The staff at Chafin Musicenter; Sue and Jeff Chafin are second and third from left. (Photo by Bill Meredith) Much of the first half of the 60-year life span of Chafin Musicenter (www.chafinmusic.com) in Lake Worth was spent on the 900 block of Lake Avenue, just west of U.S. 1. But when owner Paul Chafin found a larger site — a defunct feed store on North Dixie Highway — in … [Read more...]
Alabama Shakes outshines the fireworks at SunFest
SunFest 2016 offered an unpredictable mix of something old (Duran Duran on the Ford main stage) and something new (Meghan Trainor on the Tire Kingdom stage at the Meyer Ampitheater) with its April 27 opening night’s national acts, and continued the trend throughout its five days. Gifted area singer/songwriter Mike Mineo rocked the main stage before Train eventually … [Read more...]
Photographers, muses tell stories of rock glory
off Pattie Boyd. “Behind the Lens” presented a unique live blend of music and visuals at the Kravis Center’s Persson Hall on April 13, with the featured attraction the narration and photographs of Henry Diltz and Pattie Boyd. The 77-year-old Diltz has more than 400 album cover shots for iconic artists, and the tales to go with them, while the 72-year-old Boyd mainly … [Read more...]
Pop and Jazz Happenings: April 2016
The Natty Bos. Gary Rowan has presented his annual Uncle Gary’s Rock & Rib Fest (www.UncleGarysRockandRibFest.com) for a decade, and watched the event grow exponentially. Yet he wishes he never had to. The festival honors his only child, daughter Ashley, who succumbed to the rare childhood liver cancer hepatoblastoma in 2002 at age 3. “This is truly a labor of love; my … [Read more...]
Hiromi, trio bring powerful energy to Davie show
Jazz pianist and composer Hiromi. Japan native Hiromi Uehara has gained first-name recognition worldwide since moving to the United States to attend the Berklee College of Music in 1999. The 37-year-old pianist’s recording and touring career began a few years later, and has essentially been split between her 2004-2009 trio with fellow Berklee grads Tony Grey (bass) and Martin … [Read more...]
Guitar hero Satriani thrills Parker Playhouse crowd
As he approaches his 60th birthday this summer, instrumental rock guitar hero Joe Satriani appears to be trying not to become a nostalgia act via his top-selling breakthrough release, Surfing With the Alien, from 1987. Yet he’s dipping his toe in that water on his current From Surfing to Shockwave tour by playing tunes from that time-tested gem through his latest CD, last … [Read more...]
Twelve-year-old jazz pianist plays far beyond his years, peers
Most people who watched the venerable CBS program 60 Minutes on Jan. 3 probably weren’t blind, and didn’t tune in right in the middle of a playing segment by jazz pianist Joey Alexander. But if those possibilities aligned, anyone listening would’ve heard a musician playing with the creativity, dexterity and improvisational skills of jazz keyboard legends from Art Tatum and … [Read more...]
Pop and Jazz Happenings, March 2016: Sisters ditch pop for country; Okeechobee Fest debuts
Modern country music has increasingly featured elements of pop, yet it’s still ironic that one of Palm Beach County’s rising authentic country groups came out of an act influenced by the Disney World, bubble gum sect of that genre. Yes, before sisters Alisa and Laura Whitacre formed White Acres (www.whiteacresmusic.com) in 2012, they were in full Britney Spears mode with … [Read more...]
Pop and Jazz Happenings, February 2016: Pianist Keller finds rewards in jazz, teaching
Brad Keller. (Photo by Bill Meredith) There may not be a better Palm Beach County-based jazz instrumentalist than pianist Delray Beach resident Brad Keller, but he certainly played the field musically beforehand. “I started as a vocal major in college,” he says. “I was going to be an opera singer until we all found out I wasn’t good enough. So I studied piano at Broward … [Read more...]
Boynton blues bassist lives the dream, will compete in Memphis
If you tried to gauge which musical performers were the busiest in South Florida, thoughts might toward to a pop singer, a country guitarist, or maybe a freelancing rock drummer. But a blues artist? Well, maybe if they played guitar and sang. How about a bass player? Not very likely. And a blues bass player? You’re dreaming. Yet Mark Telesca (www.marktelesca.com) is living … [Read more...]