Music in the Air … with Mark ‘Fenny’ Fenichel: A wide variety of music comes to downtown Gilroy at Porchfest 2017

Published in the September 6 – September 19, 2017 issue of Gilroy Life

ALFIO

The annual — and what has become popular  — the Porchfest Gilroy is back in downtown Saturday Sept. 16 starting at noon. Come on out, bring a lawn chair, and settle in to see a tremendous variety of free music scattered on porches throughout downtown.The annual — and what has become popular  — the Porchfest Gilroy is back in downtown Saturday Sept. 16 starting at noon. Come on out, bring a lawn chair, and settle in to see a tremendous variety of free music scattered on porches throughout downtown.See the schedule below for your favorite act.

Noon to 1 p.m.• 7691 Hanna St. — Cowboy Gil; country, folk, pop• 7580 Hanna St. — Miko’s Mon’Taj; classic pop,• 366 5th St. — Bluer than Blue bluegrass, gospel, pop.

1 to 2 p.m.• 7680 Hanna St. — Cook’NFenny; duo acoustic folk, blues, country• 7571 Hanna St. — Alpine Duo; accordion & German Folk• 7441 Hanna St. — Tom Drake blues & rock• 365 5th St. — Classic Echoes; classic rock.

2 to 3 p.m.• 7631 Hanna St. — The Morgan Hillbillies; pop and country, ’40s to ’60s.• 7580 Hanna St. — Quantum Leap; jazz and blues• 7461 Hanna St. — DAVE!!!!; rock & pop• 366 5th St. — B & G; oldies & easy rock.

3 to 4 p.m.• 7541 Hanna St. — Pamela Scholz; harpist• 440 4th St. — George Demarest; folk and rock• 7441 Hanna St. — Patti Lemon performs jazz.

4 to 5 p.m.• 7631 Hanna St. — Gilroy Ukulele Jam• 7570 Hanna St. — Gavilan Jazz Group

5 to 6 p.m.• 7431 Hanna St. — Train Wreck; pop rock ’60s to ’90s

On another note, he’s from Australia and can sing in five languages. His heritage is Italian and he is an Emmy-nominated performer. His audiences say he is hilarious. He sells out most shows and his only West Coast stop is in Morgan Hill. Who is such a person?He is ALFIO. Considered to be the consummate showman dazzling audiences with his powerhouse voice combined with his combination of Australian charm and Italian flair, he is known as the one that breathes new life into the music of Elvis, Sinatra and Bocelli.

The quality of his tenor voice evokes a mash-up of Andrea Bocelli, Tom Jones and Michael Bublé and he also does something few if any other artists can do … he performs an aria while accompanying himself on piano.As an Italian crooner with an Australian accent, he tends to catch his audiences off guard … in the best possible way.

ALFIO has the ability to balance a nostalgic repertoire of familiar tunes with his original songs, and in between, he draws fans into hysterics not with jokes, but with his charming demeanor.Known around the world for his modern interpretations of English and international standards, classic takes on contemporary chart-toppers, and original compositions that bridge musical genres, this powerhouse vocalist brings a new approach to the tenor tradition.

During his time in the U.S. last year, ALFIO created history as the first Australian-Italian to have a national TV concert on PBS as well as the first Australian to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the historic Madison Square Garden.He recently released “ALFIO in Concert” on CD, which reached No. 8 on the Billboard Classical Crossover Charts. His current tour includes many major U.S. cities, however, in the Bay Area his only performance will be at Guglielmo Winery in Morgan Hill. The Guglielmo brothers, who are both friends and fans of ALFIO, were thrilled when ALFIO accepted their invitation to perform at their historic winery on the outdoor stage overlooking the beautiful sprawling vineyards.

There will be only one show on the evening of Sept. 24.I am told as of this writing that 75 percent of the VIP seats have been sold and general seating is swiftly selling as well. I already have my tickets and look forward to seeing ALFIO in action.For tickets and more information visit www.guglielmowinery.com or call the winery at (408) 779-2145.

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Finally, the annual Taste of Morgan Hill festival, put on by the Chamber of Commerce is scheduled for Sept. 23 and 24 and the main stage will be located on East Third Street right by Ladera Grill.They have scheduled a great lineup of music, that will go from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Saturday will feature Mike Osborn from noon to 1:30 p.m., Rock the Heat from 2 to 3:30 p.m., Shane Dwight from 4 to 6 p.m. and the evening concert features Pacific Soul.Sunday kicks off with Bent from noon to 1:30 p.m., The Hackjammers from 2 to 3:30 p.m. and closing the festival Sunday afternoon will be the Fast Lane Band from 4 to 6 p.m. That’s a great lineup of music! Hope to see you there.If you have a music tip send it to [email protected]