"I had mentioned to Clifford Bell that I wanted to start an open mic night because I had moved from Chicago where there was a thriving one at a club called the Gentry, that I loved attending. We approached Tom Rolla the owner of the Gardenia, and he agreed to give us the time to build a following and didn't pressure us about filling the house immediately. Our first "Mundy on Tuesdays!" open mic was on July 11th, 2000 and our first pianist was David Snyder. After a month, Clifford Bell's involvement was no more, and by 2008 Keri Kelsey and I were co-hosting on a regular basis, Then she lovingly kept it going and growing in 2009, when I moved on.

In all honesty, I thought it would last six months. But then it became a night where musicians, singers and fans bonded over a shared love of live music. You could hear seasoned veterans of Broadway break your heart with a song, followed by an avid amateur getting their feet wet and growing their artistic voice. All this accompanied by the best musicians in town.

One of my fondest memories is of Jimmy Merrill (we called him "Shimmy Jimmy"), an elder statesmen of dance, who got to reconnect with singing. We loved him so much that we gave him a permanent slot on the sign-up list, so he knew he was up #5 every night and wouldn't have to stay so late. He was one of the many friends who we lost over a span of 25 years and was blessed to have known.

I am so grateful to be part of the history of the Gardenia and will cherish the memories, music and friendships we made there forever."