Hybrid Jazz From Trish Hennessey - with Benjie Porecki!

You ask anyone in this region who is even remotely connected to music - and they will know the name Benjie Porecki.  Comfortable with Jazz and Blues - his initial inspirations - Benjie is also well versed in just about any OTHER genre you can name.  He's Harry Houdini of the Hammond.  The Pied Piper of the Piano.  And more - he's so unusual that it's freaky.  He'll like that I said that!  At TEN, he decided to tackle a trumpet and was able to pick out melodies on it with no lessons!  He then conquers guitar, sax, and what would be his moneymaker: the piano and organ.

At 15, he was a pro.  At 20, a full-time musician.  He's still a young man and can boast that he has worked with musicians who boast about working with HIM - Carlos Santana, Stevie Wonder, and this certainly needs to be mentioned: Chuck Brown.

So tight was the relationship with Chuck that he joined Benjie on his third solo CD, "The Rest of My Life."  When Chuck passed away, just weeks ago, Benjie was asked to play at the service of his former boss. 

You get the idea of how talented and appealing this multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer really is.  You can HEAR it when you listen to "How Does It Feel", his fourth solo effort.

There will be another project popping soon, as Benjie is set to tape at Blues Alley on June 21st!  He'll tell us the details when he joins me at 5:30 on our next show.

At the top of the 5 o'clock hour (remember, the show is from 5 until 8 p.m. this week), a very special guest: Denise Brown.  Denise is the catalyst behind The Nicole Brown Foundation, in honor of her slain sister.  June 12th marked the remembrance of that day in 1994 when Nicole's and Ron Goldman's life ended.  Denise will speak to us about domestic violence. 

We will also salute Father's Day!