New England Music Scrapbook News
Our Corner of the Rock 'n' Roll Life
November 4, 2006
Issue 2006:194

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


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.


.   .   .   .   .


BARBARA KITSON, 1955-2006

Boston's rock community suffered three losses recently that we know about:

    BARB KITSON

    JO JO LAINE

and

    WILD BILL SUTHERLAND.

I, personally, was only aware of one of these three, Barb Kitson.  She
is the only one whose life I can speak to at all.

First, there was a short, very nice item about Kitson at Boston
Groupie News.

http://www.bostongroupienews.com/

We strongly suggest giving it a look.  It only takes a minute.

The Johnny Angel postings at the Noise Board are very sad.  Evidently
Kitson did not often enough enjoy the happiness she deserved.

But we recall Barb Kitson as singing with authority in an unusual band
which featured both strong melodies and a serious rock 'n' roll kick.
  Boston's rock community was very much on the rise in those days, and
in the coming years it exerted its greatest influence on the music
nationally and internationally.  Barb Kitson and Thrills were a big
part of what made it all happen.

We will always remember Barb Kitson as she was in her 20s and full of
sparks.

May her spirit now rest in peace.


INTERNATIONAL POP OVERTHROW

Did you attend the

    INTERNATIONAL POP OVERTHROW?

If you did, would you be willing to send us an e-mail saying briefly
what it was like?


THE PRINT PRESS

I AM RUNNING OUT OF TIME FAST,  and most of the work on this issue is
ahead of me.  So I am going to have to make fast work of the local
music news in the print press.  From the point of view of not having
enough time, fortunately there was not a lot of local music news in
the print press.  Here is what we've got:

Jen Kearney
of Lowell
By Larry Katz
in the Boston Herald
Wednesday, November 1

Tanya Donelly
"This Hungry Life"
By Ted Drozdowski
in The Phoenix this week
* Boy, on this computer screen, does the
   illustration ever give Donelly a blonde
   goth look!

Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks
By Christopher John Treacy
in the Boston Herald
Saturday, October 28

Black Forest/Black Sea
    and
The Sicilian Kitchen at the Sunnyside Rec Club
By Bob Gulla
in this week's Providence Phoenix

Dominic and Lucid
Living Wage
By Sam Pfeifle
in the current Portland Phoenix

I did not notice anything in particular in today's (Saturday's) Boston
Globe or Boston Herald.

Sorry there was no time to round up direct Web addresses and headers;
but by this point, I am in a major hurry.


TUESDAY'S ELECTIONS

PRESIDENT BUSH,  at a recent Republican campaign rally, urged his
listeners to do their civic duty and vote on Tuesday.  This is why I
vote in every election.  My Grandfather Lewis taught me that it was my
responsibility, as a citizen, to vote.  It is hard to understand why
this, alone, isn't reason enough to get people into voting booths.
But for some reason, it's not.  Even in big presidential elections,
often not a lot over half the eligible voters turn out at the polls.
But there are reasons other than a sense of duty for voting.

A public service radio ad is saying that our vote is our voice: vote
and make your voice heard.

Not voting, on the other hand, sends about the most ambiguous message
possible if it can be said to send any message at all.  None of the
candidates suited you.  Or you couldn't make up your mind between the
candidates.  Or you were protesting something - you may know what, but
the rest of us don't.  Or you didn't feel sufficiently informed.  Or
your primary candidate didn't win.  Or you planned to vote after work
but then you agreed to work overtime and never made it to your polling
place.  Or the weather was bad where you were and you wimped out.  Or
you were drunk out of your mind on election day.  Or you were gravely
ill.  The list of plausible interpretations of not voting goes on and
on.  You don't send an intelligible message by not voting.

Many people have risked their lives, while others, sad to say, have
lost their lives to establish, preserve, and extend the right to vote.
  This happened in colonial days, during the Revolution, in antislavery
times, through Reconstruction and after, during the civil rights
movements of the 19th and 20th centuries, and no doubt at other points
in our history.  It seems to me it is not asking too much that we make
the most of a right that has been heroically handed down to us.


NEW ENGLAND LOCAL MUSIC NEWS
IS BUSTIN' OUT ALL OVER
(Except in the Press)

Last week we received far more local music news than I had time to
compile.  This week we received far more than last week.  This week's
haul, of course, is in addition to items left over from last week.  It
simply amazes me that the region's major news outlets (with heavy
emphasis on the Boston newspapers) are not reporting this information.
  Where have you gone Boston Rock ... New England turns its lonely eyes
to you.


FOX PASS LOSES A DRUMMER

Saturday November 18, 2006

FOX PASS and REDDY TEDDY TOGETHER AGAIN!
The Attic at Union Street

http://unionst.com/

107 R Union St Newton Centre
617-964-6684

9:30 Reddy Teddy
10:30 FOX PASS will play until at least midnight, 75 minutes or more

This is the final show before John Jules leaves the band.  This will
be your last chance to see Fox Pass with John Jules on drums.  The
band will continue on in 2007 and beyond with a new drummer and begin
the process of their next CD release and concert schedule.  Please
join us to say a rousing goodbye to Mr. Jules.

We will be filming and recording this show.  Come and cheer loudly!

   -- Fox Pass Mailing, November 1, 2006


MARK ERELLI
A Tale of Two Concerts

We receive many fine fan newsletters.  My favorite is the one produced by

    MARK ERELLI

(and called to my attention by my friend, Maria McLaughlin).  Erelli
is a bright guy with diverse interests and an always intriguing point
of view.  He also has a diversified career, serving at various times
as a featured artist, opening act, or member of other people's bands.
  Probably no two shows are alike.  In his November newsletter he wrote
about two concerts that were close together in time but could not be a
lot farther apart in most other respects.  With his permission, we are
reproducing his telling of the experience below in this issue of our
own newsletter.

I liked the way Erelli told this tale in the first place.  But
evidently some of his subscribers thought he didn't finish the story.
  Perhaps they have watched the film, "Stand by Me," too many times.
So anyway, Erelli posted an addendum on his Web site.  We attached his
addendum at the end of his original account.

Another item, about Erelli's forthcoming album, appears in the Brief
Items section.


NEW QUERY :
GREAT SHOW BY AN ACT
WITH STRONG NEW ENGLAND TIES

If you would like to take part in this query, name a great show you
have attended by an act with strong New England ties.  If you want to
speak of other live listening experiences, too, it is fine with us.
But try hard to clearly single out one show as your answer to this
query, saying

    * the name of the act

    * the show's location

    * the approximate date

It is the act that we are looking to be strongly New
England-connected.  And we imagine most shows named will have taken
place in this region.  But if you heard The Charms in the Midwest on
that band's current tour, or you heard the J. Geils Band in Detroit in
the 1970s, and that show is the one you would want to name in response
to this query, it is fine by us.  I heard the Western Mass. band, Fat,
at a 1970 Canadian rock festival.  For the purposes of this query,
that example could be every bit as good as a recent homecoming concert
by Antje Duvekot at the Hooker-Dunham Theater in this town
(Brattleboro VT) or the Dogmatics reunion in Boston around the same time.

Notice that I used the word, "show," instead of concert.  Jeanne
French playing Janis Joplin in a theatrical piece in Singapore or the
Alloy Orchestra performing a live accompaniment for a silent film at
the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in western Mass. would be
just as fine as a sit-down concert at Club Passim in Cambridge or at
the Verizon Wireless Center (did I get the venue's name right?) in
Manchester, New Hampshire.

Shows could be long ago or recent, at the Tweeter Center or at a
beyond-imtimate hole-in-the-wall coffeehouse, by a famed or obscure
act, and so forth, and so on, &c., etc.  It could be the first show
you ever caught by a New England act or the latest.  It could be the
best-ever show or the first one that comes to mind.  It only matters
to us that you think the show was great and that it centered on an act
with strong New England ties.

Answers to our last query proved to be much more complex than I, for
one, anticipated.  So I scrapped my original plan for reporting the
results and simply listed the names of recordings and artists.

In the case of this new query, it is most likely, if it flies, that we
will simply list act, location, and date.  It is not totally out of
the question, though, that we might include narratives.  We won't
know, either way, until responses start coming in.  But we would only
include a narrative, if we include narratives at all, if it is quite
brief, as in two to three short sentences.

I have a number of personal examples in mind, each of which was great
in its own way.  And I have not quite yet decided which I will name in
response to this query.  But here is one I have mentioned before:

WHO:
Bill Chinnock Band, Katahdin, Rick Pinette Band

WHERE:
Bangor (ME) Auditorium

WHEN:
1980-ish

All three acts were in great form.  The audience was responsive to say
the least.  And that night, Bill Chinnock and band could do no wrong.

If you would like to name a show in response to this query, please
e-mail us by way of the following Web page:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/naty.htm


ERIC VON SCHMIDT

MY FIRST THOUGHT HAD BEEN  to condense the following message.  But now
I am thinking it would be best to post in whole.  A part that I had
thought to leave out has already proven helpful to one of our e-mail
correspondents.

ERIC VON SCHMIDT  was one of the most important musicians in the
Boston area in the late 1950s and well into the 1960s.  He was one of
the founders of what one might call the post-Peggy Seeger/post-Tony
Saletan Boston-Cambridge folk community.  Folk music was far and away
the most important rising popular music form in the Boston area in
those days.  And through their book, "Baby, Let Me Follow You Down,"
Von Schmidt and Jim Rooney were the major chroniclers of the
Boston-Cambridge coffeehouse circuit.  So I think of EVS mostly as a
folk musician.  But once a few years ago, I searched a major American
city library's catalog on his name - as I recall, it was the Boston
Public Library - and I got a very large number of hits on books he had
illustrated.  So quite possibly I SHOULD think of Von Schmidt first as
a painter/illustrator.

Either way, Von Schmidt is a very talented guy.

Von Schmidt has had a couple major health problems in recent years.
But though the following message reports serious medical trouble - not
at all encouraging - we ought to feel very lucky that Eric Von Schmidt
is still with us.  Things could have gone differently.

Here is the message as it was sent to us:

   Rick (ERIC) Von Schmidt who had been concentrating on his oil
painting in recent years suffered a disabling stroke in July 2006.
Recover has been slow and rehab difficult.

   A current exhibit at the Westport Historical Society (CT) contains
significant work and information about the VON SCHMIDTs HAROLD and
ERIC, father and son.

   Recent large scale oils by Rick have been placed inthe atrium lobby
of the new STAPLES HIGH SCHOOL in Westport.  The paintings depict many
of America's blues and jazz greats; BESSIE SMITH my favorite.

   Rick and his family are seriously considering returning to
Massachusetts for the next chapter in his life.

   Best wishes and correspondence for Rick will be delivered to him
personally.  Information supplied here is for free use.

    ron malone
    cedar road
    westport ct
    203-227-3156


ESSENTIAL RECORDING QUERY
Final Version of 2006 List

Our "Essential Recording" query is almost certainly the most
successful one we have ever run.  It would be hard to meaningfully
compare it to our query, years ago, about The Rat in Boston.  But this
one, I believe, drew lots more responses.  We received a good number
of responses even this past week; and evidently it has not run out of
steam yet, though a couple times earlier I thought it may have.

Here's what I'm doing.  I'm setting the "Essential Recording" query
aside for the time and posting the results we have, to this point,
down near the bottom of this issue.  This is our list in its final
version of 2006.  At some later time, when we have all freshened up a
bit, it might be a good idea to run this query another time, to see
what holes people find in the list and to see how they think those
holes should be filled.

Scroll way down and take a look if you would like.


CROOKED STILL

Crooked Still takes bluegrass, then uses its imagination

By Joan Anderman, Globe Staff  |  November 3, 2006

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2006/11/03/crooked_still_takes_\
bluegrass_then_uses_its_imagination/

In the last paragraph, as I recall, Joan Anderman said that the
Crooked Still banjo guy has moved to this town, Brattleboro, Vermont.
  Neat.


"WTSA Oldies Program Plays
  to Memories, Sound and Spirit"

By Alan Lewis

The Commons
November 2006
Pages 3 and 6

I have tried for years to get a chance to profile this phenomenal
oldies broadcast for years.  In general, I think it would be fair to
say, the host is not really enthusiastic about getting press
attention.  Who keeps track of these things, but I probably heard the
very first show and I have been listening when I can ever since.  I
believe my first-hand experience with the broadcast and my persistent
enthusiasm for it helped make this article happen.

As the article points out, when I first started listening to oldies on
the radio, some of them were less than a year old.  I have listened to
oldies on the radio ever since.  And

    SATURDAY MORNING WITH THE OLDIES

is the best such broadcast I have ever heard.

It is also no longer totally out of the question that this show could
be made more widely available, perhaps through streaming.  We have no
details.  But I have always been aware that Saturday Morning With the
Oldies was originally intended as a hometown show.  I doubt that has
changed.  But some loyal listeners have had to move away for work,
family, educational, or other reasons, and they would still like to
listen in.  I can't blame them.  So while I certainly don't speak for
the station, it is my understanding that there has been some looking
into how the Saturday Morning With the Oldies faithful who are now far
away can be accommodated.

The November issue of The Commons has just been posted and evidently
if one visits the following page

http://www.commonsnews.org/

and clicks one of the page ranges that appear on the right of the
screen, one can access my article which starts on page 3 and continues
onto page 6.  If you hurry, you can look through it before I do.  I
haven't had time to read it yet.

Evidently the paper is posted in PDF files.


= = = = =


BRIEF ITEMS :


TEMPER (THE BAND)
A Temper News Minute

"some advance news, temper cd release show fri. dec. 8 DECEMBER,
lizard lounge  w/ franc graham (the, band, artist) and a.k.a.c.o.d. =
monique ortiz et dana colley (bourbon princess, morphine) radio.
spoken word interviews. dec. 3 DECEMBER on waaf w/ carm, dec. 6 on
wmfo w/ joellen talk to pete."

   -- Temper (the Band) E-Mail, November 2, 2006

Notice that this item makes reference to Boston radio personality

    JoELLEN.

We have heard great things about her and hope the kid does good.


THE SILVER LINING
Toad Residency in December

"THE SILVER LINING  will be playing at Toad every Tuesday in December
starting at 10PM and ending when the bar closes.

"The second Tuesday of the month, December 12th, The Silver Lining
will be giving an encore performance of their nearly sold out
Halloween show of songs by The Who, with several songs added that were
not in the original Halloween set.  Expect to hear lots of the Who's
hits spanning the period 1965 - 1971, and several deep cuts as well.

"The Silver Lining's debut record, 'Well Dressed Blues' (released
6/6/06 on Eye-Con Records) ... grazed the CMJ top 200 chart this Fall
after having been added to over 100 radio stations across the United
States...."

   -- "Silver Lining To Play December Residency
       at Toad," November 2, 2006


MEG HUTCHINSON

"Well, it's been a while.  As some of you may know, I

    [MEG HUTCHINSON]

was forced to cancel a number of shows over the summer as a result of
health problems.  I've taken some time off to recuperate and write
some new songs, and things are back on track.  I have a few fun little
shows coming up to get things rolling again, and there are plans in
the works for a Passim show this winter.  I'm also excited to be back
in the studio beginning work on my next record."

   -- "Meg Hutchinson October 2006 News," October 29,
       2006


LUCKY 57
"Seven Mile River" CD

"We

    [members of LUCKY 57]

are finally celebrating the release of our new CD, 'Seven Mile River,'
at Your Roots Are Showing next Saturday 11/11 at AS220 and we've got
some great bands joining us - Girls, Guns & Glory from Boston, Fancy
Trash from Northampton and The Rosewood Thieves from NYC."

   -- Lucky 57 E-Mail Message, November 2, 2006


LISA MARTIN

"Live CD Recording! - Yes, that's right.  I

    [LISA MARTIN]

will be recording the next CD live at the Iron Horse Music Hall on
January 27, 2007!  Tickets are available through the Northampton Box
Office at 1-800-THE-TICK or through me.  Please help me make this a
sold out show and I promise that it will be fun, exciting and
unpredictable!  Tell your friends ... better yet, bring 'em!  You can
all make history and become part of the recording!"

   -- "Lisa Martin Live Music," October 31, 2006


ROY BOOK BINDER

For an upcoming article, I got to interview 1960s-to-present acoustic
folk-blues cat

    ROY BOOK BINDER.

It's a bit out of the ordinary, but in this interview we talked about
one or two of YOU.

Book Binder is a funny guy.  He took a thing I had written, added a
single letter to it, and caused it to read as though it was written
about him.  It was very subtle, and I almost missed it.

Book Binder was part of a show that I am considering for my answer to
the new query.  It involved a New Englander, George Gritzbach, master
of the Cape Cod blues.


PETER ROWAN AND TONY RICE QUARTET
"Quartet" compact disc

We received the following in a Rounder Records press release that was
dated the second of no month in particular, 2006.  It is probably
pretty recent.

"Cambridge, MA – On January 23, Rounder Records will proudly release
Quartet - the new studio album from Grammy–award winners Peter Rowan
and Tony Rice. The highly anticipated follow-up to 2004's
critically-acclaimed You Were There For Me, Quartet marks the
recording debut of the road-tested Peter Rowan and Tony Rice Quartet,
which finds 'two ground-breaking and genre-defying musicians'
(Nashville Tennessean) supported by Sharon Gilchrist (mandolin,
vocals) and Bryn Davies (bass, vocals)."


THE WEEPIES

"Over the summer we

    [members of THE WEEPIES]

wrote several songs with the lovely Mandy Moore; right now we're in
the studio with Mandy and producer John Alagia working on her new
record, which sounds freaking awesome.  Right after this project is...
California for Thanksgiving... then we'll be on the east coast again...."

   -- "The Weepies in November 2006," November 2,
       2006


MARK ERELLI
Forthcoming Album

"NEW ALBUM COMING SOON:  Some of you might have heard murmurs about a
new cd from me

    [MARK ERELLI],

and I'm happy to report that they are true.  It's a bit of a surprise,
even to me.  I thought I was making a homespun collection of lullabies
and love songs for family and friends with new babies, and I ended up
being convinced to share it with all of you.  It's called 'Innocent
When You Dream,' and features solo acoustic versions of songs by Tom
Waits, Wilco, Jesse Winchester, Shawn Colvin, Townes Van Zandt, James
Taylor, Deb Talan and Kris Delmhorst.  It also includes an Everly
Bros.-style duet with Jeffrey Foucault on a Tom Petty tune, and a new
song written by your's truly especially for this project.  This is an
informal release, and will be available at shows and on my site when I
get the finished discs back from manufacturing, sometime in the next
month or so.  Stay tuned!"

   -- Mark Erelli Nov 2006 Newsletter, October 30,
      2006


REBECCA HALL AND KEN ANDERSON
Travel Through Virginia and Tennessee

"Rare record collectors will be happy to learn that more stuff got
recorded on this trip for our

    [REBECCA HALL's and KEN ANDERSON's]

upcoming CD, courtesy of the Virginia Ramblers' Jeff Vogelgesang and
Zack Deming."

   -- Rebecca Hall and Ken Anderson November
      Newsletter, November 1, 2006


ELLIS PAUL
"Essentials" 2-CD set
Career retrospective (so far)

I have tried hard to listen to a recent release while compiling issues
of this newsletter.  Today, I am listening to "Essentials" by

    ELLIS PAUL.

First, this 2-CD collection on Rounder lives up to its name.  It
covers a great deal of stylistic territory from coffeehouse classics,
to piano ballads, to rockers, and lots more.  Yet it holds together
quite well.

The thing that amazes me most is how many of these songs I already
know.  It is only in recent years that I have been in a position to
follow Ellis Paul, but somehow a good number of his earlier tracks
found their way into my ears.

It seems likely that anyone who has made it a point to acquire at
least one Ellis Paul album is going to want "Essentials."  This easily
ought to be his biggest seller.


MERRIE AMSTERBURG SAYS:

"If it weren't for JIMMY RYAN, I

    [MERRIE AMSTERBURG]

would never have learned to play the mandolin.  Hearing Jimmy play,
years ago in the Blood Oranges, amazed me.  I couldn't believe the
mandolin could ever sound like that."

   -- "Merrie Amsterberg at Lizard Lounge,"
       November 2, 2006


CHARLES LAQUIDARA BIOGRAPHY

We received a reader request for biographical information about
legendary WBCN-FM radio host

    CHARLES LAQUIDARA.

Here is a link to the official bio at his equally-official Web site:

http://www.bigmattress.com/bio.htm


end BRIEF ITEMS


= = = = =


THE BOSTON BLUES SOCIETY PRESENTS
The 2006 Boston Blues Challenge Finals!
Saturday November 4th
F1 Complex
Wood Road
Braintree, Ma
781-848-2300

Come out and support the local blues scene.  Come early and grab
dinner off of F1's great menu!

The Boston Blues Society announces the 19th annual Boston Blues
Challenge Finals, to be held beginning at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov.
4, at F1 Boston, a racing and entertainment complex in Braintree.

The challenge will be emceed by Holly Harris, host of Blues on Sunday
on WBOS Radio, 92.9 FM

Competing for the top spot will be:

    The Adam Connelly Band,

    The Bruce Marshall Group,

    The Steve DiCecco Band

       and wild card winner,

    The Evan Goodrow Band.

The winning band will be eligible to represent Boston and compete
against bands from around the U.S. and the world at The Blues
Foundation's International Blues Challenge, to take place Feb. 1-3,
2007 in Memphis and will be presented with $1,000 courtesy of F1 Boston.

   -- "The Boston Blues Society Enews," November 2,
       2006


"Stomping to the Sounds
  of Zilla
Vermont Guardian
November 3, 2006
Culture Section, Page 18
Hardcopy Only

By Alan Lewis
Special to the Vermont Guardian

It seems likely that the great majority of our readers have never
heard or even heard OF

    ZILLA,

a Boulder, Colorado trio that plays one hundred percent improvised
dance-oriented electronica.  Too bad, because these guys are totally
into what they are doing, and they are filled with enough enthusiasm
for what they are doing to win over a lot of dancers and listeners.

My Zilla notice is hardcopy only.  For those who may be in Vermont or
in the Hanover, New Hampshire area sometime between now and early next
Friday, here is the direct Web address for the page which shows where
the Vermont Guardian is sold:

http://www.vermontguardian.com/paper-locator.shtml


AMY FAIRCHILD
and Her Recording Plans

At long last, recording plans for the new record are in place.  I will
be going into the studio in mid-January, co-producing with Chris Rival
at his studio, Middleville Studios in North Reading, MA (formerly My
Generation Studios in Somerville, MA).

Players will include:

    Dave Mattacks   - drums
    Jeff St. Pierre - bass
    Kevin Barry     - some guitars, lap steel and
                      anything else he fancies
    Duke Levine     - other guitars and stuff
    me              - vocals, acoustic guitars,
                      pianos, wurlitzers ...
                      anything else that sounds
                      cool

  ... and one or two other special guests TBA.

   -- Amy Fairchild, Upcoming Gig/Recording Plans
      at Last," November 3, 2006


MARK ERELLI
"On Fragile Wings"

"Last month I

    [MARK ERELLI]

had the pleasure of playing for 15-20 folks in a small cafe on a balmy
Wednesday evening in Frederick MD.  The compressors on the drink
coolers droned a low hum, and the clash and clang of kitchen pots and
pans cut through the monitor mix.  The promoter insisted on two sets,
and as I suspected, 2/3 of the audience left at the intermission.  I
drove away after the show wondering what else I could have done to
compel people to stay, to listen, to connect.

"Three days later, I flew to Rayville LA on four hours of sleep to
meet up with my pal Lori McKenna.  This was nothing strange, as I am
in her band and we do lots of shows together.  What was different
about this one was that we were playing with Tim McGraw and Faith
Hill, in front of 15-20,000 people (there are a few new pics on the
site so you can get a sense for what this looks like).

"The show started with sets by three of four loud, rocking 'country'
bands, groups with names like 'The Redneck Rockstars' and 'Hot Apple
Pie.'  We were to follow, she with one acoustic guitar, and I with a
borrowed Telecaster, a few effects pedals, and a sincere hope I could
convince Tim McGraw's guitar tech to let me use one of his amps.  Two
lone folksingers in front of 20,000 country music fans.  Oh shit,
Dorothy, we are not in Kansas anymore.

"As we waited on the side of the stage, I noticed some movement out of
the corner of my eye, a flash of orange gliding by - monarch
butterflies.  Monarchs overwinter in Mexico and then fly north early
in the new year.  They make it to the southern US, mate, lay eggs and
die.  The next few generations continue northward in this manner, and
the final offspring mature in late summer in New England.  Then they
migrate all the way back to Mexico, to a place they themselves have
never been, but know only through their great-great-great
grandparents.  It is an awesome and inspiring phenomenon.

"The time came for us to go on.  Just the two of us up there, dwarfed
by a great big crowd.  It was time to find our way back to the feeling
of connection we have known with fifteen or twenty people in the room.
  Two weary travelers who had come a long way, navigating by dead
reckoning on fragile wings."

   -- Mark Erelli Nov 2006 Newsletter, October 30,
      2006

November Newsletter

"ADDENDUM:  I've heard from several people that they felt like I left
them 'hanging' with the story in this month's newsletter.  It's
interesting, because to me the story is all about the process, the
commitment to being an independent artist in this world, it's about
working with what you have instead of always thirsting for more.  It's
not about 'getting back to Mexico,' if you will, rather it's about the
leap of faith and persistence that is required before one could even
think to undertake the journey.  The end result is almost meaningless,
because that keeps changing and you have no control over it anyway.
All that aside, the gig went really well.  We played, I think, with
the same integrity we would for 200 people, and I came offstage
feeling like I'd done my job well, which was to support my friend and
help bring her songs to life.  As for the audience size, 20,000 people
cheering sounds like, well, 20,000 people cheering.  It's fun, it's
loud, it's as good as it always is, just more surreal. A few of you
who asked what Tim and Faith are 'really like.'  We hung out with them
and chatted for a couple hours before our set and they were really
gracious hosts and seemed like nice people."

http://www.markerelli.com/index.php?page=home


DINOSAUR JR

The following is the straightforward headline of a Dinosaur Jr press
release that otherwise dipped down into unblushing puffery in a big,
big rush:

October 30, 2006

DINOSAUR JR. ANNOUNCES MINI U.S.
TOUR BEFORE THEY HEAD TO EUROPE FOR
ALL TOMORROW'S PARTIES.

J MASCIS, LOU BARLOW AND MURPH ARE IN THE STUDIO NOW
RECORDING THEIR FIRST ALBUM IN EIGHTEEN YEARS.

LOOK FOR THE ALBUM, AS WELL AS THEIR FIRST EVER DVD RELEASE, TO BOTH
HIT STREETS IN SPRING 2007.

  : :


ESSENTIAL RECORDING QUERY RESULTS

We may want to come back to this query at some later time to see how
folks would fill in whatever holes they see, but this version is final
for now.

It is worth saying explicitly, I guess, that these are reader
suggestions, since, for whatever reason, a few of the people who have
written us about prior drafts of our list did not seem to know.

Only one record got more than one vote - it got several - and it
happens to be the album that got me reeling: the eponymous debut album
by The Cars.  Several other recordings got two or more votes for what
might be called honorary mention.  But "The Cars" is in a category of
its own.

Here is our list of "Essential Recordings by Acts With Strong New
England Ties":

"Academy Fight Song" b/w "Max Ernst"
    vinyl single by Mission of Burma

"AM"  by The Marshalls
    [This song was released in two versions: as a
     vinyl single and as a track on the "Boston
     Incest Album" LP. The version with sound
     effects was the one suggested to us.]

"Ascending"  by Orpheus

"Bad Girls"  by Donna Summer

"Badlands"  by Bill Chinnock

"Barry and the Remains"  by The Remains

"Beatle Country"  by the Charles River
    Valley Boys

"Boston Gets Stoned"  compilation

"Bright Lit Blue Skies" b/w "Mister Wind"
    vinyl single by The Ramrods

"Can't Find the Time To Tell You"  by Orpheus

"The Cars"  by The Cars

"Charmed, I'm Sure"  by The Charms

"Churinga"  by Jon Butcher on "Wishes"

"Cold Sweat"  by The J.P. Horns
    on "BoTown Does Motown"

"Common at Noon" vinyl single
    by Miss Xanna Don't

"Compared to You"  by The Decentz
    on the "Get in Trouble" vinyl EP

"Dangerous Type"  by Letters to Cleo
    on "The Craft" soundtrack

"Doolittle"  by The Pixies

"Don't Tell Me the Truth"  by The Remains
    on "Movin' On"

"Dum Dum Ditty"  by The Downbeat 5 on the
    "Three Bullets for Alice Demo CD"

"Fixation"  by Robert Ellis Orrall

"Give It Up"  by Bonnie Raitt

"Good"  by Morphine

"Great American Eagle Tragedy"  by Earth Opera

"Greetings From Area Code 207"  compilation
    series

"Here at the Home"  by Tribe

"Homesick"  by The Maggies

"Hootie Mack"  by Bell Biv DeVoe

"I Got My Own"  by Dennis Brennan
    on "Rule No. 1"

"In the Still of the Nite (I'll Remember)"
    by The Five Satins

"The J. Geils Band"  by The J. Geils Band

"Joan Baez, Volume 1"  by Joan Baez

"Joyrides for Shut-Ins"  by The Cavedogs

"Little Bundle of Sugar"  by Darien Brahms

"Lonely Hearts" b/w "Can't Wait Forever"
    vinyl single by The Atlantics

"Lonely When You're Gone"  by Rachael Davis
    on the "Respond II" compilation

"Lost in Space"  by Aimee Mann

"Lost Souls"  by The Raindogs

"Love Under Pressure"  by Girls Night Out
    on the "Girls Night Out" vinyl EP

"Mass. Ave."  by Willie "Loco" Alexander

"Massachusetts"  by The Scud Mountain Boys

"Missyouville"  by The Ass Ponys on the
    Ray Mason tribute album, "It's Heartbreak
    That Sells"

"The Modern Lovers"  by The Modern Lovers

"More Songs About Buildings and Food"
    by The Talking Heads
    (See note at the end)

"New Edition Solo Hits"  by Bobby Brown,
    Bell Biv DeVoe, and Ralph Tresvant

"Nobody Gets on the Guest List"  compilation

"Of the Black and the Blue"  by Tree by Leaf

"On the Radio"  by Donna Summer
  (the album was intended, not just the single)

"Peek-A-Boo: Best of NRBQ (1969-1989)
    by NRBQ

"Permanent Vacation"  by Aerosmith

"Prettiest Girl" b/w "No Place Like Home"
    vinyl single by The Neighborhoods

"Process of Self-Development"  by Candiria

"The Red Back Book"  Scott Joplin rags
    performed by the New England Conservatory
    Ragtime Ensemble

"Ride Away From the World"  by The Stone Coyotes

"Ride On"  by Three Day Threshold
    on "Behind the Barn"

"Robin Lane and the Chartbusters"
    by Robin Lane and the Chartbusters

"Rough School Year"  by Christen and the Notes
    on "The Boston Incest Album  [Reissued on
    "Erik Lindgren Sells Out" CD - Ed.]

"Runnin' Scared, Runnin' Fast, Runnin' Mean"
    by Bill Chinnock on "Livin' in the Promised
    Land"

"Signature Sounds 10th Anniversary Celebration"
    DVD  compilation

"Stickball Kids"  by The Elevators
    on "Frontline"

"That Old Mill"  by John Lincoln Wright

"There Was a Time"  by Knots and Crosses

"This Is Boston Not L.A."  compilation

"Tiny Days"  by Scruffy the Cat

"Train"  by The James Montgomery Band
    on "The First Time Out"

"The Wanderer"  by Donna Summer

"The Wish Song"  by The Charms on "So Pretty"

NOTE REGARDING  "More Songs About Buildings and Food" by The Talking
Heads:  Talking Heads was a New York band which formed in New York and
became known on the strength of appearances at CBGB and other NYC
nightspots.  But the person, a friend of mine, who suggested this
title knows that two founding members of the original Talking Heads
trio were previously in the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) band,
The Artistics, and that the guy who made the band a quartet went to
Harvard and was a key (and keys) player in the super-important Boston
band, The Modern Lovers.  It is in this spirit that we accept this
suggestion, though in no way are we trying to take credit for that
which belongs unambiguously to New York City.

We have considered full-length albums, DVDs (we are 21st-century
folk), EPs, singles, and album tracks - the sort of thing where one
cut is so good and so totally worth having in your collection that it
would be worth the price of the whole album.  One person suggested a
CD-compilation set, so I guess we are considering those, too.  A
favorite cut for one reader is off a demo, though it is a demo which
was widely distributed.  One of these, "In the Still of the Night," is
old enough that it probably sold in significant numbers as a 78 RPM
record.


E-MAIL US via:
http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/naty.htm

Please do NOT click the Reply button.  Clicking Reply sends your
message to several different addresses but NOT to our main address.
It's Yahoo Groups' system, not ours.


.   .   .   .   .


If you have friends who would be interested in any of the items in
this issue, please forward this newsletter to them.  Thanks!


I MAKE ADDITIONS AND OTHER CHANGES to this newsletter, to varying
degrees, after sending the e-mail version.  For updates, you may want
to periodically check the Web-page version, which may be found by way
of the following address:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsnewz/news.htm

Clicking the Previous Issue link toward the bottoms of pages is one
way to access our BACK ISSUES.  There's also a navigation bar at or
near the bottoms of pages which, among other things, can get you to
our latest posted newsletter.


      As a rule, we do not post SHOW LISTINGS.  The reason is quite
simple.  Our readers are spread out all over the map.  Though our name
is the NEW ENGLAND Music Scrapbook, we have readers all across the
southern tier of states - with a large number in Florida and another
large number in the Atlanta area.  Even within the Northeast, we have
readers in each of the six New England states and many in New York and
New Jersey.  The great majority of show listings would be of no
interest at all to most 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.

      We also make a few exceptions for shows in the immediate Boston
area.  Our single biggest concentration of readers, as far as we know,
is in and around Boston.  We understand from e-mails we receive that
we are able to help turn out an audience to many entertainments in the
Boston area.  But even in the case of Boston shows, we make few
exceptions.  Maria's Weekly Band E-Mail is loaded with show listings,
and most of them have to do with events in Boston, Cambridge, and
Somerville.  We don't want to make a habit of duplicating her efforts.

      So, the general rule of thumb is that we don't post show
listings.  In the very few, truly exceptional instances where we do...


      ... 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.


      Exceptionally long addresses may need to be pasted into the
address field, which is probably toward the top of your browser
screen.  Some addresses are so extremely long that they may have to be
pasted in two or more pieces.


New England Music Scrapbook :

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/home.htm

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


Issue 2006:194

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

Copyright © 2006 by the New England Music Scrapbook.  All rights reserved.

   : : : : :

NEMS News #195 - November 10, 2006

New England Music Scrapbook News
Our Corner of the Rock 'n' Roll Life
November 10, 2006
Issue 2006:195

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


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.


.   .   .   .   .


WE JUST GOT A SLEW OF LAST-MINUTE E-MAILS - including a newsletter
from one of my current favorite groups, 35th Parallel - but there is
no way I can look through them.  I ran out of time some time ago.  One
e-mail, though, has to do with stolen band equipment, and I will
hastily paste that message just below.  Meanwhile, here are a few
hurried last minute items:

Have you caught a NYC band called THE DRAMAS?  If you have and you
would be willing to send your observations, it would be much
appreciated.  We don't need a lot of information.  It's just that,
right now, we are totally clueless.

Who is TOM JANOVITZ in relation to Bill Janovitz, Paul Janovitz, and
Scott Janovitz? (Talented family)  I have some sense that I ought to
know, but I'm just drawing a complete blank.

Here is the stolen band equipment message:

"man, do i not want to be doing this at the end of the night. i just
got home from a gig with my band club d'elf at the lizard lounge, and
i am without my baby, my '61 fender jazz bass.  someone walked off
with it, took it right off the stage under everyone's nose in the
confusion and relaxed hanging atmosphere of the post-gig. the thing
that smarts the most, other than this is like my favorite bass, one
that is like an old friend and that i've had for over 16 years and
used on countless sessions and gigs and is simply irreplaceable - no,
the thing that really gets me is that it was taken by someone who sat
there and watched us play - maybe the whole night, 3 hours worth -
watched us play a REALLY good gig, and then decided they could take
something so precious to one of the musicians who just entertained
them for the evening. it blows my mind. it's late and i need to get to
sleep, and in the morning i'll dig up more pictures, whatever, but in
the meantime i would appreciate it if you would keep your eyes out for
it. it's going to be hard to sell this bass in this area, as there are
so many distinguishing features, the most recognizable of which is a
deep, wear mark just over the pick guard. the bass has a sunburst
finish, and the serial number is #67657. please, if you have any info,
drop me a line at this address : microvard@..., or call
617-513-7976, and i'd appreciate it if you could forward this around.
no questions asked. i just want it back."

THEODORE DREISER one wrote a novel - was the name "Sister Carrie"? -
that involved a man who, quite by accident, robbed his own company's
safe.  No joke.  It's hard to picture; but alcohol was involved (as
you might imagine), and it makes sense when you're reading the book.
The man's life afterwards was totally ruined.  I mention this because
it is by no means out of the question that whoever has the stolen bass
does not want to have it and would be willing to return it, no
questions asked.  So please, don't be discouraged from passing on this
lost bass message.  The last time we posted one of these notes, the
guitarist in question got his instrument back.  It happens.  It could
happen again this time.  We are hoping it will.


The Boston Phoenix malfunctioned in a curious way, setting off a freak
accident that destroyed a draft of this newsletter.  It is possible I
totally replaced what was lost, but I honestly don't know.  What I was
definitely unable to replace was the time that was lost.  And now I am
out of time, though I never got a chance to look through Bob Gulla's
always worthwhile Providence Phoenix local-music column and link to it
from here.  Fans of Gulla and of the Providence popular music scene in
general would be well advised to visit The Phoenix site, click on the
"Providence" link on the left side of the home or music page, and
check out the Gulla column.


NEW READER QUERY

It is a long story; but a greatly postponed interview for an upcoming
print-press article has got me juggling my schedule like crazy, and I
am tremendously pushed for time until the moment if and when I learn
otherwise.  At the same time, I am working on one more article than
usual.  When it rains, it pours.  So I have no choice but to simply
run the following query as it appeared in last issue.  The main new
point is that, so far, we have received relatively few responses to
our new query (though oddly we received a few more responses to the
previous question).  I'm hoping more of our readers will answer the
following question sometime soon.

I had hoped that if people had more than one show to name they would
single out one, through emphasis, for our list.  To date, no one has
singled out a show, leaving me to guess which one to include.  If our
number of responses remains small, then I'll solve the problem simply
by listing all the suggestions each person makes.  Otherwise, I have
no idea what I'll do.

Anyway, I really do hope we get more participation.  Here is the query
copied from last issue:

GREAT SHOW BY AN ACT
WITH STRONG NEW ENGLAND TIES

If you would like to take part in this query, name a great show you
have attended by an act with strong New England ties.  If you want to
speak of other live listening experiences, too, it is fine with us.
But try hard to clearly single out one show as your answer to this
query, saying

    * the name of the act

    * the show's location

    * the approximate date

It is the act that we are looking to be strongly New
England-connected.  And we imagine most shows named will have taken
place in this region.  But if you heard The Charms in the Midwest on
that band's current tour, or you heard the J. Geils Band in Detroit in
the 1970s, and that show is the one you would want to name in response
to this query, it is fine by us.  I heard the Western Mass. band, Fat,
at a 1970 Canadian rock festival.  For the purposes of this query,
that example could be every bit as good as a recent homecoming concert
by Antje Duvekot at the Hooker-Dunham Theater in this town
(Brattleboro VT) or the Dogmatics reunion in Boston around the same time.

Notice that I used the word, "show," instead of concert.  Jeanne
French playing Janis Joplin in a theatrical piece in Singapore or the
Alloy Orchestra performing a live accompaniment for a silent film at
the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in western Mass. would be
just as fine as a sit-down concert at Club Passim in Cambridge or at
the Verizon Wireless Center (did I get the venue's name right?) in
Manchester, New Hampshire.

Shows could be long ago or recent, at the Tweeter Center or at a
beyond-imtimate hole-in-the-wall coffeehouse, by a famed or obscure
act, and so forth, and so on, &c., etc.  It could be the first show
you ever caught by a New England act or the latest.  It could be the
best-ever show or the first one that comes to mind.  It only matters
to us that you think the show was great and that it centered on an act
with strong New England ties.

Answers to our last query proved to be much more complex than I, for
one, anticipated.  So I scrapped my original plan for reporting the
results and simply listed the names of recordings and artists.

In the case of this new query, it is most likely, if it flies, that we
will simply list act, location, and date.  It is not totally out of
the question, though, that we might include narratives.  We won't
know, either way, until responses start coming in.  But we would only
include a narrative, if we include narratives at all, if it is quite
brief, as in two to three short sentences.

I have a number of personal examples in mind, each of which was great
in its own way.  And I have not quite yet decided which I will name in
response to this query.  But here is one I have mentioned before:

WHO:
Bill Chinnock Band, Katahdin, Rick Pinette Band

WHERE:
Bangor (ME) Auditorium

WHEN:
1980-ish

All three acts were in great form.  The audience was responsive to say
the least.  And that night, Bill Chinnock and band could do no wrong.

If you would like to name a show in response to this query, please
e-mail us by way of the following Web page:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/naty.htm


THE NATIONAL ELECTIONS

The great majority of my candidates won - nay, the OVERWHELMING
majority of my candidates won - in Tuesday's election, so I am happy.
  But I'd likely be fairly happy anyway.  It seems to me that the
American people ought to get the government it wants, and there is
nothing quite like a good-size turnout at the polls to make it happen.

Vermont's absentee voter provision has been altered in such a way
that, for all practical purposes, our election day is 30 days long.  I
like the social experience of going to the polls.  But I could see
scheduling problems coming up for this past Tuesday, so I voted on
Saturday.  A decent number of other Brattleborians did the same.

Then on the official election day, I went running on my favorite
course, which goes right by Brattleboro Union High School where our
regular voting takes place.  Trust me on this: local voters turned out
in strong numbers.  The crowd around our high school didn't look a
thing like the usual turnout for a mid-term election.

So voters were energized, get-out-the-vote campaigns worked, and the
American public spoke with a good deal less-divided voice even than I
had anticipated.

According to an Associated Press article the day after the election,
exit polling by the AP and by the television networks revealed that
60% of Americans think the country is headed in the wrong direction.
This comes quite close to matching major public opinion polls
conducted prior to the election.  There are many, many good reasons to
vote, and thinking that the country needs to be set on a different
course could be one of them.


Rock Opera in Boston
JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

Boston music news: November 10, 2006
Notes on the Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra, Scissormen and Dinosaur Jr
By: JIM SULLIVAN
11/6/2006 2:13:08 PM
in The Phoenix this week

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid26699.aspx

I needed to glance through this piece in a terrific rush, but it
appears to me that, in a very small amount of space, Jim Sullivan may
have presented a much-needed update on rock opera in Boston.  I hope
so anyway.


TREE BY LEAF

There is a light
Tree by Leaf see God (and have a few words with him)
By: SAM PFEIFLE
11/8/2006 4:32:55 PM
in this week's Portland Phoenix

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid27036.aspx

TREE BY LEAF's  "Of the Black and Blue" is one of the most intriguing
albums released by a New England band in recent years.  It made our
reader-suggested "essential recording" list, and well it should have.

Tree by Leaf has a new album, and I understand a copy is speeding our
way.  But I haven't heard it yet and can't comment.  However, I first
heard about the band from the great Sam Pfeifle of the Portland
Phoenix, and I suspect this column by him will prove to be one of the
most important local-music notices of the week.


CROOKED STILL

Folkies Still shaking things up
By Daniel Gewertz
Sunday, November 5, 2006 - Updated: 11:35 AM EST
in Sunday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=165823

My own interview with one or more members of

    CROOKED STILL

has been pushed way back because of a scheduling problem on the band's
end, causing this issue to come out on a different schedule from the
usual.  It couldn't be helped.  Meanwhile, Crooked Still has received
significant coverage in the Boston dailies.  Here is a link to the
Boston Globe notice:


Live Music Review
Crooked Still plays with flair
By Jonathan Perry, Globe Correspondent  |  November 6, 2006
in Monday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2006/11/06/crooked_still_plays_\
with_flair/


= = = = =


BRIEF ITEMS :


THE SILVER LINING:
Still Guided by Voices
After All of These Years

"Saturday night (11/11) we

    [members of THE SILVER LINING]

are thrilled to be a part of the Salty Salute to Guided by Voices at
PA's Lounge in Somerville, Massachusetts...."

   -- Silver Lining, "Saturday: Guided by Voices
      Tribute," November 8, 2006

Sounds like a lot of fun.


"The release of the new

    [FERN KNIGHT]

CD is upon us - 'Music for Witches and Alchemists' (VHF Records) is
available here:

http://www.midheaven.com/artists/fern.knight.html

  . . .  and of course at the CD Release Party at Johnny Brenda's
Upstairs on Saturday, November 11!"

   -- Fern Knight, "CD Release Party 11/11
      at Johnny Brenda's," November 6, 2006

We have run Fern Knight items, here and there, for years, and Margie
seems to be really nice.  So it seems strange to say it, but I have
never actually heard this band.  I have only heard great things ABOUT
Fern Knight.  It's a start.


JOE PERRY
of Aerosmith

"Names" column
Donovan plays the nice guy
By Carol Begley & Mark Shanahan, Globe Staff  |  November 8, 2006
in Wednesday's Boston Globe

"Camera can't rock Joe Perry" item

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2006/11/08/donovan_plays_the_ni\
ce_guy/

When one has followed a band for a long, long time, one's memory of
the group's history can become rather compressed: things seeming like
they happen much closer together than they really do.  But I'm
recalling a rather serious-sounding knee injury Joe Perry had (I'm
pretty sure) as if it was none too long ago.  We'd better go easy on
him for a while


BLEU AND ELO

ELO hello
By Bill Brotherton
Thursday, November 9, 2006
in Thursday's Boston Herald

L.E.O.
"Alpacas Orgling"
Cheap Lullaby | Critic: B+

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/discReviews/view.bg?articleid=166403

"This is terrifically entertaining stuff" does not seem a match for
this album's B+ rating in the Herald.  These things can be very hard
to figure.


LAURA SIERSEMA

"I have begun recording my next project with  a new producer/sound
engineer, Jay Hovnanian, and a wealth of other musicians to come.
This material has been in the works since last fall - it is
tremendously exciting and I can't wait for you to hear it!"

   -- Laura Siersema Mailing, November 7, 2006


O'BRIEN'S

Hotline: O'Brien's of Allston gets a face-lift
Tuesday, November 7, 2006
in Tuesday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=166036


ERIN McKEOWN
"Sing You Sinners"

"Sing You Sinners," the latest album by

    ERIN McKEOWN,

is set for North American release on January 9, 2007.

   -- "Erin McKeown's November News," November 8,
       2006


LOT SIX

According to Jonathan Perry's "Rock Notes" column in Friday's Boston
Globe, the

    LOT SIX

show at the Middle Earth downstairs this coming Thursday is its last
(the band's, not the Middle Earth's).

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2006/11/10/matt_mays__el_torped\
o_represent_canadas_rootsy_side/?page=full

Lot Six will then be deep sixed.

It was not at all long ago that the future looked really bright for
Lot Six, but this is the world of rock bands.


AND THE WINNER IS...

According to the Boston Globe on Friday morning, Boston.com's most
e-mailed news story was:

    Naked man arrested for concealed weapon


end BRIEF ITEMS


= = = = =


PETER MULVEY

Peter Mulvey Masters
a Tantalizing New Pitch
Brattleboro Reformer
Thursday, November 9

By Dave Madeloni

The latest column by Dave Madeloni in the Arts and Entertainment
section of Thursday's issue of our local newspaper, the Brattleboro
Reformer, is about singer-songwriter-ex-Bostonian

    PETER MULVEY

and his latest album, "Knuckleball Suite."  Among much else, the
column gives a little hint as to the album-title's meaning.

This week's column, complete with a reference to Jason Varitek of the
Boston Red Sox, would make great reading for any of you who can get
hold of Thursday's Brattleboro Reformer.


ELLIS PAUL
ROY BOOK BINDER
(Plus a nice passage about
ANTJE DUVEKOT)

Old Pros Are the Next Best Thing
By Alan Lewis

Vermont Guardian
November 10, 2006
Culture Section, Page 18

http://www.vermontguardian.com/culture/112006/OldPros.shtml

Well as of the 11th-hour-plus in the compiling of this issue of our
newsletter, my

    ROY BOOK BINDER / ELLIS PAUL

notice still is not posted.  The link above is the address the paper
claims my article will be at when it is finally posted which, with any
luck, will be before you read this NEMS newsletter issue.

Several of our subscribers helped with the section about

    ROY BOOK BINDER

whether they know it or not.  If you are an old fan, you are going to
want to read his interview at the PBS/EGG Web site.

ELLIS PAUL  was in quite a reminiscent mood: not surprising, I
suppose, when one considers that his new release is a career
retrospective.  To my way of thinking, this is one of the more
important passages:

"Paul's latest release, 'Essentials,' is a sprawling, must-have 2-CD
career retrospective presenting, with rare integrity, a wide range of
music styles: from quiet coffeehouse fare and piano ballads to
folk-rockers and pop."

Against the possibility the link I have posted above may not work yet
by the time you read this, here is the address of the paper's home page.

http://www.vermontguardian.com/

My article ought to link properly from there.  And as usual, here is
the direct Web address for the page that shows where the Vermont
Guardian is sold for the benefit of those who will be in Vermont or
the Hanover, New Hampshire area between now and Friday:

http://www.vermontguardian.com/paper-locator.shtml


DOMINIQUE EADE

Next steps
Dominique Eade returns to disc with a new partner
By: JON GARELICK
11/7/2006 12:29:51 PM
in The Phoenix this week

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid26730.aspx

Not only is

    DOMINIQUE EADE

featured in one of the more worthwhile local-music notices this week,
but also her husband made our "essential recordings" list.  Is anyone
out there enough of a Boston local music fanatic to pick out his
recording from our list?

Dominique Eade is an uncommonly fine jazz singer (with other styles
mixed in), and it is great to see The Phoenix giving her decent space.


A mob hit: Dropkick Murphys song gets starring role in `The Departed'
By Jed Gottlieb
Tuesday, November 7, 2006 - Updated: 11:42 AM EST
in Tuesday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=166037

This article may not exactly seem like new business, but it is a good
deal more extensive than anything I remember seeing on this topic to date.


POST MERIDIAN RECORDS

The little label that could
Friends build Post Meridian Records by putting music, artists, and
optimism first
By Caitlin E. Curran, Globe Correspondent  |  November 10, 2006
in Friday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2006/11/10/the_little_label_tha\
t_could/?page=full


(It's Gonna Be a)
LOVE DOGS NEW YEAR

THE LOVE DOGS,  who seem able to plan pretty far in advance, sent us
this announcement:

and it's official:
Sun 12/31 LOVE DOGS' NEW YEAR'S EVE EXTRAVAGANZA!!
"The Back Bay Gala" @ The Colonnade Hotel - Boston, MA
info: 781 444-7771
http://www.backbaygala.com

Since band members have never been known to bark up the wrong tree, we
assume this Love Dogs show listing may be accurate in all its de-tails.


JOSH RITTER

(Long item, but there doesn't seem to be any halfway:
  either we post it or we don't, so we post it.)

Independent Records and Your Mom Films present:

IN THE DARK: LIVE AT VICAR STREET
Full Length Live Album & Concert DVD

An *exclusive* Irish-only release, it is available NOV. 24th in shops
across Ireland and via super quick mail-order for everyone else at
www.roadrecs.com.

And now you can SEE and HEAR streaming video and audio clips from the
new release, online!

THE STORY:

Recorded over two sold-out nights at the Vicar Street theater earlier
this year, IN THE DARK is Josh's first full-length live album and
accompanying DVD. The set features nearly 20 songs from the shows,
from the crowd sing-alongs "Kathleen" and "Me and Jiggs" to the
snowflake-intimacy of "One More Mouth" and (the rather epic) "Thin
Blue Flame."

Directed by Dennis Fitzgerald, the film is just that: a film, not just
a live document. It features several performances from the shows, as
well as interview footage and a selection of backstage and soundcheck
performances (including several songs *not* included on the live CD.)

The CD+DVD set features deluxe gatefold packaging and exclusive photos
by Dave Hingerty. This is one we feel you'll want to own, not just
burn to the iPod.

LIVE CD (70+ minutes if you include the stories...)

Idaho
Good Man
Me & Jiggs
Harrisburg
Wings
One More Mouth
Lillian, Egypt
Kathleen
Best for the Best
Girl In The War
Thin Blue Flame
Snow Is Gone
Leaving

LIVE DVD:

Intro
Kathleen
Wolves
(interview)
Girl In the War
Best for the Best
Monster Ballads
(Gear setup)
Here at the Right Time
(interview)
Harrisburg
One More Mouth
Idaho
In the Dark
(interview)
Harbor Lights
Lillian, Egypt
Thin Blue Flame
Snow Is Gone
Parting Glass
(interview)
Bone of Song

HOW TO BUY:

If you live in Ireland, go to your local shop on 24th November!

If you live outside Ireland, go to the Road Records website:
www.roadrecs.com

They will ship fast and furiously!

   -- Josh Ritter News, "New Live Album and
      Concert DVD," November 8, 2006


... But Not Forgotten
THE STRING CHEESE INCIDENT
Sets the Stage for Future Reunion Shows

AFTER 13 YEARS TOGETHER,
THE STRING CHEESE INCIDENT ANNOUNCES AN END.

The String Cheese Incident posted an announcement on their website on
Friday,
November 3, 2006.  The post reads:

      After summer 2007, Billy Nershi is leaving The String Cheese
Incident to pursue other musical projects.  There will be only a
limited number of Incidents between now and then.  Current plans
include Thanksgiving in Atlanta, a New Years Eve blowout in San
Francisco, Winter Carnival in Colorado, and a return to Red Rocks.
Presently, there are no plans for The String Cheese Incident beyond
summer of 2007.

      The band would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our
friends and fans for all your support.

The band, and their management, are not saying anything more right
now.  Stay tuned to www.stringcheeseincident.com as more details are
released.

   -- November 6, 2006 String Cheese Incident
      Press Release


BOB DYLAN

Forever fascinating: Our never-ending curiosity about Bob Dylan
By Larry Katz
Boston Herald Music Critic
Friday, November 10, 2006 - Updated: 08:03 AM EST
in Friday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=166616


The '60s revisited
By Larry Katz
Boston Herald Music Critic
Friday, November 10, 2006 - Updated: 12:07 AM EST
in Friday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=166617


Gray's Atrocity
By Al Kooper
Friday, November 10, 2006 - Updated: 08:05 AM EST
in Friday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=166618


REST IN PEACE :

Things have been hit or miss around here most of the year, and I
believe in our mad rush to get things done we may have missed
acknowledging the loss of one of New England's sports greats,

    RED AUERBACH.

The Boston Celtics was hardly a legendary sports franchise when
Auerbach arrived in Boston (about 1949?), and I'm not aware of the
team's turnaround getting off to any too fast a start.  Auerbach was
not enthusiastic about drafting a "local yokel," Bob Cousy.  And I
have forgotten the details, but the Celtics and Auerbach picked up
Cousy pretty nearly by accident.  In the early days, Auerbach did not
speak particularly well of Cousy as a player - at least there were a
lot of moments when he didn't.  But one day he announced, "I'm not
going to criticize my star anymore."  We ought to find out the date
and write it down, because it was one of the most important events in
Celtics history.

Bill Russell had an off game the night Auerbach scouted him.  But Red
had heard a lot of great things, and he saw much that he liked.  The
phrase, "and the rest is history," was created for just such moments.

Red Auerbach was a big part of my boyhood, and I am certainly going to
miss him.

For some reason, the ex-Bostonians I worked with in the 1970s and
1980s all seemed to be Boston Braves fans.  They all would have been
little kids when the Braves moved out of town, so there was probably
an element of nostalgia for their early days involved.  Nonetheless,
it was the Braves they remembered liking, not the Red Sox - which was
really the more popular team around Boston.  So anyway, though the
chant was already 30 years old, in the '70s and '80s I recall many
times hearing "Spahn and Sain and pray for rain!"  And it is with a
sad heart that we pass along news of the death of Boston Braves
pitching great

    JOHNNY SAIN.

Johnny Sain, 89, star pitcher in rhyme about '48 Braves
By Marvin Pave, Globe Correspondent  |  November 9, 2006
in Thursday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2006/11/09/johnny_sain_89_s\
tar_pitcher_in_rhyme_about_48_braves/

May Red Auerbach and Johnny Sain rest in peace.


E-MAIL US via:
http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/naty.htm

Please do NOT click the Reply button.  Clicking Reply sends your
message to several different addresses but NOT to our main address.
It's Yahoo Groups' system, not ours.


.   .   .   .   .


If you have friends who would be interested in any of the items in
this issue, please forward this newsletter to them.  Thanks!


I MAKE ADDITIONS AND OTHER CHANGES to this newsletter, to varying
degrees, after sending the e-mail version.  For updates, you may want
to periodically check the Web-page version, which may be found by way
of the following address:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsnewz/news.htm

Clicking the Previous Issue link toward the bottoms of pages is one
way to access our BACK ISSUES.  There's also a navigation bar at or
near the bottoms of pages which, among other things, can get you to
our latest posted newsletter.


      As a rule, we do not post SHOW LISTINGS.  The reason is quite
simple.  Our readers are spread out all over the map.  Though our name
is the NEW ENGLAND Music Scrapbook, we have readers all across the
southern tier of states - with a large number in Florida and another
large number in the Atlanta area.  Even within the Northeast, we have
readers in each of the six New England states and many in New York and
New Jersey.  The great majority of show listings would be of no
interest at all to most 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.

      We also make a few exceptions for shows in the immediate Boston
area.  Our single biggest concentration of readers, as far as we know,
is in and around Boston.  We understand from e-mails we receive that
we are able to help turn out an audience to many entertainments in the
Boston area.  But even in the case of Boston shows, we make few
exceptions.  Maria's Weekly Band E-Mail is loaded with show listings,
and most of them have to do with events in Boston, Cambridge, and
Somerville.  We don't want to make a habit of duplicating her efforts.

      So, the general rule of thumb is that we don't post show
listings.  In the very few, truly exceptional instances where we do...


      ... 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.


      Exceptionally long addresses may need to be pasted into the
address field, which is probably toward the top of your browser
screen.  Some addresses are so extremely long that they may have to be
pasted in two or more pieces.


New England Music Scrapbook :

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/home.htm

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


Issue 2006:195

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

Copyright © 2006 by the New England Music Scrapbook.  All rights reserved.

   : : : : :

STOLEN BASS:  "I once was lost but now I'm found!"

Hi.

We received a message, kindly forwarded by singer/songwriter/good-guy
David Johnston, that

    MIKE RIVARD'S STOLEN BASS

has been returned.  The message says:

"We got an anonymous call to Mike's cell last night from this woman
saying that her very drunk, very troubled brother from out-of-town was
very, very sorry.  She dropped it anonymously in the doorway to the
Cambridge Common and called management so they could take it inside.
Didn't even ask for the reward money.

"Since she knew to call his cell, which we posted everywhere, it
really was the fast publicity and help of the community to spread the
word that made all the difference.  We're extremely grateful for the
support of all the music world and friends and grateful that the
people who took it had the courage to do the right thing.

"Happy endings all around!

"vw"

(I have seen those initials somewhere...)

We are definitely in a position to help these days in cases such as
this.  Whether copying the lost-bass notice in our newsletter actually
DID help, I don't know.  But we would not have been in even a position
to try if we didn't know in the first place that Mike Rivard's bass
had been stolen.  So ... special thanks to

    DAVID JOHNSTON

for letting us know so we could pass along the word.


I checked our e-mail and found no hot new news to include in this
special mailing.  But here are a couple

    BOD DYLAN

items from today's Boston dailies:


MUSIC REVIEW
Dylan's show is all about variety
By Sarah Rodman, Globe Staff  |  November 13, 2006

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2006/11/13/dylans_show_is_all_a\
bout_variety/


Legend displays another side of Bob Dylan
By Jed Gottlieb/ Music Review
Monday, November 13, 2006 - Updated: 09:30 AM EST

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=167003


And here are a couple obituaries that, though sad, may interest many
of our readers:


Joe Jagger, father of rock star
By Associated Press  |  November 12, 2006

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2006/11/12/joe_jagger_fathe\
r_of_rock_star/


Basil Poledouris, at 61; acclaimed film composer
By Valerie J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times  |  November 12, 2006

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2006/11/12/basil_poledouris\
_at_61_acclaimed_film_composer/

NEMS News #196 - November 18, 2006

New England Music Scrapbook News
Our Corner of the Rock 'n' Roll Life
November 18, 2006
Issue 2006:196

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


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.


.   .   .   .   .


RUTH BROWN

Ruth Brown, rhythm-and-blues star; at 78
By Daisy Nguyen, Associated Press  |  November 18, 2006
in Saturday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2006/11/18/ruth_brown_rhyth\
m_and_blues_star_at_78/

One of the greatest figures in rock 'n' roll history has just died.

    RUTH BROWN

was 78.

The first steps toward rock 'n' roll took place in the late 1930s, but
not a lot of momentum built up before World War II stepped in the way.
  By war's end, early rock or proto-rock records, including some really
good ones, were starting to make up for lost time.  R&B was built on a
foundation of tiny, independent record labels.  Ruth Brown signed with
one of them, Atlantic Records; and the success of her early hits
turned Atlantic into a major force in the recording industry.
Atlantic was nicknamed "The House That Ruth Built" for just this
reason, and the implied comparison to Babe Ruth ought to give some
idea of Ruth Brown's importance to the music we all love.

The most touching show business story I ever heard is one Ruth Brown
told to Charlie Rose.  The hits had stopped coming and Brown was out
of the music industry.  She was supporting herself, working as a
domestic.  When the comic,

    REDD FOXX,

had a show nearby, she told some girlfriends that she knew him.  She
probably at once regretted it, because they started pressuring her to
go backstage for a little reunion with him.  Evidently they had to
lean on her pretty hard, but ultimately she did it.

Foxx was delighted to see Brown.  And once the two were caught up with
one another, Foxx was determined to get her back into the
entertainment field.  And when I say determined, I mean

    DETERMINED!

Brown resisted him at every step with "I'm fine," "I couldn't" or
whatever she could think of to say to put him off.  It was no use.
When he couldn't call her on the phone because she didn't have one,
Foxx called a neighbor who carried her a message.  When Brown said she
couldn't afford the trip to California, Foxx sent tickets and told her
to be on the plane.  And these are just a couple examples: he did
anything and everything he could for her.  What followed was one of
the most amazing comebacks in show business history, and it was all
because Redd Foxx wanted to help an old friend and he wouldn't take
"No" for an answer.

An early 2-CD Ruth Brown retrospective shows that, through the 1950s,
she did not lose her ability to make great records, even if later on
they may have been spaced a little farther apart.  Rather, the sort of
half-swing, half-rock at which she excelled went out of style in favor
of guitar rock.  It is fantastic that Brown came back into fashion
decades later, and evidently Redd Foxx saw better than anyone that she
could and that she would.

If I could pick artists for a rock 'n' roll hall of fame, Ruth Brown
would be a first-round inductee.  Period.

May she rest in peace.


GREAT NEWS, WASN'T IT,  about that commandeered bass being returned!


THE BAD NEWS  is that I had far less time this morning to work on this
newsletter.  The good news is that it may not matter a whole lot:
there simply was not a great deal of local music news this week - or
if there was, it didn't find its way here.  So the length of this
issue should in no way keep you from the noble work of grocery
shopping in preparation for Thanksgiving dinner.


Time is tight enough that this issue is going to have to go out
unedited.  Pass at your own risk...


READER QUERIES - Our "Essential Recording" question drew more
responses than any other reader query in our history.  Our great live
show question, on the other hand, brought in only a handful of
suggestions our first week and none at all this past week.  I'm not
positive what to make of it, but here are a few thoughts.  The person
who sent the most extensive responses observed that great shows are so
numerous it can be hard to choose.  I know the feeling: I still
haven't made my own choice.

We are about to go into what is by far our slowest time of year - the
Thanksgiving to New Years period, with things picking up slowly at
first in January.  It is looking as though by the start of this week
we were already seeing some of this seasonal slowdown.  So it could be
that our timing was not as good as I first thought in issuing our live
show question.  Anyway, we may want to try this one again next year.
But we have another query that we are reasonably confident will be
successful, and we will almost certainly run that question early this
next year.


HAPPY THANKSGIVING!


BOSTON ROCK HISTORY
By The Great Brett Milano
(The Historic Brett Milano?)

Motley crews
A short history of Boston rock
By: BRETT MILANO
11/15/2006 6:54:51 PM
in The Phoenix this week

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid27234.aspx

Simply put, a very large number of our readers are going to want to
look through this history of Boston rock by Brett Milano first thing.


PINE TREE STATE BLUES
By The Great Sam Pfeifle

Both sides of the blues
Meantone and Samuel James tackle America's original musical form
By: SAM PFEIFLE
11/15/2006 2:59:09 PM
in the Portland Phoenix this week

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid27659.aspx

I'm struggling a bit, time-wise, and haven't been able to read this
piece ... yet.  My loss.  This Sam Pfeifle column ought to be fantastic.


NIGHT AT THE ROCK OPERA
Links to Two Important Notices

Fun is tenor of "Night at the Rock Opera"
By Brett Milano
Saturday, November 11, 2006
in Saturday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=166708


"Rock Notes" column
Resurrected
Giving new life to 'Jesus Christ Superstar' tunes, rock opera fans
turn a setback into a blessing

By Jonathan Perry, Globe Correspondent  |  November 17, 2006
in Friday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2006/11/17/resurrected/


BLEU - L.E.O.

Hoping to shine a little love on '70s pop-rock band ELO
By Joan Anderman, Globe Staff  |  November 11, 2006
in Saturday Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2006/11/11/hoping_to_shine_a_li\
ttle_love_on_70s_pop_rock_band_elo/


= = = = =


BRIEF ITEMS :


JOHNNY CARLEVALE
AND HIS BAND OF ALL-STARS

"OK!  We are about to finish the 2006 year and we're going out with a
bang!  The 4th Annual Christmas Rock N' Roll Odyssey is right around
the corner and on that date will be the release of Johnny Carlevale &
His Band of All-Stars' 2nd release called 'That Ain't No Way To Spend
a Friday Night'!  This follow up to the band's 2005 release displays
the sound that the band has shaped for the past year.  If anything
this record is a peice of work showing the bands many influences of
jump, swing, rhythm & blues, Texas shuffles, and acoustic country
blues!   DO NOT MISS THAT DATE!"

   -- Johnny Carlevale Mailing, November 11, 2006


THE GREAT BANDINI

Here is Scott Janovitz's short history of

    THE GREAT BANDINI,

covering all the time since you last heard from that outfit up to last
night's appearance at Bill's in Boston:

"holy jeezly crow, the great bandini is back from whereverthehell we
were, sitting around, not doing shows, rigging elections, romancing
women, rescuing orphans from fires ... those dark times are over, my
friend, weep no more."

   -- Scott Janovitz, "The Wonderful World of
      Bandini," November 14, 2006

And thus, in a few brief, reflective moments at his writing desk,
Janovitz cleared up all the major points.


THE DRAMAS

Back in the 1980s and into the 1990s, Boston had a goodly number of
rock bands that got signed to major labels.  Not all of these outfits
actually released major-label recordings, but just getting signed can
be impressive.  The groups I have in mind did not especially sound
alike.  But they did have a few things in common.  They tended to
create solid melodies with real commercial radio potential, but their
songs were moodier, darker than, say, the mainstream radio fare of the
1960s.  A number of these bands made some terrific music, even if they
did not necessarily reach a big, national audience.  If you liked the
sort of music I am trying to describe, you would want to give a New
York City band,

    THE DRAMAS,

a listen.  A member of The Dramas sent a publicity copy of the group's
five-song EP, in anticipation of a show at Nectar's Restaurant in
Burlington, Vermont.  And I took an immediate liking to the disc, its
main problem only being that it is an EP as opposed to a full-length
work.  To anyone who likes much of the same music I do, I would
suggest checking out The Dramas' EP, "The Actual Truth."  I love it.
Chances are decent you will, too.


KRIS DELMHORST
National Public Radio Interview

[Referring to a Thursday night broadcast:] "Last night's edition of
NPR's All Things Considered featured a nice long interview with KD
about Strange Conversation.  If you missed hearing it live, you can
listen to the piece online at www.npr.org (click on the link for All
Things Considered)."

   -- KrisGigs, "KD on NPR," November 17, 2006


THE GLASS SET

"The Glass Set has been diligently working to wrap up their second
full length, as yet untitled CD.  The 11 songs were recorded September
and October '06 with Richard Marr (whose credits include Sebadoh, Mary
Timony, and The Sterns) at Galaxy Park Studios."

   -- The Glass Set, "New CD Update," November 14,
      2006


JOSH BROOKS

We have learned that Vermont singer-songwriter

    JOSH BROOKS

has been easing his way back into the world of live performances.  I
don't have a lot of first-hand experience with his music, though the
one CD I heard is quite good.  The way I remember it, his most
intriguing pieces may have been those that sprang from a blues base.
But what I can say with greater authority is that he has been very
much praised in the Vermont press.  Every notice I have seen has been
highly favorable.  It also seems to me that Charlie Hunter of Flying
Under Radar has been a Brooks booster.  So this should be good news
for New England music fans.


THE CHARMS
Two Items From the Band's
Latest Mailing

"The Charms' new DVD 'Easy Trouble' is now available on cdbaby.com and
by mail order.  It's loaded with live footage, interviews, and music
videos."

"'Strange Magic,' the new CD from The Charms, produced by Jim Diamond,
will be released on Jan 9!  Listen for the first single 'So Romantic'
on the radio!"

   -- The Charms Mailing, November 14, 2006


THE UNBAND AND
STEVE SANDERSON,
A Known Drunk Stuntman

"Stuntman Steve tour managed for the band The Unband in '99/'00.  A
documentary about said band by Lexie Shabel made its debut at Stoddard
Hall in Northampton Saturday the 11th.  I've heard that Stuntman Steve
and Soft Rock Scott both appear in the movie, but you'll have to see
it yourself to know for sure.  We will post more info as soon as we
get it (as usual communication in The Unband camp seems to have a
cramp in it)."

   -- Drunk Stuntmen, "Down South, Up North and
      Overseas," November 12, 2006


WHITNEY HOUSTON AND BOBBY BROWN

"Names" column
Belichick may be suiting up
By Carol Beggy & Mark Shanahan  |  November 17, 2006
in Friday's Boston Globe
"Ms. Houston, we have a problem" item

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2006/11/17/belichick_may_be_sui\
ting_up/

Who knows why, but I have an unshakeable sense that these two were
meant for one another.  Call me crazy, but I'm not convinced their
relationship is over.


end BRIEF ITEMS


= = = = =


Crooked Still:
Shaken by Low Sounds
By Alan Lewis

Vermont Guardian
November 17, 2006
Culture Section, Page 18

Crooked Still is easily one of my favorite current bands, and it was
my pleasure to write up the quartet both for the current issue of the
Vermont Guardian (hardcopy only) and for the December issue of a local
(Brattleboro, Vermont) newspaper, The Commons.

We all see things differently, of course; but here is one of my
favorite passages in the Vermont Guardian piece:

      "Bassist Corey DiMario often plays in dance bands.  He moves
Crooked Still's melodies along on musical strutting legs and shuffling
feet, while Eggleston displays classical gifts and rumbling riffs.
Floating above these low, shaking sounds are the tangling, twin tones
of Greg Liszt's intricate, melodic banjo pickings and O'Donovan's
creamy, knowing voice.  All this may be heard with delightful
tunefulness and clarity on Crooked Still's new disc."

For this piece, I interviewed Crooked Still vocalist, Aoife O'Donovan.
  She is one of the best.

For those of you who may be in Vermont or the Hanover, New Hampshire
area between now and Friday, here is the direct Web address for the
page which tells where copies of the paper are sold:

http://www.vermontguardian.com/paper-locator.shtml

The Commons piece I ended in such a flurry that I'm probably the worst
person to judge how it came out.  But I loved pulling it together.  I
saved Crooked Still for last, thinking it would be a way to make the
article end strong.  The various acts covered, in addition to

    CROOKED STILL,

are

    ANTJE DUVEKOT

    ELLIS PAUL

and

    THE WEISSTRONAUTS.

The general theme is great recent record releases by acts with
Brattleboro ties.  I kinda sneaked in Ellis Paul, in honor of him
serving as a mentor for ex-Brattleborian Duvekot.  Crooked Still's
bassist has moved here, and Pete Weiss, after whom The Weisstronauts
got the first part of the band's name, is the proprietor of Verdant
Studio nearby.  Each of these acts has an outstanding recent release.
  So does the Greenfield, Mass. (only 20 miles away) band,

    THE STONE COYOTES,

but I badly ran out of space and just by chance I hadn't re-played
their record.  It is unfortunate that I didn't fit their album in, but
it was not for lack of interest.


RICHARD McCAFFREY
By The Great Bob Gulla

All access pass
Richard McCaffrey's "Troubadours, Rockers & Punks"
By: BOB GULLA
11/15/2006 6:49:00 PM

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid27550.aspx

For some reason, after starting in on this Providence Phoenix column,
I got sidetracked and never got back to reading it.  Who knows why...
  But I have been reading and enjoying Bob Gulla since long before
there was a Providence Phoenix, so I'm expecting this will turn out to
be a great column.


THANKS, JIM!


E-MAIL US via:
http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/naty.htm

Please do NOT click the Reply button.  Clicking Reply sends your
message to several different addresses but NOT to our main address.
It's Yahoo Groups' system, not ours.


.   .   .   .   .


If you have friends who would be interested in any of the items in
this issue, please forward this newsletter to them.  Thanks!


I MAKE ADDITIONS AND OTHER CHANGES to this newsletter, to varying
degrees, after sending the e-mail version.  For updates, you may want
to periodically check the Web-page version, which may be found by way
of the following address:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsnewz/news.htm

Clicking the Previous Issue link toward the bottoms of pages is one
way to access our BACK ISSUES.  There's also a navigation bar at or
near the bottoms of pages which, among other things, can get you to
our latest posted newsletter.


      As a rule, we do not post SHOW LISTINGS.  The reason is quite
simple.  Our readers are spread out all over the map.  Though our name
is the NEW ENGLAND Music Scrapbook, we have readers all across the
southern tier of states - with a large number in Florida and another
large number in the Atlanta area.  Even within the Northeast, we have
readers in each of the six New England states and many in New York and
New Jersey.  The great majority of show listings would be of no
interest at all to most 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.

      We also make a few exceptions for shows in the immediate Boston
area.  Our single biggest concentration of readers, as far as we know,
is in and around Boston.  We understand from e-mails we receive that
we are able to help turn out an audience to many entertainments in the
Boston area.  But even in the case of Boston shows, we make few
exceptions.  Maria's Weekly Band E-Mail is loaded with show listings,
and most of them have to do with events in Boston, Cambridge, and
Somerville.  We don't want to make a habit of duplicating her efforts.

      So, the general rule of thumb is that we don't post show
listings.  In the very few, truly exceptional instances where we do...


      ... 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.


      Exceptionally long addresses may need to be pasted into the
address field, which is probably toward the top of your browser
screen.  Some addresses are so extremely long that they may have to be
pasted in two or more pieces.


New England Music Scrapbook :

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/home.htm

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


Issue 2006:196

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

Copyright © 2006 by the New England Music Scrapbook.  All rights reserved.

   : : : : :

NEMS News #197 - November 25, 2006

New England Music Scrapbook News
Our Corner of the Rock 'n' Roll Life
November 25, 2006
Issue 2006:197

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


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.


.   .   .   .   .


THE HOLIDAY SEASON  is officially upon us, and it is slow going in the
land of local music news.

The only place I go at all regularly that carries the Greenfield
(Mass.) Recorder is Brattleboro's town library, and getting my hands
on Sheryl Hunter's "Sounds Local" column in time to make reference to
it in this newsletter has been persistently difficult.  I expect to
get my first look at this week's column right AFTER I mail this issue.
  Too bad.  Since Sheryl's column seldom strays from the subject of
local music, hence its name, and since she is allowed a lot of space
in The Recorder, she is one of the most prolific local music writers
in New England.  She's really good, too.

So anyway, because of the relatively small amount of local music news
we, ourselves, have seen this week, this issue of our newsletter ought
to make for relatively quick reading.

Unfortunately death does not go south for the winter nor take off
during the holidays, and we have several obituaries of musicians among
the links from this issue.

We also have a couple queries.  For instance, do you have contact
information for

    BONNIE KOLETA?

The person who asked, whose name would be known to many a wonderful
'80s Bostonian and ex-Bostonian, specifically is hoping for an e-mail
address, but I imagine she would take what she can get.


TO THOSE WHO ARE SENDING  newsletters, press releases, and other
"mass" mailings to a wrong address,

    YOU ARE USING THE WRONG ADDRESS.

The one and only e-mail address to use for sending us material for
this newsletter, or for contacting me in connection with my newspaper
writings, is

    fredremainslost@...


I haven't been thinking ahead, as I should, to my

    VERMONT WINTER-SEASON MUSIC PREVIEW.

So I am getting started late.  Put another way, if you are a Vermont
music act with big doings this winter, it would be ideal if you could
get in touch with me about it in a jiffy.  If you are an act from
anywhere else with big doings in Vermont this winter, the sooner I
hear from you, the better.

Write me by way of

    fredremainslost@...

I am looking forward to hearing from you sooner rather than later.
Since it is my fault, though, that this query is running late, I'll
allow two jiffies.  It's the least I can do.


WHEAT

"Rock Notes" column
Wheat duo got exactly what they wanted -- time away
By Jonathan Perry, Globe Correspondent  |  November 24, 2006
in Friday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2006/11/24/wheat_duo_got_exactl\
y_what_they_wanted____time_away/?page=full

Wheat.  Wheat?  What ever became of those guys?  Here's yer chance to
find out.


ARLO GUTHRIE
"Alice's Restaurant"
and Boston radio

RADIO TRACKS
As a holiday staple, 'Alice's' lives here evermore
By Clea Simon, Globe Correspondent  |  November 23, 2006

http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2006/11/23/as_a_holiday_staple_alices_lives\
_here_evermore/

ARLO GUTHRIE  certainly has become the King of Thanksgiving.


Just visiting: Arlo Guthrie
On Alice's Restaurant and America
By: MARK OSTOW
11/21/2006 6:17:18 PM
in The Phoenix this week

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid28185.aspx


= = = = =


BRIEF ITEMS :


DAMONE
Billy Squier's
"Everybody Wants You"

"Our [DAMONE's] version of the Billy Squire hit, 'Everybody Wants
You,' has become the theme song for the new CW TV network.  The CW is
the merger of the WB and UPN.  They have shows like Everybody Hates
Chris, Smallville & the WWE Friday Night Smackdown.

"Thanks to everyone who has been noticing and emailing the network.
Since the song has been getting such a great response, we are
releasing it on iTunes today as a single.  The CW is even going to
start featuring the band on the network in December."

   -- Damone Mailing, November 21, 2006


FRED ABONG AND MOONMAN

Ex-Belly, ex-Throwing Muses, ex-Vicious Circle

    FRED ABONG

is featured in the second item in this week's Providence Phoenix local
music column by Bob Gulla.

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid28075.aspx

If you have lost track of Abong, this would be a great way of getting
reacquainted.


JOE PERRY
of Aerosmith
(We hope)
"Names"
Perry playing every gig like it's the last
By Carol Beggy & Mark Shanahan, Globe Staff  |  November 21, 2006
in Tuesday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2006/11/21/perry_playing_every_\
gig_like_its_the_last/


THE DIVINE PAULA KELLEY

"PAULA KELLEY  has been in the studio working on her new album with a
great collection of west-coast musicians."

   -- Stop, Pop, and Roll Mailing, November 19,
      2006

Paula Kelley is a personal favorite, and this is terrific news.


CROOKED STILL

"We [members of  CROOKED STILL] are taking December off to recharge
and get ready for a fantastic lineup of concerts and festivals in
2007.  We'll start things off in January with a trip to Scotland for
the Celtic Connections festival as well as some other concerts in
England.

"While Crooked Still has a break in December, we'll all be busy
playing with our other projects.  Aoife heads off on a headlining tour
across the Northeast and Midwest with Sometymes Why, Corey will be
performing throughout New England with fiddler/singer Lissa
Schneckenburger, and Rushad once again takes part in the 'Build a
Levee' benefit concert in the Hudson Valley."

   -- Crooked Still Mailing, November 21, 2006

IF YOU ARE IN A POSITION  to get hold of the Thursday issue of our
local newspaper, the Brattleboro Reformer, it would be a good idea.
Crooked Still is the subject of Dave Madeloni's column this week, and
it ought to be a great one.  Crooked Still is one string band with
broad enough appeal to reach WAY beyond the normal string band realm
and draw in fans who usually listen to other types of music.


MAINE POPULAR MUSIC NEWS

Portland scene report: November 24, 2006
"Sibilance" column
By Sibilance
11/21/2006 5:51:01 PM
in this week's Portland Phoenix

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid28166.aspx

The annual holiday season slow-down is definitely on, but no one seems
to have told Maine and the people therein.  This week's issue of the
"Sibilance" local music column in the Portland Phoenix looks about as
usual, which is pretty good and highly UN-usual for Thanksgiving week.


DON WHITE
The Hardcover Book

"Memoirs of a C Student

"I began writing this 264 page hardcover collection of twelve short
stories in 2001.  Nobody (especially me) actually thought that I'd
ever finish it. But somehow it got written and manufactured. I have a
copy on my desk right now that I touch occasionally as I type this
just to remind myself that it actually exists and that I didn't just
dream it. The response from people who have read it has been
absolutely tremendous. I'm thrilled because I know that working for
five years on something doesn't ensure that people won't be all ho hum
about it. The most frequent comments from readers of the book is that
it is laugh out loud funny, heartwarming and surprisingly well
written. (What do you mean 'surprisingly')."

   -- Don White Newsletter, November 24, 2006


end BRIEF ITEMS


= = = = =


LABSEVEN

Mad scientists
Labseven finally put it all together with North Winds
By: SAM PFEIFLE
11/21/2006 5:52:12 PM
in this week's Portland Phoenix

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid28155.aspx


THE SLIP
"Eisenhower"

Smooth sailing
The Slip broaden their horizon on Eisenhower
By: BOB GULLA
11/21/2006 3:44:11 PM
in this week's Providence Phoenix

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid28075.aspx


FRANK SMITH

Boston music news: November 24, 2006
Notes on Frank Smith and Mark Kates
By: JIM SULLIVAN
11/20/2006 2:43:30 PM
in The Phoenix this week

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid27828.aspx


REST IN PEACE :

BETTY COMDEN

Broadway lyricist Betty Comden dies
By MICHAEL KUCHWARA, AP Drama Writer Fri Nov 24, 5:25 AM ET
Friday Associated Press obituary

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061124/ap_en_mu/obit_comden

BETTY COMDEN  was one successful Broadway lyricist.


ROBERT LOCKWOOD, JR., 91

Robert Lockwood Jr., 91; guitarist was unflashy elder statesman of the
blues
By Adam Bernstein, Washington Post  |  November 23, 2006
Washington Post obituary in Thursday Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2006/11/23/robert_lockwood_\
jr_91_guitarist_was_unflashy_elder_statesman_of_the_blues/


ANITA O'DAY

Anita O'Day, 87; 'Jezebel of Jazz' infused sultry spirit into brassy sound
By Adam Bernstein, Washington Post  |  November 24, 2006
Washington Post obituary in Friday Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2006/11/24/anita_oday_87_je\
zebel_of_jazz_infused_sultry_spirit_into_brassy_sound/


Renowned jazz singer Anita O'Day dies
By ALLISON HOFFMAN, Associated Press Writer Fri Nov 24, 1:27 PM ET
Friday Associated Press obituary

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061124/ap_en_mu/obit_o_day


E-MAIL US via:
http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/naty.htm

Please do NOT click the Reply button.  Clicking Reply sends your
message to several different addresses but NOT to our main address.
It's Yahoo Groups' system, not ours.


.   .   .   .   .


If you have friends who would be interested in any of the items in
this issue, please forward this newsletter to them.  Thanks!


I MAKE ADDITIONS AND OTHER CHANGES to this newsletter, to varying
degrees, after sending the e-mail version.  For updates, you may want
to periodically check the Web-page version, which may be found by way
of the following address:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsnewz/news.htm

Clicking the Previous Issue link toward the bottoms of pages is one
way to access our BACK ISSUES.  There's also a navigation bar at or
near the bottoms of pages which, among other things, can get you to
our latest posted newsletter.


      As a rule, we do not post SHOW LISTINGS.  The reason is quite
simple.  Our readers are spread out all over the map.  Though our name
is the NEW ENGLAND Music Scrapbook, we have readers all across the
southern tier of states - with a large number in Florida and another
large number in the Atlanta area.  Even within the Northeast, we have
readers in each of the six New England states and many in New York and
New Jersey.  The great majority of show listings would be of no
interest at all to most 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.

      We also make a few exceptions for shows in the immediate Boston
area.  Our single biggest concentration of readers, as far as we know,
is in and around Boston.  We understand from e-mails we receive that
we are able to help turn out an audience to many entertainments in the
Boston area.  But even in the case of Boston shows, we make few
exceptions.  Maria's Weekly Band E-Mail is loaded with show listings,
and most of them have to do with events in Boston, Cambridge, and
Somerville.  We don't want to make a habit of duplicating her efforts.

      So, the general rule of thumb is that we don't post show
listings.  In the very few, truly exceptional instances where we do...


      ... 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.


      Exceptionally long addresses may need to be pasted into the
address field, which is probably toward the top of your browser
screen.  Some addresses are so extremely long that they may have to be
pasted in two or more pieces.


New England Music Scrapbook :

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/home.htm

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


Issue 2006:197

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

Copyright © 2006 by the New England Music Scrapbook.  All rights reserved.

   : : : : :

New England Music Scrapbook News
Our Corner of the Rock 'n' Roll Life
November 26, 2006
Issue 2006:197 Supplement

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


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.


Hi.

Sorry to be back at you so soon, especially in our quietest time of
year.  But several things came up after I sent our latest regular
issue, and one of them is already old enough.  Here's the thing.

To make a very long story short, a

    MUSIC MUSEUM OF NEW ENGLAND

press release found its way into our bulk mail folder, and I didn't
see it until late last evening.  The press release is already about a
week and a half old, and I really don't want to wait until Saturday to
send it, since it will definitely be of reader interest if I can get
it mailed during our lifetimes.

In that same visit to our bulk mail folder, incidentally, I found our
puzzlingly-missing newsletter Issue 195, which I guess is no longer
missing but it's still puzzling.

Also, while cruising by the Boston Groupie News Web site, I noticed an
item about the old Kenmore Square Boston nightspot,

    THE RAT,

and well-known proprietor,

    JIM HARROLD.

This, too, should be of much reader interest, and I will paste the BGN
item below.

I'll start with the MM ONE item, since it has been gathering dust for
some time in our spam folder.  Then will come the BGN/Rat/Jim Harrold
item.

I have tried to steer this organization mostly toward contemporary
music and current acts.  Be that as it may, the most popular band
represented on these pages, unambiguously, is an '80s/'90s Boston rock
group,

    TRIBE.

Tribe had a considerable following, and Tribe fans, to an astonishing
degree, are simply not letting go.  We must have posted our Tribe page
just in time, because Tribe has been with us big-time the whole time
we have been here.

And there could be more items.  We'll see if anything else comes to
mind. (I now know, for instance, the subject of Sheryl Hunter's
Greenfield Recorder column.)


MUSIC MUSEUM OF NEW ENGLAND
Web Site
PRESS RELEASE

The new website for MM/ONE, the Music Museum Of New England, is now
online at www.mmone.org.

This is a significant step forward for us, because the Internet is a
critical component of our near-term strategy for spreading the word
about New England's musical heritage.

Over time we'll be adding much more information, links and clips to
the site, but you can see where we're going with it.  Special thanks
to Dean Johnson, Ed Symkus, Eric Gulliksen and Wayne Ulaky for their
contributions in making it a reality.

Let me know if you have any suggestions or comments, or if you have
any material you want to contribute to the site.  And please help
spread the word about MM/ONE by forwarding this to anyone you know who
may be interested in it.

At 9 pm tonight, Harry Sandler of our Board of Directors and Dean
Johnson of our Advisory Council are appearing on WMFO to talk about
MM/ONE and play music by New England artists.  If you can't get it on
air (91.5 Medford, MA), then listen to it in streaming audio at
www.wmfo.org.  And watch for our ad later this week in the 40th
anniversary issue of The Boston Phoenix.

Steve Nelson
President & Co-Founder


BOSTON GROUPIE NEWS INTERVIEW
WITH JIM HARROLD
Former Proprietor of  THE RAT!

BLOWFISH,  Miss Lyn's Boston Groupie News colleague, mentioned
interviewing

    JIM HARROLD,

long-time proprietor of

    THE RAT,

late of Boston's Kenmore Square.  With permission from the delightful

    MISS LYN,

our friend, we copied the following news item from the Boston Groupie
News official Web site:

      "Hey folks, we interviewed Jimmy Harold this weekend!  Jimmy was
the owner of THE punk club in Boston: The Rat.  This is very cool coz
Jimmy has sort of been pretty much incommunicado for all these years,
since he closed the Rat.  In fact we interviewed him on Nov 17th,
2006, the eight anniversary of the close of The Rat.  So expect to see
the interview posted in a couple weeks or so!"

"Boston Groupie News - Boston's Original Punk Rock Magazine,"
www.bostongroupienews.com, accessed November 25, 2006.

I caught just enough about the Jim Harrold interview so I KNOW a lot
of people are going to want to see it, once ace transcriptionist and
all-around good gal Miss Lyn has gotten it posted.

The Boston Groupie News site is well worth checking weekly anyway.  It
includes a lot of terrific information, including news items many of
us are not going to see anywhere else.

Miss Lyn does a great job.


TRIBE
Web Site

STEVE LATHAM,  proprietor of www.tribeonline.info, wrote to let us and
our readers know about his

    TRIBE

Web site.  And it sounds pretty good.  His message says he has MP3s,
live and studio, for downloading, along with pictures, a message
board, and lots more information.  Material has come from each of the
band members.  That, alone, will be good news to many of our readers.

"I recently added a show from 1993 and the video for 'Joyride.'  I
hope to be adding some more information on Janet LaValley's solo
career soon."

http://www.tribeonline.info/

   -- Steve Latham, E-Mail Message, November 24, 2006

We have received steady e-mails about Tribe for our whole existence,
and no one can say with greater authority than I can that this Tribe
site ought to be of tremendous interest to a whole lot of people.


CROOKED STILL
in the Greenfield (Mass. Recorder)

SHERYL HUNTER's  "Sounds Local" column in Thursday's Greenfield
Recorder turned out to be mostly about

    CROOKED STILL.

Crooked Still has the gifts to appeal to fans way beyond the usual
string band realm, and it could easily prove to be one of New
England's most important popular music groups of any sort.  If you can
get hold of the Arts & Entertainment pullout section of Thursday's
Recorder, why not check out Sheryl's column.  It is always really good.

Incidentally, I'm quite certain I made a positive

    AOIFE O'DONOVAN

sighting in this very town, Brattleboro, Vermont, late Saturday
morning.  She, of course, fronts Crooked Still and is also one third
of another of my favorite New England-connected music outfits,

    SOMETYMES WHY.

Crooked Still's bassist and the group's band van reside here in
Brattleboro, so spotting band members in this town would not be too
unusual.


I'm sure there's more, but we've got to save something for Saturday.


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


Issue 2006:197 Supplement

Copyright © 2006 by the New England Music Scrapbook.  All rights reserved.

   : : : : :

NEMS News #198 - December 2, 2006

New England Music Scrapbook News
Our Corner of the Rock 'n' Roll Life
December 2, 2006
Issue 2006:198

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


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.


.   .   .   .   .


MY WORK ON THIS ISSUE  got cut off a good deal earlier than usual last
evening by a thunderstorm that didn't seem to know how to stop.  You
may have heard that I live in one of the more picturesque parts of
Vermont.  That's right, my front windows overlook U.S. Route 5.  With
the thunder and lightning came a major downpour of rain, and the
street out here became a river.  The wind was simply whipping
downstream, and the whole thing came together to make a genuinely
amazing pastoral sight.  We have no idea who the guy was who went by
on a surf board, but we noticed he was wearing a Verdant Studio t-shirt.

"Saturday Morning With the Oldies" host John Ashley just said the
weather could have been worse, and I guess he is right.  The weather
forecast called for more wind through the night than what we actually
got, and we could just as easily have been without power from a
windstorm along about now.  We shall count our blessings.

LAST-MINUTE NOTE:  We have a good number of news items left that I
have not been able to include here.  Not only am I out of time: I
should have stopped before this.  I don't know what I'll do with what
is left.  It is not unimportant: it is just material that came late in
the week.  Time will tell what comes of it I guess.


It was a real thrill for me to get to write up our super local radio
broadcast,

    SATURDAY MORNING WITH THE OLDIES.

This is a gig I have been trying to get for years.  Unless you really
like hearing a relatively small number of oldies over and over again,
this is the ultimate program with a simply astonishingly low level of
repetition.

The people who told me they read the article are a really diverse
crowd.  Clearly the fanship of the "Saturday Morning" broadcast cuts
across a lot of lines.

I have gotten to write a second piece for our local newspaper, The
Commons.  It is about recent Brattleboro-connected record releases.
But though each act (except for one) has or at least had strong local
ties, I think this article could have broad interest, among our
readers at least, well outside the Brattleboro area.  Records covered
are by

    CROOKED STILL

    ANTJE DUVEKOT

    ELLIS PAUL

      and

    THE WEISSTRONAUTS.

      Crooked Still (whose bassist lives here) has what it would take
to appeal to music fans way beyond the string-band realm.  Crooked
Still could get huge.  Antje Duvekot (wrote nearly half her latest
album while living just outside Brattleboro) is probably getting more
press from her latest album than from the entire rest of her career
combined.  Ellis Paul didn't really fit my theme. (Put another way, I
cheated to fit him in.)  But he has mentored ex-Brattleborian Duvekot,
he plays nearby often, and he did an exemplary job of compiling his
career retrospective.  Every career overview should be compiled this
thoughtfully.  And Pete Weiss and his Weisstronauts combined to make
just an incredibly consistent surf-rock record.  This is really fine
stuff.

The December issue of The Commons has been available in hardcopy for
three or four days; but as of this morning, it is still not posted
online.  We love hardcopy and land shipping because they are generally
faster than the Web.

Once a link is available, I'll post it in a newsletter so anyone who
wants can look through my article.  Or, if you would prefer to check
for yourself between now and next time, go to

http://www.commonsnews.org/

My article will be/is on page 13.  The Commons articles are posted in
.PDF files.


LOTS OF (MOSTLY) SHORT E-MAILED NEWS ITEMS

This is unambiguously our slowest time of year, which fact is showing
up in nearly every respect possible ... except for a couple.  One of
the exceptions is quite puzzling: for some reason the amount of news
items we received this week by e-mail is much higher than usual - so
much so that I don't have time to go through everything we have been
sent.  With the last-minute mail we received in the Friday-Saturday
overnight, which was also surprisingly hefty, this would be at least
the second-most amount of news stories we have ever received by e-mail
in a single week.  We came up just shy of equalling our all-time
biggest week.  For this to happen during the holidays is astonishing.
  I can't account for it.


VERMONT WINTER-SEASON MUSIC PREVIEW

I put out a request, a week or two ago, for information about big
Vermont music doings set for this winter.  No responses have come in.
  This is not a total surprise.  With regards to shows, for instance,
this time of year confirmation of many bookings runs late for some
reason.  So, many artists may simply not know yet what the winter
months hold in store for them.

Nonetheless, I am hereby putting out a second call, in hopes of
getting a better idea about what the winter may bring in terms of
shows, record releases, births, and other important events.

Please send us your wintery music thoughts via:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm


THE WEEKLY BAND E-MAIL
She Up and Left

Since this is strictly an Internet operation, it has certain
peculiarities.  I would not hesitate to call

    MARIA McLAUGHLIN

one of my best friends.  She is a simply wonderful colleague and
person: an absolute delight.  Yet she and I have never actually met in
person.  We have never even talked on the telephone.  But for me, our
e-friendship is about as good as it gets.

I made Maria's e-acquaintance through a really fine Boston guitarist,

    ALLEN DEVINE,

and it was in connection with Maria's online publication,

    THE WEEKLY BAND E-MAIL,

which was already then three years old.  The Band E-Mail hasn't,
strictly speaking, been weekly.  But one wouldn't need to do more than
take a quick look to see that it is a labor of love for Maria and a
thing she has thrown a lot of herself into.

No doubt, then, it was an extremely difficult decision for Maria to
put the Weekly Band E-Mail to rest.  It has ceased publication.

This suspension of postings is a significant loss.  Most subscribers
will now lose a major source of show tips.  I didn't use it that way
myself.  I kept back copies.  And when searching our newsletter e-mail
account on the names of music acts, I would take note of them showing
up in one or more Weekly Band E-Mails - which happened close to one
hundred percent of the time.  I learned a tremendous amount from this
about who was playing in this region and for whom they were playing.

Maria would not have made this decision if it wasn't necessary, but
this doesn't make it any the less sad.

So the Weekly Band E-Mail is no more, but we still have Maria.  And
that, to me, is by far the most important thing.  Her friendship and
collaborations have been a big part in what has kept this operation
afloat.

Maria does a lot behind the scenes; so by definition, her efforts
often do not show.  But I don't see any way this newsletter would
still be around if not for Maria.  She is that important.

I have tried hard to lure Maria deeper into the NEMS lair.  Why stop
now...


THE SILVER LINING

THE SILVER LINING  is a fun band out of Boston, and it is a band well
worth following.  These folks have a holiday-season residency at Toad
and are spotlighted in the "Spotlight" feature of PerformerMag.com.

http://www.performermag.com/neperf_sp01.php

This item just barely came through, so I haven't had time to either
read or not read the PerformerMag article.  It could be great ... or
not.  See for yourself.  I just know I like the band.

Somewhere in the Silver Lining's latest mailing is reference to
another set of songs originally by

    THE WHO.

To brush up a bit before the Silver Lining's Who-tunes showtime,
readers may want to scroll down to find a link for

    STEVE MORSE's

reminiscences of a lifetime of catching The Who in concert.


THE BON SAVANTS

"Rock Notes"
Smarts, patience fuel the Bon Savants
Local prodigies release their first full-length CD
By Jonathan Perry, Globe Correspondent  |  December 1, 2006
in Friday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2006/12/01/smarts_patience_fuel\
_the_bon_savants/?page=full


= = = = =


BRIEF ITEMS :


BOSTON CHRISTMAS CAVALCADE

We lately received this, from the

    ROBIN LANE

mailing list, about an upcoming charitable show featuring an unusual
gathering of characters:

"[O]n Thursday, December 14th, Robin will take part in 'The 3rd or 4th
Annual Boston Christmas Cavalcade' at Johnny D's in Somerville, which
is a benefit for Bread and Jams of Cambridge.  Also featured are The
Chandler Travis Philharmonic, Jennifer Kimball, Jon Pousette-Dart, Amy
Fairchild, The Revolutionary Snake Ensemble, Shaun Wortis, Andrea
Gillis, The Shook Fambly Singers, Frank Rowe, and more.  It starts at
8:30pm."


MISS LYN  of Boston Groupie News has her usual assortment of news
items on the BGN home page, including a quick note about

    COFFEE 'N' SMOKES

which will interest many of our readers.

http://www.bostongroupienews.com/

But is Miss Lyn pulling our legs when she says the band,

    THE BLACKJACKS,

has a myspace spot?  Check it out.


TINA WELCH
Two Queries

If you have a copy of the "Sleigh Ride Time" single by

    TINA WELCH

that you would like to sell, please e-mail us by way of the following
Web page:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm

We have a buyer.  Possibly someone out there would prefer to burn it
to CD-R for a woman to whom it would mean a lot.

While searching www.gemm.com for "Sleigh Ride Time," I found (for me)
a real curiosity.  A Gemm.com seller is offering a new, promotional
copy of the Tina Welch single, "Keep an Eye Out for Charlie" b/w

    "I DON'T NEED YOUR EVERYDAY LOVE."

I consider myself to be about the ultimate Tina Welch fan.  But not
only is "I Don't Need Your Everyday Love" not the flip side of my copy
of the "Charlie" single, I've never even heard of the song.  Do you
know anything about this record?  It took me totally by surprise.  If
you do know about it and would be willing to share your information,
please e-mail me by way of:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm

This, incidentally, is a different contact link.  We have been
confusing a percentage of our readers, and this is my attempt at
making things better.  We'll see if it works.

Tina Welch could be downright amazing live, but she didn't record much
or at least she released very little.  So there is really no way,
beyond tapping into someone else's recollections such as my own, to
appreciate her if you didn't hear her back in the 1970s and 1980s.
But she did release two or three pretty good cuts, and my favorite,
hands down, is a duet with Chuck McDermott on a Buck Owens song,

Oh, the sun's gonna shine in my life once more
    Love's gonna live here again
Things are gonna be the way they were before
    Love's gonna live here again...

Back in the 1960s, Buck Owens had several hits on rock 'n' roll radio,
and he also appeared on rock TV shows.  I heard him a number of times
on television when he was dynamite.

Oh, the sun's gonna shine
    In my life once more...


EXTREME
"Videografitti" DVD

Another item that just barely came in is to the effect that the
1980s/1990s Boston metal band,

    EXTREME,

has a new DVD out.  Say, didn't that group break up ten years ago?  We
are definitely pushed at this moment, so I haven't had time to
research this at all; but evidently the DVD is called "Videografitti"
or some such thing.


WANG CENTER IS RE-NAMED

Wang Center gets new name today
November 30, 2006

Goodbye, Wang Center for the Performing Arts. Hello,
Citi Performing Arts Center.

http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2006/11/30/wang_center_gets_new_n\
ame_today/

If the ex-Wang Center folks think we are calling their home anything
other than

    THE CITI THRILLS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

they don't know us real good.


THE WRITERS' JAM
Joanne Cipolla Query

ROBIN LANE  is involved in "The Writers' Jam" at Somerville's The
Burren Saturday, December 16.  Does anyone know if the

    JOANNE CIPOLLA

who is also taking part is the same person who headed up an early
1980s Boston rock band,

    PLANET STREET?


DWIGHT AND NICOLE

"After almost two months away from home, we're back.  We wrote a whole
new batch of songs during our travels..."

   -- Dwight and Nicole Mailing, November 27, 2006

Nicole is ex-Bostonian

    NICOLE NELSON.

We have been on her mailing list probably since Day One.  I don't have
Dwight's name handy and I'm probably going to butcher it or maybe axis
it, but I think it may be

    DWIGHT RICHTER.

Sincere apologies to Dwight if I got it wrong.


LAYNE
(A Laurie Geltman band)

"Happy Holidays and so happy to inform you that the best and coolest
company in the world has quickly put the LAYNE CD onto the world
market lickety-split!  In fact, some guy browsing the CDBABY store
already bought one before this annoncement and we don't even know what
continent he's from.  It looks like China (.ch).  Name sounds Eastern
European.  Czech Republic?  Anybody know?"

   -- Layne, "Internet CD Release," November 28,
      2006


HARVEY REID

    and

JOYCE ANDERSON

"have recently released their long-awaited Christmas duo CD...."

   -- "Harvey Reid/Joyce Andersen Concert,"
       November 28, 2006SESSION AMERICANA


A LYDIA WARREN NEW YEAR'S EVE

"[W]e [members of the LYDIA WARREN BAND] have details on our big New
Years Eve show in Maine!  We are playing at the Top of the Rock, which
is located inside the Trade Winds Hotel in Rockland, Maine.  That
means after you dance, eat, drink, and ring in the new year, you just
have to stumble to your room!  Hehehe..."

   -- Lydia Warren Mailing, November 28, 2006


Ry Cavanaugh of

    SESSION AMERICANA

sent one of the more unusual show plugs we have seen:

"Session Americana Holiday Show at Club Passim will feature special
guests Jennifer Kimball, Rose Polenzani, Kris Delmhorst and others.

"Tickets available at http://www.clubpassim.com  As much as we hate to
jump on the holiday bandwagon, a little Christmas spirit never hurt
anyone. Actually, it makes me a little weepy to think of Rose's
spirited (and slightly demented) version of 'Silver Bells' last year,
complete with tiny glockenspiel.

"We're hoping to build our holiday show until the Revels feels the
heat.  Then, hopefully, they'll challenge us to some sort of
Morris-dancing-death-match.  My secret fantasy has always been to beat
someone with one of those stupid bell-clad sticks.  Seriously, isn't
Jimmy Fitting singing 'Ice Cream Man' in a coat-of-many-colors kind of
fun to imagine?  I think Session Americana could become the new Revels."

   -- Session Americana, "Club Passim Dec. 8,"
      November 28, 2006


"The [LISA MARTIN] Live CD Recording show at the Iron Horse has been
rescheduled to February."

   -- "Lisa Martin Live Music December 2006,"
       November 29, 2006


end BRIEF ITEMS


= = = = =


MARK ERELLI
Some Favorite 2006 Record Releases

In his new newsletter issue,

    MARK ERELLI

offered his readers some tips on a few of the 2006 releases he most
enjoyed.  This is not intended to be a comprehensive look at the
year's recordings or a Top 10 of any sort: just some helpful,
interesting observations.  So here is, as he put it, "a selection of
CDs that I really enjoyed this year."  There is a more than decent
chance our readers, too, would enjoy these records.

2006 FAVORITES:

Jeffrey Foucault's "Ghost Repeater"
      Bruce Springsteen wishes he wrote songs as good as these.

Kris Delmhorst's "Strange Conversation"
      Poetry set to music in a seamless marriage, this is her masterpiece.

Bruce Springsteen's "We Shall Overcome"
      Bruce wishes he wrote songs as good as these too, but he does a
damn fine job breathing life and energy into songs that have been
covered many times before.

Willie Nelson's "You Don't Know Me"
      Willie sings the classic songs of Cindy Walker, dusty,
twin-fiddle chestnuts that suit his voice perfectly.

Roseanne Cash's "Black Cadillac"
      Private pain and loss made publicly transcendent, a
beautifully-produced and arranged record.

Life and Times of Richard Thompson
      A box set devoted to one of the few working who deserve the
"genius" moniker.  So many gems here, but it would be worth it for
"Alexander Graham Bell" or "Dear Janet Jackson" alone.

Solomon Burke's "Nashville"
      How soulful can a man singing live in a room full of amazing
musicians sound?  Listen and find out.

HEM's "Funnel Cloud"
      There is just no one making music quite like this right now.
It's as hushed and delicate as any "indie-" whatever, but with the
stately grace and melodic heft of classic songcraft.

Bob Dylan's "Modern Times"
      Recycled images shattered and reassembled into new mosaics, never
earth-shattering, but it reflects the light into forgotten corners at
odd angles, showing you things you never noticed but were always there.

Chris Smither's "Leave The Light On"
      This would have made the list for the title track alone,
defiance, grace, a sense of humor and wisdom.

Tom Waits's Orphans"
      I don't have this yet, but almost no one else could make this
list simply on the strength of 15 second sound clips on iTunes.

Special thanks to Mark Erelli for giving permission for us to reprint
this list from "Mark Erelli Dec 06 Newsletter," November 28, 2006.


THE DRAMAS
MERRIE AMSTERBURG

The Old and the New
[I'm betting the editor didn't win any friends
  with that headline!]
By Alan Lewis
Special to the Vermont Guardian

Vermont Guardian
December 1, 2006
Culture Section, Page 18

    THE DRAMAS

is a 2006 duo out of New York City.  They make a sort of pop-oriented
rock that so far has drawn comparisons to Crosby Stills and Nash and
especially to Fleetwood Mac.  I would not want to draw a really close
artist comparison, but The Dramas actually sounds more like an
assortment of Boston moody pop outfits who were on major labels,
briefly or otherwise, in the time period roughly from the rise of Face
to Face to the peak popularity of East of Eden.  Anyone who was around
during those years, I think, will have a general idea of what I mean.
  This was definite mainstream radio rock, but it was not the sunny,
perky stuff that predominated on '60s AM radio.

The Dramas definitely have a knack for writing and recording this sort
of material.  It would be no problem for me to picture these two
becoming big national stars.  I just noticed that my favorite line in
the whole article got cut.  In the draft I filed with the Vermont
Guardian, I called The Dramas "a fledgling band with a sky's-the-limit
sound."  Gee, I'm disappointed it was cut.  At least I sneaked it in here.

It is funny that the section about Boston's

    MERRIE AMSTERBURG

is headed, "Return of the Native."  Though she has countless Vermont
ties, I think she may be a native of Michigan.

I did not anticipate writing up Merrie this time, so I did not line up
a copy of her latest album, "Clementine and Other Stories."  I'll bet
it's great, though I don't know from first-hand experience.  But her
last disc of original material, "Little Steps," is a gem of the
rock-influenced singer-songwriter sort.  If I were to pull together my
own personal list of essential recordings by artists with strong New
England ties, I imagine Merrie Amsterburg's "Little Steps" would be on it.

I didn't think my interview with Merrie had gone all that well until I
compiled her answers.  By the time I got to her anecdote about wearing
her wedding gown while rocking out with her band at her own wedding
reception, I decided it was a pretty good interview after all.

This notice is hardcopy only.  If you will be in Vermont between now
and Friday and would like to pick up a copy, please consult the
following Web page for locations of where the paper is sold:

http://www.vermontguardian.com/paper-locator.shtml


THE WHO
By Steve Morse

Looking back at a lifetime of Who shows
By Steve Morse, Globe Correspondent  |  December 1, 2006
in Friday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2006/12/01/looking_back_at_a_li\
fetime_of_who_shows/


THE SLIP

The Slip: Fusion band, jazz band, jam band, or rock band?
Actually, it's been all of the above, and without losing its identity
or its audience
By Joan Anderman, Globe Staff  |  December 1, 2006
in Friday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2006/12/01/the_slip_fusion_band\
_jazz_band_jam_band_or_rock_band/


THE NOISE
Boston
Press Release
November 29, 2006
25th Anniversary Holiday Party

For Immediate Release

It's The Noise Magazine's 25th Anniversary Holiday Bash!

Somerville, MA - On Saturday, December 16th the Abbey Lounge hosts the
Noise 25th Anniversary Holiday Bash. That's right.  TWENTY-FIVE YEARS
of covering local music.  For such a huge milestone, Noise publisher T
Max is throwing a seriously cool holiday party.

Here's the scoop: the music starts on the Abbey pub stage at 9pm with
Uncle Shoe & VoigtDog, then moves to the main stage with Angeline at
9:30, followed by A.K.A.C.O.D, and The Rudds headline at 11:30.

The tongue-in-cheek, charmingly unkempt duo of Uncle Shoe & VoigtDog
delivers a fresh blend of beat poetry and old timey tunefulness. "Just
watchin' these guys makes me smile," says T Max.
(http://www.mattsamolis.com)

Angeline is a soulful, folkie band fronted by the dynamic duo of Linda
Viens and Emily Grogan. "This band is capturing something very special
and I predict a successful future for them," says T Max.
(http://www.myspace.com/angelinemusic)

A.K.A.C.O.D. is the new smoky, psychedelic rock trio featuring
Morphine/Twinemen saxophonist Dana Colley, Bourbon Princess
vocalist/bassist Monique Ortiz, and drummer Larry Dersch (Binary
System).  (http://www.myspace.com/akacod)

The Rudds bring the party with their sexy twist of '70s classic rock
and Prince-influenced sleaze, guaranteed to steer the 25th anniversary
holiday bash into full-on dance floor debauchery.
(http://www.therudds.net/)

The Noise has been covering the local music scenes across New England,
with a focus on Boston-area bands, since 1981. The Noise is
unequivocally the area's longest-running fanzine.
(www.thenoise-boston.com)

What: The Noise 25th Anniversary Holiday Bash
Where: The Abbey Lounge, 3 Beacon Street
When: Saturday, 12/16/06
Doors: 8pm, $10

For more information contact Lexi Kahn at lexi@...,
or 617-783-8931.


DINOSAUR JR.

Pop Music
Dinosaur Jr. roars back to life
Band's reunion is tied to settling old scores and recording new material
By Sarah Rodman, Globe Staff  |  November 26, 2006
in the Boston Sunday Globe

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2006/11/26/dinosaur_jr_roars_back_to_lif\
e/


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

Please do NOT click the Reply button.  Clicking Reply sends your
message to several different addresses but NOT to our main address.
It's Yahoo Groups' system, not ours.


.   .   .   .   .


If you have friends who would be interested in any of the items in
this issue, please forward this newsletter to them.  Thanks!


I MAKE ADDITIONS AND OTHER CHANGES to this newsletter, to varying
degrees, after sending the e-mail version.  For updates, you may want
to periodically check the Web-page version, which may be found by way
of the following address:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsnewz/news.htm

Clicking the Previous Issue link toward the bottoms of pages is one
way to access our BACK ISSUES.  There's also a navigation bar at or
near the bottoms of pages which, among other things, can get you to
our latest posted newsletter.


      As a rule, we do not post SHOW LISTINGS.  The reason is quite
simple.  Our readers are spread out all over the map.  Though our name
is the NEW ENGLAND Music Scrapbook, we have readers all across the
southern tier of states - with a large number in Florida and another
large number in the Atlanta area.  Even within the Northeast, we have
readers in each of the six New England states and many in New York and
New Jersey.  The great majority of show listings would be of no
interest at all to most 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.

      We also make a few exceptions for shows in the immediate Boston
area.  Our single biggest concentration of readers, as far as we know,
is in and around Boston.  We understand from e-mails we receive that
we are able to help turn out an audience to many entertainments in the
Boston area.  But even in the case of Boston shows, we make few
exceptions.  Maria's Weekly Band E-Mail is loaded with show listings,
and most of them have to do with events in Boston, Cambridge, and
Somerville.  We don't want to make a habit of duplicating her efforts.

      So, the general rule of thumb is that we don't post show
listings.  In the very few, truly exceptional instances where we do...


      ... 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.


      Exceptionally long addresses may need to be pasted into the
address field, which is probably toward the top of your browser
screen.  Some addresses are so extremely long that they may have to be
pasted in two or more pieces.


New England Music Scrapbook :

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/home.htm

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


Issue 2006:198

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

Copyright © 2006 by the New England Music Scrapbook.  All rights reserved.

   : : : : :

New England Music Scrapbook News
Our Corner of the Rock 'n' Roll Life
December 9, 2006
Issue 2006:199

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


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.


To
JAMES M. JEFFORDS
Retiring United States Senator
Ind-Vermont

Thanks, Jim!


This is Issue No. 199 ... Do you think we can make it to #200?


.   .   .   .   .


I'm out of time bad ... and that ain't good!

So, I'm going to have to hurry through some of what we know of the
week's local music news.

If you haven't picked it up already from the Valley Advocate and the
Greenfield Recorder, June Millington of the much-remembered band Fanny
is based these days in western Massachusetts.  For a great Dave
Madeloni column about her, get hold of the Thursday Arts and
Entertainment section of our local daily newspaper, The Brattleboro
Reformer.

Erin McKeown got her start while studying as an undergraduate at Brown
University.  So Bob Gulla has a certain inside track on her career
because Brown is in his Providence Phoenix beat - thus, he goes back
with McKeown to the beginning - and also because Gulla is terrific.
For his update on McKeown's career, get thee to the Providence Phoenix
Web site and don't be late.

One of my all-time favorite music writers, Ted Drozdowski, has a piece
about one of my current favorite bands, Fluttr Effect, in this week's
Boston Phoenix.  To get the full Fluttr effect from a master music
journalist, visit www.thephoenix.com at your earliest convenience.

If you are interested in pieces about Amanda Palmer's "The Onion
Cellar" or about drumming Lynn Mass. native Stephen Serwacki, go to
the Boston Herald's Web site sooner rather than later.

I am very sorry to say that my Q&A with Sonya Kitchell did not go
well.  I have very little idea why.  Even using my own prior writings
about Kitchell, which received only limited circulation, a great
previous interview with her, and her current official biography plus
an older one, my article still wound up significantly shorter than
usual.  It came together because I made an extra effort to cobble
something worthwhile out of what I had.  And the interview was not the
only thing that went poorly.  A splendid time was not exactly had by
all.  Still, for someone who wants a sense of what the upcoming Ben
Taylor/Sonya Kitchell show at Higher Ground in South Burlington VT
will be like, I think this article will do it.  And the finished
product actually does seem to be looking pretty good.  You can see the
results and judge for yourself at

Sharing the Stage: Sonya Kitchell & Ben Taylor
By Alan Lewis | Special to the Vermont Guardian
Posted December 8, 2006

http://www.vermontguardian.com/culture/122006/Sonya.shtml


BOSTON CHRISTMAS CAVALCADE
Fourth Annual Event

We ran an item, in a previous issue, on this fast-approaching event.
But Merrie Amsterburg has sent an updated announcement, loaded with
additional details worth knowing, and here it is:

"Thursday, December 14th, 8:30 pm

"Merrie is one of many featured guests for The Chandler Travis
Philharmonic's 4th Annual Boston Christmas Cavalcade at Johnny D's
(17 Holland St., Davis Sq., Somerville - 617 776 2004.)

"Admittance is for a suggested fee of $15.00.  All the proceeds go to
Bread and Jams of Cambridge, which provides food, shelter, and
assistance to the homeless.   Featuring: the Chandler Travis
Philharmonic; the Incredible Casuals; Jennifer Kimball; Jon
Pousette-Dart; Robin Lane; Amy Fairchild; the Revolutionary Snake
Ensemble; Shaun Wortis; Andrea Gillis; The Shook Fambly Singers; Frank
Rowe (of the Classic Ruins); Alastair Moock; Dinty Child, Jim Fitting,
Kimon Kirk & Sean Staples of Session Americana; Merrie Amsterburg; the
Philharmonic Trombone Shout Band; and a cameo appearance by Ryan
Landry as Chanelvis (and more TBA!)"

   -- MerrieFans at QDivision, "Merrie Amsterburg
      Live in Concert," December 5, 2006

Between Maria McLaughlin, JoEllen, and myself, I think each of us has
at least one favorite on the bill.  I first learned about Alastair
Moock from Maria, and I believe she is a fan.  JoEllen has spoken
glowingly of Andrea Gillis.  I go back with Robin Lane to before the
debut album with the Chartbusters.  I am one of the great Jennifer
Kimball fans.  And I have taken/will take once and future
opportunities to sing the praises of Merrie Amsterburg, including
elsewhere in this issue.  So it seems fair to say that we at NEMS
think the 4th Annual Boston Christmas Cavalcade is shaping up to be an
amazing show.


THE ATLANTICS
"The Best of The Atlantics"

The Atlantics
Atlantics | Something Hot
By: BRETT MILANO
12/7/2006 3:18:45 PM
in The Phoenix this week

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid28866.aspx

To my mind, the rock era has produced three truly great periods here
in New England.  Two of them are the 1960s and right now.

    THE ATLANTICS

was a Boston band that was a very big part of the third great period:
the early 1980s.  By that point, The Atlantics was already a real
veteran act around Boston, having been one of the bands featured in
that Bomp magazine Boston scene profile of 1976.  But for many, many
of our readers, no more words about The Atlantics are needed from me.
  A lot of folks are going to want to link to this record review by the
great Brett Milano in a major hurry. (Please find the link posted above.)

Happy reading!


MERRIE AMSTERBURG
"Clementine and Other Stories"

When I asked

    MERRIE AMSTERBURG,

for an article in the Vermont Guardian, whether, back in her days
fronting the Boston rock band The Natives, she could have imagined
herself one day recording an album of old folk songs, she said
enthusiastically, yes, she had always been interested in American
history.  Like a lot of the best answers, this was not one I was
expecting.

Folk song and American history.  The great Frank Warner, on his
folk-song-collecting field trips through the South, picked up a few
Southern Civil War songs from the UNION army (as opposed to the
Confederate counterpart).  He kindly once postal-mailed me this:

Old Abe was in the White House
    Taking of a snooze.
General Grant was out busting his gut
    With his booze.
While I'm out here marching
    In the snow without no shoes
       But I'll go marching on...

It is a Union army song from the mountains of the South.  And it is a
curious example of the intersection between music and the history of
our country.

We don't know exactly what Merrie Amsterburg means when she connects
old folk songs with American history, though material posted at her
Web site could get us off to a strong start.  But we can make our own
sense of what she said.

"Clementine and Other Stories" is a gorgeous album, and it is one of
the best recordings of traditional American folk songs I have ever heard.


THE HOLIDAYS
It Is Our Slowest Time of Year
But...

NEW ENGLAND LOCAL MUSIC NEWS  is being slow to slow down this holiday
season.  I have no idea why.  Last week, I couldn't use everything we
received because I simply ran out of time for dealing with it all.
Everything left over from last issue, I believe, is included in this
one.  And the phrase, "left over," is not intended to suggest any lack
of importance in the held-over items: for the most part, they just
happened to be the ones that arrived in our inbox last.  Even though I
got off to an earlier start this week, I may still not be able to use
all the local music news we received by e-mail. [As it turns out, I
got this right.]  Too much news is a nice problem to have.


LITTLE STEVEN
Charms Mentor, Label Exec

Little Steven starts own record label By LARRY McSHANE, Associated
Press Writer
Friday Associated Press article

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061208/ap_en_tv/music_little_steven_s_label

Many of our readers would not need to be told that

    LITTLE STEVEN

has taken great interest in one of my personal favorite contemporary
New England rock bands,

    THE CHARMS.

Hence, the prominence of this national music news article in this
issue of our local-music newsletter.


VERMONT WINTER-SEASON MUSIC PREVIEW

If you are a Vermont music act and anticipate a big event this winter,
I would like to hear about it.  If you are a music act from anywhere
at all and you are looking ahead to a big winter-time event in
Vermont, I would like to hear about it.  Please e-mail me by way of
the following Web page:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm

Several of these queries have run in this newsletter, but so far none
of them has drawn so much as a single reply.  We are getting close to
"now or never" time.  Next week I will be working on my winter-season
music preview for the statewide weekly newspaper, the Vermont
Guardian.  So please, drop me a line.


JAMIE MASEFIELD AND THE
JAZZ MANDOLIN PROJECT
"How Much Land Does a Man Need"

The first engagements of "How Much Land Does A Man Need?"

Imagine being told one of the greatest stories on the planet in a
movie theater with JMP playing the magical soundtrack right in front
of you!

As many of you know JMP has been busy with it's new project, Tolstoy's
"How Much Land Does A Man Need?". Last winter Jamie created an
original multi media performance that was premiered at the Flynn
Theater in Burlington Vermont for two sold out nights in April. This
performance is a unique combination of literature, video and live
musical accompaniment and clearly represents the next innovative
evolution of this ground breaking group.

   -- Jazz Mandolin Project, "Imagine,"
      December 6, 2006


GREAT 2006 RECORD RELEASES

A Fine Year for Local Tunes
By Alan Lewis

The Commons
December 2006

http://www.commonsnews.org/pdf/COMMONS-Dec2006pp10-13.pdf

It was my pleasure to contribute a piece to a local Brattleboro,
Vermont newspaper, The Commons, about some terrific 2006 record
releases, all but one of which had strong ties to Brattleboro.  I
sneaked in a quick item about the Ellis Paul career retrospective,
which is a humdinger that sort of fit (but mostly didn't) with my theme.

I do believe that the artists I noted, and their latest records, will
be of interest to music fans far beyond the Brattleboro community.

    ANTJE DUVEKOT

has had a lot going for her, not least of which is serious songwriting
talent.  Her cause has been championed by one of the best bands out
there, Solas.  As a matter of fact, two or three years ago, our
e-phone rang off the hook because of a reference in these cyber-pages
to an Antje D. song on a Solas album.  But for some reason, it took
the championing of her cause by singer-songwriter Ellis Paul to really
jumpstart her career.  Her latest album, "Big Dream Boulevard," is so
hot that, since I loaned it out, I'm having a little trouble getting
it back.

I can't over-emphasize what a fine job

    PETE WEISS

and his

    WEISSTRONAUTS

did on their latest album, "Featuring 'Perky.'"  It is traditional
surf-rock with a difference, and it is an album that a great many of
our readers would not want to miss.  Though "Perky" has many
strengths, it may be most remarkable for its amazing consistency.
There is not a weak track.

CROOKED STILL

comes with a bassist who lives in this very town.  This string band
has what it takes to appeal to a heck of a lot of music fans who
ordinarily do not listen to string band music.  To me it seems
entirely possible that Crooked Still's popularity could grow huge.
Just buy the darned record, and catch a live show while you can still
get good seats at a Crooked Still concert.

I went into these recordings a good deal more in The Commons, which
you can check out by way of the direct Web address that is posted above.


MIDDLE EARTH MUSIC HALL
Bradford, Vermont

One of the most important news stories this week is by no means a
happy one.

Maria and I have both noticed references at the official Web site of the

    MIDDLE EARTH MUSIC HALL

in Bradford, Vermont to concerts to benefit that enterprise's legal
defense fund.  I finally decided to look into what it was about and
found the following news story:

"Middle Earth Music Hall and Shiloh's Head To Court <<
AlgoRhythms"

http://localrhythms.wordpress.com/2006/10/30/middle-earth-music-hall-and-shilohs\
-head-to-court/

Accessed December 3, 2006.

As you may notice from the URL, I am coming to this rather late.

Outside the Burlington area, Vermont's live music community has had a
few real problems lately.  The closing of Fort Apache's The Windham in
Bellows Falls was a serious blow.  A lively series of concerts at The
Church in Brattleboro came to an end.  And though it has been
replaced, so far the frequency of shows is nowhere near equal to that
of the prior series.  The number of live music events in Brattleboro
is substantially down, which is a big problem since, AFTER Burlington,
this has been the hottest hotspot in the state.

Now it seems that the Middle Earth in Bradford is in a dispute with
another tenant in its building.  It is entirely possible for parties
to a dispute to have all due respect for one another.  This does not
seem to be such a case.  On the contrary, my impression is that this
episode has gotten quite nasty.

When looking ahead to Vermont's winter-season music calendar, I saw no
bookings whatsoever for the Middle Earth after late January.  While it
is true that, this time of year, in the past the Middle Earth has not
booked far ahead, entirely blank events calendars is a new thing to my
experience and it looks really ominous.

The loss of the Middle Earth, should such a thing occur, would be a
truly MAJOR problem for live entertainment in Vermont.


JOHN COSTER AND COMPANY
at the Leverett Town Hall
Leverett, Massachusetts

We do not do much with show listings.  We make exceptions for
exceptional reasons.

    JOHN COSTER

is among a handful of the best songwriters out there, but his recent
shows have not been numerous.  These things are reason enough to tell
you about

John Coster and Katherine First at the
Echo Lake Coffee House
Saturday December 16 at The Leverett Town Hall
Leverett, Mass 7:30pm
(in the center of Leverett center)
[toward the middle of town]

Modern Songs and Wild Old Tunes

    John Coster: vocals, six and 12 string guitars,
    chromatic and diatonic harmonicas

    Katherine First: Celtic fiddle

    with special guest Mary Serreze on keyboards

    and surprise visitors.

"Coster's songs blended with some extraordinary tunes from the Celtic
and North American tradition uniquely performed with harmonica,
violin, guitar and keyboards."

   -- John Coster, "Echo Lake Coffee House,"
      December 7, 2006


= = = = =


BRIEF ITEMS :


WINTERPILLS
"The Light Divides" CD
Two quick items

" ... we  [members of WINTERPILLS]  are booking for our cd-release
tour now.  for those in far-off lands who want us to come play in your
town and have been writing: we are planning big tours far and wide for
2007, so look for us, we are coming."

"the new cd, 'the Light Divides,' will be released Feb. 27th, 2007."

   -- Winterpills Mailing, December 9, 2006

I have no idea what WILL happen, but I have my own thoughts as to what
MIGHT happen.  And the Northampton band, Winterpills, very well could
become big national stars.  Front-cat Phillip Price has a solid
reputation as a writer of songs with wide appeal, from his days in the
beloved western Mass. band, The Maggies.  Flora Reed is a noted artist
in her own right, and she contributes the second vocals to the mix
which give Winterpills its trademark sound.  Band members have a real
gift for producing an enticing pop-rock instrumental sound.
Winterpills is recording for a respected label, Signature Sounds.  And
as if all this were not enough, Flora, as the long-time Signature
Sounds tour publicist, is VERY well known and respected nationally and
probably internationally.  It is a powerful combination; and now that
Winterpills is hitting the road in support of its forthcoming second
CD, big things could be happening for this group.


NANCY BEAVEN,
THE RAMRODS, and
GRANNY

Lately we have received e-mails about several New England "acts" that
were quite legendary in their own areas.  The earliest of these
messages had to do with Burlington, Vermont circa 1980 and mentioned
several of the stars of that community, one of them being

    NANCY BEAVEN (rhymes with "heaven").

Just a very few days later, we learned that the heavenly Nancy Beaven
will be playing this year's First Night Burlington.  I wrote our
correspondent back, and she has since told everyone she knows.  Expect
Beaven's sets to be crowded.

The next of these messages (I think it was the one that arrived next)
came from a founding member of

    THE RAMRODS.

Another founding member once assured me that, for most of the band's
existence, it was known simply as The Ramrods.  Nonetheless, the more
short-lived name, The Rockin' Ramrods, seems to be the one that stuck.
  We, though, have adopted the shorter moniker, The Ramrods, as what we
call this outfit.

The Ramrods was a very popular band and was around Boston for a year
or two before The Remains.  The group also backed Freddy Cannon live,
and I even have a vinyl LP on which they back The Boom-Boom Man on a
couple cuts.  This was a very important outfit.

"Act" may not be the best word for the subject of the remaining
message.  But anyway, we got an e-mail about The Rat (the old
Rathskeller in Boston's Kenmore Square) from a connection of

    GRANNY.

THAT  guy is about as legendary as it gets.  He specialized in
producing loud, VERY loud sound at The Rat.  We understand Granny is
going to have it suggested to him that he should visit our Rat Web page.

I'm sure we have readers who will be totally delighted just to learn
that Granny is still around and about.


A
JON NOLAN
News Update

"So here's some good news - I  [JON NOLAN]  started recording my new
album.  Yay!"

   -- Jon Nolan Mailing, December 4, 2006


MISSION OF BURMA
The Internet Blackout

We received a query about the iTunes-only

    MISSION OF BURMA

EP, "Snap Shot," and it occurred to me that we have not received a
Mission of Burma mailing in months.

Have you?

If you have received an MoB e-mailing lately, would you drop us an
e-line via

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm

If we should get the idea that somehow we have turned up missing on
the MoB mailing list, we can write them about it.  I'm just trying to
get a sense as to whether there is a need and, if so, what I should say.

Do you know about "Snap Shot"?  Our inquirer was wondering if it is a
digital reissue of early tracks or, perhaps, a live set.  Evidently
the MoB site does not say, and I found nothing on the question when
searching our computer files.


MY MUSIC-WRITER COLLEAGUE  at the Vermont Guardian has too much going
on to allow him to take part in the official selection of Vermont's
top record releases of 2006, which means I get to make all the picks
myself.  This could result in one eccentric list...


THE COMMON GROUND RESTAURANT
Brattleboro, Vermont

"Known throughout the region and internationally, as a symbol of the
counterculture, The Common Ground Restaurant, a worker-owned
cooperative and a Brattleboro landmark for several decades, closed its
doors a few years ago.  Under new management and a renewed vision, The
Common Ground quietly opened its doors on November 3.  The response
has been overwhelming."

   -- Lynn Barrett, "Media Alert,"
      November 29, 2006

IN THE 1970S,  Brattleboro, Vermont was definitely a counterculture
stronghold, and the Common Ground Restaurant was a big part of it.  It
was also a very popular place to just eat.  And "Pass the Hat
Productions" was a significant presenter of live music in this town.
There were a lot of reasons to go to the Common Ground.  One of the
most important people to our music liked to eat at the Common Ground:
Barry Tashian of Barry and the Remains.  When most of us dig really
far back to the early days of the Boston-Cambridge folk scene, we come
up with Joan Baez and The Charles River Valley Boys.  But the area's
folk community was already well established years earlier with such
performers as Peggy Seeger and Tony Saletan.  And Saletan, too, used
to visit the Common Ground when he could.  This restaurant was
actually a pretty important place.  The reopening on November 3 and
The Grand Reopening on Friday of last week are events absolutely worth
noting here.


HAVE A MERRY AIMEE MANN CHRISTMAS
and a Happy New Year!

Who could have ever imagined that one day we would be able to send you
this seasonal greeting and not be totally joking.  But the times have
changed, and

    AIMEE MANN

has transformed into a jolly female elf who has released a Christmas
album and who is to embark on a tour in support thereof.

    Tickets On Sale Now for the
    First Annual Aimee Mann Christmas Show
    John C. Reilly, Grant Lee Phillips and
    Nellie McKay to be Special Guests

"'One More Drifter in the Snow' is Aimee Mann singing classic holiday
songs as well as the bittersweet Aimee original holiday song, 'Calling
on Mary.'"

   -- "Aimee Mann Newsletter," November 30, 2006

Except for that one easy-to-overlook use of the word, "bittersweet,"
Aimee Mann has gotten wholeheartedly into the HoHoHo spirit, and she
will soon be among us bringing cheer and goodwill to man and woman
from Mann.


"LIVE AT THE VANILLA BEAN CAFE"
Fundraising CD

PETER MULVEY  included this interesting item in his latest newsletter:

"Now available in the  [PETER MULVEY]  web-store is the CD, 'Live at
the Vanilla Bean Cafe.'

"A collection of 18 songs recorded at a great little room in
Connecticut, featuring Peter, Jeffrey Foucault, Mark Erelli and
others.  $5 from each CD will be donated to Hospice of Northeastern
Connecticut, and you can purchase it at www.younghunter.com"

   -- "Peter Mulvey Newsletter," December 1,
       December 1, 2006

IT SEEMS TO ME LAST I KNEW  singer-songwriter Maria Sangiolo was
booking The Vanilla Bean and that it is a family enterprise.  Either
way, it is a listening room that often features acts we like to cover,
and it seems likely this CD compilation of live performances will
interest many of our readers.


MUSIC FROM THE "LITTLE HOUSE"
SERIES OF CHILDRENS' BOOKS
On National Public Radio

Did any of you, on Monday evening, catch "The Arkansas Traveler: Music
and Tales from Little House on the Prairie"?  The main person behind
it is musicologist, Hutchinson Family scholar, and occasional Vermonter

    DALE COCKRELL

of that quintessential Vermont institution, Vanderbilt University in
Nashville.

Whether it is official or not, "Little House on the Prairie" seems to
have become something like the running title for a series of books by
Laura Ingalls Wilder.  Evidently the books skillfully and knowingly
reference a great deal of 19th-century American popular and folk music
and are of real cultural importance.

Here is the show's accouncement from the Vermont Public Radio Web site:

Monday, December 4
9 P.M.

Noah Adams - The Arkansas Traveler: Music and Tales from Little House
on the Prairie

There may be no works in all of American literature that better
document the musical life of pioneer America so thoroughly as the
Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. NPR's Noah Adams hosts
this special hour of songs and stories taken from the Little House
series. Performers include A Prairie Home Companion regulars Riders in
the Sky and other Nashville artists, and readings by actress Cherry
Jones."

http://www.vpr.net/music/holiday_vpr.shtml

I am speculating that this show will be repeated, and it is a
broadcast that I can and do heartily recommend.  Also, there are
records: evidently two of them.  Before sending this issue, I will try
to round up some information or a link of some sort. [Sorry: I don't
actually recall at the moment what this was about, and I am way out of
time.]


TEMPER DEBUT CD
"Hang by Your Own Tail

According to an interesting, if tardy, e-mail from Pete Sutton of the
Boston band,

    TEMPER,

that outfit's debut CD, "Hang by Your Own Tail," was released last
evening at the Lizard Lounge in Lizard, Massachusetts.

   -- Pete Sutton, "Temper CD Release Party,"
      December 4, 2006

Temper band member

    CARLENE BAROUS

noted a few omissions in the CD-release announcement and followed with
her own humorous supplemental announcement.


THE RESOPHONICS
Forthcoming CD

"We  [members of the RESOPHONICS]  are fresh from recording the new
CD. ... [L]ook for CD-release shows at Passim in March and April."

   -- Resophonics Mailing, December 6, 2006


MIEKA PAULEY

Publicity for

    MIEKA PAULEY

has been very hard to grasp.  It shows all kinds of milestones that
have not appeared to be matched by career advances.  But my 2006
interview of her offered one major insight: clearly she is quite
simply not a self-promoter.

A few demos are polished up a bit, or not, and released officially.
It would be tough to beat the Remains Capitol demos or "Nebraska" by
Bruce Springsteen.  But of those demos that we have received strictly
AS demos, the best I have ever gotten is one by Mieka Pauley.  So as
hard as it has been to get a grasp on her past publicity, I have
definitely been interested in seeing what happens next.  The 2006
airplay that Pauley's latest EP received added some flesh to the bare
bones of her prior career highlights, and it would certainly seem that
her career is really headed up as has long been hinted.

An item we received this week from Pauley's management has far more
formatting problems than I have time to deal with before sending this
issue.  I'll try to reorganize it - which is to say, organize it -
before next time.  But it does seem worth saying now that it is
coming.  Mieka Pauley is an artist to watch, and her list of
milestones may be a little more interesting today than when we were
first sent them.  The set of Mieka Pauley highlights should be along
next issue.


DIANE ZEIGLER
Award-Winning
"December in Vermont" CD

"I  [DIANE ZEIGLER]  thought I'd take this opportunity to let you know
that my Christmas collection 'December in Vermont' won the 2006 Best
Holiday Album award at the Just Plain Folks Music Awards in Hollywood,
CA a few weeks ago."

   -- "Greetings From Diane Zeigler," December 1,
       2006

Zeigler also had some personal news that was expressed perhaps a
little too personally for us to be justified in copying it here.  It's
one thing in her own fan newsletter and another going out to someone
else's mailing list: in this case, ours.  But the most important part
of it is that, at the time of her mailing, she was just days away from
giving birth to her third child.


GUSTER
Paying Tribute to
THE BAND

"We  [members of GUSTER]  are honored to have a track on the upcoming
tribute record to The Band.  And we're happy to announce that this
time our song is actually the lead-off track, after landing deep in
the batting order on the Randy Newman tribute record (9th out of 12)
and even deeper in the batting order on the Daniel Johnston tribute
record (17th out of 18).  The song we covered is called 'This Wheel's
on Fire,' written by Rick Danko and Bob Dylan in 1967 and available on
The Band's 'Music From Big Pink' album.  The other artists on the
compilation are all over the map.  The Allman Bros. cover 'The Night
They Drove Old Dixie Down,' Jack Johnson covers 'I Shall Be Released,'
Death Cab for Cutie does 'Rocking Chair,' etc.  It comes out January
30th, 2007."

   -- Guster, "This Wheel's on Fire," December 1,
      2006


In the 19th century and into the 20th century, the

    NEW YORK TIMES

ran some very strange news stories.  The one I have seen most recently
- in this instance, it is a piece from the 1890s - involved a man's
death.  All of the newspapers in his old home city ran, in some
detail, the story of the man's demise.  Memorial services were held.
The entire grieving process was going well, until the deceased wrote a
letter to the editor, disputing that he had died...

Another odd article I need to find again has to do with a woman who
was willed five dollars by her mother.  Someone subsequently went to
court to try to block her from actually collecting the five dollars
from her own mother's estate.


We have it on good authority that

    SANTA CLAUS

is coming to town.  We are not totally clear on Santa coming
specifically your town or to this town, but we understand things are
looking good for Northampton, Massachusetts.


end BRIEF ITEMS


= = = = =


THE BEATLORDS, THE HI-TIDES, AND
I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHO ALL ELSE
Live at Genos, Portland, Maine
Friday, Dec. 15

I really have very little idea who sent us this show listing, though
the "From:" address could suggest that some member of The Beatlords is
behind it.  Nonetheless, for its utter strangeness, it is right up our
line and here it is:

Hey you Ho-Dads & Snow Bunnies!  Time to get off the slopes and hang
ten for some awesome garage-surf mayhem that will surely horrify the
masses at Geno's on Friday, December 15th!

SEE party-goers do the cretin hop to the deep blue sounds of The Hi-Tides!

SEE wild pulsating rhythms performed with near precision by The Beatlords!

SEE scary Nebula skeleton men surfin' to the moon on a sea of
reverberation!

All this and MORE!!

Presented by Bottom Of The East Productions - a trademark of quality!!

Be there!  GENOS - 625 Congress Street - FRIDAY - DECEMBER 15th @ 9 PM!

   -- "Must See Show! Genos Friday Dec. 15,"
       December 6, 2006

Let's go surfin' now
Everybody's learnin' how
And the cow jumped over the moon.


DROPKICK MURPHYS
We Will, We Will Punk You

"We are proud to announce the preliminary details for our 7th
consecutive St Patrick's Day bash and assure you we are more excited
than ever before about this year's festivities.

"Right off the bat our first show in Boston will be Friday March 16th
at our old stomping ground the Avalon Ballroom.

"Saturday March 17th we will be playing a special holiday show at the
Agganis Arena at Boston University. This show will start at 2.00pm.
That's right it's our first headline arena show in Boston, hey we want
to say at least we got to do it once, so come down and support the big
'rock show.'"

   -- Dropkick Murphys, "St. Patrick's Day 2007,"
      December 5, 2006


ELLIS PAUL
His Own Personal Year in Review

"The highlights of my year included a first run tour through Paris,
Germany, and England.  The BBC has been playing my music in Britain
and I am thrilled and would like to thank all of you who called
stations on my behalf both here and abroad.

"Putting out 'Essentials' has been a career-long journey, and I am
more proud of this project than any other I have done to date.  The
process was rewarding, talking to people about what songs this CD
deserved, and listening back to nearly twenty years of music.  Another
year of non-stop touring was again, as always, like visiting old friends.

"I am presently writing new songs!  I've been working on one about Abe
Lincoln!  Who knew!?

"Working with Antje Duvekot this year has been amazing as well,
helping her release her project and introducing her to my audiences
has been a cool way to remember what starting out was like, and
witnessing the impact of first time listeners on a great new talent,
priceless."

   -- Ellis Paul Mailing, December 1, 2006


THREE MEMBERS OF MISSING FAMILY FOUND ALIVE
Friends of Susie Ghahremani (Snoozer)

It makes most sense to tell this story backwards.

Late Monday afternoon when signing into Yahoo Mail, I noticed a link
to an Associated Press news story that I recognized instantly.  Here
is the header and the first paragraph:

3 members of missing family found alive

By JEFF BARNARD, Associated Press Writer 14 minutes
ago

GRANTS PASS, Ore. - Three members of a San Francisco
family missing for more than a week were found alive
Monday in a remote area or southern Oregon, police
said.  A search continued for the father.

Not more than three or four hours earlier, we received the following
from ex-Rhode Island artist/musician

    SUSIE GHAHREMANI
    (gair-uh-mah-nee)

who is better known to rockers as the one-woman band,

    SNOOZER:

"some of you may know the shop doe, one of my wonderful retailers in
san francisco.  kati kim, the owner of the store, and her family
(husband and two young daughters) have been missing in oregon since
friday, november 27th.  there is a search ongoing - if you or anyone
you know is in the douglas county area, please keep your eyes open for
a silver saab station wagon with the license plate 'DOE SF.'  more
information about the missing kim family can be found here:
http://www.jamesand kati.com/ and let's all hope for a safe return of
the kim family."

   -- Susie Ghahremani, "Shop, Art, Craft, Hope,"
      December 3, 2006

Why we received a Sunday e-mail Monday afternoon is anyone's guess,
but it made for interesting timing.

So far, this news story has ended miraculously, and it draws our
attention back to the word, "Hope," in Susie's subject line.

Sadly, since including this news item here, the husband/father of this
family was found dead.


CD REVIEW
Killswitch is vital on 'Daylight Dies'
By James Parker, Globe Correspondent  |  December 5, 2006
in Tuesday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/cd_reviews/articles/2006/12/05/killswitch_is_vita\
l_on_daylight_dies/


Lynn drummer hits it off with `Stomp'
By Terry Byrne/ Theater
Tuesday, December 5, 2006
in Tuesday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/artsNews/view.bg?articleid=170484


BEN TAYLOR AND SONYA KITCHELL
Backed by the Ben Taylor Band

Taylored twosome: Rising Mass. stars join forces
By Christopher John Treacy
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
in Wednesday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=170636


THE TOUGHCATS

Don't call it clawhammer
The Tough cats hit the mainland with Piñata
By Sam Pfeifle
11/29/2006 6:46:24 PM
in last week's Portland Phoenix

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid28486.aspx


THE SLIP

Smooth sailing
The Slip broaden their horizon on Eisenhower
By Bob Gulla
11/28/2006 11:33:34 AM
in last week's Providence Phoenix

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid28075.aspx


THE BEATLES:
UNRELEASED MUSIC AND FILM
By Richie Unterberger

"'The Beatles: Unreleased Music and Film,' written by Richie
Unterberger, has just been published by Backbeat Books.  This
400-page, 300,000-word, illustrated coffeetable-sized book ($34.95)
details the incredible wealth of music the Beatles recorded that they
did not release, as well as musical footage of the group that hasn't
been made commercially available.  The volume examines all the
unreleased studio outtakes, BBC radio recordings from 1962-65, live
concert performances, home demos, private tapes, fan club Christmas
recordings, and other informal recordings done outside of EMI studios
that have escaped into circulation.  Chronologically sequenced entries
for all the Beatles' unreleased recordings of note from 1957 to 1970
are here, as well as all the unreleased Beatles musical video footage
of note from 1961 to 1970.

"Also included are overviews of songs composed by the Beatles that
were never recorded by the group, but given away to other artists;
recordings known or rumored to have been made by the group that
haven't yet circulated; Beatles compositions never recorded by anyone;
coverage of music the group didn't release while active, but later put
out on releases such as 'The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl,' 'Live! At
the Star-Club,' 'Live at the BBC,' 'Let It Be ... Naked,' and the
'Anthology' volumes; and a history of Beatles bootlegs.

"Written with lively critical, descriptive analysis emphasizing the
music and its most human, artistic qualities-and not just where and
when the recordings were made - 'The Unreleased Beatles: Music and
Film' is a history for both the general fan and the specialized
Beatlemaniac."

   -- Richie Unterberger, "The Beatles: Unreleased
      Music and Film," December 5, 2006


AMANDA PALMER
"The Onion Cellar"

Crying game
The Dresden Dolls and the ART grapple in The Onion Cellar
By Jim Sullivan
12/1/2006 8:19:42 PM
in The Phoenix last week

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid28733.aspx


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

Please do NOT click the Reply button.  Clicking Reply sends your
message to several different addresses but NOT to our main address.
It's Yahoo Groups' system, not ours.


.   .   .   .   .


If you have friends who would be interested in any of the items in
this issue, please forward this newsletter to them.  Thanks!


I MAKE ADDITIONS AND OTHER CHANGES to this newsletter, to varying
degrees, after sending the e-mail version.  For updates, you may want
to periodically check the Web-page version, which may be found by way
of the following address:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsnewz/news.htm

Clicking the Previous Issue link toward the bottoms of pages is one
way to access our BACK ISSUES.  There's also a navigation bar at or
near the bottoms of pages which, among other things, can get you to
our latest posted newsletter.


      As a rule, we do not post SHOW LISTINGS.  The reason is quite
simple.  Our readers are spread out all over the map.  Though our name
is the NEW ENGLAND Music Scrapbook, we have readers all across the
southern tier of states - with a large number in Florida and another
large number in the Atlanta area.  Even within the Northeast, we have
readers in each of the six New England states and many in New York and
New Jersey.  The great majority of show listings would be of no
interest at all to most 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.

      We also make a few exceptions for shows in the immediate Boston
area.  Our single biggest concentration of readers, as far as we know,
is in and around Boston.  We understand from e-mails we receive that
we are able to help turn out an audience to many entertainments in the
Boston area.  But even in the case of Boston shows, we make few
exceptions.  Maria's Weekly Band E-Mail is loaded with show listings,
and most of them have to do with events in Boston, Cambridge, and
Somerville.  We don't want to make a habit of duplicating her efforts.

      So, the general rule of thumb is that we don't post show
listings.  In the very few, truly exceptional instances where we do...


      ... 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.


      Exceptionally long addresses may need to be pasted into the
address field, which is probably toward the top of your browser
screen.  Some addresses are so extremely long that they may have to be
pasted in two or more pieces.


New England Music Scrapbook :

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/home.htm

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


Issue 2006:199

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

Copyright © 2006 by the New England Music Scrapbook.  All rights reserved.

   : : : : :

NEMS News #200 - December 16, 2006

New England Music Scrapbook News
Our Corner of the Rock 'n' Roll Life
December 16, 2006
Issue 2006:200

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


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.


.   .   .   .   .


'TIS THE SEASON

I am not personally very well acquainted with the several religious
holidays of this time of year.  And "Seasons Greetings" seems so
generic.  So I will simply say that those of us involved in putting
together the New England Music Scrapbook newsletter wish you the best
of luck, and we hope your special days are joyous.

Personally, I have a major thing for December 14.  Right around a week
before the winter solstice - which is what brings us to December 14 -
sunset starts getting later.  The days overall, of course, begin
lengthening with the passing of December 21.  And I could only guess
as to when sunrise makes its big move.  But around the 14th, days take
the first important babystep in the turnaround toward lengthening
days.  The long days of summer mark the normal state of affairs as far
as I am concerned.  And when the days start lengthening now-ish, it
means a lot to me.

So, Happy December 14 and all the other holidays, too!


AHMET ERTEGUN, 83

Ahmet Ertegun; was midwife to birth of rock 'n' roll; at 83
By Mark Feeney, Globe Staff  |  December 15, 2006
Friday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2006/12/15/ahmet_ertegun_wa\
s_midwife_to_birth_of_rock_n_roll_at_83/

Ray Charles made some fine records before signing with the Atlantic
label.  But with Atlantic, he made phenomenal records and had smash hits.

Aretha Franklin was discovered by the greatest talent scout of the
20th century, John Hammond, and she recorded for the giant label,
Columbia Records.  Then she signed with Atlantic, where she cranked it
up about a billion notches.

Listen to each artist's before and after record releases and it is all
you need to know about the greatness of

    AHMET ERTEGUN.

Between Atlantic's own releases and those it distributed for
Stax/Volt, Ahmet Ertegun backed some of the greatest rock 'n' roll
records ever made.  He will be deeply and sadly missed.


'TIS THE SEASON
  For things to slow down
  Fa-la-la la-la la-la la la...

Though it was unusually long in coming, the rush of the holiday-season
slowdown is now upon us.  I'm just getting started on this issue and I
am nearly finished, all at the same time.


This is a birthday of some sort for us, as we are, on this very day,
posting our

    ISSUE

          NUMBER

                200!

For this type of publication, we have been around a very long time.  I
remind myself every now and again, though, that my friend Maria
McLaughlin published her Weekly Band E-Mail for a good deal longer
than this.  So we won't go worrying about breaking any records anytime
soon.


CHRISTMAS CELTIC SOJOURN

`Christmas Celtic Sojourn' cozies up to audiences
By Daniel Gewertz
Friday, December 15, 2006 - Updated: 03:52 PM EST
Friday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=172233


VERMONT WINTER-SEASON MUSIC PREVIEW

If you have music news connected with Vermont for this winter, please
write me, sooner rather than later, by way of the following Web page:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm

I have run a number of queries.  So far, only one response has come
in.  Unfortunately, it was for an event - certainly a newsworthy event
- that comes too early for our article.  We have little difficulty
learning about events which fall early in any given season.  It is
events which take place late in a season that are hard to get news about.


IN SPITE OF OUR SEASONAL SLOWDOWN,  for some reason I am still in a
last-minute rush, and I am going to have to do some things the fastest
way possible.

Miss Lyn's

    BOSTON GROUPIE NEWS

home page currently has at least two items - could be more - that
should be of special interest to our readers.  One has to do with a
video of

    HUMAN SEXUAL RESPONSE

at the old Streets club in 1982 performing "Question of Temperature."
  Another has to do with an interview with the surviving

    ATLANTICS

on San Francisco radio and also online.  For details or just good
reading, visit:
http://www.bostongroupienews.com/

LIBBY JOHNSON
"Anabella"
I am not at all familiar with the music of Libby Johnson.  But there
are items about her new album, "Annabella," which may be found at
present at the Web sites of the Boston Herald and the Boston Phoenix.
  So, I am noting those notices here.

MOSS MOUNTAIN PROJECT
"Catfish Grouper Snapper"
"Moss Mountain Project's 'Catfish Grouper Snapper' may be the
strangest album to be released in Portland this year."  Now THERE you
have a career endorsement from a guy who really knows the Portland
scene, Sam Pfeifle of the still-great Portland Phoenix.  Why not go to
the Portland Phoenix site and check out possibly the strangest
Portland album of 2006.

PERNICE BROTHERS
At TT the Bear's Place
"Live a Little" - There you have it, the name of the Pernice Brothers
album that Sheryl Hunter is suggesting as a holiday gift idea.  For a
Pernice Brothers live music notice, check out the Boston Herald's Web
site.


ON THE TURNTABLE

It seems to me that "On the Turntable" may have been Mickey
O'Halloran's title for a regular feature in the old Boston Rock and
Roll Museum newsletter.  In a similar spirit, I'll note here the
records being played at NEMS headquarters this morning.

First thing, I got my weekly fix of our fantastic local radio
broadcast, "Saturday Morning With the Oldies."  Ideally some day I
will switch the publication day of this newsletter so I can hear more
of this show.  But meanwhile, it can't be a good week unless I catch
at least part of it.

After that I listened to "Love and Thirst" by the great

    JOYCE ANDERSEN.

Strictly speaking, "Love and Thirst" came out in 2005, but efforts to
promote the disc only got under way in early 2006.  By the time I was
ready to start considering this record for whatever writeup
opportunity might permit, I was already highly familiar with it.
There had been lots of chances to give it a spin.  Joyce Andersen's
"Love and Thirst" is one of my favorite albums of any sort ever.  It
is wonderful to be giving it another listen.

"We're All Going There" by the could-possibly-be-great

    NOAM WEINSTEIN

is much newer to me.  We got a mountain of CDs in a very short time,
and I am nowhere near digging myself out from under the pile.

When listening to Weinstein's previous release, after several times
through my player, I was struck by what an amazing band he and
whomever put together for that record.  For ensemble playing, it is
right up there among the best rock bands I have ever heard.  He said
most of the studio band played together live on one occasion at least,
and that must have been one heck of a show.

Things change, but fortunately this one hasn't.  On "We Are All Going
There," Weinstein and producer Lee Alexander aced the band-membership
thing once again.  So, this album is a real delight to give a close
listen.  I would need to give this CD more twirls in my player to go
into much detail; but beyond any doubt, this is Weinstein's best record.

Weinstein, oddly enough, got his most enthusiastic endorsement from
Mieka Pauley by way of one of my very own Vermont Guardian articles.
Trust me on this: she really did enthuse.  It was great.  If I were
Weinstein, I would not only get Pauley's comments in my press kit in a
hurry but I would also consider getting them worked into a tattoo or
at least printed on T-shirts.

Between our local "Oldies" radio broadcast and great records by Joyce
Andersen and Noam Weinstein, this has been a fine morning for music
listening.


"CAPTAIN BAILEY"
  The Rock Opera

MULLER AND PATTON

is a pop-rock duo made up of ex-Vermonters

    JAYE MULLER

       and

    BEN PATTON.

Word is starting to leak that these two have created quite possibly
the weirdest rock opera ever.  I gather that the production's name is

    CAPTAIN BAILEY,

though my source was strong in the area of vagueness the day he
e-mailed me on this matter.  He is kinfolk.  What more can you expect...

The other person I know of who caught a private showing of this rock
opera REALLY does not like the sort of writing that goes into music
reviews and criticism, so she merely called the show "excellent."

A search of the Internet, using Google and the generally superior (to
Google) Metacrawler meta-search engine brought a grand total of zero hits.

If you, personally, have experienced this work and would care to
comment, please drop us a line by way of the following Web page:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm


CHRIS SMITHER,

a much-admired songwriter, is one of the major figures who tied
together the 1960s Boston-Cambridge folkie heyday with music of the
decades that followed.  Smither is the subject of Dave Madeloni's
column in the Thursday issue of our local newspaper, the Brattleboro
Reformer.  Smither has had a lot of time and opportunities to give
interviews, and one might think it has all been said.  But Dave's
column is a little different take on this veteran performer.  If you
can get hold of Thursday's Brattleboro Reformer, chances are good
you'd find this to be quite interesting reading.

    "Smither Goes Back to Basics and
     Speaks His Mind on New CD"
     By Dave Madeloni

     Brattleboro Reformer
     Thursday, December 14


THE SEASON'S GIFT-GIVING NOTIONS
of Sheryl Hunter

Friend

    SHERYL HUNTER's

"Sounds Local" column in the pull-out Arts & Entertainment section of
Thursday's Greenfield, Recorder includes gift-giving suggestions for
this holiday season.  Many of the ideas are locally-connected, because
it is the nature of Sheryl's column.  I was able to look through
"Sounds Local" but do not yet have a copy of my own.  Here are the
locally-connected ideas that I recall:

    The latest Pernice Brothers CD

    The Signature Sounds DVD

    A Stone Coyotes T-Shirt

    "Wonderland" CD of seasonal music

I'm a bit skittish about getting into artist Web sites and
particularly MySpace sites at the moment.  I may explain why later,
since it is apropos to this issue.  But anyway, a Yahoo search did not
turn up the name of the Pernice Brothers disc - old ones, yes; current
one, no - and I just don't remember.

[I have since been reminded that the newest Pernice Brothers CD is
titled "Live a Little."]

The Signature Sounds DVD is the 10th Anniversary Celebration concerts
video, and it the best of those DVDs I have seen so far - and I've
seen a few good ones.

Anything having to do with Barbara Keith and The Stone Coyotes is
cool.  The T-shirt idea would have never occurred to me, but I'm glad
it came to mind for Sheryl.

"Wonderland" is an exceptional compilation of seasonal music issued on
the Signature Sounds label and loaded with New England-connected artists.


= = = = =


BRIEF ITEMS :


BANGOR AUDITORIUM
A Brief Query

We are connected with two parties we know of who are interested in the
history of live music at the Bangor Auditorium in my old hometown of
Bangor, Maine.  If you have memories of shows you caught at the Bangor
Auditorium or if you have memories of playing there yourself and would
be willing to share your recollections, please write us by way of the
following Web page:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm

This being our traditional slowest time of year, we will probably run
this query again later.  Nonetheless, there is no harm in trying now,
so here we go.

One of the people interested in the history of Bangor Auditorium
concerts is none other than my boyhood friend, Dick Shaw who was with
the Bangor Daily News for decades.  I have already given him brief
accounts of some of the shows I heard there.  My very first big
concert - The Beach Boys - was at the Bangor Auditorium.  This was
shortly after Glenn Campbell stopped touring with the band and was
replaced by Bruce Johnston.  And "California Girls" was either on the
charts or, more likely, it had lately slipped off the charts.  Either
way, "California Girls" was the big, new-ish song.  So we could date
that show fairly closely - 1965, for sure.

If you have Bangor Auditorium memories, we would love to hear from you.


GLENN SHAMBROOM
"Band Math"

"Love Dogs' saxophonist and guitarist Glenn Shambroom has just
released his third cd - Band Math.  It's a tasty selection of quintet,
quartet and trio instrumentals with jazz and r&b flavors.  Features
great playing by Billy Novick, Tom West, Greg Holt, Ed Scheer, and the
Broomer himself!"

   -- The Love Dogs, "New CD From the Boomer!"
      December 11, 2006

GLENN SHAMBROOM  is a diverse talent.  Though many today would know
him for his long run with The Love Dogs, we remember him best for his
service with that crack outfit, John Lincoln Wright and the Sour Mash
Boys.  Shambroom, in fact, co-wrote at least one of the classics of
the Lincoln canon, "Too Old To Die Young Now."


COUNTRY MUSIC FANS
Please take notice

I go way back with musicologist

    DALE COCKRELL

who is with Vanderbilt University in Nashville these days.  Dale has
produced an excellent new album, "The Arkansas Traveler: Music From
Little House on the Prairie," that I will be going into later.  It is
a collection featuring quite a variety of artists including at least
one established star, Mac Wiseman.

I simply LOVE the singing of one of the "Arkansas Traveler" female
vocalists,

    ELIZABETH COOK.

With any luck, she should become a big country music star.  For many
listeners, she may call a young Dolly Parton to mind.

I did not get quite as good an opportunity to give a close listen to
another of the female vocalists,

    ANDREA ZONN,

but she is also very impressive even when heard mostly in the background.

Between these two, there is some very serious talent.

It would be my suggestion to make note of Elizabeth Cook, and we will
get back to you later about Andrea Zonn.


GOOD NEWS AND NOT-SO-GOOD NEWS FROM
NOTED VERMONTERS


GRACE POTTER AND THE NOCTURNALS

"It's been way too long since our

    [members of GRACE POTTER AND THE NOCTURNALS']

last update so we decided to touch base with everyone before the year
comes to a close.  As many of you know, the reason for our absence is
that we've been hiding out here in L.A. banging out a record to share
with the world.  If all goes as planned, we will complete it in the
coming months so it can hit the stores just before the summer."

   -- Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, "'Tis the
      New Year ... Almost," December 16, 2006


ANAIS MITCHELL

We have long thought that Vermont's

    ANAIS MITCHELL

is a righteous babe, but now it is official.  Mitchell's forthcoming
album will be released on the Righteous Babe Records label.  If time
permits, I will rummage further through our latest e-mails to see
whether I can phish out the release date.

Got it:

"Righteous Babe Records will be releasing Anais Mitchell's next album,
'The Brightness,' on February 13, 2007."

Mitchell will be officially Righteous by St. Valentine's Day.


TREY ANASTASIO

Anastasio charged with drugged driving
Sat Dec 16, 6:12 AM ET
Saturday morning Associated Press Article

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061216/ap_on_en_mu/people_anastasio_arrest


THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE RIGHTEOUS?


WINTERPILLS

The latest general mailing from one of my favorite bands,

    WINTERPILLS,

was filled with much more enthusiasm and excitement than usual.  I
since had an e-mail exchange with Winterpills singer Flora Reed, who
was equally upbeat.  Normally, Flora's enthusiasm is devoted to other
artists, while she is quite understated in anything she says relating
to her own career.  She is a very modest person.  So Flora's manner
this time is worth noting.

It is looking as though the Winterpills CD-release tour will be the
group's biggest yet, and it is my best guess that these folks are
totally psyched about hitting the road as a rock band.

A friend has heard some of the new material live and seems quite fired
up by it.

Winterpills is one of a very small number of acts that I believe are
most likely to go really far in the world of popular music.  We will
see what happens next.


THE NOISE POLL
The Voting Seems To Be Now

We received two notices, both from members of a favorite band The
Silver Lining, that voting is going on in the annual Noise Poll.

http://www.thenoise-boston.com


GUITARZAN
I wanna be your guitarist, baby,
Be your guitarzan...

Many of our readers may be interested in the self-released blurb of
the Boston outfit,

    GUITARZAN:

"Instrumental madness in a sea of melody and rhythm.  Guitarzan probes
through the historic depths of rock with originality, irreverence, and
wit.  Audience members laugh and dance as Guitarzan rips apart well
known classics, transforming songs by artists such as The Beatles, Roy
Orbison and the Kinks into new sonic creations. [Roy Orbison and the
Kinks - THAT would be an interesting band!]

"Featuring: Russell Chudnofsky on guitarzan (Lori McKenna, Sarah
Borges, Confidence Men, Skypaint), Joe Klompus on bass (Tracy Bonham,
Kay Hanley, Jack Drag), and Jefferson Davis on drums (Mollycoddle).
Lori Perkins (Jed Parish and the Mother Tongues, Seks Bomba) will be
playing organ, subbing for regular pianozanist Phil Aiken."

   -- Guitarzan Mailing, December 14, 2006


Local guy makes good
By Kevin R. Convey
Friday, December 15, 2006
Friday's Boston Herald

KJB
A Closer Look
Invisible Music | Critic: A

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/discReviews/view.bg?articleid=172088


MYSPACE SITES
and Computer Viruses in Cyberspace

Do you know whether there is any increased incidence of computer
viruses being passed by way of MySpace pages?

Attempts have been made, by viruses, to attack this computer several
times lately, and all were in connection with visits to MySpace pages.
  Though Norton Antivirus blocked the attacks, NAV also disabled my
modem each time.  My modem is not often disabled by NAV, and this has
made me skittish about checking MySpace pages.  In fact, right now I
simply would not visit a MySpace page.  If you have information to
share on this subject, please write by way of the following Web page:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm


DAVID BROMBERG

In late February,

    DAVID BROMBERG

is set to release his first album of new material since 1990.
Welcome, Mr. B., to the era of the compact disc!  I have inserted the
full press release below for anyone who cares to read it, this being a
notable if not fantastically amazing new development.

I wonder whether this would interest my friend Maria McLaughlin,
Bromberg being an early, major roots-revival figure.

Bromberg has friends locally and has played at least three concerts
here, one being in a small room (I refer you back to the statement
that he has friends locally) and two in big venues - big, at least
relative to the size of this town.


I GOOFED WHEN SETTING UP   this Yahoo Groups group.  Either access to
our archive was limited to our moderators as the Yahoo Groups default
or I inadvertently selected that setting.  This week, I opened up the
archive to anyone.  We used to have what I call "stealth readers":
people who want to read our newsletter but who have too great a fear
of commitment to subscribe.  Fear of commitment = guys.  So I imagine
this will take us back to the days of the stealth reader and cut into
our subscriptions.  But we aren't putting out this newsletter for it
NOT to be read, and making access as easy for people as we can seems
to be the way to go.


end BRIEF ITEMS


= = = = =


NEMS NEWS
The Appearance of This Newsletter

After sending last issue, we had someone unsubscribe, saying that the
appearance of this newsletter makes it very hard to read.  It would be
a little easier to understand if the person had said the CONTENT of
this newsletter makes it hard to read.

We are nearing the four-year mark; and to the best of my recollection,
this is the first time this has come up.

I am quite near-sighted.  I just read a good portion of last issue,
without wearing glasses and sitting way back from the screen.  I
didn't have even the slightest problem reading it.

If the appearance of this newsletter causes any of you troubles,
please let me know; and if you could be descriptive of the problem(s),
it could be particularly helpful.  Please write us by way of the
following Web page

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm

if you can make out the direct Web address posted just above.


2006 FAVORITE MUSIC
The Boston Herald Staff
and Freelancers

Our favorite things: The year's tops in music
Friday, December 15, 2006 - Updated: 11:52 AM EST
Friday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=172072

I would want to look through this (several times) because of the lists
pulled together by personal favorite Boston Herald writers Daniel
Gewertz, Larry Katz, and Brett Milano.  Some of the other writers
contributed intriguing lists this year, as well.

Recommended reading.


MIEKA PAULEY
Artist Development History

For several years, we have been receiving data about

    MIEKA PAULEY

milestones, though it has been hard to get any overview of what these
things have meant to her career.  But her latest record release got
some national Triple-A airplay, and that is a thing we do understand.
  So in the context of her career moving up by way of radio support, we
copy the official list of hurdles she got over in order to get onto
our nation's airwaves.

This item broke up worse, in copying, than I would have wanted but not
as badly as I feared.

Here it is:

An Artist Development Success Story In The Making:

• 650 shows on tour across the U.S.A. in 4½ years
• "Stronger" Added at Top 10 tastemaker station
    WBOS-Boston
• Top 3 Commercial Triple A Songs / MediaGuide Unsigned Radio Airplay
Chart
/ A&R Monitor
• Radio play at WBOS, KYSL, WXPK, WBCN, WDST, WAXQ, WERS, WTBU, WFDU,
BBC-London
• 100,000 Myspace song plays / 40,000 profile views
• 32,640 Downloads of "The Way It Is" in 3 weeks: McDonalds/House of
Blues
"Are You Mac Enough" Sweepstakes
• National Tour Dates with Eric Clapton, Black Eyed Peas, Wyclef Jean,
John
Legend, Citizen Cope, Jason Mraz, Edwin McCain, John Hiatt, Mindy Smith
• Winner - first ever Starbucks Emerging Artist Award
• Winner - Rock Boat/BMI Song Contest
• Winner - Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Songwriter Showcase
• EP with producer John Alagia – at iTunes now
• Major U.S. Festival performances: Newport Folk Festival, On The
Bricks,
Dancin' In The District, Rocky Mountain Folks Festival, NACA Nationals,
WBOS Summer Concert Series, WDST Summer Concert Series
• 3x nominee Boston Music Awards
• 3x Boston Red Sox National Anthems
• Winter `07 U.S. tour confirmed
• Jan. '07 Mountain Stage live broadcast to 103 radio stations
nationwide


The Lemonheads are back, with another twist
By Sarah Rodman, Globe Staff  |  December 15, 2006
In Friday's Boston Globe

Evidently the following is an example of what is called "alternate
text" for this article's illustration:

Head Lemonhead Evan Dando has found some new musicians to fill out the
band and help with the songwriting duties.  They've released a new record.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2006/12/15/the_lemonheads_are_b\
ack_with_another_twist/

It has been much too long, and I no longer recall what I thought of
"It's a Shame About Ray" when it first came out.  But "Shame About
Ray" played on local radio a few months ago, and the song has been
running through my head, off and on, ever since.  VERY nice tune.


BEN TAYLOR AND SONYA KITCHELL
At the Paradise, Boston

Young folkies prove two's no crowd
By Christopher John Treacy
Sunday, December 10, 2006
in Sunday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=171306


CHRISTMAS / HOLIDAYS ALBUMS

Blah humbug! Holiday CDs short on Christmas spirit
By Larry katz
Boston Herald Music Critic
Monday, December 11, 2006 - Updated: 04:34 AM EST
in Monday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=171369

Evidently the 2006 Christmas albums / holidays albums Larry Katz heard
were the most disappointing of any holiday season to his experience.

Do you know of any great 2006 holiday season record releases Katz
missed that he SHOULD have heard?

If you do, please e-mail us about it by way of the following Web page:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm


STAGE REVIEW
Dolls, ART make beautiful mess in 'Cellar'
By Louise Kennedy, Globe Staff  |  December 15, 2006
In Friday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2006/12/15/dolls_art_make_beautif\
ul_mess_in_cellar/


DAVID BROMBERG
December 13 Press Release From
the ShoreFire Publicity Firm

MASTER ROOTS MUSICIAN DAVID BROMBERG'S FIRST NEW ALBUM IN  17 YEARS
'TRY ME ONE MORE TIME' OUT FEBRUARY 27th

APPLESEED CELEBRATES TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY WITH A SLEW OF PRESTIGIOUS
ALBUM RELEASES

December 13, 2006 -- Influential independent label Appleseed
Recordings will release David Bromberg's first new studio album since
1990 'Try Me One More Time' on February 27, 2007. Bromberg has been
one of America's foremost roots musicians since the 1960's as a solo
performer, band leader and session man extraordinaire. Appleseed
Recordings is celebrating its 10 year anniversary with several highly
anticipated albums in the coming year.

'Try Me One More Time' presents the singer/musician in a solo setting,
one man and his guitar exploring his trademark mixture of folk, blues,
bluegrass, ragtime, and other "roots" styles on material including the
self-penned title track Bob Dylan's "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes
a Train to Cry," early Bromberg mentor Rev. Gary Davis's "I Belong to
the Band" and Elizabeth Cotten's "Shake Sugaree."

Bromberg, an acknowledged virtuoso on guitar, mandolin, dobro and
other stringed instruments, first made a name for himself in the late
'60s and early '70s as a musician's musician, working as a session man
for Bob Dylan (on 'New Morning,' 'Self Portrait,' and 'Dylan'), Kris
Kristofferson, Tom Paxton, Jerry Jeff Walker (with whom he toured for
several years), Eric Andersen, John Prine, Dion, Link Wray, Ringo
Starr, and many others. The David Bromberg Big Band, with which he
performed and recorded in the late '70s and still reconvenes on
occasion, prefigured the raucous, loose-limbed approach to American
roots music currently being plied by Bruce Springsteen and his "Seeger
Sessions" band.

After touring and recording extensively throughout the '70s, a
somewhat burned-out Bromberg stepped off the music industry
merry-go-round in 1980, moving from San Francisco to Chicago to study
violin making. Lured back to his native East Coast two decades later
by an invitation to serve as an artist-in-residence in Wilmington,
Del., Bromberg has been operating David Bromberg Fine Violins, a
retail shop, in recent years and playing an increasing number of
concerts, most frequently as a solo performer. His most recent studio
album 'Sideman Serenade' was released in 1990.

"We are so proud to add David Bromberg to our fine roster of musical
legends, since David is an incredible musician and performer with a
wonderful feeling for so many forms of music," says Appleseed founder
and president Jim Musselman. "I approached David's manager, Steve
Bailey, months ago about David releasing a new recording, and we both
convinced David to have fun recording whatever he wanted, with full
artistic control."


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

Please do NOT click the Reply button.  Clicking Reply sends your
message to several different addresses but NOT to our main address.
It's Yahoo Groups' system, not ours.


.   .   .   .   .


If you have friends who would be interested in any of the items in
this issue, please forward this newsletter to them.  Thanks!


I MAKE ADDITIONS AND OTHER CHANGES to this newsletter, to varying
degrees, after sending the e-mail version.  For updates, you may want
to periodically check the Web-page version, which may be found by way
of the following address:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsnewz/news.htm

Clicking the Previous Issue link toward the bottoms of pages is one
way to access our BACK ISSUES.  There's also a navigation bar at or
near the bottoms of pages which, among other things, can get you to
our latest posted newsletter.


      As a rule, we do not post SHOW LISTINGS.  The reason is quite
simple.  Our readers are spread out all over the map.  Though our name
is the NEW ENGLAND Music Scrapbook, we have readers all across the
southern tier of states - with a large number in Florida and another
large number in the Atlanta area.  Even within the Northeast, we have
readers in each of the six New England states and many in New York and
New Jersey.  The great majority of show listings would be of no
interest at all to most 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.

      We also make a few exceptions for shows in the immediate Boston
area.  Our single biggest concentration of readers, as far as we know,
is in and around Boston.  We understand from e-mails we receive that
we are able to help turn out an audience to many entertainments in the
Boston area.  But even in the case of Boston shows, we make few
exceptions.  Maria's Weekly Band E-Mail is loaded with show listings,
and most of them have to do with events in Boston, Cambridge, and
Somerville.  We don't want to make a habit of duplicating her efforts.

      So, the general rule of thumb is that we don't post show
listings.  In the very few, truly exceptional instances where we do...


      ... 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.


      Exceptionally long addresses may need to be pasted into the
address field, which is probably toward the top of your browser
screen.  Some addresses are so extremely long that they may have to be
pasted in two or more pieces.


New England Music Scrapbook :

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/home.htm

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


Issue 2006:200

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

Copyright © 2006 by the New England Music Scrapbook.  All rights reserved.

   : : : : :

NEMS News #201 - December 23, 2006

New England Music Scrapbook News
Our Corner of the Rock 'n' Roll Life
December 23, 2006
Issue 2006:201

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


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.


.   .   .   .   .


MERRY CHRISTMAS!


I AM ALREADY BADLY OUT OF TIME  so I am going to have to do some of
the last-minute work on this issue the fastest way possible...

Current issues of The Phoenix newspapers include lists of best local
albums of 2006.  Those lists for the Portland and Providence papers
look to be most interesting, and they are decidedly more extensive.


DANIEL PINKHAM, 83

Daniel Pinkham, 83; composer tackled variety of genres
By Jeremy Eichler, Globe Staff  |  December 19, 2006
Tuesday, Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2006/12/19/daniel_pinkham_8\
3_composer_tackled_variety_of_genres/

News obituaries currently posted in the Boston Globe online include a
piece about classical music composer Daniel Pinkham who has died at
age 83.  I have one album of Daniel Pinkham compositions, and it is
perfectly wonderful.  He will be missed.


TOP RECORD-RELEASE CANON
Of Boston Globe Music Critics
(Minus the Most Important One)

The best CDs of 2006
In a year without that one big disc critics find riches in many corners
December 17, 2006
Boston Sunday Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2006/12/17/the_best_cds_of_2006\
/?page=full

Oh, this is most unfortunate.  Conspicuously missing from this year's
top record picks by Boston Globe music writers is the name of

    STEVE MORSE.

Whatever the reason for his absence, this is way, way, WAY too bad.

Be that as it may, it is still best to concentrate on what we do have,
not what we don't ... and there are some pretty interesting selections
here.

If you don't find

    AT

       LEAST

          ONE

             VERY

                BIG

                   SURPRISE

on these combined lists, I'll be surprised.

Separate from that question is the ever-intriguing set of choices made
by Scott Alarik.  In recent years, his Top 10 picks have often
included records that I didn't even know had been released.  His 2006
list includes three albums I've never even heard of.


THIS IS THE BUSIEST  week before Christmas we have ever had.  I don't
have any way of checking, but this is my distinct impression.  We did
not receive a lot of news compared to most other weeks, but it was
twice as much as I would have expected - or more - for the week
leading up to Christmas.

It is hard to know what to make of the local music news pace picking
up.  Has there been more of it in recent months, or are we just
hearing a bigger percentage of the news that is out there?  Who knows.
  But it is heartening to see so much going on.


BECKY CHACE
"Live at the Barnsider"

The following item came actually from two different sections of the
somewhat complex

    BECKY CHACE

newsletter.  I put in a dividing line to show a known break in the flow.

"We

    [BECKY CHACE  and company]

finally have our 'Live at the Barnsider' CD in hand.  If you'd like
one, come to the Barnsider this Thursday, or to Bright Night in
Providence, or stop me on the street when you see me passing by and
say, 'Hey, can I get a CD!'  Whichever you prefer.

"The CD is a compilation of a few nights we recorded at the Barnsider:
it's cool, rough, live, dark, amusing, you know ... it's everything
Thursday night at the Barnsider is and it's only $10!"

   - - -

"Come to our weekly show at the Barnsider this week but this time,
take us home with you for only $10.  We have a new CD called 'Live at
the Barnsider' and guess what, it's live!  And the artwork is awesome,
done by our friend Jennifer Dubord.  She was able to capture the
essence of Thursdays at the Barnsider in a drawing.

"We only pressed 100 copies and we're hoping they don't last because
we're using the money to start our next CD project!"

   -- "News From Becky Chace," December 20, 2006


NEW ENGLAND MUSIC SCRAPBOOK
2006 Favorite Record Releases

It seems likely we will have a list of favorite 2006 record releases
for next issue.  I have been giving albums another spin in my player,
with possible selection in mind, and I believe the choices I have made
so far number six.

This is an imperfect process, possibly in all respects.  But it's fun.

One of the problems is that clearly we have heard more than ten Top
10-quality new CDs this year.  If we stick to a Top 10 format, worthy
albums will be left off our list.  Later would be a really good time
to decide what to do about this.

Also, we have received more CDs than we have had time to play.  I will
be hearing 2006 albums for the first time ever, through the first
weeks of 2007.


VERMONT WINTER-SEASON MUSIC PREVIEW
Last Call

I got started last evening on my

    VERMONT WINTER-SEASON MUSIC PREVIEW

for the Vermont Guardian.  This is your last opportunity to send
planned or at least anticipated Vermont-connected highlights for this
coming season.

The very earliest date I could get away with covering, as things stand
now, would be Tuesday, January 9.  This assumes I will be filing my
article this coming Friday.  My article will probably run into March
by as much as a week or even a week and a half, though right now the
latest date I have is March 1.

People and events most likely to make an article of this sort include

Vermonter CD releases
  (last time: Trey Anastasio)

national tours by Vermonters
  (don't remember when: Grace Potter)

club debuts
  (last time: Lonesome Brothers at Middle Earth)

CD-release tours by out-of-state artists
  (last time: Kris Delmhorst)

artists the Vermont Guardian has not covered before
  (last time: John Abercrombie)

visits by iconic figures
  (last time: Bo Diddley)

an occasional novelty
  (this time: Pink Floyd Experience)

festivals
  (past summer previews: Discover Jazz Festival)

new series of shows
  (last time: The Church)

return of a native
  (last time: Mia Adams)

we like her even better than her famed brother,
though he's great and we really like him, too
  (don't recall when: Stacey Earle)

something a little different
  (last time: Kalmunity Vibe Collective)

artists in the news
  (YOUR BAND'S NAME COULD APPEAR HERE)

If you have similar announcements having to do with Vermont artists
and events, please e-mail them my way via the following Web page:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm


Gone Baby Gone plans to drum up new player
By Kerry Purcell
Boston Herald Features Reporter
Friday, December 22, 2006
Friday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=173336


FAVORITE VERMONT-CONNECTED CDs OF 2006 :

Green Mountain Sampler
Top Vermont-connected recordings of 2006

By Alan Lewis | Special to the Vermont Guardian
Posted December 22, 2006

http://www.vermontguardian.com/culture/122006/BestMusic.shtml

This year, my Vermont Guardian colleague, Rob Williams, was not
available to contribute to our Best of 2006 CD picks, leaving it all
up to me.

So I scrambled to see what records I could line up for consideration,
in addition to those CDs I had already heard.  This exercise gave me a
few surprises.

First, I thought the best Vermont-associated product of 2006 would
turn out to be overwhelmingly folky.  This is a rather folky state.
And my list is heavy on folk.  But it also includes world music,
country, and rock, so it has decent variety.

Second, totally unlike the typical Best of Vermont list of any other
sort, this one started out heavily weighted toward the southern part
of the state.  The emphasis is almost always on the far more populous
Chittenden County, far to the north of here.

So even though a lot of the wrinkles got ironed out, this is still an
unusual list.

Here are the names of artists and album titles:

MERRIE AMSTERBURG
"Clementine and Other Stories"

    "THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER:
     Music From Little House on the Prairie"

BLUEGRASS GOSPEL PROJECT
"Makes You Strong"

    CROOKED STILL
    "Shaken by a Low Sound"

ANTJE DUVEKOT
"Big Dream Boulevard"

    STEVE GILLETTE AND CINDY MANGSEN
    "Being There"

JAYE MULLER AND BEN PATTON
"5-05-05 Live" DVD

    35TH PARALLEL
    "Crossing Painted Islands"

THE WEISSTRONAUTS
"Featuring 'Perky'"

Since this piece is available online and we have linked to it above, I
will comment on only some of the records and then only briefly.

For all but those with a strong aversion to traditional folk songs,
"Clementine and Other Stories" by Merrie Amsterburg is a must-hear
record.  Simply put, she did a wonderful and beautiful job with this,
her best album to date.

Dale Cockrell's "Arkansas Traveler" CD and the "Arkansas Traveler"
radio program, which is playing on National Public Radio this holiday
season, are two versions of the same thing.  The radio program is a
delight; and if you enjoyed the broadcast, you'll love the record.  An
Associated Press article about "Arkansas Traveler" is due to drop
now-ish, so it could appear in newspapers as early as this weekend.

I do not go way the heck back with Bluegrass Gospel Project, but it
would be my guess that "Makes You Strong" is the group's best release yet.

Those of you with vivid memories of the 1990s-era Web will recall ads
for jFax.  Jaye Muller is the "J" in jFax.  He used to live in
Brattleboro and he still owns a mansion here.  His partner in the
pop-rock venture of Muller and Patton is ex-Burlingtonian Ben Patton.
  In spite of their common Vermont background, Muller lives in London
and Patton in New York.  Muller, a native of East Germany, had a rap
album in the 1990s that sold 300,000 copies as I understand it.
Patton at this point may still be best known for being his father's
son.  Will Patton these days plays mandolin and leads a popular group,
but his greatest renown is as a touring and studio jazz bassist.  The
"5-05-05 Live" DVD by Muller and Patton is the most thoroughly
not-folky record in this year's set (along with the Weisstronauts CD),
which is a reason I am making a little more of it.

Muller and Patton evidently have written and recorded a new weird,
wild and wonderful rock opera.  Last week I understood the title to be
"Captain Bailey."  I could find no reference to it on the 'Net.  But
trying a very different Web search, I came up with "Jonathan and
Bailey," which appears to be the correct title.  It seems likely
"Jonathan and Bailey" will be much in the news once there is an
official release or a tour.

35th Parallel is a gem of a Vermont/New Hampshire duo.  As in the case
of Merrie Amsterburg's CD, for anyone except those with a real
aversion to world music, this is a must-hear album.

Possibly most up-the-line of our readers is "Featuring 'Perky'" by
Pete Weiss' Weisstronauts.  "Perky" has many positive qualities, but
the one I keep coming back to is consistency.  "Perky" is a great
listen from start to finish.

Actually, though, what I just wrote reminds me that I should backtrack
a moment.  It seems to me that many of our readers, especially
Bostonians, will recall the moody, melodic mainstream radio rock of
the 1980s.  It included some really great recordings.  For those with
fond memories of those sounds, Antje Duvekot's "Big Dream Boulevard"
is probably right up their line.  Though Duvekot has quite a folky
singer-songwriter background, this disc is much more a pop-rock CD and
it's a darned good one.  In an interview for the Vermont Guardian, she
told me that Seamus Egan of Solas produced basically the record she
had in mind.  So it does not seem likely that "Big Dream Boulevard" is
any fluke.  It seems likely future Duvekot releases will be more
pop-rock than folk.  Can an Antje Duvekot Band be long in coming?


ROCK NOTES
Time to put the top down
A new beginning, a new album, and a summery pop sound. Things are
finally looking sunny for the Vinyl Skyway.

By Jonathan Perry, Globe Correspondent  |  December 22, 2006
Friday Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2006/12/22/time_to_put_the_top_\
down/?page=full


= = = = =


BRIEF ITEMS :


Do you know of a punk or possibly metal cover of "The Dedication
Song," which was originally by

    FREDDY "BOOM BOOM" CANNON?

If you do, please e-mail us about it by way of the following Web page:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm


THE CHARMS
"Strange Magic" Album
"So Romantic" Single

"  THE CHARMS'  newest release, 'Strange Magic,' is available as a
special limited edition pre-release at Best Buys nationwide.  The
first single off the CD, 'So Romantic,' has been nominated as The
Coolest Song of the Year on Little Steven's Underground Garage.  The
full release for the CD is slated for February 14."

   -- The Charms Mailing, December 23, 2006


New England's big little label

    ROUNDER RECORDS

is moving to Burlington, but not the one we normally write about,
Burlington, Vermont.  Rounder Records is moving, instead, to
Burlington, Massachusetts.  Burlington Mass. rarely comes up for us
for some reason.  Who knows why.  The last time I have a distinct
memory of making a definite written reference to Burlington MA was in
connection with new-wave rocker Robert Ellis Orrall, which takes us 20
years or more.  Orrall has been a respected country songwriter for the
longest time.  So anyway, with Rounder headed for the hills of
Burlington, we expect we'll be hearing more of that place in the future.


YODELING SLIM CLARK SONG
By Jacky Woodbury

Do you have a complete set of lyrics for the song, "The Ballad of
Yodeling Slim," and/or an e-mail address for Jacky Woodbury who wrote
it?  If you do and you would be willing to share your information,
please e-mail us via the following Web page:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm

I have a partial set of lyrics, but I have never been able to make out
all of Woodbury's words.

I still love the yodeling songs
    Sung the Slim Clark way...


ERIN McKEOWN
"Sing You Sinners"

ERIN "MCKEOWN's  fifth album, 'Sing You Sinners,' continues to gather
extraordinary praise in advance of its 9 JAN 2007 release.  Sweden's
Musik says: 'McKeown not only sings these songs; she IS the songs.
She is like a fresh breeze from a dusty era; a Judy Garland in Prada,
not glittering with stardust with a martini in hand, but sweaty from
the neon lights, smoking a cigarette.  Cool is the word.'  the
Providence Journal raves 'Sinners' is 'alive and virtuostic.'  and the
AllMusicGuide concludes a lengthy review by calling the record 'sheer
genius.'"

   -- "Erin McKeown's December Newsletter,"
       December 19, 2006


ANDREA ZONN

We have more academic ties than might be apparent from this
newsletter.  One such tie that actually goes back 30 years is to
Professor Dale Cockrell of Vanderbilt University in Nashville.  Dale
is the scholar behind "The Arkansas Traveler," a great current
holiday-season NPR radio broadcast and one of the CDs on my list of
2006's best (with Vermont ties - Dale is a self-described
once-and-future Vermonter).  Last week I made prominent mention of
Elizabeth Cook, a future country star who has a track on "The Arkansas
Traveler."  Country fans, please take note of Elizabeth Cook's name.
You will not regret it.

I hedged a bit on another "Arkansas Traveler" singer simply because I
kept getting interrupted every time her track came up on my record
player.  Her name is

    ANDREA ZONN.

I am giving her "Arkansas Traveler" track multiple plays right now,
and she is fantastic.  She recorded "Oh! California" with star
banjoist Alison Brown.

I have not had a chance to study up on Zonn at all.  Dave Madeloni
reminded me of a female singer named Zonn who gets periodic Pioneer
Valley press because of her partnership with a former member of the
Valley band, The Sighs.  It would be interesting to know whether the
two Zonn women are related.

Meanwhile, Andrea Zonn is quite terrific, and I am in great hopes of
hearing more from her.


GUSTER AND YOU, TOO

"In somewhat bizarre

    GUSTER

news, there are two crowd shots from our 'Live in Portland Maine' DVD
concert in the new U2 video.  See if you can pick them out."

   -- Guster, "Bono Watches Guster on Ice
      Constantly," December 21, 2006


We did not hear from a soul who is having trouble reading the typeface
of our newsletter.  One person, though, was helpful with the reminder
that readers have options for increasing the font size.


end BRIEF ITEMS


= = = = =


FLUTTR EFFECT
The Fluttr-some Effects of 2006

"In 2006 we played over 60 shows in over 30 cities, released the trio
EP 'Swallows and Sparrows' and the second full-length album 'Marking
Time.'  We completed our first tour of the UK and signed an
international distribution deal.  More importantly, in 2006 we wrote a
ton of new music, connected with hundreds of new people and became
friends with many of the people we had known for a while.

"We'll be back with more music, more shows and more recordings in 2007."

   -- Fluttr Effect, "Happy Holidays!"
      December 20, 2006


Gayle Olson of
HILLTOWN FOLK

The accidental promoter
A love of the vibe turned into a full-time gig for Hilltown Folk's
Gayle Olson
By Dave Madeloni

Thursday, December 21
NORTHAMPTON, Mass.

Here is an article I hope will be very widely circulated.  I get asked
quite often about Brattleboro, Vermont venues, bookers, and promoters.
  I'm betting Dave Madeloni also gets many similar questions.

The pace of live music in Brattleboro has been a bit off lately, but
just about everything has its cycles, its rhythms, its ups and downs.
  It is very likely - I'd say about certain - that Brattleboro will
come back strong.

Since I first started writing season previews for the Vermont
Guardian, it has been apparent that Windham County, of which
Brattleboro is the largest town, is second only to Burlington in the
vitality of its music community.  In addition, the vast majority of
artists we cover in this newsletter come into Vermont from the south.
  And for them, Brattleboro is far, far closer than Burlington.  This
is particularly important to artists who zip off to shows after
finishing their usual schedules at day jobs.  So Brattleboro, because
it has a vibrant nightlife scene and because it is tremendously
closer, is very important to the world of live music in Vermont.
Brattleboro could not compete with Burlington - a much more heavily
populated area AND a college town (esp. the University of Vermont) -
but Brattleboro does not need to compete with Burlington.

For those who recognize the importance of Brattleboro as a tour stop
and as a place to catch a great show, Dave Madeloni's feature about
promoter Gayle Olson is a must-read.

Olson is expanding her Hilltown Folk efforts from Franklin County,
Massachusetts into Brattleboro, so she and her schedule of events
represent the something new that people who are interested in music in
our community need to learn about.


AIMEE MANN

Mann and friends unwrap Christmas early
By Jed Gottlieb/ Music
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Tuesday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=172721


CD-RELEASES, NEW TO ANCIENT
From Your Friends
at Q Division Records

A recent Q Division Records mailing sent to Merrie Amsterburg's fan
list notes recent releases by Amsterburg, Francine ("Airshow"), and
Rachael Cantu ("Run All Night").  I totally love Amsterburg's
"Clementine" and am covering it amply elsewhere.  I don't recall ever
hearing a thing about the Francine and Rachael Cantu records, though
I'd be curious to learn more.

The same announcement also says that "I'm Sorry" by Senor Happy is
about to slip out of print.  So which is it, Sorry or Happy?  Either
way, if you are a fan but do not yet have the album, you had better
get moving.  Or, you'll be sorry...

But the reason we are running this item in the first place is to pass
on word that vintage CDs by the following artists are still in print,
each probably for reasons of its own:

    Gravel Pit, The Gentlemen, The Gravy,
    The Brett Rosenberg Problem, Jules Verdone,
    Jon Brion, Buddy Judge.

   -- "Q Division Records Holiday Sale,"
       December 19, 2006

Some real talent is included in this Q Division list.

I'm drawing a total blank on the name, Buddy Judge.


MUSIC REVIEW
Jewltide offers mixed holiday fare

By Marc Hirsh, Globe Correspondent  |  December 23, 2006
Saturday Boston Globe

http://www.vermontguardian.com/culture/122006/BestMusic.shtml


MUSIC REVIEW
LaMontagne's quiet style speaks volumes
By James Reed, Globe Staff  |  December 20, 2006
Wednesday Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2006/12/20/lamontagnes_quiet_style_speak\
s_volumes/


LaMontagne's in a good place
Ray LaMontagne says his latest album comprises 'the songs that I had
to get out of my system.'
By Sarah Rodman, Globe Staff  |  December 16, 2006

The December 20 Boston Globe notice links to this earlier piece:

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2006/12/16/lamontagnes_in_a_good_place/


Lemonheads produce sweet and sour moments
By Christopher John Treacy
Monday, December 18, 2006
Monday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=172544


THE GRAMMYs
2007 Lifetime Achievement Awards

"Booker T. Jones yesterday was named a 2007 Lifetime Achievement
GRAMMY Award recipient for his work with the seminal instrumental
group Booker T. & The MG's.  Also receiving the award with the
pioneering keyboardist are guitarist Steve Cropper, bassist Donald
'Duck' Dunn, drummer Al Jackson (posthumously), and Lewie Steinberg,
the group's original bassist."

The artists who have been selected for 2007 GRAMMY Lifetime
Achievement Awards are a fascinating group: Joan Baez, Maria Callas,
Ornette Coleman, Booker T. Jones, The Doors, The Grateful Dead and Bob
Wills.

We have no time to comment on the selections beyond noting, in keeping
with our mission, that Joan Baez got her start from a Boston base
(specifically, Belmont), and she was the inspiration for many members
of a generation to come of female folk singers.

The announcement we received about the GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement
Awards concentrates on

    BOOKER T. JONES

of Booker T. and the MGs.

   -- David Bartlett, "Booker T. Honored With 2007
      Grammy Achievement Award," December 20, 2006


THE MAJOR LABELS
Oh, Them Again?

CD sales have music execs singing blues
By Jed Gottlieb
Thursday, December 21, 2006 - Updated: 03:28 AM EST
Thursday Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=173109


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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!


I MAKE ADDITIONS AND OTHER CHANGES to this newsletter, to varying
degrees, after sending the e-mail version.  For updates, you may want
to periodically check the Web-page version, which may be found by way
of the following address:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsnewz/news.htm

Clicking the Previous Issue link toward the bottoms of pages is one
way to access our BACK ISSUES.  There's also a navigation bar at or
near the bottoms of pages which, among other things, can get you to
our latest posted newsletter.


      As a rule, we do not post SHOW LISTINGS.  The reason is quite
simple.  Our readers are spread out all over the map.  Though our name
is the NEW ENGLAND Music Scrapbook, we have readers all across the
southern tier of states - with a large number in Florida and another
large number in the Atlanta area.  Even within the Northeast, we have
readers in each of the six New England states and many in New York and
New Jersey.  The great majority of show listings would be of no
interest at all to most 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.

      We also make a few exceptions for shows in the immediate Boston
area.  Our single biggest concentration of readers, as far as we know,
is in and around Boston.  We understand from e-mails we receive that
we are able to help turn out an audience to many entertainments in the
Boston area.  But even in the case of Boston shows, we make few
exceptions.  Maria's Weekly Band E-Mail is loaded with show listings,
and most of them have to do with events in Boston, Cambridge, and
Somerville.  We don't want to make a habit of duplicating her efforts.

      So, the general rule of thumb is that we don't post show
listings.  In the very few, truly exceptional instances where we do...


      ... 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.


      Exceptionally long addresses may need to be pasted into the
address field, which is probably toward the top of your browser
screen.  Some addresses are so extremely long that they may have to be
pasted in two or more pieces.


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Issue 2006:201

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

Copyright © 2006 by the New England Music Scrapbook.  All rights reserved.

   : : : : :

New England Music Scrapbook News
Our Corner of the Rock 'n' Roll Life
December 30, 2006
Issue 2006:202

E-MAIL via:
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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.


.   .   .   .   .


Hi.

I have got a lot to do and not a lot of day left to do it in, so I
have to put out some of this week's information the fastest way possible.

DAVE MADELONI's  column this week in our local newspaper, the
Brattleboro Reformer, is

"One Humble Reviewer's Top 10 CDs of 2006."

His list features albums by several New England and ex-New England
acts, such as "Mono" by The Lonesome Brothers and "Hope and Other
Casualties" by Mark Erelli.  His list also names national and
international acts.  A lot of our readers would find Dave's column in
Thursday's Arts & Entertainment section to be thought-provoking.

SAM PFEIFLE's  year-end wish lists for the Portland Maine scene are
always interesting, and this year's installment is running in the
current Portland Phoenix.

BOB GULLA  has a hard-to-characterize but intriguing 2006 recap in the
current Providence Phoenix.

To tell the truth, I don't even remember whether I put in a link to
the Jed Gottlieb feature in Wednesday's Boston Herald about the band,

    BOYS LIKE GIRLS.

It looks like a good one; but Herald notices stay posted for free just
so long, and you may want to hurry to the Boston Herald Web site to
get a look at this piece while you still can.

Many of you know our old e-friend

    LUANNE,

ex-Boston Rock and Roll Museum Chat Mistress.

We just got a short but nice note from her.  I had once thought that
Luanne's stay in the South was intended to be permanent; but after
reading her latest note, I'm not so sure.  I guess time will tell...

Much of this newsletter was written during one of the more amazing
allergy attacks of my lifelong attacked-by-allergies career.  Trust me
on this, concentrating on the newsletter has not been easy and I have
no particular reason to think my efforts have been a big success.
Please read on and see what you think.


JAMES BROWN

In the overnight after the death of

    JAMES BROWN,

it was the top story on CBS news, over the death of Frank Stanton, one
of the most important figures in American journalism history, and over
numerous deaths in Iraq.  This says a lot about the impact of Brown on
our nation.

James Brown had a strange career.  He had a big, early hit with
"Please Please Please," and he had some other great records from the
same time.  But we didn't hear much if anything from him for a couple
years or so after "Please Please Please," and then he was back on the
charts.

Someone - probably Charlie Gillette - once did a study of chart action
by various rock stars.  Elvis Presley and The Beatles, of course,
showed up great in terms of topping the charts and making Top 10
appearances.  But when one considered Top 20 and Top 40 hits, the list
of stars who had a lot of activity kept changing.  When extending this
analysis to Top 100 chart appearances, suddenly the name of James
Brown appeared.  This is one measure of how very much time Brown's
records spent on the charts and on the nation's airwaves, though he
did not necessarily have a lot of huge pop hits.  Something somewhat
similar could be shown in relation to The Beach Boys, who had a lot of
hits without often topping the charts or selling a million copies.  So
it was entirely fitting when one hit song spoke of

    The King of the Soul Sound, James Brown
    The Beach Boys singing "I Get Around"...

There is a pivotal film in rock 'n' roll history.  It is called "The
T.A.M.I. Show," the initials standing for Teen Age Music Invitational.
  I have no idea how many tickets the movie sold.  No matter.  "The
T.A.M.I. Show" was immensely influential.  The performance by The
Rolling Stones was riveting.  But the set that left the greatest and
longest impression was the one by The Hardest-Working Man in Show
Business, Mr. James Brown.  There was no other viewing experience like
watching, for the first time, James Brown in "The T.A.M.I. Show."

"Messing With the Blues" was one of the great early career-spanning CD
sets.  But it was the SECOND such great collection for Brown: he
already had out the essential "Roots of a Revolution" (2 CDs).  He had
a big impact with live shows, steady record sales, airplay, jukebox
action, television appearances, film, video, and probably lots more
that happens not to be coming quickly to mind.

One could go on and on about those things that James Brown did first
or best or biggest.  But it would be better to watch "The T.A.M.I.
Show" or listen and dance to "Live at the Apollo."  Or, if you would
like to hear something odd and wild, check out the genuinely amazing
interpretation of "Cold Sweat" on "Bo-Town Does Mo-Town."  That cut is
a nifty little JB tribute.

We will forever miss James Brown.

No one is going to have the slightest trouble finding obituaries of,
and appreciations for, Brown, so we will not be posting links.  But we
will take the liberty of including just this one from the Boston
Globe, published in a city that has a lot of reason to be thankful for
James Brown.

Godfather of Soul James Brown dies
By Mark Feeney, Globe Staff  |  December 26, 2006
Tuesday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2006/12/26/godfather_of_sou\
l_james_brown_dies/

[Against the possibility someone should want to correct me over my
reference to long-time CBS president, Frank Stanton, I'll just add
that I refer to the team formed between himself and the great
broadcast journalist, Edward R. Murrow, which did much to establish
network television as a potential channel for high-quality news
reporting.]


PRESIDENT GERALD R. FORD

During Jimmy Carter's inauguration speech, he thanked his predecessor
for bringing the country together and then stepped over and shook the
hand of

    GERALD R. FORD.

It was a really nice thing to do, but it was also totally deserved.
Ford practically killed any chance he had of getting elected when he
pardoned Richard Nixon, but he put an end to our wallowing in
Watergate.  Such striking selflessness is rare in a politician and is
to be treasured.

To tell the truth, I think Charlie Hunter got a little carried away in
his irreverance following the deaths of President Ford and James
Brown.  But he raised a great trivia question.  Those of you who are
old enough to recall the 1970s, do you remember what a WIN button was?
  I'm afraid I do.

Gerald Ford was quite athletic, and in his early days he worked as a
model.  Did you know?  One of his early gigs was modeling in
advertisements for skiing in Vermont.  A local fellow, Michael Barry
(who was still wearing a J. Geils Band Monkey Island Tour T-shirt into
the 1980s), once showed around a magazine from his family's collection
which included the Gerald Ford skiing ad.

Gerald R. Ford was a rare breed: President of the United States and a
good guy.  He will be sadly missed.


Anastasio reels in fans with high-energy jams
By Christopher John Treacy
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Saturday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=174476&format=text

Hot off the presses of the Boston Herald, complete with a nice photo
of Anastasio.


FAVORITE 2006 NEW ENGLAND RECORD RELEASES

Picking one's favorite record releases of a year is a flawed process
at best.  This year the word, "flawed," hardly touches it.  This is
for a variety of reasons, but the main one is ... We received an
unbelievable number of records in a relatively short period.
Meanwhile, my listening time was cut way back and I was having a
little trouble with my hearing which comes from multiple causes,
notably including food and airborne allergies.  So here it is December
30, and I haven't even heard all the 2006 records for the first time.
  A few of those discs seem quite promising, too, based on past
experience or advance word.  I would have gladly listened to them all
if opportunity had permitted, but it just didn't.

On the other hand, listening to one's favorite records of an entire
year is a major treat, and "Best of" lists can be great fun.  So, this
is not all bad.

New England turned out a lot of terrific records in 2006.  We could
produce a "Top 10" list with fifteen records on it: maybe more.

As for specifically this list, you can be sure that not one of these
records represents merely enthusiasm of the moment on my part.  I gave
these records extra spins to be sure they belong on my 2006 favorites
list.  They all do.

Anyway, here are some of my very favorite record releases from the
year we are just about to lose forever:

MERRIE AMSTERBURG
"Clementine and Other Stories"
This is one of the best and prettiest albums of traditional folksongs
I have ever heard.  The performances are more like those on a modern
singer-songwriter album such as Amsterburg's essential 2000 "Little
Steps" CD.  The combination of traditional material and nontraditional
presentation works wonderfully.

JOYCE ANDERSEN
"Love and Thirst"
This is one of my all-time favorite albums of any sort.  I have not
even the slightest doubt that, if everyone who would really like this
album could find out about it, it would sell a million copies - easily.

BLUEGRASS GOSPEL PROJECT
"Makes You Strong"
The Bluegrass Gospel Project's "Makes You Strong" is one of the
greatest country albums out of New England that I have ever heard.
And my listening to country records by New England artists goes all
the way back to Yodeling Slim Clark singles on the jukebox at Foss's
Restaurant in Milo, Maine in the mid-1950s.  The year 2006 was huge
for Bluegrass Gospel Project, and "Makes You Strong" ought to launch
this outfit big-time into 2007.

THE COMING GRASS
"Beauty of a Heart"
The Coming Grass is best heard one whole album at a time, not a track
or two, here and there.  When given a chance to stretch out, The
Coming Grass makes really fine roots-influenced music with more than a
little "Exile on Main Street" flavor.  I didn't get a lot of chances
to listen this year, but giving "Beauty of a Heart" a few spins lately
was enough to confirm my high regard for the disc when it arrived last
winter or spring.

CROOKED STILL
"Shaken by a Low Sound"
Crooked Still puts a classic-rock finish on old-timey music about the
way Rosanne Cash was mixing classic rock with mainstream country in
the early 1980s.  Rosanne Cash made some of the best records of the
era, and Crooked Still could do the same.

ANTJE DUVEKOT
"Big Dream Boulevard"
Antje Duvekot told me that producer Seamus Egan created the sound that
she had in mind for this record.  So, she is more of a 1980s
radio-rocker than I would have imagined.  Her "Big Dream" is like
music out of Boston that I was grooving to in the late '80s, only her
songwriting is often better.

DAVID GOODRICH
"Dust of Many Horses"
A funny thing about watching David "Goody" Goodrich on the Signature
Sounds DVD is that he makes sounds that don't seem quite possible,
coming from the instruments they do.  In a way, it's a little like
Jimi Hendrix, though otherwise these two are very different players.
I have heard two Goody solo albums, and I absolutely love them both.
"Dust of Many Horses" is one of the most obvious "Best of 2006" albums
on this list.  Goody is amazing!

GRAY SKY GIRLS
"Gray Sky Girls"
The Gray Sky Girls do a wonderful job of mating Carter Family-style
old-timey country music to great coffeehouse folk similar to the 1970s
Maine trio, County Down.  Gray Sky Girl Lisa Bastoni's urge for
simplicity of material and performance echoes back to the 1830s and
The Rainer Family: The Tyrolese Minstrels.  There is refreshing
innocence to be found on the "Gray Sky Girls" CD.  Naomi Sommers has a
solid solo album; but since it was recorded, her singing has changed
and for the better.  Booking is an inexact science, so it is anyone's
guess as to what kind of success the Girls can expect.  But there is
not the slightest reason to doubt that there is an audience of good
size for this lovely old-time music.

THE STONE COYOTES
"Dreams of Glory"
I have said it before, and I will say it again: The Stone Coyotes is
one of the greatest rock bands New England has ever produced.  TSC has
a Rolling Stones sound - Stones comparisons are inevitable with this
trio - but with the addition of a wonderful mix of the best of punk
and metal.  I can't put my finger on why, but I tuned into "Dreams of
Glory" faster than any TSC album since "Born To Howl" a good many
years ago.  Band members are already talking about a 2007 release.

35TH PARALLEL
"Crossing Painted Islands"
35th Parallel is somewhat like Crooked Still.  Each band is innovative
in relation to its genre, but in both cases what is more important is
how well the band does what it does.  To my way of thinking, 35th
Parallel is exactly what it sets out to be.  It mixes traditional
Eastern instruments with contemporary compositions, intriguing
improvisation, and a great groove.  There has been talk of the basic
35th Parallel duo doing shows and recording with highly-regarded
cellist Kristen Miller  It is a thing we would like very much to hear.

NOAM WEINSTEIN
"We're All Going There"
Noam Weinstein can write classic songs; but at the same time, his
albums are uncommonly strong in the areas of wiseguy-isms and
wackiness.  Getting the right balance between these things and more
must not be easy; but Weinstein has done it quite nicely on "We're All
Going There," his latest and easily his best album to date.  Just like
with his previous disc, the crack band makes this CD sound much like a
big-budget production.  Guest organist Tyler Wood, a NEMS favorite,
has some especially fine moments.  At this career phase, Weinstein may
be something of a musician's musician, winning periodic praise in
other artists' newsletters.  Let's see whether "We're All Going There"
gets his music into more general circulation.

THE WEISSTRONAUTS
"Featuring 'Perky'"
It would be hard to be at all analytical about "Perky" by The
Weisstronauts, without merely repeating what I have already written.
Suffice it to say that this is a remarkably consistent surf-rock album
that is easy to like from start to finish.  I have played "Perky"
probably more times than any other album on this list, and I have
thoroughly enjoyed it every time.

Top 1 List of Career Retrospectives:

ELLIS PAUL
"Essentials"
For "Essentials," Ellis Paul did an outstanding job of gathering
together a generous collection of some of the best music of his career
to date.  This set is especially great for fans who, for whatever
reason, have not collected all his regular studio albums or for those
who do not yet know his work but who are curious.  "Essentials" should
sell very well among people in each of these categories.  "Essentials"
ought to become Ellis Paul's biggest-selling album.


I AM WAY, WAY, WAY OVERDUE FOR SENDING THIS ALBUM,  so there just
isn't time to look through the rest.  I hope it came out okay.  We
will know more later...


2006 MUSICIAN DEATHS

Music world lost Rawls, Pickett, others in 2006 Fri Dec 29, 3:59 PM ET

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Following is a list of some leading lights
in the music world who were silenced in 2006.
Friday Reuters/Billboard article

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061229/music_nm/obituaries_dc


A 2006 MAGIC MOMENT

Back in the late 1960s, Boston had a big rock band called

    THE BAGATELLE.

I personally really loved The Bagatelle's one album, "11 PM Saturday,"
and it is entirely possible that I have played it more times than
anyone still living.  If I had it on CD, I'd probably be listening to
it right now.  But as much as I admire the album overall, there is
still one odd little magic moment.  One self-proclaimed loco dude,
Willie Alexander, gave a great Bagatelle performance of my personal
favorite WA song, "Everybody Knows."  It is entirely different from
the rest of the album, as is his other main contribution to the LP,
"Back on the Farm."  But it is particularly when Willie Loco swings
into "Everybody Knows" that I get a crazy case of the chills.

Ironically, many years later, I wrote a permission request to Susan
Green, and she and I have been e-mail friends ever since.  Susan, as I
later learned, was Willie Alexander's girlfriend through much of the
1960s, and he wrote "Everbody Knows" about her.  So, one of my
all-time favorite songs is about one of my all-time favorite people.

Flashing forward to 2006 ... I had forgotten one of my most magic
listening experiences of the year until replaying a lot of favorite
recent CDs.  On "Longhair Music" when the sadly-departed Boston rock
band Din launched into "Funny Man" and band member

    CARLENE BAROUS

made her 2006 debut in my speakers, it gave me just the same sort of
chills as hearing Willie Loco's "Everybody Knows."


= = = = =


BRIEF ITEMS :


HEY, IF YOU GOT A HOT HOLIDAY GIFT  of a New England music variety -
say, a great local CD - why not drop us a note about it by way of the
following Web page:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm

Not exactly local ... but New England nonetheless was quite important
to Bruce Springsteen's early career, and this was especially true for
Boston.  With that in mind, I'll note that I got the live album,
"Hammersmith Odeon, London 75."  There hasn't been a lot of time for
listening, but I've loved what I've heard so far.


RAY MASON
In the Magazine Racks

RAY MASON's

collaboration with his Silvertone guitar is one of the most famed
instrument/picker pairings around New England.  He lately has tipped
off the folks on his mailing list about a current chronicle of
Silvertone Ray:

"[T]he new issue of Vintage Guitar (February with Eric Clapton and
J.J. Cale on cover) contains a feature article on me and my trusty
Silvertone.  Vintage Guitar is available locally at Barnes & Noble.
www.vintageguitar.com."

   -- Ray Mason, "Ray and Silvertone in New Issue
      of Vintage Guitar," December 28, 2006


STILL FLYING UNDER RADAR
After All of These Years

Charlie Hunter, in his latest Flying Under Radar mailing, said a few
things that, at best, are of questionable propriety (though there's no
telling whether it was intentional - he may not have even noticed).
So we are going to skip our usual practice of making extensive use of
direct quotes.  Sometimes paraphrasing can be good.

So anyway, we have been wondering what would be happening to replace
The Windham's concert series in Bellows Falls, Vermont.

We still don't exactly know, but Sharon Boccelli, who runs the
Boccelli's on the Canal restaurant in Saxton's River, has made
available her nextdoor auction room for shows, and Charlie Hunter
intends to book into it.


THE STONE COYOTES

"Working on a new CD and hope to have it ready for spring."

   -- The Stone Coyotes, "New England New Year's
      Eve," December 27, 2006


A 19TH-CENTURY NIGHT AT THE OPERA

By the way, did you know that there is an opera based on

    THE HUTCHINSON FAMILY?

Here is the summary of a library record (Worldcat database) of that
very work:

If I were a voice: an historical opera; Private voices on a public
stage: the Hutchinson family of singers, 1840-1860 /

Daniel Thomas Davis
2004

In 1860 when asked his occupation, Asa B. Hutchinson told the
census-taker "opera singer."  Of course, he was joking.  He was a
great example of what was then called a "natural singer."  Asa would
get a real boot out of seeing himself portrayed in an opera.


THE GLASS SET
Set To Release Some Plastic

"[L]ook forward to major Glass Set updates including CD Release show
info (slated for mid-February) in the coming weeks."

   -- The Glass Set, "Noise Poll Nomination,"
      December 23, 2006


end BRIEF ITEMS


= = = = =


"THE ARKANSAS TRAVELER" COLLECTION
The second CD in a series presenting music
which was woven into the "Little House on
the Prairie" series of children's books.

I'll bet there are people who thought I was totally nuts for picking
"The Arkansas Traveler" as one of the great Vermont-connected albums
of 2006.  First, the record is Americana according to the
OLD-fashioned meaning of the term.  This is hardly the usual matter
for contemporary "Best of" lists.  And second, the album comes out of
Nashville.

BUT...

"The Arkansas Traveler" is exceptionally well done, which puts it in
league with other records on my Vermont Guardian list, Crooked Still
and 35th Parallel albums being just a couple examples.

Second, I know about as well as anyone of "Arkansas Traveler" producer

    DALE COCKRELL's

long-standing Vermont ties.  Just as a case in point, he is in Vermont
this very minute.  And I am about 100% certain that I could produce
letters from him mailed from a Vermont address back in the 1970s.  I
doubt it was mere coincidence that Vermont Public Radio was first to
broadcast the version of "Arkansas Traveler" which was worked up as a
wonderful radio program.

Anyway, a lot of doubts about my selection probably went away in a big
hurry.  Three days after my best-of-Vermont list ran in the Vermont
Guardian, the Associated Press issued a feature article about Dale
Cockrell and his Little House on the Prairie project, of which "The
Arkansas Traveler" is the latest release.  The last I heard, the AP
story had run in at least 60 newspapers, including this example in the
Houston Chronicle:

Dec. 22, 2006, 3:42PM
Professor brings music of Little House on the Prairie
to life

By BETH RUCKER
Associated Press

http://chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/entertainment/4421178.html

If Dale had bribed the Houston Chronicle headline writer, he couldn't
have gotten better results.

Record sales instantly skyrocketed.

[I didn't notice until the very, very, very last minute that the
Houston Chronicle headline has since been changed, and the old
headline is gone from the Google index. Fortunately I still had the
original Chronicle headline elsewhere in a rough draft of this
newsletter issue. It read, "Is a Little House compilation the next O
Brother?" In the area of roots music and even earlier Americana, this
is a most flattering comparison!]

All I can say is, Just remember you heard about it here first.


KIMCHEE RECORDS

ROCK NOTES
Celebrating a decade of independence

By Jonathan Perry, Globe Correspondent  |  December 29, 2006
Friday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2006/12/29/celebrating_a_decade\
_of_independence/


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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!


I MAKE ADDITIONS AND OTHER CHANGES to this newsletter, to varying
degrees, after sending the e-mail version.  For updates, you may want
to periodically check the Web-page version, which may be found by way
of the following address:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsnewz/news.htm

Clicking the Previous Issue link toward the bottoms of pages is one
way to access our BACK ISSUES.  There's also a navigation bar at or
near the bottoms of pages which, among other things, can get you to
our latest posted newsletter.


      As a rule, we do not post SHOW LISTINGS.  The reason is quite
simple.  Our readers are spread out all over the map.  Though our name
is the NEW ENGLAND Music Scrapbook, we have readers all across the
southern tier of states - with a large number in Florida and another
large number in the Atlanta area.  Even within the Northeast, we have
readers in each of the six New England states and many in New York and
New Jersey.  The great majority of show listings would be of no
interest at all to most 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.

      We also make a few exceptions for shows in the immediate Boston
area.  Our single biggest concentration of readers, as far as we know,
is in and around Boston.  We understand from e-mails we receive that
we are able to help turn out an audience to many entertainments in the
Boston area.  But even in the case of Boston shows, we make few
exceptions.  Maria's Weekly Band E-Mail is loaded with show listings,
and most of them have to do with events in Boston, Cambridge, and
Somerville.  We don't want to make a habit of duplicating her efforts.

      So, the general rule of thumb is that we don't post show
listings.  In the very few, truly exceptional instances where we do...


      ... 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.


      Exceptionally long addresses may need to be pasted into the
address field, which is probably toward the top of your browser
screen.  Some addresses are so extremely long that they may have to be
pasted in two or more pieces.


New England Music Scrapbook :

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/home.htm

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


Issue 2006:202

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

Copyright © 2006 by the New England Music Scrapbook.  All rights reserved.

   : : : : :

New England Music Scrapbook News
Our Corner of the Rock 'n' Roll Life
January 6, 2007
Issue 2007:203

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


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.


.   .   .   .   .


ISSUE 203 INTRO

I have a major time squeeze right before and right after work on this
issue of our newsletter, so there is very little I can do but to rush
through as best I can in the small amount of time that is available.

It is highly unlikely I'll get a link put in here, so I will just say
in prose that, if you have ever been a fan of

    JAMES BROWN

you owe it to yourself to get to the Boston Phoenix Web site to take a
look at the notice written by Ted Drozdowski.

I messed up more than a little during some of my public-access
computer time, but I have the distinct impression that the Boston
Globe also has pieces about Brown that are well worth a special trip
to the paper's Web site.

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/

James Brown 1933 -- 2006:

  His life is celebrated at Apollo Theater
  A look back at James Brown's career
  Brown's musical pulse lives on
  Some say Hub owes debt to James Brown
   (For no reason other than that it's true - Ed.)

TEMPER
"Hang by Your Own Tail"

I'm not sure why, but I had a tremendously hard time finding the link
to this TEMPER CD review.  I hope your reading enjoyment and/or
interest in the band is equal to the effort that went into locating this:

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/cd_reviews/articles/2007/01/02/on_her_own_at_her_\
best/?page=full

I have never actually heard Temper, but

    CARLENE BAROUS

is involved in this group.  I am a big fan since her days in a
personal favorite band, DIN.

We are saddened to note the death of the Boston Globe's "Now and Then"
columnist, DONALD MURRAY, 82.  The Globe's obituary headline said that
he "Shared Joys and Sorrows of Aging."

DENNIS CROMMETT
"The Evening Sorrow"

DENNIS CROMMETT  is a key contributor to the success of one of the
bands I am following most closely these days, WINTERPILLS.  While
looking for the Boston Globe's Temper review, I ran across this about
Crommett's own new release:

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/cd_reviews/articles/2007/01/02/on_her_own_at_her_\
best/?page=full

The Boston Phoenix has a CHRIS SMITHER CD review by the great Ted
Drozdowski.

I didn't get much time to work with pieces from the Boston daily
newspapers this week, but I recall one from the Boston Herald going
back several days - maybe as much as a week - about local bands to
watch in 2007.  Whenever it ran, it would still be available from the
Music Section table of contents at the Boston Herald's Web site.

I didn't get time to look through the "Pop" and "Names" columns in the
Boston Globe.  In fact, it seems to me that I didn't even see a new
"Names" column.  Either way, I did not note any new local music news
in today's (Saturday's) Globe.

There also appears to be no new local music coverage in today's
(Saturday's) Boston Herald, though the following Larry Katz notice
looked quite interesting a day or two ago:

Sleep no more! Waking up to the undiscovered CDs of '06
By Larry Katz
Trying to manage the hundreds of CDs that arrive in the mail is...

This, too, may be found via the Boston Herald's music table of contents.

Here are some items I will try to work in next time if they are not
out of date by then:

The band, OSB, has a CD-release event coming up in connection with its
second album.

35TH PARALLEL  made a number of Vermont's top CD-release lists.  No
big surprise.  This is an amazing group.  35th Parallel made the
Vermont Guardian's Best of 2006 list and got on my favorites list.
Easy selection in both cases.  Anyway, these honors and more are now
duly noted at the 35th Parallel official Web site.

I have really enjoyed listening to NOAM WEINSTEIN's latest CD, "We're
All Going There," though it is a bit surprising that there have not
been a lot of opportunities to also read about it.  Maybe we can help
get a few columnists wise to its pleasures.  His catchy tune, "Working
on the High Seas," is running through my head right now.  Anyway, for
a show coming up - and I believe we have plenty of time to announce
some details later, should memory serve - he is bringing back to New
England a singer whose name we haven't seen in a while:

    JESS TARDY.

Sounds like a great show.

While doing some of the compiling that went into this issue, I
listened again to THE LOVE ME NOTS album and thoroughly enjoyed it
once again.  If you can take hammering garage-rock, I'd suggest giving
these folks a listen.

Now, here is what I compiled and/or wrote earlier.  It is basically
unedited.  Sorry!  Time has run out and time has run out again...


I make a real effort to keep the language used in this newsletter
family-friendly.  My position is that we can use expletives, but we
don't.  At the same time, I'll be, you know, darned if I will leave
out an important news story or, in the case this week, an important
expression of personal opinion merely because one or more expletives
are involved.  The Associated Press advises that we warn readers when
necessary strong language is coming along, and that is what we do.  To
this end, let me say here that the Brief Item piece about the Middle
Earth Music Hall in Bradford, Vermont, which I copied from the latest
Session Americana mailing, does, indeed, use strong language that one
does not normally encounter in our newsletter.  Please be advised.


TIR NA NOG
Closing at the End of the Month

"as you have probably heard, our beloved Tir Na nOg will be closing at
the end of january.

"we have 5 tuesdays left, culminating on January 30 with the final
night of music at the nOg.

"let's make 'em count!"

   -- David Johnston, "The Countdown Begins Tonight,"
      January 2, 2007

Actually, I had not heard.  This is definitely unhappy news.


THE LOVE ME NOTS
"In Black and White"

Some of you may remember an ex-Boston enterprise, Twisted Rico.  The
fantastic but totally twisted folks at Twisted Rico sent us "In Black
and White" by

    THE LOVE ME NOTS.

The first time I played it, I absolutely loved it to pieces.  This is
a major example of '60s inspired garage-rock.  I hope it holds up
under repeated playings.  All I can say for now is that I got one heck
of a kick out of it the first time.

I haven't read up yet, but I believe this band is out of Phoenix.


VERMONT GUARDIAN
WINTER-SEASON MUSIC PREVIEW

A midwinter's musical brew

By Alan Lewis | Special to the Vermont Guardian
Posted January 5, 2007

http://www.vermontguardian.com/culture/012007/MusicalBrew.shtml

My favorite pieces to write for the Vermont Guardian, hands down, are
previews of music seasons.  And those notices get a lots better
readership than most other articles.  But winter is a bit of a challenge.

I'm not sure of the explanation ... but Vermont venues, which don't
announce shows very far in advance at best, really, really, REALLY do
not announce bookings far in advance in the month of December.  So
when working on my winter-season preview, I normally don't have a clue
what is coming up until close to the very last minute and,
unfortunately, sometimes not even then.  But the show must go on, as
you may have heard, and I pull together what I can.  It also can be
very hard to set up interviews around Christmas and New Year's.  So,
given all these challenges, I must say I think the Vermont Guardian's
winter-season 2007 music preview came out pretty well.

First, I got a chance to praise "Dust of Many Horses," a simply
wonderful late, late, very late 2005 instrumental album by the great
David "Goody" Goodrich.

A jazz guitarist named

    BEN MONDER

has, at his Web site, a regular biography and then an "Alternate Bio."
  The latter is very strange.  When I read it the first time, I had
some trouble believing my eyes.  So I had a little fun with Monder's
odd little treatise in my Guardian notice.  I'll just add that, after
reading the "Alternate Bio," I'd love to hear this guy play.

I wonder whether it is Jaime Laredo who programs the Vermont Symphony
Orchestra's seasons of music.  It stands to reason it would be him.
But whoever it is, I'm a fan.  This is looking like another great season.

I totally enjoyed my mini-interview with Scott Tournet of

    THE SCOTT TOURNET BAND.

You may know Tournet best as the guitarist of Grace Potter and the
Nocturnals.  He spoke of his own band and its upcoming Higher Ground
(South Burlington VT) show with infectious enthusiasm.

I also really enjoyed a mini-interview with the female member of

    THE BONDVILLE BOYS,

Laura Molinelli.  I have never heard the band's music, but I am about
positive I have seen Molinelli in downtown Brattleboro.  Some of you
may know the Bondville Boys from a great Brattleboro Reformer column
by friend Dave Madeloni.

When checking the Web site of Canadian fiddle hero Natalie MacMaster,
I was surprised to learn that

    JOHN ALLAN CAMERON

was her cousin.  And I was deeply saddened to learn that he died
recently.  Once when he played the old Chelsea House in West
Brattleboro VT, he came out on stage with the aura of an introverted
coffeehouse folkie.  But as his set went on, he drew amazing energy
from the music.  By the time he was done, he had transformed into The
Ramones of solo acoustic folk performance.  It is truly rare to
witness such a transformation.

The New England Music Scrapbook tips our collective hat to John Allan
Cameron.  May his spirit rest in peace.

At the end, the Guardian's winter preview announces some forthcoming
and intriguing CD releases.

    REBECCA HALL AND KEN ANDERSON

started on their upcoming album in 1962, as I remember it, and we got
Hall to practically promise that the disc will be out sometime in the
next few months.

This newsletter account of the Vermont Guardian's winter preview is
mostly general in nature, and it only touches on some of what is in
the full article.  I hope lots of you will get a chance to follow the
link, which is posted above, to get an idea of some of the highlights
of Vermont's Winter 2007 music season.


= = = = =


BRIEF ITEMS :


JIM HARROLD INTERVIEW
Long-Time Proprietor of The Rat
    in Boston's Kenmore Square
Interview in Boston Groupie News

BLOWFISH,  Miss Lyn's colleague at Boston Groupie News, kindly sent us
this information:

"We have the Jimmy Harold interview posted at

http://www.bostongroupienews.com/JimmyHarold.html

Paul Blowfish

http://www.punkblowfish.com/

http://www.bostongroupienews.com/

THE RAT  was phenomenally important to Boston's rock community for at
least parts of four decades, and this Boston Groupie News interview is
going to interest many of our readers.


GREAT BOSTON BURLESQUE EXPOSITION

"In tribute to the inarguable link between burlesque dance and music,
The Great Boston Burlesque Exposition has released a compilation CD
featuring some of the best bands in the area called 'Make Some Noise':
The Soundtrack for The Great Boston Burlesque Exposition."

   -- Sarah Wood, "Make Some Noise," January 2,
      2007


D. C. HATHAWAY
Note to Friends and Fans
    in New England

"I just wanted to give you an update of what's been happening with me
through the years.  I miss all my old friends in New England that I
used to work with, especially John Penny.  Anyways, here's ... a
website address that will catch you up with what I've been up to since
leaving Boston in 1985."

   -- Dwain (D.C.) Hathaway, E-Mail Message,
      January 4, 2007

http://www.dchathawaymusic.com/

http://www.seabeanstudioswest.com/


SOMETYMES WHY

There is a big Welsh population in the part of Maine from whence I
come.  My very name is quite Welsh.  And well do I remember, growing
up, hearing older kids name the vowels as

   A

     E

       I

         O

           U

   and sometymes Y

     and sometymes W.

If you don't believe me, you can ask my friend, Twm.  So anyway, the
name of a favorite folk trio

    SOMETYMES WHY

has always interested me, as does the group and this threesome's music.

Opportunity after opportunity to write up Sometymes Why has been
missed since the release of the oddly spelled debut CD, "Sometimes
Why."  But these gals have finally played right into my hands by way
of a big booking at Vermont's hottest club, Higher Ground in South
Burlington.  A Sometymes Why profile is starting to look like a part
of my near future.

If I get to interview Kristin, rest assured that I will be asking
about her last name, Andreassen, which I believe is the same as that
of a member of one of the more important Boston punk bands of years
past, La Peste.  Are they related?  I'll keep you posted.  But the La
Peste guy does not have a new album as far as I know, while

    KRISTIN ANDREASSEN

does.  So here is the news, straight from her own keyboard.

"Kristin's 'Kiss Me Hello' CD Release Concert is this Saturday January
6th in Alexandria, VA.  Featuring Aoife on harmonies and piano and
lots more great musicians and dancers.  We will miss Ruth like crazy."

   -- Sometymes Why, "Kristin's Concert Next
      Saturday," January 2, 2007

The names, Aoife and Ruth, refer to Sometymes Why members Aoife
O'Donovan (Crooked Still) and Ruth Ungar (The Mammals).


THE MIDDLE EARTH MUSIC HALL
and Its
MEMH Legal Defense Fund

We have considerably less information than we would like about the
legal entanglement that the following item addresses.  It is my
impression - though, at this time, it is only an impression - that a
frivolous use of the courts is involved.

We have seen little in the way of factual information, and I am hoping
that someone with a background in legal reporting will cover this
story for the Vermont Guardian. (Better check to see whether someone has.)

This past week we did encounter several expressions of personal
opinion about this lawsuit.  One piece presents the Middle Earth as a
cultural resource of great importance to the region.  They got that
right.  The following, which involves stronger language than one would
normally encounter in these cyberpages, is copied from the latest
Session Americana mailing.  I take it as an expression of personal
opinion and I present it here as an opinion piece.  Here it is:

"The Middle Earth is a very cool club in Bradford, Vermont.  The club
has had to deal with some pretty shitty stuff this past Fall and we
have VOLUNTEERED TO DONATE ALL PROCEEDS FROM THIS SHOW BACK TO THE
CLUB.  PLEASE COME SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC.  You know, the truth is that
the only reason to run a music club is because you love it and think
it's important.  There's no money to be made and there is a load of
bullshit you have to deal with, including us musicians.  We feel that
the people at Middle Earth deserve a little love and some cash to
fight off some jerks who are suing them for no good reason."

   -- "Session Americana Tuesday Residency,"
       January 1, 2007


end BRIEF ITEMS


= = = = =


MARK ERELLI
The Versatile Folk/Roots Guy

MARK ERELLI,  as we sometimes note, has a varied career:  Show opener,
member of other artists' bands, headliner.  But he is versatile, too,
on other planes.

For a couple upcoming Mondays, Erelli is throwing caution to the wind,
shedding his topical songs, setting aside the sensitive
singer-songwriter thing, and rocking some western swing with some of
his "Hillbilly Pilgrim" bandmates.

We know people who are going to want to catch these shows.  Here are
related passages from two parts of Erelli's latest mailing:

"THE HILLBILLY PILGRIMS:  For those of you living in the Boston area,
there's a special treat this month.  I'll be reuniting with some of
the members of the band from my 'Hillbilly Pilgrim' record for a
couple bar gigs this month at the Plough & Stars in Cambridge.  These
shows will feature Jerry Miller on electric guitar and pedal steel,
Johnny Sciascia (easy, ladies) on upright bass and Lorne Entress on
the snare drum.  You won't hear any political songs or tender folk
ballads at these shows, just some tunes about heartsick loneliness,
highways and drinking."

"Monday, January 22nd & 29th @ 10 pm
  Plough & Stars, Cambridge, MA
  http://www.ploughandstars.com

      "Two consecutive no cover-Monday nights with The Hillbilly
Pilgrims.  Yes, I'll be playing some of the country and swing tunes
I've been letting lie fallow for awhile.  Come down and hoist a pint
with us."

   -- "Mark Erelli - January 2007 Newsletter,"
       January 3, 2007


JOHNNY CARLEVALE & HIS ALL-STARS
(www.JohnnyCarlevale.com)

"Johnny Carlevale is an R&B singer/song-writer hailing from the
northeastern part of the United States.  He calls West Greenwich,
Rhode Island 'home.'  The front man for a raw racket heavily
influenced by the rhythm & blues sounds that helped pioneer rock n'
roll music of the 1950's (with more than a hint of blues, rockabilly,
and jazz for good measure).  Johnny Carlevale and His Band of
All-Stars will keep you wanting more and more with their combination
of originals written in the true rhythm & blues vein, covers from
independent label rhythm & blues artists, and jump blues classics from
the early 1950's on through the early 1960's!"

   -- Sarah Wood, "Make Some Noise," January 2,
      2007


SORRY WE DIDN'T GET AS MUCH IN HERE  as usual and sorry what we DID
work in here is such a rush job.  With any luck, we'll have better
luck next week...


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

Please do NOT click the Reply button.  Clicking Reply sends your
message to several different addresses but NOT to our main address.
It's Yahoo Groups' system, not ours.


.   .   .   .   .


If you have friends who would be interested in any of the items in
this issue, please forward this newsletter to them.  Thanks!


I MAKE ADDITIONS AND OTHER CHANGES to this newsletter, to varying
degrees, after sending the e-mail version.  For updates, you may want
to periodically check the Web-page version, which may be found by way
of the following address:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsnewz/news.htm

Clicking the Previous Issue link toward the bottoms of pages is one
way to access our BACK ISSUES.  There's also a navigation bar at or
near the bottoms of pages which, among other things, can get you to
our latest posted newsletter.


      As a rule, we do not post SHOW LISTINGS.  The reason is quite
simple.  Our readers are spread out all over the map.  Though our name
is the NEW ENGLAND Music Scrapbook, we have readers all across the
southern tier of states - with a large number in Florida and another
large number in the Atlanta area.  Even within the Northeast, we have
readers in each of the six New England states and many in New York and
New Jersey.  The great majority of show listings would be of no
interest at all to most 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.

      We also make a few exceptions for shows in the immediate Boston
area.  Our single biggest concentration of readers, as far as we know,
is in and around Boston.  We understand from e-mails we receive that
we are able to help turn out an audience to many entertainments in the
Boston area.  But even in the case of Boston shows, we make few
exceptions.  Maria's Weekly Band E-Mail is loaded with show listings,
and most of them have to do with events in Boston, Cambridge, and
Somerville.  We don't want to make a habit of duplicating her efforts.

      So, the general rule of thumb is that we don't post show
listings.  In the very few, truly exceptional instances where we do...


      ... 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.


      Exceptionally long addresses may need to be pasted into the
address field, which is probably toward the top of your browser
screen.  Some addresses are so extremely long that they may have to be
pasted in two or more pieces.


New England Music Scrapbook :

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/home.htm

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


Issue 2007:203

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

Copyright © 2007 by the New England Music Scrapbook.  All rights reserved.

   : : : : :

NEMS News #204 - January 13, 2007

New England Music Scrapbook News
Our Corner of the Rock 'n' Roll Life
January 13, 2007
Issue 2007:204

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


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.


.   .   .   .   .


I just gave this issue a hasty look-through and did not see a link to
the Boston Phoenix about current activities of former members of the
Boston band,

    CAVE IN.

If in fact there is no link from here to that article, I believe a lot
of our readers will want to hasten down to the Phoenix Web site anyway
and find the article for themselves.

LAST MINUTE ADDITION:

Extended family
Cave In spin off
By JEFF BREEZE
January 11, 2007 12:33:00 PM
in The Phoenix this week

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid31121.aspx


Just last evening, for the first time, I heard the new-ish "Ghost
Repeater" CD by

    JEFFREY FOUCAULT

out of Greenfield, Massachusetts.  It is one of New England's best
2006 releases.  If you can do it, many of you will want to look through:

Foucault Speaks from the Heart
on "Ghost Repeater"
Brattleboro Reformer
Arts and Entertainment Section
Thursday, January 11

By Dave Madeloni


This week like nearly all others, we have had real difficulty with the
Web sites of the usual newspapers we check, with the Boston Globe
being particularly problematic.  But we seldom have a problem with the
Boston Herald's site, a thing I very much appreciate.  It is also an
added incentive to get on over there to the Herald for Daniel
Gewertz's notice of

    THE BOSTON CELTIC MUSIC FESTIVAL

Jed Gottlieb's article about

    BLACK HELICOPTER,

and the Michael Marotta piece about

    BARNICLE.


I've got to enter a new subscription and then leave for a
public-access computer appointment, so I'm afraid this is all I have
time for.  This issue will have to go out totally unedited unless the
unlikely should occur and I get public-access computer time to work on it.


We start by noting the passing of

    BILL GEHMAN

of Guilford, Vermont.  Bill is an old friend.  But in connection with
this operation, he was many other things.

Bill was a founder and proprietor of a club, the Chelsea House, that
was a major player in the world of live music in this town for most of
the 1970s and into the 1980s.  From the early 1970s through to really
not much more than days ago, Bill engineered an amazing amount of
music recording, from informal cassettes to official releases on
established record labels.

Well after the New England Music Scrapbook got off the ground, we ran
into a major computer problem at a most inopportune time.  Bill fixed
it for us ... and for free.  He subscribed to this newsletter and sent
news materials.  The last time I saw him in person, this newsletter
was our only topic of discussion.  And in the last e-mail he sent me,
he was promoting a local vocal group.

Bill Gehman was a definite part of what we do.  And as far as I know,
in recent years I gave Bill most of his writeups.  So what has
appeared here, along with in my Vermont Guardian articles, was the
great majority of his print notice.  Or so I believe.

Years ago, Bill told me he was not at all well and he could drop dead
at any time.  And it did not take long for his appearance to seem to
show a decline in health.  So I simply was not going to wait until he
was gone to sing his praises as opportunity allowed.

I think it was a little over a week ago that Bill went into a coma,
and he never came out nor did anyone expect he would, as far as I can
tell.

The death notice in our local newspaper, the Brattleboro Reformer,
merely said that Bill died peacefully on Friday morning and that there
would be a rememberance on Monday at the Guiford Community Church.

This is a serious loss for this community and a real loss, too, for
this newsletter.

A lot of us are going to miss Bill Gehman.  May he rest in peace.


I was totally outgunned this week.  I'll spare you the details: the
story runs on WAY too long.  Suffice it to say, then, that we received
an astonishing amount of e-mail and, no doubt, a lot of great stuff
got lost in the flood, to borrow a Bruce-ism.

Aside from the usual sorts of news mailings, the most apropos items in
the week's bombardment had to do with

    JACK LENNON,

John's grandfather.  Jack Lennon played banjo in an American band, the
Kentucky Minstrels, an outfit that toured the country for promoter

    ANDREW ROBERTON.

A descendant of Roberton is researching her family's history, and she
contacted us in that connection.  The New England Music Scrapbook is
one of the very few spots along the information superhighway with any
information to speak of about Jack Lennon and his banjo-plunking days
in the USA.  Yet this is hardly obscure information.  The author of
the authorized Beatles biography referred to it in his book.

Possibly there will be something to post on this later.

Our regular receipts of news mailings were buried so deep in the
unprecedented amount of mail which came this week that I might not
have been able to pull together this issue.  But the day was saved by
Sheryl Hunter of the Greenfield (Mass.) Recorder.

We received a request for a copy of Sheryl's "Best of the Pioneer
Valley 2006" issue of her "Sounds Local" column.  We procured an
electronic copy, which is posted below; and it is this piece, made up
as it is of ten related but separate items, which gave us the start
that made this newsletter issue possible.

Sheryl's column notes several personal favorite acts, such as The
Stone Coyotes, I particularly commend to you the item about "Dust of
Many Horses" by

    DAVID "GOODY" GOODRICH.

Goodrich's releases do not receive a huge promotional push, and likely
the great majority of people who would really love his albums never
hear about them.  But "Dust of Many Horses" was one of the best 2006
CDs issued out of New England, and Sheryl's selection of "Dust" among
her best of the Valley picks is a step toward giving his excellent
album the recognition it deserves.


I have no idea what happened to the

    BOSTON GLOBE

on Friday.  From start to finish of my public-access computer time,
the Globe's Leisure/Arts section was a total blank, except for the
staff photos of Globe columnists and the links to their latest creations.

It was great, though, to be looking at Joan Anderman's staff photo
over and over again as I kept trying the Living/Arts page.  On this
machine, she has a decided green tint.  On the public-access PC, she
looks more life-like.

The Globe's Living/Arts page linked to only one article on Saturday!

The links to Obituaries and their A&E temporary archive took two tries
to work every time, first, each time, hauling up a pop-up window whose
contents would not load.  This is not good.  And it is only the most
recent example of major problems with their site.


Quiet riot
Acoustic music is making a lot of noise
By BOB GULLA
January 10, 2007 4:50:55 PM
In the Providence Phoenix this week

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid31407.aspx

I had to glance through this in a real hurry.  But Bob Gulla's local
music column in this week's Providence Phoenix looked to me like one
of the major articles of the week.  I noticed Becky Chace's photo and,
I belive, a significant item about her.


Hotline: Label un-Charmed by album cover art
By Michael Marotta
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
In Wednesday Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=176218

THE CHARMS  certainly have had a charming history.  Great band.  One
of my favorites.  One of the best ways to slow down an album release
is to fiddle with the cover art.  Make a mental note for next time.
It would be my advice.


RADIO TRACKS

At two adult rock stations, a game of musical chairs for the new year
Terry Lieberman is the new general manager for WXRV ("The River"),
based in Haverhill.

By Clea Simon, Globe Correspondent  |  January 11, 2007
In Thursday's Boston Globe

WXRV-FM (92.5) ("The River") and WBOS-FM (92.9)

http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2007/01/11/at_two_adult_rock_stations_a_gam\
e_of_musical_chairs_for_the_new_year/


SHERYL HUNTER'S FAVORITE
2006 PIONEER VALLEY RECORD RELEASES

As we start off a new year, I have gone through the annual ritual of
assembling some of my favorite CDs of 2006.  This list will focus on
recordings of musicians who live and work here in the Valley and is
not necessarily a "best-of" list.  It is more of an accounting of some
of the music releases that I have enjoyed over the past year - and
think that you might as well.

It is also worth noting that these songs are not listed in any
particular order.  I also have to admit that I have not heard every CD
that was released this past year, so there are bound to be omissions
on this list.

Most of these CDs are available at your local independent record
store, but if you can't find them they are for sale on the artist's
website. (I have included the web address of each musician). And for
those musicians who have upcoming local gigs, I have posted those
dates as well.  So do yourself a favor and consider giving a couple of
these a listen - you will not be sorry.

Happy New Year and happy listening!

1) Jeffrey Foucault :Ghost Repeater" (Signature Sounds)

Jeffrey Foucault holed up in Iowa City during one of the coldest weeks
of the year to record "Ghost Repeater," a beautiful and haunting
record that will stay with you long after the first listen.  The 11
beautifully melodic songs here straddle the line between country and
folk, all while exploring themes of hope, love and loneliness.
Greenfield resident Foucault is joined by guitarist Bo Ramsey (who
produced the disc) as well as a host of other fine musicians.  The
album is already popping up on critics best-of lists across the country.

www.jeffreyfoucault.com

2) The Stone Coyotes "Dreams of Glory" (Red Cat Records)

The first family of rock just keep on cranking out winning music.
Easily one of the hardest working and most prolific bands in the
valley, the Greenfield-based Stone Coyotes have come up with another
fine disc that's anchored by the always solid songwriting of Barbara
Keith.  "Dreams of Glory" has gotten some nice support from the
Satellite Radio XM Country station, but don't worry - the Coyotes
haven't gone soft.  They even include a cover of Motorhead's "Ace of
Spades" on this disc.  A remix of "Any Way the Wind Blows," from the
2002 release, "Ride Away From the World," and live versions of "Whole
Lotta Money" and "Hammer on the Nail" are a welcomed bonus.

The Stone Coyotes will perform at the Rt. 63 Roadhouse in Millers
Falls on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 9 p.m.

www.thestonecoyotes.com

3) Sonya Kitchell "Words Came Back to Me" (Velour)

What a year this was for Sonya Kitchell!  The 16-year-old from
Ashfield made quite a splash with this, her major label debut.  Sure
the critics made a fuss over her age, but they also unanimously
praised her for the way she seamlessly blended pop, folk and jazz as
well as her smooth-as-silk voice.  There were lots of comparisons to
Norah Jones, but it's worth noting that unlike Jones and others ladies
of that ilk, Kitchell writes all her own material.  Kudos for local
resident Miro Sprague, whose stunning piano playing is a major
contribution to Kitchell's disc.

Sonya Kitchell and Miro Sprague will peform at the Iron Horse Music
Hall in Northampton tonight at 7 p.m. as part of the PVPA alumni show.

www.sonyakitchell.com

4) The Amity Front "Highway Bound"

The Amity Front are a new band that gained plenty of attention this
past year based on their great live performances and their debut CD,
"Highway Bound."  This rootsy outfit from Amherst recorded this CD at
the Windham Hotel in Bellows Falls, Vermont, with David "Goody"
Goodrich serving as producer.  The disc opens with "A Song for Suzie,"
where the band sounds like they are channeling The Band, but then
moves into a collection of old time blues and Americana songs.  While
mining the past for their inspiration, The Amity Front manage to
create music that is very much their own.

The Amity Front will perform at the Iron Horse Music Hall on Thursday,
March 29 at 10 p.m.

www.amityfront.com

5) Fancy Trash "Three Cheers for the Cheated" (Nine Mile Records)

Fancy Trash is one of the finest bands working in the Valley today.
Led by Dave Houghton, who writes all of the lyrics and sings them in a
shrill falsetto reminiscent of Neil Young, this trio plays edgy,
acoustic rock that is unlike anything else you have heard before.  Not
only does the band manage to create a punkish vibe without plugging
in, they also are one the few groups out there working with the lineup
of acoustic standup bass, drums and guitar.  Fancy Trash approach
their music in a way that makes them one of the most original and
unique bands in the area.

www.fancytrash.com

6) The Lonesome Brothers "Mono" (Captivating Music)

The Lonesome Brothers have always benefited from having two excellent
songwriters in bassist Ray Masson and guitarist Jim Armenti, and on
this disc, their sixth, the tunes are as solid as ever.  But what
makes this disc different is that this time out the Brothers (which
also includes drummer Tom Shea who also plays mandolin on "Mono") took
a unique approach toward recording.  "Mono" was recorded live into a
single large microphone and the result is a stripped down set with a
relaxed, comfortable feel.

The Lonesome Brothers will perform at the Rt. 63 Roadhouse in Millers
Fall on Saturday, Jan. 13 at 9 p.m.  They will also perform at the
Meadows in Greenfield on Saturday, Jan. 27 at 8:30 p.m.

www.lonesomebrothers.com

7) David Goodrich "Dust of Many Horses" (Thought so Productions)

This disc was technically released in 2005, but since it didn't reach
my ears or those of many other listeners until 2006, I decided to
include it on this list.  Goodrich, who is better known as "Goody,"
has made a name for himself as producer of artists like Chris Smither
and also as a member of the acoustic group Redbird (that also includes
Kris Delmhorst, Jeffrey Foucault and Peter Mulvey).  Goodrich,
however, is a recording artist in his own right and on this
instrumental disc he plays guitar, banjo, kalimba, loops & tape.  Some
of the music here has a jazzy feel while some songs have more of a
folk edge.  But that hardly matters as it is all beautifully
expressive music.  Goordrich wrote eight of the songs here and also
includes a cover a Coltrane tune, a Kurt Cobain song, and one tune he
co-wrote with Kris Delmhorst.

David Goodrich will perform at Memorial Hall in Shelburne Falls on
Saturday, March 3 at 7:30 p.m.

www.davidgoodrich.com

8) Travis LeDoyt "Lonely Street" (****)

Travis LeDoyt has come a long way from his days of performing his
Elvis tribute act on the Greenfield town common.  The Greenfield
native is considered one of the finest Elvis tribute artists working
today, and as a result he brings his act around the world.  But this
past year LeDoyt decided to take a stab at writing his own material
and released his first album of his own material.  The ten tracks on
this album are very much Elvis inspired, and Travis' voice is eerily
like the King's yet these songs are all Travis.  From the rockabilly
sound of "Dig This Rock" to the ballad, "Last One," LeDoyt proves that
he is a talented songwriter.  Anyone who has enjoyed Travis' Elvis
tribute owes it to themselves to check out this disc and enjoy a whole
new side of this talented musician.

Travis LeDoyt will perform at the Orange Town Hall on Saturday, April 14

www.travisledoyt.com

9) Sonic Youth "Rather Ripped" (Geffen)

Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore have called Northampton home for some
time now, so we are going to stretch a little and include Sonic
Youth's latest release on this list.  Sonic Youth are known for their
loud, squalling feedback sound and dissonant guitars, but on this
release their 21st, they have made a record that is easily one of
their more accessible works to date.  The opening track, "Reena," is a
delightful pop tune made even more so by Gordon's girlish breathy
vocals.  In fact, many of the songs on "Rather Ripped" have an almost
pop feel to them.  There aren't many bands that have been around this
long that can still create music that is so fresh and vital.

Thurston Moore will perform at the Iron Horse Music Hall on Wednesday,
Jan. 31 at 8:30 p.m.

www.sonicyouth.com

10) Kris Delmhorst "Strange Conversations" (Signature Sounds)

Not only does her sweet, smooth voice and fine playing make this disc
a standout, but "Strange Conversations" is based on an interesting
concept as well.  Delmhorst built the album around the works of such
poets as Byron, Browning, Whitman, cummings and Rumi, at times
reworking the words of these poets into song lyrics and at other times
using them as a source of inspiration for her own writing.  The result
is a wide-ranging album that spans a variety of emotions and musical
styles.

Kris Delmhorst will perform at Memorial Hall in Shelburne Falls on
Friday, March 30 at 7:30 p.m.

Honorable mention: Stephanie Marshall - "Silk & Steel," Ray Mason Band
- "Don't Mess With Our Routine," The Kennedys - "Songs of the Open Road."

We have more to look forward to in 2007 as new releases are on tap
from Winterpills, Erin McKeown, Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem, Fountains of
Wayne, The Nields, The Stone Coyotes, and many others

Sheryl's Local Favorites for 2006
    "Sounds Local Column
     By Sheryl Hunter
The Recorder
Greenfield, Massachusetts
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Arts & Entertainment Section
Pages 3 and 4

SHERYL'S COLUMN IS INTERESTING  in a variety of ways.  She has one
record on her Top 10, for instance, that I totally forgot to consider
for my own "Best of 2006" list.  She also named a record by a Valley
band that I didn't even know had a new CD.  And I live right on the
outskirts of the Pioneer Valley.

Then there is "Ghost Repeater" by

    JEFFREY FOUCAULT.

"Ghost Repeater" didn't make my "Best of" list for one and only one
reason: I didn't hear it.  It arrived this week and I played it for
the first time last evening.  "Ghost Repeater" is a real honey of an
album by an exceptionally interesting performer.  His notion of being
in a conversation with American musicians, past and present, near and
far, figured into my interview with Professor Dale Cockrell for this
week's Vermont Guardian.  Dale, it seems, has a very similar idea, the
main difference being that he prefers the word, "dialogue."

Thanks to Sheryl Hunter for pretty nearly writing this issue of our
newsletter for us or at least saving the day.


BARNICLE

Hotline: Barnicle wields a whale of a power-pop sound
By Michael Marotta
Thursday, January 11, 2007 - Updated: 05:56 PM EST
In Thursday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=176619


= = = = =


BRIEF ITEMS :


One of the greatest and most familiar pieces of music in American
history came out of Keene (NH) High School.  Can you name it?

Answer at the end of brief items.


I'm headed fast toward being totally out of time, and I have no time
later to fall back on.  So here are some brief items speedily considered:

THE LOVE DOGS,  who in the past have toured quite widely, have had a
member partly sidelined in an experiment in parenting.  But the band
is hoping to hit the road soon, with stops in the Midwest in April and
May and a West Coast trip this summer.  It's tentative.  Watch their
site or this space.

FLUTTR EFFECT's  latest mailing includes an extended discussion of the
PAN9 fire.  I know nothing about it.  But obviously this fire affected
Fluttr Effect members ... and not for the better I gather.  If we can,
we'll run their story later.  But it seems important to mention it
now.  It appears the band could use whatever support it can get.

JOE HUTCHINSON  has a new independently-released CD with the decidedly
NON-Hutchinsonian title, "Just Another Folkin' Son of a Hutch."  He
had a great record years ago with a quirky sound produced by himself
and his brother, Mr. Hutchinson, and featuring topnotch songwriting.
Then he got signed by a label that seemed to think giving him more of
a plastic sound was the way to go.  Hear how he has rebounded on the
new CD.  Joe was originally from New Jersey, though he has been in Los
Angeles for the longest time.  His wife is from Newton, Massachusetts.
  So I imagine some of our readers will know about him and his music.

JAMAICA PLAIN DOCUMENTARY  There was not a lot in the recent mailing
about a Jamaica Plain Massachusetts documentary that we could easily
and quickly pass along, except to say that it is called "Jamaica Plain
Spoken" and there is the inevitable Web site,

http://www.jamaicaplainspoken.com/

The  DROPKICK MURPHYS'  video, "I'm Shipping Up to Boston," is on
YouTube this week and will be accessible (if all goes well, I imagine)
on the official DKM Web site next week.


This town, Brattleboro, Vermont, has a radio commercial running these
days that may be quite familiar to Bostonians, but I have never heard
it before.  It is an advertisement for a show by the Boston band,

    BEATLEJUICE,

at Keene High School in Keene, New Hampshire.

I have checked Beatlejuice show listings in the past, and this Keene
booking I think may be farther from Boston than any I have seen.
Possibly the band has played MassMOCA in western Massachusetts.
Either way, it is great to see those guys getting out, and it is
particularly great to see them getting over our way.  We need them
more than Boston does.  It seems to me.


DESIREE' APOLONIO BASSETT

We recently received an e-mail about "14-year-old girl guitar player /
prodigy Desiree' Apolonio Bassett: yes, her real name.  she is from
Connecticut and is quickly being recognized as a guitar wonder among
the top players in the world.  see her on myspace.com/desireebassett
to see some of the people that have an interest in Desiree'.  she has
endorsements from Peavy, Daisy rock, and Schecter guitars, and has
shared the stage with Kal David, Allman brothers band members, Living
Colour, Andy Aledort, to name a few.  you can see her videos on
youtube.com or aol uncut videos or just type in her name and do a search."

   -- E-Mail Message, Dan Bassett to Alan Lewis
      January 12, 2007

WELL, I AM TOTALLY CLUELESS.  Never saw the name before.  But way back
in 1974 or a hair earlier when thoughts of something along the lines
of the New England Music Scrapbook were first taking their earliest
shape, I started listening to New England country artists (plus Doc
and Chickie Williams and daughter, honorary New Englanders).  One of
them was a really fine Maine guitarist - but his origins were in
Connecticut - Fred Pike.  Not much later, through connections with
John Coster and Jacob's Reunion, many of us in this area became
acquainted with really fine Connecticut guitarists Jeff Pevar and
Preston Reed.  So we have a long history of knowing that Connecticut
can turn out excellent guitarists.  We have requested a hardcopy
presskit and may have more to say later.


THE OUTERSPACE BAND

Every year we hear from

    THE OUTERSPACE BAND.

Every year they tell us the same things, as though we had never heard
any of it before and all of it is news to us.  But once again, Sheryl
Hunter has come to the rescue.  A member of the OuterSpace crowd is
based in her coverage area, and she has given the OuterSpace Band a
feature of good size in her "Sounds Local" column of the Arts and
Entertainment pullout section of the Greenfield (Mass.) Recorder.
This ought to put the OSB in a different and fuller perspective.
Worth a look if you can get your hands on a copy of Thursday's
Recorder out of Greenfield, Massachusetts.


MEG HUTCHINSON

MEG HUTCHINSON  is at Club Passim this very (Saturday) night, about
which she said:

"I've started recording a new record and look forward to sharing these
new songs with you all."

   -- "Meg Hutchinson] January 2007 News,"
       January 8, 2007


JOSH BROOKS

One needn't interview a lot of musicians before being told/reminded by
one of them that the first musical instrument, after the voice, was a
precussion instrument of some sort:  a drum, or bones, or something.
Lately I read a Margaret Fuller poem called "The Sistrum," about an
ancient Egyptian rattle with some degree of religious significance.
Drums and drumming and rattling and beating are things worth thinking
about.

So a Vermont folkie named

    JOSH BROOKS

put out his debut CD in 2001, another album in between that I never
heard, and a nifty EP late in 2006.  The new record, which is called
"The White House Sessions," has a much fuller band sound.  It is, all
at the same time, both markedly better, on the one hand, and just
plain different, on the other.  Anyway "White House" has been playing
in the background.  So Friday afternoon I gave the EP more attention.
  And there was that fuller band sound ... but I wasn't actually
hearing a band.  Odd.  So I checked his credits and found that the
instrumentation on the new record - voice, acoustic guitar, harmonicas
- is exactly the same as that on the debut, except foot-tapping has
been replaced by drumming.  And gee, the difference is REALLY amazing.

If anyone ever puts up money for a pro-percussion public service ad,
Josh Brooks and his drummer buddy,

    KENT BLACKMER,

ought to become the national spokesmen.  Meanwhile, if you want to
develop an appreciation for drumming real quick, give Josh Brooks'
music "before" and "after" listens.  You won't regret it.  Though
Brooks' music has changed in other ways, as well, the drumming has
done him a world of good.

One of the great things about the Signature Sounds DVD is that, by
getting to actually see drummer

    LORNE ENTRESS,

rather than to just hear him, one gets a much better idea of his
considerable contributions to the music he is a part of.  It is
another example of the potential importance of drumming above and
beyond the call of time-keeping duty.

If you recall Kent Blackmer from his Pioneer Valley and Boston days,
would you e-mail us by way of the following Web page

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm

to say who he worked with or to tell any other details you remember?
I am curious as to whether he was involved with any of the acts I
followed in past decades.


MISSION OF BURMA DVD

The kind souls of  MISSION OF BURMA  sent the following news item:

"'Not a Photograph: The Mission of Burma Story - documentary DVD - is
now available in finer stores everywhere http://www.notaphotograph.com/"

   -- Mission of Burma Mailing, January 8, 2007


BECKY CHACE

"Saturday January 13th at Stone Soup

"Our first show at RI's premiere folk club, Stone Soup, is right
around the corner.  If you haven't noticed, we're trying to go folk!
We're still rock 'n' rollers but with more emphasis on our songs and
the connection we'd like to make with our audience ... thus the folk
scene and Stone Soup!"

   -- "News From Becky Chace," January 6, 2007


ANSWER  to Brief Items trivia question:  "The National Emblem March"
by E.E. Bagley.  Bagley was a former member of a little combo called
the Boston Symphony Orchestra.  At the time he wrote "The National
Emblem," he was director of the Keene High School marching band.  John
Philip Sousa - the March King - called "The National Emblem" one of
the five best street marches.  You don't have to be a big Sousa
scholar to guess that the other four were marches he wrote himself.
But "The National Emblem" is that good:  good enough to make even
someone like John Philip Sousa, with a massive ego, make room for
someone else, just once, on his favorites list.


end BRIEF ITEMS


= = = = =


LAURA INGALLS WILDER'S
"LITTLE HOUSE" CHILDREN'S BOOK SERIES
    AND
DALE COCKRELL'S "LITTLE HOUSE" PROJECT

Fiddling With "Little House" Music
By Alan Lewis
Special to the Vermont Guardian

Vermont Guardian
January 12, 2007
Culture Section, Page 18
http://www.thisishardcopyonly.com

Careful observers will note that I almost always cite my information
sources in this newsletter.  We have had academic ties going back
thirty years, and I give my sources of information both because I want
to and also to be helpful to people in the world of academia as well
as to independent scholars.

Our academic ties are numerous and diverse, but none has been more
long-term and regular than our connections of Vanderbilt University
professor and would-be Vermonter

    DALE COCKRELL,

whose main current project has to do with the thread of music that
runs through the "Little House" childrens' books of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

I never saw the TV series and all I know about it is that one of the
girls grew up to be remarkably cute.  I also have never read the
books.  But it sounds to me as though the "Little House" books have
much in common with "Caddie Woodlawn" by Carol Ryrie Brink, and it
doesn't get any better than "Caddie Woodlawn."

When Dale's son was 8, they started reading together the "Little
House" books, and the wheels in Dale's researcher mind started
rolling.  He found that 126 songs and tunes were referenced in the
books, and that music figured in as an integral part of Wilder's
storytelling.

A lot of the very best literature - both fiction and nonfiction - is
written for children, and this should not be taken lightly.  And I'll
just make quick note of the fact that I often find myself sitting at a
microfilm machine next another machine being used by one of the greats
of children's books, Newbery Medal winner Karen Hesse.  Newbery Medal
winners are in rare company.

So this past holiday season, "The Arkansas Traveler" played on
National Public Radio stations across our land, starting,
appropriately enough, with Vermont Public Radio.  "The Arkansas
Traveler" is a simply marvelous one-hour broadcast based on Dale's
latest compilation CD, "The Arkansas Traveler."  It is the second
release in his "Little House" series (www.pasfiddle.com).

The first release, "Happy Land," is excellent.  But it is a great
example of the fact that one CD does not a series make.  Now, with a
second disc out there, the "Little House" set is starting to take
shape.  And this is the sort of recreation of early American music
that had a heyday in the late 1970s and into the early years of the CD
era.  If you like historic American music, "The Arkansas Traveler" is
just the sort of disc to be listening to.  But while the music is old,
the performers are very much alive and in various stages of music
careers: from veteran Mac Wiseman to Elizabeth Cook, who is brand new
to me.

ELIZABETH COOK

contributed "Old Dan Tucker" to "The Arkansas Traveler."  And based on
hearing this one cut, it would seem absolutely astonishing if she does
any less than become a big country music star.  She and Andrea Zonn
make exceptionally strong impressions.

If you can get hold of a Vermont Guardian, why not check out my Dale
Cockrell/"Little House" notice.


Shades of Grey
Roy Davis debuts with a ramshackle warmth
By SAM PFEIFLE
January 11, 2007 12:14:51 PM
In the Portland Phoenix this week

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid31544.aspx


ROCK NOTES
Primal urges, zombies, and hell rockets -- but they say it's not punk rock
By Jonathan Perry, Globe Correspondent  |  January 12, 2007
Sort of in Friday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2007/01/12/primal_urges_zombies_and_hell\
_rockets____but_they_say_its_not_punk_rock/?page=full

The Boston Globe certainly is hard to use online these days.  I found
this at the very last minute and only got enough of a glance to think
it is about the Son of Pig Pile Records.

Some readers may remember Pig Pile Records, and Allen Bush of
Stratosphere Communications, and a favorite little band, Three Day
Threshold.  They represent Golden Days of some sort, and this "Rock
Notes" column is bound to interest many of our readers, myself included.


Something borrowed
Why is an imaginative songwriter like Erin McKeown releasing an album
of covers?

By Andrew Gilbert, Globe Correspondent  |  January 12, 2007
Kind of in Friday's Boston Globe
    in a way

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2007/01/12/something_borrowed/?page=full


HAND OF GOD
Documentary

"This coming Tuesday, Jan. 16th, our documentary 'Hand of God' will
have its national broadcast premiere on the much respected PBS public
affairs series FRONTLINE.  The show airs at 9pm in most markets (8pm &
10pm in others) but you should check local listings. We are excited by
the platform this prestigious program will give our film and its
subject.  It has been almost four years to the date when we first
started filming – with the closing of my parent's church. Somewhere a
God is smirking over this synchronicity.

"We are tempering our expectations since our broadcast is up against
American Idol, but our show will be repeated often, so hopefully
people will find there way to it.  Here is the FRONTLINE/Hand of God
website where you can find your local station and time:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/handofgod/"

   -- "'Hand of God' on PBS Frontline," January 11,
        2007


POP MUSIC
She's managing
As she guides the career of her pop-star daughter, JoJo, Diana
Levesque juggles work and worries, and continues to stress books over
bookings for the 16-year-old

By Joan Anderman, Globe Staff  |  January 7, 2007
In the Boston Sunday Globe

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2007/01/07/shes_managing/?page=full


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

Please do NOT click the Reply button.  Clicking Reply sends your
message to several different addresses but NOT to our main address.
It's Yahoo Groups' system, not ours.


.   .   .   .   .


If you have friends who would be interested in any of the items in
this issue, please forward this newsletter to them.  Thanks!


I MAKE ADDITIONS AND OTHER CHANGES to this newsletter, to varying
degrees, after sending the e-mail version.  For updates, you may want
to periodically check the Web-page version, which may be found by way
of the following address:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsnewz/news.htm

Clicking the Previous Issue link toward the bottoms of pages is one
way to access our BACK ISSUES.  There's also a navigation bar at or
near the bottoms of pages which, among other things, can get you to
our latest posted newsletter.


      As a rule, we do not post SHOW LISTINGS.  The reason is quite
simple.  Our readers are spread out all over the map.  Though our name
is the NEW ENGLAND Music Scrapbook, we have readers all across the
southern tier of states - with a large number in Florida and another
large number in the Atlanta area.  Even within the Northeast, we have
readers in each of the six New England states and many in New York and
New Jersey.  The great majority of show listings would be of no
interest at all to most 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.

      We also make a few exceptions for shows in the immediate Boston
area.  Our single biggest concentration of readers, as far as we know,
is in and around Boston.  We understand from e-mails we receive that
we are able to help turn out an audience to many entertainments in the
Boston area.  But even in the case of Boston shows, we make few
exceptions.  Maria's Weekly Band E-Mail is loaded with show listings,
and most of them have to do with events in Boston, Cambridge, and
Somerville.  We don't want to make a habit of duplicating her efforts.

      So, the general rule of thumb is that we don't post show
listings.  In the very few, truly exceptional instances where we do...


      ... 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.


      Exceptionally long addresses may need to be pasted into the
address field, which is probably toward the top of your browser
screen.  Some addresses are so extremely long that they may have to be
pasted in two or more pieces.


New England Music Scrapbook :

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/home.htm

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


Issue 2007:204

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

Copyright © 2007 by the New England Music Scrapbook.  All rights reserved.

   : : : : :

New England Music Scrapbook News
Our Corner of the Rock 'n' Roll Life
January 20, 2007
Issue 2007:205

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


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.


.   .   .   .   .


Time has been at a premium, but I have hussled as much information in
here as I can.  I also gave this issue a quick look-through, which is
not to say that there are not things still in need of fixing.  But
given limited time, I did the best I could.  The only item coming to
mind that I have not at least referred to, until now, is a late
arrival about productions of the

    VOODOO JETS

being used in Alpine promotions for an iPod for cars.

One thing I had thought to include but that I am not fitting in is a
query about the availability of recordings by an early 1980s Boston band

    PASTICHE.

I passed on the question to Mr. Curt who responded quite quickly.  So
I guess he will be fielding that question directly himself.

It is already early Saturday afternoon and I simply must switch over
to another project.  So this is the form our Issue 205 is taking, and
I only hope it came out okay.


I have copied below, in entirety, the FLUTTR EFFECT mailing about the

    PAN9 FIRE.


BOSTON TEA PARTY
40th Anniversary

"MM/ONE, the Music Museum Of New England, and The Bostonian Society
invite you to commemorate the 40th anniversary of The Boston Tea Party
rock club.

"Tea Party first opened its doors on January 20, 1967 and soon became
one of the premier performance venues of the '60s.  It presented many
of the great bands of that era from the U.S. and U.K., and showcased
upcoming talent from the Boston area.

"To honor the Tea Party, and its contribution to the city and to the
world of popular music, The Bostonian Society will unveil a historical
marker to be attached to the building in the South End where the club
was originally located."

   -- Steve Nelson, "Boston Tea Party Anniversary,"
      January 16, 2007

NOTE  that the following item also is about the Music Museum of New
England and is by one of the great Boston scene observers, Brett Milano.


MUSIC MUSEUM OF NEW ENGLAND
By Brett Milano

Hub rock vets hope New England music museum clicks with fans
By Brett Milano/ Music
Wednesday, January 17, 2007 - Updated: Jan 18, 2007 11:27 AM EST
In Wednesday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=177681


ROCK NOTES
First album is better late than never for Prime Movers
By Jonathan Perry, Globe Correspondent  |  January 19, 2007
Sort of in Friday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2007/01/19/first_album_is_better_late_th\
an_never_for_prime_movers/

I'm finding the Boston Globe to be REALLY hard to use these days.  A
case in point:  Would many of our readers be interested in a Jonathan
Perry column about Boston's

    THE PRIME MOVERS?

Darned tootin'.  But as of 11 o'clock Friday morning, when my generous
allotment of public-access computer time was winding down, the Globe
still hadn't posted the Perry column.  I learned about it, later,
totally by accident, when trying to find a copy of a Globe notice
about hot new bands to watch.

Better late than never?  Yeah, yeah, I suppose.  So here is the direct
Web address for the Prime Movers piece by Jonathan Perry:

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2007/01/19/first_album_is_better_late_th\
an_never_for_prime_movers/?page=full

Perry is a fine writer and no doubt has his influence.  But the Prime
Movers must be even more pleased by receiving the coveted Carlene
Barous Seal of Garage-Rock Approval.

Writing in advance of

    THE PRIME MOVERS

CD-release event, Ms. Barous wrote, "The Prime Movers are in the top
two or three for best local live garage rock band, in my book.  And
even though they've been around for 20 years or whatevah, this is
their first full length record.  Late bloomers who perform like they
were born yesterday (in a good way)."

   -- Carlene Barous, "Temper on the Radio,"
      January 17, 2007


ERIN McKEOWN

Erin McKeown Says "Sing, You Sinners"
Having Put Her Own Twist on Some Old Standards,
She'll Celebrate New CD Saturday

The Recorder
Greenfield, Massachusetts
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Pullout Arts and Entertainment Section
Pages 3 and 4

Friend Sheryl Hunter has a very, VERY large column this week about
western Mass.-based singer-songwriter

    ERIN McKEOWN.

I saw it but unfortunately didn't get to read it.  A thing in Sheryl's
column reminded me of another thing I had to do in a major hurry, I
threw down The Recorder, and got gone in record time.  Nonetheless,
Sheryl's columns are always great.  If you can get hold of the A&E
pullout section of Thursday's Greenfield (Mass.) Recorder, I imagine
you will learn a thing or two about Ms. McKeown and her latest release.

There was a time when the best Erin McKeown notices were mostly in the
Providence newspapers.  She got her start from a Providence base,
during her Brown University days.  But McKeown has lived in western
Mass. for a long time now, and I think Sheryl may have the edge on
this topic.  The Recorder CERTAINLY allowed her plenty of space.  I
marveled at the sheer size of Sheryl's "Sounds Local" column when I
saw this week's issue.


ERIN McKEOWN
Her Press Coverage
Is Moving East

Erin McKeown is pop's latest standards-bearer
By Christopher John Treacy
Monday, January 15, 2007
In Monday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=177151


JOSH BROOKS

The return of Josh Brooks
By Alan Lewis | Special to the Vermont Guardian
Posted January 19, 2007

http://www.vermontguardian.com/culture/012007/JoshBrooks.shtml

Preparing for this article about the re-emergence of Vermont
singer-songwriter

    JOSH BROOKS

certainly created a sense of discovery.  I have some dim recollection
that I should have gotten Brooks' last full-length CD but somehow
goofed up and never heard it.  So my last Josh Brooks listening
experience was his quite folky 2001 debut CD.  His new EP, "The White
House Sessions" (named for a recording setting), is more of a
roots-rocker with a decidedly fuller sound.  In fact, it is that
fuller sound and the way Brooks got it that I thought was a very big
part of the story of his past few years.

The EP sounds like an album, only shorter, and it is a very fine release.

Even before "The White House Sessions" was issued and I think before
Brooks changed his approach to finishing his songs, he was already
widely regarded as one of Vermont's best songwriters.

So Brooks is definitely an artist to watch, and the new EP is a record
that a lot of people are going to want to hear.

AND  this article is available for free at the Vermont Guardian's Web
site.

I am terribly pushed for time and had to hasten through a recent
Brooks message.  But I am quite certain he said he has lately acquired
a Gibson electric guitar, which could make him an even more potent
force out on the listening-room circuit.


MARK ERELLI

To Sleep, Perchance To Dream
Brattleboro Reformer
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Arts and Entertainment Section

Dave Madeloni's column in Thursday's issue of our local newspaper, the
Brattleboro Reformer, covers singer-songwriter

    MARK ERELLI

and his latest album, "Innocent While You Dream."

One needn't get at all far into the column to get a sense that the new
CD has a very different sound from the others.  I'll leave it at that.
  Erelli fans will know already whether they will want to hunt up a
copy of this week's Brattleboro Reformer column.  Parents of young
children also may find this piece to be of special interest.


THIS IS NOT MY FAVORITE POSITION  to be in, but I find we have
received more local music news than we have time to compile into this
newsletter.  But ... it sure beats all to pieces not having enough news.

Either way, between now and the time I mail this issue, I have to do
everything in the fastest possible way.  So, here is an item from the
music section table of contents of today's Boston Herald:

Banjos rule at Trischka's molten Club Passim show
By Daniel Gewertz/ Music review
After 20 years as America's banjo innovator, Tony Trischka's return to
the traditional bluegrass genre has had its share of star turns. In
his new album

Here is an item from the Living/Arts table of contents of today's
Boston Globe:

POP!: Dancing with Joey McIntyre
(Today's Globe)
Former New Kid Joey McIntyre has proved himself a grown-up with
Broadway roles in "Wicked," "Rent" and "Tick, Tick . . . Boom!," along
with television credits such as "Boston Public" and "Dancing With the
Stars," but he's just released his most grown-up album to date, a
collection of standards called "Talk to Me. " He's currently on the road

Here are a couple items from the Obituaries section table of contents
of today's Boston Globe:

Denny Doherty, 66, member of the Mamas and the Papas
(Today's Globe)
Denny Doherty -- one-quarter of the 1960s folk-rock group the Mamas
and the Papas, known for their soaring harmony on hits like
"California Dreamin' " and "Monday, Monday" -- died yesterday at 66.

Satirist Art Buchwald dies at 81
(By Bryan Marquard, Globe Staff, 1/19/07)
With his trademark wit , Art Buchwald used his newspaper column to
skewer politicians in the nation's capital, and over the decades
millions of Americans began their morning by reading his unfolding
chronicle of history writ small and satirical. At the end of his life
ill health gave him a new subject, his impending death, and he wrote a
series

The Boston local music column in The Phoenix this week has items about

    GLASS SET

      and the

    SEBEDOH

reunion.  There is also an

    ERIN McKEOWN

notice by Ted Drozdowski.  Unfortunately, the latter piece kept
causing Internet Explorer to crash on the public-access computer I was
using.  So, at the moment, I can't do any better than merely mention
these items.


I don't know a thing about the local music column in this week's
Portland Phoenix except that the author, Sam Pfeifle, is a personal
favorite.  Here is the headline, etc., with a link:

Clever, clever
A tantalizing debut EP from Are You a Fox?
By SAM PFEIFLE
January 17, 2007 5:24:57 PM
In this week's Portland Phoenix

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid31956.aspx


WTCH-FM (106.1)

Touch FM has positive signals for Boston's black community
(By Johnny Diaz, Globe Staff)

Asia Chandler paces back and forth inside the cramped Roxbury studio
of WTCH-FM (106.1) . She sets up her play list. Brandy: check.
Fantasia: check. Coming up: Avant and Destiny's Child. With her big
headphones hugging her baseball cap, she leans into the microphone and
sends a shout-out to Boston.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2007/01/20/message_received/?pa\
ge=full


= = = = =


BRIEF ITEMS :


MARDI GRAS BALL

"14th Annual Mardi Gras Ball is February 17."

   -- Shaun Wolf Wortis Mailing, January 16, 2007


DAVID BROMBERG
With You Once Again, Kind Friends

"'Guitar God' (Washington Post) David Bromberg Launches Extensive US
Tour To Celebrate First New Album in 17 Years

"'Try Me One More Time' Out February 27th on Appleseed Recordings

"Master roots musician David Bromberg is inviting audiences across the
country to try him one more time on tour this winter and spring with
his first new album in almost two decades in tow."

   -- Rebecca Shapiro, "David Bromberg Launches
      Extensive US Tour," January 16, 2007


JESS TARDY
Long Overdue Boston-Area Show
Better Tardy Than Never

"For starters, I  [JESS TARDY]  would love to see you at my first New
England show in ages [January 28 at Toad].  It'll feature my good
lookin' and mighty talented band o' New Englanders; Andrew Pelletier
on drums, Keith Tasker on guitar, Noam Weinstein on more guitar, and
Altay Guvench on bass.  You'll also get a chance to hear some of
Noam's new songs, and a set by my favorite Nashville
singer-songwriter, Joe Rathbone."

   -- Jess Tardy, "New England JT Shows," January 19,
      2007


FERN KNIGHT
Third Full-Length Album

"We  [FERN KNIGHT members]  are winding down recording a new (third)
full-length.  The recording features the skillful engineering of
Oastem! Jim[;] and players include Jesse Sparhawk on harp and bass,
Oastem!  Jim on percussion and guitars, James Wolf on violin, myself
on vox, guitars, cello, metallophone, Helena Espvall on more cello,
Chris Saraullo on bowed saw and some singing from Gillian Chadwick and
Orion Rigel Dommisse."

   -- Fern Knight, "Upcoming Shows" Etc.,
      January 15, 2007

I HAVE NEVER ACTUALLY HEARD  Fern Knight.  And it wouldn't surprise me
if an easy majority of our readers have never even heard OF the band
except for here.  So it is worth noting that those upcoming shows,
referenced in the Fern Knight item's source citation, are stops along
a Eureopean tour.


NICOLE NELSON AND DWIGHT
Whose Last Name I Have Forgotten
How To Spell More Times
Than He Has Remembered

"[K]eep your fingers crossed for us

    [DWIGHT AND NICOLE]

  - our songs 'Everywhere I go' and 'Johnny Gets High' have just moved
to the next round of judging for the International Songwriting
Competition.  Grand Prize is $25,000 plus $20,000 in prizes!"

   -- Dwight and Nicole, "This Sunday at the
      Blue Note," January 17, 2007


VICKY TAFOYA QUERY

Do you know anything about a musician named

    VICKY TAFOYA

that you would be willing to share?  If you do, please e-mail us by
way of the following Web page:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm

I needed to track down a woman named Tafoya once online, and it was an
absolute piece of cake because of the rarity of the name, Tafoya.  So
seeing the name, Vicky Tafoya, in a show listing made me curious.


CROOKED STILL
To Swing
Like a Pendulum Do

"2007 is finally upon us and after some time off, we're ready to kick
off our year with a tour in England and Scotland, starting on January
21st.  We'll be playing some fantastic venues throughout England and
finishing up at the Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow Scotland!!
  We had a great time there last year and can't wait to go back.  This
also marks our first performances in England and we're really looking
forward to it!"

   -- Crooked Still, "U.K. Tour," January 14, 2007


OPERA (THE REAL THING)
AS POPULAR MUSIC

Through much of the 19th century and I imagine into the 20th century,
a new opera was expected to produce hit songs, as measured by sheet
music sales.  I have been building a bibliography of music scores of
songs sung by a 19th-century popular vocal group, the Alleghanians.
And it surprises me the number of their songs that originally came
from operas.

We all like to think of ourselves as fans of music; but for most of
us, there are whole worlds of music we seldom, if ever, hear.


end BRIEF ITEMS


= = = = =


Rock, she said
Providence celebrates women in music
By BOB GULLA
January 17, 2007 2:13:18 PM
in this week's Providence Phoenix

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid31772.aspx

This column, by Bob Gulla, looks quite interesting.


VERMONT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
In Three-Quarter Time

The following is the first part of a

    VERMONT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

press release:

      For nearly 30 years the Champlain Valley has celebrated the
beauty of a Vermont winter evening with the ultimate black-tie affair,
the Vermont Symphony Orchestra Waltz Night.  This year, the VSO
invites Vermonters to strap on their dancing shoes and "one, two,
three" at Waltz Night, Saturday, February 3, 2007 at the Wyndham Hotel
on Burlington's picturesque waterfront.  All proceeds from this event,
expected to draw 250 revelers, will benefit VSO educational and
musical programs throughout the state.

      Waltz Night is a gala evening, a special opportunity to dine and
dance to the live music of the VSO and George Voland Jazz.  The
evening includes cocktails and silent auction beginning at 6:30 p.m.,
with an elegant dinner and dancing commencing at 7:30.  Three
sumptuous courses are offered for a memorable dinner.

      A special feature this year is an authentic tango demonstration
by professional tango teachers and performers Ivan Terrazas and Sara
Grdan.  In addition, Argentinean musician Hector del Curto will
perform a tango waltz entitled "Palomita Blanca" (White Dove) on the
bandoneon with the VSO.   The bandoneon is the traditional Argentinean
accordion of the tango orchestra.

   -- Kathy Archer, "VSO Waltz and Tango Night,"
      January 17, 2007


BRISTOL STUDIOS
Going to MIDEM

      "Bristol Studios' management and production team, the driving
force behind JADA, will be at MIDEM meeting with the industry's top
professionals and promoting selected artists.

      "Each January, the global music industry's key players meet in
Cannes to do deals, network, learn about the sector's future, and
check out hot new talent.  Today, MIDEM attracts nearly 10,000
delegates from almost 100 countries, from the recording, publishing,
live, sync, digital and mobile sectors.  It is as such the source of
profitable new music business. Beyond its showfloor, MIDEM also offers
high-level conferences, cutting-edge concerts and events, and numerous
business services."

   -- Bristol Studios, "Bristol Is Going to
      MIDEM," January 19, 2007

JADA  refers to a pop vocal group that staff at Bristol Studios
developed, in a somewhat unusual way and showing great patience.  We
received listings of Jada shows over a long period, and they included
many events outside the club circuit, including outdoors community and
neighborhood fests of various sorts.  This approach, along with the
group members' singing talent, paid off big-time with a signing to
Motown/Universal Records. (I'm going on memory here, but I'm quite
certain I've got this right.)  Major label signings don't come along
really often.  So Jada's signing, along with Bristol Studios'
involvement in this industry convention, must mark a significant
advance for the studio and its staff.


THE SELF-RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS

Brothers hip to Central Square's past
By Jed Gottlieb/ Music review
Saturday, January 20, 2007
In Saturday's Boston Globe

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=178087


POP MUSIC
6 pop acts ready to break out in '07
January 14, 2007

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2007/01/14/6_pop_acts_ready_to_\
break_out_in_07/?page=full

The estimable Jonathan Perry of the Boston Globe picked

    THE LOVE ME NOTS

as an act to keep an eye on over the next little while.  This item is
very much worth reading, just as long as you please, please, PLEASE
keep in mind that NEMS got to this power-packed gang of retros first.


HTML GRAPHICS

We get a small number of news e-mails where most or even all of the
information comes in the form of HTML graphics.  These are generally
like little promotional posters.  The main point seems to be that the
sender needs something with a stylish finish in keeping with the event
she or he is presenting.  A problem with this approach is that, when
something goes wrong, one's information may not get presented at all.
  Two parties sent us a total of three of these messages, and all three
were truncated to the point where we got no useful information
whatsoever out of any of them.  Not one word.  Is it a good idea to
advertise your events this way?  Really?

Other parties sent us HTML graphics in messages that also included
regular text information.  No problem.

One last thing:  Blocking HTML graphics is a good Internet safety
procedure to follow.  HTML graphics are blocked in all of our
accounts.  I only manually over-ride the blocking process when I
recognize the sender; and even then, I only over-ride it sometimes.

When you send all your information in the form of HTML graphics, a
very large number of people on your mailing list probably never see
what you have sent.

The Dresden Dolls normally put a stylish presentation above any and
all other considerations, but even members of that duo have stopped
sending us their newsletter in this often self-defeating way.


GIRL AUTHORITY
"Road Trip" CD

"GIRL AUTHORITY, the newly crowned princesses of tween pop, will
release their second album, 'Road Trip,' March 13, 2007 on Rounder/Zoë
Records.  The collection of five original songs and fourteen classic
covers celebrating the joy of girl-power, crosses every genre from
rock, pop and R&B to country, dance and world beat.  As with their
self-titled debut CD, GIRL AUTHORITY offers family-friendly musical
fare aimed toward and performed by tweens.

"The nine Boston-based gals in GIRL AUTHORITY, all between the ages of
9 and 14, have been performing together for more than five years,
since becoming fast friends at a local theater company in
Massachusetts.  In fact, each of them has at one time or another
appeared in a theatrical production of 'Annie,' and are all trained
singers and dancers.  Adding to the appeal of GIRL AUTHORITY is an
individual identity and style that allows fans to relate one-on-one
with them: Tarr (Rock-n-Roll Girl), Alex (Fashion Girl), Jacqueline
(All-Star Girl), Carly (Glamour Girl), Jess (Boho Girl), Gina (Urban
Girl), Crystal (Country Girl), Kate (Party Girl) and Zoe (Preppy Girl)."

   -- Sarah Williams-Leach, "Girl Authority Sophomore
      Album, 'Road Trip,' To Be Released March 13,"
      January 16, 2007


PAN9 FIRE
AND FLUTTR EFFECT

Here is the complete January 9, 2007 mailing from Vessela of a great
Boston band,

    FLUTTR EFFECT.

It seems important, and I'm not sure any editing for length I could do
would do justice to it.

Happy New Year! We made it around the Sun one more time.
Congratulations! I hope 2007 is fulfilling, exciting and safe for you all!

Unfortunately it hasn't started that way for us. In the early morning
of December 29 2006, our beloved neighbor and long term Fluttr Effect
performance residency space PAN9 caught on fire. Luckily we all got
out of the building alive and relatively well, but the aftermath of
the fire has been devastating.  PAN9 has been destroyed and is very
unlikely to recover in the space we all know.  The Fluttr Effect
headquarters and home for Troy and myself were severely flooded and
shut down for an undetermined period of time.  Troy and I are staying
with a good friend until the end of the month and trying to piece our
lives back together in order to go back to playing music and all the
business that goes along with that. The good news is my marimba and
his guitars survived the ordeal. The bad news is we had no renters
insurance and no lease, which puts us in a difficult and uncertain
position.  I would like to express my enormous gratitude to everyone
who called to help and express concern during these difficult days. I
apologize for not being able to return all calls and emails right
away. I appreciate getting them regardless.

There has been an overwhelming wave of support from numerous people.
Since we don't have a permanent place to live and run the band out of
it is hard to tell what we need right now other than financial
support, legal advice and good wishes.  The wonderful Kuma Lisa has
set up a page where you can go and find out how you can help:

http://www.par-don.com/pan9/

Everyone who purchased CDs and T-shirts in support – it is much
appreciated! The orders will go out a little later than usual, so
thank you for your patience, but that does really help us right now!
I will be posting updates at our forum in the thread "Fire at PAN9 –
Everyone is Okay"
http://fluttreffect.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=2

Our touring schedule is expected to go back to normal next month
starting with a show on Friday, February 9 at the Middle East
Downstairs in Cambridge MA. More details will come soon.  Until we see
you again, please stay in touch and be safe!

Love,
Vessela


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

Please do NOT click the Reply button.  Clicking Reply sends your
message to several different addresses but NOT to our main address.
It's Yahoo Groups' system, not ours.


.   .   .   .   .


If you have friends who would be interested in any of the items in
this issue, please forward this newsletter to them.  Thanks!


I MAKE ADDITIONS AND OTHER CHANGES to this newsletter, to varying
degrees, after sending the e-mail version.  For updates, you may want
to periodically check the Web-page version, which may be found by way
of the following address:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsnewz/news.htm

Clicking the Previous Issue link toward the bottoms of pages is one
way to access our BACK ISSUES.  There's also a navigation bar at or
near the bottoms of pages which, among other things, can get you to
our latest posted newsletter.


      As a rule, we do not post SHOW LISTINGS.  The reason is quite
simple.  Our readers are spread out all over the map.  Though our name
is the NEW ENGLAND Music Scrapbook, we have readers all across the
southern tier of states - with a large number in Florida and another
large number in the Atlanta area.  Even within the Northeast, we have
readers in each of the six New England states and many in New York and
New Jersey.  The great majority of show listings would be of no
interest at all to most 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.

      We also make a few exceptions for shows in the immediate Boston
area.  Our single biggest concentration of readers, as far as we know,
is in and around Boston.  We understand from e-mails we receive that
we are able to help turn out an audience to many entertainments in the
Boston area.  But even in the case of Boston shows, we make few
exceptions.  Maria's Weekly Band E-Mail is loaded with show listings,
and most of them have to do with events in Boston, Cambridge, and
Somerville.  We don't want to make a habit of duplicating her efforts.

      So, the general rule of thumb is that we don't post show
listings.  In the very few, truly exceptional instances where we do...


      ... 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.


      Exceptionally long addresses may need to be pasted into the
address field, which is probably toward the top of your browser
screen.  Some addresses are so extremely long that they may have to be
pasted in two or more pieces.


New England Music Scrapbook :

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/home.htm

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


Issue 2007:205

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

Copyright © 2007 by the New England Music Scrapbook.  All rights reserved.

   : : : : :

New England Music Scrapbook News
Our Corner of the Rock 'n' Roll Life
January 27, 2007
Issue 2007:206

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


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.


.   .   .   .   .


Let's start with a quick word about a couple albums just received,
shall we?


DIDI STEWART
"Harmonyville"

DIDI STEWART  is among the biggest talents to come out of New England.
  Though I believe she may be a New Jersey native, WE are taking credit
for her.

"Harmonyville" is the first Didi Stewart album of all-original
material in a good long while.  The last one we have is the 1980s Didi
Stewart and the Amplifiers LP.  The point of this project was to
tackle something Stewart had not previously done, and that something
turned out to be country music.

To grasp this, it could be helpful to go way back in living memory and
to radically switch fields of endeavor.  Someone at the Boston Globe
once came up with a brilliant idea in which different Globe writers
covered stories entirely outside their usual field.  Folk-journalism
great Scott Alarik, for instance, could have covered a football game
or fielded advice-column questions.  A few Globe writers merely went
through the motions and got the assignment over as fast as possible.
But those staffers who got into the spirit really applied themselves
and turned out some genuinely amazing pieces.  A tip of the hat to
former Globe classical music critic Richard Dyer, who appears to have
been a game spirit just like this - all the time.

Stewart seems to have been a similarly game spirit.  She has worked
many bluecollar references into her writing for the new album and
brought a little country catch into her singing voice.  The music is
generally country-pop and really quite good.  It is not to be mistaken
for Hank Williams hillbilly music, but a great deal of it is a little
more country than a lot of the fare on "country" radio since the
1990s.  So there is a really nice balance between country and pop.

The odd thing is that, with all Stewart's mainstream Adult
Contemporary-format skills, the best cuts tend to be real country
kickers such as "When the Going Gets Tough" and especially "Something
Wicked," which earns this writer's vote for first single.

Strange to say, to the best of my recollection, "Harmonyville" is the
very first Anthony J. Resta production I have ever heard.  It is easy
to see why he has such a strong reputation and is much sought after
for production work.

Also strange to say, one of my all-time favorite keyboard players and
long-time Didi Stewart associate, Alizon Lissance, is represented in
the credits ... as a photographer.  Swinging Steak Jim Gambino,
another personal favorite, is on Hammond and piano.  Names in the
credits and "special thanks" bring back perfectly wonderful memories,
such as Kathy Burkly, Ellie Marshall, and Sandy Martin, as well as
Gambino and Lissance who were already mentioned.

It is fantastic to be listening to a full-length Didi Stewart disc
once again.  Old-time Amplifiers fans may be a little surprised to
hear echoes of early Trisha Yearwood such as on "A Movie 'Bout Us."
But surprises in popular music are often good things, and Didi Stewart
fans are going to want to hear "Harmonyville."

With luck we will be able to give "Harmonyville" further consideration
after allowing it more spins in our player.  For now I'll just add
that I enjoyed the album more the more I heard it.


ANAIS MITCHELL
"The Brightness"

"The Brightness" by

    ANAIS MITCHELL

just arrived and I need to listen to it over the weekend, so all I can
say for the moment is quite preliminary.  First, if you like the cover
art, there is a pretty decent chance you will enjoy the music.  They
each have a similar sense.

A friend heard Mitchell live and was not entirely knocked out but said
she would like to hear her again with a band.  That thought kept
coming back the one time I played "The Brightness."  Mitchell has a
highly unusual voice which has the advantage of being perfectly
unforgettable.  At many points in "The Brightness" the instrumental
arrangements, and the playing of those arrangements, are a very close
fit to Mitchell's singing.  This is a sharp and well-executed
production touch.

Since most of my listening to this disc is ahead of me, it would
probably be best to leave it at this for the moment and try to get the
rest of this issue into a little better shape.

More later.


SNOWLEOPARDS
First of Two Items

SnowLeopards roar onto the scene
By Kerry Purcell/ Meet the band
Boston Herald Features Reporter
Thursday, January 25, 2007 - Updated: 07:35 PM EST
In Thursday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=179208


THE BRETT ROSENBERG PROBLEM
Seems To Be That Rosenberg Is Moving

"Rock Notes" column
Brett Rosenberg says goodbye to Boston

By Jonathan Perry, Globe Correspondent  |  January 26, 2007
In Friday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2007/01/26/brett_rosenberg_says\
_goodbye_to_boston/?page=full


BARN BURNING

Finding the balance
Barn Burning are tight and disjointed, loud and soft on Truck
By BOB GULLA
January 23, 2007 4:00:48 PM
In this week's Providence Phoenix

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid32257.aspx

I have never heard a note of the music of

    BARN BURNING

and have not been able to keep up with reading about the band, either.
  So my interest, at the moment, is mostly in the group's name.  Do any
of you recall an intriguing early-1990s Boston outfit called Big Barn
Burning?  It is great to see two-thirds of the band's name back with us.

Anyway, from a quick glance, this Providence Phoenix column looks to
be a piece that will interest many of our readers.


LLOYD THAYER

Sidewalk strummer Thayer reaches lofty heights with `Birds'
By Daniel Gewertz/ Music
Tuesday, January 23, 2007 - Updated: 10:56 AM EST
In Tuesday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=178591


SCOTT TOURNET BAND

Tournet Strikes Chord of His Own
By Alan Lewis
Special to the Vermont Guardian

Vermont Guardian
January 26, 2007
Culture Section, Page 18

Most likely, the

    SCOTT TOURNET BAND

is not a spinoff of

    GRACE POTTER AND THE NOCTURNALS

any more than it would be a spinoff of the

    USER SHORTY PATENT CO.

The Scott Tournet Band, instead, is pretty much what it says it is:
The Scott Tournet Band.

Tournet seems to have drawn from his old Goddard College group, The
Big Huge, as well as from the Nocturnals, User Shorty, his many
musical inspirations from the past, his mother's dance music, his
father's record collection, and, importantly, from his fellow STB
musicians to form his and the band's new vision of classic rock.

I interviewed Scott Tournet, for my article in this week's issue of
the Vermont Guardian, on what was the next-to-last day of recording of
the next Grace Potter and the Nocturnals album.  He presented himself
as a very real and very likeable fellow and came across as highly
enthusiastic about the music he plays, the concert experience, his
bandmates, and the importance of each of these.  There is nothing
quite like honest enthusiasm.

I hope a lot of readers of this newsletter who can get hold of a
hardcopy Vermont Guardian will do it.


ANTJE DUVEKOT
In the Greenfield (Mass.) Recorder

Sheryl Hunter's "Sounds Local" column in this Thursday's Recorder, out
of Greenfield, Massachusetts, is about singer-songwriter

    ANTJE DUVEKOT,

whose career has been quite hot of late.  I won't be able to get a
copy of The Recorder until later.  But I did get to glance through
Sheryl's column briefly and noticed information that I have not seen
elsewhere.

If you can get hold of a copy of the Arts and Entertainment pullout
section of Thursday's Recorder, likely the effort would be rewarded.


= = = = =


BRIEF ITEMS :


SNOWLEOPARDS

Meet: The SnowLeopards
By Kerry A. Purcell
Thursday, January 25, 2007 - Updated: 07:34 PM EST

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=179217


MADISON'S ON THE AVENUE
With Johnny Carlevale
and His Band of All-Stars

"Ok!  This Saturday - Jan. 27 - you can catch Johnny Carlevale & His
Band of All-Stars at Madison's on the Ave - 150 Highland Street -
Somerville - Massachusetts!  This is a rare two-set performance by the
band.  They'll do one set as a boogie/R&B band and then another set as
a jump blues/R&B racket!  DO NOT MISS THIS!  Madison's on the Ave is a
new establishment.  We need to let them know how much Boston area
folks love the roots music.  So make a point to be there and support
us!  The show starts at 9PM!"

   -- Broken Rhythm Boys, "Somerville Massachusetts -
      This Saturday," January 24, 2007


FLUTTR EFFECT
First of Two Items

"Dear friends of Fluttr Effect, first of all, huge thanks for all the
support we've been getting for the last few weeks.  In a weird way
having been displaced and forced to work under less than ideal
circumstances has given us the extra motivation and your love and
support has brought back our faith in humanity.  At least part of
humanity...

"Troy and I are doing fine.  We moved to Cloud Club temporarily and
have much hope that we'll be back to our recovered place in a couple
of months.  I am happy to say we are going back to playing live shows
very soon and can't wait to get all those hugs many of you sent over
the cyberwaves."

   -- Fluttr Effect, "Fire Update and February
      Shows," January 24, 2007

Toward the end of this issue appears most of the latest Fluttr Effect
press release.


TIR NA NOG

Speaking of the

    TIR NA nOg,

David Johnston says,

"in case you have not heard, the nOg closing has been pushed back one
month to the end of february.  so we now have six weeks left.  see you
there..."

   -- David Johnston, "nOg extension," January 22,
      2007

I had not heard.  Thanks once again to David Johnston for passing
along the word.


JIM ARMENTI
"Down by the Water"

After much delay, I finally got my hair cut; and people around town
have stopped calling me Mr. Mason.

We have a real deadline problem around here this weekend, so I was not
able to run down to Brattleboro's The Weathervane to pay my respects
to the

    LONESOME BROTHERS,

in town for a show.  But the Lonesomes have some big news.  As the
actual Mr. Mason tells it,

"Country singer Pam Tillis has recorded Jim Armenti's 'Down by the
Water.'  It will be on her new CD, 'Rhinestoned,' coming out March 20th!"

   -- Ray Mason, "A Weekend of Lonesome,"
      January 22, 2007

This seems to be a much-recorded Lonesome Brothers tune.  Cheri
Knight, for instance, did a really nice version.  My favorite would
probably be the recording made by the short-lived singer-songwriter
super-trio Cry Cry Cry.


BOSTON TEA PARTY
Rock Club

"Names"
Williams keeps 'em smiling
January 25, 2007
In Thursday's Boston Globe
"Tea Party going down in history" item

http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2007/01/25/williams_keeps_em_smiling\
/?page=full

The Boston Tea Party is a very big part of New England rock history.


BOSTON TEA PARTY
Again

Plaque celebrates legendary Boston music venue
By Associated Press
Wednesday, January 24, 2007 - Updated: 02:09 PM EST

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=178967


THREE DAY THRESHOLD
Scholarship Benefit

You may recall the involvement of a great band,

    THREE DAY THRESHOLD,

in a scholarship benefit concert at the Paradise in Boston.  In a
recent e-mail, Kier Byrnes of 3DT said,

"Hey!  We sold out the main room at the paradise and raised nearly
$20,000 (in one night) for the scholarship!  Amazing!"

   -- Kier Byrnes, E-Mail Message, January 21, 2007

"Amazing" is the right word for it.  Fundraisers, more often than not,
do not raise a lot of funds.  What they do, instead, is raise
awareness.  So a fundraiser that does both is an uncommonly powerful
thing.  Congratulations to 3DT and all involved!


In Other
THREE DAY THRESHOLD NEWS

We made reference to a hankering for a new Three Day Threshold CD.  In
a second e-mail, Byrnes said one is in the works.  And while we would
hate to jinx the hoped-for release date by sounding too concrete about
it, we do note that St. Patrick's Day is coming right along.

"I'm really proud of it," said Byrnes.  "We just finished up recording
at Camp Street and it sounds better than anything we ever did before."

   -- Kier Byrnes, E-Mail Message, January 21, 2007


JESS TARDY

"The amazing Jess Tardy - our piano-playing, soul-shaking
singer-songwriting heroine who spent the last two years in Tennessee -
is finally back in the Northeast!" exclaimed a revved-up, exclamation
mark-enabled

    NOAM WEINSTEIN.

"We've planned a dual show for Tuesday, March 20th, 8:30pm at Johnny
D's in Davis Square, but for those of you aware of what you've been
missing during Jess's absence who aren't about to wait til March for a
fix, I thought you'd want to know she's also doing a set this Sunday,
8pm at Toad in Porter Square. (I'll be playing in her band and singing
a song or two.)"

   -- Noam Weinstein, "Jess Tardy," January 26, 2007


RANI ARBO
AND DAISY MAYHEM

"January is barely half over, but it's been a good year for us so far
- we're finally wrapping up our new CD (yet unnamed), to be released
in late May/early June.  It's very live and full of energy, and we are
excited to send it out into the world."

   -- Rani Arbo, "Daisy Mayhem January News,"
      January 21, 2007

The previous Rani Arbo/Daisy Mayhem CD, "Gambling Eden," is a true
classic.  The only thing it was missing was an obvious radio single.
Oh, it had Triple-A radio singles alright, just not one or two that
stood out as obvious.  The prior album had a cut called something like
"Limo to Memphis," which is a fantastic example of what I mean.  If
"Gambling Eden" had had its "Limo to Memphis," I'm betting it would
have sold twice or even several times over whatever it did.  But even
as is, "Gambling Eden" was one of the best releases of its year; and
it has me really looking forward to the next disc.


RACHAEL SAGE

Sage is a terrific writer and recording artist.  But even if she
wasn't, I'd still really like her for her name, Rachael Sage.

"**NEW MUSIC IN THE WORKS!**

"Rachael and her band have been hard at work in the studio working on
album #8.  As fate would have it, they ended up recording 21 songs
instead of the 12 they originally were planning (!), so it may be a
while before this particular project is complete.  In the meantime,
sleep-deprived inside sources confirm that this set 'will be to your
i-pod what marshmallows are to chocolate.'  Hmmm..."

   -- Rachael Sage, "Studio News, New Video and
      More," January 20, 2007


VILLAINS
AND THE INSTRUMENTS THEY PLAY

One of our regular e-mail correspondents recently read that the
developers of the

    GUITAR HERO

game have Guitar Villain and Drum Villain in the works.  We can't rest
easy until they come out with Keyboard Villainess.


In the Stranger Than Fiction Department
MELIAH RAGE
(First of Two Items)

Hotline: Rage to hit road
Tuesday, January 16, 2007 - Updated: 06:46 PM EST

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=177500

Does anyone remember whether Meliah Rage was originally on the Taang!
label?


end BRIEF ITEMS


= = = = =


"Our last show until March is a doozie:  It's WAAF and CARMELITA
celebrating 20 years of the Bay State Rock radio show!

"Party ground zero:

    The Abbey Lounge,
    Saturday, January 27, 2007 (tomorrow!),
    8pm sharp for Temper

"For 20 years WAAF's Carmelita has been a vital part of Boston's new
music scene, finding and playing the bands and songwriters that have
made up the fabric of Boston music. [WAAF 97.7 / 107.3
http://www.baystaterock.com]

"She's asked Temper to open things up: Temper, 8pm sharp, on the Pub Stage

"Then, she's done the impossible and put together the following line
up on the Main Stage, following Temper:

    Moving Targets 11:30pm
    The Outlets 10:30pm
    Hooray For Earth 9:30pm

"Super-rare reunion performances by these Boston's legendary bands
from the 80s and early 90s, The Outlets and Moving Targets.

"And, Hooray For Earth's fan base may be impossible to fit into the
Abbey.  They are a local and growing-national favorite.

"DJ Springa from another of Boston's legendary hardcore bands, SSD,
will be spinning music in between bands all night.

"WAAF will be giving away free goodies, and food will be served.  Yes,
food.  NOW I've got your attention.

"Abbey Lounge, Somerville, located at 3 Beacon St., Inman Square (1
block down from Rosie's Bakery).  http://www.abbeylounge.com/

    $10.00/21+

"How can you say no?"

   -- Carlene Barous, Temper/WAAF 20 Years
      Celebration, January 26, 2007


THE MUSIC INDUSTRY

One of the artists I have written up most recently for print issued a
record not long ago on CD-R, with several thoughts about how it could
be turned into a more formal release later.  It actually looks more or
less like a formal release now and sounds quite good.  Overall, it is
an excellent record.  But he issued it himself as a CD-R.

Just about anyone can do this.  And a lot of people do.  And because
people issue recordings in varying degrees of formal-ness and varying
degrees of official-ness - including some REALLY fine recordings - no
one really knows how many records are issued, say, in a year.  But
these days, a very large number of small operators, collectively, can
compete like never before with the major labels.  And this is one of
the main reasons the majors are having difficulties.

Relatively low-cost, high-quality recording equipment is now readily
available to individuals and small studios.  Anyone can promote and
sell records worldwide via the Internet, and a huge number of people
are doing just that.  Sales figures, no doubt, would vary wildly from
release to release.  But some of these records sell in the thousands
and the tens of thousands.  And every ten to twenty dollars you spend
on an independent release is ten to twenty dollars you're not spending
on product from the majors.  It all adds up.

Nowadays a musician doesn't have to make a PRODUCER's record: artists
can make the record THEY want.

Fans shopping for music don't have to compromise or go away
empty-handed.  If they look around, they can find records they will
really like.

Fans of music which attracts a decidedly small audience can still get
recordings of the music they favor.  There are probably
hardcore/Broadway-fusion CDs out there to be had.

And from the point of view of many music fans, artists and small
companies are often putting out better records than are the major labels.

In a not-particularly-systematic way, a vast number of small operators
now combine to form formidable competition for the large music firms.
  And that is a big part of the reason why major labels have been
having a tough time of it.

Countless records are coming out, a decent percent of those issued by
small-time operators are really great, and we buy them in strong numbers.


MOVING TARGETS
PRIME MOVERS
Somehow This Is Bringing to Mind
Hank Snow's "I'm Movin' On"

Old is new
Moving Targets and the Prime Movers carry on
By BRETT MILANO
January 23, 2007 6:20:33 PM
In this week's Boston Phoenix

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid32164.aspx

Few if any writers could present the

    MOVING TARGETS

      and the

    PRIME MOVERS

the way the great Brett Milano can.  So if you are interested in the
music of these Boston bands of yesteryear, this week's Boston Phoenix
is the place to turn.

Now what we need is a  MOVING PARTS  reunion.  Remember The Moving
Parts?  THAT was one interesting, forward-looking Boston band.


JOSH RITTER
First Part of a
Josh Ritter Doubleheader

"New EP, 'Live at the Record Exchange,' Available Next Week

"We're proud to announce that Josh will be releasing a special EP
(U.S. only) on January 30th, titled 'Live at the Record Exchange.'
The EP features six solo acoustic songs recorded during the summer of
2006 at The Record Exchange in Boise, Idaho's favorite record store.

"The CD includes two PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED songs: 'Bandits' (a Josh
original) and 'Daddy's Little Pumpkin' (a John Prine cover).  The disc
is also housed in a beautiful, matte varnish finished digipak.  And it
has a nice low price of $6.  We're psyched about this great, new
little live album.

Track Listing:
1. Peter Killed the Dragon
2. Girl in the War
3. Good Man
4. Bandits (previously unreleased)
5. Daddy's Little Pumpkin (John Prine cover)
6. Wolves

"This EP will ONLY be available at select Indie record stores and
Amazon.com.  To find out if your local store carries this, please
check www.thinkindie.com.  Josh will also have copies of the EP for
sale at all of his shows on this tour, and soon at www.joshritter.com."

   -- Josh Ritter News, "NPR's Talk of the Nation"
      Etc., January 25, 2007


JOSH RITTER
The Sequel

"Josh Currently Recording His New Album!

"That's right, folks.  We'll have a lot more information and details
about this to follow, but for now here's a note from Josh about it...

"'Hey All!

"'It's somewhere between below zero and very cold up here at "Great
North Sound Society," in the interior of Maine.  The band and other
various studio folks are outside shooting bb guns and collecting
icicles for the nightly ice bouquet pre-dinner.  There is a stove in
the living room, cold beer, and fireworks for dessert.

"'I'm making my new record, which has yet to be titled, but is already
kicking off a house party.

"'With everything going on in the music world, it's good to know that
you can just go out and record and perform - regardless of the
shifting changes of industry.

"'Doug is up here keeping track of it all, Zack looks like a giant
chili pepper with a mustache, Sam has got a firm hand on the control
panel and I'm very happy, feeling like a new sound is emerging and I'm
following the things that interest me in new directions.

"'Beware!  A new record is starting to kick and scream under the Maine
skyline.

"'Be Well,
   Josh"

   -- Josh Ritter News, "NPR's Talk of the Nation"
      Etc., January 25, 2007


FORGOTTEN INNOVATIONS

In the nineteen-teens, there was a man who would come up to Cape Cod
to play piano.  This is far from one of the main things he is known
for.  But this is the NEW ENGLAND Music Scrapbook, and it is a thing
that interests me.  In the 1920s, he wanted to lead a Harlem band
along lines similar to those of the Paul Whiteman Orchestra.  But gee,
one thing led to another, and this man wound up heading up one of the
most influential music groups of all times.  His name?

    FLETCHER HENDERSON.

One of the band members (it's driving me nuts - I can't come up with
his name) started writing arrangements of a sort that we now call
swing.  Louis Armstrong joined the band, and he was the main one,
though still only one, of some really amazing players in the Fletcher
Henderson bands.  In the 1930s, there was Ben Webster and a
WAY-ahead-of-his-times acoustic bassist called Blanton (drawing a
blank on his first name).  The changes in American music inspired by
members of the Fletcher Henderson ensembles and by the band itself are
truly sweeping.  It is quite simply so that we would not be listening
to most of the music we hear today if not for Fletcher Henderson and
his bandmates.

The swing that came out of the Fletcher Henderson orchestra was the
modern jazz of its day.  It was a HUGE change from the Dixieland jazz
and other styles that came earlier.  Yet today, many people don't
think of swing as jazz at all, and it can be hard to remember that it
came about through the innovations of highly-creative musicians.  In
the next decade, swing was everywhere, it was thoroughly accepted, and
it became taken for granted.

This is similar to an item I got published not long ago about one of
the all-time greatest banjo innovators,

    TONY TRISCHKA,

who, not incidentally, is on a CD-release tour these days.  Trischka's
developments in banjo-playing styles have been so widely adopted by
pickers playing at nearly all levels that it is now hard to remember
that they were innovations - and not so very long ago.

To my way of thinking, this is an important point and well worth
keeping in mind to enhance our appreciation of the music we are hearing.

Even music that sounds quite familiar is often built on a foundation
of wondrous changes made by brilliant writers and players of past years.


FLUTTR EFFECT
After the Fire

I am posting most of the latest

    FLUTTR EFFECT

press release below.  I am also including most of the accompanying
preamble because it seems to me it helps explain the situation of
Fluttr Effect members.

Fluttr Effect is one of New England's best bands, and the members'
difficulties from a recent fire are things we all ought to be aware of.

Here it is:

As you may have heard the Fluttr Effect headquarters were badly
damaged due to fire in the building on Dec. 29.  It took a while to
recover some normalcy and although we are still not back to our place
we are going back to playing music.  Here is a press release about the
first show after the fire.  Hope 2007 is starting better for you than
it did for us!  Be safe!

For Immediate Release

WHO: FLUTTR EFFECT
WHEN: Friday, Feb. 9 2007
WHERE: Middle East Downstairs
TIME/AGE/PRICE: doors at 8pm, show at 9pm, FE at 10pm, 18+, $12/14
ALSO ON THE BILL: Strictly for the Birds (CD release party)

Fluttr Effect will play their first show of the new year on Friday,
February 9th at the Middle East downstairs, the cd release for
Strictly for the Birds.

The band spent a month hiatus writing and developing new material,
collaborating on half a dozen new songs. This creative burst has been
tempered with the loss of Fluttr Effect's headquarters, the home of
guitarist Troy Kidwell and marimba player Vessela Stoyanova, after a
fire in an adjoining apartment at their factory-turned-artist-lofts
residence.  Although the instruments were spared, water and structural
damage left the space uninhabitable and the future remains uncertain.
  Fluttr Effect will continue touring throughout the spring, with dates
in New England and a return to the U.K. Marking Time, their second
full-length cd, was released in October 2006.  The Boston Herald
included it as one of the Top Ten CDs of 2006.  Reviews from the U.S.
and across Europe laud Fluttr Effect's "witty and intelligent song
writing" (Dutch Progressive Rock Pages) with "the right dose of
experimentality" (Rock Reviews).  Marking Time "plays out with the
coolness of rock and roll and the urgency of sex" (Skope Magazine).
This complexly woven album showcases their particular brand of
thinkrock - smart, haunting, unrelenting rock music.

Fluttr Effect "command[s] the chops to play tunes with shifting time
signatures, the smarts to dive headlong into textural explorations,
and the joy and the will to improvise" (Boston Phoenix). The group is:
Troy Kidwell on guitar and vocals, Jason Marchionna on drums and
percussion, Vessela Stoyanova on MIDI marimba, Valerie Thompson on
electric cello and vocals, and Kara Trott on lead vocals.

   -- Fluttr Effect, "Fire, Water and Back
      To Playing Music," January 22, 2007


Hotline: Glasseye to depart Boston for Austin
By Michael Marotta
Thursday, January 25, 2007
In Thursday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=178983


Once again, metal rockin' Meliah is all the Rage
By Dave Wedge
Boston Herald Chief Enterprise Reporter
Wednesday, January 24, 2007 - Updated: 05:02 PM EST
In Wednesday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=178985


BOB SEGER

Bob Seger
He's a father now, but triumphant return shows he's still a rocker
By Sarah Rodman, Globe Staff  |  January 26, 2007
In Friday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2007/01/26/bob_seger/?page=full


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      As a rule, we do not post SHOW LISTINGS.  The reason is quite
simple.  Our readers are spread out all over the map.  Though our name
is the NEW ENGLAND Music Scrapbook, we have readers all across the
southern tier of states - with a large number in Florida and another
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New Jersey.  The great majority of show listings would be of no
interest at all to most of our readers.

      We make exceptions when show listings are part of an item of more
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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.

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area.  Our single biggest concentration of readers, as far as we know,
is in and around Boston.  We understand from e-mails we receive that
we are able to help turn out an audience to many entertainments in the
Boston area.  But even in the case of Boston shows, we make few
exceptions.

      So, the general rule of thumb is that we don't post show
listings.  In the very few, truly exceptional instances where we do...


      ... 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 2007:206

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

Copyright © 2007 by the New England Music Scrapbook.  All rights reserved.

   : : : :

New England Music Scrapbook News
Our Corner of the Rock 'n' Roll Life
February 3, 2007
Issue 2007:207

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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.


.   .   .   .   .


Oh, doggone, I forgot to get into the latest CD by Vermont's

    THE DIRTMINERS,

and now I'm totally out of time and then some.  I'll try to get back
to it next week.  The new record, "American Typewriter," is quite a
good deal and it is deserving of some attention in these cyberpages.
For the moment, suffice it to say that a tickler EP or demo that came
out earlier seemed quite promising, but "American Typewriter" is
better than I expected.  CD-release shows are in the works, and
spirits are high in old Vermont.


I'M MAKING A LATE START
WE'RE HEADED FOR THE HASTY PART...

LATELY, several of the musicians I have interviewed have responded to
my questions with questions of their own.  For instance...

I assure you that one of the sharpest people out there is Crooked
Still's and Sometymes Why's

    AOIFE O'DONOVAN.

Aoife has given amazing answers to some of my questions.  When I asked
what is unique or most nearly unique about a Crooked Still concert,
she gave an answer that was entirely different from everyone else's.
Entirely.

So anyway, this fit into a question I needed to ask; and in response,
I was asked what Aoife said.

Piece of cake to answer, since it was the generality of what she said,
not necessarily the specifics, that made her answer so unusual.
Aoife's reply had nothing at all to do with writing, arranging,
playing, or singing music.  Everyone else concentrates on how their
music is the thing that makes their shows unique.  Aoife didn't even
touch it.  This is all the more remarkable when one considers that she
has a really solid music education and performing background.
Instead, she talked about the personalities and the rapport that makes
Crooked Still the band it is.  It was a very interesting and unique
response to an interesting question about uniqueness.  Credit Aoife O
for original thinking.

However, someone just asked an entirely different question and I
tried, and tried, and tried some more to give a concise response and
just couldn't do it.  A brief answer to this woman's question may not
be possible.  I wasted a lot of time, I now know in hindsight, trying
to find a brief answer.  And now it has got me running much worse
behind even than usual.

So I had better get right into it.

We received only about half as much local music news by e-mail this
week.  BUT...


We received several really great records.


NEW ARRIVALS VOL. 1

The record playing at the very time of this writing is a various
artists fund-raiser compilation,

    NEW ARRIVALS VOL. 1

and this is one of the best VA collections I have heard in recent
years.  Vols. 1 and 2 are both great, but Vol. 1 is the one I
personally like best.  So far anyway.  Favorite cuts include:

    Paul Brill, "New Pagan Love Song"

    Michal, "Desireless"

    Pharaoh's Daughter, "Change Your Mind"

    Noe Venable, "Juniper"

I am not familiar with the music of any of these artists, and that
goes for nearly everyone else on both these discs.

Many of the lesser gems on "New Arrivals Vol. 1" could be the
most-treasured cuts on other really good compilations.  They would not
be lesser gems on another set.

If there is some reason to not absolutely love

    RACHAEL SAGE

I'll have to get back to you.  I haven't found it yet.  These "New
Arrival" collections came out on Sage's own MPress Records label.


TEMPER

Pretty doesn't mean wallpaper
Pete Sutton holds onto his Temper
By BRETT MILANO
January 30, 2007 5:22:43 PM
In this week's Boston Phoenix

http://thephoenix.com/article_ektid32584.aspx

Well,

    TEMPER,

temper.  What have we here?  This piece was definitely not on the
Boston Phoenix music section online table of contents Thursday
morning.  I already knew about this piece and looked for it three
times on Thursday.

Thanks to

    PETE SUTTON

for sending a link.  I've never heard Temper, but one of its members,
Carlene Barous, is a personal favorite.  So this is one of the main
articles this week that I suggest giving a look.

AND ... the Phoenix notice was written by another personal favorite,
the great Brett Milano.

What more do we have to say...


MARDI GRAS BALL
Way down on the levee
In old Cambridge Em Aye

There's Daddy and Mammy, There's Shaun and Suzi ... Fortunately, one
of the items we received by e-mail this week is a developed (to say
the least) announcement of the upcoming Boston-Cambridge area

    MARDI GRAS BALL

a New England institution of long standing that, this year, is
featuring a New England institution of even longer standing,

    WILLIE "LOCO" ALEXANDER.

On a moon light night you can find them all. While they are waitin'
the banjos are syncopatin'...


KNOCKS FROM THE UNDERGROUND

A snapshot in 16 songs
A new CD encapsulates the best of Boston's unsung music scene

By Jonathan Perry, Globe Correspondent  |  February 2, 2007
In Friday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2007/02/02/a_snapshot_in_16_son\
gs/?page=full

I'll bet this headline made a lot of sense to the person who wrote it,
given the compilation's name.  But when one considers how severely the
Boston Globe has cut its local music coverage since Steve Morse's
departure, I'd have to call the Globe headline inadvisable unless some
form of confession is intended as to who is doing the UN-singing.  But...

This piece was written by Jonathan Perry, a Globe correspondent who
has done his part and more to keep Boston local sounds before the public.


SOUNDS LOCAL
By Sheryl Hunter
The Recorder
Greenfield, Massachusetts
Arts & Entertainment pullout section

Sheryl Hunter's "Sounds Local" column in The Recorder out of
Greenfield, Massachusetts is almost always about local music, hence
the name.  But many of the artists whose addresses are local to
Sheryl's area have national and even international reputations.

Once in a Brattleboro waiting room I was talking with a woman.  The
subject of music came up quickly.  And though it took a while, for me,
for it to sink in, it seems she was telling me that her husband was

    MAX ROACH.

A couple minutes later, THE Max Roach - one of the most acclaimed
drummers in all jazz history - walked right by me in the hall.  He was
teaching, at the time, at UMass-Amherst and may still be.  Making him
then and possibly now local to Sheryl's area.

So anyway, Sheryl's column is local in a conventional sense but
regional, national, and sometimes international in other important ways.

And Sheryl's column is about to go interstellar.

That's right.  We are told "Sounds Local" FINALLY is going to be
posted on the Web.

THIS is an idea whose time has come ... and gone ... and come again.

We hope that individual issues of "Sounds Local" will be left online
long enough that it would work for us to post a link here.  But either
way, it will be great to not have to work so hard to track down
Sheryl's column in hardcopy.

We'll see how it goes.


INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION
List of Finalists

http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/winners.htm

"ISC is pleased to announce its 2006 finalists and semi-finalists

http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/winners.htm

"Winners will be announced in March 2007."

[Why it is that the Web address, itself, is marked for winners while
the HTML page's title is given as Contact is anyone's guess.]

This lengthy list names many New England-based songwriters and
probably a decent representation of ex-New Englanders.


PRIOR TO REACHING THIS POINT  in the rough draft of this issue, it
became apparent that I would run out of time.  And from here on, I
have to do this the fastest way possible.

STEPHEN KELLOGG

DAVE MADELONI's  column in Thursday's Arts & Entertainment section of
our local newspaper, the Brattleboro Reformer, is about

    STEPHEN KELLOGG

and his band, The Sixers named, I have always imagined, for former
UMass-Amherst basketball superstar Julius Erving - the legendary
Doctor J.  I could be wrong about this being the origin of the band's
name.  Just a thought.

Poster Child for the Long, Slow Slog to Stardom
Brattleboro Reformer
A&E Section
Thursday, February 1, 2007

ANAIS MITCHELL

On any scale of coolness, Vermont singer-songwriter

   ANAIS MITCHELL

registers well beyond "Coolest."  I know:  I recently interviewed her.

Covering All the Bases
Anais Mitchell and Michael Merenda
Club Passim
January 5, 2007
By Jeff Breeze
January 30, 2007
[Evidently I've got nothing on Jeff Breeze and/or the Boston Phoenix
when it comes to running late.]

THE MERCY BROTHERS

So there I was at our town's library sitting at a public-access
computer and explaining to my neighbor on the next machine that my
research is all about the 19th-century and its music while Barrence
Whitfield of the

    MERCY BROTHERS

was staring out at me from my screen.  It may have suggested to my
neighbor a hole in my story.

Across Countries
The Mercy Brothers' Mike Dinallo Gets Around
By Bob Gulla
The Providence Phoenix
January 30, 2007

Dinallo remembers playing the Mole's Eye in this town.  It could be he
remembers, too, playing clubs and listening rooms in all of your
towns.  The man has gotten around.

JAKE ROCHE
Late of Jeremiah Freed

Survivor: Portland
By Sam Pfeifle
In the Portland Phoenix
January 31, 2007

JEREMIAH FREED  headed west.

    JAKE ROCHE

stayed in Portland.  That is pretty nearly all I know.  But since
Jeremiah Freed has been a very popular Maine band, it seems likely
this column will interest many of our readers.

Hotline:
Rosenberg Sets His Sights on Nashville
By Michael Marotta
Boston Herald
Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Of course, we have already noted one or possibly even two news items
about Brett Rosenberg leaving Boston for Nashville.  The Brett
Rosenberg Problem seems to be that Boston is a very expensive city and
anyway he needs a change of scenery.  The Nashville skyline should
provide it.

WBCN ROCK AND ROLL RUMBLE

I am surprised to learn that the Rumble at the Rat is moving and that,
in fact, the Rat isn't even at the Rat anymore.  It's amazing how much
can change when you look away for a few decades.

"Names"
'BCN Rumble Jumps Ship to Harpers Ferry
By Carol Beggy and Mark Shanahan
The Boston Globe
January 31, 2007
Gee, I must have this item somewhere else in this issue, though for
some reason I seem to be missing it at the moment.  Just to be sure,
here is the direct Web address:

http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2007/01/31/bcn_rumble_jumps_ship_to_\
harpers_ferry/

Hotline:
There's a Rumble in Allston
Michael Marotta
Boston Herald
Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Not only does this Boston Herald piece cover the return of the

    WBCN ROCK 'N' ROLL RUMBLE

to Boston, but it also has an item about

    SARAH BORGES

signing to Sugar Hill Records.  Woo woo!  Good for you Sarah B!

SULLY ERNA
And we certainly are glad that the Boston Herald didn't run the risk
of doing anything crazy like setting a precedent by cross-referencing
this piece to the Music section.

Lawrence Nightingale
Godsmack Singer Writes About Life and Crime
on the Mean Streets of His Hometown
By Dave Wedge
Wednesday, January 31, 2007

PATTY GRIFFIN
Folkie Griffin Takes Flight
With Rip-Roaring "Children"
By Christopher John Treacy
Monday, January 29, 2007

PATTY GRIFFIN  is pretty doggone fantastic when she is rockin'.  I
take this headline to be a good sign.


PATTY GRIFFIN

Music Review
Road-testing new material, Griffin's right on course
Patty Griffin performed many new songs as well as older material.

By Joan Anderman, Globe Staff  |  February 1, 2007
In Thursday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2007/02/01/road_testing_new_material_gri\
ffins_right_on_course/


= = = = =


BRIEF ITEMS :


The
ORCHESTRA LUNA
Reissue

Noted With Evident Surprise
By Rick Berlin

"Peter Muir in the UK has somehow persuaded SONY/UK to re-release the
'Orchestra Luna' album.  Not sure of all the details, but I was asked
t write about the origins of that band, my first, in all it's bizarre
beginnings.  If ya want t read what I wrote, it's here:

http://www.rickberlin.com/writing/index.html

   -- Rick Berlin, "Berlin Experiences Early
      'Sometimers,'" January 31, 2007

Great news.  I'm a bit confused, though.  Isn't "Orchestra Luna" in
print already?  I could have sworn that Amazon.com has been listing it.


THE WEEPIES

"In February, look for 'World Spins Madly On'

    [by THE WEEPIES]

to be featured in the new Diane Keaton/Mandy Moore film, 'Because I
Said So.'"

   -- The Weepies, "Just Got Home From the
      New Year's Party," January 29, 2007


BILL MORRISSEY

"I hold my musical heroes near me at all times."

   -- "Mark Erelli February 2007 Newsletter,"
       February 1, 2007

MARK ERELLI

started this month's newsletter with a heartfelt account of totally
losing his composure when meeting his musical heroes.  Chief among
them is New Hampshire's

    BILL MORRISSEY.

Evidently there is news posted on the Web that Morrissey is at present
involved in inpatient alcoholism rehab, and we wish him all the luck
in the world and beyond.

Morrissey is a regional treasure.  He has written so many great songs
over the years that, if this was a test of some sort, we would be
tempted to accuse him of cheating.  His career overview, "The
Essential Collection" (Rounder), is a must-have set with songs running
the whole range from dead serious to ridiculously funny.

When it comes to answering questions, Morrissey is the most focused
artist I have ever interviewed.

And whether or not he is, I don't know, but Morrissey really OUGHT to
be an inspiration to songwriters everywhere for his ability to edit
and polish his songs.  His skill at telling a whole story in a very
few words is astonishing.  It is no wonder that he is widely admired
by some of our country's most acclaimed prose writers.

This rehab story is very serious business.

For years I took hospital patients to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings,
and I hold the organization in very high regards.  AA has saved a lot
of lives, and I know a lot of the people whose lives it has saved.
Inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation has done the same.

But the Mark Erelli piece was not as sober, so to speak, as this item
in our newsletter might make it seem.  His stories of making a fool of
himself when meeting his musical heroes is very funny in a
characteristically subtle sort of way.  If you can get your hands on a
copy, I recommend giving the latest Mark Erelli newsletter a look.

And again, best of luck to Bill Morrissey.


LISA MARTIN
Concert Recording
Live at the Iron Horse Music Hall

"So the BIG NEWS ... is the live show

    [by LISA MARTIN]

at the Iron Horse Music Hall which will be recorded ... multi-tracked
to be specific ... and will result in my next CD offering to all of
you.  Please join me and make lots of noise (after the songs, of
course) and be part of this musical project.  Joining me will be my
regular band mates for part of the night: Mike Young (electric
guitar), Bill Newton (bass) and Brad Willard (drums).  Then, I have
some special guests joining me for the rest of the show: Jim Henry
(who is touring with Mary Chapin-Carpenter this summer! electric
guitar, lap steel and dobro), Guy Devito (bass [ex-Fat]), Billy Klock
(drums) and Derrick Jordan (violin).  These guys have been involved
with numerous award winning musical projects.  Hopefully, mine will be
one of them!  Tickets are $12 and available NOW at the Northampton Box
Office 1-800-THE-TICK or through me."

   -- "Lisa Martin Live CD Recording,"
       January 31, 2007


AMY FAIRCHILD
A 2006 Billboard
World Song Contest Winner

"The song, 'Mr. Heart,' from the album of the same name, has just won
first prize in the Americana/Folk Cateogry in the 2006 Billboard World
Song Contest.  This is the second award given to this song, co-written
with Adam Steinberg.  Last year it took an honorable mention in the
Folk Cateogry in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest.  Once again, I'm
honored and grateful.  I encourage all of you songwriters out there to
SUBMIT to songwriting contests if you don't already.  It's paid off
hugely for me and could for you too!  Check out this link for details
and other winners:

    http://www.billboardsongcontest.com/

"And ... recording for the new record will start on February 19th ...
stay tuned for more progress on that!"

   -- Amy Fairchild, "'Mr. Heart' Takes First Place
      in Billboard World Song Contest,"
      January 28, 2007


end BRIEF ITEMS


= = = = =


SOMETYMES WHY

The Who of Sometymes Why
By Alan Lewis
Special to the Vermont Guardian

Vermont Guardian
February 2, 2007
Culture Section, Page 17

When this trio's debut album, "Sometimes Why," first came out, group
member Aoife O'Donovan sent me a copy, and I became a fan right away.
  I have tried time and time again to create an opportunity to write up
these gals only to have my best efforts fail ... until now.

I got to interview Kristin Andreassen, who is also a member of the
stringband, Uncle Earl, and the whole thing was pretty neat.

Some of our circa-1980 Boston folk will remember Mark Andreassen of
the punk-rock band,

    LA PESTE.

Sad to say, as far as she knows, Kristin Andreassen is no relation.
She is pretty neat anyway, though: a known Yellow Car Superstar.

I actually haven't yet checked to make sure, but I believe this item
is hardcopy only.  If you can get hold of the paper in hardcopy,
chances are decent that you will find

    SOMETYMES WHY (note the name's spelling change)

to be an engaging folk-noir threesome.


MARDI GRAS BALL
Saturday, February 17
TT the Bear's Place

Shaun & Suzi's 14th Annual Mardi Gras Ball
Saturday, Feb. 17 at T.T. The Bear's Place
10 Brookline Ave., Central Sq. Cambridge, MA

$12. Proceeds benefit the New Orleans Musicians' Clinic. (Tickets are
available in advance via TicketWeb.)

Fourteen years running, Shaun & Suzi's Annual Mardi Gras Ball is a
celebration of both New Orleans' music, and of the Boston rock music
scene's diversity and abilities.  It is a magnificent evening of
debauchery, music, art, and more. Shaun Wolf Wortis and Suzi Lee lead
a large band through a night of the irreverent and quirky R&B music
which exploded out of New Orleans in the 1950's.  Local rock
luminaries - come up to join them for a few songs each throughout the
night.

Proceeds go to help New Orleans musicians ravaged by Katrina.

Great band this year - all of Slide (S&S, Ken Schopf, Dimitri Fane),
Paul Ahlstrand, Chandler Travis, Mark Sanchez, Joe Stewart, Jacques
Pardo, Danny Heath, and Brian O'Neill; Bertrand Laurence joins us on
guitar for some of the old jazz tunes; great guest singers, and many
surprises.

SPECIAL GUESTS - MARDI GRAS XIV

Wlllie Alexander

Local rock legend Willie Alexander performs at the Mardi Gras for the
first time.  Willie's musical history is nonpareil, having played with
The Lost, The Bagatelle and The Grass Menagerie before becoming a
member of The Velvet Underground.  After leaving The VU, he enjoyed
both a solo career and one with his Boom Boom Band, that lasts to this
day.

Willie has quite a long association with Slide, opening for Slide at
their first CD (Forgiving Buckner) release show.  Slide later covered
his "WKD" on their second record.

Andrea Gillis

Andrea Gillis is a much a local rock star as there's been, and for
obvious reasons.  She's the bomb, anyone who's heard her sing can tell
you that.  Andrea has performed at Bastille Day shows in the past, but
this is her first Mardi Gras, oddly.

We're pleased to announce that Andrea and Dennis Brennan will perform
their first ever duet at this year's Mardi Gras Ball.

"Belting out an old-style mix of R&B, soul and garage-rock takes guts.
  She's Got them." - The Boston Globe

"Gillis has been blessed with the pipes of Etta James and the boozy
swagger of Jim Morrison" - The Boston Globe

"She's pure dynamite" - Soundcheck Magazine

"Her vocals are simply spectacular" - The Boston Herald

"Her vocals have the power of rock, the emotion of blues, and the
surprising improvisational skill of jazz" - The Patriot Ledger

Dennis Brennan

Dennis Brennan celebrates the release of his new CD, "Engagement"
(Hi-N-Dry) featuring both studio recordings and live recordings from
his residency stint at Cambridge's Lizard Lounge.

"Divided equally into studio and live tracks, the diversity is
stunning as he takes listeners on a journey that comes from the
gut."--Steve Morse, longtime Boston Globe reviewer and cohost of
"Morse on Music," WBOS-FM.

"Lonesome, ornery and great."--Peter Guralnick, author DREAM BOOGIE,
The Triumph of Sam Cooke and LAST TRAIN TO MEMPHIS, The Rise of Elvis
Presley.

Dennis also, while a veteran of the Bastille Day show in the summer
has never played a Mardi Gras. This year, not only does Dennis sing,
but we get a duet with Andrea, their first ever. Expect the best.

Bourbon Princess

Monique Ortiz' Bourbon Princess play rich, cinematic, and often darkly
psychedelic rock with hues of New Romantic, post-punk, and flourishes
touches of jazz and sixties rock.

After a break this year where Monique launched a solo CD, and another
project (A.K.A.C.O.D. with Dana Colley and Larry Dersch), BP returns
to start off this year's Mardi Gras Ball with an opening set.

Sal Clemente

Sal Clemente and his Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra has caused a stir in
the scene for the past couple of years with hugely successful
performances of Jesus Christ Superstar, and Clemente's original "A
Night At The Rock Opera"

"From the pink hair to the platform boots, the glam face paint to the
slinky gowns, and the people dancing everywhere, the spectacle on the
Regent Theatre stage seems more a party than an opera ... one big
party with live music, courtesy of a killer band made up of no fewer
than 18 singers and eight musicians...  Together they are an insanely
versatile outfit capable of bringing off even the most intricate of
rock pieces - say, Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" - with effortless ease,
lighthearted humor, and an audacious display of vocal prowess." --
Boston Globe

"Let's be honest: The proper way to receive your rock 'n' roll is in
anthemic waves of fist-clenched bombast, replete with tight leather
pants, epilepsy-inducing stage lighting and a set list that favors
Bowie, Queen & 'Jesus Christ Superstar.' Only a handful of bands are
licensed to rock you that hard. And a band like the seven-musician,
eighteen-singer Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra, whose
glam-bam-thank-you-ma'am rocktastic thunder literally made Andrew
Lloyd Webber's head explode, certainly has that license." -- The Metro

Bo Barringer

Bo Barringer returns to the Mardi Gras after a fabulous rendition of
Sugar Boy Crawford's "Overboard" a couple of years ago. The tune made
sense - a raw frantic proto-punk R&B gush - very much like Bo's music.
  Bo plays with the Collisions, who sound like Cheap Trick playing a
prom with Fugazi before getting beat up in the parking lot by the
Cramps.  Something like that. Smart, well-written songs that rock...
Steamy Bohemians

The Steamy Bohemians

The Steamies are one of the best female duos in Boston. Combining
strikingly original yet catchy musical tunes and rich vocal harmonies.
Always with tounge-in-cheek, and just a little naughty.

This Mardi Gras the Steamies allow the band to try something they've
always wanted: a suite of songs by 60's NOLA-based girl group Dixie Cups.

Gonna be awesome.
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT

As always we're delighted to present another great bill for this
year's Mardi Gras Ball. We hope everyone will put Februrary 17 on
their calendars, and come on out for a great night of music and
drinking and fun, and a great cause. The New Orleans Musicians' Clinic
is a great organization and we're proud to try to help other musicians
in need, especially those who've been hit so hard in the past year and
a half.

Thanks always for your support, and hope to see ya on the 17th!

Cheers,
--Shaun & Suzi, and da band

   -- Shaun Wolf Wortis, "Shaun & Suzi's 14th Annual
      Mardi Gras Ball," January 29, 2007

Oh, what's that they're sayin'
Oh, what's that they're sayin'
I'm hummin' and swayin'
Oh, while they keep playin'...

No doubt I should have found a Louisiana song.  But once I get started
on "Waitin' for the Robert E. Lee," it can be hard to stop.


SESSION AMERICANA
"Beer Town"
CD-Release Shows

Thursday, March 8th 9:00 PM
CD Release Shows for "Beer Town, The Table Top Collective Vol. 3"
Lizard Lounge
  Cambridge, MA 02138 United States
http://www.lizardloungeclub.com/main.html
Session Americana's new Cd will be released at our home base for the
past year. Tickets will be available on http://www.virtuous.com

Friday, March 9th 9:00 PM
CD Release Shows for "Beer Town, The Table Top Collective Vol. 3"
Lizard Lounge
  Cambridge, MA 02138 United States
http://www.lizardloungeclub.com/main.html
Session Americana's new Cd will be released at our home base for the
past year. Tickets will be available on http://www.virtuous.com.
more events at http://sessionamericana.com/index.php?page=calendar

   -- Session Americana Mailing, February 1, 2007


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!


      As a rule, we do not post SHOW LISTINGS.  The reason is quite
simple.  Our readers are spread out all over the map.  Though our name
is the NEW ENGLAND Music Scrapbook, we have readers all across the
southern tier of states - with a large number in Florida and another
large number in the Atlanta area.  Even within the Northeast, we have
readers in each of the six New England states and many in New York and
New Jersey.  The great majority of show listings would be of no
interest at all to most 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.

      We also make a few exceptions for shows in the immediate Boston
area.  Our single biggest concentration of readers, as far as we know,
is in and around Boston.  We understand from e-mails we receive that
we are able to help turn out an audience to many entertainments in the
Boston area.  But even in the case of Boston shows, we make few
exceptions.

      So, the general rule of thumb is that we don't post show
listings.  In the very few, truly exceptional instances where we do...


      ... 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.


      Exceptionally long addresses may need to be pasted into the
address field, which is probably toward the top of your browser
screen.  Some addresses are so extremely long that they may have to be
pasted in two or more pieces.


New England Music Scrapbook :

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/home.htm

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Issue 2007:207

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

Copyright © 2007 by the New England Music Scrapbook.  All rights reserved.

   : : : :

Yesterday, in my haste to fit in the local music news we received by
e-mail, I didn't check the Boston Globe obituaries as I normally
would.  Evidently if I had checked I would have known about the recent
death of

    ERIC VON SCHMIDT.

At the moment, I am unsure as to when the news broke.  But apparently
Von Schmidt died on Friday.  I caught the story in the overnight news
a couple hours ago.  And when I checked Yahoo News, the Boston Herald
obituary was said to have been posted only 21 minutes earlier.

Just the week before last, when rummaging through some of my
Hutchinson Family files, I ran across a couple historical articles Von
Schmidt wrote for academic journals.  One had to do with a current
research topic of mine.

In the 19th century, panoramic displays of historic scenes were set up
in our major cities to wow urban audiences.  Some were mechanical in
nature so as to bring a sense of change and movement to these displays.

The panorama that interests me was shown twice a day at a hall on
Broadway in New York City.  It was "The Battle of Bunker Hill and the
Conflagration of Charlestown."  And it was put on in connection with a
series of concerts by the Alleghanians, who sang "The Marsailles Hymn"
at the Bunker Hill panorama in honor, no doubt, of Lafayette and the
French involvement in our Revolution.

These panoramas interested Eric Von Schmidt, and he wrote an academic
article on the topic.  I remember he also wrote one about The Alamo.

We know Eric Von Schmidt as a musician: an early friend of Joan Baez,
an early inspiration for Jim Kweskin, a mentor to Bob Dylan and
something of an authority on Dylan.  But Von Schmidt was much more an
illustrator.  Once when I did an author search of a big city library's
online catalog on Von Schmidt's name, the number of hits representing
published works he had illustrated ran off the chart and back onto it
again.  His own book, "Baby, Let Me Follow You Down," was illustrated
with true genius.  Some of his materials are also our materials: album
cover art for instance.  So here in the comfort of my living room, I
can look at my own copies of pieces Von Schmidt used to illustrate his
book.  And I assure you the originals don't look anywhere near as good
as what EVS did with them in "Baby, Let Me Follow You Down."

Eric Von Schmidt was a New Englander: a Nutmegger out of the wilds of
Connecticut.  When he arrived in Harvard Square in 1957, the old folk
music scene of Peggy Seeger and Tony Saletan was in the early stages
of being replaced by what we mostly know from the early 1960s.  So Von
Schmidt was there with only a very small number of others such as
Manny Greenhill to bridge the gap between those folk communities.

It was a magic moment for Jim Kweskin when he was in the audience for
an Eric Von Schmidt concert.  EVS, among other things, sang some old
jazz songs while accompanying himself on acoustic guitar: just the
thing Kweskin wanted to do and one day WOULD do to perfection.

It was a magic moment for many of the rest of us to hear reference to
'Ric Von Schmidt on the debut Bob Dylan album on the cut, "Baby, Let
Me Follow You Down."

EVS bridged so many gaps: from the world of art to the world of folk
music, from the early 1950s to the 1960s.  He had tales to tell about
hearing Lead Belly on the radio and about a friend of his who once saw
Lead Belly singing on the front porch of a house in Connecticut.  The
really funny thing about the story of Lead Belly playing guitar on a
Connecticut porch is that it sounded totally fantastic at the time but
it turns out to be almost certainly true.  Von Schmidt could write
scholarly journal articles or he could tell heartfelt stories about
Bob Dylan's magical ability to make himself larger or smaller.  EVS
was a diverse and colorful character.

We began this operation by taking notes from the Eric Von Schmidt and
Jim Rooney book, "Baby, Let Me Follow You Down."  It was quite
literally the very first thing we did.  And just weeks ago, when
posting my favorite New England albums of 2006, I included one by Lisa
Bastoni and Naomi Sommers - The Gray Sky Girls.  Eric Von Schmidt was
a friend and mentor to Connecticut native Bastoni.

It seems as though Eric Von Schmidt has been everywhere I have looked,
from my days of studying - or whatever it is you call the reading I
was doing - in the University of Maine student union's music room
while listening to the Bob Dylan debut LP to just yesterday when I was
researching the Bunker Hill Diorama one minute and checking out a
Mercy Brothers notice the next.

Tomorrow, with any luck, I'm going to be back at the microfilm machine
looking for a little bigger and better ad for the Bunker Hill Diorama
in the New York Times and thinking of Eric Von Schmidt who I know was
interested in the same subject.  He was a genuine generalist who was
interested in just about everything.

So it is with great sadness that we note the passing of a New England
artist, musician, scholar, and character of tremendous importance.  We
were never really able to connect with Von Schmidt to our
satisfaction.  When we switched from postal mail to e-mail, he was
having no part of it.  And he was not one of the more prolific
postcard writers.  So while we did hear from him, we were never really
able to pick his brain as we had hoped.  We know him from his
illustrations, and quotes from him in Bob Dylan books, and from his
records, and from his writings on a wide range of topics, and mostly
from "Baby, Let Me Follow You Down," a true monument to the most
important school of popular music of the early 1960s here in New England.

And we are going to miss Eric Von Schmidt very much.

New England Music Scrapbook News
Our Corner of the Rock 'n' Roll Life
February 10, 2007
Issue 2007:208

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


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.


.   .   .   .   .


MY FAMILY IN MAINE  this past week experienced a real emergency.  And
while it came out as well as can be expected - so far, at least - it
doesn't make the past few days any easier or make work on this issue
any tidier or more complete.

As far as this issue of the newsletter goes, I'll compile and write as
much as time permits.  But a great deal of time has been lost, and
there is nowhere near enough time left to make it up.

I am totally winging it.


VERMONT SPRING SEASON
MUSIC PREVIEW

IF YOU HAVE BIG MUSICAL DOINGS  in Vermont this spring, please e-mail
me about it by way of the following Web page:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm

If you are or you represent a

    VERMONT MUSIC ACT

and you have big musical doings anywhere, please e-mail me by way of
the following Web page:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm

If you do not fit into either of these two categories already
enumerated, please e-mail me by way of Patti Page.

I am getting geared up to preview Vermont's spring music season for
the Vermont Guardian and need data, particularly with regards to
happenings in the months of April and May and possibly the first few
days of June.


ERIC VON SCHMIDT

Eric von Schmidt, at 75; musician, artist

[An artist and singer throughout his life, Eric von Schmidt had a key
role in folk music's revival.]

By Globe Staff  |  February 5, 2007

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2007/02/05/eric_von_schmidt\
_75_played_blues_and_folk_in_cambridge/

People who have been around New England a lot of years would likely
know what a key guy

    ERIC VON SCHMIDT

was to popular music here in New England in the 1960s.  To people who
were not around, I'll just say that one would have to work at it
pretty hard to exaggerate Eric's importance.

We have received our share of anecdotes about EVS since we first noted
his death.  They would probably be quite spicey to most readers.  But
to people who remember him or who know him from such things as -
particularly - his book (with the great Jim Rooney) "Baby, Let Me
Follow You Down," these tales are really quite funny.

Eric Von Schmidt pretty much defined the word, "colorful."  He is a
figure to be remembered, and we definitely will not be forgetting him.

New York City had a really wonderful folk music community in the same
years and there was a definite interaction between the two scenes -
and really there was a major interaction among blossoming folkie
commumities all across the country.

Cambridge-Boston was a little different from the others.  And it is
why I speak of Eric Von Schmidt as a big part of the POPULAR music of
New England.  Once folk displaced jazz as THE popular music of Boston
by the late 1950s or not much later, it held that position deep into
the 1960s.  The idea of the Harvard Square folkies of singing "ethnic"
can seem a little puzzling today.  No one I know of talks that way
anymore.  But the great folksong collector Frank Warner liked to sing
his songs as closely as possible to the way they were originally sung
for him.  And the Cambridge guys' and gals' idea of singing ethnic was
equally as simple.  So, for instance, when three-chord blues became
HUGE a few years later, the Cambridge gang was already there.  They
sang the blues like it was the blues, rather than fitting all
different kinds of folk music into a single style.

Bob Dylan was clearly identified with the Greenwich Village folk
community, but in many ways he fit in better with the Cambridge
musicians.  When he went electric, the Harvard Square crowd was ready.
  I don't pretend to know the entire recording history of those days,
but in general Bob Dylan released an electric album before his peers.
  But, in fact, Mimi and Richard Farina recorded their first electric
album before Dylan.  They also intended to play Newport with an
electric band - including our hero, Barry Tashian, on lead guitar -
ahead of Dylan, but it was forbidden by the wisdom of the Newport powers.

The Cambridge folkies also took an immediate and heartfelt liking for,
and interest in, The Beatles.

Eric Von Schmidt played a really important part in getting a wonderful
ball rolling here in New England.  Those were unbelievable times, and
we all owe Eric Von Schmidt.


NOEL GOURDIN

Brockton soul man Gourdin goes old-school
By Lauren Carter
Thursday, February 8, 2007
In Thursday's Boston Globe

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=181637

I am not familiar with the music of

    NOEL GOURDIN,

but his face looks really familiar.  I haven't had a chance to read
this piece yet, but I am going to try to get to it later to see where
I may have heard or read about him previously.


CARLENE BAROUS

"I  [ CARLENE BAROUS ]  am playing a solo Carlene-songs acoustic style
gig with two very fine outfits, three extremely fine gentlemen, on
Monday night Feb. 12 at TTs:

8:30 - 9:10: Seth Goodman and Kevin Mahoney of The Diamond Platinum Rings
http://www.myspace.com/thediamondplatinumrings

9:20 - 10:00: Phil Aiken of The Phil Aiken Army
http://www.myspace.com/philaiken

10:10 - 11:00: Carlene Barous of Temper (x-Din)
http://www.myspace.com/bostontemper

It's $3 entry.
18+

"This is TT the Bear's 'The Other Side of The Bear Acoustic Series,'
the name given to TTs Monday night acoustic low down, on that smallish
rise on the bar side of The Bear."

   -- Carlene Barous, "Solo Monday TTs,"
      February 9, 2007

The first two names listed look familiar, but I don't know the band name.

I personally always favored the Phil Aiken lineup of Buffalo Tom.  A
case can be made for the smaller group.  I like Phil Aiken.

I have taken many opportunities already to say that I am a big fan of
Carlene Barous.  I have even tried to trick her into writing for this
newsletter.  So far, she has been too smart for me.  But I'm still
hoping to catch her in a weak moment or wear her down or something.


NEW ARRIVALS
VOLUME 2

I only got a chance to listen to the compilation, "New Arrivals Volume
2," which is recently out on Rachael Sage's MPress Records label; but
I must say I am impressed.  Both volumes are way above the norm for
compilations.  I'll try to write more about this next time because I
just don't remember for certain all the cuts I thought were highlights
on today's single listen.  But I believe among them would be

    Kyler England, "Lay It on Me"

    Trina Hamlin, "Living on Love"

    Kristy Kruger, "Dark Stranger"

    Divine MAGgees, "Little Black Crow"

    Mieka Pauley, "Stronger"

      and

    Rachael Sage, "Lonely Streets"

Volume 2 begins and ends with a track by a New England lass - Mieka
Pauley and Melissa Ferrick, respectively.  There is also a nifty cut
by Vermont's Gregory Douglass.  We know of Trina Hamlin from her work
with Laurie Geltman.  I simply do not recall who sent us our first
Rachael Sage CD, but I vividly remember Sage becoming an instant
favorite.  Each volume of "New Arrivals" would likely interest many of
our readers.

I like Mieka Pauley best on a demo that features just her and her
guitar, performing live in a recording studio.  But "Stronger" on "New
Arrivals Volume 2" has a nice pop-radio finish, and it is easy to see
why it has been a Triple-A radio hit for her across the country.  I
imagine it earned her quite a few additional bookings.


PETE WEISS
of Vermont's
Verdant Studio

One of the best things out there is the periodic

    PETE WEISS

production and engineering newsletter.  Here is most of the first part
of his latest issue:

"Last fall's Weisstronauts mini-tour was a gas.  Having ex-Velvet
Undergrounder Doug Yule along as fill-in bassist worked out great...
Of course, he's now an official 'auxilliary Weisstronaut' and we plan
to do some recording with him this spring.

"I've been keeping busy with sessions at Verdant Studio.  Word's been
getting out; artists are coming to Verdant from near and far to
capture that elusive 'Vermont sound.'  Gear-wise, the studio boasts a
few new trinkets including a Heil PR-40 microphone (I recently
reviewed this mic in TapeOp Magazine and liked it so much I bought one
- great on vocals and kick drum), an old Yamaha SK-15 string synth,
and an Ampeg Gemini II guitar amp.  And I'm happy to report that Andy
Hong (co-designer of Verdant, along with his brother John, Jinhee
Park, and Erik Carlson) needed to clear out some space in his
Cambridge-based Kimchee Studios and sold me his Moog Voyager
synthesizer.  Man oh man ... ridiculously great sounds and
tweakability.  Feels like I'll have a happy, lifelong project in
learning how to master this sonic beast.  Incidentally, I'm still
working on a bunch of new 'solo' music; a lot of it is synth- and
loop-laden instrumental stuff (with the Moog looming large), but some
of it is garage rock too.  Never can make up my mind; it seems a sort
of musical identity crisis has grabbed me (or should I say 'continues
to hold me'?)"

   -- Pete Weiss, "PW Production/Engineering
      Newsletter No. 20," February 6, 2007

I HAD THREE OPPORTUNITIES  in print to list "Featuring 'Perky'" by The
Weisstronauts as among the best New England releases of 2006, and I
included it in my list all three times.  Pete Weiss and company did a
terrific job.


DEBORAH HENSON-CONANT

Meet the mother of `Invention'
By Bob Young
Saturday, February 10, 2007
In Saturday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=182072

The early big night in the career of

    DEBORAH HENSON-CONANT

- her "Night of the Roses" - was on my all-time favorite regular
television broadcast, CBS News Nightwatch with Charlie Rose ... and I
missed it.  So if catching her second Nightwatch appearance makes me a
Johnny-come-lately fan, I didn't miss by much.  She has had an amazing
career since that first night, and the Bob Young notice in today's
Boston Herald ought to be an outstanding place to get caught up with her.


LLOYD THAYER

Three in one
Lloyd Thayer's trio of talents
By TED DROZDOWSKI
February 6, 2007 3:02:43 PM
In this week's Boston Phoenix

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid33133.aspx

Lloyd Thayer has made a good name for himself as a player around the
region.  But there is nothing quite like getting a write-up by Ted
Drozdowski.

BB King once told Charlie Rose that he learned a lot from young
players, and I remember he had some late 1960s examples.  He spoke of
chord changes he never would have come up with on his own.  He told
Charlie Rose that fans say, "B knows."  And then King said, "Well, B
don't know."  In this spirit of a master being willing to learn
wherever he could find a lesson worth knowing, it seems likely the
great BB King would be interested in this Lloyd Thayer notice by Ted
Drozdowski.


DON WHITE

Don White Flies High
"Under the Radar"
By "Sounds Local" Columnist
Sheryl Hunter
The Recorder
Greenfield, Massachusetts
February 8, 2007
Pages 3-4
Also Featured
Katie Clark and the Green River Band

I am eager to get some details about Sheryl's "Sounds Local" column
being posted on the Web.  Sheryl always writes a great column, it is
with rare exceptions about local music, and The Recorder out of
Greenfield is very generous with the space it allows her.  This makes
for a fantastic combination from our point of view.  I expect that
when people anywhere can easily access Sheryl's column, a lot of our
readers will take an interest in it.

AND SPEAKING OF GREAT  western New England music columns, I think it
is this week (I have nothing to refer to just now) that Dave Madeloni
got to write on a topic that I had hoped to do:

    THE PINK FLOYD EXPERIENCE.

It is a bit out of our normal range, but the show's publicity makes it
sound like a lot of fun.  If you can get your hands on Dave's column
in the Thursday issue of our local newspaper, the Brattleboro
Reformer, you can see what I mean.


= = = = =


BRIEF ITEMS :


BOSTON'S "THE NOISE" HALL OF FAME

This week we received notice that

    RICK BERLIN

has been voted into Boston's The Noise Hall of Fame.  The Noise, of
course, is a surprisingly venerable 'zine that has been serving Boston
in the funkiest of ways for more years possibly than the proprietor
would care to admit.  A number of fine scenesters are involved in The
Noise.  The Noise writer we are most likely to cover in these pages is
Kier Byrnes.  In addition to his work with The Noise, Byrnes is a
leader in Massachusetts politics of the Peace and Whiskey faction and
he also plays in a favorite band, Three Day Threshold.

The list of prior Noise Hall of Fame inductees is intriguing.  Any
list is worth having that includes such names as Willie Alexander,
Carmelita, Rich Gilbert, Tristram Lozaw, Brett Milano, David Minehan,
and the individual members of Mission of Burma.  And THAT is just to
name some of the highlights.

The way I remember it, just days from Tristram Lozaw's WBCN Rock 'n'
Roll Rumble win (with Someone and the Somebodies), he wrote a
wonderful notice of Sal Baglio and The Stompers.  Later Lozaw was the
publisher/editor of Boston Rock, a deservedly beloved '80s/'90s
publication.  Possibly above all else, Lozaw is a fantastic writer
going back to Boston's "Take It" days.  He is a special example of the
high calibre of Noise Hall of Fame honorees.

Here is the list as we received it, with newest inductee Rick Berlin
named a little deeper into the same paragraph:

"Already in the Noise Hall of Fame are: Willie Alexander, Roger
Miller, Jeff Conolly, Rich Gilbert, Peter Prescott, Albert O, David
Minehan, Mark Sandman, Tris Lozaw, Thalia Zedek, Aimee Mann, Oedipus,
Billy Ruane, Kenne Highland, Dickie Barrett, Mikey Dee, Richie
Parsons, Alvan Long, Asa Brebner, Brett Milano, and last years
inductee, Carmelita."


PHIL AYOUB BAND
At Harpers Ferry

"Don't miss Phil Ayoub when he performs with his band at Harpers Ferry
(158 Brighton Ave, Allston), on Wednesday, February 21st as part of
the Bennett Alliance Showcase and Compilation CD Release!  The show
will also feature the Kode, Daniel Bennett Group, and Destroy Babylon."

   -- Jennifer Truesdale, February 8, 2007
      Press Release

WE RECEIVED THIS ITEM  as part of a far more extensive piece; and time
constraints being quite severe, I just was not able to give the whole
thing the consideration it deserves.  It was forwarded to us at the
suggestion of a true Boston rock legend,

    LUANNE.

Many will recall that she was a leader of the old Boston Rock and Roll
Museum, and she was that organization's Chat Mistress.  If possible, I
will run more of this press release next time.

Meanwhile, can anyone fill me in on Phil Ayoub's New England band
associations?  Someone wrote us a few months ago, prominently
mentioning his name.  But I am drawing a total blank on who was the
sender, and the message seems no longer to be around.

If you could tell us who in these parts Ayoub played with and you're
willin', please e-mail us by way of the following Web page:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm


BOW THAYER

Josh Brooks sent the following item about his and my fellow Vermonter,

    BOW THAYER:

"Bow Thayer's new album is in the top 40 on the Americana Music
Association charts."

   -- Josh Brooks, E-Mail Message, February 5, 2007

If you were to draw a line representing degrees of self-promotion and
you placed the most extreme self-promoters on one end, Thayer is one
of the people you would find on the other end.  So we thank Josh
Brooks for letting us know what we were not going to find out otherwise.


DIDI STEWART
"Harmonyville"

When writing earlier about "Harmonyville" by Boston's

    DIDI STEWART,

I don't recall making specific mention of the track, "Girl in a
Hurry."  I do recall saying that Stewart's album, in spots, has
something like an early Trisha Yearwood sound, and "Girl in a Hurry"
would be an example.

(I really liked early Yearwood, but I just haven't had the opportunity
to hear her lately. Not the slightest offense to her recent work is
intended here.)

As it turns out, after writing about Stewart's "Harmonyville" CD,
"Girl in a Hurry" was the song that kept running through my head.  But
when I went back to make sure I was matching the tune with the right
title, I noticed that I was remembering "Girl in a Hurry" in a little
different arrangement than the one on the album.

Stewart's emphasis on "Harmonyville," I think it would be fair to say,
is on the songs.  So the fact that a listener can hear something a
little different in the material would probably be to her liking.

"Harmonyville" is a fine album and I hope to get a chance later to
write a more formal notice.


35TH PARALLEL
MEDITERRASIAN JAZZ ENSEMBLE

Have you heard

    35TH PARALLEL

yet?  If not, you are missing a serious world music treat.  The 35th
Parallel big band is about to invade academia.

"On Tues Feb 27 the 35th Parallel MediterrAsian Jazz Ensemble is
performing at the Hopkins Center Spaulding Auditorium at Dartmouth
College.  We'll be the guest musicians for Hafiz Shabazz's World Music
Percussion Ensemble, a student group that gives a public performance
every semester.  We'll  sit in on a tune or two with the WMPE during
the first set, and then play a full second set of 35th Parallel
material.  Come on out and hear us in this amazing concert space!"

http://hop.dartmouth.edu/2006-07/070227-wmpe.html

   -- 35th Parallel, "Feb. Shows," February 5, 2007


SHIFTLESS ROUNDERS

"The Rounders have a new CD on the way, and already have begun writing
and rehearsing material for another...."

   -- Shiftless Rounders Mailing, February 8, 2007


NOAM WEINSTEIN AT MAKOR

"I  [ NOAM WEINSTEIN ]  will be playing with a great band - featuring
Dave Berger, Derek Nievergelt & Tyler Wood - Friday at 11 at The
Living Room.  Our next show will be Feb. 27 at Makor."

   -- Noam Weinstein Mailing, February 8, 2007

THE FIRST OF THESE  two shows was last evening, so we won't dwell on
it overly.  But the other booking is far enough into the future to
give people who want to be there time to plan.

On Weinstein's latest two albums, he has put together amazing bands.
I have heard these musicians strictly on recordings where the songs
are the most important thing.  So I have no background for commenting
on their soloing abilities.  But for ensemble playing, Weinstein and
his supporting musicians are among the best rock bands I have ever heard.

Organist Tyler Wood guests on three tracks on "We're All Going There,"
Weinstein's latest CD and his best to date.

I'm drawing a blank on the names of the other two musicians who will
be in the Makor ensemble; but Weinstein hasn't let me down yet when it
comes to his bandmates, so I'd guess Dave Berger and Derek Nievergelt
are quite good.


MEG HUTCHINSON

"I  [ MEG HUTCHINSON ]  have been spending a lot of time in the studio
these days working on the new record.  Very exciting watching this new
group of songs grow up."

   -- "Meg Hutchinson News," February 8, 2007


DRUNK STUNTMEN

"Any day now we

    [ members of the DRUNK STUNTMEN ]

will announce our spring tour dates. ... So far we have worked on four
new songs and hope to have at least four more by the time we start
playing out again."

   -- "A message from Drunk Stuntmen," February 8,
       2007


THE CUTS
A Burlington, Vermont and
Boston, Massachusetts Band

Do you have contact information for any members of the Burlington VT
and Boston band,

    THE CUTS?

A person who wrote us recently is looking to re-establish contact with
members of The Cuts.  If you have contact information or just know the
whereabouts of one or more members and you would be willing to share
your information, please e-mail us by way of the following Web page:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm

Incidentally, the previous e-mail we received about The Cuts was also
from someone trying to re-establish contact with band members.


end BRIEF ITEMS


= = = = =


ANAIS MITCHELL

    and

TRACY GRAMMER

Anais Mitchell's bright future
Plus: Tracy Grammer's new direction
By Alan Lewis | Special to the Vermont Guardian
Posted February 8, 2007

Vermont Guardian
Culture Section
February 9, 2007

http://www.vermontguardian.com/culture/022007/AnaisMitchell.shtml

One of the chief questions I asked

    ANAIS MITCHELL

was quite naive.  I knew from exchanges last year that work on her
latest album, "The Brightness," had been fragmented.  But the CD
decidedly does not sound it.  It doesn't look it, either.  The cover
art seems totally in keeping with the music.  So I asked her about the
guiding force behind this project, knowing full well that she would
probably snicker at the question.

Mitchell is her own best spokesperson for "The Brightness."  If you
have liked her music in the past or if you have been made curious by
reading about her, I hope you will link to my article and look through it.

I'll be writing more about Mitchell for another publication quite soon.

TRACY GRAMMER

is an amazing interview but in quite a different way.  She is a
remarkably trusting individual and very open in a question-and-answer
situation.  But as giving as she is in an exchange, it was one of the
less personal things she said that interested me first.

I am a huge fan of the albums of Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer and of
Grammer's own "Flower of Avalon."  But my appreciation for all these
releases - even my favorite, "Tanglewood Tree" - has come on
gradually.  As I have said before, I would much rather grow into an
album than grow tired of it.  So I really like it that my fondness for
these CDs has built and deepened over time.  I was intrigued to hear
Grammer say the same was true for herself.  There is a nice little
romantic theme in her answer that she had not heard "Tanglewood Tree"
in about three years; and when she played it anew, she fell in love
with Dave Carter all over again.  She says it better than I just did,
but I imagine you get the idea.

Grammer seems a good deal less than sure of her future, but she keeps
pressing on.  And it is very impressive.  She said a lot more in our
interview than space allowed me to use in the Guardian piece, and I am
hoping to have other opportunities.

If you are interested in Grammer's music, in the work of her duo with
Dave Carter, or in her popular touring partner, Jim Henry, why not
follow the link above to my Vermont Guardian article and see some of
what she had to say.


AKROBATIK

Sports beat: Boston's Akrobatik brings rhymes to 'Rap-Up'
By Lauren Carter/ Music
Tuesday, February 6, 2007 - Updated: 10:13 AM EST
In Tuesday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=181252

Many will know Akrobatik from hiw own career but also as a member of
The Perceptionists.


FRANKIE LAINE, 93

Frankie Laine, 93; was crooner of popular, cowboy hit songs
By Daisy Nguyen, Associated Press  |  February 7, 2007

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2007/02/07/frankie_laine_93\
_was_crooner_of_popular_cowboy_hit_songs/

I have always liked it when a musician creates a style that we have
never heard before, or creates a new scene, or carves out a touring
route that isn't quite like anyone else's.

The music of The Four Freshman was fresh.  Joan Baez was a female folk
franchise of the 1960s, but there wasn't anyone on the national stage
who sounded quite like her before she, herself, came along.

(A tip of the hat to Cambridge's Debbie Green.)

In Cambridge, Massachusetts there used to be a club called The Back
Room at The Idler which featured some really unusual bookings.

When it came to creating a singing style all his own and a repertoire
that didn't really follow any formula in particular,

    FRANKIE LAINE

was in a category all his own.  He sang the pop songs of the day, and
a little country, and torch songs, and Western tunes - lots and lots
of Western tunes - and film theme songs, and theme songs for TV
series, and I swear he sang in radio and television commercials.  He
had more than one sound, but all those sounds were so Frankie Laine.
To my experience, anyway, he was never really like anyone else.

As far as I know, Frankie Laine had not been in the public eye for a
very long time.  His age at the time of his death, if nothing else,
could suggest it.  And yet he has always been with us.  A Frankie
Laine hit will play maybe on our fantastic local radio broadcast,
"Saturday Morning With the Oldies," or on the same station's jazz
counterpart.  A local eccentric uses a nickname based on a '60s show
whose theme - the first thing you think of - was sung wonderfully by
Frankie Laine.  A recent interview for a Vermont Guardian article
featured a really nice touch: the favorite song of a beloved child in
the family is the "Johnny Yuma" theme.

I'm not sure I have ever had a Frankie Laine favorite: there are a lot
of songs I liked tremendously.  But I can say the one recording I
think of first - for me, his signature performance - is the theme song
of the television series, "Rawhide."

Frankie Laine was really a part of the very fabric of America.

My friend Calista, who died not long ago, liked to say, "Don't go
missing me."  But she was a wonderful friend, and I do miss her.
Frankie Laine has always been out there somewhere since my childhood,
and I am going to miss him.

    Don't try to understand 'em
    Just rope, and roll, and brand 'em

Rest in peace.


MUSIC REVIEW
Lots of drumrolls for Haynes
There was no mistaking that drummer Roy Haynes was in charge Saturday
night.
By Kevin Lowenthal, Globe Correspondent  |  February 5, 2007
In Monday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2007/02/05/lots_of_drumrolls_fo\
r_haynes/


BOOK REVIEW
Mountains of mystery in Vermont
By Rich Barlow, Globe Correspondent  |  February 5, 2007

The Second Mouse
By Archer Mayor
Mysterious Press, 292 pp., $24.99

http://www.boston.com/ae/books/articles/2007/02/05/mountains_of_mystery_in_vermo\
nt/

IT MAY BE HARD TO IMAGINE  that a small town like Brattleboro, Vermont
has its own detective-novel series, but we have a great one authored by

    ARCHER MAYOR

and featuring a fascinating though fictional Brattleborian, Joe Gunther.


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

Please do NOT click the Reply button.  Clicking Reply sends your
message to several different addresses but NOT to our main address.
It's Yahoo Groups' system, not ours.


.   .   .   .   .


If you have friends who would be interested in any of the items in
this issue, please forward this newsletter to them.  Thanks!


      As a rule, we do not post SHOW LISTINGS.  The reason is quite
simple.  Our readers are spread out all over the map.  Though our name
is the NEW ENGLAND Music Scrapbook, we have readers all across the
southern tier of states - with a large number in Florida and another
large number in the Atlanta area.  Even within the Northeast, we have
readers in each of the six New England states and many in New York and
New Jersey.  The great majority of show listings would be of no
interest at all to most 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.

      We also make a few exceptions for shows in the immediate Boston
area.  Our single biggest concentration of readers, as far as we know,
is in and around Boston.  We understand from e-mails we receive that
we are able to help turn out an audience to many entertainments in the
Boston area.  But even in the case of Boston shows, we make few
exceptions.

      So, the general rule of thumb is that we don't post show
listings.  In the very few, truly exceptional instances where we do...


      ... 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.


      Exceptionally long addresses may need to be pasted into the
address field, which is probably toward the top of your browser
screen.  Some addresses are so extremely long that they may have to be
pasted in two or more pieces.


New England Music Scrapbook :

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/home.htm

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


Issue 2007:208

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

Copyright © 2007 by the New England Music Scrapbook.  All rights reserved.

   : : : :

New England Music Scrapbook News
Our Corner of the Rock 'n' Roll Life
February 17, 2007
Issue 2007:209

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


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.


.   .   .   .   .


TEMPER
"Hang by Your Own Tail"

I got time to play the new album by

    TEMPER

just once, and I am already of the belief that it is going to be among
my favorite New England releases of 2007.

Repeated playings could change the following, I suppose.  But the
first time through, I thought I was hearing a lot of similarities to
Brian Wilson, quite a few nods to the Beatles, and a little late, late
Zombies.  Time will tell whether this impression holds.

I am very much looking forward to hearing "Hang by Your Own Tail" again.


ROBIN RIGHT

ROBIN RIGHT's photo, along with an accompanying news story, is in her
hometown newspaper.

We were sent a link, but unfortunately it has expired.  It took a
while before we found out the Web address  had expired.  We went to
the paper's archive as directed but found that the hitlist from our
search was disorganized to the point of being useless.

I am mentioning all this against the possibility this may tell Right's
fans what they would need to know, along with what they already know,
to seek out the article for themselves.  Otherwise, I am sorry to say,
we can be of no help.  I checked the URL within an hour of its arrival
here, and it had already expired.  It is all we were sent.  We were
not sent full text.  Good luck.


MARDI GRAS BALL

Final, Last-Minute Notice

This Saturday

The 14th Annual Mardi Gras Ball. With Slide + Vudu Krewe All-Star
Mardi Gras Band, Bourbon Princess, Andrea Gillis, Dennis Brennan,
Willie 'Loco' Alexander, Chandler Travis, Sal Clemente (Ultrasonic
Rock Orchestra), Bo Barringer, Bertrand Laurence, and a suite of Dixie
Cups tunes from the Steamy Bohemians.

Proceeds benefit the New Orleans Musicians Clinic - providing medical
care for those affected by the hurricane.

Tickets can be purchased in advance at T.T.'s, or Online via TicketWeb.

More info: http://mardigrasballs.com

NEMSnote:  How can this miss?  We ask you.


ALLOY ORCHESTRA

Music Review
Alloy Orchestra finds romance with 'The Eagle'

The Alloy Orchestra has written a new score to accompany the Rudolph
Valentino silent, "The Eagle."
By David Perkins, Globe Correspondent  |  February 17, 2007

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2007/02/17/alloy_orchestra_find\
s_romance_with_the_eagle/

One of the single most amazing things about an old Boston music
publication, Boston Rock, is that we used to learn about new acts many
months and sometimes even years before other publications would pick
up reporting about them.

We first learned about

    THE ALLOY ORCHESTRA

in the pages of Boston Rock.  The Alloy Orchestra has had quite a
career since.

A new film score from Alloy Orchestra is news, and this Boston Globe
article ought to make great reading.

I don't really know the author's name, but it appears he knows how to
pick his topics.


VERMONT MUSIC SPRING-SEASON PREVIEW

As things are looking at the moment, I will be filing my Vermont
Spring-Season Music Preview around this coming Friday.  It is doubtful
I will have any shortage of material.  On the contrary, the opposite
is quite likely.

Nonetheless, if you have something big and/or unusual that you think
maybe should be worked in, please try it out on me by e-mail quite
soon, by way of the following Web page:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm


BAND AND ARTIST PUBLICITY

If you are a music act, or you are part of a music act, or you in some
sense represent a music act, there is a thing you really ought to do.
  The Boston band

    TEMPER

has a hardcopy flyer which is headed, "Temper Debut CD - Hang by Your
Own Tail: Cold Hard Facts."  Get a copy, read it, reread it, and
re-reread it.

This is the way you need to introduce yourself to the press and to the
public.

For reasons unbeknownst to us, we have been added to many, many
mailing lists in the past few months.  And the overwhelming majority
of first-time mailings we receive get it 100% wrong in one of two
ways.  Either they start right in the middle, as if we would already
be thoroughly familiar with the act being presented and/or they run on
and on at excessive length about how the act in question has gone from
strength to strength and is on the verge of conquering the world and
winning the hearts of everyone everywhere.  What these mailings almost
all totally fail to do is briefly identify who in heck they are
talking about in a helpful way and give us some quick clue as to why
we should care.

If you have even the slightest inkling of the number of mailings we
receive and their typical length - the total volume of material being
sent us - you will have no trouble understanding that we don't read a
lot of it because we do not have enough time.  There are nowhere near
enough hours in the day.

The Temper crew, much to their credit, on one side of a single
letter-size sheet of paper with ample white space, tell the name of
the band, who is in the band, what sort of music the band plays, who
wrote the songs, why this ensemble came together, and how to contact
the band.

If I had thought on it non-stop for weeks, I probably would not have
come up with where, in the past, I have seen Pete Sutton's name.  But
the Temper flyer lists his various band affiliations, past and
present.  Trona mostly flourished during my days of graduate school
and the dark age that followed.  It seems about certain then that I
know his name from his days in the Boston group, Edith, which, at one
time, Allen Bush was publicizing.

The Temper mailing starts from the beginning - a true rarity - and
presents a great deal of helpful information in remarkably little
space.  The description of the band's music is five words long.

I have been thinking about this a lot lately because of the increasing
number of ill-conceived mailings we are receiving.  And it seemed
practically miraculous, in yesterday's postal mail, to get such a
fantastic example of a far better way to present an artist or band to
the music lovers and music journalists of the world.

BANDS:  Get hold of a copy of the Temper flyer, read it, and learn
from it.  I assure you, this is what you need to be doing.

This sort of publication could be free-standing or it could go out as
a cover sheet in a more involved hardcopy press kit.  It could be
terrific on an official Web site's home page or in an e-mail publicity
piece or at the head of a MySpace site.  No matter how you put it out
to the public, content very much like what is in this Temper flyer is
very much what you need.


SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST

Hotline: Locals gear up for SXSW
By Michael Marotta
Tuesday, February 13, 2007 - Updated: 04:53 PM EST
In Tuesday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=182566


GIRLS GUNS AND GLORY

"Rock Notes" Column
A little bit country, a little bit rock 'n' roll
By Jonathan Perry, Globe Correspondent  |  February 16, 2007
In Friday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2007/02/16/a_little_bit_country\
_a_little_bit_rock_n_roll/?page=full


PHIL AYOUB

"After fronting the Boston-based band Riverside Train ... Phil joined
forces with producer Tim Bradshaw.  The result is Ayoub's debut solo
CD, 'Schoolbus Window Paper Heart.'

"Bradshaw, who has toured with David Gray and John Mayer also played
guitar and keyboards on 'Schoolbus Window Paper Heart' and has
appeared on the most recent releases by Liz Phair and Josh Ritter.
The CD also features Ed Toth (Doobie Brothers and Vertical Horizon) on
drums.

"Songs from 'Schoolbus Window Paper Heart' have appeared on several
compilation CDs, including: WMVY Radio's 'Fresh Produce Vol. 2;' MS
Music Fest Compilation CD for the Montel Williams MS Foundation and
Ground Control's 'Boston Rockers for Life' (Benefit CD to Prevent
Drunk Driving) and can be heard on radio stations across the country
including: WBCN (Boston), WHJY (Providence), WXPN (Philadelphia), WDHA
(New Jersey) WMVY (Martha's Vineyard) KEXP (Seattle) and both SIRIUS
and XM Satellite Radio

"Don't miss Phil Ayoub when he performs with his band at Harpers Ferry
(158 Brighton Ave, Allston), on Wednesday, February 21st as part of
the Bennett Alliance Showcase and Compilation CD Release!  The show
will also feature the Kode, Daniel Bennett Group, and Destroy Babylon."

   --  Phil Ayoub Press Release, January 28, 2007

Thanks go out to Luanne, at whose suggestion we received the Phil
Ayoub press release.


BOYS OF THE LOUGH

When it comes to the ways folk music is presented to concert
audiences, a fantastic Irish band, Solas, gets high marks from many,
many scene observers for its innovations and for its influence on the
groups that have followed.  But well over two decades before Solas was
founded, there was the

    BOYS OF THE LOUGH.

Here in New England, we were no strangers to the ethnic music of the
United Kingdom and the surrounding islands.  The Clancy Brothers, for
instance, were based in Portsmouth for a long time.  But when the Boys
of the Lough first hit this town, Brattleboro, Vermont, I had never
heard anything like it.

The Boys of the Lough was and maybe still is what I call a
mixed-ethnic group, so the repertoire was highly varied.  There was
enough Irish content to make this group an important forerunner of the
Chieftains.  And the group had a really fine fiddler in Aly Bain (not
sure of the spelling) who played a simply gorgeous-looking fiddle.
Concert programs included a lot of spirited dance tunes.  And the band
had a drum.

It would be easy to take all this for granted today because of all of
what has happened in the meantime.  But in the early 1970s, a Boys of
the Lough concert was very, VERY different.

In interviews with quite a variety of artists, I have been using the
Boys of the Lough as a band of reference.  But I have been thinking
that this was an outfit that has been inactive for years.  I have been
thinking that one or more members have died.

So, I was actually quite thrilled when researching topics for my next
round of print articles to see a Boys of the Lough show listing at
Higher Ground in South Burlington, Vermont.  The booking is for
Monday, March 19, according to the note I took from the Higher Ground
events calendar.

As far as I am concerned, this is big, important stuff.  I have little
idea what a 21st century Boys of the Lough concert would be like.  But
I can't believe the band I enjoyed so many, many years ago will be
merely reliving days gone by.  Today, just as in the early 1970s, I
would expect a Boys of the Lough show to be a wonderful experience.

It would be worth checking your local listings for a Boys of the Lough
booking.  And Burlingtonians ... don't say I didn't give you advance
notice!


GIRL HOWDY

Do you know of an apparently all-female honky-tonk band called

    GIRL HOWDY?

The name means nothing to me ... so far.  But Girl Howdy is the
subject of Sheryl Hunter's "Sounds Local" column in the Thursday
pullout Arts & Entertainment section of The Recorder out of
Greenfield, Mass.

Evidently the recent snowstorm raised much havoc for newspaper
distribution systems.  At mid-day on Friday, the Thursday Recorder was
not yet available at the Brattleboro public library.  But Wednesday's
paper wasn't available yet, either.  And the Vermont Guardian did not
distribute in hardcopy at all this week - only online.

Strange little bit of weather we had.

So anyway, evidently if you like honky-tonk bands and female
vocalists, Thursday's Greenfield Recorder seems to be the place to turn.

I have since gotten a very poor quality but possibly legible photocopy
of Sheryl's column.  It is:

Honky-Tonk Hullabaloo Sunday
By Sheryl Hunter
"Sounds Local" Column
The Recorder
Greenfield, Massachusetts
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Pages 3-4

There is also an item on page 4 about Sarah Pirtle, whose name I do
not know.

I have been trying for months now to remember the name of a particular
1950s female country singer, and I finally got it.  Her name was and
possibly still is

    ROSALIE ALLEN.

She had a reputation for being a super yodeler.  It didn't come across
so much on the records I have heard.  I'm guessing you needed to hear
her yodel live.  But her records had a really nice western swing feel
to them.  I guess in the '40s and '50s people called her style
"eastern swing."  But since eastern swing seems to be more forgotten
than not, we will have to get by with the more familiar term, western
swing.


JOHANN SEBASTIAN ROCK

I goofed up really badly on Thursday, and then things went badly on
Friday, keeping me from making up for lost time.  But through some
miracle that I don't dare think about further, Dave Madeloni's
Thursday Brattleboro Reformer column about

    JOHANN SEBASTIAN ROCK

was still available online Friday evening.  I snagged a copy to read
later.

I don't yet have it in hardcopy and I can't e-access it at the moment
- in fact, I am going entirely on memory even as to the group's name -
but I gather part of the band's point is to either rock classical
music or to give rock 'n' roll classical touches.

In the era that I am heavily researching, the mid-19th-century,
classical and popular music were presented together, in concert, all
the live-long time.

One of the best of the minstrel companies, that of the Buckley family,
used to skip altogether the racist middle section of the classic
three-part minstrel show and substitute a send-up of the operas of the
day and/or a send-up of the Hutchinson Family.  Hutchinson Family
spoofs were not at all uncommon.

It was VERY common and even expected for an opera to produce hit songs
as measured by sheet music sales.  And art songs were sung
back-to-back with Stephen C. Foster and Henry Clay Work gems and
novelty songs.

Agatha States, a woman who I just learned about in the past few days,
did a world tour in the early 1870s, taking opera to popular audiences
from Europe to Hawaii and Australia, as well as to U.S. villages from
New York to San Francisco.  Her company, at times, presented full
operas, with the part of the entire orchestra being taken by a single
pianist.  I'd love to get the pianist's name.

So if I understand this correctly from a rapid-fire skimming last
evening, Dave Madeloni has a topic that is of interest because it is
about a band with regional ties (as local as this very town), it is
about a band that is giving shows hereabouts at present, and it
flashes back to an earlier day in American music history.

If you can get your hands on a copy of the A&E section of Thursday's
Brattleboro Reformer or if the miracle holds and you can still access
it online, why not check it out?


JAMIE MASEFIELD AND DOUG PERKINS
JAZZ MANDOLIN PROJECT
and My Vermont Symphony Orchestra
Fantasy Question Answered

The magic of Jamie Masefield
By Alan Lewis | Special to the Vermont Guardian
Posted February 16, 2007
In this week's Vermont Guardian

http://www.vermontguardian.com/members/culture/022007/Masefield.shtml?

    User ID: snowstorm
    Password: valentine

It would be quite self-serving for me to recommend my articles simply
because they are my articles.  And I don't often favor one subject
over another.  As a real generalist, I find many points of interest in
most of my articles.  But every now and then there is a topic that I
am quite confident will interest a lot of our readers.  For some
reason, the first that comes to mind is the Dropkick Murphys months ago.

This week's topic I am reasonably certain will interest a great many
of our readers - even those who are not familiar with

    JAMIE MASEFIELD

and his

    JAZZ MANDOLIN PROJECT.

Masefield is one of the most interesting musicians out there, and the
difference between the latest two Jazz Mandolin Project albums is
really amazing.  A case could be made for JMP as being today's best
Vermont band.

Masefield's latest project - a multimedia telling of Tolstoy's "How
Much Land Does a Man Need" - has gotten much attention and much
praise.  Many of his fellow musicians are tremendously interested and
excited about it.

And if all of this is not enough, there is Masefield's acoustic duo
act with bluegrass picker

    DOUG PERKINS.

Put it all together, and it seems to me that quite a variety of NEMS
readers could be interested in the Jamie Masefield article in the
current issue of the Vermont Guardian.  Here's hoping a lot of you get
to look through it.

This is highly unusual: the Masefield notice is Web-only.

The link above may or may not lead directly into my article.  Against
the possibility it may not, I have included log-in information, which
is good to about the end of the coming week, just below the direct Web
address.


= = = = =


BRIEF ITEMS :


BOSTON TEA PARTY PARTY

Many - probably most - of our readers know that Miss Lyn is the Boston
Groupie News gal.  And for many years, she has collaborated with
Blowfish.  It is a really good idea to regularly check out Boston
Groupie News Online

http://www.bostongroupienews.com/

and their many other online publications.  Last week's BGN news page,
for instance, has a link to more information about a projected The Rat
reunion which would interest many of our own readers.  Last week's
issue is also dressed up with a photo of one of our favorites, Neonic
Nan With Tambourine in Hand.

Along similar lines to The Rat story, Blowfish sent this link to a Web
page about the recent Boston Tea Party celebration:

http://www.punkblowfish.com/TeaParty40Anniversary.html

He well expressed the amazingness of the occasion by saying he never
thought he'd be in the same room with a crowd that hung out together
in 1967 and 1968.


BOBBY BROWN AND WHITNEY HOUSTON

"Names" Column
Burroughs's brother tells his story
By Carol Beggy & Mark Shanahan, Globe Staff  |  February 14, 2007
In Wednesday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2007/02/14/burroughss_brother_tells_\
his_story/

I'm holding out hope for a Whitney Houston-Bobby Brown
reconcilliation.  The notion is still with me that these two were made
for one another.

I could be wrong...


JEFF MELLIN

Strong connections between the various New England music communities,
on the one hand, and the Philadelphia music community, on the other,
go back at least as far as the late 1950s and Bostonian Freddy "Boom
Boom" Cannon.  My e-friend Maria also has Philadelphia ties.  So it
seems likely that the following, from my fellow Vermonter Pete Weiss,
may interest many of our readers:

"JEFF MELLIN:  With his brother Joel, Philadelphian Jeff Mellin
operates the nonprofit arts collective Waxfruit Media, as well as
Stereorrific Recordings.  He also is the design genius behind the
Weisstronauts' idiosyncratic CD artwork (you know, the ones with the
monkey on 'em...)  But perhaps Jeff's biggest strength is his crisp,
clever pop songwriting and distinctive, cutting voice.  I hadn't
worked on a studio project with Jeff in a few years, so I was psyched
that he brought a handful of new tunes up to Verdant for some
tracking.  A nice reunion for sure.  Musically pitiching in were Joel,
as well as 'Orange' Nichole Clarke on backup vocals, John Clarke on
drums, and the afore-mentioned (and recently ubiquitous) Doug Yule on
bass and harmonies.  Joel will be finishing and prepping the tracks at
his home studio for future release.  Some of Jeff's earlier music,
along with some photos of the Verdant sessions are at:
http://www.myspace.com/jeffmellin"

   -- Pete Weiss, "Production/Engineering
      Newsletter No. 20," February 6, 2007


ALYSON PALMER
Of the band, Betty
And of the '80s HBO series, "Encyclopedia"

There never was and never will be another band quite like

    BETTY.

I haven't had a chance to read this interview with Betty
singer/bassist Alyson Palmer

http://www.bassgirls.com/bass_palmeralyson.htm

but it ought to be good and interesting.  Betty could get a terrific
song out of ANY topic.  This is a truly amazing trio.


DWIGHT RITCHER AND NICOLE NELSON

"The Dwight and Nicole EP is available now online through CD Baby!"

   -- Dwight Ritcher and Nicole Nelson, "Warm Up
      With Us at the Regattabar," February 12,
      2007


THE GLASS SET
"Something Unknown"

"The Glass Set's newest full length 'Something Unknown' is finally
finished and gaining attention from college radio and bloggers across
the country. ...

"In week two of our college radio campaign we are charting in the top
30 at a handful of stations reporting to CMJ, and are holding down the
#1 spot at KYSM in San Antonio, TX!"

   -- The Glass Set, "CD Release Show," February 13,
      2007


IRMA THOMAS

It is a little hard to picture, but evidently

    IRMA THOMAS

has never won a GRAMMY before this year's awards show.  We think this
recognition easily qualifies as overdue.

Congratulations to Irma Thomas!


DINOSAUR JR DVD

"Now, on the heels of the release of new studio material titled
'Beyond' (May 1, 2007 - Fat Possum Records), Dinosaur Jr documents
their epic reunion tour, and the potent performances of those classic
songs that first established them as a monumental musical force, in
their first ever DVD release.

"Titled 'Dinosaur Jr.: Live From the Middle East' (Image Entertainment
- May 29, 2007), this full length concert DVD was filmed largely at
Boston's Middle East, as well as at New York's legendary Irving Plaza
and other shows along the band's December 2005 tour."

   -- Press Release: "Dinosaur Jr Release Their
      First Ever DVD," February 5, 2005


FAVORITE RECENT NEWS STORIES
Of Boston.com Readers

MUCH OF WHAT HAS BECOME  of the world of journalism in the age of
newspaper Web sites is beyond belief.  For the most part, I do not
mean this as a compliment.  But one feature that can be phenomenally
weird but that I often really enjoy is "Boston.com's Most E-Mailed" -
headline-links to the news or "news" stories that Boston.com readers
have most often e-mailed to family, friends, and colleagues.
Headlines for the last two out of Friday's top five e-mailed stories
are probably not self-explanatory, but how are these three for
examples of the events and issues of the day that interest us most?

    Mother cat adopts newborn Rottweiler

    Turtle eaten by golden retriever lives

    Newborn ends up in Pa. woman's pant leg

This is American journalism at its finest.


end BRIEF ITEMS


= = = = =


PAULA COLE

Cole play: Local pop star returns after seven-year absence
By Christopher John Treacy/ Music
Wednesday, February 14, 2007 - Updated: 07:33 AM EST
In Wednesday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=182810


BROOKLYN
The City of Churches

Brooklyn: no longer Manhattan's poorer cousin
by Alfons Luna Fri Feb 16, 9:54 AM ET
Friday Yahoo News Story

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070216/ts_alt_afp/afplifestyleusproperty_070216081\
250

Through the greater part of the period of history that has consumed so
much of my own research effort, Brooklyn was a separate city from New
York.  It was a happening place, as the expression sometimes has it,
and it had an arts and culture community all its own.

Henry Ward Beecher's Plymouth Church was a major attraction.  Featured
singers at Plymouth Church were regional and national stars.

Walt Whitman edited the Brooklyn Eagle.

Brooklyn was a city of big concerts, big theatricals, big art shows.

Brooklyn was alive!

The headline has changed, but I believe the article linked to above is
the same one I saw earlier in the day.  The bit about housing is
totally - and I mean TOTALLY apropos to many of the New England
artists who we have noted as relocating to Brooklyn - at one time,
Aoife O'Donovan of Crooked Still - at another time ex-Del Fuegos lead
guitarist Warren Zanes - and I think up to and including right now, at
least part-time, Tracy Bonham.  I am drawing a blank on the name, but
there is a band in Brooklyn made up of former residents of the
Burlington, Vermont area.

The original Yahoo News headline divided its emphasis about equally
between housing and culture.

It seems to me that we have subscribers in Brooklyn.  And anyway, from
the shuffling back and forth between Brooklyn and New England that we
have at times noted here, I think there likely will be interest in
this news story.


JON KIMBELL

Kimbell to step down at NSMT
Jon Kimbell will become artistic director emeritus in 2008. Jon
Kimbell will become artistic director emeritus in 2008.
By Catherine Foster, Globe Staff  |  February 14, 2007
In Wednesday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2007/02/14/kimbell_to_step_down_a\
t_nsmt/


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

Please do NOT click the Reply button.  Clicking Reply sends your
message to several different addresses but NOT to our main address.
It's Yahoo Groups' system, not ours.


.   .   .   .   .


If you have friends who would be interested in any of the items in
this issue, please forward this newsletter to them.  Thanks!


      As a rule, we do not post SHOW LISTINGS.  The reason is quite
simple.  Our readers are spread out all over the map.  Though our name
is the NEW ENGLAND Music Scrapbook, we have readers all across the
southern tier of states - with a large number in Florida and another
large number in the Atlanta area.  Even within the Northeast, we have
readers in each of the six New England states and many in New York and
New Jersey.  The great majority of show listings would be of no
interest at all to most 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.

      We also make a few exceptions for shows in the immediate Boston
area.  Our single biggest concentration of readers, as far as we know,
is in and around Boston.  We understand from e-mails we receive that
we are able to help turn out an audience to many entertainments in the
Boston area.  But even in the case of Boston shows, we make few
exceptions.

      So, the general rule of thumb is that we don't post show
listings.  In the very few, truly exceptional instances where we do...


      ... 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.


      Exceptionally long addresses may need to be pasted into the
address field, which is probably toward the top of your browser
screen.  Some addresses are so extremely long that they may have to be
pasted in two or more pieces.


New England Music Scrapbook :

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/home.htm

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


Issue 2007:209

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

Copyright © 2007 by the New England Music Scrapbook.  All rights reserved.

   : : : :

New England Music Scrapbook News
Our Corner of the Rock 'n' Roll Life
February 24, 2007
Issue 2007:210

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


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.


.   .   .   .   .


This week we were e-mailed lots less news than usual of the types we
typically run in this newsletter, and those newspapers I found time to
check were not way ahead of us on this count, either.  So this issue
ought to come out short and, with any luck, sweet.


WINTERPILLS

If you can get hold of a copy of the Arts & Entertainment section of
our local newspaper, the Brattleboro Reformer, and/or The Recorder out
of Greenfield, Massachusetts, I strongly recommend doing it.  This
week, Dave Madeloni and Sheryl Hunter both featured a great
Northampton band,

    WINTERPILLS.

We received the new 'Pills album yesterday afternoon, and I am
listening to it for the first time right now.

Meanwhile, Dave's and Sheryl's columns are great places to turn to
first.  Winterpills is based very much in the area Sheryl's "Sounds
Local" column covers, while Dave is based there, himself. (He also
writes a column for the Berkshire Eagle.)  I would count Dave as an
expert on The Maggies, Winterpills leader Philip Price's '90s band,
and the same could be true for Sheryl.  So here are notices by two
writers who definitely know the subject.

The headline of Dave's column sounds encouraging:

    Winterpills Come of Age
    on "The Light Divides"

Since the very first time I heard the eponymous debut album, I have
been thinking that Winterpills could be headed straight for rock
stardom.  Nothing I have heard so far on the second album has made me
falter in my conviction.  You may or may not hear it the same way I
do, but what harm would it do to give this crew a listen.

POSTSCRIPT:  I wanted to give "The Light Divides" at least one full
trip through my player, to form an initial impression, before reading
anything about it.  Once I had heard the disc from start to finish, I
glanced ahead.  Sheryl and Dave nailed this album.

Sheryl spoke of a "sweeping gentle quality" to the record and said
that Philip Price's "voice seamlessly blends with Flora Reed's voice
to create some of the most glorious harmonies you could imagine."  I
don't want to steal her thunder.  Sheryl said lots more that makes her
"Sounds Local" column a must read.

Dave already had a good idea what to expect, from a show which
evidently concentrated on material from "The Light Divides."  In his
latest column, Dave called the new songs "even more intoxicating,
mysterious, sophisticated and alluring than those on their acclaimed
debut."  Another must read.

We have no idea what WILL happen.  We only know that Winterpills
SHOULD be on the road to becoming a famed national act.  These
musicians definitely have the potential.


ROBIN RIGHT

The cowgirl and the dandy: a real romance
By M.E. Jones
Correspondent
Article Launched: 02/09/2007 08:34:52 AM EST

http://www.nashobapublishing.com/harvard/ci_5193076

Country Gordy kindly sent a functional Web address for that

    ROBIN RIGHT

article noted in last issue.  With luck, it will still work after we
send this issue.  If not, e-mail us by way of the following Web page

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm

and we will see whether we can work out some way of getting you the
article.


NEMS NEWSLETTER

To the degree that I ever considered doing this newsletter myself, I
pictured maybe editing it but absolutely sharing the writing duties
with others.  With that always being the hope, I have not displayed my
name herein at all prominently.  My name appears, naturally enough, in
my Vermont Guardian bylines, and it has seemed to me that this is
enough.  But I have learned that many people do not have a clue who is
writing and mailing this material.

So, I will just say briefly that this is Alan Lewis.  I grew up in a
small city, Bangor, Maine, that was highly Boston rock-oriented.  And
I have been based in Brattleboro, Vermont for a really, really long time.

There is plenty of music I don't like, but you might not pick up on
much of it here.  I am a lifelong music fan, and the main thing I want
to be doing is enthusiastically telling as many people as I can about
the great music coming my way.  There is a lot of it.

My favorite rock eras are the 1960s, pretty much from start to finish,
the early 1980s plus more than a sprinkling of the 70s music
championed by our friends at Boston Groupie News, and right now.
Since my parents turned me into an avid listener decades ago, the last
few years have produced some of the greatest music I have ever heard.

Hooray for today!

So, that is who is writing these numerous paragraphs.  Now you know if
you didn't already.


NATALIE MacMASTER

It is not among my goals to compete with one of the newspapers I write
for.  But there has been a change at the Vermont Guardian that I do
not totally understand.

The most visible part of the change is that the hardcopy version of
the Guardian - the PAPER version of the paper - was discontinued
effective immediately.

Is this week's online issue typical of what we may expect in future
weeks?  I hope the heck not.

Few if any of our regular readers would be Vermont Guardian
subscribers.  And so, to the very best of my knowledge, none of you -
or none of you to speak of - could get access, from the Vermont
Guardian's Web site or now from anywhere else, to my latest article about

    NATALIE MacMASTER.

Until this morning when I activated a "staff" subscription, I couldn't
get into my own article myself.  And since the print version of the
Guardian is no longer an option even for us Vermonters, this is your
basic "can't get there from here" situation.

So I have copied my entire article into this newsletter issue, down
toward the bottom of the page.

Since you can't read it anywhere else, you can read it here.

Make no mistake about it.  Natalie MacMaster is a MAJOR recording
artist.  Since her 2-CD live album, which I believe Rounder released
in 2002, on disc she has gone from one show of brilliance to another.
  Her "Blueprint" is among the best albums of any sort I have ever
heard; and though I have only listened to the new "Yours Truly" a
couple times, it is definitely way up there, quality-wise, in the
ballpark of "Blueprint."  I do not purpose to write about musicians on
Natalie MacMaster's level for an audience of neglible size.

So, we shall see what becomes of recent changes at the Vermont
Guardian after they have had a week or two to be perfected.  But in
this week of transition, I feel totally justified in running my
Guardian article here so as to allow a good number of potential
readers the option of giving it a look.

I hope a lot of you will take it.


CINDY BULLENS

Crash course
Cindy Bullens gets down to business at USM
By LISA CRAIG
February 21, 2007 2:49:36 PM

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid34277.aspx

The music of

    CINDY BULLENS

was of some special interest to Mickey O'Halloran.  For many of our
readers, that will be all the recommendation that is needed to get
them to take a few minutes to look through this Portland Phoenix notice.


THE GLASS SET

Hotline: The Glass Set shines light on 'Unknown'
By Michael Marotta
Wednesday, February 21, 2007 - Updated: 04:17 AM EST
In Wednesday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=184054

This is a Boston band we like a lot.


= = = = =


BRIEF ITEMS :


CHRIS O'BRIEN

"After several years of building a name for himself in the Cambridge
music scene, Singer/Songwriter, Chris O'Brien has at long last
released his debut album, entitled 'Lighthouse.'  Influenced by
artists such as Bob Dylan, Martin Sexton, David Gray, and Richard
Shindell, O'Brien's stories of love lost, sought, and found, are
brought to life through a mix of captivating melodies and heartfelt
anthems.  On Wednesday, March 14, 2007, O'Brien will showcase his work
on stage at the legendary Club Passim in Harvard Square.  The show is
scheduled to begin at 8:00 pm.  Although this date marks O'Brien's
official CD Release, the album is available now in both CD and MP3
formats at cdfreedom.com and CDBaby.com."

   -- "Chris O'Brien: New CD and CD-Release Show,"
       February 20, 2007

THIS MAILING FROM CHRIS O'BRIEN  is quite good.  Once you have opened
it up and taken a look, you can see that he or whoever wrote it did a
fine job.  But we should learn from our mistakes and each others'.
Take a look at the subject line of his e-mail. (It is posted just a
few lines up.)  The author has found two ways to tell us in one short,
little subject line that Chris O'Brien has a new CD.  The tiny amount
of space is used to say the same thing twice.  But there is not one
helpful word, not even the slightest hint, for someone such as myself
who is not already familiar with O'Brien's work, as to why we would
want to open this message instead of one of the dozens or even
hundreds of others in our Inbox.

Lesson to be learned?  There are many, many ways to introduce
yourself.  If you are at all interested in promoting your career, find
one of them and do it!

    This

       is

          critically

             important.

Were you born somewhere? Are you based somewhere now? Is trombone your
main instrument? Are you now or have you ever been a member of a band?
Do you sing? Has anything interesting ever happened in your career? In
your life? Do you write songs?

Find a way to introduce yourself concisely and early.

The ONLY alternative is to keep shooting yourself in the foot.

Or someplace else.

Find a way to introduce yourself concisely and early.


RANI ARBO AND DAISY MAYHEM

This outfit has a new album on its way.  I am not totally clear on the
planned date of issue of "Big Old Life," though I know a May 25
Vermont booking is set as a CD-release party.


REVOLVER

This town, surprisingly, once had a nightclub of good size called Flat
Street and ironically it was actually on our Flat Street.  Amazing.  A
number of notables played there.  One band that, as I recall, was
booked into Flat Street often was called

    REVOLVER.

A correspondent recently mentioned a group called Revolver, and I
wonder whether these bands were one and the same.  If you remember a
group named Revolver and you would be willing to share your
information, please write us by way of the following Web page:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm


DRUNK STUNTMEN
Performing Drunk Stunts
in a Venue Near You

THE DRUNK STUNTMEN,  who swore off the road for a while, are about to
hit it once again.  The next Drunk Stuntmen tour starts with a Friday,
March 16 show at the Middle Earth Music Hall in Bradford, Vermont.
These inebriated stunt guys will be sharing the stage with Fancy Trash.


SESSION AMERICANA

Boston music news: February 23, 2007
Notes on Session Americana and Dispatch's "Zimbabwe Sessions"
By JIM SULLIVAN
February 20, 2007 3:50:59 PM

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid34139.aspx


RODS AND CONES

One person I thought for sure was on our subscription list is Jim
Duffy, late of the Boston rock band

    RODS AND CONES.

But when I went looking for him on our copy of the list, I did not
find his name or address.  Boy, I sure hope I did not inadvertently
lose his address.

Lately, we have been in contact with another member of Rods and Cones,
and I suspect mere mention of the band's name will instill a sense of
nostalgia for the '80s in more than a few of our readers.


RED CHORD
Looking for a Few Good Guitarists
Well, One Anyway

Hotline: The Glass Set shines light on 'Unknown'
By Michael Marotta
Wednesday, February 21, 2007 - Updated: 04:17 AM EST
In Wednesday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=184054

The band, RED CHORD, is looking for a guitarist.  I offered my
services, and they amended their search to read "looking for a
COMPETENT guitarist."  So their quest goes on.  Maybe you have got
more of what they are looking for.  For instance, fingers that move.


CROOKED STILL
Raves About Playing Scotland

"The tour in Scotland and England was an absolute blast.  The Celtic
Connections Festival was a crazy party as usual.  We met up with loads
of friends from both sides of the pond, and played a rocking show in
the ABC (glasgow) supported by the enchanting Faroese singer, Eivor.
Our late night festival club set was a party joined by John Doyle,
John Joe Kelly, and Jordan McConnell.  The music at this festival is
nothing short of amazing!  I got to see Maura O'Connell, Fiddler's
Bid, The Duhks, Uncle Earl, Solas, Dervish, and tons of other bands.
We strongly reccomend taking a trip to Glasgow next January.  Celtic
Connections is NOT to be missed!!!"

   -- "Crooked Still in February," February 19, 2007


DISPATCH
Also Laura Vecchione

Boston music news: February 23, 2007
Notes on Session Americana and Dispatch's "Zimbabwe Sessions"
By JIM SULLIVAN
February 20, 2007 3:50:59 PM

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid34139.aspx


THIS WEEK'S LOCAL MUSIC NEWS

We were flooded with e-mails this week as usual.  But those messages
which contained news that we would consider running in this newsletter
were few in number.  This strikes me as an odd time of year for a
slowdown, and I really can't account for it.


end BRIEF ITEMS


= = = = =


PAULA COLE

Returning to the limelight, Cole is as striking as ever

Paula Cole performed her first headlining concert in seven years on
the stage of her alma mater, the Berklee Performance Center.

By Sarah Rodman, Globe Staff  |  February 19, 2007
In Monday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2007/02/19/returning_to_the_lim\
elight_cole_is_as_striking_as_ever/


PAULA COLE

Paula Cole makes a stunning return to the Berklee stage
By Christopher John Treacy
Sunday, February 18, 2007 - Updated: 01:00 PM EST
In Sunday Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=183542


PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND
Local Music News

Finding a balance
Craig DeMelo's Whiskey Poet; plus, Jerimoth Hill
By BOB GULLA
February 20, 2007 5:41:43 PM
In this week's Providence Phoenix

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid34183.aspx


PORTLAND, MAINE
Local Music News

Walk the line
Sorcha travels far on her full-length debut
By SAM PFEIFLE
February 21, 2007 1:50:07 PM
In this week's Portland Phoenix

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid34241.aspx


KILLSWITCH ENGAGE

Killswitch engage
Mass. metal band thrives with mix of angst, optimism
Howard Jones (right) and the rest of Killswitch Engage are on a roll.
(RAHAV SEGEV/PHOTOPASSCOM)
By Sarah Rodman, Globe Staff  |  February 23, 2007

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2007/02/23/killswitch_engage/?p\
age=full


KILLSWITCH ENGAGE

Killswitch keeps metal alive in Massachusetts
By Dave Wedge
Boston Herald Chief Enterprise Reporter
Friday, February 23, 2007 - Updated: 08:39 AM EST

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=184466

Is this the same article with a new headline?

Made in Metalchusetts
By Dave Wedge
Boston Herald Chief Enterprise Reporter
Friday, February 23, 2007 - Updated: 12:15 PM EST

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=184466


DARKBUSTER

Hotline: Darkbuster throws up for the hometown crowd
By Michael Marotta
Monday, February 19, 2007
In Monday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=183691


NATALIE MACMASTER
Feature Article
Published February 23, 2007

Natalie MacMaster: No fiddlin' around
By Alan Lewis | Special to the Vermont Guardian
Posted February 23, 2007

Natalie MacMaster has long been an admired traditional Cape Breton
fiddler whose early albums won numerous awards. After releasing a 1998
compilation, she came back with 1999's In My Hands, which her official
biography claims "fused Jazz, Latin, and the guest vocals of label
mate Alison Krauss."

By the time of In My Hands, MacMaster's music was being critically
noted for its innovations; and her 2000 offering, My Roots Are
Showing, was honored with a Grammy nomination. Discs that followed —
Live (2 CDs), Blueprint, and the latest, Yours Truly — are brilliant
recordings. Blueprint has been among a handful of this writer's
all-time favorite albums since its 2003 release.

Such accomplished studio work should come as no surprise to music fans
in Vermont and throughout New England who have been among MacMaster's
foremost followers from the start. "New England audiences are
extremely loyal," said MacMaster, "and it is my best market in the
states." She allowed that if the occasion ever called on her to reside
in the United States, "I'd move somewhere in the Northeast."

MacMaster is a niece of legendary Cape Breton fiddler Buddy MacMaster.
She took up the instrument at age nine, leaving plenty of time to make
a name for herself.

And Buddy MacMaster was not the only inspiration among her kin. Many
years ago, John Allan Cameron, her cousin, gave the most amazing
concert in Brattleboro. He approached the stage as if this would be an
introspective coffeehouse folkie show. A percentage of the songs he
played could fit in with light, mainstream family fare. But he drew
energy from the music and from the crowd, worked in dance tunes, and
by set's end he was practically on fire. It was a really astonishing
transformation.

Asked to comment on Cameron's style, MacMaster said, "You just
described a typical John Allan concert. John Allan enjoyed what he did
more than anyone else I know. His enthusiasm was contagious."

In fact, feet in Windham County may still be beating on floors from
that night's performance.

On paper, Natalie MacMaster's album Blueprint would seem like a major
departure. She and members of her band recorded it with high-powered
roots-music players such as Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Alison Brown, and
Bela Fleck. MacMaster says there is no country and western influence
in her music, yet this Cape Breton/bluegrass combination worked
phenomenally.

"With Blueprint," she explained, "there was no learning curve for any
of us. It was the first time I played with those musicians, and it was
an instant natural blend."

Asked if any recording was a pivotal, career-changing disc, MacMaster
said, "My CDs are very different from one another, therefore they all
have their own unique life. Yours Truly is unique, yet again, simply
for the fact that eighty percent of the music is original."

"Exploratory, yet firmly grounded" is one way MacMaster's publicity
characterizes her music. The word "grounded" is especially descriptive
because this music so often connects with movements of the feet down
at ground level: toe-tapping and dancing.

Yours Truly features good variety, but nonetheless it is dominated by
often lively dance music as exemplified by such track titles as
"Minnie and Alex's Reel" on Blueprint and "Julia's Waltz" and
especially "Volcanic Jig" on Yours Truly.

"Dance music and Cape Breton fiddle music are one and the same," said
MacMaster. "There is no separation of the two for me. Certainly, the
audience picks up on this. If they're not dancing, they're at least
tapping their feet.

"Sometimes at our concerts a dancer will be in the crowd dancing, and
I'll invite them on stage. And every now and again the quality of this
dancer is exceptional. It always blows me away when there is a really
amazing dancer on stage with us whom I've never met before."

"Flee as a bird to your mountain, Thou who art weary of sin." These
are the opening lines of verses included in many collections of
19th-century sentimental music such as Heart Songs.

A cut on Yours Truly bears the similar-looking yet much lighter title,
"Flea as a Bird." And the CD's stomping lead-off track has the apropos
name, "Volcanic Jig." Asked if her playing has a mirthful element,
MacMaster said, "I do hear an element of humor in some of my tunes.
For example, `Flea as a Bird' from Yours Truly and the clog medley
from Blueprint."

Boston's Symphony Hall is said to be one of the two best concert rooms
in the world for acoustics.

"Definitely one of my favorite venues in this country," said
MacMaster. "Every time I perform there, I feel I need to do something
extra special. I'll have surprises for my audience again this year."

In 2005, MacMaster, with her husband (and fellow fiddler) Donnell
Leahy, became the proud parent of Mary Frances Rose. Then in 2006,
MacMaster became one of the youngest people ever named a member of the
prestigious Order of Canada.

First-time parenthood and Canada's highest civilian honor could be
hard to top, but MacMaster enthused, "Stay tuned for our DVD and PBS
special to be aired in the fall. And stay tuned for the arrival of our
second child later this year!

"With regards to the Flynn Center, I have a long history with the fans
there. They are a very strong crowd — always making us feel loved and
appreciated. Funny story for you: That's where I got my first pair of
cow socks — from an audience member."

For good old Cape Breton fiddling with a new-fashioned twist, pull up
your own cow socks and hoof it on over to the Flynn Center.

Who: Natalie MacMaster
Where: Flynn Center, Burlington
When: Thursday, 7:30 p.m.
For more information: www flynncenter.org, or www.nataliemacmaster.com


SCARING MAINE'S SCARIEST SINGERS

Freak out
We asked some of Portland's scariest lead singers what scares them
By SARA DONNELLY
February 21, 2007 5:51:37 PM

http://www.thephoenix.com/article_ektid34364.aspx

This strikes me as one strange little piece of music journalism; but I
don't know, it could interest some of our readers.  So, we have posted
this Portland Phoenix link to see who we can tempt.


REST IN PEACE :

Ray Evans; won three Oscars as part of songwriting team
By Dennis McLellan, Los Angeles Times  |  February 18, 2007
In Boston Sunday Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2007/02/18/ray_evans_won_th\
ree_oscars_as_part_of_songwriting_team/


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

Please do NOT click the Reply button.  Clicking Reply sends your
message to several different addresses but NOT to our main address.
It's Yahoo Groups' system, not ours.


.   .   .   .   .


If you have friends who would be interested in any of the items in
this issue, please forward this newsletter to them.  Thanks!


      As a rule, we do not post SHOW LISTINGS.  The reason is quite
simple.  Our readers are spread out all over the map.  Though our name
is the NEW ENGLAND Music Scrapbook, we have readers all across the
southern tier of states - with a large number in Florida and another
large number in the Atlanta area.  Even within the Northeast, we have
readers in each of the six New England states and many in New York and
New Jersey.  The great majority of show listings would be of no
interest at all to most 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.

      We also make a few exceptions for shows in the immediate Boston
area.  Our single biggest concentration of readers, as far as we know,
is in and around Boston.  We understand from e-mails we receive that
we are able to help turn out an audience to many entertainments in the
Boston area.  But even in the case of Boston shows, we make few
exceptions.

      So, the general rule of thumb is that we don't post show
listings.  In the very few, truly exceptional instances where we do...


      ... 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.


      Exceptionally long addresses may need to be pasted into the
address field, which is probably toward the top of your browser
screen.  Some addresses are so extremely long that they may have to be
pasted in two or more pieces.


New England Music Scrapbook :

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/home.htm

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


Issue 2007:210

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

Copyright © 2007 by the New England Music Scrapbook.  All rights reserved.

   : : : :

Hi.

Sorry for the double mailing.  This is entirely my fault.

This computer is on dialup.  I don't listen to music online.  So it
did not occur to me when finishing up the latest regular issue of our
newsletter that those of you who have high-speed Internet connections
can put to the test my word and the words of Dave Madeloni and Sheryl
Hunter about Winterpills and the new album, "The Light Divides,"
simply by letting it stream into your home or into wherever you
e-listen to music.

So, if you are game, please find below a recent message from the
Winterpills, explaining how to hear "The Light Divides."

For me, "The Light Divides" is a perfectly brilliant success.

Decide for yourself what you think.

Alan


hi kids.

this is for you. its a streaming preview of the whole new album, "The
Light Divides".

it comes out for real next week, Tues, Feb. 27th.

you can enjoy it now.

it's part of a nice little e-card.

click here:

http://www.fanaticpromotion.com/ecards/winterpills

love ya.

--winterpills

   -- "Winterpills Give You a Little Present,"
       February 23, 2007

"Come out, come out, come out and say it
  Why can't you come out and say it..."

New England Music Scrapbook News
Our Corner of the Rock 'n' Roll Life
March 3, 2007
Issue 2007:211

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


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.


.   .   .   .   .


We actually have quite a bit more that I would have liked to fit in
here, but I have done a phenomenal job of running out of time.  And
"run" is what now I've got to do.


THE NAMELESS COFFEEHOUSE
40th Anniversary Celebration

We are running the Nameless Coffeehouse's 40th anniversary press
release in whole below, but we lead off with this summary:

"The Nameless Coffeehouse celebrates 40 years of presenting real,
handmade music on Saturday, March 3, 2007, featuring Laurel Grove, Jud
Caswell, Jaime Michaels, and Marylou Ferrante.  The show, hosted by
Lloyd Thayer, will begin at 8:00 p.m.  There is a suggested donation
of $8.00."

   -- Nameless Coffeehouse 40th Anniversary
      Press Release, February 6, 2007


SPRINGTIME MUSIC IN VERMONT

Spring fling: A vernal Vermont music preview
By Alan Lewis | Special to the Vermont Guardian
Posted March 1, 2007

http://www.vermontguardian.com/culture/032007/SpringMusic.shtml

MY FAVORITE PIECES  to write for the Vermont Guardian hands down are
the season previews.  This one is the latest.  These articles are
heavy on quick announcements of shows.  They also include very short
items about individual artists, bands, and programs.

It may seem to some a bit odd that a piece mostly about popular music
should lead off with an item about the Vermont Symphony Orchestra.
But VSO concerts are inventively programmed to appeal to broad
audiences, and their tickets are hot sellers.  I wouldn't be surprised
if no one at all gets the humor intended in the first item, but I had
to try.

Slightly expanded items cover such acts as Amity Front, Rani Arbo and
daisy mayhem, Missy Bly the band, James Kochalka Superstar, Vermont's
Social Band, Didi Stewart, Winterpills, and the "New Arrivals Volume
2" fund-raising compilation CD.

This article also includes brief death notices about Eric Von Schmidt
and Bill Gehman.  Bill, it might interest some readers to know, was a
long-time subscriber to this newsletter.

If you get a chance, please check it out.  This Vermont Guardian
article is freely-available and available for free simply by following
the link posted above.


THE DEPARTED
Academy Awards Picture of the Year

"'The Departed' took home four Academy Awards last night, including
Best Picture and Best Director for Martin Scorsese.  Click on the link
below to read more about the film's big night at the Oscars and watch
an interview with Marty Scorsese as talks about his Oscar win and
gives a shout out to the people of Boston and the Dropkick Murphys:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Movies/02/25/oscar.advance/index.html

"Dropkick Murphys song 'I'm Shipping Up To Boston' is featured
throughout 'The Departed.'  It has been an incredible experience for
us to be involved in such a great film that was set in our home town
and was directed by Martin Scorsese one of our favorite film makers.

"If you haven't seen 'The Departed' yet it is now available on DVD...."

   -- Dropkick Murphys, "The Departed: Best Picture
      of the Year," February 26, 2007

THIS IS ACTUALLY,  for us, a typical brief item.  But somehow being
involved with a film that won four Academy Awards including Motion
Picture of the Year, as was The Dropkick Murphys, seems like reason
enough to bump up this item to near the top.

There can be no question about it that Martin Scorsese has deserved to
win Best Director and Picture of the Year in the past.  But, better
late than never.  And it is terrific that Scorsese won with a
Boston/Dropkick Murphys-connected film!

Congratulations to Martin Scorsese as well as to everyone involved.


BRIAN VIGLIONE
(Dresden Dolls)
Drum Clinic

"Brian Viglione Drum Clinic on March 10th in Somerville, MA

"Jamspot, Vic Firth, and Ziljidan are proud to present Brian's first
ever public educational drum clinic.  The presentation is centered on
the fundamental principals of playing the drum kit, philosophy of
collaboration, personal craft, and approach to the full scope of
overall performance.  Please note that you do not have to be a drummer
or even a musician to attend.  Brian's recent private clinics have
proved to be inspirational and educational to students of all ages,
interest levels, and abilities.  The clinic will be followed with a
Q&A as well as an autograph/photo session.  There are a Very Limited
number of tickets available, so get them while you can.

March 10th, 2007; 4-7 PM

Location: Jamspot 111 South St Somerville, MA 02143

Tickets: $30 and are available by calling (617) 666-7529

A more detailed description can be found here

http://cl.exct.net/?ffcb10-fe2c15727762067a701777-fdf21578746403797412787c-ff271\
c71736d-fed1167274640575-fe2111777267037d761278

   -- Dresden Dolls, "Drum Clinic and Brian on
      Tour," March 1, 2007


= = = = =


BRIEF ITEMS :


LORI McKENNA

If in 1997 you had told me that in 2007 I would be copying an item
like this into a newsletter, I would have snickered and snorted.  But
times change, and "Lori McKenna: The DVD" may not be far off.  Check
out the following sent by Russell Chudnofsky:

"Monday March 5th

"Lori McKenna and her band to play special show at the Paradise Lounge
in Boston showcasing songs from Lori's new Warner Brothers record due
out this Spring.  The show will be filmed."

   -- Russell Chudnofsky, "Lori McKenna, Guitarzan
      in March," February 26, 2007


JUD CASWELL
At the Nameless Coffeehouse
40th Anniversary Celebration

We will run the entire Nameless Coffeehouse 40th Anniversary press
release below.  We are exerpting here the item about

    JUD CASWELL

because he passes, with flying colors, the long-standing NEMS
newsletter test:

We have heard OF him.

We have HEARD him.

And we know from first-hand experience that he is REALLY QUITE GOOD.

Here is what the Nameless folks say about him:

Jud Caswell comes from that place where the two Maines meet: where
ex-hippies play cribbage with fishermen and a kind of rural poetry is
infused with no-nonsense Yankee pragmatism. Praised as "emotionally
resonant, deeply affecting and superbly crafted," his songs approach
social commentary and simple pleasures with the same integrity and
genuineness that he brings to the stage, captivating audiences and
making friends as well as fans. In 2006, Jud won the legendary
Kerrville New Folk Contest, the Wildflower Performing Songwriter
Contest, the Boston Folk Festival Songwriting Contest, and showcased
at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival.
http://www.judcaswell.com and http://www.myspace.com/judcaswell

   -- Nameless Coffeehouse 40th Anniversary
      Press Release, February 6, 2007

Still Nameless after all of these years...


THE DOWNBEAT 5

"Boston's own electrifying Garage/Soul and Rock 'n' Roll quartet, The
Downbeat 5, release their third CD on Tuesday, March 6th, for the
Philadelphia label, Steel Cage Records.  The latest CD, 'Smoke and
Mirrors' was recorded completely live, at a blow-out party, locally,
at Q Division Studios this past fall.  Captured on disc is all the raw
energy and dynamics audiences have experienced over the years at The
Downbeat 5 shows.  A few tunes are from their first two releases, but
the majority of this outstanding set is new to disc.

"The band celebrates the release at the Middle East (upstairs) on
Friday, March 9th, with Holly Golightly.

"The Downbeat 5 then travel to Texas and SxSW where they play on March
16th with the Hoodoo Gurus and Mooney Suzuki and our homies, Muck and
the Mires."

   -- "The Downbeat 5 Celebrate the Release of
       Their Third CD, Smoke and Mirrors,"
       February 27, 2007


NANCY NEON
In Boston Groupie News

If you are interested in the latest exploits of a BGN (and NEMS) fave

    NANCY NEON

better hurry, right away if not retroactive to last Sunday, to

http://www.bostongroupienews.com/

We are a bit out of sync with Boston Groupie News,
publishing-day-wise, and we are, with rare exceptions, in a position
only to tell about the issue that is about to be replaced by a new
one.  So more often than not it is necessary for our readers to hurry
to the BGN site.  But as a rule of thumb, that's a pretty good idea
anyway.  This week if you do hurry, you can not only get hip to the
latest doings of friend NN but you can also see a still photo from a
Johnny Angel appearance in a commercial (who says the man does not
understand irony) and read the lowdown on a Classic Ruins reissue.


THE CAVE BEES

In my view

    CRESTON LEA

is one of the most important people in contemporary popular music in
the state of Vermont.  He kindly supplied a lot of information for my
Vermont Guardian spring music preview: more than space permitted me to
use, as it turned out.

Here is an item from Lea that I really want to make sure gets out there:

" ... I'm playing with a couple other outfits - the Cave Bees, a
garagy four-piece comprised of various Burlington-related people from
Ferrisburgh, Waitsfield, etc.  We'll be recording for the first time
this weekend.  The songs are all taken from an elaborate rock opera
about a roller-skating alligator, written by Steve Tremblay.  He's
cropped up in various bands over the years, usually playing his giant
pile of junk called The Noise Monster.  But he plays guitar in this
one.  His fiancé, a MONSTER bass player, Rebekah Whitehurst - a recent
Texas / New York transplant - plays bass.  Joey Adams, new to the
world of Vermont rock n' roll, on drums.  I play guitar.

http://www.myspace.com/cavebees

CRESTON LEA's  own Myspace address is

http://www.myspace.com/crestonguitars


JOHNNY BARNES UPDATE

      "We've been getting a pretty good response from the literary
agents we've been sending packages to.  There is some interest in
'Dead on the Internet.'

      "I'm sure many of them went to our website to check it out.

      "I'm still trying to track down safety masters of 'Live at the
Rat II.'"

   -- Johnny Barnes Mailing, February 28, 2007


THE LONESTAR CHAIN

Here is another item from Vermont's Creston Lea:

"Also [I am] with the recently re-named The Lonestar Chain, the
side-band of Burette Douglas from The Cush. (I assume you know of The
Cush.)  It's a country-leaning four-piece featuring Bill Mullins
(Barbacoa, Chrome Cowboys, The Billionaires, Blowtorch, No Fun, etc,
etc, etc) on lead guitar, Steve Hadeka (Cush, formerly Seth Yacavone's
band), and me [Missy Bly the band, James Kochalka Superstar, etc. -
ed.] on bass.  We recorded a CD's worth of songs with Ryan Power
before he left town.  The songs are really great...."

http://www.myspace.com/thelonestarchain


LYDIA WARREN BAND
The LWB EP

"We're going into the studio in March to record our E.P. and we are
psyched."

   -- Lydia Warren Band Mailing, February 27, 2007


PELHAM RECORDS

This was presented to us as a New Hampshire music review and booking site:

http://www.pelhamrecords.com/

   -- Pelham Records, "NH Music Review/Booking
      Site," February 27, 2007

If you visit the site, we would be interested to hear what you think.


THE CHARMS

In Charms way
By Jed Gottlieb
Friday, March 2, 2007 - Updated: 11:42 AM EST

THE CHARMS
"Strange Music"
Wicked Cool | Grade: B

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/discReviews/view.bg?articleid=185857

When one considers how much we love The Charms and, thus, have plugged
the band, it is more than a little hard to believe that we have to
learn details of the group's latest record release by reading about it
in the Boston Herald.


TIR NA NOG
Open/Closed Update

"the nOg is staying open for yet another month!!!!  whoopie!!!!  5 more?"

   -- David Johnston, "Last nOg Gig," February 25,
      2007


BOBBY BROWN

"Names" column
Radio station, Brown work out a deal
By Carol Beggy & Mark Shanahan  |  March 2, 2007
In Friday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2007/03/02/radio_station_brown_work_\
out_a_deal/


MARSHALL CRENSHAW

Where was Marshall Crenshaw and what was he doing when he wrote
"Someday, Some Way"?

Visit the following column and scroll down a bit.

"Names" column
Radio station, Brown work out a deal
By Carol Beggy & Mark Shanahan  |  March 2, 2007
In Friday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2007/03/02/radio_station_brown_work_\
out_a_deal/


end BRIEF ITEMS


= = = = =


CHRIS WHITLEY

Dave Madeloni's column this week is about a celebration of the career
and music of

    CHRIS WHITELY.

If this topic interests you or if you are interested in Dave's columns
more broadly, you are in better luck this week than last.  Dave has
done the Myspace thing at

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=45781020

and we have lately learned about it.

I had two days' public-access computer work to do today in only one
day's appointment time, so I was unable to check this Myspace deal.
But I understand Dave is posting his columns Saturdays, so the Chris
Whitley piece ought to be available later if it is not available
already.  And though I do not know, it would be my guess that past
columns may be there as well.

Definitely well worth checking out.


ANAIS MITCHELL

Brightness on the Edge of Town
By Alan Lewis
The Commons
March 2007
Pages 12 and 13

http://www.commonsnews.org/

Vermont's Windham County-wide newspaper, The Commons, ran my article about

    ANAIS MITCHELL

in its March 2007 issue.  It is available in hardcopy to Windham
County folk even as I type.

The February issue of The Commons is still the one that is posted on
the Web, but the March issue ought to go online sometime in the next
two or three days; and when it does go online, it may be accessed via
The Commons' home page which we are linking to above.

It is way early yet to try to summarize the career of

    ANAIS MITCHELL,

but she could prove to be the future of The Beat Generation.  Check
out my article(s) about her in the current issue of The Commons or in
a recent issue of the statewide weekly newspaper, the Vermont
Guardian, or both, and you should get an idea as to why I say this.

Oh, it pains me that the Jamie Masefield/Jazz Mandolin Project
paragraphs got cut from my article when it was edited for length.  The
following paragraph starts after the words, "The exquisite frustration."

      "Jamie Masefield heads arguably Vermont's best popular music
band, the Jazz Mandolin Project.  That group's multimedia telling of
Tolstoy's 'How Much Land Does a Man Need' is much buzzed about these
days.  In February, Masefield said, 'Since you brought up Anais
Mitchell, I just want to mention her collaboration with Michael
Chorney, called "Hadestown."  I was so impressed with this unique
performance.  It was an ambitious and a very successful production and
made me proud of the artistic community I'm part of.  Seeing their
excellent and creative use of stage space sparked a whole new idea
about how to lay out the stage for our "How Much Land" show, and now
the layout has completely changed.'

      "'Hey, that's very cool,' exclaimed Mitchell.  'I had no idea
Jamie was even in the "Hadestown" audience!  And I'm honored that he
found some inspiration in it.  As far as the use of the stage-space
went for that show, I really can't take credit but must hand it all to
our brilliant theatrical director Ben T. Matchstick.  But this idea of
one Vermont artist sparking the mind of another is a beautiful thing.
  It's one of the things I love about the state.  I don't want to get
all nationalistic or nothin' but I did feel a little inkling of pride
in the fact that the entire cast and crew and orchestra of "Hadestown"
were Vermonters.  I did feel a little inkling of EAT YOUR HEART OUT NYC!'"

If you would like to read the UN-cut version of this notice, give me
an e-mail address and I will send it off to you.

Cute Commons headline, huh?!


NAMELESS COFFEEHOUSE PRESS RELEASE

Nameless Coffeehouse

February 6, 2007
Contact: Maureen LeBlanc
Email: mleblanc61@...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

3 Church St.  (across from the Harvard Sq. Theater)

Cambridge, MA 02138

The Nameless Coffeehouse celebrates 40 years of presenting real,
handmade music on Saturday, March 3, 2007, featuring Laurel Grove, Jud
Caswell, Jaime Michaels, and Marylou Ferrante. The show, hosted by
Lloyd Thayer, will begin at 8:00 p.m. There is a suggested donation of
$8.00.

Laurel Grove grew out of a Berklee College of Music classroom ensemble
under the guidance of Dave Hollender, a prominent and sought-after
banjo and bass player in the Boston area. It quickly became evident
that the group held amazing potential. After first playing sets
composed entirely of traditional bluegrass music, the band began to
experiment with their own musical style. This led to an energetic
playing and eclectic performing style seldom found in this genre. The
band soon began performing for live audiences and have since opened
for Orrin Star, Crazy Creek and other quality bluegrass acts. In just
a short time, Laurel Grove has developed a devoted and loyal audience.
For more information about the band check them out at
http://www.laurelgrovemusic.com and http://www.myspace.com/laurelgrove

Jud Caswell comes from that place where the two Maines meet: where
ex-hippies play cribbage with fishermen and a kind of rural poetry is
infused with no-nonsense Yankee pragmatism. Praised as "emotionally
resonant, deeply affecting and superbly crafted," his songs approach
social commentary and simple pleasures with the same integrity and
genuineness that he brings to the stage, captivating audiences and
making friends as well as fans. In 2006, Jud won the legendary
Kerrville New Folk Contest, the Wildflower Performing Songwriter
Contest, the Boston Folk Festival Songwriting Contest, and showcased
at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival.
http://www.judcaswell.com and http://www.myspace.com/judcaswell

Jaime Michaels -- A Rhode Island native, Jaime wandered up the road to
see a very young Tom Paxton at the Newport Folk Festival and knew then
and there what he wanted to do with his life. He's been a sincere
sixties singer songwriter, a solo artist following the influences of
Tim Buckley and Tim Hardin, has been a part of the groups Beckett,
Favorite Cousins, and toured the South, and beyond, for literally 8
and a half years with the Truly Dangerous Swamp Band. Throughout, he's
opened for Bonnie Raitt, Jesse Colin Young, Dave van Ronk, Livingston
Taylor, Jonathan Edwards, Earl Scruggs, Little Feat, Delbert
McClinton, Poco, Roseanne Cash and Vince Gill ... among others. Now
living in Santa Fe, he's been touring the solo circuit for the past 15
years. In 2004, Jaime journeyed to Italy where he toured with Jono
Manson and laid down tracks for his latest release, "Once or Twice
Upon a Time." Now, what Jaime likes to call his "Back for More" tour
continues, including appearances as a three time NEW FOLK FINALIST at
the 2003, 2004 and 2006 Kerrville Folk Festivals.
http://www.jaimemichaels.com and http://www.myspace.com/jaimemichaels

Marylou Ferrante is an acoustic country blues artist who is greatly
influenced by the the sublime country blues players of the 1920s and
1930s. Marylou covers musical territory ranging from the muddy
Mississippi delta to the east coast Piedmont style players; Robert
Johnson, Charlie Patton, Blind Boy Fuller along with the 40s blues of
Memphis Minnie & Tampa Red. Her passionate expression comes from a
love of the music style and from the arrangements themselves, along
with a deep appreciation for "the history of these folks and the
difficult circumstances they endured." She has honed her craft
listening to the old recordings and learning from some of the great
blues players today; Paul Rishell, Guy Davis and Robert Jones. Marylou
has opened for Guy Davis, Bob Franke & others.

Host, Lloyd Thayer, is a unique performer who plays most of his songs
on a 1929 National tricone squareneck steel guitar with the instrument
laying flat in his lap, fretted with a metal bar. Lloyd plays on the
streets and in the subways of Boston, as well as in clubs and
coffeehouses around New England. He also teaches at Club Passim's
School of Music. His songs are thought provoking, powerful, and often
absurdly funny. Downbeat Magazine has described Lloyd's performance as
"a convincing drama that turns one small paved patch of Harvard Square
into a back- alley, down-and-dirty heaven." Performer Magazine writes:
"The guy's like Bill Jackson, Jesse Fuller, and Captain Beefheart all
rolled into one." Lloyd is also an accomplished writer of short
stories, as well as an artist and poet. His latest releases are "Blues
for Boston" and the all instrumental CD, "Birds."
http://www.lloydthayer.com and http://www.lloydthayer.com/BIRDS.html

The Nameless Coffeehouse presents concerts on the first Saturday of
each month from September to June. (Concerts are occasionally held on
a different Saturday in the case of holiday weekends, etc.) In its
Forty Years of presenting live music, The Nameless has been a
launching pad for a host of folk (and other) performers including
Orrin Star, Tracy Chapman, Patty Larkin, The Story, Ellis Paul, Catie
Curtis, Vance Gilbert, Kevin So, Bob Franke, Cosy Sheridan, The Hunger
Mountain Boys, comedians Andy Kaufman and Jay Leno and many more.  The
coffeehouse concert series features both up-and-coming performers as
well as established artists.

Call 617-864-1630 or visit http://www.namelesscoffeehouse.org

    or

http://www.myspace.com/namelesscoffeehouse

for more information.


GIRL AUTHORITY
    and
UNCLE EARL

Here are two acts you are not likely to see in the same music-news
item ever again.  But each has a rapidly-approaching album release on
the Rounder label.

I interviewed Uncle Earl's Kristin Andreassen not long ago in her
capacity as a member of the original-music folk trio, Sometymes Why.
Interviewing her was a real delight, and I would love to cover Uncle
Earl sometyme soon.

Does anyone know whether the Girl Authority track, "This One's for the
Girls," is the song by the circa-1980 Boston rock band, The Rings?

Girl Authority
Road Trip
Rounder/Zoë Records
Street Date: March 13, 2007
Buckle up and get ready for the ride of your life as nine bubbly girls
sing their way across the USA and straight into your heart! From
classic hits like "The Loco-Motion" and "Car Wash" to chart-toppers of
today like "Life Is a Highway" and "This One's For the Girls"…from
songs parents remember fondly like "Holiday" and "Walking on Sunshine"
to brand-new originals like the exuberantly poppy "Let's Get Together"
and the dance-fueled "Rhythm of the World"…Girl Authority invites you
to join them on a trip to remember.

In addition to the upbeat, family friendly covers, Road Trip contains
five original songs, hand-picked for their positive messages and
girl-power spunk.  Eminent songwriters like Vince Clarke of Erasure
(and formerly of Depeche Mode) and Tanya Donelly (formerly of Throwing
Muses, The Breeders, and Belly) penned songs for the girls.  Girl
Authority producer Scott Billington states:  "The girls were ready for
some great original material.  They just took it in, put their own
stamp on it, and came out with some terrific, radio-ready songs.
These are tracks that will thrill their old fans and gain them many
new admirers."

Uncle Earl
Waterloo, Tennessee
Rounder Records
Street Date: March 13, 2007
Haunting, playful, elegant, relentless…on their sophomore album
Waterloo, Tennessee, the four women of Uncle Earl awaken the sleeping
giant of old-time stringband music and hold it as a mirror to our
present era. Resolutely modern, yet preserving the luminous mystery of
its ancient origins, their music illuminates what is timeless in the
everyday. Produced by John Paul Jones, Waterloo, Tennessee laces
raucous fiddle tunes and jug band blues with ballads of loss and
exile, love songs, and a profound longing that can only be echoed in
the strains of fiddles, banjos, mandolins, crystalline tender
harmonies, and the occasional wobbleboard.

   -- Sarah Williams-Leach, "New Spring Releases From
      Rounder Records," March 2, 2007


IDES OF MARCH
1960s Band

As you may have heard, Rebecca Hall and Ken Anderson live in a stately
mansion called Anderson Hall, where they listen to garage-rock all day
every day.

No, come to think of it, that's that other group.  Hall and Anderson
reside in a stately vehicle called The Blue Meanie, and they have a
garage-rock tip for you all out there in cyberspace.

"This is the month we are thankful that history has finally recognized
one of the great garage bands of the 1960s, namely, the Ides of March.
  Started in 1964 in Berwyn, Illinois, the group wrote a string of
regional hits such as 'Roller Coaster' and 'You Wouldn't Listen,'
featuring catchy melodies and lush harmonies that have been
inspirational to us and surely countless other husband-wife folk acts.
  The band changed to a polished brass style around 1970, resulting in
the monstrous hit, 'Vehicle.' [It reached No. 2 on the Billboard
chart. - Ed.]  The Ides of March still perform, with all their
original members intact."

   -- Rebecca Hall and Ken Anderson, "March 2007
      Newsdumpster," March 1, 2007

In your view, is that last Hall-Anderson sentence open to more than
one interpretation?


E-MAIL US via:
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Please do NOT click the Reply button.  Clicking Reply sends your
message to several different addresses but NOT to our main address.
It's Yahoo Groups' system, not ours.


.   .   .   .   .


If you have friends who would be interested in any of the items in
this issue, please forward this newsletter to them.  Thanks!


      As a rule, we do not post SHOW LISTINGS.  The reason is quite
simple.  Our readers are spread out all over the map.  Though our name
is the NEW ENGLAND Music Scrapbook, we have readers all across the
southern tier of states - with a large number in Florida and another
large number in the Atlanta area.  Even within the Northeast, we have
readers in each of the six New England states and many in New York and
New Jersey.  The great majority of show listings would be of no
interest at all to most 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.

      We also make a few exceptions for shows in the immediate Boston
area.  Our single biggest concentration of readers, as far as we know,
is in and around Boston.  We understand from e-mails we receive that
we are able to help turn out an audience to many entertainments in the
Boston area.  But even in the case of Boston shows, we make few
exceptions.

      So, the general rule of thumb is that we don't post show
listings.  In the very few, truly exceptional instances where we do...


      ... 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.


      Exceptionally long addresses may need to be pasted into the
address field, which is probably toward the top of your browser
screen.  Some addresses are so extremely long that they may have to be
pasted in two or more pieces.


New England Music Scrapbook :

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/home.htm

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Issue 2007:211

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

Copyright © 2007 by the New England Music Scrapbook.  All rights reserved.

   : : : :

Happy Monday to you all!

The very first things that happened after sending last newsletter
issue is that I found "News Notes" from the Music Museum of New
England in one e-mail account and a permission slip in another.  Well,
whoever said this effort is perfectly timed?

The permission we received is for an item which would be best later,
as part of a regular newsletter issue.  But the MM/ONE message, a
general mailing which likely will interest a great many of our
readers, is not likely to get any news-y-er by gathering dust in our
inbox.

So, read it if you would like, skip it if you must, but either way,
here it is:


Subject:  News notes from MM/ONE
Date:     Sat, 3 Mar 2007 13:46:07 -0500

AP put out a story about MM/ONE on their wire service this week
entitled "Virtual Museum preserves New England's musical scene."
Looking in Google, I found the article picked up by the Globe, the
Herald, the Metro papers, many other newspapers in New England and
beyond, and even by the International Herald Tribune and the Taiwan
News!  The piece talks about the origins of MM/ONE, the website, and
the importance of the New England music scene.  Read it at
http://mass.live.advance.net/newsflash/mass/index.ssf?/base/news-27/117268315118\
0280.xml&storylist=massnews.
  Incidentally, the Rob Rose quoted in the article but otherwise not
identified is a V.P. at Berklee, who shares our belief that the
influence of musicians from New England has been underappreciated.

As a result of the AP feed, I got an e-mail from Brian Dench in old
England, who runs a tribute site for Gene Pitney at
www.gene-pitney.me.uk.  Brian noted a minor correction for our bio of
Gene, and will add a link to mmone.org (and we'll link to his site).
That's just one small example of how word about MM/ONE is spreading,
and as a result is helping us build a complete and accurate record of
our music scene.  Brian added that he likes our site "even though some
of the artists are unknown over here in the U.K."  That's music to my
ears, to know that we're helping people learn about some of our unsung
local musical heroes!

We're very pleased to announce that David Swartz has joined the
Advisory Council of MM/ONE.  David is the leading collector and
archivist of Boston concert posters and memorabilia, and has made a
generous contribution to enable us to continue our work.  As part of
our observance of the 40th anniversary year of The Boston Tea Party,
we're teaming up with David to develop and post on the site a complete
list of every gig at the Tea Party, including images of the posters
and/or handbills.  He not only approaches the subject with the
thoroughness and dedication of an historian, but shares our passion
"to preserve, honor and showcase" our musical heritage.

BTW, if you still haven't seen the video of our Tea Party 40th
anniversary event then you gotta go to
www.mmone.org/content6a07.html?nav=teaparty.  We taped the ceremony
unveiling the historical marker which The Bostonian Society is placing
on the original Tea Party building at 53 Berkeley Street, including
Don Law's wonderful remembrances of his days there.  Plus we got some
great anecdotes about the Tea Party from Willie Alexander, The J.
Geils Band, Barry Goudreau and Sibby Hashian of Boston, Dinky Dawson,
James Montgomery, Tea Party emcee "The Master Blaster", journalists
Steve Morse and Dean Johnson, and many more.  You can see it all in
streaming video.

And speaking of Dean, our website curator, he's heading up an effort
to add more artist bios and links to the site.  We started with an
eclectic mix of about 50 bios reflecting the diversity of the New
England music scene, and Dean expects to add another 50 soon.  We've
got a master list of about 400 artists, so it will take a while to get
all their bios done.  We really appreciate the work of Dean, Ed Symkus
and Fran Berger for penning entries, and encourage other writers to
contribute as well.  Contact Dean at dcjmmone@....  As MM/ONE
co-founder Harry Sandler is fond of saying, "It's not our museum, it's
your museum."  So help us make it happen with your contributions, and
by spreading the word.

Steve Nelson
President & Co-Founder
Music Museum Of New England
www.mmone.org

Many of you may have heard the news before me of the death of

    BILL CHINNOCK, 59.

It was with an exceptionally heavy heart that I read the story in the
Boston Globe late this morning.

Bill Chinnock, 59; played in Springsteen band
By Associated Press  |  March 9, 2007
In Friday's Boston Globe

We have a great many readers who are based outside New England who may
not have heard even now, which is why I am sending this special message.

If you didn't hear Bill Chinnock live or didn't collect his records
and especially if you hadn't even heard OF him, you may have no idea
how much he meant to his fans and especially those of us from Maine.
But for me his recordings from early releases such as "Alive at the
Loft" to much later ones like my own favorite, "Out on the
Borderline," were some of the best I ever heard.

Chinnock put on the greatest rock 'n' roll concert I ever attended, at
the Bangor Auditorium.  It is practically pointless to tell anyone
about it because almost everyone looks for some flashy details,
totally missing the point.  The point, very simply, was that his
connection with his audience that night was precisely one hundred
percent.  He and the audience were one.  Mickey O'Halloran told me he
once had the exact same experience at a Chinnock concert.

So I never got my "Bill Chinnock: My Maine Man" T-shirt, but it wasn't
for lack of looking.

The legendary "Badlands" album was never reissued on CD as far as I
know, but it certainly was not for lack of fan interest.

And the world is a poorer place today for the loss of Bill Chinnock.

Lead Singer Of Boston Dies
Delp Was 55
Boston Television Station Channel 5, WCVB-TV

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/entertainment/11215914/detail.html?rss=bos&psp=e\
ntertainment

My friend Maria heard this on Boston television and let me know right
away.  I am passing along the news equally quickly in belief that most
of our readers would want to know as soon as possible.

Brad Delp has been playing on one of our local radio stations a lot
lately in spots promoting an appearance by his band, Beatlejuice, at
Keene High School in nearby Keene, New Hampshire.  I was not able to
go, but I believe the concert was held very recently.

One did not need to listen really closely to the tapes promoting the
Keene show to understand why Delp's Beatlejuice performances have been
widely acclaimed.  He sounded fantastic.  In fact, he sounded a good
deal more than fantastic.  It really was startling how close his voice
could match John Lennon in one song and then Paul McCartney in the next.

Brad Delp held a slightly unusual distinction in relation to this
operation.  I have mentioned this at least a couple times before.  He
was the subject of one of the greatest rock 'n' roll photos I have
ever seen.  I really don't think it would be any exaggeration at all
to call this photograph perfect.  It was shot at an appearance by his
band, Boston, at Boston Garden.  I believe the picture was taken by a
member of the Boston Globe staff.  That photo has appeared in my mind
countless times over the years.  And since our WKVT-AM started running
the Beatlejuice sound clips, Delp's Beatles voices have been running
through my head.

"Remember I'll always be true."

I will not forget it now.

May Brad Delp rest in peace.


I had actually sent a copy of this message when Yahoo Music News
posted the following Associated Press death notice:

Boston lead singer Brad Delp dies at 55

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070309/ap_en_mu/obit_delp;_ylt=AnsaVfE6BUIjM6mWunhp\
fvSVEhkF

New England Music Scrapbook News
Our Corner of the Rock 'n' Roll Life
March 10, 2007
Issue 2007:212

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


.   .   .   .   .


I HAVE TO REVERSE THINGS  this week, working on this newsletter first
and then working on a newspaper article.  And I've got to say up front
that I don't have a lot of heart for it.

    BILL CHINNOCK

never became the huge, national star that his most ardent fans knew he
could have.  But he had certain hotspots on his tour map, and probably
chief among them was most if not all of the state of Maine, where he
resided through the greater part of his career.  In the 1970s,
Chinnock was HUGE in Maine.  I learned about Bruce Springsteen after
getting into Chinnock's music, not the other way around.

I remember as if I were there right now being in a record store in
what was once the W.T. Grant's in my old hometown, Bangor, Maine.  I
was looking through a display and bin of local releases when the guy
at the counter reached over, pulled out a Chinnock LP and asked had I
heard this one yet, knowing perfectly well I was going to love it.  I
was already well acquainted with Chinnock's music and career, but I
had not yet heard this new version, on the Atlantic label, of his
classic "Badlands" album.  You don't remember things like this decades
later if they were not memorable in the first place.  And it was a
magic moment when this guy stuck "Badlands" in my hands: even more so,
when I got home and played it.

Through the 1970s, several Maine-connected acts had brushes with the
Top 40 charts.  But through his various ups and downs, Bill Chinnock
was always our rock star.

One of the Maine bands with a hit - a small one - was Oak.  And Ric
Pinette, late of Oak, and his current band was in the middle slot in
the Bill Chinnock concert I love to rave about.  Katahdin and the Ric
Pinette Band were terrific that night.  And then The Bill Chinnock
Band totally stole the show.  If you know anything about his
father-in-law, country star Dick Curless, then you might get to
thinking this is a family tradition.

Incidentally, another of Chinnock's family connections, Tina Welch, is
among my all-time favorites from any and all fields of music.  And
returning the father-in-law for a moment, Bill Chinnock was second to
no one in working to preserve the memory of Dick Curless.

A guy writing a book about the Asbury Park scene wanted me to tell him
what was so great about this particular concert, but I couldn't do it
because I already had said it all.  It was the utter simplicity of his
precisely one hundred percent connection with his audience.  He and
his band and the crowd that night were one.  But Mickey O'Halloran of
the old Boston Rock and Roll Museum told me he had the identical
experience at a Chinnock appearance, so he totally understood what I
was saying without need for any flashy details or distracting
embellishments.

There is much we don't know yet, but one could easily surmise from the
obituary in the Boston Globe that Chinnock took his life to end a
long-term, unbearable illness.

This news affects each of us differently.  For me it is a matter of
the loss of the biggest star from my old neighborhood and a favorite
musician from a happy time in my past.  It counts for a lot, I think,
that I followed the guy avidly for over three decades.  Some followed
his career even longer.

We once had a girl subscribe to this newsletter specifically so she
could pass along Bill Chinnock news to her father.  Trust me on this,
BC fans were loyal and cared.

In a much appreciated note, singer-songwriter and, importantly, Maine
native Jess Tardy spoke of being devastated by the loss of a friend.

The gentleman who, in a business capacity, occasionally updated us on
Chinnock's activities clearly cared about his artist in a lot of ways
above and beyond business considerations.  Among much else, they were
nextdoor neighbors.

Bill Chinnock, the 1970s, and Maine all swirl together for me, and I
don't mind telling you the loss of Chinnock is very hard to take.

Maybe you had to be there, in and around Maine, in the '70s to
appreciate it.  But what harm would it do to simply take my word for it.


BILL CHINNOCK

Bill Chinnock, 59; played in Springsteen band
By Associated Press  |  March 9, 2007
In Friday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2007/03/09/bill_chinnock_59\
_played_in_springsteen_band/


BRAD DELP

Lead singer of the band Boston dies
1 hour, 50 minutes ago

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070310/ap_en_mu/obit_delp;_ylt=Ak72cn6OIpimYzxSeJwz\
xIGVEhkF

"We just lost the nicest guy in rock and roll."

   -- Boston Official Web Site

This may be true.  One of the most striking things about

    BRAD DELP

was how generous he was in his comments about others when interviewed.

As much success as the band Boston had - and I imagine it was deserved
- I am going to remember Brad Delp for his "other" band, Beatlejuice.
  In our January 13, 2007 Issue No. 204, I commented on how great it
was to see that his group would be playing near here.  "We need them
more than Boston does," I wrote.  Well, we did.  And we got them, at
Keene High School in Keene, New Hampshire.

Keene, as I have said before, is not just any old high school.  The
director of the Keene High School band wrote one of a handful of the
greatest pieces of American music ever, "The National Emblem."  It
would be hard to whistle this march to you in a plain-text e-mail
message; but even from my incompetent whistling, you would recognize
the melody at once.  It was right up there with "The Stars and Stripes
Forever," "Old Folks at Home," "The Entertainer," "Night and Day,"
"Foggy Mountain Breakdown," "Summertime," and other great American
works.  So Brad Delp and Beatlejuice were playing a site that is
deeply rooted in the best music.

I heard him on the radio every single night this winter.

    Close your eyes and I'll kiss you
    Tomorrow I'll miss you
    Remember I'll always be true...

I will always think of Brad Delp in connection with Beatlejuice
because he was just here on March 3 - exactly one week ago - and
because he was all over our radio all winter long in those
unbelievable clips promoting the Beatlejuice show in Keene.  He
expertly matched Paul McCartney in one song and John Lennon in the
next, just as his press notices said he could.

So we are told that rock 'n' roll lost its nicest guy, and we know
from first-hand experience that rock 'n' roll lost one of its best and
most versatile voices.


HUTCHINSON FAMILY BIOGRAPHY

I learned about the Hutchinson Family back in 1969, and have been
looking into that gang of wonderful eccentrics, to one degree or
another, ever since.  But in all this time, the most amazing thing
waited until Thursday to happen.

For all practical purposes, I finished my book.

I knew even once I got to the end I would still have a modest amount
of backtracking to do.  Friday morning I looked through my
backtracking list, and what I have left to do really IS modest.

It has always been my plan that, once the book is done, I would strive
mightily to leave the main text alone.  The footnotes are a different
story.  When a significant change is needed, in my view, I will go
ahead and change the footnotes.  The mop-up I now have left to do is
about on the level of making a little change, here and there, to the
notes.  So it is time to admit and confess that my book is pretty much
done.

Next project...


MARGARET MacARTHUR TRIBUTE CONCERTS

"Performers will include the MacArthur Family (Margaret's children
Megan, Dan and Gary), the Boys of the Lough, Gordon Bok, John Roberts
and Tony Barrand, Skip Gorman (Middlebury only), Karen and Pete
Sutherland, Dan Berggren (Marlboro only), Deb Flanders and some
surprise guests.  Bill Spence from the Old Songs Festival will emcee.
  Special guests will include Jane Beck from the Vermont Folklife
Center, Ellen McCullouch-Lovell President of Marlboro College and
others.  Everyone appearing at the concert has a long history and
significant connections to Margaret and the music she collected and made.

"Margaret passed away on May 23, 2006."

   -- Mark Sustic, Updated Press Release,
      March 3, 2007

These shows feature an amazing gathering of talent from the folk
world.  Even people not at all familiar with Margaret's work ought to
be thrilled to attend either of these concerts.

Margaret had the most amazing powers of recollection I am ever likely
to see.  We did not bother her often; but whenever we were stumped and
no one else we knew could help us with an especially tough folk music
question, we would refer it to Margaret.  She always knew the answer,
rarely if ever had to take a moment to think, and never uttered the
phrase, "I don't know," because it was never necessary.  I told
people, "You could do what I do and ask Margaret MacArthur," literally
countless times.  She was absolutely phenomenal in this respect.


THE BOYS OF THE LOUGH

The Boys With the Ballads
By Alan Lewis
Vermont Guardian
Posted March 8, 2007

One of the things I learned from interviewing Dave Richardson of the

    BOYS OF THE LOUGH

is that I heard this high-powered folk band on its first United States
tour.  I had never heard anything like it, and now I know why.  There
hadn't been anything like it before.

If you get to read my article in the current Vermont Guardian, I'd
like to steer you particularly toward the paragraph that begins, "I
have never seen old photos of a band such as ourselves," and the
paragraph that follows it.

The important part of the recent change at the Guardian, from my point
of view, is that one can no longer purchase a single copy of the paper
in hardcopy at a Vermont newsstand, while no provision has been made
for freer online access to articles.

I am trying to figure out how I can make my own pieces widely
available to readers of this newsletter without undermining the
Guardian's efforts to attract subscriptions.

It is fair game for a freelancer to reprint an article or make it
available for republication after it has run its course in the
original outlet or as spelled out in a contract when a signed contract
exists.  So I may reprint some of these pieces in this newsletter later.

Some people request electronic copies (plain text) of articles anyway.
  The latest request, in addition to a few requests for my current Boys
of the Lough article, was for an earlier profile of Vermont
singer-songwriter

    JOSH BROOKS.

Someone had just heard a live performance, really liked it, and wanted
to read up on him some more.

So maybe that will be the deal: send individual electronic copies on
request and then, after a suitable delay, reprint some articles in
this newsletter.

It is early yet, but this is what I am thinking today.


= = = = =


BRIEF ITEMS :


WINTERPILLS
Now on a Big Tour

It is high time that the Northampton, Massachusetts band

    WINTERPILLS

hit the road.  I took a quick peek at the band's events calendar
covering the tour which started Friday; and these folks are, indeed,
taking off, possibly in more ways than one.  In honor of the occasion,
here is what I wrote about the group and the latest Winterpills album
in the Vermont Guardian's spring preview.  I got to hear "The Light
Divides" at the very, very, VERY last minute, so I confess to this
being more than a little rushed.  But it makes up for it, one would
hope, by being heart-felt.

Winterpills, a Northampton, MA, folk-rock band with ample southern
Vermont ties, released its second album, "The Light Divides," Feb. 20
on Signature Sounds.  If this record came out on vinyl, the needle
would have worn straight through my copy the first day.  The music is
in keeping with "Rubber Soul"-era Beatles and the heart of the Simon
and Garfunkel catalog, while a featured cut, "Broken Arm," calls to
mind the first heart-pumping hearing, long ago, of "Hazy Shade of
Winter."  "The Light Divides" boldly reaches for the sky, and it is a
lofty success.  "The Light Divides" ought to blast past the prior
Signature Sounds biggest seller.  Don't be the last kid on your block
to hear this one.

   -- Alan Lewis, "Spring Fling," Vermont Guardian,
      March 1, 2007


MISTER LIF

Saturday Night: Lif goes on
Saturday, March 10, 2007
In Saturday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=187549

This is the shortest of short items, crowding a lot of information
into a tiny amount of Boston Herald space.  The reference to a West
Coast bus accident is news to us.

Mr. Lif is celebrating his 10th anniversary.  It is great that he has
made it thus far.  He has done well.  We wish him another 10.  At least.


GRACE POTTER AND THE NOCTURNALS

"Our  [ GRACE POTTER AND THE NOCTURNALS']  new album, 'This Is
Somewhere,' is almost finished!  We are beginning to piece together a
whopper of a tour based around our scheduled July release.  If we
could, we would send you all a copy right now because we are so
excited about the final product.  However, we still need to piece
together the artwork, tour schedule, and all the other vital things
that go into putting out a record.  The good news is we will be in
constant touch by posting new videos, songs, and other special events
including the official release of the new record."

   -- "Grace Potter and the Nocturnals March
       Newsletter," March 9, 2007


THE BASEBALL TAVERN

"as with spring training, this new rock club in the fenway is filled
with promise and boundless optimism.  the space is very cool and worth
checking out."

   -- Pete Sutton, "Temper This Friday at the New
      Baseball Tavern," February 28, 2007

Thought Boston club-goers might be interested.

I hope a lot of our readers have tracked down a copy of the Temper
publicity flyer.  It is one item - an e-mail contact address - shy of
perfection.  People in the music business ought to be scurrying after
a copy and learning from it.


BIG ORANGE RECORDING STUDIO
According to Missy Bly

I very much like writing up and involving Vermont's

    MISSY BLY

in this newsletter and in the Vermont Guardian for many reasons, not
least of which is that I am certain a very large number of our readers
would really like her music.  So with her permission I am including
here a bit from a message she sent which was mostly about the

    BIG ORANGE STUDIO.

Apparently we have received more correspondence about Josh Brooks this
week and last than I realized at the time.  Reference in the Missy
quote to the "little white house" is about the building shown in the
cover illustration of Brooks' latest CD and from which the disc takes
its name.

"The little white house used to house the equipment for [the] Big
Orange [recording studio] and Chris Clark (engineer) did record Josh
in there, but now it's a real super duper place in a converted apple
packing house out in Addison on the shore of Lake Champlain.  Very
high ceilings, a baby grand piano and lots of other fun stuff to play
with. ... Here's to good songs."

   -- Missy Bly, E-Mail Message, March 1, 2007


NAMELESS COFFEEHOUSE 40TH ANNIVERSARY

"Wonderful" seems to be the word to describe the Nameless
Coffeehouse's 40th anniversary celebration.  A splendid time was had
by all.  Cake and ice cream were had by all.  Great music, cake, and
ice cream is a tough combination to beat.  Let's hope for a repeat
performance in another 40 years.


CROOKED STILL
New Material

"We  [ members of CROOKED STILL ]  are writing from a band lockdown at
Aoife's apartment in Watertown, Massachusetts.  We've spent the past
two days furiously coming up with new songs.  It's sounding pretty
great.  We're premiering our new material tonight at a SOLD OUT show
at Club Passim in Boston.  Many apologies to those who couldn't get
tickets.  We'll be back in July."

   -- Crooked Still, "The Midwest, Springfest, and
      Louisiana," March 6, 2007


BRIAN VIGLIONE
Of the Dresden Dolls

Brian Viglione of The Dresden Dolls offers this account of his/the
band's "usual routine":

    1. Apply white-face
    2. Sweat
    3. Pass out
    4. Repeat

Interesting life he leads.  Viglione should write all of the Dresden
Dolls' mailings.  His latest is so much better than the band-mailings
routine that there is hardly any ground for comparison.  And in the
same finely crafted treatise, he wrote:

"We have been able to review the footage for the new live DVD filmed
at The Roundhouse in London this past November and it looks great.
There's still some work being done on the final mixing and editing,
but we're looking forward to the release later this year."

   -- Dresden Dolls, "Drum Clinic and Brian on
      Tour," March 1, 2007


SESSION AMERICANA
For Adults, Mostly

"The new  [ SESSION AMERICANA ]  CD is ready!  Its lookin' and
soundin' good.

"Far from the playful family atmosphere of Vol 1 and 2, this record is
about faithlessness, drugs, sex, and revolution ... featuring the
tunes John Brown, Month of Sundays, Beer Town, Ice Cream Man, Theresa,
Born Again, Something Heavy and Trinity.  It will surely delight those
of you who have come to know us over the past years."

   -- Session Americana, "Beer Town," March 7,
      2007


KRIS DELMHORST
March Madness in the Key of Kris D

"I  [ KRIS DELMHORST ]  have been parked at home for most of 2007,
working on the beginnings of a new album, and there's some stuff I'm
really excited about.  But more on that as it develops."

   -- "Kris Delmhorst Marchness," March 8, 2007


AMY FAIRCHILD
Progress on the Recording Front

"On the recording front, we

    [ AMY FAIRCHILD and company ]

spent two great days recording basic tracks at Middleville Studio on
February 19th and 20th.  Everyone involved was brilliant and working
with Chris Rival is simply extraordinary.  We will continue recording
in early April, shooting for an early May release date."

   -- Amy Fairchild, "A Few Gigs, Recording Update,"
      March 7, 2007


WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE
Artist and Band Publicity Division

The following subject line did not come from the Boston Bluegrass
Union, as one might suppose, but rather from a not-to-be-named-here
third party.  The main thing I would want to know about is not who is
doing the presenting but rather who is BEING presented.  This subject
line puts the cart before the horse to such an extreme that the name
of the featured artist is cut off through that delightful system known
as truncation.

The Boston Bluegrass Union Presents Twice Grammy
Nominated Vocalist/Songwriter C...

As friend Nancy Neon might say, the featured artist is not being featured.

Someone else sent an announcement of this same show; and going
entirely on memory, it seems to me the singer's name is Claire Lynch.

Long ago, we got a promotional copy of a Claire Lynch CD.  When it
became apparent that I was not going to get the opportunity to review
her disc for a print publication, I gave it away for lack of storage
space here.  So I have nothing but memory to refer to.  But I well
recall that it was a fine album and that she is an artist deserving of
a far better subject line than the one I have just quoted above.

Mailings of that sort typically go out to a wide variety of
recipients, many of whom are very, very busy people.  They often
receive far more messages than they can give their attention.  If you
want them to read what you send, give them some idea - at the very
start of your subject line - as to why your message might interest
them as much as if not more than the others crowding their inbox.

Folks have got to learn to introduce themselves or the artists they
represent or their topics quickly and succinctly if they want their
mailings to get a wide readership.  When sending e-mail messages, THE
place for introductions is the beginning of the subject line.

The following are five subject lines out of the twenty that are on the
first page of our inbox this morning.  Each, in its own way, tells us
much of what we need to know right from the start.  It can be done.

Noam Weinstein - boston show on march 20th

Fluttr Effect - FE and Robby Roadsteamer

Vermont Jazz Center - VJC presents Armen Donelian, Dave Clark, and
George Schuller March 17th at 8pm

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals - Grace Potter & The Nocturnals March
Newsletter

The Loft Brattleboro - Announcing Spring Concert Series

Check out the Amy Fairchild subject line at the end of her spot in
Brief Items to see another very well-thought-out example.

I have not included a subject line from Maria McLaughlin because it
was from an individual e-mail, not from a mass mailing.  But in two
messages having to do with the death of Brad Delp, I could easily tell
from a quick glance at her subject line that I would want to open her
e-mail right away.  Her's would be two more current examples of
subject lines done right.

Beyond all doubt I could get examples enough from the first page in
our inbox so I didn't get as far as a terrific comedic effort on the
part of Josh Brooks, who is mentioned elsewhere in this issue.  He
wrote an intriguing parody of the run-on subject lines I am
harranguing.  It is really quite brilliant and calls to mind a program
I once saw on a true master of playful but effective use of language,
Winston Churchill.


end BRIEF ITEMS


= = = = =


CHRIS PUREKA

There's no place like road
Entertainment
Thursday, March 8
NORTHAMPTON, Mass.

I do apologize.  I don't recall the particulars of how this happened.
  But in an early draft of this newsletter I got just this far with
more to do on this item, when I got word of Bill Chinnock's death.
And I just noticed now that I left this item unfinished: a day or two
too late to complete the job.  I was so blown away I didn't even get
Dave's column printed, so I don't have hardcopy; and while this will
be posted, likely later today, it is not available online quite yet.

After you get this newsletter or probably not a lot later, you can
check out Dave's Chris Pureka notice via the following direct Web address:

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=45781020


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

Please do NOT click the Reply button.  Clicking Reply sends your
message to several different addresses but NOT to our main address.
It's Yahoo Groups' system, not ours.


.   .   .   .   .


If you have friends who would be interested in any of the items in
this issue, please forward this newsletter to them.  Thanks!


      As a rule, we do not post SHOW LISTINGS.  The reason is quite
simple.  Our readers are spread out all over the map.  Though our name
is the NEW ENGLAND Music Scrapbook, we have readers all across the
southern tier of states - with a large number in Florida and another
large number in the Atlanta area.  Even within the Northeast, we have
readers in each of the six New England states and many in New York and
New Jersey.  The great majority of show listings would be of no
interest at all to most 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.

      We also make a few exceptions for shows in the immediate Boston
area.  Our single biggest concentration of readers, as far as we know,
is in and around Boston.  We understand from e-mails we receive that
we are able to help turn out an audience to many entertainments in the
Boston area.  But even in the case of Boston shows, we make few
exceptions.

      So, the general rule of thumb is that we don't post show
listings.  In the very few, truly exceptional instances where we do...


      ... 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.


      Exceptionally long addresses may need to be pasted into the
address field, which is probably toward the top of your browser
screen.  Some addresses are so extremely long that they may have to be
pasted in two or more pieces.


New England Music Scrapbook :

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/home.htm

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


Issue 2007:212

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

Copyright © 2007 by the New England Music Scrapbook.  All rights reserved.

   : : : :

Hi.

I was asked to pass along some information about a Bill Chinnock
memorial service, which I am happy to do.

First, though - since I have you on the line, I hope - let me say that our

    fredremainslost

e-mail account, which is the main one we are using, has been totally
not accessible for the past four or five hours.  I have no idea when
it will be fixed.  Yahoo customer service staff could hardly be called
responsive.  If you are not hearing back from us, it may not be our fault.

Here is the memorial service announcement:


BILL CHINNOCK MEMORIAL SERVICE

"[A] memorial service  [ for BILL CHINNOCK ]  is planned in Yarmouth,
Maine this Friday at noon.  Details will be posted at
www.billchinnock.com."

New England Music Scrapbook News
Our Corner of the Rock 'n' Roll Life
March 17, 2007
Issue 2007:213

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


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.


.   .   .   .   .


I fit everything in here that we have got, but I did it in a major
hurry.  Here is hoping it is not too rough.


IT WAS MORE THAN SAD  to read first in the Boston Globe that Bill
Chinnock had taken his life and then in the Boston Herald that the
death of Brad Delp had been judged to be a suicide.

The latest thing I saw on Bill Chinnock actually ran here: information
about a memorial service which was set for yesterday (Friday).

Links to several articles having to do with Brad Delp's death appear
below.


DOO-WOPP HALL OF FAME OF AMERICA

`Duke of Earl' makes royal affair of doo-wop event
By Brett Milano/ Music
Saturday, March 17, 2007

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=188954

If you don't personally happen to be a fan of traditional doo-wop
music, maybe you can just take my word for it: this is one really
popular topic.  The fact that a single, which many consider to be the
greatest rock vocal group hit ever, came out of Connecticut only
further sweetens this cake.  That record is, of course, "In the Still
of the Nite (I'll Remember)" by The Five Satins.

Hot topic.  A Brett Milano byline.  This week, this piece could be
hard to beat.  It probably can't be beaten.

I read the Boston Globe for a time in the 1960s and picked up again in
the early 1970s when I lived practically on top of by far the biggest
newsstand in this town, Brattleboro, Vermont.  I am a long-time reader
and fan of the paper, so it does not come naturally for me to say
this.  But for daily coverage of local popular music, to my experience
the Boston Herald is currently the best newspaper in New England.
Contributions by Brett Milano are prime examples.

Not only is the music journalism quite fine, of course including some
members of the Herald's own staff as well as certain regular
correspondents, but day after day the Herald staff do an excellent job
of posting their newspaper on the Web.  The Herald staff is timely and
dependable; and though they make mistakes as we all do, Herald
Web-posting mistakes are not numerous.  I don't know whether or not it
is generally noticed, but this has gone on for years, and the Herald
Web-printers definitely deserve many pats on the back.

Web publishing of newspapers is done very poorly nearly everywhere
else.  This particular science is yet to grow INTO its infancy.  So it
is great to be able to sing the praises of a New England journal.  And
as far as I am concerned, the Boston Herald is that newspaper.


DANNY KLEIN AND FRIENDS
Here and There, Searchin' Everywhere

Do you remember those J. Geils Band reunion shows that nearly 100% of
us previously thought would never happen?  Steve Morse of the Boston
Globe wrote that the one Geils member who seemed to be happiest - all
night long - to be back on stage with his bandmates was bassist

    DANNY KLEIN.

I glanced through Sheryl Hunter's column about Klein but won't be able
to get my own copy until after sending this newsletter issue.  From
what I saw, though, if you are a J. Geils fan, if you are a Danny
Klein fan, or if you are out on Broadway cruising for a love again,
you are going to want to line up a copy of Sheryl's "Sound's Local"
column from Thursday's Arts and Entertainment pullout section of The
Recorder out of Greenfield, Massachusetts.  Don't give me any musta
got lost excuses.  With any luck, these guys will blow your face out
and you will want to be fully read up on them.

Does anyone know what became of Steven Jo Bladd?  The way I remember
it, he did not take part in the reunion shows, though I have no
recollection as to why.  If you remember and would be willing to share
what you know, please e-mail us by way of the following Web page:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm


JAN SHAPIRO
Of Berklee College of Music
Steps Out With New Album

Singer Jan Shapiro
Releases Self-Produced "Back to Basics"
CD Marks Welcome Return to Recording
For Longtime Vocal Chair
At Berklee College of Music, Jan Shapiro

March 12, 2007  Singer Jan Shapiro has been a mainstay in voice
education at Boston's Berklee College of Music for more than 20 years.
Since 1997, when she became department chair, she has overseen the
dramatic expansion of vocal studies at Berklee and had the
satisfaction of building what is now the premier contemporary voice
department in the country. But her academic and administrative
responsibilities left little time for her own singing.

Last spring, Shapiro finally carved out the necessary time to plan a
recording, her first since the late 90s. She tested the waters with a
series of gigs in her native St. Louis, trying out material and
getting her chops up. She arrived at a carefully chosen repertoire of
standards by Gershwin, Ellington, and Berlin. And she enlisted several
of her Berklee colleagues -- Tim Ray on piano, guitarist John Baboian,
bassist John Repucci, and drummer Terri Lyne Carrington -- for the
Boston session that resulted in her new CD Back to Basics.

   -- Terri Hinte, "Jan Shapiro, Singer and Berklee
      Vocal Chair, Releases New CD," March 12, 2007

This is an item I would have never imagined being able to run in these
cyber pages.

The original item we were sent is longer and gets a bit involved; but
among much else, it says Shapiro completed her music degree at Howard
University.  I have never heard of anyone with a music degree from
Howard, as far as I recall.

Anyone who has been with us for long may know that the New England
Music Scrapbook is named after an actual scrapbook which was kept by a
wonderful man, Ludlow Patton.  Ludlow was a banjo-picking trustee of
Howard University.  His brother, the Rev. William Weston Patton, was
Howard's second president.  I won't go into it here except to mention
that Rev. Patton had a part in one of the single most important events
in American history, the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.  So
anyway, I took special interest in the part of Shapiro's resume saying
she graduated from Howard.  But she has gotten superlative write-ups
in the Boston Globe by the stellar jazz writer, Bob Blumenthal, and I
think maybe, too, by the Globe's former classical music columnist and
still stellar everything, Richard Dyer.  So, odds are this album is
something special.


BRAD DELP

Brad Delp, lead singer of the band Boston, dies
By Associated Press
Saturday, March 10, 2007 - Updated: 11:13 AM EST
In Saturday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=187645


BRAD DELP

Obituaries
Brad Delp, 55, lead singer for bestselling '70s band Boston
By Sarah Rodman, Globe Staff  |  March 10, 2007
In Saturday's Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2007/03/10/brad_delp_55_lea\
d_singer_for_bestselling_70s_band_boston/


BRAD DELP

`We have just lost the nicest guy in rock 'n' roll'
By Brett Milano/ Appreciation
Sunday, March 11, 2007 - Updated: 07:02 AM EST
In Sunday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=187768


BRAD DELP

Delp's fiancee found rock singer dead at their home, police say
By Associated Press
Monday, March 12, 2007 - Updated: 03:19 PM EST
In Monday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=188002


BRAD DELP

Family: Rocker Brad Delp's death was suicide
By Associated Press
Wednesday, March 14, 2007 - Updated: 06:40 PM EST
In Wednesday's Boston Herald

http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=188494


BRAD DELP

Suicide confirmed in Delp's death
By Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa
Thursday, March 15, 2007 - Updated: 01:29 AM EST
In Thursday's Boston Herald

http://thetrack.bostonherald.com/moreTrack/view.bg?articleid=188564


BRAD DELP

Death of rock singer Brad Delp is ruled a suicide, N.H. police say
By Associated Press  |  March 15, 2007
In Thursday Boston Globe

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/03/15/death_of_rock_singer_brad_d\
elp_is_ruled_a_suicide_nh_police_say/


BRAD DELP

Brad Delp's suicide note: I am a lonely soul
By Associated Press
Thursday, March 15, 2007 - Updated: 07:23 PM EST
In Thursday's Boston Herald

http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=188759


BRAD DELP

Delp's ex says `No one can possibly understand'
By Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa
Friday, March 16, 2007 - Updated: 01:10 PM EST
In Friday's Boston Herald

http://thetrack.bostonherald.com/moreTrack/view.bg?articleid=188828


GIRLYMAN

Harmonies of a "Girlyman"
By Alan Lewis | Special to the Vermont Guardian

Vermont Guardian
Culture Section
Posted March 15, 2007

http://www.vermontguardian.com/culture/032007/Girlyman.shtml

Evidently this article about the harmony trio

    GIRLYMAN

has circulated quite widely already, though it was only posted two
days ago.

I first learned about this group around the time the governor of
California referred to members of the California legislature as
"girlymen," so the name of this music outfit has always had a strange
ring to me.  But regardless of what any of us think of the name,
please don't be put off by it.  Girlyman is a major purveyor of the
finest harmonies.  These three have a wealth of vocal group
inspirations, and high on their list is one of our own favorites,
Jennifer Kimball from her days with The Story.

For this Girlyman article, I interviewed group member Ty Greenstein
who, if I remember right, doubles as the main driver of the Girlyman
Band Van.  She is terrific, and I hope to get the opportunity to
interview her again someday.

I have not heard the latest Girlyman album and, in fact, didn't even
know they had a new release until my interview.  But they have a
recent track, "Young James Dean," on Vol. 1 of those great "New
Arrivals" compilations on MPress Records.  "Young James Dean" is one
of the best cuts on an album with notably tough competition.

I do a lot, myself, to promote my articles written for print or
"print" publications such as The Commons and the Vermont Guardian,
respectively.  It says a lot about how much interest there is in
Girlyman these days that I began getting e-mails about this article
BEFORE I got started promoting it.

So, be part of the rush and check it out.


= = = = =


BRIEF ITEMS :


SARA COX
"Crowded Is the New Lonely" CD

"The winter hiatus is done, just thought you should
know.  Out of it has come my

    [ SARA COX's ]

3rd CD called 'Crowded Is the New Lonely.'

"More shows and details on the CD-release party
coming soon."

   -- The Coming Grass, "Sara Cox," March 13, 2007

We already have CD-release show information, but time is tight.  I'll
probably run this item again, with show details, next time.


THREE DAY THRESHOLD

"In addition to recognizing the band's

    [ THREE DAY THRESHOLD's ]

own Irish heritage this St. Paddy's day [at the main room of Boston's
The Paradise, Saturday, March 17 at 8], Three Day Threshold will also
be celebrating the fact that their band has just been signed to
Cambridge's own HI N DRY Recordings (www.hi-n-dry.com).  The first 500
people through the door on the night of the St. Paddy's Day Hoedown
will receive a special advance copy of the new Three Day Threshold
album, 'Against the Grain,' released on HI N DRY Recordings."

   -- "Three Day Threshold Gets Signed," March 12,
       2007


DAVID CHAMPAGNE
Songwriter's Sleepaway Camp

WE RECEIVED THIS MAILING  too late to give any advance notice of
songwriting classes being taught by

    DAVID CHAMPAGNE

of Shane Champagne, Treat Her Right (and Treat Her Orange? - I don't
recall for sure), and now, The Heygoods.  The first class meeting was
Thursday.  But if not for David Johnston forwarding it, we would not
have received this message at all.  We will gladly take it.  The
following may interest many of our readers:

"I  [ DAVID CHAMPAGNE ]  ... started what I jokingly referred to as
The 1st Annual Songwriter's Sleepaway Camp; last Fall I gathered a
handful of Boston's Finest (songwriters not cops) to spend a week on
an island in NH writing, playing and talking.

"These classes are a great jump-start if you have been in a slump.
Since the SSC retreat in September I have written over a dozen songs
that I am excited about and there is no reason you can't do the same."

   -- David [Champagne], "Passim Songwriting Class,"
      February 21, 2007


DWIGHT RITCHER AND NICOLE NELSON

This show has gone by, but read on and you will see why it may be of
enduring fan interest.

"This Thursday, March 15 @ 8pm, we

    [ DWIGHT RITCHER AND NICOLE NELSON ]

will be playing at the very intimate Club Passim in Harvard Sq.
Kicking off the night will be multi-talented singer/guitarist/WGBH DJ
Brendan Hogan.

"The show is being filmed for an upcoming DVD - so bring your most
enthusiastic (crazy) friends and come play with us!!"

   -- Dwight Ritcher and Nicole Nelson,
      "Club Passim this Thursday," March 14, 2007


PAULA KELLEY
Is "Kinda Bleu"

"[F]or those of you unware, [The Divine]

    PAULA KELLEY

has been playing keyboards with co-Boston-expatriate

    BLEU

in his live band for the past few months.  Now they're bringing the
show to the East Coast and Paula is going to do sets with The Paula
Kelley Chamber Orchestra as well!"

   -- Stop, Pop, and Roll, "East Coast Action for
      Rooftop and Paula Kelley," March 13, 2007


The number of music acts out there who wildly leap at the very first
opportunity set before them to totally screw up promoting their
careers is truly staggering.  But not this week.  I went through page
one of our fredremainslost Inbox and saw only one subject line I even
might take issue with.  All others got the job done one way or another.

There is a special category to be considered: regular artist and venue
newsletters or even some mailings that are less than regular, such as
Laurie Geltman's legendary "Once in a Blue Moon" e-mails.  If you are
on one of these mailing lists, it is voluntary and you know what you
are getting when it arrives in your Inbox.  So, for instance, while
the following Inbox entry may not tell you what the message is about,
it tells me, as a subscriber, all I need to know.

Frank Critelli  SONGS FROM THE SOFA updates  Fri Mar
16, 2007

Rather than copying all the other lines from regular artist and venue
mailing lists, I'll let this one from Frank Critelli stand as example
enough.

Here are some other Inbox entries that do a good job of introducing
themselves:

Jim Gilmour  The Jim Gilmour Band is on a "mini-tour"
of the North East  Fri Mar 16, 2007

    Notice, the band name comes first, what is
    happening is second, everything else comes
    after - very nicely done!

Dropkick Murphys  ST PATRICK'S DAY UPDATE - BOSTON,
MARCH 2007 **NEW TIMES**  Wed Mar 14, 2007

TracFone Insider  One Year of Service with 400 minutes
of talk time  Wed Mar 14, 2007

dwightandnicole@ hotmail.com  Club Passim this
Thursday!  Wed Mar 14, 2007

High Range  High Range at Stone Mountain Arts Center
Wed Mar 14, 2007

Susan Scotti  Passim's 49th Anniversary Concert with
John Prine, Mary Gauthier 3/30!

    Make a mental note to recommend John Prine to
    my friend Maria, if she isn't already a fan.


end BRIEF ITEMS


= = = = =


JESSE MALIN

With help from some famous friends, Malin breaks through
By DAVE MADELONI

Thursday, March 15
NORTHAMPTON, Mass.

JESSE MALIN  is an artist I have neither heard nor been in a position
to follow.  In fact, I believe I have seen the name mostly in Dave
Madeloni columns.

For those of you who are either Jesse Malin or Dave Madeloni fans,
here is the direct Web address where you can check out Dave's Malin
column, probably starting sometime later today (Saturday) and from
there on.

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=45781020


ELLIS PAUL
Personal and Professional News

[I think this will work, posted in whole.  One would hope, anyway,
because there is no time to do it any other way.}

Hey y'all,

Looking forward to work again after a couple months of diaper
changin'. Sofi was born on January 25th and is doing beautifully,
starting to smile and gurgle if I talk like one of the chipmunks. In
the crazy haze of fatherhood I have decided to record a kid's record.
I have written a few songs in between diapers and feedings and will
include a couple rarities, "9 Months to Fix the World" and " I lost a
Day to the Rain". Hopefully it will be finished this spring and
recorded at home in my closet studio! I'll be playing some of these on
the road as well.

I'm writing a bunch with Kristian Bush from the country band
Sugarland. No kids songs here, just coverable songs that other
musicians could perform. It's been fun and another way to grow as a
writer by seeing how someone else brings ideas out of each other.
Kristian has been great compadre for quite awhile (he produced the
"Sweet Mistakes" CD), so the partnership has a great amount of joy
attached which comes out in the material. Listen for the song
"Summertime" on www.MySpace.com/ellispaul, it's our first of the new
batch of tunes.

It will be great to dust off the car and hit the road! See you out there!

Ellis

   -- Ellis Paul HQ, "Ellis Back on the Road,"
      March 13, 2007


CD REVIEW
Artistic integrity? For Girl Authority, that's not the point.
By Joan Anderman, Globe Staff  |  March 13, 2007

http://www.boston.com/ae/music/cd_reviews/articles/2007/03/13/artistic_integrity\
_for_girl_authority_thats_not_the_point/


E-MAIL US via:
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Please do NOT click the Reply button.  Clicking Reply sends your
message to several different addresses but NOT to our main address.
It's Yahoo Groups' system, not ours.


.   .   .   .   .


If you have friends who would be interested in any of the items in
this issue, please forward this newsletter to them.  Thanks!


      As a rule, we do not post SHOW LISTINGS.  The reason is quite
simple.  Our readers are spread out all over the map.  Though our name
is the NEW ENGLAND Music Scrapbook, we have readers all across the
southern tier of states - with a large number in Florida and another
large number in the Atlanta area.  Even within the Northeast, we have
readers in each of the six New England states and many in New York and
New Jersey.  The great majority of show listings would be of no
interest at all to most 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.

      We also make a few exceptions for shows in the immediate Boston
area.  Our single biggest concentration of readers, as far as we know,
is in and around Boston.  We understand from e-mails we receive that
we are able to help turn out an audience to many entertainments in the
Boston area.  But even in the case of Boston shows, we make few
exceptions.

      So, the general rule of thumb is that we don't post show
listings.  In the very few, truly exceptional instances where we do...


      ... 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.


      Exceptionally long addresses may need to be pasted into the
address field, which is probably toward the top of your browser
screen.  Some addresses are so extremely long that they may have to be
pasted in two or more pieces.


New England Music Scrapbook :

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/home.htm

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Issue 2007:213

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

Copyright © 2007 by the New England Music Scrapbook.  All rights reserved.

   : : : :

New England Music Scrapbook News
Our Corner of the Rock 'n' Roll Life
March 24, 2007
Issue 2007:214

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


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.


.   .   .   .   .


WHILE WORKING ON THIS  newsletter issue, I am pleased to say, we
received news items from people we have not heard from in a good long
while and we received mailings from a couple of organizations I am not
at all sure we have ever heard OF.  So, we tilt a little toward
variety and new-ness this time.

We have copied material from a JazzBoston press release about that
organization's presentation, Jazz Week.  For those who would like more
information about this event, we have copied the entire JazzBoston
press release to the bottom of this issue.

On the grim side of our topic, we have linked to three death notices.
  It may seem unusual to lead with a link to the obituary of a
scientist, but two of Albert Baez's daughters, Joan Baez and Mimi Baez
Farina, were critically important to our music.  The Cambridge folk
music community was doing alright before the advent of Joan Baez.  But
the success of her debut album lit the hugest fire under the Harvard
Square folkies.  Joan Baez was the model for a 1960s folk singer.
Mimi Farina, as a not-to-be-underestimated half of Mimi and Richard
Farina, performed a more forward-looking style of folk music which,
notably along with the songs of Bob Dylan, set the stage for the
edgier folk of the 1960s right down to the present and most likely on
through to the future.


THE BOSTON HERALD STAFF  and freelancers continue to do a fine job.
However, luck is not entirely with them, and their Music section's
table of contents page started persistently stalling a little after 6
this morning.  The problem was corrected reasonably quickly; but I
have serious time constraints today, and by the time the trouble was
fixed I had to move on.  So, if you are at all curious about what you
are missing, I would suggest visiting the Herald's Music section table
of contents at

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/

In the range of Sunday to Tuesday, I remember there were a half-dozen
or more articles I wanted to look through.  One or more of them may
interest you.


DENNIS BRENNAN
"Engagement"

One of the easiest things a fan of New England music can do is turn on
friends and strangers to the music of

    DENNIS BRENNAN.

All you have to do is get them to listen that first time.

Evidently we have managed somehow NOT to be on Brennan's mailing list:
a thing I am proud to say I have just corrected!

So anyway, this entry does not come from any recent news received but
rather from a question I asked Sarah Borges in a recent interview.
Which I hope to get back to next time.

My question to Sarah Borges reminded me that Brennan has a new album,
and we were told about it by the good - nay, fantastic - folks who put
on the annual Mardi Gras Ball in the Deep South city of Cambridge.
Here is what we got from them.  We first ran it back in our Issue No. 207:

Dennis Brennan celebrates the release of his new CD, "Engagement"
(Hi-N-Dry) featuring both studio recordings and live recordings from
his residency stint at Cambridge's Lizard Lounge.

"Divided equally into studio and live tracks, the diversity is
stunning as he takes listeners on a journey that comes from the gut."
- Steve Morse, longtime Boston Globe reviewer and cohost of "Morse on
Music," WBOS-FM.

"Lonesome, ornery and great." - Peter Guralnick, author DREAM BOOGIE,
The Triumph of Sam Cooke and LAST TRAIN TO MEMPHIS, The Rise of Elvis
Presley.

My friend Maria McLaughlin says "Engagement" is currently available at
shows as well as through the Hi-n-Dry Web site.

http://hi-n-dry.com/dennis_brennan


SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST

Hotline: Rockers' recap of SXSW
By Michael Marotta
Friday, March 23, 2007 - Updated: 05:40 AM EST
In Friday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=190239


JAZZ WEEK
Boston

"JazzBoston Brings First Jazz Week to Greater Boston in 25 Years

"Mayor Thomas Menino Officially Proclaims Apr. 21-29 'Jazz Week'

"(Boston and vicinity, MA) - Jazz Week will be celebrated April 21
through April 29 with more than 100 events in over 50 venues in
various locations throughout the Boston metro area.  Featured will be
Ellis Marsalis, Frank Morgan, Lyambiko, Phil Wilson, Ben Monder, Jerry
Bergonzi, Yoron Israel, Grace Kelly, Avishai Cohen, James Merenda,
Tiger Okoshi, Dominique Eade, Charlie Kohlhase, Ran Blake and many more.

"Coordinated and promoted by the non-profit organization JazzBoston,
Jazz Week kicks off with an 'All-Star Jazz Blowout' concert on Apr.
21, 8 p.m., at Berklee Performance Center with part of the proceeds
going to Habitat for Humanity Musicians Village in New Orleans.  Other
special events: a free 'Perspectives on Jazz' seminar series held
weekdays at the Boston Public Library and two 'Family Initiative: Jazz
for All Ages' events: Apr. 22, Center for Latino Arts in the South
End, and Apr. 29, Cambridge Center for Adult Education.  Also: a
Borders-Back Bay free in-store performance series Apr. 23-27 at 7 p.m.

"For information and event updates go to www.jazzboston.org/jazzweek
or call (888) 671-0993 (toll free)."

   -- Mary Curtin, "Jazz Week 2007: April 21-29,"
      March 17, 2007


DANNY WOOD
Of New Kids on the Block

Wood work: Former New Kid is back on the block
By Christopher John Treacy/ Music
Saturday, March 24, 2007
In Saturday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=190456


NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
Update

NKOTB: Where are they now?
By Christopher John Treacy
Saturday, March 24, 2007
In Saturday's Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=190458


SARA COX
"Crowded Is the New Lonely" CD

"The winter hiatus is done, just thought you should
know.  Out of it has come my

    [ SARA COX's ]

3rd CD called 'Crowded Is the New Lonely.'

"More shows and details on the CD-release party
coming soon."

   -- The Coming Grass, "Sara Cox," March 13, 2007

Here are details of Sara's release shows:

Monday, April 23rd @ The Red Door
Hush Hush Sweet Harlot Series
107 State St.
Portsmouth, NH
603-373-6827
$5, 8 pm show with Brown Bird and Elm St. Music

CD RELEASE PARTY for "Crowded is the New Lonely"
Saturday, June 9  @ SPACE
538 Congress ST.
Portland, ME
207-828-5600

Sara Cox, as you may know, is the female (natch) vocalist in a great
group called

    THE COMING GRASS

whose latest album, "Beauty of a Heart," is the band's best yet.  If I
could get at it, I imagine I'd be listening to "Beauty of a Heart"
right now.  So Sara may have had some real momentum going into the
making of her own latest record.


PUBLISHER VS .PDG QUERY
In Connection With a
Self-Publishing Project

One of our correspondents is looking to self-publish a family history.
  We have several genealogists among our readers, as well as one or two
more would-be family historians, so this could be of some broad interest.

Our correspondent is in the very early stages of looking into how she
could self-publish her book and make it available to any interested
members of her VERY large family (of which I am one).

Personally, I know nothing of Publisher: I don't even know who markets
it.  But I have absolutely no use for .pdf files and avoid opening
them whenever possible.  Adobe Acrobat readers absolutely define the
word "slow" on every single computer I have ever used Acrobat on.  And
at least on the public-access computers available locally where I do
all my printing, Acrobat offers no printing options whatsoever.
Acrobat has other faults, but there is much reason to keep this list
short.

The .pdf format, on the other hand, has an advantage of being in quite
widespread use.  In an area such as self-publishing, which is
sometimes done quite casually, familiarity seldom hurts.

If you have experience self-publishing a book-length work and would be
willing to share what you have learned, please e-mail us by way of the
following Web page:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm

If what I have said so far is not specific enough, perhaps you could
suggest questions I could ask.  This just came up last night; and
since I am inclined to self-publish in Web pages on the Internet, this
whole field is totally new to me.

Incidentally, I have two books on the Web right now, with a booklet in
the works.  And in terms of attracting readers, they are doing
SMASHINGLY well.  I just got an offer to collaborate on a book for the
academic press.  And though this is far off into the future and lots
could change between now and then, as a totally independent scholar,
just getting an offer like this one is a major development.


KATE SCHROCK

"It has been a long time since I wrote a 'what's new' or 'notes from
the road' entry for all of you - perhaps mostly because I have not
been on the road for a while. I have, however, been working on a new
album, with long-time engineer producer partner Steve Drown (Dames
Rocket, Shunyata) and arranger Glen DaCosta.

"This album has been in the works for a long time.  I came off the
road touring 'Indiana' in late 2003 and became side-tracked (in a good
way) by trips to Ecuador, and Jamaica - an emersion into perspectives
outside the US and a musical partnership with an amazing reggae
musician, Glen DaCosta of Bob Marley and The Wailers fame.  I was also
side-tracked last year as I spent the better part of it managing a
struggling non-profit performance space (Opera House in Boothbay
Harbor, Maine), which is now a bit more 'on it's feet'.

"Travel outside the US and work with Jamaican musicians helped inspire
a number of tunes on my upcoming album, entitled 'Invocation.'  I now
have 10 tracks close to completed.  I am heading to work next week
into early April to finish with Steve here at the Studio in Portland,
Maine.  More than likely, I will put this album out myself, but that
is to be confirmed and determined in the months to come."

   -- "Kate Schrock March 2007 Newsletter,"
       March 17, 2007


= = = = =


BRIEF ITEMS :


NEW ENGLAND OPEN MIC NIGHT
Online Magazine:
Seeking Open Mic Night Listings

We received a request from the New England Open Mic Night online
magazine for help updating and, one would imagine, adding to that
publication's open mic listings.  The request was specific to Vermont.
  But since we are not specific to Vermont, I will include the home
page address rather than the submissions address in hopes of not
confusing our readers (the great majority) in other states.

If you know of open microphone programs that ought to be listed at the
New England Open Mic Night Web site and you would be willing to pass
along what you know, please go to

http://www.NewEnglandOpenMicNight.com

and hunt up the link for posting details.


BLUEGRASS GOSPEL PROJECT

I have a regular group of people I loan our promotional copies of CDs,
and it is always interesting to hear which of those records the
lendees favor.

For some reason, it took a little longer for "Makes You Strong" by
Vermont's

    BLUEGRASS GOSPEL PROJECT

to circulate back to us.  But it is unamimous: everyone I loaned it to
really liked the disc.  Maybe our friends held onto it longer than
usual to give it a few extra spins.  If you haven't yet heard "Makes
You Strong," you could do yourself a big favor by tracking down a copy
and giving it a try.

My Vermont Guardian colleague Rob Williams picked the previous
Bluegrass Gospel Project album as among the best of its year (it must
have been 2005), and I would have, too, except I hadn't heard it yet.
  But "Makes You Strong" got here in plenty of time, and it was hands
down one of of the best record releases out of New England in 2006.

"Makes You Strong" by the Bluegrass Gospel Project is one of the most
treasured country albums in my collection.


"Guitar Hero One of the 25 Greatest PS2 Games of All Time"

http://ps2.ign.com/articles/772/772296p3.html

"Guitar Hero" came in a No. 7.  Our correspondent who sent this item
opined that this rating comes out of a popularity contest with a bias
in favor of relatively recent games.  Nonetheless he allowed that the
rating is proof of the great popularity of "Guitar Hero."

As you may know, "Guitar Hero" originated in the Boston area, and a
certain part of its charm comes from its soundtrack use of local
recordings including the band whose T-shirt I was wearing just
yesterday, Din.


STEVEN JO BLADD

A gentleman named Dave, who many of our readers know by his initials
though I am drawing a blank for the moment at least on what his
initials are, filled us in on why

    STEVEN JO BLADD

sat out the J. Geils Band reunion tour a number of years ago.  It was
a little back trouble which hopefully has since cleared.  I have had
back SYMPTOMS that were actually from problems with a nearby joint.
And from those experiences, I can well understand how limiting back
trouble can be.  Dave's e-mail reminded me that the piece I saw on
Bladd sitting out the tour made it sound like a deep dark mystery,
gossip-column style.  In fact now that I think of it, though I do not
recall for certain, I am wondering whether I may have read it in an
actual gossip column.  Either way, now I am apprised that it was no
big deal that Bladd missed the tour: it was just one of those things,
just one of those crazy things made famous by the great Cole Porter.


KRISTIN ANDREASSEN
Of Sometymes Why
and Uncle Earl

"Kristin's song

    [ song of KRISTIN ANDREASSEN of Sometymes Why
      and Uncle Earl ]

'Crayola Doesn't Make a Color for Your Eyes' is one of two finalists
for John Lennon Children's Song of the Year. (Some of you have seen us
perform this one in our recent shows).

"The winner will be chosen by on-line voting, and we're allowed to
vote once per e-mail address PER DAY until April 6th.

. . . . .

"There are actually big prizes at stake - $5,000 in this round and up
to $20,000 in the final round where the Children's song winner
competes against the winners from twelve other songwriting genres."

   -- Sometymes Why, "Vote for 'Crayola' in a
      Song Contest," March 19, 2007


THE WEEPIES
"Say I Am You" Nomination

"The Weepies have been nominated for a Shortlist Music Prize, along
with Beck, Regina Spektor, The Raconteurs, Neil Young and Tom Waits
among others.  The Shortlist Music Prize seeks to honor the most
creative and adventurous albums of the year, and we're thrilled to be
nominated for 'Say I Am You.'  For details visit Shortlistofmusic.com"

   -- The Weepies, "Nomination for a Shortlist
      Music Prize and 100k Tracks Sold,"
      March 20, 2007


end BRIEF ITEMS


= = = = =


SOCIAL BAND

Spring socials
By Alan Lewis | Special to the Vermont Guardian
Posted March 22, 2007

http://www.vermontguardian.com/culture/032007/SocialBand.shtml

Vermont has a simply fantastic amateur choral group called

    SOCIAL BAND

and it was my delight to pull together an article about that ensemble
for the current issue of the Vermont Guardian.

Many people such as myself tend to associate Social Band with early
American music, from the colonial and early republic periods, when
singing unaccompanied was more common than it is today.  But, in fact,
one of Social Band's specialties is new works, some of which are
original to group members or commissioned by the group as a whole.

If you are interested in choral music or just good old funky a
cappella singing, why not check out the Guardian's Social Band article
which is available for free online for about a week.


LAYNE
New Laurie Geltman Band

"Very happy to announce first gig with

    LAYNE

is finally happening!  Dusted off the Telecaster, fresh 9 volts in the
stomp boxes, rockin' again in a rehearsal room where I seem to have
lost the skill for counting off the song (for someone other than
myself) ... considering I force my students to count to four before
starting anything, I'm convinced I'm just giddy to play with a band
again - I'll settle down by Saturday.  These guys are great and I'm
thrilled to be playing again ... through an AMP!  Although, just got a
new acoustic guitar and will have to break her in at the show.  Thanks
to the guys at Takamine/Kaman Corp. in CT and CA, I got a beauty I
think I'll cherish as much as my stolen Gibson Dove (S# 91371008 -
haven't given up hope).

. . . . .

"In late November, I got the Layne EP back from Discmakers and started
selling it via my email lists and online through CDbaby.  In December,
I moved (still in LA!) and took some needed time to settle into my new
digs.  Now, it's time to basically re-launch Layne and 'Up From Down'
properly.  Feedback from those of you who purchased EP early was
appreciated and if there's any more comments I'd love to hear 'em.
Will be getting to radio and press in coming months and your honest
opinion about particular songs, what truly moves you most on the CD,
what you don't like, whatever ... it all helps to focus my efforts.

. . . . .

"Finally ... THE SHOW.  Did I mention the first official LAYNE gig
since releasing the CD?  So, if you can make it, this one means a lot
to me.

    LAYNE (band featuring Laurie Geltman)
    Saturday, March 24th, 2007 - 9:00pm
    ROOM 5 - http://room5lounge.com
    143 North La Brea Ave. (betw. Beverly and 1st)
    Los Angeles, CA 90036
    (323)-938-2504
    Price: $6"

   -- Laurie Geltman, "Laurie's Once in a Blue Moon
      Newsletter," March 20, 2007


MINSTREL SHOWS

THE MINSTREL SHOW  is one of the most amazing phenomena in American
music history.  These productions dominated the American entertainment
business for about half a century.  There was an African-American
folksinger in the 1970s named Sparkie Rucker whose interests included
the minstrel show, and I always thought it was really neat.

There is some speculation that the last regular minstrel show in the
United States was the one at the Tunbridge World's Fair here in
Vermont.  Some of you definitely know my excellent e-friend Linda Mae
whose mother was a regular cast member.  Linda Mae broke my heart by
getting married, but she is still excellent in my book.  A circa-1990
(I think it was right around 1990) reunion performance was either
filmed or videotaped as possibly the last performance of the last
American minstrel show.

Nothing that can be said about the minstrel show was ALWAYS true.  But
all too often the original 19th-century minstrels portrayed
African-Americans in an unfavorable way, and these entertainments, in
general, could hardly be called respectable.

Lately I have been reading notices from the 1850s of a Boston/NYC
minstrel company which, over the years, went by a variety of names but
is probably best remembered today as

    BUCKLEY'S SERENADERS.

And it is simply amazing the high regard shown for the Buckley company.

"Buckley's Serenaders are by far the best in the City."

   -- New York Times, February 18, 1856

One, G. Swaine Buckley, is thought by many to have been the first
stage musician to fingerpick a banjo.  Another of the Buckleys
(Frederick?) wrote one of the great Civil War songs, "The Union
Wagon."  Another of the Buckleys wrote a Civil War song I grew up on,
"We are going to Washington to fight for Uncle Abe."

Minstrel shows were typically divided into three parts, and the middle
of those three was characteristically the most racially insensitive.
The Buckleys, as usual marching to the beat of their own drummer,
skipped that section altogether and, instead, would perform a send-up
of one of the popular operas of the day.

And they held sacred concerts on Sundays.

As a minstrel show company, the Buckleys definitely had their own ideas.

I don't know.  It strikes me as kind of interesting to encounter an
act that was almost totally at odds with the reputation of its own
genre.  It is a thing we seldom get to see.


REST IN PEACE

ALBERT BAEZ

Albert Baez, 94, noted physicist who worked at MIT, father of folk singer
ALBERT V. BAEZ  ALBERT V. BAEZ (Marin Independent Journal via ap)

By Valerie J. Nelson, Los Angeles Times  |  March 23, 2007

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2007/03/23/albert_baez_94_n\
oted_physicist_who_worked_at_mit_father_of_folk_singer/


LUTHER INGRAM

Luther Ingram, R&B singer, writer
Luther Ingram's biggest hit as a singer was 'If Loving You is Wrong (I
Don't Want to be Right).'

By Cheryl Wittenauer, Associated Press  |  March 23, 2007

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2007/03/23/luther_ingram_rb\
_singer_writer/


JOEL BRODSKY
Star 1960s and '70s Album Cover Photographer

Joel Brodsky; photographer noted for album-cover work
By Matt Schudel, Washington Post  |  March 23, 2007

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/obituaries/articles/2007/03/23/joel_brodsky_pho\
tographer_noted_for_album_cover_work/


For Immediate Release
Music (Jazz / New Music /
    some events multi-media; along with seminars & other
community-related events)
March, 2007
Mary Curtin, JazzBoston media contact, 617-241-9664, 617-470-5867
(cell), marycurtin@...
[high res digital images & access to sound bytes available]
[schedule updates available at
www.jazzboston.org/about/jazzweek-events.asp
    or as an attached word doc]

JazzBoston
brings
First Jazz Week
to Greater Boston in 25 Years

Mayor Thomas Menino Officially
Proclaims Apr. 21-29 "Jazz Week"

( Boston and vicinity, MA) Jazz Week will be celebrated April 21
through April 29 with more than 100 events in over 50 venues in
various locations throughout the Boston metro area. Featured will be
Ellis Marsalis, Frank Morgan, Lyambiko, Phil Wilson, Ben Monder, Jerry
Bergonzi, Yoron Israel, Grace Kelly, Avishai Cohen, James Merenda,
Tiger Okoshi, Dominique Eade, Charlie Kohlhase, Ran Blake and many more.

Coordinated and promoted by the non-profit organization JazzBoston,
Jazz Week kicks off with an "All-Star Jazz Blowout" concert on Apr.
21, 8 p.m., at Berklee Performance Center with part of the proceeds
going to Habitat for Humanity Musicians Village in New Orleans. Other
special events: a free "Perspectives on Jazz" seminar series held
weekdays at the Boston Public Library and two "Family Initiative: Jazz
for All Ages" events: Apr. 22, Center for Latino Arts in the South
End, and Apr. 29, Cambridge Center for Adult Education. Also: a
Borders-Back Bay free in-store performance series Apr. 23-27 at 7 p.m.

For information and event updates go to www.jazzboston.org/jazzweek or
call (888) 671-0993 (toll free).

For eight days, the music that has made Boston a destination for
artists and fans of all stripes will be celebrated throughout the city
during an event that Mayor Thomas Menino has officially proclaimed
"Jazz Week."

Participating in the celebration being coordinated by the non-profit
organization JazzBoston will be hundreds of musicians of all
generations performing jazz of every style in venues throughout the
Greater Boston area, from clubs, museums and churches to libraries,
universities, hotels and community centers.

It will mark the first time since the much acclaimed Boston Jazz Weeks
of the 1970s and early 1980s that such a diverse, community-wide jazz
event will take place in the city that has given the world such
musical giants as Roy Haynes, Chick Corea and Tony Williams.

Jazz Week Highlights

Several hundred artists will be performing during Jazz Week, including
Salim Washington, Marianne Solivan, Nat Simpkins, Mehmet Sanlikol,
Lisa Thorsen, Kurtis Rivers , Marta Gomez, Ray Santisi, Patricia
Zarate, Tim Ray, Henri Smith, Deborah Henson-Conant, George Garzone,
Eric Hofbauer, Garrison Fewell, John Lockwood, Bob Brookmeyer, Luther
Gray and The Fringe.

The Jazz Week kick-off "All-Star Jazz Blowout" concert on Apr. 21 at
Berklee Performance Center will feature drummer Max Weinberg, Band
Leader of NBC TV's "Late Night With Conan O'Brien," along with Phil
Wilson directing the first-ever all-star band of faculty and students
from Berklee, NEC, Harvard, MIT, Wellesley, Longy and Brandeis. The
concert will also mark the reunion of Your Neighborhood Saxophone
Quartet with Allan Chase, Cercie Miller, Tom Hall, and Joel Springer.

The new Borders bookstore in Back Bay will host "Jazz Week @ Borders"
April 23 to 27 with free nightly in-store jazz concerts from 7 to 8
p.m. Among the performers: 14-year-old Brookline saxophonist Grace Kelly.

Opening its doors right before Jazz Week will be the new Beehive music
club at the Boston Center for the Arts at 541 Tremont St. in the South
End.  Appearing there during Jazz Week will be Wannetta Jackson, Paulo
Danay, Eric Watson, Berklee College of Music's "Emerging Artists," and
others.

The free "Perspectives on Jazz" seminar series will be held on
weekdays at the Boston Public Library and cover topics such as "Jazz
Cross-Currents," "Jazz in the South End: Then and Now," and "Jazz:
Black America's Gift to the Nation and the World."  Among the
panelists: Joe Lovano, Al Vega and Leonard Brown.

The two JazzBoston "Family Initiative: Jazz for All Ages" events
bookending Jazz Week are set for the Center for Latino Arts in the
South End featuring percussionists Anita Quinto and Marcus Santos
(Apr. 22) and the Cambridge Center for Adult Education with vocalist
Dominique Eade (Apr. 29).

A number of unique collaborations are also on tap. Turkish
multi-instrumentalist Mehmet Sanlikol teams with trumpeter Tiger
Okoshi at Suffolk University 's  C. Walsh Theater for "An Eastern
Ritual of Love" on Apr. 24. "Freex to Geex 2007," presented by the
Boston Cyberfest and the Music Synthesis department of Berklee College
of Music, will explore the worlds of computer music sounds, live video
and improvised music at Fenway Recital Hall on Apr. 29.  And "A Moment
in Chaos," presented in conjunction with the Cambridge Science
Festival, will feature animated films by Kate Matson with
improvisation by Phil Scarff, John Funkhouser and others on Apr. 24 at
the Volpe Transportation Building, Cambridge.

A 21st Century Revival

"Jazz Week 2007 is an effort to spread the word about the vital jazz
scene that exists in Boston, to build up the jazz community, and to
share this wonderful music with the larger community," says trumpeter
Mark Harvey, co-leader of JazzBoston's Jazz Week team whose Aardvark
Jazz Orchestra performs a Duke Ellington tribute featuring pianist Ran
Blake at the Museum of Fine Arts on Apr. 29.

"The original concept for this kind of citywide celebration began in
1973 when the Jazz Coalition produced the first-ever Boston Jazz Week
and took jazz into all sorts of neighborhood settings as well as into
large concert halls. The time is right for a 21st-century revival of
the spirit and multifaceted sounds of music that a Jazz Week can bring
to Boston ."

Scheduled to tie into the Smithsonian Institution's national
observance of April as Jazz Month and culminate in a birthday tribute
to Duke Ellington, born on April 29, Jazz Week is being coordinated
and promoted by JazzBoston but produced independently by participating
musicians, presenters, clubs, educational institutions, and other
organizations.

According to Pauline Bilsky, JazzBoston's executive director, "What's
special about Jazz Week is that it is the product of a collaborative
effort by representatives of Boston 's entire jazz community. It
exemplifies our belief that connecting members of the jazz community
who don't normally work together is the best way to keep Boston 's
thriving jazz scene growing. That's why it has been one of
JazzBoston's top priorities from the beginning."

Watch for updates on Jazz Week by visiting the JazzBoston website at
www.jazzboston.org/jazzweek.

###

JazzBoston is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
dedicated to building and serving audiences for jazz, expanding
performance opportunities for jazz musicians, and raising Boston's
profile as a jazz city — a city that is a magnet for fans and
musicians from all over the United States and the world.

--submitted by marycurtinproductions
c/o Mary Curtin
PO Box 290703 , Charlestown , MA 02129
617-241-9664, 617-470-5867 (cell), marycurtin@...
"dedicated to staging insightful entertainment, particularly in
non-traditional venues"
www.marycurtinproductions.com


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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!


      As a rule, we do not post SHOW LISTINGS.  The reason is quite
simple.  Our readers are spread out all over the map.  Though our name
is the NEW ENGLAND Music Scrapbook, we have readers all across the
southern tier of states - with a large number in Florida and another
large number in the Atlanta area.  Even within the Northeast, we have
readers in each of the six New England states and many in New York and
New Jersey.  The great majority of show listings would be of no
interest at all to most 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.

      We also make a few exceptions for shows in the immediate Boston
area.  Our single biggest concentration of readers, as far as we know,
is in and around Boston.  We understand from e-mails we receive that
we are able to help turn out an audience to many entertainments in the
Boston area.  But even in the case of Boston shows, we make few
exceptions.

      So, the general rule of thumb is that we don't post show
listings.  In the very few, truly exceptional instances where we do...


      ... 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.


      Exceptionally long addresses may need to be pasted into the
address field, which is probably toward the top of your browser
screen.  Some addresses are so extremely long that they may have to be
pasted in two or more pieces.


New England Music Scrapbook :

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/home.htm

E-MAIL via:
http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm
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Issue 2007:214

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

Copyright © 2007 by the New England Music Scrapbook.  All rights reserved.

   : : : :

New England Music Scrapbook News
Our Corner of the Rock 'n' Roll Life
March 31, 2007
Issue 2007:215

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


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.


.   .   .   .   .


WE ARE FACED WITH A CIRCUMSTANCE  beyond our control that it would be
best to avoid discussing here except to say that it is not yet over
and done with, and it is keeping me from working in the usual way on
this newsletter.  The present issue could turn out to be our shortest
ever for this reason and this reasonly only and absolutely not for
lack of news (or at least that's what I thought when I first wrote
this).  I don't know for sure how long this phenomenon is likely to
last, but it is doubtful it will interfere with any more than just
this one newsletter issue.  And end is in sight, I believe, at least
to that degree.

I had thought to fill in a bit with the mailings we received in the
Friday-Saturday overnight, but for some reason we didn't get any.
Where are you Mission of Burma when we need you?

But my search for something last minute to help build up this issue a
bit turned up one real treasure.  If you are at all interested in an
old Boston rock club known affectionately as

    THE RAT

get thee at top speed to the Boston Groupie News home/news page.

http://www.bostongroupienews.com/

The picture of Granny makes him look like a member of The Chieftains,
not The Rat sound guy.  My barber, who sadly is no longer with us,
used to catch a lot of shows at The Rat, and he loved reminiscing
about the sound Granny produced.  It was the real Rumble at the Rat.

This BGN piece would have been a major treat anyway.  But scurrying
around looking for some last-minute local music news and finding an
almost total absence of any, for us the Rat piece shines even more
brilliantly.

I did find one tidbit that I otherwise knew nothing about.  Jonathan
Perry announced in the listings at the end of his "Rock Notes" column
that the

    RAY MASON BAND

is hosting a CD-release party at the Lizard Lounge.  We haven't gotten
a mailing from the greater Ray Mason organization (Ray Mason Band,
solo stuff, legendary Lonesome Brothers) in many months, and I didn't
know the Mason Band had a new disc.

I'm betting Ray is interested in our next topic, which is about...


N
   R
     B
       Q

The other day I passed my friend Moss Butler on the sidewalk - Moss
being one of a handful of the world's greatest

    NRBQ

fans, and he told me about reunion shows coming up at Northampton,
Massachusetts.  Here is the rundown from the official NRBQ website:

April 2007

NRBQ & The Whole Wheat Horns

    Terry Adams, Joey Spampinato, Al Anderson,
    Tom Ardolino, Johnny Spampinato

27   Friday    The Iron Horse, Northampton, MA
      7:00 pm

28   Saturday  The Calvin Theatre, Northampton, MA
      8:00 pm

Terry Adams is said to have a Brattleboro girlfriend.  And until the
time the system for signing up for our local public-access computers
was, itself, computerized, on a number of occasions the person signed
up right after me was someone named Terry Adams.  That person, though,
was a consistently late arrival, and I never got a look to see whether
it was THE Terry Adams.


WBCN ROCK 'N' ROLL RUMBLE

Hotline: Let's get ready to rumble
By Michael Marotta
Friday, March 30, 2007 - Updated: 04:46 AM EST
In the Friday Boston Herald

http://theedge.bostonherald.com/musicNews/view.bg?articleid=191808

The  WBCN ROCK 'N' ROLL RUMBLE  is easily one of this region's biggest
annual popular music events, and for a great many of our readers,
Michael Marotta's article about this year's Rumble will be hands down
the biggest news story of the week.

The very first thing I saw when I glanced at the Rumble article was
the name of a band I really like, The Silver Lining.  So, I took an
instant interest in this piece.


WESTERN NEW ENGLAND LOCAL MUSIC COLUMNS

I like to call attention to columns written by Dave Madeloni (our
local newspaper, the Brattleboro Reformer) and Sheryl Hunter
(Greenfield Recorder).  Both columns are undergoing changes.

The most important change, because it has just happened, is that the
Arts and Entertainment section of the Brattleboro Reformer is now a
pull-out section.  My guess is that those of you who read Dave's
column get it online, either in the brief original Reformer posting or
in his subsequent posting on MySpace.

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&friendID=45781020

But for those few of you who may read the hardcopy edition, you won't
find Dave's column in its old familiar location.

Sheryl's column was to go online in March.  But as of Friday, I still
couldn't find it at The Recorder's website, and we are now fast
running out of month.  So, I'll have to check in with Sheryl to see
what's up.

At this point, a lot of our readers may know Dave best for his column
(every other week last I heard) in the Berkshire Eagle out of
Pittsfield, Massachusetts.  Dave is terrific, but he also lucked out,
getting to pick up for one of New England's really legendary music
writers, Seth Rogovoy.

Dave and Sheryl write great columns ever week, which would be reason
enough to bring them up here.  Sheryl's, titled "Sounds Local," is
almost always about local music.  Dave's, though more broadly focused
- if focus can be broad anywhere other than on the bridge of The
Starship Enterprise - very often takes a local turn.  But both of
these columns have something most newspaper music columns these days
do not have: space.  The very first thing I noticed about Dave's
column was how generous the Brattleboro Reformer is in the amount of
column space it allows and how well Dave uses it.  I hope big-time
this doesn't change with the change in the Arts and Entertainment
section's format.  And I'm telling you, there are a lot of big city
music columnists who would be out-of-their-minds astonished at the
amount of space Sheryl gets some weeks in The Recorder.  When I get an
update about her column going online, I'll let you know.


SARAH BORGES AND THE BROKEN SINGLES

Sarah Borges' Twang Noir
By Alan Lewis | Special to the Vermont Guardian
Posted March 29, 2007

http://www.vermontguardian.com/culture/032007/SarahBorges.shtml

I believe the subjects of my two latest articles will interest a very
large percentage of our readers.  One is in print already.  The other
is just about to come out.  The one which has come out already is in
the current issue of the Vermont Guardian, and the topic is

    SARAH BORGES AND THE BROKEN SINGLES.

Sarah's music alone ought to interest a lot of readers.  But in
addition, she has some VERY big news: release of her major-label debut
CD is not so very far away.  She is excited and is looking ahead.

It was my question to Sarah that prompted me to have a little about
Boston rocker

    DENNIS BRENNAN

in last issue.  Her answer, a nice one, is included in the Vermont
Guardian article.

The most immediately striking feature of the article is actually the
illustration which, for some reason, is MUCH bigger than usual.  And I
first saw it on a machine that makes everything look larger still.  It
is official: I am now totally in love with Sarah's legs.  But this is
not all.

Minutes ago when copying the Vermont Guardian's article header to
paste into this issue, highlighting several lines of the header - some
of which is above the picture, while some of it is below, the
highlighting caused Sarah and the rest of the picture to change color,
as it normally does.  But this time, the picture started flashing
light-dark light-dark light-dark light-dark light-dark, and it was a
truly amazing thing to watch.  Sarah Borges and the Psychedelic Singles.

This really happened - it is no joke at all.  And if you and your
computer can cause a similar color-change/flash effect, it is strongly
recommended.

Sarah is an intriguing person to interview and she is REALLY polite.
It would be my guess that someone involved in her upbringing did a
world-class job.  For me, her answers to questions included many
points of real interest.

This may seem like a strange thing to say, but for me there is a
Little Richard quality to Sarah's voice.  I enjoy her music generally,
but it is her voice that I really like.  So for me, her story about
the audience member who did NOT appreciate her voice is really very
funny a couple levels removed from the actual story.

Why not link to the Vermont Guardian article and give it a look.  And
you can see if you can turn Sarah and the band into a Boston Tea Party
light show as I did.


= = = = =


BRIEF ITEMS :


TIR NA NOG
Closing on a High Note
With the David Johnston Band

"we

    [ members of the DAVID JOHNSTON BAND ]

are honored to have been chosen to be the last band to play at the Tir
na nOg.

Saturday March 31
dAVIDjOHNSTONbAND
featuring

    richard gates bass/vocal
    mike piehl drums
    steve sadler guitar/lapsteel
    david johnston vocal/guitar

10pm no cover

"the nOg is located at 366a somerville ave, union square, somerville.

"thanks to all of you who have come to see us tuesdays at the nOg
special thanks to all the amazing musicians who have played in the
band over the last 4 years!  very special thanks to mr wolf and of
course many thanks to robert elliot and fergal o'toole for making it
all possible."

   -- David Johnston, "Farewell Tir na nOg,"
      March 30, 2007


SESSION AND ROSE RECORD AND CONCERT
Session Americana
    and
Rose Polenzani

"Hi-n-Dry studios in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is hosting a special
concert month:

    Saturday, April 14, 2007

Rose Polenzani and Session Americana, singing songs from the record
they made last year
in that very studio!"

   -- "Rose Polenzani and Session Americana
       Tickets," March 26, 2007


::  DANNY RYBAR QUERY  ::

In our peculiarly pluralistic society our demographics sometimes
feature hyphenated designations such as Italian-American, one of my
uncles having been an especially wonderful example of an
Italian-American.  I'm thinking we should come up with a new set of
hyphenated categories.  Today I saw, by chance, a HUGE number of
people I used to see regularly in this town in the 1970s.  So, their
hyphenated designation would be 1970s-Brattleborians.

As fate would have it, we are now looking for 1980s-Bostonians who
might remember a rocker named

    DANNY RYBAR.

We mentioned Dan Rybar on a Web page having to do with another
1980s-Boston rocker,

    LYNN LaPRAD.

And this brought in a reader query about Dan Rybar who, among much
else, evidently graduated from the Berklee College of Music.

If you know Dan Rybar and would say what has become of him or, better
yet, may even have contact information for him, please, if you're
game, e-mail us by way of the following Web page:

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/fred.htm


GIRL AUTHORITY
Good Scouts

"Beginning April 18, Rounder/Zoë Records' tween queens Girl Authority
will partner with several Girl Scouts' councils across the U.S. for
Girl Scout exclusive shows to help celebrate the Girl Scouts' 95th
Anniversary and Girl Authority's sophomore album, 'Road Trip'
(released March 13th)."

   -- From a March 27, 2007 Rounder Records
      Press Release

ONE OF THE REALLY NICE  features of the partnering between the Girl
Scouts and the Boston-area vocal group,

    GIRL AUTHORITY,

is that all nine members - that's right, Girl Authority is a nine-some
- are, themselves, Girl Scouts.


GUSTER
And the "Satellite" EP

"We

    [ members of GUSTER ]

are proud to announce the upcoming release of a new album of-sorts,
the 8-song 'Satellite' EP.  When we wrote and recorded 'Ganging Up on
the Sun' we ended up with surplus material and difficult decisions
about what to include on the record.  Battles were fought.  Band
members won.  Band members lost.  This new EP helps us share some of
our favorite album rejects with you, along with remixes, rare covers,
and a vocal interpretation from yours truly (this is Brian again....)
  Here's the track list for the new EP:

1. Satellite (album version)
2. G Major
3. Rise & Shine
4. Timothy Leary
5. I'm Through
6. Satellite (dance remix)
7. Two of Us (live from KCRW)
8. Total Eclipse of the Heart (live from State Theater, Portland ME in
2004)


TONY TRISCHKA
On The Late Show With David Letterman
With Steve Martin and Bela Fleck

TONY TRISCHKA's influence on modern ways the five-string banjo is
played is absolutely massive.  Hearing him, even if for only one song,
with Steve Martin and Bele Fleck ought to be a very special treat.

"On Thursday, April 26, 'modern master of the banjo' (New York Times)
Tony Trischka will be joined by fellow five stringers – actor/comedian
Steve Martin and Béla Fleck – for a rare performance on The Late Show
with David Letterman.  The three players will perform the Steve Martin
penned instrumental 'The Crow,' from Trischka's critically acclaimed
new album, 'Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular.'"

   -- From a March 28, 2007 Rounder Records
      Press Release


end BRIEF ITEMS


= = = = =


RECORDING INDUSTRY

I thought my other current article - this one about

    WINTERPILLS -

would be available by Friday, and it is very disappointing that it is
not out yet (though I suppose it might circulate on a Saturday - time
will tell).

I hate to go into an article before it is available, on the one hand;
on the other hand, if I wait 'til next issue of this newsletter, my
article, which is in the monthly The Commons newspaper serving Windham
County, Vermont, will not longer be quite new.

My solution is to do a little of both.

It is frequently said these days - and often in print - that the
record industry is in trouble.  This quite simply is not so.  What has
happened, instead, is that the record industry has decentralized in a
massive way that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.
This, excerpted from The Commons article, is the best I have said it
so far.

"Affordable, high quality home and small-studio
recording equipment, combined with Web-related record
promotion, has allowed a very large number of
small-time operators to collectively, yet
independently, become a major force in the music
business.  Today there is a marvelous creative chaos
in the recording field which is producing many classic
discs."

Right now, to me, this is among the most important points to be made.
  A few huge record companies have been hurt by this change, and it has
gotten a lot of press.  Meanwhile, tiny record labels, bands, and
individual artists in truly vast numbers have been nothing but helped.
  I know of New England acts who have self-released albums with
spectacular results, sales-wise.

The "creative chaos" I mentioned is what I have read about in the
young rhythm and blues field around the end of World War II and what I
remember very well from first-hand experience in the field of 1960s
rock.  A lot of good can come from shaking things up a bit and from
handing the ball to the little players.

The passage from my Commons article, which I have just quoted here,
comes from a question I asked Philip Price of Winterpills.  His answer
was not quite what I expected, and I think what he said is well worth
considering.


WINTERPILLS

We will get back to Winterpills next time I guess.  But I would like
to call your attention now to a very interesting feature of my Commons
which may not be readily apparent to the reader.

I lately interviewed Philip Price for my new article in The Commons.
But I interviewed Flora Reed of Winterpills a year and a quarter
earlier.  And the main subject of my questions for Flora was not
Winterpills at all: our topic of discussion was mostly the Signature
Sounds 10th Anniversary Concerts DVD.  So when one considers that the
two interviews happened well over a year apart and mostly on different
subjects, the way the two Winterpills' answers totally meshed with one
another is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen.  One could
easily get the idea that the three of us sat down together in the same
place and at the same time and talked with one another when, in fact,
nothing of the kind ever happened.  Jim Olsen of Signature Sounds said
he guesses this says Flora and Philip are on the same page.  I should
say.  But it also brings to mind a thing Dave Madeloni said in his
latest Winterpills column.  He noted that in recent times Winterpills
has ceased being a group of musicians backing up Philip Price.  These
folks have become a band.  This is a major reason why Winterpills, at
present, may be THE New England act to watch.


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

Please do NOT click the Reply button.  Clicking Reply sends your
message to several different addresses but NOT to our main address.
It's Yahoo Groups' system, not ours.


.   .   .   .   .


If you have friends who would be interested in any of the items in
this issue, please forward this newsletter to them.  Thanks!


      As a rule, we do not post SHOW LISTINGS.  The reason is quite
simple.  Our readers are spread out all over the map.  Though our name
is the NEW ENGLAND Music Scrapbook, we have readers all across the
southern tier of states - with a large number in Florida and another
large number in the Atlanta area.  Even within the Northeast, we have
readers in each of the six New England states and many in New York and
New Jersey.  The great majority of show listings would be of no
interest at all to most 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.

      We also make a few exceptions for shows in the immediate Boston
area.  Our single biggest concentration of readers, as far as we know,
is in and around Boston.  We understand from e-mails we receive that
we are able to help turn out an audience to many entertainments in the
Boston area.  But even in the case of Boston shows, we make few
exceptions.

      So, the general rule of thumb is that we don't post show
listings.  In the very few, truly exceptional instances where we do...


      ... 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.


      Exceptionally long addresses may need to be pasted into the
address field, which is probably toward the top of your browser
screen.  Some addresses are so extremely long that they may have to be
pasted in two or more pieces.


New England Music Scrapbook :

http://www.geocities.com/nemsbook/home.htm

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


Issue 2007:215

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

Copyright © 2007 by the New England Music Scrapbook.  All rights reserved.

   : : : :