Dennis Angel Band In Scarsdale Inquirer

The Scarsdale Inquirer VOLUME Volume 87, 87, NUMBER Number 28 33

Founded Founded in in 1901 1901 FRIDAY, 10, 2009 Friday, JULY AUGUST 14, 2009

REPRINTED Reprinted WITH with PERMISSION permission

SCC welcomes new minister

Dennis Angel Band takes wing with timely blues tune By DEBRA BANERJEE By ILENE NECHAMKIN Diners at the popular eatery Rustico on Central Avenue got a little mood music to The Rev. Dr. Larry Kalajainen, the new go along with their pasta the evening of July senior minister of the Scarsdale Congrega30 when Edgemont’s Dennis Angel andserhis tional Church, UCC, delivered his first ensemble played jazz. full dining room mon, “Celebrating OurThe Dependence,” last on a weeknight belied anythe worries Sunday. “It coincided with July 4 about holidaya weak was and upbeat, even and theeconomy. way we The prizemood national personal as Angel debuted song, Wall independence,” he his saidnew during an“The interview Street Recession Time Blues.” Tuesday afternoon at the church. “Yet we band, dependent which has and been together for areThe all deeply interdependent abouteach a year, features Angel on trumpet, upon other.” David Shaich bass, Mike Campenni on He sat in hisonfreshly painted office, furdrums,with Joela Mofesenson onfacing piano,theGotnished computer table far tfried Stoger on sax and DeForest corner, and dominated by avocalist round table with Raphael. Raphael and missing Stoger was havea large been several chairs. Notably with the band With the day exexecutive styleonly desk.since “It’sApril. only my third ceptionheofsaid, Angel, band members all prohere,” motioning to the are cartons of fessional musicians. Raphael alsogetting a man unpacked books on the floor. is“I’m of the cloth, serving as minister to a church another shelf.” inKalajainen upper Manhattan. is still “getting to know the While in and highmy school, Angel made the community congregation,” which decision to go a liberal arts college he described asto“bright, intelligent and rathouter than Juilliard.He’s He doesn’t regret his just deward looking.” still determining cision, playing trumpet continues how to although expand the church’s programs and to be a big part of his the life. community. By day Angel is its engagement with But an attorney with firm on Central Parkwith Avthe themes of hisa sermon, connecting enue that providesthe the public film and TV indusothers, furthering good, while try with aliterary title caring and copyright reports. creating genuinely community in a Angel was featured on Sky Radio’s fragmented, morally deteriorating world“Spewill cial Tribute America’shisBest Lawyers” likely resoundtothroughout ministry. show. His who interview was broadcast on all of “People go to church really want to be American Airlines’s worldwide flights in there,” he said. “You can’t count on anyone January andupFebruary the to Forbes just turning because 2006 it’s theonthing do.” Radio Channel. Waning church membership, he explained, Angel andlate his’60s wifeorLinda have “the livedend in began in the early ’70s, Edgemont andera,” are the parents of of the Ozziesince and 1983 Harriet when routine daughters Stephanie, Michele, 23,thing and church attendance was 27, the “respectable Rebecca, 13, who will be in ninth grade to do.” at Nowadays, Edgemont “a High lot School dependsthis on September. what they Afterthere, their what daughter died in 1989, the find kindIlana of welcome, whether Angel family founded Children’s Brain the church is open and the hospitable or just a Tumorclub. Foundation. closed As long as I’m here, it won’t be The crowd a closed club.”at Rustico enjoyed jazz standards played withtoa church lot of feeling, like “Girl “People come for a variety of From Ipanema,” Freddie “Little reasons,” he explained. “ItHubbard’s could be the muSunflower,” “Misty,” Midnight” sic, the sermon — or in“’Round spite of the sermon andorGrover “Mr. Magic.” — a needWashington for a ritual Jr.’s connection to that “We’re luckytothey’re here,”Or said one which is greater themselves. they gopato a social place, where they can form friendships.” The church exists to shape them into a community of spirit, where they feel embedded, responsible and accountable to each other. “There are lots of lonely people out there, and we serve them, too,” he said.

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Members of the Dennis Angel Band: Joel Mofsenson, pianist; Mike CamThedrums; Rev. Dr.DeForest Larry Kalajainen penni, Raphael, vocals; David Shaich, bass; Angel. Not pictured is saxophonist Gottfried “And, on a theological the church is Stoger. Right, the CDlevel, cover for Ana community of reconciliation, at all levels, gel’s new single. between people and one another. And we’re also working for the reconciliation of the world, overcoming the distance between ourselves and the divine. If the church is not a tron. “We don’t have to go to Blue Note to healing place to be, if it’s not a healing place hear them.” for others, if we’re not reaching out, there’s The song that’s been getting attention is not much purpose. It’s not a social club.” Angel’s composition “The Wall Street Recession Time Blues.” According to Angel, Strengthening families the song has been played in 12 states across Kalajainen, a graduate of the University of the country and in cities like Houston and Pittsburgh, holds a master of divinity from Boston. RadioIndy.com said, “A triumph Asbury Theological Seminary, a master of of composition and execution and timely theology from Princeton Theological Semias hell, ‘The Wall Street Recession Time nary, and a Ph.D. in the New Testament and Blues’ by Dennis Angel Band is a terrific early Christianity from Drew University. An slice of vocal jazz.” ordained minister for 37 years, he most reRaphael delivered the song with just the cently served as senior minister of the First right bluesy feel. Lyrics like, “my 401(k) Parish Church in Brunswick, Maine. He has seen a better day,” “when am I going also spent almost 10 years as senior pastor to get a bailout” and “not a whole lot more of the American Church in Paris, 16 years at money I can lose, I got those Wall Street Reseveral churches in New Jersey, and was a cession Time Blues.” mission pastor of a Chinese congregation in “The idea for ‘The Wall Street Recession Malaysia for another six years. Time Blues’ came to me when I finally got He follows the Rev. Harry Taylor, interim enough courage to open my retirement brominister, who served after the retirement of the Rev. Phillip Washburn in 2007. The interim during the search for a permanent replacement, he said, functions to prepare the congregation for a change in leadership: “They speak highly of Phil Washburn, but

now they’re ready for something new. That testifies to something about the interim. I get a sense of energy, that they’re raring to go.” Search committee chairman Lucy Pullen Werner said, “In the rigorous search process by a committee whose life experiences span seven decades, Larry emerged as just the right choice to meet the goals identified by the congregation. He proved to be as delightful at the dinner table as he is inspirational from the pulpit. He translates his own knowledge of the Bible and of the world into themes relevant to the issues each of us face. He relates well with gray-haired folks like me and kids the age of his 3 ½-year-old grandson. We are blessed and are looking forward to introducing him to mid-Westchester and mid-Westchester to him.” Kalajainen said he had received a profile of the congregation that was compiled from discussions at many cottage meetings, listing its, and by extension, his, priorities. “One I know is to expand our mission to families with children and youth. We have a nursery school at the church. We have a fair number of families with young children, not necessarily young families, but parents who had children in their late 30s, early 40s, unlike a mainline Protestant church, where 50 or 60 percent of the congregation is over 65, and has different priorities like the care and service of the elderly.”this past winter,” Angel kerage statement “We’ll find kinds of by programs we said. The songwhat was recorded chief engican that will enrich their livesBeach and neer offer Danny Lawrence at Manhattan strengthen families. It’sYork a place start Recording their Studios in New City,tohome talking,” said. to MarionheMcPartland’s “Piano Jazz” radio The 350 members of the church come show. from andtoreligions, and Andiverse earlier backgrounds CD, “Someone Watch Over include intermarried couples. “We will Me,” was recorded in April 2008, and find feaways he promised. tures totheserve fivethem,” jazz songs from the 1920s to the 1960s. Angel said his influences are Varied experience Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis. Kalajainen’s congregation ParisiTunes, served CDs are available at CDinBaby the English speaking community of expats, Amazon. Read more about the band at mysdiplomats and students. In 1994, he said, pace/dennisangelband. only 8 percent remained France lonNext up for the Dennis in Angel Band is ger than six 27 or seven a number a gig Aug. at theyears, Watercolor Caféthat in jumped to 30 thea concert time heatleft, Larchmont, andpercent on Oct.by2 at the partly due to the immigration Manor Club in Pelham Manor. from West African countries during civil wars. “They came as refugees”, he said, and “became a permanent part of the congregation.” He said the number of Franco-AmerContinued on back