BILL’S SPACE SHOW: Episode 4 | Gerry Rosenthal Trio Performing “Hard To Let Go” (LIVE – 1 Night in Hoboken)

by William James Hamilton

A few years ago, Bill’s Space Show put on and filmed our first concert for our YouTube channel. The guest was the Karyn Kuhl Band. We gathered our lights, camera and projections and decided to test everything out, making sure the talent would look good on camera.

Fortunately, several bands were willing to come to the Space the night before and play two original songs. This gave us the opportunity to experiment with color temperatures, brightness levels and the overall look of the shots.

Some of the bands looked better than others, and, as one might guess, the last band of the night looked the best – mission accomplished! As a result, post-production, in particular the color correction, was a challenge. It’s only been since the beginning of the year that I was able to finally go through everything and attempt to make it look nice and consistent, as well as mix everything.

We caught a real moment in time for the Hudson County music scene. All of us together, cheering each other on. Something I have sorely missed in the last year and a half. Fortunately, with the world getting back to normal we can start to get back together, like for the recent Tom Petty Engagement at Sinatra Park, which featured many of the musicians you’ll see on 1 Night in Hoboken. All of us at Bill’s Space Show hope that by the time the last episode premieres that we’ll have at least one concert scheduled at the Space.

Eschewing any controversy, Gerry tells me he grew up in “Central New Jersey.” The son of a musician, he began playing early on, occasionally sitting in with his father Tom’s band. These days Tom and Gerry play weddings together as members of the Jersey Joint which recently performed a showcase in the Space.

For our 1 Night in Hoboken session Gerry decided to bring his trio featuring Jack Breslin on upright bass and Sean-David Cunningham on violin. These three extremely talented and skilled players combine jazz, folk and rock into a cohesive sound that can be at times moody, romantic and always a lot of fun. Be sure to check out Sean’s solo on this track.

I first met Gerry while he was playing with his band Big Wake (www.bigwakemusic.com). Great songwriting and musicianship define the band. They will be playing a show on September 10 at White Eagle Hall with an eclectic line up of Jersey City bands—including James Calleo’s Widely Grown and Debra Devi.

There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to Mr Rosenthal – did you know he was an actor? Stay tuned for a Special Episode of 1 Night In Hoboken in which I interview Gerry about growing up in a musical household and his acting experiences.

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