Chenango Guitar Heroes featured in Arts Council benefit concert Sept. 26
NORWICH – The Chenango County Council of the Arts in Norwich announces “Chenango Guitar Heroes,” featuring Tom Rasely, Ron Palmer and Mark Sherwood, and the Eric Porter Trio on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. in the Martin W. Kappel Theater. The concert is a benefit for the Council.
The featured guitarists are well known, popular, Chenango County musicians with strong followings who have performed for many years throughout the area. They have never, however, been seen together in one concert.
Tom Rasely began playing the guitar in 1964, shortly after the Beatles hit the American music scene. As a (mostly) self-taught guitar player, Tom had a vast training in music theory. He studied music at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, and received a Bachelor of Music Ed. from SUNY Fredonia (’73).
Probably the most influential musician in Tom’s life was his father Charles W. Rasely. A Juilliard School graduate (’42), Charles was a teacher, singer, composer, pianist, violinist, conductor. He was a man who lived and breathed music.
As a teacher, Tom has taught thousands of players at his private studio. He has also taught at NPM Guitar Schools all across the country, at the National Guitar Workshop in Connecticut, and was the Director of the Norwich Guitar School. Two of Tom’s original songs were featured in Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine. Tom has written several guitar instruction books, including the “Chord Chart Guitar Method” (self-published), and “Types and Uses of the Capo” (Mel Bay Publications).
As a performer, Tom has toured 26 states and parts of Canada, and has performed twice at the White House for the Christmas VIP tours. His live gigs also include basic blues seminars, and a variety of background music venues. Tom Rasely’s “Guest Artist” appearances include: Holiday Tours at the White House [’98, ‘02], BC Pops [Binghamton NY], Buffalo [NY] Festival Orchestra, Marywood University Orchestra [Scranton PA], Syracuse [NY] Symphony Pops, The Oneida [NY] Area Civic Chorale.
Ron Palmer and Mark Sherwood are a couple of guitar players who, as they say, “got together through the fickle fingers of fretted fate.”
Ron was the lead guitarist in the original Harry Chapin Band from 1971-1974 and is a life long finger-style guitarist.
Mark is a graduate of the Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT), completing the Journeyman Guitarists Program in 1995. He is known for his chord structures and unique melodies, always striving to transcend the concept of who he is as a player.
On the evening of Oct. 24, 2004, there was a total lunar eclipse. That night, Ron and Mark put together their first original piece, and named it “Lunar Tune”. It became a kind of blueprint for the way they blend their individual styles into a cohesive and exciting musical experience.
The Eric Porter Trio: Eric Porter, Jim Kolet and Robert Tousignant
Born Eric Glade Porter, Aug. 14,1958 in Guatemala City ,Guatemala to American parents in a musical family, Eric returned to the United States when he was 3 yrs. old. He grew up listening to a lot of Latin music , getting his first guitar at age 4 (a wind-up plastic guitar made by Mattel that played multi-colored discs!) When he was 13, he heard Stairway to Heaven, and realized then that playing guitar was what he wanted to do. Without any formal training, he learned to play by ear and began his musical journey listening to and emulating what he heard on records. Eric soon learned the powerful magic that drew people to music, stating he “would have become a hermit but for my desire to be part of a band and share this new exploration with my friends by forming a group with the dream of becoming rock stars.” Eric has played guitar and sung in a multitude of bands, recording music for radio and television (HBO and Comedy Central), and working as a musician in live theater including Off-Broadway plays. He has recorded in major studios (Hit Factory , House of Music) with recording artists such as Joan Armstrong and Chris Butler of The Waitresses. He has played in and out of New York City and New Jersey, as well as locally, and has composed and recorded an eclectic mix of thousands of songs spanning hard rock, progressive acoustic folk, electronic reggae funk and meditative. Recently he has been recording nature sounds to use as ambience. Eric is currently playing club dates with 2 bands (Thistle Dew and What if ), and looks forward with great enthusiasm to many more musical adventures.
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Robert Tousignant began playing trap set at the age of 12, which led to conga and bongo drums as well as a rudimentary education in drum and bugle corps. He started playing the drums in school band, which progressed to local music performances in the Troy/Albany region, working with Nick Brignola, a well-known jazz saxophone musician in the area. Upon high school graduation, left to start his musical performance expedition, including performing and recording with musical greats. His band, The Music Explosion, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, and Robert continues to play drums locally.
At age 13 Jim Kolet was given his first guitar, an old Harmony acoustic with only three strings on it. Jim boasts “With only three strings I had no choice but learn to play bass lines on it”. He played his first live performance when he was 15. Throughout his professional career he has had the pleasure of performing with guitarist Kim Simmons, Brian Setzer, Kenny Neal and long time friend Eric Porter, drummers Steve Holly, Pete Mendillo, Rob (Wacko) Hunter and Robert Tousignant, singer/songwriter Carol King and folk singer Jamie Brockett. Jim has shared the stage on numerous opening performances with Benny Mardones, Foghat, Lover Boy and The Outlaws just to name a few. Jim is also an accomplished singer/songwriter.
This may be your only chance to see all these local legends on stage at the same time! Tickets for Guitar Heroes are $20 and all proceeds benefit the Council of the Arts.
Since 1975, the Chenango County Council of the Arts has provided arts services to the residents of Chenango County and the surrounding region. This is accomplished by focusing on activities that bring the arts and the community together in a rural area. The Council offers a Subscription Performance Series that brings a wide range of high caliber professional performing artists, including a new Chamber Music Series, to our 500 seat theater; a year long series of professionally curated Gallery exhibitions; classes in the visual and performing arts for all ages; grants for individual artists, teachers, schools and cultural organizations; workshops and networking opportunities for artists; and technical assistance and referrals for artists and arts organizations. CCCA is now in its 34th year as a cultural service provider, and has also been administering programs in Broome County since 2003.
The Chenango County Council of the Arts is located at 27 West Main Street, Norwich. Tickets may be purchased online at www.chenangoarts.org or by calling the Council at 336-ARTS (2787).
The featured guitarists are well known, popular, Chenango County musicians with strong followings who have performed for many years throughout the area. They have never, however, been seen together in one concert.
Tom Rasely began playing the guitar in 1964, shortly after the Beatles hit the American music scene. As a (mostly) self-taught guitar player, Tom had a vast training in music theory. He studied music at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, and received a Bachelor of Music Ed. from SUNY Fredonia (’73).
Probably the most influential musician in Tom’s life was his father Charles W. Rasely. A Juilliard School graduate (’42), Charles was a teacher, singer, composer, pianist, violinist, conductor. He was a man who lived and breathed music.
As a teacher, Tom has taught thousands of players at his private studio. He has also taught at NPM Guitar Schools all across the country, at the National Guitar Workshop in Connecticut, and was the Director of the Norwich Guitar School. Two of Tom’s original songs were featured in Fingerstyle Guitar Magazine. Tom has written several guitar instruction books, including the “Chord Chart Guitar Method” (self-published), and “Types and Uses of the Capo” (Mel Bay Publications).
As a performer, Tom has toured 26 states and parts of Canada, and has performed twice at the White House for the Christmas VIP tours. His live gigs also include basic blues seminars, and a variety of background music venues. Tom Rasely’s “Guest Artist” appearances include: Holiday Tours at the White House [’98, ‘02], BC Pops [Binghamton NY], Buffalo [NY] Festival Orchestra, Marywood University Orchestra [Scranton PA], Syracuse [NY] Symphony Pops, The Oneida [NY] Area Civic Chorale.
Ron Palmer and Mark Sherwood are a couple of guitar players who, as they say, “got together through the fickle fingers of fretted fate.”
Ron was the lead guitarist in the original Harry Chapin Band from 1971-1974 and is a life long finger-style guitarist.
Mark is a graduate of the Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT), completing the Journeyman Guitarists Program in 1995. He is known for his chord structures and unique melodies, always striving to transcend the concept of who he is as a player.
On the evening of Oct. 24, 2004, there was a total lunar eclipse. That night, Ron and Mark put together their first original piece, and named it “Lunar Tune”. It became a kind of blueprint for the way they blend their individual styles into a cohesive and exciting musical experience.
The Eric Porter Trio: Eric Porter, Jim Kolet and Robert Tousignant
Born Eric Glade Porter, Aug. 14,1958 in Guatemala City ,Guatemala to American parents in a musical family, Eric returned to the United States when he was 3 yrs. old. He grew up listening to a lot of Latin music , getting his first guitar at age 4 (a wind-up plastic guitar made by Mattel that played multi-colored discs!) When he was 13, he heard Stairway to Heaven, and realized then that playing guitar was what he wanted to do. Without any formal training, he learned to play by ear and began his musical journey listening to and emulating what he heard on records. Eric soon learned the powerful magic that drew people to music, stating he “would have become a hermit but for my desire to be part of a band and share this new exploration with my friends by forming a group with the dream of becoming rock stars.” Eric has played guitar and sung in a multitude of bands, recording music for radio and television (HBO and Comedy Central), and working as a musician in live theater including Off-Broadway plays. He has recorded in major studios (Hit Factory , House of Music) with recording artists such as Joan Armstrong and Chris Butler of The Waitresses. He has played in and out of New York City and New Jersey, as well as locally, and has composed and recorded an eclectic mix of thousands of songs spanning hard rock, progressive acoustic folk, electronic reggae funk and meditative. Recently he has been recording nature sounds to use as ambience. Eric is currently playing club dates with 2 bands (Thistle Dew and What if ), and looks forward with great enthusiasm to many more musical adventures.
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Robert Tousignant began playing trap set at the age of 12, which led to conga and bongo drums as well as a rudimentary education in drum and bugle corps. He started playing the drums in school band, which progressed to local music performances in the Troy/Albany region, working with Nick Brignola, a well-known jazz saxophone musician in the area. Upon high school graduation, left to start his musical performance expedition, including performing and recording with musical greats. His band, The Music Explosion, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, and Robert continues to play drums locally.
At age 13 Jim Kolet was given his first guitar, an old Harmony acoustic with only three strings on it. Jim boasts “With only three strings I had no choice but learn to play bass lines on it”. He played his first live performance when he was 15. Throughout his professional career he has had the pleasure of performing with guitarist Kim Simmons, Brian Setzer, Kenny Neal and long time friend Eric Porter, drummers Steve Holly, Pete Mendillo, Rob (Wacko) Hunter and Robert Tousignant, singer/songwriter Carol King and folk singer Jamie Brockett. Jim has shared the stage on numerous opening performances with Benny Mardones, Foghat, Lover Boy and The Outlaws just to name a few. Jim is also an accomplished singer/songwriter.
This may be your only chance to see all these local legends on stage at the same time! Tickets for Guitar Heroes are $20 and all proceeds benefit the Council of the Arts.
Since 1975, the Chenango County Council of the Arts has provided arts services to the residents of Chenango County and the surrounding region. This is accomplished by focusing on activities that bring the arts and the community together in a rural area. The Council offers a Subscription Performance Series that brings a wide range of high caliber professional performing artists, including a new Chamber Music Series, to our 500 seat theater; a year long series of professionally curated Gallery exhibitions; classes in the visual and performing arts for all ages; grants for individual artists, teachers, schools and cultural organizations; workshops and networking opportunities for artists; and technical assistance and referrals for artists and arts organizations. CCCA is now in its 34th year as a cultural service provider, and has also been administering programs in Broome County since 2003.
The Chenango County Council of the Arts is located at 27 West Main Street, Norwich. Tickets may be purchased online at www.chenangoarts.org or by calling the Council at 336-ARTS (2787).
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