John Montagna: Blog

Got nailed by some Brooklyn mosquitos last nite, which means that it is officially summertime in NYC. Nothing a little Caladryl wouldn't fix, but still.

So what am I up to these days? Three words: mini rock opera. That's all I'll tell you for now; you'll have to keep on checking in!

Be well
JM

Be well
JM

"Man, that stuff you and Michael did? Me and Duke would never have even dreamed about nothin' that big. You hear me? We wouldn't even dare to dream about it!"

- Count Basie to Quincy Jones, circa 1984.

RIP MJ
Be well
JM

Hot and sticky in NYC, plus plenty of clouds.  Makes it real humid, but with an occasional breeze that refreshes.  The studio is messy and unorganized, lousy with cables and mics and picks and finger cymbals, which means that it's being used frequently so I don't mind!

Tuesday nite was solo bass at the Bitter End on Bleecker Street.  More exploration into (fairly) new territory; I never know where the solo shows will take me, but the act is sharpening and I'm whittling away at all the unnecessary elements.  It's a journey, not a destination, and I love every terrifying moment of it. Many thanx to all who came on down to listen! There will be another one soon, so stay tuned.

Be well
JM

A preview of what you'll see at the Bitter End on Tuesday, 6-23-09 @ 10pm. Happy weekend, and Happy 67th Bday Sir Paul!

Be well
JM

Lest we forget that for all the glamour, travel, and perks that the Musician's Life can bring, we're still freelance vendors who handle clients. Believe it or not, I have heard many of these lines myself throughout my career!

Laugh, enjoy, and above all NEVER accept less than what you are worth.

Be well
JM

Hot and sticky in Brooklyn, with rain waiting just in the wings.

Saturday we rocked the Belmont Raceway Park with Godfrey and the APLP Riddim Section for nearly 6 hours. (With breaks in between, of course.) I never realized what a big scene the Belmont Stakes is! The park was packed with people, many of whom claimed their territory hours in advance with lawn chairs, coolers, etc. Reminded me of Prospect Park on a weekend, but with a much more pronounced Long Island/Queens vibe. (Whatever that means.)

Fashions were interesting as well: ironic urban hipster mixed with Long Island barhopper, with a dash of 1800's "Day At The Races" flair. Plenty of those tiny Norman Lear-type hats on the men, long-sleeve button down shirts with the sleeves rolled up, khaki shorts and boat shoes; big flouncy party dresses and gigantic floppy hats for the ladies. Excellent people-watching opportunity, and fortunately they all dug us as we raised the Goblet Of Rock until 6pm (house rules, big race at 6:30pm).

Saturday nite Jilly & I celebrated 10 years together, partying like it was 1999 (literally). That's all I'll tell you.

More stuff happening soon, so stay tuned. Enjoy the summer!

Be well
LUV U SWEETNESS XO
JM

Sunny Monday in Brooklyn; Francesca naps, Daddy blogs.

Friday nite's solo bass show at Perch Cafe was a good time; lots of friends old and new came by to dig on the sounds. Perch has a very relaxed vibe to it, and it's small so it's easy to play right to the people. Perfect intimate setting for my solo set. Looking forward to doing it again. And the coffee's good too.

Rest of the weekend was downtime with the family and the friends. Enjoying Springtime in Brooklyn is my business. Life is grand.

Be well
JM

Allergy season here in NYC, and I'm sneezing up a storm. Nothing that a little ginger tea won't fix though, so no need for a swine-related quarantine or such hysteria. Weather is gorgeous anyways, sunny and breezy and clear.

Enjoyed a very chill Memorial Day, barbecuing with some Brooklyn FWB's. (Friends with babies.) Friday nite I'm solo bass-ing at the Perch Cafe, on 5th Avenue right here in Brooklyn. Until then I'm busy keeping busy, doing home-type stuff and watching Francesca practice walking. Life is grand.

Be well
JM

Newest song and video, for your dancing and coffee-drinking pleasure. Enjoy!

AHHHHHH
Be well
JM

We celebrated my daughter Francesca's first birthday this weekend! Having heard so many veteran parents tell me that "it goes by so fast," I now fully understand what they mean. Franchy is sweeter than ever; almost walking, and verbalizing quite a bit. We are savoring the abundance.

Also rocked out on Strong Island on Saturday nite with Godfrey Steve & Manny, aka the Alan Parsons Live Project riddim section. Good times.

Today is birthday party clean-up, and music-related business done in fits and starts in between naps. (Hers.) Life is grand.

Be well
JM

Checking in to stay current. I've just joined forces with a new amplifier brand, Cicognani. I discovered these amazing amps at the Winter NAMM show back in January; one thing lead to another and now I'm a Cicognani artist.

It's pronounced CHEE-cohn-YAN-nee.

And yes, they're an italian company. The factory is in Recanati, near Umbria. The amps are distributed here in the States by FBT Professional Audio. All US- or European-made parts. Tubes. Military-grade electronics. Killer sound. I'm a happy boy.

Stay tuned for more Cicognani news, including a video blog of the day we were presented with the amps!

Be well
JM

Sunny, 60 degrees in NYC. Spring's pay is definitely being docked this year, due to lateness. Taking a walk with Francesca today; tonite I'm at the Cabaret Duplex in The City with The Maxes (Josh and Julie). Saturday I turn 37. Local boy doing good.

Be well
JM

Checking in to stay up to date. Waiting patiently for Spring (unseasonably cold here in NYC)!

Jack Bruce/Cream tribute at BB's last Saturday rocked greatly. Video and audio stuff I obtained looks and sounds good; stay tuned.

Back at KJ Farrell's on The Island this weekend with APLP Boyz.

Be well
JM

Played 2 great Clapton tribute shows this past weekend: BB King's on Friday nite in NYC, and a venue called Showcase Live in Foxboro, MA on Saturday. Much arse was kicked, good times.

Turns out we're back at BB's this Saturday, doing a last-minute fill-in for one of my earliest heroes and influences. Godfrey, Steve and Manny (the APLP Boyz) were slated to back up Jack Bruce for a quick tour of the east coast (including this Saturday at BB's). Unfortunately, Jack has taken ill, and the tour has been postponed until the fall. Fortunately, BB's didn't have to look far to find a band to fill the date for Saturday, so we're on again.

We're planning on doing a heavy dose of Cream, with some choice Jack Bruce solo stuff as well. I've been plowing thru my Jack solo CD's again for the first time in a while, digging it with fresh ears. I'm looking forward to Saturday nite, but I have my work cut out for me; I must represent.

Get well soon, Jack!
JM

Bellmore, NY
Friday, March 13, 2008



JM: bass, lead vox
TOMMY WILLIAMS: guitar, vox
MARK BONDER: keys, vox
RICH ZUKOR: drums
GENERAL GEORGE MARSHALL: Long Island Sound
MARGARET ROMOLO ZUKOR: camera

A quick check-in. I played at KJ Farrell's in Long Guyland twice in a row this past weekend; Saturday nite w/Godfrey and the APLP Boyz, and the previous nite as a last-minute sub with Wonderous Stories. The Goblet Of Rock was raised on high both nites. (Apparently there's some video clips from Friday floating around on the internets; stay tuned whie I try to find them and link them here.)

Tonite is the "unplugged" Clapton tribute at the Blue Water Grill. The rest of the week I'm a stay-at-home Dad and songwriter. The beat goes on!

Be well
JM

Checking in to stay current. NYC got pounded with snow last week, but we escaped to the crystal clear sunshine of Tucson, AZ just in time to avoid it. Now we're back in the New York Groove. This Saturday we rock KJ Farrel's in Long Island with the APLP Riddim section; until then I'm busy doing homebody-type stuff. Spring is less than 2 weeks away!

Be well
JM

GUESS WHERE I AM?

Down here for a private event until Friday. Life is grand.

Be well
JM

A quick one, to stay current.  Not much happening gig-wise these days, so there's not much to blog about. But that's okay; leaves more time for real life!  And it's the nature of the Universe: breathe in, breathe out.  So I've been breathing in quite a bit so far in 2009.  I'll be breathing out a bit more come springtime, so stay tuned!  

Be well
JM

Did you check out the design of the site? Yep, simple as that, the wood's back!

That's all, folks. Later tonite I play a private event showcase; today I'm a homebody. Life is grand. Video footage from NAMM still being edited, stay tuned.

Be well
JM