Newsletter VOLUME 38, NUMBER 1 Formerly New York Sheet Music Society www.APSSinc.org OCTOBER 2016 AARON WEINSTEIN: A PALETTE OF JAZZ AND BOW TIES By Jerry Osterberg The late writer and lyricist Gene music of all kinds, everything from Lees once wrote: “There was a time rock & roll to opera. They were not when popular music was good and musicians, but introduced their good music was popular.” In a youngest son to the entire spectrum similar vein, Dave Frishberg, in through recordings. He soon lamenting the absence of quality embraced jazz, teaching himself to violinists in the jazz arena, added: play the violin by listening to icons “There’s Joe Venuti, Eddie South, such as Grappelli, Venuti, and Les Stuff Smith, Stephane Grappelli, Paul. By the time he reached high followed by decades of silence…and school, he was playing well enough now there’s Aaron Weinstein.” to join the jazz band. So, it was no surprise that Aaron At the age of fifteen, Aaron was invited to close the 2015-2016 recorded a demo and sent it around season of the American Popular Song to a number of musicians, including Society, performing on June 11, John Pizzarelli, the son of guitar 2016. This was his second legend Bucky Pizzarelli. Referring to appearance at APSS, having the younger of the two, Aaron said: participated in a revue a few years “…he actually responded. He called ago. Accompanied by the ever me up and was wildly encouraging. popular Jon Weber, himself a Through John I met Bucky and sparkling virtuoso, the humorous and played my first gig with him when I clearly gifted violinist filled the room was sixteen or so.” He largely with unbridled joy and APSS learned his craft from the Pizzarellis members responded with the by playing on the job. Although he exuberant enthusiasm they’re noted didn’t always know every song, for. Their instruments conversing as Aaron would rush home and practice if old friends, Wienstein and Weber until his repertoire was eventually guided the audience through a colorful language all could extensive enough to accompany Bucky for an entire show. understand. The tunes flowed with what seemed to be Luckily for Aaron, his high school administration was effortlessness, incorporating crowd pleasers such as “The Best agreeable to allowing him to occasionally miss class in order Things in Life Are Free,” “Sweet Sue,” and “Avalon.” to play a gig with mentor, Bucky. Evidently, Aaron’s jazz band Called “the Groucho of the violin” by Tony Bennett, I director persuaded the principal to do so on the strength of his would suggest there’s more than a bit of Jack Benny in Aaron impressive contribution to the band’s string section. Indeed, Weinstein, certainly for his style of deadpan humor if nothing permission may well have been granted on the strength of a else. Having recently turned thirty, Aaron has been playing for self-directed project which Aaron conceived and executed. twenty years, ever since his parents gave him a fiddle for his With the approval of the director, Aaron organized a well- ninth birthday. He once told an interviewer that what he had received tribute to Stephane Grappelli, collaborating with a actually wanted was a flute, not a violin, apparently mixing guitarist and bassist. them up. Supposedly disappointed, the newly minted musician During his senior year, he was asked to participate in what picked up the instrument nevertheless, his dreams of being a came to be his first professional recording. Besides the flutist obviously dashed. Pizzarellis, the Legends project included Skitch Henderson, Aaron was born in Chicago to parents who simply loved Continued on page 3 PAGE 2 AMERICAN POPULAR SONG SOCIETY OCTOBER, 2016 President’s Message... American Popular Linda Amiel Burns, President Song Society Board Of Directors: Welcome to the 2016-2017 Season of the American Popular Song Linda Amiel Burns Society! Hope you all had a good summer, and that you are now President ready for Autumn in New York. In July, I managed to get in a great Lynn DiMenna trip on a small ship to Greece, Albania, Montenegro and Croatia; I felt very lucky to Sandi Durell see that interesting part of the world. This is my 20 th year as your president 1st Vice Presidents st (following 10 years as 1 VP), and in the last 30 years we have all seen many changes Joan Adams in the world of music. I am excited about our continued growth, and the name change Sandy Marrone 2nd Vice Presidents has made it clear that we are about much more than sheet music. APSS is now so popular that we have been able to book the entire season way ahead of time. There is Glen Charlow Treasurer & Membership now a waiting list for people who want to present programs for us! Marilyn Lester Corresponding Secretary We will open the season on Saturday afternoon, October 8 th with a great program Bill Boggs produced by our Board Member Sandi Durell, featuring Michael Colby, the author of Will Friedwald The Algonquin Kid. Michael began writing chapters for Sandi’s acclaimed site, Michael Lavine ------------------------------------- Theater Pizzazz , about his life growing up in his grand parents’ hotel, The Algonquin. Publicist These chapters eventually became a very well-reviewed book, which will be available Richard Skipper Celebrates [email protected] for purchase, and which Michael will autograph for you. This will be an interesting afternoon of merriment, memories, and entertainment! Programs & Special Events Elliott Ames Sandi Durell This is the first Newsletter of the new season, and you will note that there is a Tom Toce member form on page 6 which you may give to someone to join. The form is for APSS Official Photographer: NEW members only. You do not need to fill out the form to renew - just send your Rose Billings check to Glen at the address on the form. Our dues are very reasonable, and have not Graphic Designer, Web Guy been raised in nearly two decades. For only $50 you can attend nine amazing Glen Charlow programs and receive nine informative Newsletters. You can either rejoin online at N E W S L E T T E R www.APSSinc.org , or mail in the printed form with a check. Please be sure to bring Editor/Publisher: Jerry Osterberg [email protected] in new members and tell your friends and family about our amazing Society! Contributing Editor: Marilyn Lester [email protected] I am looking forward to Associate Editor: Joan Adams [email protected] seeing many of you on Graphic Designer: Glen Charlow October 8 th at The [email protected] Musician’s Hall of Local Membership Mailing Address: 802. American Popular Song Society P.O. Box 5856 Best regards to you all, Pikesville, MD 21282 [email protected] Linda (212) 315-3500 (Linda A. Burns) (l-r) Richard Skipper, Jon Weber, Mark Walter, Jerry Osterberg, Photos by Rose Billings Aaron Weinstein, Will Friedwald, Glen Charlow MEETING LOCATION: Local 802 – Musicians’ Hall 322 West 48th Street. Program: 1:45 – 3:30PM. Come early to look thru Sheet Music & CD’s & stuff, all FREE. OCTOBER , 2016 AMERICAN POPULAR SONG SOCIETY PAGE 3 Jay Leonart, and Johnny Frigo. The seventeen year old marvel have brought him to his present level of success, among them got a day away from academia and helped to advance the canon Don Stierberg, with whom he studied mandolin, he especially of jazz another step. Over the next dozen years, Aaron credits Bucky and John Pizzarelli as having the greatest accumulated a most impressive collection of performances as influence. “They shaped my entire music sensibility. No two a featured soloist: Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Jazz at people have been more influential,” Aaron has answered Lincoln Center, Birdland, Blue Note, and abroad at jazz whenever he’s been asked. festivals in England, France, Switzerland, Iceland, and Israel. In In his website, there’s a lovely portrait of Aaron Weinstein addition, he’s worked with Linda Lavin, Les Paul, Jon at rest. He seems to be wearing a smoking jacket. There’s an Hendricks, Annie Ross, and rock guitarist Jay Geils. Aaron has open book with a blue cover, although no title is visible. In one been equally busy on the recording scene, making several of hand is an orange colored meerschaum pipe, genus calabash, his own CD’s. He’s also collaborated on record with Christine similar to the type smoked by Sherlock Holmes and Santa Ebersole, Jessica Molaskey, Frank Vignola, Bucky Pizzarelli, Claus. Inconspicuous beneath Aaron’s chin rests a bow tie. and John Pizzarelli, arranging for Ebersole, as well as for Lavin Given that he admits to being a bow tie activist, the presence of and Janis Siegel. the tie is not surprising. What is a bit disconcerting is the rather Upon graduation from high school, Aaron went off to the subdued color. It’s almost as if the pale yellow tie had been Berklee College of Music, the beneficiary of a talent-based full painted in as an afterthought. I suppose we’ll never know for scholarship. Undoubtedly, his hands-on education while sure, although it must be said that Aaron now wears a sprightly playing the paid gigs with modern masters, informed his and bright bow tie in every appearance. experience at Berklee and vice versa, further accelerating the While Aaron Weinstein shares his exotic taste for bow ties steepness of the learning curve and his growing reputation. with Winston Churchill, Soupy Sales, the Duke of Windsor, and About this, Aaron has said: “Talk about an education – that’s of course, Groucho Marx, none of them had the knack to play the kind of thing you can’t get in the practice room.” a jazz fiddle as well, and that is all we need to know.