A whale of a sound

New imprint puts New Bedford on the music map

by Bob Gulla

Dave Mallett

Company founder and president Neal Weiss has big things in store for Whaling City Sound, his brand-spankin' new New Bedford-based label. Weiss has long supported the area's live music scene and rich musical heritage, now his goal now is to bring that scene to a wider audience. Initially, the Whaling City Sound label will produce recordings by new and established artists, then they'll hang around to promote recordings produced by others, showcasing talent that might not be heard without the organization's help. WCS will also present concerts, CD Release parties, and various other special events to help promote their projects.

The inaugural effort from the imprint is Marcelle Gauvin's Faces of Love, a pretty collection of jazzy, off-the-beaten path compositions produced by veteran pianist and arranger John Harrison. The debut reflects the Gauvin's intense passion for the material she covers, which ranges from spicy Brazilian love songs to old show tunes and some of her favorite chestnuts. Her line-up features stellar talent, including tenor saxes Mike Monagan and Stan Strickland, bassist Peter Kontrimas, and drummer Jack Menna. Gauvin and Harrison take their show on the road for a benefit at Chan's in Woonsocket on February 12. The proceeds of the show, which promises to be an elegant night of terrific jazz, will go to Gigi Colson's Calcutta Ministry. It's not exactly Valentine's Day-you could close your eyes and fake it-but it would make a perfect romantic night out for you and yours.

The performance on Faces of Love represents another huge leap in a career that's been filled with huge leaps. Gauvin's affinity for music dates back to childhood<when her dad exposed her to Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald<and has not abated since. Her true love affair with jazz began after she met acclaimed jazz educator and instrumental talent Rick Britto, with whom she assembled a jazz cabaret. She gained studio experience with producer, arranger Joe Carrier, singing background vocals and jingles, then applied that experience to Soundscope a popular area band that enjoyed wide East Coast exposure for better than a decade.

Subsequent Whaling City Sound releases slated for the spring include John Harrison's own label debut, and a crackling live recording of the Whaling City Sound Super Band. The latter consists primarily of alumni of the late, great saxophonist and teacher Bobby Greene, featuring Danny ("Dr. D") Schwartz on percussion, Rusty Russo on drums, Bill Miele on electric bass, Stan Belmarce on guitar, Rick Britto on reeds and keys, singer Marcelle Gauvin, and pianist Harrison, who also assumes arranging and conducting chores with Britto.

PHILHARMONIC NEWS. Some good news on the music education front came down the pike from the folks at the Rhode Island Philharmonic. It seems that the organization here, the first professional performing arts organization established in the state, is joining together with the Music School in an alliance that makes perfect sense to us. The Music School is a valuable and important institution that provides music instruction to students of all ages and maintains a substantial outreach program. The merger became effective at the signing of the official documents at a celebration on Thursday, January 13 at the Rhode Island Foundation.

For the past five and a half decades or so, the Philharmonic has filled an essential cultural hole in the state, producing excellent classical and pops performances, presenting opera productions and developing appreciation for orchestral music statewide. In the past four seasons under the direction of Larry Rachleff, the Philharmonic, now fairly financially sound, has made great strides in expanding its educational component beyond the already successful Youth Orchestra, Music Gateways, Music In Our Schools, Music for Our School and Kidizens Concerts.

The Music School, established in 1987, currently serves over 1200 students of all ages with group and individual instrumental and vocal lessons as well as music classes and ensemble studies. In addition, throug h their various music education programs, ABC: Arts are Basic to Curriculum, which reaches students through the public schools, and Cultural Alternatives, which reaches students through social service agencies, the Music School reaches an additional 800 children and families annually. By joining the two institutions, a formidable music and arts education alliance is born, one that will reach out to the ends of the state and to the rest of southeastern New England. Finally, in light of the crap we keep hearing about the arts being imperiled, some good news.

The Music School's former administrative offices will move to 222 Richmond Street, Providence, the building of the Philharmonic's administrative offices. Music School lessons and classes will continue at their current locations in Providence at Nathan Bishop Middle School, at St. Luke's Church in East Greenwich and at the Reynolds School in Bristol. For more information, call the Philharmonic office at 831-3123, or the Music School office at 272-9877.

WANDERING EYE. Seems like the Safari Lounge cause, whose case won a successful appeal (see "This Just In" in the News section), has taken on a firebreathing life of its own, mobilizing good-hearted local musicians and civilians alike. A few even traded barbs with Mary Ann Sorrentino on her 550 AM (The Buzz) talk time and spent some time with talk host Brian Bishop (6 to 6:45 p.m.). The latter, an impressively independent thinker and major talkie, was more sympathetic to the cause on his "Rule Free Radio" show. Check it out.

Gigmania, a decent source for live music listings on the Internet, announced a "Plug-In, Play Out and Get Paid" competition. First prize is a tour support package worth almost $40,000. Any artist, signed or not, is eligible to win. All they have to do is upload at least one MP3, preferably a live track, to the Gigmania site between now and March 31. The winner will be announced April 14. The package will be awarded once the first place winner has confirmed an eight-city tour. For complete details, contest rules, disclaimers, etc., log on to www.gigmania.com. The site, as you'll see, also offers a searchable database of over 35,000 artists. Visitors can check out music samples, purchase concert tickets, buy CDs, watch videos, post their own concert reviews, or take advantage of a bunch of other record company promotions.

Dave Mallett takes the stage at Stone Soup this Saturday. The downhome Maine native with the flannel shirt and the heart of a poet has some highly recommended folk stories for you to hear. The show begins at 8 o'clock in the Undercroft of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church (15 Hayes Street, Providence). Admission, $10. The concert will be preceeded by an open mic, or "hoot," as the folkies like to call it.