The Web Site Of The Legendary Singer-Guitarist Al-Vis!

12/20/2010 Merry Christmas from Patty, Kelley, Bobby and Al-Vis!!!

Click here for a special Christmas greeting from us, a work in progress of some brand new Christmas recordings. We hope to have to have a full CD ready for next year's holiday season, but for now we will be posting as much as we have.

Special thanks to the ultra-talented Patty Tracy and Kelley Dewkette Loizos for their heart-rendering vocals on these, and especially to Al-Vis's long-time guitar-slinging buddy Bobby D'onofrio for all his hard work in recording and mixing these. And please remember to visit www.MeAndBobbyD.com for a look at the Asbury Park area's newest upcoming musical act!

Also want to give kudos to Danny Coleman for debuting Let It Snow on his Rock On! Radio show's annual Christmas special last night! You can hear Danny's show every Sunday at 10 PM on www.wifi1460am.com and other great sites, click here for more on this fantastic rock and roll experience.

12/14/2010 The home stretch-

What a year its been!!!

My first CD ever- performing with great artists, many of whom I consider my personal heroes, such as the great Jo Wymer- great gigs such as The Paramount Sessions and getting a Featured Artist spot at the Atlantic Highlands Open Mic. And lots of great times at Vals and the Village Coffee with Cook and Carol.

There are no endings, only transitions, as I state in my remarks from the 2008 Clearwater Festival at Asbury Park. And the music continues into 2011- with a great gig New Years Day at West Long Branch Chemical Number One with Chik-A-Boom, a benefit with Billy's Fault and Timepiece at the Wonder Bar later on that day.

Later on in January I will be a featured artist at a series put on by the great songstress Sheli Aarden at the Village Coffee in Neptune City. This is a special monthly singer-songwriter event that Sheli has been putting on.

And coming later this week- a collection of Christmas songs, including a re-working of "Let It Snow", which I recorded for Spring Libutti's Christmas CD. This version features Kelley Dewkette Loizos and Bobby D'onofrio of Me and Bobby D. and my current singing duo partner Patty Tracy. Watch for it in a few days- just needs a final mix! And watch for a full CD for next Christmas with this talented bunch!!!

Next week you can see me at the Belmar Fishing Club with Patty Tracy on Wednesday December 22 (members only but I know a lot of you are members) and the next day at Sprengels in Neptune for their Christmas bash with Mike and Al-Vis. And special congrats to young Scott Sprengel and his new wife Marylin, whose wedding we were privileged to perform at a couple of weeks back.

See you at the gigs- or in 2011! Hopefully sooner than later.

12/9/2010 This weekend Patty Tracy and I have two very exciting performances coming up- hope you can make it out to these!

Friday we'll be at the Cake Bake and Roll at Pier Village here in Long Branch, with a great lineup that also includes Jeff and Elaine, Me and Bobby D. and Beanacht. Proceeds will benefit Epiphany House in Asbury Park.

Saturday we'll be going on at happy hour to start off Debbie's Birthday Benefit for the SPCA. Also on the bill are Billy's Fault and the man himself, Lance Larson.

By the way, check out my YouTube site for some great clips of Lance from long ago, at the Stone Pony's grand opening show for the Asbury Rock Museum in July 1986.

Patty and I have been recording some Christmas songs, which we will post within the next few days. We plan on doing an entire CD of Christmas music by next holiday season, but we'll post what we have so far this year as soon as its ready. These also feature Kelley Dewkette and Bobby D'onofrio (Me and Bobby D)- very excited to be recording with such talented people!

Looking ahead, Mike and Al-Vis will be performing at Sprengel's Garden Sports Bar in Neptune Thursday December 23. Come on down to this great local hang and start the Christmas celebration on a fun note!

See you soon-

11/28/2010 Thanks to Mitch, Andy, Tim, Carol Jean, Dale Lakata, Dan Hall and everyone else for coming out last to help Patty Tracy and Al-Vis at our debut performance at D'arcy's in Bradley Beach! We had a great time jamming and the crowd couldn't have been more enthusiastic. We hope to be back there soon.

More exciting news on Patty: We are putting the finishing touches on a brand new Christmas collection. This is a joint venture between Patty, Al-Vis, and the duo Me And Bobby D. (Bobby D'onofrio and Kelley Loizos). Songs include "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", "Silent Night", and a remake of "Let It Snow", using the same arrangement that I used on Spring Libutti's Acoustic Christmas CD. We hope to have some of it posted within the next couple of weeks.

This Monday November 29 I will be making my debut performance with international recording artist, author and adoption-rights activist Zara Phillips, at Val's in Rumson.

This will be the weekly open mic hosted by Cook Smith and Carol Barbieri. Our special guest artist will be drummer Danny Coleman (whom I was honored to perform with at some Jo Wymer performances a little while back). Watch my sites for some upcoming dates with Zara, who will also be performing with a full band at some appearances as she promotes her new CD, as well as a new book and film on the adoption rights issue.

No public performances with Chik-A-Boom are scheduled for December, but I have some very exciting appearances with Patty Tracy coming up. On Friday December 10 I will be performing at the Cake Bake and Roll in Long Branch for a new musicians collective called Musicians On A Mission. This event, which also features several other fine acts such as Me and Bobby D., is a fundraiser for Epiphany House.

The next day Saturday December 11 I will be performing with Patty at the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park. This event will benefit the ASPCA, and we will performing at the happy hour before the bands start.

As we get closer to Christmas Patty and I will be giving a special holiday performance at the Belmar Fishing Club on Ocean Avenue in Belmar NJ on Wednesday December 22. This will be a members-only event but I know many of our fans are members. We had a great time performing last year at this event- take some time off and have a few drinks and let Patty and Al-Vis get you into the holiday spirit!

11/18/2010 On The Shoulders Of Giants (from my most recent FB blog)

There is an unbroken line between the Asbury Park area's past and present music/entertainment community.

From Frankie Valli, to Nick Addeo, Sonny Kenn, Vini Lopez, Big Danny, Don Erdman, John Oeser, Steve Schraeger, Lance Larson, Tom Labella- to Bobby Bandieri, Too Tall Tom Dimock, Bobby Bertelson, Bon Jovi, Southside, Bill Chinnock, Carolyn Mas,John Eddie, John Luraschi, Laura Crisci, Billy Hector, Glen Burtnick- on through to todays superstars such as Eryn Shewell, Jo Wymer, Michael Patrick, Rick Barry, C.M. Smith, Matt Orea, Christine Martucci, Emily Grove, Michael Brett, George Wirth etc etc etc.

Those who are part of the scene now owe an incalculable debt to those who have gone before them. Without them Asbury Park might have been a one-hit-wonder town, Bruce being that one hit. With them, and with all of the current artists who have ushered in yet another great era in our musical history, a unbroken circle of excellence has existed for the better part of the last 50-60 years.

Speaking for myself, to have been associated with any of these artists, either in the past or today, has been like standing on the shoulders of giants.

Many of these giants are gone now. Too many. Danny, Big Bobby Williams, Margaret Potter, Bernie Brauswette, Bill Chinnock, Donnie Bertelson. And some are performing less and less. Others still flail away at it. And I still flail away with many of them.

Clubs like Park Place, The Fast Lane, The Alamo, The Drift Inn, Mrs Jays etc, have now given way to a second era of entertainment venues- The Langosta Lounge, McCloone's Supper Club, The Watermark, The Saint, Chico's House Of Jazz. People can debate about whether it was better back in the day, or whether that even matters. But such a debate s hardly necessary- the music scene has always been "it is what it is" and as one who seen most of it come and go over the last 40 years I can tell you that the current crop of venues and entertainers is at least as good, if not better, than Asbury Park in its so-called "Glory Days".

If you don't believe me, just go to a show at the Wonder Bar or MCcloone's Supper Club and see for yourself.

Almost invariably, you are greeted by friendly, knowledgeable staff, pay a nominal fee (compared to nearly everywhere else in the world), and get treated to great music over some of the most modern sound systems around. And nearly all of the venues are crisp and clean.

Back in the old days it wasn't always like this. The clubs back then were little more than honky tonks. In fact, the Wonder Bar had a huge poolroom, and often didn't have any entertainment at all (though Nick Addeo and a very young Al-Vis performed there in the early 1970s). Only a few had entertainment. And there were some great bands, but there was a lot of crap too. Agency bands who couldn't sing or play too well but looked great. Lounge bands who really couldn't care less about the music they played (the band I played with at the Wonder Bar was called 'Sticks And Bones" It was just a keyboard player, drummer and myself. The songs were did were mostly thrown together off of lead sheets- we were certainly NOT in it to be creative!).

So the good old days weren't always the good old days anyway.

But there was a lot to love about the old days. Especially some of the bands. Kinderhook Creek was one of the most populate bands- and they played great southern and country rock- they always packed the Stone Pony. Phantom's Opera and Salty Dog played heavy metal. Maxx played power pop. Cats On A Smooth Surface played hits and oldies, with great vocals and all-star lineups.

All of these were great bands, and they carried this little music city by the sea into greatness and beyond. Into the late 1980s, when one by one, all of the clubs had closed. Into the 1990's, when the original Stone Pony closed. Into the 2000s, when the resurgence starting with Lance And Debbie's new version of the Wonder Bar, and Harry's Roadhouse over on Cookman ave, newer bands such as Jody Joseph and the Average Jos, Bocci and The Bad Boys, Status Green, Days Awake began Asbury Park's re-emergence as a musical focal point.

One of the great icons from our past, Bob Campanell, has fallen on hard times. Bob was the lead singer in The Shakes, one of the most popular bands from Asbury Park's past.

There will be a benefit concert next Friday Nov 26 in Somers Point, to try to defer some of the costs from his current illness. Bob will be joined by The Danny Eyer Band, Kenny Jerimiah and Ernie T. Tronio. See the flyer for more info.

And I should close with how grateful I am to have been part of this great scene for all these years- thanks to those currently out their shining, as well as those who have shone before- what a great light you have brought to this world and into my life!

11/12/2010 Thanks to the Atlantic Highlands Arts Council for honoring Al-Vis at their November Live On First Open Mic! Tim, Cook, Carol, Todd and I had a blast going thru the setlist of 40+ years of Al-Vis history, from Red Rubber Ball to Road Construction, from the Rolling Stones to Spring Libutti. You can read more about the show here. Special thanks also to the

Garden State Goddess for their support- here's a pic of Maureen G. at Val's promoting my CD Road Construction.

Also featured that evening were several talented artists who made a big impression on the crowd- including this young lady, Chelsea Yarrow Gould, who gave a moving reading of some of her poetry:

http://cyg76.blogspot.com/

And here's Jeff and Elaine, the great duo whom you might have seen at First Saturday in Asbury Park recently, among many other local venus:

http://www.reverbnation.com/jeffelaine

I also want to announce the start of a new group of talented musicians being led by my friend Jenny Woods, Musicians On A Mission. This is an exciting new venture that will be putting on charity events throughout the year- hope you get a chance to check them out!

http://www.MusiciansOnAMission.org

Now back to the future: Patty Tracy and I are gearing up for the 2010 Christmas Season, rehearsing our full set of holiday music and booking performances at several area venues. We will be appearing at D'arcy's Tavern in Bradley Beach on Saturday November 27, the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park on Saturday December 11 and the Belmar Fishing Club on Wednesday December 22. More dates to come- check out Patty's web site here for breaking news!

Finally, I want to congratulate all of the fine talent who have been nominated for the 18th Annual Asbury Music Awards, which is this weekend, Saturday November 13 at the Stone Pony. Special shout out to the great Jo Wymer, whom I featured at my Road Construction CD Release Party this past summer at Sprengel's in Neptune, and whom I was honored to perform several shows with a few weeks back. Please try to make it out to the Stone Pony this weekend and support all of your favorite acts- support live music, especially in our great little music city by the sea of Asbury Park NJ!

11/4/2010 Hi everyone.

A great time was had on Sunday October 24- here's a couple of pics, many more on my Facebook site:

We raised a lot of $ and I had a great time jamming with Steve Barr, Bobby Bandiera, Kevin Kavanaugh, Joey Bellia, Tom Labella, John and the guys from Chik-A-Boom, and I even got to sing "Dont Stop The Dreamin'" with our old friend Maddog!

This Tuesday November 9 I am going to be the featured artist at Live On First, an open mic sponsored by the Atlantic Highlands Arts Council:

I will be performing songs from different milestones in my 40+ years of performing, from Red Rubber Ball to Road Construction, from the Rolling Stones to Spring Libutti:

--------------------------
Forty years is four decades.

When I first picked up a guitar Richard Nixon had just become president. We were still engaged in that
“Crazy Asian War”. Civil rights battles were raging in the streets of Newark, Atlanta, and ultimately our
own little city of Asbury Park.

Growing up in Neptune, I had music all around me. It was in the stores. It was in our car, where my dad
used to tune to WJRZ, the country music station out of New York that played Loretta Lynn, George Jones
and Tammy Wynette nonstop. In 1965 we took a family trip to Texas, and I still remember a lot of the
music that came out of the radio even at that young age! At the 1965 World’s Fair in New York I
remember Frank Sinatra’s “It Was A Very Good Year” coming out of one of the exhibits.

more here.....

10/14/2010 What an incredible Rocktober so far! I was honored to perform with the great Jo Wymer at a series of performances these past two weeks. From opening for John Eddie at Scooter's in Howell, to the Jam for Life benefit at Kat Man du in Trenton, to the Stone Pony, and the Ocean Grove Fall Festival last weekend, I had a blast filling in while Jo takes time to work in a new guitar slinger.

If you haven't heard this VERY up and coming singer-songwriter, check her out at:

www.MySpace.com/JoWymerBlues

I know you will be amazed!

Also in the band, Rock On! Radio's Danny Coleman on drums, bassist (and Al-Vis producer) Cook Smith, and violinist Helen Radke, three formidable talents themselves. You can hear Danny's show at:

www.wifi1460am.com

every Sunday at 10 PM. He has had a great list of guests (like Al-Vis!), and if you're a performer he's always looking for new acts, just contact his show to let him know you're interested.

More interesting news: I have been given the honor of transferring a performance by the great performer Bill Chinnock at Big Man's West from 1982 to video.

You can see the clips at my YouTube site here:

www.YouTube.com/Alvis1515

Thanks to Stephen Bumball for the footage, and to Bill's family for entrusting me to this great task. Bill, who passed away in 2007, was one of the shore area's most-beloved performers for many many years, and his band also included Vini Lopez and Garry Tallent from the E-Street Band. His CD 'Dime Store Heroes' was recently re-released in a 30th Anniversary edition, and a new DVD is due out of the special tribute concert that was done in his name, featuring many of the people who performed with him all those years.

www.BillChinnock.com

I want to give a shout out to a very special person- a singer who is having some health issues and so needs our prayers.

Kelley Dewkette Loizos is a singer in One-eyed Jack, and also performs alongside my good friend Bobby D'onofrio in the duo Me and Bobby D. She is having surgery this week, so I am wishing her all the best for a full and speedy recovery.

Finally- I do have a CD available myself! Its called Road Construction, and has only been available by contacting me so far. I am now making arrangements to make the CD available online also, and to commemorate this milestone I am currently making my version of Spring Libutti's If I Told You available for free, streaming only, and for a limited time.

Spring Libutti is an extraordinarily talented singer and songwriter whom I had the honor of performing with for many years. I was featured on her Transforming CD, and also on her Spring's Acoustic Christmas CD. "If I Told You" is a song we performed together for many years, so it was only fitting that I record it as a tribute to my years with her. Contact her here to find out about ordering her recent recordings. And see my Spring Libutti/Al-Vis page for some free downloads of our work together.

My next public performance is at the Headliner on October 24 with Chik-A-Boom: a fundraiser for Christine's Hope for Kids (see below for details). Try to make it out to this great event- joining us will be several other talented performers, including my great friend Vini Lopez with his new band "License To Chill", and a special appearance by Bobby Bandiera. See ya there!

http://home.comcast.net/~chikaboom/chrstnshp.htm

9/25/2010 Al-Vis news: Ready to Rocktober!

It was a great summer, and things are getting better and better as we move into Fall 2010. And that's not just the gorgeous weather we've been having...

Friday October 1 Patty Tracy and Al-Vis will join Me and Bobby D. (Kelley Loizos and Bobby D'onofrio) for a night of harmonizing for humanity. This will be at the Wine Loft in Pier Village, Long Branch starting at 8 PM.

The next morning October 2 at 10:30 AM, Al-Vis brings his Road Construction tour to the Shana Foundation's Surf Jam, on the beach at Monmouth Beach. Also on the bill are Dale Lakata, Poppa John, Eryn Shewell, Anjelia and The Boy, Arlan Feiles, Bobby Strange, CM Smith, Michael Brett, Sandy Mack and many others.

At 2 PM on October 2 Patty Tracy and I will be doing a special performance at the Langosta Lounge, located on the boardwalk in Asbury Park. Patty and I are excited about playing this great venue- come and bring your appetites, the food there is beyond words!

Then later on the evening of October 2 I have a special performance with the great Jo Wymer and her Itty Bitty Band. Joining us will be drummer Danny Coleman, as we perform an opening set at Scooters on Rt 9 in Howell before the John Eddie show. I have been a huge fan of Jo's since being introduced to her music through my producer Cook Smith, who was recording her at the time. I will re-post my blog entry about this talented young singer, who has been named "The 100 Women of Blues Guitar" by a national magazine. Show starts at 8 PM, and they accept reservations.

Later on in the month I will be performing with Chik-A-Boom at a benefit for Christine's Hope For Kids. Christine Gianacaci was killed in Haiti this year while performing work for the underprivileged children of Haiti. The show is scheduled for Sunday, October 24 in the afternoon at the Headliner in Neptune - many more details to come.

As my schedule permits you can catch me hanging at Val's Acoustic Open Mic in Rumson every Monday, and Cook's Traveling Open Mic at the Village Coffee in Neptune City on Fridays. Both of these are great venues for live music, and they feature some of the greatest (and my favorite) acts around.

Open mic mostest hostess Twinkie
Carol Barbieri w/Al-Vis,
Val's Tavern, Rumson 9/20/2010

Watch this site for many more dates, including new dates with Patty Tracy, Chik-A-Boom, a special performance at Live on First in Atlantic Highlands and even some other special performances with Jo Wymer.

9/19/2010 Couple of very exciting performances coming up with the great Patty Tracy: The Wine Loft on Friday October 1 at 8 PM and outside the Langosta Lounge on the Asbury Park boardwalk the next day Saturday October 2, at 2 PM.

We'll be joined at the Wine Loft (located in Long Branch's Pier Village) with Patty's long-time singing partner Kelley Dewkette Loizos and my guitar bud, the storied Bobby D'onofrio. We'll each do a set, then end with a grand finale that is sure to be a knock-out, so this event promises to be one of highlights of the fall season so far.

Also on October 2, Al-Vis will be bring the Road Construction Tour to Monmouth Beach, at the annual Shana Foundation Surfing Contest and Jam:

Several other great acts, such as Eryn Shewell, Anjelia and The Boy, Poppa John, Michael Brett, Bobby Strange, Arlen Feiles and Sandy Mack will join me there- and its a great cause, try to make it!

Here's yet another great write-up by our friend Jean Mikle at the Asbury Park Press, regarding the Paramount Sessions, which was attended by over 900 fans, and I was honored to be a part of:

http://blogs.app.com/rhythmroom/2010/09/16/in-praise-of-the-paramount-sessions/

This Friday September 24 I'll be at the Boat House with Chik-A-Boom (sans Bennies!), always a rockin' time in Belmar! See you soon.

9/6/2010 Put a ribbon on it, summer 2010 is a wrap. Thanks to Patty Tracy, Mike Cusack, Chik-A-Boom, Andy Hughes, ATM and all of Al-Vis' friends and fans for making it one of the best ever!

Thanks to Madison Marquette, The Stone Pony, The Saint and The Wonder Bar for another milestone in the history of Asbury Park's music- The Paramount Sessions was a blast!

Thanks to Cook and Carol for all their great open mics, where Al-Vis got to connect with so many talented performers, and for being so supportive themselves.

Thanks to all the great performers I've come to know these past few months- Jeff and Elaine, Jenny Woods, Laura Crisci, George Wirth, Michael Brett, David Wrong, Adam B, etc etc! Thanks to all my long time musical friends- Bobby D., Patty Tracy, Kelley, John C., Tim C., Andy Russo and on and on.

And thanks to God for my wonderful wife Denise, now on the mend, who's put up with all this music for all these years- and many more to come.

Taking a bit of a break the next couple of weeks- see everyone at the Boat House on September 24 with Chik-A-Boom! In the meantime, here's yet another article on Road Construction, from the magazine Chorus And Verse:

http://www.chorusandverse.com/blog.php?id=20100092A

9/1/2010 Thanks so much to Danny Coleman for having Al-Vis on his Rock On Radio show this past weekend. My producer and friend Cook Smith and I had a blast talking about everything from Black Sabbath to my work with Danny Gallagher and Spring, to the late great planet Pluto!

You can listen to the whole show here:

http://www.hamiltonradio.net/audio.php

And watch his site for some other great guests in the weeks to follow. Danny's show airs at 10 PM Sundays on wifi 1460 AM and other stations, on the internet at www.HamiltonRadio.net and other great sites.

Just in! Patty Tracy will be joining Al-Vis as Road Construction comes to the Paramount Sessions, this Sunday September 5 at 7 PM on the Asbury Park boardwalk. That the day after Patty and Al-Vis will be performing in front of Mike's Beach House at Asbury Park's First Saturday, starting around 6 PM. The great singer Jenny Woods will also be joining us that night, so stop down to Asbury Park this Saturday! See ya there.

8/27/2010 What's next? September and beyond...

Road Construction is out- watch this site as some radio stations pick up on it!

Chik-A-Boom, now 20 years and still going strong. Mike and Al-Vis, Patty Tracy, what's next?

Only time will tell but the excitement is sure continuing!

On September 4, I will be performing with the great singer Patty Tracy in front of Mike's Beach House on Cookman Ave in Asbury Park at the September 2010 First Saturday event. Come join us and many other acts as Asbury Park comes alive with music, and bring your appetites to dine in one of several fine Asbury Park eating establishments.

The next day, Sunday September 5, I will be taking my Road Construction Tour to the Paramount Sessions on the Asbury Park boardwalk:

http://apboardwalk.com/events/2037

I will be performing at the 4th Ave area at 7 PM, and the boardwalk will be filled that day with many other great acts. So come on down and catch Asbury Park as it sheds all those years of lethargy, and comes alive as it never has before with some of the greatest talent around!

Just in! I will be the featured guest on Danny Coleman's Rock On Radio this Sunday night at 10 PM. You can listen directly in the internet as I discuss my years with Spring Libutti, Danny Gallagher and others, and Asbury Park's past and present:

www.hamiltonradio.net

Finally, I want to thank Jean Mikle for this great writeup on my Road Construction CD Release event:

http://blogs.app.com/rhythmroom/2010/08/20/al-vis-releases-his-first-cd/

And thanks to everyone who has purchased one- means a lot to me!

See you Labor Day weekend!

8/25/2010 We did it without hardly any support from the local media (and I do thank The Coaster and the APP Press so much for their coverage), even though I sent out plenty of press releases and other notices to several area outlets.

We did it, packed Sprengels Garden Bar in Neptune, and gave Al-Vis' hometown a taste of the rich variety of talent the Asbury Park area has to offer.For over 6 hours on a sleepy Sunday afternoon in August, we brought some great music to my friends and fans, and we had a blast doing do.

I have so many people to thank and be grateful for this- you all came together and went the extra mile and I am very touched by everyone's generosity.I am hoping I don't miss anyone, but here goes, not necessarily in the order of importance.

I want to thank my life-long friend Cook Smith for going along with my idea to record the CD in the first place. We spent many hours in the studio, and the back-and-forth between us resulted in what I consider one of the finest works I have ever created. Cook gave generously of his time and talent, and continues to do so. I can't imagine how things would have turned out without his help- so thanks to you Cook for all you did.

Then Joe Tallman, who came up with such great ideas for the cover art, and was so cooperative in giving me exactly what I was going for.

And then there was the support of so many others along the way- Carol at the open mics; Ken Wescott, Beth Amatelli, Nancy Johnson, Heidi R. and so many others online showing their excitement as the project unfolded.

I know I did so already in the liner notes but I want to thank Spring Libutti for her ten+ years of some of the greatest music I have ever heard, no matter how things turned out. And Danny Gallagher and his family (especially his daughter Amanda) for allowing me the use of his music, and as I have said, teaching me how to dream big.

I want to thank Scott and Eric Sprengel for all of their enthusiasm, not just for this, but for giving Mike and Al-Vis all those chances to perform in front of our hometown crowd. They really went the extra mile for us: food , extra staffing, advertising and their unending hospitality to my friends and fans.

Thanks to Artie and to Karri for photgraphing the event- we'll see what the footage is like and hopefully I'll be able to post some of it soon.

And the performers- how generous you all were! Jenny Woods, whose southern-fried voice has been soothing my ears all these months; Jeff and Elaine, whose soulful, eclectic mix has kept us all at the edge of our seats when they take the stage; Kelley and Bobby, the great duo whose evocative vocals have mesmorized us; Carol Babrieri, whose interpretations as well as originals have kept us so entertained both live and on her recordings; Jo Wymer, whose last name might as well be "shes-the-bomb" because thats all I heard Sunday after she left the stage from everyone who heard her; Michael Brett for his genorosity in performing with me and even doing an unplanned set of his own; Gary Phillips for the great Buffet-influenced set he did; Andy Tim and Mike, along with Michael Cusack for rocking us into the night; Laura Crisci for her unannounced set and for jamming away with us on harmonica.

And what can I say about Patty Tracy? I have been blessed to have performed with some of the greatest artists a person could ever hope to be associated with- and Patty is way at the top of that list. The way she grabs onto a song and grabs onto the audience is unparalleled, and I am so honored by her encouragement and devotion.

I would like to thank Christine Cusack, my life-long friend, and her sister Rose, for the food and for her help selling the CDs; My great friend Doreen for her help with the CDs; My friend and soul-brother in song Tim Cusack for the use of his equipment and lots of other help he gave us.

And I have saved the best for last because for the past 15 years there has been one person who has put up with so much: the Friday and Saturday nights alone, the time lost to recording and rehearsing, and to putting up with all the quirks of a musician's personality and schedule: Denise Grogan, my wife and the best thing that ever happened to me.

What comes next I can't be too sure of, but I can't help thinking that an important chapter in my life is now coming to a close and another is beginning. We'll see how the CD goes and where it takes my career. But wherever it does take it, it's been a great ride and I look forward to moving forwards with my music and my career, and look forward to more great music from all of you who have inspired me.

Al-Vis and Tim Cusack, Road Construction CD Release 8/22/10 Sprengels in Neptune

8/12/2010 Where can you find Ricky Draper, Vini Lopez, Big Danny, Steve Schraeger, Spring Libutti, John Luraschi, Bobby Alfano, Vinnie Roslin, Tim Cusack, the late great David Shearn and many others? On my Reverb Nation/My Band site! I only have a handful of fans but they are all very special to me!

And don't forget my Spring Libutti download page here:

where you can hear nearly all of my previously released work with Spring. My new CD Road Construction has a song by this towering figure in the career of Al-Vis call "If I Told You", and you can hear it on my Listening Booth page here.

Can't wait for August 22- I have a huge array of highly talented acts who will be sharing the spotlight with me at my Road

Construction CD Release Party at Sprengel's Garden Bar in Neptune. You can read about them here:

There will be a Shark River Hills Reunion this Saturday night at the SRH Firehouse off of Brighton Ave. Rumor has it that people are coming from all over the country to attend, and some of them have told me they will be attending Chik-A-Boom's show at 507 Main in Belmar this Friday, starting at 10 PM.

Other upcoming performances include First Saturday with Patty Tracy on september 4, and on September 5 I will be bringing my Road Construction tour to the Asbury Park boardwalk as part of the Paramount Sessions. This is an exciting new series of events planned and implemented by the Asbury Park musical community. Nearly every major Asbury Park area performer will be there, from Kevin John Allen to Jersey Jung, to Rick Barry to Emily Grove. So please check it out- and support local live music!

8/6/2010 Thanks to all my friends for coming out the to the Headliner this past Wednesday- we had a toetally awesome

time!

Was great playing with my old pal Tim Cusack and Mike Bialis, as we navigated through 4 hours of great songs, including a lot of stuff Tim and I used to sing with JP Gotrock.

Counting down the days to Al-Vis' Road Construction CD Release Party at Sprengels Garden Sports Bar in Neptune August 22. Click here for some info on some of the great acts who will be performing.

And I have song samples on the Listening Booth page here. To order a copy, just email me and I'll replay with full info on how to do this. Or, its available at all my gigs.

There will be plenty of food, music, and fun so try to stop in! Fun starts at 3 PM.

Speaking of which, I will be appearing with Chik-A-Boom on Friday August 13 at 507 Main in Belmar. This could be our last public gig of the summer of 2010 so I hope you don't miss it.

And coming up in September, don't forget Patty Tracy and I will be performing at First Saturday in Asbury Park on September 4 and again the next day September 5 as part of the Paramount Session extravaganza. Watch this site for this exciting new series of events.

See ya at Sprengels!

7/25/2010 On August 22 2010 I will be holding a special CD release party for Road Construction. Special guests so far are: Jo Wymer, Jenny Woods, ATM (with Tim Cusack), Jeff and Elaine, Patty Tracy, Bobby and Kelley, Mike Cusack and others. Here's a flyer for more info:

Road Construction is currently only available in CD format, no downloads yet. See here for more info.

This weekend I performed at a wedding at the Headliner in Neptune with Chik-A-Boom, and had a great time reconnecting with some friends my youth- Kathy M., Delia, Kendall, etc. I'll be back at the Headliner on Wednesday August 4 with my good friend and former JP Gotrock lead singer Tim Cusack, on the deck if the weather permits, starting at 7 PM, so come on down if you want to share some good times on the Shark River.

And on Friday August 13 I will be doing the last scheduled public performance of the summer of 2010 (time sure flies, huh?) with Chik-A-Boom at 507 Main in Belmar. Come early- lines form around the block for this place in the summer!

Later on in September I will be performing with Patty Tracy at Asbury Park's First Saturday, Labor Day weekend starting around 7 on September 4.

And the next day, Sunday September 5 I will be taking my Road Construction Tour to the Asbury Park boardwalk as part of the Paramount Sessions, which is a brand-spanking new periodic event showcasing local original talent, and sponsored by a coalition of local promoters and musicians. More info to follow- check this site for late breaking news on my Road Construction tour!

7/11/2010 This is a really cool event I will be performing at next week in Atlantic Highlands. I will be appearing at 5 PM and hope to have some CDs ready to sell. Hope some of you can make it! Click on the pic for the web site.

Speaking of the CD, I have begun the official Road Construction Discussion Board up on Al-Vis and Friends. You need a Facebook account to access it (but who doesn't these days???).

Watch this site for news of the Official Road Construction CD Release party! Coming later this summer....

7/6/2010 Happy Birthday to the longest suffering person in Al-Vis' life- Denise.

She went out with a friend a couple of weeks ago and look who showed up!

Speaking of Denise, her birthday is this week and she would like to tell everyone thanks for the birthday wishes and cards.

Chik-A- Boom played at a private party on the Navesink River this past weekend, and we were treated to this great fireworks display at the Oceanic Bridge over the river. Special thanks to the great legendary sax player Vic Capetta and his family for having us!

And I wanted to thank the great Jo Wymer for inviting me up to jam at her gig at the Sand Witch a couple of weeks back:

As you may know I am usually busy performing at a lot of private affairs this time of year (to find out how to book me with Chik-A-Boom, Mike and Al-Vis or Patty Tracy, just scroll to the left <-). But you can see me with Chik-A-Boom at the Norwood Inn in Avon this Friday July 9, and I will be making a special solo appearance at the Atlantic Highlands FimOneFest on Saturday July 17, which will mark the official start of my Road Construction Tour of 2010. See my special Road Construction page for details of this and other upcoming landmarks as this unfolds.

See you soon- have a great summer and Don't Stop The Dreamin'!

6/26/2010 Happy Independence Day everyone!

July marks 20 years that I have been performing with Chik-A-Boom. Check out my YouTube site at:

www.YouTube.com/Alvis1515

and my pix1 and pix2 pages here for a walk down memory lane with John, Mark, Pat, Bobby D., Joey B. Steve, Kevin and so many others.

And you can hear Chik-A-Boom's first-ever performance at the Stone Pony in July 1990 here.

The lineup was:

Dusty Micale Keys
John Cavallo bass, vocals
Joe Bellia drums
and of course Al-Vis guitar, vocals

I remember that time in my life so well- music was everywhere for me. I was performing with the Big Bopper (Howard Parker), Blue Plate Special (a blues band featuring New Brunswick's best), Gary Cook and Cookbook, Helyn Chrobocinski, Vini Lopez and the Disco Rejects, Big Danny Gallagher, New Horizon, Patty Healy (now Patty Tracy) and even solo.

Patty and I had a steady gig at Dugans over on Cookman on Sunday afternoons. I packed up my stuff and headed over to the Stone Pony and we played a short set behind Bobby Bandiera and The Red House. And continued on Sunday nights over the next few weeks, one of several times that I played the Pony regularly.

Speaking of Patty, we are now performing again regularly - to book us just give send us an email at:

       PTTracyRocks@gmail.com

        or see Patty's web site at:

        http://PattyTracy.com

                for more info.

This month we have quite a few private affairs, but you can catch me with Chik-A-Boom at the Norwood Inn on Friday July 9, and then starting off my Road Construction solo tour on July 17 at the Atlantic Highlands FilmOneFest (details to follow).

And don't forget to check out my Reverb Nation site, and my Road Construction page here for the latest news and downloads.

I have also created a download page for my work with Spring Libutti here. This was a collaboration that lasted over a decade, and you can hear some of my best playing on these songs. You can see what Spring is up to at her web site here:

www.SpringMusic.net

and be sure to tell her Al-Vis says hello.

See you soon- 'til then happy fireworks!

6/18/2010 Here it is, my faithful friends. After an unexpected delay, the full Road Construction CD is now finished, and will be available starting at my performances in July.

Click here for details- and watch for an upcoming area showcase tour!!!

6/1/2010 Thanks to everyone who came out last weekend the Mike and Al-Vis and Chik-A-Boom performances. I had one of the most fun weekends ever, all thanks to you!!!

The fun starts all over again next weekend. I will be performing a set with the great singer Patty Tracy at the Atlantic Highlands Car Show on Saturday June 5, Bay and First Avenue, starting at around 1:30 PM. Patty and I have worked up a set of our best tunes for this event. You can hear some of Patty in action with her great band One-eyed Jack here.

Then its onto the Bayside Grille on the Shark River bridge (next to the Headliner) at 10 PM with Mike and Al-Vis. This is a fun little place where you bring a date for their great dinner selection- and admission is always free.

Later on in June you can catch me at 507 Main in Belmar w/Chik-A-Boom on June 12. Try to get there early- we're into the summer season and lines form around the block at time for this fun place.

And of course you can catch me on some Fridays and Mondays hanging with Patty and some other great and talented friends at the open mics at Vals Tavern in Rumson, and the Village Coffee in Neptune City.

5/25/2010 You can now hear all of the major full, unedited studio recordings I did with Spring Libutti here. Over ten years Spring and I logged dozens of hours of studio time, performing and collaborating right up until our split in 2007. Check out her web site for where you can purchase her CDs.

And please remember to check out my tribute page for my dear friend, the brilliant keyboard player Bobby Alfano. Bobby played with such great shore area acts as The Castiles, Sonny Kenn, and with me and Vini Lopez in the Disco Rejects over the years. On my Reverb Nation site you can hear what the Disco Rejects sounded like with Bobby, Vini, James Deely, and the late John Luraschi.

Lots of great performances coming up! Mike and Al-Vis will be performing at the Bayside Bar on the Shark River bridge in Neptune this Saturday May 29, starting at about 10 PM.

Then Chik-A-Boom returns to the Norwood Inn in Avon on Sunday May 30 at 9:30 PM. I will be posting some videos shot back in our heyday (around 1997 or so) soon, so watch these pages!

Patty Tracy and I will be giving a special performance at the Atlantic Highlands Car Show on Saturday June 5 at 1:30 PM. Check out this poster for more info- lots of other great acts will be there so this is gonna be a great day of music!

And another great summer of music- coming right up!!!!

5/16/2010 One of the best jams in a long time at Cook's open mic at the Village Coffee in Neptune City this past Friday! Carol Barbieri was red-hot as she let me sit in on "The Circle Game" and Pete Seeger's "Where Have All The Flowers Gone" (gotta get that one into the studio). And Cook let me do the entire "Road Construction" song cycle, from start to finish. Doesn't get any better than that!

And thanks to Mark and Joan Lipman, Sandy, Rose, Patty, John, Denise, Lynn, Joanie and everyone else who came down to the Bayside in Neptune last night so see me with Mike and Al-Vis! Mark and Joan are up from Florida this week- some of you might remember them as Lipman and the Lips from a while back. Mark even sat in with us on a few numbers, and the always astounding Patty Tracy was there dishing up a creamy-smooth version of "Ooh Baby Baby". Watch for some Patty and Al-Vis performances as the season progresses, and Mike and I will be back at the Bayside in a couple of weeks.

Al-Vis makes it to CNN!!!!!

My good friend Lynn sent in this iReport to CNN- follow the link to a special remembrance by Lynn on her memories of the Jersey Shore music scene, and for some very kind words about Al-Vis. Thanks Lynn!

See you all at the Boathouse in Belmar next Saturday May 22 with Chik-A-Boom.

5/12/2010 - Al-Vis now has the blues!!! Enjoy.

5/5/2010 Happy Cinquo de Mayo gringos!!!

Please check out my new Spring Libutti/Al-Vis page, where you can download the full, unedited versions of some of the major work we did together, for free.

This Saturday Mike and Al-Vis will be performing at Sprengels Garden Sports Bar in Neptune starting at around 7 PM. This is their annual golf outing, so its sure to be a good crowd and a great time!

Next week the fun continues with Mike and Al-Vis on Saturday May 15 at the Bayside in Neptune, next to the Headliner on the Belmar Bridge, and then you can catch Chik-A-Boom at the Boathouse on Saturday May 22.

4/29/2010 At the Bayside in Neptune every other Saturday this summer starting this Saturday May 1 with Mike and Al-Vis! See ya there!

4/25/2010 Thanks to everyone who came out to the Relay For Life fundraiser at Sprengels Garden Sports Bar this weekend! And thanks to ATM, Laura Crisci, Mike Cusack and Patty Tracy for helping to give the crowd there one of the best nights of music I can remember.

ATM is Andy Tim and Mike, and speaking of Tim, I have just uploaded some clips of a JP Gotrock show from 1983, featuring Tim sharing lead vocals with Al-Vis, to my Reverb Nation site. Please check these clips out, as they reveal Gotrock in its prime at its best. Also featured on them are the late David Shearn keys, Neal Schwartz bass and John Fitzpatrick, drums. You can read all about my adventures with this well-loved 1980s rock act here, and its free!

Chik-A-Boom is performing at a few private affairs over the next few weeks (see the left side of this page for how to book us) but will be making a public appearance May 22 at the Boathouse in Neptune. And Mike and Al-Vis will be performing every two weeks at the Bayside in Neptune (located on the Belmar bridge next to the Headliner) starting this Saturday May 1. See you there!

4/22/2010

Tim Cusack and I will be making a special appearance at Sprengel's Sports Bar in Neptune this Saturday April 25. The show starts around 6, but try to come early for a special fundraiser for the Relay For Life Foundation, where Tim will be performing with his trio ATM.

Also making a special guest appearance will be the great Laura Crisci. She will be performing songs off of her CD "All Is Well", which will be available for sale at this performance.

This past Monday I was witness to one of the greatest assemblages of musical talent I have ever seen- at Carol Barbieri and Cook Smith's Open Mic at Val's Tavern in Rumson. Among the special guests were Laura Crisci, Angela and The Boy, Billy McGowan, Patty Tracy, Kelley Dewkette Loizos, Zara Phillips, and of course Carol and Cook themselves. If you haven't been yet check out this great weekly event- 123 East River Road in Rumson.

And don't forget Cooks Traveling Open Mic at the Village Coffee in Neptune City every Friday- and equally great assortment of the best talent the shore area has to offer.

The clips of the Asbury Park Rock n Roll Museum are causing a sensation all over the internet- see my YouTube site at:

http://www.YouTube.com/Alvis1515

for some great performances by Z Band, Big Danny and interviews with people such as Henry Vacarro, Mayor Fiorentino and the Stone Pony's Lee Mrowicki. Check out these great clips- and remember, many of the musicians featured in them are still rockin'! (like Al-vis)

And thanks for visiting AlvisRocks- where AlvisRocks past present and with the grace of the Good Lord, in the future!

4/18/2010

Thanks to everyone who came out to Chik-A-Boom's performance at the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park last Saturday- one of best nights ever there! And to Kelley, Mick Seely and Cook for sitting in with us!

We're well into the 2010 season here, so I thought I would remind everyone that Mike an other d Al-Vis will be performing every other Saturday at the Bayside, located along Route 35 just south of the Headliner on the Belmar bridge. This is great little neighborhood restaurant, so stop by early and have dinner- we start at about 8 PM.

Next week I will be making a special appearance at Sprengels Sports Bar in Neptune with my friend Tim Cusack, who sang with me a while back in a band called JP Gotrock. He is performing at a fundraiser for Relay For Life earlier in the day, and Tim and I will finish off the night starting at around 6 or so.

Later on in May I will be performing with Chik-A-Boom at the Boathouse in Belmar- last chance to see us there before the place gets crazy with tourists in the summer months!

And I have big news for my long time fans, and fans of the Asbury Park rock music scene. Billy and Stephen of the Asbury Rock and Roll Museum have been working with me to digitize and post clips of interviews and performances from back in the 1980s when this museum was located in the Palace Amusements (where Bruce Springsteen shot his Tunnel Of Love video). See my YouTube pages for these clips, and if your on Facebook you can also see them on my Al-Vis and Friends group site, just click on Videos.

Included in this latest round of clips are interviews with many of Asbury Park's finest performers of the day- Big Danny, Steve Schraeger, Vini Lopez and on and on, and also interviews of the city's leaders, including Henry Vacarro and Mayor Fiorentino. Several performances are also posted- Z Band at the Deck House, Big Danny w/ David Meyers performing inside the museum and Southside Johnny w/Bobby Bandiera jamming on the beach in Asbury Park.

This was a very special time in Asbury Park's music history- Bruce's Tunnel Of Love CD was climbing the charts, Bon Jovi were riding high on their recent fame, and Asbury Park had become a fundamental destination for music tourists the world over. Al-Vis was performing regularly with Vini and Big Danny at the time, and you can see some of this in the earlier clips I posted from the museum's grand opening concert at the Stone Pony on July 6 1986.

Thanks again to Billy and Stephen for all of this footage- and mostly to the performers who gave their music to the world from this great little music town by the sea!

4/8/2010

"Who loves ya, Schnitza?":

Al-Vis w/Patty Tracy at Cook's Traveling Open Mic,
Village Coffee, Neptune City 04/02/2010

Hi everyone- I am happy to announce that Chik-A-Boom will be making a special appearance this Saturday April 10 at the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park, for their "Yappy Hour" celebration!

Please join us in celebrating the doggies, and also in celebrating John's birthday- this summer marks 20 years we have been performing together. And he hasn't ever tried to have me arrested. Yet.

Chik-A-Boom will be off for a few weeks after that as we do some private affairs (see further down this page for how to book us at your Bar Mitvah, party,or wedding). But I will be performing with my good friend Tim Cusack next Saturday April 24 at Sprengel's Sports Bar in Neptune, with his band ATM. This will be a special charity performance for the Relay For Life organization.

Coming in May: Mike and Al-Vis at the Bayside in Neptune! And of course more Chik-A-Boom and Patty Tracy performances.

You can also catch me (and even Patty at times) performing at Cooks Traveling Open Mic in Neptune City on certain Fridays, and also at Vals Open Mic, hosted also by Cook with the great Carol Barbieri.

Also coming soon- some very rare and very sought-after footage from Asbury Park's golden musical era. Stay tuned!

4/1/2010 Happy Easter everyone!!!

Al-Vis will be appearing with Chik-A-Boom this Saturday April 3 at 10 AM. This is a special appearance before the Sgt Pat King Memorial Run on the Great Lawn just north of Pier Village.

Then later its on to The Saint in Asbury Park where I will be making an appearance with singer-songwriter Andrew James Hughes at 7 PM. See my Reverb Nation site, and click here for some samples of my work with Andy.

On Easter Sunday Patty Tracy and I will be performing a special show for the needy at the Langosta Lounge on the boardwalk in Asbury Park, starting at 5 PM. This is their annual Easter soup kitchen, and Patty and I are proud to offer our services for this great restaurant once again.

Then Al-Vis is off from public performing for a couple of weeks (though you might be able to catch me at Cooks Traveling Open Mic at the Village Coffee in Neptune City on Fridays, or Vals Open Mic in Rumson on Mondays). But I will be appearing with Andy, Tim and Mike (ATM) at Sprengel's Garden Bar in Neptune on Saturday April 24 for the annual Relay For Life charity event.

And in the meantime, I will finally begin posting my new blog series about the Clearwater Festival, including my years running the entertainment for this fine organization, and my performances there with so many acts, including the Hudson River Sloop Singers, Helyn Chrobocinski, Chik-A-Boom, JP Gotrock, and many others.

I also have some new video footage I will be posting from Asbury Park's golden years, from Chik-A-Boom's glory days, and some rare footage of a TV show I did with Helyn, Bob Killian and others.

Stay tuned - its gonna be fun!

3/21/2010 What a great week of music! Started out at Vals this past Monday where new co-host Cook Smith is doing a great job with Carol Barbieri- the amount of talent at this weekly event is astonishing! Elaine and Jeff, Patty Tracy, Jenny Woods, Poppa John and on and on and on... Val's located in downtown Rumson on 123 East River Road and the show starts around 8 with Cook and Carol. And they have great food too, so bring your appetite!

On to Brewster's in Bradley Beach Thursday night, where I got to finally see Jo Wymer for the first time in what seems like a zillion years. Brewster's is where Mike and Al-Vis started out some 10 years ago, and promoter-bandleader Michael Patrick is doing a great job of filling Thursdays with some of the greatest talent I've ever seen.

This past Thursday the audience was given a mesmerizing show by Jo and her accompanists Richard Wolf and Jerry Paschin. After it was near the end she called Al-Vis up on stage and we ripped into a great finale including "Crying Time" and "Midnight Special". Words can do no justice to describe the fine talent of this young lady- see my links page for more on Jo and how to hear her music.

On Friday Denise and I stopped by and saw the duo of Jeff and Elaine give a great performance at Wegman's Cafe in Ocean after work. These guys will be performing their special brand of cabaret-style standards and classic rock at the Harrison in a few weeks- check them out!

Later Friday night saw a packed house at Cooks Traveling Open Mic jam at the Village Coffee, with extra great performances by Bill McGowan, Carol Barbieri, the phenomenally talented 2 Of A Kind (Kelley and Bobby), Jenny Woods and a special first-time-ever appearance by recording artist Laura Crisci. Add a finale on "Wild Horses" for Erica's birthday, and it was the perfect cap to a great evening of music.

Saturday I sat in with bluesman Sandy Mack and Ron from the Tonemasters at Harpoon Willie's, where a selection of Chicago and Delta blues was on the main menu, with some Stones and Dylan for sides.

This Wednesday March 24 I'll be appearing with Sandy at a blues workshop in Point Pleasant, click here for details. Then off to 507 Main on Friday March 26 with Chik-A-Boom.

3/3/2010 Check out these new video clips I have uploaded to my MySpace site! From an August 2007 show Chik-A- Boom did at Pier village in Long Branch. I will be posting more and more tidbits as Chik-A-Boom celebrates 20 years together this year!

Had a great time jamming with old friends at Lance Larson's birthday celebration at the Wonder Bar last weekend. Steve Schraeger, Don Rispoli, Mick Seely, Bobby D. and Kelley and Patty were in top form, as was our great friend Lance! Thanks also to Debbie and Tracy for making the event happen!

And I see you all at Sprengel's Garden Bar in Neptune this Saturday March 6 for St. Practice day, starting at around 3 PM.

2/22/2010 Had a great weekend off from music- mostly! Did a set at Cook's open Mic at the Village Coffee in Neptune City Friday night and I sat in with Tim McCloone's band The Shirleys at his Rum Runner last night in Sea Bright- Viva Las Vegas!

I just got around to posting some clips of Spring Libutti's performance at the 2000 Clearwater Festival at Sandy Hook. These clips feature Al-Vis, Frank Rafferty and David Ross. To see them just click here.

I am doing this in honor of a new blog series I will be posting on MySpace and Facebook on my years at the Clearwater Festival. If you haven't seen my other blog series, I have done them on JP Gotrock (see my online PDF), The Stone Pony, my life growing up in Neptune NJ, and my experiences performing with such talents as Big Danny Gallagher, Chik-A-Boom and all of the other bands I have performed with.

This new series will detail my years booking this great festival, getting to meet and interact with people like Pete Seeger, Steve Forbert, Levon Helm and many many other of the great local and national talents who performed for us. Add to that not a small amount of drama towards the end and- well lets just say that the subtitle tells it all" "To Everything There Is A Season."

Also, I have just posted some very special clips on my Reverb Nation site, from a session I did with Vini Lopez and The Disco Rejects in 1991. Appearing on these sessions along with Al-Vis and Vini are John Luraschi, Bob Alfano and the great singer James Deely.These clips are very rare and may be the only existing recordings of this fabled band that I am so honored to have been a part of.

This next few weeks you can catch me performing at the Boathouse in Belmar Friday February 26, the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park for Lance's birthday on Sunday February 28, then at Sprengels Garden Bar on Saturday March 6 for their annual St Practice Day.

See ya there!

2/14/2010 Thanks to my good friends from the old Hackwith's-Hefter's days for coming out to see me perform at the Stone Pony last night
with Andrew James Hughes.

Also, special thanks to Asbury Park's Pat Fasano and his friends for coming out to see us. Many years ago I used to play at Pat's New Brunswick club Patrix with JP Gotrock. Check out my online pdf The Story Of JP Gotrock for some tales of those great experiences.

Andy and I had a great time, by the way, thanks to Kyle and the Pony for having us!

Off for the next weekend but I'll be out with Chik-A-Boom at The Boathouse in Belmar on Friday February 26.

And don't forget to check out the clips from 1986's Asbury Rock And Roll Museum concert at the Stone Pony on my MySpace site or Facebook Al-Vis and Friends site. There are clips of many of the GREAT Asbury Park rock stars from back then, including John Luraschi, Lance Larson, Sonny Kenn, Vini Lopez and Big Danny Gallagher. And of course Al-Vis! I have some clips up there of me performing with JP Gotrock and also Sonny Kenn.

I'll be posting more of these, and also will be posting them up on YouTube soon. So please check them out!

2/6/2010 Had a great time at Cook's open mic Friday night!. The snow was just starting but the music was warm and invigorating. Kevin John Allen gave an exciting and fun showcase his award-winning songwriting talents, Jeff and Elaine gave a great set of duets, Kelley and Bobby were smokin', and I even got to sing "Red Rubber Ball" with Shark River Hills very own Beth A.!

Then it was onto the Belmar Elks charity fundraiser for special needs children with the Mike and Al-Vis band. Which was very well attended in spite of "Snowmagedden 2010". Thanks to Gloria for having us!

A few special performances are coming up in the next few weeks. This Friday I will be performing a special late-nite set with Andy Hughes at the Stone Pony- see my Reverb Nation site for some of my work with this talented songwriter.

And we just got word that the 2nd annual St Practice Day event at Sprengels Garden Bar in Neptune has been scheduled for Saturday March 6, the day before the Belmar St Patricks Day parade!

I will be with Chik-A-Boom at the Boathouse in Belmar Friday February 26, so if you haven't see me with this great band lately this will be one of the last chances before the Bennies start rolling in as the season start and the weather warms.

In between, been hanging out at Carol and David's open mic up at Val's in Rumson- stop by if you're in this area on a Monday! Patty and I are planning a special set for tomorrow's show. And of course, Cook's open mic at the Village Coffee in Neptune City on Fridays is always great but has been getting better and better each week!

Finally, on a more serious note, if you have seen this video online please let me know. It has been out for quite a while, without my consent and represents me in a very unflattering light. I would appreciate it if anyone has seen it to look me know when and where:

While I realize Spring Libutti put a lot of time and energy into this video, I warned her she didn't have my consent to post it, which she did anyway. I am currently gathering together emails and other evidence so that I can file a motion of injunction, so I would appreciate any help with this.

1/31/2010 Thanks to Carol and Debbie and Jeffrey and Lori and everyone who came out to support the two very worthy benefits today! And there may be some pics to follow!

1/23/2010 Carol Barbieri is a multi-talented singer-songwriter, blogger and co-host (with David Crowton, another formidable talent) of the Monday night open mic at Val's in Rumson. Last week she sang this great song of hers:

Carol Barbieri- Indie Music Artist, Free Streaming Music | Broadjam

"Your Secret's Safe With Me" is the moving story of her search for her birth mother, and the sad consequences it brought. I highly recommend listening to it, its a beautiful tune and it brought tears to Al-Vis when I first heard it this week.

Speaking of the open mic at Vals', Cook and I have been enjoying going down there on Mondays- the array of talent has been amazing! Poppa John Bug, Jeff Point and several other formidable pros have been warming the coals there, try to get down there while there's still space on the signup list! 123 East River Road in Rumson.

I was lucky enough to attend on of the best shows ever at the Watermark last Sunday. I know everyone was excited about Bruce showing up at the Paramount (not a very well-kept secret), but I was excited because I got to see Linda Chorney live, and Mimi Cross for the first time in a couple of years. And what a lineup it was: along with Mimi and Linda, Glen Burtnick, Lisa Bianco and Arlan Felies!

Linda was spectacular- if you haven't see this animated, rocking performer you are missing quite a show! I recently did a profile on Linda for my Al-Vis and Friends group site on Facebook and it was a real rush seeing the songs I had been hearing put into action. She also hosts the "Linda's Wicked Awesome Music Series" up in Atlantic Highlands at the Blue Bay Inn.

Mimi opened the show, and her set featured new material from her and her bandmates. Been a while since she put out a CD so it was great to hear new stuff from this super-talent, who simply must be urged to perform more live!

Recently I obtained some very rare footage from a landmark event in the history of the Asbury Park music scene. The Asbury park Rock and Roll Museum was started in 1986 was open for several years in the Palace Amusements. It folded around 1990, but in the years it was active it shone much national attention on the local Asbury area scene (I even gave them a picture of Snitz at the Quack Quack! at one point).

When the museum opened in 1986 a huge concert was held and it featured many of the top Asbury rockers of the day (like Al-Vis!) in their prime: Big Bad Bobby Williams, Tony Amato, Tony Pallagrosi, Tom Labella, John Luraschi, Steve Schraeger, Margaret Potter, JT Bowen, Bob Killian, Lance Larson, John Oser, Vini Lopez, Vinnie Roslin, Don Erdman, Sonny Kenn and on and on.

I have obtained footage of that even and have been spending a lot of time getting it edited into short clips. These clips are posted on my Al-Vis and Friends group site, and also on my MySpace site.

The Al-Vis and Friends group site requires a Facebook membership but my MySpace site does not:

www.MySpace.com/AlvisRocks

Just click on View My Videos.

What is on there right now? Well, so far have been able to post:

- John Luraschi w/Rick Desarno performing "Goin' Home"
- Several JP Gotrock performances, including Vini singing "Spider And The Fly", Don singing "Linda Lou" and Chuck Berry's "The Promised Land" and Al-Vis singing "In The Midnight Hour"
- Lance Larson "Lawyers Guns and Money"
- Big Danny singing "Worried About You Baby"
- Sonny Kenn "You Can't Catch Me" and "Hoochie Hoochie" man
- Bobby and Donny Bertelson singing "You Don't Know What You Mean To Me" with Big Danny joining in.
- a great finale on "Rock and Roll Never Forgets" featuring Stephen Bumball and Billy Smith, the museum's owners and an all-star cast.

I will be posting these on YouTube soon, and when I do I'll post the link here.

Finally, I will be performing at two benefits this Saturday January 30, one at the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park with Patty Tracy, and another at Bar Anticipation with Chik-A-Boom. See my Calendar page, Patty's page or below for details. See ya there!

1/16/2010 Click for downloadable, printable version.

1/13/2010 More info for those attending the Jacque Young Benefit for Huntington's Disease at Bar Anticipation in Lake Como on January 30, and a downloadable flyer can be found can be found here:

http://home.comcast.net/~alvis1515/poster.jpg

The show starts around 2 PM and runs until around 6. Chik-A-Boom will be performing, along with a band called Departure, plus an All-star jam. $20.00 is all they are asking, and for that you get food, entertainment and drink specials, so come down and party with us for this great cause!

I will also be appearing later on that evening at the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park for a benefit the family of Joette Hegarty, who recently passed away from cancer. That show features several great acts including the great Patty Tracy in One-eyed Jack, Billy's Fault, Brian Bisbee and Timepiece, and it runs until 10:30 PM. For more info, including a downloadable flyer, see Patty's site.

I also want to mention the Light Of Day shows this weekend in Asbury Park. See my Al-Vis and Friends Facebook site for profiles of two superstar performers at this event, Mimi Cross and Linda Chorney, both of whom will be performing at the Songwriters By The Sea show at the Watermark this Sunday January 17th at 12 PM, along with a full roster of other superstars.

And I'll see YOU at the Boathouse this Friday January 15 with Chik-A-Boom!

1/7/2010 While Al-Vis has some down-time I've been hanging out at a couple of great area open mics- Carol Barbieri and David Crowton's open mic at Val's in Rumson on Monday nights, and Cooks Traveling Open Mic Show at the Village Coffee in Neptune City on Fridays.

David is a highly accomplished finger-style guitarist who specializes in great instrumental versions of Beatles songs, amongst other great tunes. Carol is a honey-voiced singer whose tone-perfect renditions of Joni Mitchell and other favorites are infectious and so addictive you'll want much more than the 40 minutes or so she does with David every week.

Val's is a warm and friendly neighborhood spot with great pizza in downtown Rumson, 123 River Road. I'll be there will Patty Tracy in the next few weeks so stop in and listen for some great music!

And Cook of course, besides being my producer on my new Road Construction CD, has been doing his open mic at different locales for the better part of the last decade. His latest venue, the Village Coffee, is across from the Neptune City Shopping Center, and is a quiet little place with a dynamite back section. His show is on Fridays, and Patty and I will be stopping down there also, so watch for us!

Then on January 30 Chik-A-Boom will be appearing at two different benefits. One is at the Wonder Bar from 3 to 9:30 PM, also featuring One Eyed Jack, Timepiece and others, and is for the Hegarty Family, who lost their mother to cancer last year. The other is at Bar Anticipation and also features the band Departure, and is being put on for Paul and Marni Lee, whose friend Jacque Young has just been diagnosed with Huntingtons's. That one runs earlier, from 2 to 6 PM. Watch this site for more info on both of these.

You can also catch Chik-A-Boom at the Boathouse in Belmar on Friday January 15.

So there's still plenty of music even in these cold and snowy times to heat things up.

1/1/2010 G'bye 2009, 2010 here's Al-Vis!!!

Looking foward to in 2010: Road Construction CD release party, my new Al-Vis and Friends Facebook group, To Everything There Is A Season, a new multi-part blog reflecting on my years with the Clearwater Festival, including reminisces of Bob Killian, Helyn, John Kapkar, Big Danny, The Hudson River Sloop Singers, Spring and everyone else, and gigs gigs gigs with Patty Tracy, Mike and Al-Vis, Chik-A-Boom, Cook Smith and others.

In the meantime, please do check out my new Al-Vis and Friends group site up on Facebook. It is an open, interactive site where you can all post gig information, kudos, reviews or just plain vent your frustrations. I am hoping to get as many people involved with this, sort of like an open-mic or jam session in which everyone gets to put in their 2c.

1/1/2010 G'bye 2009, 2010 here's Al-Vis!!!

Looking foward to in 2010: Road Construction CD release party, my new Al-Vis and Friends Facebook group, To Everything There Is A Season, a new multi-part blog reflecting on my years with the Clearwater Festival, including reminisces of Bob Killian, Helyn, John Kapkar, Big Danny, The Hudson River Sloop Singers, Spring and everyone else, and gigs gigs gigs with Patty Tracy, Mike and Al-Vis, Chik-A-Boom, Cook Smith and others.

In the meantime, please do check out my new Al-Vis and Friends group site up on Facebook. It is an open, interactive site where you can all post gig information, kudos, reviews or just plain vent your frustrations. I am hoping to get as many people involved with this, sort of like an open-mic or jam session in which everyone gets to put in their 2c.

As some of you may now, I have been involved in a very unpleasant situation with Spring Libutti, who not only refused to enter into a post collaboration agreement with me, but proceeded to post a video without my consent, then edit me out of the CDs I was generous enough to perform on FOR FREE. I have been inundated with support from my friends and fans, and would like to post some of the unsolicited comments that I have received lately concerning this situation. See my MySpace and Facebook blogs for more. The names have been masked to protect the identities of the commentators.
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"[C1] Oh, dear...I'm sorry that this has happened to you. This is precisely why I lef the music business...I seemed to be a target for these kinds of things, too. It's just not a place for nice people, too many hurtful things, betrayals of trust, and there is way to much latitude for rude and selfish behavior.
Fri at 5:51pm · [C2] Oh My Gosh Al That's terrible! KARMA KARMA KARMA!

Fri at 6:05pm · [C4] Al - I understand all too well what it is to deal with a temperamental artist - take and take and then shut you out just when things appear to be going strong. But, as I'm sure [C1] is also aware, what makes one artist great is usually the combined efforts of all involved and when you start removing "key" those pieces, the "Jenga Tower" begins... See More to sway - then fall. It's just a matter of time before the "Spring" either dries up or the career begins to circle the proverbial bowl...God has blessed you with talent and you have continually played by the rules. I know how much you love your music (and we love it too) - I only hope this does not dampen your spirits or leave a sour taste in your mouth - continue to reach for the heavens and you will continue to be a star!!! Love you much, Al ~ you're a great friend and always will be!!!

Fri at 7:18pm · [C5] whatever happened is a sad and probably was a preventable thing if and when we all learn how to communicate with one another. Fri at 10:20pm · [C6] Al your always be cool with me!Stay strong my friend!
Sat at 8:06am · [C7] You're only responsible for your own actions and if you're at peace with who you are then that's all that matters. Easier for me to say since it didn't happen to me but try not to waste precious time stewing over it and allowing it to eat you up inside. And remember, what goes around comes around.

Sat at 9:04am · [C9] Al, I feel your pain... Sadly a very hard earned lesson I've learned is trust few, have a contract with all the rest. I say few - my wife, son & GOD... all the rest- get the deal in paper first.. artistic folk are often not the most reputable at business...
I'm pulling for ya, and hope some day after your big killer success [ well deserved] you look back and laugh....
Sat at 9:12am · [C10] Really Al, C8's advice is the best because as Bob once said, when you ain't got nothin' you got nothin to lose....'

Sat at 11:30am · [C5] well, I've lived my life a bit different, [C9]. I've been screwed several times, but if that leaves me not trusting people then the screwer has won and I have become jaded. Maybe that makes me a doormat, I don't know...but I just walk away and move on. I think when the smoke settles, Al-vis you will find yourself doing the same. DOORMATS UNITE!!!

Sat at 12:28pm · [C12] Al.. I have known you for many years and by the response you have recieved from your many friends, I know that you will be alright. Your talent exceeds whatever this person has done to hurt you. You Will prevail.

Yesterday at 12:36pm · [C14] So unfortunate that I understand having watched people I love have the smae thing happen. To the point that the woman my ex left me for once tried to claim song lyrics as her's that I had written. Fortunately I had proof in the form of the divorce papers where I was given rights to my lyrics. Unfortunately no one will ever hear those songs agian.

6 hours ago · [C14] Don't worry Al, Karma does come around. Sometimes its alittle slow. A person once said the best revenge we could have is to be happy. Feel compassion for someone who must step on a fellow human being to feel better about themselves. Forgive the person even if you can not forgive the deed. Move on and live well knowing you have nothing to regret "