OCTOBER 2016www.APSSinc.org

Newsletter

VOLUME 38, NUMBER 1

By Jerry Osterberg

AARON WEINSTEIN:A PALETTE OF JAZZ AND BOW TIES

Formerly New York Sheet Music Society

The late writer and lyricist GeneLees once wrote: “There was a timewhen popular music was good andgood music was popular.” In asimilar vein, Dave Frishberg, inlamenting the absence of qualityviolinists in the jazz arena, added:“There’s Joe Venuti, Eddie South,Stuff Smith, Stephane Grappelli,followed by decades of silence…andnow there’s Aaron Weinstein.”

So, it was no surprise that Aaronwas invited to close the 2015-2016season of the American Popular SongSociety, performing on June 11,2016. This was his secondappearance at APSS, havingparticipated in a revue a few yearsago. Accompanied by the everpopular Jon Weber, himself asparkling virtuoso, the humorous andclearly gifted violinist filled the roomwith unbridled joy and APSSmembers responded with theexuberant enthusiasm they’re notedfor. Their instruments conversing asif old friends, Wienstein and Weberguided the audience through a colorful language all couldunderstand. The tunes flowed with what seemed to beeffortlessness, incorporating crowd pleasers such as “The BestThings in Life Are Free,” “Sweet Sue,” and “Avalon.”

Called “the Groucho of the violin” by Tony Bennett, Iwould suggest there’s more than a bit of Jack Benny in AaronWeinstein, certainly for his style of deadpan humor if nothingelse. Having recently turned thirty, Aaron has been playing fortwenty years, ever since his parents gave him a fiddle for hisninth birthday. He once told an interviewer that what he hadactually wanted was a flute, not a violin, apparently mixingthem up. Supposedly disappointed, the newly minted musicianpicked up the instrument nevertheless, his dreams of being aflutist obviously dashed.

Aaron was born in Chicago to parents who simply loved

music of all kinds, everything fromrock & roll to opera. They were notmusicians, but introduced theiryoungest son to the entire spectrumthrough recordings. He soonembraced jazz, teaching himself toplay the violin by listening to iconssuch as Grappelli, Venuti, and LesPaul. By the time he reached highschool, he was playing well enoughto join the jazz band.

At the age of fifteen, Aaronrecorded a demo and sent it aroundto a number of musicians, includingJohn Pizzarelli, the son of guitarlegend Bucky Pizzarelli. Referring tothe younger of the two, Aaron said:“…he actually responded. He calledme up and was wildly encouraging.Through John I met Bucky andplayed my first gig with him when Iwas sixteen or so.” He largelylearned his craft from the Pizzarellisby playing on the job. Although hedidn’t always know every song,Aaron would rush home and practiceuntil his repertoire was eventually

extensive enough to accompany Bucky for an entire show. Luckily for Aaron, his high school administration was

agreeable to allowing him to occasionally miss class in orderto play a gig with mentor, Bucky. Evidently, Aaron’s jazz banddirector persuaded the principal to do so on the strength of hisimpressive contribution to the band’s string section. Indeed,permission may well have been granted on the strength of aself-directed project which Aaron conceived and executed.With the approval of the director, Aaron organized a well-received tribute to Stephane Grappelli, collaborating with aguitarist and bassist.

During his senior year, he was asked to participate in whatcame to be his first professional recording. Besides thePizzarellis, the Legends project included Skitch Henderson,

Continued on page 3

PAGE 2 AMERICAN POPULAR SONG SOCIETY OCTOBER, 2016

Welcome to the 2016-2017 Season of the American Popular SongSociety! Hope you all had a good summer, and that you are nowready for Autumn in New York. In July, I managed to get in a great

trip on a small ship to Greece, Albania, Montenegro and Croatia; I felt very lucky tosee that interesting part of the world. This is my 20th year as your president(following 10 years as 1st VP), and in the last 30 years we have all seen many changesin the world of music. I am excited about our continued growth, and the name changehas made it clear that we are about much more than sheet music. APSS is now sopopular that we have been able to book the entire season way ahead of time. There isnow a waiting list for people who want to present programs for us!

We will open the season on Saturday afternoon, October 8th with a great programproduced by our Board Member Sandi Durell, featuring Michael Colby, the author ofThe Algonquin Kid. Michael began writing chapters for Sandi’s acclaimed site,Theater Pizzazz, about his life growing up in his grand parents’ hotel, The Algonquin.These chapters eventually became a very well-reviewed book, which will be availablefor purchase, and which Michael will autograph for you. This will be an interestingafternoon of merriment, memories, and entertainment!

This is the first Newsletter of the new season, and you will note that there is amember form on page 6 which you may give to someone to join. The form is forNEW members only. You do not need to fill out the form to renew - just send yourcheck to Glen at the address on the form. Our dues are very reasonable, and have notbeen raised in nearly two decades. For only $50 you can attend nine amazingprograms and receive nine informative Newsletters. You can either rejoin online atwww.APSSinc.org, or mail in the printed form with a check. Please be sure to bringin new members and tell your friends and family about our amazing Society!

I am looking forward toseeing many of you onOctober 8th at TheMusician’s Hall of Local802.

Best regards to you all,

President’s Message...Linda Amiel Burns, President

Linda

Board Of Directors:Linda Amiel Burns

President

Lynn DiMennaSandi Durell

1st Vice Presidents

Joan AdamsSandy Marrone

2nd Vice Presidents

Glen CharlowTreasurer & Membership

Marilyn LesterCorresponding Secretary

Bill BoggsWill FriedwaldMichael Lavine

-------------------------------------Publicist

Richard Skipper CelebratesRichard@RichardSkipper.com

Programs & Special EventsElliott AmesSandi DurellTom Toce

APSS Official Photographer:Rose Billings

Graphic Designer, Web GuyGlen Charlow

N E W S L E T T E REditor/Publisher: Jerry Osterberg

osterbergg@aol.comContributing Editor: Marilyn Lester

mj@mjlester.comAssociate Editor: Joan Adamsjoan.adams@corcoran.com

Graphic Designer: Glen Charlowinfo@APSSinc.org

Membership Mailing Address:American Popular Song Society

P.O. Box 5856Pikesville, MD 21282

info@APSSinc.org(212) 315-3500 (Linda A. Burns)

American PopularSong Society

MEETING LOCATION: Local 802 – Musicians’ Hall322 West 48th Street. Program: 1:45 – 3:30PM.

Come early to look thru Sheet Music & CD’s & stuff, all FREE.

(l-r) Richard Skipper, Jon Weber, Mark Walter, Jerry Osterberg,Aaron Weinstein, Will Friedwald, Glen CharlowPhotos by Rose Billings

OCTOBER , 2016 AMERICAN POPULAR SONG SOCIETY PAGE 3

Jay Leonart, and Johnny Frigo. The seventeen year old marvelgot a day away from academia and helped to advance the canonof jazz another step. Over the next dozen years, Aaronaccumulated a most impressive collection of performances asa featured soloist: Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Jazz atLincoln Center, Birdland, Blue Note, and abroad at jazzfestivals in England, France, Switzerland, Iceland, and Israel. Inaddition, he’s worked with Linda Lavin, Les Paul, JonHendricks, Annie Ross, and rock guitarist Jay Geils. Aaron hasbeen equally busy on the recording scene, making several ofhis own CD’s. He’s also collaborated on record with ChristineEbersole, Jessica Molaskey, Frank Vignola, Bucky Pizzarelli,and John Pizzarelli, arranging for Ebersole, as well as for Lavinand Janis Siegel.

Upon graduation from high school, Aaron went off to theBerklee College of Music, the beneficiary of a talent-based fullscholarship. Undoubtedly, his hands-on education whileplaying the paid gigs with modern masters, informed hisexperience at Berklee and vice versa, further accelerating thesteepness of the learning curve and his growing reputation.About this, Aaron has said: “Talk about an education – that’sthe kind of thing you can’t get in the practice room.”

Although Aaron has given praise generously to those who

have brought him to his present level of success, among themDon Stierberg, with whom he studied mandolin, he especiallycredits Bucky and John Pizzarelli as having the greatestinfluence. “They shaped my entire music sensibility. No twopeople have been more influential,” Aaron has answeredwhenever he’s been asked.

In his website, there’s a lovely portrait of Aaron Weinsteinat rest. He seems to be wearing a smoking jacket. There’s anopen book with a blue cover, although no title is visible. In onehand is an orange colored meerschaum pipe, genus calabash,similar to the type smoked by Sherlock Holmes and SantaClaus. Inconspicuous beneath Aaron’s chin rests a bow tie.Given that he admits to being a bow tie activist, the presence ofthe tie is not surprising. What is a bit disconcerting is the rathersubdued color. It’s almost as if the pale yellow tie had beenpainted in as an afterthought. I suppose we’ll never know forsure, although it must be said that Aaron now wears a sprightlyand bright bow tie in every appearance.

While Aaron Weinstein shares his exotic taste for bow tieswith Winston Churchill, Soupy Sales, the Duke of Windsor, andof course, Groucho Marx, none of them had the knack to playa jazz fiddle as well, and that is all we need to know.

The remarkable life of MargaretNixon McEathron, aka Marni Nixon,came to its conclusion on July 24, 2016,so ending the amazing career of theformer child actress who achievedsuccess on the concert stage, inrecordings, on film, and in television,opera and musicals. Nixon also was aviolinist, author and educator, but shewas best known for her ability to dubsinging voices, which she famously didfor the films The King and I ( Deborah

Kerr), West Side Story(Natalie Wood) andMy Fair Lady (AudreyHepburn).

Born in Altadena,California in 1930,with perfect pitch andthe ability to read even

the most complicated music, Nixonbegan working at a very early age, andonce in motion, never stopped. Heroutput was prolific, yet her fame neverreally matched the tremendousaccomplishments she achieved. It wasonly after My Fair Lady in1964 thatNixon got some level of publicrecognition for her previously secretdubbing work, with a profile in Timemagazine.

Classically trained, Nixon studied

opera and made her solo debut at age 17with the Los Angeles Philharmonic underconductor Leopold Stokowski. Shereturned to opera throughout her career,mastering many roles and appearing withthe Los Angeles, Seattle and SanFrancisco Operas and at the TanglewoodFestival, among others. In 1948 Nixonsang the voices of the angel chorus in thefilm Joan of Arc, and thence began heramazing dubbing career. In 1954, Nixonappeared on Broadway in the musical,The Girl in Pink Tights and in the early1960s was Eliza Doolittle in a CityCenter revival of My Fair Lady. Her firston-screen appearance was as SisterSophia in the 1965 film of The Sound ofMusic.

Nixon developed a healthy concertcareer, appearing with the New York

MARNI NIXON:A SINGER (AND MORE)UNTIL LATE UNSUNG

by Marilyn Lester

“You are the writer, but I am theauthor!” When famed ghost-singer MarniNixon said those words to me, herghostwriter, I didn’t quite understandhow any of it would work. I had writtenprevious books on my own, but hadnever been a ghostwriter before. Andaren’t they one and the same: author andwriter? What I eventually learned fromthat “Marni-ese” was that it was all aboutcollaboration. Over the course of a yearand a half of intense back and forth workon her memoirs, I Could Have Sung AllNight, I came to realize that Marni Nixonwas the consummate collaborator.

I had always marveled at how “theghostess with the mostest,” as Timemagazine dubbed her, was able to fuseher voice with Deborah Kerr, and howshe morphed herself into not only thevocal role of Anna in the film version TheKing and I, but also Deborah Kerr’sinterpretation of that role itself. Now thatI was to write about that brilliantsynthesis of talents (not to mention herfamous collaborations with Natalie Woodand Audrey Hepburn on West Side Storyand My Fair Lady respectively), Irealized that this was exactly what I

needed to do, merge the two ghosts, butthis time with words on a page. After all,the story was Marni’s, but if I was tosuccessfully ghost (let me say up frontthat, although the contract might say“ghostwriter”, Marni Nixon, who was

denied credit for her big movie ghostingjobs, always intended that her ghostwould get credit! And I do! ) For Marni’sbook, I would have to do just as Marnihad done so many times: become achameleon. I would have to somehow beMarni Nixon, at least for eighteenmonths. This required skills that each ofus had cultivated, both of us having beentrained for the stage: she as an actress andme as librettist and lyricist.

Whenever I sat down to write a

musical, I strove to create characters andinhabit them, so that what came out ofmy fingers onto the page was not what Iwould say, but what the characterswould. Marni did this very same thingwhether she was creating an operaticcharacter on the stage, or pushinggorgeous sounds out of the lips of Kerr,Wood, Hepburn, or even MarilynMonroe (yes, she did dub two lines ofMarilyn’s famous “Diamonds are a Girl’sBest Friend” track). Before I could writea line I had to, ironically, find Marni’sreal voice. Not the voices she so cleverlywould use to make a living, not even thevoice that she used when singing asherself, but the voice of the woman wholived in New York City, shopped atFairway and Citarella, auditioned forshows, and as a voice teacher taughtsome of the best singers in the world. Thewoman who had raised a family, beenthrough three marriages, and still, at theage of seventy six years old, juggled allthese lives better than anyone I had seenin quite a while. I also had to find thevoice of the little girl she used to be, sothat we could begin to solve themysteries of her drive and ambition.Without my experience as a dramatist, Iam not sure I would have been able toaccomplish this. Without Marni’sexperience as a generous and openhuman being, I am sure I would not.

At first I was presented with a huge

REMEMBERING MARNI NIXON:A PERSONAL RECOLLECTION

by Stephen Cole

PAGE 4 AMERICAN POPULAR SONG SOCIETY OCTOBER, 2016

Philharmonic as well as giving solorecitals at major venues such asCarnegie and Alice Tully Halls, andwith major symphony orchestrasthroughout the United States andEurope. She was a guest artist forseveral of Leonard Bernstein’s YoungPeople’s Concerts. She also toured,developed a cabaret act and maderecords – plenty of them – under herown name. As an educator, Nixontaught at the California Institute of theArts in Santa Clarita and at the MusicAcademy of the West in Santa Barbara.She also hosted Boomerang, a Seattlechildren’s television show, whichgarnered her four Emmy awards. In

2006, with Stephen Cole, she publishedher autobiography, I Could Have SungAll Night.

Nixon was married three times: tocomposer Ernest Gold, from 1950 to1969, with whom she had three children;to Dr. Lajos “Fritz” Fenster from 1971 to1975; and to musician Albert Block from1983 to his death in 2015. Although shesurvived breast cancer in 1985 and 2000,she finally succumbed to the disease. Itseems only death could stop thisceaselessly energetic Renaissancewoman. The extraordinary Marni Nixondeserves the spotlight, and to beremembered as one of the mostaccomplished talents of our age.

Long before theAlgonquin Kid led the life of amale Eloise at the fabled hotel,the Algonquin had alreadybecome legendary. In fact, theAlgonquin has had moreconnections to the arts than anyother hotel in the history ofNew York City. For over acentury, the hotel has hostedwriters, editors, actors, andother denizens of the arts andshow business on an epic scale– one that has already gonedown in multiple historybooks.

The Algonquin Hotel wasbuilt on the Fifth to SixthAvenue block of 44th Street in1902, designed by Goldwin

Starett. It shared the block withother notable institutions suchas the New York Yacht Club,the Harvard Club and the BarAssociation. The Algonquinwas also strategicallypositioned across from theimportant and massiveHippodrome theater(demolished in 1939). The firstowners of the hotel wereAlbert T. and Ann StetsonFoster of Buffalo, New York.But shortly after the Algonquinopened, Ann Foster left herhusband, suing him forownership of the property. Itwas during these legalproceedings that theAlgonquin’s manager, Frank

Case, was appointed one ofthe receivers to manage theestablishment. Case (whoactually named the hotel) wasessentially responsible for theevolution of the Algonquinalmost from the beginning. Hetook over the lease in 1907and wound up buying thestoried hostelry in 1927,presiding over it until his deathin 1946. It was at this point thatMichael Colby’s grandparents,the Bodnes. purchased thehotel and undertook anextensive restoration andrenovation of it.

Frank Case was a savvysteward of the Algonquin, andunder his leadership many ofthe traditions of the hotel wereestablished or cultivated. Firstand foremost of these was thefamously waggish RoundTable, which was inadvertentlystarted in 1919 by twoBroadway publicists, JohnPeter Toohey and Murdock

Pemberton. Toohey andPemberton decided to host a“welcome home” luncheon fortheir friend, the criticAlexander Woollcott, who hadrecently returned from thebattlefields of World War I.The guest list would includefriends and associates:journalists Franklin P. Adams,

OCTOBER, 2016 AMERICAN POPULAR SONG SOCIETY PAGE 5

stack of tapes and transcripts ofinterviews that were made by a previousghost whose career didn’t materialize. Icould tell from the annoyed tone of thevoices on tapes that a lack ofcollaboration would soon be its downfall.I was right. Two ghosts later, I was ondeck. Although the tapes and transcriptswere helpful, I knew that I needed tobond with Marni. We needed to talk, tobanter, to laugh. I needed to get deepinside of her character. Just as Marnishadowed Deborah Kerr in 1955 as shewalked the sets of The King and I so thatshe could know what Anna was doingwhile she sang, fifty years later, in myown way, I shadowed Marni so that Icould know how she would tell her lifestory. Eventually, both Marni in 1955 andStephen in 2005 achieved our goals: weeach collaborated so closely with anotherperson that it was impossible to seewhere one left off and the othercontinued. Just as Nixon and Kerrbecame Anna Leonowens, Nixon and

Cole became Marni Nixon, the heroineof I Could Have Sung All Night.

So, author or writer? What was I?Even there the lines blurred, forsometimes, without thinking about it, wereversed roles. Sometimes Marni wouldcome up with the most perfect way ofexpressing what I could only imagine andshe would be the writer. Then I wouldtake what she wrote and structure it sothat it fit into how I wanted the story to betold, making me the author. From thisconfusion, which was not confusing to usat all, a brand new person emerged in ourback and forth emails. Not the seventysix year old Marni Nixon, who neededher vast clipping file to remember whatshe did in June of 1955, but the MarniNixon who breathed life on the page,who told us stories that delighted,enlightened and enriched. The Marniwho could look at her whole life in a waythat perhaps the real Marni would nothave dared to without a deadline loomingbefore her and without “the ghost’s

ghost” there to help her translate it intowords and sentences and paragraphs andchapters.

Reading I Could Have Sung AllNight today, I am taken back to 1956, andThe King and I is being projected on thescreen. There is only one Anna singingand dancing with Yul Brynner’s King.But she is a mixture of Deborah Kerr andMarni Nixon. The fact that the line isundetectable is the art of it all: the art ofMarni Nixon. And the fact that the ghostand “the ghost’s ghost” were able toachieve the same feat? Well, when wefirst began this journey I would haveresponded, as Yul Brynner’s King did, “isa puzzlement!” But now that it’s all saidand done, it seems as simple andinevitable as the polka that Kerr andBrynner (with Marni’s help) did in thefilm. Which, as we all know, takes lots ofpractice. Thank you, Marni, for askingme, “Shall we dance?”

by Marilyn Lester

THE ALGONQUIN HOTEL:A MAGNIFICENT ANDENDURING LEGEND

Algonquin in 1907

Heywood Broun, DeemsTaylor, Marc Connelly, GeorgeS. Kaufman, Frank Sullivan,William B. Murray and JohnV.A. Weaver. Invited magazinewriters and editors includedRobert Benchley, DorothyParker, Robert E. Sherwood,Margaret Leech, Ruth Hale,Harold W. Ross, and DonaldOgden Stewart. Broadwaypress agents Arthur Samuelsand David H. Wallace were onthe guest list, and so wereBeatrice Kaufman, Broadwaystars Margalo Gillmore andPeggy Wood, artist NeysaMcMein and novelist EdnaFerber.

This stunning group ofliterary and artistic stars filled

up long tables in the PergolaRoom (today known as theOak Room) and had so muchfun they decided to keep thesoirée going. The coremembers of the Round Table,also later referred to as the“Vicious Circle” bythemselves, included FranklinP. Adams, Robert Benchley,Dorothy Parker, NeysaMcMein, Marc Connelly, JaneGrant, George S. Kaufman,Heywood Broun, Ruth Hale,Harold Ross, Robert E.Sherwood, Edna Ferber andWoollcott, who met religiouslyfor about a decade. Case aidedand abetted the group byproviding their own table andwaiter in the Rose Room, plus

free celery and popovers. The former Pembroke

Room was opened as the OakRoom Supper Club in 1939with European chanteuse GretaKeller headlining. The roomvery quickly became a premiercabaret hot spot. But WorldWar II soon shut the venuedown, and it wasn’t until 1980that the Oak Room reopened asa regular performance spacewith Steve Ross presiding.Until its permanent closure in2012, the Oak Room hosted alegion of notable anddownright famous performers.

In 1930 Frank Case took in

a stray male cat named“Rusty.” Legend has it thatJohn Barrymore suggested thecat needed a more “dignified”name – so the cat was renamed“Hamlet.” Hamlet had the runof the hotel, and ever sincethere has been an “AlgonquinCat.” The males are all namedHamlet and the females“Matilda.” The currentAlgonquin cat is a Matilda whoeven has her own emailaccount (answered by thegeneral manager’s executiveassistant). The Algonquin alsohas a cocktail named for it, amix of rye whiskey, Noilly Pratand pineapple juice

At the end of the Bodne era,ownership of the AlgonquinHotel passed through severalhands; the hotel is now part ofthe Marriott International group.The Algonquin Hotel waslandmarked in 1987 by the Cityof New York and it wasdesignated a National LiteraryLandmark by the Friends ofLibraries USA in 1996. At 114years of age, the Algonquin is agrande dame of a hotel whoseextraordinary legacy shouldcarry on with flair far into thefuture.

PAGE 6 AMERICAN POPULAR SONG SOCIETY OCTOBER, 2016

❑ $65 Couple*❑ $50 Individual Membership ❑ $500 Angel❑ $40 Out Of Tri-State Member** ❑ $250 Patron❑ $25 Students (with valid ID card) ❑ $100 Benefactor

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Please return this form with your check payable toAmerican Popular Song Society and mail to:

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Matilda, the Cat

Algonquin-Round-Table-Hirshfeld

Linda Amiel Burns, APSS President, is celebrating four decades of The SingingExperience. A number of APSS members have taken this workshop, some more thanonce. For those of us who have, we can assure you that you’ll feel like a pro by the nightof the performance. Although many students have never sung in public before, thesupportive environment has prepared them well for their debut. Call Linda at 212-315-3500 to sign up. The Singing Experience Cable TV show continues on MNN TimeWarner: Channel 56 or RCN: Channel 111. The program broadcasts are every Sundayat 5:00 PM. You can also see your fellow NYSMS members on YouTube at any time.

Midday Jazz Midtown continues on Wednesdays (1:00 PM to 2:00 PM) at Saint Peter’sChurch (East 54Street (entrance) @ Lexington Ave), NYC, Hosted by Ronny Whyte.Programs: October 5, Amina Figarova – piano, Gilad Atzmon – saxophone; October12, Gene Bertoncini –guitar, Ike Strum – bass, Melissa Stylianou – singer; October 19,Sandy Stewart – singer, Bill Charlap – piano; October 26, Dominick Farinacci –trumpet. Suggested donation: $10. Parking: Icon Parking, East 51 St, between Thirdand Lexington Ave. $15 including tax for five hours with validation @ Saint Peter’sreception desk. www.ronnywhyte.com/ www.saintpeters.org/jazz/midtownjazz.htm.

The beat goes on! The latest edition of The Singing Experience, #478, will have itsperformance Holiday Delights at The Triad on December 8. Rehearsals begin onThursday, November 3, and continue on November 10, 17 and December 3. Allsessions run from 6:30 to 9:30 PM and take place at Studio 353 on West 48 Street. Foradditional information, contact Linda Amiel Burns at 212-315-3500 or write towww.singingexperience.com. Stop procrastinating! Hundreds of singers have pavedthe way for your debut. Sign up to sing! You’ll be glad that you did.

Todd Murray, who not only opened last season with his terrific show Croon, but he’llbe back with us to help open the new season as a featured guest of Michael Colby onOctober 8. And…since we hope you will have read this long before then, you may beinterested to know that Todd has a brand new show Separate Ways, with Stacy Sullivanon Tuesday, October 4, Wednesday, October 5, & Tuesday, November 22, all @7:00 at Feinstein’s/54 Below, 254 West 54 St, Tickets are $30, $40, and $65. 35%discount for APSS members – Code: TOST35. Food/Beverage minimum: $25. Tickets& Information: 646-476-3551.

APSS member and MAC Hanson Award winner Lucille Carr-Kaffashan will beperforming her new show Unwritten, which celebrates Twenty-First Century femalesinger-songwriters, at Don’t Tell Mama, 343 West 46 St, on Thursdays, October 6 &13 @ 7:00 PM and Sunday, October 9 @ 5:00 PM. Lucille has garnered somewonderful reviews such as: “…she has the chops…the talent and…the charisma thataudiences will fall in love with” which appeared in the Time Square Chronicles. Forreservations call 212-757-0788.

Kaye Allyn, who performed for the APSS a couple of seasons back, and contributedan article to the newsletter, opened a brand new show The Gift of the Vagi (BadDecisions Make Good Stories) on September 21 at Café Noctambulo at Pangea, 78Second Avenue, btw East 11th & 12th Sts. She describes it as “A tale of woe andnaughty bits, with the songs of Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Cy Coleman,

Willie Nelson, Bob Dorough, and others. Additional performances on Wednesdays,October 12, November 16, and December 21, all at 8:00 PM.Music charge: $20, Beverage/Food minimum: $20. For reservations, call 212-995-0900.

APSS newsletter Contributing Editor Marilyn Lester is not only a writer and reviewer,but has a background in promotion and publicity. Marilyn is now offering marketingservices including e-blasts and promotion, as well as creation and improvement ofweb site content, media kits and other collateral materials – all at very reasonablerates. Find out more @ www.mjlester.com.

APSS member Jerry Osterberg is making his semi-annual call for male singers of allshapes and sizes for a Holiday Concert at Saint Peter’s Church, East 54 St & LexingtonAvenue on Thursday, December 22 @ 7:30 PM. The program will include severalsongs from Disney films, including Frozen, The Lion King, Newsies, & Song of theSouth, in additional a beautiful arrangement of “It Only Takes a Moment,” in honor ofthe revival of Hello, Dolly! plus someholiday favorites. It’s not required that you readmusic, only the ability to carry a tune. Rehearsals are on Tuesdays, btw 6:30 and 8:30PM @ St. Margaret’s House, located on Fulton Street in Lower Manhattan,beginning October 4. For more information, please contact Jerry @ 516-248-7549or 516-435-7817, or write to osterbergg@aol.com.

Margi Gianquinto, a frequent performer at APSS, continues to be a quite busy vocalist.A bit late for General Washington’s farewell party, but Margi will be singing at brunchat Fraunce’s Tavern on Saturday, October 1, btw 1:00 & 4:00 PM, 54 Pearl St inLower Manhattan, 212-425-1778. She’s also performing at Hotel Chantelle, 92Ludlowe St (Lower East Side) on Wednesdays, October 5, 12, 19 & 26, all @ 7:00to 10:00 PM, 212-254-9100. Margi will be presenting her annual holiday program AnOld Fashioned Christmas with Margi & the Dapper Dots, on Sunday, December 18 @1:00 PM at The Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd St. Cover charge: $20 plus 2 drinkminimum, reservations: 212-206-0440.

Carol J. Binkowski’s new book, Opening Carnegie Hall: The Creation and FirstPerformances of America’s Premier Concert Stage was just published by McFarland& Company. Details are available at www.caroljbinkowski.com.

Hilary Kole’s newest CD: The Judy Garland Project (Miranda Music) is now on-sale.The remarkable performer conjures the spirit and beauty of Judy Garland in stunningarrangements of songs made famous by the legendary singer, including “The TrolleySong,” “The Boy Next Door,” “A Cottage for Sale,” “The Man That Got Away,” and “Overthe Rainbow.”

Do you seek an elusive song? If you do, write APSS Board member Sandy Marrone@ smusandy@aol.com or call 856-829-6104. You can also visit Sandy in New Jerseyto see thousands and thousands of sheets of music, most of which can be yours veryreasonably. She is a marvelous resource and a super-great lady!

Sandi Durell is Publisher-Editor of TheaterPizzazz.com, a vital website that presentsup to date theater reviews, news, interviews and previews, along with cabaret reviewsand videos. There is a large contributing group of writers who offer discerning andprofessional reviews and information. Sandi is a Drama Desk and Outer Critics CircleAwards Voter, member of the American Theatre Critics Association, League ofProfessional Theatre Women, The Lambs, and The Dutch Treat Club. Visit:www.theaterpizzazz.com.

Lynn DiMenna, longtime Vice President and Board member of APSS, was honored onSeptember 22nd at the Metropolitan Room by her peers. Hosted by the ManagingPartner Bernie Furshpan, the joyful evening was a warm tribute to Lynn for her manyyears of selfless service to the cabaret community. Besides her husband of 43 years,John, there were three of her four children in the room, all three of whom performed.The program included many of the best known cabaret artists in the field who took tothe stage and contributed a song to the festivities, among them Marilyn Maye, KarenOberlin, John Gabriel, Sidney Meyer, KT Sullivan, Margi Gianquinto, and Linda AmielBurns.

Member News...

Send Member News to Osterbergg@aol.com no later than the 15th of each month for the next issue.

If you have any member news, or other items you would like to haveconsidered for this newsletter, please send it by e-mail to the co-editor, Jerry Osterbergg: osterbergg@AOL.com. It will be subject toediting, depending on size and content, and please remember thatwe try to go to press two weeks before each monthly meeting. Weoften get very good items that get to us after the newsletter has beenprinted and mailed.

OCTOBER , 2016 AMERICAN POPULAR SONG SOCIETY PAGE 7

P.O. Box 5856PIKESVILLE, MD 21282

Did you know every issue of this newsletteris in COLOR online at www.NYSMS.org

American PopularSong Society

Our 2016-17 SeasonOctober 8, 2016

Michael Colby – "The Algonquin Kid"Produced by Sandi Durell

November 12, 2016"Love for Sale: Pop Music in America"

David Hajdu’s new book – A Critical History ofAmerican Popular Music with Karen Oberlin & Others.

December 10, 2016Will Friedwald: Frank Sinatra: The Video Rarities

January 14, 2017David Maister “American Songs, English Singers"

Produced by Jerry Osterberg

February 11, 2017Carol Woods on "Richard Whiting"

Produced by Debi Whiting

March 11, 2017Cabaret Month

"The State of Sheet Music Today” PanelProduced by Michael Lavine & Tom Toce

April 8, 2017Duke Ellington’s Music for Theater

Produced by Marilyn Lester

May 13, 2017"Songwriter Showcase"

"Keeping American Popular Songs alive and growingwith emerging and established songwriters”

Produced by Sandi & Tom

June 10, 2017Richard Skipper CelebratesAn all-star cast celebratingJudy Garland’s Birthday.

Please mark your calendars for the second Saturday of each month.