The Common Grounds Benefit Concert

with Dr. Iron Crow's Little Big Band

November 15, 2019

Yes, it's been a while since I posted events on this scrapbook page ... guess I've been busy!

Here is a concert I did with two talented musician friends for the benefit of The Common Grounds Meeting Hall in North Port, Florida. The program was put together by Richard Saint Germain aka "Dr. Iron Crow" (right), who is featured on guitars. The Sax Man is Ron Cibolski (center). I am the designated Crooner (left) and we were joined for the second half by Louie De Loopah (not in the picture) on bass & percussion.

The whole concert is here in song-by-song videos prepared by Andy Browne of FrandyLand Video Productions in Venice, Florida. Unfortunately, it never occurred to me to look at the camera from time to time (DOH!) Sorry! it was the first time I've done this.

First Set

Billy Strayhorn & Duke Ellington, 1939
- Richard Saint Germain & Ron Cibolski

Thomas "Fats" Waller & Harry Brooks, 1929
- Richard Saint Germain

Harold Arlen & Johnny Mercer, 1941
- Ensemble

George Gershwin, DuBose Heyward & Ira Gershwin, 1934
- Ensemble

Duke Ellington & Bob Russell, 1940
- Ensemble

Bart Howard, 1954
- Ensemble

Dean Kay & Kelly Gordon, 1963
- Ensemble

Consuelo Velazquez, 1940
- Ensemble

Intermission

Second Set

Oscar Washington, Lewis P. Simpkins & Jimmy Forest, 1951
- Richard Saint Germain & Ron Cibolski

Jesse Mae Robinson, 1949
- Richard Saint Germain

Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn & Johnny Mercer, 1953
- Ensemble

Spencer Williams, 1928
- Ensemble

Errol Garner & Johnny Burke, 1954
- Ensemble

Erskine Hawkins, Bill Johnson & Julian Dash
- Ensemble

Vernon Duke & Ira Gershwin, 1936
- Ensemble

Buddy Johnson, 1945
- Ensemble

Bert Russell, 1961
- Ensemble

Jerry Lieber & Mike Stoller, 1952
- Ensemble

Memories of a Balladeer

When you do lots of different kinds of gigs, you make memories with a lot of really great people. This page is contains a sampling of souvenir pictures, videos and recordings from a few of the treasured musical experiences of this Balladeer.

Band members (L to R) are Russ 'Cuch' Cuccia on bass guitar, Myself on rhythm guitar, and Jim Dunn on lead guitar (we shared vocals).

Unfortunately, we had a power drop during the set and the digital recording was lost, but here are a few cell phone videos of individual songs.

Click on the song titles below to watch those videos:

3-G-O-M was the brainchild of Jim Dunn (who was also the grumpiest). This gig was the band's first stop on a tour that included the capitals of De Soto and Hardee Counties. We decided that on our next tour, we might actually look for some places that would let us perform, not just tour.

The band members are (L to R) Myself on guitar, Rich Blasich on hammered dulcimer, mandolin and tenor banjo and Debra Zanders on fiddle. Shwadevee plays at dances all over Southwest Florida.

I had been looking at some classic Cowboy songs for some time and this was a perfect chance to play some of them. My musical 'bunkies', Jim & Carolyn Dunn agreed to join me on lead and bass guitar and 'The Tumbleweed Trio' was born. Click on the photo above to watch a video of the full set (34 minutes).

Jim Dunn of Suncoast Transmedia produced this video. Yes, he's not only a great lead guitar player, he's mighty handy with a video camera too! My special thanks to Jim and Carolyn for making this video possible!

Singing some of my favorites from the Great American Songbook at Lelu Coffee Lounge on Siesta Key, Florida. You can see the 'Chairman of the Board' looking over my shoulder. Afterward, I asked him what he thought, but he didn't say much.

In 2014 and 2015 I had the pleasure of running sound for several performances of The South Trail Band of Sarasota: a great bunch of folks and fine musicians! This was taken at during a show at Woody's River Roo in Ellenton, Florida. South Trail had the crowd rockin' and rolling (as always) that night. Even I couldn't keep my feet still!

It's always a treat to play music with my friend, fiddler Sherry Lowe. Here we are playing some tunes together at Suncoast Waldorf School in Palm Harbor, Florida.

From January through September of 2014, I produced and hosted a weekly program of Irish music and wit called Ballads, Yarns & Riddles at Pub 32 Irish Gastro Pub in Sarasota, Florida. Here I am at the Pub during the March 26th episode.

Playing a set of Irish ballads and dance tunes with the amazing fiddler, Sherry Lowe at Lakewood Ranch's 2014 Grand Ovation Festival.

Here I am playing with my friends in Terns at Tide for the Venice Contra Dance. (L to R) Myself, Sherry Lowe, Howard Rust and Greg Engelhardt.

It seemed fitting to start off my scrapbook with this wonderful Bio written for me back in 2010 by my original song-writing mentor, my muse and my friend, Jamie Anderson. It's slightly out of date now, but it's still very special to me, hence it deserves a place in my Balladeer's scrapbook.

Artist Bio: Dwight Sullivan, Balladeer by Jamie Anderson, 2010

Sometimes a guy has to live a full life before starting to write. Dwight was over fifty when he penned his first song but he’s been singing most of his life. His rich baritone has been heard singing the national anthem at Durham Bulls games and many times at local coffeehouses, festivals and private events, doing a wide variety of covers and originals, from Celtic to rockabilly. His on-the-road goal? “To make an audience laugh and cry … hopefully at the right times.”

His influences include Gordon Lightfoot and Jim Croce and you can hear that in his original songs like the romantic ballad “Evenings Such As This” and in a touching song about sending his daughter off to college, “A Hundred Miles Before Breakfast:”

And what guy hasn’t written an ode to his wheels?

That “Drop Top Delta 88” is one smooth ride. There’s also a sing along reggae tune about keeping that machine clean, “Wash My Car,” that prompted his daughter to quip that it [Dad singing reggae] would be like “William Shatner singing Springsteen”. Fortunately, she said that before she heard him sing it. Other originals include “US 64,” a tribute to the annual Rolling Thunder Rally, an event where thousands of motorcyclists travel to Washington, DC to honor their veteran buddies. “Zamboni Man” is a light hearted tune about the most important guy at a hockey game and “Home by the Sea” is a sea chantey.

He covers a repertoire of Celtic tunes like the classic “Danny Boy” and “My Love is like a Red Red Rose” (with words by poet Robert Burns). He wrote the lyrics for “Connemara Nightingale,” using the traditional instrumental “Jock O’Hazeldean” for the melody.

Other cover tunes include “Amazing Grace,” the gospel standard “I’ll Fly Away” and a number of Stephen Foster tunes like “Hard Times Come Again No More.”

He has also hosted numerous open mikes and showcases, worked as a voice-over actor for a Shakespeare troupe, organized live music events and done a lot of public speaking. Dwight has been a hard working member of the North Carolina Songwriter’s Co-op since 2002, holding every title but janitor. Fortunately, they don’t have a custodial position.

Dwight says, “A musical performance should have the same attributes as a full life: totally engaging, an ample measure of laughter and a few honest tears.” Invite this big voice with a big guitar to your event and he’ll prove it to you.