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Nanticoke High School class of 1967 holds reunion

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Hendrix ‘production’ Kiss the Sky to perform at Jazz Cafe in Plains Township

<p>WEST PITTSTON &#8212; They&#8217;ve only been performing with each for a few months, but this duo makes it seem like they&#8217;ve been together for years.</p><p>Frank Galoardi, who goes by the stage name of Frankie G, and Deb Switzer are a local duo that performs old jazz standards from 1928 to 1970 under a name they chose, The Classics.</p><p>They cover songs from classic artists such as Frank Sinatra, Karen Carpenter, Diana Krall and many more.</p><p>&#8220;We appreciate the same exact kind of music, and he hates when I talk about our age, but you just don&#8217;t find somebody at this age that you can connect with like this musically,&#8221; Switzer said.</p><p>The music they perform is the kind people can dance and sing along to, she added.</p><p>Galoardi, who resides in Laurel Run, plays keyboard, bass, the drum machine and sings while Switzer, a West Pittston resident, sings and plays percussion.</p><p>Galoardi has been a musician for over 50 years and played with various groups over the decades. He also formed a duo with his late wife, Judy, called Frank and Judy, and they performed all over the country for over 30 years.</p><p>After his wife passed, Galoardi needed a new partner and was told about Switzer from a mutual friend who saw him perform regularly at Wegmans in Wilkes-Barre Township.</p><p>&#8220;She said to me, &#8216;I know this girl with this low voice,&#8217;&#8221; he said. &#8220;Matter of fact, it was probably this past February, and she says, &#8216;OK, she&#8217;s ready. This person is ready to sing.&#8217;&#8221;</p><p>Galoardi was then given Switzer&#8217;s number and, when he called her, she said she would send him a demo.</p><p>&#8220;She sent me the demo and I was like &#8216;Wow, this person is really good,&#8217;&#8221; Galoardi said. &#8220;We hooked up on the first day of spring, and we&#8217;ve been rehearsing about once a week since then.&#8221;</p><p>The two have performed several times at various private parties and at Wegmans, and they also did a show in Philadelphia. They have performances scheduled for today and Dec. 1 at Wegmans and a gig slated for Nov. 18 at Legacy Bakery in West Pittston.</p><p>Switzer is no rookie to the stage as she&#8217;s been singing for 40 years, traveling with bands from the Wyoming Valley and two outfits rooted in Kansas City. She also studied jazz with a woman named Carol Colmer.</p><p>&#8220;She was responsible for the entire jazz scene in Kansas City,&#8221; Switzer said. &#8220;She&#8217;s well known out there.&#8221;</p><p>Switzer also released a contemporary gospel album she produced in 2005, citing Christian music as her passion.</p><p>Teaming with Galoardi is Switzer&#8217;s first steady gig since 2005 when she used to sing jazz at The Woodlands in Plains Township.</p><p>The musical gene runs in both Switzer&#8217;s and Galoardi&#8217;s families, as Switzer is the mother of local musician Dustin Switzer, known for his solo gigs and teaming with various accomplished instrumentalists including former Breaking Benjamin guitarist Aaron Fink.</p><p>Galoardi said his grandson, Santino, plays drums and piano, and the two have performed on stage together.</p><p>&#8220;It was a fundraiser we were doing &#8230; for a boy who had a sickness in south Wilkes-Barre,&#8221; Galoardi said. &#8220;We played at a club down in South Wilkes-Barre and Santino was there. He pretty much stole the show with his dancing alone.&#8221;</p><p>While Switzer and Galoardi have performed with various other musicians, they agree the chemistry they share with one another is what makes this their best gig yet.</p><p>&#8220;I love the duo,&#8221; Switzer said. &#8220;I love singing with Frank, and we have loads of fun entertaining the people who love to dance and sing along with us.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/web1_Deb-and-Frankie-2-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Frank Galoardi, left, plays the piano while Deb Switzer sings at a recent show. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/web1_Deb-and-Frankie-2-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Frank Galoardi, left, plays the piano while Deb Switzer sings at a recent show. </caption0><photoCredit0>Submitted Photos </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/web1_Deb-and-Frankie-3-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Frank Galoardi, left, and Deb Switzer pose for a photo prior to performing. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/web1_Deb-and-Frankie-3-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Frank Galoardi, left, and Deb Switzer pose for a photo prior to performing. </caption1><photoCredit1>Submitted Photos </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/web1_Deb-and-Frankie-1-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Deb Switzer, left, and Frank Galoardi united this past spring and have been performing various jazz shows throughout the Wyoming Valley. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/web1_Deb-and-Frankie-1-1.jpg</photo2><caption2>Deb Switzer, left, and Frank Galoardi united this past spring and have been performing various jazz shows throughout the Wyoming Valley. </caption2><photoCredit2>Submitted Photos </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Local duo performs classic jazz songs throughout area</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jimmy Fisher</p><p>jfisher@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>UPCOMING PERFORMANCES</strong></p><p>Today &#8212; 6 to 8 p.m., Wegmans, 220 Highland Bark Blvd., Wilkes-Barre Township</p><p>Saturday, Nov. 18 &#8212; 8 to 10 p.m., Legacy Baking Co., 20 Luzerne Ave., West Pittston</p><p>Friday, Dec. 1 &#8212; 6 to 8 p.m., Wegmans, 220 Highland Bark Blvd., Wilkes-Barre Township</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jimmy Fisher at 570-704-3972 or on Twitter @SD_JimmyFisher.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Local duo The Classics performs jazz standards throughout NEPA region