like that, and he asked if we would maybe help celebrate the kid's birthday. We like Mike, so we said sure, why not?  The trouble is, August 12th is also Plaxico Burress' birthday, and New Yorkers usually celebrate that with massive festivities. Pat's little party would just get ignored, you know? So here's what I think we should do: We get Pat to come down to Puppets on Wednesday, we all sing him "Happy Birthday" and then we shoot him in the leg! Is that genius, or what? Mike will be so psyched.

6 bucks and a drink gets you a whole night's hang at Puppets. You can talk handguns and listen to the band play brand-new jazz solos. You can also inhale some veggie burgers and some memorable pie. If you have a 9 to 5, hit the 9:00 set and be home early.
 John McNeil -- Trumpet 
Noah Preminger -- Tenor 
Mike McGuirk -- Bass 
Diego Voglino -- Drums 

Plus Sueyoung Yoo -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 8/5/2009
On Wednesday, August 5th 
Puppets Jazz Bar 
presents
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
feat. Mike Fahie

August 5th is the day when, in an all-Anglo-Saxon 10-rounder, Penda of Mercia defeated Oswald of Bernicia (Northumbria) at the Battle of Maserfield. Not only did Penda defeat the Bernician army, he captured King Oswald then killed and dismembered him. Ossie didn't really mind all the post-mortem carryings-on since they were, well, post-mortem. BTW, the Welsh call the battle "Cogwy" (pronounced "Cogwy") probably because some Welsh guys from Pengwern fought as allies of the Mercians.

The fact that all the above took place in 641 (or 642) shouldn't dim the fact that Mike Fahie, an extremely gifted trombonist, is filling in for Noah Preminger this week. Mike uses a transparent slide so you can actually watch the saliva collect in it.

For 6 bucks and a drink you can hang out at Puppets the whole night, curse William the Conqueror and listen to the band play jazz motets. You can also chow down on grub like veggie burgers and truly great pie. If you have a 9 to 5, hit the 9:00 set and be home early.
 John McNeil -- Trumpet 
Mike Fahie -- Trombone 
Mike McGuirk -- Bass 
Diego Voglino -- Drums 

Plus Carmen Staaf -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 7/29/2009

 

On Wednesday, July 29th 
Puppets Jazz Bar 
presents
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
feat. Noah Preminger

Do you believe in coincidence? Check this out: Jaime Affoumado, dynamic co-owner of Puppets, shares a birthday (July 29th) with slightly brain-damaged actor Gary Busey. So what, you say? Well, get this: Jaime Affoumado was a child actor (mostly Broadway) and is now a drummer. Gary Busey was a drummer ("The Rubber Duck Band") and is now an actor! And if that weren't enough, Busey and Affoumado both married Elizabeth Taylor 10 years apart to the day! 


It's this kind of thing that makes you believe in some higher power, some overarching intelligent organizing principle, some invisible hand at work down the front of mankind's pants or stirring the chicken stew of civilization.  

For 6 bucks and a drink you can hang out at Puppets the whole night, think about synchronicity and listen to the band play tunes as if they had ESP. You can also chow down on some solid grub like veggie burgers. 
And some truly memorable pie. If you have a 9 to 5, hit the 9:00 set and be home early.
 John McNeil -- Trumpet 
Noah Preminger -- Tenor 
Mike McGuirk -- Bass 
Diego Voglino -- Drums 

Plus Dr. Randy Ingram, ob/gyn -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 7/22/2009
On Wednesday, July 22nd 
Puppets Jazz Bar 
presents
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
feat. Noah Preminger

 July 22nd is the 75th anniversary of the death of John Dillinger.
A dame gave him up -- ain't that the way? 
The government had the skirt on an immigration beef, and when Dillinger took her to see "Manhattan Melodrama" at the newly air-conditioned Biograph theater in Chicago, she invited the FBI along for a double date. It was a hot night and the feds thoughtfully gave J.D. some ventilation..... all in the back -- which figures.
 
For 6 bucks and a drink you can hang out at Puppets the whole night, divvy up the loot from your latest heist and listen to the boys play hot as Baby Face's tommy gun. You can also scarf some good grub like veggie burgers. And some pie to kill for.
If you have a 9 to 5, hit the 9:00 set and be home early.
"Triple-Tongue" Johnny McNeil -- Trumpet 
Noah "The Turk" Preminger -- Tenor 
Dan "Pretty Boy" Foose -- Bass 
"Icepick" Rudy Royston -- Drums 

Plus Dr. X -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 7/15/2009
On Wednesday, July 15th 
Puppets Jazz Bar 
celebrates
The Return of Noah Preminger with
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
feat. Noah Preminger

 Noah Preminger has been in Colorado dry skiing for the past two weeks. For those who find the crowded winter slopes too expensive and just generally a giant pain in the ass, dry skiing is the answer. There's no waiting in line for ski lifts, accommodations are easily had and--best of all--it's very cheap. Because no snow is involved, special teflon-coated skis are available for rent, and some skiers save money by simply spraying Pam on their regular skis before every run. Whatever the method, speeds exceeding 5 to 6 miles per hour are commonplace, so there's no shortage of of heart-thumping, adrenaline-pumping thrills, especially if you're really, really high.

Puppets is glad to have Noah back safe and sound --- just in time to play some brand-new tunes and help celebrate Arianna Huffington's 59th birthday. 
 
For 6 bucks and a drink you can hang out at Puppets the whole night, sing "Happy Birthday" to Arianna and listen to the band devour the new tunes. You can devour things as well, like veggie burgers. And some great pie. If you have a 9 to 5, hit the 9:00 set and be home early.
John McNeil -- Trumpet 
Noah Preminger -- Tenor 
Mike McGuirk -- Bass 
Diego Voglino -- Drums 

Plus Dred Scott -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 

www.puppetsjazz.com

Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 7/8/2009
On Wednesday, July 8th 
Puppets Jazz Bar 
celebrates
Kevin Bacon's birthday with
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
feat. J.D. Allen

John McNeil has a real spiritual connection with Kevin Bacon.  It stems fromthe time when Mr. Bacon, a waiter at the Allstate Diner in Manhattan, served Mr. McNeil a hamburger with onion rings -- possibly with fries as well. 
That kind of synergistic interface spells one thing: fame and fortune. 
That's actually two things, but you get the point. 
Kevin Bacon went on to cinematic stardom and John McNeil became world-renowned for the miraculous curative powers of his trumpet playing.
 
For 6 bucks and a drink you can hang out at Puppets the whole night, be healed by jazz therapy and experience two degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon. 
You can also eat veggie burgers (no bacon) and scarf some great pie.
If you have a 9 to 5, hit the 9:00 set and be home early.
John McNeil -- Trumpet 
J.D. Allen -- Tenor 
Mike McGuirk -- Bass 
Diego Voglino -- Drums 

Plus free eye exams by Dr. Randy Ingram -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 7/1/2009
On Wednesday, July 1st 
Puppets Jazz Bar 
presents
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
with J.D. Allen

Noah Preminger, the regular tenor player on this gig, was arrested on charges of human trafficking and is being held without bail.  (Actually, maybe it wasn't human trafficking...maybe it was, um, like, emu trafficking or something.)  
Anyway, for the next two weeks, fellow Sunnyside recording artist  J.D. Allen will be playing the tenor chair. As a Detroit native, he's just the one to help the band celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Sony Walkman. 
Yes, you read correctly --30 years of surreptitious recording in clubs and concerts!!
What memories, what bizarre snippets of random conversation and Steve Grossman playing at Boomer's.....
 
For 6 bucks and a drink you can hang out at Puppets the whole night, eat vegetarian food (great pie!) and hear the band stake out new harmonic territory.   
If you have a 9 to 5, hit the 9:00 set and be home early.
John McNeil -- Trumpet 
J.D. Allen -- Tenor 
Mike McGuirk -- Bass 
Rudy Royston -- Drums 

Plus Dan Tepfer -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 6/24/2009
On Wednesday, June 24th, at
Puppets Jazz Bar 
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
(featuring Noah Preminger) minimally celebrates 
composer Terry Riley's 74th birthday. 

To demonstrate its collective love for the estimable Mr. Riley, the band will play everything in the key of C.  In addition, all harmonic structures will be whittled down to chords found within the C Major scale. The result, of course, will be that the audience can begin singing along at any point and always be harmonically correct. In fact, you can superimpose any simple melody -- "I'm An Old Cowhand," for example -- and it will work out just fine.
  For 6 bucks and a drink you can hang out at Puppets for the whole night, eat vegetarian food (great pie!) and get blissed out with no sharps or flats.
If you have a 9 to 5, hit the 9:00 set and be home early.
John McNeil -- Trumpet 
Noah Preminger -- Tenor 
Mike McGuirk -- Bass 
Diego Voglino -- Drums 

Plus Randy Ingram -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 6/17/2009
On Wednesday, June 17th
Puppets Jazz Bar 
presents
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
featuring Noah Preminger 

June 17th is Joe Piscopo's birthday.  The band will celebrate this momentous day by playing solos that seem to have real genius but then just kind of wear on you, you know? The boys will behave erratically as well, inexplicably alienating the audience and generally being a Neanderthal, but still having flashes of brilliance.

Hey -- for 6 bucks and a drink you can hang out at Puppets for the whole night, make fun of burned-out comics and listen to some knife-edged jazz solos.
If you have a 9 to 5, hit the 9:00 set and be home early.
John McNeil -- Trumpet 
Noah Preminger -- Tenor 
Mike McGuirk -- Bass 
Diego Voglino -- Drums 

Plus Randy Ingram -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
My Band Foot-Foot
My Band Foot-Foot - 6/7/2009
Wednesday, June 6th is the 65th anniversary of D-Day. 
To commemorate this pivotal moment in history My Band Foot-Foot will reenact the Allied landing at Normandy on the stage at Cornelia Street Café.
 
Actually, it won't be the whole landing, just part of it.  And not the shooting part or the part where there's explosions and stuff.... It'll just be the part where a band plays two sets of Shaggs music to, um, distract the Nazi defenders and flummox the Luftwaffe. It's a little-known story which has been largely ignored because it wasn't, like, dramatic or heroic enough. Come to think of it, maybe this whole thing isn't about Normandy after all....maybe we were remembering Norman Dee, the bass player who popularized "Gravy Waltz."  
In any case, we will play our clever, dramatic and heroic reworkings of the Wiggin sisters' bizarre masterpieces.
My Band Foot-Foot 

Andy Green -- guitar, vocals 
John McNeil -- trumpet, vocals 
J.C. Sanford -- trombone, vocals
Sara Caswell -- violin 
Matt Pavolka -- bass, vocals 
Ted Poor -- drums

John McNeil - My Band Foot Foot on D-Day

Sets at 9 & 10:30 

Cover: $10
The Cornelia Street Café
29 Cornelia Street, NYC 
212-989-9319  

Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 6/3/2009
On Wednesday, June 3rd
Puppets Jazz Bar 
presents
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
featuring Noah Preminger 

Remember Peter Abelard? 
Pete hooked up with this broad named Heloise who was one of his students and they had a kid. She evidently got high and named him "Astrolabe," which is kind of a compass-type thing. Anyway, they finally got married in secret, but word got out and people were scandalized for some reason. I mean, come on -- seriously, who gives a rat's ass, right? Because Pete was, like, a priest or made cannons for Notre Dame or something, they made this huge deal out of it.  Heloise couldn't take the publicity and went and became a nun, which pissed off Pete no end. He started saying that there wasn't really a Blessed Trinity -- that it just looked like it and we were just too fuckin' stupid to understand three different aspects of one thing. Jeezus tap-dancing Kee-rist, did that ever stir things up! In 1121 Pete was found guilty of heresy and had to burn his own books and go live in a mud hut or something. He obviously would not shut up, because on June 3rd, 1140 he was found guilty of heresy -- again -- by a church court in Sens, France.  
Don't wind up like Pete and Heloise --  for 6 bucks and a drink you can hang out at Puppets for the whole night and hear heretical jazz solos by four sacrilegious Wiccan missionaries. If you have a 9 to 5, hit the 9:00 set and be home early.
John McNeil -- Trumpet 
Noah Preminger -- Tenor 
Mike McGuirk -- Bass 
Diego Voglino -- Drums 

Plus Carmen Staaf -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
www.puppetsjazz.com
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 5/27/2009
On Wednesday, May 27th
Puppets Jazz Bar 
presents
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
featuring Noah Preminger 

It hardly seems possible, but this Wednesday is the 12th anniversary of a Supreme Court ruling stating that Paula Jones could pursue her sexual harassment suit against President Clinton while he was in office, a ruling that also stressed the constitutional importance of making it impossible for him to govern at any cost. (Interestingly, "pawlajonz" is the Sanskrit word for "paper cut." )
 
As you recall, Clinton was found guilty, and in accordance with tradition was carried by Serbian pikemen to the Capitol rotunda where he was covered with wasabi paste and forced to do squat thrusts while wearing swim fins. Like so many presidents before him, Clinton addressed his accuser(s) in near-flawless Urdu, but instead of begging forgiveness, bravely maintained his innocence and quoted extensively from the writings of Anaïs Nin. The American people rallied behind him, and the rest is history.

Relive those golden moments with some real trailer park jazz!  6 bucks and a drink for the whole night. If you have a 9 to 5, hit the 9:00 set and be home early.
John McNeil -- Trumpet 
Noah Preminger -- Tenor 
Mike McGuirk -- Bass 
Ted Poor -- Drums 

Plus Randy Ingram -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, ONE DRINK MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
www.puppetsjazz.com
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 5/20/2009
On Wednesday, May 20th
Puppets Jazz Bar 
celebrates the 400th anniversary of the publishing of Shakespeare's sonnets 
by presenting 
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
featuring Noah Preminger 

With jazz to hear, why hear'st thou music sadly?

Blues with blues war not, joy in every note.

Why lov'st thou that which thou receiv'st not gladly,

By staying home encouched with thy remote?
If the true concord of well-tuned sounds,
By four musicians, do caress thine ear,
The bass but sweetly swings, the drummer pounds, 
Thy spirit, TV-bound, no jazz can hear.
Mark how one horn, sweet husband to another,
Builds tone by tone transcendent soloing,
Resembling Miles and Coltrane and Nat's brother
Who all in one, one pleasing note do sing:
Improvisations many, seeming one,
Sing this to thee: 'We're better than John Donne.' 

John McNeil -- Trumpet 
Noah Preminger -- Tenor 
Mike McGuirk -- Bass 
Rudy Royston -- Drums 
Plus Mystery Guest -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover, one drink minimum
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
www.puppetsjazz.com
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 5/13/2009
On Wednesday, May 13th
Puppets Jazz Bar 
celebrates Stevie Wonder's birthday by presenting 
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
featuring Noah Preminger 

 Some people might think it a tad unscrupulous to piggy-back a gig announcement on somebody else's birthday, but those people can go fish.  Steveland Hardaway Morris, a.k.a. Stevie Wonder, has a right to have his birthday celebrated by any and everyone, and a gig announcement is the perfect medium with which to talk about it.
The band won't be playing any Stevie tunes, but get this -- the letters of "Sir Duke" can be rearranged to spell "duskier," a jazz word if ever there was one.  For example, "...his sound became duskier with age ...."
 
The New York Times is covering the gig and sending a photographer, so you may have an opportunity to have the back of your head in the Arts section.
There's no minimum so pay a cover, hang out for three sets.
If you have a 9 to 5, hit the 9:00 set and be home early.
John McNeil -- Trumpet 
Noah Preminger -- Tenor 
Mike McGuirk -- Bass 
Rudy Royston -- Drums 

Plus Randy Ingram -- dependable intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$10 cover, NO MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
www.puppetsjazz.com
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 5/6/2009
On Wednesday, May 6th
Puppets Jazz Bar 
presents 
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
featuring Noah Preminger 
To celebrate the 120th anniversary of the official opening of the Eiffel Tower to the public, the band will present works by French composers such as François Rosolineau, Thelonious-Claude LeMonk and Jean Coltraigne.

There's no minimum so pay a cover, hang out for three sets and have some brie. Or some epoisses .... Scratch that -- it smells like death. 
So vile that it's actually illegal to carry epoisses on the Paris Metro. 
If you have a 9 to 5, hit the 9:00 set and be home early.
John McNeil -- Trumpet 
Noah Preminger -- Tenor 
Mike McGuirk -- Bass 
Rudy Royston -- Drums 

Plus Randy Ingram -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$10 cover, NO MINIMUM
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
www.puppetsjazz.com
Smalls
Smalls - 4/30/2009
On Thursday, April 30th 
John McNeil's Urban Legend will be playing at Smalls 
It's basically a feel-good experience for the whole family. 
The people that will be playing this fine, fine music are:

Steve Cardenas,  guitar and sardonic comments
Noah Preminger,  virtuoso tenor sax and bleak outlook
Ben Street,  bass and poetically consumptive stage presence 
Rudy Royston,  drums and contagious enthusiasm
John McNeil, trumpet and Solomon-like leadership
It should be noted that Mr. Preminger will not be playing soprano sax -- a move that shows him to be a wise and compassionate artist. If more saxophonists followed his lead, jazz listeners and the art form itself would benefit immensely.
Smalls
183 W. 10th St. at 7th Ave.
(212) 252-5091 
www.smallsjazzclub.com/ 
Sets at 9 & 10:30
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 4/29/2009

On Wednesday, April 29th, Mr. McNeil's steady Wednesday gig at Puppets Jazz Bar in Park Slope continues unabated. The band features tenor saxophonist Noah Preminger, the estimable Mr. Royston on drums & Mike "Six-Fingers" McGuirk setting fire to the bass. 

The patient Carmen Staaf plays intermission piano this week.
NEW POLICY FOR THIS WED. --- $10 cover & NO MINIMUM.
Repeat, NO MINIMUM 
This means that you can come and hang out all night for ten bucks. That comes to $3.33 per set, and it's probably as close to a bailout as you're gonna get. 
Until now, the policy was like, $6 cover and a two-drink minimum, which probably comes out to fourteen or fifteen bucks. Everybody's broke these days -- musicians even more than civilians -- and Puppets wants to do what it can to promote the music. 
This seems to be a good move all around.
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
www.puppetsjazz.com
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 4/22/2009
On Wednesday, April 22nd
Puppets Jazz Bar 
ecologically presents 
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
featuring Noah Preminger 
Tired of seeing the environment destroyed by the short-sighted policy of profit über alles?  Sick of watching urban sprawl destroy the habitats of endangered species?  Pissed off about companies like Mitsubishi clear-cutting thousands of acres of rain forest every year, evidently in the belief that Japan will still have breathable air when the rest of the globe doesn't?  Got your panties in a knot about the use of drift nets that sweep the oceans clean of all life? 
Well, my friend, a good, solid dose of jazz is just what the therapist ordered.  Here, at least, you can experience something man-made that does no harm to the planet, reaffirms the spirit of oneness with all creatures and brings us all into harmony with Gaia. Come celebrate Earth Day by knocking back a couple of stiff ones and listening to some guys play their asses off --- Future generations will thank you.    
John McNeil -- Trumpet 
Noah Preminger -- Tenor 
Mike McGuirk -- Bass 
Rudy Royston -- Drums 

Plus Randy Ingram -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  

Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
www.puppetsjazz.com
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 4/15/2009
Puppets Jazz Bar 
presents 
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
featuring Noah Preminger 
Accountants and Cayman Islands bank officials get in for half-price.
The band will offer free tax advice to those who have filed for an extension, and will assist in finding hidden deductions such as boat rentals and bull semen storage. It doesn't matter whether or not your profession calls for these deductions -- they're out there and by Billy-damn you're going to have them.  
John McNeil -- Trumpet 
Noah Preminger -- Tenor 
Mike McGuirk -- Bass 
Rudy Royston -- Drums 

Plus Carmen Staaf -- intermission pianist
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
www.puppetsjazz.com
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 4/8/2009
Tonight, Wednesday, April 8th
Puppets Jazz Bar 
presents 
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
featuring Noah Preminger 
The regular Wednesday gig at Puppets continues to attract those who are seeking relief from the harsh economic realities of today's world. The band plays Lennie Tristano, occasional tunes by obscure writers like Bob Zieff (WTF?) and some originals, all  designed to banish those pesky doldrums that naturally occur from losing your home. 

Hyperbole be damned, this band ranks right up there with repackaged credit derivative transactions that sidestep fiduciary oversight. 
 
John McNeil -- Trumpet 
Noah Preminger -- Tenor 
Mike McGuirk -- Bass 
Rob Garcia -- Drums 

Plus Randy Ingram -- intermission piano.
Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  
$6 cover
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
www.puppetsjazz.com
Space - Tone
Space - Tone - 4/1/2009

Wednesday April 1 at the Brooklyn Lyceum, a new project combining the talents of four unique individuals into one undulating mass of tonality, or lack thereof.

Space - Tone is:

John McNeil
Jeremy Udden
Jorge Roeder
Andrew Green

Original works by all as well as arrangements of Monk, The Rolling Stones, and Steve Lacy

Wednesday, April 1, 2009
8:00pm - 10:45pm
Brooklyn Lyceum
4th Ave at President St
Brooklyn, NY
718-857-4816
$10

Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 3/25/2009
Wednesday, March 25th 
is 2 days after March 23rd, which is the 61st anniversary of John McNeil's first breath of the oxygen-rich atmosphere of planet Earth. 

In celebration of this singular event, this Wednesday you are cordially invited to have a piece of red velvet cake between the 2nd and 3rd sets at Puppets Jazz Bar in Park Slope.
This particular cake is so good it will make you slap your grandma. 
If your grandma is dead, you'll have to find a surrogate for the old girl  and slap her instead. Either way, the cake is great. 

In addition to scarfing carbs and sugar, you can also listen to the fine music of John McNeil and his 4-piece quartet feat. saxophonist Noah Preminger.
Every Wednesday, the group plays this modern, inexplicable "jass" music that 
is so popular among today's young people and they rarely get lost while doing so.
As always, bonuses are tied to performance.

John McNeil -- trumpet 
Noah Preminger -- tenor 
Ted Poor -- drums
Mike McGuirk -- bass
Plus Carmen Staaf --intermission piano 
Three sets -- 9, 10:30 & Midnight, $6 cover.
 Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (betw. 11th & 12th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 

www.puppetsjazz.com

Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 3/18/2009
On Wednesday, March 18th 

Puppets Jazz Bar 

presents 

Sean O' MacNiall 

and his 4-piece Irish quartet 

Feat. Seamus Preminger

 

In America almost no one celebrates the day after St. Patrick's Day,  yet in some ways it is the more important of the two....

 

 In Ireland it's known as the "Day of Recovery" and is celebrated in virtually every household outside of Ulster, where it has been banned by British troops for inciting violence.

 

Festivities usually start in late morning when the men awaken and begin the ritual Gaelic chant, "Ba mhaith liom uisce beatha!" ("I want whiskey!")

 

The women present chant in reply, "Ar mhaith leat bricfeasta?"  ("Do you want breakfast?") The men answer, 

"Dún do bheal! Ní maith liom uibheacha agus bagún." ("Shut your mouth! I don't want bacon and eggs.") If a man is a guest and not a resident he will sometimes add, 

"Cá bhfuil an seomra folctha? " ("Where is the bathroom?") 

Both sides then take turns screaming the traditional Day of Recovery Blessing, "Póg ma thoin!" 


Come and celebrate with us!

 

Sean O' MacNiall -- trumpet 
Noah Seamus Preminger -- tenor 
Eric Halvorson -- drums
Mike McGuirk -- bass
Plus intermission piano -- Dov "Green Fingers" Manski 
Three sets -- 9 to 1, $6 cover. 
Puppets Jazz Bar
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
www.puppetsjazz.com
March 11 - Puppets Jazz Bar
March 11 - Puppets Jazz Bar - 3/11/2009
On Wednesday, March 11th 

Puppets Jazz Bar 

presents 

John McNeil 

and his 4-piece quartet 

Feat. Noah Preminger.

 

On March 11th, 1927, Samuel Rothafel -- middle name "Roxy" -- opened the Roxy theater in Manhattan. This is significant to the band for this reason: Tenor prodigy Noah Preminger's great- uncle Otto (yes, that one) had a torrid affair with Sam Rothafel's estranged wife, Sarah, known as "Bootsie."  Otto carried a torch for years and in 1959 on the set of "Anatomy of a Murder," was often heard to say, "Wo ist meine Krawatte mit den netten kleinen Kaninchen auf ihr?" 


The steamy details of the affair came to light in 1960 when Robert Moses, feeling bored, whimsically ordered the Roxy demolished. Love letters between Otto and Sarah were discovered in an old film can, the New York Post published them and the world of entertainment was never the same.  

 


John McNeil -- trumpet 
Noah Preminger -- tenor 
Jochen Rueckert -- drums
Matt Pavolka -- bass
Plus intermission piano -- Randy "Eleven Fingers" Ingram 
Three sets -- 9 to 1, $6 cover. 
Puppets Jazz Bar
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
www.puppetsjazz.com

Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 3/4/2009
Puppets Jazz Bar 
& The John McNeil Quartet
have good news for you! 
No, two pieces of GREAT news!!
In these perilous economic times good news is in short supply. 
Unemployment is rising, world stock markets tank with any announcement by anyone about anything, the American consumer has the confidence of a Star Wars geek at a singles bar and clinical depression is rampant ( Jazz musicians are immune to that since they already cycle daily between denial and despair and in fact rely on this ghastly periodicity for inspiration, which in turn may lead to solos which might bear repeated listening because they have some decent ideas and aren't too fucking stupid and embarrassing). 
The good news: 
First, I found my sleep onesies -- the ones with the bunny ears -- that I thought had been stolen. I'm sleeping with more confidence as a result.
Second, the owner of the beautiful new Puppets Jazz Bar was happy with the business we did on our first two regular Wednesdays and extended our tenure indefinitely. He said we can play there every Wednesday until the planet is overrun by extra-terrestrial rhino-men wearing berets and capri pants.
Puppets serves alcohol and has a vegetarian menu. Great burritos & veggie burgers.
John McNeil -- trumpet 
Noah Preminger -- tenor 
Jochen Rueckert -- drums
Mike McGuirk -- bass
Plus intermission piano -- Randy "Ten Fingers" Ingram 
Three sets -- 9 to 1, $6 cover. 

Puppets Jazz Bar
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
www.puppetsjazz.com
Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 2/25/2009

Wednesday, Feb. 25th

Puppets Jazz Bar 
presents 
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
feat. Noah Preminger
As you know, Mexican Flag Day (El Día de la Bandera) is February 24th and a night of searing, creative jazz is just the ticket to restore your electrolytes after three solid days of partying.  And even if you've managed to somehow avoid the 24/7 festivities, you're probably suffering from Flag Fatigue, in which case a dose of improvisatory vaccine is even more vital, lest you develop neurological dysfunction. 

The JMQ is playing three sets, from 9 to 1.  Puppets has a great vegetarian menu and will sell you all the alcohol you could conceivably consume in that four-hour period, so a fabulous time is guaranteed. 
John McNeil -- Trumpet
Noah Preminger -- Tenor 
Mike McGuirk -- Bass 
Jochen Rueckert -- Drums 
Plus Dan Tepfer -- Intermission pianist

Sets at 9, 10:30 & 12.  $6 cover, 2 item minimum.
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
www.puppetsjazz.com
Cornelia Street Café
Cornelia Street Café - 2/19/2009
This Friday, Feb. 20th, 
John McNeil brings a new quintet to Cornelia Street Café to kick off 
a four-day celebration leading up to Mexican Flag Day (Feb. 24th).  
El Día de la Bandera (Flag Day) is especially worthy of celebration this year 
because it's the 21st anniversary of the official adoption of the current flag's design. 
Because 21 consists of the first two Arabic numerals (1&2) in reverse order, Mexicans 
all over the world have imbued it with a mystical significance on a par with the 
Ark of the Covenant or Fats Navarro's mouthpiece. 
  

The first 20 customers will receive a pair of platinum talons which attach
comfortably to the hands. These can be used to eat scampi or to grasp the 
snake placed under every table.  Also, all those dressed in red, white and green 
and carrying a cactus will receive preferential seating. 
Juan McNeil --- trompeta 
Noah Preminger --- saxofón 
Frank Carlberg -- piano acústico 
Dean Johnson --bajo 
Jochen Rueckert -- tambores
P.S. If you can't make it out on Friday, on Feb. 18th John McNeil is beginning a regular 
Wednesday night gig at Puppets Jazz Bar in Park Slope, 9 -1.  That's hours, not odds.

Cornelia Street Café
29 Cornelia Street
(212) 989 - 9319
Sets at 9  &  10:30

Puppets Jazz Bar
Puppets Jazz Bar - 2/17/2009
This Wednesday, Feb. 18th
Puppets Jazz Bar 
presents 
The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET 
feat. Noah Preminger
How long has it been, you ask yourself -- 
How long, how long has it been since you could receive 
needed spiritual and psychological therapy on a regular basis? 
Too long, mon ami. 
But now the wait is over -- the sun has broken through, your life of drab grays 
and cobwebs begins to brighten and fill with expectations and possibilities. 
Now, every Wednesday, John McNeil and his group of therapists and counselors 
will restore your hope and enthusiasm from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.  
Three sets, mind you, and in this time of belt-tightening and diminished resources, 
it only costs 6 bucks.  That's right -- for six-tenths of a sawbuck you can be made 
whole again and face the challenges of your life with calm assurance and a taste 
for harmonic substitution. 
John McNeil -- Trumpet
Noah Preminger -- Tenor 
Mike McGuirk -- Bass 
Jochen Rueckert -- Drums 
Plus Frank Carlberg -- Intermission pianist
Puppets Jazz Bar 
481 5th Ave. (at 11th St.)
Park Slope, Brooklyn 
(718) 499-2622 
www.puppetsjazz.com
Cornelia Street Cafe
Cornelia Street Cafe - 2/14/2009

Upcoming Cornelia Street performances to be announced.

The John McNeil Quartet at Cornelia Street December 26
The John McNeil Quartet at Cornelia Street December 26 - 12/26/2008

The John McNeil Quartet featuring Noah Preminger

Initially, John McNeil assembled a group to celebrate both Boxing Day and the first day of Kwanzaa. This proved too difficult, so after much deliberation and use of rock-paper-scissors, the band decided to create a musical tribute to the 110th anniversary of Marie and Pierre Curie's isolation of radium.

The musicians in the ensemble all have an abiding love for the couple, especially Mrs. Curie. In fact, if her research notes were not still dangerously radioactive, by now the band would have undoubtedly broken into the Curie Institute in Paris and used her papers to make an origami tribute to Edith Piaf, a secret Curie disciple.

Just a word or two about the band:

Tenor saxophonist Noah Preminger, new to NYC, has been referred to by reviewers as a "Wunderkind." His recent CD debut as a leader, “Dry Bridge Road,” has landed on critics' top 10 lists of 2008 and has been called the best jazz debut album of the year. In addition, listening to the CD actually changes the solos.

Virtuoso bassist Jorge Roeder is an expert on string theory, especially the D and G strings. His assurance in the upper register has inspired a school of thought that runs counter to Werner Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle. Jorge has shown that the locations of conjugate triad pairs can be known with precision.

Legendary drummer and Big Bang theorist Adam Nussbaum has demonstrated that time can be solid and flexible simultaneously, and that momentum and regular periodic oscillation are functions of placement within a rhythmic matrix.

About the music:

On the 9:00 set, the first eight notes of every piece will be assigned a numeric value, and the square root of the sum of these numbers will equal 226 --- the atomic weight of radium.

The 10:30 set will feature tune titles that are anagrams of "Maria Sklodowska", Marie Curie's maiden name.

In addition, this music is guaranteed to make you glow in the dark until after New Year's Day.

Friday Dec 26
9:00PM & 10:30PM
Cover: $10

The Cornelia Street Café
29 Cornelia Street, NYC
212-989-9319

John McNeil - Rediscovery

The JOHN McNEIL QUARTET is:
John McNeil, trumpet;
Noah Preminger, tenor saxophone;
Jorge Roeder, bass;
Adam Nussbaum, drums

www.mcneiljazz.com , www.noahpreminger.com

Biscuit BBQ
Biscuit BBQ - 11/30/2008

For the past two years I have co-lead a quartet with Bill McHenry every Sunday night at Biscuit BBQ, a restaurant/jazz room in Park Slope, Brooklyn. We play the music of Russ Freeman and other overlooked composers. We are off on Sunday, February 3rd, but return the next Sunday, February 10th. Biscuit BBQ will close for renovations the next day (February 11th) and so we will take a hiatus until the beginning of March. In addition, the restaurant will be re-named when it reopens, but the name hasn\'t been decided yet. They\'ll also have a new menu. The jazz policy will stay the same, however, and we\'re looking forward to having the gig for a third straight year. This may or may not be some kind of record, but by god it should be.

The band recorded a CD in November of \'07 and it should be released in late April or early May of this year on the Sunnyside label. It\'s tentatively titled ”Rediscovery.“

Incidentally, the Sunday gig starts at 8:30 and goes until 11:00. The restaurant is located at President Street and 5th Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn.

The John McNeil Harmonic Extravaganza!
The John McNeil Harmonic Extravaganza! - 11/29/2008

Thanksgiving Weekend,
November 28-29,
9 & 10:30 pm Cornelia Street Café

After blowing your diet completely and spending yet another torturous holiday with family members you can\'t stand, you now have the opportunity to wipe the slate clean.

John McNeil\'s Harmonic Extravaganza is just the thing to erase the evil memories of Thanksgiving and to steel you against Yuletide challenges yet to come.

You see, this is no ordinary music; the chords and tonal colors generated by this band are specifically designed to resonate within your cerebral cortex and stimulate your pleasure centers with endorphins.

In other words, this band puts the \"hip\" in hippocampus, the \"myg\" in amygdala and removes the \"dull\" from medulla. It\'s like electroshock therapy without the drooling and loss of short-term memory.

John McNeil\'s Harmonic Extravaganza
John McNeil - trumpet;
Tom Beckham - vibraphone;
Nate Radley - guitar;
Mike McGuirk - bass

THE JOHN MCNEIL HARMONIC EXTRAVAGANZA!
A Thanksgiving Treat!
29 Cornelia Street (Between West 4th and Bleecker Sts)
#1 train to Sheridan Square - or - A, C, E, B, D, F, V to West 4th St.
212-989-9319
Call for reservations.
Thanksgiving Weekend, November 28-29 Sets at 9 & 10:30PM
Cover $10 + one drink minimum per set
More info: www.corneliastreetcafe.com

YOU\'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY...
YOU\'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY... - 6/18/2008

My Band Foot Foot: Shaggs Revue

COMES TO BROOKLYN! 

 

 

Thursday, June 19th 

at The Tea Lounge 

837 Union Street, Park Slope

Two sets, starting at 9:00

No cover, $5 suggested donation

 

The Shaggs, three teenage sisters from New Hampshire, were a self-taught family \"rock\" band in the late 60\'s. They had creative energy and ambition, but knew little about music, could not tune their instruments and couldn\'t play the same tempo together.  The results were, depending on your point of view, some of the worst or the most interesting music ever recorded. 

The members of My Band Foot Foot view the music of The Shaggs with reverence and awe. 

 

The first performance of My Band Foot Foot was sold out.  Shaggs fans were delighted 

to hear their favorites in new settings and the uninitiated were thrilled to experience 

the surreal and captivating world of the Wiggin sisters.  My Band Foot Foot reinterprets 

rather than imitates The Shaggs\' music,  rearranging it in a wide variety of musical genres, 

including jazz, blues, musical theatre, chamber music, rock, gospel and more.

 

John McNeil -- Trumpet

JC Sanford -- Trombone

Andrew Green -- Guitar              

Sara Bernstein -- Violin

Ben Rubin -- Bass

Jordan Perlson -- Drums

For a sample, go here:    

http://www.myspace.com/mybandfootfootshaggsrevue     

_______________________________________________________________________________________

My Band Foot Foot
My Band Foot Foot - 5/23/2008

Trombonist/arranger JC Sanford, guitarist/arranger Andy Green and I have put together a sextet featuring the music of The Shaggs. In case you\'re unfamiliar with Shagg-dom, this will explain:

About The Shaggs

In the 1960's three teenaged sisters, totally untrained as musicians, were pressured by their father into starting a rock band. They mostly wrote their own songs, and the sounds they came up with give the impression that they grew up in a musical vacuum, unaware of such niceties as tuning up or keeping a steady beat.

Happily, their attempts at creating simple rock music of the day produced instead some of the most out, avant garde music you\'ve ever heard. Artists like Frank Zappa and Carla Bley found The Shaggs' music inspirational, as do the three of us.

JC, Andy and I have named our band My Band Foot Foot after one of The Shaggs' best known tunes, "My Pal Foot Foot." We have taken Shaggs tunes and completely reworked them, mostly because we could never hope to duplicate the sheer genius of the originals.