The dashing and dazzling Darryl Fitzgerald Walker spread holiday cheer throughout Spaghettini last night as he performed the Holiday Concert to a sold-out crowd. Right before Darryl took the stage, I went Facebook Live with him only to find out Darryl Fitzgerald Walker had two very important announcements to make about what he will be doing in 2018.
“I’m very fortunate to have an annual holiday show at Spaghettini. I have four more dates coming up in 2018 …two of them are my Al Jarreau Tribute shows and I also have a CD Release Party on February 2nd for Keith Andrew and myself. We are putting out a cover song of Stevie Wonder’s, “Higher Ground.”
I asked Darryl to speak more about his new projects.
“I partnered with an Artist from the UK, Paris Cesvette, who is a DJ that plays house music and she’s also jazz keyboard player and a radio personality plus a songwriter. We partnered up and wrote a jazz track called, “In My Life” that will also be released at the end of February.”
“Tonight in my band we have: Adel Shepard keys, Del Atkins, bass, Winston Butts, drums, Kay-Ta Matsuno, guitar, Chuck J. Phillips, sax.
Darryl’s voice is as sweet as honey and as velvety as felt. He sings from the depths of his soul pulsating with passion. I always feel like I am engulfed in a luscious aura of romance and sultry waves of intensity. Some of the Christmas songs played last night were, “This is Christmas,” “Winter Wonderland,” and “The Christmas Song.” I loved the way Darryl added a line of scatting at the end of each tune as a signature gift wrapping surprise.
The band members provided excellent musical accompaniment …Kay-Ta Matsuno first showed off his mellow side with soft and lush jazz chords, but it was inevitable that his wild, rockin, licks shredded the airwaves with his electrifying picking. Chuck Phillips blew his baritone sax with bluesy bopping and fluidity.
And so as 2017 comes to end …
The musicians sprung to their horns and axes
and gave them a whistle…
And away the music flew like rockets and missiles…
But I heard them exclaim, ere, as clubs closed for the night…
Happy Christmas to all, we’ll be back in 2018, with live music, for everyone’s delight.
Photos: Sheryl Aronson/The Hollywood 360
