Friday, February 10, 2006
Our Esteemed Reporter ~ Tamar Alexia Fleishman
HOWDY FOLKS! This is the grand ol' music issue. This was Music Week, since Wednesday was the Grammy's, and our most esteemed and prolific reporter, Tamar Alexia Fleishman has been very busy interviewing famous musicians from around the globe!
Listen to Tamar's voice greeting for the music issue -- just click the link below:
http://myvoicegreeting.com/D=coloneltamar-bZmW97NumBwy1WUEsrgl
Tamar will be appearing as a special guest consultant on the Dr. Phil Show 2/16/06!! Check your local listings.
Look at this AMAZING line-up of celebrities we've got interviewed here (and pics and music clips!)
- Al Jarreau
- Ozark Mountain Daredevils
- Kelly Pardekooper
- Collin Raye Interview
- The Music and Social Scene in Leipzig by Maestro Franz Anton Krager
- Nina Beilina
- Dave "Chico" Prince
- Copley Guitars
- Bootliquor Radio: The Internet's Bad Ass Radio Station
- Michael Cartellone
- The Steepwater Band
- Rebel Pride Band
- Adam Pelty's new venture: Moveable Arts
- Mark O'Connor
- Melodious Sonorous
Country legend/sausage mogul Jimmy Dean and his wife, singer-songwriter Donna Dean have a new web site! http://www.deancountry.com/ On the web site, you can see photos and order yourself some very rare recordings from the early days of country music. All of the items will be autographed by Jimmy or Donna at your request.
The Steepwater Band - Tamar Alexia Fleishman
The Steepwater Band -- based in Chicago and northern Indiana -- consists of Jeff Massey on guitar and vocals, Tod Bowers on bass and Joe Winters on drums. The Steepwater Band has that Chicago thing going: Blues and Southern Rock, with skilled musicians. Wait, I hear you thinking, the last time I checked, Chicago is north of the Mason-Dixon line. What’s the deal? Well, if you know your history of Chicago, it was all settled by Confederate officers and other Southerners who came up for a fresh start in a burgeoning city. The boys in Steepwater have an authentic, not wanna-be sound. Now in their 30’s, all the guys have been in various rock and blues bands since their teens. Jeff and Joe want the public to know they’re single. They joined to form The Steepwater Band in 1998. Their latest studio album is "Dharmakaya" (released in 2004 on Funzalo Records). You can check out Steepwater’s concert dates, download MP3’s and see other cool links at www.steepwater.com.
Very recently, the band had an opportunity that most bands would give their eyeteeth for: they are in the running to get a gig opening for Bon Jovi at Giants Stadium. But this opportunity has a twist -- the preliminary round was selected from the Internet. On www.bonjovi.xmradio.com, fans were able to vote in a round-robin tournament that included six bands a week, all of whom had opened for Bon Jovi in the past. John Bon Jovi will be selecting the band from the winners. As Tod Bowers noted, "I’m not sure how much store to put in it. People got to vote as many times as they wanted. It was a great advertisement for XM. But it all helps us."
In the Fall of 2004, Steepwater released a record in Europe. Subsequently, the Askena Rock Festival in Spain contacted them through their web site. The band played in Spain to great acclaim in September, 2005. Steepwater played along with Wilco, Govt Mule, as well as Deep Purple. The Steepwater Band played opening night on the main stage with Basque rockers Soul Breaker Company.
At one point, the whole band lived in a secluded house in rural Indiana. They were able to rehearse until late at night and their band earnings were enough to pay the rent. But, all good things must come to an end; though the band is a strong as ever and their friendships are as tight as ever, they got tired of seeing each other every morning. They do feel that by moving out of "Little Pink," (as they called their house, referring to fellow Indianan John Mellencamp’s song), they come to
rehearsals with new creativity.
Steepwater is making a splash in all forms of media: they have sold songs used in Nissan’s advertisements and can be heard on NBC’s hit, "My Name is Earl." When they played at the famous music venue The Doubledoor, their concerts were broadcast through www.dcn.com.
Rebel Pride Band - Tamar Alexia Fleishman
Click for a free MP3 sound clip
Florida has been the heart of Southern Rock for over three decades, with bands such as The Outlaws, Molly Hatchet and of course, the daddy band that started it all -- Lynyrd Skynyrd. Those are some pretty big shoes to fill, but Tampa Bay's Rebel Pride has been a crowd pleaser all over the South for several years. Rebel Pride is made up of five members who each bring a strong background to the table:
Pat Buffo - Lead vocals, guitar, drums. Growing up in St. Petersburg, Florida, Pat learned drums, bass and guitar. He started "paying his dues" playing in metal bands and working in record stores. Pat had his own solo acoustic act when he was asked to audition for Rebel Pride.
Brian Jeffries - Guitar, vocals, songwriter. Brian attended Berklee College of Music, and considers "Live at the Fillmore East" to be his Bible. Over the years, he has been a member of several bands, including Southern Snow, Second Helping (a Skynyrd tribute band that toured North America) and The Traveling Freak Show.
"Sonny" Harlan - "Sonny" was playing drums early -- banging on furniture while listening to his dad's Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bob Seger and AC/DC records. Shortly after high school, he was touring clubs throughout the US. After seven full US tours, several Canadian tours, a six-week European tour and four albums with a punk rock band, Sonny has returned to his roots. He joined Rebel Pride in 2003. Sonny's simple, solid style is the perfect foundation for Pride's guitar driven solos.
"Big Dave" Stevenson - bass. "Big Dave" taught himself bass in the 9th grade. Living in Tampa Bay since 1978, "Big Dave" founded the Southern Rock/Blues band, "Treez" as well as the popular local band, "Fair Warning." He then toured with a Skynyrd cover band until 1997, when he joined Rebel Pride.
Tom Spittle - Guitar, vocals, flute keys. Whistling tunes since the age of nine months, Tom's from a family of musicians. In grade school, he studied everything from strings to brass to percussion. His teachers were John Beck at the Eastman School of Music and jazz great Vinnie Ruggerio. He now teaches guitar, bass and drums for the Anonas Arts Academy. Tom has played with many bands having many styles. He's been with Rebel Pride for over 9 years.
Q. WHAT ARE YOUR LATEST PROJECTS?
RP: We are currently working on our second Rebel Pride CD of all original music. We are in pre-production with material written by the individual band members and other song-writing friends of ours. Rebel Pride is going to collaborate on a separate CD with a fiddle/guitar playing/songwriting, friend of ours named Paul Carr (a lawyer from Ruskin, Florida). Paul played fiddle with Rebel Pride at The Annual Charlie Daniels Angelus House Benefit Concert in Clearwater, Florida in 2000. The collaboration CD is a little more country sounding but still maintains the Rebel Pride edge. Also, we are playing Daytona Bike Week this year! Y'all can see us March 3 -6 on Main Street at the Full Moon Saloon, from 1-5 p.m. So, sleep in and catch our show across the street from the beach.
Q. YOU'VE MADE A SWITCH FROM COUNTRY TO SOUTHERN ROCK. HAS THAT CHANGED THE SIZE OF YOUR AUDIENCE?
RP: Yes. The Country audience fans we have like our approach to Southern Rock and our Southern Rock fans like our approach to Country music. Our Rock fans like our edge on Southern Rock.
Q. HOW DO YOU PICK THE MP3 SAMPLE SONGS TO GIVE AWAY ON YOUR WEB SITE?
RP: We only have one track available on the site in hopes to wet the audible appetite for the rest of the CD. Which by the ways smokes...
Q. YOU HAVE A LOT OF EUROPEANS BUYING YOUR CD'S. HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?
RP: Online radio is and has been immensely instrumental in presenting the fans worldwide new independent Southern Rock releases. There is a large fan base for Southern Rock in Europe.
Q. YOU ARE PLAYED ON A LOT OF INTERNET STATIONS. HAS THIS GIVEN YOU OPPORTUNITIES THAT CLEAR CHANNEL HASN'T?
RP: Yes. A lot of listeners have grown tired of force fed commercial radio play and hearing the same play list over and over. It has been an invaluable tool in getting our music heard in markets we never dreamed were even listening.
Q. WHAT ABOUT LIVE WEB CAST CONCERTS? HAVE YOU DONE ANY AND DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANNED FOR THE FUTURE?
RP: We haven't done an online concert yet but we will soon.
Q. BRIAN, YOU'VE BEEN A SOUND ENGINEER. TELL ME ABOUT THAT.
RP: I have been mixing bands with my P.A. systems for years. I know how to make it sound very good at a reasonable budget for club owners to keep the band busy working as much as we do. I am also very proficient in the technical side of it as well and can fix it if it breaks down.
Q. A LOT OF BANDS HAVE BEEN TAKING THE FORUMS SECTION OFF THEIR WEB SITES. YOU DONE THAT, TELL ME ABOUT THAT.
RP: Forums are impossible to police on a minute-by-minute basis and some folks will say anything. We would prefer our forum to be limited to Rebel Pride Band related topics only. We may try it again.
Q. WHAT MUSIC DO YOU GUYS LISTEN TO IN YOUR OFF HOURS?
RP: We listen to all kinds of music ranging from the Southern Rock, Country, Blues, Jazz, Classic Rock but mostly just good ol' southern stuff.
Q. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE REBEL PRIDE SOUND?
RP: Hard edge guitar-driven Southern Rock.
For anyone interested in downloading some MP3's or purchasing a CD, be sure to check out the website at www.rebelprideband.com. Enjoy!!!!
Adam Pelty's new venture: Moveable Arts - Tamar Alexia Fleishman
When veteran Broadway star and choreographer Adam Pelty is not teaching at Interlochen Arts Center or playing the lead in shows such as Syncopation, he is dreaming up ways to help the community. He and two partners have just founded Moveable Arts, a nonprofit educational center that trains young adults for the business of being a Broadway performer. Moveable Arts differs from the traditional arts camps in several ways. First of all, its target student is a little older -- college aged and a bit beyond. Also, Moveable Arts takes aim at the practical business and living aspects of a Broadway career. Imagine for a moment that you have a big brother who was "in the business", and you get all the secret insider information.
All great performances require a splashy opening; brilliantly, Adam inaugurated Moveable Arts with a NYC "retreat". Students had to send in audition materials and only a select bunch were carefully chosen for the three day intensive workshop. Fifty of Broadway's hottest performers and backers were on hand to share their wisdom, including David Hyde Pierce.
I first met Adam in high school, at North Shore Country Day in Winnetka, Illinois. After he left for boarding school at Interlochen, we met up again at its summer camp. His father was one of Chicago's truly favorite entertainers, Lee Pelty. This opened up a bunch of opportunities for Adam. I can tell you, he was an "old soul", even as a baby-faced 14 year old. He was appearing in movies with Sean Penn. He was dancing in Chicago Ballet's Nutcracker. He sang the national anthem for his beloved Cubs. His buddies included "Taxi" theme song writer, Bob James. There were tales of women in their twenties chasing after him. When you think about what most boys are like at 14, it was easy to foresee that Adam Pelty would soon have the world at his feet. Adam is using his superpowers for good, and the world is a much nicer place for it.
To get in touch with Adam and find out more about Moveable Arts, check out www.moveablearts.org.
The Music and Social Scene in Leipzig by Maestro Franz Anton Krager
I am an American conductor. My name is Franz Anton Krager, and I just returned to the USA from Leipzig, Germany where I conducted the Akademisches Orchester Leipzig in the world-famous "Gewandhaus" in January.
Of course, the city of Leipzig has been an historical center in the musical world for centuries. It was home to Johann Sebastian Bach for the last twenty-seven years of his life. Bach is buried in Leipzig's St. Thomas Church. Felix Mendelssohn also spent the height of his prodigious career in Leipzig where he became conductor of the Gewandhaus concerts and co-founder of the Leipzig Conservatorium. Robert Schumann was also instrumental in establishing the Leipzig Conservatorium and taught composition there. Leipzig was the birthplace of Richard Wagner, where he was taught harmony and counterpoint at the St. Thomas School.
Some of the greatest conductors of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries have led the legendary Gewandhaus concerts. Artur Nikisch, Wilhelm Furtwangler and Bruno Walter all left a part of their musical legacy in Leipzig.
In 1989, the citizens of Leipzig showed their uncommon valor as a political force when thousands of them gathered in the area just outside the St. Nicholas Church to protest their lack of freedom at the hands of the Communist regime. This extraordinary demonstration was at the very center of the movement, which brought down communism in East Germany and helped to pave the way for reunification of the two Germanys. Many people don't know that during this critical moment, the order to the Leipzig city officials from East Berlin was to "shoot to kill," as the demonstration began to gain momentum. However, the Lord Mayor of Leipzig ignored this order and instructed his police force to stand down. A real hero in the Leipzig tradition!
Today, beautiful Leipzig bustles with shops and boutiques stocked with goods from all over the world for its half million residents and its flurry of tourists. The restaurant scene is alive and well. Nightlife is warm to hot. Old buildings are getting face-lifts. The architecture in Leipzig is truly some of the most splendid work in all of Germany. Leipzig is getting a new subway system, compliments of the European Union. The autobahn around Leipzig is new, wide and fast moving. Leipzig is a city of great musical tradition, and a city on the cutting edge in the new Germany.
It is in this context that my story of appearing as conductor in the Leipzig Gewandhaus is so told. I wish that I could say that I actually stood in the same place as Mendelssohn, or Nikisch, or Furtwangler stood when they conducted at the Gewandhaus, but I cannot. The original Gewandhaus was destroyed by Allied bombs during WWII. Years after the war, the Gewandhaus was rebuilt in a different location (right in the heart of the city) as a piece of stunning modern architecture. The exterior of the building has much the same breath-taking effect on the viewer as the Lincoln Center complex in New York City does - mass with line (both straight and with curves), glass and grandeur.
Inside of the Gewandhaus you will find a world of awesome space, color, beauty, and sound possibilities. The acoustics are absolutely perfect in both halls. Yes, there are two performance venues under one roof. The Mendelssohn Saal is the smaller of the two and an ideal space for recitals or chamber music. The Grosser Saal is the large performance hall and is the area used for large-scale orchestra concerts. The space when you enter the Grosser Saal sweeps you right off your feet with its 360 degree steeply tiered seating around a pentagonal shaped performance platform, rich burgundy colored seats stretching almost as far as the eye can see, angular bands of wide bright white trim separating the hardwood stage platform from the surrounding sea of burgundy, and then, centered high above and behind the performance space, clustered rows of enormous glittering chrome organ pipes several stories tall. The scene is one of overwhelming power but also, of sensitivity and nuance.
I can say that I stood in the same place as Kurt Masur, former Music Director of the Gewandhaus Orchestra, and one of the world's greatest living conductors. His tenure as chief of the Gewandhaus Orchestra is legendary. There is a large collage of head shots arranged in the general shape of an orchestra located in the dressing room area, representing each member the Gewandhaus Orchestra during Maestro Masur's tenure there - an imposing reminder of the greatness and tradition of the Gewandhaus Orchestra.... truly a world class orchestra.
Another sobering display of history located in the same dressing room area is a series of portraits, beginning in the Eighteenth Century (and much later, turning to photographs) of all the former concertmasters of the Gewandhaus Orchestra, hung one after another down the length of one side of a very long hallway.
As if that isn't enough history, down the other side of that same long hallway hangs a series of framed, original posters announcing great composers who, in their time, performed their music at the Gewandhaus. The poster located immediately next to my dressing room door announced, "Herr Mozart" conducting his music. Then there was Herr Beethoven, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Strauss, Stravinsky, and the list goes on and on - enough to make you want to crawl on your hands and knees to the stage knowing that these giants all performed at the Gewandhaus, each one forming a link in a long chain of music history and Gewandhaus tradition. It's fun for me to think that my appearance there was a teeny tiny link in that chain!
The year 2006 being the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth, I just had to conduct some Mozart in the Gewandhaus! The Akademisches Orchester Leipzig and I began our concert performance with The Abduction from the Seraglio Overture, K384, followed by the Flute and Harp Concerto in C Major, K299. The soloists for the occasion were harpist, Nora Koch (solo harpist with the Dresden Staatskapelle Orchestra & guest with the Berlin Philharmonic) and flutist, Claudia Stein-Cornaz (solo flutist with the Bayreuther Festspielorchester). Top-flight performers, both! After the intermission, the Orchestra and I performed some Americana, namely George Gershwin's "Catfish Row," the composer's own excerpted, instrumental version of his opera, "Porgy and Bess," replete with a wind machine for the hurricane section! We then rounded out the program with Robert Nelson's, "The Lone Star Pageant," A Musical Tour of the Great State of Texas, including "Dallas," "El Paso," "Streets of Laredo," "Rose of San Anton'" and "Galveston." (After all, I do live in Houston!!!) An encore was necessary. The concert received a rave review in the Leipziger Volkszeitung. Oh, and did I mention - the concert was sold out.
Al Jarreau Interview - Tamar Alexia Fleishman
Singer Al Jarreau has been wowing audiences for over five decades. As a toddler growing up in Milwaukee, he sang with his brothers at various public events. However, as a young man, Jarreau set aside his show business ambitions, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology at Ripon College and a Master's Degree in Vocational Rehabilitation at the University of Iowa. Jarreau then began a career in Vocational Rehab, but singing still pulled at his heartstrings. He sang jazz at a local nightclub before pulling up stakes and moving to Los Angeles. There, he finally got serious about his musical career.
Soon, he was singing on the West Coast and appearing on all of the great 70's talks shows on the East Coast: Johnny Carson, Merv Griffin, David Frost and Mike Douglas. He also served as the warm up act for many comics, including John Belushi, David Brenner and Bette Midler.
Jarreau started recording in 1975; his debut album, "We Got By," received a German Grammy. Two albums and years later, he won his first American Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Performance for "Look to the Rainbow." In 1978, "All Fly Home" netted him a Grammy for Best Jazz Vocalist. The Grammy's kept rolling in with the '80's "Breakin' Away" for Best Male Pop Vocalist and Best Male Jazz Vocalist. He was nominated for a Grammy for the catchy theme to the show "Moonlighting," as well as for Best R&B album for "Heart's Horizon." In 1992, Jarreau received his fifth Grammy award for "Heaven and Earth", in the field of Best R & B Vocal Performance.
When he's not recording even more award-winning albums or touring, Al Jarreau still keeps plenty busy: he completed a three-month stint on Broadway playing the role of Teen Angel in the hit musical Grease. He has also appeared on New York Undercover, Touched By An Angel and a national McDonald's commercial.
TELL ME ABOUT YOUR LATEST PROJECTS.
I have a wonderful record that's 18 months old. I did it with my very first producer and engineer. We got back together to do my first real jazz project. It's called "Accentuate the Positive." People have always thought of me as a jazz singer, but the real truth is that all my records are R & B/pop with undertones and overtones of jazz. I put together a quartet of piano, bass, drums and guitar.
YOU QUICKLY WON GRAMMYS WITH YOUR FIRST ALBUMS. HOW DO YOU KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING?
I suppose that over the years, all of us are in it for the work. You do it with all of your heart. Maybe that attracts people, the love of the craft. I do okay, even during these times and days where the artist isn't especially encouraged to do artistic things. I refuse to go away! There are more rewards now to those who seem to fit in a mold. It has nothing to do with art and fine art.
DID WINNING THE GRAMMYS CHANGE THE CLOUT YOU HAD IN DEALING WITH RECORD COMPANIES?
I think there's an impact, having acclaim from other artists and professional colleagues. But it's hard to measure. I don't think the record companies are especially moved to deal across the table.
YOU HAVE EXCELLED IN MANY STYLES OF MUSIC AND YOUR FANS DID NOT ABANDON YOU. WHEN WILLIE NELSON RECORDED A BLUES ALBUM, HE COULDN'T EVEN GET A RECORDING CONTRACT. HOW DID YOU AVOID THAT FATE?
My R & B and pop songs are seasoned with a jazzy approach. I haven't really stretched my audience in ways they may not expect. But my new record has hardly gotten a nod. It's hard for me to understand. It's not selling the numbers I expected. It may turn triple-platinum, several years down the road, but I'm very disappointed. This album should appeal to people (even) outside my audience: the jazz purists and the people who go for instrumental jazz. It's a great record!
A PERSON'S VOICE IS A DELICATE INSTRUMENT. HOW DO YOU PRESERVE IT?
Basically, stay healthy. Eschew bad habits, not sing too much. It sounds absurd, but it's the truth! Being a fine singer does not fit in the lifestyle of singing 5 nights a week for an hour and a half to two hours, living on a bus, getting very little sleep. But that's what we all have to do.
YOU'VE PARTICIPATED IN LIVE INTERNET CHATS, TELL ME ABOUT THAT.
It's a great thing when you can get it organized. When we did it through my own web site, announcing it 3 or 4 weeks ahead of time, we missed the boat. When the record company did the publicity for an Internet chat, it worked.
TELL ME ABOUT YOUR VERIZON LITERACY CHAMPION AWARD?
As a nation, we're really slipping. The statistics are appalling. 48% of Americans read below the 6th grade level. They can't read maps or prescriptions or fill out a job application with accuracy. We raise money for books, computers and even training volunteers.
WHAT MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO?
You'd be surprised! I find myself loving the sound of silence. I need that space for my own work. Sometimes, I'll turn on the classical station in hotel rooms. But we are bombarded by commercial, "buy this product" music. We're just hammered. I need a break! I'm saturated and so are you. People need a break so they don't buy unimportant, superfluous, garbage music. Very few people can find music that touches them anymore. http://www.aljarreau.com
Dave "Chico" Prince - Tamar Alexia Fleishman
Okay, the truth-in-reporting disclosure: for three years, I served as agent for Night Train, the Southern rock band of which Chico was the leader. After having seen the infamous Dancing Outlaw documentary, I scoured the Internet for updates. The closest I could come, web-wise, was a band that had done some backup work for Jesco White, Night Train. The band prided itself from being from the "hills of Mossy Jaw, Kentucky." I checked out their web site (www.8thgradebride.com) and heard music clips, saw photos and drawings. Right away, I could see that there was something extremely interesting going on. The music was a blend of English power guitar and the Bluegrass influences of their home. Extra bonus points for Chico's cute accent and deep, throaty voice.
I thought about sending an e-mail, but I wasn't sure how many e-mails a rock band got or if anyone ever answered them. I wanted my e-mail answered and I'm known for getting what I want. I included a picture of me in a Halloween costume involving PVC and latex. E-mail me at tfleishman@toad.net for further info. So, without digressing too far afield, I heard back from Chico, and fairly quickly at that. I asked if he played near Baltimore ever, but the answer was he didn't think Night Train would be appreciated out East. I knew of several places that would appreciate him, and aren't people basically (or at least kinda) the same everywhere? He replied that if I were so smart, why didn't I book them?
I took him up on that amazing offer and it felt like what rodeo riders must feel starting out the gate: passionately exciting and terrifying all rolled in one. I fervently hoped that I would do justice by his incredible talent. You can get Night Train CD's on www.8thgradebride.com. Night Train is also in regular rotation at www.43thehawk.com and in near constant rotation at www.allsouthernrock.com. All Southern Rock plays instant requests for listeners, so if they aren't playing Night Train when you tune in, feel free to make 'em. Night Train's discography includes 8th Grade Bride, Eat More Possum, as well as Cold Beer and Fried Bologna. Chico has opened for bands as .38 Special, Thin Lizzy, the Kentucky Headhunters and the Georgia Satellites.
A couple of years ago, Night Train got themselves to the UK, taking over a proposed tour the Georgia Satellites passed on. Since then, Chico has been back there a couple more times, keeping up contacts and joining in as one of Rob McNurlin's Beatnik Cowboys. The Beatnik Cowboys have a much softer sound than Night Train -- it's alt-country with a message. If you want to hear something really cool, download a couple live radio shows of the Beatnik Cowboys. You can get entire shows or individual songs for free. You'll hear the intimate studio performances and Chico's smart-ass commentary in the background. This is truly a rare treasure destined to be cherished years from now, evocative of radio shows from the 1930's.
Http://www.archive.org/audio/etree-details-db.php?id=32167&from=landingReviews
Http://www.archive.org/audio/etree-details-db.php?id=30584&from=browsePopular
Chico is a couple of years older than I and a lady never tells her age. So, record companies: he's still young, okay? While I've held my head in my hands during interviews as he tells audiences that he collects used auto parts for a living or that he runs a junkyard, that ain't the case. He is a graduate of Morehead State University and during the day, teaches social studies at his local high school. Chico even ran for Constable of the 1st District - Lawrence County, Kentucky back in 2002 -- but that was probably more tongue in cheek than real. Chico feels like he's got to carry off this rank hillbilly image to stand out in a crowded field. It's simply not true, but all the recognition and admiration over the years won't convince him how special he is.
SO, GIVE ME A TIMELINE OF YOUR CAREER.
I have been in a working band since 1980. I started in high school. Instead of going on my senior trip I played my first paying bar gig. EDUCATION! I have played in only 4 or 5 bands throughout my musical career. Night train has been my life for about the last 10.
OKAY, SO NIGHT TRAIN IS ON HIATUS, CCR OR EAGLES "WHEN HELL FREEZES OVER"- STYLE. YET, AS IS OFTEN THE CASE WHEN BANDS BREAK UP, YOU ARE RISING UP THE CHARTS AND PEOPLE ARE SHOWING HYPER ATTENTION TO YOUR WORK. IS IT HARD TO MAKE AND STICK WITH A DECISION LIKE THAT?
Well rising up the Southern Rock on Computer charts isn't quite like being on Casey's top 40. It makes you zero money and little to no incentive to want to crank it all back up. I remember the Eagles were getting 100 bucks a ticket on one of those reunion tours. If people would pay 5 bucks a head to see us I would wet myself.
DO YOU MISS THE ATTENTION OF BEING ON STAGE 2-3 TIMES A WEEK?
Not yet. It was getting to the point that people didn't ooh and ahh over us. They just wanted their money back!
WHAT NEW PROJECTS DO YOU HAVE IN THE WORKS?
I keep waiting on the divine inspiration to write a new CDs worth of material and answer all of the questions and give people a reason to live. It just hasn't come yet.
IN WHAT DIRECTION ARE YOU LOOKING TO GO?
West, maybe to Japan. I think I would be big in Japan.
WHAT MOTIVATES YOU?
Food
Www.Bootliquor.com: The Internet’s Bad-Ass Radio Station - Tamar Alexia Fleishman
Roy Batchelor is the heart and soul of www.bootliquor.com, a four year old Internet radio station that bills itself as "Dysfunctional Country". Whether you are hosting a party or you’re in the mood to put a fist through the wall, I promise that listening to www.bootliquor.com will put a smile on your face.
Ah, but I can hear a bunch of you thinking, "Eww. Country sucks these days and whiny alt/indie singers who cut their own bangs make me wanna put my head in an oven." Of course. All I can tell you is www.bootliquor.com is neither of these things. The basic skeleton of the play list consists of songs that focus on drinking, drugs, "soured relationships," death, trucking and general hard livin’. The genre of music ranges from classic country, story songs, singer-songwriter, to folk rock. You’ll hear everything from Susan Tedeschi to Johnny Cash, the Beat Farmers, Gas Money and Hank Williams (I, II and III).
Batchelor’s "day job" is in the IT/Internet fields. Since the 1970’s, he has run a number of comment lines, bulletin boards, web conference centers and other tech entertainment options. With over 1,700 songs in Bootliquor’s library, streaming is accomplished with a dedicated machine running professional broadcasting software (OTS Labs, otsdj.com). It even takes care of song transitions and station ID’s. www.Bootliquor.com
can also be accessed through www.shoutcast.com. Batchelor chose to be aligned with them because, as he says, "Shoutcast servers are pretty
much the best nonproprietary feed platform out there."
Batchelor grew up in the suburbs of Southern California. "My favorite people in high school were people in the ‘MGM’ (mentally gifted minds) class that would pay for my ticket to see punk bands in LA if I would drive them in my Pinto. It was a symbiotic relationship," he recalls. Batchelor is remaining silent as to how close the play list lines up with his personal life, though. He has a musical background, with years of piano, organ and guitar study under his belt. Batchelor says he has a good sense of pitch but only has an octave singing range.
If y'all want to say howdy to Roy, he is currently recording shout-outs for possible broadcast on air . . .915-990-4347.
ALSO -- check this out, all my twisted friends: Boot Liquor is proud to announce you'll receive a set of ever-so-naughty Drunk Chick Trading Cards for any donation $25.00 and above ($35.00 and above gets an artist signed pack) effective RIGHT NOW! Artist Chris Wright has created this twisted, alcohol inspired 36 card deck of classic types of Drunk Chicks. I myself have a deck of these and, well, they're something else. This is the perfect housegift for some parties, perhaps not others.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
What's New with the Ozark Mountain Daredevils? - Tamar Alexia Fleishman
Click below to hear “Country Girl.” http://www.pulitzer.com/music/01CountryGirl.mp3 while you read the article!
The Ozark Mountain Daredevils had the sound that captured the essence of the 70's, with hits like "If You Wanna Get to Heaven" and "Jackie Blue". With their eclectic and wide range of musical styles, they opened for diverse acts as Emmy Lou Harris, the Doobie Brothers and the Eagles. And yet, these guys from Springfield, Missouri never sought fame. They weren't even a bar band; they were a bunch of guys who got together and jammed on Thursday nights, "because nobody would come in." Though they certainly lived a laid-back, hippie lifestyle and called themselves "sophisticated hillbillies," they weren't quite that. All of the band attended some college and three were grads. Unbeknownst to the band, the bar owner where they jammed, Steve Canaday, taped a Thursday night session and took it to New York. There, he doggedly insisted that John Hammond, Sr., the producer for CBS Records, listen to it. John Hammond was legendary: he discovered the likes of Billy Holiday, Bob Dylan, Pete Seger, Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Hammond loved what he heard and determined to form this ragtag group of friends into a band.
I recently got to speak to a few of the founding members of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils to see what they were up to. The band members are very articulate and thoughtful. It was a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes of the music industry.
LARRY LEE
Larry Lee has been a whirlwind of a record producer since leaving the Ozark Mountain Daredevils in the late 1970's. He brought a pop sound to six of Alabama's top selling records. "I kept them on the radio," he notes. Lee also worked with Juice Newton, K.T. Oslin, Restless Heart and others. Interestingly, Lee has never been a big country music fan, or at least of the "Nashville Sound" that was being rolled out then. "I never really liked country music, it was pretty vanilla, like Hee Haw." He explained that a lot of the sameness of country music is due to management in Nashville being dominated by "very few people who do all the work. They go from one company to another, just switch places." He let me in on a dirty little secret of the industry: very few of the people who work in country music are country music fans. He talked about a survey done at the famous South by Southwest music convention, where 2/3 of the industry bosses don't even listen to country music. "It's all corporate, owned by Seagrams and they've got the bean counters working for them." They will sit in meetings, giving the nod of fame to people "who don't even know the purpose of a cowboy hat." Lee does admit that he likes "the good music, Hank Williams and Patsy Cline."
Lee and all the other members came from a rich musical tradition in Springfield, MO. Ragtime composer Scott Joplin shot to fame in Missouri, and the area also boasts such talents as the late classic country/gospel singer Red Foley, Porter Waggoner and Brenda Lee. Larry Lee explains that many vaudeville acts came through the area which influenced the music, along with traditional bluegrass. This makes perfect sense, when you realize that Springfield is only 40 miles from Branson.
With all the different influences, along with the pop and rock angles, the Ozark Mountain Daredevils were lucky to avoid the major showdowns common to other bands. "We were the most democratic band. There were no 'leaders'. Each guy's influence bent the others'. We enjoyed doing everything. I loved recording everything, it didn't matter if I wrote the song or not. I never got tired of it." Though Lee loves pop music, he insists that he could appreciate the charm of such songs as "Chicken Train" on its own merits.
Lee couldn't stay on the business side of music forever; recently, he teamed up with fellow OMD member Randle Chowning to put out a CD. Chowning had approached Lee with some songs, thinking Lee would shop them around the country music world. But Lee has been in the business for a long time and explained that these were "artist's songs." He told me that an "artist's song" is one that would fit that and only that artist. Plus, these songs would have been fitting a square peg into a round hole in today's country music scene; no amount of tinkering was likely to change that. Also, "to get played on a Clear Channel station is impossible. Regardless that they caught Sony and all the others with the payola, it's still part of the thing. They'll just find a new way to do it." So, Lee helped Chowning to market the CD's indie-style, through CD Baby, etc. "I told him to do it himself on the indie scene: 'You have a history.'" Lee mentioned that the CD's are also available on Napster "and it pays."
Talk about Napster's old days of free downloads with Lee and you find a very sore subject. "I think today's youth are not being brought up with the same sense of ethics." When he caught his son having the time of his life downloading songs on his Apple, he sat him down for a little chat. "You see this house we live in? That Apple you have? The truck in the driveway? The private school you attend? You wouldn't have any of that if everybody downloaded my music for free."
Speaking of buying his music, you can order a copy of his latest CD, "Beyond Reach", at www.ozarkdaredevils.com. This latest CD has tunes that have a modern pop quality, along with songs that have the distinct Larry Lee smooth sound.
MICHAEL "SUPE" GRANDA
The writer of "If You Wanna Get to Heaven" used to wear Superman costumes to work with the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, thus the nickname. Supe also has moved to Nashville. He brought a harder rock sound to the ensemble, but interestingly enough, he plays in many genres now. "I'm like those plate spinners on the Ed Sullivan show, spinning 12 plates in the air!" No matter if he's playing rock, swing or polka (!), Supe says he can do good work with any band. One collaborative effort is charmingly called Supe and the Sandwiches.
Supe credits his own sound to being a "St. Louis kid," growing up listening to St. Louis' favorite son, Chuck Berry. He also was influenced by the sounds of New Orleans: Fats Domino and Alain Toussaint. Supes' sound got a little edgier after the British invasion of the 60's. He admits that his sound today reflects a lot of what his dad used to listen to, the big band swing records. "I rejected them when I was younger," he sighs.
When I asked Supe if it's hard to break into radio, between Clear Channel and Walmart's domination of CD sales, the answer is a flat-out "yes." He notes that it was hard to break in 20 years ago, "It was tough then. I don't know if I'd be able to compete today. It's conglomerates who are bought up by conglomerates who are bought up by mega-conglomerates."
Supe still has his foot in the Nashville insiders' door, though. The documentary "Dancing Outlaw" was released about 10 years ago: award-winning director Jacob Young produced the film for public television about a mountain dancer and derelict whose favorite song was "If You Wanna Get to Heaven". People in the industry know who Supe is and what he's accomplished.
These days, Supe finds himself playing gigs in Nashville, St. Louis, Springfield and Chicago, often working with Southern rocker Trent Summar. As for promotion, Supe considers himself a "one-man army, I do whatever I can." His CD's are for sale on www.ozarkdaredevils.com and www.supeline.com.
Supe has another project in the works, as well: he is completing a memoir of his days with the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, but is still looking for a publisher.
JOHN DILLON
Both sides of John Dillon's family in southeast Arkansas were musical. His mother played "great country," Dillon reminisces. He took piano as a kid and sang in the church choir. Later, taught himself some guitar licks. Still, Dillon doesn't consider himself a musician; he feels his gift was always in song writing. Though Dillon's fame exploded in the 1970's, he feels his style has a "more 1950's style, more about self expression, beatnik, with the layers of language added to the music. More than a 1960's style."
These days, Dillon is a partner in an advertising agency in Ozark, Missouri, Meridian Creative Alliance. Meridian brought him in initially to formulate some musical concepts for accounts, create jingles. But soon, "It evolved into a career change. I found myself in the studio more than when I was recording!" Now, he has famous accounts, such as nationally known O'Reilly Auto Parts. Dillon admits that "at first, it was difficult. I thought it would be too structured. I had come from a life on the road for 30 years. Now it was the 'real world'!"
Now Dillon is something of a hometown hero. After touring the world, he realized that one of the mainstays of an area's culture and community is through its architecture. Missouri was in danger of losing its historic 1870's and 1880's buildings. Dillon got onto his local planning and zoning board to make the town put sidewalks on both sides of the street and to reduce light pollution. "This country has been slow to get on the bandwagon of that! We have to reshape the attitude," he notes. Dillon gets quoted by his local paper "a lot" and there's even been talk about running for mayor. But he does not see that on the horizon; "I'm too radical for this area. I didn't realize I moved right into the center of the Bible Belt. I'd be assassinated by someone on his tractor," he jokes.
While Dillon had been performing for decades, when his guitarist and friend Bill Brown died in a tragic fire last year, he decided "it was time to take a break." But the Ozark Mountain Daredevils are still busy with fans, since they released their collection on CD. When "Dancing Outlaw" came out, "It validated that we are definitely a cult band. Jesco White! He is the epitome of our fans," Dillon laughs.
STEVE CASH
After 33 years on the road, Steve Cash is taking a hiatus: "We never truly break up!" These days, Cash is a successfully published author, living in Springfield with his whole family nearby. As a youth, he was always writing short pieces or poetry. "I had to hide it! Kids want to play sports, they don't want to know that you can read and write," he laughs. But, as he says, "I thought of writing a novel all my life! My daughter was saying, 'I'm tired of hearing about you doing a novel one day,'".
After decades of success as a musician, Cash had to start at the beginning to get published. He discovered the "Catch-22" that he needed an agent to get published, but needed a track history of being published to get an agent. He had a friend, Francis Bissel, who was a published cookbook author. She showed his work around and got him published in England with McMillan. She later became his bona fide agent. Then, she convinced Random House in the US to take on his trilogy: The Meq, Time Dancers (which will be released in May) and another that Cash is working on now. The New York Times has reviewed his work; Cash says they pronounced his work, "mesmerizing". His books are available at bookstores nationwide and at Amazon.com.
Cash is the one responsible for the Ozark Mountain Daredevils being on the Dancing Outlaw soundtrack. "I was in charge of publishing. We owned our publishing. Somebody had to handle it." As he tells it, a man who worked for West Virginia Public Broadcasting contacted him about a series he was running, "A Different Drummer". He knew that he needed permission to use the song in the upcoming documentary. "It became an instant underground thing! Bus drivers and roadies were telling us about it, everyone had seen it."
Collin Raye Interview - Tamar Alexia Fleishman
Country music star Collin Raye has been immersed in the genre all of his life. His mother was a country singer and by the age of 7, he was joining her on stage. Raye, whose real last name was "Wray," joined with his older brother to form the Wray Brothers duo. By the age of 13, they were entertaining people in Arkansas, Texas and Nevada. The brothers began recording in the 1980's and were signed by Mercury Records in 1986. Raye was not just influenced by his family's music. This was the era where all the legends of country music were actively touring; Raye regularly attended concerts by the likes of Porter Waggoner and Dolly Parton, George Jones and Buck Owens.
After his brother left the act, Collin Raye began to polish up a solo act. He got famous with the single, "Love, Me" in 1991, which was nominated by the CMA as Single of the Year. Raye received nominations for Male Vocalist of the Year in 1996, 1997 and 1998. With his five platinum records, he had 25 top-ten hits, 15 #1 hits and 12 acclaimed videos.
Collin Raye is very active with charities, including: Boys Town, First Steps, Al-Anon, Special Olympics, Country Cares About AIDS, Catholic Relief Services, Parade of Pennies, Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, The Tennessee Task Force Against Domestic Violence, The Emily Harrison Foundation, Childhelp USA, Silent Witness National Initiative, Easter Seals and Make a Difference Day. At the 2001 Country Radio Seminar, Clint Black presented Collin Raye with the organization's Humanitarian of the Year award.
WHAT ARE YOUR LATEST PROJECTS?
My new CD, "Twenty Years and Change," was released in late October. The single, "I know That's Right," is doing pretty well. I was pretty nervous about this CD; I hadn't put out a new CD in over four years.
YOU TOOK A HIATUS FROM RECORDING -- IN COUNTRY MUSIC, THERE'S A PRESSURE TO GET A NEW CD OUT EVERY YEAR. DID THAT AFFECT YOU?
I know! We would have release dates from Sony for the next three songs and we hadn't even chosen the songs yet. How can you make a great record like that? Then, with some singers who are really hot, there's this philosophy from everyone in the business, "Let's milk this while we can. Who knows how long this buss is gonna last?"
YOU PASSED BY BIG LABELS TO GO TO AN INDIE THAT ENDED UP FOLDING. DID THAT MAKE YOU WANT TO GO BACK TO THE BIG LABELS?
Sony took a poll around the building about what my single should be. I mean, they were asking people in the mailroom, the secretaries. I had a really good run there. I wasn't trying to be Frank Sinatra. At the end of the day, an artist has to answer to himself. But when I left, there were some contractual things that prevented me from recording. Those contracts look like a dictionary or an encyclopedia. There were other big record companies, but they would have 50 acts on their roster. They didn't even sound excited about welcoming me. It was like, "We'd love to have you on the roster..." Plus, they weren't even trying to get a record out. They were talking about me having a record in 2007 and this was in 2002. They would have rather made an automatic $1 million than to work to make $3 million. I kept making music on my own dime. The price I paid was the price I paid! But, I didn't have to answer to anybody. It was a matter of survival. When I had already recorded and picked out songs, I picked out a label.
IS IT HARD TO PUT OUT MUSIC WITH WALMART AND CLEAR CHANNEL DRIVING AMERICAN MUSIC?
Very much so. You can over think it, though. You have to think about your legacy. When Willie Nelson made Red Headed Stranger, the greatest county album of all time, the label wanted him to add more songs. They threatened not to put it out. He said, "No, it's done. All it needs is out." He had a clause in his contract that they had to put it out.
DO YOU WISH YOU HAD A CLAUSE LIKE THAT?
I probably did. But then, I'd have to face all those people in the building and still work with them. A record is not gonna do well unless you have the whole machine working for you.
YOU WERE A CHILD PRODIGY, TOURING WITH YOUR FAMILY. TELL ME ABOUT THAT.
That's all I knew growing up. My older brother was a real guitar prodigy. He had a Telecaster. We were singing Don Rich and Buck Owens. I was the cute little brother. I played tambourine; I could keep time. I wore boots and jeans, but not a cowboy hat. I was in Texas and back then, only cowboys wore cowboy hats; you'd get your ass kicked if you weren't a cowboy!
YOU'VE NEVER HELD ANOTHER JOB?
As a teenage, I worked for the summer at a filling station. I was 16, my stepfather owned it. I was still playing 3-6 nights a week, sleeping for 3-4 hours and I would still go to school . . .sometimes! I worked at the filling station because I needed some cash. When you work like that, it tires you out so you don't get into trouble. My stepfather, he trusted me enough to from 4 to midnight. It helped me to feel like a man. Even in my high school bands, I was always the one with the drive. Even when I was the youngest.
ON YOUR WEB SITE, THE CHAT ONLINE SECTION SAYS, "MAYBE EVEN CHAT WITH COLLIN," DO YOU REALLY GO INTO THE CHAT ROOM?
Like, twice. It's been a while. I'll tell you why. I don't type very well. I wouldn't be surprise if my management says I do, though. I do sign my own photos, though. Otherwise, it'd be lame!
HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED WITH ALL THESE CHARITIES?
They find you. With Child Help, I donated money to them long before I was famous. Same with Catholic Relief. Then, I approached them. I have also performed for the troops in Kosovo; I'm up for going back anytime they want! I sang Beatles songs to school children there. I knew they would know the songs. The kids started singing the chorus of Let It Be! But there are many charities out there and you only have so much time. I try to help the ones that nobody is helping, the ones with urgency. For instance, St. Jude's is a wonderful charity, but they have many celebrities helping them. They don't need me. We tried to help with Katrina, we called everyone we knew. Everyone pounded down on the Gulf Coast. People were flying themselves down to get camera time. I would hate it if people thought I were capitalizing on people's suffering to look like a king. I feel that if they get the cameras out, that's the time to stop. But my publicists would say I was crazy! http://www.collinraye.com
Copley Guitars - Tamar Alexia Fleishman
Six year old Copley Guitars manufactures and sells guitars, mandolins, ukeleles, violins and band instruments. Located in Nashville with a warehouse in Missouri, Copley has been supplying stars like Billy Currington, George McCorkle, Jason Aldean and Craig Morgan. When these musicians come in, they either know exactly what they want or they know exactly the results they want. Copley is able to design instruments to fit their needs. Interestingly, Jason Aldean and Craig Morgan both have their own lines of guitars through Copley. They each sell the guitars on their web sites. Copley also has a partnership with Wrangler, both its exclusive "Rope" line and its mass "Block" line.
The company really likes young artists; it has been giving special deals to school music programs and guiding the youngest performers in their purchases. More advanced youngsters have benefited through Copley's tireless work with record labels. Thus, they are able to use a quality instrument during their all-important first recording work. Copley is one of the few manufacturers who will customize a guitar for lesser-known players. This used to be common throughout the industry, but is rapidly fading away.
Copley's instruments are used in fundraisers for many important social causes. This philanthropy takes several forms. Sometimes, a record company will purchase the instrument for a cause. Other times, Copley will supply instruments for radio station giveaways. Copley also works with Make-A-Wish/Sam's Club. Some of the other charities that Copley donates to include Juvenile Diabetes and the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society. Every year, Copley selects a needy school to receive assistance. This year's school was Van Lear in Dixon, Tennessee.
Copley now does about half of its business online. Online purchases used to be a greater percentage of sales, but Cop
Interview with Kelly Pardekooper - Tamar Alexia Fleishman
Click here to hear “Tell Me (You’re the one” http://www.pulitzer.com/music/02TellMe(Youre_the_one).mp3 while you read the article!
I don't know about you, but when I usually hear the term "troubadour," I wince. Normally, the term is used by a singer who can't get anyone else to play in the sandbox. Kelly Pardekooper is a whole different deal; he would be a strong addition to anyone's band. But he is doing as he pleases and he's grown to be proud of it. His sound is now hardier and edgier than the typical alt-county sound, much more unique. His lyrics seem to invoke moods and feelings no other songs quite capture.
You can download songs at http://www.myspace.com/kellypardekooper . Kelly's discography includes Haymaker Heart (released by his own company, Leisure Time Records, 2005), House of Mud (2002), Johnson County Snow (2000) and 30-Weight (1998). In the Netherlands and Germany, his records have shot to the top of the Euro-Americana charts above people like Allison Krauss. I first heard Kelly Pardekooper's music when they were playing his CD at Nashville's Jack Daniels Museum/Store on 2nd Avenue. He wrote on his web site, www.kellyp.net : "Don't be fooled by false humble, fake hillbilly or faux authenticity . anyone you have ever heard of who has a CD for sale has this over stimulated ambition/ego thing going on. There are no exceptions on this point . sorry."
Kelly earned a communications degree from the University of Iowa, which he attended on a pole-vaulting scholarship.
WHAT ARE YOUR LATEST PROJECTS?
I'm halfway done with my latest CD, "Mehaffey Bridge," which is the title track. I've been playing it live for years, especially in Iowa. I'm going down to Nashville in six weeks to finish recording it. It's still going to be a mix, twang 'n' bang, rock and roll. Some folk. I seem to vacillate between the two.
YOU ARE KIND OF SELF-EFFACING ON YOUR WEB SITE, DOWNPLAYING YOUR TOURS AND AWARDS. BUT ISN'T THAT YOUR MAIN FORM OF ADVERTISEMENT?
Yeah, it would be, I suppose. I guess it's an Iowa thing, being stoic and humble. I should be selling myself.
ON YOUR WEB SITE, YOU HAVE A TICKER SHOWING THE COST OF WAR IN IRAQ. ARE YOU PLANNING TO WRITE ANY SONGS ABOUT THAT?
Probably not. I'm not moved to write about it. I don't feel particularly qualified. I'm a child of hippie parents with their protest songs. I don't think the songs hold up.
WHAT IS YOUR MUSICAL BACKGROUND? IS ANYONE IN YOUR FAMILY MUSICAL?
They were pretty working class. My dad played a little bass. He was in the Army and we lived in Germany. They took me to see Led Zepplin when I was 7 in Germany. We had Sgt. Pepper's wallpaper up in the house.
COMING FROM IOWA, WHAT ARE YOUR MUSICAL INFLUENCES?
Iowa is rural, but I'm from Iowa City, which is a liberal college town. We've got the country influence, but Chicago blues is pretty close, too.
YOU DONATED ALL YOUR PROFITS FROM CD BABY TO HELP KATRINA VICTIMS. HAVE YOU PERFORMED FOR ANY OTHER CHARITIES OR SOCIAL CAUSES?
My fiancee' used to run the free medical clinic, she's a doctor. She asked me to do a benefit -- that's how I met her! I'm a fan of supporting what's in your own backyard at the grassroots level.
ON YOUR BLOG, YOU DECRY THE FOLK POWERS THAT BE WHO DON'T WANT YOU PLUGGING IN YOUR GUITAR. BUT A LOT OF THESE SMALLER VENUES FREAK OUT AT THE THOUGHT OF ELECTRIC GUITARS COMING IN. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT?
Well . . . I have pretty strong feelings about that. NPR affiliates have these folks shows; they want really low-key. I'm not comfortable. I'm a dance band. I'm getting older, I try to be careful about the venues I play now. I don't have patience for that debate.
SO, DIGITAL DOWNLOADS ARE 30% OF YOUR MUSIC SALES?
It's not quite that high, it depends on the month. If I'm touring, I have more physical sales. I been with CD Baby since the beginning. I've also signed with Red Eye, out of North Carolina. They arrange distribution at Borders, Barnes and Noble and I Tunes.
IF ALBUMS DISAPPEAR AS A MEDIUM, WON'T WE LOSE THE ARTISTS' COLLECTIVE VISION, LIKE ABBEY ROAD OR DESPERADO? DO PEOPLE NOT WANT THAT ANYMORE?
Honestly, I don't know if people are patient for that anymore. I don't know what a young Beatles or Stones would do today. There are a lot of things to do now: a lot of ads, video games, tivo, XM radio.
HERE IS A RIOTOUS SEGMENT LIFTED FROM KELLY'S BLOG:
SOME HELPFUL ADVICE FROM VARIOUS FANS:
"You guys should get your songs on the radio."
"Why are you guys playing here? You should play the Pepsi Arena"
"You guys should consider doing a video and getting it played on MTV
or VH1."
"You guys need to have a hit song."
"Why don't you guys try to get in a movie or a TV show?"
"You guys should travel in a bus, it would be a lot easier."
"You guys should all dress in matching jumpsuits."
"You guys should tour with someone really big, like, say, Matchbox
Twenty."
"You guys would be huge in Europe. Have you played Europe your music?"
"You guys should sign with a bigger label, like Sony or Capitol."
"You guys should play our big Hits 97.5 Summer Rock Festival."
"You guys need a gimmick."
"You guys should play Letterman. Why do you keep turning him down?"
Interview with Michael Cartellone - Tamar Alexia Fleishman
Michael Cartellone is known all over the world as a drummer extraordinaire. Cartellone is currently in his early 40's, born in Cleveland. Painting since the age of four and drumming since the age of nine, he started playing bars at the age of 11. His perseverance paid off; in 1989 he formed with Ted Nugent, Jack Blades and Tommy Shaw the super-group Damn Yankees. Since the dissolution of Damn Yankees, he has recorded with musicians such as John Fogerty, Peter Frampton, Freddie Mercury, Cher and since 1998, Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Cartellone's art work is gaining national attention now, too. This month, he has a showing of his paintings in NYC at the Grant Gallery. I wanted to ask if he perhaps has a little self-portrait up in the attic; he has not aged at all in 20 years. His musical work has inspired his painting -- Cartellone has painted a body of work called the "Road Series", snapshots of life on the road with Lynyrd Skynyrd. The paintings of this series have pop art elements with photo realism. His earlier work had very strong photorealism aspects, but with point of view fantasy-distortion elements. His paintings are for sale at www.michaelcartellone.com.
This month, he has a showing of his paintings in NYC, at the Grant Gallery. I wanted to ask if he perhaps has a little self-portrait up in the attic Dorian Grey style; he has not aged at all in 20 years. I spoke with Cartellone, who is extremely erudite and articulate.
HOW DID THE ART OPENING GO?
It was everything I hoped it would be, it could not have gone any better. The gallery was completely jam-packed with people. It was an interesting mix of people in the entertainment world. There was Gary Sheffield and John Rocker from the Yankees, Simon Kirke, who's the drummer from Bad Company, Eric Bloom from Blue Oyster Cult. Without getting too "name-droppy," all my friends were there.
WHAT ARE YOUR LATEST PROJECTS?
I am in the middle of a painting that I've been doing on and off for several years. It's a New York City street scene in the 1920's. It's a monumental task, with the buildings, people and automobiles of that era. It's in black and white. The central point of this painting will be a couple of people who were influential to me. It's in a Norman Rockwell style and I have Charlie Chaplin, Harry Houdini and my father on a bench. My father was born in 1923 and I've made them all in their 40's sitting on a bench at the same time. The painting, it grows out of my lifelong fascination with that era, a more innocent time. I was a magician as a little kid. That golden era, it is very pleasing to me.
THE ROAD SERIES IS CHARACTERIZED BY INTENSE, CLEAN COLORS. IS THAT YOUR FAVORITE COLOR PALETTE?
Actually, my latest portrait of John Lennon is in black and white. I prefer black and white. I was using the colors as a fun exercise, a diversion.
WHAT MEDIUM DID YOU USE FOR THE ORIGINALS?
Acrylic, it dries so fast! I studied with oils in school, though. I needed to work with something I could pack away. I used to draw with charcoal on tour.
YOU WERE A CHILD PRODIGY. DID YOUR PARENTS ENCOURAGE YOU?
They did. From kindergarten on, I took every art and music class offered in school. When my drum teacher formed a band and invited me in it, my parents took me to play and sat at the front table of every disgusting beer bar. They let me rehearse with all my high school garage bands in their basement. They drove us to every gig in a beat up old van. When I went to New York City to find the gold at the end of the rainbow, my parents drove me in that same beat up old van, with my drum and my clothes. We arrived at a friend's apartment that had been sight unseen. Needless to say, it was nothing like the nice home environment where I had come from. They are still supportive! They flew out from Cleveland this weekend to see my art opening.
WHAT ARTISTS HAVE INFLUENCED YOU?
Norman Rockwell, M.C. Escher and Surratt.
YOU CREATE ART IN YOUR DOWNTIME. BUT DO YOU EVER HAVE A CHANCE TO SIGHT-SEE IN THE CITIES YOU VISIT? DO YOU GO TO ART MUSEUMS?
Well, it's a little of both. Some days, I cannot paint. If I only have an hour before a show, I won't even get out the canvas. I want to say something about my lifestyle on tour. It's not unlike my regular lifestyle. I have an exercise routine, clean diet and I sleep well. Wherever I go, I jog. I experience the town by running, half an hour to an hour. I do about a 10-minute mile. We predominantly play outdoors. If I jog in the morning, my body can fully adjust to that city's air quality. The air is very thin in Colorado, for example.
HAVE YOU EVER WANTED TO HANDLE THE PUBLICITY ARTWORK FOR LYNYRD SKYNYRD OR ANY OTHER BAND YOU'VE WORKED WITH?
That has come into play. I helped with Damn Yankess, designed their logo. When we first came out, the record company put together a quick logo. But then, I designed the second one we used. They are putting my art in the CD booklet included with the Lynyrd Skynyrd Greatest Hits CD that's being released by our label in London . . . Who knows where that may lead?
ARE YOU CREATIVE IN ANY OTHER WAYS, LIKE COOKING OR GARDENING?
I don't have the same flair for those things as I do with music or the fine arts. I certainly enjoy other things. You'll like this: like the show Friends, my apartment has a little stoop where I plug in my George Foreman griller and do barbeque.
DO YOU HAVE YOUR ART ALL OVER YOUR APARTMENT?
No, actually, it would be too overwhelming.
BECAUSE OF THE BRIGHT COLORS?
Yes. Also, most of my art is at the gallery in SoHo now.
WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUR ART SALES IS FROM THE INTERNET?
Thus far, it's only been on the Internet! I only started selling my work about a year ago.
FORBES.COM AND HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL HAVE REPORTED ON YOUR FAVORITE WEB SITES. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE WEB SITES?
I listed a Charlie Chaplin web site, a Beatles web site and a Houdini site. I also have a new favorite: www.artburst.com. It's a great online art encyclopedia. They have a mini bio for any artist you can think of and about a dozen of their paintings. I have it on my tool bar so I can look at it all the time.
Michael Cartellone's art and music can be found at www.michaelcartellone.com.
Photo Credit ~ Nancy Meyer, Michael's wife!
Nina Beilina Interview - Tamar Alexia Fleishman
Nina Beilina is the one of the last of the true Russian school preeminent violinists and the only woman-diva in a category that included the late Jascha Heifetz, Mischa Elman, Nathan Milstein and David Oistrahk. In fact, Beilina was a student of Oistrahk. She started violin at the age 4. Her mother was a professional pianist in Russian and taught Ms. Beilina piano until the age of 10.
Beilina has won prizes at most of the world's prestigious violin competitions: the Enescu, the Long-Thibaud and the Tchaikovsky. She maintains a demanding global solo schedule and is the head of Bachanalia, a musical group that performs in different small ensemble permutations. Beilina is the widow of the conductor Israel Chudnovsky; he died in 1971. Their son, Emil, is also a world-renowned violinist. Ms. Beilina emigrated with her son to the United States in 1977. Beilina, a resident of NYC, is also Professor of Music at the Mannes College of Music in New York.
Beilina is also featured in a series of books on the world's greatest musicians, "The Way They Play" (Paganiniana Publications, 1980). When I was in middle school, my mom and I had to run over to Carl Fisher & Sons to pick out some sheet music. While waiting at the counter, we saw the series of books. As the books were rather expensive, my mom said I could pick out one volume for myself. I wanted the one with the "lady violinist," as they were called. Beilina also has chapters in Peyser's book, "The Music of My Time," and "Great Masters of Violin," by Boris Schwartz. It was an honor to be able to interview Ms. Beilina for Pulitzer.com. More info about Nina may be found at www.bachanalia.org.
WHAT ARE YOUR LATEST PROJECTS?
Www.bachanalia.org. There are several things with that I have to achieve. We are celebrating our 18th year, it's amazing! It's hard to publicize the group. If I do the right thing, we can celebrate our 20th anniversary. We don't have a publicist. Emil sends press releases and we got a little mention in the New Yorker, in Time Out and the Russian newspapers.
I'm at the center of it all. I not only play, I must be the master of everything. We performed a new work which was dedicated to me.
TELL ME ABOUT THE EDUCATIONAL WORK THAT BACHANALIA DOES? HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO GET INVOLVED IN PUBLIC EDUCATION?
It's my #1. I feel this is a missing part for the music. I recently played at a school, I played 1/3 of Chaconne. I talked about Bach and the meaning of "Chaconne". I also brought the Urtext [the original edition of Bach]. They were listening! I got up and talked to them. It was so successful. In Russia, we were obliged to go to villages to teach and entertain people. We were not paid for it. We had to obey!
YOU'VE TAKEN STEPS, SUCH AS MEETING WITH THE AUDIENCE AFTER CONCERTS TO MAKE CLASSICAL MUSIC MORE ACCESSIBLE. HOW IS THAT GOING?
It's not that entertaining if you just play. If you just play, then you get like a marionette. By the way, I don't like when musicians make faces on stage, it's phony. You should "show with sound," that's what I always learned. Music is not the body language.
HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN A MUSICIAN IS RIGHT FOR YOUR SMALLER ENSEMBLE?
I listen to them, to see if a person "talks" with the music, not just a player. There are tests with chamber music that can be done. Even after I've picked them, sometimes I'm very upset -- I have to [make a] change. This conductor, Von Karajan, used to require 10 rehearsals. When he started with the Berlin Philharmonic, he had that put in his contract. With just 3 or 4 rehearsals, that's not serious. And symphonies, with 1 or 2 rehearsals, they're just playing notes. This is why music is dying.
HOW OFTEN ARE YOU TOURING THESE DAYS?
Every couple of months. I was in Italy in the summer. I am going to Germany in the Spring.
WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUR WORK IS SOLO VS ENSEMBLE?
Mainly solo. Of course, I teach too.
WHAT MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO WHEN YOU'RE NOT PLAYING?
I love big symphonies, big pieces. I love the old conductors: Hans Rosbaud conducting Mahler with the Chicago Symphony, Bruno Walter conducting Brahms, Toscanini.
WHAT NEW TECHNOLOGY DO YOU USE IN PRACTICE AND IN CONCERTS?
I have my old tricks! Mainly, you have to use your ear. Paganini played guitar -- using picks enlarged the muscles.
HAVE YOU PERFORMED FOR ANY OTHER SOCIAL CAUSES OR CHARITIES?
Jewish organizations. Though they usually pay people, I played without pay. Charity must be charity. I'm open to other charities!
Melodious Sonorous
While we don’t have a lot to say about Sonorous -- a band in Phoenix, Arizona, we’ll let their music speak for us. They were recommended as another band to watch. We thought we should include them in this special music issue for sure! http://www.sonorous-live.com
The Scene in New Orleans - by Tamar Alexia Fleishman
Recently on CNN, I heard somebody say that the most patriotic thing you could do this year is to visit New Orleans -- and I wholeheartedly agree. Long before Hurricane Katrina, I had decided that my husband and I would spend our first New Year's in New Orleans. After the hurricane, I watched the news reports of recovery and intrepidly made reservations at the beginning of November. On my last visit to New Orleans, we were outside the Quarter, but I wasn't going to take any chances with taxis or public transportation to and from. Both are up and running now, but not consistently.
This time around, we stayed at the Bourbon Orleans right in the French Quarter. You can't beat it for location, steps away from all the action, but on the edge of the Quarter, for peace and quiet. It's owned by the Wyndham. Most hotels that are open have once or twice a week maid service and no room service, so be prepared. That didn't bother me, but I was highly irritated at the $1 a minute, $11 minimum fee for use of the business center and $9.95 a day use for Wi-Fi. If $29/night local motels can do free Internet, why not a topnotch hotel? Plus, the $9.95 daily fee was for a calendar day, not for 24 hours' use, which I belatedly discovered when I turned on the computer at 10 p.m.
My first stop was at Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo. Marie Laveau was a famous Voodoo priestess who lived about a hundred years ago. At her namesake shop, you can get readings, powders, oils, chicken feet and all kinds of other stuff that you never know you needed.
The atmosphere on my first night there was very different from my previous visit. The streets were eerily quiet; nobody was on balconies strewing beads. People aren't flashing, "Girls Gone Wild" -style, either. The randy folks has been replaced by dozens and dozens of police of every kind: N.O.P.D., Louisiana State Police, military MP's, private security, detectives, undercover cops and probably others. They are ready to nip any potential problems in the bud. But, they tend to congregate on Bourbon Street and maybe on Royal. I really think that some of the huge groups of police are needed to patrol Canal Street, which gets a little sketchy after sundown.
Robbie and I took a little sunset stroll down to the Riverwalk, which used to have a whole mall of shops. The sidewalks of New Orleans have really taken a beating, so think nonskid, not spindly, shoes. The high-rise hotels, such as the W and Loews are in operation, but you start to see real damage walking along the Mississippi River. We heard some music on the Riverwalk, so we went over to see what was going on. I'm so glad we did! The Chabad Lubbuvich Jewish organization was hosting their 17th annual Hanukkah party for the public, giving out free latkes with salsa (Southern style!), gifts and lighting a giant menorah.
At this point, many of the most upscale restaurants in the French Quarter are not yet open: Galatoire's, Brennan's, Mr. B's Bistro (which I missed last time, so I was especially disappointed!). With so much of the current patrons being government employees, there probably aren't enough people willing to drop $100 or more per person for dinner for them to reopen. The Court of Two Sisters has reopened and we did go there on New Year's Eve, but they are really feeling the pinch of not having enough staff. All of the cafes and the casual oyster bars, like Desire Oyster Bar, are open for business.
One business that also has kept pace are the "Gentlemen's' Clubs". Last time we were in New Orleans, we went to one that bragged about its "moderate prices". All I can say is, you get what you pay for. This time, we went to Rick's Cabaret, which has a $10 cover charge. Rick's Cabaret is very elegant, not sleazy, and I saw plenty of couples and professional types. Our server talked to us about local politics, of all things! She was very sweet and beat it back to New Orleans after being evacuated to Austin, which she claimed is "just not the South."
We started every morning with cafe' au lait and beignets at Cafe' du Monde. After another of their cafe' au laits, which is made with a very strong coffee-chicory combination, I looked at some more shops. If you are a woman who is fed up with crappy service when buying clothing, I implore you to visit Pamela Ackerman at Wise Buys. She has been in the business for almost 20 years, knows your size by merely glancing at you, and can pick out things that are, well, perfect.
Then, I basically went into a trance at Fleur de Paris. Fleur de Paris is one of the last custom milliners and I was on a hat buying mission for something to wear to the Kentucky Derby. Churchill Downs' museum houses eight hats from Fleur de Paris! Since I mostly get hats at vintage stores, I was taken aback at the prices -- we're talking $500 plus-plus-plus. The store is gorgeous, though, and their head milliner, Nicole, has drawers and drawers of vintage silk flowers, laces and ribbons in every hue to create your hat confection.
For centuries, New Orleans has been a place to get all kinds of exotic perfumes. With its Creole and multinational heritage, along with access to a myriad of unusual spices and fruits, it's really no wonder. I stopped by Bourbon French Perfumes (which just moved two doors down) and Hove' perfumes. Both have very unusual and delicious scents, but Hove' carries more sedate fragrances, with some men's fragrances, too.
We found some great regional books at a couple of the used bookstores in the Quarter. Then, we tried to get tickets to see Dr. John at the House of Blues, but the concert was sold out. The other bulwarks of New Orleans music are up and running, such as Maison Bourbon, Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop and the Old Opera House.
At the Loews hotel, we were able to rent a car to go see Mississippi. As soon as you leave downtown, that's when you see miles and miles and miles of utter destruction. The homes along I-10 and U.S. 59 either have blue tarps on the roofs or are leveled. The windows are all blown out, there's still no electricity and there are X's spray painted on the sides, with numbers indicating bodies searched for and bodies recovered. We made sure to get back to New Orleans before nightfall and it was a good thing, too; the whole area is lacking in open gas stations and working traffic lights.
For dinner, we went to a new restaurant on Jackson Square, Muriel's. The place has a gorgeous "shabby-chic" decor -- I wish I could rent it as an apartment! The food was gourmet Creole-Continental and the service was excellent. On a tip from the visitors' center, we asked to see the private rooms upstairs. Unbelievable! Apparently photographed by Esquire, Playboy and Victoria's Secret, the passion-red rooms are decorated in a combination of harem's den, Storyville boudoir and ancient Roman decadence. The rooms are available for rental and are understandably popular for bachelorette parties.
In these times of uncertainty, who couldn't use a little extra "mojo" on their side? That's where our visit to Erzulie's Voodoo Shop came into play. This is an upscale voodoo/occult shop that's well lit and lacking in the ubiquitous patchouli/dust atmosphere. On weekends, the proprietess sets out tasty hors d'oervres and wines. You can buy all kinds of oils and natural goat's milk soaps there. Check out www.erzulies.com.
This time around, we stayed at the Bourbon Orleans right in the French Quarter. You can't beat it for location, steps away from all the action, but on the edge of the Quarter, for peace and quiet. It's owned by the Wyndham. Most hotels that are open have once or twice a week maid service and no room service, so be prepared. That didn't bother me, but I was highly irritated at the $1 a minute, $11 minimum fee for use of the business center and $9.95 a day use for Wi-Fi. If $29/night local motels can do free Internet, why not a topnotch hotel? Plus, the $9.95 daily fee was for a calendar day, not for 24 hours' use, which I belatedly discovered when I turned on the computer at 10 p.m.
My first stop was at Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo. Marie Laveau was a famous Voodoo priestess who lived about a hundred years ago. At her namesake shop, you can get readings, powders, oils, chicken feet and all kinds of other stuff that you never know you needed.
The atmosphere on my first night there was very different from my previous visit. The streets were eerily quiet; nobody was on balconies strewing beads. People aren't flashing, "Girls Gone Wild" -style, either. The randy folks has been replaced by dozens and dozens of police of every kind: N.O.P.D., Louisiana State Police, military MP's, private security, detectives, undercover cops and probably others. They are ready to nip any potential problems in the bud. But, they tend to congregate on Bourbon Street and maybe on Royal. I really think that some of the huge groups of police are needed to patrol Canal Street, which gets a little sketchy after sundown.
Robbie and I took a little sunset stroll down to the Riverwalk, which used to have a whole mall of shops. The sidewalks of New Orleans have really taken a beating, so think nonskid, not spindly, shoes. The high-rise hotels, such as the W and Loews are in operation, but you start to see real damage walking along the Mississippi River. We heard some music on the Riverwalk, so we went over to see what was going on. I'm so glad we did! The Chabad Lubbuvich Jewish organization was hosting their 17th annual Hanukkah party for the public, giving out free latkes with salsa (Southern style!), gifts and lighting a giant menorah.
At this point, many of the most upscale restaurants in the French Quarter are not yet open: Galatoire's, Brennan's, Mr. B's Bistro (which I missed last time, so I was especially disappointed!). With so much of the current patrons being government employees, there probably aren't enough people willing to drop $100 or more per person for dinner for them to reopen. The Court of Two Sisters has reopened and we did go there on New Year's Eve, but they are really feeling the pinch of not having enough staff. All of the cafes and the casual oyster bars, like Desire Oyster Bar, are open for business.
One business that also has kept pace are the "Gentlemen's' Clubs". Last time we were in New Orleans, we went to one that bragged about its "moderate prices". All I can say is, you get what you pay for. This time, we went to Rick's Cabaret, which has a $10 cover charge. Rick's Cabaret is very elegant, not sleazy, and I saw plenty of couples and professional types. Our server talked to us about local politics, of all things! She was very sweet and beat it back to New Orleans after being evacuated to Austin, which she claimed is "just not the South."
We started every morning with cafe' au lait and beignets at Cafe' du Monde. After another of their cafe' au laits, which is made with a very strong coffee-chicory combination, I looked at some more shops. If you are a woman who is fed up with crappy service when buying clothing, I implore you to visit Pamela Ackerman at Wise Buys. She has been in the business for almost 20 years, knows your size by merely glancing at you, and can pick out things that are, well, perfect.
Then, I basically went into a trance at Fleur de Paris. Fleur de Paris is one of the last custom milliners and I was on a hat buying mission for something to wear to the Kentucky Derby. Churchill Downs' museum houses eight hats from Fleur de Paris! Since I mostly get hats at vintage stores, I was taken aback at the prices -- we're talking $500 plus-plus-plus. The store is gorgeous, though, and their head milliner, Nicole, has drawers and drawers of vintage silk flowers, laces and ribbons in every hue to create your hat confection.
For centuries, New Orleans has been a place to get all kinds of exotic perfumes. With its Creole and multinational heritage, along with access to a myriad of unusual spices and fruits, it's really no wonder. I stopped by Bourbon French Perfumes (which just moved two doors down) and Hove' perfumes. Both have very unusual and delicious scents, but Hove' carries more sedate fragrances, with some men's fragrances, too.
We found some great regional books at a couple of the used bookstores in the Quarter. Then, we tried to get tickets to see Dr. John at the House of Blues, but the concert was sold out. The other bulwarks of New Orleans music are up and running, such as Maison Bourbon, Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop and the Old Opera House.
At the Loews hotel, we were able to rent a car to go see Mississippi. As soon as you leave downtown, that's when you see miles and miles and miles of utter destruction. The homes along I-10 and U.S. 59 either have blue tarps on the roofs or are leveled. The windows are all blown out, there's still no electricity and there are X's spray painted on the sides, with numbers indicating bodies searched for and bodies recovered. We made sure to get back to New Orleans before nightfall and it was a good thing, too; the whole area is lacking in open gas stations and working traffic lights.
For dinner, we went to a new restaurant on Jackson Square, Muriel's. The place has a gorgeous "shabby-chic" decor -- I wish I could rent it as an apartment! The food was gourmet Creole-Continental and the service was excellent. On a tip from the visitors' center, we asked to see the private rooms upstairs. Unbelievable! Apparently photographed by Esquire, Playboy and Victoria's Secret, the passion-red rooms are decorated in a combination of harem's den, Storyville boudoir and ancient Roman decadence. The rooms are available for rental and are understandably popular for bachelorette parties.
In these times of uncertainty, who couldn't use a little extra "mojo" on their side? That's where our visit to Erzulie's Voodoo Shop came into play. This is an upscale voodoo/occult shop that's well lit and lacking in the ubiquitous patchouli/dust atmosphere. On weekends, the proprietess sets out tasty hors d'oervres and wines. You can buy all kinds of oils and natural goat's milk soaps there. Check out www.erzulies.com.
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