In the Flamingo Lounge this week is singer, songwriter, producer, jingle writer, and two-time Buffalo Music Hall of Fame inductee, Phil Dillon!

Phil was first on the show back in March 2023, and if you heard that episode, you know his career in music spans decades—from fronting 70s Buffalo originals like Flash and Dylan & Brady, to spending nearly 30 years in Nashville writing, producing, and working with top-tier talent. He's back in Western New York, still deeply woven into our local music scene. Phil visited the Flamingo Lounge on August 17 to sit back down to share even more stories from his incredible journey.

This weeks' guests, Janna Willoughby-Lohr, My Rap Name is Alex, Michael Delaney and Rebecca Mercurio, from BloodThirsty Vegans, are a musical family that makes music (sweet, sweet music) about peace, love and understanding to unite the human family, foster respect for the interconnected web of life, and remind the tribes how liberating it was to dance the dances of freedom.

BloodThirsty Vegans' style of music can only be categorized as "FUN!" It is built upon a foundation of Hip Hop, is geared toward getting people up and moving, and is lyrically charged with a deep consciousness, but beyond that it kind of defies description.

Bloodthirsty Vegan visited the Flamingo Lounge on August 10, 2026 and shared the stories and music.

Stephen Sadoff is a bass player extraordinaire with "deep pockets." He plays with every inch of his body and soul. He's a much sought after band member, a popular "go to" guy for recording sessions, and is the guy who gets the call when a last-minute fill in is needed.

For over forty years Stephen has been the go to guy for recording sessions and live performances. He has done numerous radio and TV jingles and commercials. Steveco-produced X-Factor and American Idol contestant Caitlin Koch's debut CD.

Stephen played at the first University of Buffalo Blues Fest in 1969. He has played with countless artists and has lent his talents to numerous recordings, concerts and club gigs. He was inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame in 2012.

Bands include The Weekend Trip, The Argyle Street Band, Mark Winsick Band, Big Wheelie, R&B and the Soul Review with Nick Veltri and Sam Guarino, Spoon & The Houserockers, John Brady and Black Cat Blues Band, Donna McDaniel and Windfall, Ash & Campagna Band, The Jimmy Calire Band, Rocket 88, The Summer Street Band, Billy & The Heartbeats, King Biscuit Boy Band, The Project, Mr. Conrad Band, Leron Zydeco, The Clapton Tribute Band, Doug Yeomans & The Lo Blue Flame, Jeremy Keyes Band, Gretchen Schultz Band, James Peterson Band, The Willies, Alan Whitney Band, and Phil Dillon Band. Stephen played shows with KP Hawthorn, Alice Wallace, Elliott Randall (Steely Dan), The Marvellettes, Denny Laine (Wings), Terry Sylvester (The Hollies), Sharon Jones (Dap Kings), James Cotton, and Toni Lynn Washington. Stephen has also shared the stage with Charlie Musselwhite, Bonnie Raitt, Bobby Jones, Gurf Morlix, John Allen and more.

Stephen joined Rockabilly Greg In the Flamingo Lounge on July 27, 2026.

The older brother of fellow Buffalo Music Hall of Fame Inductee Tony Galla, Armondo "Mondo" Galla is a talented rock 'n roll and R&B singer, musician, and recording artist in his own right, with a decades-long career both solo and as a member of his family group and other combos.

Born circa 1943 in Buffalo, the young Armondo sang and played guitar in The Galla Trio, which included brother Tony and sister Mary Jane.

The high point of their family performances was their appearance (with their mother) on TV's Ted Mack Amateur Hour in February, 1959 when Armondo was 16. Mr. Mack mispronounced their names as "Gallo."

In his early twenties, Armondo was a member of the Sherwin Trio, who cut at least two singles for Sahara Records, 1964's "Jack the Cat (writing credit to his Wife Roslyn)/Angels Watching Over Me," and the holiday release "Christmas Train/Born in Bethlehem." The 45s were produced at Micro Sound Studio by another Buffalo Music Hall of Fame Inductee, David Lucas.

In the late 60's Galla was a member of the all-original band Mondo Bizzaro, which also included Doug Morgano, Stan Szelest, Gary Mallaber, Ernie Corallo and Bruce Gordon. Mondo was also a featured singer in a series of R&B/Blues revues hosted by Morgano and Nick Veltri at the Tralf, and appeared with other bands well into the 2000s.

Armonda and his wife Evelyn, visited the Flamingo Lounge on July 29, 2026.

Elliot Sneider is a pianist, composer, writer, and improviser originally from Syracuse, New York, where he began playing piano at the age of five. After ten years of classical study with pianist Richard Smernoff, Sneider became obsessed with jazz and blues, studying improvisation with Beth Separac and quickly finding his voice as an improviser. Before long, he was performing professionally throughout Central New York as a teenager, including holding down the piano chair with the Sunday Night Road Band, music directing productions for Syracuse's Talent Company, including the SAMMY Award-winning productions of A Chorus Line and The Full Monty, and spending summers performing with the Stan Colella All-Star Band. He also led his own groups, Too Many Cooks and Five Layer Burrito, the latter with singer/guitarist Joe Driscoll. From an early age, Sneider moved comfortably between jazz clubs, theater pits, concert halls, and community arts spaces — a musical openness that continues to shape his work today.

After studying Jazz Composition at the New England Conservatory of Music, Sneider went on to earn degrees in composition and electronic music from New York University and Arizona State University, where he completed a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Composition. While at NEC, he studied with artists including pianist Paul Bley, whose approach to improvisation deeply influenced Sneider's musical voice and understanding of spontaneity, vulnerability, and listening.

Over the years, Sneider's work has ranged from jazz performance and theater to multimedia composition, songwriting, music technology, and arts leadership. His performing career has included collaborations with Michael Arenella's Dreamland Orchestra, Ryan Hobler's Sunroom, Foly Kolade's Asiko, and a wide range of artists throughout New York State.

His current project, Merciful TRVLR, brings together many of these musical worlds through performances that blend jazz, Americana, improvisation, storytelling, and song. Following the loss of his wife to cancer, Sneider began creating performances centered on grief, resilience, caregiving, memory, and human connection. Combining original music, spoken narrative, and collaborative improvisation, Merciful TRVLR creates intimate listening-room experiences where audiences are invited not simply to observe, but to reflect, connect, and feel less alone.

Elliot visited the Flamingo Lounge on July 20, 2026 to share his music, stories and his personal journey.

This week In the Flamingo Lounge, we are shining a massive spotlight on the incredible sounds, history, and legacy of the Niagara Frontier with Bruce Wojick and Frank Fracassi from the Niagara Falls Music Hall of Fame.

Founded in 2017 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the Niagara Falls Music Hall of Fame has been on a dedicated mission to preserve and celebrate the rich musical heritage of the greater Niagara Falls region.

Board President, Bruce Wojick, is a 2017 inductee, a mainstay of the WNY scene since 1983, and one of the region's most respected guitarists and songwriters. You know him from iconic bands like God's Children, Klear, The Struggle, Brothers of Invention, and touring nationally with The Strictly Hip.

And alongside him is Vice President, Frank Fracassi, a phenomenal keyboardist who has been fueling the local airwaves since the 60s and 70s with legendary groups like Penelope, and currently with Everyday People and Summer of '69. When he's not behind the keys, he's a major force in the community with the Lewiston Kiwanis and the Lewiston Jazz Fest board.

Frank and Bruce visited the Flamingo Lounge on July 14, 2026.

Based on Nick Veltri's return appearance on In the Flamingo Lounge with Rockabilly Greg (recorded June 23, 2026 and broadcast July 18, 2026).

Nick Veltri: Serving the Song

For more than fifty years, bass player Nick Veltri has stood as one of the most respected, disciplined groove-makers in Western New York. Inducted into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame in 1994, Veltri's reputation isn't built on flash or grandstanding, but on a deep, unshakeable devotion to a single musical truth: the song is king.

Nick's obsession with the instrument started early. As a nine-year-old kid walking to sax lessons at Art Kubera's music store, his eyes would lock onto the shiny new Fender basses hanging on the wall.

The definitive "aha" moment came at the Erie County Fair when he saw a local group called The El Tempos performing in their sharp red blazers. Hearing the way the bass drove the crowd to dance, Nick knew exactly where his future lay. He never picked up a standard guitar; he was meant to play the bass.

While his father bought him an off-brand electric rig around 1963, Nick also pursued formal training on the upright bass under the legendary Ted Mayer of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Mayer's strict focus on bowing, precise finger position, and classical discipline laid a flawless technical foundation that Nick carried with him throughout his entire career.

Returning home from a military stint in the Marines (1969–1971), Nick jumped headfirst into the fertile Buffalo circuit. By 1973, he joined the nationally touring '50s showband Big Wheelie & the Hubcaps, kicking off an era of recording, traveling, and headlining major hometown venues like the historic Melody Fair.

Over the decades, Nick became the go-to session and live player for the region's elite, backing keyboard icon Stan Szelest in Stan & the Ravens, anchoring Billy McEwen & the Soul Invaders, and performing with Barbara St. Clair & the Shadows.

Nick's signature tone relies heavily on a three-bass rotation of reissue Fenders:

· A '58 Reissue Precision Bass: Beloved for its easy playability and classic, round sound.

· A '54 Reissue Precision Bass: A primitive, punchy take on the earliest Fender designs.

· A '62 Reissue Precision Bass: Bringing that classic '60s R&B soul warmth.

His approach is strictly fingers—no picks—keeping him firmly locked into the pocket alongside legendary local drummers and horn sections.

Nick's musical fingerprint is etched onto nearly 100 recording projects—ranging from regional radio jingles (like "Milk for Health") to albums by Terry Buchwald, Doug Yeomans, Bob Faulk, and Pete Howard, as well as Lance Diamond's beloved Christmas record.

He was also famous for a unique, heavily gigged 1959 Fender Precision bass featuring a rosewood fingerboard. Over decades of service, the instrument's failing finish became a canvas, completely covered in signatures of legendary musicians Nick crossed paths with. Featured in 20th Century Guitar magazine in the early 2000s, the historic bass was later displayed at the Buffalo Museum of Science and the Hard Rock Cafe before finding a home with a collector in the Netherlands.

Beyond his legendary stage presence, Veltri has dedicated decades of his life to preservation. Following his 1994 Hall of Fame induction, he stepped into leadership roles, serving as the President of the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame starting in 2000, and helping organize historical exhibitions to honor the players who built the "Buffalo Sound."

Whether he's co-writing tracks like "Put Out the Fire" on the Bandstand label, recording live original projects with writers like John Regis, or steering the rhythm section for his beloved bi-annual R&B Soul Revue alongside Sam Guarino, Nick Veltri remains the ultimate professional. To Nick, playing the bass has never been about self-promotion—it's about locking down the pocket and serving the music.

This week marks the seventh session of "Rockabilly 2 Rachmaninoff," our captivating collaborative series that brings you unique insights and stories from different guests associated with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. As a reminder, new episodes in this special series drop every two months on the second Saturday.

In this week's edition, we're spotlighting the Buffalo United Community Choir (BUCC) with guests Karen Saxon and George Brown. Founded in January 2023 by the BPO Diversity Council, BUCC unites the Buffalo-Niagara region through the transformative power of music.

This dynamic, 100+ member choir features voices from over 50 local churches and organizations, truly embodying the spirit and rich diversity of Buffalo. Under the brilliant artistic leadership of Ella E. Robinson, Karen Saxon, and George Brown, BUCC has delivered stirring, soulful performances—collaborating with the BPO at Kleinhans Music Hall and lifting spirits across the community.

The choir proudly lives by its inspiring motto: "We lift our voices in song as ONE community."

I sat down with Karen and George on June 12 at the corporate offices of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra for a wonderful, engaging conversation you won't want to miss.

Want to learn more? You can find more information on the BUCC, including a full biography, at BPO.org