Jason returns with a new band
By Rose Sgarlato
SPARTA — It was standing room only at Krogh’s last Saturday with the debut of Jason Robert and the Good Silver. Members of the newly formed band are not new to the music scene and were previously connected to Hero Band and Alchemy & the Queen.
Singer and songwriter Jason Kundrath of Sparta put Jason Robert and the Good Silver together to include guitarist and Sparta native Pierre Marceau, keyboardist Ron Grana of Sparta, bassist Ed Sherry of Newton and drummer Christian Kisala of Hawthorne.
For Grana it was a true homecoming. He was a waiter at Krogh’s from about 1999 until 2009 and started performing there as a teenager at open mic nights and later became a part of the band Alchemy & the Queen.
Like his bandmate Kundrath, Grana, age 39, also took a break a few years ago to focus on his home front.
“My youngest son is two, so I backed off a bit during that time. But I did teach piano and harmonica at Bill Wright Studio,” said Grana who by day is a physical therapist aid.
Family, friends and patrons of Krogh’s enjoyed an opening act featuring a talented duo — singer Christina Alessi accompanied by Mari Bryd.
“There was a lot of love in the room. It was like an old musical community coming together,” said Grana about the band’s debut. “I think it went well –it was a very comfortable atmosphere.”
One of Grana’s neighbors and also a musician Greg Wittenmeier and his wife Janet came out to enjoy the show.
“Ronnie was one of the first guys I met in Lake Mohawk when I moved here,” said Greg Wittenmeier. “I am in a band too so I know what it takes to fulfill someone else’s idea. I thought the band was really tight and did a great job for the first time.”
Wittenmeier is a keyboardist and harmonica player for a band called Lefty & the Tall Boys.
In between shows, Jason Robert & the Good Silver plans to record original music and the next scheduled performance will be at Twisted Elm in Elmwood Park on January 24. And of course the band is looking forward to returning to Krogh’s in the near future.
“It felt great to get back out there,” said Kundrath. ‘We were all very pleased with the turnout and performance. Our expectations were certainly exceeded.”
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