To my surprise this morning, as I started watching The Next Great American Band (taped from last night), I realized that this was the FINALS! Oh well, guess I missed the incredible buildup that swept across America about this show. ANYWAY, to recap, the Final Four are Sixwire, Light of Doom, Clark Brothers, and Denver & the Mile High Orchestra. Host Domenic Bowden explains to us that THE FINALS (do you have goosebumps too?) will consist of the three chosen bands singing three songs each.
Round 1 (songs chosen by the judges): DMHO is the first band selected and performs Earth, Wind & Fire's September selected by Sheila E, who relates that she's personal friends with the members of EW&F. Denver does a good cover version of the song, nothing extraordinary. The Clark Brothers are up next singing Clapton's Change the World, selected by Johnny Goo Goo Doll, and again gave a great, unique performance, the type that separates them from all the other bands in the competition. Then it's time for the elimination and the kids from Light of Doom finally are finally shown the door. Dicko has selected Steely Dan's Reelin' in the Years for Sixwire, who deliver the classic nicely.
Round 2 (songs selected by FOX, whatever that means): This is really, really (have I made my point?) weak, the bands have to endure mediocre selections like Vehicle (Ides of March) for DMHO, Amazed (Lonestar) and the worst, I'd Really Love to See You Tonight (England Dan & John Ford Coley). Dreadful. I feel ill.
Round 3 (songs selected by the bands): Last call. DMHO plays The Way You Move Me, an original. It's ok, but this band is caught between being a big band and being hip. It doesn't work. The Clark Brothers choose the gospel song Faith, Faith, Faith that knocked everyone out at the audition, but I'm disappointed (the judges are orgasmic) because I want to hear more from these guys. If there is any justice (not David, on steroids), these guys will win. Sixwire brings the competition to a close with a previously performed original Good To Be Back, kind of their signature song, which they nail.
So, now we wait until next week to see what happens next. I know it will be a sleepless week for me, how about y'all?
I am SO excited! What timing! And, as soon as I process my winning ticket per the VERY secret instructions below, I am going to share it with you, my very loyal readers! But PLEASE keep this a secret "...to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program by some unscrupulous elements." I HATE those unscrupulous elements (and I think you know who you are). Mrs. Jennifer Cantin and I are having lunch next week. It's the least I could do to thank her for this wonderful windfall. Hugs all around!
Final Results!!! A.C.I Headquarters, Euro-Afro-Asian Sweepstake Award Department, Madrid, Spain. Ref:ALI/309V/06, Batch Number:09/W678/06, 11,12,2007
We are pleased to announce to you the result of the Euro-Afro-Asian Sweepstake program held in Madrid. Your email address attached to ticket number 56714527/06 with the serial number AL234 and batch number 7888/06/ES and Reference number ES009345W drew the lucky number 31-6-26-13-35-7 which subsequently won in the 3rd category of this years program. You have therefore been approved of the lump sum of one hundred and fifty thousand euros(150.000.00euros)credited to security file number KPC/9118308/06.
For the immediate commencement of the release of your award to you, you are advised to make immediate co ntact with the claims manager with the below given contact details: Name: Dr. pedro mitchell Email:lotopremi@netscape.net Tel: ++34 656 325 789
You will be sent a claims verification form for the formalisation of the transfer of your award. Note that participant were selected randomly from World Wide Web Site through computer draw system extracted from over 100,000 emails of individuals and companies. This program takes place annually. For security reasons you are advised to keep your winning information confidential until your claim is processed and your award transferred to you. This is part of our security protocols to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program by some unscrupulous elements. Please be warned.
To avoid unecessary delays and complications do quote your security file number in all correspondence. We thank you for being a part of our promotional program and Congratulations from all members and staffs of our company.
Yours faithfully, Mrs. Jennifer Cantin For Claims Manager
After thoroughly reviewing the Mitchell Report, I noticed certain familiar names deep down that have curiously not been 'outed' in the national media. Perhaps it's because these entertainment giants are untouchable:
Johnny Gumbo (hiding behind shades at right)- there were whispers after his extraordinary pool (eight-ball) performance at Ryan's Irish Pub at this year's JazzFest
Neil Diamond- First the Caroline Kennedy revelation, now this!
Celine Dion- surprising, but the stamina of that broad is superhuman, even if her singing is inhumane.
Amy Winehouse- but unknowingly, they were next to the heroin.
Noted golfer/soccer goalie Bernie B.- but no proof, he's hightailed it out of town
The Courant's venerable jazz critic reports today that Paul Brown will no longer produce his wonderful Monday Night Jazz Series in Hartford's Bushnell Park. Brown, who wants to focus on playing/teaching, has brought free, outside jazz concerts to Hartford for the past 40 years. He may also be tired of the constant funding grind required to keep the series afloat each summer. Sad. No reports yet whether someone or some organization will try to step in.
Under appreciated as one of the most important musicians to shape early rock 'n roll and vilified for his marital fisticuffs with wife Tina Turner, Ike Turner has died at age 76. Saw him give a fabulous performance in the Blues Tent at the 2005 New Orleans JazzFest, but worried about the wellbeing of his TT stand-in, who screwed up momentarily during one number. When an ambulance passed us as we exited the fairgrounds that day, we wondered if Ike had noted the miscue to her as only he could. - article - All Music Guide - Newsweek
Email response from Johnny Gumbo in the Great Northwest: From "natural" causes, I presume. Did you read where he was married 14 times? No wonder they kept asking "who's your daddy"!
"In the days of my youth; I was told what it was to be a man; Now I've reached the age; I've tried to do all those things the best I can; No matter how I try; I find my way to do the same old jam," - article- rave reviews
Introduction and opening song - Good Times, Bad Times:
Winehouse's mother begs her to come home (Reuters)
The mother of troubled soul singer Amy Winehouse has written a public letter to a British Sunday newspaper pleading with her daughter to come home for help to deal with a series of personal traumas. Last week a distraught Winehouse, who has struggled with drugs and alcohol, was pictured in newspapers (article) wandering the streets of London at dawn in only a bra and jeans. The 24-year-old singer recently cancelled all her remaining planned concerts this year, saying she could not perform while her husband was in custody. - full article
It's late Friday afternoon and snowing, a perfect time to bag the Christmas tree. FIVE MINUTES! A new family record! With the conifer stuffed into the back, The Reet and I slide on over (it's really snowing) to Billy O's English Tavern for a bite to eat, where we meet barkeep Jeff, an acquaintance of GZ's boys (not to be confused with JZ's boyz). Chicken pot pie (packaged, but they will be baking their own pies shortly) and Boddington's for me and a burger/diet coke for the young lady as Jeff relates, with a touch of awe, what a great athlete GZ was in his day. I ask Jeff how he came to know this of the QU hall of famer and he says GZ told him. Not surprised.
Watched the Celtics destroy injury-riddled Toronto while awaiting G-Man's return from his SHS coaching duties. Upon his return, with the Celts safely in the W column, we renewed our quest to find The Next Great American Band. I started watching this show with high expectations and, though bitterly disappointed with it, I'm going to see it through no matter how bad it gets! G has been on board for the last couple episodes, while Jonathan and The Reet want no part.
We are down to five bands - Sixwire, The Clark Brothers, Denver & the Mile High Orchestra, Dot Dot Dot, Light of Doom. Much as I dislike The Dots, it's really time to get these Light of Doom kids off the show. Good, talented kids, but the novelty has run its course. Okay, host Dominic Bowden, who adds little to the show, announces that in addition to covers of Queen (here's the promo), the bands would also be performing original songs. What a concept! Too bad they waited until now (originals were performed in qualifying and the first week, but since then nothing but crappy covers), for bands like Tres Bien and Franklin Bridge would have benefited. But we plod on.
The Clark Brothers are selected first, showing off the newly-added drummer/bassist per Dicko's suggestion, performing Queen's These are the Days of Our Lives - and nail it. These guys are the most interesting, entertaining band in the competition. It's not only their talent, but their passion and intelligence that separates them from the pack. Their original Homestead, performed in a second round, was uptempo, catchy, but the lyrics (agreeing with Dicko's assessment) were cliched.
Light of Doom. Shit. We are forced to endure a metal version of We Will Rock You (Freddie must be bummed in his box), then their own A Matter of Time. Not good, the judges kill the poor little bastards. Just make them go away. Please. Next is Sixwire, the most polished group in the competition, doing a great Fat-Bottomed Girls (you make the rockin' world go 'round) and the original Go On that the judges fawned over (Dicko said they found their inner naughty boys, which creeped me out a little). Look, these guys are very good at what they do, I just don't think they do anything unusual. They may win though.
Who goes, Denver or Dot Dot Dot? Which band gets to practice all week and not get to perform? It's Dot Dot Dot. Hugs all around as DMHO gets to go on, performing Sleeping on the Sidewalk and their own Big White House. I'm feeling guilty about this, but I find them boring now, while the judges, including the extremely annoying Johnny Goo Goo Doll ("it had a little grease on it"), are getting into them more lately.
Well, we got through another episode. Not sure what lucky composers will be covered next week, but maybe they'll go for something edgy like the Monkees. Or, Great Scott, no covers! Hang in there, it's almost over.
The Grammy nominations (110 categories!!!!) have just been announced (complete listing). Below are the two blues (Field 13) categories:
Category 66- Best Traditional Blues Album (Vocal or Instrumental)
Pinetop Perkins On The 88's - Live In Chicago Pinetop Perkins [Sagebrush Productions/Vizztone Label Group]
Live...And In Concert From San Francisco Otis Rush [Blues Express, Inc.]
10 Days Out: Blues From The Backroads Kenny Wayne Shepherd Featuring Various Artists [Reprise Records]
Old School Koko Taylor [Alligator Records]
Last Of The Great Mississippi Delta Bluesmen: Live In Dallas Henry James Townsend, Joe Willie "Pinetop" Perkins, Robert Lockwood, Jr. & David "Honeyboy" Edwards [The Blue Shoe Project]
Category 67 Best Contemporary Blues Album (Vocal or Instrumental)
Into The Blues Joan Armatrading [429 Records]
Is It News Doyle Bramhall [Yep Roc Records]
The Road To Escondido JJ Cale & Eric Clapton [Reprise Records/Warner Music Group]
Monthly email update from the nerverockers: This is what we’ve got going on the next few days:
tonite, wed, feature at billy o’s open mic. Rt 322 near the DQ and truck stop in the Rochambeau (strip) Mall. No cover. Plenty of English food and beverages.
Sat 8th: Jitters, rt 10 on the Southington/Plainville line. $5 to get in; tips for us. Coffees/desserts available.
Sat/Sun 15+16: J performs in the Nutcracker over at avon old farms school. Email for details.
Next show after that is in april and then another in july.
We will be finishing up recording our next release (does anyone even care anyway?) in the next few days over at Shandyland Studios. ciao! happy whatever holiday you celebrate.
Flight of the Conchords follows the trials and tribulations of a two man, digi-folk band from New Zealand as they try to make a name for themselves in their adopted home of New York City. The band is made up of Bret McKenzie on guitar and vocals, and Jemaine Clement on guitar and vocals.
Bret and Jemaine have moved to New York in the hope of forging a successful music career. So far they've managed to find a manager (whose "other" job is at the New Zealand Consulate), one fan (a married obsessive) and one friend (who owns the local pawn shop) -- but not much else.
From Anonymous - I met Doug and the McGowans back in the early 60's. They were simply known as, "Dougie and the McGowan's" (I think) and would frequently play at the Hofbraus House in New Haven. I worked with Dougie during the day at Dale System - an investigative shopping service in New Haven. We would drive all over the state and Dougie would be in the back seat practicing his songs on his guitar. He was truly talented - he wrote "You Don't Know What You've Got (Until You Lose It)" which was sung by Ral Donner around 1961 and made the top 10. I have many wonderful memories of Dougie, Bobby, Frank and Dennis - The Fabulous Farguahr. Sadly Dennis and Frank are gone and not too long ago Jack, the older brother, passed away. May they all be resting in peace.
From Frank W. - Frank, Bobby, and Dennis McGowan were good friends (Bobby still is). I got to know them in the old car hobby. We were all partial to Packards from the mid Twenties to the mid Thirties. I also knew Jim Ricker (Buzzard) who was a regular member of the Farquahr. There was another McGowan brother, Jack, who would go with Frank, Bobby and Dennis to the huge old car flea market in Hershey, Pennsylvania, every October. Jack was not otherwise involved in the old cars and he wasn't involved in the band, either. I saw the Fabulous Farquahr perform once and I wish I had seen them more. They were very good and their repertoire was a wonderful mix of good old fashioned, well done folk music and hilarious original material, like "Motel Cloud Nine" which is one of my favorites. Frank gave me a CD of their "From The Top" album and my biggest regret is that I didn't get them to sign it. I think we all often assume our friends will be around forever. Now only Bobby is left. The last time I talked to Bobby he said just the day before he watched the buildings that housed their old car business bulldozed. It's the end of an era.
The tension is unbearable as we count down to The Next Great American Band, with an Australian host and judge. Go figure. So G-man and I tape it while watching the Celts continue their winning ways in Miami, and we can watch this thing in about a half-hour. Sad. Tonight.....Rod Stewart (lookin' mighty hot, at right) songs!
Right off the bat, we find that Dot Dot Dot will not be eliminated, to my great disappointment, but they deliver a solid effort of Stewart's Young Turks. Danny Ainge-lookalike Denver and his Mile High Orchestra, now called DMHO, follow with Baby Jane. I love that there is a big band in the competition and I'm trying to like these guys, but they haven't delivered anything special after all these weeks, despite trying to funk it up more and more. Sixwire, the most polished band of the bunch, knocks 'em dead with a rousing (annoying Johnny Goo Goo Doll said it was "muscular") Hot Legs. I mention to G that nobody has had the balls, as yet, to tackle Maggie May.
Down to three and I can't imagine the Clark Brothers not being next. You are correct, Sir. They are my favorite band, three amazing musicians who have consistently taken songs and made them completely their own. Their powerful, understated rendition of You're In My Heart leaves Sheila E so choked up she cannot comment for about two minutes. C'mon, Sheila, suck it UP! Finally, after wiping away the tears, she gushes, "It’s overwhelming what you guys bring here, and this was what my life was about, and that’s why I’m here, and I thank you.” The other judges love them, too. Dicko, in a most surprising moment, suggested that the Clark Brothers consider bringing in additional band members for the remainder of the competition! Seems quite unfair, and unnecessary. But no one else is watching this thing, so who cares?
Okay, who gets the shaft? Shouldn't be Tres Bien, the clever British Invasion band, but they are no match (in that sea of Middle America voters) against the cute kids from Light of Doom, who then do a servicable Infatuation. Alas, no Maggie May!
Next week, the music of Celine Dion! Just kidding, it's Queen. I wonder if we will be subjected to We Are the Champions or We Will Rock You or Bohemian Rhapsody? My bet is that the Clark Brothers will do a spectacular You Are My Best Friend. And I bet you just can't wait, can you! If they would just let the bands play originals from this point on, this show would be really worthwhile. - article
I caught The Sawtelles on public access cable (Cox PATV CH15) a couple weeks ago on The Ken Safety Show doing their Bike Paths Across America tour. Pretty funny concept and good music. Venues included Madison's Square Garden, the Hard Rock and the Dog Park, all located along Southington's Rails to Trails path.
I've been trying unsuccessfully to catch these local musicians (Peter/Julie Riccio) since seeing them at Meriden's Daffodil Festival two years ago. They appear at Cafe Nine on Saturday night (see concert flyer) as part of a tribute to the Byrds' classic Sweetheart of the Rodeo album. They will be "sawtelle-izing" Life In Prison.
I finally bought 100 Days, 100 Nights at Borders this afternoon as I shopped for the family grab bag present (iPod Shuffle $79 at the Apple Store at Westfarms). Playing Sharon and the Dap-Kings, from Brooklyn's Daptone Records, as I write this, getting a serious groove on. The Dap-Kings were the backing band for Amy Winehouse on her terrific Back to Black album and the arrangement on the first cut of 100 Days, 100 Nights is strikingly similar. This is a wonderful disc! Here's Eric Danton's (Htfd Courant rock critic) album review .
One good thing about not knowing how to 'remote' well is you sample all the shows on your trip to your destination channel. Celtics beating up on the Knick by fiddy, so I'm off to check out football and I find Van Morrison appearing on Austin City Limits on PBS. Love Van. Yes, even in concert, you naysayers. He played a mighty tasty sax on St. James Infirmary and finished up the hour show with Brown-Eyed Girl and his first hit with Them, Gloria.
Stephen King's taste in music is more eclectic than scary. The best-selling author reveals his seven picks for the "best albums of the year" in Entertainment Weekly's Dec. 7 issue. "In truth, your Uncle Stevie was disappointed with this year's new music, very disappointed indeed, and his year-end list reflects that," King writes. "I could only find seven albums I wanted to mention ..."
His No. 1 pick is Steve Earle's "Washington Square Serenade," followed by Wilco's "Sky Blue Sky," Mika's "Life in Cartoon Motion" and Lyle Lovett and His Large Band's "It's Not Big It's Large." Of Lovett's album, King says: "This is a terrific Texas swing album, but of course not everybody likes Texas swing (or even knows what it is). What makes it special is Lovett's vermouth-dry vocals and his equally dry wit." King's fifth choice is Ozzy Osbourne's "Black Rain" — "finest heavy metal record of the year; a true speaker-buster" — followed by John Fogerty's "Revival" and Southern Culture on the Skids' "Countrypolitan Favorites."
It's a good day. The last of the leaves are raked in the early morning chill, the Browns come back from an early deficit to beat the Texans, bringing their record to a very respectable 7-4, one game behind the Pittsburgh Steelers, so, why not go for the trifecta and catch Naomi Sommers' early show at Cafe Nine!
I had not heard of Naomi Sommers before a concert blurb on the Cafe Nine concert schedule and a followup article in the Hartford Courant piqued my curiosity. According to her mySpace page, she "...plays guitar, banjo, flute and sings. She plays in solo and with a few bands: Gray Sky Girls, The Sommers-Rosenthal Family Band, The Broken Dreamers, Phil Rosenthal and Bluegrass Union."
I find a vacant parking space in a dark, eery spot at the end of State Street about a half-block past The Nine and walk back, wondering if my car would be available for my return trip home. My concert buddy, Johnny Gumbo, has left us for the Great Northwest and is unavailable for bodyguard services. The pleasant young man with a red Mohawk and huge nose ring takes my $8 and I sneak past the already performing Ms. Sommers to find a seat against the bar. Kerouac looks down at me as I strain my eyes to order a beer. I quickly point to the green tap and turn my attention to the performance, solo folk guitar stuff. Nice. I love this place. Usually, though, I must invest most of the night to catch a show here. The occasional early Sunday evening shows are appreciated. A different vibe tonight from other gigs here, everyone seated, more of an academic, coffeehouse atmosphere. Lots of family present to lend support.
WHOA! After tasting my brew i squint to read the lettering on the green beer-tap - Woodchuck Draft Cider! Okay, nice job. Naomi's dad, Phil Rosenthal, joins her onstage to accompany her on mandolin/vocals. A few songs later, another guest is introduced (name missed) to play lap slide guitar. The songs range from folk to blues to bluegrass, nothing very uptempo, but quite tasty. She closes the first set with a lovely version of Dylan's You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go from Blood On the Tracks.
After the break, a late-arriving, tall, beret-topped fiddle player, Dan Tressler, joins the crew. His delivery is understated, very tasty. Phil loses his banjo pick and must stay with mandolin to support his daughter's expressive, melodious vocals, but it works out fine. Sommers closes the show with a reluctant encore request from her mom. Mama's House is an unrecorded song written pre-Katrina after visiting a girlfriend in New Orleans. Good request, Mom, it's a wonderful, very moving end to the evening.
I pick up a copy of her Flying Through album on the way out. And my car is still available. Perfect.
Rising from the dangerous streets of Da Maple Hood, The Reet 'N Judi blew up the hip-hop scene in 1992 with their debut album, Maplewood 'Ho Down. The band's latest album, Doin' Sixty, Catch Us!, blends Judi H's singular rhymes with The Reet's funky bass lines to generate an album teeming with feel-good summer jams. With standout tracks like Bitches Shoppin', Ain't Droppin' and Gettin' Our Skinny On at Applebee's, the music of The Reet 'N Judi appeals to hip-hop fans and non-hip-hop fans alike.
Hurricane Katrina almost killed the New Orleans music scene. Now many of its players are coming back – to a musicians' village in the heart of the city. Angus Batey talks to its co-founder, Harry Connick Jr. Photographs by Misty Keasler
Harry Connick Jr sits on the front porch of his friend and mentor Bob French's new home and looks around him, grinning. As a six-year-old, the New Orleans-born piano player would sneak into gigs by French's band and demand a chance to play on a couple of songs. Today, French has a home because Connick made it happen. 'Man, never in a million years would I think I would be at this place, lookin' at these houses that I had somethin' to do with,' Connick says, as though the realisation of the difference he has made to the rejuvenation of his home town is only now sinking in. 'It's really overwhelming.'
French's new home is in the Upper Ninth Ward of New Orleans. Though not as badly affected as its neighbour, the Lower Ninth, the Upper still felt the full force of Hurricane Katrina's near-miss on 29 August, 2005, and suffered considerably from the ravages of the flooding that followed, when the sunken city's levee system failed and the waters above and around New Orleans rushed in to its below-sea-level bowl.
Across the street are some houses that survived. One gleams with fresh paint, lovingly restored by its owners. Next door, renovation has yet to begin, but the occupiers have moved back, and are living in the driveway in a 'Fema trailer' – a caravan supplied by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The house still bears the crude symbols spray-painted on by rescue workers as they conducted house-to-house searches after the flood. A large 'X' divides four pieces of information, the zero in the lower quadrant signifying that, here at least, no bodies were found.
To either side of where Connick sits, the picture changes dramatically. New homes, constructed in the same traditional wood-frame and clapboard style, have been put up. Each is raised on breeze-block foundations to above the level of the flood: each is painted, many in bright colours. The new buildings have transformed six adjacent blocks of the Upper Ninth. Today, the ground was 'broken' on a community centre that will sit at the heart of this new development, dozens more houses are under construction, and another 200 lots in the surrounding area have been acquired to extend the building programme beyond this core area.
The homes, built by the non-profit organisation Habitat for Humanity using volunteer labour, are being sold at cost to low-income owners on zero-rated mortgages. Post-Katrina, the average rent on a three-bedroom flat rose to more than $1,200 per month, but these homes attract a monthly fee of about half that, with insurance and property taxes included. The owners, whom Habitat refers to as 'partners', do not pay a deposit, but must complete 350 hours of 'sweat equity', working on their own and their new neighbours' homes. complete article
Plodding on toward the finish with the Next Great American Band. If you tape it, the show takes but a half-hour to watch, so after the Celtics took care of Kobe, G-man and I (jfk REFUSES to even consider watching) click on. Tonight, the remaining bands had to select/perform a Rolling Stones (Jagger/Richards) song; still not doing any originals. Stupid.
Tres Bien gets picked first, a mild surprise, and do a decent version of Get Off of My Cloud, but mess up the ending a bit. Could showcase the other members more, guitar solos and such. Denver and the Mile High Orchestra are the next surprise, not because they aren't good, but this genre isn't very mainstream. They have given solid, sometimes very funky performances, but I don't really like their take on I'm Free. Something didn't work. Denver, who looks like Danny Ainge, gets into it with Johnny Goo Goo Doll. Sixwire is next, selecting This Will Be the Last Time and pretty much nailing it. No question, these guys are polished, talented, if middle-of-the-road Nashville (and Sheila E was flashing some serious cleavage just for the lead singer). Next are the dreaded cute kids from Light of Doom doing a heavy-metal Jumpin' Jack Flash. Not their best because, as Sheila E points out, the key was too low for the lead singer. They will still continue forever, unfortunately.
Down to three bands. Next, the Clark Brothers deliver an absolutely stunning take on Gimme Shelter (see below), earning a standing ovation from the audience and the judges. Best performance of the competition, prompting Ms. E to declare them the band to beat. Not sure about that, for taste is not always the criteria for voting. Final two. Jesus, you just know that the dreadful Dot Dot Dot is going to win over poor Cliff and the boys. Yep. Tearful (not really) goodbyes from host/judges. Boy, I cannot stand Johnny Goo Goo Doll! Trey Dot, to my dismay, actually gives up a pretty good Let's Spend the Night Together despite the lead singer's (Adam, I think) need to constantly vamp it up. God, the chick on guitar can play! Now, the really bad news - next week: Rod Stewart songs (okay, I'll grant you Maggie May!) - RealityTV article
By the way, is anyone else a little creeped out by Neil Diamond revealing that Sweet Caroline is about Caroline Kennedy, who was about nine years old when he wrote it? (article) Are you Red Sox fans gonna feel a little queasy singing along (so good, so good, so good! Go Ped Sox!!) during the 7th inning stretch from now on? Probably not. Great song, though. Here's the "touching me, touching you" man doing a medley of his hits on VH1 Storytellers:
In a companion publication to this week's (11/26/07) New Yorker called Movies Rock (apparently from the editors of Vanity Fair) is The List: 50 Greatest (mostly) Rock Soundtracks of All Time, ...."from Prince's purple masterpiece to Eminem's defining battle, to Elvis's spin through Sin City, these are the soundtracks that opened our ears and smashed our assumptions." Or not, you make the call. In addition, it gives the top 5 soundtracks for punk (Blank Generation-1980), jazz (Elevator to Gallows-1958), cult films (Expresso Bongo-1959), documentaries (Eat the Document), and unreleased soundtracks (Harold and Maude-1971). - article
Here are the top ten; I'm searching for the listing online to post here.
A query from Carolyn B, the Beantown beancounter (shown with best buddy Herbie Hancock), prompted a look at the area possibilities:
Szechuan Tokyo, located just off the South Main Street exit of I84, has a Pre-Thanksgiving Bebop Bash with Andy Breskin on Wednesday (7:30pm), the Eric Frazier Ensemble on Friday night (7:30pm) and guitarist/vocalist Patricia Tuite's ensemble, The Boilermakers, on Sunday at 6pm.
Cafe Nine has its Saturday afternoon (4:30-7:30, no cover) jazz jam, this week featuring Guitar George Baker, and this cowboy is seriously considering folk singer/guitarist Naomi Sommers' early Sunday show (7pm).
The very latest in reality programming - Johnny Gumbo, friend/ festival co-ordinator/ Ph.D./ Rotarian/ Nascar aficionado/ snakecharmer/ philosopher/ rogue, is leaving Connecticut and is making his way to the Great Northwest in a sleek rented UHaul. Stay tuned for reports EXCLUSIVELY on johnnykmusic....
Final episode- Well, I've been travelin' down the road, just to loosen my load: With trumpets blaring and the streets lined with curious onlookers, the mighty trio of jg, Hattie and Flat Stanleyette rolled into Spokane late Sunday afternoon welcomed by a smiling and happy "JD" (jg's dad). The trip through western MT and the panhandle of ID crossed mountain passes and high river gorges with rain and snow testing the driving skill of jg, affectionately known to his trucker buddies on the CB as "rental guy".
The seven day trip 'cross country covered 3,070 miles through 11 states and took in some spectacular and lesser known sights (see previous episodes) that usually don't get mentioned in the flashy travel journals. Leave it to jg and his crew to go the unorthodox route. jg even picked up a possible job opportunity next summer coordinating the Testicle Festival at the Rock Creek Lodge just outside Missoula, MT. They say you can really have a ball there.
Some observations along the way:
trains don't have cabooses anymore,
when you're older, you take advantage of stopping at most rest stops,
parakeets and paper stick figures make great traveling companions and don't cost much to entertain,
Cheyenne is the largest city in WY and has only 10,000 more people than Southington,
when you drive 'cross country, you don't get jet lag,
once you get past IL, there are more pick-ups on the road than SUV's,
rental trucks use a lot of gas,
it's pretty lonely driving when you can't pick up an FM or AM radio station, and
never, ever minimize the importance of having good friends.
The trio hopes you enjoyed following along on this trip. Thanks to jk for hosting the blog and adding some flair. And if you ever get out to the great Northwest, be sure to let us know. "We'll keep the light on for ya."
The very latest in reality programming - Johnny Gumbo, friend/ festival co-ordinator/ Ph.D./ Rotarian/ Nascar aficionado/ snakecharmer/ philosopher/ rogue, is leaving Connecticut and is making his way to the Great Northwest in a sleek rented UHaul. Stay tuned for reports EXCLUSIVELY on johnnykmusic....
Episode #4- High Plains Drifter jg, Hattie and Flat Stanleyette settled into their luxurious room at the Comfort Inn in Livingston, MT, for their last nite on the road. Dinner was one of the best steaks jg's ever had (outside AJ's) at the Montana Rib & Chop House, where all the guys at the bar either had handle-bar mustaches and wore cowboy hats or had full beards and wore cammy baseball hats. The women....well, let's just say they would keep you warm at night.
Traveling across the plains of western NE, eastern WY, and central MT over the past two days, the trio got a full dose of "Big Sky" country. The scenery (some would call it stark desolation) was awe inspiring, going on and on with great horizons, spectacular sunsets and lots and lots of nothingness but sage brush, plains grass, antelope herds, corn fields, slow elk (cattle for you easterners), and small towns with such names as "Big Timber", "Lodge Grass", "Buffalo", "Gothenberg", and "Chugwater". And the sights..."Museum of the Prairie Pioneer", "Great River Bend Archway Monument" (in case you don't want to stop, they built it right over I-80), the "Heartland Museum of Military Vehicles", "Buffalo Bills Ranch site", the "Little Bighorn Battlefield", and "Prairie Dog Town State Park". Thankfully, the speed limit across the plains is 75 so you have to take in the sights quickly. And they did get a chance on Saturday to grab a beer at the Mint (Cowboy) Bar in Sheridan,WY, and see the end of the Ohio State - Michigan game (go Buckeyes).
Sunday will begin the ascent into the Montana Rockies for the final descent into Spokane. The snow covered mountains are now very visible and majestic. Let's hope the trio can negotiate the mountain passes without any problems. But then again, they are without fear. They're "truckers". Catch you on the flip side! (....singin', altogether now, "Six days on the road and we're gonna make it home tonight.")
It's like being in line for three hours at Sally's in New Haven for a large pie with everything on it; once you pass a certain point, there's no leaving, you've got too much invested in the waiting. The difference here, though, is that at Sally's you have the best pizza in the world (some would argue, with reason, for Pepe's just down Wooster Street) waiting at the end of the experience. No such luck with The Next Great American Band. And the wait is getting very boring.
The initial draw to the show, for me, was a bunch of new bands with a diversity of styles playing original music; if they had to perform a few covers along the way, no big problem. And that is how the format was originally presented. But the weekly Friday night (indeed, a no-respect timeslot) show has been pared to one hour, leaving time for only one song per band, and they perform a cover! It's lame! And the judges, Johnny Goo Goo Doll, Sheila E and Dicko Dickson (although he did name-drop Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings) are becoming horrendous, either fawning over a performance with no insight as to why or dismissing it with disgust. I think Sheila wants to screw the lead singer of Sixwire. Oh, soooo Paula Abdul! Strange.
This week each band performed a song written by Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller, whose 50's/60's music was the basis for the Broadway hit, Smokey Joe's Cafe. Nice songwriters, but not very relevant to showcasing a hip, new band. And the worst was the elimination of Franklin Bridge, the funk band from Philly, arguably the best of the bunch!
But, like waiting in line at Sally's Apizza, I will continue. I've invested too much to leave now. - RealityTV recap
The very latest in reality programming - Johnny Gumbo, friend/ festival co-ordinator/ Ph.D./ Rotarian/ Nascar aficionado/ snakecharmer/ philosopher/ rogue, is leaving Connecticut and is making his way to the Great Northwest in a sleek rented UHaul. Stay tuned for reports EXCLUSIVELY on johnnykmusic....
Episode #3 - Just point it west and drive After picking up a hitch hiker in Indiana (jg agreed to take his niece's cut-out paper doll, Flat Stanleyette, along for the ride and take pictures of her crossing the country for a class project), jg and Hattie set sail on I-80 across IL & Iowa. jg negotiated one slight turn to the right and a half turn to the left over the course of 600 miles of flat, straight hiway. Some of the day's highlights included passing such notable sights as the MidEast Conflicts Memorial Wall off Exit 97 in IL, Exit 45 ("take the road to Ronald Regan's birthplace" - wherever that is), and the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site in Iowa as well as crossing two of our land's greatest rivers, the Mighty Mississip and the wandering Missouri.
But the big event of the day was pulling into The World's Largest Truckstop in Walcott, Iowa, or as it's known to truckers around the world, "Iowa 80". Acres and acres of big rigs and a shopping mall complete with showers, a movie theatre, library, 5 restaurants, trucking accessories of all kinds, gift shops, jewelry shops, complete maintenance facilities, truck scales, and even an on-site dentist. They've even got three 18-wheelers on display inside the mall. It doesn't get any better than that.
The crew finally made it to Omaha, NE, and scarved down a chicken dinner at the Mullberry Roadhouse before retiring for the night. Tomorrow, more "just point it west and drive" all the way across NE to cowboy country
Unconfirmed rumors have the trendy new bistro soon to open its doors in downtown Southington featuring Johnny Gumbo's Sweet Louisiana Gumbo, described thusly:
"Like its namesake, this offering consists of nothing inherently good for you, yet its first-rate ingredients make it irresistible to the taste."
The Neville Brothers are returning to New Orleans next year to assume the role they held for more than a decade — the closing act of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. It will be the group's first hometown performance since Hurricane Katrina struck Aug. 29, 2005, flooding 80 percent of New Orleans and scattering the four brothers across the country. Art, 69, is the only one living in New Orleans since Katrina. Charles, 68, is living in the Northampton, Mass., area; Cyril, 59, is in Austin, Texas; and Aaron, 66, is in Nashville, Tenn. - complete article
Winehouse in the doghouse after 'atrocious' tour debut (AFP)
Troubled soul singer Amy Winehouse kicked off her 17-date tour with a shambolic performance that saw fuming fans booing and marching out, reports said Thursday. The concert at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, was a chance for the 24-year-old to get back to singing and put her woes behind her. Winehouse has had "health issues" -- widely reported to be drug and alcohol abuse -- and her party-loving husband Blake Fielder-Civil is being held on grievous bodily harm and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice charges.
But Wednesday's gig at the NIA, which can hold up to 13,000 people, was slammed by angry fans as a "disgrace" after she turned up late and stumbled about the stage. When punters started jeering, Winehouse snapped: "Let me tell you something. First of all, if you're booing, you're a mug for buying a ticket. "Second, to all those booing, just wait till my husband gets out of incarceration -- and I mean that." - complete article
Below is a YouTube clip of our girl singing "Valerie":
Cowboy tours country to find good news by CARL MANNING (AP)
FREDONIA, Kan. - When rancher Bill Inman decided to show there's more to America than the gloom-and-doom on the nightly news, he hopped on his horse and started riding. And riding, and riding. Some 1,700 miles later, he's burning through his family's life savings as he collects stories of hardworking, honest everyday people in rural America. The scenery in America is changing and I'm really proud we're taking a snapshot at slow motion of this time period, because 20 years from now it will be different," he said. Inman soaks it all in atop Blackie, a 16-year-old thoroughbred-quarter horse mix who's averaging 20-25 miles a day along backroads from Oregon to North Carolina. - complete article
The very latest in reality programming - Johnny Gumbo, friend/ festival co-ordinator/ Ph.D./ Rotarian/ Nascar aficionado/ snakecharmer/ philosopher/ rogue, is leaving Connecticut and is making his way to the Great Northwest in a sleek rented UHaul. Stay tuned for reports EXCLUSIVELY on johnnykmusic....
Episode #2 - Gumbo rolls into Indiana; citizens warned to approach with caution
jg and his trusty sidekick, Hattie the Parakeet, motored into Ft. Wayne, Indiana, on the second day of their cross country trek. He was stopping off to visit his sister and her family who always welcome him affectionately when he visits, nod their heads, and wonder "What is Crazy Uncle John up to now?".
With a big plate of biscuits and gravy under his belt and Johnny Cash on the CD, jg began his push further into the "Heartland" on Tuesday with high hopes of seeing "what this great land of ours is all about". He was not disappointed. Passing such memorable sights along the way such as the The National Bicycle Museum and the home of Charles Kettering, the inventor of the automobile self-starter, jg only wished he had more time to stop and take it all in. But the life of a cross country trucker is always driven by the clock and sentimentality takes a back seat. Maybe someday.
There was one moment of "high anxiety" on the day's trip. Uncharacteristically, jg found himself on a lone stretch of US 30 in western Ohio with a gas gauge approaching empty. He and Hattie (pictured at right) had been immersed in listening to a local CW radio station and had failed to perform the mandatory instrument cross check that all professional drivers do automatically. With no fuel stops in sight on the highway, he was forced to take a side road off the beaten path and ended up at a Marathon gas station (one of only two in town) in Van Wert, OH. The locals took him in, as well as his $100 gas bill, wished him well and sent him on his way.
jg and Hattie will stay in Ft. Wayne for a day, happily indulge his neice and nephew, and then head out on Thursday for a two day trip across the great abyss of Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska on the way to visit an aunt and uncle in Cheyenne, WY (yes, there are real cowboys there, and the sheep are really scared). 'Til then...."On the road again, just can't wait to get on the road again....
New video of Sarah Borges & the Broken Singles(Binky, Mike Castellana, Robert Larry Dulaney) Halloween night in Nashville, with John Doe joining onstage for Come Back to Me. Catch SB&BS at the Bank Street Cafe in New London, CT on Dec 8th. - MySpace page
According to Eric Danton, Hartford Courant rock critic, Bruce Springsteen will be performing again in Hartford in early 2008. More details coming on Wednesday. Danton's column
The very latest in reality programming - Johnny Gumbo, friend/ festival co-ordinator/ Ph.D./ Rotarian/ Nascar aficionado/ snakecharmer/ philosopher/ rogue, is leaving Connecticut and is making his way to the Great Northwest in a sleek rented UHaul. Stay tuned for reports EXCLUSIVELY on johnnykmusic....
Episode #1 - After somewhat of a late start Monday morning, jg transgressed (not to be confused with transgendered- not that there's anything wrong with that) CT, NY, and all of PA without incident before settling in for the nite at a little roadside motel, aptly named the "Sleep Inn", outside the Tire Capital of the World, Akron, OH. He and his trucker buddies traded leads with their convoy stopping only once for gas ("Yes sir, that's right. $84 for a fill-up) and needed only 2 meals (breakfast: short stack, 2 scrambled, side sausage, OJ & coffee; dinner: chicken-fried steak with gravy, mashed pots, deep fried okra and cornbread). His traveling companion, Hattie the Parakeet, provided some harmony when jg would burst out in song to one of the several CD's played along the way (The Best of the Eagles, Vol. I, getting a double play) and seemed only slightly dazed at the end of the day's ride. Can she go the distance?
All in all a good start. And thanks to his packing buddies, Steve "Gotta stop for a smoke" Parsons, Ronnie "Let's pack it this way" Klein and Johnny "Just get it in the truck, gotta a Browns' game to go to" Kennedy, the load stayed put. One down, six to go. - Prologue
Rocket and the Muggs (here's a welcome home from the Detroit Free Press) were shown the door (no surprise, they had the weakest singers), but tonight's show was only one hour, with each band only doing Billy Joel covers, no originals. LAME! This eliminates the one element separating this from the other reality music shows. The karaoke format also plays to the pop bands, so Franklin Bridge's funk and Tres Bien's retro-British invasion style didn't translate well. On the other hand, Cliff Wagner overcame the problem with a great performance. The judges are getting weaker as the show progresses. This was VERY disappointing.
Clark Brothers (She's Got a Way)
Sixwire (She's Always a Woman)
Cliff Wagner & the Ole #7 (You May Be Right)
Franklin Bridge (Big Shot)
Tres Bien (Movin' Out)
Denver and the Mile High Orchestra (Tell Her About It)
Light of Doom (The Stranger)
Dot Dot Dot (Pressure)
Who should go next: DotDotDot/Light of Doom Who will: Denver&MHO/Cliff Wagner&Ole#7
Round 1 (songs chosen by the judges):
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