New York was quite a classroom.
I joined the Red Parrot Orchestra at the nightclub on West 57th Street.
Imagine a roaring New York nightclub where a full big band and a DJ shared the stage. Celebrities, dancers, musicians, and night owls packed the room.
What a time to be playing music in New York.
The experience reinforced something I'd come to believe: great musicians don't just play the notes. They listen to one another, read the room, and create something that can never be repeated quite the same way.
That spontaneity is still at the heart of Manhattan Swing.
Bohemia at the Ladies' Fort.
Before SoHo became a destination for designer boutiques and expensive lofts, it was a haven for artists, musicians, and anyone with more imagination than money.
At 2 Bond Street was the Ladies' Fort, a jazz loft presided over by the wonderful singer Joe Lee Wilson. I played guitar in Joe Lee's house band, including an extraordinary month when the music went on 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Around-the-clock jazz in a SoHo loft. Imagine that.
The night I almost played with a Beatle.
One of those Red Parrot performances led to an unexpected invitation from The Hit Factory, the legendary New York recording studio.
It was after 11 p.m. I was already in for the night when studio owner Ed Germano called.
“Come down with your acoustic guitar.”
“Ed, it's late.”
“You'll regret it if you don't.”
He was right.
Arriving at the studio, I passed Yoko Ono on her way out. Inside was the extraordinary studio saxophonist George Young.
“There's no written music for you,” George warned.
No problem. Formal training is invaluable, but I've always loved playing by ear.
I put on the headphones.
And there, on a prerecorded track, was John Lennon talking to his fellow musicians about the song.
A children's chorus would eventually become part of the recording.
For one unforgettable night, I had the opportunity to add my guitar to a track featuring a Beatle.
Oh, and there was Mick Jagger.
Along the way, I also taught guitar at two of New York's distinguished schools, Spence and Collegiate.
One afternoon, I opened my music room door and found Mick Jagger taking a private tour of the school.
“Hey, man,” I said.
“Hey, what's up?” he replied.
His daughter enrolled the following year.
For a while, the checks for her guitar lessons came directly from Mick's personal checkbook, with “guitar lessons” written on the memo line.
Eventually, the payments started arriving from his business office.
.
More than 1,000 events later...
The Metropolitan Opera • Davis Polk • United States Mission to the United Nation • Spence School • Collegiate School • Cravath • The Children’s Aid Society • Reisenbach Philanthropies • New York Philharmonic • Wachtell Lipton • Skadden • US Tennis Open • NFL
Today, Manhattan Swing Orchestras brings together seasoned professionals and exciting new talent. Our musicians have the technical skill to play just about anything, but equally important, they know how to listen, improvise, entertain, and connect with an audience.
We've performed at The Plaza, the Rainbow Room, private homes, garden weddings, grand ballrooms, and downtown lofts.
We've played for distinguished institutions, celebrated families, and generations of guests who simply wanted a wonderful evening.
And somewhere along the way, I've learned that the most memorable performances aren't necessarily the loudest, the grandest, or even the most technically dazzling.
They're the ones that make people feel something.
A beautiful melody during dinner. A first dance. A room that suddenly erupts when the band finds exactly the right groove.
That's what keeps me doing this.
To elevate the heart, mind, and spirit.
To bring people together.
And, when the moment is right, to get everybody dancing.
More than a thousand events later, my passion has certainly outrun my father's concern.
I'd like to think he'd be proud.
Let's get carried away.
Joe Bonacci
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