Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah with Alternate Veterans Lyrics by SailorJerriMusic.com

Tony and Mark take on Henry Mancini! Tony's well executed arrangement is taken from Mancini's own mysterious setting of his gorgeous ballad "Slow Hot Wind/Lujon" on the 1961 album Mr. Lucky Goes Latin. Recorded in a closed session at the Steinway/Allen/Hammond showroom in Naperville on May 31, 2014. Thanks to Stan Zimmerman for his time, his engineering and his awesome AKG mics. 

Slow Hot Wind - Tony Thomas / Mark Demmin II

In about Fall of 2003, I came back to the western suburbs of Chicagoland after a three year stay in the Kankakee area for school. I had been pretty well removed from the theater organ scene for that several year period and was suffering, serious TO withdrawal! While I was away, Paul Van Der Molen had rebuilt and greatly expanded his home, studio and pipe organ. What had once been a cool 3/20 Robert Morton home studio organ, was transformed into an awesome, state of the art, world class, 4/26 Wonder Morton installation. The original organ from the (Bronx, NY) Loews, Fairmont Theater was painstakingly rebuilt and enlarged under the guidance of master organ craftsmen Clark Wilson and Dave Krall with input from several other key players. The organ rose to its full greatness with the addition of more select pipework, a 9' Steinway (heard here in the pedal line and left hand chording) and an original four manual, Robert Morton, Wonder Morton console from the Loews Kings Theater in Brooklyn, NY all installed in a newly reconfigured music room. This was the organ that Dan Bellomy played (the ever-livin snot out of) that evening in 2003. This was my first time seeing Dan live and also my first theater organ concert back from my three years in Kankakee. A concert that would forever change my life and how I would view the theater organ from then on. If you're a fan of Dan's playing & technique AND if you own any of his recordings, one song surely stands out among the rest as his obvious personal favorite, 1932's Lullaby Of The Leaves! This track, was his encore for the night. Everything that Dan was, every fiber of his being, came out in the playing of this piece. The night for me, was a revelation. Two of my favorite genres, straight-ahead Jazz and Theater Organ, culminated there and I would never be the same. I was in a Jazz-induced coma and I never wanted to come out of it!  Out of this concert came my in-depth discovery of legends: Buddy Cole, Johnny Seng and Billy Nalle as well as my never ending quest for the finest in jazz-TO as played by Tony Thomas, John Lauter, Charlie Balogh, Steven Eaklor, Barbara Dennerlein and Robert Sudall. The YouTube series Crooner vs. Organ is a direct by-product of this as well. As for this track, I don't even remember how I got it, but I'm sure glad I did! It is without a doubt, the Piece-de-Resistance of my Dan Bellomy collection. So my fellow organo-philes, Enjoy!

Lullaby Of The Leaves - Dan Bellomy

Private recording session with Tony Thomas at the former Naperville Steinway Piano/Allen Organ Gallery. Stanley Zimmerman, Recording engineer.

Putt'in On The Ritz (Edited for Website) Tony Thomas / Mark Demmin II

Ding Dong, The Wicked Witch Is Dead (Hot Jazz Version)

Fly Me To That Latin Moon.m4a

Cole Porter's "In The Still Of The Night" by Mark Demmin II, The Vintage Voice of Chicago!

Return To Paradise - Mark Demmin II - Dimitri Tiomkin

Slow Hot Wind - Mark Demmin II - Henry Mancini

This Masquerade - Mark Demmin II - Leon Russell

What A Wonderful World - Mark Demmin II and maybe Louis Armstrong too.

Can't Help Falling In Love With You - Mark Demmin II

Body And Soul - Mark Demmin - Alan McPike Orchestra

Maybe September - Mark Demmin II - Percy Faith

A medley of four classic “tear your heart out and stomp on it a few times” tunes guaranteed to help get you through Valentines without the one you love or love to hate! Starting with “Down With Love” then “But Not For Me” then “When Your Lover Has Gone” and “Angel Eyes” to wrap it up. Enjoy and Happy Valentines! ❤️😉

Broken Heart Medley

Born in Peoria, IL, Mark’s early exposure to music was in his home and his grandfather’s church. Music has always been a focal point in the Demmin household, with many vocalists and keyboard artists in the family. As a crooner in the classic tradition, singing the great standards of the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s is his greatest joy, with the Glenn Miller favorite,“Serenade in Blue,” his trademark piece. He has also lent his voice to radio jingles and commercial voiceovers in the Chicago area. Mark has had the opportunity to work with known Chicago area pianists: Larry Harris, Johnny Gabor, Bruce Oscar, Spencer Keys, David Turner, Frank Caruso, Bradley Williams, Larry Novak, John Wright, Maryanne Garrett, as well as nationally known jazz organists Tony Thomas and Tony Monaco. Mark has also appeared with other well-known Chicago jazz artists: Rusty Jones, Nick Tountas, Dan Shapera, Nick Schneider, Chad Rager, Andy Meecham, Paul Jacki, Kelly Summers, Danny Reese, Frank Portolese and Pete Castronova. Mark is the principle director of Vintage Vocals Entertainment in Naperville, IL. VVE specializes in presenting, the great American Songbook. More to the point, Jazz and Popular Standards spanning the decades of the 1920's to 1950's. He is a trained lyric baritone and his vocal power/range has been compared with the likes of (Golden Age) crooners: Johnny Hartman and or Billy Eckstein as well as popular current American lyric baritone, Thomas Hampson. He also has experience in comedic writing, as well as several studio recordings. 


Mark Demmin II

Popular tracks