TAG Trio: Steve Taddeo, Nikolas Anadolis, Dan Gabel

Dan Gabel’s TAG Trio (Taddeo-Anadolis-Gabel) performed for the second time at Music at Mendon, held at the Unitarian Church in Mendon MA.  Thanks to Rev. Ralph Clarke, with a grant from the Mendon Cultural Council and aided by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Music at Mendon has great performances once a month in the Spring and Summer.

The TAG Trio plays music  of the 1920’s from the Great American Song Book, with a varied program of ballads, melodies, and Jazz written by some of America’s greatest composers.  Dan started this evening singing the verse of their theme song, Whispering, written by Vincent Rose. It was most famously recorded by Paul Whiteman and his Ambassador Orchestra on August 23, 1920

Dorothy Fields-Jimmy McHugh Exactly Like You, was followed by Cole Porter’s last effort as a composer, a song he wrote for the movie High Society, I Love You Samantha.   Dan’s sweet trombone was backed by Nikolas’ magic fingers softly playing harmonies behind him.

A 1921 tune done by the great Jazz singers The Boswell Sisters, Mildred Bailey, Eddy Condon – There’ll Be Some Changes Made was total improvisation, Dan playing trombone, Nikolas watching him carefully and playing counter melody, Taddeo softly tapping choke cymbal, hitting cowbell for emphasis.

Art Hickman pioneered Big Bands; he was the first to include saxophones.   In 1917 he had one of his biggest successes with the song “Rose Room“, which was named after the hotel room.   In 1919 Rose Room was done by Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw.   Nikolas started slowly playing stride piano, then worked up to sophisticated, creative piano.   Dan’s trombone played warm and sentimental.

Staying in the 20’s, 1928 I Don’t Know Why I Love You Like I Do, Dan invited the audience to sing along, a few did, while he resumed his “inner Bing”.

The mood changed with a 1950’s Greek tune played by Nikolas. The name of the tune is “Asta ta malakia sou” ,  in greek “Ασ’τα τα μαλάκια σου”.  He says in Greece they play the same song in many of their movies.  Translated it means “Let yourself go, feel free.”   Fast waltz – absolutely WILD piano!

Leo Robbin & Ralph Rainger wrote Easy Living, done by Billie Holiday with Teddy Wilson on piano.  Nikolas enjoyed the drum backup and kept turning around to smile at Steve, softly tapping  on choke cymbal.   Steve doesn’t always play this softly on drums.

A ‘good ol’ good one’, (there’s one in every performance) that they played recently with Steve’s Swing Senders at the Sherborn Inn – Sweet Sue.   It was a GOOD ONE!

Getting back to Cole Porter, they played a tune that Sinatra sang – Your Sensational, Dan singing in his lowest crooner voice.  (He’s practicing Sinatra tunes for his next appearance at The Imperial Ballroom just down the street in Mendon on April 25th.)

Closing tune – time to let the Tiger Out – with The Swing Senders’ theme song Dinah.  Taddeo let his exulting Gene Krupa loose on drums.  Krupa is his idol.   Dinah hit the crowd like a bombshell!

Steve Taddeo goes wild on drums

He attempted his famous Krupa walk-around, but was too restricted by the altar’s balustrade, so he just kept drumming on anything within reach.

Steve attempts ‘walk around’ tapping anything in reach

It was an amazing ending to an hour of great 1920’s ballads, melodies, swing and Jazz.

Both Dan and Nikolas will be graduating from the New England Conservatory of Music in May.  Dan will be around New England for many years.  Nikolas is hoping to join the faculty at the University of Lausanne on Lake Geneva, Switzerland.  But he will be playing in Festivals all over Europe.  We will miss his smiling face, and he’s promised to return whenever he can.   www.nikolasjazz.com/

Nikolas Anadolis graduates from NEC in May.