Ray Santisi at Club Caravan

“Camp, yes. Funky, too. And, for great straight-ahead jazz, the Boston area's best kept secret is the Bob Gallo Quintet's Saturday afternoon jazz series at Club Caravan in Revere. Gallo, on tenor sax, shares the bandstand with Tony Lada (trombone), rotating (bass), rotating (drums), and Ray Santisi (piano).

The musicians love this gig. What they prize most is the freedom to experiment, interact, and stretch themselves in a very relaxed, appreciative setting. Tony Lada relishes the weekly musical workouts at these sessions. “We have a conversation up there, Bob and I, and with the rhythm section, too...

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“Camp, yes. Funky, too. And, for great straight-ahead jazz, the Boston area's best kept secret is the Bob Gallo Quintet's Saturday afternoon jazz series at Club Caravan in Revere. Gallo, on tenor sax, shares the bandstand with Tony Lada (trombone), rotating (bass), rotating (drums), and Ray Santisi (piano).

The musicians love this gig. What they prize most is the freedom to experiment, interact, and stretch themselves in a very relaxed, appreciative setting. Tony Lada relishes the weekly musical workouts at these sessions. “We have a conversation up there, Bob and I, and with the rhythm section, too

This is great ensemble playing—all quality, no bombast. The rhythm section is tight and versatile as they come. Santisi, a supple pianist, is an effortless master of his keyboard with a lush harmonic sense. Pity the Caravan doesn't have an acoustic piano—that would enhance his sound.

This club is redolent of the fifties and sixties, replete with that afternoon gloom, colored lights, and cardboard palm trees from the time “jazz was played in small places, dark places, smoky places.”

Although this is essentially an instrumental gig, there is a weekly rotation of local singers. From seasoned talent to new faces, they each add something different to the mix: the R&B overtones and phrasing of Fulani Haynes; the sure understatement of Jim Porcella's ballads; the impeccable time of Steve Marvin; and the warmth, swing, and charm of Charlie Harris, to mention a few.“

Revere Advocate Newspaper, April 29, 2005.

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