Jason Castonguay: Press

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COURTESY: JASON CASTONGUAY

Jason Castonguay

Jazz extrordinaire, Jason Castonguay, just completed a 27 song CD entitled, "Jason Castonguay--Concert Pianist And Vocalist, Plays And Sings 27 Of Your Requests." The story of this amazing young man reads like a page from the Book of Miracles, as, a result of prematurity at birth rendered him 100% blind.
Jason came to Trod Nossel last month with Assistant, Mr. Ronald Hughes, intending to compile and complete his 27-song collection in time for his June 7 Spring Concert. To the delight of his fans, Jason completed the project with Engineers, Tyler Wilkinson and Paul Mocadlo, without a hitch in a 2 CD set. We were honored that he chose our studio for his project, entertaining the staff during the recording process, while spreading inspiration throughout.

Though jazz is his specialty, he is a concert pianist and vocalist well-versed in classical and oldies. Jason's talent and engaging personality astounds audiences as he performs, humorously dialogues, and infuses them with inspiration. Behind a misleading boyish appearance, Jason is a man of independent conviction and determination--gifted in just about all he does. He exudes the true sense of spirit, when the masses would have folded in the face of his adversity, he uses everything he's got to his advantage and is really making a name for himself.

Jason began belting out the tunes at the ripe young age of 3, and with the loving support of his Mother and family, the right move was made to enroll him in classical music lessons at age 4. He attended regular schools as he was determined not to be looked upon as a person with a disability, but instead, as a person with a gift. He adapted well to this, and by the age of 13, he developed a taste for jazz.


Jason with the New Britain Symphony Orchestra.
Courtesy: www.musicalmomentswithjason.com

He began playing out and has consistently been a working musician for many years. There are too many accomplishments to name for this unique talent in this piece, such as being named, "Connecticut Idol," "HSO's Search For A Star," and more.

We tend to forget how lucky we all are to have the gift of sight, but Jason didn't let that set him back. We should all be more like him, seizing opportunities no matter what, pursuing our dreams tenaciously, vigorously and passionately.

Treat yourself to some inspiration. Visit Jason's site where you can read all about him, his work, his life, where you can see him live, and hear clips.

We hope his story touches you as it has us.

Story Courtesy: Ronald Hughes, Jason Castonguay and www.musicalmomentswithjason.com

Manchester's Maestro


MANCHESTER-- East of the River may not be as dull as the Hartford Courant, Connecticut Magazine, and their acolytes make it out to be. We may not have the Bushnell Memorial and the Hartford Stage Company, but we are not bereft of sophistication.

And by east of the river, we don't mean only the Connecticut, but also the Hudson. Esquire magazine may have opened the surburban curtain by recognizing that Shady Glen's cheeseburger is one of the five best on its national list. Those of us who have enjoyed it for years, and did not read Esquire, knew it anyway.

And now we have gone a step further. The Cafe Carlisle, the home of Bobby Short, Eartha Kitt, and other famous entertainers, not only has local competition, but those who have enjoyed its supper club need no longer head for the big city for an enjoyable evening.

The bar area in Cavey's restaurant now features Jason Castonguay, piano playing chanteur. He is creating a sophisticated atmosphere that need not take a back seat to its big city rivals. Castonguay sings the great old songs of the '30s and '40s (and occasionally '50s, '60s, '70s, and '80s), while accompanying himself on the piano.

An eclectic pianist in the jazz tradition--reminiscent, at times, of George Shearing, of Oscar Peterson, and of Errol Garner--Castonguay has also appeared with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and has been a finalist for "American Idol." He not only holds his own against big city competition but, with the help of Cavey's kitchen, puts its Big City competition to shame.

Castonguay provides an evening of musical pleasure that allows us to stay home in these green suburbs and enjoy everything our big city friends boast about. And at prices we can afford.

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Photo, Lellloyd F. Alleyne, Jr/Journal Inquirer
"Concert pianist and vocalist Jason Castonguay performs at Cavey's restaurant."

Jason Castonguay started playing on a keyboard at age 3, when his
mother gave him and his twin brother a toy organ.
One day his mother discovered him playing "The Star-Spangled Banner" on
the little organ. Soon after that, he had figured out "Silent Night."
So he started taking piano lessons when he was 4.
Now, 23 years later, he has performed on the piano everywhere from Las
Vegas to the Bushnell Auditorium in Hartford.
But he doesn't learn new pieces by reading music on a page any more
than he did at age 3. Castonguay, who has been blind all his life,
learns music using just his ears and his hands.
When one sense is lost, "I think you pay more attention to the others,"
he says.
He's not sure how much his blindness has affected the acuity of his
hearing and his musical ability. But, for whatever reason, music "comes
very easily to me," he says.
Besides playing the piano, Castonguay plays the accordion and the
clarinet.
He usually sings while he plays the piano. He says he feels "a little
funny" doing one without the other.
He comes from a musical family, with a couple of brothers who, between
them, can play the guitar, banjo, and mandolin.
Classical music isn't the only kind of music he plays. When he was
around age 12, he began studying jazz, which he continued to study at
Central Connecticut State University.
Castonguay graduated from CCSU in 2003 with bachelor's degrees in music
performance and computer technology.
He builds and repairs computers and has a great interest in telephones,
especially old telephones, which he collects. Castonguay can identify
the model of a phone or the service provider of a cell phone based on a
ring he hears from across the room.
During and after college, Castonguay performed with the New Britain
Symphony Orchestra. A couple of years ago, he bested about 100 other
candidates to perform at the Bushnell Auditorium with the Hartford
Symphony Orchestra.
He also won the "Connecticut Idol" vocal contest sponsored by WTIC-TV61
in 2004. That led him to another round of competition in Las Vegas,
where he got to perform for about 9,000 people in a stadium.
"They all jumped to their feet and applauded," says his assistant and
promoter, Ronald Hughes.
Castonguay regularly plays piano and sings at weddings and other events
as well as at nursing homes, where the residents appreciate the old
standards he performs for them. He even played at a funeral once
because the deceased person, a former resident of a nursing home where
Castonguay had performed, wanted his music to be part of the funeral.
About a year ago, Castonguay started playing piano and singing at
Cavey's restaurant in Manchester on Thursday and Friday nights. A
friend had told him the restaurant was looking for a pianist.
At Cavey's, Castonguay enjoys bantering with the waiters and waitresses
and interacting with the audience, taking requests, and tailoring his
performance to the mood of the room.
He hopes to continue his musical career for a long time to come.
"Ultimately I anticipate being able to travel, being able to perform
for captive audiences, and record," he says.
For more information about Castonguay, visit:
www.musicalmomentswithjason.com
Castonguay plays piano and sings in the Cavey's lounge from 6 to 9:30
p.m. on Thursday nights and from 7 to 10:30 p.m. on Friday nights.

Pop quiz. What do the songs "The Way We Were," "If Ever I Would Leave You," "Let's Give Them Something to Talk About," "Ukulele Lady," "Mr. Cellophane," and "Honky Tonk Merry-Go-Round" have in common?

If you answered nothing, you'd be right--sort of.

They are all from different musical genres and popularized by widely divergent artists. The vocal stylings of Barbra Streisand, Bonnie Raitt and Joel Grey aren't even in the same music hall, so to speak.

So, what the heck am I talking about?

All of the songs listed above, and about a dozen and half others, were performed by Jason Castonguay last Friday evening at Prospect United Methodist Church.

Jason is a pianist and vocalist of extraordinary talent that manifests itself in the uncanny ability to offer flawless renditions of every possible musical form.

In the second set alone he performed a Hawaiian ditty, a Fleetwood Mac standard, a show-stopper from Bob Fosse's "Chicago," an opera song--in Italian--called "Amarili," and the Cole Porter romp, "It's D'lovely." Oh, yeah, and a Mozart piece that had grown men trying not to cry.

This came after the first set that kicked off with the bluesy "What a Difference a Day Makes," segued into a lesser known Stevie Wonder number, worked its way into a tango titled "Perhaps, Perhaps," paid a visit to Patsy Cline, and ended with a duet (with Jason's aunt Pauline Belanger) of "Time to Say Good-Bye" popularized by Andrea Bocelli.

(Let me pause for a moment and say--shameless groupie that I am--I thought I had already heard Jason sing and play every possible type of music he was capable of, but the guy did Stevie Wonder and Italian opera within an hour of each other. I mean, c'mon.)

I own a dictionary that, when closed, is four and a half inches thick. It is useless to me at this moment. I simply cannot describe the thrill of a Jason Castonguay concert. I know I'm gushing. I know I'm repeating myself from past columns, but Jason is a talent beyond explanation.

About halfway through the second set it occurred to me how lucky we who follow Jason's career are. We have in our midst a young man who is about as talented as a person can be, and he gives us ample opportunities to enjoy his talent.

He does so with a flair and a joy that is infectious and with an apparent ease that is mind-boggling.

Jason is gifted, no question, but even more important is that he is a gift. And we--those of us who marvel--are the beneficiaries of that gift.

If you saw the concert, I can't imagine you don't feel the way I do about it. If you didn't see it, I'm sorry. If you love music, you missed something inexplicably special.

But don't just take my word for it--after all, I've lost all objectivity when it comes to Jason. Check him out for yourself...

Go see him now so that you can someday say you saw him when.

BRISTOL -- One by one, some 217 contestants clambered up on stage at historic Muzzy Field Saturday to belt out a few pop hit stanzas in the hope of securing a guaranteed audition in Las Vegas for the smash television hit "American Idol." "It's the chance of a lifetime," said Ahmad Daniels of New Britain. "You've got to jump at it when it happens." For Bristol's Jason Castonguay, 24, fortune shined.

Named as Connecticut Idol by the eight judges, Castonguay beamed. "I cannot believe it," he said. "I'm all sweating, so I can't be dreaming."

Daniels said that putting himself aside, he would have picked Castonguay, too. The crowd of about 1,800, which included many who came to root for the blind, hometown singer roared its approval as well.

"That was really unexpected," Mayor Gerard Couture said. "He did a great job." ...

Sitting in the stands as competitors sang, Castonguay said that it was exhilarating to take the stage early for his impressive version of Heatwave's "Always and Forever." "I got up there and my heart was pounding," Castonguay said. Castonguay lucked out early on by winning a radio station's on-air competition that guaranteed him a slot in the Connecticut Idol showdown. It meant he could stay home in bed while many others tried to catch some winks in line beside Muzzy Field's outfield wall. He also had "some pretty good fans here" to cheer him on, he said. "It was terrific."

Stacey Rochelle, who sat behind home plate and watched everything, called the competition "awesome."

"I just hope my friend wins," she said. She attended to root for Castonguay.

One of the judges, Mary Lynn Gagnon of Bristol, said that each contestant was rated on stage presence, voice and overall appearance. In each category, she said, judges gave the hopefuls a rating of one to 10.

She said she gave just one perfect score, but coyly didn't say who got it.

Gagnon said that Castonguay "totally deserved" to emerge on top Saturday.

"He has a beautiful voice," she said.

For Castonguay, it's another step towards a dream he has harbored for a long time.

When he was a sixth grader at Mountain View School in 1992, he told a reporter he wanted to become a professional singer and pianist someday.

Castonguay learned to play the piano by ear at the age of four. His mother, Rollande Castonguay, said he could play the national anthem two days later.

He was playing for customers at J. Roberts Jewelers on Saturdays while he was still in elementary school.

His singing has long been recognized, too.

Castonguay sang at Couture's inauguration last fall, among many other community events. He's also entertained diners at Farmington's Silo Restaurant.

Castonguay is slated to compete in the official "American Idol" tryouts in Las Vegas on Sept. 12. The contest sponsors, Fox 61 television and Clear Channel Radio, are paying to send him and a second person to Las Vegas and putting them up while they're there. Castonguay said he's not sure yet who he's taking.

He went home after the competition to share some champagne with family and friends.

As they stood in line for their chance to audition for the Fox network's slightly sadistic talent show "American Idol," hundreds of would-be stars at Muzzy Field in Bristol on Saturday did their best to exude confidence and charisma. Or were they just trying to reassure themselves? "I know that I have talent," said a buoyant Linda Caesar, 21, of Hartford. She looked every inch the pop princess - not a drop of perspiration on her despite the blazing sun and the punishing 90-degree heat. Then she climbed onto the stage in the infield of the old minor league baseball stadium, stepped up to the lonely microphone and managed to show off that talent - for the most part. But near the end of a professional delivery of Alicia Keys' "Falling"- a sultry ballad about on-again, off-again love - Caesar suddenly couldn't decide which way to go with her pitch. And then she settled on a long, sustained flat note. And the next few seconds must have felt like decades. "I'm just glad it's over," she said as she exited to
indifferent murmurs from the stands - the treatment most of the contestants got. "My foundation is singing in church, where you know the people are there to support you," she said. "But in this competition?" In this competition, the singers were fighting for a guaranteed audition in Las Vegas next month with the producers of "American Idol." Among the "Idol" judges is Simon Cowell, the brutally frank Brit whose skewering of contestants is at least as important to the show's popularity as the rags-to-riches stories of the eventual winners. The spirit of Simon was everywhere in the ballpark on Saturday, and almost everyone struggled. As the parade of hopefuls warbled and squeaked through interpretations of "I Believe I Can Fly" and "A Whole New World," the crowd grew restless and the judges turned stingy. Their score sheets, which graded the singers from 1 to 10 on stage presence, voice and overall performance, showed plummeting numbers as the day wore on and the temperature climbed. Out of a possible high
score of 30, contestants were lucky if they reached the teens. Even the plunging neckline of the woman singing "Delirious" couldn't distract the judges from recording her single-digit total on their sheets. "Somebody tighten the noose," said judge Spank B.U.D.A., A disc jockey from Waterbury radio station WPHH-FM, known as Power 104.1. "I'm gonna jump off the chair." Without question, the day's brightest moment came early in the event, when Jason Castonguay, 24, of Meriden, stepped up to the microphone. His rendition of "Always and Forever" brought the house down, according to Brendan Ward, promotions director from WHCN-FM, known as The River 105.9. Castonguay's perfect score of 30 stood out near the top of several judges' sheets, and stood up through all 250 of the day's contestants. Castonguay, who is blind, said that not being able to see the crowd is not such a big advantage when it comes to overcoming stage fright. "Hey, you can still hear them. My heart was pounding, but as soon as I started
singing, I felt fine."