Front Row, Center, September 10, 2010 Spaghettini, Will Donato’s CD release party!!!

Friday, September 10, 2010
Will Donato CD Release party
Spaghettini, Seal Beach, CA

Saxophone: Will Donato
Saxophone, Special Guest: Henry Alexander (Bruce Springsteen tribute band member)
Vocalist (LA-based): Demo
Keyboard: Yrie Norris
Set II, Showcase Keyboard: Johnny Meza (aka Mr. Party in a Glass)
Guitar: Drew Simpson
Set II, Guitar, Special Guest: Richard Hart
Bass: Eddie Reddick (aka The Cat in the Hat)
Special guest: Aaron Mason
Drums: Patrick Ready
Drums, Special Guest: Christian Poezech

I squeaked in for sound check and what a sound check it was! The first thing
Will did was lean his sax over my table and offer a thank-you-for-coming snippet. The venue was filling up and the aura intense. Show time was over an hour away. With his hat cocked off to the side, Mr. sexy saxy, Will Donato hit it hard, wailin’ until his one-handed stop quieted the band. Excited fans gathered around for a pre-show gathering that was transforming quickly into a jazzy love fest! Wow, fans fully engaged during the sound check, I guess I’m not the only one who loves to be a jazzy fly on the wall!
Will Donato~
“There’s a lot of love in our audience!” He joked about a die-hard female fan up front requesting Gangster Love.
Donato~
“Well, that concludes our show!”
A belly laugh echoed as two of the band members departed. I looked on while Donato remained for a little one-on-one with guitarist Drew Simpson.
SOLD OUT crowd energy overflowed as band members shuffled on stage. The room was packed to the gills! High fives buzzed side stage.
Vocalist Demo~
“Hey, what’s up?”
KSBR’s Music Director, Vienna Yip took the stage.
Vienna~
“Good evening everybody! How’s everybody doing tonight? My name is Vienna and I’m happy to introduce you to a sax extraordinaire. Please, put your hands together for ASL recording artist, Will Donato!”
A noiseless, ‘hit it boys’ started the shrill genius of Will Donato’s piercing vibe. The rock-solid band’ was trickin’ out the tune while MIA Will covered every inch of the place. Hoots, hollers and howls emanated behind me, but my pen was intent on not missing a note. The venue was a jazzy hornet’s nest of activity. Saxomanic, Will Donato’s amazing charisma transformed the crowd into a burning inferno and he hadn’t even hit the stage! A double-handed band signal afforded him a slow-dance opportunity. He enlisted a lovely front-row audience member from our sound check sneak preview. Will managed to play the sax while slow dancing and kicking one silly leg into the air! From there his energy continue to blossom on stage like the first flower after a spring thaw. There’s something electric about a sax player who can blow like that while smiling! He crouched up and down like a spring loaded Jack in the Box. Bassist Eddie ‘Cat in the Hat’ Reddick slipped me a thumbs up, then wowed us with his purple shoes, matching hat and drumbeat-synced rhythm.
Saxophonist Will Donato~
“I’m so glad to be here with you guys tonight! My name is Will Donato. That’s Italian for fun. I’ve been on the road.” Donato’s contagious energy shone through his beaming grin while he introduced the band. He singled out Keyboardist Yrie Norris. Yrie ripped into a key-crazed solo, Jitterbuggin’ his wild fingers across the ivories.
Will~
“This is the kind of players you’re hookin’ me up with? This is called New Life. a full sixty seconds passed before this intently-focused writer noticed his saxophone was poised directly above my table and playing directly into my ear. This inspirational tune’s fiery beat pulled Will’s left foot to the stage edge, prompting an arch backed Sanborn sax scream.
Will~
“You guys are awesome! This is a song from the Spinners. I’ll need you guys to help a little. It’s a Friday night and we might need a little help. Com’on!”
The full-audience clap drew Donato into the crowd while vocalist Demo revealed his pipes by the side-door pocket. Demo shadowed Will’s revving sax engine as the two took the room by storm. Unabashed charisma guided Will’s sax to a chair top while dozens of cameras snapped around him. Vocalist Demo was connecting his own jazzy dots when Will hopped down, sauntered through the bar and circled toward Vienna for a mini serenade. Donato carefully guided the woman he’d slow danced with earlier on stage.
Will pointed~
“This is Sister Margaret from our local convent!” He chuckled. “Alright, we need you guys! Let’s do it, com’on. Let’s do it again!”
Everyone sang along.
Donato~
“You guys came out to play tonight?! Thanks and goodnight.” He laughed again. “I love to play so the rest of the night is an encore!” Donato joked about one-hundred and fifty dollar CDs he was selling in the lobby. “This is Orange County, right? You guys make some noise! This is off the brand-new CD. Check out a little Sister Sledge.”
Will worked arch of the stage like a pendulum. This sax man never stops moving! Within moments, he took a short jaunt into the audience once again, then retuned to the stage.
Donato~
“On guitar, y’all, Drew Simpson!”
Simpson’s guitar solo pulled every eye in the place to his strings. His stage presence gifted personal invitations for crowd members one-by-one to enter his zone. His soul digging creation offered us a triple wow. The man got down! Will joined him for a frothy guitar-sax duel. Drew returned to the back pocket, Will center stage.
Will~
“I think he got his two cents in, y’all!”
They piggybacked a short duo finale.
“Miracle Man, y’all!” That’s on my new CD! It’s Friday night, com’on, make some noise!” He repeated, “You can do better than that, make some noise!” He joked with the vocalist. “This is actually a recording artist from LA, Demo. I just survived throat cancer and tonight marks my eighteen-week anniversary!” Will solemnly shared reflective words about chemo, the doctor who saved his life and his wife. “This next song is dedicated to you guys and my lovely wife, Diana. This song’s called Italia. And it’s for all that are in a relationship, even if it’s with a good steak. We’re gonna slow it down.” Will repeated, “It’s for my lovely wife Diana Donato and for you guys.”
Drew Simpson opened with some sweet acoustic licks, joined by Donato’s willowy sax and slow glide into the audience. Demo’s gripping vocals filled the air.
Will~
“You guys give it up for Demo on Vocals! Yrie on keys!”
His keyboard solo brought the house down!
Donato~
“Once again, y’all that’s Yrie Norris! You guys, that’s called Italia. Also, give it up for Eddie Reddick, The Cat in the Hat and I have been playing together for twenty years! I also want to give a shout out to Vienna. Alright, you guys wanna boogie? Here’s a song! Can I say that? This is a bootie shaker! It’s called Jay Walkin’! Once again, y’all, Eddie Reddick!”
Eddie quite literally thumped the hell out of it! He left no doubt in anyone’s mind, he’s one cool cat!
Will~
“Com’on, you guys. It’s Friday, party night! You ready to party? Com’on!”
Eddie got down and dirty with it. He dug deep unearthing a raw feline vibe that made his strings moan junkyard cat, ‘in the hat’, of course.
Will~
“Are you guys feelin’ it out there? The one and only, Drew Simpson!”
The handoff to guitarist Drew lured him from the corner pocket to center stage. His solo sparkled while will worked the audience.
“Drew Simpson, ladies and gentlemen! It’s a party! Way to go! That’s called Jay Walkin’, y’all! Grab a CD tonight! This is my anniversary night! I’m 100% cancer free! You guys are gonna design the next song!” Donato offered three tune choices. A dancing crowd member shimmied her way to the stage. He joked about the convent again and asked Vienna if he could give away a CD. The song Skin Tight won the vote. Demo took a momentary break in the audience.
Donato leaned into the crowd from front stage, center~
“You guys give it up for Demo!” A little Mr. Magic found its way into the mix.
Will hollered~
“Hey! Alright, you guys! Put your hands up in the air, y’all! Get those hands up! Get those hands up! Say, hey! Say, hey! Somebody scream!”
Vocals rang through the venue. The sax was wailin’, wailin’ wailin.
Donato~
“Alright, y’all! Once again, I want you guys to know who we’re playin’ with.” He reintroduced the band. “This next one is called Sax Drive and was written by my buddy, Mr. Blake Aaron! Once again, you guys give it up for Eddie Reddick! I made the Billboard top 20 this year and you guys are the best friends a guy could have. You guys are number one! Also, a shout to the sound board, Q. Here we go! This is called Sax Drive. Alright, Aaron Mason, y’all!”
Someone yelled~
“Look out!”
Aaron Mason’s heart throbbin’ bass blew this tune out of the water. His off-the-chain passion earned him a triple wow front the first thump.
Will~
“You guys give it up for Aaron Mason, y’all!” The two teamed up with a musical swordfight, both victorious, leaving everyone in awe. From there Will turned it out on sax while vocalist Demo danced at his door perch.
Will~
“That one is probably the most significant one on the CD dedicated to my journey. Com’on, y’all, I need some help!” By that time the venue was wholly dedicated to jazz mania. The entire audience was rockin’, rollin’, shakin’, moving and dancing.
Will~
“This song is the title track, Funkability. Once again, we’re gonna feature Aaron Mason, y’all!” The duo of Aaron and Will cranked it up! Our favorite sax maniac took it to the crowd again during a bass-drum extravaganza in perfect synchronicity. Will pounced back on stage and went completely bonkers.
Will~
Donato~
“Yeah! Don’t try that at home! That song is rising like a bullet up the charts. I don’t wear a watch. Oh, it’s 9:21. I could play forever. Once again, give it up for Q and the sound board. Debbie Parks from Star PR is in the house. Alright, here’s a song for Henry Alexander (second set, saxman). Demo? Demo? This is called Joy and Pain. Do we have any Frankie Beverly fans? Q, can you give me a little bit more?”
Demo~
“The sax player needs some water. Break it down and get funky!”
We shared an enormous sing-a-long. Demo was center stage belting it out when Will exploded like a rocket into the crowd. Will’s Saxy attitude and infectious energy touched every heart in the place. Hurricane warning, red alert: two jazzy twisters are swirling through Spaghettini making music history! Demo and Will kicked up some dust.
Will~
“Give it up for Demo!”
Demo~
“Y’all break it down. Break it down even more.”
Beautiful Lafayette took the stage.
Denato~
“Give it up for LaFayette! That’s our first set.”
A jazzy second set showcased some of the most inspiring artists in the business. Phenomenal friends, family and fans celebrated Will Donato’s new CD, What It Takes. More importantly, we celebrated life on September 10, Will’s cancer-free, eighteen-week anniversary. Beyond a shadow out a doubt, my pen and I were in the right time at the right place tonight. Chills still race up my spine when I think about it. Thanks, guys! © September 2010 Lynn M. Olson ALL RIGHTS RESERVED