Gonzales: Etude Renewed

“Showing off is BORING.” – Chilly Gonzales, Re-Introduction Etudes

In the 60s, Sammy Davis Jr. recorded a series of intimate performances for the BBC, which they recently re-ran. Sammy danced, told stories and jokes, performed impressions, demonstrated expert gunplay, and (above all else), sang with the warmth of an old friend. With all of his showmanship, not once do you ever feel that he’s showing off – quite the opposite – you have the sense that he’s performing for the audience and nothing else. Instead of Sammy walking onstage and proclaiming, “Here I am!” it’s as if he walks out and says, “I’m so glad you’re here!” Continue reading

Gonz Gets Arty

In late November, Gonzales and other performers recorded the fourth installment of the Arte Lounge TV show at Werner Otto Hall, which is part of the Konzerthaus facility in Berlin. The site of the Berlin Konzerthaus has quite a lengthy history of famous performers: Mozart, Paganini, Liszt, to name a few. While previous buildings were destroyed several times by fire and war, the current building opened in 1984 and features a gorgeous main performance hall. With a donation from German Entrepreneur Werner Otto, the orchestral rehearsal space was converted in 2003 into a modern, open hall, appropriately named “Werner Otto Hall”. Continue reading