I love Pierogi…and I really love Polish food! Anyone else like Polish food? I grew up in Connecticut…and the first time that I tried a Pierogi, I was about 14 years old and at my then girlfriend’s Grandmother’s house in New Britain…they were homemade and unbelievable! We had Galumpkies there too…and my Mom always had made those athome also…growing up her best friend as a child was Polish….and her mother taught my Mom how to make them. I have a huge fondness…and appetite…lol for Polish food!
These Pierogies I did not make from scratch..they are store bought…but delicious! I hope to try my hand at making some from scratch soon!If you have any family recipe’s please share along with your ideas and thoughts in the comment section below!
Thank You!
Love,
Joe
Thank you all so much for the love, friendship and support!:)
Please leave a comment…share your thoughts and ideas…”Like”, “Tweet”, +1 and share…and remember to follow or subscribe here to my blog to keep in touch and to stay updated on happenings….thank you!:)
Pollo con Olive e Pignoli (Chicken w/ Olives & toasted pine nuts) I love this dish…and there are many wonderful variations depending on what you have in the kitchen and your mood…I will have the recipe in my soon to be published cookbook!:)
Thank you all so much for the love, friendship and support!:)
Please leave a comment…share your thoughts and ideas…”Like”, “Tweet”, +1 and share…and remember to follow or subscribe here to my blog to keep in touch and to stay updated on happenings….thank you!:)
Buona Festa di San Giuseppe! (Happy Saint Joseph’s Day!) Buon Onomastico a Me!:) What an awesome way to start off the week! My name day! Just got my first zeppole of the day!;) I love my family! Keep them coming! I can’t wait to eat and then have all the pastries and zeppole!:) When I was a kid and all through my years my family always made it a point to have an awesome feast and if that could not happen or I was away from home…I always received zeppole from them…
Zeppole..or sfinge as some people say are Italian pastries…a type of cream puff…or fried dough…there are many different types, styles and recipes depending on where in Italy you come from…they are all delicious and they are one of the traditions of St Joesph’s Day….
I am Italian..on both sides of my family…and Catholic…and Joseph(Giuseppe) is my name, my father’s name and also my grandfather’s name..we are all Giuseppe’s!:)lol So this little holiday..which is often overlooked here in the US means a lot to me and always brings back great memories… I miss my Dad and Nonno very much…
Here’s a cool page with tons of recipes and info on zeppole for those of you that have asked me about them!!:) Anyone else here on Squidoo.com? Just signed up there…seems awesome so far! Thank you all for the St Joseph Day wishes!!!:) http://www.squidoo.com/Zeppoli
Thank you all so much for the love, friendship and support!:)
Love,
Joe
Please leave a comment…share your thoughts and ideas…”Like”, “Tweet”, +1 and share…and remember to follow or subscribe here to my blog to keep in touch and to stay updated on happenings….thank you!:)
I found part one of this vid last week and posted it around… I came across the whole video so I thought I’d do a blog post about it…
Wow…so cool to find this over on Youtube! It brings back such great memories for me!:)
Bad Company were reuniting and did a surprise filming of their VH1 Behind The music at Manny’s Music in new York City when I was working there…
I remember it being about closing time…6:00 pm…and Judd Goldrich saying “Hey Joe, you’re staying late tonight…hurry up and go get some beer…he wouldn’t say why…just that VH1 was coming in for something…which was not unusual for the store at all…so I ran down the corner…and when I got back a crowd had started to form outside the door.
I didn’t know what was going on!:)lol Then…In walks Paul Rodgers and the guys…they set up and jammed a few songs right there on the floor of the Guitar Department and did a few interviews!
Those of us that were lucky enough to be working that day and chosen to stay late…had a blast!
We got to hang out and we were singing along the backup vocals to “Shooting Star”! I was in heaven!:)lol
I remember them all being so cool and friendly and approachable…and with all of the high end instruments and gear available to them…they all just reached and grabbed some of the cheapest and inexpensive guitars and amplifiers to use for the filming..it just didn’t matter…Danolectro guitars, Peavey practice amps…and I remember thinking that was so awesome at the time..and proved that it doesn’t really matter what you’re playing..it’s the person playing that counts…because they sounded unbelievable!!
I also recall with a smile how they all were interacting with each other…like kids or teenagers…bickering…and laughing and the best of friends.
I got a Danolectro guitar autographed by them all that night! I treasured it…such a prize posession for a fan…but regretfully had to sell it some time later to to survive…I sure wish I hadn’t and still owned it today…oh well…that’s rock n’ roll!lol The memory will last a lifetime…
Any one of my NYC 48th ST FB friends remember this day on the block!? It was one of the very few times that I was really nervous to meet someone famous and I felt like a little kid!:)lol I was used to this kind of thing working on 48th ST and had many famous clients and walk in customers…but this was just different…and certain people just have that “thing” you know? A certain presence…you just can’t explain it…I felt that way only on a few occasions while working on 48th St…not everyone has it it seems…I met or helped a lot of “Stars” in the biz over the years…it came with the job and no big deal for the most part…but I’ll tell you…you know when you’re in the presence of greatness…really….it’s just a vibe you get….Stevie Wonder, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, Ozzy Osbourne, Keith Richards, Les Paul, ACDC, Richie Blackmore, Tony Bennett…and others I can’t remember right now….you just know….it makes me wonder…What happened to Real Rock Stars?
One of my co workers had to ask Paul Rodgers if I could talk to him and get an autograph!! I was definitely star struck…
It was so cool to meet one of my favorite bands, biggest influences, true legends and rock heroes! I think you can catch me in a basball cap at about 4:00 min in….and also a bunch of other places…
Hope you all enjoy my rambling and the video!:)
Love,
Joe
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I am honored to be recently nominated for a Shorty Award in the category of music!:) Thank you so much to the wonderful music promoter Beth Cregger!:)
Please check it out and nominate me/cast your vote when you get a chance…I have recently been to the site voting for many of my friends and fellow social networkers, musicians and music biz peeps and it’s very cool and so easy to do…just a quick tweet….
The Shorty Awards are a worldwide effort to engage hundreds of thousands of Twitter users to identify the best people and organizations on social media, culminating in a blockbuster ceremony in New York City.
The Shorty Awards honor the best of social media, recognizing the people and organizations producing real-time short form content across Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, Foursquare, and the rest of the social Web….Read more about it here…
According to Joe Gande’s page, it appears that Joe writes & produces his own music. The imagery is only of himself, although in his videos there appears to be either a backup band, or a group of musicians that plays for him. Nevertheless, it’s Joe that’s in the spotlight, and certainly the focus is on him. The pictures are straight-forward, with little special effects. This seems to work, simple and effective. No punches pulled. Joe is the centerpiece of a wild and wide range of sound.
Joe Gande is listed under the “Rock/Hard Rock/Blues” category. I was immediately wowed by the vocal composition in the song, “25 Hours”. His voice is reminiscent of a young Joe Cocker, yet maintains the blended poetic breeze of Trey Anastasio of Phish. His voice is moving, heart felt, and full of soul. Commanded from the start, the content of the vocals certainly matches the aura he presents. He is in complete control of tone & key, a true singer is every way.
The band is in total synch with Joe. Whether they or he writes the music, their performance is nothing but stellar. If the band is a studio hire, he’s obviously spared no expense finding the top quality of musicianship. The movements in the songs rise & fall with the utmost quality. I find it hard to believe this guy isn’t signed to a real label. Between the piano, horns, guitars and vocals, it’s a total rainbow of music. Joe Gande is the modern representation of “Rock/Blues”, and certainly could very well be the standard to hold others to.
To say anything negative about this act would be blasphemy. However, to place Joe Gande in the Hard Rock category may be an overstatement. Hard Rock is usually reserved for a bit heavier tunes, but in no way does this affect the true compositions of Joe Gande. The tune “Shelter Me” has a harder edge, but this feel is not consistent throughout the rest of his compositions, therefore placing him in the Hard Rock category may not be sufficient.
I find Joe Gande to be a top-rated musician, performer, and audio magician. To miss out on these tunes would surely be a loss. I was amazed at the overall sounds blasting from my Reverbnation tune player. If you haven’t had an opportunity to listen, I’d say go to it right now.
On his Reverb page, it states, “Music is supposed to make you feel.”
I would like to introduce my next featured artist…Joe Gande from New York City. I am featuring the amazing guitar solo in Circa ’73, and the song Brighter Day that reminds us that no matter what goes on in our lives and around the world….it gives hope of brighter days ahead.
Joe officially released The Godsend Sessions on May 16, 2010. The CD was written, arranged & produced by Joe and the CD was mastered by the grammy award winning Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, NYC. Joe can do it all…he performed all the vocals, all background vocals, all harmonies, all guitars, piano, keys, and conga drum. The CD also features Neal A. Ostberg: Bass, Kevin Bregande: Drums, Craig Shrawder: Keys, and James B. Gately III: Hammond B3, Glockenspiel, and Bongos. Click image to purchase The Godsend Sessions
A few quotes from JoeGande.com paints the picture of who Joe is…..“Singing, writing, arranging, producing, playing guitar, bass and keys-all without ever taking a formal musical lesson in his life. A prolific songwriter and self-taught guitarist with an ear for melody since a young age, the music just comes into his head. From arranging horn charts, drum fills and grooves, scoring beautiful lush string sections and vocal harmonies, to bangin’out some funky piano…” —-author unknown
“…a sound that can only be described as “New York” —-Dave Jackson, The Musicians CybercoolerThere are many reviews on Joe and in all the reviews I read, the same words kept popping up….PASSION & New York! Joe’s style ranges from jazzy to bluesy to funky to psychedelic…but all the time rockin! Joe has played regularly in the NYC club scene throughout the years and although there are no shows scheduled right now, be sure to keep watching for shows to be added! Joe not only puts out a good vibe with his music but also from his selfless acts of helping others. Quote from Joe…”I love animals and always help out with all kinds of organizations for them” Joe helps raise money through sponsors on Socialvibe…”right now I’m involved with raising money for the NYC foodbank through a cool promo. People can now download my songs free at gimmesound.com and the proceeds from the website and sponsors go to a charity of your choice! Very cool concept…” The photos and quotes tell the story….of a self-taught musician who puts his heart and soul into his music. Drop by Joe Gande’s MySpace page and his website at Joe Gande.com for more music and information. Enjoy the video below as Joe walks the streets of NYC to the sounds of his beautiful song…Can’t See My Life. The video below gives you a peek of what you will experience in a live show. Joe is all New York but he is balanced with a softer side where he has another passion….cooking. Must be his Italian roots and his mama’s influence coming out when it comes to pasta! He is currently writing a cook book that will be available soon. In writing this feature I have gotten to know Joe a little better and I find him to be a beautiful, caring person on the inside and out. He is driven, down-to-earth, incredibly talented, and seems to be successful in everything he pursues. Joe is also working on a new project with a DVD in the works so keep watching for that!To sum it up…Joe has a fun-loving passion for life!
Thank you so much everyone for visiting my blog and checking out this post! Please subscribe if you’d like…and comment on the post here and “Like”, tweet and share etc…
Hi everybody! Hope you’re all enjoying an awesome weekend!
I have a new video up now over on Youtube for my song “25 Hours”! It has a groovy 1960’s-1970’s vibe…hope you all enjoy it!
I thought I’d write a litle about the song and how it came to be..for those that may be interested in that kind of thing..
“25 Hours” was originally a live jam session we did at rehearsal…and we played it in the studio while recording “The Godsend Sessions” as a kind of warm up tune to loosen up before pressing the record button to lay down the live rhythm tracks.
Many of you may not know that my record was recorded in this way…the basic bass, drums and a guitar track were performed live…with all of us playing in the same room.We would typically do a couple of takes of each track…and then later choose the best ones to use for the record.I know..to many of you…today that may sound like an ancient concept!:)lol But…I wanted to capture all of the raw feeling, emotion, sweat, cohesiveness, nuances, power and magic to tape(Yes, Tape)…which only is possible by doing it this way…Sometimes the greatest and coolest things happen in music by actually having musicians playing together…mistakes may happen that turn out later to be sheer genius for the song, feedback, overtones and overall vibe.Of course..it is very difficult and time consuming…it definitely costs more and takes alot of pre-production and 100’s of hours of rehearsal to accomplish this believe it or not…unless of course you have a ton of backing and zillions of dollars to spend on studio time and you don’t mind watching the clock tick by while your money goes out the window while doing take after take!:) This of course was not the case for me…so we had to have are shit together and be tight before heading in to the studio on day one! I am very lucky to have had THE best and most professional and prepared Bass player and Drummer alive to accomplish this feat and they happened to also be two of my closest friends…if you do not have this…then I do not suggest recording this way these days!:)lol
Back to “25 Hours”…as I said..it was recorded during the studio sessions as a live warm up jam….Near the end of production on the entire CD…I had the music for the song in my head constantly and went home one night and started writing down some thoughts and ideas and lyrics…then the vocal harmonies came to me…I could hear them…it happens like that sometimes for me…and finally…the horns started coming into my head..all of the parts….which ended up being a five piece horn section to accomplish what I heard and envisioned…
I remember walking into the studio the next night…excited..and psyched to tell the guys..and to say we were not finished yet and had to complete one more song! My guys new “That Look” on my face all too well…lol… and I remember Neal saying…”Oh No!!!” LOL Anyway….with the help and genius of musician, engineer James B. Gately….we went into overdrive over the next few weeks to try to get what I had heard in my head recorded and to finish the song in hopes to having it make the record…and I’m so glad that it did!
Notes:
“25 Hours” was originally entitled “Sway”…a term we used to call it in rehearsal..which is a reference to the beautiful female form:)
Many have asked…and yes…as with the entire CD…all of the vocal harmony parts and background vocal overdubs are sung by me…the “25 Hours a Day” back up is a five part harmony….that was one hell of a long night in the studio…lol…as I individually sang every part throughout the song from beginning to end…no Pro Tools copy and paste!!lol
Also…their is actually 4 versions of “25 Hours”…each with a different ending… I shall post those mp3s sometime soon to see which one you all like the best….
“25 Hours” was origanally the last track on the album…but..after much feedback and success at live shows it wuickly was moved to track #1
Thank you all so much for reading…I hope you all enjoyed my ramblings and thank you for all of your positive feedback, love, friendship and support!! I really appreciate it so much!
To Listen to “25 Hours” and more and to purchase my music…Please Visit:
Hi everyone..my name's Joe.
I'm a musician/singer/songwriter/guitarist/pianist...
arranger and producer...
I'm Italian, Aries, single, straight, love all styles of music, art, reading, collecting old books, Harry Potter, Dr Who, Sherlock Holmes, history, food
and to cook, animals, animal rights, photography, watching movies, all things retro and vintage, antiques, fleamarkets and collectibles, The Godfather...
My friends and family have often refered to me as a "nerd in a cool guy's body":)lol
I use my Tumblr blog for personal posts about me, my music, videos, pics of the food I cook and recipes, books I dig, sharing & reblogging my favorites by friends here on Tumblr...as well as a feed to other things going on across all of my social networks, music recommendations...etc...
I have a cat I named "Gray" that was a stray...she showed up one day and has never left my side since :)
If you are into music...say, indie rock, rock, retro rock, classic rock, blues, hard rock, Aerosmith, The Beatles, Hendrix, 1960's and 1970's vibe rock, soul and R&B, ...you might dig my music...so please check out my music page tab at the top here or on Facebook when you get a chance or you can listen to songs right here on the player below...let me know what you think and get in touch:)...and thank you for listening! Visit my website-joegande.com Tumblr Posts about Me A huge thank you to all my awesome Tumblr friends...those I follow and followers!!:)I love reading all of your blogs...Tumblr Rocks!
Feel free to follow/connect/network and become friends with me here and on your other websites too if you'd like... Follow me on Twitter
Joe has played regularly in the NYC club scene throughout the years and although there are no shows scheduled right now, be sure to keep watching for shows to be added!
