Rolando Rojas: Everyone Loves that Latin Beat By Ralph De Palma Rolando’s original home is in Concepción, Chile. He studied music, learning classical guitar in high school. Later, in a vineyard/wine-making region of Viña del Mar, he studied classical piano and harmonies. While in music school, Rolando stopped playing guitar and learned the piano. He loves […]
Soul of Key West Book Signing Don’t Miss this Book Signing during the Annual Just A Few Friends celebration of the life of Key West favorite son Jimmy Buffett. Saturday September 5th at 11am – 1pm at Books and Books/Studios of Key West on the corner of Eaton Street & Simonton Street. Soul of […]
Liz O’Connor — as sweet as apple pie Elizabeth Marie O’Connor (Liz) was born October 14, 1954 while Hurricane Hazel was raging around the hospital in Binghamton, New York. Liz and her two sisters came from a very musical family. All of them starting playing their home piano. Later, Liz started playing guitar very early […]
John LaMere “Playing songs people forgot they remember” John LaMere grew up in Glen Cove, a city on Long Island, just outside the Big Apple. His great-grandfather, Stanley Melinson, sang tenor on Broadway with Al Jolson in the 1920s. He has a 1927 recording of his grandfather. At age 20, after his first college semester, […]
Yankee Jack — A Friend Is Gone If you asked 100 people in Key West who was John Pittorino, no one would know. If you ask the same people, “Who is Yankee Jack?”, everyone will tell you he’s was the cool entertainer, musician at The Bull on Duval Street. John Pittorino was better known as Yankee […]
Mary Spear “When all else fails, I play Dead – Grateful Dead” Mary Spear was raised in Carroll, Iowa. At fourteen, she listened to recordings of Joni Mitchell, Pete Seeger, and Bob Dylan and started playing the guitar. While in high school, Mary attended summer music programs at the University of Vermont. She lived […]
Founders Park Amphitheater “It couldn’t be stopped” Founders Park’s TIB Amphitheater is located on 45 acres at 87000 Overseas Highway in Islamorada, FL. Long time Islamorada resident, musician, and community leader David Feder has been instrumental in the development, and later management, of the amphitheater. Shortly after incorporating the five islands that made up the […]
Blind Willie Johnson Interstellar Bluesman Famous Key West Blues musician Larry Baeder once said, “A musician needs the understanding of musical history.” The history of the Blues is closely related to gospel and in the 1920s, one of the original Blues artists was Blind Willie Johnson. I have to admit not knowing much about him […]
Carl, We Love You — Ralph DePalma Key West is a “Guitar Town”. We have more guitar players than we have bartenders but we only have one Caffeine Carl Wagoner. Over the years, I have posted hundreds of photos of Caffeine Carl Wagoner. We spoke many times about music, guitars, other guitarists, his buddy Bill […]
Terri & Larry “A reconnected duo” My music columns are always about one musician or a Key West music venue. A few weeks ago, I was at Viv’s Wine Bistro listening to Larry Baeder and Terri White. While they took a break, I walked down to Andy’s Cabana to listened to Sam Carlson. Sam asked […]
