More Live Jazz March, 2009 With New York Jazz Guitarist Gene Bertoncini @ Lee & Leslie's Home, Cheers

It's been such a great pleasure for me to meet Gene Bertoncini jazz guitarist from New York now twice at Lee and Leslie's home in Maryland on these two glorious Sunday afternoons in March. He plays so beautifully and so well with all the other musicians. They are all so seasoned. I also am thrilled for Lee and Leslie that he has made a special trip here on these two occasions from New York city to be with them and to play. How special is that? I love it. So does everyone else. You can see that from these photos here.


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These are some of the photos that I took from the second year that Lee and Leslie held this event. I missed the third and at the fourth this year unfortunately Gene was not in attendance and he was sorely missed.

There was a whole group playing on this afternoon and I have written much about all of them already from Marshall Keys ( sax ) pictured above to Michael Bowie ( bass ), to Bart Stringham ( guitar ), Ken Kinery ( Drums ), Bruce Ewan ( harmonica ), Marija Temo ( guitar ) and Jamie Broumas ( jazz singer ) and many, many more. Check those out here also at : chatart.blogspot.com for a more complete story of these really extraordinary Sunday afternoon " live " jazz afternoons at lee and Leslie's home.

Bruce Ewan the jazz harmonica player pictured above.

Gene and Leslie pictured above.

Marija Temo taking a break before singing and playing her guitar. Listening to Leslie here.

Just before or after playing above.

Above Lee and Gene in conversation. Was it about a baseball game I believe?

Leslie and gene again above.

More of Lee and Gene above.

I wanted to get lots of pictures of Leslie and Gene together. I think I succeeded don't you?

Gene and Bruce chat here in the picture above.

Some good conversation between Lee and Gene above.

Gene as he stops playing for a brief moment before starting up all over again. he spies me with my camera and indulges me. Thanks Gene.

I love this last photo here of Gene and Leslie. Love your smile Leslie. it's a winner, really it is! Thanks for hosting such an incredible event for all of our benefit. Cheers, bravo, grazie, thanks, gracias et merci a toi mon grand amie. TONY PS : It's now Thursday, June 9th, 2011 at home in northern Virginia at 9:08AM as I post this and dash off to work in Washington D.C.

Live Jazz Music March 2009 / I Do Not Know This Jazz Drummer @ Lee & Leslie's Home One Sunday Afternoon - W/ Jamie Broumas , Robert Redd & More

This was such a special afternoon for me and I wrapped myself up completely into the moment with all my pictures here that you can see are quite atmospheric and I hope fun. I will have to ask Lee and Leslie who this drummer was as I did introduce myself at one point to get him to sign the invitation that Lee and Leslie mail out to their friends and colleagues. I get one each year and have it signed by everyone there and then I give it to Lee and Leslie as a wee little momento from me and everyone else to them. I like this : they need something like this for many years later as memories fade and it's simply easier to have many things collected into one like this.

I love these pictures like the one above to give a sense of the movement and the sound of the sound in more visual ways. An abstraction , I know, but I love this kind of juxtaposition, too against all the other photos : provides mood and texture and contrast. don't you think? Nothing is ever as it seems quite as there is simply too much happening at one instant to register it all.

Above here in the photo jazz singer Jamie Broumas signs the invitation for Lee and Leslie. Thanks Jamie. You sure do sing with control and passion and lovely timing! I know you will soon be at Blues Alley performing this late spring/summer of 2011. Have a great show.

I had my camera set by accident on a filter-color combination of red and silver and gray and it sure does add something different to my pictures.

Thanks for coming. Thanks for having us Lee and Leslie.

As usual Lee and Leslie, this was a wonderful experience that many of us shared thanks to you both. See you I hope next year. TONY

Live Jazz Music March 2009 Jazz Female Guitarist Marija Temo Playing & Singing, Too@ Lee & Leslie's Home One Sunday Afternoon

Marija reminds me of Bernadette Peters and each time I see her I say this to her. I don't know if she likes or appreciates this comment but so far she has seemed to accept it okay. Thanks Marija, I really only mean it as a complement. I'm always drawn to you and your face and your hair and especially your eyes. I'm sure it will be the same the next time we meet. This last Sunday, March 27th, 2011 at Lee and Leslie's Sunday Live Jazz afternoon with the Music Teaching Project ( Ken Kimery ( drums) , Jamie Broumas ( female Jazz vocalist ), Robert Redd ( Jazz pianist ) and Michael Bowie ( Jazz Bass player ) you were not there, travelling and perhaps overseas, is that what I heard ) so our paths did not cross. Oh well ,maybe next time, the fifth Sunday afternoon of Live Jazz at Lee and Leslie's home once again.




Here at the 4th live Jazz Sunday afternoon there was Gene Bertoncini ( New York Jazz guitarist ), Bruce Ewan ( Jazz harmonica ), Marshall Keys ( Jazz saxophone ) and Bart Stringham ( Jazz guitar ) and many more. I did not capture them all here I am afraid. Oh well, good thing this is reoccurring as it gives me a good chance to spend some time on each and everyone of these excellent Jazz musicians. I am so glad and so fortunate to have this opportunity. I get to appreciate this with each and every additional time that I spend at Lee and Leslie's home.




I did record live Marija playing this time at Lee and Leslie's and to hear that you can go to my other blog site called : Qynothna.blogspot.com to see that. I will fill-in the additional information on that soon. There you will discover the emotion and the intensity and concentration that Marija gathers and devotes single-mindedly to playing for an appreciative audience.




I guess that on this particular moment in time back in March of 2009 I fell in love with Marija's smile and beautiful hair and earring as I took many pictures of here in quick succession I believe talking to Leslie the wonderful host of these Jazz Sunday afternoons. I have interspersed many pictures, too of the other Jazz players ( Bruce Ewan ( harmonica ), Robert Redd ( piano ), Bart Stringham ( guitar ), Ken Kimery ( drums ), Jamie Broumas ( jazz female vocalist ), Marshall Keys ( sax ) and Gene Bertoncini ( New York jazz guitarist - he''l be at the Blues Alley soon performing live in April of 2011 I believe ? ) and more that I cannot remember the names of unfortunately though I have loved the music and can recall the beaming/intense/concentrated smiles -faces and demeanor's, too ...




Look at that warm expression - radiant, really, glows warmly from within and touches my soul - smile above of Marija. I love it, would have loved to have listened more carefully, would have loved to gleaned more from Marija and the conversation. I get so pulled away by my own art muse - it is my constant friend and sometimes I perceive enemy, too as it does not let me be to listen more. I am always " doing " and " trying valiantly to " capture " more of the " moment ". It means a lot to me - " calls " to me and I am it's servant willingly and almost blindly/completely for whatever aim or result or good ... the " doing " of " it " has to be enough for me. All the " food for growth and thought and satisfaction that I get and thrive and I guess in a large way live for. Wow, heavy really all of this. Does it have to be?




I know and love Leslie above. She's the best - she never stops amazing me and inspiring me and I come completely alive in her presence. Thanks Leslie for this and what you do for me and for all these others. This is a marvelous event each and every year, really.




In a peripheral way I have grown to be family and friends with these many jazz musicians that are artists just like me. I think that there is a mutual acceptance and appreciation of one another. I love this, always have and of course I really do appreciate this. It's essential for me and I cannot really verbalize it sufficiently and that's okay too because I know it/feel it deep down and it does surface now and again and I do in my own mind verbalize it and at rare moments speak it, too - just like now. It's my sharing and I am thrilled to have the words and the images to share with the world and the public and anyone that can be impressed and moved and inspired to go out and see these wonderful jazz performers like Marija Temo play live.





There's Lee above talking to Gene Bertoncini about sports I think. There was a game or some games that they were in a heated conversation about just then as I snapped quickly many photos of them in bent and impassioned quick snippets of thought and expression and phrases.




My camera here was fast falling in love with the slight variations of warmth and expression of Marija above.




Leslie and Gene Bertoncini here. I took several. Leslie was happy, look at those eyes - they absolutely sparkle and fly out all around her to capture those fortunate to be looking at her at this moment in time as I was. Touched me, really did. What a wonderful time Leslie for all of us. What a wonderful complement to you and to this second Live Jazz Afternoon at your home that Gene would drive or arrive all the way from New York city to attend! Bravo.




What a nice composition above. The spaces all work - they all draw attention to Marija as she listens to Leslie speak.




Ahhhh, a shot of some of the many people that attended this Sunday afternoon. There were many. I was too focused on the musicians to pay that much attention to any of them unfortunately but it was nice to have such a large audience for all these jazz musicians : familiar, comfortable and overall quite intimate, too. What a rare chance and experience to have enjoyed so close - and what great music they played all together. Go to my other blog spot called : Qynothna.blogspot.com to see what I was able to video and to mount there with the help of photographer Karen Akerson. Thanks Karen.




Love this close-up shot for so many reasons. It absolutely radiates - beautiful Marija, beautiful.




Lee holds his hand that I provided for this event from Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 202-363-4265 sales@clevelandparkwine.com ) where I have now managed the wine department for eleven years. What a smile Lee!




Side-by-side photos of Marija : as I said my camera was quite smitten with you Marija. Good thing, too : I think it caught some really nice photos of you. Hope you like and approve of them. Let me know if there is any problem with them.




Smile and a gleam both from Marija and her left earring here. That with the wonderful curls in her hair are a great way to bid adieu to you all just now. Cheers and I hope you all enjoyed these photos and are all really pumped-up to go to first my : Qynothna.blogspot.com to listen to some of this marvelous music and then off to hear them all play live somewhere really soon. That's my intent to get you listening to their live music. I am sure, too that it was the same intent for both Lee and Leslie. Bravo to the two of them for hosting such an amazing Sunday afternoon filled with inspiring live jazz music so up-and-close-and-intimate-and-rewarding ... TONY

Marshall Keys Jazz Sax Blowin' 'N Puffin' 'N Magic Sounds-A-Makin' @ Lee & Leslie's Home, March 2009 One Glorious Sunday Afternoon! Thanks Marshall!

Marshall Keys the wonderful jazz saxophone musician really plays with such purity and intensity and fabulous scope that he pretty much steals the show when he blows. That wind , that force, that energy of passion and soul and feeling that grows and grows and explodes and throttles and run and energizes as it passes from his belly through his esophagus and touches his vocal chords and through his mouth over his tongue and through his teeth into the steely chambers of his well-buttoned metal sax is something to listen to and then behold for verification and for holding onto the moment - incredulous disbelief and wonder and wanting and hunger and satisfaction, pinching oneself to be sure that it is all really true - any part of it - this wonderful state that he and his music create?!

Thanks Marshal : I think I may speak for all of us and say that we really do appreciate you style, sound, motion and music. What a lovely song of jazz that you together with the other jazz musicians are able to create and render and share 'tween yourselves and then offer up to us so seamlessly, wonderfully, succinctly and with flare and pleasure all so nicely presented in one grand package - one great stage of live jazz! Thanks.

I help to select the wines above through our wine store Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20008 Tel:202-363-4265 sales@clevelandparkwine.com http://www.clevelandparkwine.com/ also on Facebook now at : Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits, and on Twitter at : cpwinespirits ) that I have now managed for the last eleven years. We try and have something for everybody so that they are happy and relaxed when they listen to this extraordinary, intimate, up-close-almost-in-your-face-space jazz music.

Marshall Keys takes a moment to confer with Gene Bertoncini our special guest jazz guitarist that has come all the way from New York city to play here on this Sunday afternoon. That's quite special, too.

There be the round and dark and mysterious and intriguing hole/space where all the sing and the song and the play and the theater and the action, quiet and power of the jazz sounds of a saxophone come into our consciousness. What a great thing : and all through that itty bitty small and unassuming space?!?

Blurring the lines as the sounds of jazz come thundering and suddenly and magically into the realm of all our combined , alert and activated senses.

I love this shot above of Marshall : it's blurry in action and movement and playing or getting ready to : all which speak of more jazz sax sounds for everyone to enjoy here in March of 2009 on a really special Sunday afternoon.

Moments before Marshall Keys gets up to start things off all over again at Leslie and Lee's home in Bethesda, Maryland.

Michael Bowie, one of our bass players takes a break and re hydrates.

Lots of fun, what a treat to have been there. See you all again same place same day and afternoon next year Lee and Leslie willing. TONY

P.S. To hear these musicians play live go to my other blog site called : Qynohtna.blogspot.com. Cheers. Karen Akerson an excellent photographer here in Washington D.C. helped me get those posts posted with the live jazz sounds of Marshall, Gene , Bruce, Marija, Ken , Bart and the others. Thanks Karen.

Michael Bowie, Playing Stand-Up Bass @ Lee & Leslie's Home 2nd Year In-A-Row, Wow, What Power, What Passion! March 2009

I love the sunshine as it is thinking about taking perhaps an afternoon snooze here before setting a bit later - rising somewhere else, too ... ?!? ... what a hallo, what a glow ...


It's great to see these pictures once again after so long. I was lucky enough to be invited once again to the home of Lee and Leslie in Maryland to hear and listen and witness so up-and-close to the collaborative love and passion and expertise of these seasoned and very talented jazz musicians as they played together and off one another so seemingly effortlessly this March 2009 on a Sunday afternoon I believe. Thanks Lee and Leslie : I love these moments as it gives bloom to all my artistic bents and I throw myself into the whole intimate spectacle of these four or so hours each year at you home with some great live jazz music. What a treat.

I loved watching Michael Bowie bend into his standing bass and basically mold himself into it's contours. What a scene unfolding right there before our very own eyes as he and the other musicians become inseparable from their individual instruments whether the piano, the guitar, the drums and the mikes as they poured their hearts and souls into them as the music grew and developed and wove their own paths through the spaces of Lee and Leslie's home.

The picture above I took as I arrived to show from the outside the jazz scene inside

The picture above is of two other fellow jazz musicians of Michael's : Bruce Ewan on his harmonica to the left and Gene Bertoncini of New York City to the right on his acoustic guitar. What sounds they both make. To hear pieces of this please go to my other blog post called : qynohtna.blogspot.com to listen to some of the " live " recordings that I made at this same event. Here you only have my " still " photos.

Here's host Lee as seen through my wine glass : what a scene that makes.

Gene Bertoncini as he gets ready to play or as he pauses? I cannot remember.

Drummer Ken KImmery waits his cue, too while Bruce Ewan sings with such conviction and focus : becoming the moment so to speak. I love it being an artist myself - painter, etcher, sketcher, poet, photographer - the visual arts. What fun.

Bruce Ewan as he sings before or after playing the harmonica. Robert Redd on jazz piano waits his cue above.

Marshall Keys on Jazz saz really gives it all he's humanly got, I can still hear the notes even now after all these years. Thanks Marshall.

Lee and me as I take a picture of the two of us while holding my glass of bubbly was it? Or was it some water even? Or white wine? Smiles all around.

Jazz guitarist and singer Marija Temo listens to Leslie tell or recount a story or event. Must have been good. Look at her smile.

A friend in front of one of my art pieces : a word-writing in crayon and watercolor I believe.

Drummer Ken Kimery plays beautifully and it's fun to watch him as he plays so well with the others. I like his brief solos, too.

Everyone takes a pause to have some refreshments before the music continues.

Friends of mine as well as of Lee's and Leslie's stand in front of my acrylic painting named after my boyhood friend while living in Brazil in Rio De Janeiro's suburbs of Gavia, Cidele that taught me how to use a sling shot and to swing through the vines in Brazil's jungles. Thanks Cidele. You are the name and the inspiration for this painting that I did years ago for Lee and Leslie.

I had to get this picture of Gene with Leslie. She needed to have it : so did Gene. Two peas in a pod I venture? Cheers to you both. You both bring great things to the jazz world.

Robert Redd sure does pour himself and through his ten fingers that seem like more when he plays into this upright piano of Lee and Leslie's! Thanks Robert.

Can't leave this all without a picture of Leslie smiling. What an accomplishment these Live Jazz afternoons are at their home each year, this being the second in a row. You deserve a big round of applause from everyone, really you do.

Michael Bowie takes a refresher with fellow stand-up jazz bass. They both play/ played so well on this Sunday afternoon in Bethesda, Maryland.

I love to get these group shots. It leaves no doubt that these four listeners and one player were in attendance. Great smiles, must all be happy.

You can see better now my word-writing behind the lady here now that Lee and Leslie bought from me years ago.

Ahhh, the bottles of wine that I selected with them at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20008 Tel: 202-363-4265 sales@clevelandparkwine.com http://www.clevelandparkwine.com/ Facebook at : Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits, also on Twitter now at : cpwinespirits ) that I have now managed for eleven years. These were our selections for this Sunday afternoon in Mach of 2009.

Can't leave without a parting shot of everyone playing so beautifully together here at Lee and Leslie's home. It sort of sums-up the whole moment and the reason that everyone gathered together in the first place : to pay homage and their dies to jazz and live jazz at that : cheers! TONY