LenoreTroia.com: NEWS

It's early Saturday morning and this is the last time I will write or even use the computer for the next ten days....so....I had such a great time playing at Aqua last night that I had to write about it....

What a great surprise to see Don and Becky Roman and receive such a beautiful gift....a special coin that they created to describe their vessel with info and emblem....they are the folks that had the sail boat the Andante, of which I learned the song from Sand Dancing....so good to see both of them...then Teresa and Connie from Orlando stopped by and had been too many years since I saw them...both looking fabulous and celebrating I think they said their 11th year together?? Wow, very impressive...

Joe and Amy got in earlier than expected...fantastic to see them since I have missed them for the past couple of visits....really wonderful old Key West friends....and Denise and Glen, who I re-connected with at the Southernmost parade the night before, also stopped by....and Emilio sported a great Italia shirt that he promised to do....don't forget to read his story on Sicilia in this Sundays paper...and of course my favorite locals, Dar and Teri, Naiomi, Lisa and Evie, Terry, Teresa, Nina (Martha R's sister), Mary Lou and Charlie, the fabulous pianist Charlie Lindburgh, P & E's illustrious leader, Wendy, a bunch of gentlemen and women who's names I do not know....Jill, Sandy, Shaun,Dave at the Bar, Inga, Randy Thompson, and please forgive me if I've forfotten anyone...when I remember, I'll come back and fill in the blanks...

Off to the airport...I'll have a full report about Cuba in about a week and a half....
Love to all.....
Lenore

To begin with, today is Gabriels' birthday...some of you know him and for those of you who don't, he is my Yorkshire Terrior and loyal companion who has lived and travelled with me to so many places....although he can't see a thing, and is also loosing his hearing, he is doing really well and has been enjoying his return back to Key West where he grew up....today he is 12 years old....

Also this month, I will be travelling to Cuba with the Key West Botanical Garden on a cultural exchange/humanitarian trip....and it is very timely that the island that is only 90 miles from Key West is now getting major international attention...so as I will be touching down in Havana on this coming Saturday afternoon, CNN will be doing a special on Cuba airing at 4 PM....I can't express how excited I am to finally be travelling to a place that has been such an enigma to me during all the years I have been a part of the Key West community......

I am also headed for Walgreens to stock up on a few things to bring and give away while in Cuba....it seems that they need things like aspirin related products, bandaids, and other drug store items....a thank you goes out to Rolando Rojas who is giving me a pack of guitar strings...apparently a shortage of those for musicians there...and to Marty Stonely for his donation of saxaphone accessories...all and all a true lesson in reminding me of what we take for granted here in the US...

This month Key West has once again prooved to be a town like no other....A Taste of Key West, held this past Monday down at the Truman annex Waterfront, is an event that has grown so much it is staggering. I can remember when I performed for the event years ago when it was held in the parking area of the Pier House with mostly locals....it now attracts seemingly thousands of people from everywhere....I thought I was in Times Square....what an amazing crowd....

This week is the islands' Conch Republic Days celebration...I will be helping out a new friend Mary Sporacio, film and TV producer and owner of LPTV.....going to film the parade on Duval St. and join some more new friends from the Sons of Italy Group ...another in the "who knew" catagory of surprises here in Key West...

Aqua has been so much fun this month with Postal Wendy making an appearance and bartender David reaching the big 27...so nice to make new friends, Brenda and Eddie (just like the Billy Joel song), and see some old freinds like Sue with her new sweetheart Ann...
Great to see Laura and Russ from Black and Skabuddah at La Te Da before their trip to Sedona....also, the Key West Symphony presented an amazing event, "Songs for a New World", with an amazing cast of singers and musicians...truely a ground breaking musical venture.....

Stay tuned for next months news surely filled with tales of Cuba and more adventures south of the border....
Spring is in the air.....enjoy!!
Lenore

Before coming back to Key West, a good friend told me that economic recovery would happen faster here than on the main land. So I wondered if this would be true....

Well, I can tell you that Duval street was jammed with the usual throngs of sun and fun seekers, spring breakers and local Key Westers...and all the clubs I have been playing in have been packed with folks from everywhere....so I can say with certainty that things are very good on the island, and it seems that people will still seek out the good life even faced with these economic times....

I may be tie-ing in a bit of February here, but wanted to mention new friends as well as visitors who spiced up the scene and added fun and frolic to the mix. Of course Kentucky made an appearance with Kathy who lured Becky into taking a vacation here finally, and when she did she dazzled some newbies (such cuties) Deb and Deanna from Pensyltucky....say what?....and Pearls would never be the same...or was it the Southernmost...oh well, all on the same street...never the less, even Mary Jo had a peice of the action at the new piano bar while the crew stayed out til the wee hours of songdum...thank goodness Kathy was there to chaperone....and Betty too...

A couple of other lovely ladies wondered down from Toronto, Audrey and Carol...always great to see new found love for the island in these faces....

But veterans also appeared...two old and dear friends who were the first folks I hung out with when I hit these islands so long ago...Pamela and Victoria...and did they have stories.... so fab to remember the old while the new was being created...

My musical adventures this month have been many...back at Aqua for another jamming happy hour with the great crowd that regularly stops by, thanks Jill!!...A fabulous auction for the Key West Symphony had me on stage playing my island tunes as I got auctioned to play at a party for someone (You better hope Debbie Meitz invites you to the party!!), and then got me involved with buying a spectacular painting that I couldn't resist. Glad to help raise money for these great musicians and Sebrina Alphonsos' great efforts (even though I had to give up my coveted ticket at the Waterfront to see my dear friend Vanessa McCaffrey with Randy Roberts and Christopher Peterson in the show of the year, Bitch Slap!!)...Also, playing with Marty Stonely has been a joy...not only a world class player, but a true gentleman...looking forward to many more gigs with him....always love the setting at the Key West Botanical Garden, one of our gigs ( and loved hearing Skipper and Gordy there too!..), and a place that is an amazing achievement on the island....and another first for me was performing under the Virgo full moon at the wonderful Island Alchemy, a haven hosted by my good friend Carol Morin, masuese extrodinaire and spiritual inspirer ...
Another highlight for me was sitting in at the Sunday "Sound Check" at the Green Parrot. I was invited by the fabulous drummer Richard Crooks to join in with the band that hosts this afternoon gathering...great players like Lonnie Jacobson on bass, Gordy Michaels on keys, and some other greats who were there for the ride....and a special mention about my good friend Peter Diamond, the ultimate jazz crooner who can tell a story more interestingly than anyone I know, accompanied by his lovely Holly...always a pleasure....and loved hanging out with my good bud Martha R....

One other mention is meeting yet another amazing new friend Michael McCabe...so talented is he...and his show at the Red Barn with Tracy Reynolds and Teri White, was incredible!!! Watch him for more great things to come!!! Also, loved working with his other half, Ralph Garcia, at La Te Da behind the bar!....

Then an emergency phone call from Patrick of Debra and ... called to have me fill in, and lo and behold there I was again for the first time in a long time, back on stage at La Te Da....dance floor packed and a great night had by all....

So...."Life is Good" has been the theme this month in Key West as the town continues to carry the 'escape capital' flag....

I am so looking forward to April....lots of playing for me and travel too....a trip to Cuba is in the mix and will surely be at the top of my adventure list....look here for stories about that next month.....

Til then, take off those shoes and hit the sand somewhere....even if it still is a little chilly...

hugs to all....
L

It's a great time to be in Key West....balmy weather and cool breezes abound....and new and old friends are gathering for great parties and events....hope to see more of you here soon!!!
hugs,
Lenore

As if the loss of Mark Barauck was not enough for the Key West community to bare, another wonderful person was lost yesterday.
Franko Richmond, a great musician and friend, died after a long and courageous battle with cancer. His amazing and beautiful wife Gail stood by him ever minute of his fight, and we are sending prayers and love her way at this time.
There will be more info to come about any memorial arrangements for him.

Another dear friend, Morgan, of Morgan and Ed, who I have know since the days I played at the Ocean Key House when I first arrived in Key West, also passed away this week. My heart goes out to Ed who together shared a life with Morgan for 29 years.

This is a truely transitional time....but also one that brings the loving hearts of Key West together....

But today is a day to celebrate life as well with the 71st birthday of Mary Jo DaSilva, who also has been battling cancer with an unprecedented amount of Chemo treatments.....and dancing her way through it.....
We will have a great party at Aqua 4-8....hope you can be there.....

Til next....
hugs,
Lenore

It is finally here, this new year of 2009....a new era, a new president, a new outlook. For me personally, it is truely a new beginning...many endings occured in 2008, but I am more positive about things to come than I have ever been.....and I am hoping this attitude is held by all my good friends everywhere....

I played for one of the best crowds ever at the Carefree Resort in Fort Myers. A fabulous group of dancers kept the energy going all evening with a delicious display of romance and exuberance! We brought in the new year on a high note.....Old Ang Syne never felt so joyous!!!! It was great making new friends and being surprised with folks I didn't expect to see there....and I had the chance to hang out with Pat, Ann Marie and Bobby, Marcia and Sue, Sandy and Vicky (from Michigan), and Karlena, Violet and a new friend Sandy. And Betty got there just in time for the party....how about that new sleeping bag girl.....!

Here is a follow up to the sad news from Key West.... There will be a memorial service for Mark Barauck at the White Street Pier on Thursday, January 8th. I feel like it will be the Princess Di event of Key West. I believe his death marks the end of an era on the island. It is the finale of one more piece of my own personal history in Key West. There are too many memories to comprehend from the years I played at La Te Da, and Marks' passing is the end of a magical time never to be repeated. A heavy heart will be carried by many at his memorial service.

So, on that bittersweet note, I hope we all have the opportunity to experience the magic and mystery of great things to come on the new journey that is ahead.....

Happy New Year!
Lenore

Although it is the eve of a new year, and I do wish you all a very happy one....it is with great sadness to bring news from Key West that will surely rock the town on this night.....

Mark Barauck, owner of La Te Da, who was my boss in good times and in bad, passed away last night at University of Miami Hospital.
Some of you may have known him or may have met him on one of my Sunday afternoon gigs or at the piano bar during the time I played there....

There will be more details to come and I will keep you posted....certainly this will be a somber New Years Eve in Key West.....

I will be playing in Fort Myers this evening and heading to Key West early next week....

Feel free to email me anytime.....

Love to all of you.....and sadness aside,
Happy New Year...drive safe...
hugs,
Lenore

Want to wish all my friends a wonderful holiday season!!!

Remember, you don't have to spend a lot of money on a gift to show someone how much you care these holidays....for me, simple gifts are always best....books, your own baked breads or cakes, wine, flowers, or framed photos of a special place you have visited, hand written cards, and of course, the gift of music…. all great inexpensive gifts....and sometimes just a phone call to someone can be the best present of all...

And don't forget presents for yourself....a hot bath, an afternoon of reading, a trip to the gym, a good long walk, dinner with friends, a long meditation, writing in your journal, or a good mini vacation to a local park!

For those of you who don't live here in the sunshine state, hope you have the opportunity to visit soon....and for those of you who do live here, hope to see you soon!

Happy Holidays!!
Enjoy!!
Lenore

Although I am still highly traumatized from watching the Sarah Palin turkey slaughter news conference, I think I can make it through the holiday without a deep depression setting in.....I don't think I will ever look at a turkey at the dinner table in quite the same way, I know the sweet potatoes and the brussel sprouts will surely rescue me from starvation.....not to mention the pumpkin pie....

But seriously, I have so much to be thankful for.....and even though the world is in a so-called economic depression, I think the grocery shelves were fairly loaded the last time I walked through Publix....

So remember to buy a little extra and find out where your local food drive is...most of us have way more than we will ever need.....so take a moment to give to those who don't...and the abundance of food that is available to all of us is usually accompanied by an abundance of love from our friends and family....

If only we could say the same for those poor turkeys.....

Put that...in the gravy.....

Happy dining....
Lenore

Wanted to let you know that you can purchase a holiday CD that has been produced for a very good cause. I was asked to contribute a few songs to it, and I was very happy to do so. Other performers on the CD are from the Putnam County, New York area and have also contributed their music to this project. Proceeds will go to keep the community site up and running as well as proceeds being used to provide Christmas gifts for underprivileged children in Putnam County. Help out at the holidays and get in the spirit of the season at the same time!http://www.putnamarea.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4330
Buy a copy NOW for $10

Quantity

To paraphrase Neil Diamond,"Kentucky Women, they get to know you, they get to own you, Kentucky women",......well, now I get it....Lexington...what a town, and Kentucky, what a state.....and the people there have a gentility that makes stress evaporate.....
I think I fell in love with the place...who knew?

I was brought into the fold of some very fine fast filly's....or so I learned that is what they call themselves...a group that consisted of a professional consultant with passionate vocal pipes, a UPS champion that specializes in nursing sick patients via mamosas, a coach with former basketball stardom and soon to be doctor of rythym with a built in fan club, an equine X-ray tech that doubles as Betty Crocker, two artists in residence catering to "Your Frame of Mind", an IBM exec that decided that establishing a vineyard would be a nice hobby, a beautiful hairdresser with a heart of gold, a teacher who gifted me with her lucky charm horseshoe, and a few women who created a charity out of a day at the races (Churchill Downs!!).

I knew I was on to something when my first bet won...the horses name was "Chapel by the Sea" and Margie said bet on that one because it sounded like "Prayer to the Sea"...think I trippled my booty....

The special wine produced at the Equus Run Vineyard (where I performed for Kathy Adairs 50th birthday) was followed by another Kentucky favorite...Makers Mark whiskey!! Everyone was very loose....and the party continued all week with amazing meals that chef Betty (Cretara) cooked daily....she quickly became the "blam a blam blam" food hero and christened Kathy's virgin stove.....and the fast filly's went from hay to gourmet...I think it was really one continuous pajama party with a southern drawl....the hospitality thing is for real....

This was the week where talent was discovered (Kathy is a great singer)... and Lexingtons most popular teacher (followed by throngs of fans everywhere she performed) showed great beat promise and potential....that's Deb, canine tamer and friendly neighbor in waiting....and someone who needed a lot of time to catch up on her sleep after we left.....

I know this fabulous wild herd of fast filly's are planning to vere off track in search of the Florida flamingos who passed through their quiet and quaint town...us birds will be listening for the gentle prancing of these ponies should they migrate south for the winter....could we be that lucky???

The bet's on......
L

What a surprise to hear great music and meet so many new friends in Deland this weekend. And also a great surprise to run into Sheri Lohr from Key West.

Sheri has a wonderful newly published book of her poems about the Everglades called "Journey on the Grassy River". It is a beautiful book and is available at www.seastorypress.com.

Also great to run into my new friends Morris Sullivan and his wife Michelle who were out and about at the festival. Morris is a writer for the News Journal and Michelle works at the museam in town. Morris and Michelle also run the Buddhist meditation group in the area....very cool folks indeed!

I enjoyed playing at Dublin Station and met some great players. Charlie Gear is an impressive fiddle player and did a great job running sound for all of us. Also enjoyed meeting Toni Brown from Orlando who has a history of playing with the Grateful Dead at numerous shows at Hard Rock Live at Universal. Also discovered some amazing clubs like Cafe Davinci and Abbeys....a cool place this town of Deland is.....

Hope you all had a spooky Halloween and didn't O D on chocolate...

Heading for my next adventure in Kentucky next week.....I'll keep you posted.....

Lenore

My good friend Geri Manson sent this photo album of pictures she took from Fantasy Fest Key West 2008.....the theme this year was "Pirates, Pundits, and Political Party Animals".

For those of you who missed being there....check it out here:
http://share.shutterfly.com/view/flashShareSlideshow.jsp?sid=1AcsmTls2YsWKt
enjoy.....
Lenore

Here is a wonderful letter I recieved from Rachel in Key Largo! Thanks Rachel....just reading your letter brought back memories for me as well!!

Hello(Lenore)!

What a pleasure it was indeed to find your website! I've been a fan of your wonderful music since I was a toddler - I used to see you perform frequently at the Quay in Key Largo, where I would always be excitedly dancing in front of the stage as a 3 year old.

Your Jetset to Sunset CD is on frequent rotation both at home and in my car, bringing back great memories of tropical nights and helping me deal with the stresses of college (I am now 20). I often play your music in Largo Cargo, where I work part time to help pay for school - it's perfect for that store! Anyway I just wanted to thank you for your great performances and music and let you know that I've grown up with your contributions to the wonderful FL Keys :)

-Rachel Simoga

Congrats to Ricky 'Action' Jackson and Kate Miano, the new royalty of Key West. They were crowned King and Queen of Fantasy Fest 2008 at the Coronation Ball Friday this past Friday night.

Kate Miano is the owner of the fabulous Gardens Hotel in Key West that hosts the Sunday Jazz in the Gardens where I have performed several times with Skipper Krippitz and Gordy Michaels. It is a wonderful place, and if you are in Key West, it is a must do on Sunday afternoons.....

Thought we were done with the storms this season, but there is a disturbance going on in the gulf that is supposed to hit somewhere in Florida this weekend....we'll just have to wait and see...

Have fun if you are heading to Fantasy Fest this weekend!!

Lenore

Seems the remaining hurricane season has been quiet thankfully! Although there is still a hurricane in the Pacific and we are hoping it is not a bad one to the folks in Mexico.

But folks are still recovering in Texas and in the Carribean, so we should still keep them in our hearts and prayers....so much attention has been diverted from all the hurricane victims since the Wall Street crisis, and although that is at the forefront of the news, there are still people loosing their lives in Iraq, and suffering in many other ways in many places. I think of that while I watch the news and don't see anyone talking about these other things. Can't wait until the election is over so we can stop seeing attack ads and empty debates. So much attention is on the candidates and not enough on the American people!!!

Anyway, just a little rant....and don't forget to vote!!

I am working on lots of new music and hope to have some new songs available soon...

Headed to some interesting places in the near future.......

Happy Birthday Libras!!

I'll keep you posted.....
Lenore

Sending prayers to all the folks in Galveston and the rest of Texas where Ike did so much damage. The impact of that storm was just staggering!

Just finished a great weekend performing in Key West and feeling so blessed that Ike spared the Florida Keys.

The end of hurricane season can't come soon enough!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well folks, once again Key West and the Florida Keys missed getting hit full force with another very powerful hurricane....and when Ike hit Cuba instead, all I can do is send prayers to them and give thanks for all of us here.
Check out this amazing site with pictures and comments from people and places in Cuba that were devastated:
http://www.miamifly.net/maps/cuba_ike/
....please send donations to the Red Cross for the folks in Haiti, Cuba and all the islands that were hit so hard this hurricane season.
Other ways to send help:
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/more-info/story/673246.html
A really bad tornado hit Islamorada and did severe damage to homes there. Check out the story on the Florida Weather and News link on my home page.

http://www.lenoretroia.com/hostbaby/merge?stage=press
Ike is still on track to hit another part of the US in the next few days....lets hope that it is not a disaster for folks in the Gulf coast.....


I rode out the storm here in Key West with some good friends....it was messy and gusty with relentless rain, felt like a Cat 1 or 2 at times.... and it kept every one inside for a day or two....but all will be back to normal by the weekend when I will be playing some great gigs with some wonderful Key West musicians. Check out my schedule:

http://www.lenoretroia.com/hostbaby/merge?stage=calendar
Hope that's it for storms this season...we should only be so lucky!!!

Check out my letter in the Key West Citizen:
http://keysnews.com/node/5337
Until next time,
Lenore

Check out this link to track IKE:

http://weather.cbs4.com/tropical/tracking/at200809.html#a_topad
Getting ready to evacuate Key West.....I'll keep you posted...prayers for the folks in Cuba and all the others who have been hit by this monster!

Lenore

Well this could be the big one for Key West....our only saving grace is if it goes further south in it's track and gets some wind shear from Cubas' mountains.....not that I want the Cubans to suffer either....but, there is certainly more land there to absorb a storm like IKE than what is in the Florida Keys.....

Womenfest 2008 was going quite well and we made it through Friday night, but now the tourists are evacuating, and the mandatory evacuation for Keys residents has also begun.......

So.....lets hope for the best, although either way, I think it's going to be ugly, and very messy.....

Super yikes!!!!!
Heading north soon.....
Lenore

Hey folks, check out Conch Color at this link to see a couple of the places I will be performing:
http://conchcolor.com/0836_files/Page1020.htm
and don't forget the rest of my schedule at:
http://www.lenoretroia.com/calendar.html
Now lets keep a look out for Hanna, Ike and Josephine!!!
Hope to see some of you soon....
Lenore

I will be in KeyWest from Sept 2 through Sept 15, partly for Womenfest and partly for Bike Week!

Check out my schedule:
http://www.lenoretroia.com/calendar.html
Hope to see some of you there!

Happy Birthday Virgos!

LT

Just got an email from my friend William who turned me on to this really fun Key West blog:
http://conchscooter.blogspot.com/ Check it out for yet another vantage point of the island.....

Looks like my trip next week is on.....again check out my schedule:
http://www.lenoretroia.com/calendar.html See some of you soon.....
Lenore

Hope Hurricane Gustav will not put a damper on Womenfest 2008. I'm headed to the Florida Keys after this weekend...looking forward to seeing my good friends and playing music in some great places with some wonderful musicians. Check out my calendar:
http://www.lenoretroia.com/calendar
As some of you know, Laura Wood, conga, guitarist/vocalist extraordinaire, won't be joining me this trip due to her unfortunate mishap. She fractured her wrist and won't be performing for a few months....wishing her a very speedy recovery!!!

I will have the fabulous Kelley Kay from the Fort Lauderdale area as my guest performer. She is a great singer, bass player, and keyboardist, but is also an incredible flutist as well. She is not to be missed!!!

Keeping an eye on the hurricane.......

I'll keep you posted.....
hugs,
Lenore

I was golfing last year in south Florida with some great friends, one whose home town was Miami, and I asked her what it was like growing up with hurricanes. She said when she was a kid these storms had no numbers attached to them, in other words, no categories based on wind speed. A bad storm was just that, a bad storm. Well now that I have lived through Tropical Storm Fay, after witnessing Cat 1 through 5 hurricanes in the last 15 years or so, I truly know what she meant.

Three years ago my house in Key West was flooded by Hurricane Wilma (which was maybe a Cat 2 or Cat 1, depends on who you talk to) when it caused a storm surge that infamously wreaked havoc in many neighborhoods on the island. I will never forget the street filled with dead refrigerators and other household appliances, rugs, couches, essentially full interiors of people’s houses. Truly, a site to behold.

The build up to Wilma had the mystique of hurricane status and upon its approach people were scared, even with all the hurricane fatigue going on after the likes of Charlie, Ivan, Jeanne, Frances, and a whole bunch more....but all "hurricanes", not "tropical storms"....so much mightier and seemingly intimidating. Until "Fay"!

On Monday of this week, Fay blew in and out of the Keys dumping rain and becoming what one Key West commissioner would call "the dress rehearsal to the big one". But no one would ever expect it to get stronger, stretch across the entire state, and then dump an unprecedented amount of water in central Florida leaving behind neighborhoods worse off than what the victims of Wilma endured.

And it is still going strong and headed for many more neighborhoods. And...drum roll please...it's still a "tropical storm"....and never did become a hurricane!

So, the moral of the story is...a bad storm is a bad storm, and each storm has a life and personality of it's own, as individual as the time and place it hits and probably a million other factors that only your meteorologist knows. But the thing is...it's not in the number, the category, or the type of storm that makes it dangerous and life threatening. Another reason labels and type casting can be limiting and misleading.

In the words of Jimmy Buffett, we will always be "trying to reason with hurricane season"....but I think a Gertrude Stein twist on the subject may be truer...."a storm is a storm is a storm..."and not" by any other name"....

Prayers to all who got drenched.....and....I am not looking forward to the next one...... currently hanging out with my folks in central Florida…..where they used to worry about me living in Key West!

Tropical Storm Fay video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fzBklYqEJQ
Yikes!,
Lenore