Date: Fri 08-Nov-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNO

Illustration: C

Location: A9

Quick Words:

Sand-Hill-Trio-jazz-Hassan

Full Text:

(feature on jazz group Sand Hill Trio, 11/8/96)

A New Home Base (& Bass) For The Sand Hill Trio

(with photos)

BY SHANNON HICKS

It started as the Sand Hill Trio, under the leadership of bass player Peter

Concilio. The Trio used to perform every Friday night in the inside mall area

at Sand Hill Plaza in Newtown, welcoming outside performers to join in and

presenting special guests each week. The Trio consisted of Peter Concilio on

bass, Joe McWilliams on keyboards and Dane Hassan on drums.

Long-time friends, Dane Hassan and Peter Concilio have been making music and

performing together since they were in high school during the 1950s. Hailing

from the lower Naugatuck Valley, the two were first part of a band called The

Intonations, which Mr Hassan describes as "a wedding group, an entertainment

band." Following Dane's service in the military, The Intonations was a

four-nights-a-week regular at Jim Barberies Restaurant for ten years.

The two were also part of Renaissance, an octet of musicians from the lower

Naugatuck/New Haven Valley area. One of the group's highlights included two

appearances on the annual Jerry Lewis Telethon for two years in New Haven.

"Music is our first love, after our families," Dane admitted recently. "It's

something that has been there since we were youngsters."

Today the Sand Hill Trio remains in name, but it has a new base to call home

and a new bass player instead of Mr Concilio. Its base is the Olde Newtown

Tavern; its bass is a gentleman named Dave D'Addario.

When the Olde Newtown Tavern opened for business at 160 South Main Street over

a year ago, it began offering meals customers raved about, at very reasonable

prices. Built in 1762 and expanded in 1787, the building originally was a

farmhouse set on 170 acres of land. An apple orchard filled the area that is

now the property's parking lot.

When the property was sold to Newtown industrialist Otto Heise in 1952, it was

then the house was remodeled into a restaurant, becoming The Newtown Inn. It

has been operated as a series of restaurants since, each lasting only a few

years. Obviously restaurateurs Glen Davis, Bob Tymon and Tim Murphy, the

building's newest owners, are hoping to last more than just a few years.

The key to success, the co-owners told The Newtown Bee in January 1996, is

fitting a restaurant to its area, rather than imposing a concept or theme that

may not be well received. Newtown is the kind of place for "casual country

dining," say the tavern's owners, and Newtown loves jazz music, as

demonstrated by the popularity of the Sand Hill Trio's performances while at

the mall in southern Newtown, along with the highly-attended concert series at

McLaughlin Vineyards in Sandy Hook the past two summers, each of which again

featured the Sand Hill group with guest artists.

Not only did Messrs Davis, Tymon and Murphy begin a business in a setting full

of history, the three businessmen have also brought back to Newtown a bit of

class every weekend: The Olde Newtown Tavern features jazz performances by the

Sand Hill Trio every Saturday evening in the back dining area from 9 to

midnight. The regularly-scheduled performances began in April. Last month it

also began having the Sand Hill Trio perform Sunday mornings during its brunch

hours (10:30 am to 2 pm).

Dane Hassan of Prospect now handles lead reins for the trio, stepping in where

Peter Concilio used to handle organizational duties for the group. Mr Concilio

decided to take some time off from the music scene last summer, which brought

Dave D'Addario into the Sand Hill Trio's arena on a more regular basis.

The trio's nucleus remains the same; the sound Newtown and area listeners had

come to enjoy from the Friday night Sand Hill Plaza series initiated by Mr

Concilio remains. The original trio played the Sand Hill series for three and

a half years ("That was a great thing," said Mr Hassan). Changes in the mall's

management forced the cessation of the series.

The group also performed in the Cup & Chaucer Cafe area of The Book Review at

Sand Hill Plaza for nearly eight months.

"A very intimate setting," the drummer called it. "People that came there came

to listen . We were able to talk with everyone." The Cup & Chaucer gig was

followed by a few months of playing at the Main Street Beanery in Monroe.

Pianist Joe McWilliams joined the Sand Hill Trio toward the end of its stint

at the mall, according to Mr Hassan.

"He came on towards the end, and we tried to get him to play as much as

possible, without interfering with any of the contracts he already had." Mr

McWilliams had traveled out to California a while back before returning to

Connecticut. He plays keyboards "as a livelihood," said Dane, "but he does

leave Saturday evenings for us." Mr McWilliams continues to play solo outside

jobs; the trio also performs at spots other than Olde Newtown Tavern,

including private parties.

"It's a nice little trio," Dane said recently. "We really click together. It's

nice to have people working together who get along so well. And it's a joy to

play with musicians who listen to the music."

The trio plays, according to Mr Hassan, what he calls "listening jazz" - jazz

music the average listener can listen to and enjoy.

"It's an easy-going, listening-type jazz," he said. "It's music to make you

feel happy. And naturally, it is for our enjoyment as well."

Olde Newtown Tavern began hosting its Sunday morning brunch sessions in

September. The Sand Hill Trio was right there, welcoming the restaurant's

first brunch patrons.

"It went well," Dane reported. "It's going to take time for the idea to catch

on [at the restaurant], but it went well. Some people still don't know we're

here Saturday nights, but the more notoriety we gain, the better." Presumably,

the same will apply for the Sunday brunches.

"Newtown is great," Dane said. "The more people are finding out [about our

shows at the tavern], the more they are going to be coming around. And the

tavern is a place you can go to enjoy a meal, or just sit down and relax.

There aren't too many clubs where you can do that any more.

"It's a joy to play for people who are appreciative. You can see it on their

faces - they're enjoying this... At least that's what it looks like."

A former state police officer, Dane retired three years ago. He does driving

work for a few small companies on occasion, but considers himself retired

nonetheless.

"I have stayed retired, but I try to keep the music going. I'm having the best

time of my life, and I know [Joe and Dave] feel the same way."