Musicians Make Great Music for a Great Cause

[caption id="attachment_36903" align="alignnone" width="600"] The Glazzies with Peter Landi performing recently at Stephen Talkhouse (Michael Heller photo)[/caption]

By Annette Hinkle

Going out for the evening to hear local musicians perform live has become a favorite pastime for many music fans on the East End. So when someone figures out how to merge live music with a good cause, there’s absolutely no excuse for not getting out of the house and into a groove — especially when it’s happening just up the road.

This Friday, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the South Fork in Bridgehampton kicks off East End Songwriter’s Share, a Friday night music series which will feature a different local musician performing live at the congregation’s meetinghouse over the course of the next six weeks.

The line up is impressive who’s who of local singer/songwriters — Peter Landi, Terry Winchell, Fred Raimondo, Gene Casey, Caroline Doctorow and Inda Eaton — all of whom will share not only their musical talent, but the stories behind their songs. The musicians will also be sharing the money with half of admission fees going towards a local charity of the singer/songwriter’s choice.

It’s a unique idea for merging music with philanthropy and it’s the brainchild of Nancy Remkus, the longtime Sag Harbor Elementary School teacher who was known for her own musical prowess at morning program over the years.

“It just occurred to me it would be neat to have a time to highlight local songwriters while hosting local charities,” explains Ms. Remkus.

When asked if she will be making a guest appearance at any of the upcoming concerts, Ms. Remkus responds, “I still am a songwriter, but I didn’t put myself on the venue. My songs are more like ‘Wheels on the Bus.’ I’m still involved, but the people on the bill are great and perform more regularly.”

“My hope is that we can get a lot of people out to benefit the musicians and the charities,” she adds.

Opening the series this Friday will be a musician popular with the 20-something set — Sag Harbor’s own Peter Landi who has had great success with his band “The Glazzies” which he started with a couple friends while still in his teens.

These days “The Glazzies” are a duo, with Mr. Landi singing and playing guitar and original band mate Dave Horn on drums. The pair have performed at a number of venues lately, including the Mercury Lounge in New York City where they opened for the Australian band “You Am I” at a sold out show. Mr. Landi has also been recording at Sonelab, a studio in Massachusetts, and this summer, “The Glazzies” will release “Killing Me Kindly,” an eight song EP through Old Flame Records.

“Dave Horn recorded with me and Murph from Dinosaur Jr.,” notes Mr. Landi.

For the record, Murph is Emmett Jefferson Murphy III, the drummer for Dinosaur Jr. which just happens to be one of Mr. Landi’s top three favorite bands in the world.

“If not for them, ‘The Glazzies’ wouldn’t exist,” admits Mr. Landi who explains that after hearing some of Mr. Landi’s demos, Murph agreed to come to Sonelab to play drums on some of the tracks for the new EP.

“I was psyched about it. I had never met someone I really admired before,” explains Mr. Landi. “I was worried I’d be little ‘fan boyish,’ but as soon as I met him it was like an instant click.”

“Murph plays drums on three songs,” he adds. “I was standing right there and teaching him the songs. It’s weird to teach a guy your songs who was in one of the most influential bands in alternative rock music.”

And it will certainly give Mr. Landi some great stories to share on stage this Friday.

“I’m excited about giving a little insight into my songwriting process,” says Mr. Landi who will be splitting the proceeds of the show with his chosen charity, Katy’s Courage. “It’s also cool playing these songs stripped down.”

[caption id="attachment_36907" align="alignnone" width="324"] Caroline Doctorow[/caption]

Though she lives just up the road, at the other end of the musical spectrum is Bridgehampton’s Caroline Doctorow who has been a singer and songwriter for the last 30 years. She’ll perform at the meetinghouse on May 8 on behalf of The Bridgehampton Child Care Center.

It’s a great chance to see her live at a local venue. Now that her daughters, Graylen and Annabel, are grown and will soon both be off at college, Ms. Doctorow is planning to hit the road herself, musically speaking, and will be performing at cultural arts centers, coffee houses and in concert series.

“This summer, I’ll be in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and upstate New York in the Hudson Valley area, plus a little down south into the fall,” says Ms. Doctorow. “So I’m very excited about that.”

“Folk music is hot now,” add Ms. Doctorow.

Which is why audiences at her performance at the UU meetinghouse will likely be enticed to join in at least one sing along.

“Especially in our age group, people love to feel included. I always try to make sure we get to sing something together,” explains Ms. Doctorow. “‘Down by the Riverside’ is one of my favorites. Recently I started singing Woody’s ‘This Train is Bound for Glory’ and Louis Armstrong’s ‘Go Down Moses.’”

“All these songs have a great history and are about justice and peace,” she adds.

Though she loves the old folk tunes, Ms. Doctorow also enjoys writing and performing original material as well. Since 2009, has been able to record it all right in her own backyard, literally — in Narrow Lane Studios, on her own record label, Narrow Lane Records.

“It’s right on my property. It’s really enriched my life greatly,” she says. “I love making records and can do it all the time.”

Ms. Doctorow’s husband, designer Grover Gatewood, is also involved in the business, truly making this a one-stop mom and pop music shop.

“We handle different aspects of the business, like creating show posters and we design album covers for artists,” explains Ms. Doctorow. “I co-produce records and sing harmony and I sometimes help artists promote themselves on folk radio.”

After three decades in the music business, it’s a skill Ms. Doctorow has come to understand well.

“I think it’s about finding your audience,” she says. “When you’re at an indy level, the audience isn’t necessarily going to come to you. I think I’ve sort of found the audience and the songs.”

And for the next six weeks, the East End audiences will know where to find the music.

2015 East End Songwriter’s Share: April 10 Peter Landi playing for Katie’s Courage; April 17 Fred Raimondo playing for The Retreat; April 24 Terry Winchell playing for Maureen’s Haven; May 1 Gene Casey playing for Community Action of Southold Town; May 8 Caroline Doctorow playing for The Bridgehampton Child Care Center; May 15 Inda Eaton playing for The Sag Harbor Community Food Pantry. Concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. and are held at the meetinghouse of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the South Fork (977 Bridgehampton/Sag Harbor Turnpike, Bridgehampton). Admission is $15 and a reception with the artists follows.