Hangin' with the HungariansDecember 1 · The Embassy of Hungary BY DONNA SHOR PHOTOS BY KYLE SAMPERTON THE EVENT: When Washington's Rock 'n' Roll diplomat, Hungarian Ambassador András Simonyi, gets a request to help a charity, he knows what's wanted: A gig by the Coalition of the Willing, the R & R band he formed. It's a group of high-achieving suits who happily let their hair down performing gratis for a good cause. It was shirtsleeves and steam at the Hungarian embassy when they played to 500 clapping and swaying 20-to-60-somethings, including tycoons, ambassadors and World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz, all rock fans. The benefi t raised over $30K for the families of three Budapest fi refi ghters who died on duty. Onstage, Ambassador Simonyi, loving it, joked, played guitar and sang with the band, which comprises guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, once with Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers, but now a Pentagon counter terrorism adviser; guitarist Daniel Poneman, a former presidential aide, now a honcho at a global advisory fi rm; as is bassist Lincoln Bloomfi eld, who was formerly an assistant secretary of state. The band's drummer is the U.S. ambassador to South Korea, Alexander Vershbow, or, when Vershbow is in Seoul, it's Dan McDermott, director of a workplace investment board.
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