11/5/08

Radio Programming Advisory

Contact: Anne Leighton
718-881-8183
Leightonmedia@aol.com

Programming advisory: "Only In America" -- for your consideration


JAY AND THE AMERICANS' MP3 of the group's updated recording of "Only In America" available for your show.

Written by Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Jerry Leiber, and Mike Stoller, the song has the relevant line, "Only in America can a kid from anywhere grow up to be President."

This belief has been representative of American ideals that if you work hard, you can accomplish many great things.

Please contact me if you'd like an MP3 of the song.

11/3/08

ATTENTION: JOE THE VIOLINIST PIMPING FOR HIS AND GRAND FUNK RAILROAD’S REAL PUBLICIST

ATTENTION: JOE THE VIOLINIST PIMPING FOR HIS AND GRAND FUNK RAILROAD’S REAL PUBLICIST


The real Grand Funk Railroad publicist Anne Leighton is issuing retractions to a variety of mainstream media outlets, who announced that she handles public relations for Joe the Plumber. This comes after Bill Maher announced on Friday, October 31, that Grand Funk Railroad's publicist was handling press for a wannabe musician and John McCain spokesperson named Joe the Plumber.

Leighton states, "While I certainly hope Joe the Plumber gets his record deal, so he really understands what it's like NOT to earn more than $250,000 a year, I would never work for someone who neither pays taxes nor is able to remove the waste product from anyone’s drains.

"However I work with Joe the Violinist, whose wondrous music can drain the world’s junk from your brains….and even a few drains."

Leighton has been publicizing Grand Funk Railroad since 2001 and also a band called Stratospheerius, which features “Joe the Violinist” Deninzon! Joe recently played a BarackandRoll event in Hoboken, and even tho’ he’s originally from Russia, he is a capitalist.

Here's a link to Joe the Violinist fiddling "If I Were A Rich Man....."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAqe4bkUNRU

Joe's available for commentary, but even better to play violin!

His group Stratospheerius has one more show, this Friday night—November 7 at the Underscore in New York City, and then will be starting work on a new album. Joe's current album, HEADSPACE received accolades in a range of media outlets and airplay on most every jam band radio show in North America.

Justin Scro reviews, "Stratospheerius is creating a genre of its own," and "the vocal performance of Joe Deninzon is on par with his stringed abilities." THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER praises Stratospheerius for its "funky electric violins, driving guitar rhythms, and fevered drumming layered in an explosive fashion."

Other outlets have been praising the group for not fitting into one genre. Mark Kirby of MUSIC DISH NETWORK writes, "Stratospheerius' music has smarts, but not of the cold calculating kind; the music has rawness and intensity, but not the stupid punk kind. Statospheerius have a band sound that avoids the pitfalls of jazz, while keeping its sophistication and musical depth." COSMOS GAMING's Chris Dahlberg says, "Stratospheerius is an impressive group, and HEADSPACE continues to see them progressing further and further in both technical prowess and original ideas. There are other groups that try to work string instruments in like this one has, but no one else has the ability to switch up genres like Stratospheerius."



http://www.joedeninzon.com

ELLIOTT MURPHY: ON TOUR IN THE USA FOR THE FIRST TIME IN EIGHT YEARS

ELLIOTT MURPHY - the legendary Paris-based American rock troubadour will embark on his first U.S. tour in eight years. The tour kicks off December 2008 in the Northeast U.S. (New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, DC, Albany, Larchmont, Amagansett), and continues on to the West Coast, where he hasn’t played in 12 years) in January 2009 (San Francisco, Felton, Tehachapi, Los Angeles, San Diego, Long Beach). Elliott will be accompanied by his longtime guitarist extraordinaire Olivier Durand. More shows will follow in Spring 2009.

Elliott Murphy has collaborated with Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Phil Collins and other great rock ‘n roll names. His ground-breaking, debut album AQUASHOW was recently called an “Album Classic” in a full page review in the UK’s prestigious Uncut magazine.

Opening all shows will be multi-cultural singer-songwriter Jann Klose, who was born in Germany and raised in Kenya, South Africa, Hamburg and first came to the US as an exchange student in Cleveland. His album REVERIE is now being played on over 80 stations in North America. Jann tours aggressively in the U.S. and Europe. Recent shows included collaborations with Annie Haslam and John Tout of Renaissance, sharing the stage with Marty Stuart, Rosanne Cash and Roger McGuinn at Martin Guitars’ 175th Anniversary Concert, and a special show at the German Embassy in Washington, DC. Jann moved to the Bronx in 2000, the same year Elliott played his last show at the Bottom Line in New York City.

Elliott Murphy will be promoting his latest release NOTES FROM THE UNDERGROUND - his 30th album in a non-stop 35-year career. Album Music Guide (AMG) recently awarded NOTES a rave 4-Star review making Elliott one of the rare artists who have received over fifteen 4 -star reviews on this prestigious review site.


Elliott was born to a show business family in New York and began his career by winning the 1966 New York State Battle of the Bands, and then followed a troubadour’s odyssey across Europe included a bit part in Federico Fellini's film “Roma.” His career was launched by the critical success of his debut album AQUASHOW followed by LOST GENERATION (Produced by Doors producer Paul Rothschild), NIGHT LIGHTS (featuring Billy Joel), JUST A STORY FROM AMERICA (featuring Phil Collins and Mick Taylor) and an extraordinary duet with Bruce Springsteen on his 1996 masterpiece SELLING THE GOLD. (Bruce often invites Elliott on stage with him during his European tours.) In October 2008, he was honored with a monumental exhibition in Paris’ Town Hall entitled “Elliott Murphy - Last of the Rock Stars – Retrospective” featuring hundreds of posters, photos, videos, album covers and memorabilia.

Elliott Murphy is also a published author of short story collections (most recently Café Notes) and two novels (Cold And Electric and the neo-western Poetic Justice) as well as penning the liner notes for the Velvet Underground album 1969 Live. Elliott has lived in Paris for 18 years and has performed at such prestigious venues as the Montreux Jazz Festival as well as opening for Bob Dylan at the Pistoia Blues Festival.

Dec 10 2008 Johnny D’s Somerville, Massachusetts
Dec 12 2008 The Stephen Talkhouse Amagansett, New York
Dec 13 2008 Valentine’s Albany, New York
Dec 15 2008 The Living Room New York, New York
Dec 16, 2008 Velvet Lounge Washington, DC
Dec 17 2008 World Cafe Live Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Dec 18 2008 Watercolor Cafe Larchmont, New York

Jan 7, 2009 Café Du Nord San Francisco, California
Jan 8, 2009 Don Quixote’s Felton, California
Jan 10, 2009 Hotel Café, Los Angeles, California
Jan 11, 2009 Mama’s Hilly Beans, Tehachapi, California
Jan 13 2009 Acoustic Music San Diego San Diego, California
Jan 14 2009 The Blue Cafe Long Beach, California
Jan 16 2009 NAMM 2009 Anaheim, California

Elliott also tours in Europe and there are a number of dates posted on his myspace.com/elliottmurphy.

http://www.elliottmurphy.com
Media/Industry page at http://idisk.mac.com/elliottmurphy-Public
http://www.jannklose.com

Fans can help promote the tour at the link:
http:www.bestindie.com/emjktour

****
Let me also give a plug for the Humane Society as Elliott also wrote about the importance of responsible ownership and adopting from animal shelters at the Humane Society’s Shelter Rock web site. In December the HSUS will be auctioning off an autographed Elliott Murphy fashion tote bag.
Visit http://www.hsus.org/about_us/celebrity_support/shelters_rock_artists_sing_3.html

And you’ll see reflections from all kinds of an array of music folks including another person who collaborated recently with Jann—Annie Haslam. Heavy D., Carole King, and MUTTS cartoonist Patrick McDonnell are in there, and so is Patti Page, who has updated her “How Much Is That Doggie in The Window” to “(Look at that) Doggie in the Shelter.”

http://www.hsus.org

Jann Klose Update

There are also shows Jann is doing separate from his tour with Elliott Murphy:

Nov. 5: TV TAPING for future broadcast in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and California: Horses Sing None of It Randolph, NJ

Nov 13 Therese's Great nites Youngstown, OH
Nov 14 I-Rock Detroit, MI
(with Tiles and Chain Reaction)
Nov 15 Kent State Folk Festival presented by WKSU Kent, OH
Workshop on Performing Abroad (with Adam Klein).
Nov 15 The Winchester Cleveland, OH
(with Morticia's Chair)
Nov 17, 18 11th Annual Jeff Buckley Tribute Concert,
Uncommon Ground Chicago, IL
Nov 22 Crossing Borders Live @ The Lost Dog
To broadcast on WVBR 93.5 FM Ithaca, NY
(with Greg Klyma)
Dec 3 Cyber Cafe West Binghamton, NY .com
Dec 8 NBC TV - The 10! Show Philadelphia, PA
Dec 20 Sellersville Theater w/ Annie Haslam

http://www.jannklose.com

BRITISH ROCKERS ASIA ANNOUNCE GRAND PRIZE WINNER

New Mexico Fan’s Video for “An Extraordinary Life”
Selected by ASIA as Song’s Official Online Music Video


In what may be an exciting new case of “life imitating art,” the acclaimed British rock super-group, ASIA has announced Doug Purdy of Albuquerque, New Mexico, as the grand prizewinner of the band’s QuickTime music video contest for “An Extraordinary Life.” The video contest was launched by the band, its label, and strategic partners as a new initiative between ASIA and its fans. For the contest, (which was hosted by www.asiavideocontest.com), ASIA fans were invited by the band, in partnership with QuickTime, to create their own music videos for “Extraordinary Life,” a track from ASIA’s new EMI America Records album, PHOENIX.

The song was designed to celebrate the positive aspects and memories in everyone’s life, and encourages the listener to “Carp Diem;” living every day to the fullest. The song was written by ASIA members John Wetton and Geoff Downes in direct response to Wetton’s recent successful recovery from open heart surgery. Purdy’s video, like many others entered into the contest, contains personal home video footage and photos interspersed with footage of ASIA performing the song, for unique interactive experience.

“This was a unique way of connecting with our fans, via the web,” says Carl Palmer, drummer. “It was interesting to see the type of images our fans thought could fit the song, itself.”

As the contest’s top prizewinner, Purdy has also won an Apple MacBook AIR laptop, custom etched with ASIA’s logo. In addition, his creative video has been selected as the song’s official online music video by ASIA’s Geoff Downes, Steve Howe, Carl Palmer and John Wetton. The video is featured at ASIA’s official websites, www.myspace.com/asia and www.originalasia.com.

PHOENIX, ASIA’s first studio album since 1983 with all four original members, was released in North America on April 15, 2008 by EMI America Records. Since 1982, ASIA has sold more than 15 million albums, and the band recently completed its latest 52-city world tour (the third since the band re-formed in 2006) to support the global release of PHOENIX.

Media Contact: Bruce Pilato - brucetune@aol.com
585-454-2756
http://www.originalasia.com

new videos linked to the links on this site.

The last link on that site is called “VIDEOS I LIKE I LIKE,” which has two new clips:
1)Stratospheerius: part one of a five-part internet documentary of the group’s September tour at the Detroit International Jazz Fest and in California.

2)Tower of Power and Stephanie Heinzmann (the winner of German Idol) singing “Only So Much Oil in The Ground” performed in Zurich. That is a song the group wrote 40 years ago, and it’s making news radio airplay.