New England Music Scrapbook Newsletter
Alan Lewis, Editor

Our Corner of the Rock 'n' Roll Life

February 21, 2009
Issue 2009:315
.

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We've got Thrills, chills, Dirty Water
: : : What more do you need?
When the big beat hits ya
Comin' from your transistor
: : : Like the T at full speed
When the big beat hits ya...

"Boston Lullaby," Dudick/Naihersey.
: : : Copyright c. 1980 by Camaraderie Music, BMI.
: : : All rights reserved. Used with permission.

:

:

BRATTLEBORO, VT, February 21 - This has been an astonishingly slow
week. Who knows the reason or reasons why, but we got lots less news
this week than has been coming our way lately. The most important
item, unfortunately, is very sad. Shaun Wolf Wortis sent word of the
death of

: : : JEANNE CONNOLLY

of Boston's T.T. the Bear's Place.

" . . . I've just learned of the passing of Jeanne Connolly, longtime
bartender at T.T.'s.

"The Globe obit:

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/obituaries/articles/2009/02/17/jeanne_connolly\
_51_bartender_booking_agent_supported_bands/

"I'm very sad to hear about this. Jeanne was a lovely person and a
warm soul and passed WAY too young."

SOURCE: Shaun Wolf Wortis, Mailing List Message, February 17, 2009.

RIP
.


It is hard to know at this early point quite what to make of this
week's sharp decline in newsy news e-mails. But while I slept, more
mail came in than usual; so maybe this week simply caught everyone
running late, and now we're starting to play catch-up. Who knows; but
Yahoo music news had a bigger week than we did, and most of our Brief
Items are from one or another of Yahoo's news pages.

One late news e-mail announced the upcoming Opera Boston season. Now,
I have been systematically going through the New York Times
"Amusements" advertising and its arts and entertainment columns
starting from the first issue, September 18, 1851. And it is really
surprising how theater and opera audiences in NYC were offered the
same plays and operas over and over

and over and over and over

and over again. Well, strange to say, the previous Opera Boston
programming - at least the programming I saw - involved several of the
same titles that arguably had already been badly overdone by 1870.
Talk about conservative programming!

So, it really caught my eye that Opera Boston is planning a world
premiere.

No joke.

Opera Boston is also reviving Jacques Offenbach's "Grande Duchesse de
Gerolstein."

Still no joke.

Opera bouffe returns to Boston.

The 1860s success of opera bouffe - largely the works of Offenbach -
was one of the major phenomena that lit the way for the development of
the Broadway musical. No doubt opera bouffe, too, looms in the
distant, shadowy prehistory of that big beat show of shows, the rock
opera.

Whole books could be written on this topic; but let's bring it back to
Opera Boston and just say that it looks as though folks there may be
mixing it up in interesting ways in their coming season.

Good for them.
.

It should come as no surprise to anyone reading this newsletter that
the little spike in overnight e-mails last night was led off by the
publicist/promoter/infomercialist who works tirelessly on behalf of
the Dropkick Murphys.
.


READ WHAT INTERESTS YOU, scroll right past whatever doesn't.
.


RECORD RELEASES THIS WEEK
Listed by Newbury Comics, Excerpted by Us

CD New Releases Available Tuesday, February 17th

HENDRIX, JIMI-Smash Hits (Ecopak)-$7.99
HITCHCOCK, ROBYN-Goodnight Oslo-$9.99
KEENE, TOMMY-In The Late Bright-$11.88
LENNOX, ANNIE-Collection-$11.88
LENNOX, ANNIE-Collection (CD/DVD)-$16.99
MC5-Big Bang, The: Best Of MC5-$9.99
MORRISSEY-Years Of Refusal (CD/DVD)-$13.88
MORRISSEY-Years Of Refusal-$9.99
NELSON, WILLIE/ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL-Willie & The Wheel (Deluxe)-$16.99
ROBBY ROADSTEAMER-I Solved Every Miniquest-$5.99
VARIOUS ARTISTS-DARK WAS THE NIGHT (Red Hot Compilation)-$9.99
VARIOUS ARTISTS-TAKE ACTION! VOLUME 8-$6.99
WARD, M-Hold Time-$7.99
WEATHER REPORT-Tale Spinnin' (Remaster)-$9.99
ZION I-Takeover-$14.99
<>
Featured DVD New Release Available Tuesday, February 17th

Quarantine - $19.99 DVD

SOURCE: Newbury Comics, "February 16 Newbury Comics: M. Ward for Just
$7.99, Cool Stuff for President's Day, and More," February 16, 2009.

= = =
= = =

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY BENEFIT
Mid-Lined (which is to say, not strictly headlined) by
Ad Frank
Saturday, February 21, 2009
At Studio 181
Boston

Saturday, February 21
Studio 181 (across from Pozen Hall)
Massachusetts College of Art
Corner of Tetlow and Huntington (Longwood T stop)
Boston, Massachusetts
All ages
Suggested donation: $5 to $10.
A benefit to support Habitat for Humanity, featuring:

A Different Spin at 7
Steve Subrizi at 7:45
Ad Frank at 8:15
Walter Sickert and his Army of Broken Toys at 9
Jaggery at 10, and
Dance Party! (This is a situation, not a band.)

SOURCE: Ad Frank, "Ad This Saturday and (Nearly) Every Day Next Week,"
February 17, 2009.

= = =
= = =

KAISERCARTEL
Headlining the Iron Horse Music Hall
Northampton, Massachusetts
Saturday, February 21, 2009

"[F]or this one email, we want to talk about another band.

<> "These are our good friends, KaiserCartel from Brooklyn, who have
their first headlining show in Northampton, Massachusetts on Saturday,
February 21, 10 pm, at the Iron Horse Music Hall, with guests The Dig.
Some of you may have seen them [KaiserCartel] open for us at our last
CD release show there in the fall. This time they headline, and we
watch happily from the audience.

"This duo writes perfect, spare pop songs, plays multiple instruments,
and their live show is like a little polished gem of a thing:
intimate, humorous, beautiful, unique, genuine.

"Please join us in the audience at the Iron Horse this coming Saturday
and welcome them. And if you are nowhere near Northampton,
Massachusetts, USA (as a good chunk of you might not be [Got that
right. - Ed.]), please now consider yourselves aware of them. You
won't regret the tip.

"We will be playing a bunch of shows with them later this spring in
the South and points beyond. Keep your eyes peeled. [Bad idea. - NEMS
team of consulting vision specialists]

"Details on the Horse show:

http://www.nbotickets.com/auto_choose_ga.asp?area=9

"Check them out:

http://www.kaisercartel.com/

"Cheers,

"Winterpills"

http://www.winterpills.com/

SOURCE: Winterpills, "Winterpills' Friends KaiserCartel Playing
Northampton, Massachusetts on February 21," February 17, 2009.

= = =
= = =

DWIGHT RITCHER BAND
Saturday, February 21, 2009
At the Beehive
+
A Very Long Stand in Boston

I DO NOT RECALL . . whether Dwight Ritcher's mailing said where the
Beehive is, and I am drawing a blank. But the place, it says here, is
packed with good food, no doubt an amazing sight to see.

Plus you get the Dwight Ritcher Band.

<> "The Dwight Ritcher Band will be perfoming at the BEEHIVE this Sat
(Feb. 21st). It's a great weekend spot always packed with people and
good food. We go on at 10. Come by earlier as seats fill fast.
Also, I will be up in Boston for at least the next two months and
we'll be continuing our Tuesday Night Stand at Atwoods in Cambridge."

SOURCE: DwightRitcher At Yahoo Dot Com, "Dwight Ritcher Band Upcoming
Shows," February 16, 2009.

= = =
= = =

JONATHAN EDWARDS
At the Regent Theatre
Arlington, Massachusetts
Saturday, March 7, 2009

<> "Jonathan Edwards, an American treasure bridging many gaps
including Rock, Pop, Folk and Americana will be performing a rare
Northeast performance at the Regent Theatre in Arlington,
Massachusetts on Saturday, March 7, 2009. This is his only Boston
metro area show between now and the Fall of 2009. Jonathan will be
performing two full sets, so don't miss this extraordinary evening of
music."

Regent Theatre
7 Medford St.
Arlington, Massachusetts 02474

SOURCE: Regent Theatre, "Folk/Rock Legend Jonathan Edwards Exclusive
Boston Show March 7," February 17, 2009.

= = =
= = =

BARRY AND THE REMAINS
"America's Lost Band" Documentary

<> "Thought your readers would be interested in the upcoming festival
schedule for 'America's Lost Band,' the documentary on The Remains
that Boxoffice Magazine, in a recent review, described as 'A
fascinating retelling of one of the great what-might-have-been stories
of American music of the '60s.'

"Screenings will be held at the Chicago International Movies and Music
Festival, March 8; the SENE Film, Music, and Arts Festival in
Providence, RI , April 3--The Remains will be doing a Q and A after
the screening and then will be performing several songs 'unplugged';
the Ponderosa Stomp in New Orleans, April 27-28--where The Remains
will also be performing; the BeatlesFest at the Regent in Arlington,
Massachusetts on May 17.

"There is also strong preliminary interest from the Nashville Film
Festival in April, and The Remains will be performing at a Nashville
club on April 23. Please check

http://www.theremains.com/

for specific dates/times/updates."

SOURCE: Fred Cantor, "Update on Remains Documentary," February 15, 2009.


:

:

BRIEF ITEMS :
: : : : :
.


35TH PARALLEL
Free Download of the Month
for February

From the latest issue of the 35th Parallel newsletter, an
e-publication that this duo ought to call "35th Parallelograms":

<> "Just a quick note to let you know that February's free Download of
the Month is now posted at our website. Better late than never!

http://www.35thparallel.com/

"This month's selection is a traditional Armenian piece, 'Dzaghe Poonch',
recorded earlier this month in Mac's brand new studio."

SOURCE: 35th Parallel, "February Download of the Month," February 14,
2009.

NOTICE REFERENCE TO . . Mac Ritchie's new recording studio, which I
would imagine is in New Hampshire.
.


YAHOO NEWS HEADLINE: LEONARD COHEN
I'm So Glad
He's Singin' in the USA
(Adapted, of course, from the great Chuck Berry)

Leonard Cohen plays first U.S. concert in 15 years Reuters - Fri Feb
20, 2:04 PM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Folk singer Leonard Cohen skipped onto the stage
on Thursday at his first U.S. concert in 15 years, cracking jokes
about his advanced age and the lusty themes of some of his hit songs.

I BOUGHT THE . . Leonard Cohen debut LP when it was first new and have
been with him ever since. He was already somewhat known in those days
as a Canadian print poet, based on a single volume of verses if I
remember right. A lot was expected of the man. And let's give him
credit: the man has produced.
.


YAHOO NEWS HEADLINE

Stinson sees Replacements reissues as final chapter Reuters - Fri Feb
20, 9:06 PM ET

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Despite the collective will of fans waiting
with bated breath for a reunion, the book on the Replacements has
likely closed with Rhino's recent round of deluxe reissues, according
to former bassist Tommy Stinson.
.


YAHOO NEWS HEADLINE

Al Green classics find new home at blues label Reuters - Fri Feb 20,
11:13 PM ET

NEW YORK (Billboard) - If it's up to Fat Possum president Matthew
Johnson, the classic '70s recordings of R&B legend Al Green will soon
be seducing a new generation of listeners.

A DECENT NUMBER . . of really great Al Green recordings has been
getting airplay on late night talk radio. I wonder whether the
development noted in this Yahoo news item may be, in part, behind it.
- Ed.
.


WOODS TEA CO.
"A Lively Evening With Woods Tea" DVD/CD
Has Arrived in VT
(Woods Tea DVD in Vee Tee)

<> "The band is in Southern California. (The song says it never rains
here. What gives?) We got word from corporate headquarters that our
shipment of 'A Lively Evening With Woods Tea' has arrived in Vermont.
So, we are 'here,' but the DVDs are 'there.'

"But, as is the case with ethereal investment products, it doesn't
matter where we are. We just shoot orders over to the trading floor
and the economy is robust again! Well, ours is anyway."

SOURCE: Woods Tea Co., "Woods Tea DVD/CD Is Here," February 18, 2009.

I IMAGINE YOU GET THE IDEA . . that the Woods Tea Co. DVD/CD is now on
the market and looking for buyers. - Ed.
.


RUBBLEBUCKET ORCHESTRA
Two New Tracks on MySpace Page

<> "There are . . . two new live tracks on the MySpace player,
captured at our Southpaw show a couple of weeks back."

SOURCE: Rubblebucket Orchestra, "Midwest/Mountain Tour Starts Tonight
Plus New Music," February 18, 2009.
.


YAHOO NEWS HEADLINE
Thursday Afternoon

: : : Blu-Ray fails to save plummeting DVD sales
: : : from free-fall

<> If you have an idea as to why DVD sales are plummeting, other than
general economic conditions, or even if you question whether these
sales really are dropping fast, please e-mail us at FredRemainsLost At
Yahoo Dot Com, except, of course, convert this into an all-lowercase,
conventional e-mail address.
.


YAHOO NEWS HEADLINE

ELO bass player Kelly Groucutt dead at 63 AP - Fri Feb 20, 10:49 AM ET

LONDON - Kelly Groucutt, former bass player with 1970s rock hitmakers
ELO, has died at age 63.

:: electric light orchestra ::
.


YAHOO NEWS HEADLINE
Friday Afternoon

: : : Stocks extend slide
: : : but regain some lost ground (AP)

Does anyone else see a problem with the wording of this headline?
.


MRS. JOHN HOEY

One of my latest research topics is 1850s and 1860s New York City
actress Josephine Shaw Hoey. She got her start on stage in Baltimore,
I believe; but the high points of her career were generally in New
York. She was billed as Mrs. John Hoey or Mrs. Hoey for short. And
she made a highly unusual invention.

Mrs. Hoey invented over-dressing.

She did at least as far as the United States is concerned.

Mrs. Hoey, then Mrs. Russell, remarried to a very wealthy man, John
Hoey, who indulged her passion for arraying herself in extravagant
attire, including, I would imagine, jewelry of a value to rival the
recently-enacted economic stimulus package, as well as equally
extravagant hairdressing.

Mrs. Hoey was singular in this regard at first; but after a time,
other entertainers followed suit.

So to speak.

Mrs. Hoey's mother, Mrs. Shaw, who liked going by the name, "Mrs.
Shaw," was at one time married to Thomas S. Hamblin. You might say,
Who? But, in fact, Tom Hamblin was the original and long-time
proprietor of an establishment that one would not need to be a New
Yorker, a drama scholar, or an entertainment historian to recognize
the name of: the Bowery Theatre.

Anyway, if you should ever consider the origins of extreme
overdressing, look back fondly on Josephine S. Hoey: a true American
innovator.
.


LEARN TO FORGET
Yahoo News Headline
Monday-Tuesday Overnight

: : : Dutch scientists test new drug
: : : that could erase painful memories

Do you know of a record that got heavy national airplay for a month or
two too long? Would you like to forget it?

Some might long to forget a marriage ... or whole presidential
administrations. Your middle name? The dumbest thing you ever did
while operating a motor vehicle? So many painful memories of so many
different types. If you have an e-mail address for these Dutch
scientists, please send it at once.

"Learn to forget."
- - - The Doors
.


YAHOO NEWS HEADLINE
Thursday Evening

: : : Shark attacks declining with economic downturn,
: : : scientist says

How bad can the economy possibly be when this guy gets funding to
study ratios between economic indicators and shark attacks. Money
must be in plentiful supply.
.


end BRIEF ITEMS

:

:


TOM RUSH
"What I Know" CD
Set for Release February 24, 2009

THE FOLLOWING WAS . . hastily carved out of a longer issue of the Tom
Rush fan newsletter, some parts of which would not be applicable in
our own missive. I hope the passages that remain are
self-explanatory; but this was not done hastily for no reason, and I
am not in a position, timewise, to edit this further. I direct all
questions to TomRush.com or Appleseed Records. - Ed.

<> "Jim Rooney, my friend and the producer of the new CD, confided in
me that in college his goal had been to be a drunken professor at a
girls' school. It is hard to fall so far short of one's dream. I know
this from personal experience. Mine had been to die a tragic death at
an early age. Two failures in life, and yet we managed somehow to
find the strength and the will to make this new album. ["What I Know"]

"I'm being grilled by the press on this. (I'd forgotten how hard it is
to properly put out a new album — Appleseed has hired a publicity firm
and a radio promo person, and both are making me work very hard — it
makes me pine for the good old days when I'd release something on my
own label and nobody would ever hear about it, except you.) Why did
it take so long? Admittedly it was 35 years in the planning, but the
actual execution only took 10 days. Quite brisk, as executions go.
The answer is that for years — OK, decades — I'd been thinking this
project belonged on a major label. But none were nibbling.

"I eventually came to realize that trying to get on a major label is
like trying to talk your way aboard the Titanic. Still, I didn't want
to put it out on my own label, NightLight (not a label really, more
like a section of a file drawer), because of the secrecy factor
mentioned above. I felt these songs deserved a better chance in life
than I could give them on my own. It was at this juncture that Jim
Musselman of Appleseed contacted me and everything fell into place.
(It was kind of like that super-cooled solution that you would have
learned about had you been paying attention in science class, the one
that instantly solidifies when a seed crystal is introduced.)" [Oh? - Ed.]

SOURCE: Tom Rush, "New CD Now Available at TomRush.com," February 13,
2009.

THE PART WHICH IS EXCERPTED HERE . . makes perfect sense to me, but
then again I have already read the whole TR newsletter. I hope you
find it equally easy to follow. - Ed.


:

:

NEMSnews

New England Music Scrapbook
Brattleboro, Vermont

E-MAIL us via:
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Please do NOT click the Reply button. Clicking Reply sends your
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:

<> If you have friends who would be interested in any of the items in
this issue, please forward this newsletter to them. Thanks! We
believe this is one of the main ways we pick up readers.
.


<> As a rule, we do not post SHOW LISTINGS. The reason is quite
simple. Though our name is the NEW ENGLAND Music Scrapbook, probably
an easy majority of our readers are based outside the six New England
states. The great majority of show listings would be of no interest
at all to the great majority of our readers.

We make exceptions when show listings are part of an item of more
general interest. CD-release events are great examples. For us, the
main point of an item of this sort is that an act has a new record.
The show being announced is of secondary interest to us - if that - as
far as the contents of our newsletter goes.

In the very few, truly exceptional instances where we post show
listings...
.

... Shows can be canceled, sold out, or even moved to another date or
location. We recommend checking the Web, calling ahead or otherwise
confirming details.
.


To SUBSCRIBE to this newsletter:
http://www.geocities.com/nemsnewz/subscribe.htm

E-MAIL us via:
http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm
(Please do NOT click the Reply button.)

NEWSLETTER's Yahoo Groups Home Page:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/uridfm/

General CONTACT Information:
http://www.geocities.com/uridfm/contact.htm

:

:

Issue 2009:315

Published no less often than monthly.
We're guessing eventually we'll settle
into an every-other-week schedule.

Copyright © 2009 by the New England Music Scrapbook. All rights reserved.

: : :