Don Cornelius

I have been very fortunate to have traveled and met with and hung out with people from Janis Joplin to Hugh Hefner to Frank Valli.The list is long.

One evening in 1975, I met Don after my gig at the Chicago Playboy Club. This tall man, with a big afro walked over to me. He was instantly recognizable and started a conversation.

Not a typical pick up line… I’ve heard a few. I was with some of the guys from my band Commonwealth, so it was more of a “Are you with anyone?” I explained that we were a house band at Playboy and I knew who he was.

Deep Dish - Chicago Style

We didn’t dance, I am not a drinker. I seem to remember he wasn’t a drinker, either. We sat and listened to the music, and we clicked a little.

Don and I stayed for hours. In those days, one stayed out all night, slept all day, and then went to work in the evening. We were hungry and he said, “I know the best deep-dish pizza place and it’s open all night.” I felt safe with Don and told my band mates where I was going.

We went to this crazy crowded pizza place, and ate until we were in pain! Don and I talked about Soul Train moving to Los Angeles, but he considered Chicago home so kept a penthouse apartment. He asked if I would like to see it before I went to my hotel. I said “Yes, of course I would love too.”

We didn’t have a chemistry of that sort where he was going to try anything with me. We just visited the penthouse apartment, and enjoyed the spectacular view. I remember the furniture like it was yesterday. It  was white and beige, and immaculate.

Chicago at night

As I started to tire, he said, “You are welcome to stay or I will take you home.” I said I should go home, as the band had a whole night ahead of shows at the club. He drove me back, kissed me on the cheek, very sweetly, and I asked him to try to come and see us.

I have never forgotten my one night of intelligent, lovely, conversation with this entertainment icon. To hear of his suicide, today, was both sad and shocking.

I am one of the lucky ones. I spent a lovely night in Chicago with this fabulous, interesting, and soft-spoken man.

Rest In Peace Sweet Don. I will never forget your kindness, your manners, and your role in American musical history. Bringing Soul Train, its guest performers, the Soul Train Dancers and the Scramble Board had a tremendous impact on a generation… and then some.

Love, Peace & Soul!

Jessica Marciel
Las Vegas Vocal Training

“Now, being a coach, I realize, I would have been a better singer than I am if I had a good coach.”

~ Jessica Marciel

It is better to have no coach than a bad one. I have had many students come to me after four or five vocal coaches, and I hear the same thing. “They never taught me how to breathe.”

We all know how to breathe, we do it all day long. The difference in singing is the need for more air than you need, just to speak, and understanding when to breathe, within the context of the lyrics. I have students who will struggle with a high note. I say, bend down over and make an L-shape and sing to the floor. The note comes out easily. When you do breathing exercises it helps you hold and control notes.

Again, when my students go in the studio, my producer Tom Marolda insists I be there, because he is unable to work the engineer board, and explain what he needs from the singer. A phrase like “How Does it Feel” becomes fell, as we soften the ‘E’. The emotion has to come through. A singer isn’t seen on a CD so one must make the listener feel what the vocalist is feeling.

The texture and colors of a song are important. You cannot sing a song the same way all through it, or it becomes monotone. My student Marine aka Lou White is recording her album, and we are concentrating on her dynamics, because this is an important project. I wanted her to almost whisper a part and then bam, when the band comes back in, it explodes and really is quite effective.

Tom wanted her voice to sound a little raspy. This is not the way she sings , so I took an hour with her and wore her out. I put her through the hardest exercises I could think of, and trashed her voice. Tom came back in and we proceeded with the song and it was more funky and a little more sexy, with a few words that had a rasp.
This isn’t something I suggest be done often, because it is hard on the vocal chords. Afterwards, we gave her warm water and honey and I had her hum gently, which soothes the throat.

Another student, Dayna, just recorded a fantastic song for an up coming film. We had to make sure she had the right timber in her voice, the right tone. Tom believes a lot of people make mistakes not including coaches during recording sessions. Vocal coaches can explain things that producers and writers can’t.

A good coach is hard to find. I will be the first to say, I was not that good, I was just learning to be able to explain how to get the voice moving and the right way to warm up. I know that Brett Manning helped me a lot. He has a great method that works for pop, R&B and country, blues, rock, metal, you name it. I have my own methods that adds some emotional connection to the music. I can help by telling a singer, where to take a breath, where to sing softly, where to punch it, etc.

Our throats are our instruments, we have no piano case, no guitar case, nothing!, we need to be, well, Diva’s! Only because to protect our throats, we need rest, water, warm up’, and special attention to our health.

I believe if you find a coach you can connect to, one that will really help you find your voice, you are lucky. It is nearly impossible to get signed now by a label. With so many independent labels and producers making you pay for your own albums before they will shop you.

There is no point in spending a lot of money unless you have the right material, producer, and connections to shop the product. It is a different time than when I recorded. They paid for everything. Now, you make your own album and then if you are lucky, you can get someone to shop you to labels. They wont listen to anything unsolicited. So, don’t waste your money unless you think YouTube will help you get discovered. It does happen, but not very often.

When and if you decide on a coach, make sure every moment of your money is well spent. I mean, they really work you, like a personal trainer would. I also believe in homework. Get a CD to take home and practice with, everyday. You don’t use your voice, you lose it.

Good luck, and hopefully this information helped

Jessica Marciel
Las Vegas Vocal Training

The latest audition was a story I just had to share with you. Ken is a strong singer and presence, tall, dark, handsome, ex military, good contestant. I will admit, at first, I thought The X Factor would be something different. The clips on YouTube , from its UK edition were impressive. But, when the show announced that Paula Abdul was joining Simon, I thought “Uh Oh, here we go again…”

Well, my Uh Oh moment came true.  Before I even get to my students audition, The show became unwatchable when they had the American Idol-like, bad singers, and a guy who actually DROPPED his pants in front of the live audience. ENOUGH! I am sorry, I am no prude, but you turn away thousands of good singers for this nonsense?

My student Ken (pictured far right, with another contestant, Javon), and his wife Michelle, flew to Los Angeles, waited six and a half hours, just to get the tickets! The next day , they waited in the rain, until 7pm. Ken made it through to the next day’s rounds. That meant, another night of lodging expenses, and Michelle and Ken missing work. Something the X-Factor Producers couldn’t care less about.

Now the third day, second round of auditions,  He got his golden ticket, and they stayed over again. This time, the security was very rude to Ken’s wife, literally pushing her back.

Ken wasn’t really upset he didn’t make this third round, BUT, he was surprised that some very good singers were passed over. They took 35 people all under 35 years of age from the Los Angeles auditions. Ken is good, and he was better than the man they did take with the oxygen tank. Just sayin’…

These shows are all scripted and calculated. I wouldn’t bet your career on any of these shows.

Jessica Marciel
Las Vegas Vocal Training

Our Playboy Club contracts were over and we had been at the Lions Den at the original MGM and the Blue Room at the Tropicana. But things slowed down, Maurice, Jorge and I were doing a trio at a little place by the Sahara Hotel, when lenn Cooper heard me.  He booked a showroom at the Marina Hotel. He wanted me to open for a then-unknown comic, Gallagher. Jorge wrote my music and was excited for me. At the time, he was thinking of moving back to Miami, to finish his degree.

When our show kept getting extended, for sold out shows, 4 weeks became, 8, and 8 became 10 etc.. Jorge said, “I’m going to Miami, are you coming?” I was torn. I was doing well, and a group at the Tropicana was waiting for my show to close so I could work for them!

I left Jorge, or he left me, A big decision, we were having problems anyway with his Cuban ways. His culture is so different, and at that time, he had little respect for an American woman. Although I believe he loved me and felt I was not typicaly American. But the strain on his hot temper made it easier for us to spiit. We stayed in touch. He joined Gloria Estefan in the 80′s and still is her Musical Director, today

My show at the Marina gave me the confidence that I, and I alone, could hold a room, be funny, sing my arse off, excuse me but, no  other way to put it.  Dad brought his celebrity friends in and Variety Magazine’s Bill Williard reviewed me nicely.

Now, I the had the confidence to be a solo act. I was Jessica and Fantasy at the Summa Corporation Hotels, The Sands, Frontier, Landmark, Castaways. I was working, had a press agent, the late Judy Gold. She was great. I miss her dearly.  My decade of solo performing, with and without, a lot of help.

So, lenn Cooper, Thank you so much for getting me out of my shell. I am eternally grateful for your belief in me. 20 years hence, Gallagher called out of the blue, and said, ” Let’s do it again!!’ We did the show twice in the 90′s, at the Sahara.

What a life!

Jessica Marciel
Las Vegas Vocal Training

You see, when I was a teen, I didn’t date, and take time to go to the movies. I rehearsed and played gigs every weekend and summers in Lake Tahoe with college boys. I grew up very fast and loved it.

First I started as a solo artist as Jessie Paul, a stage name Capitol records gave me. Then I moved to Las Vegas from Southern California. Dennis Hunt was the DJ at KENO Radio, and he played my songs. Then some local Valley high bands started hiring me. First was The Little People, where I met my first love, Michael Friedman. Mike’s dad was co-owner of one The Desert Inn Hotel. He lived on the golf course on the grounds of the property. He was really raised by the nanny, so we had the run of the place. Michael died in the 90′s and we had  re connected at that time.

Steve Miller, Jessica Marciel, Dennis Hunt

The Little People morphed into The London Fog, and it was a really good band, but I was known as the Grace Slick of Vegas. Then,” Free Circus”, asked me to join them. Roby Bennett, the guitar/singer, wrote all the songs! Wow, originals! That’s what I was looking for. We did a Janis Joplin song once in awhile but mostly we had our own vibe.

All inducted: The Little People, Glen Cooper, Mike Friedman, Steve Harvey, Howard Salstein

Mike Lyman and me.  London Fog: Mike Friedman, Bob Lily, Mark Leonard, Me, then Georganne Rock,

Free Circus in Concert 5/1/11

Free Circus: Danny Barnett, Roby Bennett, Bob Bjornsen, Larry Gann, and me.

As Free Circus, we opened for: Cream, Steppenwolf, Three Dog Night, Santana, Sweetwater, Grateful Dead, Iron Butterfly, Electric Prunes, and many more.

The first fame meeting we found out the name, “Rock and Roll Hall  of Fame” couldn’t be used, due to copyright infringement. So they settled on Rock Reunion Hall Of Fame.

The first meeting at Linda Freeman’s home. What a great reunion, and she had so much food,  it was quite amazing! We had the meeting finally after stuffing our faces. We realized how difficult this was going to be!

The venue, staffing, public relations, rehearsing, the line up, who would be where, who would be nominated. Who would sponsor, how long would this take? The first thing we decided was that people like ME, who were a nominee, should not be at the meetings, because I can’t nominate myself! So that was the last meeting  I attended.

Kickin it with Free Circus at the Meet & Greet

I got in touch with Roby, and Dan. Bob passed away, in the 90′s, from cancer. I told the guys I had a drummer, Conrad, and Roby said his brother, James, could play bass, because we could not find Larry Gann.

Roby just wanted to do originals, that was fine, I kind of wanted to do ONE Cold Blood or Joplin song, I just wanted to wail a bit and let people know I could still sing. The excitement of being with guys again, outweighed everything. When Roby got to town, we met and I swear we were giddy!

I was so happy to just be in Roby’s presence. We drove to the venue to see it: The Henderson Pavilion. I had been there to work an event. My students opened for Jesse Mc Cartney at the place and I had been in and out of the loading dock all day!

After seeing the venue, we went to look for some doggie flea meds for Roby’s brothers dog. So I took him to the District, then time to go home.  Finally, Danny and Conrad, and James were in my studio and wham!, We were back! It fell together fast, I think we only had three rehearsals and one vocal rehearsal.

Seeing everyone at the Meet and Greet at the Four Queens Hotel was a trip. I saw Dennis Hunt… and Stan Irwin, who brought the Beatles to Vegas, I also saw  Keith Austin, Steve Miller, Mike Tell, the promoters who had hired us back-in-the-day.

The bands were there, Sidro’s Armada, Beverlee Brown, Jerry Lopez & Santa Fe, The Teenbeats, Pork and Beans, Bill Rosevear, who started it all with Scatter Blues. Who’s the Father, members of Wolfticket, Batdorf and Rodney, Sailon (who became prominent after I moved to Los Angeles)

Free Circus: Wonderworld Concert

The hosts  were:

• Lanny Irwin (I knew from High school, took lessons from daddy, and I crushed on.)
• Lark Williams
• Freddie Woods
• Dennis Hunt

The day of the concert sped by, Right before we went on, Roby and I started dancing backstage to the break music, I had no idea anyone was clicking away but it’s all on film. What fun we had, we got all winded right before going on, brilliant, but it was worth it. Danny’s Rheem organ needed repair and the guy got there 30 minutes before we went on! Talk about a close call.

After we performed, it was time to go to the Interview Room. We talked about the band for half an hour, I found out how Roby named the band! It was great, can’t wait to see it.

We played four songs, saved the rocker for last, we rocked it that day and the video, thanks to my student Joey Miceli is on my YouTube channel.  Leaving was bittersweet, we went to Ricardos to eat, and James grabbed the check.  We all said goodbye in the parking lot. I looked back at Dan, then Roby one last time, knowing, that because of this concert and recognition, we will never lose our friendship, ever again. We will always be “Free Circus” dancing backstage freestyle hippies who love each other.

I floated, off the ground, for weeks after the concert. It’s a rare feeling, and one I won’t soon forget.

Jessica Marciel
Las Vegas Vocal Training

My father, the late Irv Kluger, will receive a Mentor Award for teaching and inspiring a lot of drummers in this town.  The doors open at 10 and the first band on will   be:

Starting 11am:

• Leo Apollon & the Crossfires then recording engineers Inductions
• Pork & Beans with our friend Dennis Durante, now does all the music for Lifetime Television in Los Angeles.
• More inductions, venues, and graphics, then Present Tense and the Sluff Brothers.
• 12:15 to 1:30 will be Bill Rosevear Band, the godfather of all Vegas bands! Bill led Scatter Blues, the First band in the 60′s that paved our way.
• 1:30-2:45: Belladonna, Road house and concert promoters inductions.
• 2:45-4:15 The Teenbeats, Jerry Lopez & Santa Fe and Sidro’s Armada with Beverlee Brown.
• 4:15-5:30, Joe Guercio Induction, Census, Stan Irwin Induction, and us, Free Circus.
• 5:30-6:45;  Joni James, John Kaye, Shadowfax/Tunesmith and Sail On with Michelle Rohl.
• 6:45 til 8pm we have Who’s the Father, with Morley Bartnof, My guys, Roby Bennet, James Bennet, Adam Schendel, and Joni and I on back up for a few tunes.

THIS DAY HONORS NOT ALL, BUT SOME OF THE PIONEERS OF LAS VEGAS MUSIC.  THIS WILL BE A GLORIOUS SUNDAY TO COME OUT AND SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC AND THE PEOPLE THAT WERE HERE AT A VERY EXCITING TIME.

I hope you will join us, and the benefits are to a charter school for music scholarships and SafeNest.  A DVD will be made and sold soon , if you yell the loudest, you can be part of this history making event, the brainstorm of Michael Selinsky, Thank you Michael, what a great idea, good luck with this whole project.

Tickets at  http://www.HendersonLive.com/tickets

Jessica Marciel
Las Vegas Vocal Training

Free Circus, with Jessica Marciel

On May 1st, all day Sunday afternoon at the Henderson Pavilion, Michael P. Selinsky will present, and honor, the Las Vegas inductees for the Las Vegas Rock Reunion Hall Of Fame. The Rock’n'Roll pioneers of the 60′s and 70′s. The bands that started it all. Little venues, it was a small town, big promoters. I wish ALL the bands could make it, but a great deal of time  and some just can’t make the trip.

When I moved to Las Vegas in the mid 1960′s, unless you were 21, you couldn’t go anywhere. Having come from Los Angeles and having already recorded six records with Capitol Records label, World Pacific Jazz,  my records got some airplay. Thank you Dennis Hunt of KENO radio. Dennis is a host and inductee on May 1st, too.

There was a life for teens here that never existed in Los Angeles. There was the Teenbeat Club and coffee houses and battle of the bands, and concerts at the Ice Palace, Las Vegas Convention Center, and National Guard Armory.

The first band I joined was The Little People: Mike Lyman, Mike Friedman, Mark Leonard, Steve Harvey, Bob Lily, (not all at the same time). We morphed into the London Fog, and Georgeanne Rock took my place when I ran off to join the circus, The Free Circus band that is. Roby Bennett, Dan Barnett, Bob Bjornsen and Larry Gann. They were college guys and I was a high school kid, still.

Free Circus had originals, good ones. And we did cover tunes, but we were good enough to open for great acts coming through town. The band opened for Cream, Steppenwolf,  Grateful Dead, Santana, Three Dog Night, Blue Cheer, Electric Prunes, Iron Butterfly, It’s A Beautiful Day, and more.  Free Circus was just one of many great bands: Bill Rosevear and the Scatter Blues Band, were the first. The Teenbeats recorded at the Teen Beat Club.  Who’s The Father?, Batdorf and Rodney, Present Tense, Wolf Ticket… so many great bands.

Also being honored are the Promoters of these clubs and concerts. The staff, and producers. Stan Irwin brought The Beatles to Las Vegas. Stan will be there to get his Oscar of Rock and Roll. His son Lanny is one of the day’s hosts. I can’t wait to see Stan. I wish my dad were here.

When the late 60′s came along, I left Free Circus because Dan was drafted into the army, and we couldn’t/wouldn’t replace him. So, I flew out to Los Angeles and was cast in the musical, HAIR. While in LA, I later heard that while driving to see Dan graduate from boot camp, a drunk driver hit his family and his beautiful mother was instantly killed. I saw Dan In Los Angeles a few times while in HAIR , because his dad had a boat in Morrow Bay. He got a bereavement discharge and wound up in Las Vegas in Who’s The Father!.

I also saw Bob in the 70′s when we were neighbors. His then-wife Nancy Cannon, and their children had horses, and my roomie, Barbara, did also. We ran over in the early morning, one day, to see a little colt being born.

I came back to just be hired by Sonny Charles of the Checkmates, and toured for a year.  I toured the Playboy Club circuit, and was gone a lot. Then I won the lead in the Dunes, Casino de Paris Show, I was  touring before that , so I missed all these great bands that continued the tradition of clubs and concerts. I ran into Bob in the late eighties when he was single, a real estate agent and very unhappy. Than I saw Dan at Bob’s funeral when he lost his battle with cancer. My friend Conrad Scogi will be pitch hitting for Bob. I can’t wait to hear the ones I missed!

I will get to hear some of them May 1st, Belladonna, Sailon, Pork & Beans, and then I will also get to hear some of my favorites from the 70′s, Jerry Lopez & Santa Fe, Sidro’s Armada with Beverlee, whom I’ve admired, from afar, for years.

This isn’t just a concert, this is the induction into the Las Vegas Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, conceived by Michael Selinsky. What a great tribute and such an honor, Thank You Michael.

Irv Kluger

My late father, Irv Kluger, will be honored as a mentor because he taught drums to half the drummers in las  Vegas. This is a chance to see old Vegas, raw talent, originals that I think held up. People like myself who have at it for 45 years. I started my career in 1963, and I am still going. How many people can say that. Well, A lot will be there that day doing it longer than me. So , get out your tie dye, and fringe vests, and come to a be-in.

May 1st, Henderson Pavilion, 11am-8pm: I will be on between 4;15 and 5;30pm. This is it folks, you’ll never see the likes of this kind of talent again. I know it will be a beautiful day, and I will celebrate Free Circus, also, Little People and London Fog. I had a great time with all these bands, and love them all.

Now, get into your rock gear, whatever that is for you and let’s celebrate music, live music!

Jessica Marciel
Las Vegas Vocal Training

Lou White

A year ago, I started working with a Parisian singer who moved to Las Vegas. Her manager and producer were still in Paris, but while in Vegas she planned to work on her voice to re-do her album she had recorded in France the year before. When I started listening to the lyrics, I had no idea how a young woman could feel these dark emotions. Where did it come from? She was so creative, a lot of people will relate to these songs.

Her name at the time was Marine Thuet, but they decided that Lou White would be her new stage name. Marine is young, 23, 22 when she came to me. She had a soulful wonderful voice. the only thing we really worked hard on was her strength, emotion, breathe, and power. When she returned to Paris to record, her manager was thrilled with her voice.

She wrote all her songs, and they were given a funkier, soulful new edge. I loved the new version of these songs I had loved in the original form. She is still going back in May to put some finishing touches on the CD so I can’t let you hear it yet.

We are still working on the songs now, but I can let you peek at her beauty, and tell you that when she comes back with the finished product, we are going to have a new queen of soul in America. So, I will be proud to have been a part of her growth, and proud to present to you, Lou White, “The Rebirth Of Soul”.

Jessica Marciel
Las Vegas Vocal Training