Since the blogs and posts on Brand X have begun. I have been asked or have read the question, "Who is Ronnie Ciago?" The first time I read the question, I thought to myself that the questioner really did not know too much about music personnel. The inquiry, however, has continued to appear and I can't take it anymore. So, let me tell you about my friend and brother, Ronnie Ciago.

He was born in Long Island, New York, at the precise moment he was supposed to be born. He began playing drums when he was five years old.  At the age of twelve, he started playing with local funk and rock bands. He later, much later, went on to study at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA.

Ronnie's virtuosity has led to performing and recording with a diverse array of premiere musicians and bands including the following:
- Brand X on the album Manifest Destiny.
- Patrick Moraz (of Refugee, Mainhorse, Yes, The Moody Blues) on Moraz' album Change of Space and also on the Los Endos track recorded on The Fox Lies Down: A Tribute To Genesis .
- Circa ( the band of Billy Sherwood and Tony Kaye of Yes) on the CD And So On.
- Leo Nocentelli & “The Meters” Experience including the great performance at Yoshi's Jazz Club in San Francisco.
- Bill Ward (drummer for Black Sabbath) on the album When the Bough Breaks. That's right, Ronnie played drums on a drummer's album.
- Mick Taylor (of The Rolling Stones) recorded on Shadowman (2003)
- Rickie Lee Jones on the album Ghostyhead. 
Reeves Gabrels on the album Rockonica and the great live show at The Baked Potato in LA.

In addition to these, Ronnie has performed and recorded with Randy Stonehill , Brian Auger, Richie Blackmore & Rainbow, Larry Blackman (of Cameo),  Hiram Bullock, Jimmy Crespo (of Aerosmith), Producer Jack Douglas, Robert Downey Jr. Brandon Fields, Mike Gibbs, Peaches & Herb, The Temprees, Al Jardine, The Persuaders,  Billy Paul, Blue Magic, Barbara Lynn, Sly, Slick & Wicked, Big Jay McNeely, Gene Chandler, The Floaters, Eddie Holman, The Moments, Producer David Hentshel, Paul Williams (singer from Allan Holdsworth), Riverdogs, Rob Lamothe, Marco Mendoza (Bass), Mike Miller, Lillix, Jaco Pastorius, John Pena (Bass), Linda Perry, Tito Puente, Paul Rogers (singer), Phillppe Saisse, Earl Slick, Frank Stallone, Windy Wagner, Kathleen Wilhoite and many others.

Thus far, Ronnie Ciago has been recorded on over 300 CDs. In addition to all of that work, he has authored four books on the method of drumming including A Natural Development In Drumming Technique,  The Ultimate Study In Independence,  Grooves & Styles, Part 1, and The Basics For Reading Rhythms, Volume 1.

Ronnie also spends a lot of time teaching and giving seminars and workshops.

Ronnie Ciago is a busy man. He plays live, he records, he teaches, he writes music and technique books. He has played funk, jazz, soul, rock, heavy metal and progressive. Everyone wants him in their band because he has the goods and he remains a good man.

Now, what was the question again?

On Friday and Saturday nights, 20 and 21 January 2012, Joey Porter's Tribute to Stevie Wonder Concert was on display at Mississippi Studios in Portland, OR. From the outset, Joey Porter should be applauded for the idea and implementation of such a concept using some of Portland's premiere musicians. His vision for the event and his musical direction of the event were superb.

A tribute to Stevie Wonder would have been enough in itself to get my wife and I to attend but there was an added and even greater draw for us. That was Porter's inclusion of Reinhardt Melz and Jarrod Lawson as members for this unique concert mini-series. The two of them are permanent members of The SoulMates, the band that has been identified as "Portland musicians' favorite band." Porter also chose to include sometime SoulMates member Jans Ingber. However, while Stevie Wonder may have been the focus in absentia, Jarrod and Reinhardt stole the show.

A further word about the line-up. The band included:
Joey Porter - keyboards and musical director
Reinhardt Melz - drums
Jarrod Lawson - keyboards
Paul Creighton - vocals
Dan Scollard - bass
Jans Ingber - vocals and percussion
Joshua Cliburn - sax
Max Ribner - trumpet and flugelhorn

It is well-known in Portland that Stevie Wonder is well-covered by local musicians. The SoulMates provide their unique arrangements of Wonder's tunes and Paul Creighton's group InterVisions have a great love affair with Wonder's songs. It is always a treat to see Paul Crieghton visit The Candlelight Cafe where Jay "Bird" Koder and The SoulMates hold court. Creighton joining The SoulMates for  All I Do (Is Sing About You) is about enough to you feel that your hair is on fire...I mean that in a good way.

The Saturday night performance began with Do I Do and had Jarrod, Paul and Jans all on vocals together. It was a good start for the fun to follow. Jarrod continued with lead vocals on Please, Don't Go.  After the Jans Ingber's rousing Living for the City,  Jarrod returned to lead vocals for Ordinary Pain. There is good reason why it has been said of Jarrod that "Everything he touches turns to soul." On Saturday night, all of those reasons were in evidence and the audience took clear notice.

One of the nicest treats of the evening was watching Paul Creighton. As stated above, I have enjoyed watching Paul sit in on occassion with The SoulMates. He has always been a delight and I have always admired his respect and demeanor during those performances.

On Saturday night, I became even more enthusiastic about him. I mentioned his respect and it showed itself in a few ways. One of those ways was in how he did not demand or even desire to have the attention on himself. The stage was full and the performers' space was certainly limited. When Paul was not singing, he would squat down on the floor to allow the audience to see Reinhardt on drums behind him or Dan Scollard on bass.

Plus, he is just a fun vocalist to watch and hear. His singing of All I Do and For Once in My Life were just joyous! In the latter song, Jarrod again got a rousing ovation for his playing of the melodica.

In the second set, Paul was lucky enough to get the nod to sing Superstitious, Higher Ground and Jesus Children of America. The opening of Higher Ground got a little convoluted but Reinhardt absolutely seized control of the direction and Paul and Jarrod joined in. The song was powerful.

Reinhardt's performance truly made the audience stop their dancing. They stood with mouths open and eyes wide. After the song concluded, my wife said that Reinhardt's entry into the song was like the arrival of "God's own thunder."

Jans got the lead vocals for Always and Jarrod's keyboard playing was sweet. In fact, it was Jarrod's solo that got the best response from the audience. Soulful as always.

Jarrod's lead vocals were reserved for All Day Sucker, Knocks Me Off My Feet, They Won't Go When I Go and I Wish. For this performance, Jarrod appropriately sang All Day Sucker according to Stevie Wonder's arrangement but I have to let you know: The SoulMates' treatment is one of the most amazing things you will ever hear.


I Wish was a great choice to end the second set. Jarrod and Reinhardt literally slammed the door shut. Happily, there was an encore. It was something that I had been wanting to hear from Jarrod for a long time. I am endebted to Joey Porter for picking Jarrod to sing
Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing as the final song. 

Good Lord, what a finish! It seemed as though the band was determined to go home with no energy reserves left in themselves. Joey Porter on his keys,  Dan Scollard on bass, Reinhardt on drums, Joshua and Max on the horns and Jarrod Lawson singing his heart out with Paul and Jans joining was a great finish.

When the concert was coming to an end, a big guy standing close to us had something he wanted to remember. Maybe he knew he was a little drunk and wanted to make sure he didn't forget. He stood there, transfixed, and kept repeating to himself "Jarrod...Lawson. Jarrod...Lawson. Jarrod...Lawson. Jarrod...Lawson. Jarrod...Lawson."

Yes, it has been a few weeks since my last posting here and this almost entirely because I was wanting to follow-up with some news on the upcoming Brand X tour, with or without Patrick Moraz.

So now we know that it is without Patrick Moraz... However, when my friend Nic Caciappo (who is promoting the Brand X tour) informed me almost immediately that David Sancious was approached as the keyboardist for the adventure, my heart did backflips! Sure, in my own imaginings I was thinking of possible keyboardists; Rick Wakeman (always my first choice but this is not his kind of gig), Adam Wakeman, Oliver Wakeman.. you see a trend, don't you... Jon Lord, etc. But I never expected this!

I was in touch with Brand X drummer Ronnie Ciago and he, like Nic, had sworn me to secrecy about Sancious but we were all so excited at the prospect. I got to see David back in 1982 and I will never...not ever...forget the experience. But first, a word about his own musical biogarphy.

David's first notable career gig was in Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band which, obviously, brought him much attention. He recorded three albums with Springsteen. But in 1974, Sancious formed his own band Tone which was a foray into the world of jazz fusion. This is where I first heard him. The truth is, he reminded me a lot of my favorite band Yes. His first Tone album was Forest of Feeling and I still have my original copy of that LP.

Now Bruce did not abandon David but instead encouraged David's new direction. He even recommended his recordings to Epic Records which landed Sancious and Tone their contract with that label. That contract was good for three albums or so but ended in ugly fashion and David signed with Arista. By 1979, Tone had parted ways and Sancious released two solo albums. His solo piano album The Bridge (1980) remains of one of my favorite albums of all time.

Maybe his most impressive solo piano performance was to an empty concert hall. On Sunday December 14, 1980 there had been 10 minutes of silence organized to remember John Lennon who had been murdered the Monday before. During this silence, David performed an extensive improvisation of John Lennon's Across the Universe. WNEW-FM broadcast it live. I did not get to hear it on that Sunday night but my friend had recorded it on a cassette and I got to hear it a few days later. It was astonishing and it was heart-rending.

In August of 1982, Jon Anderson (see the Meetings with Remarkable People page for the Jon Anderson blog) was on the Animation tour. He was performing at the Sunrise Musical Theatre in Sunrise, Florida. My friend Eddie went with me and we were in for some fun surprises. Clem Clempson of Humble Pie fame was on guitar. Simon Philips was on drums. Chris Rainbow was on percussion and backing vocals and Stefano Cerri was on bass. All these were introduced and I was thrilled to see them all there. But then Jon introduces "On keyboards, Mr. David Sancious!" I had been thinking that I recognized the keyboardist but, when I heard Jon's introduction of David, I jumped up and said "Oh, HELL yeah!" People looked at me and laughed. I looked back and thought "Why aren't you all jumping up, too?!?!"

Now throughout the performance, I kept watching Sancious. During keyboard breaks or just playing one-handed he would put his right hand into a cup of ice! Sure, he was on fire but why just one hand? Then Jon told the audience that when they were loading into the van to come to the concert... David got his fingers slammed in the van's side doors!

He never missed a note during the whole concert and he was a sport about the whole thing. After the concert, I got to meet Sancious oh-so-briefly and I was happy to find him as kind as I had imagined. That was almost 30 years ago...

Now David Sancious will be touring with Brand X! I was just now chatting with Nic Caciappo and he says that he is indeed bringing them to Portland, OR.  What can I say but ...

"Oh, HELL yeah!"

Now in addition to even this more-fun-than-I-can-stand news, is the news that you will have noticed in the poster shown at the top of the article. Ambrosia will be touring with Brand X!

To my shame and loss, in the 1970's I had no idea that Ambrosia was a progressive band. How could they be? They had way too much radioplay. The only music I knew of theirs was How Much I Feel and Holding On to Yesterday. Of course, I liked what I heard but progressive?

It was only about three years ago when Nic referred to them as progressive and I almost laughed out loud. Then I started listening to the albums and not just a couple of singles. I was stunned and saddened--saddened because I had missed out on these guys for 30 years!

Happily, that has been corrected in my own life and now I get to see them in concert! Like I mentioned in the blog on The Left Banke, we can pick up where we had left off without having to go back.

There will be tour dates for both coasts announced soon. Look up my buddy Nic Caciappo on Facebook or go to www.bigworldagency.com. He will keep you informed.