11/3/04

RIP Terry Knight from GFR's Don Brewer

TERRY KNIGHT was murdered defending his daughter at his home in Killeen, TX on the night of Nov. 1.  The updated story can be found at  http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/1153186.html


It is with sadness that Grand Funk Railroad issues a statement regarding the death of Terry Knight.


"We were shocked to hear that Terry had been murdered. Even though we have not had a friendly relationship with Terry over the last 30 years it still was very distressing to hear of his death.

"Terry Knight was instrumental in the birth and early success of Grand Funk Railroad from 1969 to 1972. Having been a former bandmate in previous bands with Grand Funk's Don Brewer and Mark Farner (The Pack, and Terry Knight and the Pack) Knight later became manager and producer of Grand Funk Railroad. During those years Grand Funk sold millions of records and toured the world as one of the biggest rock bands of all time even selling out Shea Stadium in NYC faster than The Beatles.

"There was a major falling out between the members of Grand Funk and Terry in 1972 and Terry was fired. This led to huge lawsuits and lasting discord between GFR and Terry.

"Grand Funk moved on and continued to have great success with million selling hits 'We're An American Band,' 'Locomotion,'  'Some Kind Of Wonderful'  and 'Bad Time.'

"We have had very little personal contact with Terry over the last 30 years.

"We deeply regret Terry's death and our sympathy goes out to his family."  

Don Brewer

Grand Funk Railroad, Nov. 2, 2004

10/24/04

GRAND FUNK RAILROAD TO PLAY THE 19TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL for SAFE HARBOR on November 6

GRAND FUNK RAILROAD TO PLAY THE 19TH ANNUAL CELEBRITY DOG WASH & BAND AID FESTIVAL for SAFE HARBOR ANIMAL SANCTUARY & HOSPITAL, Nov. 6  
Show is at Roger Dean Stadium on November 6 & 7, Jupiter, FL

Grand Funk Railroad will be playing the 19th Annual Celebrity Dog Wash & Band Aid Festival at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, FL on November 6.  Grand Funk go on stage at 9 PM.

Other bands on the bill include the legendary Eric Burdon & the Animals, playing Saturday at 6 PM plus Foreigner singer/solo artist Lou Gramm on Sunday  at 6:30 PM.  A full roster of festivities and performances is enclosed below.

Grand Funk Railroad performed at last year's Celebrity Dog Wash, which helped raise half a million dollars to help rehabilitate stray and injured animals.  Drummer/group co-founder Don Brewer has been very active with Safe Harbor through the years and he has cats.  He and his wife, Sunny Quinn--a local personality on Sunny 104.3--will be among the celebrity dog washers.  Everyone else in Grand Funk is also very animal friendly.  Guitarist Bruce Kulick has a dog named Joey, bassist Mel Schacher has dacshunds and cats, Keyboardist Tim Cashion has cats.  Singer Max Carl doesn't have pets, because he knows of the responsibility animal care entails....he grew up on a farm.

Lou Gramm also has a busy travel schedule to take care of pets, but he loves them.  His bandmembers--keyboardist Andy Knoll and guitarist Don Mancuso have cats.  

At presstime we're waiting word on the animals of Eric Burdon and the Animals.

Admission for the show  is as follows:
Advance - $8.00 (1 day);  $15 (2 days)
At The Gate - $10 (1 day);  $17 (2 days)

Additional Ticket Prices
Dog Wash - $5.00;

Raffle for $1,000 Grand Prize
1 ticket for $10 or 6 tickets for $50
Drawing on Sunday - You need not be present to win!

 Here is the schedule for the concert:

November 6th, Saturday - 11:00 AM-10:30 PM
11:00 a.m. Gates Open
1:00 p.m. Bona Fide
2:30 p.m. The Fabulons
4:00 p.m. Tom Can’t Stop
6:00 p.m. Eric Burdon & The Animals
7:45 p.m. Night Train
9:00 p.m. Grand Funk Railroad

November 7th, Sunday - Noon - 8:00 PM
Noon-. Gates Open
1:00 p.m. Pet Fashion Contest
3:00 p.m. Doggie Olympics/K-9 Demos
5:15 p.m. Johnny Arsenic
6:30 p.m. Lou Gramm of Foreigner

Advance Ticket Sale Sites include:
Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary & Hospital, Roger Dean Stadium,
Harley Davidson of Palm Beach (West Palm Beach),
Chevron Station (Alt. A1A/Indiantown Road, Jupiter),
Wireless USA (PGA Plaza, Abacoa Publix Plaza, US 1/Hobe Sound)
and Park Avenue BBQ (all locations).
The public can call 561-630-1855.
The publicist for the festival, concert and dog wash is Kay-Lynette Roca at 561-747-5311.
Grand Funk's publicist is Anne Leighton at 718-881-8183
Lou Gramm's media rep is Larry Morand at 303-807-0176
Eric Burdon's publicist is Jeff Albright at 661-259-2944

9/30/04

Vanilla Fudge releasing album, Novem. 9, 2004

Vanilla Fudge album, due Nov. 9,it's called THEN AND NOW and it's pretty outrageous.

1)  The band will be touring with Mountain, Canned Heat.  And Pat Travers is doing some songs from his & Carmine Appice's album TnA (due on SPV) in Fudge's set.  

VANILLA FUDGE (with a visit from PAT TRAVERS), CANNED HEAT and MOUNTAIN are doing a bunch of dates around L.A. and San Francisco from Nov. 10 through 15.

then they're booking a tour March for 6 to 8 weeks.

I can also hook you up with Mountain and Canned Heat, and will get Pat Travers in the loop for you.  There is also a new Mountain album, ERUPTION on Fuel 2000.  (I hope you have it).

2)  The Fudge album is called THEN AND NOW and includes these songs:
"Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" which Carmine wrote with Rod Stewart
"Ain't That Peculiar" by Marvin Gaye
"Shotgun" by Junior Walker
"Tearin' Up My Heart" by 'NSync **
"I Want it That Way" by the Backstreet Boys **
Some of this album was released a few years ago on Carmine's own label, and Fuel picked it up with new songs.

**I realize this needs an explanation obviously since Fudge is one of the first metal bands and 'NSync and the Backstreet Boys are not favorites of metal fans, right?  
Well.... first off, Carmine has a young daughter named Bianca who grew up on those singing groups.  (Now she's a punk rocker--plays bass, guitar, sings lead for her band THE TRICKS, and doing her first show at the Troubadour, but she's still fond of these kids).  Second--Carmine grew up in Brooklyn with Joey Fatone's dad.  Three years ago they were re-introduced via a drummer for 'N Sync, and then at a recent Fudge show in Florida, Joey Fatone's dad called his son while Fudge was playing the song in concert.  After the show the father put Carmine on the phone with him and the young singing star said, "Until I made it, you were the only famous guy my dad knew."....(I'm tempted to use that in the bio, actually).  After Fudge recording the 'N Sync masterpiece, they realized they couldn't leave out the Backstreet Boys.
 

Tower of Power dates thru end of year

 

September 30th   Bud Pavillion   Kern County Fair
Bakersfield, CA

October 1st   Humphrey's Concerts by the Bay San Diego, CA


October 7th   Lupos at the Strand   Providence, RI

October 8th   Webster Theater   Hartford, CT

October 9th   Hampton Beach Casino  Hampton Beach, NH

October 10th  BOSTON

October 11th & 12th   Downtown   Farmingdale, NY

October 14th & 15th   Havana   New Hope, PA

October 16th & 17th   The Birchmere  Alexandria, VA

October 19th   Shaftman Peformance Hall   Roanoke, VA

October 20th   Sheraton Reading Hotel Wyomissing, PA
(near Reading)

October 22nd & 23rd   B.B. King Blues Club - 2 shows each night   New York, NY

October 24th   Mohegan Sun Casino Wolf Den   Uncasville, CT


November 5th - 7th   Suncoast Hotel & Casino   Las Vegas, NV

November 12th   Canyon Theater  Ventura (Agoura Hills), CA

November 13th   Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts (2 shows) Cerritos, CA

November 19th   Mystic Theater  Petaluma, CA

November 20th    The Fillmore  San Francisco, CA

November 21st   Horn Section - National Anthem for Oakland Raiders Game  Oakland, Ca

November 26th & 27th   Harrah's - South Shore Room
Lake Tahoe, NV

December 31st    Hilton Waikoloa Village  Kamuela, HI

(Note: if you want to meet Tower of Power’s A&R Man, Michael Caplan, please come to the DIY Convention in New York City on October 16.   See more info below.)

Grand Funk Railroad dates

****
Grand Funk Railroad are drummer Don Brewer, bassist Mel Schacher, guitarist Bruce Kulick, keyboardist Tim Cashion and singer Max Carl.  Their website is www.grandfunkrailroad.com.
 
9/25/04   Bayfest                          Corpus Christi, Texas    
10/02/04    Cerritos Center               Cerritos, California  
10/14/04   Paul Paul Theatre/Fresno Fair     Fresno, California  
10/16/04   Private Wedding in Ohio!

11/--/04  Benefit for Safe Harbor Animal Hospital and animals affected by Florida hurricanes   Jupiter, Florida
11/13/04   Plymouth Memorial Hall       Plymouth, Massachusetts  

notes of my appearances this fall


I have a few New York and Texas appearances.
My play ONE WAY TO HEAVEN will be read at a benefit to fight AIDS at the annual GILDA FUNDRAISING BENEFIT sponsored by 7 Records at The Bermuda Triangle, San Antonio, Texas on October 8. (for more info on the benefit:  www.7recordsmusic.com).
This summer the play was part of the HOWL! Festival, and everyone there autographed the script for the auction at this benefit to fight AIDS.

I’m working at the CATFANCY booth for the Cat Show at Madison Square Garden, New York City on Oct. 9 and 10 from 2 to 5 PM.  I’ll be showing folks how to rescue and find homes for cats along with representatives from Precious Paws and Kitty Kind.

On October 16 at approx. 3 PM I’m on the publicity and promotions panel-Getting the Word Out, DIY-Style for the DIY Convention with Chris DeWolfe from www.myspace.com, Razor & Tie’s Mary Elizabeth Carter,  Ariel Hyatt from Ariel Publicity and The Syndicate’s Rev. Moose.  The website is www.diyconvention.com.

And finally the final, absolute release date for my book, USING YOUR ART & THE MEDIA TO COMFORT PEOPLE is March 27th.  Promotional copies of the book will be early early November.
   

9/16/04

My public statement on Siegfried & Roy

I've been studying cats and their relationships with humans from every culture throughout the world. I am close to writing two chapters for a book proposal (which includes two chapters--one on modern  times and  the other on Asian culture) on cats in healing, harming, the supernatural, witchcraft.  I also am a contributor to NEW YORK TAILS and CATFANCY magazine, and know lots of folks in the animal kingdom.

Part of these studies include animals in performance.  I'm certainly in favor of animals in movies if they're humanely treated.   There are a few problems with S&R and their pets.  Part of the problems include the amount of roaming room their cats have and the more significant is the breeding.  Their cats are being in-bred to get the WHITE tiger look which is amazing on stage, but it is unhealthy treatment.  Their animals have a lot of health problems.  I think Montecore may also be half deaf because he is a white cat with a blue eye.  Because he now doesn't have enough roaming room he is also a little bit overweight.  I did not see any cats roaming on the TV show at their conservatory.

They can publicize these illusionists to everyone about them being conservationists, but it's very interesting that the animal media has not fallen prey to these campaigns.  The reason the media is doing so much work on s&R is because it's been one year since Roy was injured and that there is a new TV show FATHER OF THE PRIDE.

I am glad that Roy is recovering,  and Siegfried is being a great friend, but understand the negatives of what they've done to these animals.  

7/23/04

Dee Palmer's New York Shows -POSTPONED TILL OCTOBER

I apologize in advance.  

Dee Palmer's NYCity shows are being postponed until October or November.  As soon as I have dates cominig in, I'll let you know.

Fuel 2000 (distribution through Universal) releases MOUNTAIN’s “Eruption” album

In the liner notes for ERUPTION, drummer Corky Laing says it was “impossible to try to fill Felix Pappalardi’s shoes in Mountain” as he was the leader, manager, writer, publisher and the producer for the group.  Still West and guitarist Corky Laing are musicians and believe in getting Mountain on the road.  And that’s what they’ve been doing for the past 35 years.

ERUPTION features live classics from the Mountain catalog as well as Moutain-ized covers from contemporaries including the Animals, Joe Walsh plus Robert Johnson, a hero to many musicians from that era.

Disc 1’s live jams are from 1985 shows in New York City when Mark Clarke (Uriah Heep, Rainbow) was the featured bassist and the second disc is from the group’s 2003 European tour with Richie Scarlet (solo, Sebastian Bach, Ace Frehley) playing bass.

Originally Mountain formed in 1969 with Pappalardi, West, drummer N.D. Smart (replaced by Corky Laing right after Woodstock, their fourth gig) and keyboardist Steve Knight....  After Woodstock the group signed to Windfall Records and released MOUNTAIN CLIMBING in 1970 which netted rock standards, "Mississippi Queen" and "Theme For An Imaginary Western."  Leslie West's guitar playing and husky vocals were front and center, with Pappalardi and Laing contributing greatly to songwriting.  The 1971 follow up album was NANTUCKET SLEIGHRIDE and that featured both the song “Nantucket Sleighride” and the single  "The Animal Trainer And The Toad."  They broke up in 1972.  After two more live albums, band members did collaborations with other classic rockers including Paul Rodgers and Jack Bruce.

In 1983, Felix Pappalardi was killed, and West and Laing continued on in the music scene, including tours as Mountain.  

This summer Mountain continues their music, celebrating their 35th Anniversary, with a VH1 Classics-sponsored tour throughout the United States.


So far dates are as follows:
8/05/04              The Funk Box        Baltimore  MD
8/06/04              Amos Southend         Charlotte  NC
8/07/04           Variety  Playhouse Atlanta  GA
8/08/04              The Mercy Lounge      Nashville TN
8/10/04     Cactus Cafe Austin TX
8/14/04        Jim Kelly's Nugget     Lake Tahoe, NV
8/15/04         Slim's         San Francisco  CA
8/17/04   Belly Up                   Solano Beach CA
8/19/04      Coach House          San Juan  Capristrano CA
8/20/04       Angel's Roadhouse   Yucaipa, CA
8/21/04     Yesteryear's Ponoma  CA
8/24/04      Rhythm Room Phoenix  AR
8/26/04       Gene's (Hamburger Harbor!) Gordonville  TX
8/28/04         B&B Backstage Youngstown  OH
8/29/04         Steel Music Hall            Rochester, NY

7/6/04

JULY 25- KEY FEST-- A DAY OF ELECTRIC AND ACOUSTIC KEYBOARD MADNESS WITH DREAM THEATER'S KEYBOARD WI




Jordan Rudess, keyboardist for leading progressive rock band, Dream Theater, and solo artist on the Magna Carta roster will be presenting KEY FEST:  a full day of Keyboard appreciation at the White Plains Performing Arts Center, 11 City Place in White Plains.

Events: a Master Class. 1 - 4 PM. ($25) Focus on technique,  soloing improvisiton,and composition, ending with an all keyboard jam.  Attend the Master Class as audience member or a performing participant who will come on stage and work with Jordan live.  
To audition for the class or jam session, go to:
www.jordanrudess.com/masterclass

Rudess Solo Concert.   7 PM ($35) A concert grand piano, extreme synths.  An all-Jordan evening

Attend both the Master Class and the Concert for $50.

To order tickets, call: Box Office: 888-977-2250  (Mon-Sat. 11 AM. till 6 PM and Sun. 12 PM through PM EST.)

Jordan Rudess is a member of Dream Theater, has played on record and/or on tour with Steve Morse and the Dixie Dregs, Annie Haslam, David Bowie, Jan Hammer, Enrique Iglesias, Paul Winter Consort.  He's scored for the  International Magician of the Year winner, Jeff McBride, has a two piece POWER DUO with Dixie Dregs drummer Rod Morgenstein.

Jordan will be releasing a solo album,Rhythm of Time on Magna Carta Records in August 2004.  It features Rod Morgenstein on drums, Joe Satriani, Steve Morse, Vinnie Moore, Greg Howe and Daniel J on guitar with Dave Larue on Bass, and guest vocals by Kip Winger.

He has several other albums, plus two books coming out--Total Keyboard Wizardry, due July 2004 by Cherry Lane/Hal Leonard, and Dream Theater's long-awaited keyboard anthology featuring DT's strongest keyboard compositions expertly transcribed by Jordan's transcriber Chris Romero,  distributed by Warner Bros.

Please, go to www.jordanrudess.com for info on all of Jordan's works.

Link for Jordan photos:
http://paulworks.com/jordanpressphotos/

general news on my artists

I prepping a mailout for JOE DENINZON'S LIVE WIRES.  Joe's music is very eclectic with funk, jazz, rock, blues, soul.... He's a violinist, vocally he reminds me of Jack Bruce except a lower register.  His website is www.joedeninzon.com

---
Dee Palmer is coming to New York City in September.  I've scheduled September 10 at the Cutting Room with Roberta Piket opening, so far, and we'll have two or three other New York City area dates for her.  
---------
I'm 99% sure I'll be doing tour press for Mountain this summer.  There is a double live CD set from them due out on Fuel 2000.  Their website is www.mountaintheband.com.  Mountain today is Leslie West on mouth and guitar, Corky Laing on drums and Richie Scarlet on bass.   I've wanted to work with all of these musicians over the years.
--------
From Tower of Power, I got a heads up from Keyboardist Roger Smith, that he's using a Portable Hammond B3 in concert.  In the next few weeks I hope to have a color j-peg that describes how he does it....let me know if you want this photo.  The Hammond B3 is an incredibly heavy instrument to carry around, the Hammond B3 P is a dream come true for keyboardists.
Tons of info on the whole band is at www.bumpcity.com.
--------------
Singer-songwriter Jann Klose is performing live online at http://artmusiccoffeehouse.com/ on Wednesday July 7 at the following times:
9PM to 11PM Eastern Time
6PM to 8PM Pacific Time
and Thursdays 10AM to Noon, Seoul time.


This house concert in Lebanon, NJ has gained a worldwide audience. Now in
its second year of weekly webcasts, ArtMusic Coffeehouse has become an
internet cultural phenomenon - bringing back the excitement of old-time live
radio to a new audience.
 The show will also
be archived for download at a later time.  

ALSO
- Jann has a couple of new Live Mp3s for you as a free download from our show
in Detroit last April. The first is 'Walk Through The River' with Joe
Deninzon sitting in on Mandolin and the other is 'This Sacrifice', a new
song. Visit
http://www.jannklose.com, go to the Media Section, then click on Mp3s.

JUL 15 New York, NY - 7:30 PM.
Manhattan Borough President Virginia C. Fields presents "Business Unusual".
In celebration of the HOWL Festival at the office of the Manhattan Borough
President. Municipal Building, 1 Centre Street, 19th Floor South (bring
photo ID). FREE. Also featuring dance performance by C. Eule Dance.
http://www.geocities.com/arteriesev/

JUL 29 Cleveland, OH - 9 PM.
At Felt.  Located at 2261 Lee Road in Cleveland Hts. 216.321.9866. FREE.
Great new hang out spot in Cleveland Heights! http://www.feltonlee.com

JUL 31 Mansfield, OH - 8 PM.
We're back at Dixey City Limits! Located at 1512 Park Avenue West in
Mansfield, OH. 419.529.9326. Call for reservations! LIMITED SEATING!

He is a singer-songwriter like Dave Mason and John Mayer, a dynamic voice that recalls a variety of soul artists like Teddy Pendergrass and rock singers such as Cliff Richards and Stevie Wonder.  If you listen to the broadcast, please let me know your comparisons.  (Jann also does websites, and actually has made my cosmetically cool.)  His website is www.jannklose.com
P.S. Jann is my website designer-- his site is www.jannklose.com, and you can email him at jannklose@earthlink.net if you want a practical website designer.
----------------
Melanie Safka's upcoming shows are:

Sat. July 24, 2004 Third Avenue Playhouse Sturgeon Bay, WI  (920) 743-1760
Sat. August 7, 2004 Happy Badger Performing Arts Palace Toledo, OH  (419) 537-9350
Sat. August 14, 2004 Lock 3 Live! Akron, OH  
Mon. August 23, 2004 Kentucky Theater (WoodSongs Taping) Lexington, KY  
--------------
Jethro Tull tourdates are listed at www.jethrotull.com.  There will be North American dates in November.  We'll start doing print interviews just for the tour in October.
------------------
And note that Martin Barre will be touring the states, sharing a bill with Willie Porter.  You can keep abreast of his tourdates (approximately October 14 through the 25) at http://www.flemingartists.com/wp-itin.html
       

grand funk railroad, updated shows this year


Here are updated shows from Grand Funk Railroad.  The band is Don Brewer-drums, Mel Schacher-bass, Max Carl-vocals, Bruce Kulick-guitar, Tim Cashion-keyboards.
Their website is www.grandfunkrailroad.com.

07/10/04   Molson Canal Concert Series        North Tonawanda, New York

07/23/04   Grand Casino Resort               Gulfport, Mississippi  

07/24/04   Magic Springs Theme Park          Hot Springs, Arkansas  


07/25/04   Quick Chek Fest of Ballooning      Readington, New Jersey  

07/30/04   Larimer Cnty Fair/Bud Evt Ctr       Loveland, Colorado  

08/01/04   Lake Erie Summer Rockfest 2004    North East, Pennsylvania    

08/02/04   California Mid-State Fair        Paso Robles, California  


08/05/04   Caesars Indiana Casino Hotel       Elizabeth, Indiana  

08/06/04   Clay's Prk Resort Amphitheatre      North Lawrence, Ohio  

08/07/04   Ohio State Fair                   Columbus, Ohio


08/10/04   Sturgis 2004 Music Festival     Sturgis, South Dakota  


08/21/04   Party in the Pasture           Beulah, North Dakota  

08/22/04   Iowa State Fair-Riley Free Stg       Des Moines, Iowa  

08/28/04   Cabarrus Arena & Events Center     Concord, North Carolina    



09/10/04   2004 HOG Rally/Timberwood Amp     Hot Springs, Arkansas    

09/12/04   Utah State Fair                Salt Lake City, Utah    

09/25/04   Bayfest                             Corpus Christi, Texas  

09/26/04   State Fair of OK-B-52 Theatre     Oklahoma City, Oklahoma    

10/02/04   Cerritos Center                 Cerritos, California  

10/11/04   Paul Paul Theatre/Fresno Fair     Fresno, California    

7/4/04

review of Melanie at the Albany State Museum

Hippie Girl Forever
from METROLAND!!!

Melanie
New York State Museum, June 25

Showmanship. Too many venues forget all about it; they collect your ticket and give you a chair to sit on. (Or not.) The folks at the New York State Museum, however, understand showmanship in a way that could almost be called cute. And I mean "cute" in the best sense.

Showmanship was on full display in the venue's first-ever concert last Friday, an evening with Melanie. The ushers, a friendly mix of seniors and students, wore colorful tie-dyed shirts. A psychedelic light show swirled on the ceiling of the museum's Clark Auditorium. Bongs were set up at the entrance of each row. All right, I'm lying about the bongs. But you get the idea-the museum created an atmosphere.

So did Melanie, by the way, who opened the evening with this rueful reflection, which brought down the house: "I can't believe I'm finally playing in a museum."

The singer, whose fame was more-or-less born at the original Woodstock, played two warm, friendly sets. Joking with the audience, making light of certain technical problems-more about those later-and relating anecdotes, Melanie was the hippest original hippie I've ever seen. (And believe me, I've seen quite a few, including a horrible Jefferson Airplane reunion show that scarred me for life. I can still hear Grace Slick singing about the plight of the panda bear.) Even better, she still has that husky, unclassifiably idiosyncratic vocal style that owes as much to pop music as folk.

Melanie mixed her hits and fan favorites with some pleasingly strong new tunes. The best of the latter included "And We Fall," a song about fickle teenage love (written for her daughter) that was both sympathetic and knowing, and "I Tried to Die Young," a witty (and self-explanatory) reflection on life.

Especially refreshing, however, was the way she presented her signature songs. "Brand New Key" ended the first set. Before she sang it, she gave the audience a little background info. Apparently, she originally wrote it as a slow, sexy Cajun-flavored blues. By the time her record-producer husband and other hands worked on it, however, "Brand New Key" became the "cute"-her word, not mine-international smash we know. "Creative" and "control," she lamented, are two words that just don't go together-even if, as she did then, have her own record label.

Even better was "What Have They Done to My Song, Ma." Melanie went into along routine, midsong, about an imagined movie version of her life. The dramatic climax of the movie, she explained, would be her onstage breakdown in the middle of this song-and she promptly illustrated this by wandering towards the first row in mock-horror, crying "Where am I?" Then she finished the song. She killed.

She played it straight on the anthemic "Lay Down," her bluesy cover of "Ruby Tuesday," and the moving "Rainbow Race." It was an entertaining and convincing performance; Melanie may be the last genuinely convincing hippie on the planet.

The concert was the first in a series being offered in conjunction with the exhibit Spirit of the Woodstock Generation: The Photographs of Elliott Landy; there were a number of opening night technical glitches, but nothing fatal. Upcoming concerts will feature such other Woodstock survivors as Arlo Guthrie, John Sebastian and Country Joe McDonald. They'll have to go a long way to top Melanie, however.

-Shawn Stone

upcoming shows!

Sat. July 24  Third Avenue Playhouse Sturgeon Bay, WI  
Sat. August 7  Happy Badger Performing Arts Palace Toledo, OH  
Sat. August 14  Lock 3 Live! Akron, OH  
Mon. August 23  Kentucky Theater (WoodSongs Taping) Lexington, KY  

   

6/14/04

Deadline for Jordan Rudess Master Class-June 21!!!!

Attention: Keyboardists:  Auditions for Jordan Rudess Keyfest Master Class deadline is June 21
Class to be held on July 25 in White Plains, NY

Solo and Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess is conducting a Master Class for keyboardists and fans of the instruments on Sunday, July 25 from 1 till 4 PM at the White Plains Performing Arts Center.  

Students and working keyboardists are encouraged to audition via email or snail mail for the class.

Auditions can be on CDs and MP3 in one of the following categories:
1. Improvisation – Send an example of one of your solo keyboard improvisations.
2. Soloing - Send an example of your soloing over backing tracks. Be prepared to
bring those backing tracks on CD if chosen to perform at Keyfest Master Class.
3. Original piano composition – Any style welcome


If chosen, all applicants must be prepared to perform on stage on either an acoustic piano,
Korg Triton Extreme or Kurzweil K2600 using factory presets only. Performing time will
vary but will average about 15 – 30 minutes per applicant. Between 3 to 10 people will be
chosen to perform depending on the quality of the auditions.

Send audition CDs or MP3 with application form which can be found on the internet at www.jordanrudess.com/masterclass:
1. Fanmail@jordanrudess.com
2. Key Wiz Music – Master Class Audition
P.O. Box 395
New City, NY 10956

All Audition CDs and MP3s must be postmarked by Wednesday, June 21, 2004.
Everyone will be notified via email no later than July 5, 2004.


6/8/04

Tower of Power get LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT in California


Tower of Power received a lifetime achievement award from the CALIFORNIA MUSIC ASSOCIATION (known as CAMA) on Sunday, June 6 at the Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, the lawn and plaza area in front of Oakland City Hall.  

The California Music Awards used to be known as the Bammies (Bay Area Music) when BAM magazine was around, but they have continued the tradition of paying respect to California born or bred musicians.

Organized by CAMA, the awards honor top recordings and lifetime achievements.   In addition CAMA  provides an audience for community organizations that help individuals realize enriched lives through music.  

Tower of Power received a lifetime achievement plus beat out En Vogue,  
One Voice,  Raphael Saadiq, and  Soul Folk in the category of OUTSTANDING R&B album for their SONY Special Products' release "Havin' Fun" a retrospective album of popular songs the band had on SONY.  Their A&R director Michael Caplan started his own label Or Music, and signed Tower of Power for a disc of current music, OAKLAND ZONE).

Tower of Power's singer Larry Braggs and the group's current/original drummer David Garibaldi claimed both prizes at Sunday's ceremony.  KBLX (The Quiet Storm station) personality  Victor Zaragoza gave the band their lifetime achievement awards.  The band had an excellent time meeting with fans and the industry.  Says Larry Braggs, "We did interviews, took pictures."  

Tower of Power have a lot  of tour dates in California over the next few months.  Below are all their current scheduled dates.


Tower of Power's website is www.bumpcity.com
WWW.californiamusicawards.com


June 25th & 26th
Red Wing, MN
Treasure Island Resort & Casino

June 27th
Milwaukee, WI
Summerfest - Potowatomi Stage


July


July 1st
Pleasanton, CA
Alameda County Fair

July 3rd
San Rafael, CA
Marin County Fair

July 4th
Albuquerque, NM
Sandia Casino

July 8th
Beaver Creek, CO
Vilar Center for the Arts

July 9th
Denver, CO
Lodo Music Festival - AT&T Mainstage

July 11th
Cripple Creek, CO
Gold Rush Outdoor Palladium

July 17th
Vallejo, CA
Solano County Fair

July 29th
Saratoga, CA
The Mountain Winery

July 31st
Los Angeles, CA
The Greek Theatre
Opening for Al Green


August


August 17th & 18th
San Mateo, CA
San Mateo County Fair Grandstand

August 19th
Monterey, CA
Monterey County Fairgrounds

August 27th
Ft. Wayne, IN
Embassy Theater

August 28th
Niagra Falls, NY
Seneca Niagra Casino


September


September 9th
Madera, CA
Madera District Fair

September 11th
Auburn, CA
Gold Country Fair

September 17th
Tucson, AZ
Desert Diamond Casino

September 18th
Parker, AZ
Blue Water Resort & Casino- Outdoor

September 19th
Pomona, CA
Los Angeles County Fairgrounds

September 30th
Bakersfield, CA
Bud Pavillion
Kern County Fair

3/27/04

radio appearances from my artists!! woo hoo!

May 3 is PETE SEEGER'S 85TH BIRTHDAY:  Dan Bergreen has been inspired by his folk music, activism and spirit as a decent human being all these years.
 Dan produced a five minute has a five minute feature to broadcast on WAMC, North Country Public
Radio AND a Buffalo all-news station at 970AM, Buffalo.  Broadcast times are  at 7:30 & 9:30 AM; North Country Public Radio
during the 8 o'clock hour; and Northeast Public Radio during Roundtable, from
9 AM until Noon (also webcast at:  <www.wamc.org>).  I hope you get a chance
to listen.

DENNIS BROOKS is going to be talking about his film GOODNIGHT JOSEPH PARKER on WZLX-Boston, 6:30 east coast Friday morning, April 29.

IAN ANDERSON will be on CNN at 12:30 east coast time on May 14.

MELANIE will be on Kansas City radio on May 14.

3/14/04

Grand Funk's Don Brewer joins with Bob Seger, March 15

This Monday, March 15, Don Brewer will be joining one of his former band leaders in concert-- Bob Seger. Along with keyboardist Craig Frost (who was also in Grand Funk), plus saxophonist Alto Reed, bassist Chris Campbell and Matt Chatfield--the original guitarist of the Godz (a band Don produced in the late '70s)--this special band will be backing Bob Seger at the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Induction at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. Songs Bob Seger and band will be performing--"Turn The Page," and "Old Time Rock & Roll."

In light of that, here's a segment of a Q&A I did with Don.


Q: Would you tour with Bob Seger if he asked you?
DON BREWER: I don't think he's gonna tour. i couldn't go on the road with him because my first obligation is to Grand Funk. If Bob did tour over the winter when Grand Funk has a down period, maybe.

Q: Do you think your appearance at the Rock Hall will convince them to induct Grand Funk? Does it matter to you?
DON: When the original band went on the road from '96 to '98 (for the BOSNIA album), a lot of fans put as much pressure to try to get us inducted. For whatever reason we weren't. I don't feel one way or another they should have to induct Grand Funk Railroad. We have stood the test of time and are just as worth as a lot of other bands in there. We do know how it works--it's a political process.

Q: Have you attended any inductions? Who are you looking forward to seeing?
DON: I never attended one of these events. We know ZZ Top. They opened for Grand Funk in Texas in the early '70s over the years. In the early '80s, when Grand Funk was with Mark and me, we opened for them.

Q: Anyone you're looking forward to meeting at the Rock Hall?
DON: Prince. I've admired his songwriting and performing.

Q: Who should be in the Rock Hall that's not there?
DON: I don't keep track of the ceremonies, so I wouldn't know who's in there.

Q: Then, who is in your own personal Rock and Roll Hall of Fame--besides Grand Funk Railroad and ZZ Top?
DON: My Rock Hall-- Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin. Johnny and Edgar Winter--the Winter Brothers were major contributors to rock history as far back as I can remember. I think they oughta be in it.

3/6/04

Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius update!


Joe Deninzon is my world class rock-funk-jazz violinist and he's releasing his third solo album, a live project called LIVE WIRES due May or June.

The album has mainly live "bootleg" tracks by Dave Koerner and Randy Hetherington. Both started out as fans and presented Joe with some amazing recordings. In fact Joe was so blown away by Dave's work that he hired him to tour with the band early on in the game.

There's one studio track--now with lyrics-- on the album "An Evening Nap in the Afternoon Sun" which was an instrumental on Joe's first disc. There are four brand new live songs including "The Simpsons Theme.' Alex Skolnick co-wrote "Heavy Shtettle" (Jewish metal) with Joe. Jake Ezra plays tons of guitar on this album, as well. Joe's album was mixed and mastered at Rave Studios, Ridgewood, NJ.

Joe also produced a classical album for his wife, Yulia, who plays with the New York Philharmonic. It was done at SUNY Purchase and features works by Henryk Wieniawsky, Paganini, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Eugene Ysai. Yulia's album Recorded at SUNY Purchase for release in late spring/early summer. www.yuliaziskel.com

Also, Joe is hooking up with other innovative electric string players Aaron Von Cello (cellist) and Martha Mooke (violist) for tour dates. Find out more about their partnerships at http://www.wildstringz.com.

Thurs., March 18th, 8 pm: Joe Deninzon (jazz) Trio at America Cafe, Tenafly, NJ
Sat., March 20th, Keegan Ales, Kingston, NY.

April 8th-12th, midwest tour with German Jazz/pop singer Jann Klose

Thurs., April 8th 2:00 pm. WCBE-90.5 FM Columbus, OH-http://www.wcbe.org/
Thurs., April 8th Little Brothers, Columbus, OH)
Fri., April 9th 1:00 PM. Randy Allar Show. WCSB. 89.3-Cleveland, OH-http://www.wcsb.org
Fri., April 9th Old Miami, Detroit
Sat., April 10th-Private party in Youngstown, OH
Sun., April 11th-Wilbert's, Cleveland, OH)

Other shows:
Mon., April 12-Fox News-Cleveland, morning broadcast of the opening day of baseball season in Cleveland.
Thurs., April 15th, with Von Cello, Hogs & Heifers Uptown, New York, NY
Wed., April 21st, 8:00 pmThe Debut of WILDSTRINGSZ!!! (WWW.WILDSTRINGZ.COM) with Martha Mooke and Von Cello at the Cutting Room, New York, NY
Sat., April 24th--Nelson Ledges, near Cleveland-- opening for ekoostik hookah

Sun., April 25th, 11:30 AM-3:00 PM: Joe Deninzon (jazz) Trio at America Cafe, Tenafly, NJ.

3/5/04

my activities--book, IBS, GEMS seminar

My book, USING YOUR ART & THE MEDIA TO COMFORT PEOPLE is scheduled to be shipped to the printer after March 20th, which means I'll have galleys late April. The book will be in New York City libraries and stores on my birthday October 15. It is a gift to the City and published by Free to Run books out of California. It's 100 pages, 8 X 10 and will be available in paperback for about 12 dollars. I have very limited copies, so unless you're interested in writing about it, you're encouraged to order it from stores like East West, or by mail order and from websites like Amazon.com and hopefully via the Ethical Culture Society and a few media-oriented sites.

I'm making appearances this weekend, March 13 at the IBS (website: http://www.frontiernet.net/~ibs/2K04convosched.html) at the Hotel Pennsylvania in Manhattan. The panels I'm working are: The Local Music Scene and College Radio at noon with INSIDE CONNECTION'S Mike Ferrari, WUSB/LIE PAPER/and PAINTER Jill Morrison, KOCH RECORDS' Scott Kuchler and other folks I'll meet for the first time.

Then comes the panel ACADEMIC PLANNING AND MEDIA CAREER CHOICES, and I'm looking forward to meeting other folks there.

IBS will have an evening with Democracy Now's Amy Goodman and workshops with Mark Coppola, Valerie Geller and other media professionals who are legitimate household names. Go to their website and see if this is something you want to do.

April 3 and 4 is GLOBAL ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK'S summit with a lot of my friends, too. My panel is CREATING AN INDUSTRY OF INTEGRITY in which we'll discuss ways to be true to your own muse and still have a career. My panel includes www.mediachannel.org's Danny Schecther and filmmaker Robert Pappas (Orwell Rolls In His Grave) and my buddy publicist Carol Kaye.

It needs to be emphasized the the GEMS seminars (www.globalentertainmentnetwork.com) stresses the real way bands like Ani DiFranco, R.E.M. and the B-52s and filmmakers including Kevin Smith and Owen Wilson, Michael Moore developed their careers--INDEPENDENTLY through their own bootstrapping.

I'm now seeing established pros including my artists like Bruce Kulick, Melanie, Dennis Brooks and folks I admire such as Kevin Bacon following their passions and making money. They're not waiting till the big industry comes to them, instead they're creating their own works.

Tower of Power spring dates

Here are current tour dates for Tower of Power, who are supporting the album, OAKLAND ZONE on Or Music.

APRIL
7 Buffalo, NY The Tralf
8 Verona, NY Turning Stone Casino
9 & 10 Uncasville, NY Mohegan Sun Casino

13 Pittsburgh, PA Rex Theater
14 & 15 Annapolis, MD Ram's Head
16 & 17 Glenside, PA Kezwick Theatre
19 Harrisburg, PA Whitacker Ctr
21 & 22 New York City BB King's
23 Huntington, Long Island Intermedia Ctr
24 New Haven, CT Toad's Place
25 Rutland, VT Paramount Theatre
27 & 28 30 Boston, MA Sculler's


MAY
1& 2 Boston, MA Sculler's
15 Santa Ynez, CA Gainey Vineyard
17 Redding, CA Win River Casino

21,22,23 Las Vegas, NV Orleans
28,29,30 Seattle, WA Jazz Alley


JUNE
1,2,3 Seattle, WA Jazz Alley
5 Grant's Pass, OR Rogue Theatre
25 & 26 Red Wing, MN Treasure Island Casino

Grand Funk Railroad tourdates

GRAND FUNK RAILROAD are working on a new CD and DVD. Grand Funk are Max Carl (vox/guitar), Don Brewer (drums/vox), Mel Schacher (bass), Bruce Kulick (guitar/vox) and Tim Cashion (keyboards/vox).

Here are their tour dates
Mar. 27: Gulfstream Park, Hallandale, FL
May 1: Mayfest Ft. Worth Festival, Ft. Worth, TX
May 15-May 22: Ms. Zuiderdam Cruise for Hunger with Pat Benatar and other classic rockers.
June 4: Writ Summer Shindig, Waukesha, WI
June 6: DTE Energy Music Theatre, Clarkston, MI
June 12: Riverfest, Gadsden, AL
June 30: US N'tl Hot-Air Balloon Championship, Battle Creek, MI
July 2: The Queen Mary Amphitheatre, Long Beach, CA
July 3: Sunset Station Casino, Henderson, NV
July 24: Magic Springs Theme Park, Hot Springs, AR
Aug. 4: Caesars Indiana Casino Hotel, Elizabeth, IN
Aug. 7: Ohio State Fair, Columbus, OH
Aug. 21: Party in the Pasture, Beulah, ND
Sept. 12: Utah State Fair
Sept. 26 State Fair of OK-B-52 Theatre, Oklahoma City, OK

Music from Melanie (Safka)!!!!

Melanie is one of the most famous women in rock history--her hit songs include "Beautiful People," "Look What They've Done to my Song, Ma," "Lay Down Candles in the Rain," and "Brand New Key."

Nowadays her son Beau Jerrard is in her band, and he's an excellent guitarist, so I'm pushing for interviews with Beau and Melanie. CORRECTION: PALED BY DIMMER LIGHT will be out in May. I'll get you a date soon!

These are the confirmed dates I have for her.

March 19, 20, 21- Turning Point, Piermont, NY (ALL THESE DATES ARE SOLD OUT)
March 27 The Wave in Newburgh-Kingston in the Hudson Valley, NY --POSTPONED!!!
April 1: The Brokerage, Long Island, NY


Email me if you'd like to get a copy of Melanie's bio written by Robert Doerschuk!


----

JANN KLOSE TO PLAY THE CUTTING ROOM, MARCH 11

Singer-songwriter Jann Klose will be playing THE CUTTING ROOM, 19 West 24th Street (between Broadway and 6th Avenue) on March 11. The venue’s phone number is 212-691-1900. Showtime is 7:30 PM.

In addition Jann is touring the Mid West this April. He has a few solo dates and will also be sharing some shows with jam band violinist Joe Deninzon.

Jann’s Mid West dates are:

Sat., April 3 Dixey City Limits,
Mansfield, OH

Sun., April 4: Heartland Cafe,
Chicago, IL

Thurs., April 8: Columbus, OH

Fri., April 9: Old Miami, Detroit, MI

Sat., April 10: Therese's,
Youngstown, OH. House Concert! PEACE ACTION YOUNGSTOWN FUND RAISER!

Sun., April 11: Wilbert's, Cleveland, OH


Jann Klose (formerly of Ohio, Kenya, South Africa and, originally, Germany) relocated
to New York City, hoping to deliver his unique blend of jazz, pop, blues, rock, and
folk back to the world from which it came.

Since then he has appeared in theatre (The Who’s Tommy, the Jekyll & Hyde US national tour, and the Jesus Christ Superstar European tour), and developed a following for his original music.

His writing, performances, and love of creative experimentation has yielded his
new EP, BLACK BOX, released in 2003. Produced by Grammy award winner Marlon J. Graves (Herbie Hancock’s Gershwin's World), mixed by Nic Hard at RPM Studios and mastered by Vlado Meller at Sony Music Studios in New York City, this four-song EP is according to Kid Kelly, director of Pop Programming at Sirius Satellite Radio “by far the best unsigned record I have heard in a long time.”

The new material has received airplay on various stations in the U.S. and Europe, including XM Satellite Radio, Live365.com, various college radio stations, and Radio Fritz Berlin.

website: http://www.jannklose.com. Buy Jann’s music at www.cdbaby.com/jannklose.