Ed Alstrom’s musical career is as diverse as it is impressive. From playing in Broadway pits and winning awards to performing at prestigious venues and collaborating with icons, his experience runs the gamut. Whether performing as an organist at the New York Yankees’ stadium or representing the North Jersey Blues Society at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Alstrom continues to make his mark in the music world.
Flee Though None Pursue is more than just an album; it’s a lyrical and instrumental adventure. Alstrom invites listeners along for a joyous ride through his captivating stories and musical mastery. With each track, he proves that whether it’s the blues, rock, or jazz, his musical genius knows no bounds. - Blues Beats
With "FleeThough None Pursue" the lively,imaginative lyrical wizardry of Ed Alstrom is on full display .His instrumental prowess is remarkable.Totally and, thankfully , unpredictable and untethered , Ed just plays the music. Filled with more than enough heart and soul, alongside eighteen masterful tracks, an excellent effort that is wildly entertaining , Ed Alstrom is,simply, extraordinary. If you're looking for a great time - start right here!
- John Muller - Blue Notes and Conversations
When I choose to feature an album, I listen to the entire thing in headphones, examining production along with art. After 35 years on radio, it's still a joy. But much more so when it's a release like Ed Alstrom’s, loaded with surprising content and very individualistic tendencies in a genre drowning in imitation Well, it took close to an hour to decide which five to play (four was my original ideal, but the availability of so many songwriting gems forced another one). While we have some fine current lyricists in the blues world these days, I can think of none who sound like they might have fashioned the score for a stage musical. Except for Ed Alstrom. Turning phrases is one thing; laying out definitive syllabic diagnoses from verse to curse is quite another. I hope Ed Alstrom's work gets the attention it deserves. It has secured mine. - Dave Gallaher, Talkin' the Blues with Microwave Dave, WLRH FM / WJAB FM / WUTC FM
A brilliant songwriter and a true entertainer, Ed Alstrom does not hold back from offering us a sampling of tracks that give a glimpse of the very wide range of his phenomenal instrumental and vocal abilities, from blues to rock, from shuffle to boogie and from folk to soul, with sometimes a touch of pop to better dress things up, he treats us for over an hour and a quarter with cracks that naturally make your legs tingle and warm your heart. We let ourselves be transported without the slightest difficulty by "Be Nice", "Blues Ain't Alright", "The Truth", "The Record People", "Screwed", "Great Notch" or even "I Drunk, You Drive" and of course by "Flee Though None Pursue", which gives an additional reason not to take the title of the book literally and to linger on Ed Alstrom's music until the last second! - Fred DelForge, Zicazic, France
Flee Though None Pursue – A Recording Of Great Depth Deserving Of Wide Appreciation - originates from an artist whose world, at least looking from the outside inward, is dedicated 100% to music. I ask myself whenever I joyously and way too infrequently come across music of this caliber that is so far out of the mainstream music fan’s consciousness, “How does this artist fly under the radar?” The songwriting is brilliant and varied, touching, moving, inspiring, and often, deep. Alstrom’s voice is an instrument greatly capable of prodigious emotive affectation, the arrangements and engineering are top-shelf, and all involved dispense efforts of the uppermost quality. Bravo to Alstrom, his crew, and this rousing testimonial to his musical passions! This one needs to be heard! - Curtsblues.com
This album consists of eighteen new numbers, the opener is ‘Be Nice!’ a splendid rolling, bouncing, fusillade of piano and organ, Ed’s vocals, have pleasant echoes of Van Morrison. ‘Blues Ain’t Alright’, possesses a samba feel, underpinning a sombre sad message. ‘Slow Blues’, is an attractive, walking, downbeat, organ and slide slowburner. ‘Flee Though None Pursue’, is a shuffling tale of paranoia, with a splendid Robert Hill guitar solo. ‘The Truth’, is a jovial strutter, led by rolling horns, piano and guitar. The rolling and trudging piano/organ led ‘Sick’, is about being “fed up!”. The lilting, delicate Country influenced ballad ‘Always Near’ is a delight. A rolling“Honky Tonk”, piano delightfully undertones the fear of.... ‘The Record People’. Swaying brushwork, lively rolling piano and a joyful harmonica inhabits ‘Sometimes’. ‘Screwed’, is a fine, strutting groover, featuring an atmospheric fuzz guitar/organ and backing vocals. ‘H-O-P-E-L-E-S-S’, is a splendid walking blues with harmonica, piano and organ. ‘Great Notch’, is a harmonica/piano rolling, shuffling rumba. ‘Fruitcake’, is a splendid organ and horns led, New Orleans stroller. ‘Yours Is A Place’, is a quirky, piano ballad, while ‘Success (Was Not To Be Had)’ is a piano led, caustic view of failure. The acoustic guitar on ‘Crossfire Of Love’, infuses an air of loss and desperation. The jolly rolling keyboards on ‘I Drunk, You Drive’ belies its selfishness. ‘Don’t Cry At My Funeral’, is another swinging acoustic tale of selfishness. Highly Recommended! - Brian Harman, BitS (Blues In The South, UK)
Whew! 18 tracks, all original, and tell me when was the last time you purchased a CD that was 77+ minutes long??? On top of his instrumental genius, Ed has a talent for story telling with his word wizardry.
Right out of the gate is "Be Nice," and you'd swear there's like 10 musicians performing. Ed has a voice made for the blues. Heavy percussion, added to the Hammond B3, piano and bass make for a big, happy sound. Ula Hedwig and Ed perform a great backing chorus that sounds like a gospel revival. This is good stuff. Next up is "The Blues Ain't Alright," which has more Hammond organ in a bluesy bossa-nova style. Monster sound for basically "one guy" plus Frank Pagano on drums. This works very well. Little Milton sang the "blues were alright," Ed says they're not in a way you will love. The title cut is a haunting trip, then "Slow Blues" is just that, featuring a great slide guitar all the way through, from N'oreaster secret weapon, Robert Hill.
A possible single is "The Truth," which is a great 1970's feel with Jerry Vivino on tenor and baritone sax. It's amazing how Ed layers 3-4 different vocals of his own into a chorus.
A musician's lament is the story of "Sick." It's all Ed with Frank on drums. This is a blues tune, which shows that Ed is very capable on guitar, and has a great sound. Some writer years ago labelled Gregg Allman as "The whitest black blues singer there is." Well, we have his successor right here! Remember that! An excellent take on the industry is "The Record People." This one is all Ed on honky-tonk piano. Much in the style of Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne, the lyrics are great. "The record people are coming, they're coming to my gig. It's my chance to look notorious, and maybe make it big. I'll have to be my spiffiest, mix chaos with repose, no train wrecks on the endings, and pray they like my clothes."
My favorite tune is "Screwed." Ula returns to add backing vocals with Ed on top with his great wailing guitar to start, which then settles into a double rhythm chord fest! For one guy on 6-strings x 2 or 3, this is cool. Franks rocks the drum beat again on another blues tune. I don't care, at over 6 minutes, this should also be a single consideration. "Great Notch" is a tune about your favorite dive bar, so I'm dedicating it to mine, Leonard's Tavern in Ossian, Iowa. Rumblin' blues that is heavy on the low down, and it's all about the bass. A great song that Rob Paparozzi adds harp too. I loved it. "Crossfire Of Love" is like one that your best friends' older brother turned you on to off the radio back in the 60's. A nice rocking ballad about war and love. Give it a listen and you'll agree. To finish up, "I Drunk, U Drive" has 2 drummers that you'll be bobbing your body to on this one which should be a bar band classic, with the words "Take a little tip on this tipsy night, fussing and yelling makes nothing right. So when I'm out on my drunken spree, best thing to do is just let me be. No one's hurt, everyone will survive, you stay sober, I drunk, u drive." Nowhere on the album cover did I find where this song is dedicated to my wife Laura.........strange?
But the cover does state that this one was "recorded in the basement in New Jersey." And the cover photos and artwork? It says "Yup, him too." Wow, what a product, with 85% done by Ed! And I just happened to be looking at the Roots Music Report for the week of January 18th, and it's jumped from # 23 to # 2, after only being out for a week! That spot is usually reserved for the blues people we know and love, but now, you need to add Ed Alstrom to that list. He worked very hard on this one, which is so much better than I was anticipating, and you need to get this fun, thought-provoking, musical masterpiece ASAP. - Kyle Christen, Blue Monday Monthly, MN
Ed started playing organ at age 5. He has performed with a wide range of artists including Chuck Berry, Leonard Bernstein, Herbie Hancock, Steely Dan, Bette Midler and is currently the weekend organist for the New York Yankees. But none of that information will prepare you for the talent unfolding on this eighteen-song album on which Ed plays the Hammond, Farifsa and pipe organ, piano and Fender Rhodes, clavinet, synthesizers, guitars, bass, mandolin, melodica, alto sax, harmonica, accordion, theremin and all vocals. He also demonstrates strong songwriting and wit in his songs.
He is joined by some additional guest performers including Ula Hedwig who provides backing vocals and aided arrangements on seven songs. Instrumentalists include Robert Hill on guitar, Rob Paparozzi on harmonica, Jerry Vivino on tenor and baritone sax, Dan Guinta, Frank Pagano, and Dennis Diken on drums, and Maxine Alstom on acoustic piano on the final track.
Ed opens with a soulful blues as he says the world would be a better place if we would all just “Be Nice” and notes "it's a mean world we living in / so much drama and disagreement / some folks trying to get us all together, others trying to get even". An organ fueled “The Blues Is Not Alright” identifies “Nobody’s blues are unimportant” and is perhaps antithetic to Little Milton's classic "The Blues Is Alright". Slide guitar leads “Slow Blues” as Ed advises to go hear the slow blues - the only thing that wash your troubles away".
The title song addresses inner conflict as he is off to “to my crossroads to face that awful day” with vocals that reminds of Dr. John. With a bit of funk “The Truth”, Ed declares,” my mission without fail is helpin' truth to prevail, got to give truth a fightin' chance". Next, he declares he is “Sick” of all this traveling and I'm sick of all these Holiday Inns... livin’ and dyin’ at the same time”, a song following the rhythm of Ray Charles’ “Lonely Avenue”.
He tells her “I'm Always Near” in a slow love song where he tells her to "Hold my memory, make some new ones, take me on where you go". He says, “The Record People” "are coming, I'm nervous as can be that all these heavy people will be watching little me" and concludes that "the record people came tonight, they came to dig my grave”, a honky-tonk piano driven look at the music business. “Sometimes” features Rob's harmonica with Ed noting the highs and lows of life citing "Sometimes I'm playing the blues and working the crowd, and the sounds are magic, and the vibe is fast and loud, then some sucker spoils all the fun".
The humorous “Screwed” gets funky with backing vocals answering his declaration "No more Mr. Nice Guy - Right now I'm outright rude. One way or another - I'm Gonna stop gettin' screwed.". That is followed by “H-O-P-E-L-E-S-S” as he explains the acronym followed by an acronym for Trouble and finally for an acronym for Hope as he concludes "It's the new me - hopeful as can be. “Great Notch” describes a favorite bar "with a friendly bartender and a waitress that's fine". He notes that "I heard a band made up of lawyers and brokers. They weren't too bad, but they were sure mediocre. They tried to play the blues but they were lacking in feel." That is certainly not a problem with Ed as Rob again adds some dynamic harmonica.
"I call my baby “Fruitcake” coz of the crazy way she do...but I love her like crazy - guess that makes me crazy too". The song features New Orleans styled piano and Jerry's sax. He moves back to a smooth love song on “Yours Is a Place” a lovely port I love to call home base". A rollicking piano backs his determination that “Success (Was Not to Be Had)” as he notes that "Maybe we were never meant for each other" and "Success just can’t be achieved” and again sounds like something Dr. John might have recorded.
The “Crossfire of Love” is about a failed relationship which he expresses in terms of war, "The Armageddon's near, is this a battle no one wins? or no one loses?". His message “I Drunk, You Drive” is evident as he determines "I tried to be cool and stay out of trouble but now the room's spinnin' and I'm seein' double". He concludes with “Don’t Cry at My Funeral” and says, "Instead of your sadness, I'd rather you party all night" as “I’m happy, I’m free”.
As noted, many of the songs have intricate lyrics, with humor frequently inherent, and demanding your attention to the messages in the songs. The songs display a variety of style, which displays Ed's wide range and opportunities for success, which seems well deserved. - Blues Blast
ED ALSTROM – Flee Though None Pursue (Haywire Records) • “Be Nice” – A rollicking opener showcasing Alstrom’s immense multi-instrumental talent, with Ula Hedwig’s stunning backing vocals and Don Guinta’s solid drumming. An electrifying start! • “Blues Ain’t Alright” – A slow blues masterpiece with sublime vocals, brilliant phrasing, and lyrical genius. Frank Pagano’s drums and Hedwig’s harmonies amplify its depth. • “Slow Blues” – A nod to classic blues, with Alstrom channeling the greats. Robert Hill’s slide guitar and Alstrom’s biting organ create a compelling, authentic blues experience. • “Flee Though None Pursue” – A raw, intense shift with dual drummers (Guinta & Pagano) and Hill’s scorching guitar. Alstrom’s emotional delivery demands attention. • “The Truth” – Infectious New Orleans-style shuffle reminiscent of Huey “Piano” Smith, featuring Jerry Vivino’s sax and Alstrom’s impeccable piano and bass. • “Sick” – A deeply introspective track with haunting intensity, revealing Alstrom’s soul through powerful orchestration and masterful instrumentation. • “Always Near” – A tender ballad with Kay Murcer’s lyrics, gentle vocals from Alstrom, and ethereal harmonies from Hedwig. A beautiful contrast to the album’s bluesier tracks. • “The Record People” – A witty critique of the music industry, bursting with Alstrom’s dazzling piano and full-band energy. A defiant celebration of artistic integrity. • “Sometimes” – A joyful, traditional blues number featuring Rob Paparozzi’s harmonica and Pagano’s tight drumming. Pure, rollicking fun. • “Screwed” – Funky and intense, with Alstrom’s fiery vocals, swirling Hammond organ, and relentless energy. Hedwig’s background vocals heighten the drama. • “H-O-P-E-L-E-S-S” – Clever wordplay, tight rhythms, and fiery harmonica from Paparozzi. Alstrom’s piano and bass drive this playful yet masterful composition. • “Great Notch” – A laid-back, bluesy escape with harmonica flourishes from Paparozzi and smooth backing vocals from Hedwig. A perfect anthem for unwinding. • “Fruitcake” – A joyous New Orleans-style romp, rich with brass and infectious rhythms. Vivino’s sax and Alstrom’s vibrant piano channel Professor Longhair. • “Yours Is A Place” – A heartfelt, stripped-down love song with delicate piano, emotional depth, and an intimate vocal performance. • “Success (Was Not To Be Had)” – A honky-tonk piano-driven tune with a Dr. John vibe. Alstrom’s storytelling and musicianship shine in this spirited track. • “Crossfire of Love” – A moody, rock-infused anthem featuring wailing guitar, pounding drums (Diken), and powerful harmonies from Hedwig. • “I Drunk, You Drive” – A high-energy, instrument-packed whirlwind with humor and an important message. A rollercoaster of sound and style. • “Don’t Cry at My Funeral” – A poignant, gospel-tinged closer with Celtic undertones. Hedwig’s harmonies and Maxine Alstrom’s piano elevate its spiritual depth. Alstrom delivers 18 original tracks (plus lyrics by Murcer on one), with zero filler—each song is a standout. His multi-instrumental prowess is staggering, supported by phenomenal guest musicians (Paparozzi, Vivino, Hill, Hedwig, and drummers Guinta, Pagano, and Diken). A master composer and storyteller, Alstrom captures life’s raw emotions with genius-level musicianship. I didn’t know Ed Alstrom before, but I feel cheated for not discovering him sooner. This isn’t just a blues album—it’s an experience. Expect it to top many “Best of the Year” lists. Thank you, Ed Alstrom, for this extraordinary gift to music. - Peter Merrett, PBS 106.7FM Melbourne
Ed Alstrom is a multi-talented musician, a singer-songwriter with qualities and a dazzling figure who has played with Chuck Berry, Leonard Bernstein, Bette Midler and Herbie Hancock in the past, but also acts as the stadium organist for the New York Yankees. His voice is often reminiscent of Randy Newman, the arrangements sometimes of Ray Charles, the sound evokes fond memories of Blood, Sweat and Tears and the rich blues-rock sound of the seventies. The stylistic spectrum of the musician, born in 1957, is broad and the similarities mentioned are merely an approximation. The man can play blues ("Blues Ain't Alright", "Slow Blues"), but not only that, and he has something to say on a total of sixteen (sic; there are 18) tracks, almost all of whose music and lyrics he wrote himself and which, at 77 minutes long, stand out pleasantly from the usual length of a CD.
In the title song, Alstrom sings that he is on the run, even if he is not being pursued. In other words, he takes stock, looks ahead without forgetting what is behind him. A beautiful metaphor that gives us some thoughts about this amazing album, and does so with a sense of self-irony that has become rare in the age of self-promoters. - Ruedi Ankli, Jazz 'n' More, Switzerland
Coinciding with his participation in the International Blues Challenge, singer, keyboardist and composer Ed Alstrom releases a new work. Ed is an experienced musician who, in addition to the blues, has excelled as a church organist and director of gospel choirs, also directing a mandolin orchestra, working as a radio DJ and having numerous awards to his name. He has also collaborated with artists such as Bette Midler, Chuck Berry, Leonard Bernstein, Herbie Hancock, Odetta, Dion, Steely Dan, Hubert Sumlin, John Sebastian or Blood Swett & Tears among many others.
Alstrom's impressive keyboard technique is palpable on this album, in which, in addition to composing seventeen of the eighteen songs on it, he also sings and plays Hammond, Farfisa, pipe organ, piano, Fender Rhodes, clavinet, synthesizers, guitars, bass, mandolin, alto saxophone, accordion, theremin and percussion, and he has surrounded himself with other outstanding musicians such as Robbert Hill on guitar, Rob Paparozzi on harmonica, Jerry Vivino on tenor and baritone saxophones, Don Guinta, Frank Pagano and Dennis Diken on drums, Maxine Alstrom on acoustic piano on one track and Ula Hedwig on backing vocals and arrangements.
If the music is important, ranging from blues to jazz, through ballads, New Orleans rhythms or the darkest rock, the lyrics are also very interesting, describing the deepest suffering, melancholy, lost love, but also optimism, the joy of living, freedom and even his complaint about the problems of the music business.
An album that serves to learn about the concerns and good work of this more than interesting musician called Ed Alstrom. - La Hora del Blues, Spain
Our beloved editor-in-chief sent me a CD by a complete stranger to me, Ed Alstrom. Eighteen songs all written and composed by him, almost 80 minutes of quality music. Who is this artist who seems to come from nowhere for us Europeans? His resume is impressive. This Caucasian started playing the organ at the age of five. But he plays almost every instrument on this planet. The list would be too long. He has played with the cream of American music: Bette Midler, Chuck Berry, Leonard Bernstein, Herbie Hancock, Odetta, Dion, Ronnie Spector, Steely Dan, Blood Sweat and Tears, … He is not what you would call a bluesman, but his knowledge and love of African-American music gave him an irrepressible desire to embody them. That is what gives us this CD. Ed Alstrom is a pleasant singer and plays a few of the instruments he masters to perfection: all keyboards, guitars, mandolin, bass, alto saxophone and accordion. He masters everything from Western classical music to African-American music, including pop. An excellent blues Be Nice opens the album. A very strong organ is the trademark of The Blues Ain't Alright , the antithesis of Little Milton's classic The Blues Is Alright . Slow Blues and its slide guitar show you the only way to chase away your worries. The vocals of the title track of the CD, Flee Though None Pursue , recall that of the late Dr. John. The melody of Sick is inspired by that of Doc Pomus' classic, Lonely Avenue , created in 1956 by Ray Charles. Always Near is a beautiful love song with lyrics written by Kay Murcer. A honky-tonk piano supports The Record People's complaint against the music industry, "the record people are coming, they came to dig my grave." Ed Alstrom's piano playing on Fruitcake is indebted to Professor Longhair. It's hard to dissect and analyze all the excellent songs until the end of the album Don't Cry At My Funeral . Ed Alstrom exhorts us thus: "Don't cry for me, I'm happy, I'm free/I won't be crying for you ." Ed Alsron has created a very eclectic musical journey where quotes and allusions are numerous. I recommend you listen to the lyrics of the songs full of wit, sagacity, imagination and humor. A choice album. - Gilbert Guyonnet, ABS, France
from KEYBOARD MAGAZINE, July 2010: Review of Ed Alstrom, Gettin’ Organized! Ed Alstrom cooks up a tasty tonewheel storm on his latest release. Alstrom has performed with everyone from Herbie Hancock to Blood Sweat & Tears, and has been the weekend organist at Yankee Stadium since 2004. Trained exclusively as an organist (unlike many keyboardists), the New Jersey native navigates the mighty B-3 with an ease that belies its myriad possibilities. One listen to his hearty Hammond work on this grooving set, and you’ll understand what the buzz is all about (Haywire, edalstrom.com) - Jon Regen
from Green Arrow Radio.com: After one listen through, I have come to one conclusion thus far: HOTT!! And now after several listens and some radio airplay, this album is easily a mainstay in my programming as it enters and exits sets of all kinds of music with a fluidity that isn't easy to find. The album is very 'backyard on a summer's day' playful, and downright groovin' at times that you cannot help but shake the very things shakeable and sometimes breakable. There are many moods to the album within the grooves…Starting off with melodies rich in reflection and guitar licks (Charlie Jones) hotter than a Bar-B-Q pit, drum beats (Don Guinta) like a sidewinder snakes heartbeat, and there are some highly ORGANic dashes that are equal parts soul refreshing and body moving and at times making the blues feel a little happy. For me the style of "Booganova" is something I have loved for so long but never knew the word that went with the sound; in many moments on this album I am reminded that the reason I like musicians like Ed Alstrom is that they keep on re-defining the sounds I recognize pieces of, and turn them into a whole new thang. I believe this album has the power to do that for more people than me. - Walt Mister Gnu, www.greenarrowradio.com
from the NEWARK STAR-LEDGER, May 21, 2010 by Zan Stewart
Ed Alstrom plays a romping-stomping-to-soulful brand of Hammond organ. Listen to his new “Gettin’ Organ*ized!” CD (Haywire) and you hear a fellow who gets all kinds of engaging sounds, who relishes digging into the blues and who likes melodies that make your foot tap.
A Paterson native and resident, Alstrom, 52, started organ around age 5. He’s played with many jazz, pop, funk and Broadway bands, and has a bachelor’s degree in classical organ from Westminster Choir College in Princeton (now part of Rider University). Of course, he’s big on his instrument.
“The Hammond is a remarkable instrument that can create sounds that nothing else can replicate,” says Alstrom, whose website is edalstrom.com. “Nothing’s ever been like it, nothing ever will be.”
Alstrom will present a CD-release party Friday at Trumpets in Montclair. He also plays New York Yankees weekend home games at Yankee Stadium, as he will May 29 to 30, when the Yanks host the Cleveland Indians.
Introduced to the organ by his father, who played recreationally, Alstrom calls himself a throwback to an earlier era: the 1940s-1960s, when names like Lenny Dee and Ethel Smith were pop organ royalty.
“Those organists used the whole instrument. Their aim was to replicate the sound of an orchestra,” says Alstrom, who lives with his wife of 24 years, Maxine — also a keyboardist and a teacher at the Academy of Performing Arts in Paterson — and their 16-year-old daughter. (Another daughter is a senior at the University of Scranton.)
“I love to go back and get the old sounds, sounds few people get now,” Alstrom says.
At Trumpets, Alstrom will team with his partners on the CD: guitarist Charlie Jones and drummer Don Guinta.
“These guys are not demure, they play with a lot of urgency,” says the organist.
On tap will be tunes off the album, which include nine of the leader’s originals.
“This is stuff that is accessible, where we can just cut loose and blow,” he says.
Among the numbers are the crisp blues shuffle, “Smoker’s Hack”; the old organ hit “Cumana,” which Alstrom calls “a flashy showoff piece with a lot of energy”; blues great Champion Jack Dupree’s “Out of My Name,” with a gravelly Alstrom vocal; and “Drop Dead Love,” a Jones “straight-up bebop tune.”
As for that prime part-time gig, Alstrom has been working weekends at Yankee Stadium for seven years; Paul Cartier is on during the week. Alstrom scored the post by successfully auditioning for Eddie Layton, the longtime Yanks organist who retired in 2003.
Aside from a brief pre-game set, where he might play a jazz tune like Charlie Parker’s “Yardbird Suite,” Alstrom pretty much follows procedure.
He always plays a version of “Happy Birthday” after the sixth inning, and lays into “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh inning stretch.
Alstrom says his job, elsewhere, is basically to “pump the crowd up,” especially when the Bombers have men on base. He employs such favorite ditties as “Boom Boom,” which most of us know as “Charge,” and the first phrase of “Mexican Hat Dance.”
“I’m a lifelong Yankees fan, so this job is a dream come true,” he says.
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Yankee Stadium organist from Montville starts second gig at Morristown church By Jeff Diamant/The Star-Ledger November 19, 2009, 7:00AM
For six years, Ed Alstrom has performed regularly for 50,000-plus as organist in one of the nation's highest-profile venues - Yankee Stadium, during weekend baseball games. Now, he's got a second gig where the crowds usually top out at about 200: the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Morristown.
Ed Alstrom, the weekend organist at Yankee Stadium since 2004, has taken a job at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Morristown.
New Jersey native and accomplished jazz musician, Alstrom, of Pine Brook, began his job at Redeemer on Nov. 1, a week after his organ music accompanied the Yankees' clinching victory over the Los Angeles Angels in the American League Championship Series, and four days after he played for Game 1 of the World Series, when the Phillies beat the Yankees.
It's a rare mix of the ethereal and the hardball worlds but Alstrom said there aren't that many jobs for organists: You have to be flexible and you have to hustle, he says.
"I was looking, the church was looking, and we liked each other and we agreed on it," said Alstrom, 52, adding that he found the job posting on Craigslist in September. "I'm a freelancer who stockpiles work when and where I can get it, regardless of where it is. I'm fortunate in that I can do a lot of different things."
His Yankee Stadium experience dates to 2004, but his church experience is far deeper. He trained as a church organist at Westminster Choir College in Princeton and has more than 30 years of experience at churches across northern New Jersey - Upper Ridgewood Community Church, Holy Spirit Lutheran in Verona and, most recently, Presbyterian Church in West Caldwell. Alstrom said organ music has been magical to him most of his life. He recalls hearing the Yankee Stadium organ as a child in the late 1960s, when Eddie Layton, a legendary figure to frequent Yankee Stadium visitors, was just starting the job he would hold at the keyboard for most of the next 37 years, until he retired in 2003.
Alstrom auditioned for Layton in March 2004. "There was snow on the field, we were in parkas," he said. "I sat at the Yankee Stadium organ with Eddie Layton at the doorway requesting songs. He asked for 'New York, New York' and the national anthem and the Canadian national athem and 'Happy Birthday' and 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game.'" His favorite memory, he said, was playing the final game at the old Yankee Stadium, on Sept. 21, 2008. "I actually ... played 'Goodnight, Sweetheart,'" he said.
Alstrom says organ music at the Stadium may seem spontaneous but it is really tightly directed and scripted. "It's a regular production up there," he said. "I generally only play when the Yanks are batting, and it depends if there's a rally going."
The two jobs - and Altstrom's versatility - offer tantalizing possibilies. He can go from "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" on a Saturday evening in the Bronx to playing church standards straight, such as "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" and "There Shall a Star From Jacob" the next morning.
Alstrom has a new jazz organ CD being released next month, "Gettin' Organ-ized." It is his third, after "The Record People Are Coming" and "Acid Cabaret."
Asked if he's ever been tempted to break into jazz, Sinatra or baseball music during church services, he said, "I don't tend to genre-hop up there. I do some spiffy cords that dress things up harmonically, and they (members of Church of the Redeemer) may construe it as jazz, but it's not intended that way."
Terry Perkins, who was on the church search committee that selected Alstrom, said she was attracted to Alstrom's versatilty. "He does beautiful jazz and contemporary. He's got a very, very eclectic background," Perkins said. "He's a composer in his own right. He has a wealth of experience being an organist in churches, so he knows the drill, but he's also very accomplished with people."
Alstrom's hiring has sparked excitement on the listserv of the Newark Episcopal Diocese, where even the bishop, Mark Beckwith - a Boston Red Sox fan - has contributed, writing, "It is with great (and perhaps reluctant) charity that I (an ardent Red Sox fan) welcome the Yankees' organist, Ed Alstrom, into our diocese."
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BACKSTAGE Center Stage, February 28, 2003
The 18th Annual Bistro Awards— And the Winner Is… By Sherry Eaker I can't think of a better way to kick off Cabaret Month than to announce the 2003 Back Stage Bistro Awards. And, to do that in this week's issue, where the cover story focuses on one of the key elements of cabaret singing: learning how to interpret the lyric and music of a song in order to make the song your own.
That's what a successful cabaret performer does, and you can be sure it was one of the main criteria that "Bistro Bits" columnists David Finkle and John Hoglund used when choosing this year's Bistro recipients. The two Back Stage critics covered a lot of cabaret stomping ground this year, and their decisions are based on their own club experiences and the Bistro Award guidelines, set up originally by Bob Harrington, Back Stage's first cabaret columnist, when he first began presenting the awards in 1985.
As I do every year, here's a rundown of the Bistro guidelines:
The Bistro Awards recognize achievement in a wide variety of categories—from outstanding performances to outstanding accomplishments and contributions by members of the cabaret community. They are by no means limited in nature. New categories can easily be drawn up each year as they best describe the recipients (new this year is Outstanding International Artists), and categories can be dropped as well.
The object is not to choose the "best" anything-of-the-year, but to recognize and congratulate the accomplishments of those who have done something special during the year—in this case, during 2002.
The Back Stage Bistro may recognize performers who are newly arrived on the scene (Outstanding Cabaret Debut); it may acknowledge a performer who has shown growth in his or her art during the past few years (this applies to a number of our awards this year, but especially to our newly established award—read on). It also recognizes those who have spent their entire careers dedicated to the art (our Bob Harrington Lifetime Achievement Award).
The Bistro is a one-time honor—in a single category. If previous winners weren't excluded from consideration each year, the awards would be glutted with their names—each winner would most likely have to be reconsidered annually because of the high quality of work he or she does. So, if you feel that a name has been omitted in a particular category when you're looking over the list of winners that follows, it's most likely because that person is a previous winner. On the other hand, if you see a performer's name and recognize that name as a former Bistro recipient, it's because that person previously received his or her award in a different category. There are 810 winners listed in our "Bistro Hall of Fame," not including this year's winners. (To see the Bistro Hall of Fame list, click here.)
So, without further ado, here are the winners of the 2003 Back Stage Bistro Awards for Outstanding Excellence in Cabaret:
... Singer/Songwriter/Instrumentalist: Ed Alstrom for "Acid Cabaret" at Don't Tell Mama and Danny's Skylight Room...
Winners of the 2003 Bistro Awards will be celebrated at a private black-tie party hosted by Back Stage.
Congratulations to you all! _____________________________________________
BARBARA & SCOTT SIEGEL on THEATERMANIA.COM: Acid Cabaret at Danny's showed off the bright and bluesy performance style of Ed Alstrom, who commands the stage from the piano bench. He's funny, charismatic, one of the flashiest pianists in town, and he possesses a mesmerizing voice that's one part gravel and one part port wine. The show was built around songs of Alstrom's own composition -- some of which are dark and dangerously funny -- plus other politically incorrect numbers. Alstrom is a scintillating entertainer.
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TIME OUT NY Critics' Picks for the week of August 8-15, 2002 "Too Darn Hot? This singer-songwriter's got the coolest show in town, bringing jazz, bebop, and standards together in a savvy mix. You'll kick yourself if you miss this show."
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VILLAGE VOICE says: "If this guy rises to the laid-back yet intense heights in person that he rises to with his new ACID CABARET CD, he will definintely be worth the time. With light voice and jazz-tinged playing, he delivers some of his own amusing compositions and does nifty things to songs like "This Nearly Was Mine" and "On The Street Where You Live" (David Finkle)
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BACKSTAGE MAGAZINE, 'Bistro Bits', September 06, 2002 Three Not Yet Ready, But One's a Go by David Finkle
When Trent Armand Kendall moves to the beat, he looks like an undulating turtle. It's wonderful to watch, especially considering the resonant tones he's emitting. Taking a night off from "Into the Woods" duties, he was energy itself at the Duplex a month back throughout a rhythm-and-blues-oriented act that, with support from four musicians and four back-up singers, sounded at times as if it were about to burst the room's seams. Kendall is such an ingratiating performer that it was a jolt when he announced during his joyous proceedings, "This is not a cabaret. I'm not going to cure the world's problems doing show tunes."
What has cabaret done to deserve such a putdown? Perhaps the environ seems limited in scope at times, particularly to drop-bys who don't know the scene well enough to question dated perceptions. But cabaret today does more than routinely celebrate the Great American Songbook and shouldn't be advertised in ossified terms, particularly to audiences whom someone like Trent Armand (pronounced are-MAHND) Kendall attracts. These potential regulars should be informed immediately that Kendall fits into the broadening definition of "cabaret" as snugly as do Julie Wilson, Barbara Carroll, or Ed Ahlstrom (sic) (see below)...
An opened-armed welcome to Ed Ahlstrom, who has a round face, is attached to his flat black hat, and grinds out old and new songs with dynamite in his fingers and pebbles in his voice. Calling himself-and blank-expressioned co-conspirators Jeff Ganz on bass and Don Guinta on drums-Acid Cabaret, he signals that he means to singe the air when performing. As much a boite novice as Lynn Kearney, Ed Ahlstrom has backed enough famous spotlight grabbers to knock your neon socks off; he's played in bars, too. Luckily, he seems to have absorbed the basics, because fronting a cabaret group for the first time, he's surprisingly free. If he's not all the way there yet, the rest of the trip shouldn't be bumpy. Moreover, he's naturally funny. For instance, he jokes about having figured that in cabaret, "There aren't a lot of straight married men singing about women," and then does a series of bad-luck-with-the-ladies ditties. Whether his hunch is correct, he gets the laugh. But Ahlstrom's major selling point is he's a music man, both as singer and songwriter. He draws from everywhere, beginning with what would be unlikely in any contemporary program, Sir Arthur Sullivan's and W.S. Gilbert's "If You Give Me Your Attention." He got mine. I also liked how, although his isn't the purest voice around, he got to the emotional depths of "This Nearly Was Mine"(Oscar Hammerstein II/Richard Rodgers), then turned around and cut up on the self-penned "Stupid Day." Add Ahlstrom to the list, headed by Mose Allison, Dave Frishberg, and George Wurzbach, of guys who are absolute musts for anyoneinterested in the idiosyncratic, the creative and the just plain fun.
_____________________________________________ Genre-defying Acid Cabaret to celebrate first CD's debut Friday, June 07, 2002 BY JAY LUSTIG, Newark (NJ) Star-Ledger Staff
There's acid rock and acid jazz. But neither of them have much to do with Acid Cabaret, a trio whose repertoire includes everything from the "My Fair Lady" tune "On the Street Where You Live" to Mountain's classic-rock epic, "Theme From an Imaginary Western," and eccentric originals like the sardonic "Trapped in a Good Marriage" and the invective-filled "Stupid Day." The band's music is all over the place: New Orleans R&B, Chicago blues, rockabilly and mellow lounge jazz, all played so well the musicians could convince you that's all they do. The Acid Cabaret name isn't intended to define the group, but to let listeners know they're in for something that can't be easily summed up. "It's more interesting that way," says singer-songwriter-keyboardist Ed Alstrom."When people see or hear Acid Cabaret, they have some kind of instantaneous reaction. They develop their own mental image of what Acid Cabaret is. And I don't need to ruin that for them."
The group, also featuring bassist Sue Williams and drummer Don Guinta, has released a self-titled debut album on its Pine Brook-based record company, Haywire Productions (Alstrom's 1996 solo album, "The Record People Are Coming," is also on the label). Sunday's show at Trumpets in Montclair is a CD release party, as is the group's June 30 appearance at an actual cabaret, Judy's Chelsea Cabaret in New York. "I'm certainly going to give the cabaret circuit a whack," says Alstrom, adding that he'll offer a "slightly toned-down version of what we do" at cabaret shows. "We could go in and do a night of standards, and just keep the R&B and rock'n' roll out of the mix. "I think the cabaret acts themselves are getting more diverse. I hear those people covering a lot of '60s tunes, and sprinkling tunes by (jazz-blues eccentric) Mose Allison in there. So I think they're trying to broaden their scope as well, and maybe we can just plug right into there." A native of Ridgewood, Alstrom has done it all, backing Bette Midler, Herbie Hancock, Chuck Berry and Uncle Floyd; playing in wedding bands and bar bands during the week and as a church organiston Sunday, and performing in the Broadway revues, "Leader of the Pack" and "Smokey Joe's Cafe." He is keyboardist and musicaldirector at shows by the veteran R&B and rock'n' roll singer Darlene Love ("He's a Rebel"), and plays in the Jersey-based blues-rock group the Hudson River Rats.
Although he wrote all the original tunes on "Acid Cabaret" and sings lead throughout, he says it should not be considered a solo project. "I don't think I would have gotten us anywhere near where it is if it wasn't for the rhythm section," he says. "I'll come up with a tune I want to do, and they'll snatch it away and cook up something completely different from what I had in mind. And usually better than what I intended." He sees Acid Cabaret as "a permanent name for a continually evolving show." He cites the group's recent appearance at a festival in Montclair dedicated to the late jazz saxophonist John Coltrane. "We decided to put together a set of all types of Coltrane-related music, and stick to that. Not only his tunes, but tunes written by his associates, standards he covered, tributes to him by other guys. I'd like to have more opportunities to do that kind of thing, because it broadens our scope even more."
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SHOW BUSINESS WEEKLY - September 6, 2002 The Ed Alstrom Trio - Acid Cabaret At Don't Tell Mama Review by David Hurst
Ed Alstrom and his accomplished jazz trio - Jeff Ganz on bass and Don Guinta on drums - brought their Acid Cabaret show to Don't Tell Mama a few weeks ago for a short run to promote their new CD of the same name, and it proved a highly enjoyable evening.
Alstrom, a veteran pianist/singer/songwriter, has a distinctive voice that is equal parts Joe Jackson, Joe Cocker and Randy Newman. Although the balance seemed problematic the night I attended (I prefer more piano and less drums), and Alstrom had to contend with a microphone stand that had a mind of its own, the Trio's style came shining through with crisp playing and cohesive musicianship. Their set covered a wide range of genres including composers as disparate as Gilbert & Sullivan, Billy Joel, Rodgers & Hart and a healthy dose of Alstrom's own material, which ran the gamut from pop to blues to ballads and story-songs.
I liked Alstrom's charts and admired his clever use of word play in many of his original tunes. Anyone who rhymes "decorum" and "forum" as he does in "Stupid Day" gets my attention, and his arrangement of "This Nearly Was Mine" was startling in its originality and execution. Additionally, Alstrom's technical playing is superb. If you're looking for something fresh and new, Acid Cabaret could easily be for you.
