A picture is worth a thousand words

Here's a snapshot of JC Hopkins, set adrift somewhere in that no man's land that exists in between songs as he leads the Biggish Band -- along with myself and singer-songwriter Ben Fields -- at Iridium. 

I think that putting your time in with a big band is a required apprenticeship for the serious jazz singer because all of that soloing from all those horns changes your ear drastically -- and eventually, you're soloing, too. The best jazz singers have done this -- or they found a way to climb inside of a horn, or become one -- and eventually, they have a musicianship that's untouchable.

Then again, it was easier to sing with a big band back in the 1930s - 1940s because they were everywhere and there were so many of them.  They would do breakfast sets. Breakfast sets! That meant that when I got out of work at 8am as a domestic or whatever, I could meet up with my girlfriends, have eggs and toast and lindy to Cab Calloway. Unbelievable -- but since there was no Muzak and the culture demanded live music and couples dancing, it made perfect sense. When you're practically playing around the clock -- morning set, lunch gig, cocktail hour, a revue, after hours jam -- you're bound to get great.

I definitely miss singing with a horn section...

The next gig: "What A Little Moonlight Can Do" - A Tribute To Billie Holiday

Tonight I'll be singing in a Billie Holiday tribute at The Rum House (helmed by the cocktail slingers behind Ward III in Tribeca) with a trio led by Grammy award-nominated songwriter/pianist JC Hopkins. I'm in the process of developing a libretto that includes Lady Day's rarer sides from the 30s, so this gig is a fine moment to stretch out on some of that material before I present my work at The Apollo Theater Soundstage for the residency/performances in April.

I think The Rum House having a Bespoke Music Series seasonally is the hotness. They are the songs that you love and hardly ever get to hear live - and when you do, it's most definitely not as intimate as this. This place is so tiny, I'll practically be sitting in your lap with you holding my mic.

There is NO COVER for this gig - though I'm sure a hat of some sort will be passed through the crowd - in one of the hottest little "speakeasy" bars in midtown.

Here's the official blurb:

JC Hopkins leads a Bespoke tribute to the one and only Lady Day. Hosted by Jonny Porkpie, featuring JC on piano, Wayne Tucker trumpet, Dylan Shamatt bass, and vocalists Queen Esther, Dana Danger Athens, Cyrille Aimee, Wyndham Baird, Kiki Valentine and Sarah Elizabeth Charles.

See you there!

The Next Gig: "THE PIANO HAS BEEN DRINKING" - a night of tributes to Tom Waits

Instead of a postcard or a flyer with a cool photo on it, here's a massively huge blurb for the next gig tonight 8/4 10pm at The Rum House near Times Square. We'll be paying tribute to everyone's favorite booze soaked poet/troubadour (and actor!) Tom Waits. There is absolutely no cover whatsoever. Isn't that nice?

Expect well-crafted cocktails, a bit of a neo-vaudeville spark from the emcee Mr. Jonny Porkpie the Burlesque Mayor of New York City (how nice of him to keep his clothes on for this one) and some sort of emotional spontaneous combustion at the mic -- at least, from me.

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The Newest Old Cocktail Lounge in Times Square announces the first event in its new "Bespoke Music" series THE PIANO HAS BEEN DRINKING, a night of tributes to the music of Tom Waits led by Benjamin Ickies (This Ambitious Orchestra, Oh! You Pretty Things) and JC Hopkins (Grammy-nominated songwriter, JC Hopkins Biggish Band). It will be the first event of its kind held at the new Rum House since the bar opened under the supervision of the Gentlemen of Ward III earlier this year.

"Since Rum House reopened, customers have enjoyed their bespoke cocktails to the sound of incredible pianists tickling the ivories almost every night of the week," says Jonny Porkpie, who curates the entertainment menu. "And we've been thrilled with the quality and variety of talent that have come through. Now, we're excited to start hosting some larger events in addition to our regular programming, and a celebration of Tom Waits' mixture of old-school showmanship with bourbon-soaked lyricism was the perfect kickoff."

The event features the talents of two of The Rum House's favorite entertainers, Benjamin Ickies and JC Hopkins. Hopkins and Ickies will take turns at the piano, accompanied by a fabulous array of special guests, musicians and vocalists including DeWitt Fleming Jr, Shien Lee (Dances of Vice), Mamie Minch, John Presnell, Queen Esther, Eric Schmalenbeger (House of Yes) and Sylvester Schneider (Zum Schnieder). Mr. Porkpie, in a rare fully-clothed appearance, hosts the evening.

THE PIANO HAS BEEN DRINKING begins at 10:00pm on Thursday, August 4. There is no cover for the event. The event kicks off the "Bespoke Music" event series, which focuses on the work of a different musician or genre each month. The next event will be in September. The Rum House Entertainment Menu is presented Monday through Saturday nights, with cocktail hour
entertainment Monday through Thursday 6pm - 8pm and late night entertainment Wednesday 8pm - 10pm and Thursday through Saturday starting at 9:30pm.

ABOUT THE FEATURED PIANISTS

JC Hopkins is a Grammy-nominated songwriter and producer. His band, The JC Hopkins Biggish Band, worked with the likes of Norah Jones, Madeleine Peyroux, Elvis Costello, Justin Bond and Martha Wainwright. A working habitué of jazz dives, burlesque clubs and seedy piano bars, Hopkins honed his songwriting and musical chops in these colorful surroundings, gaining inspiration for the original material that comprises the majority of his band's swinging repertoire.

Bay Area native Benjamin Ickies moved to New York to study accordion with William Schimmel (featured on the Tom Waits albums Rain Dogs and Frank's Wild Years) in lieu of college. Thanks to his tutelage in rock, tango and cabaret, Ickies now directs several music ensembles in NYC and performs in many more. As a bandleader, he conducts the symphonic rock band This Ambitious Orchestra, co-produces the quarterly glam rock series Oh! You Pretty Things and on Tuesdays can be seen at the Griffin running the band for the cabaret Cafe Panache.

Happy New Year, World!

this is j. walter hawkes and i performing i cover the waterfront at the player's club, new year's eve 2009.

ah, the best laid plans...

Yeah, so -- I honestly meant to glide through this weekend and blog all about it but I was having way too much fun to bother. Such is life in the big titty.

It ended on Sunday with an impromptu cocktail party at Dutch Kills with Abraham of course – he’s the one all my friends like – and a slew of my beautiful pals showing up on the early side, just because. And why not? Do I really need a reason to throw a shin-dig? Making it through the week should be enough, these days. There was Sara Jane and then Brian whom we saw at Governor’s Island for the Jazz Age Lawn Party, then Rosa C. who bumped into us on the train on the way there and Susan who was already there when we showed up, and out of nowhere Rosa A. and James appeared, then another James showed up to see Sara Jane. Ralph showed up, so fresh and so clean-clean! And Ryan and Desiree came at the very end, after everyone folded. I had to leave them there, in good hands of course. Randy had a class. Sinclair had tech rehearsal, but he called. We’re going to have ginger tea and a long chat sometime this week. He and I have a severe amount of catching up to do. And once I got home, of course I thought of all these other black folk that I should have invited. Oh, well. We’ll have to do it again on another Sunday evening, when I know that Abraham will be there. We really can’t throw an impromptu cocktail party without him.

Renee was MIA, for real. I think the birthday party/makeshift speakeasy at Grounded after The Bootlegger’s Ball on Saturday night did her in.

Why do I prefer Dutch Kills on a Sunday night? Because if I tip through there at the just right hour with my friends, it’s relatively empty and shockingly devoid of hipsters – and eventually, it ends up turning itself into our little party, of sorts. So fun. That feels way more like a speakeasy than most of what’s going around in the city these days. The last time I tried to get in there on a Saturday night, I had to give someone at the door my cell number, so they could call me when there was space available. Not that there was anything wrong with that, but the crowd looked like something out of The Hills, or at least a frat house mixer. And yeah, that creeped me out.

There are so many friends and loved ones to catch up with, and they’re all over the place, doing everything – because that’s what you do when you live in New York City. And yes, we always say that we want to see each other and hang out and catch up – and yet, we hardly ever do. I learned a long time ago that nothing happens in this town unless you plan it out and make it so. So I’m going to do it, as often as the mood strikes me. Which will probably be a lot, especially when it gets cold.

Besides, it’s all Abraham’s fault, really. He has completely ruined me with an excellent soundtrack to our goings on, libations that I didn’t know I liked until he served them up, and what can only be described as good, kind treatment – something I needed a great deal of this summer.

It all started on Thursday when my paramour came from the airport straight to my gig with JC at Rodeo Bar. Here’s a few pictures to make up for my latent absence.

This is JC Hopkins and me. Nice portrait, I think. (All photos below by the ever-brilliant Tanya Braganti.)



This is Vito, brazenly toying with a bison's affections. (Or something...)


This is Hilliard on bass, JC on keys and me, singing and singing and singing. Yep, this was a fun gig...