Johnny Rodgers Band

U.S. Embassy Brings The Johnny Rodgers Band to Sabah

The U.S. Embassy, Society for Performing Arts Kota Kinabalu (SPArKS), Sabah Tourism Board and the Sandakan Municipal Council brought The Johnny Rodgers Band, a talented group of American musicians, to Malaysia. This energetic and engaging Jazz band was able to perform in Malaysia due to support from “2010 Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad,” a cultural outreach program of the U.S. Department of State administered by Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC). The Johnny Rodgers Band performed before large and enthusiastic crowds in Kota Kinabalu on Nov. 27 and 28, and in Sandakan on November 29, 2010.



Formed in New York City in 2003, the mission of The Johnny Rodgers Band is to bring “musical depth to new, original songs.” Their music provides a guided tour of American pop, from the piano-driven energy of rock and roll, to the supreme sophistication of jazz. The ensemble cultivates connections with audiences through performances, discussions, demonstrations, and musical exchange.

The Johnny Rodgers Band has performed and recorded with artists such as Liza Minnelli, Michael Feinstein, Randy Brecker, and Tom Harrell, among others. The ensemble has been featured on recordings celebrating such greats as Maury Yeston and Jule Styne. The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) selected The Johnny Rodgers Band to interpret and perform the music of Billy Joel in a command performance for the “Piano Man” himself in The Allen Room at Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center.

The audiences were excited to not only listen to the band’s music, but to interact with the band members and receive instruction and encouragement from Johnny Rogers and other band members as well. - U.S. Embassy, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

"So who is this talented chameleon? If you fused elements of Billy Joel, Peter Allen and Johnny Mercer, a silhouette begins to emerge."

Music Review
Dose of Nostalgia for What Never Was - By STEPHEN HOLDEN
Published: May 12, 2010
Recommend


“Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home” isn’t just the title of the easygoing standard by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer that describes the vagabond life of a happy-go-lucky drifter. It could be the theme song of Johnny Rodgers, a bandleader, singer-songwriter, pianist and traditional jazzman, who suggests the tow-headed boy next door striding down a country road as he travels from one style to another.

.At the Oak Room of the Algonquin Hotel, where he and his band began a three-week engagement on Tuesday evening, Mr. Rodgers, who was brought up in Miami, dropped his imaginary hat on many posts. The majority were in the mythical “Southland” celebrated in “The Birth of the Blues,” a song he and his musicians took at a brisk pace and pointedly resisted turning into an anthem.

A nostalgic Southern ambiance was the defining quality of Mr. Rodgers’s music at Tuesday’s opening-night show. He is a steady pop-jazz crooner whose voice acquires more personality and confidence the more forcefully he sings. “It Should’ve Been Me” evoked early Ray Charles, and a breezy “Jailhouse Rock” paid tribute to the King himself.

The rambunctiously funny “Huggin’ and Chalkin’ ” a song associated with Hoagy Carmichael, celebrated the charms of a 303-pound “baby blimp” named Rosabelle Magee, whose suitors carry pieces of chalk to mark their places as they circle around her from opposite directions and risk colliding.

Here Mr. Rodgers and his musicians conjured a hazy realm of folk-blues-pop-country-jazz innocence where mountain dew sparkles on a haystack as farm boys in overalls cavort with girls in gingham dresses, and the strains from a juke joint down the road drift across a field. If it wasn’t “authentic” in any scholarly sense, it made for an engaging fantasy concocted by a grown-up Andy Hardy.

Mr. Rodgers and his band members even have roustabout nicknames: he is “Poppy Sunshine,” the bassist Brian Glassman “Mud Man,” the drummer Danny Mallon “Mad Dog,” and the guitarist Joe Ravo, who on one number made his instrument sound like a banjo, “Cotton Eye Joe.”

There is another side to Mr. Rodgers, the canny pop craftsman, which came through in his heartfelt ballads. ““The Best of You in Me” (written with Richard Barone) echoes the Celine Dion hit “Because You Loved Me,” and “Sweet Georgia Smile,” is an appealing honeysuckle lullaby of eternal devotion.

So who, finally, is this talented chameleon? If you fused elements of Billy Joel, Peter Allen and Johnny Mercer, a silhouette begins to emerge.

Johnny Rodgers appears through May 29 at the Oak Room of the Algonquin Hotel, 59 West 44th Street, Manhattan, (212) 419-9331, algonquinhotel.com.

A version of this review appeared in print on May 13, 2010, on page C3 of the New York edition. - Stephen Holden

"One terrific performer and one terrific show."

ONE TERRIFIC SHOW TO SEE
By Rex Reed May 18, 2010

After paying his dues in small clubs and big tours with Liza Minnelli, Johnny Rodgers (spelled with a "d" like Richard Rodgers, not with a "g" like Ginger Rogers and Roy Rogers) has finally landed a well-deserved three-week gig at the Algonquin's fabled Oak Room. With thatched blond hair and a friendly, aw-shucks demeanor that was meant to be showcased in gingham shirts and jeans, this quintessential all-American boy exudes youth, optimism and vitamin C. He is also a tremendously talented jazz-pop musician who vaults from classics like "Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home" to a hilarious "Huggin' & Chalkin'" (popularized on record by Hoagy Carmichael) with the ease of a trapeze artist, pulling notes out of the ozone and making them sound newly discovered. He calls his show "What a Wonderful World" and proceeds to prove it, with a feel-good selection of take-home tunes guaranteed to pep up the most dyspeptic cynic.

Expect surprises. A silk foulard scarf that is stuffed into Joe Ravo's guitar on "Change in Me," by the great Carol Hall, makes it sound exactly like a banjo. Swinging Johnny Mercer's celebrated lyrics to "Too Marvelous for Words" accompanied only by Brian Glassman's bass lines makes the rhyming of "spectacular" with "vernacular" especially witty. I usually dread singer-pianists who devote more than 50 percent of the show to their own compositions, but Mr. Rodgers writes rhythmic, infectious harmonies with solid and touching lyrics. From a gorgeous bossa nova called "She," to "One More Moment," an award-winning love song with collaborator Lina Koutrakos, Johnny comes to the welcome conclusion that even in a time of catastrophe, there's not much to worry about. With music like this, time will heal, love will re-bloom and the sunny side of life is just around the corner. No flowery phrases or high-hat 4/4 canned rhythms here, just a jazzy one-hour display of pure pleasure that turns tickling the ivories into a vibrant show business workout. Except for a wet brow and beads of sweat slowly trickling into his teal-blue satin shirt, Johnny Rodgers makes it all seem effortless. One terrific performer, and one terrific show.

rreed@observer.com

Johnny Rodgers
The Oak Room at the Algonquin - Rex Reed

"He's a sextuple threat! Singer, songwriter, folk, pop, country, jazz man. And if that's not enough, let's add brilliant pianist."

"What A Wonderful World"

What a welcome treat to hear multi-talented Johnny Rodgers at Algonquin's Oak Room! Many performers are referred to as triple threats. Not Rodgers. He's a sextuple threat! Singer, songwriter, folk, pop, country, jazz man. And if that's not enough, let's add brilliant pianist. With boyish good looks and that "aw shucks" demeanor, you just like not only his multi styles but his winning personality.

He chose an eclectic grouping of songs to regale with, as his showmanship kept the audience eagerly anticipating. This Miami boy has traveled extensively performing throughout the country. He was part of Broadway's "Liza's at the Palace" and a recent 2010 Nightlife Award Winner. "Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home" could be his theme song. He's at ease with himself and his fans. His personal compositions are story songs. "Home to Mendocino" was written while he was in the shower. His Dachshund Maggie makes life simpler and meaningful as did "One More Moment," a song of truth and poignancy written with Lina Koutrakos. Lest we forget, Rodgers has a forceful vocal and rocks on "Birth of the Blues" or Elvis favorite "Jailhouse Rock."

Little known "Huggin' & Chalkin," recorded by Hoagy Carmichael and written by Clarence Leonard Hayes and Kermit Goell is a hoot as it describes a 303 lb. "baby blimp" whose lovers make chalk marks on her as they meet up from opposite directions in colliding ecstasy.

Rodgers has led a charmed and loving life to write (with Richard Barone) the personal heartfelt "The Best of You in Me" as he describes the warmth and affection he feels toward his parents. His lyrics are moving. "What A Wonderful World" will become even more so when Rodgers and his band, perform as "Ambassadors" from Jazz at Lincoln Center and the US Department of Education & Cultural Affairs, as they travel the world making music, bringing workshops, jam sessions and good will to many.

The show is joyous and his band, all nick-named, flow like a cloth of silk. There's "Poppy Sunshine" (Rodgers); bassist Brian Glassman "Mud Man," drummer Danny Mallon "Mad Dog" and guitarist Joe Ravo"Cotton Eye Joe." Don't miss this talented young man and feel-good show! - Sandy Durell

“…A finger-popping pianist with range and style who also writes challenging songs and sings terrifically.” - Rex Reed

“…A first-rate singer-songwriter, bursting with robust vocals and exuberant pianism.” -Howard Reich



- Rex Reed & Howard Reich

“New songs like ‘Home to Mendocino’ and ‘Box of Photographs’ have ‘top-10 hit’ written all over them and Rodgers performs them like a combination of Elton John, Billy Joel and James Taylor all rolled into one. His voice has a melting incandescent quality that cuts directly into the heart with a blazing earnestness and sincerity that’s uniquely his own."
- David Hurst

Celebrating the end of Liza’s at the Palace… and the release of two new CDs, singer-songwriter-actor-dancer Johnny Rodgers is on a roll. He appeared with his group, The Johnny Rodgers Band, for one night at Birdland on December 29 and had the kids rockin’ in the aisles. Introduced Rodgers was the lady herself, and Liza was in fine form, extolling the virtues of wunderkind Rodgers and staying to watch his performance like a proud mother hen. For his part, as he displayed on his breakout disc, A Box of Photographs (PS Classics), Rodgers excels in every genre of music. With a light, throbbing, lyric tenor that reminds you of lemonade with a shot of bourbon, Rodgers sailed through a set that included old favorites and tunes from his new disc with his band. Unfortunately, Liza didn’t join him to sing their new single, “Let’s Make a Date,” but there’s no doubt they’ll be singing it in concert soon. - David Hurst

"Johnny Rodgers is... such a walking cornucopia of talent that you stare at him (he's cute as Kevin Costner in his heyday) in near disbelief and wonder if there's anything he can't do."

So the cabaret year doesn't end with a bang but with a band, big and contemporary style — not with a whimper but with a winner. It's the Johnny Rodgers Band, led, natch, by Johnny Rodgers, who's such a walking cornucopia of talent that you stare at him (he's cute as Kevin Costner in his heyday) in near disbelief and wonder if there's anything he can't do.

What does Rodgers do? He sings. He plays the piano. He plays the guitar. He writes songs. He arranges them. He conducts the band. He jokes with the audience. He scintillates at every single endeavor and still manages to look abashed. Why, the guy even dances, although not during this one-night gig but as one of the four fellows accompanying Liza Minnelli at the Palace on the tribute to her godmother, the late, great Kay Thompson.

On her and their night off, Minnelli introed Rodgers after Birdland on Broadway host and fellow Thompson singer-dancer Jim Caruso introed Minnelli. Yes, it was that sort of evening. Rodgers and Minnelli didn't sing together, though. For that, the fastest approach is to listen to their "Let's Make a Date" duet at johnnyrodgers.com.

Given the profusion of Rodgers' talents, it's a challenge knowing where to begin praising him. Because songs often outlast performing careers, perhaps it makes sense to note immediately that Rodgers' gift for melody is huge. Through the set, the songs he delivered in his rich, smooth baritone were mostly written by him. And — there's no other way to put it — each one topped the one preceding it, in many genres. Or as Billy Stritch joining Rodgers for a propulsive read-through of the Jon Hendricks-Count Basie "Down for Double" said, "The only thing I haven't heard is a polka."

Indeed, were there such things these days as instant standards, Rodgers would have a string of them — titles including the Christmassy "Lord Let the Angels Sing," the father tribute "The Best of Me in You" (written with his Box of Photographs CD producer Richard Barone), "Mary Jean", "Movin' Into Graceland" (written with Brian Wilson), "Home to Mendocino," "One More Moment" (lyric co-written by Lina Koutrakos), and the anthemlike "Bound Together" (written with Danny Mallon), which is very smartly tailored to today's aching for global understanding. Among the non-self-penned songs, besides the Basie-Hendricks swinger, were two Randy Newman prime cuts, "You Can Leave Your Hat On" and "Feels Like Home," and two by Carol Hall, the opener "Big City Boogie" and "Change in Me."

Singing while playing, Rodgers has his own virile charm but at the same time suggests what might have happened if Elton John, Billy Joel, Billy Preston, and Leon Russell had all been born in the same body. Rodgers has the same kind of heavy chord chops, and he likes to arrange with that kind of jazz-rock oomph. He gets funny on his subjects too. Mentioning that when he took up guitar, he realized his leaning toward various instruments affects how he composes, he said he'd written "Mary Jean" on the egg, that percussive object musicians and singers love wielding. He proceeded to demonstrate.

For the record, the musicians cookin' with gas included Stritch, Brian Glassman, Danny Mallon, Joe Ravo, Nick Celeste, Ross Konikoff, Frank Perowsky, Dave Trigg, Ed Xiques and vocalists Barone, Margaret Dorn, Janice Pendaris, and Georgia "Mrs. Rodgers" DeFalco. Magnums of champagne for all. Jeroboams for Johnny. - David Finkle

"Entering the national pop-jazz radar, singer-songwriter-pianist, Johnny Rodgers is definitely one to watch. A bit of a vocal chameleon, Rodgers proves himself a consistently engaging troubabdour." - Christopher Loudon

"Johnny Rodgers with his clean-cut all-American looks, star-making moniker, James Taylor-lush voice, and résumé that includes shared stages with Paul McCartney, Liza Minnelli, Michael Feinstein, and Chrissie Hynde (in addition to starring off-Broadway in Our Sinatra), singer/songwriter and keyboardist Johnny Rodgers seemed destined for big things even before the release of his spectacular debut. But the real achievement of this glorious whirlwind of 12 original songs is the way it celebrates artistic independence in a world of cookie-cutter artists and hyper-restrictive radio formatting. That is, he's comfortable singing and swinging in all styles — soaring piano-driven pop ballads ("Box of Photographs"), moody jazz ("Midday Moon," featuring Randy Brecker’s beautiful muted trumpet), Taylor-flavored confessional pop-folk ("Is It the Way?"), gospel-country ("Mary Jean"), and samba ("She"). That list covers only the first five tracks, which hints at Rodgers' powerful artistic depth that must drive marketing folks crazy. There's a definite Southern charm throughout, which he explores via funky, bluesy trips to visit "Miss Dixie" and Elvis territory via "Movin' into Graceland." As a lyricist, he scores best on "In the End," a wonderful tribute to his father whose images rank up there with the best of country songwriters. There's just no end to the praise Rodgers deserves for following muses that make sure he doesn't remain in any single comfort zone for too long. If this 'Box of Photographs' collection is any indication of what's to come, Rodgers will be an across-the-board superstar and an inspiration to millions of artists who don't fit neatly into a single genre." - Jonathan Widran

Johnny Rodgers Band are the true epitome of what is usually called “jazz fusion'' that is the result of the mixture of many things. A composer and spectacular pianist, this singer is a true dynamo on stage, who jumps from one style to another with the security of an expert trapezist: jazz, pop, rock. His versatility is uncommon and very authentic. He knows how to savor a ballad like the most veteran of crooners -- he sang like Ray Charles and he confessed that he was an admirer of Mel Tormé, in whose style he sang “Give Me the Simple Life” -- and also to put flavor to the most rhythmic creations. “She,” an original song of his own inspiration, was very well received by the public, and no less satisfactory his interpretation of “Take Another Chance on Love.”

His group is excellent, and I would not know where to start. On the program mentioned were Brian Glassman on the contrabass, Joe Ravo on the guitar, and Danny Mallon on drums.

Although of recent formation, this band is already playing frequently and has its own CD, in addition to a tight agenda of performances on stages across the entire world. - Daniel Fernandez

..."The Best of You In Me" is touching and is movingly sung, but with admirable restraint. Its solid pop structure and economic use of short phrases and effective repetition evoke instant feelings of remembered moments of parental support ("every slip, every fall, every catch of every baseball"), like a little box of photographs.

The more serious side of Johnny Rodgers comes through wonderfully and satisfyingly on his 4-song EP, a moving work with life-affirming themes. Top-billed "Bound Together" is a socially conscious song about all of us being part of one human family, emphasizing the frustrating tragedy of those who don't act accordingly, divisive instead ("all the fighting in the name of gods"). Not really a downer at all, but more an assertive anthem of peace and hope ("together we can make it right"), it harks back to pacifist songs of the 1960s with more determined optimism. Sung with impassioned determination to simply state its message of our common humanity, the title repeats often as the music builds and rises. This is a fairly simple number, with its message as clear as the bright vocals. It's Johnny's melody and the words a collaboration with the drummer from his band, Danny Mallon, who also joins in on vocals.

"Cry for Freedom" also rings with hope while being equally open-eyed realistic and advocating what the title suggests ("Let the whole world hear you"). This and the highlight of the EP, "The Best of You In Me," are collaborations between Johnny and his producer/co-arranger, versatile Richard Barone (also heard on some vocal blends, which are prominent in the more pleading songs). The most well crafted and lyrically astute and specific, with nostalgic images of the bonding moments between parent and grateful grown child, the gentle "The Best of You In Me" is touching and is movingly sung, but with admirable restraint. Its solid pop structure and economic use of short phrases and effective repetition evoke instant feelings of remembered moments of parental support ("every slip, every fall, every catch of every baseball"), like a little box of photographs.

A non-cloying Christmas song about a Christmas song, with nods to the religious aspects and the importance of keeping loved ones close and cherished, "Lord Let the Angels Sing" is another sincere and guileless embrace of humanity and faith. Featured on vocals—though I wish he were more prominent as he is one of my favorite contemporary singers but his mellowness makes his presence more subtle—is Ben Taylor. This track is also available separately as a single, issued this past Christmas. Let's hope for another full-length album soon by the very appealing and musically adept Johnny Rodgers. It's been a long wait since his strong debut.

Rob Lester
Talkin' Broadway

THE JOHNNY RODGERS BAND
BOUND TOGETHER (4-song EP)
Melody Thread
- Rob Lester

“It’s difficult to describe the songs on Johnny Rodgers’ debut album in one single, enveloping phrase or term because there isn’t a common sound or form to his compositions. But what the 12 selections on “Box of Photographs” do share is the rich musical artistry of Rodgers as pianist, arranger (with producer Richard Barone and Rodgers’ band) and vocalist while revealing a cunning and evocative songwriter. The breezy, open road reverie of the title track sets the stage for this sensational collection, a work that’s one of the finest singer-songwriter sets in recent memory.”
- Jeff Rosen

Charming, sly, ingratiating Johnny Rodgers brings his sense of joie de vivre and more than a dusting of lusting to the two songs on a recent EP. In celebration of and in reference to his work singing, dancing and sometimes playing piano in Liza Minnelli's show, the top-billed song (what would have been called the "A" side in the days of two-sided single discs) is a duet with Liza herself. Titled "Let's Make a Date," it has comments about kissing and hugging, making a date to consummate, if you want to take it that way, but many of the references are to the tour. They sing of taking bows, playing cities on the West Coast and in Europe, and magazine covers. A fun bit of fluff with a big wink, it acknowledges exaggeratedly their age gulf with a cute line about her asking to see his ID first.

Johnny opens the song breezily, with Liza at first just tossing in a few side spoken comments. Then she takes the spotlight for a bit, sounding husky and brasher than on the Liza's at the Palace recording. She comes more into her stride as things build, and their spunky tongue-in-cheek chemistry is a neat little treat. The melody was written by Johnny, and he wrote the lyrics with Brian Lane Green.

With a confident and playful sinuousness, steering clear of smarm, Johnny takes a gleeful ride with "You Can Leave Your Hat On," a Randy Newman number he's favored in concert for a few years. Addressed to a lover whom he wants to remove other items of apparel, the grin never becomes a leer in Johnny's style, singing and playing keyboards. Though neither song really showcases the range of his voice and the emotionalism he has brought to other work, the two tracks make for a lighthearted mini-vacation. As he showed his skill in vocal blending in the Minnelli salute to Kay Thompson vocal arrangements, here he has some fine singing help from Margaret Dorn, Janice Pendarvis and his wife, Georgia DeFalco.

The recording ends on a happy bubble of zest with some extra spoken Lothario-like asides. Try not to blush on either track. His band of three fellow musicians is joined by seven players on saxes, trumpets and trombone. Producer Richard Barone, who did such fine work on Johnny's full-length album from a few years ago, is at the helm again. But their other recent collaboration (below) is the meatier stuff, while this 2-song release feels like dessert.

Rob Lester
Talkin' Broadway

JOHNNY RODGERS
LET'S MAKE A DATE (2-song EP)
(FEATURING LIZA MINNELLI)
Melody Thread
- Rob Lester