Bay Ridge

10th annual Gretsch Day celebrates the iconic guitar brand’s Brooklyn roots

Over 300 People Enjoy Music and Entertainment at Bay Ridge Event

June 6, 2017 By John Alexander Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Rocky Schiano holds up a guitar made by Stephen Stern from reclaimed Brooklyn wood. Photo by Jimmy Coppola
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For the past decade, Street Sounds in Bay Ridge has been celebrating the legacy of Gretsch guitars. In fact, it’s become an anticipated community event that brings appeals to musicians and music lovers from all across the borough, and some from various parts of the country. This year’s event took place on June 3 and featured a full day of music, ranging from rock and rockabilly to bluegrass, jazz and the blues.  There was free food and drinks and numerous giveaways that included six Gretsch guitars.  

Sound Streets owner Rocky Schiano welcomed the crowd and offered a history of the Gretsch guitar brand. Schiano held up and described various guitar models that lined the walls of his store.

Schiano has been in the music business since 1988, when he opened Street Sounds as a CD store. He eventually switched over to selling instruments and offering music lessons. Located about 10 miles away from the original Gretsch factory, Street Sounds is one of the largest authorized Gretsch dealers in the world and carries one of the largest inventories of Gretsch guitars anywhere.  Renowned artists and musicians such as John Sebastian of the Lovin’ Spoonful, and guitar legend Duane Eddy have come to visit Schiano to check out his vast collection of Gretsch guitars.

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The Gretsch company was started by Freidrich Gretsch in 1883. He opened a shop at 104 South Fourth St. in Williamsburg.  In 1916, he moved the company to a larger building that he had built at 60 Broadway in Brooklyn. Today, the company is represented by Fred Gretsch and his wife Dinah. Fred is the great-grandson of Freidrich Gretsch.

Legendary musicians from Eddie Cochran and George Harrison to Tom Petty and Pete Townsend have played Gretsch guitars. Country musician Chet Atkins endorsed a popular series of Gretsch guitars starting in 1954.

Joe Carducci, a record producer, author, A&R executive and Gretsch’s current marketing director served as master of ceremonies.

The event began with a performance by Mercury Radio Theater, who bill themselves as “Philadelphia’s only surf/punk/horror/sci-fi musical extravaganza!”

Standout performances of the day were Brooklyn’s own Extinguish, a band that includes Schiano’s daughter Kristina on drums, Canadian “Twang-Master” guitarist Paul Pigat & Cousin Harley and banjo pickers Todd Taylor and Mike Moody. Taylor was named the fastest banjo player by the Guiness World Records.

A highlight of the event was Gretsch Custom Shop guitar builder Stephen Stern. Stern, a woodcrafter, started working at Fender guitars in 1993. In 2005, he took over the Gretsch Custom Shop. Stern showed off guitars built solely out of reclaimed Brooklyn wood.

He credited Schiano for the idea, telling the Brooklyn Eagle, “In January, at the music trade show NAMM, we were in a meeting going over ideas for some new guitars. Rocky said, ‘Hey, how about we do a couple of guitars from reclaimed wood from Brooklyn?’ and that is how it began.”

According to Stern, the wood used was from a building at 135 Plymouth St. in DUMBO that was built in 1900. At the time, the building was occupied by the E.W. Bliss machine factory.

State Sen. Marty Golden attended the event and said that Schiano taught his son how to play guitar. He said, “Street Sounds is what it’s all about. It’s about giving our kids in our community the equipment, the ability to have music.”  He credited Street Sounds with helping to teach kids how to play a musical instrument, preparing them for high school and for some, to ultimately achieve a career in music.

Schiano told the Eagle he wanted to thank Bay Ridge for the most successful Gretsch Day to date. “With over 300 in attendance to support live music and Street Sounds, it is a community like no other that is confirmed time and time again, as we have guests from all over the world who are amazed when they witness our neighborhood,” said Schiano. “We are already laying down plans for next year’s Gretsch Day that will celebrate Street Sounds’ 30th anniversary and with some surprises to be announced.”

 


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