Blue Sky was formed when Nature Day decided to play more commercial music, music that its band mates enjoyed playing and with which audiences were more familiar. Originally Blue Sky was Jeff Silverman on drums, Lou Tasciotti on piano, Klyph on bass and Thorne on guitar. When Scott Swezy joined, Blue Sky had double Drumming. Dave Ilchuk came up from New York City and played guitar (an incredible Dickie Betts imitation). After Dave left, Rob Barracco joined on guitar to preserve the dual guitar lineup. Eddie MacNeil played Harp occasionally. Jim Kempster sat in once or twice to sing and Josh Small sat in once or twice to play guitar. After Scott left the band, Tom Miller joined on drums. Klyph and Thorne created a Blue Sky offshoot performing some gigs as "Ham and Swiss" and in the summer of 1971, while living in Amagansett, were joined by Eric Kuhn on drums, and became "Hard Ham and Swiss." Klyph in 1975 joined Billy Savoca's Trumains and Beyond the Cosmos. Thorne, after forming a scaled-down Blue Sky (with Jeff, Rob and Klyph) and after helping Lou Tasciotti move to Californa, returned to live in Glen Cove NY to play in his new band, SeaSpring.
Click on a song to play it, or right-click and select "Save As" (at least for Windows) to download it.
July 17, 1974, Westbury Rec Center, Westbury NY
The players for this performance were Scott, Rob, Klyph and Thorne.
Dead Flowers (Rolling Stones)
Bertha (Grateful Dead)
Casey Jones (Grateful Dead)
Love is a Beautiful Thing (Young Rascals)
Break On Through to the Other Side (The Doors)
Come and Go Blues (Allman Brothers)
Keep Playing That Rock and Roll (Edgar Winter's White Trash)
Can't Ya Hear Me Knockin' (Rolling Stones)
Sunshine of My Life (Stevie Wonder)
Forget the Blues (Klyph Black)
Henry (New Riders of the Purple Sage)
August 21, 1974, Westbury Rec Center, Westbury NY
The players for this performance were Tom Miller, Rob, Klyph and Thorne.
China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider (Grateful Dead)
After the Winter (Thorne Ventura)
Sugar (Thorne Ventura)
Mixed Emotions > Whipping Post (Klyph Black, Allman Brothers)
Nature's Way (Spirit)
July 15, 1974, Rehearsal, Westbury NY
The players for this rehearsal were Scott, Rob, Klyph and Thorne.
Love Is A Beautiful Thing (Young Rascals)
Break On Through to the Other Side (The Doors)
Keep Playin' That Rock and Roll (Edgar Winter's White Trash)
Sunshine of My Life (Stevie Wonder)
Perpetual Change (Yes, cut short)
1973
Jan 19 - Starshine, Westbury NY
May 4 - Starshine, Westbury NY
May 25 - Y.O.M., Levittown NY
Jun 23 - Asparagus 3, Westbury NY
Aug 4 - Westbury Rec Center
Aug ? - DeLuca sweet 16 backyard party - Westbury NY
Aug ? - Shirl's Luncheonette, Westbury NY
Aug 22 - Devon Yacht Club
Sep 1 - Westbury Rec Center
Sep 2 - Westbury Block party
Sep 29 - Carle Place High School battle of the bands
Oct 30 - audition at Samantha's
Oct 31 - Manhasset High School
Nov 5 - audition at McDimple's
Nov 16 - Holy Family
Dec 14 - Friends Academy, Locust Valley NY
Dec 20 - North Shore Hospital employees party
Dec 21 - Holy Trinity Diocesan High School
1974
Jan 11 - Westbury Junior High School (with Nature Day)
Feb 23 - Carle Place High School (with Joe Satriani's band)
Mar 17 - DeWolf Street church, East Meadow NY
Mar 22 - Adelphi University Rathskellar
Apr 26 - Holy Child
May 11 - Asparagus 4 - Westbury HS
May 17 - back yard party, Great Neck NY
Jun 9 - another back yard party, Great Neck NY (benefit for Gary "Spike" Manheim)
Jun 14 - Post Manor, Westbury NY (sweet 16 for Dawn Nabet)
Jun 20 - Starlight Ballroom, Sands Point NY
Jun 28 - Knights of Columbus, Woodhaven (Queens) NY
Jul 17 - Westbury Rec Center (recording above, Scott's last gig)
Jul 20 - Queens block Party (Jeff on drums)
Aug 21 - Westbury Rec Center (Tom Miller's 1st gig on drums, recorded but tapes lost)
Aug 30 - Bob Frohmann's back yard party, Levittown NY
Sep 2 - Hofstra University, Garden City NY (battle of the bands, Blue Sky took 3rd place)
Nov 15 - Bayview House
Nov 22 - Bayview House (played with Resonance, Danny Calvagna's band)
Nov 23 - Jo Anne Rathe's sweet 16 in her dad's warehouse
1975
May 10 - Asparagus 5, Westbury HS (billed as "Blue Sky and Friends")
Other gigs, dates unknown
Party in Brookville, NY
Winthrop Hall, Bronxville NY ?, young people's fellowship dance
Willem DeKooning's art studio, Springs NY
Brooklyn block party (baseball bat incident)
8-year old's birthday party on Ellison Ave, Westbury NY (joined by Doug White on guitar ?)
