SOMEDAY by Sunup

Streaming links for Someday:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/0vrw3GdHtEI1Q8oSWqkRpw?si=dc541f9e39be4610

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/someday-feat-genevieve-tabby-single/1728195557

Pandora: https://pandora.app.link/CmgbG6mUpHb

Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/track/342342717

Amazon: https://amazon.com/music/player/albums/B0CTF55MW3?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_zjLZMrkh4sO8Ok8OMJCFOl4TU&trackAsin=B0CTF76R1B

SUNUP 2024. Brian Soule. James ‘“Goon” Wilson. Garry Manuel Charlie Castiliano

"Someday, it will be over. Someday, though we don't know when." True, these are solemn lyrics - purposely provocative - that drill down inside. We're inviting YOU to go there with us. Often the initial pain leads to a triumphant healing. We sincerely hope you will FEEL this song resonating deep within your heart. It's a fact of life we know well, but often avoid, because it causes consternation and there is no schooling in life (except life itself) on how we are to respond or react.

SUNUP will soon be releasing tunes that are upbeat, celebratory and joyful, that we performed in the 1970's. But, we are also offering up new music that is reflective and that looks more seriously toward the future. How can we not? ! After all, this upcoming album (The Key Is Love) celebrates 50 years of Sunup! To add to that joyfulness and more particularly - 50 years of friendships.

What were our dreams then, and what are our dreams now? Did we ever completely lose those dreams? We find the most satisfying joy and meaningful friendships in conversations that go deep, and that doesn't necessarily mean they're all dark or negative. It's also VERY much about the love, interaction, helping each other through tough times and the incredible experiences that we have SHARED.

The music is here to lay down the carpet for a celebration, but also to teach us about what is important in our lives and NOT to miss it.

We hope you'll be there with us streaming the song and reflecting on it's meaning as well.

Garry Manuel - composer, lead vocal, guitar, string arrangement, producer

James “Goon” Wilson - vocals

Brian Soule - keyboards

Charlie Castilano - bass

John McNeill - percussion

Genevieve Tabby (special featured guest) - cello

Marshall Manuel - recording engineer, edits, mastering

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Some Irony Here! by Garry

When I began writing this song all the ingredients came together quite fast. This isn’t always the case, as most songwriters will tell you. In this instance there were many people in our circles going through severe health challenges. I That intensity in life continued for a while. So, as I sewed the song together I opted to write the chorus/bridge as if I were singing that portion of the song to my wife. I also imagined it could be entirely possible for someone else to express that same sentiment to someone they deeply cared about as well. Over the past couple years I had spoken to people who regretted not saying or doing certain things while their loved one or dear friend was alive.

Once I had finished writing the song and after we had begun to record a number of the tracks, I realized that the form of the song was nearly the same as Yesterday (The Beatles). So, here’s the title - Someday and we’re comparing it to Yesterday! It turns out the format of the song is nearly identical. There is an A & B section - that’s it! They are both short tunes. I assure you, it was NOT intentional, but it’s ironic that unfolded in that manner.

Offering up a few thoughts to contemplate…

They’ve been buried in a box, silenced by the busyness of life, trampled by the stress of politics, fear of war, sparring religions, as well as the ills caused by poverty, abusive power and nearly forgotten with the daily routines we have prescribed for ourselves. I’m referring to the treasures of life. They were sparkling, beautiful, and sometimes needed to be buffed due to scrapes or neglect. The shine was always there, but often hidden.

 Suddenly one day, there is a stirring in the heart.  It could be because someone close passes away. Perhaps you were sorting through your office desk and found an old photo buried beneath a stack of papers. Or maybe you bumped into an old friend that you haven’t seen in years or decades. The conversation begins rustling memories of great times or meaningful friendships you once had, but somehow you allowed them to slip through the cracks of time.

Remember? Those conversations were deep. Your truths were laid bare and your life was naked and sometimes ashamed. Other times, the sharing was deep, strong, unapologetic, loving, full of passion, which often penetrates into the deepest chambers of our soul. Those times made an indelible impact for life, even though we may have taken them for granted or at the very least, allowed them to be drowned out by the urgency of now and/or the mundane daily formalities that render a false sense of comfort.

 But…now the treasures are being rediscovered. They’re coming out of the box. We realize the value of the meaningful and beautiful gifts we once shared. Our senses have become reawakened and we begin clamoring for those treasures, like searching for a pair of eyeglasses in the night. Your heart cries out, “Let me see and feel these treasures once again. I loved them!” The feeling we had back then was pure and strong, but more importantly, filled with a love that was so honest and unmanufactured that we may have missed the underlying message. We were open - so vulnerable at times. These treasures were present in our lives to steer us back to the meaning we may have lost for a moment. We didn’t even think about it. It all came as what some would describe as a “stream of consciousness.”  Really, this journey is finding a path to God, whether you know it or not.

 At this stage of life I’ve been reminded more frequently about these treasures. Just recently there has been a march of friends reentering my life. As they saunter in I’m able to see how very connected they all are. Being a songwriter, I may have a slightly more keen awareness due to the fact that I’m often searching for a story or some meaning that I can write a song about. But honestly, the connections are very real. And now, I’m sensing that these reconnections can lift up these hidden treasures. We have been watching friends, family and our personal heroes pass away. Too often we’re finding loved ones in situations so dark that we could never have imagined them experiencing. This is causing us to uncover these wonderful hidden treasures. These treasures are gifts from God and are acting as a key to the mystical magic that we have begun to recall from a distant time. We desire to reclaim these deep seeded feelings. The treasures are within our grasp. Our hunger for that honesty, love, tenderness, laughter and even the indescribable closeness that we painfully acquired through sharing our troubled times together, is fast becoming a growing need to fill. No, the emptiness cannot be allowed to remain when we have these treasures within in each of us. Be aware of these treasures. Shine them. Hold them in the light. Reclaim them today!

©Garry Manuel (11/28/2022)

ONE LAST PRAYER by Garry Manuel

There was a day I sat down to practice guitar and what often happens is that I get sidetracked by merely playing a couple chords, trying to put some color in the tone or even experiment with a different tuning. In this instance I was in Drop D and just looking for rich sounding chords. After just a couple minutes I was drawn to the two chords that turn out to be the opening of the acoustic guitar part and began lacing the melody into the chord progression. Things came together pretty quickly and then I could hear bagpipes playing the melody in the back of my mind. I mentioned that to my wife and then she said that one of her former colleagues played them.

So, I contacted Hannah and asked if she would be kind enough to play the bagpipes on the tune. She gave me a heads up about the instrument being  in one key. That was easy! The key was the same as I had written the song in. What Hannah told me later was that the bagpipes don’t always hold pitch. In other words, just slapping on my electronic tuner wasn’t going to suffice in playing with this instrument.

I had Hannah record the melody first and then I would tune my guitar to the bagpipes. The other problem was that she had to alter the melody slightly because every note in the melody was not available on the bagpipes.

I tuned as closely as I could to the bagpipes; however, I needed to tune all the strings up, so the tension on the strings was much tougher than I’m used to playing. In hindsight, it would have been better if I had put a capo on the first fret and then slightly adjusted the tuning from there, but that idea only came after I had finished recording the first acoustic guitar.

For me the song provoked images of an open field with the wind creating waves in the tall grasses as it blew across the landscape. I envisioned one standing there making an appeal to God to relieve either themselves or someone they knew of some pressing burden on their life. On a personal level, there were a number of people we knew that were facing extreme health issues and going through very tough challenges.

My hope is that this piece of music speaks to you in a similar fashion and will give you a sense of peace or offer a spiritual connection.

~Garry

Click the link below to listen:

Spotify - One Last Prayer

Apple Music - One Last Prayer

Tidal - One Last Prayer - https://tidal.com/browse/track/342379569

SUNUP's Recording of their 50th Anniversary Album

The Recording

Charlie Castilano, Goon (James) Wilson, Garry Manuel & Brian Soule

The 50th Anniversary recording of Sunup’s album titled, “The Key Is Love” is underway, with a majority of the tracks nearly completed; however, it is often the final subtleties, mixing and additional instrumentation that eat up more time than anyone anticipates. That is indeed the case with this Sunup project.

Sunup = Goon & Gar

Our original promo picture after recording our first two songs in 1973.

Garry & Goon

Meeting in Saratoga Springs, NY at the OBI.

The Concept

Fifty years is a long time for a group to be together. The truth is that in the last 25 years we have rarely played or performed together. In 2007 we played a Sunup reunion show with a packed house. It was a wonderful evening of music, along with the opportunity of seeing and performing before an audience of Sunup followers, friends, family and others. Our sons also performed solo and Marshall (Manuel) with his band at the time. Goon and I (typically without rehearsing) usually play once or twice a year in front of a campfire at a lake in the Adirondacks Mountains. For fun on Goon’s 70th birthday, we sat in for a couple songs at Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs. We’ve also had a couple jam sessions at Charlie and Barb’s vacation home in S. Carolina, but other than that, there hasn’t been music we performed together.

So what songs should help commemorate our 50th Anniversary album? We didn’t want to just record all the older songs from the 1970’s or try to prepare only new songs, so we did a little of both. The first two releases from the album set the tone for what is to come. We started off with a cover of John Prine’s, “Hello In There” and followed with the title track, which featured all the  Sunup members, with the exception of our dear friend, Kerry Peterson, who passed from cancer in 2009. “The Key Is Love” is an uplifting song that speaks to the political chaos and craziness that exists around us in this time period. It speaks directly to the point that the only way to resolve this mess is for us all to make an effort to love one another. Not to wish for it to happen or just talk about it, but to do our best to put love into action.

The Key Is Love

The Key Is Love lyric/music video

To sum up the album, it will contain new songs of reflection and wisdom as well as including a few of the uplifting songs that we played in the early days - songs you can readily sing along with that will make you feel good and bring back some memorable times. We’ll also include a bittersweet song that Goon wrote about a failed relationship that I had back in the early 70’s. We should have recorded the tune back then. Truthfully, we did record a rough version of it just before he moved to Connecticut. He left to take on a DJ job (which he currently still has) at a leading classic rock station in Danbury.

The album will conjure up old memories and stir thoughts for the future. Our hope is that it will inspire and delight listeners.

The Process

Recording has changed over the years, and to share honestly I will confess to missing the camaraderie during rehearsals, interacting with other musicians and testing out parts that might work for a song. There was an element of being together aside from the music that often enjoyable as well. Clearly we were not able to reestablish the methods of the past to accomplish this project.

The first step was having me lay down acoustic guitar tracks to a click track (metronome type sound) to be a guide for all the other instrumentation that would be layered. On occasion I’d sing and play guitar onto a track with the click keeping me on the beat. Every once in a while I’d have to play against the beat to slow a section up, and then be able to get back on the beat within several seconds. This method can present challenges. I managed to do fairly well playing against the beat; however, there were a couple spots where I dropped a couple measures, but didn’t realize it until it was too late to entertain making the changes. So the answer at that point was just to adapt to what had been recorded.

Garry Manuel

On the shore of the Great Sacandaga Lake in the Adirondack Mountains..

Once all the basic acoustic tracks were down, I sent out the chord charts and notes, along with the raw recordings of each song so that the other band members could rehearse with their instruments and practice their vocals.

First up in mid-June, Goon drove up from Connecticut to lay down his vocal tracks and acoustic guitar parts. We recorded for three days. In fact, the recording took place right up to his departure on Sunday around 3pm. We did manage dinner and some fun in the mix too!

If we had time, we most likely would have patched up a few things and recorded a few more acoustic guitar parts, but it did not happen.

James (Goon) Wilson

Soon after, Marshall and I began doing rough mixes of the tunes and sent them along to Charlie so he could have more updated versions to rehearse his bass parts. In the meantime I laid down some electric guitar parts and did some refining of the acoustic guitar.

Marshall Manuel - Recording Engineer

In July, Charlie flew in from Ohio to record his bass tracks. While we had a couple Fender basses to use, we opted to use Fret King 4-string bass. It has depth, clarity and a well-rounded tone. Charlie had prepped well, but in the beginning seemed a tad nervous, which probably grew from the fact that he hadn’t done any serious recording since he left Sunup in the 70’s. I was not worried about the fact that it had been such an extended time period that he had played serious, because Charlie was always meticulous in nearly everything he pursued and I knew that he had been rehearsing the songs. The sessions did go well and we even had extra time to hang out and meet his talented brother, Ed (who plays bass with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra) for dinner in Geneva. It was a great evening and the food was good too!

Charlie

Castiliano was the original bassist for Sunup and had previously played in several bands with Garry Manuel

We were aiming to get two songs released by early August; however, we only were able to throw one out there - “Hello In There”. I was super excited to get this tune out the door because I was anxious in getting the ball rolling. Goon had done such a wonderful job on the vocal. As well, I thought we had captured the very essence of Prine’s message in the song and was proud of the production and the job Marshall had done with the editing and the final mix.

In September I sent Brian Soule some rough mixes of four tunes. We were searching for a day to record that would work for his schedule and Marshall’s. We eventually settled on the last Saturday in October. Brian had played keyboards with Sunup from the early 1980’s, until we no longer were doing live gigs. He had also been recording piano and keys on the solo tracks I was releasing from time to time. Covid definitely put a crimp in the ability and willingness to record. But joyfully, here we were recording once again under the Sunup umbrella again. It was a wonderful session with Brian not only playing piano and keyboards, but lending lead and backup vocals on four of the tracks. We had limited the day to four tracks as a matter of practicality. Some songs he never knew he’d be singing on, so he was literally just putting the vocal parts together at the spur of the moment.

In the case of “The Key Is Love” we had sent the tracks to drummer and friend, Billy Goodness, before Brian had recorded the piano and vocals. Billy has done a great job on my solo projects and we anticipate using his drum skills for a few other upcoming tracks. Everything turned out well; however, there is still more work to be done on the other tunes.

Brian Soule

Played keyboards and sang with Sunup in the early 1980’s and through the present day. You can also hear him on Garry’s solo recordings and with Liar’s Moon.

Now we await the holiday season to conclude and then we’ll be back to business. This will have us circling back and having some special guests perform on instruments that will complement the songs. These are the subtle embellishments to round out the recordings that are outside our area of expertise. In addition, we’ll be having some guest vocalists and I’ll be recording some guitar parts to fill in the blanks.

Goon, Charlie and Garry performing live at the Bungalow Inn on Mt. Hope Ave. in Rochester, NY. The club is no longer in existence and now has a MacDonald’s sitting in its place.

Charlie, Garry & Goon in Saratoga Springs in late Fall of 2019.

The best part of the Sunup story is that we have remained best of friends throughout this time period. We have some terrific memories, as well as some not so terrific. This would happen with any band, right?! Those experiences have paved the path in this journey, helped in the creation of some of our songs and made our friendships even more remarkable. To cap it off, having my son, Marshall, recording us and being part of the experience has made the journey priceless. It is a path I could not have imagined and one that is so very special.

Goon (James), Kerry & Garry (1976)

We sincerely hope you enjoy the album. Topping things off we’re going to include a bonus track that will include Kerry Peterson on bass that we recorded at PCI studios with Mick Guzauski in 1975. It is our way of paying tribute to Kerry. In addition, Jimmy Duvall played pedal steel and Ben Gramm was the drummer. I’ll also add that it doesn’t happen to be one of our best tracks, but it sure is fun to listen to the song. The song is called “The Friendly Eastbound Train” and it could easily be a song for kids. But, we’re all kids, aren’t we?!

This album is dedicated to friends, former band mates and the folks who followed and remain following our music from the  1970’s. Thanks for being on the journey with us… ~Garry

THE KEY IS LOVE

Goon (Jame/Ethan) Wilson, Charlie Castilian and Garry Manuel are the three original members of Sunup and have remained best of friends for over 50 years plus! Keyboardist, Brian Soule, began playing with Sunup and on Garry's solo recordings in the early 80's, up through present day.

Additionally, Garry’s son, Marshall, has been the recording engineer, editor and mastered the latest sessions. He also was involved in the remastering of the older recordings.

Providing drums on the tune is talented friend, Billy Goodness, who played in a Top 40 Club band in 1979-80 with long-time Sunup bassist, Kerry Peterson (RIP) and Garry . So the connections reach back and are meaningful. There is an old, very short Sunup song that sums up this project: "The sun lights up like a bright orange lamp, to give you peace, to give you hope, to give you love.”

We sincerely hope the music you're about to be hearing will bring all those things to your hearts and minds. This album is intended to give long time followers of Sunup a taste of fun from the early days while also bringing new inspirations and thoughts of reflection with the newly written material. The songs will be both upbeat and fun, as well as thoughtful and poignant.

It is acknowledged that there are days that even though we sing ”The Key of Love” with all sincerity, it is very difficult to maintain the thoughts and impact of love in our daily lives, with all the chaos and hate that abound. Still, we DO strive to be about that vibe. One of the lines describes that feeling: "Oh the battles are raging. It's often hard not to give up. Your nerves have kept you pacing, while you look around to find some luck, but THE KEY IS LOVE.”

Please join us on the journey…

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6BbEw6Aac1PkzQzg3mmukZ?si=gJP9CCUkRbCc5GnfxVlWfw
Apple Music:
https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-key-is-love-single/1716016804 Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/track/328061910

LOOKING FOR SOME UNIQUE GIFT ITEMS?!

There are a couple good reasons to pick up some of our unique gift selections: 1) They are unique and many utilize Garry’s photography skills, which produce gifts that you won’t find elsewhere and 2) You are helping to support the production of music from Sunflare Songs artists.

Click this link: Sunflare Songs Gift & Memorabilia

Adirondack Mountain and Great Sacandaga Lake Gifts - Click this link for: Adirondack Gift Items

SUNUP COVERS JOHN PRINE'S CLASSIC "HELLO IN THERE"

We hope you enjoy out Sunup’s first release from the Sunup 50th Anniversary Album. This is a poignant tune written by John Prine that Sunup performed in the 1970’s. The song features Goon (James/Ethan) on lead vocals & acoustic guitar, Garry on acoustic & electric guitar and harmonies and Charlie Castilano on bass. These are the original 3 members of Sunup from 1973!

*BTW - yes, Goon has 3 names! If you're in CT, people know him as Ethan due to his radio gig on the I-95 Morning Show, and if you're family or friends or in upstate NY - it's Goon (which goes back to HS) and then there is James/Jim, which hardly anyone uses, unless they’re find it too awkward to cal him “Goon”.

We invite you to stream this tune and all those that will be released in the next several months.

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/track/7kSvth5PwSAXntAso64AiX...

Apple Music:

https://music.apple.com/.../hello-in-there/1700420784...

ROMANTIC KNOTS (Special Version - remix) by Garry Manuel

Romantic Knots was released a few years ago, but the process was a bit disjointed due to the pandemic hitting. Of course, we’ve never heard that before. There were some things missing in that original release. Although it was evident to Garry, it was an email exchange between his good friend and fellow bandmate, Brian Soule, that prompted him to step forward to make the changes. When Brian commented that while the song was one of his favorite tunes, he found the recording “disappointing.” He wasn’t wrong. In fact, the same was true with a song that he had played piano on, Words Won’t Do. After a short time of debating with himself as to whether to make the changes or not, Garry did. You can read about Words Won’t Do below; however, he went a couple steps further on Romantic Knots. Garry asked long time friend and former bandmate, Billy Goodness to play drums on the track. Billy heads up and plays with a Steely Dan cover band (Bad Sneakers) and at one time toured with country artist Ricky Van Shelton. Garry and Billy had played together in a Top 40 cover band in Rochester, NY called, Sweet Feelin’. The reuniting was wonderfully pleasant and successful. Billy laid down some absolutely terrific drum tracks, as you’ll note when listening to the song.

Billy Goodness

Additionally, we brought back the extraordinarily talented saxophonist/educator, Bill Tiberio, to stimulate the track to a greater degree, by having him take the second solo in the break to further amplify the conflict that is being set up by the lyric. Spontaneously, he added some harmonies with the guitar at the key change and they were HOT! We also had Bill play Garry’s lead guitar lines in unison. The results are evident…

Dan Dovideo

To round out the tune we wanted to add a piano and include some solid chording to strengthen the foundation and inject some added arpeggiated chords, also to add tension where the lyric demanded.. We brought in long time friend, Dan Dovideo, who was responsible for bringing on Garry to teach guitar at his store, Perinton Hills Music. They also played in a rock band together in high school. Garry often says that Dan, “was the only one in the band that really knew what he was doing.” Dan has recently been recording his own compositions with Marshall Manuel at RAMP (Rochester Area Music Project). Garry has wanted to have Dan be a guest on his recordings for some time. The timing seemed perfect, as many aspects of this project have turned out to be.

After Billy recorded the drums, Garry opted to re-record the acoustic guitar. His vocal pretty much remained in place.

We did not touch Chuck Bianchi’s bass track, as it was incredibly solid and lyrical, supplying a wonderful ingredient that often goes unnoticed. However, if that bass line wasn’t there the song would not be as effective .

Once again recorded at RAMP (Rochester Area Music Project), Marshall did an incredible job editing and leading people through the session. His ears on this project have been invaluable.

LAKESIDE AFTERNOON by Garry Manuel

Acoustic guitar instrumental

We're going to take you to a lake, with a peaceful setting, where the sun is shining and all your problems or cares seem to be swept away in the summer breeze and with the sound of waves. The simplistic nature of the acoustic guitar and the openness given to the tune are intentional. Relax...

Go to this place where your mind clears, your heart speaks and dreams come alive.

The setting for this music is the Great Sacaandaga Lake in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains of NY.

Garry performs Lakeside Afternoon on the beach where the song was inspired and composed. you’ll hear the sounds of summer and get a very authentic view of the meaning of the song. It is aimed to contain the same ingredients of a tone poem, but without a symphony. Instead, the natural sounds of summer provide the symphonic orchestration.

Words Won't Do - Garry Manuel (remix)

Stream now - links below!

Streaming on nearly all music platforms.

On Spotify

On Apple Music

The recording of this song began in 2019; however, as many stories have pointed out, the pandemic put some hurdles before us in accomplishing that task. The original track had drum plug-ins, (fake, for non-musicians). While Garry was pleased with the track, he knew it would be better with actual drums and percussion added. The drums and percussion were added by Ben Gramm. Ben had played on the early Sunup recordings and live concerts, so it was a logical fit. Garry admitted that, “It was so great to have Ben play on the track! I have so many meaningful relationships in the music world that extend quite a ways back.”

Garry plays all the guitars on the tracks, which include: several electrics, a nylon string and an acoustic steel string. He is responsible for the writing and production as well.

Chuck Bianchi, who has been a long time instructor at Manuel’s Music Studio, now Rochester Area Music Project, has laid down an absolutely perfect bass track.

Brian Soule, long time keyboardist with Sunup and former instructor at Manuel’s Music Studio played some tasteful piano.

And the recording engineer was once again, Garry’s son, Marshall, who has proved to be an excellent and brilliant technician, but who also, has great ears. The last point being perhaps the most important.

*An incredible video is on the way soon!

Words Won’t Do - Garry Manuel - Words Won't Do - Spotify

Words Won’t Do - Garry Manuel - Words Won't Do - Apple Music

Something Old and Something New - Back In Your Driveway

It was a notion that had been kicking around for some time. A number of years ago someone asked, “Are you going to release, Back In Your Driveway?” There really was no answer at the time, but a few others asked if some of the older recordings would be made available? Finally, after some deliberation, the answer is YES! Back In Your Driveway is now on most streaming platforms AND you can check out the video below.

Spotify:

Back In Your Driveway on Spotify

Apple Music:

Back In Your Driveway on Apple Music

Pandora

Back In Your Driveway on Pandora

The Dream Again EP

The Dream Again EP by Garry Manuel was released on September 16, 2022

Songs included:

• The Dream Again

• Pray for Rain

• Words Won't Do

• Romantic Knots

• Spontaneously Deep

Television Interview: August 19, 2022

Garry was featured in a piece by WTEN News 10 in Saratoga, discussing his love for horses and the music he has written to celebrate those experiences.

THEY'RE OFF!

• Music/Video Release inspired by Saratoga Racetrack history

• August Saratoga Horse Races

• Hall of Fame Horse Trainer Woody Stephens

And they’re off!...and so is the release of a new video: Saratoga Sunrise and Sunup’s new Extended Play recording (EP). Those who have come from near and far to Saratoga this August, share that bond of racing. They’re Off and accompanying songs and instrumentals will strengthen that bond.

The Saratoga Sunrise music/video captures some of those magical moments at the track. This song and video sets the mood for the beauty and power found in a morning at the racetrack in Saratoga.

The title track, They’re Off, was composed to run simultaneously with the classic race distance of a mile and a quarter, associated with the length of the Kentucky Derby, The Travers Stakes Race in Saratoga, and the Breeder’s Cup Classic. The song emulates the excitement of horses breaking from the gate to crossing the finish line.

Additionally, there is the song and video tribute to Hall of Fame Horse Trainer Woody Stephens. He was a charismatic personality and fan favorite in Saratoga, having won five consecutive Belmont Races in the 1980’s. Many consider him to be one of the best trainers of all time. He is responsible for Sunup’s growing affinity for horse racing.

Horse owner, singer-songwriter, and producer Garry Manuel adds guitars, vocals, bass, and strings to this musical experience. Brian Soule is on piano and keyboards. James (Goon) Wilson entwines vocals. All for the love of horses, sensing the experience through genres of acoustic rock, and the singer-songwriter. You'll also find Phil Lake on a couple drum tracks.

Excite your racing companions as you host at the races and crystallize the memories for a life of reflection. View and listen…

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/album/5XxTSYP1WfOuKm5P02z52U?si=gtCPOkh5TWKYFwdKy7H_VQ

Apple Music:

https://music.apple.com/us/album/theyre-off-ep/1630670072

Playlists:

Saratoga-Horses:

https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/saratoga-horses/pl.u-DdAN8Pau0Ke7o1

Horse Racing Playlist:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3gLrok7pmokolFdNKmuoxx?si=7f003b03a7d64fd0

The Dream Again

Garry Manuel - lead vocal, strings, electric and acoustic guitars
Narada Michael Walden - drums
Bill Tiberio - saxophone
Brian Soule - piano and keyboard
Dave Kluge - bass
Vocals: Diane Holmes, Stephanie LaBarge, Mary Manuel, Shawanda Owens, Caroline Rohlin and Karla von Aardt

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About “The Dream Again”

The majority of “The Dream Again” was written back in 1974. Yes, nearly fifty years ago! Sunup actually performed the song on WCMF-FM in a live concert. To have a better understanding of where my inspiration came for the tune you need to reflect back that the country was coming out of a time of severe unrest, much like we are experiencing now. War, street violence, the Civil Rights Movement, a push for restorative measures to help the environment, the Attica uprising, Kent State protesters being shot, arguments over rights to an abortion, a gas shortage and a corrupt president resigning, all took place in a fairly short time period. It didn’t seem that short at the time. Now that I’ve listed the turbulent issues of that time period it really makes you stop and think: “How much did we really learn?!” But the song was written as a welcoming of better times and a spirit of renewed hope after struggling through the many obstacles on the road to a better America. And, as I was in the process of preparing to record this song I felt the need to add a third verse that reflected how I was currently feeling. It seems for the majority of my life I’ve fed off hopes and dreams that have propelled me to strive toward achieving a musical goal and in many instances, working to erase injustice and the lingering effects of the tragic struggles we’ve endured. This optimism finds two people in love, walking in the morning sun toward a horizon holding promise and beauty. For me, being able to have this vision of beauty and what could be (earth as it is in heaven) has always seemed more easily found away from the noise of crowds and out in the open countryside. In the 1970’s many a musician hoped to live, write, record and play tunes in a beautiful little town about 30 miles south of the Rochester area in the Finger Lakes. You’ll see a glimpse at some of those images in the music video.

It seems that I had forgotten how much I had been emotionally tied to this dream. Apparently it never left my heart and mind. At one point while in the midst of recording the vocal, I actually broke down in tears. Marshall (my son and recording engineer) and I took a little break so I could regain my composure and finish the song. That moment became a pronouncement of the fact that the “dream” was still alive and not permanently buried. The spiritual journey never ends.  I am consistently falling short of my own expectations, while striving to apply biblical lessons toward attaining a better, more just and loving world.

Sadly, a couple months after recording the vocal and singing “I feel that dream again,” I found that the peace and beauty was once again being threatened. It was a metaphorical loud and jarring crash. All the factors from the turbulent times previously mentioned were all present and perhaps worse. It was and is depressing. How many times do we have to repeat the same mistakes? At this point I could almost write a book, but instead, I’ll just invite you on the spiritual journey with me and ask that you join me in singing the chorus. Perhaps God will hear our voices and our appeal, and guide us to steer away from the parts of life that hold no meaning and redirect us to consciously be better in every aspect of the word love. Make no mistake – it IS difficult. Yet, as parents, friends, and communities, shouldn’t we be able to say, “As I find the way, I’ll tell you what I know, and then we’ll ALL have a chance to go? Oh, I feel that dream again.”

My hope is that we’ll all be singing this together very soon…

Garry

“I played on this wonderful song cause I loved the line about “Gonna build me a church ⛪️ “
and I could put a deep groove on it.
Congrats Garry and beautiful team of believers. ”

— Nārada Michael Walden

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The Dream Again – My story with regard to Narada Michael Walden and Ray Charles

Most drummers know or have heard Narada Michael Walden, but many music listeners have not. I first experienced his playing when seeing him perform with the Mahavishnu Orchestra in 1975, when they were touring in support of Visions of the Emerald Beyond. Jeff Beck was the headliner that evening, at the Dome Arena in Rochester, NY, having just released his fusion LP, Blow By Blow. Narada was likely about 23 years old at the time. His drum skills and the energy he poured into the music were over the top - extraordinary.  

The following year we found Narada writing and playing on Jeff Beck’s Wired album. When Narada released his first solo album, Garden of Lovelight, I bought two copies of the album and an 8-track tape that I wore out while listening as I rode in my Chevy van. Sunup was playing a gig in the Green Mountains of Vermont and I’ll never forget cruising the winding roads, blasting that album in the van. Some of the guest performers on that album were: Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana and I loved Ray Gomez’s guitar playing throughout that disc.

Others may recognize Narada’s name from producing Grammy Award winning hits from Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin. You’ll find him playing on Journey’s new album, or on a Chick Corea or Weather Report album. He is both talented and versatile.

I’ve continued following Narada ever since 1975 and was so thrilled when he released his EP, Rising Sun, about ten years ago. He re-recorded several of my favorite Narada tunes, like, Dance of Life. You should definitely check out these tunes on your favorite streaming platform.

There are many drummers that I have such deep respect for and some are right here in Rochester. But the two I have loved listening to and followed over the decades are Narada and Steve Gadd (who is from Rochester). The two of them have so many awards with a scrolling list of the many great musicians they’ve performed or recorded with over the past 50 years. 

I’m going to make a long story even longer! The first impactful album I received as a gift when I was about 9 years old was, Ray Charles in Person on Atlantic Records. I still have that album. It was recorded live in the rain, in Atlanta and I was just crazy about that album. I can remember lifting the needle on the turntable and playing certain parts of that recording over and over. It propelled me to want to be a singer, and when the Beatles came on the scene that just pushed toward that desire full throttle. 

In 1967 or 1968 I was in my senior year in high school and playing with a rock band. I managed to convince most of the band that we should go hear Ray Charles at the Auditorium Theatre in Rochester, NY. We had first and second row seats. Billy Preston was with him on the organ. I was mesmerized at how Ray would completely crawl into a song to make it so powerful. He played “The Sun Died” and I had tears rolling out of my eyes. My band mates didn’t all share the same enthusiasm about the show that I did, which was disappointing. How could that have been possible?! I left that night with a newfound dream of playing the Auditorium Theatre. About six years later I did get to play there with Sunup, opening for Jackson Browne and Linda Ronstadt. That is another story, which I’ll leave alone for now.

Back to Narada…

In early January I reached out to Narada to ask if he’d play on one of the songs I was recording. Nearly everything was laid down in the recording process. The song choice was, “The Dream Again”, which had deep meaning for me. Narada was the perfect drummer for this song, not only because of his drum style, but also due to his deep sense of spirituality and desire to bring true peace in the world.

Once I connected with him I sent him the tracks we had and then, I wouldn’t hear back for a while, so then I’d persist in reconnecting and resend the track at his request. This probably went on for two months before there was a sign that this pairing might occur. I remember saying to Bill Tiberio when he was in recording his parts, “I’m going to reach out to Narada Michael Walden to play on the track. I sincerely believe he will.” Bill concurred. 

I have a friend, Bob Naramore, who is a very gifted artist. He was ramping up his artwork and working on a portrait of Ray Charles. One morning I was checking out Facebook posts and saw that he was working on that painting. The painting, though unfinished at the time, knocked me out. In mid-March I again saw a post that the painting was finished and was just so drawn to this painting. My reaction to wanting to grab this painting was immediate; however, I was working on the album, videos, recording, marketing and much more. It really was bad timing from a monetary standpoint.

The next day, it was still on my mind. I woke up and put on this Ray Charles T-shirt that I purchased shortly after he died. I don’t wear it very often, because I want to preserve it and my wife says it makes me look fat. She might be right. Anyway, I sat around doing my usual morning routines and then I just caved. I reached out to Bob and said I wanted to buy the painting, because it was absolutely wonderful and held a lot of meaning for me.

In the mid-afternoon I went for a walk. I was about halfway through my walk and my cell phone rang. It was a beautiful day and a couple dogs were barking and carrying on as I walked along this dead end street. It was a number that I didn’t recognize, but I did see that it was the same area code as Tarpan Studios (Narada’s recording studio), so I opted to answer. Sure enough, it was Narada telling me he’d play on the track. He was kind, upbeat, straight forward and quick, but uplifting in his conversation. To say that I was thrilled would be an understatement. I was going to be able to complete this track with musicians who are great friends of mine, but would also include one of my favorite drummers in the world, who I felt certain would lift this track to another level – and did!

As a gesture of my appreciation for Narada performing on “The Dream Again,” I sent him a print of the Ray Charles painting I had just purchased, and followed up with an email giving a little story about Ray Charles’ influence on me. He sent me back a photo of him holding the print and then expressed to me what an impactful album that was for him as well. He said, “I carried that album with me in the snow in Michigan…I would be 7! My fav.  Funny, before I read this I was showing that album to Kim Rea in my studio.”

My hope is that you’re able to see how one inspiration sparked another and how that inspiration propelled a vision for the pursuit of a dream that went far beyond the music? The icing on the cake for me is being able to create this music with my son, Marshall. Being the recording engineer, he was able to follow me as I took these steps, hopefully, understanding that the pursuit of a vision and a dream is possible, but not necessarily easy. You must persist even when it may seem you’re on your last drop of hope – especially in these turbulent times.

My hope is that when you’re listening to this song that it would bring back a vision or serve to inspire you toward pursuit of a dream of a deep and meaningful experience. I believe we all want to sense and feel “The Dream Again.”

Garry

Pray for Rain

Have you had that feeling where you’ve been so emotionally whipped that your heart becomes calloused? Your feelings have become so hardened that there are scarcely any emotions or tears left to cry. A love, you’ve fully invested in, has betrayed your trust. The defense mechanisms within you are up all the way and your sense of love has been paralyzed. Yet still, planted somewhere deep inside, there is an ever-present gnawing to let all the resentment out. There is a growing desire to be free from the chains of the past, to abandon your stoic nature, that will mean shedding some tears and becoming vulnerable once again. Pray for Rain plants you in that scenario.

Release date: June 17th, 2022 on most music streaming platforms

Garry Manuel - songwriter, producer, lead vocal, electric & acoustic guitars

Marshall Manuel - recording engineer, editing, mastering engineer, drum edits

Brian Soule - keyboard

Bill Tiberio - saxophone

Frank Rauck - bass

Stephanie LaBarge - vocals

Diane Holmes - vocals

New Tunes are About to Roll Out in 2022…

Garry Manuel

The album has been planned for over a couple years; with two songs already out on the streaming platforms. Three songs are finished; two are nearly complete, with three others on their way to completion. Why the delay? The answer to that question has to do with a topic that we are all sick of talking about – Covid. So, we’ll just move on.

I’m VERY excited about offering up my first solo album. Nearly everything I’ve done, with regard to recording material, has been associated with Sunup. There have been about three versions of the group over the decades of performing and recording. In fact, we hope to have another album recorded by the end of the year (although, we’ve said that before). This brings me back to the current project that will include many of the Sunup alumni and long time music friends. In addition, my son, Marshall, is the recording engineer. Yes, I am biased, but he has great ears and is very adept in the mixing realm and I’m extremely happy with the outcomes. This will also be the first time my immediate family will all have been part of one of my recording projects!

I’ve been blessed with a roster of extraordinary talent and wonderful friends filling the roles needed with regard to the various instruments and vocals on these tracks! I’m quite certain you’ll concur once you’re able to grab a listen.

I’d like to introduce you to these musicians, and since I don’t know where to begin, I’ll just begin by going alphabetically:

Dave Arenius is playing upright bass with his beautiful sounding instrument from the early 1800s. He has played and still plays with numerous jazz artists in the Rochester, NY area and he was part of Sunup and a recording we did in the 90s that was not released. But, who knows, maybe one of those tunes will become a bonus track? He is performing on a Stevie Wonder cover.

Chuck Bianchi has been a bass instructor at our music studio for many years, who is a grad from Berklee School of Music, plays in the group, Brass Taxi, has performed at shows at Geva Theatre, released an album with our longtime music buddy and fellow guitar instructor, Jerry Preston, and has just assisted his wife in opening a vegetarian/vegan café named the Hollycake House. He brings a great sensitivity and some wonderful lines on electric bass to the songs, Words Won’t Do and Romantic Knots.

Diane Holmes – I first heard Diane sing with The Salzano Big Band at Red Creek and was just completely knocked out by her vocals. She has a long resume of singing jazz and blues with a variety of artists. She also happens to sing quite a bit on Sunup’s, Saratoga Sunrise album. She should have her own recordings out! I’ve appreciated her talent for so many years. You’ll hear her voice on The Dream Again and Pray for Rain.

Dave Kluge is a multi-instrumentalist, who plays with many great jazz groups, worship bands and is a songwriter and arranger, as well as being a music teacher in Rush Henrietta School. He plays electric and upright bass. Dave took guitar and bass lessons at our music studio years ago and then went on to SUNY Fredonia. Speaking as an instructor, you always hope that your students will surpass your abilities and continue on to love music and be successful. Dave has excelled and surpassed any of those expectations. He is also a warm and caring human being. He can be heard on The Dream Again.

Stephanie LaBarge has sung a lot of Gospel and worship music, also performing with a number of groups, and in fact, with the Bill Tiberio Band. We go back a distance, as we played and sang in worship bands together at church for many years. She and her husband Dave, have been longtime friends. In fact, I use Dave’s business, LaBarge Media, for music videos and with the non-profit I founded back in 2002. You’ll hear Steph belting some strong and impassioned vocals on The Dream Again and Pray for Rain.

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Marshall Manuel is, of course, my son, who is one heck of a sound engineer. In addition, he is a wonderful songwriter, singer, guitarist, and creator of Beats. He also works with other artists, and produces some singer-songwriters, R&B, Hip Hop and Rap artists. He graduated from the New England School of Communications and is presently running our music studio, RAMP (Rochester Area Music Project).

Mary Manuel, aside from being my wife and an incredible talent, is one of the finest and most caring persons you’ll ever meet. That is probably why she was a longtime general music teacher in the elementary school at Penfield, NY. She is a wonderful pianist, who will also have a classical release coming out soon! I know I am biased, but she truly is one of the finest human beings on the planet and I’m truly blessed to have her in my life! It was fitting to have her singing on The Dream Again.

Shawanda Owens has to be one of the finest Gospel vocalists anywhere. Her vocal range is off the charts! I met Shawanda when working with her mom, volunteering in a program that provided opportunities and a healthy meal on Saturday mornings at a church in downtown Rochester. Shawanda has a dynamite Gospel recording out that I urge you to check out. That is why she is a perfect fit as one of the primary vocalists in The Dream Again!

Frank Rauck plays electric bass on Pray for Rain. We go back a ways too! We played in bands together and he is responsible for laying down some of the best tracks ever on Sunup’s, Saratoga Sunrise album. Check out songs Woody and Sunday Ride. He played these tracks with a feel and finesse that a songwriter/producer hopes will occur. It was wonderful having him lend his talents to this session once again.

Caroline Rohlin is a longtime, wonderful friend who has performed in multiple bands and in the worship setting for years. While her father was a vocal professor at the Eastman School of Music, Caroline inherited a natural talent, that allows her to belt out notes both beautifully and with a ton of power. You’ll hear her soulful strains in The Dream Again.

Brian Soule is responsible for the majority of piano and keyboards on most of the tracks. You’ve seen or heard Brian perform with Sunup since the early 80s. He brings his own style and sensitivity to the songs, along with his humor and wit. Our musical introduction and friendship trace all the way back to the mid-70s.

Bill Tiberio has had his own performing jazz band with several album releases, that include former Sunup drummer, Phil Lake. Bill plays in the Rochester, NY area, sitting in with many of the top performing jazz musicians. On top of that, he teaches music in Fairport High School, Jazz at Ithaca College and SUNY Geneseo. When you hear the phrase, “eat, sleep and breathe music”, you have to think of Bill. He not only brought his incredible talent to the sessions, but an uplifting and positive vibe as well. Bill is playing saxophone on The Dream Again and Pray for Rain.

Karla van Aardt is one of my former guitar students, who just soaked up everything she could in a lesson and has become not only a fantastic guitarist, but, a wonderful songwriter and vocalist. Karla brings a very positive energy to whatever she is working on. You’ll hear her singing, “Oh, I feel that dream again!” She was also part of the Jazz Band at Fairport High, under Bill Tiberio’s direction.

by Garry Manuel

Video: Saratoga Sunrise by Sunup

It's no secret, if you've been following our news/blog page or Facebook postings, you know that Garry has quite a long running history with his affection for horses, from having friends who owned horses, assisting friends with care of their horses and being introduced to horse racing in 1978 and meeting Hall of Fame horse trainer, Woody Stephens, back in 1988 (see Woody Stephens story below). One of his passions is photographing horses and some of that work can be found in video tribute to Woody and also, the latest music video, Saratoga Sunrise. He is not shy about introducing people to the world of horse racing and now is involved with partnerships that own thoroughbreds. So, what do songwriters do? They write songs about topics they're passionate about, and with Garry there is no exception.

Garry has been working on a solo album project for well over a year. The pandemic played a role in slamming the brakes on the project, as there were many musicians and vocalists that he wanted to include on the recordings. Things have started up again, but this is how it's rolling, "I really wanted to get more of the recording down during the summer, but I stayed longer in the Adirondack Mountains than I originally anticipated. But, it was well worth it on many levels. Lining up the musicians to record doesn't always fall into line as easily as you think it might, so it's looking like instead of a Fall 2021 release we may be looking at Winter 2022. I'm very eager to have the music out there! Two tracks are available on the streaming platforms."

There is the possibility of another single and new video being released before the album is completed. Be watching our Facebook page!

How far back do Goon & I go?

A long way back...

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WMCC at Monroe Community College — 1971

Goon and I were at Monroe Community College and both really into radio. The station only broadcasted through the college, but we had a great time sifting through the albums and checking new artists out. I taped a couple of the shows on a reel-to-reel deck. I made up what could be considered almost a "set list", often with some subtle or sometimes not so subtle music commentary on the Viet Nam War or racial strife. Things were quite unsettled then, but may even be worse now, because we don't seem to learn well. It's either that or we have short memory spans.

Goon and I began recording in 1970, but not as Sunup. In fact, we were recording in mono with Mick Guzauski. I borrowed a friend’s electric guitar to record with. It was a Gibson Firebird - a unique sounding and playing instrument and I owned played a horrible old Gibson acoustic. We recorded three of my original songs. The drummer on those tracks was Rob Day and the interesting thing about the link to Rob is that his daughter emailed me this past year asking if she could put a home video together using one of the songs to put up on Facebook. That is something I never expected, but it was fun to go back and listen to those songs once again.

Goon and I did a few gigs as a duo. One gig was to include our good friend, Jim Tomkinson, who also sings on the Woody track. A friend at the college introduced me to Jim and he thought we should get together and play. Jim's style was very much like James Taylor. After all, they were both JT! The original plan was to have Jim join the two of us as part of an "official" group. The first gig at the college Jim showed up when we were half way through the gig. He said he had a flat. Another time, we were rehearsing at my parent's house and when Jim didn't show up Goon and I just rehearsed without him. Well, it turns out he did show up, but we were finished rehearsing and heading out the door. At that point we decided that Jim probably wasn't going to work out; however, we remained great friends until his passing a few years ago. And in fact, Jim often played with his cousin, Brian Soule, and that is how we wound up getting hooked up with Brian playing keyboards with us.

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At the Olde Bryan Inn in Saratoga Springs, NY — 2019

Soon after, Goon went to Ithaca College to pursue his degree in communications and gain experience as a broadcaster. Every once in a while I'd drive down to Ithaca when his roommate was going to be gone for the weekend. We'd listen to music and play guitars. You'd have thought we would have gone out somewhere, but neither of us had any money. We were lucky to be able to buy a slice of pizza! I was barely able to scrape together gas money to get there and back. As most of you know, Goon left for a full-time jock gig in Danbury, CT in 1979, where he still works even today. You can hear him in the morning on I-95 (WRKI) or dial in through the internet. He and his radio partner, Lou Milano, go from 6am until 10am during the week. It is a Classic Rock station, so no, you won't hear any Sunup tunes.

Tribute to Hall of Fame trainer, Woody Stephens

Woody Stephens, Hall of Fame horse trainer, who passed in 1998, precipitated my interest in horse racing. Many an August morning I would go to the track in Saratoga to photograph the horses working out and to simply soak in the majestic beauty of the horses.  Several of those mornings I’d see a small crowd gathering with one of the trainers chatting with group. It was Woody Stephens. He wasn’t shy about bragging about the horses he trained or his prospects for winning. He made you feel like you were one of the members of his private group and I enjoyed listening to his stories, as well as his assessment of the horses he had trained. Woody was truly an ambassador for the sport of Thoroughbred Horse Racing. 

It just so happens that clips of what may be my favorite race of all time are in this video. Forty Niner was a hard knocking colt who was one of the favorites for the Kentucky Derby, and though he didn’t win that particular race, he had a string of Grade I wins and one happened to be the Travers Stakes in 1988. That race was as about as exciting a race that you’ll ever see and I’m so thankful that we were there. 

My wife and I would visit the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame many times on off-season visits to Saratoga Springs, NY.  For a long period of time there was a special film they showed every hour about horse racing. The photography, video and interviews really showed the beauty of the horse and the racing world. One day when we walked out of the museum I just couldn’t stop thinking that the song about Woody, that I had been working on, would provide a great backdrop to a film about Woody.  I was in the midst of recording the Sunup album, titled, Saratoga Sunrise. I’m not sure if I ever put as much into writing a tune. There were many rewrites, as well as scratched out verses and many subtle musical nuances within the song.

Of course, this dream did not unfold before Woody died, although I had suggested it. I was a struggling musician at the time, who couldn’t fund it on my own and was never comfortable asking people for money. This was before there was crowd funding. But, the thought never left my head or heart. This project would have been much easier if tackled while Woody was still alive. As is often said, better late than never…

My hope is that this 5 minute plus tribute to Woody Stephens will not only give you a glimpse into the life of a great horseman, but also, into a behind the scenes care and training of the thoroughbred. If you’ve never been to the track or visited the workouts in the morning, I encourage you to do so. Just think, one summer day a person asked if I’d ever been to the track? And when I said, “No.” She said, “You ought to just try going once.” The rest is history…

I want to give a shout out to those who were in on the Sunup recording of Woody:

James Wilson (affectionately known to most Rochesterians as Goon), on vocals, Brian Soule on piano, Phil Lake on drum programming, Frank Rauck on bass, Paul Hofmann on synth strings and our good friend, Jim Tomkinson, who unfortunately passed several years ago, on vocals. The recording engineer was Bob Potter and the song was re-mastered by my son, Marshall Manuel. I wrote, produced, played acoustic guitar and shared the vocal duties.

In addition thanks go to John Wager at Galileo Media Arts, who was Producer & Editor and had to put up with my constant reference to the horse racing world and my consistent additions to the photographs and videos included for the project.  https://galileomediaarts.com

I also want to say how much I appreciated the contributions of photographs and video to make this project a reality to the following:

• Bob  & Adam Coglianese (link)

• Gene Devine (link)

• www.dreammakerracing.com from Blue Stone Farm (video of young foal)

• Dell Hancock from Claiborne Farms – I thank her for digging out the old photos and sending them to me for use in this tribute to Woody.

• Barbara D. Livingston – award winning photographer and horse lover. Please check out her books (Northshire Books in Saratoga) and her photos are offered in the National Racing Museum and Hall of Fame and other spots.

• Elizabeth Lundberg – who dug out an old photo of Woody out on the track.

• Janet Malloy-Garaguso – a wonderful morning shot with horse and rider.

• New York Racing Association (NYRA) – Eric Donovan for the footage of the 1988 Travers Stakes Race, which as mentioned, is perhaps my favorite race of all time.

• Amanda Olds – who is works with trainer, Brad Cox, and allowed us to use the video of her working the horse on the backstretch.

• Harold Roth at Horsephotos – who provided some great older, historical photos that I couldn’t find elsewhere!

• Alex (Wei) Zhang – is an awesome photographer who contributed several of his incredible photos into the mix, which enhance the production even more.

• The majority of the cinematography and still photos were shot by yours truly.

Again, my sincere thanks to all who helped make this endeavor possible and to you for watching and listening to this tribute to Woody Stephens.

Garry

Don't Lose the Meaning and Purpose

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Before Covid-19 pandemic hit we were rekindling relationships on a regular basis, reconnecting with many people with whom we don't have regular contact. When the pandemic hit, it seemed like there were several weeks where people that we knew from the 1970s were reconnecting - it was wonderful. As I (Garry) began to reflect upon the 1969-1979 time period, it became an unveiling of memories and a realization of just how important that decade was to me and, apparently to others. In a span of a couple weeks I had emailed or spoken on the phone with many of our friends. When I do reflect, I always think of Kerry Peterson and Jim Tomkinson. Both of these wonderful gentlemen have passed too soon. Sunup tunes will pop up on our playlists and I marvel at the wonderful bass lines that Kerry laid down on those tracks. I"m working on a music/video tribute to Woody Stephens, so I often hear Jim singing lines in the song Woody. In my mind I can see their faces and inside I'm smiling at our wonderful friendship and the impactful music history we shared together.

Recently, it was so wonderful to have Brian Soule play piano on a track I wrote for my wife, called, 'Words Won't Do.' [Spotify LInk]

I've recently heard from our old friend and photographer, Jeffrey Rollins, who dug out an old photo from an MCC yearbook (perhaps the last one ever produced?) of Goon and I spinning tunes at the radio station. Sunup would spring forth from that love of music and radio. Goon (Ethan Carey) from 1979 and continuing to this day is one of the leading jocks in Danbury, CT on classic rock station (I-95). You can catch his morning show during the week. Even if you're not in that vicinity, you can call it up on the internet. On Father's Day, we had a wonderful phone chat and concurred with the power of the relationships that were created and remain in Rochester, NY.

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About a month ago, after mowing the lawn, I was relaxing outside and a Sunup song came on the playlist which triggered me thinking of my good friend and former Sunup manager, Bob Rice. It had been WAY too long since we spoke. I couldn't remember how many years back it was when I randomly decided to stop at his house and reconnect. He was working at the UR and we skimmed over a quick view of life and when I left, he handed me a CD of his son's wedding music. Apparently that visit was further back than I imagined. I picked up my cell phone and dialed his number. It was a number I hadn't called in over 15 years, and without having it in my contact list, I punched his phone number in just like it was 1973! We had several Sunup events, with the most prominent being our reunion gig at Mickey Finn's in Victor in 2007. But, Bob did not come. His daughter took piano lessons at my music studio when I first opened. For many years I wondered, what did I do to offend him? I was deeply perplexed, because he was a great friend and did so many great things for Sunup in the 1970s. We'd go to his house for band meetings and Cathy (his wife) would make these incredible hors d'oeuvre of prosciutto and melon, putting up with us being there late in the evening. When I called I was somewhat cautious because I knew that peoples’ numbers change or maybe I misdialed.

A woman answered, and I asked, “Is the residence of Bob Rice?” She answered somewhat reluctantly, “Yes, it is.” I then said, “This is Garry Manuel, is Bob there?” Her reply was, “Bob died 15 years ago.” I erupted into tears and sobbed on and off (mostly on) for our conversation. I was so bowled over that I don't think I retained everything she told me. It was lung cancer, and Bob did smoke cigarettes, but mostly, cigars. I felt so horrible that I wasn’t there for the service or to see him before he was in his new home. I'm not sure I have fully recovered from that call.

Not so long ago I had a wonderful chat with Kevin Cuatt, and he was reflecting on the time we opened for Jackson Browne and Linda Ronstadt at the Auditorium Theatre. There is MUCH I could say about that day, but I don't think there is enough room here. I also chat with Kevin's mom quite a bit (Marie Cuatt) and we do deep dives into our relationships, politics and spiritual reflections. Again, these relationships molded my life and the experiences of that time period put the most important stamp in my heart and mind, whether it be music, friendships or God.

As you may have seen, we had a mini-Sunup reunion in Saratoga with Goon, Mindy and Charlie and Barb Castilano back in November. We all stayed at the Springwater B & B in Saratoga. It was filled with laughter, stories, fine dining, music and some deep conversation.

Charlie and Barb and Ed Castilano were here a couple weeks ago to help celebrate my retirement from teaching guitar. It was a wonderful evening under our maple and pine trees. And I'll mention, we since have had several gathering under those same trees and we're beginning to believe that spot seems to have a magical aura, along with the wind chimes.

My sister (Lynne Manuel) has also kept her circle of friends intact for decades. It is another testimony to the power and necessity of sharing life with friends.

All these people that I speak of know the good, bad and the ugly about each other’s lives. Believe me when I say that I've had more than my share of screw ups and many of my own making. It is the fabric that is woven together that makes each of our experiences special. Being connected is so important and it IS the heartbeat of life. Value these times and friends. 

I'm going to leave you with two things: 1)Call someone today that you've thought about calling, know that you should, but just haven't and 2) If you feel like grabbing the vibe of the Sunup connection, you can just go here:
https://itunes.apple.com/…/sunup-days-r…/pl.u-DdANvpou0Ke7o1

Last, but certainly not least, I am so grateful for the life I have with my wife and son, Marshall. To quote Stevie Wonder, "Mary wants to be a superwoman," and she IS.

If you got this far, thank you! Make the most of your days!

Garry Manuel (of Sunup) Releasing Two New Songs May 1st!

Sunflare Songs/Records is excited to announce that on May 1st Garry Manuel will be debuting two ballads (Romantic Knots and Words Won’t Do) for release.  Both songs are Garry’s compositions and feature him on vocals, guitars and production. Another very satisfying aspect of this recording for Garry is the fact that his son, Marshall Westlake Manuel, is the recording engineer and co-producer on the tunes and upcoming album. Additionally, Charles Bianchi, who has been a bass instructor at the Manuel’s music studio (now named Rochester Area Music Project  - RAMP) for many years, laid down the wonderful electric bass tracks for the recordings. Former Sunup keyboardist, Brian Soule, joins on Words Won’t Do, which is an instrumental piece that Garry wrote for his wife.

Romantic Knots: APPLE MUSIC SPOTIFY AMAZON KICKBOX

Words Won’t Do: APPLE MUSIC SPOTIFY AMAZON

The Covid-19 restrictions curtailed the current recording process in working with the other session musicians. Consequently, the album will be unfolding over time. It will also include some covers, as well as some new songs Garry has held in his back pocket for a while. Stay tuned!