Tony Galla, one of the best voices in standards and blues music today, brought it on home last night to put some cash into an area school. A guest of The Sorrento Cheese Italian Heritage Festival for the past two years, Tony formerly played with the band Raven.
Tony Galla and his band made it here from California after several revised flight plans, starting in Dallas. He arrived at Salvatore’s Italian Gardens after an unplanned landing in Rochester to find that most of the guests at his private VIP reception and CD signing had called it a night, having waited three hours.
No problem, they can still see him tonight at a fund-raiser for Buffalo Diocesan high school, Cardinal O’Hara.
Then it was off to Tempo on Delaware Avenue, where Chef Paul Jenkins made sure that Tony and his band got the hometown treatment (doesn’t everyone?) they deserved by having favorite dishes sent to the table for tasting in addition to the entrees everyone ordered. The band was crazy for the hand-rolled gnocchi and wild mushroom risotto.
No matter how many times people at the table said they were full, the next bite would lead them to another round of eating for flavor. Chef Paul, who was celebrating his own birthday, shared some very special bourbon too and regaled the table with funny stories and one-liners almost as delicious as the food.
Tony will be selling and promoting his latest CD, A Time For Love: Tempo d’Amar. His first all Italian CD, Galla transcribed some of the CDs tracks from English into Italian with the help of an Italian language professor. Tony will be joined by Buffalo legend, Bobby Militello on saxophone.
For concert details, (2/16, 7:30 PM) visit www.cardinalohara.com
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