music It’s Sammys


Season Syracuse New Times Syracuse


Area Music Awards (Sammys) Hall of Fame, Lifetime Achievement and Music Educator awards were announced at a press conference on Wednesday, Sept. 15. So too were the nominations for the awards show that honors the best in Syracuse music. All will be feted during Sammys weekend, Oct. 7 to 9. Those being inducted into the


Hall of Fame this year include: Galaxy Communications,


owned by Ed Levine, a longtime Syracuse radio operative. Galaxy is the sole locally owned radio empire in Syracuse, and among Levine’s holdings are stations as diverse as WTKW-FM 99.5, playing classic rock; WKRL-FM 100.9, playing alternative rock; WZUN-FM 102.1, and its playlist of oldies and feel- good tunes; three ESPN radio hold- ings; and four stations in Utica. Jeff Tortora, a Syracuse native


and drummer whose first profes- sional gig was playing for Joey Belladonna of the rock band Anthrax. Syracuse bands that have benefited from his drumming include The Dracula Jones, The Buttafucos and United Booty Foundation. In fact, dur- ing a UBF performance in 1999, Tortora was spotted by a talent scout for the Blue Man Group, for whom he still plays in Las Vegas. Greg Italiano, beloved owner of the Lost


Horizon nightclub in DeWitt. Italiano bought the venue in 1969 and kept it going for most of its 41-year run; the musical menu morphed over the years, from rock to a 1970s detour into disco, and back to rock again, but Ital- iano was always an essential fixture. Italiano passed away last May at the too-young-to-die age of 59. Fritz’s Polka Band, the working-est


polka outfit in Central New York and beyond, which has included gigs at places such as B.B. King’s Blues Club in Manhattan. In the business of creating happy dance music since 1978, the group’s current lineup includes accordionist extraordinaire Fritz Scherz (son of band founder Fred Scherz Sr., who passed away in November 2009), Gabe Vaccaro on bass guitar, guitarist-vocalists Tom Campbell and Frank Nelson, and drummer Mike Fara- ino.


Music educator Steve Frank teaches in


the West Genesee Central School District, where he is responsible for the band program at Stonehedge and East Hill Elementary Schools as well as directing the West Genesee High School Jazz Band. In addition, he is an adjunct faculty member at Onondaga Commu- nity College where he directs the OCC Jazz Band. Since 2003, Frank has served as the Education Program Director for the Syracuse Jazz Fest, under founder and director Frank Malfitano. In 2006, he received a special award from


the International Association for Jazz Educa- tion (IAJE) in recognition of his “outstanding


16 September 15 - 22, 2010 Syracuse New Times


IDLE CHATTER


contributions” and “tireless dedication and leadership” in promoting and facilitating scho- lastic jazz education in Central New York. In 2002, Frank received the Outstanding


Music Educator award in the field of Instru- mental Music: Band from the musicians of the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra. He also received the OCC Faculty Appreciation Award in 2001, which recognized his “outstanding and dedicated service to the college. And the Lifetime Achievement Award


goes to Duane Hitchings, whom Sammys board president Liz Nowak calls the Diane Warren of Syracuse, as in, he’s a damn good songwriter. “He is the first songwriter to be inducted,” Nowak says. “After all, the music industry needs songwriters as well.” Hitch- ings was classically trained on the piano, and works as a producer. Among his songwriting credits: “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy,” immortal- ized by Rod Stewart; “Unpretty,” by TLC; and “Don’t Look Any Further,” sung by Dennis Edwards of the Temptations. The Hall of Fame ceremonies will take


place on Thursday, Oct. 7, 7 p.m., at the Upstairs at the Dino venue of the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, 246 W. Willow St. Tickets are $20. For information, call 247-1718. The Sammy Award nominees include: Best Country. The Custom Taylor Band. Best Jazz. esp.; Kevin Dorsey; Jimmy


Cavallo; Bill DiCosimo; Seals Experiment. Best Recording, Other Styles. Society for


New Music; Bob Auler; Phantom Chemistry; Ceili Rain; Emilee Smith. Best Hip-Hop/Rap. Powerjay’s Love


Theory; Anormous and Rsource. Best Rhythm’n’Blues. Erika Lovette;


Return of the Johnnies. Best Pop.White Picket Fence; Milking


Diamonds; Nick J.; Mike Vincitore; Christo- pher Ames.


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