The Simon & Garfunkel Songbook: An evening of Songs & Stories featuring Aztec Two-Step 2.0 with narration by Tony Traguardo at Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center

The Simon & Garfunkel Songbook: an Evening of Songs & Stories 

FEAT. AZTEC TWO-STEP 2.0 WITH NARRATION BY TONY TRAGUARDO 

This unique and entertaining music and multimedia event chronicles the extraordinary career of Simon & Garfunkel. The music speaks for itself, anchored by Rex Fowler, co-founder of the renowned folk-rock duo Aztec Two-Step, and his wife, Dodie Pettit, an original cast member of Broadway’s The Phantom of The Opera. The show’s storyline was originally created by Pete Fornatale, the late great pioneer of progressive FM radio and author of Simon & Garfunkel’s Bookends biography. Now telling the stories, emceeing and directing the engaging and amusing multimedia show is Fornatale’s dear friend and protégé, Tony Traguardo, WCWP-FM radio host, noted rock music historian, podcaster and founding board member of the Long Island Music Hall of Fame. Nostalgia and laughter abound, and a sing a-long is always in the mix! 

 About Aztec Two-Step 2.0 

The story of Aztec Two-Step is intertwined with the history of folk-rock music in America. Originating from a chance meeting at an “open mic night” in Boston in 1971, then taking their name from a poem by beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Rex Fowler and Neal Shulman went on to record four albums on Elektra & RCA Records, helping to usher the music of the 60’s into the 1970s and beyond. The duo performed worldwide, was critically acclaimed in major U.S. newspapers, reviewed in Rolling Stone Magazine, and appeared on numerous radio and TV shows including The King Biscuit Flower Hour, World Cafe Live and David Letterman, as well as winning the New York Music Award for Best Folk Album for their 1986 release Living in America. With a career built on progressive FM and college radio and non-stop touring over five decades, the duo appeared in concert with The Band, Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt, Donovan, Judy Collins, Jackson Browne, Seals and Crofts, Carly Simon, Heart, Orleans, The Beach Boys and so many more.   

After 47 years, Neal retired in 2018 and Rex has continued their musical legacy with his new expanded band Aztec Two-Step 2.0, alongside his wife Dodie Pettit - an accomplished singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and an original cast member of Broadway’s Phantom of the Opera as well as other Tony Award winning productions. Together they are the heart and soul of Aztec Two-Step 2.0.

 This new incarnation of Aztec Two-Step continues to impress audiences with dazzling musicianship, intelligent songwriting, and soaring harmonies. They have recaptured the multi-layered dimension of Rex & Neal’s original studio recordings, performing favorite ATS classics and old forgotten gems, as well as continuing on with their renowned Simon & Garfunkel Songbook show.