JAZMO Makes New York Debut at the Iridium Tonight

The Bedford Hills based, much buzzed about and highly acclaimed new intergenerational rock band, JAZMO, will make its New York Premiere at the world-renown Iridium (1650 Broadway at 51st Street, NYC) tonight, January 8th at 8:00pm and 10:00pm.

The band, whose members include Jeff Lasdon (vocals/harp/lyrics), Michael O'Keefe (drums/vocals/music), David Toy (guitar/vocals/music/lyrics), Paul J. Magliari (bass/vocals) and Al Orlo (guitar), will be introducing their new songs that are being readied for the recording studio and a new CD.

BIRDY, Downtown's Empress of Song, will be featured as the evening's Special Guest Artist.

Acutely aware of Iridium owner, Ellen Hart Sturn's, now iconic description of her international phenomenon as "a small venue that attracts some of the biggest talent in the world," JAZMO fully intends to blow the roof off the Underground uber club, as they bedazzle The Room full of expected record industry czars and impressively expanding fan base.

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.

Tickets are $25. For reservations, call 212-582-2121 or email iridiumjazz@gmail.com.

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.

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.

The Iridium is located in the Underground level below 51st Street and Broadway in in midtown Manhattan in New York City. It specializes in jazz and guitar-based music such as rock, blues and folk. It has established a strong reputation as a jazz institution and was for many years the performance home of guitar legend Les Paul, who performed at the club every Monday night from 1994 until his death in August, 2009. The Iridium's booking strategy is stated as "jazz, any instrument; guitar, any genre" and it bills itself as "The House That Les Paul Built". It has been cited by such publications as New York Magazine which called it "Best Jazz Club" and Guitar World Magazine, which called it "the country's best guitar club." Iridium books live music every night of the week, and continues to honor Les Paul every Monday by presenting The Les Paul Trio with special guest guitarists such as Jeff Beck, Steve Miller, Zakk Wylde, Todd Rundgren and many others, and donates a portion of sales to The Les Paul Foundation. In addition to live performances, Iridium also has a recording studio on site and webcasts regularly. The Meyer Sound System was designed by Les Paul, and is considered an audiophile room.

The Iridium began in 1994 on Manhattan's Upper West Side, booking local acts. A popular late night jam session introduced the club to many of the "young lions" of jazz who were playing in trumpeter Wynton Marsalis's Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra which performed regularly across the street. Ronald Sturm, the club's owner and booker, told The New York Times his goal was to "hire people like the trumpeter Marcus Printup, or Cyrus Chestnut. or Carl Allen, "and to give a chance to "younger, mainstream musicians while still booking the legends".

In the opening months of its existence, local unknown jazz groups and solo artists were given the opportunity to perform in front of an audience[. In 1996, "The Father of The Electric Guitar" Les Paul began performing there every Monday night and the club began receiving rock stars such as Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Eddie Van Halen and Slash. As Iridium's profile increased, it also began booking jazz Legends such as McCoy Tyner, Bob Dorough, Max Roach and Lionel Hampton. The original location underwent three renovations, then in August 2001 the club moved to its current location at 1650 Broadway on 51st Street.

Many major releases have been recorded live at Iridium, by artists like Jeff Beck -- whose CD Rock and Roll Party: A Tribute To Les Paul was nominated for a 2011 Grammy Award in the Best Rock Album category -- to CDs by Kenny Garrett, Jacky Terrasson, Charlie Haden, Kenny Barron, Benny Carter, The Jazz Messengers, Harry "Sweets" Edison and Clark Terry. Les Paul played at the club from 1996 until shortly before his death in 2009. The Room was dedicated to Les Paul during Jeff Beck's performances at the club on what would have been Les Paul's 95th birthday on June 9, 2010.

In 2010 The Iridium began a popular Facebook fan page that currently has over 18,000 fans and a youtube.com channel IridiumLive that posts many club performances in high definition. In 2011 The Iridium built a recording studio for live recordings and webcasts regularly in high definition video and audio.

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