Mike Raab’sROCK & ROLL MUSEUMof the Hudson ValleyMUSEUM MAILSome of our e-mail has been edited down, for any one of several reasons. If a band sends us information that already appears elsewhere in The Museum, for example, we won’t run it here. We try to avoid redundancy, keep things interesting and make it a gathering place for friends and musicians alike. Got something to say? Send your e-mail to: MichaelRaab@bellsouth.net. We love hearing from you! 07/02/10 Hey Mike - nice to hear from you again. House gigs were very plentiful when I moved back to Detroit around 1994. I was able to play 200 nights a year for about 10 years. A few years ago I decided to spend more time teaching and that has turned into a very rewarding business. God has truly blessed my life. My trio, American Guitar, continues to play Sunday nights, exclusively guitar instrumentals. mostly Chet Atkins and Les Paul. Thanks for getting in touch with me. - Tom Limbaugh 05/24/10 What a great site! I almost fell off the chair when I saw the picture of Phog with Joe Cardillo singing. Pretty cool pic! We used to go see Sweet Revenge with Joe as the singer back in 78/79. Do you know when Dinos closed? Just conversed with your cousin Jim on Facebook as he knows one of my friends. Hey - what a great site! I love it! - Tom Eff 03/24/10 Hi Mike - in the Dirty Elbows picture Russ was wrong about the year. This was 1966. Probably July or August. I left the band in June. Reggie Ward took over for me and then Gene Baker left shortly after. I went out to California and Gene joined me out there. Sal D'Onofrio took over on bass. I'm on a mission to contact old band mates. They can reach me at george.whitesell@yahoo.com - George Whitsell 03/24/10 I was a member of The Beggars and we played with The Jelly Bean Bandits and others at the Trade Winds in the early 1960s. Tony Bruno was our manager - his father owned Bruno's Laundry. Good to see your website. It bring back good memories. I just started playing again 2 years ago. - Rich Bieber 03/23/10 Just happened on your website while looking for Lenny Frank and really got a kick out of what you put together. I started playing in my first band, The Blue Rondos, in 1964. That group included John Platania and Guy Masson who are in some of the groups featured on your site. I worked on and off until the 80s, the last 6 years with Last Licks. I think you have a great thing going and hope you continue to expand it as a vital part of documenting the history of the local music scene. Thanks for keeping it alive. - Gabe Cicale 03/18/10 Just found your website, and it was great to hear the recordings of the Argoes and see videos of my brother Tim and the Goodtimes III. Those are extremely rare. Despite all the tapes I have of them live, and all the times I saw them perform, I never took any videos. I was just a teenager with a small allowance and didn't have the equipment. An interesting detail - "Just What I Was Looking For Today" (which is on The Jukebox) was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King and later recorded by the Everly Brothers. - Jamie Jones 03/07/10 Hey Mike - I was told to get ahold of you. My name is Tony Martini and I have played with a lot of bands in this area as far back as the Trade Winds. I played drums with The Deacons, and the Storm Kings, went on to play bass guitar with the Happy Jacks, Steve Rogo, Hopie Cotten. Got into glitter, played with Teaser at the Squire Lounge. - Tony Martini 08/27/09 Kewl!!! Awesome!!! I'll pass this along to everyone else ... and thanx for your continued support ... you rock! And thanx for keeping the MHV musicians alive!" - Lisa Forster Williman (formerly of Rosetta Stone) 07/30/09 Mr. Mike Raab - The Most Dangerous Man In Music Publishing! - Brian Tourville 05/12/09 Well, the irascible Mike Raab..How the hell have you been? I got your message and man do I remember doing sound at the Waterfront and huddling under a truck to try and stay dry. Great memories. Jim says The Jellybeaners have a new album out (or two). They can't take away our music. - Joe Riglioni (formerly of Jo Mama) 04/18/09 The band (ZRS) started off in Syracuse as Motor Rose, became Zampino, Rose and Smith, then ZRS. When we moved to the Newburgh area it finally evolved into Minnie and the Man. Today the band no longer exists. Larry Zampino lives in Port Jervis, N.Y. and works as a woodworker. Rich Smith, our drummer, lives in the San Francisco area and works as a commercial painter and musician. Steven Levy, who played bass, lives and works as a musician in NYC, and I teach reading / writing at a middle school. - Minnie Rose 04/18/09 Hey Mike, miss your column in the Pok. Journal; my brother, Russ Aldrich was just here visiting and showed me your site. Wow, what memories came flooding back. I am sending it out to all on my e-mail list. I remember going to see my brother and the Dirty Elbows at the Juliet, they were opening for The Lil Rascals and others, 1966, I was 8 months along with my now 42 year old daughter. She inherited some of Russ' musical ability, she plays piano, guitar and sings, her 17 year old son plays piano, alto sax, guitar and trumpet. I missed out completely. Well Mike, it was nice going back in time, thanks for the memories. -Jorie Aldrich Van Wagenen 03/01/09 What a great idea. The Hudson Valley was an interesting place for music and indeed has a meaningful past. I'm thinking during the late 70s, early 80s period. I don't know if it was its proximity to NYC, Woodstock, the other Woodstock, the mountains or what really. There are a few acts I was wondering if you had any material / information on. These were -- Big Features, Elliot Lloyd and the Honeymoon Cats, and Midnight Slim and the House Rockers. Do you have any video or written material on these bands? I appreciate any information you have. I'm a musician with records out that has lived many places other than the Hudson Valley (NYC, San Francisco, Boston, Paris) so I have something to compare it to. This was indeed an interesting place for music. It seems that you publish these e-mails and I prefer to remain anonymous so I will leave my name off. Thank you for your good work. - Hudson Valley Musician 02/23/09 Wow Mike, yes what a great surprise indeed. That Still Wind picture might have been the Newburgh Armory concert. Band members were me, Mark Gamma, Danny Kaiser and Jimmy Baker. I sure would like to hear some of our music if at all possible. Remember the record we cut in NY at Sweet Sixteen Studios? "Down By The River"? Let me know bud. I'm flipping out checking out those bands and videos on your website. - Randy Fulton 02/10/09 Hey Mike - what a very cool site. It was good to see some old friends on your site and would like to send you a CD of Easystreet Band live at Bachelors (1976?). I don't have any pics but I'm sure somebody from the band will. Band members at this time were Reggie Ward (vocals), Tom Ayers (keyboards), Benny Ribble (guitar), John Regan (bass) and Rich Crane (drums). I'm still playing. Hope to hear from you and keep up the good site. Thanks. - Rich Crane 02/05/09 Hey Mike - that was cool. Found your Museum listing while updating my HV Music listing. I graduated from Washingtonville in 1970. Hung out quite a bit in Newburgh. Gillins record shop and Munchies on Broadway. Remember groups like Burgundy Green, Frozen Smoke, Fluid with Steve Love, Zampino, Rose & Smith? TANC dances in Monroe, Bill Hennessey's Mt. Lodge Inn, DJ Larry Z? The Womblers with Kurt Henry, Good Medicine with Larry Packer & Hal Gaylor? I'm doing my own thing in midtown Kingston these days, since 1991 (AirStudioGallery.com). I'm working on a DVD of Betty MacD from here with Joe Beck & Charlie Knicely from 2003. Rene's been here a few times also. Keep up the good work. - Jim Marzano 1/25/09 Thanks for the memories! I just watched my father, Jim Muir, sing "Cara Mia" on your site. That is my favorite song that he used to sing and I had actually forgotten what a great set of pipes he used to have!! Of course, they're still not too shabby but he doesn't get as many chances to sing as he used to. - Jamie Muir 1/24/09 Many thanks for the information on Russ Aldrich. He was such a great player. I'm glad he's still at it. I'm to write him today. I remember Jimmy Galluzi tooling around Poughkeepsie in a custom hot rod. No doubt he was a motorhead. You got any information about where Jimmy's racing accident was? Any information on Jimmy would be appreciated. I've been sending out e-mails to some of my musician friends from the old days, telling them about your website. Hopefully you'll get some more submissions. Again thanks for the wonderful website. - Frank Ziegert 12/29/08 Hi Mike. I'm not sure if you remember me but I was a few years behind you in high school. My name is Gene Annan. I found your site on HVMusic.com. Great job. Scrolling through the picture gallery and the videos brought back a lot of old memories of the "good old days". the Elmbrook, the Tradewinds and the Circus. I was surprised at how many of the old musicians I remembered and how many like Mike Angelo and Mark Gamma are still out there doing their own thing. Keep up the good work and I'm going to spread the word as much as I possibly can about your site. - Gene Annan 12/27/08 It's good to see the work you're doing. Did you know that Lenny Frank and the Rhythm Rockers once had a live radio show on WEOK on Saturdays? I may even have one old tape. Live radio ... not too many groups did that. I also have one photo of my first group, the Starlites, with Howard Dubin, Tony Grosso, Jeff Emma, Tony LaFalce and me. All of us continued to work with other groups with the exception of Jeff whom we lost at Woodstock. - Tom Phelan 12/20/08 I love your site and seeing all the bands I loved. How can I get my "Brandywine" band in there? As you know, we played right next door to Lenny at my night club, Phase 3. I have always felt fortunate to live in an area that had, and has, so many fine musicians and bands. - Matt Jordan 12/18/08 Wow, what a fantastic piece of work! Loved the website. Thank you so much for all your hard work. I have some archive material to contribute if there is any interest. - Mike Palladino 12/09/08 Hey man, cool site! I have some old pics of me with John Platania, Don McClean and the first Northern Star, which was me on bass, Calvin Bampton on guitar, Ernie Barchie on guitar (runs SIR in Nashville). FYI, Bill and I are in The Albert Cary Band, not Maddog. - Rick Mullen Note: Rick's website is www.rickmullen.net. 11/19/08 Hi Mike - I don't know if you remember me but I played music all through school in Cornwall (1963-1969). I lived in Firthcliff and knew everyone connected to music. I played sax and autoharp in a number of local bands like The Utopians, MT Soul and the Country Pie Band. Anyway, you have listed the D'Jow Band and all the members but Willy Cercone, the drummer who is responsible for the forming of the band. By the way, do you know who drew the Firco Rat on the underpass? - Peter Barber Note: Peter has been living in Missoula, Montana for the past 30 years. You can check out his business at www.netguitar.com and his current band at www.myspace.com/zeppomt. 10/06/08 Hey Mike how are ya? My stepson tipped me to the Hudson Valley Rock “n” Roll Museum site after reading an article in The Cornwall Local on it. I was wondering if you would be interested in some pictures of the D’Jow band from Cornwall in 1970 playing at the first Pete Seeger Sloop Festival in Newburgh. Band was composed of myself and John Horos on guitar, Steve Agostini on bass, Gary Orsino on keyboards and Billy Cerone on drums. All Cornwall boys and hardcore Rolling Stones fans. Nice to see somebody interested in keeping the Hudson Valley music scene from back in the day alive! - Arte O’Dell Note: You can check out some of Arte’s luthier work at http://www.myspace.com/arteo39dell and see some photos of a couple of jams he had with old players under the name of The Black Rock All-Stars at the old B&H bar in Cornwall at http://www.myspace.com/blackrockallstars. 10/06/08 I was delivering some stuff at my Cornwall store Monday when I got mobbed by groupies. They must have recognized me from the article in the paper (The Cornwall Local, Friday, October 3). Actually, there were two 90 year old women walking by my truck after I bought the paper and I was going to ask them to check out the picture (Dutchpop). Very nice site. Looking forward to new additions. Love to see things about the Sapiens, Sting Rays, Phog and all those guys from back then. Cornwall people might like that band that Armand Assante was in (The Constellations). - Joe Babcock (Dutchpop) 10/03/08 I didn’t know if you seen that Greg Wickline had passed away. Do you remember his band, The Stingrays? None of them had a car at the time so I drove them to their gigs for a while and they played all over. - David MacMorran 10/01/08 I worked with Charlie Staxx last night at the Rocking Horse Ranch. He’s one of the original members of The Phantoms and he did see the video on your website. We all agree - you did a really nice job documenting all the music oldtimers here in the Hudson Valley. - Dennis Blandino (Harvest) 09/22/08 Congratulations on the ROCK & ROLL MUSEUM of the Hudson Valley. It was great getting your card and going into the program. It brings back a lot of memories. I hope you keep adding to it. Keep in touch and let me know when you are going to be in the area. - A fellow Firco Rat, Bill Lee 09/19/08 Hi Mike! I was having fun through email with my best friend Art Ebert all week, talking about you and your group and your website. You look as good as when I saw you last, you have never changed. I put the Jelly Bean Bandits on my site. Best of luck to you! - Noela Starr (The Ponytails) 09/12/08 Here is what I know about former members of Bunz: Charlie Cirrone - lead singer, sax, flute - living in Boston selling real estate, acting There were other members who I have not been in contact with. I would like to get info on your site. - Steve Atwood 09/10/08 Hey Hombre! I checked out the site ... Awesome. (Thank you Mike, for keeping us all going!) I would love to be added to The Museum. I can collect some things I think will work and get them to you to see what you think. Keep in touch, talk to you soon. - Barry Petrillo (The Hotrod Band) 09/02/08 Just a short note to say your Rock & Roll Museum is GREAT! To see and hear a lot of people I knew when I played back in the old days was rewarding. Would like to see a picture of our OLD group, Chip and the Countdowns or The Chips of Time. Again I say it’s a great site. - Lenny Chidgey |