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| Ricco's Journeys :: A Random Selection of Thoughts
Los Angeles, CA
Updated Monday, February 06, 2012 1:47 PM
Clear | 70°F | High: 72°F
Low: 48°F
Wind: 0 mph
Humidity: 19%
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Tuesday
65° / 47° | 
Wednesday
68° / 48° |
Thursday
72° / 49° | 
Friday
75° / 49° |
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Love My Life Despite the pains of air travel these days, I really do enjoy touring in the spring, summer and fall (not so much in the winter). Favorite cafes, venues and cities become more like old friends on each return trip. This year, thanks to remarkable global response to Bobby McFerrin and his VOCAbuLarieS album, it's been travel non-stop  across Europe, Canada and the U.S. With Roger Treece conducting, we've recreated the album experience using choral groups of all sizes, from 20 to 80. Always challenging, always pushing the limits of possibilities. This pic is from our Ravinia Festival show on June 27 outside of Chicago. (Thanks Danny for the FOH shot!) What An Experience Took a 72 hour getaway to Washington DC to catch the once-in-a-lifetime Carole King/James Taylor Troubadour Reunion show in June. Annie found a great new suite hotel two Metro stops from the venue. My only complaint -- too close to hear the main system! Caught up with tour engineer, Dave Morgan after the show. Time flies ... we worked together years ago with El Chicano during their heyday.   ReunionsSurprised to be greeted by Stanley Miller, sound consultant for the Riverside Fox Performing Arts Center; I was one of his staff touring engineers during the days of Stanal Sound! This gig was also a reunion for Jessy J who did one of her first pro shows with veteran sax player/composer Warren Hill and opened for him at this gig. SFO Celebration Easter weekend was extra-special as family, friends and colleagues of Bobby McFerrin gathered to celebrate his 60th Birthday in San Francisco. Guests included past and present members of Voicestra, manager Linda Goldstein and the OA team, mom Sara, wife Debbie and kids Jevon, Taylor and Maddie. Great food, fantastic reunion, and wonderful memories!     Lotsa Love & Charity Joined Jessy J at the Hands for Hope Benefit Concert at the Academy of TV Arts & Sciences Auditorium in February 2010. This beautiful and intimate auditorium is the home of the Emmy Awards and only open to the public for special events. Jessy was a featured player of the all-girl band assembled and headed by Gail Jhonson. Then, I spent Valentine's Day in Akron, Ohio, with Richard Elliott entertaining happy couples out for an evening at The Tangier club. Rock on! BR-R-R-R!!!! Bobby McFerrin took his one-of-a-kind Bobble opera to the International House of Music in Moscow for two shows in January 2010. It was so cold,  every one of us who tried to take a walk outside our hotel only made it a block (or less). The cast was a diverse group of singers, many from Moscow and the surrounding region. My first time there, Moscow was an interesting contrast of past and present -- from the venue (ultra shiny and state of the art) to the mix of architecture styles. It almost looked surreal at times. A Thanksgiving Poem Twas the night of Thanksgiving, But I just couldn’t sleep.
I tried counting backwards, I tried counting sheep
The leftovers beckoned — The dark meat and white,
But I fought the temptation with all of my might. Tossing and turning with anticipation, The thought of a snack became infatuation.
So I raced to the kitchen, Flung open the door,
And gazed at the fridge full of goodies galore.
I gobbled up turkey and buttered potatoes,
Pickles and carrots, beans and tomatoes.
I felt myself swelling so plump and so round,
Till all of a sudden, I rose off the ground !!
I crashed through the ceiling. floating into the sky….
With a mouthful of pudding and a handful of pie.
But I managed to yell as I soared past the trees……
HAPPY EATING TO ALL !!
PASS THE CRANBERRIES PLEASE !!
(Thanks to the folks from Austin City Living) Sports Central @ Morongo CBS sportscasters Jim Hill, James Worthy and John Ireland broadcast live-to-air from inside the Morongo Casino in Cabazon on Saturday, October 24. Considering we had lots to do in preparation, and the set and taping of Sports Central was open to the public, the smooth production was a testament to how well this crew worked together.  
HOT August Nights What a busy month! The Guitars & Saxes tour included a local date at the Hyatt Newporter ( l to r: Jeff Lorber, Jeff Golub, Jessy J, and Euge Groove). Then for pleasure, we attended Jeff Golub's CD release party at the Kyoto Hotel's Rooftop Garden in downtown L.A. To the crowd's delight, Peter White and Jessy J joined in unannounced for some hot jams. And, back to work, closing out the month with Jessy J in Camarillo at the city's annual Art & Jazz Festival benefitting local art & education outreach. 
Touring Has Its Benefits Jazz enthusiasts love their wine and I can't wait for our Guitars and Saxes gig up in Healdsburg at the Rodney Strong Winery. We recently discovered their signature wine, Estate Charlotte's Home Sauvignon Blanc. Tasty!  Michael Jackson Memorial @ Staples CenterA perfect Los Angeles day, a well-behaved crowd. Roving reporters, photographers, souvenir hawkers, and police everywhere. Onsite broadcast stages lined the area three and four deep between Nokia and Staples. Recognized people like Derek Hough (DWTS) and ran into musicians, Steve Tyrell and Darryl Tookes. What a memorable and interesting event. I'm glad I went. 
 Extreme Touring In support of Bobby McFerrin, I had some very interesting gigs this spring, packing for the Equator and the Arctic on the same trip! We traveled to the UAE and performed at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi where everything that can be embellished with gold, IS.  Then, we traveled to Norway and went all the way to Tromso, a city north of the Arctic Circle where the sun just doesn't go down in the summer. Met a lot of wonderful people, captured some interesting reflections against sparkling still waters (do you see the guitars??), and had local food that included whale and reindeer meat. What a treat! Seen About Town I am still amazed to run into people here in L.A., outside of gigs or industry events. Audio consultant and global event producer, Larry Estrin, pulled up the other day in a local shopping center and we had a wonderful chat. We go back a long time, including the Salt Lake City Olympics and in Seoul, Korea for Lotte World. He and partner Peter Erskine have just updated the website for their business, Best Audio. Keeping Up In the 21st Century It was time to get on the bandwagon so I've joined LinkedIn and Facebook under my stage name, Ricco Massei. Check it out when you have a moment! Guitars & Saxes 2009 I will join up with the tour in Jacksonville, FL on May 24, 2009. This year's musical lineup includes the talents of Euge Groove, Jeff Golub, Jeff Lorber, and Jessy J. See you out there! 25th Anniversary March 2009 marked a landmark wedding anniversary for Annie and me. We celebrated with an incredible local getaway trip to the Montage Beverly Hills. Relaxed in the private spa, walked around Bev Hills like tourists and had two great dinners, one at Mastro's Steakhouse and one in Parq at the hotel.The experience of this weekend was beyond our wildest dreams! Rhiannon Showcase On March 16, performance artist and Voicestra member, Rhiannon taped in front of an invitation-only audience here in Los Angeles. Noted players, Abraham Laboriel and Alex Acuna were part of this magical session too. This venue in Seal Beach is the home of smooth jazz and Jessy's first time back in over a year. She and her band, DW3, wowed the sold out crowd. Her producer, Paul Brown, a well-respected recording artist in his own right, showed up and sat in for a few songs too. LaTanya Hall in Los Angeles On February 16, LaTanya met up for a leisurely dinner at one of my favorite places, Risotto Restaurant in Studio City. She flew in from NYC to perform at Catalina Bar & Grill backing Steve Tyrell; we had a great time catching up! Check out LaTanya's debut CD, "It's About Time" on her MySpace page. | |
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