We're big in Germany!

So about a month ago I got a call asking if I’d like to film a music video for an up-and-coming German music star. He’s like the Michael Buble of Germany you could say and he needed a band to appear in his breakthrough music video that was to be shot in NYC.

Well it sounded like it was worth a laugh at least and well, it was a paid gig on a Monday afternoon so what the heck! Turns out that the singer, Daniel has a nice voice and was cool to work with. We pantomimed his song probably 30 times over an hour or more in Terra Blues, a blues club on Bleeker street.

From all that footage we got a total of about 5 seconds in this music video haha! I must say the production is excellent though. It’s like a love story and it features NYC so predominantly that I almost wonder if the city’s tourism board was in on it! Anyway, check it out for yourself. It’s fun and pop-y and even a bit of an earworm even though I have no idea what he’s saying. Seems like he has some muscle behind him so I’ll look forward to hearing more from him in the future!Book jazz band for wedding reception for great environments.

If you want to fast forward, we appear at 1:09,1:27,1:43 and 2:12

Getting into real estate

So... I'm getting into real estate. No, really. I've been getting into really expensive real estate. They let me in and when I'm finished with the gig, they let me leave. har har...

Anyway, I've been thrilled to link up with some great companies that either sell real estate or partner with other companies to create a luxury experience around a high-end product (Hennessy). They've found that nothing elevates the vibe of an event like excellent musicians joyfully creating a great feeling in the room. Guests can feel it and comment about it making the event. Everyone has heard DJs countless times and real music is fresh to our ears again. It really is a special thing and it shows good taste too!

In these photos we are in the Penthouse at Manhattan View and 70 Vestry.

So, if you're looking to hire a wedding band in New York city, NY or just looking for a great jazz band for hire to make your event special, look no further!

The new and improved trailer is here!

I'm pleased to announce that the new trailer for the band is here! The previous one, filmed by my brother, Alex Maness, had served me well but after two years and some personnel changes it was time for another edition. As I said in the last post, we recorded it in the Relic Room in Chelsea, which boasts a lot of great vintage gear and microphones that we were able to use. We only had a couple of hours but we knocked out 5 full songs and 5 partial songs. If you've never recorded before, let me tell you that is a lot in a very short time! A testament to the professionalism of the band. As of now we have a sweet trailer that you can see here that features a few songs. In the works is another trailer and a couple of videos that highlight entire songs that I think showcase the band well. Thanks for reading and I hope to see you soon!

Video shoot- behind the scenes

This past weekend Peter & the Master Keys had a very successful video shoot at the Relic Room, a fantastic recording studio that also happens to look great on film.  I've been working on a new promo reel for the band and got Aaron Rockers to shoot footage and edit.

Behind the scenes, the talented Mai Comeros shot this footage that you see here. You can tell that there is a great feeling in the room when this group gets together and that comes through in the music. I can't wait to share the video with you!

New Logo!

It's been a while since Peter & the Master Keys has needed a proper logo. It's been on the to-do list for quite a long while and so I'm pleased to have finally scratched it off. 

Through my musician friend network I was lucky enough to get connected to Eric Kelly, who does great work for bands and businesses along with being a musician himself.

It was an interesting foray into a world that I wasn't that familiar with before. After hours of scouring the web for cool fonts and design ideas and lots of back and forth with Eric, we finally settled on something that is cool and represents the band well. The next thing to do will be to print the design on a custom bass drum head for my drummer!

In the lap of luxury...

That's where the band and I found ourselves this past Friday the 13th as we ventured to Long Island to play at the Coe House Historic Museum.  It was our second time playing at the beautiful Gatsby era mansion turned museum as we had been invited back to kick off the "All star series".  What an honor! We played for a capacity crowd of almost 100 people in the grand living room, which was the size of a ballroom. It's a real treat to play for a crowd of people who are actively listening. Thanks to all who came out to support live music! Here's a photo I couldn't resist taking after the show:

We've also been busy with other endeavors like playing for a third time at the residence of the Pakistani ambassador to the U.N. and at the prestigious Joe's Pub.  I've also been busy booking the band for holiday parties so if you're interested, let me know!

Lastly, I'd like to share a fun photo with you. We were asked to play for a first year birthday party this past weekend and the mom specifically asked me if I could bring drums because her son was obsessed. Sure enough, Jonah was fascinated the whole time and even cried when he was pulled away. Watch out, mom!

The Master Keys deliver thesis on the Blues at Columbia U.

We're in the big leagues now. Ivy, that is.  The band was invited to play for the incoming class of graduate students at Columbia University this past Monday and we happily bestowed them with bluesy wisdom as they gnoshed on Columbia branded cupcakes and blue (school colors) champagne!  What a great crowd of bright-eyed PHDs to be, all eager to meet one another and get to know some of their professors. 

You can't see it in these photos but we played for a crowd of about 1,500 people under a huge tent covering most of Low Plaza. 

Thanks again to the folks at Columbia for making this possible!

It's the season for rooftop parties in New York!

"I like New York in June..."  Well it's shaping up to be a beautiful spring in the big city and the Master Keys have been doing more and more gigs on rooftops all over town.  Here's a couple of shots from the Starret Le-High building in Chelsea.  We played there last week for a building wide rooftop event where they screened the classic film, An Affair to Remember.  Later on in the evening we were treated to a beautiful sunset over the Hudson river!

Peter and the Master Keys rock Hava Nagila at a farm wedding in upstate NY!

We had an amazing time at Blooming Hill farm  this past weekend in upstate NY!  The bride had requested Hava Nagila, a traditional song played at Jewish weddings, but then got a little shy and changed her mind. Fortunately, a friend or two of hers assured us that it would go over well and boy did it ever!  Make sure you watch till the end.

Chuck Berry night was a great success!

We celebrated the music of the great Chuck Berry this past Monday at the Wayland in New York's East Village. It was a great chance to bring together many fantastic musicians and have a lot of fun with the music. I think we had about a dozen folks stop by in addition to the smokin' house band of Eric Finland, Erik Blicker, Alex Raderman and yours truly. Somehow I have to find out how to have another great party like this again.  In the meantime, check out my main man, Nick Palumbo doing Johnny B. Goode!

Playing in the house band at the Mckittrick Hotel, home of Sleep no More

New York is well known for it's vibrant theater scene yet there is much more going on than meets the eye. There is a thriving underground that can be witnessed at small theaters, warehouses and even parties across the 5 boroughs. I've been lucky enough to be part of the immersive theater production of "Sleep no More" at the Mckittrick Hotel for a few years now as a part of the house band. We play in a beautiful bar at the nexus of all the activity where guests can repose and take a break from the madness surrounding them. That's about all I can say because it's very hush-hush but it's a great experience if you haven't been yet!

Sold-out Show at the Historic Coe Hall Mansion

Yesterday we played at a veritable Gatsby-era mansion in Long Island. The Coe Hall mansion is essentially a castle built by a gilded-age industrialist, which now is home to arts and concert series. We were thrilled to learn that all 150 seats had sold out! And what a great audience we had; all enthusiastic listeners and with a great sense of humor to boot (they laughed at all my  jokes). 

The band played an inspired set for the crowd and we were rewarded by a very gratifying standing ovation! Afterwards, we were pleased to meet many of the folks who came up to speak with us.  Hopefully, we'll be playing here and other places like it again soon. 

Singing for the Pakistani Ambassador to the U.N.

Working in New York City as a professional bassist and bandleader is a study in contrasts; one night I'm playing blues at a restaurant, another I'm playing New Orleans jazz at a seedy bar, and then I find myself playing in the Upper East Side of Manhattan playing for a select group of UN ambassadors and dignitaries!

It was an honor to play for the Pakistani ambassador to the U.N., Dr. Lodhi, last night. She was extremely gracious and engaging the whole night as she hosted us in Pakistan's beautiful townhouse.  I wasn't sure what to expect; would we just be playing background music? But Dr. Lodhi and her guests were surprisingly attentive listeners and, as the night wore on, they turned out to be terrific dancers as well.  It's not a night I'll forget soon!

Valentine's Day with Etsy

Happy Jazz-y, Blues-y Valentine's Day, everybody!

This morning, Peter and the Master Keys is playing direct from the home of artisanal, hand-stitched, crocheted accessories and assorted artsy doodads!

Live Music at Sotheby's Luxury Night

A week ago, Peter & the Master Keys had the pleasure of playing for Sotheby's Luxury Night, sponsored by Maserati. We played for royalty that night . . . that is, for beautiful sixteenth-century oil paintings of royalty, situated right next to us.

Also next to us was the free-flowing champagne bar, which the band enjoyed - in moderation, of course.

All in all, it was a classy night for a classy band in one of the art world's foremost institutions. We've just been re-hired for Sotheby's holiday party next week, and we can't wait!

Jazz, Blues & Dancing at a Wedding on Long Island

Sometimes you know that a wedding reception is going to be a lot of fun from the moment you walk in the door with your upright bass and band in tow. Last night was one of those nights. As soon as we got there, we were welcomed warmly by the father of the bride, who was setting up the PA for us, and immediately we were invited to sample the locally catered barbecue, which was delicious.

We began by playing a jazz standard as people entered the reception hall, thinking that we would save the dance music for later - but the guests had a different idea. They started the dance party right then and there. Maybe the extended cocktail hour had something to do with it. Nonetheless, we got off to a great start, and the night took off from there.