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Support Local Independent Artists
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Sonny's Musical Biography
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Sonny tiptoed onto the Long Island music scene in January 1997 after a 21 year hiatus. He found a very warm welcome and tremendous support from fellow musicians and the community at large. In March 1997, he had his first of 7 performances on Roy Abrams' Island Zone Radio show.
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In February 1998, Sonny's first album "Devil Dancin' Down on Main Street" recorded at Son Spot Studio was released to rave reviews in local music media. In April 1998, the album was nominated as "Best Folk Music Recording" and Sonny was nomiated as "Best Folk Music Act" at the Long Island Music Awards.
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- "American Inquisition: Tales of A Navy Blue Dress" a folk-soap-blues opera about the Clinton-Lewinsky affair was performed from November 1998 to May 1999 by Sonny's music ensemble the "Casablanca Gypsy Orchestra and Choir". A live performance CD was released in May 1999.
- January 2000 and again January 2002- Sonny and Marc Clayton pulled together 25 local musicians and poets to perform a musical biography of Woody Guthrie. Sonny gleaned material from Woody's prose and gathered essential songs to produce a magical evening. With the help of the Folk Music Society of Huntington over $5000 has been raised for the Huntington Disease Society of America as a result of the two events.
- November 2000 - "Bibles, Guns & Flags" - Sonny's third and most topically orientated album was released by Noodleman Records. Sonny's music has been featured on WFUV, WBAI, WFAN, WPRB, WUSB, WRCN, WLIR, and WBLI. The single "I Haven't Cried Yet" written in the wake of 9/11 appeared in the soundtrack of the documentary "Ride On Brother" and aired on PBS during the first anniversary of 9/11.
In May, 2001 Sonny helped form the new band "The Defibrillators" - Sonny, Bob "Pops" Westcott, Max Foreman, Sonny Speed, Bobby "Buddy Boy" Cattrano, Robert Langley. Their CD has been called "the funniest comedic compilation in a long while" by Good Times Magazine. "Musically and lyrically, one of the best live bands I have ever heard" - The Inside Connection Magazine. Click on The Defibrillators link below.
November 2003 - Sonny released "LET THE LIGHT SHINE" - Songs Celebrating HumanLight and Confronting The Dogma. A CD celebrating the ideals of the Humanist philosophy for free thinkers everywhere. Available at evolvefish.com and HumanLight.org - see links below.
April 2004 - Sonny released a new topical CD recorded at Son Spot Studios titled "HOW DOES A PATRIOT ACT?". An album of songs challenging the policies of the current administration in Washington D.C.
December 2004 With help of fellow Defibrillators - Bob Westcott, Robert Langley and Jon Foreman - Sonny formed "Blackilisted and the Banned" an acoustic group playing Sonny's topical and political material. In 2006, "The Banned" was joined by a great topical songwriter Bob Campbell. Their first CD "I Never Thought I'd Miss Richard Nixon" is due out in Feruary 2007. ITMFA.
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