Al Gallodoro

A LATE GREAT Saxophone and clarinet virtuoso Al Gallodoro passed away peacefully on Oct. 4 at the age of 95. Gallodoro was one of the longest continually active performers in any discipline—he last performed as recently as Sept. 20, just days before his death. He had resided in Oneonta since 1981, after stints in Alabama, New Orleans, and New York City. Capital Region jazz aficionados would recognize him from his frequent appearances with accompanist Joanne Chmielowski at Justin’s and Caffe Lena; jazz lovers around the world knew him as a soloist with Paul Whiteman, with whom he was associated for nearly 40 years, and from his dozens and dozens of recordings. When I spoke with him a few years ago, he offered what may have been the secret of his longevity: “I eat all foods,” he said. “You name it, I’ll eat it.” Gallodoro will surely be missed. His Web site remains up in his memory: algallodoro.com.

OUT OF HIDING? Our pick for Best Band Who Never Play Out (in this year’s Best of the Capital Region issue) are actually playing out. Indie-poppers Brent Gorton and the Tender Breasts have been missing from the local club scene for some time (hence our designation), but they’ve announced their return for Saturday, Oct. 25, at Valentine’s. According to Gorton, they’ll also debut a long-in-the-making new album, called Loud Ness, which will be available on good, old-fashioned vinyl. Regarding their absence from the stage, Gorton says it “will probably be a while until the next one (if ever),” so go see what you’ve been missing before it’s too late. Visit brentgorton.com or valentinesalbany.com for more info.

WIDER CIRCULATION One of Albany’s most popular acts, Sirsy, will take their music to newsstands nationwide this month. The hard-touring rock duo have been chosen as featured artists in the November issue of the long-running magazine Relix. Sirsy will not only be featured within the magazine’s glossy pages, but on the accompanying compilation CD, where their track “Revolution” will appear alongside folks like Joan Osborne and Lucinda Williams. The band have a Halloween-night show lined up at Revolution Hall, where fans will have the chance to win an acoustic guitar, or enter a costume contest for a shot at a cash prize. For more on all things Sirsy, visit sirsy.com.

ONLY THE NAME HAS CHANGED The Sarah Pedinotti Band are no longer. That is to say, the band—singer Pedinotti, bassist Tony Markellis, guitarist Chris Kyle, and drummer Chris Carey—have taken on a new, more democratic moniker: Railbird. To celebrate their newfound codependence, the band will release their first CD as Railbird this week with a CD-release show at Manhattan venue the Living Room. An upstate release show is scheduled for Nov. 22 at Revolution Hall. More on the show can be found at revolutionhall.com, and the band have their own brand-spanking-new Web site at railbirdmusic.com.

HIGH FIDELITY Capital Region audiophiles, take note: Your ship has landed. The Bose Showcase Store at Colonie Center will celebrate its grand opening this Saturday from 1 to 3 PM. This will be the first foray into the area for Bose, one of the nation’s leading home-audio retailers, and they’ll be offering up refreshments and specials to lure shoppers into their lair this Saturday. Additionally, award-winning, Virginia-based singer-songwriter Julie Clark will be on hand to provide live music, and the store will give away 100 copies of Clark’s CD as part of the festivities. For more on the store, call Colonie Center at 459-9020; Clark’s Web site is julieclark.net.

—John Brodeur

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