Archive for September 2017

The People’s Key recently joined our #TPfamily so we decided to have a chat with the guys to learn a little bit more about the band and its members! Effortlessly combining classic jazz with a modern songbook (Beatles and Michael Jackson for instance) the band aims to bring jazz to a younger generation. Here’s the inside scoop from The People’s Key: Ryan Marquez, Charlie Cerpa, Mike Murano, and Matt Rowland.

How did The People’s Key come together?

Charlie, Mike, and Ryan met at Webster University through the music department. We all knew each other from school and had played together in various formats inside and outside of school. We did some private trio gigs playing jazz standards and a mix of the type of cover tunes we do now. We had so much fun that we decided to move in together in the summer of 2012 and make a band.

We lived together for a year and would have rehearsals at 8 am in the morning in our boxers half awake before we all had to go our various ways. During this time we fostered the foundation and mission of the group building close bonds and dynamic chemistry. The three of us were all fans of Matt Rowland and wanted to add guitar into our sound. He lived down the street from the band house at the time and the four of us started regularly jamming together when we weren’t discussing the meaning of life and conspiracy theories. We’ve been playing together as The People’s Key ever since. Even though we don’t all live together anymore we are forever family.

How would you describe your sound?

We’ve been joking amongst ourselves that our music is like garage band jazz! It’s us utilizing the skill sets we’ve learned from the art form of jazz but playing all the repertoire more reminiscent of a garage cover band! We infuse elements of classic jazz sounds utilizing familiar instrumentation, forms, feels/grooves, and vernacular with material that is familiar to a younger generation. Our sound is really reflective of our Midwestern Missouri Roots. Infusion of the easy swinging Kansas City Scene and the hard soulful groove of St. Louis is our foundation with us having been cultured by the two scenes respectively. Groovin Organ. Bluesy Guitar. Soulful Sax. Dynamic Drums.

Why do you play music?

We play music for the people! We really enjoy finding creative ways to connect modern material with jazz vernacular and seeing the audience’s face light up with appreciation. Jazz allows us the opportunity to express our unique voices together in unity. It’s a language all in itself. Finding subject matter to include our audience in our conversation (aka familiar tunes) creates exciting show environments where our audience is always anticipating what we will try to jazzify next! We feel that jazz musicians have historically covered popular music to create a bridge to their audience and also share original music.

We are all musicholics. We live music 24/7. What else is there to do besides play music? :)

What is the first record you bought? Where did you listen to it?

Ryan-Space Jam Soundtrack and I used to play that album everywhere all the time on my Discman. “Everybody get up it’s time to slam now!”

Matt - Metallica - Ride the Lightning. I loved to hear Kirk Hammett shred.

Charlie - Limp Bizkit - Chocolate Starfish. Anywhere my parents couldn't catch me.

Mike- jock rock. It was a cassette tape that I would play on my boombox and in my dad's car

When did you start playing music?

Ryan- I started playing music officially when I was 5 years old taking piano lessons. Music is all I’ve known throughout my life playing in band/orchestra/choir all through school and having various projects playing keys, bass, organ and more throughout the years performing original and cover music.

Matt - I began piano at age 5, then decided to pick up the guitar around 7 or eight. I pretty much sunk my teeth into whatever I could afterward.

Charlie - I started playing music when I was 10. I knew I could join band in 5th grade, so the summer before I convinced my parents to rent me an alto sax and enroll me in lessons to get a head start.

Mike- I remember getting my first drum set around the age of 9 from my neighbor down the street. Shortly after my parents saw that I was interested they enrolled me in private lessons. Through the years those lessons helped prepare my playing for my middle and high school band programs.

Huffington Post

If you're the type of person that loves to plan, a wedding and all the little details that come with it probably makes you smile with delight. But, if you are someone who hates to plan, the tasks of planning a wedding can easily overwhelm you and seem like a daunting task with no end in sight. Every newly engaged couple whether organized planning pros or otherwise can use a little help keeping everything on track. We've put together a year long checklist to help you out! Every wedding is different and timelines can always be adjusted so use our checklist as a starting point and make it your own!

12 Months Before:

Consult with or hire a wedding planner, or at the very least buy a notebook to keep everything in one place.
Plan out your budget
Brainstorm venues and locations for ceremony & reception
Pick a date
Choose your wedding party

11Months Before:

Research wedding insurance
Research and interview your wedding professionals and vendors: photographer, videographer, band or DJ, florist etc.
Book and confirm your venues
Start your guest list

10 Months Before:

Reserve accommodations for out-of-town guests
Brides: Shop and order your gown
Contact rental companies if you need to rent anything for the ceremony or reception
Book your officiant

9 Months Before:

Engagement Party
Register for gifts
Finalize what type of entertainment you want, pianist, violinists, a DJ, band etc.

8 Months Before:

Book your wedding entertainment
Order bridesmaid dresses
Start brainstorming the honeymoon
Send out save the date cards

7 Months Before:

Order invitations
Renew or get passports for your honeymoon
Research, interview and book your wedding cake designer.

6 Months Before:

Design and book your floral decor
Men: Purchase for formalwear
Brides: Purchase dress off the rack

5 Months Before:

Wedding Shower
Create wedding website
Begin any DIY projects

4 Months Before:

Finalize menu
Choose your music
Purchase the rings

3 Months Before:

Submit and announcements to publications

Hire wedding day transportation
Men: Rent Formalwear
Send song list to band if they need to learn a new song

2 Months Before:

Send out invitations
Write vows
Purchase parents gifts, gifts for each other, attendants etc.
Schedule trials for hairstyles and makeup

1 Month Before:

Apply for marriage license
Brides: Final dress fitting
Last minute adjustments for vendors, bridal party attire, schedule etc.

2 Weeks:

Review RSVP’s
Deliver song list to DJ, must have shots list to photographer
Final haircut/color
Finalize seating chart

1 Week:

Final guest count to vendors
Print table cards, place cards
Confirm all arrangements with vendors
Coordinate schedules and contacts with managers, bridal party, and vendors

2-3 Days Before:

Bachelor/Bachelorette parties
Men: Final fitting for formalwear
Confirm all delivery and/or pick up times for transportation, catering, set up etc.

Day/Night Before:

Write any final payments that need to be made
Have rehearsal ceremony & rehearsal dinner
Bring all needed materials to venue and set up
Give your marriage license to the officiant
Give rings to the maid of honor and best man

Welcome to the #TPfamily: The Ryan Marquez Trio! We recently spoke with Ryan Marquez himself to learn more about the trio and their music.

Tell us a little about the trio!

The trio consists of Steve Davis (drums), Ben Wheeler (bass) and myself (piano). We have been playing together through the years in various formats as active members of the jazz scene. Steve and I released two records together last year behind vocalist Feyza Eren and supporting Steve’s trio record “This is That”. Ben and I played together through the years at jam sessions or with Willie Akins on occasion and recently had the chance to connect supporting Lamar Harris’ Parliament Funkadelic jazz tribute show/recordings.

I’m really fortunate to be supported by these guys as they are both ridiculously skilled, highly accomplished and great hangs.

Steve is a long time record producer who spent time in New York playing drums with jazz giants Dave Liebman, Bill Evans, Richie Beirach, John Pattitucci and Benny Golsen. He has over 165 recordings to his credit, including 8 of his own. Steve served on the faculty of Jamey Aebersold Jazz Clinics from 1982-2008.

Ben has been a longtime staple on the STL jazz scene backing the legendary saxophonists Willie Akins and Dave Stone, along with performing with piano virtuoso Ptah Williams. He also has experience on the road supporting jazz guitarist Corey Christiansen (featuring drummer Danny Gottlieb) and the rock band "Perry Went Home.

How did you guys come together?

Steve and I began playing regularly with Joe Mancuso in his organ trio and quartet about 2 years ago. We became good friends upon jamming and recording at Steve’s studio twice a week for about 8 months. I was inspired to write a handful of tunes and the internal push from within, mixed with the request of others prompted me to put together the group. Steve had been jamming with Ben regularly through some projects they were working on and suggested we jam with him. Upon playing together we had instant chemistry and decided to do recordings together.

What drew you to the idea of a piano trio?

I have always had a great appreciation for jazz piano and really admired the great piano trios of Ahmad Jamal, Ramsey Lewis, Bill Evans and of course Oscar Peterson. After many years of playing as a sideman on other jazz gigs I decided in 2016 that I wanted to lead a group of my own. It's really fun to utilize this format to articulate and curate my own sound paying tribute to familiar standards, crafting new ideas through originals and revamping some of my fav pop tunes. It really allows me a lot of flexibility vs. other projects I play in where I might be holding down the bass or functioning more in a supportive role. In the trio, I can really stretch out to express my ideas.

How would you describe your sound?

The Ryan Marquez trio takes a different angle to jazz and piano tunes by blending the vintage concepts of jazz and original compositions, as well as a little pop.

How do you describe this to someone who’s never heard your music before?

Our sound is easy to listen to. It’s dynamic and emotional. It’s three individuals with ideas to express coming together for an engaging conversation. We play music that challenges our creative boundaries and love finding familiar songs to reharmonize in our own style.

What influences your music the most?

I think my music is influenced most by the everyday movie of life. The music is a product of the culture, times and emotions of the present day. I feel like through this trio I’m able to capture the soundtrack to moments in life where words reach their limits. Musically I love the blues flavor found in soul-jazz and draw on inspiration from some of my favorite pianists like Thelonious Monk, Horace Silver, Ramsey Lewis and Ahmad Jahmal. I really like to allow space in a composition so there is space to converse between each other. Melody is another driving factor to the songs I compose. I strive to write catchy tunes and provide the listener a front seat through the changes embracing it’s familiarity.

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