This year’s annual holiday party was again held on a rainy Sunday at McCloone’s Supper Club in Asbury Park, but for the first time since we have been hosting it, our musical entertainment was provided by a national touring act, Alligator recording artist’s the Nick Moss Band featuring Dennis Gruenling. A well-kept secret was the appearance of Bucks County’s own harp master, Steve Guyger, who joined Nick and Dennis on stage with upright bassist Rodrigo Mantovani and a drummer who, in his early twenties represents the future of the blues, Pierce Downer. The band was excellent, with both Nick and Dennis displaying their range on guitar and harmonica, hard-driving tunes as well as ballads, and when Steve joined in late in the first set and later in the second set, they took it to another level. A real crowd pleaser was the bass solo by Rodrigo on the tune “It Shocks Me Out,” a tune penned by Nick on their latest release, “Get Your Back Into It”.
During the break, I introduced the Board, including our newest (and youngest) member, technology executive, Allen de la Cruz. After a “State of the Foundation” address which included our new partnership with Monmouth University and the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music, our Volunteers of the Year, Cindy and Dave Ciullo were announced and given a plaque in honor of their service. Then Cindy pulled the winning ticket for our Fender Player Series Guitar and hard-shell case, which went to Jim Flynn, drummer for the band Kelly, Ellis & Flynn. Jim will be given the prize at the December Blue Collar Blues event.
The band then returned to the stage for another great set of blues, joined by Steve Guyger, and for the last two tunes, board member and harp player Gary Neuwirth, once a student of Dennis, got up on stage to turn it into a closing “Harp Attack”! I must say there were a lot of smiling faces leaving the club when this party ended. On Monday morning Gary dropped off a truckload of donations collected at Holiday Express as part of our mission to be an agent for good in the local community.
Photos by John Posada
