Celebrating the Legends

Synia Carroll

Synia Carroll

From Simon Lasky –

My brilliant friend Synia.

Synia Carroll was an immensely gifted vocalist and a unique performer. As anyone who has seen her in concert will testify, in performance, she was a force of nature: No matter a big concert hall (with a knowledgeable, attentive audience) or a tiny wine bar (with no one listening!) Synia had the ability to grab the audience by the scruff of the neck and bring them along with her. By the end of the show, you hadn't just been at a concert, you'd had an EXPERIENCE!

She was a powerful singer. And she sung about things that mattered. I remember being viscerally moved hearing her Nina Simone tribute show at the annual JEN conference (with Suggs, O'Leary, Paul Gavin - all the local heavy cats) a couple of years ago. She had high hopes for the project - and so much more to say, as a musician. She has left us far to soon...but my heart is warmed by the fact that she DID complete a beautiful album last year ('Water Is My Song') and that her live performances, in particular, will long live in the hearts and minds of those who were lucky enough to see her.

Rest in peace sweet lady. Thank you for the music, for the laughs, and for making the lives of everyone who knew you that little bit sweeter.

More about Synia Carroll

BILL ALLRED

Bill Allred

From My Allred Family -

“Bill was born near the Mississippi River in the town of Rock Island, IL. He played trombone in high school, college and the US Navy Band.

In 1971, he joined Walt Disney World as a staff musician. Since Disney, Bill appears in concert with Billy Butterfield, Bob Crosby, Bobby Hackett, Eddie Miller, Al Hirt, Dick Hyman, Dizzy Gillespie, Mel Torme, Al Cohen, Louis Bellson, Snooky Young, Ross Tomkins, Bob Cooper, Urbie Green, Carl Fontana, Milt Hinton, Bob Haggart, Butch Miles, Buddy Morrow, Tex Benecke, Billy Maxted, And The Lawson-Haggart, World’s Greatest Jazz Band.”

From Riverwalk Jazz Collection -

“His jazz performances have taken him to the major jazz festivals and concerts in the United States and abroad. Bill has appeared in concerts with Jack Teagarden, Billy Butterfield, Al Hirt, Clark Terry, Dizzy Gillespie, Mel Torme, Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, Snooky Young, Ross Tomkins, Bob Cooper, Milt Hinton, Bob Haggart, Butch Miles, Tom Saunders, Chuck Hedges, and countless other jazz personalities from all over the world.

For some years, Bill was a member of the Wild Bill Davison Jazz Band, traveling to Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, England, South America and at many other festivals and concerts worldwide. Bill still remains a member of Wild Bill Davison Legacy Band, a group championed by cornetist Tom Saunders. The Wild Bill Legacy recently performed concerts in Lacrosse, Wisconsin and Sacramento and returned to Europe in 1995 on their 10th Anniversary tour.”

JOEL SCHIAVONE

Joel Schiavone

From Joan Dragon –

Joel Schiavone and crew performed one year several years ago at festival. He was all in it for the show and had fun. He did “drop trou” on occasion, peeling down to USA FLAG undies, which he did at Suncoast to the not so humorous venue sponsor tastes.

Joel was the one to revive banjo music with Your Father's Mustache clubs.  I cut my banjo teeth there. During the 1960’s and 1970’s, he had 13 national and international locations. The New York Club was housed in a famous jazz venue in the Village - Nick's.location

He took the music to the White House, Carnegie Hall, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, and the Ed Sullivan show. 

The traveling "circus" was called Hairy Lip Productions and that group played all around the country.  In all he really kept the old tunes alive.

From The Syncopated Times –

“A graduate of Harvard and Yale with a visionary business mind he was deeply committed to New Haven Connecticut and is widely credited with the revitalization of the city’s downtown from near abandonment in the 1970s into a model of “new urbanism”, long before that phrase was coined.  Known locally both as “Mr. Downtown” and “New Haven’s Don Quixote”, he ran for office several times and is remembered for camping out on the local coliseum in an attempt to keep his AHL hockey team in town. Whatever he attempted he approached with optimism….”

More about Joel Schiavone