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Recent Events!

The Hard Rock Hollywood gig at the Council Oak ended in May and we are all recovering from two decades of four-nights-a-week commitment. Sadly, we lost Matt Bonelli and Jonni O very close to each other this year while Dale’s knee required surgery and Jesse needed to spend time with his beautiful wife. Scott is off to marry and spend half the year in Costa Rica, so perhaps the time was right! I have been traveling (Italy and Bahamas) and getting ready to start three nights per week this July at Eddie V’s with an amazing group of players led by Paul Shuchuk and James McCoy, as well as doing gigs with Raiford Starke, Kilmo, Jeff Prine, Muggy, and the A-team at Suman Entertainment, now run by Bart Delany. I also dedicated considerable time this year creating my first album of original songs, Portfolio, which features the input and creativity of many great musicians from UM and South Florida, as well as my Mother’s art work. The songs are now on my Soundcloud page and a special thanks to the mastering by Glenn Barrett in Philly and Paola and Luna for their advice and support.

Here is a letter from our friend and great fan Carl Lender that best describes Dale’s accomplishment at the Council Oak. “Last night the Council Oak at the Hard Rock ended the 21-year run of Dale Powers and we were there! Just like we were there on the 1st open to the public night of the steak house 21 years ago. For all those years we have gone to the Council Oak and paid way too much for our dinner just so we could be in the presence of Dale Powers and all the fantastic South Florida based musicians that played in and with the band.
When the big shows emptied out and the fans were gone, the artists that were lucky enough to be on the big stage many times ended up in the Council Oak and they knew in their heart that this guy had much more talent them, but they were just lucky to be in the position they were in. Over the years there were too many international artists too mention that joined Dale and his band on that little stage in the Council Oak.
Dale was South Florida’s house band, prior to this gig he was on Las Olas at O’Hara’s and already known to so many. There was no better gig than the Council Oak and everyone knew it. Dale kept it because he was more than a musician. A flamboyant dresser, an amazing entertainer and a Bar/ Restaurant host that could never be replaced. Not since Christine Lee has South Florida seen a person pay so much attention to the customers of an establishment and he didn’t own it. Dale made you feel so welcome, you were willing to drop big bucks to eat a 5-star meal at a small, cramped bar table, at one time the tables where so small they had to reduce the size of the plates to make it work. There were so many Managers, Bartenders, and Servers, over the years but Dale and his band outlasted them all.
Dale was the glue that held that bar and to a certain extent the restaurant together. Especially in the summer when there wasn’t a constant flow of humanity. It must have been extra special to vacation here year after year and to walk through those doors and see the same guy in a crazy suit belting out the songs for his adoring fans. That is a perspective that I think may have been lost in this mix.
Over the years Dale showed us his closet, his piano pool and he shared his pride in his two US military children. He talked adoringly about his wife, he shared stories of his prior addictions, and told us about his famous musician friends. Over the years Dale attracted a wide variety of Hard Rock Character Customers. Every Casino as an Elvis guy but at this Casino he and many others that can’t be described always ended up in Dale’s Room. My kids both grew up having family dinners in Dale’s Room at the Council Oak and at one time Olivia was a frequent part of the show with her crazy dancing. Dale played at Olivia’s Bat Mitzvah. That was one of the only times in 21 years that he performed outside of the Hard Rock; it was very memorable especially with the addition of Joey Gilmore.
Earlier in my life, we used to go to the Concord Hotel and when the shows got out you went to the Night Owl Lounge, they had a guy named Erskine Hawkins performing there for years. I had to be the youngest fan of Erskine Hawkins, he was a very famous trumpet player who ended his career at the Concord Hotel. My Dad just loved the guy and the fact that he could see him and hire him for our events. I guess Dale was my Erskine Hawkins.
Besides being a great person and friend, what I loved about the band was their ability to play just about anything you asked for. The core of Dale’s playlist was American Songbook, then the Beatles, The Beach Boys, and great one-off Rock Hits of the 60s. NRBQ could do that, Joey Gilmore was like that but not too many more bands could get up there and play just about anything without prior knowledge or practice.
Late last year Dales Band lost Johnny O and Matt Bonelli, it was a big loss, but he continued. Going forward I’m sure Dale will play around and if Runway 84 has any sense at all they will be calling him. When you do something repeatedly for 21 years, it becomes part of your life. That is what this was and I’m sad to have it end but so appreciate having had all the great times. To Dale and every musician that ever shared the stage with him, you gave South Florida something special and we thank you for all the good times in your “Wonderful World”.”

Honoring Bill Schinstine

Dominic Zarro created this online article as part of a series about great percussion educators on his website, zarropercussion.com. He contacted me about William Schinstine, my mentor and friend from Pottstown, PA. My educational career was planned and shaped from his office at S and S Music along with many other successful performers and educators. Here is the link and a paragraph from the article. Check out Dom’s work on some other great educators!

William J. Schinstine

What was your relationship with Mr. Schinstine?

I should mention how I met Bill. I placed first in my District Band audition in West Chester, PA as a Junior in high school by performing Schinstine’s “Synco Stix.” After attending LaSalle University in Philadelphia (Political Science – 1975-1977), I left school to tour with Danny Rapp of Danny and the Juniors. When I decided to return to college, I got in my car one day and drove all over Pottstown looking for The S&S School of Music at Keim and Buchert Roads – the address that appeared at the bottom of Bill’s article in Percussive Notes Magazine about “Roll Saturation.” Well, I found him and set up a lesson – we both were amazed to find out how much we had in common concerning the technical aspects of drumming. Turns out he had never heard anyone play “Syncho Stix” in a swing feel. I never knew that it was supposed to be done in a straight feel. Instant connection. He took me under his mentoring wing and here I am. While studying at the S&S School, Bill recommended that I review a recording of brush instruction by Sam Ulano for Percussive Notes. This was my first published piece and also led to weekly trips to New York for lessons with Sam. Bill also accompanied me to the Knoxville PAS Convention to work at the S&S booth where he introduced me to William Ludwig, Jr., Lenny DiMuzio of Zildjian and many other music business figures. I also attended every seminar possible, including one by Fred Wickstrom, my future percussion department chair at the University of Miami. I also had the opportunity to teach for Mr. Schinstine at his store until I moved to Philadelphia. This gave me the opportunity to be mentored by one of the greatest teachers I have ever encountered, particularly with early to intermediate students. He was incredibly astute at teaching beginners and was particularly proud of the fact that his Mel Bay Primer Book would be included in the snare drum setup that most students would purchase. Mel Bay at this time was the definitive elementary level publisher particularly for guitar and, after Schinstine, the drums.