Penticton keyboardist Justin Glibbery on stage at the Dream Café with good friend and fellow musician Alfie Zappacosta.

Image Credit: Mark Brett, Local Journalism Initiative

A chance meeting over a couple of beers and a jam session a decade ago has turned into a tightly-knit bond of music and friendship.

Since that first session, keyboardist and Penticton Secondary music instructor Justin Glibbery has become Internationally-acclaimed Canadian singer-songwriter Alfie Zappacosta’s right hand man in his West Coast gigs.

The pair first met through mutual friends in Kaleden when Zappacosta, a JUNO and American Music Awards winner, was on tour with his band and found himself in the market for a piano player.

“We just hit it off right from the start and Justin’s been my accompanist and good friend to go across the western part of the world with,” said Zappacosta following the pair’s recent sold-out show at the Dream Café where he also celebrated his 70th birthday. “We know how to make each other comfortable if we get lost a little bit in a song and make our own little mistakes, we just look at each other and smile because such is life.”

He’s especially happy with the keyboardist’s work ethic.

“Justin’s a fairly responsible character, you don’t have to push him very hard. He does his homework,” said Zappacosta. “He’s not someone you have to beat over the head and neck to get his attention. He’s wonderful to work with.”

For Glibbery, who heads his own bands locally, the thrill of being asked to play with one of his “musical heroes” was a dream come true.

“I mean Alfie Zappacosta. Holy shit. I mean I had a couple of his tapes when I was in high school and when this came to be I said, ‘Oh my god, is this really happening?’” he said. “I was a bit of a top 40 kid in high school and to have it come around and meet up with a guy like that is one of the benchmarks of my career. Really a notch on the post. It’s pretty awesome.

“Alfie’s a totally down-to-earth guy. Man, it’s just been a real treat.”

Zappacosta’s music and acting career has spanned five decades years starting out with the band Surrender and going on to have an outstanding solo career with chart-topping songs on the Canadian adult contemporary scene.

Among his many highlights was penning the song Overload which he sang exclusively on the multi-platinum soundtrack of Dirty Dancing which sold 32 million copies.

Zappacosta, who now lives in Edmonton, Alta. has also played Christ in Jesus Christ Superstar and Che Guevara in Evita 

At this stage of his career Zappacosta really enjoys the smaller venues like the Dream, which was the first of nine shows he played with Glibbery in as many days on his current tour.

“I get the feel of the people in the audience, I see them,” he said. “It’s not like people are breaking down the doors to sell me out to big theatres and shit like that but if I go out the east coast and the west coast at some listening rooms, 60 to 100 people, I’m a happy guy.”

And about no longer fitting into the required music industry “slots” he said, “If you don’t like it, bite me.”

In spite of his many years of performing his voice remains powerful and his keyboardist admits being in “awe” each time he hears him.

“He’s got such a deep baritone bass when he wants to and then he can unleash these tenor notes in your face, awesome,” said Glibbery.

Always quick with a joke, Zappacosta, who has no plans to retire anytime soon, believes with his current healthy work schedule, “I’ll be famous by the time I’m 80.”

— This story was originally published by the Penticton Herald.

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