HammondCast 29 Jon's Journal December 8 2012

*LISTEN TO THE AUDIO HERE: HammondCast 29 Downloaded 466 times http://archive.org/details/JonHammondHammondCast29 HammondCast 29
HammondCast 29 (JON HAMMOND) Jon Hammond HammondCast 29, Jon Hammond tells the story of meeting an actual ZIMMERMANN at the bar of his friend's new club UPTOWN NIGHTCLUB in Oakland CA. Zimmerman men are a centuries-old tradition in Germany of Carpenter Apprentices who walk around for one year fixing people's roofs, and there he was at Uptown Nightclub! It is said that it's very good luck to see a Zimmermann! Music from Michael Maier-Falkenstein's cd "Hammond Explosion" original compositions: "Cry Until it Feels Good", "Time with You" and Jon's song "Six Year Itch". Also a feature of Oakland drummer Ronnie Smith Jr. on "Thing in C Minor" + songs from Jon's new album NDR SESSIONS Projekt... San Francisco California -- Jon Hammond at the B3 organ with James Preston drums - Boom Boom Room Fillmore St. & Geary Avenue across the street from the Fillmore Auditorium Jon Hammond & Band at BOOM BOOM ROOM Aug. 14 Outside concerts: http://community-4.webtv.net/laterent/JONHAMMOND/ Sept. 29-Boedeckker Park, Tenderloin SF Oct. 5-Yerba Buena Garden-SF Sept. 13- in San Jose Airport Southwest Airlines Boarding Area Oct. 10-Manhattan Plaza, New York City Oct. 31-Halloween Party, Laguna Honda Hospital Nov. 30-Boom Boom Room w/ James Brown's drummer Erik Hargrove Dec. 5- Opera Plaza, S.F. Dec. 8- Laguna Honda Hospital Dec. 9-11 OLYMPIC VOYAGER Dec. 25- HHRC Club Jan. 8-11- Westin Rio Resort Puerto Rico March 7-11- Frankfurt Musikmesse 2001 March 9 & 10th- Jazzkeller Hofheim 15 jahr Jubilee Party! *Note: Special Thanks to the musicians...Erik Hargrove of James Brown Soul Generals, Kevin Mauder, Tyrone Starks, Christian Muenchinger, Steven King, Tony Horowitz, Lee Oskar (WAR), and especially main man Robert Hutya of Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg and brother Otmar Hutya for helping to make the shows at Musikmesse 2001 a big success!! **And Marco Galeazzi, Donatella and the Excelsior CEMEX team...Special Grazzia!! FRITZ Magazine-Manuel Schreiner, Joachim "Jo-Jo" Tucksen and Jazzkeller Hofheim team, Yucel "ALI" Atiker-Frankfurt, Jennifer Frizzell United Airlines, Scott Cooper-Universal Video Studios, Joe Berger-B.E.A.M. Audio. March 19th, 2001 Manhattan Plaza (my own birthday party with special friends!) June 23 & 24th, Shoreline Ampitheatre-New Orleans by the Bay Food and Music Festival March 2002- Musikmesse 2002 (16 year JUBILEE!) *March 2002...Return to the Jazzkeller Hofheim! BIG PARTY!! April 28th, 2001-Laguna Honda Hospital, 2 hour walkaround the wards with accordion April 30th, John Lee Hooker's BOOM BOOM ROOM in San Francisco June 2-Laguna Honda Hospital, Clarendon Building June 9th 2001, Opening ceremonies for Emeryville California CITY HALL! June 9th pm-Fairmont Hotel, grand piano June 10th-Hotel Pierre, San Francisco June 15th-Laguna Honda Hospital, Clarendon Building *note! June 23 and 24th Shoreline Show with Bonnie Raitt and The Funky Meters! July 1-Boom Boom Room, S.F. July 10-Manhattan Plaza July 13-NDR Radio Broadcast Hamburg Germany July 17th-NOON TIME SHOW outside at 1275 Market St. San Francisco! August 25th-solo accordion at Laguna Honda Hospital, Clarendon Building August 29th-*NOTE! This show canceled NOON TIME SHOW outside at 525 Market St. San Francisco...don't go. Sept. 20th: Taping: The Jon Hammond Show-big band arrangements of music of Led Zeppelin conducted by trumpeter Bill Warfield at Local 802 hall on W. 48th St. Manhattan **tune in on Time/Warner MNN TV! Sept. 30-Oct. 8th Hamburg Germany Oct. 27th-Laguna Honda Hospital Psych Ward, solo accordion in wards Oct. 27th-clubdate SF Nov. 3rd-Laguna Honda Hospitals, "doubles" 4 hours of continuous accordion music in the wards Nov. 5th-12th, recording sessions New York City Nov. 18th-Boom Boom Room, S.F. Dec. 12-Opera Plaza private holiday party Dec. 14-private christmas party Alfred Hitchcock bldg. Dec. 15-doubles in Laguna Honda Hospital Dec. 19-SF County Women's Jail "Pod E" Women's Jail Facility Dec. 21-Laguna Honda Hospital Dec. 27-Kwaanza Celebration with Ronnie Smith-drums at Laguna Honda Hospital Dec. 31-New Years party with Larry Schneider San Francisco HAPPY NEW YEAR 2002! Jan. 17 and 18 Jon Hammond at NAMM Anaheim! Jan. 19-solo accordion Laguna Honda Hospital Jan. 26-solo accordion in locked wards Laguna Honda Hospital Jan. 27-doubles in Laguna Honda Hospital Feb. 4th-Jury Duty New York City! March 1st-Smiley's Schooner Saloon and Hotel, Bolinas CA with Barry Finnerty guitar March 4th-Jon Hammond Funk Explosion at Boom Boom Room SF March 14-Cafe KLEMM-Frankfurt March 15 + 16th-Jazzkeller Hofheim (Germany) March 30-solo show in Psychiatric Ward of Laguna Honda Hospital SF April 8-American Legion Post Building, 248 132nd St. Harlem NYC April 11-Cobb's Corner-S.F. April 13-doubles at Lagua Honda Hospital April 25-Laguna Honda Hospital May 4-Laguna Honda Hospital May 10-Chicago-Green Mill + Chicago Brauhaus May 12-New York-American Legion Post 132nd St. Harlem May 18-Solo Piano FOUR SEASONS HOTEL S.F. May 19-Doubles: Laguna Honda Hospital S.F. June 1 - Doubles: Laguna Honda Hospital, solo on Casio MZ2000 June 6 - Bruno's Nightclub and Restaurant S.F.,, trio on Hammond B3 organ June 7 - Bruno's - trio gig and Police Sound Check pursuant to S.F. Police Commision Hearing June 12- solo piano at Bruno's Nightclub June 14- organ trio at Bruno's Nightclub SF. June 22 and 23-SHORELINE AMPITHEATRE-the 14th annual NEW ORLEANS BY THE BAY FOOD AND MUSIC FESTIVAL..opening show for Taj Mahal and Delbert McClinton! July 6- American Legion Post, Harlem NYC 132nd St. July 9- Recording session with Joe Berger NYC July 13- wedding in Nevada City CA July 19- Laguna Honda Hospital SF July 25- East Park Apartments' "Tony" the maintenance man's retirement luncheon S.F. July 25- Bruno's Nightclub S.F. - organ trio Aug. 17- Wedding gig Central Park NYC Aug. 24- doubles accordion gig at Laguna Honda Hospital Aug. 25- Cotati Accordion Festival Aug. 27- Jon Hammond Trio at Bruno's SF Sept. 6- session with guitarist Bill Wurtzel NYC Sept. 9- production meeting with Bernard Purdie Sept. 11- 9/11 United Airlines / Amercian Airlines Memorial Tribute to the Heroes in Washington Square Park NYC Sept. 19- 2 hour accordion concert Times Square Subway sation Sept. 22- recording session with Ronnie Smith and Alex Budman in Local 6 hall San Frandcisco Sept. 28th- Doubles accordion gig in Clarnedon Hall, Laguna Honda Hospital S.F. October 16-19 MUSIC CHINA Shanghai China! Oct. 16th evening, Jon will perform at the Shanghai Grand Theatre- Opening Night Reception of Music China with FangLin the phenomenal 14 year old accordion champion of China! While in Shanghai Mr. Hammond is a guest of the Renaissance Yangtze Shanghai Hotel: (0086).21-627.50000 Oct. 28- Laguna Honda Hospital, "doubles" solo Oct. 29- Recording at Local 6 hall SF Oct. 29- Bruno's SF with Ronnie Smith/Alex Budman *spcl. guests: Michael Rinta & Joe Rodriguez Nov. 5/6- recording new record- Unique Studios Times Square NYC w/Alex Budman, Ronnie Smith and Joe Berger at the controls. Nov. 16- taping for TV: "Alice in Wonderland" show with Igor & Ilona Kisil and Company at the world-famous Odessa Nightclub in Brighton Beach Brooklyn Nov. 23- Osaka Japan-Rug Time w/ Midori Ono Nov. 27- Photo Shoot for cover: "Hammond's Bolero" Brennan's and train track Berkeley CA Nov. 30- Doubles Laguna Honda Hospital- SF Dec. 3, 4, 5- Studio sessions w/Joe Berger- NYC Dec. 10- Opera Plaza Christmas event- S.F. Dec. 16- SF County Jail #8, "Pod E" Dec. 21- Doubles Laguna Honda Hospital- S.F. Dec. 25th - Christmas show Laguna Honda Hospital Dec. 30 - Session with saxophonist Don Pender and drummer Bob Ramirez at Local 6 Union Hall HAPPY NEW YEARS Jan. 16- NAMM Anaheim Jan. 21- Frankfurt Germany Jan. 22/23 NDR Radio Hamburg Jan. 24- Hamburg Germany- Birdland Jazz Club with Lutz Buchner- tenor sax, Heinz Lichius- drums *note: Birdland gig was packed!! **Hamburger Abendblatt newspaper wrote: Ob Doors-Liebhaber oder Baseball Freak: Sie alle lieben die SCHWEINEORGEL besser bekannt als Hammondorgel Ein Meister am Erzdamon der Musikinstrumente ist nomen est omen - Jon Hammond. Der Tastengott und TV - Pionier ist zurzeit mit Lutz Buchner, Ed Harris, und Heinz Lichius unterwegs, um Groove-Jazz mit maximaler Ausdrucskraft zum Besten zu geben. Am 24.1. (21Uhr) macht Jon Hammond Station im Birdland (Gartnerstrasse 122). Eintritt 9 Euro Feb. 1 - Laguna Honda Hospital solo show Feb. 14 - Happy Valentine's Day everybody! My cd just went on sale at NYC's oldest record store: COLONY RECORDS ! Broadway & W. 49th St. Feb. 15 - American Legion Post, 248 132nd St. Harlem NY with trumpetist Sheldon "The Big Dipper" Sweeper! Feb. 28 - Live on radio KPOO 89.5FM with JJ! March 1 - 4pm-Tower Records SF (Columbus & Bay St.) in-store party/concert with food and special guests! To promote new cd HAMMOND'S BOLERO with Jon Hammond Trio live March 5-9 Musikmesse Frankfurt Germany March 7th/8th-Jazzkeller Hofheim (near Frankfurt) Musikmesse party/concert with Harry Petersen-sax (HR Radio Band) and Heinz Lichius-drums (NDR Radio Band) *plus special guest LEE OSKAR March 17th-Radio appearance on Pete Fallico's DOODLIN' LOUNGE show at KUSP FM: www.KUSP.org streaming worldwide! March 29th-doubles Laguna Honda Hospital SF *Note: Canceled due to War: April 3-20th nightly show aboard world's fastest cruise ship Royal Olympia Explorer Ft. Lauderdale to Portugal, Casablanca, Tunisia, Venice, Piraeus Greece April 20th- Easter Jazz Brunch at ROTH'S STEAKHOUSE W. 93rd & Coumbus New York City with Bill Wurtzel-guitar 12noon-4pm April 28th, 8.30pm-Release Party/Concert with Joe Berger and band at Le Bar Bat NYC on W. 57th St. May 3, 2.30pm - release party/concert with Alan Hall-drums and Alex Budman-tenorsax at RASPUTIN RECORDS on Telegraph Ave. Berkeley. Free Fantastic Food! and 1 hour concert! May 10- Laguna Honda Hospital, doubles May 22-Pumpkins, Brooklyn NY in trio with Clarence "Tootsie" Bean-drums, Bill Saxton-sax, Jon on XB-2 June 7-Irish Cultural Center with Jimi James 45th and Sloat San Francisco June 8-Laguna Honda Hospital June 9th at 3pm Pacific Time - live in-studios of KCSM radio with program director Jesse Chuy Varela! listen worldwide on stream! *click wwwKCSM.org June 21/22- First time in Moscow Russia! with incredible tenor saxophonist Igor Butman and Eduard Zizak-drums! - Le Club Moscow Hammond's Bolero now on WBGO Rotation Playlist! June 27- WBGO visit with Gary Walker June 29- Special guest at WBGO Members Party June 30- 9:30pm East Coast time: worldwide streaming broadcast of The Jon Hammond Show tv show! channel 56 at www.MNN.org July 8- Crossroads in Garwood NJ, WBGO's Stan Meyers hosting July 19- Jazz Brunch 12-4PM: Roth's Westside Steakhouse NYC with Bill Wurtzel-guitar, Rudy Lawless-drums July 22- Roth's Westside Steakhouse NY with guitarist Bill Wurtzel July 31- recording session w/Larry Newcomb-gtr. at Local 802 hall Aug. 6- Private Party Opera Plaza San Francisco Aug. 7- Virgin Megastore SF (Market/Stockton) in-store party/concert at 1PM with Ronnie Smith Jr.-dums, Marc Baum-tenor sax, jh-Hammond org. Aug. 8, 9, 10, 16- Laguna Honda Hospital Aug. 15- Radio interview taping with Louie Bellson at Jazz Nouveau San Francisco Sept. 6- American Legion Post, Harlem NYC 248, 132nd St. NY with Sheldon "Big Dipper" Sweeper-trumpet and special guests Sept. 8/9- Eddie Money Portland Maine Sept. 18- Guest of Jazz At Lincoln Center "Moscow Nights" concert with Igor Butman Bigband together with Wynton Marsalis' Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Alice Tully Hall Sept. 25th, CANCELED: 12Noon-1:30PM San Francisco Opera Plaza Fountain Sept. 27/28- Laguna Honda Hospital Oct. 2/4th- Laguna Honda Hospital Oct. 9- Featured on Voice Of America Radio (VOA) "Border Crossings Show"! Oct. 15-18th- Music China Shanghai China Oct. 17 & 18th- Portman Ritz Carlton Hotel Shanghai with drummer Danny Woody! saxophone tba Oct. 25th- Duo with Marc Baum- Fairmont Hotel Venetian Room SF for Lowell High School Sports Foundation Oct. 28/29th- 2 nights with Eddie Money! at Iron Door Saloon, Groveland California Oct. 29th- Solo at Hole #1 tee-off of Eddie Money Celebrity Golf Tournament, Pine Mountain Lake benefit for Tioga High School *Condolences to the Barsotti Family on the tragic death of Bettike Barsotti, she and surviving husband Peter are proprietors of Iron Door Saloon. Oct. 31-campaign work for relection of SF District Attorney Terence Hallinan, 724 Van Ness SF Nov. 1- Solo show at Laguna Honda Hospital Nov. 6- Cancelonie Nov. 15- Jazz Factory- Louisville Kentucky Nov. 19-23- Castelfidardo Italy Excelsior tour Dec. 4- Post Net one year anniversary party-Vallejo CA Dec. 9- SF County Jail #8 women's facility Dec. 10th- Private party Opera Plaza San Francisco Dec. 11th- Laguna Honda Hospital Dec. 13th- secure psych ward gig Dec. 18-25- sessions in New York City Dec. 24th- Roth's Westside Steakhouse Christmas Eve Show! 93rd & Columbus New York City Dec. 31- New Years at Hotel Charlotte Groveland CA Jan. 7- Live KPOO 89.5 "Blues w/Noel Show", 9-11AM...worldwide at www.KPOO.com ! Jan. 8- Laguna Honda Hospital main building 7PM Jan. 15-18th- NAMM Show Anaheim Calfornia Jan. 21-25- IAJE Hilton Hotel New York City Feb. 2- 20th Anniversary of The Jon Hammond Show! which has run uninterrupted for 20 years. Cocktail reception at Roth's Steakhouse Feb. 4- Trio with Bill Wurtzel and Rudy Lawless 6-10PM Feb. 5 & 6- Guest of James Brown Band at BB King's NY Feb. 11th- Press Conference: Laurie Anderson "New Sound...New York" Feb. 12th- Session: Pumpkins Brooklyn, NY with Clarence "Tootsie" Bean, George Braith, Greg Lewis Feb. 18- Berklee College of Music workshop Feb. 20- Guest of Sons of Champlin, McNear's Mystic Theatre, Petaluma CA Feb. 21- Laughing Duck Winery, Ukiah CA Feb. 22- Laguna Honda Hospital Feb. 22- Hilton Hotel Reno Nevada Feb. 23- Penn Valley, CA Feb. 23- Jon Hammond Show TV: Jazz Factory special from Louisville KY Feb. 28- Laguna Honda Hospital March 11- Guest Appearance with drummer Tootsie Bean at Pumpkins, Brooklyn NY *Carol Sudhalter-saxes March 12- Photo Session with Sheldon "Big Dipper" Sweeper and Dido the drummer at St. Nick's Pub, 149th St. Harlem March 22- Roth's Westside Steakhouse with guitarist Bill Wurtzel 6-10PM March 25 & 28- Laguna Honda Hospital March 31-April 4th- Musikmesse Frankfurt Germany April 2/3- Jazzkeller Hofheim Musikmesse Party! *with: Heinz Lichius-drums, Kevin Mauder-tenor sax, Joe Berger-guitar Mini-tour in North Germany *with: Heinz cLichius-drums, Gabriel Coburger-tenor sax, Joe Berger-guitar, Jon Hammond-organ April 5- Blue Montag: Ham-Berger Band in Harburg at Schnulze! April 7- Blue Moon Bar, Bremen Germany April 9- Birdland Hamburg Ham-Berger Band! with Heinz Lichius, tenor sax: Gabriel Coburger April 16- Laguna Honda Hospital San Francisco April 29- WBGO 25 Year Anniversary Celebration participation www.WBGO.org May 3- Guest with Jon Paris at BB King's New York City May 6- Special Guest of Cirque Du Soleil Musicians at opening night Alegria at Randall's Island NY May 14- Special Guest of Eddie Money at Northern Lights Albany/Clifton Park NY May 24- The Jon Hammond Show TV First-Ever All-Digital Broadcast! May 19, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26-WBGO studios fund drive June 5&6- Millennium Theatre Brooklyn: Filming Igor Butman Bigband & Larisa Dolina for Jon Hammond TV Show June 8- Birdland NYC: Filming Igor Butman Bigband & Larisa Dolina for Jon Hammond TV Show June 24- Hipbone Records' studio session July 9- Rondure Music Club, 24 Prince St. (Soho) New York City, duo with saxophonist Tim Armacost July 17 & 18- Concerts in Moscow-CANCELED-Le Club with Igor Butman & Eduard Zizak July 24 & 25th- Laguna Honda Hospital July 28- KPOO Radio broadcast on "Blues With Noel Show" 10AM-2PM July 29&30th- Jon Hammond Quartet at Grant & Green in North Beach San Francisco Aug. 5- Laguna Honda Hospital SF Aug. 7- Laguna Honda Hospital SF Aug. 13- Duo with saxophonist Tim Armacost at Rondure Music Club/Restaurant NY www.rondurenyc.com www.timarmacost.com Aug. 21- Jazzkeller Frankfurt returning after many years! with Kevin Mauder-tenor sax Joe Berger live DVD filming, join the party! Aug. 27- Schnulze, Harburg-Hamburg Germany Sept. 4- 19 Broadway Fairfax Cal. JH Band Sept. 19- Jazz Ambassadors Tour adjudicating-Canceled Sept. 17,18, 20,21, 22- WBGO 6AM Sept. 22- receiving first Sidekick II unit Oct. 2- Postponed: Accordion sub: Fiddler On The Roof on Broadway NYC Oct. 8- Guest of Joe Berger/David Marx, Huckapoo debut concert at Town Hall www.huckapoo.com Oct. 12- Laguna Honda Hospital SF Cal. Oct. 15- Laguna Honda Hospital Oct. 17- Fly to Shanghai China Oct. 19- Play at Ritz Carlton Hotel Shanghai with Danny Woody and shows at Music China through Oct. 23rd Oct. 28th- AES Berklee College of Music Alumni Night Oct. 30- Laguna Honda Hospital SF Oct. 31- Fly to New York Nov. 2nd- DON'T FORGET TO VOTE...For Kerry! Nov.3rd- VOA Radio 15:00 UTC Nov. 6- Cleopatra's Needle NY Jon Hammond Quartet with Matt Smith-guitar & Tootsie Bean-drums & Brett Ryan-alto sax Nov. 13- Tunica Miracle Tour with Larry Liddell, Tunica Mississippi Nov. 14- WROX 1450 AM Blues radio appearance, Home of the Blues! Clarksdale Mississippi www.wroxblues.com Nov. 14- Guest at Aretha Franklin concert-Horeshoe Casino, Bluesville Robinsonville/Tunica MS *Special thanks: Larry Liddell Tunica Miracle! Nov. 22- Jon Hammond Show TV Show broadcast from Cleopatra's Needle Club Nov. 25- Happy Thanksgiving! Turkey dinner on United Airlines flight Nov. 27&28th- Laguna Honda Hospital Dec. 6- Jon Hammond Trio live in SF County Jail #8, 4th year! Dec. 7- Laguna Honda Hospital Dec. 8- Live for 1 hour at 1PM on KCSM 91.1 Jazz Radio with Chris Cortez Dec. 11- Laguna Honda Hospital Dec. 12- Guest at Bobby Blue Bland concert, Diamond Hall SF Sunday Blues & Jazz Club Dec. 15- *note: Canceled, harpist hired: Private party: Opera Plaza SF Dec. 17- Laguna Honda Hospital Christmas Party Dec. 20- Microsoft's *new MSN TV2 & Jon Hammond go online, streaming worldwide at the speed of light! Dec. 31/Jan. 1-Happpy New Years 2005! Times Square NY European tour support by Hammond Deutschland, Michael Maier Falkenstein: Jan 1- New Years Eve in Times Square NY! Jan. 3- Ruth's Chris Steakhouse San Francisco Jan. 5-8 IAJE Convention Long Beach CA Jan. 6- ASCAP/IAJE Commissions Gil Evans Fellowship, Terrace Theatre Jan. 7- NEA Jazz Masters Awards Jan. 9- Laguna Honda Hospital Jan. 10-14- Macworld San Francisco Jan. 11- Meeting with Apple's Steve Jobs ! Jan. 18- Laguna Honda Hospital Jan. 18 James Brown show, House of Blues Anaheim CA CANCELED Jan. 20-23 NAMM Anaheim CA Jan. 29- Laguna Honda Hospital Jan. 31- Local 6 Union Meeting Feb. 2- 21st year anniversary of Jon Hammond Show TV Show! Beginning 22nd year. Feb. 6- Laguna Honda Hospital Feb. 9- Laguna Honda Hospital Feb. 11- Laguna Honda Hospital Feb. 12- Laguna Honda Hospital March 12- EDITH PIAF CAFE-Paris France! March 14- ONE WAY CAFE- Paris France!-Canceled! (by me) March 17-funeral- Suisun Valley CA March 18- Laguna Honda Hospital SF CA March 28- Flying to Germany! Arrive Hamburg 3/29 Mar. 31- Multimedia with Michael August ILLUSTRATORP at VILLON in Hamburg by Hauptbahnhof! April 1 & 2- Hamburg Germany/NDR Radio April 5- Jazzkeller Frankfurt : Musikmesse 2005 Party! JON HAMMOND BAND April 6-9- Frankfurt Musikmesse April 15- Cleopatra's Needle Club-NYC Tax Day Party! April 27-CANCELED! Promoter is out of there! Smith's Restaurant Bar-NYC 44th St. May 28- Laguna Honda Hospital May 29- Laguna Honda Hospital June 4- Guest-Aretha Franklin Gospelfest June 4- late night: Guest- Igor & Illonka Kissil at Odessa in Brighton Beach Brooklyn June 5- WBGO Volunteers Party June 7- Southwest Airlines BWI Interview June 25- Laguna Honda Hospital June 27- Laguna Honda Hospital July 4- Laguna Honda Hospital (doubles) July 4- Guest- Shoreline Amitheatre 4th of July San Francisco Symphony Orchestra & Fireworks! produced by Mick Brigden July 6- Laguna Honda Hospital July 9- Laguna Honda Hospital July 23- Berklee College of Music Alum Songwriters Workshop July 27- Nursing Home show-NYC Aug. 27- Laguna Honda Hospital Aug. 28- Laguna Honda Hospital Sept. 5- Laguna Honda Hospital Sept. 6- Laguna Honda Hospital Sept. 16- Cleopatra's Needle NYC Sept. 22- Nursing Home show-NYC Oct. 18- Music China Warm Up Party-Shanghai Ritz-Carlton Dec. 2-4 NDR Radio Studio 1 Hamburg Germany Dec. 8- Nursing home show NYC — San Francisco California -- Jon Hammond: Nancy Pelosi is handing off the microphone that I had just handed her to Mayor Willie Brown after she spoke at Birthday Party for San Francisco District Attorney Terence Hallinan - Happy Birthday Terence! (Dec. 4th) - I was on the bandstand at my 1965 Hammond B3 organ with a quintet in the big room at Rasselas Jazz Club on Fillmore St. SF." - Nancy Pelosi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Pelosi Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi ( /pəˈloʊsi/; born March 26, 1940) is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011. She was the first woman to hold the office and to date is the highest-ranking female politician in American history.[1] A member of the Democratic Party, Pelosi has represented California's 8th congressional district, which consists of four-fifths of the city and county of San Francisco, since 1987. The district was numbered as the 5th during Pelosi's first three terms in the House. She served as the House Minority Whip from 2002 to 2003, and was House Minority Leader from 2003 to 2007, holding the post during the 108th and 109th Congresses. Pelosi is the first woman, the first Californian and first Italian-American to lead a major party in Congress. After the Democrats took control of the House in 2007 and increased their majority in 2009, Pelosi was elected Speaker of the House for the 110th and 111th Congresses. On November 17, 2010, Pelosi was elected as the Democratic Leader by House Democrats and therefore the Minority Leader in the Republican-controlled House for the 112th Congress. House Minority Leader Incumbent Assumed office January 3, 2011 Deputy Steny Hoyer Preceded by John Boehner In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2007 Deputy Steny Hoyer Preceded by Dick Gephardt Succeeded by John Boehner 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives In office January 4, 2007 – January 3, 2011 President George W. Bush Barack Obama Preceded by Dennis Hastert Succeeded by John Boehner House Minority Whip In office January 15, 2002 – January 3, 2003 Leader Dick Gephardt Preceded by David Bonior Succeeded by Steny Hoyer Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 8th district Incumbent Assumed office January 3, 1993 Preceded by Ron Dellums Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 5th district In office June 2, 1987 – January 3, 1993 Preceded by Sala Burton Succeeded by Bob Matsui Personal details Born Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro March 26, 1940 (age 72) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. Political party Democratic Party Spouse(s) Paul Pelosi (1963–present) Children Nancy Corinne Pelosi Christine Pelosi Jacqueline Pelosi Paul Pelosi Alexandra Pelosi Residence Cannon H.O.B. (Official) San Francisco, California (Private) Alma mater Trinity Washington University Religion Roman Catholicism Mayor Willie Brown http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Brown_(politician) Willie Lewis Brown, Jr. (born March 20, 1934) is an American politician of the Democratic Party. He served over 30 years in the California State Assembly, spending 15 years as its Speaker, and afterward served as the 41st mayor of San Francisco, the first African American to do so. Under the current California term limits law, no Speaker of the California State Assembly will ever have a longer tenure than Brown's.[1] The San Francisco Chronicle called Brown “one of San Francisco’s most notable mayors” that had “celebrity beyond the city’s boundaries.”[2] Brown was born in Mineola, Texas and attended a segregated high school. He moved to San Francisco in 1951, attending San Francisco State, graduating in 1955 with a degree in liberal studies.[3] Brown earned a J.D. from University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1958. He spent several years in private practice before gaining election in his second attempt to the California Assembly in 1964. Brown became the Democrats' whip in 1969 and Speaker in 1980. He was known for his ability to manage people and maintain party discipline. According to The New York Times, Brown became one of the country's most powerful state legislators.[4] His long tenure and powerful position were used as a focal point of California's initiative campaign to limit the terms of state legislators, which passed in 1990. During the last of his three allowed post-initiative terms, Brown maintained control of the Assembly despite a slim Republican majority by gaining the vote of several Republicans. Near the end of his final term, Brown left the legislature to become mayor of San Francisco. Brown served as San Francisco mayor from January 8, 1996 until January 8, 2004. His tenure as mayor is marked by a significant increase in real estate development, public works, city beautification, and other large-scale city projects. He presided over the "dot-com" era at a time when San Francisco's economy was rapidly expanding. Brown presided over the city’s most diverse administration with more Asian Americans, women, Latinos, gays, and African Americans than his predecessors.[2] He increased San Francisco's funding of MUNI by tens of millions of dollars. He ended San Francisco's policy of punishing people for feeding the homeless. The SF Board of Supervisors opposed Brown's agenda and some of his initiatives, in particular office and housing development.[5] Brown was restricted by term limits from running for mayor and was succeeded by a political protege, fellow Democrat Gavin Newsom. After being "termed out" of the mayor's office, Brown officially retired from politics, although he had often been associated with former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who served for seven years after the end of Brown's Mayoral tenure.[6][7] and participates in fundraising and advising other politicians. 41st Mayor of San Francisco In office January 8, 1996 – January 8, 2004 Preceded by Frank Jordan Succeeded by Gavin Newsom 58th Speaker of the California State Assembly In office December 2, 1980 – June 5, 1995 Preceded by Leo McCarthy Succeeded by Doris Allen Member of the California State Assembly from District 13 In office 1992–1995 Member of the California State Assembly from District 17 In office 1974–1992 Member of the California State Assembly from District 18 In office 1965–1974 Personal details Born Willie Lewis Brown, Jr. March 20, 1934 (age 78) Mineola, Texas Political party Democratic Spouse(s) Blanche Vitero, separated Residence San Francisco, California Profession Attorney Religion Methodist Military service Service/branch National Guard Brown was born in Mineola, a small segregated town in east Texas marked by racial tensions,[9] to Minnie Collins Boyd and Lewis Brown. Brown was the fourth of five children.[10] During Brown's childhood, mob violence periodically erupted in Mineola, keeping African Americans from voting. His first job was as a shoeshine boy in a whites-only barber shop.[10] He later worked as a janitor, fry cook, and field hand.[11] He learned his work ethic at a young age from his grandmother.[10] He graduated from MacFarland High School, an all-Black school he later described as substandard, and left for San Francisco in August 1951 at the age of 17 to live with his uncle. Brown originally wanted to attend Stanford University. His interviewer from Stanford also taught at San Francisco State and was surprised by Brown’s ambition. Brown did not meet the qualifications for San Francisco State, but the professor got him enrolled on probation.[10] Brown adjusted to college studies after working especially hard to catch up in his first semester.[12] He joined the Young Democrats and became friends with John L. Burton.[10] Brown originally wanted to be a math instructor but campus politics changed his ambitions. He became active in his church and the San Francisco NAACP. Brown worked as a doorman, janitor and shoe salesman to pay for college. Brown is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.[12] He also joined the ROTC. Brown earned a bachelor's degree in political science from San Francisco State College in 1955.[13] Brown later stated that his decision to go to law school was "more upon the avoidance of military service than anything else." He quit the ROTC and joined the National Guard reserve where he was trained as a dental hygienist. Brown attended Hastings College of the Law where he also worked as a janitor to pay for law school. Brown befriended future San Francisco Mayor George Moscone for whom Brown would later manage a campaign.[12] Brown earned a J.D. in 1958 and was class president at Hastings. In September 1958, Brown married Blanche Vitero, with whom he had three children, Susan, Robin, and Michael. He has four grandchildren, Besia, Matea, Mateo, and Lordes, and a step-granddaughter, Tyler. The couple separated in approximately 1976 but remain married. He has a daughter, Sydney Brown, by political fund raiser Carolyn Carpeneti.[14] During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Brown was one of a few African Americans practicing law in San Francisco when he opened his own practice.[10] He practiced criminal defense law, representing pimps, prostitutes, and other clients that more prominent attorneys would not represent.[10] One early case was to defend Mario Savio on his first civil disobedience arrest. He quickly became involved in the civil rights movement, leading a well-orchestrated sit-in to protest housing discrimination after a local real estate office refused to work with him because of his race.[11] Brown helped organize the public protest and helped attract media coverage. His role in the protests gave him the notoriety to run for the Assembly. Brown began his first run for the Assembly by having local African American ministers pass around a hat, collecting US$700.[10] He lost the election to the California State Assembly in 1962 by 600 votes before winning a second election in 1964.[15] [edit]California State Assembly Brown was one of four African Americans in the Assembly in 1964. He continued to be reelected to the Assembly until 1995. In the 1960s, Brown served as the Chair of the Legislative Representation Committee, a powerful Assembly position that helped Brown climb the Assembly ranks.[3] He became the Democrats' Assembly whip in 1969.[3] Brown also served on the Assembly Ways and Means Committee.[15] In 1972, he delivered a speech at the Democratic National Convention. He lost his bid for the speakership in 1972. In 1975, Willie Brown authored and lobbied the successful passing of the Consenting Adult Sex Bill that legalized homosexuality in California, thus earning the strong and lasting support of San Francisco's gay community. During the 1970s, Brown continued to expand his legal practice that was representing several major developers. He won the Speakership in 1980 with 28 Republican and 23 Democratic votes. Brown was California's first African American Speaker of the Assembly, and served in the office from 1981 to 1995. In 1990, Brown helped negotiate an end to a 64 day budget standoff. In 1994, Brown gained the vote of a few Republicans to maintain the Speakership when the Democrats lost control of the Assembly to the Republicans led by Jim Brulte. Brown regained control in 1995 by making a deal with Republican defectors Doris Allen and Brian Setencich, both of whom were elected Speaker by the Democratic minority.[16] During their tenures, Brown was the de facto Speaker. Brown's long service in the Assembly and political connections, his strong negotiation skills, and the Assembly's tenure system for leadership appointments, combined to give Brown nearly complete control over the California Legislature by the time he became Assembly Speaker. According to The New York Times, Brown became one of the country's most powerful state legislators.[4] He nicknamed himself the "Ayatollah of the Assembly".[17] Brown was extremely popular in his home of San Francisco, though less so in the rest of the state.[18] Nevertheless, he wielded great control over statewide legislative affairs and political appointments, making it difficult for his conservative opponents to assail his power. Partially to remove Brown from his leadership position, a state constitutional amendment initiative was proposed and passed by the electorate in 1990, imposing term limits on state legislators.[5][19] Brown became the focus of the initiative. Brown raised just under US$1 million to defeat the initiative.[20] The California Legislature challenged the law but it was upheld by the courts.[20][21] California Proposition 140 also cut the legislature's staff budget by 30 percent, causing Brown to reduce legislative staff by at least 600.[20] After term limits forced Brown out of office, the Assembly re-structured its rules to give most of the powers formerly held by the Speaker to a leadership committee made up of senior members of both major parties. Brown gained a reputation for knowing what was occurring in the state legislature at all times.[22] In 1992, he gave US$1.18 million to the Democratic Party to help with voter registration and several campaigns, some of which was from contributions from tobacco companies and insurance companies. As Speaker, he worked to defeat the Three Strikes Law. Critics have claimed Brown did not do enough to raise the legislature’s ethical standards or to protect the environment.[10] During his time in Sacramento, Brown estimates he raised close to US$75 million to help elect and reelect state Democrats.[23] Brown lead efforts in the Assembly for state universities to divest from South Africa and to increase AIDS research funding. Brown helped attain state funds for San Francisco, including funding for public health and mental health funds. Brown held the 1992 state budget for 63 days until Governor Pete Wilson added another US$1.1 billion for public schools.[10] Brown had a reputation in the Assembly for his ability to manage people. Brown attained the vote of Doris Allen by treating her with the respect she thought she deserved. Republican State Senator Ken Maddy of Fresno noted Brown’s ability to “size up the situation and create, sometimes on the spot, a winning strategy.” According to Hobson, "He was a brilliant day care operator. ... He knew exactly how to hold the hand of his Assembly members. He dominated California politics like no other politician in the history of the state".[10] [edit]Peoples Temple investigation Main article: Political Alliances of the People's Temple From 1975 to 1978, Brown supported the Peoples Temple, led by Jim Jones, while it was being investigated for alleged criminal wrongdoing. Brown attended the Temple perhaps a dozen times and served as master of ceremonies at a testimonial dinner for Jones where he stated in his introduction "[l]et me present to you a combination of Martin King, Angela Davis, Albert Einstein ... Chairman Mao."[24][25][26] Brown later said "If we knew then he was mad, clearly we wouldn't have appeared with him."[27] [edit]Mayor of San Francisco In 1995, Brown ran for Mayor of San Francisco. In his announcement speech, Brown said San Francisco needed a “resurrection” and that he would bring the “risk-taking leadership” the city needed.[23] Brown placed first in the first round of voting, but because no candidate received 50 percent of the vote, he ran against incumbent Frank Jordan in the December runoff. Brown gained the support of Supervisor Roberta Achtenberg who had placed third in the first round of voting. Brown campaigned on working to address poverty and problems with Muni. He called Jordan the "inept bumbler" and criticized his leadership. Jordan criticized Brown for his relations with special interests during his time in the State Assembly.[4] Brown easily defeated Jordan in the runoff. Brown's inaugural celebration included an open invitation party with 10,000 attendees and local restaurants providing 10,000 meals to the homeless.[2][28] President Bill Clinton called Brown to congratulate him, and the congratulations were broadcast to the crowd. He delivered his inaugural address without notes and led the orchestra in “Stars and Stripes Forever". He arrived at the event in a horse-drawn carriage.[2] According to the New York Times, Brown was one of the nation’s few liberal big city mayors when he was elected in 1996. In 1996, more than two thirds of San Franciscans approved of Brown's job performance.[29] As mayor, Brown made several appearances on national talk shows.[2] Brown called for expansions to the San Francisco budget to provide for new employees and programs. In 1999, Brown proposed hiring 1,392 new city workers and proposed a second straight budget with a US$100 million surplus. He helped to oversee the settling of a two-day garbage strike in April 1997.[22] During Brown's tenure, San Francisco’s budget increased to US$5.2 billion and the city added 4,000 new employees. Brown tried to develop a plan for universal health care, but there wasn’t enough in the budget to do so.[2] Brown put in long days as mayor, scheduling days of solid meetings and, at times, conducting two meetings at the same time.[22] Brown opened City Hall on Saturdays to answer questions.[17] He would later claim of his mayorship that he helped restore the city’s spirit and pride.[22] Brown's opponents in his 1999 mayoral reelection campaign were former Mayor Frank Jordan and Clint Reilly. They criticized Brown for spending the city’s US$ 1 billion in budget growth without addressing the city’s major problems and creating an environment in city hall of corruption and patronage.[22] Tom Ammiano was a late write-in candidate and he faced Brown in the runoff election. Brown won reelection by a 20 percent margin. He was supported by most major developers and business interests. Ammiano campaigned on a promise that he would raise the minimum wage to US$ 11 per hour and scrutinize corporate business taxes. Brown repeatedly claimed that Ammiano would raise taxes. President Clinton recorded a telephone message on Brown’s behalf. Brown’s campaign spent US$ 3.1 million to Ammiano’s US$ 300,000.[30] The 1999 mayoral race was the subject of the documentary See How They Run.[31] [edit]Crime and public safety Although scheduled on a flight to New York City the day of the September 11, 2001 attacks, Brown received an alert from his SFO security detail and cancelled. After learning of the attacks, he ordered the city to close schools and courts, concerned over the potential for terrorist attacks in the city, and recommended to representatives of the Bank of America Tower and Transamerica Pyramid that they should also close.[32] In February 2003, Brown's appointed Police Chief, Earl Sanders, and several top officials at the San Francisco Police Department were arrested for conspiring to obstruct the police investigation into an incident involving off-duty officers that was popularly called "Fajitagate".[2] [edit]Social policy Brown ended San Francisco’s policy of punishing people for feeding the homeless. San Francisco continued to enforce its policy regarding the conduct of the homeless in public places.[33] In 1998, Brown supported forcibly removing homeless people from Golden Gate Park and police crackdowns on the homeless for drunkenness, urinating, defecating, or sleeping on the sidewalk. Brown introduced job training programs and a $11 million drug treatment program. San Francisco, then the United States' 13th largest city, had the nation's third largest homeless population at a peak of 16,000.[29] In November 1997, he requested nighttime helicopter searches in Golden Gate Park.[2] The Brown administration spent hundreds of millions of dollars creating new shelters, supportive housing, and drug treatment centers to address homelessness, but these measures did not end San Francisco’s problem with homelessness.[2] In 1996, Brown approved the Equal Benefits Ordinance that required city contractors to provide domestic partner benefits to their employees.[2] In 1998, Brown wrote a letter to President Clinton urging him to halt a federal lawsuit aimed at closing medical marijuana clubs.[34] [edit]Transportation [edit]Mass Transit One of Brown’s central campaign promises was his “100-Day Plan for Muni.”[22] Brown supported the "Peer Pressure" Bus Patrol program, which paid former gang members and troubled youth to patrol Muni buses. Brown claimed the program helped reduce crime.[35] He fired Muni chief Phil Adams and replaced him with his chief of staff Emilio Cruz. In 1998, Brown was Mayor during the summer of the Muni meltdown as Muni implemented the new ATC system and Brown promised riders there would be better times ahead. A voter approved initiative in the following year would help improve Muni services. Brown increased Muni's budget by tens of millions of dollars over his tenure.[2] Brown later said he made a mistake in over promising with his 100-Day Plan.[22] Brown helped mediate a settlement to the 1997 BART strike.[22] During his first term as mayor, Brown quietly favored the demolition and abolition of the Transbay Terminal[36] to accommodate the redevelopment of the site for market-rate housing. Centrally located at First and Mission Streets near the Financial District and South Beach, the terminal originally served as the San Francisco terminus for the electric commuter trains of the East Bay Electric Lines, the Key System of streetcars and the Sacramento Northern railroads which ran on the lower deck of the San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge. Following the termination of streetcar service in 1958, the terminal has seen continuous service as a major bus facility for East Bay commuters; AC Transit buses transport riders from the terminal directly into neighborhoods throughout the inner East Bay. The terminal also serves passengers traveling to San Mateo County and the North Bay aboard SamTrans and Golden Gate Transit buses respectively, and to tourists arriving by bus motorcoach. Today, the terminal is being planned for redevelopment as a region wide mass transit hub maintaining the current bus services, but with a new tunnel that would extend the Caltrain commuter rail line from its current terminus at Fourth and Townsend Streets to the site. Once completed, Caltrain riders would no longer need to transfer to Muni in order to reach the downtown financial district. Additionally, the heavy rail portion of the terminal would be designed to accommodate the planned High Speed Rail lines to Los Angeles. In 1998, The Berkeley, California-based Bicycle Civil Liberties Union, produced a two hour documentary film in the muckraker journalism tradition, "July 25th: The Secret is Out," which gives evidence of Brown's designs for the Transbay Terminal site. [edit]Critical Mass Since 1992, cyclists riding in San Francisco's monthly Critical Mass bicycle rides had used the "corking" technique at street intersections to block rush-hour cross-traffic.[37][38][39][40] In 1997, Brown approved San Francisco Police Department Chief Fred Lau's plan to conduct a crackdown on the rides,[41] calling them "a terrible demonstration of intolerance".[42] and "an incredible display of arrogance."[43] Brown said after arrests were made when a Critical Mass event became violent "I think we ought to confiscate their bicycles"[44] and that "a little jail time" would teach Critical Mass riders a lesson.[45] On the night of the July 25, 1997 ride 115 riders were arrested for unlawful assembly, jailed, and had their bicycles confiscated by the police.[46][47] By 2002, Brown and the city's relations with Critical Mass had changed. On the 10th anniversary of Critical Mass on September 27, 2002, the city officially closed down four blocks to automobile traffic for the annual Car-Free Day Street Fair. Brown remarked concerning the event: "I'm delighted. A new tradition has been born in our city."[48] [edit]Urban planning and development As San Francisco mayor, Brown was criticized for aggregating power, and for favoring certain business interests at the expense of the city as a whole. Supporters point to the many development projects completed or planned under his watch, including the restoration of City Hall and historic waterfront buildings; the setting in motion of one of the city's largest ever mixed use development projects in Mission Bay, and the development of a second campus for the University of California, San Francisco. In contrast, critics objected to the construction of many live-work loft buildings in formerly working-class neighborhoods that they believed lead to gentrification and displacement of residents and light industry.[49] Under Brown, San Francisco’s city hall was restored from damages sustained during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Brown insisted on restoring the light courts and having the dome gilded with more than US$ 400,000 in real gold. The Embarcadero was redeveloped and the Mission Bay Development project began. Brown also oversaw the approval of the Catellus Development Corp., US$ 100 million restoration of the century-old Ferry Building, new Main Library, the new Asian Art Museum, the new M. H. de Young Memorial Museum, the expansion of the Moscone Convention Center and San Francisco International Airport's new international terminal.[2] Brown worked to restructure the Housing Authority.[22] Brown helped established an AFL-CIO housing trust to build affordable housing and he worked to increase the city’s share of federal and state grants. He oversaw declining crime rates and improvements in the city’s economy, finances, and credit ratings during his first term.[22] Brown was known for his shrewd and strategic use of the details of the planning process to affect and facilitate development projects on his watch. In regards to a parking garage on Vallejo Street desired by North Beach and Chinatown merchants, Brown circumvented neighborhood resident opponents of the garage by ordering demolition of the site's existing structure to commence on a Friday night and be done by Monday morning, when the group was certain to try to obtain a restraining order. "It was with the demolition permit I outsmarted them," Brown recounts proudly, claiming that as the critics rushed toward court, "someone shouted out to them that the building had disappeared over the weekend. They've never recovered from that little maneuver."[50] During his time as Mayor, Brown hoped to build a new stadium for the San Francisco 49ers and worked with the 49ers to create a plan.[22] No new facility was built for the team during his tenure.[51] Brown worked with the San Francisco Giants to build a new stadium in the China Basin after previous stadium measures had failed on the ballot.[2] The stadium gained approval by San Francisco voters in 1996 and opened in 2000.[22] Due to vacancies on the Board of Supervisors prior to 2000, Brown was able to appoint 8 of the 11 members of the board. Due to a change in San Francisco's election laws that took effect in 2000, the board changed from at-large to district based elections, and all seats on the board were up for election. The voters elected a new group of supervisors that ran on changing the city’s development policy. Voters also passed a measure that weakened the mayor’s control over the Planning Commission and Board of Appeals. The new majority limited Brown's power over the Elections Department, the Police Commission, and extending San Francisco International Airport's runways into the bay to reduce flight delays.[2] In July 2001, the Board of Supervisors overrode Brown’s veto for the first time, creating legislation that created the new home ownership option of tenancies in common. [edit]Favoritism and patronage criticisms, FBI investigations Allegations of political patronage followed Brown from the State Legislature through his tenure as San Francisco mayor. Former Los Angeles County GOP Assemblyman Paul Horcher, who voted in 1994 to keep Brown as Speaker, was reassigned to head San Francisco's solid waste management program. Brian Setencich also was appointed to a position by Brown.[22] Both were hired as special assistants after losing their assembly seats because of their support of Brown. Former San Francisco Supervisor Bill Maher was also hired as a special assistant after campaigning for Brown in his first mayoral race.[52] Brown is also criticized for favoritism to Ms. Carpeneti, the lobbyist with whom he had a child. In 1998 Brown arranged for Carpeneti to obtain a rent-free office in the city-owned Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. Between then and 2003, a period that spans the birth of their daughter, Carpeneti was paid an estimated $2.33 million by nonprofit groups and political committees controlled by then Mayor Brown and his friends.[14][53] Brown increased the city’s special assistants payroll from US$15.6 to US$45.6 million between 1995 and 2001.[54] Between April 29, 2001 and May 3, 2001, San Francisco Chronicle reporters Lance Williams and Chuck Finnie released a 5 part story concerning Brown and his relations with city contractors, lobbyists, and city appointments and hires he had made during his tenure as Mayor. The report concluded that there was an appearance of favoritism and conflicts of interest in the awarding of city contracts and development deals, a perception that large contracts had an undue influence on city hall, and patronage with the hiring of campaign workers, contributors, legislative colleagues, and friends to government positions.[23] The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated Brown when he was Speaker. One investigation was a sting operation concerning a fake fish company attempting to bribe Brown; he was not charged with any criminal act. The FBI further investigated Brown from 1998 to 2003 over his appointees at the Airport Commission for potential conflicts of interests. Brown friend, contributor, and former law client, Charlie Walker was given a share of city contracts. He had served jail time in 1984 for violating laws concerning minority contracting. The FBI also investigated Brown’s approval of expansion of Sutro Tower and SFO. Scott Company, with one prominent Brown backer, was accused of using a phony minority front company to secure an airport construction project. Robert Nurisso was sentenced to house arrest. During Brown’s administration, there were two convictions of city officials tied to Brown. The FBI investigated Brown’s friend Charlie Walker, who won several city contracts. Walker had previously thrown several parties for Brown and was among his biggest fund raisers.[22] Brown reassigned Parking and Traffic chief Bill Maher to an airport job when his critics claimed Maher should have been fired.[22] Brown put his former girlfriend, Wendy Linka, on the city payroll.[2] Brown was known for his strong loyalty to his supporters.[citation needed] [edit]Retinitis Pigmentosa While serving as Assembly Speaker, Brown was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a disease that presently has no cure and that would slowly steal his eyesight. RP is a hereditary disease that causes a continual loss of peripheral vision and often leads to total blindness. Brown’s two sisters were also diagnosed with RP. Brown remarked, "Having RP is a challenge, as Speaker of the Assembly it was very important that I recognize people in the halls of the Legislature. But I couldn’t see people unless they were right in front of me. I needed to have the security people give me notes to tell me who was in the room. Reading is also very difficult so I use larger print notes and memos. Living with RP means having to use more of your brain function—I listen more intently, I memorize vast amounts of information, and I have trained my computer to recognize numerous verbal commands."[55] Brown has worked with the Foundation Fighting Blindness to raise awareness of the disease. [edit]Aesthetic style Brown has had an ostentatious sense of personal style from the beginning that he later parlayed into a political advantage. Even in high school he was fastidious about his appearance.[56] In office he became famous for British and Italian suits, sports cars, nightclubbing, and a collection of dressy hats.[57] He was once called "The Best Dressed Man in San Francisco" by Esquire magazine.[58] In his 2008 autobiography, Basic Brown, he described his taste for US$6,000 Brioni suits and his search for the perfect chocolate Corvette to add to his car collection. In one chapter titled: "The Power of Clothes: Don’t Pull a Dukakis", Brown explains that men should acquire a navy blazer for each season: one with “a hint of green” for springtime, another with more autumnal threading for the fall.[59] He further remarks, "You really shouldn't try to get through a public day wearing just one thing. ... Sometimes, I change clothes four times a day."[60] [edit]Brown in the media As Mayor of San Francisco, Brown was often portrayed mockingly but affectionately by political cartoonists and columnists as a vain emperor, presiding in a robe and crown over the inconsequential kingdom of San Francisco.[61] He enjoyed the attention this brought to his personal life, disarming friends and critics with humor that directed attention away from the policy agendas he was pursuing.[62] Brown's flamboyant style made him so well known as the consummate politician that when an actor playing a party politician in 1990's The Godfather Part III did not understand director Francis Ford Coppola's instruction to model his character after Brown, Coppola fired the actor and hired Brown himself to play the role. Brown later appeared in 2000's Just One Night as a judge. He also played himself in two Disney films, George of the Jungle and The Princess Diaries, and the 2003 Universal release Hulk as the mayor of San Francisco. He appeared as himself, alongside Geraldo Rivera, in an episode of Nash Bridges. Brown was criticized in 1996 for his comments that 49ers backup quarterback Elvis Grbac was "an embarrassment to humankind." He was criticized in 1997 for responding to Golden State Warriors player Latrell Sprewell choking his coach P. J. Carlesimo by saying, "his boss may have needed choking."[22] In 1998, Brown contacted the Japanese television cooking competition Iron Chef, suggesting San Franciscan Chef Ron Siegel to battle one of the Iron Chefs. Brown appeared on the telecast himself, enthusiastically promoting the Chef. Siegel won the battle, in a rare clean sweep against Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai. Brown remained neutral throughout the 2008 presidential campaign. Brown has been working in recent years as a radio talk show host and as a pundit on local and national political television shows and is seen as attempting to build credibility by abstaining from endorsing candidates for office. "I've never been high on endorsements," Brown said. "When you get one, all it does is keep the other guy from getting one. Really, what did getting John Kerry's endorsement do to help Barack Obama?"[63] After Mayorship After leaving the mayor's office, Brown considered running for the State Senate but ultimately declined.[64] From January 2006 through September 2006, Brown co-hosted a morning radio show with comedian Will Durst on a local San Francisco Air America Radio affiliate. He also makes a weekly podcast. Brown also established The Willie L. Brown, Jr. Institute on Politics & Public Service, an unaffiliated nonprofit organization at San Francisco State University.[5] The center trains students for careers in municipal, county and regional governments. The center will be one of the first to focus on local government in the country. Brown gave the center's library a collection of his artifacts, videotapes and legislative papers from his forty years in public office. He is also planning to mentor students, teach a course on leadership, and recruit guest speakers.[5] On February 5, 2008, Simon and Schuster released Brown's hardcover auto-biography, Basic Brown: My Life and Our Times, with collaborator P. J. Corkery. The book release coincided with California's Democratic Presidential Primary on the same day. On July 20, 2008, Brown began writing a column for the San Francisco Chronicle, a move that has drawn the ire of some Chronicle staffmembers and ethicists for the failure to disclose the multiple conflicts of interest Brown has.[65] In 2009, Brown is defending general construction contractor Monica Ung, 49 of Alamo, California. Accused of flouting labor laws and defrauding immigrant construction workers of their wages from laboring on Oakland municipal construction projects, Ung was arraigned for dozens of felony fraud charges on 24 August 2009 in Alameda County Superior Court. Brown's decision to defend Ung angered many in the East Bay's labor community. — with Nancy Pelosi and Mayor Willie Brown at Rasselas Jazz Club SF CA Jon Hammond and former Mayor of New York City the Honorable David Dinkins in San Francisco California - Mayor Dinkins was in town helping out SF DA Terence Hallinan's re-election campaign http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Dinkins David Norman Dinkins (born July 10, 1927) is a former politician and Mayor of New York City from 1990 to 1993. He was the first and is, to date, the only African American to hold that office. Dinkins was born in Trenton, New Jersey, and raised by his father, his parents having separated when he was six years old.[2] He moved to Harlem as a child but returned to Trenton and attended Trenton Central High School, where he graduated in 1945 in the top 10 percent of his class. After graduation, he attempted to enlist in the United States Marine Corps, but was told that a racial quota had been filled. He served in the Marine Corps from 1945 through 1946.[3][4] Dinkins graduated magna cum laude from Howard University with a degree in mathematics. He later graduated from Brooklyn Law School.[4] [edit]Political career Dinkins rose through the Democratic Party organization in Harlem and became part of an influential group of African-American politicians that included Denny Farrell, Percy Sutton, Basil Paterson, and Charles Rangel; the latter three together with Dinkins were known as the "Gang of Four".[5] As an investor, Dinkins was one of fifty African American investors who helped Percy Sutton found Inner City Broadcasting Corporation in 1971. He served briefly in the New York State Legislature. Dinkins was named Deputy Mayor by Mayor Abraham D. Beame but was ultimately not appointed. He served as President of the Board of Elections from 1972 to 1973, and City Clerk from 1975 to 1985.[6] He was elected Manhattan Borough President in 1985 on his third run for that office. Dinkins was elected Mayor of New York City on November 7, 1989, defeating three-term incumbent Mayor Ed Koch and two others in the Democratic primary and Republican candidate Rudy Giuliani in the general election. Dinkins was elected in the wake of a corruption scandal that involved several Democratic leaders in New York City. Mayor Koch, the presumptive Democratic nominee, was politically damaged by the corruption in his administration and his handling of racial issues, and among the candidates Dinkins was his greatest challenger.[7] Additionally, the fact that Dinkins is African-American helped him avoid criticism he was ignoring the black vote by campaigning to whites.[8] A large turnout of African-American voters was vital to his election and he campaigned throughout the city.[9][not in citation given] In 1990, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Dinkins was a member of the Democratic Socialists Dinkins entered office pledging racial healing, and famously referred to New York City's demographic diversity as a "gorgeous mosaic."[11] Dinkins's term was marked by polarizing events such as the boycott of Korean-owned groceries in Flatbush and the 1991 Crown Heights riot. When Lemrick Nelson was acquitted of killing Yankel Rosenbaum during the riot, Dinkins said "I have no doubt that in this case the criminal-justice system has operated fairly and openly."[12] Although rates of most crimes, including all categories of violent crime, made consecutive declines during the last 36 months of his four-year term, ending a 30-year upward spiral and initiating a trend of falling rates that continued beyond his term, Dinkins was hurt by the perception that crime was out of control during his administration.[13][14] Dinkins also initiated a hiring program that expanded the police department nearly 25%.[15] [edit]1993 election In 1993, Dinkins lost to Republican Rudy Giuliani, earning 48.3 percent of the vote, down from 51 percent in 1989.[16] Although he was a moderate with a substantial history of building coalitions and supporting Jewish causes,[17] one factor in his loss was his perceived indifference to the plight of the Jewish community during the Crown Heights riot. During his final days in office, Dinkins made last-minute negotiations with the sanitation workers, presumably to preserve the public status of garbage removal. Incoming mayor Giuliani blamed Dinkins for a "cheap political trick" when Dinkins planned the resignation of Victor Gotbaum, Dinkins' appointee on the Board of Education, thus guaranteeing his replacement six months in office.[18] Dinkins also signed a last minute 99-year lease with the USTA National Tennis Center, including strict limitations on flights in and out of neighboring LaGuardia Airport during the US Open. A 2009 report in The New York Times looking back at the Dinkins administration suggested that its achievements were not as Giuliani stated, noting: Significant accomplishments in lowering New York City's crime rate and increasing the size of the New York Police Department, and the hiring of Raymond W. Kelly as police commissioner; The cleanup and revitalization of Times Square, including persuading the Walt Disney Corporation to rehabilitate an old 42nd Street theater; Major commitment to rehabilitation of dilapidated housing in northern Harlem, the South Bronx and Brooklyn despite significant budget constraints-—more housing rehabilitated in a single term than Mr. Giuliani did in two terms; The USTA lease, which in its final form Mayor Michael Bloomberg called "the only good athletic sports stadium deal, not just in New York but in the country"; Mental-health facility initiatives; and Policies and actions that decreased the size of the city's homeless shelter population to its lowest point in 20 years.[19] [edit]Later career Dinkins is a Professor in the Practice of Public Affairs at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs.[20] Each year Columbia hosts the Annual David N. Dinkins Leadership and Public Policy Forum. In 2011 the 14th Annual Forum focused on Crisis in State Budgets, with keynote speaker U.S. Senator Kristen Gillibrand. Although he has not attempted a political comeback, he has remained somewhat active in politics, and his endorsement of various candidates, including Mark J. Green in the 2001 Mayoral race, was well-publicized. He supported Democrats Fernando Ferrer in the 2005 New York mayoral election and Bill Thompson in 2009. In the campaign for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination, Dinkins served as an elected delegate for Hillary Clinton from New York.[21] [edit]Personal life Dinkins is married to Joyce Dinkins (née Burrows); they have two children. The couple are members of the Church of the Intercession in New York City. Dinkins' radio program "Dialogue with Dinkins" can be heard Saturday mornings on WLIB radio in New York City.[22] Dinkins is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha and Sigma Pi Phi ("the Boule"), the oldest collegiate and first professional Greek-letter fraternities, respectively, established for African Americans. [edit]Humanitarian causes Dinkins sits on the Board of Directors of The Jazz Foundation of America.[23] Dinkins also sits on the Honorary Founders Board, having worked with the Jazz Foundation to save the homes and the lives of America's elderly jazz and blues musicians, including musicians who survived Hurricane Katrina, since its inception.[24] [edit]Citywide tickets on which Dinkins ran [edit]1989 NYC Democratic ticket Mayor: David Dinkins City Council President: Andrew Stein Comptroller: Elizabeth Holtzman [edit]1993 NYC Democratic ticket Mayor: David Dinkins Public Advocate: Mark J. Green Comptroller: Alan Hevesi 106th Mayor of New York City[1] In office January 1, 1990 – December 31, 1993 Preceded by Ed Koch Succeeded by Rudy Giuliani 23rd Manhattan Borough President In office 1986–1989 Preceded by Andrew Stein Succeeded by Ruth Messinger Member of the New York State Assembly from District 78 In office 1965–1967 Preceded by New District Succeeded by Edward Stevenson Personal details Born David Norman Dinkins July 10, 1927 (age 85) Trenton, New Jersey Political party Democratic Spouse(s) Joyce Dinkins nee Burrows Residence New York City Alma mater Howard University Religion Episcopalian Military service Service/branch United States Marine Corps Years of service 1945-1946 Battles/wars World War II — with David Dinkins Wishing a very happy & healthy birthday to my friend, the Honorable Terence Hallinan! *served as District Attorney San Francisco - here Jon Hammond and Terence Hallinan on the occasion of his birthday party, with music provided by Jon Hammond Band - Nancy Pelosi was there, Mayor Willie Brown was there, the whole Hallinan family clan, great party! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terence_Hallinan Terence Hallinan (born December 4, 1936) is an American attorney and politician from San Francisco, California. He is the second of six sons born to leftist attorney Vincent Hallinan and his wife Vivian. He currently works in private practice at the Law Chambers Building at 345 Franklin Street in San Francisco, (415) 863-1430. Hallinan was educated at the London School of Economics, University of California, Berkeley, and University of California, Hastings College of the Law. He successfully contested the State Bar's negative evaluation of his character, based on his engagement in civil disobedience in opposing racist discriminatory employment practices by certain San Francisco businesses in the 1960s, before the Supreme Court of California.[1] As an attorney, he successfully argued to have the murder convictions of serial-killer Juan Corona overturned on appeal, and represented Corona in his retrial which resulted in 25 convictions for murder and a life sentence.[2] He served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, losing his first bid for that office to Harvey Milk in 1977, and later was the district attorney of San Francisco for two terms. While serving as DA, he became a notable opponent of capital punishment. He also was a strong advocate on behalf of decriminalizing prostitution. In his tenure he supported medical marijuana and is now an advisor of NORML.[3] District Attorney of San Francisco In office 1996–2004 Preceded by Arlo Smith Succeeded by Kamala Harris Personal details Born December 4, 1936 (age 76) San Francisco, California, U.S. Political party Democratic Alma mater London School of Economics University of California, Berkeley University of California, Hastings College of the Law Profession Lawyer — with Terence Hallinan Paris France -- Jon Hammond Trio at La Flèche d'Or with the great tenor saxophonist Boris Blanchet and Amaury Blanchard drums - La Flèche d'Or is a club and concert venue in Paris' edgy Gambetta/Bagnolet district whose tumultuous existence has only boosted its mystique. La Flèche d'Or, which has gained a solid reputation for its lineup of eclectic acts and talented DJs, reopened in November 2009 after a six-month shutdown. Neighbors had complained about the ruckus, leading the owners to shutter the venue in order to install soundproof walls. The club books the hottest acts in indie rock, experimental electro, edgy groove and funk, among other genres. Housed in a building that formerly served as the Charonne train station, La Flèche d'Or retains an open, spacious and industrial feel. The name, which literally means "The Golden Arrow", refers to the defunct train line that ran through the area in the 1920s and connected Paris to the north city of Calais. Address: 102 bis rue de Bagnolet Metro: Porte de Bagnolet or Gambetta (line 3) — with Jon Hammond Band and Jon Hammond Organ Group at La Flèche d'Or Carnegie Hall -- Venezuelan Brass Ensemble Concert 12-7-2012 - attended with birthday boy Joe Berger and friends - 5+ Stars to the Musicians...Bravo!!! Jon Hammond http://www.carnegiehall.org/Calendar/2012/12/7/0800/PM/Venezuelan-Brass-Ensemble/ Venezuelan Brass Ensemble Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage BLAZING BRASS MEETS BERNSTEIN'S MAMBO The Venezuelan Brass Ensemble, drawn from the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, opens the Venezuelan celebration at Carnegie Hall with an evening of exuberant music making that features works from Latin America and beyond. Con el Ensamble de Metales de Venezuela, cuyos integrantes fueron seleccionados de la Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar, comienza en el Carnegie Hall la celebración a Venezuela con una velada en la que destaca una creación musical exuberante de América Latina y más allá. O Conjunto de Metais da Venezuela, da Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar, abre a celebração venezuelana no Carnegie Hall com uma noite de música exuberante que exibe trabalhos da América Latina e de outros lugares. Performers Venezuelan Brass Ensemble Thomas Clamor, Conductor Program GIANCARLO CASTRO Grand Fanfare BERNSTEIN Selections from Symphonic Dances from West Side Story GIANCARLO CASTRO Llegada de un noble maestro CALDERELLA AND SCARPINO Canaro en Paris (arr. José Carli) ABREU Tico-Tico no fubá (arr. Jhon Iveson) AGUIRRE Amalia (arr. Fernando Ruiz) GIANCARLO CASTRO Walking Faster FÉLIX MENDOZA Guerra de secciones Bios Venezuelan Brass Ensemble The Venezuelan Brass Ensemble came into being in 2003 under the patronage of Dr. José Antonio Abreu and Thomas Clamor as part of the orchestral academic program of Venezuela's El Sistema. Across Venezuela, El Sistema currently involves 400,000 beneficiaries-75 percent of whom live below the poverty line-in a system that includes more than 1,550 music groups distributed among 286 academic centers. As a result of this work, numerous successful youth ensembles have emerged. Leading the way is the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela (formerly Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela), now one of the most famous and best orchestras in the world. Most of the musicians in the Venezuelan Brass Ensemble are also members the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra. With its mixture of a classical and South American repertoire, the musicians of the Venezuelan Brass Ensemble impressively show their diverse skills. The first international tour under the direction of Thomas Clamor in 2005 took the Venezuelan Brass Ensemble to Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Chile. In September 2005, the ensemble performed as part of the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra's third major tour of Germany; its program complemented works by Byrd, Bernstein, and Gershwin with the first performance of the Grand Fanfare for brass instruments by ensemble member Giancarlo Castro. In 2006, the Venezuelan Brass Ensemble released its first CD, We Got Rhythm, on EMI Classics. Since then, the ensemble has toured extensively, performing at many of the world's greatest venues and festivals, including Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms, Beethovenfest Bonn, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Konzerthaus Berlin, Lucerne Festival, Royal Festival Hall, and Salzburg Festival. Thomas Clamor Thomas Clamor studied trumpet and percussion at the Hochschule für Musik Detmold. By the time he was 23, he became the youngest musician in the Berliner Philharmoniker. Mr. Clamor also performed as a soloist and chamber musician with various ensembles. He has since taken part in numerous recordings, and also performed on many television and radio programs. Mr. Clamor's conducting and teaching activities have played important roles in his musical creativity. Beginning in 1987, he has enjoyed guest professorships at music schools throughout Germany, during which he led many international master classes. For 10 years, Mr. Clamor was a professor of chamber music at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler and later an honorary professor at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Guest conducting engagements have taken Mr. Clamor to the most important European festivals, including the Beethovenfest Bonn, Salzburg, and BBC Proms. He has also conducted in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Tokyo, Beijing, Rome, Madrid, and many other cities. Mr. Clamor's work with the Venezuelan Brass Ensemble is highly acclaimed by both audiences and critics alike. Internationally, he is considered to be one of the most successful specialists in the genre. Mr. Clamor is also the primary conductor of the Saxon Wind Philharmonic and art director of the German Brass Academy. About the Program The Venezuelan Brass Ensemble kicks off tonight's concert with a high-energy fanfare written by one of the ensemble's own trumpeters Giancarlo Castro. Opening with pealing trumpets, Grand Fanfare showcases all the instruments in the ensemble to generate an exuberant energy, as well as to paint dramatic vistas of the Venezuelan countryside. The ensemble also performs two other pieces by Castro: Llegada de un noble maestro and Walking Faster. Following the brilliant opening are selections from Bernstein's West Side Story. A musical retelling of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, this timeless tale of young love set against a background of spectacularly choreographed gang warfare in New York City has found a place at the core of popular culture. About three years after the show began its Broadway run, the composer revisited the score and extracted nine sections to create what he called the Symphonic Dances; the Venezuelan Brass Ensemble performs selections from this instrumental arrangement. The program includes a bracing tango by musicians Juan Caldarella and Alejandro Scarpino. After having written this piece together in Buenos Aires, Caldarella and Scarpino were struggling to come up with a title. As the story goes, they saw the headlines of a local newspaper that praised the success of tango celebrity Francisco Canaro in Paris. Inspired by this headline, Caldarella rushed to inscribe the score with the title Canaro en Paris. Tico-Tico no fubá is one of the most well-known songs from Venezuela's neighbor, Brazil. Made famous when Brazilian film star Carmen Miranda sang and danced to the catchy tune in the 1947 movie Copacabana, Zequinha de Abreu's song has since been featured in Disney film segments and even in Woody Allen's Radio Days. With a name that means "sparrow on the cornmeal," Tico-Tico no fubá is written in the signature Brazilian style called choro, featuring upbeat rhythms, virtuosic improvisation, and jaunty syncopation. This is followed by the nationalistic joropo titled Amalia by Venezuelan composer Francisco de Paula Aguirre. With robust folk rhythms and lyrical melodies, joropo music is strongly identified with Venezuelan culture. Born in Caracas, Aguirre composed works that disseminated into Venezuelan popular culture; his piece Amalia is one of his most well-known works today. A flamboyant piece by Venezuelan Brass Ensemble percussionist Félix Mendoza brings tonight's program to a close. Opening with sweeping orchestration and dramatic fanfare, Guerra de secciones breaks out into intense drumming and aggressive brass lines. Bringing together a wealth of genres and overflowing with impressive energy, this flashy showstopper is a thrilling end to the evening. Lead funding for Voices from Latin America is provided by grants from the Ford Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Sponsored, in part, by Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ and Mercantil Servicios Financieros. Public support is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Consulate General of Brazil in New York. This performance is part of the The Originals Voices from Latin America - Students Voices from Latin America and Voices from Venezuela series. — at Carnegie Hall Nancy Pelosi, Mayor Willie Brown, David Dinkins, Jon Hammond, B3 organ, Venezuelan Brass Ensemble, Carnegie Hall, Boom Boom Room, San Francisco, Local 6, Musicians Union