News on your favorite shows, specials & more!

Jazmo Hosts Album Release Party and Concert at Lagond Music School Tonight, 9/9

By: Sep. 09, 2012
Enter Your Email to Unlock This Article

Plus, get the best of BroadwayWorld delivered to your inbox, and unlimited access to our editorial content across the globe.




Existing user? Just click login.

The Bedford Hills based, much buzzed about and highly acclaimed new band, JAZMO, will host a concert/party at one of America's most revered schools of music to unveil their new 14-song Song List which is being readied for the recording studio. The concert will take place at 6 p.m. tonight, September 9, at The Haven Room at the Lagond Music School, 9 Haven Street, Elmsford, New York (45 minutes from Manhattan).

The lineup includes the songs: Cuz We Want To, Someone To Tell, Love Songs, Better Than This, Heart Collector, For Sale City, Sal Mineo, Cigs and Beer, The Blue Note, The Bird of Babble-On, Molecules, Giving It All Away, The Other Side of the Map, Angry Game, The One Mistake.

JAZMO'S roots are firmly planted in the legacy of intergenerational rock and the power of poetry. Longtime partners DAVE TOY and MIKE O'KEEFE had been making music in the Toy Studio for decades after abandoning their electric punk project "Dressed For Success". The band was an 80's fixture in such N.Y.C. venues as CBGBs and The Ritz. 1995 found the two friends still dedicated to their music but in need of lyrics for their tunes. ENTER JEFF LASDON. A retired promoter from Boulder, Colorado, LASDON was eager to share his poetry from his days of study with Beat Poets Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs. Words hidden away for 30 years were the genesis of a marriage between LASDON and TOY. In LASDON the two original JAZMO players had adopted an illegitimate child who would eventually morph from wordsmith to songwriter to performer. Through a generous dose of patience TOY and O'KEEFE allowed LASDON to fulfill his childhood fantasy of playing in a rock n' roll band. Call in old friend renaissance bassist PAUL MAGLIARI and JAZMO is a living breathing experiment gone awry! Operatically trained and downtown rock songbird, BIRDY, has given the JAZMO songwriters a true rock 'n roll diva. Songs written expressly for BIRDY are hits waiting to happen. This egg incubated by JAZMO and now ready to crack promises to produce a bird of another feather.

LAGOND MUSIC SCHOOL, located in Elmsford, New York, is a charitable not-for-profit organization dedicated to music education and live music performance, serving a diverse community of students throughout Westchester and surrounding counties. LAGOND MUSIC SCHOOL has created an innovative and dynamic approach to music education; teaching contemporary music with the same rigor traditionally applied to classical training. This regimen, along with the school's parallel focus on live performance, promotes excellence of discipline, expression, commitment and achievement in their students. These experiences not only help LAGOND students achieve their full creative potential, but are equally influential in their academic success and social achievements.

LAGOND MUSIC SCHOOL students regularly move on to top universities as well as prestigious music conservatories. As evidence of their students' successes, the class of 2010 alone generated over $880,000 in music scholarships, and over $900,000 in academic scholarships. Several of students have been chosen to perform in the annual Grammy Awards High School bands, along with numerous other musical accolades. With a focus on contemporary musical styles (jazz, Latin, funk, rock, singer/songwriters - encompassing all instruments and voice), frequent live performances, and a dedicated, hands-on, conservatory college prep program, LAGOND MUSIC SCHOOL works to bring out the best in their students' personal and creative potential.

BIRDY (Vocals) is an astute businesswoman who is taking over late night downtown Manhattan. An operatically trained singer, she left that world to record her own power pop ballads on a record label she is building to her own specifications where she will globally export herself, as well as other carefully considered artists, to a world she is convinced is patiently waiting for the next new tsunami of sound. A studied artist in her own right, she has begun designing make-up that is as prophetic as it is strikingly stunning. Birdy has most recently received high critical acclaim for her two Special Guest Appearances at the prestigious downtown event, 'Oh! You pretty Things: The New Romantics.' Channeling Siouxsie and The Banshees, she blew the roof off Le Poisson Rouge. She is currently meeting with Click Models.

JEFF LASDON (Vocals/Harp/Lyrics). JEFF LASDON (Vocals & Harp/Lyrics). Longtime partners DAVE TOY and MIKE O'KEEFE had been making music in DfStudios for decades after moving on from their electronic project "Dress For Success" and original rock followup DfS. Dress for Success was an 80's fixture in such N.Y.C. venues as CBGBs and The Ritz. 2005 found the two friends still dedicated to their music but in need of lyrics for their tunes. ENTER JEFF LASDON. A retired promoter from Boulder, Colorado, LASDON was eager to share his poetry from his days of study with Beat Poets Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs. Words hidden away for 30 years were the genesis of a marriage between LASDON, TOY and O'KEEFE. In LASDON the two original JAZM? players had adopted an illegitimate child who would eventually morph from wordsmith to songwriter to performer. Through a generous dose of patience TOY and O'KEEFE allowed LASDON to fulfill his childhood fantasy of playing in a rock n' roll band. On a dare from a handful of fans a performance was planned. Call in old friend renaissance bassist PAUL MAGLIARI and seasoned sideman AL ORLO and JAZM? is a living breathing experiment gone awry! Operatically trained and downtown rock songbird, BIRDY, has given the JAZM? songwriters a true rock 'n roll diva. The songs written expressly for BIRDY are hits waiting to happen. This egg incubated by JAZM? and now ready to crack promises to produce a bird of another feather. The members in JAZM? are the boys your mother would not want you to hang out with after school but would serve you well to sit next to on exam day! They are the reasons tigers eat their young and The Cheshire Cat smiles. JAZM? will always remember The Maine and you will never know what they've forgotten. They enjoy regular visits to the lairs of non-existent dragons as well as the dark corners where

MICHAEL O'KEEFE (Drums/Vocals/Music) began drumming at the age of 7. A New Yorker to his core, he was a fixture in the NYC punk/no wave scene, drumming for punk outfit The Latest, and sharing the stages of CBGB and Max's Kansas City with such notables as DNA and Teenage Jesus and the Jerks. Always seeking new challenges, Michael began experimenting with programming and synthesis and started the new wave band Dress For Success with longtime collaborator and Jazmo mate Dave Toy. In DfS he provided vocals, synth, and percussion. It was during this period that Michael met Paragon Artists label mate Nenad Bach, an encounter that led to his contributing cover art for Nenad's first American release, the single "Woman in the Bay," and later as drummer for this Croatian born composer. As a partner in Soundscapes, Michael Created scores, jingles, and sound marks for many products and merchants, including Macy's, Home Box Office, and Cinemax, and he scored industrial videos for a number of clients, including the Technical Careers Institute in New York. He also provided the musical score for the feature-length cult classic Woodchipper Massacre, which was rereleased in 2007. These days, Michael's focus is back on drumming, performing regularly as a member the Nenad Bach Band. He has provided backing, both live and in the studio, for a variety of singers and songwriters, including Jeffrey Braun, Robert Lund, and Dusty (featuring former Banshees of Blue members Debra Berg and Sherryl Marshall and Steely Dan vocalist Lesley Miller). He performs regularly with Lostdog In Loveland, who recorded the song "Mother of Pearl" for the recently released Roxy Music tribute record Take Refuge in Pleasure. That track also featured renowned pianist Mike Garson (David Bowie, Nine Inch Nails, Smashing Pumpkins). Along with Jeff Lasdon and Dave Toy, Michael is one of the founding members of Jazmo and shares composing and arranging credits.

PAUL J. MAGLIARI (Bass/Vocals). (1957) Born to John and Flora Magliari in August. (1970) Joined first band named Solemn High playing the drums. (1973) Joined cover band Medusa playing guitar. The band members included Mike O'Keefe and David Toy. (1975) Joined prog-rock band Trinity on lead guitar. (1978) Joined original band The Latest; same line up as Medusa; popular band at CBGB's. (1983) Joined original band IBM – also did very big at CBGB's. (1988) Took a break from bands and went into Graphic Design, Illustration and Gallery Art. Between the years 1989 and 1995 Mr. Magliari had five one-person shows and several group shows in galleries in Westchester, Soho, Washington DC and Fairfield, CT. (1991) Married to Amie Crabtree. Served as Senior Creative Director at the World Wrestling Federation until 2001. (1995) His daughter Fiona was born. (1996) Founded one-man band Period Comma then recorded and produced three CDs entitled 'The Ager,' 'Lily Still' and 'It's Me Old Man.' on which he played keys, guitars, drum machine and electronic drums. (2006) Joined African drum troupe: Infinite Roots playing Djembe, Samba and Kikini. (2008) Joined the KC and Anne cover band as the bassist. (2011) Joined the Jazmo line up playing bass . (2011) Helped form cover band Vintage Vinyl playing drums.

DAVID TOY (Guitar/Vocals/Music/Lyrics). During the 1970's Dave composed all of the music for the original JAZMO as well as collaborating on the lyrics. He was also a veteran member of the New York Punk scene as a member of the CBGB favorite, The Latest. He began playing with drummer, Michael O'Keefe at that time and has been playing with him ever since. After graduating from Colgate University he went on to form Dress For Success an 80's electronic band that garnered rave notices and was immediately signed by Paragon Records who released the band's first CD and Video. During the 1990's Dress For Success morphed into DFS, a band returning to its Guitar, Bass and Drum hard rock roots. In 2004 he met Jeff Lasdon at a poker game, began discussing music and Mr. Lasdon's fondness for writing poetry. Dave immediately took Lasdon's original poem 'The Blue Note' and put it to music. The rest is history.

AL ORLO (Guitar). 1990–2000: Leader of The Al Orlo Band playing performances in NY Metro area clubs, including Zanzibar and Le Bar Bat in Manhattan. The band played original guitar oriented instrumental music and featured many top NY jazz/fusion musicians, including George Whitty and Rodney Holmes (The Brecker Brothers), Zach Danziger (Michel Camilo), Pete Levin and Tim Hegarty (Gil Evans Orchestra), NEd Mann (The Mann Brothers), Rob Aries (John Scofield), Leo Traversa (Astrid Gilberto), Andy Korn and Danny Obadia (Aftertouch), Aaron Heick (Chaka Khan), and Cornelius Bumpus (Steely Dan). On occasion, the line-up included vocalists Tommy McDonnell (The Blues Brothers), and James "Crab" Robinson (Jeff Lorber). Al also performed at Sam Ash Music Guitar Clinics in NY, and at the Winter Namm Show in Anaheim, CA, as an endorser of La Bella Guitar Strings. He was the Guitarist on a four-city Tour for The Manhattan Transfer playing Chicago, Reno, Las Vegas, and Tuscon. 2000-2012: Member and Musical Director of the Ben E. King BAND; touring nationally and internationally as well as taping many television broadcasts. CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Mt Fuji Jazz Festival 2004; Osaka and Fukuoka Blue Notes in Japan, Summer of 1993; Live on "The Today Show" (NBC) 1991; Taped performance "Friday Night Videos" (NBC) 1992; Lou Rawls 'Parade of Stars Telethon' at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem 1992; Arkansas Inaugural Ball for President Clinton in Washington, D.C., January of 1993; Concerts with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra March 1996, the San Jose Symphony & the Columbus Symphony Orchestra July, 1996, performing Ben E's hits with arrangements for 62 pieces. IN ADDITION TO: Guitarist on over 1000 performances of Broadway Productions including the hit shows Smokey Joe's Cafe, Aida, Hairspray, Footloose, Saturday Night Fever, Rocky Horror Show, Little Shop of Horrors, Legally Blonde and Catch Me If You Can. In 1996 Al formed RAZ/OR PRODUCTIONS with partner Isaac Raz. His Publishing Company is called ORE ALLOY MUSIC.




Videos