A unique mix of swing, jazz & fun music from the 20's thru today.

Avenue A Concerts & Events 2008

[Diane (keys), Phil (sax) and Dick (trumpet)]

Schedule is subject to change due to weather and other events we can't control. Please check back to confirm dates and appearances.
And as always, the band is available for private functions!

Print version of the 2008 Schedule

July 22 (Tuesday): Villa at Saint Antoine, 7:00-8:00 p.m.
400 Mendon Road, No. Smithfield, RI
The Villa is another one of Rhode Island's premier retirement and assisted living facilities, also with a beautiful campus.
Sponsor: Villa at St. Antoine, (401)767-2574
Rain Site: Inside the Villa
July 31 (Thursday): Academy Field, East Greenwich, 6:30 - 8:00 pm
Spring, Rector and Church Streets, East Greenwich
A new stop on the concert tour, but a familiar neigborhood. Grab a bite to eat on the East Greenwich waterfront afterwards.
Sponsor: East Greenwich Parks and Recreation, (401)886-8626
Rain Site: Swift Gym
August 3 (Sunday): Peace Dale Village Green, 6:00 p.m.
325 Columbia Street, Peace Dale, RI
Go to one of South Kingstown's beautiful beaches, then wrap up the weekend with an Avenue A concert!
Sponsor: Town of South Kingstown Parks and Recreation, (401)789-9301
Rain Site: Performance will be held in the Neighborhood Guild Hall at the same location
August 5 (Tuesday): Easton's Beach, Newport, 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Memorial Boulevard, Newport
Concert on the beach! What else is there to say?
Sponsor: Newport Parks and Recreation Department, (401)847-6875
Rain Site: Concert will be rescheduled
August 29 (Friday): Narragansett Gazebo, 6:00 pm
Route 1A, Narragansett
Located directly across from Narragansett Beach, this is a great place to spend a summer evening.
Sponsor: Narragansett Parks and Recreation, (401)782-0658
Rain Site: Concert will be rescheduled
August 31 (Sunday): Last Night, Bristol RI, 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Independence Park, Thames Street
Bristol knows how to throw a party, so come celebrate Labor Day and the end of summer here. Avenue A opens the evening festivities and the RI Philharmonic Summer Pops follows at 7, with fireworks over Bristol Harbor around 9:30. Get there early and bring a hearty picnic, a jacket and a blanket for an unforgettable evening as Bristol says goodbye to summer.
Sponsor: Town of Bristol, (401)253-7000
Rain Date: September 1
September 16 (Tuesday): Eastern States Exposition
West Springfield, MA
Celebrate Rhode Island Day at the Big "E" with us.
Performances at 11, 1 and 2:30 in front of the Rhode Island Building. A parade, featuring some of RI's best high school bands, follows our last performance. A fun-filled day for the whole family (it's Senior Citizens Day, too) - take the day off and come to the Big E!
RI Tourism Council, (401)273-9100.

Other Events

These are not official Avenue A events, but they do feature official Avenue A members:

July 24 : Michael DiMucci and Friends
Bristol Concerts on the Common, Bristol, RI, 7 p.m.
Bristol Town Common, between State, Church, High & Wood Streets
Diane, Karen and Dick back up tenor Michael DiMucci as he performs songs by classic American singers such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Michael Buble. This will be a swinging evening on the Common!
Sponsor: Town of Bristol, (401)253-7000
Rain Site: St. Mary's Church (upper level), on the Common
Philip Mullen with Diamond: ShamRocks, Thursday and Friday nights
733 Kingston Rd., Wakefield, RI
Avenue A's Phil Mullen performs jazz, swing and standards Thursday (5-9) and Friday (4-8) nights with Diamond on keyboards and sax. A great place to have a bite, listen to some jazz or dance.
(401)782-6700, call to confirm as times and appearances are subject to change
Newport Playhouse and Cabaret
Karen appears as the guest drummer at the Playhouse Cabaret, after the mainstage show. You can often find her there on Saturday nights, if there's not an Avenue A gig, and on occasional Friday and Sunday nights. Email aamusic[at]mac[dot ]com if you want to check an upcoming date. But whether she's there or not, there's always great food and entertainment at the Playhouse!
Newport Playhouse and Cabaret Restaurant, (401)848-7529

Plan Ahead!

December 31: New Year's Eve Party, Rhode Island Shriners
Imperial Room, One Rhodes Place, Cranston
We had so much fun here this past New Year's Eve that we're going to do it again. Make a new year's resolution to spend next New Year's with Avenue A. More information as the event gets closer.
Rhode Island Shriners, (401)467-7102. Reservations must be made in advance.

Avenue A is available for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, and other special occasions.
Our unique selection and presentation of music will compliment your special event.

Contact us at aamusic[at]mac[dot]com.

Download the Avenue A brochure [pdf]

What We Play

Avenue A performs music from the 20's to today's adult contemporary, music that will please all ages. Concert performances feature our specialty of swing and jazz standards, along with a sampling of the many other types of music we enjoy playing, such as ragtime, boogie woogie, Latin and more. Upbeat arrangements of tunes made famous Glenn Miller, the Andrews Sisters, Duke Ellington, Nat "King" Cole, and others showcase the vocal and instrumental talents of the group.

Avenue A also performs as a function band for weddings, anniversaries, fundraisers and other special events. Our ability to play many different styles of music along with our varied instrumentation and great vocal harmonies makes us perfect for any occasion. Check out a sample of our songlist.

The band features keyboards, sax and/or trumpet, guitar, flute, harmonica, and drums. Everyone in the band sings, providing a variety of vocals and vocal harmonies. Whether you need a three, four, or five-piece group, Avenue A has the musical mix that will make your event unforgettable.

Where We've Been

[Phil on banjo] Avenue A began performing together in 1984 when vocalist Don Blais asked his college pal, pianist Diane Gualtieri, to back him up at a St. Patrick's Day party. Diane had been working with drummer Karen Mellor for a few years at that point, and suggested that she should come along, too. After playing mostly Irish music for five hours, the trio decided that they probably had a better future playing swing and jazz. Soon the group evolved into a general business band that played all types of music, performing on Bay Queen cruises for several summers and working steadily as a function band. In 1988, the trio had the good fortune of hooking up with guitar-playing saxophonist Phil Mullen, whose instrumental and vocal talents rounded out the band's sound. On top of that, he had similar culinary interests, which is a critical factor in most musical organizations.

[Diane on keyboards] Don has since retired and dedicated himself to cooking. He can be found cooking, and still singing, at Pauldon's Catering in Apponaug. Diane, Karen and Phil continue the Avenue A tradition. They are frequently joined by Dick Parent on trumpet and flugelhorn, adding a new dimension to the group and opening the opportunity for some rich horn lines. On other occasions, they may be joined by guitarist Mark Armstrong, who has played with the band since 2001; this frees Phil to play baritone and more tenor sax, along with the flute, harmonica and acoustic guitar. Saxman Dave Maher also joins the band on occasion. Depending on availability, the group now performs in configurations of three to five players. Sometimes we even coax Don out of retirement, making it an even half dozen.

Avenue A has performed for functions and concerts throughout Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts for over twenty years. The band provided the music for the annual Chance to Dance performances at the Providence Performing Arts Center for fifteen years, and Diane and Karen will celebrate their twenty-fifth year performing with the Bay View Players at St. Mary Academy Bay View's Manhattan at the Bay in Riverside, RI in 2008. Time flies when you're having fun!

Avenue A is . . .

Philip Mullen
Saxophone, Flute, Guitar,
Banjo, Harmonica, Vocals

Karen Mellor
Drums, Vocals

Diane Gualtieri
Keyboards, Vocals

Dick Parent
Trumpet, Trombone, Vocals

Band Manager: Karen Mellor

Avenue A. If music's not fun, why do it?
For more information, contact Avenue A at aamusic[at]mac[dot]com.