John Malino

I was weaned on the Beatles, Pete Seeger, Sinatra, Hendrix, Simon and Garfunkel, Santana, Dead, Allman Bros, Ella, Aretha, Little Feat, Etta James, John Prine, The Blues, Rickie Lee Jones and counless others.
Toured the dives from New York To Singapore as a youngster before my cousin, writing partner and band co-founder broke my heart, yoko style, with a girl he met while we were gigging in Malaysia.
After the slow and painful breakup I played a couple of theatrical shows, onstage guitarist in the 60s Girl group review 'Beehive' at Arena Stage in Washington DC and Jackson in 'Pump Boys and Dinettes' at the Comedia theatre in Dayton Ohio. I discovered for sure that theatre was not a life I could stomach.Disillusioned, I started a club date office in New York in as a 'temporary' respite from the Biz.
The office thrived for many years, during which time I led the house band at Sardi's in Times Square.
I catered to an upscale group of private and corporate clients who wanted and could afford something a world apart from the formulaic bands that dominated the premium club date business for decades. I very much enjoyed playing music and getting paid, and found an outlet for performing my own stuff working with HAI, playing Nursing homes, rehabs, and mental institutions by day. Married with a family on the way, I grew complacent about returning to the rock band life.
9/11 brought the business to a very sudden standstill.
After a long drawn out recovery, the business tanked badly with the recent economy.
Back to my roots, i'm playing a wide range of my own material again in addition to leading a fine and swinging Jazz band. Crazy Stuff.
Some interesting recent and upcoming NY gigs:
August- Players Club on Gramercy Park, Bowery Poetry club on the Bowery
September 11 opened for the Roots, Gavin McGraw etc at the benefit for families of 9/11 victims and rescue workers at the incomparable Beacon theatre. Hillary, Caroline Kennedy, Gary Sinise, The harlem Choir and many others performed or spoke! (Including my 14 year old cousin and drum prodigy Ethan Cohen who drummed his way to heaven on the grand finale, Man In The Mirror, with all the acts onstage)
October brought a juicy gig at a party for 500 IBM bigwigs at the Temple of Dendar at the museum of Natural History.
November was not too interesting, apart from the dubious distinction of playing a last minute shotgun wedding for the son of the Rabbi at a Ritzy uptown synagogue who had knocked up his girlfriend.
Coming up:
December 16th at The Turning Point, January 18th at Feinstein's, most Sundays at the Soup kitchen in Nyack and whatever comes my way; a study in musical contrast for sure.
Anyhow, this is many many times more than I've ever written about myself but I'dl keep writing til next tuesday for the chance to open for Warren.