Ken Lelen Combo
Autumn 2010 New England Tour
Autumn 2010 New England Tour
Sunday, November 7, 2010 to Wednesday, November 17, 2010
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We entertained 500 people at nine concerts in ten days.
The Ken Lelen Combo played six concerts, while Ken Lelen performed three events as a solo act.
I played four guitars: 1912 Grauso; 1926 Maurer #493;
The Ken Lelen Combo played six concerts, while Ken Lelen performed three events as a solo act.
I played four guitars: 1912 Grauso; 1926 Maurer #493;
1937 Kalamazoo KG-21 (Riggs); and 1938 B&D Groton 1.
Sunday, 7 November 2010
Southgate, Shrewsbury, MA
This was the first concert for the Ken Lelen Combo at this venue, which consists of several apartment towers surrounding a multi-service building with a beautiful theater. Our sponsor drew an enthusiastic audience of 50 people to a Sunday afternoon concert, which included 17 songs in a 70-minute program.
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Monday, 8 November 2010
Willows, Westborough, MA
I've played this facility several times and always enjoyed myself, especially on nights I didn't have to compete for an audience with a Red Sox or Celtics game! This was the first time for the Combo and our sponsor attracted a friendly crowd of 50 people to the 100-seat Community Room for an early evening concert of 16 songs in a 70-minute event.
I've played this facility several times and always enjoyed myself, especially on nights I didn't have to compete for an audience with a Red Sox or Celtics game! This was the first time for the Combo and our sponsor attracted a friendly crowd of 50 people to the 100-seat Community Room for an early evening concert of 16 songs in a 70-minute event.
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Tuesday, 9 November 2010
Avery Heights, Hartford, CT
The Combo played this retirement facility last April for a small but enthusiastic audience in the Adams Room. This time we played an entirely new program of 16 songs in a 60-minute set for 25 people.
Arbors, Manchester, CT
We opened our 70-minute concert with several ragtime tunes from the 1920s as I played my 1912 Grauso and 1926 Maurer guitars. Then, a lady in the audience asked, "Can you play some ragtime?" Matt and I were surprised at the question, but honored the group with another set of ragtime tunes. In all, we performed 17 songs for the Arbors crowd of nearly 50 people.
The Combo played this retirement facility last April for a small but enthusiastic audience in the Adams Room. This time we played an entirely new program of 16 songs in a 60-minute set for 25 people.
Arbors, Manchester, CT
We opened our 70-minute concert with several ragtime tunes from the 1920s as I played my 1912 Grauso and 1926 Maurer guitars. Then, a lady in the audience asked, "Can you play some ragtime?" Matt and I were surprised at the question, but honored the group with another set of ragtime tunes. In all, we performed 17 songs for the Arbors crowd of nearly 50 people.
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Wednesday, 10 November 2010
Tower One / Tower East, New Haven, CT
This was not our finest concert. We first played this downtown New Haven venue last April for a crowd of 35 people. This time the sponsor drew only 25 people to a midday concert that was marred by nearby concurrent events, people moving in the room, private conversations among audience members, people on cell phones and, once again, absent program people.
Just before we began playing, a tai chi teacher demanded I relocate one speaker so her students could pass through the audience and reach their classroom. Then, halfway through the concert several people in our audience began noisily moving tables and chairs to one corner of the room for a church service, which started 15 minutes before we ended the event. "We're Catholics and sanctified," a man told me as I sang. "It's how we get a priest in here."
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Just before we began playing, a tai chi teacher demanded I relocate one speaker so her students could pass through the audience and reach their classroom. Then, halfway through the concert several people in our audience began noisily moving tables and chairs to one corner of the room for a church service, which started 15 minutes before we ended the event. "We're Catholics and sanctified," a man told me as I sang. "It's how we get a priest in here."
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Thursday, 11 November 2010
Overlook Community, Charlton, MA
Overlook is an enormous retirement village spread across 450 acres in central Massachusetts and run by the Masonic Health System. Although bass player Matt Koch was unable to attend this concert, I enjoyed performing a 75-minute solo concert of 16 songs in the Performing Arts Center, a fabulous 280-seat theater.
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Overlook Community, Charlton, MA
Overlook is an enormous retirement village spread across 450 acres in central Massachusetts and run by the Masonic Health System. Although bass player Matt Koch was unable to attend this concert, I enjoyed performing a 75-minute solo concert of 16 songs in the Performing Arts Center, a fabulous 280-seat theater.
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Friday, 12 November 2010
Edgewood, North Andover, MA
In the last five years I've played this sprawling retirement village several times as a solo; this fall I returned with Matt Koch on bass. The facility's auditorium wasn't set when we arrived, so we moved 75 chairs and 15 tables to provide theater-style seating for our audience as well as to create a concert space for ourselves, our sound system and my guitars.
Just minutes before we were to start the concert, our host for the evening arrived. She was a therapeutic recreation specialist, one who typically works with assisted living and skilled nursing residents, not the independent living activity person who had booked the concert with me. Oblivious to work we'd done, the rec specialist told us she was happy the maintenance people had set the room so well!
She also told us we should encourage people in the audience to sing or hum along since it's healthier for them to do so. I informed her we regularly perform concerts for adults at senior villages and don't feel a need to prompt, stimulate or patronize an audience to sing; in fact, they just do it!
In this concert we performed 15 ragtime, jazz and swing tunes as well as told amusing tales about Tin Pan Alley artists, stage door johnnies and drug store cowboys in a 65-minute program.
And by the way, we saw no exception to the singing, humming, foot tapping and other mirthful reactions we've seen at our concerts across the East Coast over the past 11 years.
Just minutes before we were to start the concert, our host for the evening arrived. She was a therapeutic recreation specialist, one who typically works with assisted living and skilled nursing residents, not the independent living activity person who had booked the concert with me. Oblivious to work we'd done, the rec specialist told us she was happy the maintenance people had set the room so well!
She also told us we should encourage people in the audience to sing or hum along since it's healthier for them to do so. I informed her we regularly perform concerts for adults at senior villages and don't feel a need to prompt, stimulate or patronize an audience to sing; in fact, they just do it!
In this concert we performed 15 ragtime, jazz and swing tunes as well as told amusing tales about Tin Pan Alley artists, stage door johnnies and drug store cowboys in a 65-minute program.
And by the way, we saw no exception to the singing, humming, foot tapping and other mirthful reactions we've seen at our concerts across the East Coast over the past 11 years.
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Tuesday, 16 November 2010
Briarwood, Worcester, MA
I've played well-attended concerts at this community at least once a year since 2004. My continued success has depended on the joint efforts of the social event person and marketing director who send publicity to local media as well as newsletters to current and prospective residents. In seven years their efforts have supported and enhanced Briarwood's reputation for quality programming even as they assured me audiences that ranged between 100 and 125 people at a mid-sized CCRC of 200 residents. My latest concert, a solo event with 14 great songs in a 70-minute program, was no exception.
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Wednesday, 17 November 2010
Holden Senior Center, Holden, MA
This concert was the year's best event for me. It came about because several people living in and near Worcester had seen my concerts and told the program people at Holden's Senior Center to call on me. Well, they did, and we both enjoyed a successful event sparked by lots of advance publicity.
It was filled by a friendly audience of 100 people who came for great concert of 16 songs in a 75-minute program. As icing on the cake, the event generated great follow-up publicity.
For more details on this concert, see postings of November 17 and 23, 2010 in the Journal section of this website.
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This concert was the year's best event for me. It came about because several people living in and near Worcester had seen my concerts and told the program people at Holden's Senior Center to call on me. Well, they did, and we both enjoyed a successful event sparked by lots of advance publicity.
It was filled by a friendly audience of 100 people who came for great concert of 16 songs in a 75-minute program. As icing on the cake, the event generated great follow-up publicity.
For more details on this concert, see postings of November 17 and 23, 2010 in the Journal section of this website.
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