Pittsfield — There are generally two kinds of tribute shows worth attending: (1) the kind where the band plays all the tunes authentically and with precision (e.g. the Boston Symphony Orchestra performing an all-Beethoven program) and (2) the kind where the lead singer actually fools you into thinking you are hearing the original artist. That is something the BSO is never expected to do. For this reason, nobody at a BSO concert has ever had to tell you, “That wasn’t really Beethoven on stage.” But at a show by River of Dreams, the Billy Joel tribute band playing at the Colonial Theatre on April 5, you might very well need such instruction. Because lead singer John Cozolino is going to fool a lot of people with his singing, his piano playing, and his physical appearance.
It is hard enough to get orchestral musicians to play their parts from memory, but what if Joshua Bell were expected not only to play from memory Niccolò Paganini’s caprices note perfectly but also to physically resemble Paganini, all the way down to the color of his whiskers, the extent of his hairline, and—what?—even the sound of his speaking voice? That is a tall order, folks, and you shouldn’t expect to see it filled at any classical music concert this side of the Milky Way. But in Pittsfield, on April 5, River of Dreams will do what no conservatory has ever required of its students: impersonate another artist’s sound and physical appearance so faithfully that observers are deceived. It is something they don’t teach at Juilliard.
But the bar is higher for an act like River of Dreams. For these players, many of whom are classically trained, precision is only a minimum requirement that sets the stage for Mr. Cozolino to do most of the heavy lifting. Certain features of Billy Joel’s vocal performances, like pronunciations and even his way of producing tone, can be learned. But the timbre of his voice is not among them. To get that, you need the luck of the draw, and Mr. Cozolino got his.
John Cozolino studied bass, music theory, and classical piano at Mercy College of Music at the Westchester Conservatory. He has taught piano and bass at East Coast Music in Danbury, Conn. A songwriter, John has received honorable mentions from Billboard Magazine and has written jingles for Toyota and local dealership campaigns. He has co-produced two albums with Joe Bouchard of Blue Oyster Cult and one childrens CD, “Sugar Goose and Friends,” with his wife Dina.
Naturally, you can expect to hear all of Billy Joel’s hits on April 5, including “Piano Man,” “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant,” “Pressure,” “Only the Good Die Young,” “Allentown,” and all the rest.
The lineup of musicians in River of Dreams is extensive, and it is possible not all players mentioned here will appear at the Colonial on April 5. In addition to Cozolino, the musicians are:
- Keyboardist, composer, arranger, and producer Kinny Landrum has worked with Leonard Bernstein, The Meters, Carly Simon, Jimmy Cliff, and David Lynch. He studied with composer John Corigliano while earning his master’s degree in music.
- Based in New York, John Lang is a bassist, composer, and arranger seen regularly at such venues as Birdland, Smalls, The Silver Lining, and Little Branch.
- A graduate of New England Conservatory of Music and Queens College CUNY, saxophonist Andy Segale has performed with The Goldman Band at Lincoln Center, Boston Philharmonic, Boston Civic Symphony, Nassau Symphony, Symphony of Long Island, Stan Getz, Chet Atkins, Ben E. King, Joan Jett, and the Cy Coleman Orchestra.
- Drummer David Bond studied with Casey Casino, Ed Soph, and Narada Michael Walden. He has played for Richie Scarlet, Kano, the Pointers Sisters, Evelyn Champagne King, Peter Frampton, Robert Palmer, Driving School, Lenny Lee, Jaane Doe, Jewel, and others.
- Guitarist Pepe Aquilino spent his formative years writing songs and performing with hard-rock-metal original act “Sweet Madness” prior to performing on the ’80s TV series “Fame.” He has played in the Alice Cooper tribute “Killer” and recently founded “Get Your Wings,” an Aerosmith tribute.
- Brian Wahl is a New York City-born drummer who has played in a number of bands in the tristate area. He specializes in rock, funk, jazz, and reggae.
- Guitarist and educator Jeff Giglio’s musical background encompasses rock, jazz, and classical. He has studied with Randy Johnston, Rick Rozie, Jackie McClean, Tommy Byrnes, and others. He has worked with Daisy Berkowitz, Steve Davis, Bobby and the Jumpers, and with members of Billy Joel’s band.
- Drummer Russ Wilson has worked with the Dennis Dunaway Project, the 5th Ave Vampires, the Richie Scarlet Band, Jimmy Kunes, John Girardi, Joey Molland, Denny Laine, John Regan, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, Ian Hunter, Dez Cadena, Wayne Cobham, Arno Hecht, Joe Bouchard, Earl Slick, Joe Lynn Turner, Mark Hitt, and Leslie West.
- Guitarist Jeff Claypool studied with Sal Salvador; toured with Aaron Copland and Gregg Allman; scored an Alice Cooper film; and performed with Jefferson Starship, Grand Funk Railroad, George Thorogood, 3 Dog Night, Eric Burden and the Animals, The Rascals, and Rick Derringer.
Hear River of Dreams’ Billy Joel tribute show at the Colonial Theatre, 111 South Street , Pittsfield, on April 5, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets, $30, are available at the Colonial Theatre website or by calling (413) 997-4444.
