Despite all these great stories Im telling you, there were times I couldnt pay a phone bill or do certain things. ' Yes, I love New York State of Mind. Yes, I love Piano Man even though I dont play on it. At rehearsals or onstage, Paul was always happy-go-lucky and really chill. It was nice to see how grateful they were for my gesture and how the first autograph they got was from Ron Guidry. I dont even remember if I got in a cab or took a train. Liberty DeVitto, Russell Javors, and Richie Cannata now perform in the Billy Joel cover band, the Lords Of 52nd Street -- which was the nickname given to them by Billy's producer, the late- Phil . Saxophonist Mark Rivera looks back on his nearly 40-year tenure with Billy Joel, plus his time with Ringo Starr, Foreigner, and others. He is famous for being a successful Musician. Remember the movie As Good As It Gets when Helen Hunt is trying to tell Jack Nicholson how much she appreciates him? I dont know what happened. Cannata was born 3 March 1949[4] in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Ernest (26 March 1914 14 April 1993)[5] and Anna (February 25, 1926 1 April 2007)[6] Cannata. You also played sax on Train in the Distance on Pauls album Hearts and Bones. Publicity Listings I was going to see Moby Grape, but Skip Spence, the guitarist, had a bad trip, apparently, and they had to cancel the show. What was it like when you got there? I started taking lessons from my uncle. Once Billy shows up, we dont do a single Billy Joel song. How did all that go down? And Joel continued to retain Taliefero and Rivera who both remain in his band. Just last year, DeVitto who still plays the hits with alums from Joel's band, Russell Javors on guitar and vocals and Richie Cannata on saxophone and keyboards in a group called the Lords of . His specialties are the keyboards, the clarinet, the flute and the saxophone. Joel also added lead guitarist David Brown in 1978 who stayed with the band throughout the 1980s, beginning with the recording of Glass Houses (1980). Id say 'yeah.'". Tell my wife Im going to go to the studio to record. Again, I played that with cover bands. Today Richie, drummer Liberty Devitto, Russell Jabors and the rest of THE LORDS of 52st will be performing at an arena near you. He goes crawling through all this gear and manages to come out with my alto, tenor, and bari. What is a Mutt? Nobody had heard of him at the time. It was sad. Whatever gift you have as a player or a writer, thats one thing. Richie Cannata (b. Ive never heard music the same way. Thats how it is. When you first hear "New York State of Mind" by Billy Joel, a few things stick out in your mind; the fantastic songwriting and musicianship, and THAT solo. I think all of humanity needs to take a step back and realize that were all in this together. Oh, absolutely. He also had a road case that was about six feet tall and four feet wide and four feet deep. My wife goes, Thats our favorite song! Our son is bouncing along to it. I went out to Long Island with my alto. Theres this void that is in our hearts. Richie Cannata) - EP C.W. I can remember every one of them, from the time when I was the only guy singing the high background parts to when Pete Hewlett came in the band and I sang below him. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. In 2014, Cannata, DeVitto, and Javors reunited and performed a short set of Joel's songs at the ceremony during which they were inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame, (with Stegmeyer, posthumously), primarily for their work with Joel. Everyone goes, You must love New York State of Mind. But we performed and he was singing live. Lets do Conquistador instead. I slid myself out of that responsibility for the day. I have my own band. Jimmy Iovine played in a rival band. I said, When? He goes, Right now. I said, I just walked up six flights of stairs. He goes, Well, Foreigner is doing their new record. It was like, Boom! Everyone would laugh, but nobody heard a friggin word. Its just chugga-chugga-chugga [like a train]. It was two-faced. They are aware that to be kind to someone is always better than to act like a crab. At the time Billy Joel was looking for a sax player and Cannata was given a position in the band. They are a great team. NY Sports Day is an independent site that covers New York sports since 2004. My friend Marty got me an audition. I play with 12 to 15 different bands at any given time. Peter pressed the talkback button and said, Just play the first thing that comes into your head.. The following week, they were going to do a bunch of background vocals. Lets say we have a week to rehearse. I said, Thats a D minor.. Bernie Williams Band. Why do you think that is? Richie Cannata is an American music producer, multi-instrumentalist and studio owner. We did another song and Felix didnt know a particular chord. I would have had to miss three Billy Joel shows. Fran Strine's new documentary 'Hired Gun' opens nationwide on Friday June 29th, Billy Joel performs on stage, USA, 1977. The George Harrison of the Yankees would have to be Ron Guidry. Together they went out to Caribou Ranch in Colorado and Thats where he lived. I remember chuckling to myself because in my mind, nobody could be as big as Elvis. My wife and I had the virus in March, so Ive been through it. I dont have adjectives to describe. As the musical director, I oversee the rehearsal. After leaving the band in 1981, he opened Cove City Sound Studios in Glen Cove, New York. On Buzzlearn.com, Richie is listed as a successful Musician who was born in the year of 1948. He loves you. Thats pretty much it. This line-up included Richie Cannata on saxophones and organ, Liberty DeVitto on drums, Russell Javors and Howie Emerson on guitars, and Doug Stegmeyer on bass.[1]. March 5, 1948) in NYC, is an acclaimed musician who is also a successful record producer. I shredded that for five, six hours and went the next day to the rehearsal and got the gig. It went on and on and on. Many top artists including Billy Joel and Celene Dion have recorded there. Thats how much it means to me. Tell me about playing on Peter Gabriels So, especially Sledgehammer. Thats probably the most iconic horn part you ever played. Dom Scott & Richie Cannata) - Single Sugarmore Veteran Rising (feat. Carl Fischer (left), Andy Cichon, (19751981, 2006; one-off guest appearance in 2000), (19781991; one-off guest appearances in 2000 and 2022), (19881993, one-off guest appearance in 2022), Last edited on 27 February 2023, at 19:45, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Billy Joel Band set to join Piano Man in Long Island Music Hall of Fame", "Interview with Guitarist Russell Javors", "Malcolm Gold - the Lords of 52nd Street", "Ex-band Leader For Billy Joel Found Dead", "How Billy Joel Tribute-Band Leader Landed Gig of a Lifetime - Rolling Stone", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Billy_Joel_Band&oldid=1141960235, David Brown lead guitar, occasional percussion, backing vocals, Billy Joel lead vocals, piano, harmonica, occasional rhythm guitar, Andy Cichon bass guitar, backing vocals, Tom Whitehorse banjo, pedal steel guitar, David Brown lead guitar, occasional percussion, backing vocals, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 19:45. What do you need? Were you a big Billy Joel fan before the audition you had with him? Find by Genre >> AC >> Richie Cannata If you took their photos and put them in a lineup, people would probably pick the wrong people. I was a huge Genesis fan and an even bigger Peter Gabriel fan. He also is the musical director of former New York Yankee and Latin Grammy-nominated jazz artist Bernie Williams and his band. By May, we were already rehearsing. Everyone works for Boomer. At the time, I was out with Hall and Oates. The band, which now no longer includes any of its original members, is often not recognized as a formal entity, and is instead referred to simply as Billy Joel's band. He says, By the way, I havent played this in about eight years. DeVitto says that switching the original reggae beat of "Only Good Die Young" to a shuffle as featured on the final version was his idea, telling Billy, "The closest youve been to Jamaica is Jamaica, Long Island, when you change trains on the Long Island Rail Road." Because like me, he likes to help people. The real background vocals were myself, Lou Gramm and Ian Lloyd. They bought me a saxophone that fell off the back of a truck in Red Hook, Brooklyn, near the projects. It was insane. Theres nothing on the track besides Tony Levins bass, Manu [Katch]s drums, a little bit of weird keyboard stuff, and the guitar player [David Rhodes]. My parents learned I had good pitch. How did you wind up on the Ringo Starr tour in 1995? Richie Cannata) - Single 2021 Attention (feat. The Nylon Curtain was already recorded. You. You got the sense that was the case. I know its no joking matter. Doug was the musical director. In the fall of 2013, saxophonist Mark Rivera found himself in a very tight spot. About a year and a half later, I got to play it. [Laughs], After River of Dreams, did you sense that Billy was done making new records? Some of Eren's accomplishments include working with Timbaland protoges Amar and Jim Beanz (both featured on Timbaland's album "Shock Value"), singing the National Anthem at Citi Field for the Mets alongside his musical veteran father Richie Cannata (saxaphone, Billy Joel, The Beach Boys & Bernie Williams Band), singing lead male vocal . All are renowned in the business, but some are less well known to the general public. My record collection was Hendrix, Cream, R&B, Traffic. Who is going to play the acoustic part? I was like, Oh, Ill play it. And as were going through the song, somebody couldnt figure out where it went to D minor. Id never put words in his mouth, but I think at the time he knew he had more in him. Richie Cannata - Studio Owner. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images), Bon Jovi entre los admitidos al Rock and Roll Hall 2018, Llora el mundo del rock: Malcolm Young, guitarrista de AC/DC, fallece a los 64 aos, Las 10 mejores canciones para esperar al #HuracnIrma, Nuestro streaming gratis y en espaol. The group toured throughout the United States, including Puerto Rico.[3]. Appears On See All Long Road to Freedom (feat. Baby Grand is also on that and A Matter of Trust. But I know its hard for Billy to step away from himself as a writer. You can find them at. I got it. Liberty played drums on every Billy Joel album from. Anyway, Mutt and I developed a very close relationship. How bad were your Covid symptoms? But when I heard John, [sings] It wont be long, yeah! that voice just shattered me. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. We still do. I was like, Shit. If he called me up and said, 'Im sorry. As a member of "The Billy Joel Band" from 1975-81, he contributed immensely to such landmark albums as "The Stranger", "52nd Street" and "Glass Houses". We rehearsed up at the Dakota. Thats that. I flew down the stairs. And then he did the thing where he weighed one hand against the other, moving them up and down. The incredible thing is that the last time he sang that song live, I was with him. I love playing with Daryl and John. She played it all the time with him. Its still crazy to think about. I crack the whip, do rehearsals, didnt even get to see the first show, and I was on a plane the night before a Billy show to get back out. I get there and Im one of two white guys. I liked it. And then all of a sudden at the end, Roy said, I want it to sound like theres a train in the distance. Oh, man. Im excited. The Nylon Curtain was already recorded. There was a mutual understanding that was going to happen. One day in 1975 when Cannata was in the studio, engineer . So I sang it, played on Only the Good Die Young and we got to Just the Way You Are and I played the solo [sings solo]. Your first Billy record was An Innocent Man. Dom Scott & Richie Cannata) - Single 2019 Discover Richie Cannata's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. But when I heard of what he did to people he had worked with since they were teenagers, people who were left out in the cold, I just thought it was heartless.". at 4 am in the morning, Billy called Richie down to the The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. We double-tracked and triple-tracked. The rest is history. Theres not even a saxophone on it. My three favorite Billy songs are This Is the Time, So It Goes and All About Soul. They are just great songs. Of all the love I have for people in music, when he performs and when he puts it out there and those songs connect with people, we all forget about life for a while. Id never shot craps in my life. My wife Sandra and I slept probably 1415 hours a day. It turned out those two young musicians were great sax player Richie Cannata and his friend, a Long Island kid, who would become world-wide legend Billy Joel. Richie Cannata. It was great. When Billy started touring heavily in 2014, you had to stop going out with Ringo. So now fast-forward to 1986 and Im back home after the Foreigner tour. After leaving the band in 1981,[3] he opened Cove City Sound Studios in Glen Cove, New York. I would go to the Fillmore every Friday or Saturday, any weekend that I wasnt working. Full NameEmail AddressPlease leave this field empty. Sure. People say, What is your favorite Billy Joel song? I say, Its one Im not on. He's also on Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer" and was onstage with John Lennon at his final public performance. I was a big fan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pWtlveR2Os. Its great! Mutt said, That was his first take, gentleman. That reminds me that your first instinct is usually your best. Tom "T-Bone" Wolk joined the band, just for the River of Dreams tour, playing bass guitar, as well as other instruments, including accordion. Joel's original touring band, formed in 1971 to support the Cold Spring Harbor album, comprised Rhys Clark on drums, Al Hertzberg on guitar, and Larry Russell on bass. In 1975 Cannata was introduced to Billy Joel's bass player Doug Stegmeyer through Doug's brother Al. As a member of "The Billy Joel Band" from 1975-81, he contributed immensely to such landmark albums as "The Stranger", "52nd Street" and "Glass Houses". Richie's I remember seeing Johns bloody glasses on a window sill. I was touring with Foreigner on the Agent Provocateur tour when I got the call, so my saxophones were in a road case way the hell back in a semi. I was like, I saw these guys in 67 and now its like 1997. Its like [hums the Twilight Zone theme]. Having a musical veteran father, Richie Cannata (Billy Joel, NSYNC, The Beach Boys) provided him with some amazing opportunities to be on stage at a very early age. He would sound like, [deep, indecipherable grumble]. Swear to God. You can be a great player and be a dick. Billy is the guy. Very quiet, but very smart and when you get Guidry started, no one knows more about the game and he loves to reminisce about that era and the great times that we had. He was born on March 5, 1948 and his birthplace is United States. Those two tours went out and I was like, Wow. I thought Id never be in that band. Anyway, I come along, play the part, I sang all the background parts. They . We go through the whole song. Who would have thought a kid from Brooklyn would be doing all that stuff? I was like, OK. It was a secret, covert operation. New Yoko Ono and John Lennon Documentary Follows Them for a Week in 1972 Marcus, how are you? He had already worked with Aerosmith and it was the sound we wanted to go with. Again, I was like, I can do that. Im playing acoustic guitar and I snuck up to the microphone with the two-part harmony bit. Joel also had Tommy Byrnes move over to lead guitar. I had two days to be home with my family. The Ox. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. Its bizarre. The man was deaf. And Billy and [saxophonist] Richie [Cannata] had already parted ways. They go, Whats your least favorite Billy Joel song? I go, Captain Jack because its so fuckin long., David Brown plays some beautiful stuff on This Is the Time. Thats still the original band that I joined. And the hits it was an unbelievable parade of hits. He also added the percussionist and multi-instrumentalist Crystal Taliefero who would become a permanent fixture in his band while Stegmeyer was replaced by Schuyler Deale and Javors was replaced by Joey Hunting on the album and Tommy Byrnes for its accompanying tour. there - his accomplishments extend behind the scenes. I got to see Creams first performance in New York. Its not too often we have a real musical legend on CT Style, but we sure do today. efffee@aol.com, Other Works Finally, Mutt said, How about this? And he played the tape and I swear it was the first thing I played when I walked in. [Hums Soul Man] I grew up playing those as a kid. They had a private jet back in the day. As a member of "The Billy Joel Band" from 1975-81, he contributed immensely to such landmark albums as "The Stranger", "52nd Street" and "Glass Houses". Here, these artists tell their complete stories, giving an up-close look at life on musics A list. Richie Cannata's Mon Night Open Mic Jam with Friends started in the late 80's on a Wed. night at the China Club when the club was on west 75th and Broadway in NYC. I swear, on my eyes, the first thing I played was [imitates the Sledgehammer horn part]. Billy Joel's current lineup (with the exception of DelGuidice) was featured on his 2006 album, 12 Gardens Live and on the film and recording, Live at Shea Stadium (2011). It was called the "Pro Jam" and it. [18][19] Shortly thereafter, Cannata, DeVitto, and Javors officially formed The Lords of 52nd Street band; the band also includes a pianist and lead vocalist, keyboardist, and a guitarist, and plays faithful renditions of the recorded Joel originals. All Rights reserved. I saw them at the New York State Pavilion [in August 1969]. And be grateful. This band now? This business is full of rejection. Cannata played in Tommy Shaw's band in the mid-1980s, performing on Shaw's first three solo albums. We recorded for about five hours. I played it on tenor. He said, I want you to learn Only the Good Die Young, Just the Way You Are, and one other song that I cant remember for the life of me. Peter freaked. I exercise a lot, walk six miles a day, and I swim. Ginger Baker guested at some shows, so two thirds of Cream were on the stage with you. Joel's touring band as a whole did not begin playing on his records until he recorded the album Turnstiles in 1976. Although water sport is popular, most of them are quite hard to do, and to be able to do water sport, requires training, and an instructor. When Richie recorded and performed that solo in 1976 on The "Turnstiles" record . When I was a kid, I wanted to be all of Traffic. Now, Im in the same boat as before, but flipped. There must have been moments where it felt like this classic-rock fever dream. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. Richie's CD Showcase get a taste of Richie's Live performance of his first single Keep it in the Pocket! Im very much looking forward to our first show back. We want to hear it. On February 27, 2010, Joel's bassist from his "River of Dreams" tour, Tom Wolk, died from a heart attack at the age of 58. [20], On July 11, 2016, Cannata received special recognition from Glen Cove Mayor for his contributions to the city's music heritage. That was Yoko Ono showing the duplicity of our government and the country. These guy still play, and this is their facebook page. Im a firm believer in that. But he ended up having to sit in the station wagon with us. Cannata returned to record some of the sax parts on the record but did not join Joel for the River of Dreams tour that followed. I have no answer to that other than youre 100 percent right. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. He alluded to that. How old were you when music entered your life in a serious way? Joel wound up bringing in saxophonist Andy Snitzer to sub in for the overseas shows, marking one of the only occasions where Rivera has missed a show since joining the band in 1982 for the Nylon Curtain tour, replacing Richie Cannata. Just get along with people. "Clive Davis, Billy Joel's Band Among Long Island Music Hall of Fame Inductees", "A Collection of songs written & arranged by Richard Cannata and Daniel J. Vitalo, Junior", "Saxophonist Richie Cannata on Live it Up with Donna Drake", "Long Island Music Hall of Fame Inductees - Richie Cannata", "Shaw Sticks to 'Guns' - Solo Project for Styx Guitarist", "Richie Cannata - Richie Cannata - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic", "Improvising And Soloing In The Pocket - Book Review", "Billy Joel Band set to join Piano Man in Long Island Music Hall of Fame", "Long Island Music Hall of Fame induction 2014", "Interview with Guitarist Russell Javors", "12 Jul Mayor Spinello Recognizes Musician Richie Cannata with Honorary Street Dedication", Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richie_Cannata&oldid=1122565570, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox musical artist with associated acts, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 18 November 2022, at 07:11. Billys music will be the thing that will heal millions of people. You finally found a duo that work well together. The next time we run it, Paul jumped in two measures early to the were going to a party verse. The first day, I wanted to go over A Whiter Shade of Pale. Its a beautiful song and I know it would be one of the last ones since I always write the set list. Why were you guys wearing masks on the stage? At the very end of the solo, Billy literally stops the band. I just listened to it. Lets do it again.. The two of them would take a chartered plane after the show. Billy Joel's band since 1975 when they first met at Ultrasonic Any time I played with a band in New Jersey, wed do it. Born in Brooklyn and raised on Long Island, Richie first studied classical piano and clarinet before picking up the tenor saxophone. Toland What You Started (feat. March 5, 1948) in NYC, is an acclaimed musician who is also a successful record producer. The whole thing is really wild if you stand back and think about it. On that historic occasion "The Billy Joel Band" performed with "Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band", - IMDb Mini Biography By: At this point, the only remaining long-standing member of Joel's touring band was DeVitto. I knew all the parts. They work very well together. Ive been so, so blessed with this balancing act that Ive been doing. Im wondering if you could come down to Electric Lady?. Under Review. You went out with Simon and Garfunkel the year after you joined Billys band. I just spoke to [Billy Joel bassist] Andy Cichon and [percussionist] Crystal [Taliefero]. Richie sun sign is Pisces and his birth flower is Daffodil & Jonquil. Richie to join the band and a great friendship was born. Thats how much it means to everyone. Were entertainers. It was nice to see how grateful they were for my gesture and how the first autograph they got was from Ron Guidry. The Beach Boys) enlisted Al Gomes and A. Michelle of Big Our son is in the back row in his car seat. All I had was one saxophone. That was through Mutt Lange, who I met when I was in my band Tycoon. Through the glasses, you could see Strawberry Fields. I just happened to be at the right place at the right time with that situation. The series includes books for all instruments, and features music from Cannata's 2011 solo album Richie Cannata,[16] featuring Cannata and Julio Fernandez, guitarist of jazz fusion/smooth jazz group Spyro Gyra. I was playing in a band called Topper with Doug Stegmeyer and he got the gig to play bass with Billy on the Streetlife tour. I swear. Liberty DeVitto has been prett Continue Reading Footnotes My mother used to say, Treat the people who are famous like theyre not. Lo and behold, Rosko [William Mercer], the DJ on WNEW, said, Now the total sound: Cream.. Ill take that to the grave. Its unbelievable to think about.. The main thing I remember was how soft-spoken he was. You wouldnt know anything. The other part was that I had to learn the steps. He is best known for his work on Saturday Night Live from 2001 to 2009. It was very bizarre, but that was her thing. As far as being serious, I was always a kid in a band. As someone that played on it, how do you feel? The band was looking for a sax player. I think I did two passes on that. Michael DelGuidice will sing a few songs and well work on background harmonies. He has recorded and toured with Billy Joel's original band since 1975 and after being inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2015, he has reunited with The Lords of . Up and down on each side, there must have been ten pairs of boots that matched each leather jacket. People ask me, Do you guys rehearse for a Billy Joel show? I say, No. Rolling Stone interview series Unknown Legends features long-form conversations between senior writer Andy Greene and veteran musicians who have toured and recorded alongside icons for years, if not decades. [13] He also played for Taylor Dayne in the late 1980s/early 1990s, and was a saxophonist with Bernie Williams.[14]. After leaving the band in 1981, [3] he opened Cove City Sound Studios in Glen Cove, New York. Paul wants to sing Birthday for Ringo and he wants it to be a surprise. I said, OK, who is in the band? He goes, You, me, Paul, Rick Derringer, Edgar Winter, and Gregg Bissonette. Guidrys kind gesture, to Richie Cannata had an impact. He is also ranked in the richest person list from United States. For this particular tour, Cannata temporarily returned on lead saxophones though he soon left the band again and Rivera returned to his position as lead saxophonist. Artists including Celine Dion, Billy Joel, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony have recorded in Cannata's studio. Richie has a net worth of $3 million dollars. You lose track of it. The 1993 River of Dreams tour saw the addition of David Rosenthal, formerly of Rainbow, on keyboards. In 1950s his family moved to Garden City South where Cannata blossomed as a musician. Youre used to playing the Garden every month and stadiums all over the world. Hes looking at her like, Please stop with your words.. Being on stage stimulated a desire to perform and seek out the adrenaline of live and studio performance. Cannata joined Joel and the guys for the recording of the multiplatinum album Turnstiles. Thats when it gets amazing. I saw Cream. Were driving along. Toland I Still Believe (feat. He earned the money being a professional Musician. The solo that many people can remember note for note that has become part of us. Offstage, Every night I nailed it, I have to say. It kicked our butts. He was fortunate enough to be able to use the best musicians in the New York area including Bernie Williams as a featured guitar soloist, as well as Julio Fernandez, Chris Clark, Joel Rosenblatt, Gene Perez, Don Harris, and Tom Schuman.