The New York Times: Tony DeSare

A Singer Happily Behind His Time
By MELISSA MEISEL
Published: August 21, 2005

THERE are still many people who find solace and pleasure in a simple toe-tapping rhythm, people who relish the Great American Songbook more than the digital pop lexicon. But in a jazz scene full of charmers like Michael Buble, how can a guy from West Orange stand out in the current high tide of cocktail croon?

So, yes, Tony DeSare, a singer and pianist, channels the generation where blackberries and apples were just fruit, even though he's only 29. And Mr. DeSare's dashing appearance sometimes makes the ladies swoon. But what currently makes this Rat Pack throwback distinctive from his fellow lounge lizards is the big screen. ''(I'd Have It All) If I Had Drew,'' one of the songs Mr. DeSare wrote for his recent debut disc, ''Want You'' (Telarc), has jumped from the cabaret to the cinema.

As the theme song for the nationally released independent film ''My Date With Drew,'' the story of a regular guy who has 30 days and $1,100 to land a date with the actress Drew Barrymore, Mr. DeSare is optimistic about his media crossover. ''The song, which plays in the opening and closing of the movie, will hopefully give more exposure to my music,'' Mr. DeSare said in a telephone interview. ''Since the genre of jazz generally doesn't get a lot of mainstream play, it's a great way to get in front of people.''

The star and creator of the movie, Brian Herzlinger (who grew up in Marlton), was an Ithaca College classmate and fan of Mr. DeSare. So when Mr. Herzlinger called in the middle of shooting ''My Date With Drew'' with a request for a tune, Mr. DeSare agreed to take a look and, inspired by the story, wrote ''If I Had Drew'' almost right away with his bassist, Mike Lee.

Much of Mr. DeSare's musical career is linked to the Garden State. After moving to Parsippany in 1999, he landed a gig at the Times Square Marriott Marquis, and was soon cast as the pride of Hoboken in the Off Broadway musical ''Our Sinatra.'' His take on Sinatra led to a clutch of performance opportunities.

When Mr. DeSare played piano at the old Rat Pack hangout Jilly's in Manhattan, the comedian (and New Jersey native) Joe Piscopo introduced himself with designs to book the young musician at charity events in New Jersey.A handful of fund-raisers later, in 2002, at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, Mr. DeSare ran into Bucky Pizzarelli, the veteran jazz guitarist from Saddle River, who ended up playing on ''Want You,'' which is currently No.24 on billboard's jazz album chart.

Between tour dates this summer to promote his CD, Mr. DeSare has returned to Shanghai Jazz in Madison each month to play sold-out shows to a dedicated neighborhood fan base that spans all ages, according to the artist. ''People who come see my shows range anywhere from teens to seniors, for whom it brings back memories,'' Mr. DeSare said. ''My generation responds in a different way, hearing it as new. That's the way I feel when I perform.''

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The Record: Hall & Oates

HALL & OATES: BACK TO BASICS
Friday, February 28, 2003

MELISSA MEISEL

Special to The Record


WHO: Hall & Oates.

WHAT: Light rock/pop.

WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday.

WHERE: Beacon Theatre, 2124 Broadway, Manhattan. (212) 496-7070.

HOW MUCH: $33 to $73.

"We're definitely not camping out," said John Oates, half of the legendary musical duo Hall & Oates, who, while on tour in upstate New York to promote their latest album, "Do It for Love," were facing the prospect of a snowstorm.

Yet such a rustic locale would be nothing new to Oates. In 1990, he moved to a small town outside of Aspen, Colo., after a decade of fame. Soon after, he met his wife, Amy, and the two now have a 6-year-old son and a farm in the mountains where they "putter around" - when not skiing or mountain biking.

About 30 years ago, Hall & Oates began a music career that yielded six No. 1 hit singles and six platinum albums.

Their smooth sounds were staples on the stereos of the MTV-generation's older brothers and sisters taking Wall Street by storm in their Eighties power suits.

"It was a good time to be a pop star," Oates said. "MTV was breaking, and we were one of the first guest VJs. The state of music was exciting; there was a ton of style. Also, digital technology was in its infancy. Analog was on its way out, sampling was on its way in. We blended both means of technology in our sound."

But at their peak, they stepped out of the limelight.

"We didn't feel like there was much more to do - you know, you can't sustain success for long periods of time without negative things happening," he said. "Besides, I wanted to take some time for my personal life."

Oates, 53, was born in New York but grew up outside of Philadelphia, raised on a diet of Curtis Mayfield, the Temptations, and Elvis. While studying TV journalism at Temple University - where he and Hall met - he played in many bands and found himself musically compatible with Hall.

"Although we have similar backgrounds, Daryl and I have different interests outside of music," he said. "And different personality types - I'm more practical and grounded, while Daryl is a bit more flamboyant."

The pair moved to New York in the early Seventies and released a handful of albums. Their first radio hit, "She's Gone," broke in the spring of 1974.

In 1976, Hall & Oates' single "Sara Smile" made the Top 10 and pushed their eponymous album on which it appeared to gold; a year later, "Rich Girl" hit the top of the charts.

The first half of the next decade sealed Hall & Oates' superstar status, with such chart-topping hits as "Kiss on My List," "You Make My Dreams," "Private Eyes," "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)," and "Maneater." By 1984, they surpassed the Everly Brothers as the most-charting duo in music history.

"Do It for Love," released Feb. 11 on their indie label U-Watch, is Hall & Oates' first album in six years. It follows Oates' solo project, "Phunk Shui," which came out in August.

Oates describes the new effort as "an extension of the well-crafted pop we've done, but also where we're at now.

"It's really organic," he said. "Back to basics."

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New Times: Billy Joel

LONG ISLAND SOUND
Joel is back after a seven-year hiatus
By Melissa Meisel
Published: January 5, 2006
http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/2006-01-05/calendar/long-island-sound/

Billy Joel has been pop music royalty for over 30 years. Since the breakout release of 1974's "Piano Man," the singer/songwriter/pianist has climbed the golden ladder of Top 40 success, selling over 100 million albums worldwide and being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999. The New Yorker’s audience spans all ages, striking a nostalgic note in hard-edged hipsters and laid-back retirees alike.

So it comes as no surprise that, when Joel announced that he was going on tour, box office supplies were quickly depleted. Consequently, the artist added a half-dozen additional concert dates. This 2006 excursion marks the first solo performance bookings for the superstar since 1998-99 (He co-headlined with flashy fellow singer/pianist Elton John in 2003).

Why the triumphant return to the arena? Joel’s upcoming run coincides with the November release of My Lives (Columbia/Legacy), a five-disc box set chronicling almost four decades of his kaleidoscopic career. The collection of demos, alternate takes, live cuts and covers is touted as "highly collectible material" for fans. After all, in the words of the Beastie Boys: if he didn't start the fire, then who the hell else did? Sat., Jan. 7, 8 p.m.

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Time Out New York: Planet of the Drums

TIME OUT NEW YORK

CLUBS SECTION
Issue 455: June 17 - 24, 2004

PLANET OF ATTACK
Drum 'n' bass is a main-room sound, according to veteran spinner DJ Dara, and to prove that point, the 170-bpm breakbeat rhythm is the featured attraction of the fifth annual, multicity Planet of the Drums tour, an all-jungle jam that roars into the Sullivan Room on Thursday 17. DJ Dara - the Irish-born Breakbeat Science mainstay who's headlining the tour alongside Florida's AK-1200 and Philly's Dieselboy (with MC J-Messinian) - insists that the decidedly underground genre is indeed strong enough to fill a club on its own.

"That was the idea when we started the tour [in 2000]," Dara says. "We were tired of drum 'n' bass being treated as side-room music, when we knew there were enough fans to sustain a night on its own. We wanted to prove to promoters that they could have a financially viable event without having trance, house or whatever on the main floor." Fellow deck wrecker Dieselboy can attest to the style's popularity - he's one of the biggest names on the American festival circuit. "We're putting on a hot show with the freshest and most upfront drum 'n' bass around," he says. "It's a house-party-style atmosphere at every show we play."

Both Dara and Dieselboy are promoting their latest recording endeavors. Dara's The Antidote (Breakbeat Science), his eighth mix-CD, is a snapshot of picks culled from two years' worth of his favorite tracks. Dieselboy's The Dungeonmaster's Guide (HUMAN/System) is a double-disc set featuring original remixes of dance-music stars like BT, Sasha Josh Wink and Tech Itch, as well as previously unreleased rerubs of tracks from Dieselboy's HUMAN label.

Even though POTD is a massive, nationwide endeavor, Dara feels best flexing the decks for Manhattan's jungle massive. "I still love playing in New York City - I spin all the weeklies every couple of months," he says. "It's always nice to play to the home crowd."
- Melissa Meisel

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Venus: Beck/Guerolito

REVIEW - BECK/GUEROLITO (INTERSCOPE)

by Melissa Meisel
Venus.com - April 2006

In signature iconoclast fashion, Beck eschews the motto "if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it" and invites his fellow musical artists to chop, scratch, and flip his gold-charting 2005 album Guero. The result? A quirky remix companion called Guerolito. Organized in the same track-listing order as its predecessor, Guerolito can almost been seen as Guero’s tricked-out bizarro twin.

There's a melange of musical genres on the Guerolito remixes; however, some excel more than others in terms of quality. Standouts include the first two tracks, "Ghost Range (E-Pro)" remixed by Homelife and "Que Onda Guero" by Islands, which seem as if the remixers were kidnapped from the studio by intergalactic cowboys armed with loping, mechanical beats. "Wish Coin (Go It Alone)" also pops with its catchy underbeat; "Rental Car" by John King of Dust Brothers features an intriguing retro-electro rhythm. For those who like their music a bit more downtempo, float away with the ethereal "Heaven Hammer (Missing)" by Air and "Broken Drum" by Boards of Canada.

While the album boasts some Beastie Boys flavor - the cyber-dub "Shake Shake Tambourine (Black Tambourine)" by Ad Rock and hazy "Terremoto Tempo (Earthquake Weather)" by Mario C - both cuts lack the trademark funky groove one would expect. Perhaps Beck should have enlisted in the services of ex-Beastie keyboardist Money Mark. Overall, if you love Guero, you'll like Guerolito to mix up the rotation every so often.

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