New Doo-Wop Documentary on Prime

[BassicJazzy]

Old timers familiar with "Jay and the Americans" and the era of Doo-wop bands may enjoy this documentary, "Heart & Soul: A Love Story," just released today on Prime. Produced by Kenny Vance, one of the two lead singers, who went on to lead the "Planotones," a band which still performs to this day. The documentary has interviews with some of the other leading doo-wop singers from that period, and sheds some insight into what the music scene was like in late 50's and early 60's. I saw the movie when it first came out, to private screenings, and it is excellent.

 

[57pbass]

Will Watch for sure.. Johnny Maestro and The Brooklyn Bridge played locally… we went whenever we could to see them.
Amazing band ..the vocals were just great ….the bass player used … and still does ..a Fodera 4 string.

 

[jerry]

Will Watch for sure.. Johnny Maestro and The Brooklyn Bridge played locally… we went whenever we could to see them.
Amazing band ..the vocals were just great ….the bass player used … and still does ..a Fodera 4 string.

The Brooklyn Bridge was one of the first concerts I saw as a kid almost 60 years ago. Very popular in my neighborhood.

 

[Bikeguy57]

Thanks for posting this.

 

[JimmyM]

I used to do shows with all those acts when I was in a band that was the house band for a lot of these package shows. I miss the acts and the catering, but I don’t miss that band.

 

[BassicJazzy]

I used to do shows with all those acts when I was in a band that was the house band for a lot of these package shows. I miss the acts and the catering, but I don’t miss that band.

Which band are you referring to?

 

[jerry]

Which band are you referring to?

I have a buddy that does it out of NYC, they are a house band that backs a plethora of oldie vocal groups/singers on package tours. Usually playing the sheds in summer.

 

[BassicJazzy]

I have a buddy that does it out of NYC, they are a house band that backs a plethora of oldie vocal groups/singers on package tours. Usually playing the sheds in summer.

I wonder if they play with Kenny Vance, or some of the bands he headlines for? Kenny still performs at Mohican Sun with Planotones, with supporting groups of similar styles.

 

[JimmyM]

Which band are you referring to?

I used to play in a band out of Florida called (gulp) Rocky And The Rollers (I had nothing to do with that name so don’t hate me for it!), and we were the house band for Bowzer from Sha Na Na and did a lot of package shows with him hosting, including the big Mohegan Sun Arena shows that Kenny Vance, Jay Black and the Americans, and Johnny Maestro and Brooklyn Bridge used to play. I didn’t play with them, but I played with most of the acts on these shows.

 

[BassicJazzy]

I used to play in a band out of Florida called (gulp) Rocky And The Rollers (I had nothing to do with that name so don’t hate me for it!), and we were the house band for Bowzer from Sha Na Na and did a lot of package shows with him hosting, including the big Mohegan Sun Arena shows that Kenny Vance, Jay Black and the Americans, and Johnny Maestro and Brooklyn Bridge used to play. I didn’t play with them, but I played with most of the acts on these shows.

Scott Powell from Sha Na Na used the money he made to put himself through Med school. He's now an ortho surgeon with Kaiser in L.A. Super nice guy, friend of my brother-in-law's. Supposedly a really good surgeon too.

 

[jerry]

Scott Powell from Sha Na Na used the money he made to put himself through Med school. He's now an ortho surgeon with Kaiser in L.A. Super nice guy, friend of my brother-in-law's. Supposedly a really good surgeon too.

I saw Sha Na Na in 1971 in NYC, they were a different band than the one that had a TV show, they were almost punk and killed.