There are 88 keys on a standard piano, 10 fingers on a standard human. This is undisputed.
Now, assuming, for purposes of this discussion, that said digits were made of rubber and could reach any given key, there are no less than 3.0948 times 10 to the 26th power combinations of 10-keyed chords a pianist has at his disposal at any given performance. (This, of course, also assumes that the math geek that responded to my Twitter to obtain that calculation was correct… but you get the point. There are a lot.)
But still not enough, apparently, for one Marco Benevento. "I tend to think more in shapes and color when I'm playing music," the progressive pianist says of his penchant for incorporating everything from guitar amps to circuit-bent toys into his instruments. "Certain sounds evoke melodic ideas, and the goal is to make the hair on my arms stand up."
Perhaps best known for his work with the Benevento-Russo Duo and the Trey Anastasio side project GRAB, the jazz/experimental "it boy" is currently making the rounds in support of his second solo effort, a collection of 10 quirky covers called Me Not Me. Thursday, Dec. 3, that tour is scheduled to stop at Noho's Iron Horse Music Hall.
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In other news… "unforeseen scheduling conflicts" are being cited for the cancellation of the Shadows Fall holiday homecoming show originally slated for Dec. 26. Band management and Iron Horse Entertainment Group officials are actively pursuing a makeup date, but all indications suggest that a mutual opening in the collective books won't pop up until spring, 2010.
In the meantime, Shadow-followers can still stuff their holiday stockings—and even play a role in helping produce—some nifty new band merch.
The Fall-guys have teamed up with Ultimate Guitar (www.ultimate-guitar.com) to allow fans to create an official band design and have their handiwork appear on select Shadows Fall products. The nominees' entries are currently available for viewing/voting on at facebook.com/shadowsfall. The contest ends at noon EST on Dec. 9.
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While it may register decidedly lower on the decibel delivery scale, veteran crooner Jimmy Mazz will be rolling out his Holiday Spectacular show as planned this Sunday, Dec. 6 at the Hu Ke Lau in Chicopee. The show—which will also feature The Southwick High Carolers, The Hipnotiq Dance Troupe and more—starts at 6:30 p.m. with an optional 5 p.m. "dinner seat" plan available as well.
"This is actually quite different than anything I've done before," Mazz notes. "In fact, it reminds me a lot of the old Andy Williams holiday specials on television, where the entertainers overlap each other and combine in different combinations of duets and trios."
Rob Anthony of WMAS has been tapped to emcee the soiree, and portions of the night's proceeds are earmarked for the Children's Miracle Network. To reserve your space, call (413) 593-5222.
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Meanwhile, celebrated songbird Amy Fairchild proved equal parts ecstatic and amazed at her recent Folk Act of The Year nomination at the Boston Music Awards.
"It's a great honor," the former Northampton resident explains, "but I was truly surprised, because, really, it's been kind of a quiet year for me."
In stark contrast, Fairchild promises "big things" for 2010. To monitor her endeavors—or see if she bested the BMA competition (winners were scheduled to be announced Dec. 2), kindly visit amyfairchild.com.
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Last up, since you have your browsers open, a quick stop at JohnEnghauser.com will reveal that fans of the singer/songwriter of said URL name can already rest easy. Their favorite artist officially won the Record Of The Year category at the 2009 L.A. Music Awards. So why is the Crawler writing about it here?
Enghauser cut his teeth on the local circuit—most notably as frontman for the former funky-foursome and Western Mass outfit Jamawokee. In fact, a retooled version of the Jamawokee classic "Cognition Inc" found its way into his award-winning Lost In The Pages CD.
Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, PO Box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to (860) 698-9373 or e-mail garycarra@aol.com.
