New England Music Scrapbook Newsletter
Alan Lewis, Editor

Our Corner of the Rock 'n' Roll Life

August 1, 2009
Issue 2009:338
.

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only convert this into an all-lowercase
conventional e-mail address.
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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, August 1 - Sometime around this point in the year, after the
annual first-half-of-summer slowdown, scene activity levels start picking right
back up again.

But it hasn't happened yet in 2009.

We received a moderate amount of correspondence this week, but much of it was
not very newsy according to the types of items we normally post here.

So, our readers get some extra time for non-reading pursuits this weekend.
Let's hope now that the sun has come out, it stays out so we and you can do the
same.
.


We had a lot more go wrong this week than just my apartment being broken into
and my checking account being raided. To each and everyone who sent cheering
words, you may be sure your messages are much appreciated. You may also be
assured your sympathy has not been misplaced. This has been a wicked bad week
on this end.

Thanks for all your e-mails and even one postal mail item.
.


Special thanks to singer-songwriter-guitarist Noam Weinstein for keeping us
online!
.


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


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

New CD Releases Available Tuesday, July 28th

BLUR - Midlife: Beginner's Guide To Blur - $12.88
BRUBECK, DAVE/DESMOND, PAUL/VAN KRIEDT, DAVE - Reunion - $5.99
GOLDSMITH, JERRY - Film Music - $3.99

JACKSON, MICHAEL - Stripped Mixes - $13.99
<> Do we have any seasoned Michael Jackson observers out there who have an
informed opinion as to how much, behind the stack of recent releases, is an
attempt to meet the needs of Jackson's vast number of mourning and nostalgic
fans versus how much is an attempt to exploit his death?

PRESLEY, ELVIS - From Elvis In Memphis (2 CD) - $19.99
<> We have the much earlier single-disc version titled, "The Memphis Record." It
is an ideal example of an album whose shortcomings simply don't matter. To
borrow a phrase, from the original CD booklet I think, this recording is pure
Elvis. The present set, along with the comeback TV special soundtrack, something
close to every other cut on "The Alternate Aloha," and a handful of great
singles ought to show to most people's satisfaction that, if Elvis lost it, he
certainly found it again by 1968.

SCHUUR, DIANE - Some Other Time - $5.99
SIEGEL, JANIS - Sketches Of Broadway - $5.99
THOROGOOD, GEORGE & DESTROYERS - Dirty Dozen - $9.99
VARIOUS ARTISTS - PUTUMAYO PRESENTS - Brazilian Cafe - $9.99
VARIOUS ARTISTS - TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL JACKSON - Essential Party Music - $5.99

<>

featured dvd new release Available Tuesday, July 28th

090808_EvntHrizonBattlestar Galactica
Season 4.5
$35.99 4-DVD set

SOURCE: Newbury Comics, "July 27 Newbury Comics Coupon and New Releases," July
27, 2009.

:: dave brubeck, paul desmond, dave van kriedt, jerry goldsmith, michael
jackson, elvis presley, diane schuur, janis siegel, george thorogood and the
destroyers ::
.


PASTICHE
The "arc" CD

<> We gave one listen this week to a recent release, "ARC" by Pastiche. The
album is very much different from what we expected. Our feeling of surprise is
a pleasant one. This is not the old Pastiche sound applied to new material
(which I wouldn't mind at all), on the one hand, nor is it the often cited "new
mature sound," a phrase that may most often be safely translated into English as
"can no longer rock." Rather, this is a little shift in direction for an always
intriguing band. "ARC" is informed by a variety of post-punk styles and falls
most nearly into the category we used to call "college rock." I always loved
that early-1980s college rock. The album also reaches back to the second half
of the 1960s, when many of the best rockers and also certain Cambridge folkies
managed to produce a psychedelic sound that was timely then and has not since
become dated: a tricky path to walk. It is going to take more than one playing
for us to get a solid sense of "ARC," but I can say already that this is an
enjoyable record and it seems to me a close listen will be greatly rewarded.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the way I remember it Pastiche vocalist Ken Scales
had something of a reputation for wild performances on stage. If so, it adds a
little spice to the black and white picture on back of the jewel box. These
guys look positively deranged and, in fact, this is my all-time favorite photo
of Mr. Curt. I want to see this pic on a T-shirt. Scales, though, has a look
all his own, as in an easy-to-feel, impossible-to-explain Alfred Hitchcock
sense. And Hitchcock was a genius.

If you ever loved Pastiche or even if you have only heard of the band, you have
got to see the back of this jewel box. It is, itself, a jewel.

An in-concert shot of Pastiche bassist Brad Hallen, which I believe ran in
Boston Rock in the early 1980s, is easily one of the greatest works of rock 'n'
roll photography that it has ever been my pleasure to witness. So now he is
featured in two personal favorites.
.


PRESS RELEASES THIS WEEK

<> Well, we have no relevant press releases to post this week; but we do have a
longer item, in the same part of this newsletter, about the young acting career
of Maura Kennedy of The Kennedys.

= = =
= = =

ADAM KLEIN
Fund-Raising Bicyclist

We are on Adam Klein's mailing list, yet I have no recollection of him
mentioning that he is a participant in an important charitable event this
weekend. We got the news from she-cub reporter Sarah Borges who, not
incidentally, is a singer we really like.

<> "This weekend, our good friend, Adam Klein, is riding the 192-mile Pan Mass.
Challenge; and Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles will be there to show support
for all of the hardworking and dedicated riders, riding for the benefit of the
Jimmy Fund of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute."

SOURCE: Sarah Borges, "Sarah Borges Mid-Summer Newsletter," July 29, 2009.

A hearty NEMS "Good for you!" to charity pedaler Adam Klein. - Ed.

= = =
= = =

SOUL CITY
At Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park
Boston, Massachusetts
Tuesday, August 4, 2009.

<> "Join SOUL CITY on Tuesday August 4th at CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS Waterfront Park
in Boston for an evening of mostly Disco classics. SOUL CITY [is] now in its
twentieth year packing dance floors all over New England.

: : : TUESDAY AUGUST 4th, 6-8pm
: : : CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS WATERFRONT PARK
: : : 84 Atlantic Ave, Boston - (617) 227-6070

"Christopher Columbus park is on Atlantic Ave., just to the left of the
LongWharf Marriott. Sponsored by the Fund for Boston Neighborhoods

http://www.cityofboston.gov/news/default.aspx?id=4287

"DIRECTIONS:

http://www.bostonharborwalk.com/placestogo/location.php?nid=3&sid=18

-

http://www.soulcityband.com/

SOURCE: WholeLottaSoul At AOL Dot Com, "This Week in Soul City ... Disco Night!"
July 30, 2009.

= = =
= = =

PATTY LARKIN
Late Signing for WCAI Benefit Concert
Wellfleet, Massachusetts
Thursday, August 6, 2009

Around noon Saturday, we received an announcement from Patty Larkin to the
effect that she has just signed on for a concert to benefit WCAI, an NPR radio
station for Cape Cod and the islands. Unfortunately, the date she gave -
Sunday, August 6 - does not quite work out. August 6 is a Thursday. So we ran
this Google search

: : : "patty larkin" wcai benefit wellfleet august

which produced a seven-item hitlist, with entries giving the concert's date as
Thursday, August 6. It would do no one any harm to check for themselves, but we
believe the concert date is Thursday, August 6, 2009. Here is Patty Larkin's
message:

<> "Hope you are having a great summer. I am writing from Atlin, Canada, as far
northwest in Canada as you can get! I have just signed on to do a benefit
concert for one of my favorite radio stations - WCAI, the Cape and Islands NPR
station. If you are visiting the Cape - or live there - come on by! Show
details are below. Hope to see you there!

"Patty

Sunday, August 6 at 8PM
Wellfleet Congregational Church

A benefit for WCAI, Cape and Islands NPR Station

Hosted by Mindy Todd of 'The Point'

BUY TICKETS NOW at OvationTix or call 866-811-4111
$25: Open seating
$50: Reserved seating, After party
$75: Reserved seating, Party, & WCAI membership
The After Party is at Winslow's Taverm

SOURCE: Patty Larkin Announcements, "Patty Larkin Benefit Concert," Saturday,
August 1, 2009.

A SUBSEQUENT E-MAIL, . . sent early Saturday afternoon by Patty Larkin's
Webmaster, reads as follows:

"Apologies for the bad link! The place to go for show details is:

http://pattylarkin.com/ontour/wellfleet09.html

"Sorry about that!"

Apparently by that time, the home office had not yet caught the error as to the
day of the week.

But one out of two ain't bad...

THIS OUGHT TO BE . . a really hot time to hear Patty Larkin live. Her latest
album, "Watch the Sky," to my experience, is her best ever.

Patty Larkin
"Watch the Sky"
(CD, Vanguard Records 79851-2, 2008)

We have played it here for our visitors; and so far, everyone has loved it.
Though we seldom have actual sales figures, our educated guess is that "Watch
the Sky" is already Patty Larkin's biggest seller.

Do you know about this 2006 DVD of her, made for Happy Traum and company?

Patty Larkin
"The Guitar of Patty Larkin:
Creating Powerful Arrangements"
(DVD, Homespun Video DVD-LAR-GT21, 2006)

We have not seen this video, but by all rights it ought to be a must-have item
for aspiring performers on guitar. Larkin is definitely known for her powerful
guitar accompaniments.

= = =
= = =

ROCK BAND DLC THIS WEEK
Spinal Tap

Those who dance to the Spinal Tap may be interested to know that, following the
Blu-Ray Disc (BD) release of "This Is Spinal Tap," the coming week's Rock Band
downloadable content is all Spinal Tap songs. In the time that we have included
information about the Boston-associated music games, Guitar Hero and Rock Band,
I have never seen so much controversy over a week's downloadable content. We
have no idea why.

First, it's Spinal Tap, for heaven sake. What's the problem?!

Second, if you don't like this week's selections, what is wrong with simply
waiting patiently until next week?

Anyway, here is the Rock Band/Spinal Tap announcement:

<> Tracks available on Xbox 360 and Wii (Aug. 4) and PLAYSTATION 3 system (Aug..
6):

Spinal Tap "(Funky) Sex Farm"
Spinal Tap "(Listen to the) Flower People (Reggae Stylee)"
Spinal Tap "America"
Spinal Tap "Big Bottom"
Spinal Tap "Cups and Cakes"
Spinal Tap "Gimme Some Money"
Spinal Tap "Heavy Duty"
Spinal Tap "Hell Hole"
Spinal Tap "Rock `n' Roll Creation"
Spinal Tap "Stonehenge"
Spinal Tap "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight"

(All tracks are original master recordings from Back From The Dead recording
sessions.)

These tracks will be available for purchase as part of the "Spinal Tap's TAP
TEN" or as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 systems.

Price:
$1.99 USD, £.99 UK, €1.49 EU (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track
$17.99 (1440 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for "Spinal Tap's TAP TEN"
$2.00 USD, (200 Wii Points) per track

IT WOULD BE HARD TO BEAT . . beautiful descriptive pieces along the lines of
"Hell Hole," songs of social consciousness such as "Gimme Some Money," origins
of the universe myths like "Rock 'n' Roll Creation," and works drawn from
indepth study of twentieth-century American history such as "Listen to the
Flower People." - Ed.

= = =
= = =

MOTION SICK
Tunes To Be Available at
the New Rock Band Indie Store
- Plus -
Show at The Middle East
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Saturday, August 8, 2009

<> "As you all probably know by now, we've been very fortunate to get a chance
to have our music included in the Dance Dance Revolution video game series
including the brand new Dance Dance Revolution X in Arcades in North America:

http://www.the-motion-sick.com/search/label/dance%20dance%20revolution

"Now, we've just announced that things are in the works to have several of our
songs available in the new Rock Band indie store that will be unveiled some time
in the next few months. Soon, you'll be able to drum, sing, and strum along to
The Motion Sick! More on that as details emerge..."

[These same sick of motion lads also are here to inform you, through us, of an
upcoming gig at The Middle East Restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts:]

<> The Middle East - Cambridge, MA - Sat Aug 08 09 - 08:00 PM

"This show is an incredible lineup including:

1st - Hymns
2nd - The Motion Sick
3rd - The New Collisions
4th - The Shills
5th - The Everyday Visuals

Both The Everyday Visuals and The New Collisions have made Mike's best of 2009
(so far) list:

http://www.bostonbandcrush.com/2009/06/mikes-semi-annual-crushiest-of-boston.htm\
l

Missing this would be foolish."

SOURCE: The Motion Sick, "August 8 at The Middle East," July 29, 2009.

THE BAND, . . The Motion Sick, is connected with www.BostonBandCrush.com, a Web
operation that has a mission which overlaps with our own. Have you visited the
Boston Band Crush site? - Ed.

= = =
= = =

DAVID MALLETT
"Alright Now" CD

<> "New Album to be released August 19th!

"David Mallett's 14th album, ALRIGHT NOW, will be released on August 19, 2009 by
North Road Records.

"To order your copy, go to:

http://www.davidmallett.com/musicstore/newalbum.html

"'Alright Now' is David Mallett's first recording of all-original songs in six
years. The long hiatus is proving worth the wait.

"'Alright Now' is the culmination of 40 years of songwriting which captures keen
observations about the soulfulness of everyday life.

"Noel Paul Stookey, who produced the first three Mallett albums, calls songs
from the new album some of Mallett's best material since 1975.

[Impressive praise, indeed, from an artist ("Paul" of Peter Paul and Mary) whose
opinion likely matters to countless folk music fans, in general, and to David
Mallett fans, in particular. - Ed.]

"The songs cover a wide range of topics and moods - public and private, hopeful,
fragile, nostalgic, bitter, loving.

"The album was recorded in Maine over eight months and features Michael Burd
(bass and guitar) and Susan Ramsey (violin and viola), along with Jim Doherty
(drums), Robbie Coffin (guitars), Will Mallett (guitar, mandolin, banjo, and
vocals), and Luke Mallett (vocals).

"'Alright Now' is available at concerts and on-line at:

http://www.davidmallett.com/musicstore/newalbum.html

"For more information, contact: webmaster@..."

SOURCE: Tom Gordon of North Road Records, "New David Mallett CD," July 30, 2009.

THE DIRECT WEB ADDRESS . . included in this item I believe is also the address
for people who would want to listen online to a medley of songs from the new
album. - Ed.

= = =
= = =

FOOLS AND THE STOMPERS
STOMPERS AND THE FOOLS
On the Provincetown II
Friday, September 18, 2009
Heavy Mental Coast to Coast

Bay State Summer Music Cruises

presents

The Stompers

- and -

The Fools!

Friday September 18 2009

7PM

deja vu aboard the Provincetown ll

Buy tickets now!!!!!!

http://www.baystatecruisecompany.com/summer_music.html

SOURCE: Salvatore Baglio, "The Stompers in Boston," July 31, 2009.
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:

:

BRIEF ITEMS

: : : : :
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GORDON STONE
"Night Shade" CD

<> "With Gordon on pedal steel and banjo, backed by drums and bass, you'll hear
everything from mesmerizing banjo exotica to kick-up-your-boots barn dance
numbers, to genre bending audio alchemy, with each new piece more sweet than the
last. Longtime friend and collaborator of the band Phish, Gordon recently
completed his sixth studio album, 'Night Shade,' at Phish's recording studio in
Vermont, with a group of West African drummers, Erik Lawrence from Levon Helm's
band, and Page McConnell from Phish."

http://www.gordonstone.com/

SOURCE: Gordon Stone, Untitled E-Mail Message, July 25, 2009.

Gordon Stone
"Night Shade" (CD, 2009)
.


CELTIC ROOTS REVUE TOUR
Fiddling Around in the Heart of America

In October, singer-fiddler-song collector Lissa Schneckenburger will be
venturing off, with a band of friends and colleagues, to such exotic and
wondrous lands as Illinois and Michigan for a Celtic Roots Revue Tour.

<> " ... I'd like to officially announce the first ever 'Celtic Roots Revue
Tour' with myself, Bethany Waickman, and Matt and Shannon Heaton in mid-October.
We'll be playing some shows in the Midwest, and it will be really fun to get to
collaborate with such amazing musicians."

SOURCE: LissaFiddle At GMail Dot Com, "Sweden and Denmark!" July 30, 2009.
.


JOSH BROOKS
"White House / Black Sheep" CD

<> "I'm happy to announce that I'll be releasing my second album of the year,
the almost-new-but-not-quite 'white house / black sheep.' If the first half of
the title sounds familiar, it should: the first five tracks of the album consist
of The White House Sessions, a five-song collection of demos I recorded with
Kent back in 2004 but didn't release until 2007. Now, the little EP that could
is joined by seven unreleased acoustic demos that were kicking around in the
vaults (aka my wife's closet). Think of it as an EP with lots of bonus tracks."

http://www.myspace.com/joshbrooksvt

SOURCE: Josh Brooks, "Surprise, It's August!" July 28, 2009.

DOES THIS ("BLACK SHEEP" CD) MAKE . . Josh Brooks "The Man in Black ... Wool"?
Just wondering. - Ed.
.


MARK ERELLI
New "August" Song

"MP3 of the MONTH:

<> "What's the best song for a month spent largely on Cape Cod doing nothing ...
how about a song about being on Cape Cod doing nothing? This is a demo of a new
song called 'August,' which I've been working on for a couple years now. I
couldn't figure out what was supposed to 'happen' in the song ... then it hit
me: it's August on the Cape, NOTHING needs to happen. So here's a little song
about the joys of taking it easy. It's free this month on the downloads page at

http://www.markerelli.com/

SOURCE: Mark Erelli, "Mark Erelli August 2009 Newsletter," July 30, 2009.

Mark Erelli
"August" (August MP3 of the Month, www.MarkErelli.com, 2009)
.


LIBERTY ELM DINER

<> As we understand it, there was to have been a showdown Friday between the
Liberty Elm Diner and the Rhode Island department of taxes. Diner staff were
working hard to head off trouble. If you should learn the outcome, please
e-mail us what you know at

: : : FredRemainsLost At Yahoo Dot Com

only convert this into an all-lowercase, conventional e-mail address.

Meanwhile, best of luck to Kip and the staff of the Liberty Elm Diner.
.


PLACE OF GENERAL HAPPINESS

<> Does anyone out there have this compilation?

Various Artists
"Place of General Happiness"

Neither JoEllen nor I recall having ever heard of it. Though "Place of General
Happiness" is a general collection of cuts, it includes so many by Boston acts
(plus one by Rubber Rodeo of Providence) that this is practically a one-disc
Boston rock party.
.


NEW ENGLAND ESSENTIAL RECORD RELEASES
A General Update

<> Our survey, having to do with essential recordings by New England-connected
acts, is moving forward, though slowly. Wanting to avoid turning a lengthy
process into an unnecessarily tedious process, we will not post the updated list
often; but we will include the revised list here every now and then. This
survey will take weeks and quite possibly even months to complete.

Certain holes remain which are worth noting by category. There are no
suggestions, for instance, of records by superstar acts such as Aerosmith,
Boston, and Phish. [Imagine a law firm named Arrow-Smith, Boston, and Phish.]
No one has suggested anything by Tom Lehrer: a musical comedy category unto
himself. There are no records from the mainstream of blues, country, and jazz.
New Hampshire and Vermont still are not represented, and we are really not much
more than getting started on Rhode Island.

I will report, simply because it occurs to me, that added to our list are albums
by The Beacon Street Union (both MGM LPs) and Orpheus from the 1960s, plus The
Modern Lovers and The Sidewinders from the early 1970s.

If, between now and the next time we post details of this list, you would like
to help fill any one of these holes or you have another record selection in
mind, please e-mail your recommendation to us by way of

: : : FredRemainsLost At Yahoo Dot Com

only convert this into an all-lowercase, conventional e-mail address.

We all seem to have such a block about Aerosmith records - "Permanent Vacation"
to present - that we may deal with this venerable-yet-curiously-contemporary
band in a separate question. Several people, without actually turning it into
an actual suggestion, have thought out loud of "Get a Grip," "Nine Lives,"
"Permanent Vacation," and "Pump." (One person responded to "Nine Lives" by
saying, "Really?") As for early Aerosmith, the ONLY title that has been
mentioned to me so far is "Rocks."
.


RUBBLEBUCKET
"Bikes" First Single
From Forthcoming Eponymous Album

<> "A taste of our new album (self titled 'Rubblebucket,' coming out October
1st) has finally arrived!! You can listen to BIKES, the first single for free
on our website or myspace page."

http://www.rubblebucket.com/

SOURCE: Rubblebucket Orchestra, "Summer Newsletter: Free Single, Big Tour, New
Website," July 16, 2009.
.


BITS AND PIECES

<> On Friday, did anyone in addition to us receive an announcement from The
Hootchies of that band's shows booked for the first two Fridays of May 2009?
We've got to get these folks working on their approach to punctuality.

<> We are told it is being advertised that Aerosmith's "You Gotta Move" is the
theme to World Wrestling Entertainment's Summerslam Pay Per View this year.
Somehow it seems to me this offers possible new meaning to the
Aerosmith-connected phrase, "Get a Grip."
.


YAHOO MUSIC NEWS HEADLINE
Friday Afternoon

Minimal damages sought in Mass. song-download case
AP – Fri Jul 31, 1:52 pm ET
Joel Tenenbaum, a graduate student from Providence, R.I., poses... AP

BOSTON - A lawyer for a Boston University student who admitted illegally
downloading and sharing music urged a federal jury Friday to "send a message" to
the music industry by awarding only minimal damages.

PERSONALLY, I DO NOT HAVE . . a great deal of sympathy for the major labels of
the recording industry; but it is hard to see why, when this guy admittedly
illegally downloaded and shared recordings, a message must be sent by the court
TO THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.
.


YAHOO MUSIC NEWS HEADLINE
Friday Afternoon

More Mozart: 2 new pieces being unveiled
AP – Fri Jul 31, 5:29 pm ET
FILE - This is a Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2000 file photo of a statue... AP

SALZBURG, Austria - The huge musical puzzle that is Mozart is about to be
expanded by two potentially important pieces.
.


end BRIEF ITEMS

:

:


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MAURA KENNEDY
Star of Stage and Screen
(Mostly Screen This Time Around)

<> "Last month my career as a New York City actress almost sputtered to a false
start (see 30 Seconds in the Coffeeshop, July 2009). By now, however, I've
already been cast as an extra in two feature films and an episode of Gossip
Girl! The first film was an indie flick called Happy Thank You More Please,
written, directed by and starring Josh Radnor (How I Met Your Mother) . The
second was a huge 3D dance spectacle, Step Up 3D. That's right, Maura in 3D!
These two film experiences were at opposite ends of the spectrum in every way:
one a small cast and low budget filmed in a lower east side bar, the other
filmed at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in a building that easily fit all 1500 of us
... a production so huge that I can't imagine how they will ever break even, but
what do I know?

"Just last week I was cast on tween serial Gossip Girl as a bidder at a charity
auction at Sotheby's. The episode was actually filmed at Sotheby's on the Upper
East Side, and when it airs, you should look for paddle number 795 ... that
would be my hand attached to it! For two days I was surrounded by meticulously
coiffed and powdered Beautiful People, all bidding large amounts of play money
on questionable artworks. I could reveal a couple of dramatic surprises in the
plot, but that would give away the secret of last season's cliffhanger, so
you'll just have to wait and let it unfold...

"By the end of the second day, I was ready to settle back into a pair of soft,
worn jeans, a white cotton tee shirt and sandals and let my hair tangle wildly
as usual. I walked the several long blocks from Sotheby's to the subway at dusk
and as I descended the stairs that led to the platform, I heard an old familiar
sound - Sam Cooke's "Bring it on Home to Me", sung in harmony by a couple of
funky soul street brothers below. Their blend was nice, but I was hearing a
sweet, high part just begging to be sung. I hesitated for a few seconds...after
all, I was, at least until I got home and changed, still in my character as a
rich, white, satin-clad Upper East Sider...what could I know about vintage Sam
Cooke? But, what the heck...I'd just completed my second week as an
actress...and the harmony had me feeling fearless. I walked right up to the two
guys and started singing, 'Well I laughed when you left, but I know that I only
hurt myself, oh,
bring it to me, bring your sweet love, bring it on home to me, yeah! yeah! yeah!
yeah!'

"The guitar player didn't stop (a good sign)...he kept on strumming as the other
singer's mouth broke into a wide, semi-toothy grin. That was all the approval I
needed. I was the third member of the band until the next train pulled in.
Meanwhile, scores of extras who had been on the set with me descended the steps
to the platform. As they gathered and listened to our three voices soar in a
subterranean gospel fervor, I realized that, in a way, we're all actors. We put
on our costumes every day and wave stage-prop paddles, bidding on
god-knows-what, but way down deep, down where the subway runs, we don't need
stuff, we just need a soulful song and good third harmony part. From Sotheby's
to the subway, the best role of all is to inspire somebody, so thanks to my
anonymous trio mates. I can still hear their voices echo down the R train
tunnel."

SOURCE: The Kennedys, "The Kennedys Newsletter August 2009," July 29, 2009.
.


:

:

NEMSnews

New England Music Scrapbook
Brattleboro, Vermont

E-MAIL us via:
http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm

Please do NOT click the Reply button. Clicking Reply sends your message to
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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.
.


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Issue 2009:338

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.

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