Every night, the bars, clubs, cafes and streets of New Orleans are overcome with music. This is where singing pianist Andy Rossoff, who will be performing at Main Street Art Gallery tonight, finds an almost unparalleled amount of inspiration for his own musical adventures.
“The live music scene is incredible,” Rossoff said. “It’s a world class music city.”
Whenever Rossoff makes one of this many trips to New Orleans, he stays a block away from some amazing venues. “Every night I can see an assortment of live musicians, not counting the ones on the street when I get over there,” he said. “New Orleans has a great history and piano players.”
Rossoff made his debut as a bassist and a saxophone player at the New York World’s Fair when he was just 13-years-old, but he didn’t explore the piano scene until he was older.
“I came to piano late in life, I started playing when I was 40 years old,” he said. “I’m still learning, but New Orleans piano players are a great inspiration.”
Among his list of inspiring piano players are Fats Domino, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John and Professor Longhair, all musicians who embody much of the fantastic New Orleans sound.
“I call those my inspiration, not that I play like them, but they inspire the playing that I do,” Rossoff said.
What happens in New Orleans does not stay in New Orleans, at least not for Rossoff. He loves bringing the vibrant sounds of his second home to Lake County. “I spend about half my time in New Orleans these days and absorbing that music and I try to bring that to Lakeport and California,” he said.
For 35 years, Rossoff’s music was put on the back burner while he pursued a career as a practicing attorney in Lakeport. Then not too long ago, he decided to ditch the suit and legal pads and focus on his music. “I quit the day job about a year and a half ago,” he said. “I used to play music on the side but now music is more in the center.”
He’s played over the years all throughout Lake County. He often performs at farmer’s markets, the Blue Wing Saloon and he’s had shows at the Soper Reese five times. “You play at the farmer’s market and people walk by with their vegetables and they say ‘We’ve got something for you,’ and I get a call here and there,” he said.
But Rossoff doesn’t perform all that often. He plays for himself and the enjoyment more than anything else. “If you’re asking me where I mostly play, it’s in my living room,” he laughed.
Rossoff has performed at the Main Street Art Gallery multiple times in the past, and he’s looking forward to sharing his musical talent with the people who come out for the wine and art. “It’s really a forum for the artists that are presenting their work at the gallery and I perform as an add-on to the artists,” he explained. “It’s a nice collaboration between the visual arts and music.”
Randy Newman, Allen Toussaint, New Orleans gospel, these are just a few of the tunes Rossoff will be covering at the Main Street Art Gallery. “It’s an interesting mix and I’ll sorta do what feels right at the moment,” he said. “Some of it is jazz, some of it is blues, some rock and roll.”
Rossoff enjoys the experience of performing for a crowd, especially if he can offer a change of pace and a taste of the Southern music he loves so much. “I try to bring something new, something they haven’t heard before,” he said. “Particularly the New Orleans songs that they really haven’t experienced before. They hear some of that style, which is not something that they’ve typically heard.”
From 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. tonight, Dec. 5, Rossoff will be performing at the First Friday Fling at the Main Street Art Gallery in Lakeport. The reception is free of charge.
“I think there’s some nice refreshments there and some fine Lake County wines. And people come and talk to the artists and have a nice time for a few hours,” said Rossoff.
Jennifer Gruenke can be reached at 900-2019.
