other old stuff from the zone
IF YOU CARE TO ASK PAPA STRETCH ABOUT ANYTHING, HE WILL DO HIS BEST TO ANSWERE YOUR QUESTIONS. JUST DROP HIM AN EMAIL.
D.T. ASKS, WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR?
POPS ANSWERES, "GREEN"
G.A. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ORIGINAL SONG?
POPS ANSWERES, "WOUND TIGHT"
E.S. ASKS, WHAT IS THE AIR VELOCITY OF UNLADEN SWALLOW?
POPS ANSWERES, "26 MILES PER SECOND", I SORRY, I MEANT 26 MILES A MINUTE.
M.P. ASKS, WHERE DID YOU LEARN HOW TO FINGER PICK LIKE THAT, AND DO YOU EVER USE A PICK?
POPS ANSWERES, WHEN I FIRST GOT STARTED ON GUITAR IT WAS PETER TOWNSHEND, AND A LITTLE WHILE LATER, IT WAS JORMA KAUKONEN THAT INFLUENCED ME TO TAKE IT TO ANOTHER LEVEL, THOUGH JORMA WEARS FINGER PICKS, I DON`T. I LIKE TO FEEL WHAT FEEL WHAT`S GOING ON WITH MY FINGER TIPS ON MY PICKING HAND TOUCHING THE STRINGS. I TRIED FINGER PICKS, AND IT FELT AWKWORD, AS FAR AS FLAT PICKS GO THEY ARE GOOD FOR CLEANING THE CRUD FROM UNDER YOUR FINGER, AND TOE NAILS.
P.J. ASKS, HAVE YOU EVER HAD VOCAL INSTRUCTION?
POPS ANSWERES, IVE HAD BAND MEMBER TELLING ME HOW TO SING FOR TWENTY YEARS......MY VOCAL MUSIC TEACHER IN HIGH SCHOOL, THE LATE, JAMES SAUTER. HE COULD SIGHT READ, AND PLAY SONGS ON THE PIANO LOOKING AT THE SHEET MUSIC, WITHOUT EVER HEARING THE SONG BEFORE.....A GOOD TEACHER AND A GOOD MAN.
RT ASKS, HOW COME YOU ONLY USE CAPITOL LETTERING ON YOUR SITE?
POPS ANSWERES, IT`S QUICK AND EASY, BUT ONCE I LEARN HOW TO TYPE, THAT`LL CHANGE.
JT ASKS, WHY DON`T YOU PERFORM SOMEWRE ON WEEKENDS?
POPS ANSWERES, I SUPPOSE ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I HAVE YET TO BE SIGNED BY ANY BOOKING AGENTS, AND I MUST ADMITT TO BEING A LITTLE LACK LUSTER IN TRYING TO TRACK DOWN BAR OWNERS. SO AT THIS TIME I`M LOOKING INTO THE COFFEE HOUSE SCENE. AS SOON AS A NEW GIG GETS BOOKED IT WILL BE POSTED ON MY SHOW DATES RIGHT HERE IN THE STRETCH ZONE.
M.H. ASKS, HAVE YOU EVER WON A BUFFALO MUSIC AWARD?
PAPA STRETCH ANSWERES, NOPE.
D.D. ASKS, WHO CREATED THE THIS SITE?
PAPA STRETCH ANSWERES, MY FRIEND ROB HELPED ME OUT WITH THE "HEAR THE MUSIC OF PAPA STRETCH PAGE", MY SISTER CAROL INSTALLED THE PICTURES, AND YOUR`S TRULY, DOES THE REST.
M.R. ASKS, HOW MANY BANDS WERE YOU IN, IN YOUR LIFE.
POPS ANSWERES, SIX OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, THAT LASTED MORE THAN A SIX MONTHS. THERE ALSO WERE CHOOSE UP BANDS PUT TOGETHER FOR A GIG OR TWO, WE MIGHT BE LOOKING AT NEAR A HUNDRED, MORE THAN I CAN REMENBER ANYWAY, BUT THAT SLOWED DOWN ONCE THE KAROKE CRAZE HIT IN THE EARLY NINTIES, I LOST A LOT OF GIGS, THAT`S WHEN I WENT TO GIGGIN THREE OR FOUR TIMES A WEEK TO ONE, AND SOMETIMES NONE, BUT I FEEL THAT BUSINESS WILL PICK UP AGAIN AS THE KARIJOKIE THING SEEMS TO HAVE BLOWN IT`S WAD, WHICH SHOULD RE OPEN SOME DOORS FOR MYSELF, AND OTHER MUSICIANS ALIKE.
D.M. ASKES, IS IT TRUE THAT YOU QUIT DRINKING, IF SO HOW CAN YOU BE A BARTENDER.
POPS ANSWERES, IT`S TRUE. MY JUICEN DAYS ARE BEHIND. I USED DRINK PROBUBLY TWICE AS MUCH AS ANYONE I KNOW, WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS OF COARSE, BUT THE HANGOVERS WERE GETTING WAY TOO VIOLENT, AND NY DOC RECOMENDED THAT I QUIT AS WELL. I LIKE IT BETTER THIS WAY, BECAUSE IF I AM CALLED UPON FOR A MUSICAL ENDEVOR, I`M SOBER, AND READY TO ROCK -n- ROLL, AND AS FAR AS BARTENDING GOES, I AM THERE TO SERVE, AND I`M MUCH MORE ALERT, WHICH MEANS BETTER SERVICE.
R.L. ASKS, I`VE HEARD YOU SING, PLAY GUITAR, AND DRUM ON WHAT EVER YOU CALL THOSE THINGS. WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR PRIMARY INSTRUMENT?
POPS ANSWERES, MY VOICE, AND THE MORE I LISTEN TO GROUPS LIKE THE STYLISTICS, TEMPTATIONS, AND THE CHI LIGHTS, AND SINGERS LIKE AL GREEN, OTIS REDDING, AND MARVIN GAYE, I FIND MYSELF DEVELOPING MORE OF A SENSE FOR VOCAL HARMONY, AND I FIND MYSELF GOING BEYOND MY EXPECTATIONS, AND AS LONG AS THAT KEEPS HAPPENING, THE MATURING OF MY VOICE IS SOMETHING I`M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO IN THE FUTURE, AND THE FUTURE BEGINS NOW.
A.D. ASKS, DON`T YOU LIKE ANY WHITE SINGERS?
POPS ANSWERES,SOME SAY THAT NO QUESTION IS TOO STUPID TO ASK,I GUESS THEY`RE NOT TO STUPID TO ANSWERE........I LIKE TO SING ALONG WITH VINTAGE SOUL MUSIC BECAUSE IT`S EASY TO PICK UP ON THE WORDS, AND IF YOU CAN SING THAT STUFF, YOU CAN APPLY SOUL SINGING TO JUST ABOUT ANY KIND OF MUSIC. MY ALL TIME FAVORITE VOCALIST IS ROGER DAULTRY TO ANSWERE YOUR QUESTION MISTER, FOR WHAT IT`S WORTH.
B.S. ASKS. IS THERE AN ON STAGE MEMORY THAT STANDS OUT AS EXTRA SPECIAL?
POPS ANSWERES, THERE ARE SO MANY, BUT IF I WERE TO PICK ONE IT WOULD HAVE TO BE THE NIGHT OF A STRETCH LIMO RIDE GIG, WHERE A CAR DROVE INTO THE SIDE OF THE BAR WE WERE PLAYING IN. AT THE POINT OF IMPACT, THERE WAS A NUMBER OF STACKS OF BEER CASES CONTAINING EMPTY BOTTLES, THAT ENDED UP FALLING ON THE BAND, MOSTLY ON CHET. THERE WAS ABOUT A HALF AN HOUR DELAY WHILE WE CLEANED UP THE MESS, BUT THE SHOW WENT ON. THAT SHOW WAS RECORDED ON AUDIO TAPE. I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR IT. GOTTA PUT THE FEELERS OUT.
T.R. ASKS, DO YOU PLAN ON DOING ANYMORE RECORDING WITH JIM WYNNE?
POPS ANSWERES, JIM HAS A VERY BUSY SCHEDULE, BUT I`M SURE IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. WHEN?......YOUR GUESS IS AS GOOD AS MINE.
R.S. ASKS, STRETCH MAN, WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE YOUR ACT ON THE ROAD?
POPS ANSWERES, WHICH ONE? BESIDES NO ONE HAS SHOWED MUCH INTEREST IN SIGNING ME LATELY ANYWAY, SO WHO KNOWS?
S.F. ASKS, WHERE DO YOU BUY YOUR CLOTHES?
POPS ANSWERES, I DON`T BY MY CLOTHES. IF I SEE SOME ONE MY SIZE WEARING SOME COOL DUDS, I`LL MAKE CONVERSATION AND ONCE I`VE GAINED THEIR TRUST, I KNOCK THE DUMB ASS OUT WITH A SUCKER PUNCH, AND SWIPE HIS CLOTHS.......HEY AT LEAST I DON`T STEAL HIS LONG JOHNS....................ACTUALLY WALLMART IS THE SPOT FOR THE BIG AND FAT, WITH REASABLE PRICES.
F.G. ASKS, HOW MANY CONCERTS HAVE I BEEN TO, IN MY LIFE?
POPS ANSWERES, HOW MANY TIMES DID HUGH HEFNER SCORE SOME LEG?
F.G. ASKS HOW MUCH LEG DID HUGH HEFNER GET IN HIS LIFE.
POPS ANSWERES, I`LL START COUNTING MY TICKET STUB COLLECTION, AND I`LL LET YOU KNOW.
Who is Papa Stretch?
Born Kevin Kalinowski on New Years Eve 1959 in Buffalo, New York I was a last minute tax deduction for my dad.
I grew up with music around me with Harmonica Frank who happened to be my uncle (RIP) taking interest in the natural ability to sing. We did songs like "On Top of Old Smokie" and many old sing-along classics. In School it didn`t take long for my music teachers to take notice. Like so many I tried piano and was board with it. Another teacher tried me on trombone because of my long arms. I couldn`t get a feeling for that either. Then I tried my luck on percussion and my teachers wasted no time teaching me vocal harmony with my teacher on piano, me on conga and both of us singing and composing in my early teens. I eventually taught myself guitar and became my own composer. I performed solo for a number of years under the name Stretch Limo. Then one day a friend at work invited me over his house and with the use of a four track recorder Chet Kaczynski played all of the instuments and left me a vocal track to write words for and eventually sing. We called this project King Bridges Road, which happened to be in a sentance in a book laying around Chets living room. I had a drummer for a room mate named Billy Alley, and a friend of ours recamended a bass player named Mike Lasek Jr. We jelled in seconds. Billy later moved on to another project and after a long string of drummers and a couple hundred gigs later we brought in Mike Gzerzki for the drumming chores. The group disbanded in 1999 but everyone still remained friends. I went on to continue performing solo, hosting open mics, and sang in many a choose up band. Now here we are a few years later reuniting and the future is looking bright for The Stretch Limo Ride is rolling again and soon dates will be announced. So get ready Western New York because we`re back!!!!!!!!!!
Some of the others folks I was fortunate to work with were Gina Craven and Eddie Berger. A duet called Something Scarlet. A group where I was primarely a percussionist between Gina and Ed`s acoustic guitars and perfect harmonies. It was a beautiful chapter in my carreer, and some day who knows? Something Scarlet and Stretch one day could happen again.
I am currently in the studio working on my first 100 % solo CD. It is near completion and will be available to the public through this site. Between my solo workings and doing that Rock -n- Roll thing with The Stretch Limo Ride, Life is beautiful!!!!!!!!!
I`m married to my beautiful wife Melissa who is the mother of my three beautiful children Leanna, Kevin, and Melinda. We have three cats Jay Jay, Roger the Engineer, and Odd Ball, and last but not least a tropical fish named Speckles and Kevin Junior`s God Father a fellow by the name of Jim Wynne is like a piece of late night furnature. Jim plays bass, keys, and six string guitar and jams in a room off my basement I use as a mini recording studio we call The Voodoo Room. Jim and myself have been known to perform over the years in many projects. Jim is a great musician and is very well with our children and Melissa approves of Jim, So all is well in our happy household.