Kick Off To BELIEVE IN THE CURE, In Akron, January 12

Cancer Charity raising funds for education and research for cancer prevention

Contact: Believe In The Cure
email jojo@believeinthecure.org
http://www.believeinthecure.org
https://www.facebook.com/believeinthecure
There will be a benefit to introduce the community to the new charity, Believe In The Cure, at Church Of Our Savior, 471 Crosby Street, in Akron, Ohio, on Saturday, January 12th, 2013 at 5:00pm. Tickets are $40 each ($50 each after December 15th or at the door) which includes authentic Greek food (appetizers, beverages, dinner, dessert and coffee). Tickets can be purchased on the website at http://www.believeinthecure.org by credit card or through PayPal.

Founded in June 2011, by Joanne Filina, after a personal battle with Leukemia (Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia), Believe in the Cure's mission is to fund the research, education, and prevention of cancer. Believe In The Cure is raising funding for adolescent and young adult cancer research including but not limited to The Solove Research Center at The James Cancer Center in Columbus Ohio. Among its other missions are to help provide medical bill relief for those suffering from cancer.

Says Ms. Filina, "You must believe in the cure for there to be a cure. It's as important to stay healthy on the inside as it is on the outside, which includes choosing healthy foods and creating and maintaining positivity and wellness in our lives. Cancer prevention is the cure for which we strive."

The Believe In The Cure's January 12 event will feature guest speakers Dr. Joseph Flynn and Dr. Nick Parasson. Dr. Joseph Flynn of The James Cancer Center OSU Medical Center; he specializes in CLL, Lymphadenopathy, and researches therapeutics for non-Hodgkins Lymphoma as the quality of life for survivors. Dr. Nick Parasson of Summit Natural Wellness Center Akron, is a licensed and board-certified Naturopathic Physician.

Singer-songwriter Jann Klose, who started his career in Youngstown, will be the featured performer. He sings Tim Buckley's parts in the upcoming Jeff Buckley biopic, GREETINGS FROM TIM BUCKLEY, and his music is heard on the GRAMMY-nominated album, HEALTHY FOOD FOR THOUGHT: GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT, on MTV's CRIBS, and in the Paul Sorvino's movie, DEAD BROKE.

The Believe in the Cure benefit will also be a silent auction, 50/50 raffle. Special donations for the auction and raffle are being sought from community businesses.

Emily Hurd Releases ANY GIVEN DAY Original Christmas Music For Year 'Round Listening

http://www.emilyhurd.com

Singer-songwriter available for interviews

Emily Hurd releases a full-length live studio album of original Christmas music on December 7th, 2012. The cost of the album is $10 and is available through the artist’s website (emilyhurd.com) and cdbaby.com.

Unlike other Christmas records, listeners can enjoy ANY GIVEN DAY beyond the holiday season. Emily Hurd’s sultry vocals deliver messages of spontaneous celebration, humble gifts, and fundamental good will on a backdrop of vintage soul arrangements.  Hurd gives a voice to her desire for human empathy in songs like “Chain of Light” and “In The Spirit of Giving,” and she creates clever rhymes of winter love in “Cold Outside” and “Glögg.” This collection of music has a clear message: any common day is worth reveling in like Christmas.

Emily Hurd wrote the songs from ANY GIVEN DAY—her ninth studio album—in the month of October, 2012. The tunes were recorded live on the evening of November 13th, 2012 at Chicago’s Kingsize Sound Labs. The record was mixed and mastered in one afternoon, and sent to be manufactured the same day. This whirlwind process was captured on film by Chicago videographer Mark Helenowski. Emily will be releasing music videos to her fans throughout the month of December.

ANY GIVEN DAY was engineered and produced by Emily’s long-time producer, John Abbey. The album includes a line-up of well-established Chicago musicians: Gerald Dowd (Justin Roberts, Sons of The Never Wrong), Gregg Ostrom (Tom Comerford, Covered In Honey), and John Abbey (Robbie Fulks, Amy Speace).

Over the course of her career, Emily has shared the stage and/or opened for Irma Thomas, Bettye Lavette, and Roger McGuinn. Her music is featured on the popular CBS crime drama NCIS.  She appears on the prestigious Old Town School of Folk Music "Songbook" collection (released by Bloodshot Records).  She is a winner/finalist in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, NPR's NewSong Contest, and The International Songwriting Competition. “Irreparably Yours” from Long Lost Ghosts was a Semi-Finalist in 2011’s Great Lakes Songwriting Contest. In 2013, Emily and her country band Stone Blind Valentine—will be releasing their first album, ‘Burn Like A Field,’ on Valentine’s Day.  Emily has released 10 albums since 2005.

Touring across the heartland, the wild west, and east coast parts of America, Emily has been meeting new fans at every show she plays, from coffeehouses and schools, to TV and radio shows and festivals,including events that fans have organized, most notably an annual “Emilyfest” in rural North Carolina (the next one is scheduled for October 14, 2013).

THE GONG SHOW LIVE Partners with Area Businesses to Give 300 Tickets to Area Sandy Victims, December 6

(Suggest a friend-in-need-of-a-fun-night-and-good-laughs at http://www.gongshowlive.net )

People hardest hit by Sandy can enjoy the Off-Broadway show, THE GONG SHOW LIVE and food and drink on December 6 at the new The Cutting Room, 44 East 32nd Street, in New York City, at 7:30 PM.

THE GONG SHOW LIVE--the Off Broadway stage show of the iconic TV series, THE GONG SHOW-- has partnered with five sponsors, to give 300 tickets to unlucky victims of horrible Hurricane Sandy, who can sign up via the NEWS page at http://www.gongshowlive.net

The partnership of THE GONG SHOW LIVE and area businesses was inspired by a theatergoer, Mary from Staten Island, who lost her ticket to the Dec. 6 show, when she lost her home in the storm. Mary declined a refund, explaining that attending the show was very important to her, "It's going to be one night to have fun, laugh and feel normal."

Executive Producer Leslie Gold (The Radiochick) put the project of distributing tickets in motion. The mission and the motivation for the project was simple: to provide a warm, welcoming, hilarious evening out to those who desperately need one.

"I wouldn't normally think attending our show would be helpful to those in such terrible circumstances, but Mary's story touched me, and reminded me that laughter can heal" said Gold.

The sponsors who stepped up immediately are Neutocrete Company (Danbury CT), ITU Agency (Washington DC), Andy Troy's TastingNYC.com (NYC), Gabor and Assoc (NYC), The World of Ed Heck (artist, NYC), good samaritan Scott Butler (Westchester NY), and The Lippincott Center (Somerville, NJ). The special show will be presented at the brand new Cutting Room on Dec. 6 at 7:30 PM. To add to the generosity of area businesses, The Cutting Room is welcoming Sandy attendees with a free drink and appetizer.

THE GONG SHOW LIVE now is seeking names of 300 people kicked in the gut by Sandy for these tickets. Send in the name and contact information of someone you know, who experienced severe losses in Sandy, via the NEWS page at http://www.gongshowlive.net .

THE GONG SHOW LIVE is a hilarious and loving recreation of one of television's most entertaining and outrageous cult classics – and is the only authorized stage production of the original GONG SHOW. It's been described as "Jaw-droppingly hilarious" by critics. This theatrical Off-Broadway show at the Cutting Room stars Ray Ellin, Chuck Nice, Dan Naturman, Mason Reese, THE GONG SHOW 10 Live Band, Gene Gene the Dancing Machine and the Unknown Convict. THE GONG SHOW LIVE is appropriate for the whole family.

Gold, and select castmembers – including The Amazing Amy (an 80-year-old contortionist), Manolo Blank (a disco/balloon dancer) and "Illusionist" Chipps Cooney are available for interviews/mini-performances to help spread the word.

Tickets to regular performances at http://www.gongshowlive.brownpapertickets.com/ The phone number for the Cutting Room is 212-691-1900.

Richard Barone Releases Three Recordings--One With Pete Seeger

Contact for Richard Barone:
Michael Jensen 626.585.9575, mj@jensencom.com
Lisa Nauful: 805.473.3205, lisa@jensencom.com

Contact for Pete Seeger's "God's Counting On Me"
BillyBarone Productions:
212.851.3886, press@richardbarone.com
http://www.facebook.com/PeteSeegerMusic?fref=ts
http://RichardBarone.com

Multi-talented singer-songwriter Richard Barone available for interviews and appearances.

Innovative singer/songwriter/producer/author Richard Barone is involved with three projects--two are based on his career and now even-more-relevant-than-ever 1987 album, COOL BLUE HALO, and one is with legendary folk singer-songwriter Pete Seeger.

The DigSin label is releasing the 25th Anniversary Limited Box set of COOL BLUE HALO which features a 2 CD/DVD 2012 Anniversary concert he presented, along with guest performers The Band's Garth Hudson and producer Tony Visconti, plus a documentary (I BELONG TO ME: THE COOL BLUE HALO STORY) on the history of COOL BLUE HALO, a T-shirt, and the original album.

I BELONG TO ME: THE COOL BLUE HALO STORY will be held at Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Avenue, in New York City, on December 10th, with a special live performance in the theater.

Initially ROLLING STONE contributor Anthony DeCurtis reviewed COOL BLUE HALO in 1987, and dubbed Richard's music "chamber pop" for it made an interesting use of a cello and percussion as opposed to electric guitar, bass, drums. That 1987 review was one of the first times the term had been used in a critical review. Since then the genre has come into popularity with today's popular artists: The Shins, Fleet Foxes, Antony and the Johnson, Rachel Platten, DeVotchKa, the Decemberists. In reconnecting with Richard's music, Anthony stated, "there is great beauty to this album tht find completely undminished since it first came out... the music is so timeless."

On Election Day, Nov. 6, 2012, Legendary folk singer Pete Seeger released a new single and his first-ever music video "God's Counting On Me, God's Counting On You" (Sloop Mix) filmed and recorded live on the historic Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. The video is available on YouTube; the song will be available at iTunes, Amazon.com and all digital retailers on Tuesday. VIDEO - YouTube: http://bit.ly/seeger1
SONG - iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/gods-counting-on-me-gods-counting/id571104299
RADIO - Audio file for Radio Stations: http://soundcloud.com/richard-barone/pete-seeger-gods-counting-on/s-2sDn7

Pete Seeger co-wrote "God's Counting On Me" with his long time friend Lorre Wyatt after the BP Oil Crisis in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Richard Barone and Matthew Billy produced the song. Wings drummer Steve Holley and the Roches Terre Roche are among the musicians lending their support on the recording.

At age 93, Pete Seeger has had a broad influence on the development of contemporary folk music in a career that has stretched from before World War II to after the turn of the 21st century. Songs he's written include: "If I Had a Hammer (The Hammer Song)," "Where Have All the Flowers Gone," and "Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)," all have became major hits; his words and music have have helped unite causes including building unions, ending wars, supporting the rights of the oppressed, and saving the environment.

Richard Barone is an acclaimed recording artist/performer/producer/author. Since fronting Indie-pop icons The Bongos, Barone has produced countless studio recordings and has collaborated with artists in every genre--from Lou Reed and Moby to Liza Minnelli, Tiny Tim, and of course--most recently--Pete Seeger. As a musical and theatrical director, he has scored shows and staged all-star concert events at such venues as Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl. His memoir FRONTMAN: Surviving the Rock Star Myth was published by Hal Leonard Books. He was recently appointed to the Board of Advisors for Anthology Film Archives and as a Professor at New York University's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. Pete Seeger "God's Counting On Me, God's Counting On You."

Scientific Thinker Howard Bloom Doing Interviews For New Book, THE GOD PROBLEM: HOW A GODLESS COSMOS CREATES

Here is a media release on Howard Bloom's new book, THE GOD PROBLEM: HOW A GODLESS COSMOS CREATES.

Howard was a major music publicist in the 1980s and early '90s. He handled Tower of Power, Focus, plus Michael Jackson, Prince, Horslips, Renaissance, Billy Joel, John Mellencamp...

Contact: Howard Bloom
howlbloom@aol.com

http://www.howardbloom.net
Prometheus Books' page for THE GOD PROBLEM: http://www.prometheusbooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=35_6&products_id=2136
Video on The Big Bagel Theory: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdJyafSBCb0

THE BIG BAGEL THEORY: THE END OF THE UNIVERSE IS SOONER THAN YOU THINK
(Scientific Thinker Howard Bloom Doing Interviews For New Book, THE GOD PROBLEM: HOW A GODLESS COSMOS CREATES)

Watch out. The end is coming.

Howard Bloom is available for interviews for his new book, THE GOD PROBLEM: HOW A GODLESS COSMOS CREATES on Prometheus books.

Most cosmologists feel the end of the cosmos will not arrive for hundreds of trillions of years. But Bloom's "Big Bagel Theory--The Bloom Toroidal Model of the Uiverse" predicts the end of the universe may be as little as 1.68 billion years away.

The Big Bagel Theory has already proved its predictive powers. Bloom, the author of THE GOOD PROBLEM, THE LUCIFER PRINCIPLE, GLOBAL BRAIN, and THE GENIUS OF THE BEAST, pieced together his bagel theory in 1959. Bloom has been involved in theoretical physics and cosmology since he was ten years old. In 1959, at the age of sixteen, he was working for the summer at the world’s largest cancer research facility, The Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY. Bloom conceived his toroidal model of the universe in a two and a half month period of brainstorming with other Roswell Parkers on the implications of CPT (charge, parity, and time) symmetry. At the end of the summer, Bloom finished his Big Bagel Theory, then threw it away, convinced that it was comic book science.

But then other experts noted two of the Big Bagel Theories' predictions were--indeed--on target: 1) the cosmos had apparently expanded at unbelievable speed in the first flash after the big bang; 2) and the Cosmos’ expansion had slowed down, then accelerated again.

In 1980, Alan Guth confirmed prediction number one--the extraordinary speed of expansion in the newborn universe--with his theory of inflation, a theory that is now standard in cosmology. Then, in 1998, Adam Reiss and nineteen collaborators measured type 1a supernovas, standard candles, and discovered that the cosmos’ expansion had begun to pick up speed 6.02 billion years ago. Which left a question: where did the energy for that acceleration come from? Big Bagel Theory answers that question brilliantly.

So Bloom resurrected his 52-year-old Big Bagel Theory and made it the maraschino cherry on the cake, the ending concept, in his newest book, THE GOD PROBLEM: HOW A GODLESS COSMOS CREATES. Penn State loop quantum gravity cosmologist Martin Bojowald calls THE GOD PROBLEM, "Rigorous, and thoroughly mathematical." Harvard's Dudley Herschbach, a 1986 Nobel Prize winner in chemistry, says THE GOD PROBLEM is, "Truly awesome. Terrific." “I like the model," states NASA Goddard Space Flight Center systems engineer Mark Lupisella, "I’ll never look at bagels the same way again.” And National Magazine Award winner and science-junkie Barbara Ehrenreich says, "If Howard Bloom is only 10 percent right, we'll have to drastically revise our notions of the universe… Bloom’s argument will rock your world.”

The Big Bagel theory is explained in a new YouTube animation (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdJyafSBCb0), a video that pulled in over half a million hits in its first thirteen days online. Says Bloom, "the public appears to be hungry for a simple explanation of dark energy."

Concludes Brian Smith McCallum in Library Journal, "Bloom, an iconoclastic and seminal thinker, has been mentioned in the same breath as Stephen Hawking, Sigmund Freud, and Charles Darwin; this contribution is paradigm-shifting.”

###

Musician/Author Elliott Murphy Awarded the "Medaille de Vermeil de La Ville de Paris" in Grand Ceremony at Hotel de Ville, in Paris

http://www.elliottmurphy.com
For more information please contact:
info@elliottmurphy.com

Internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter and author Elliott Murphy, who has been living in Paris, France for 22 years, was awarded the prestigious Medaille de Vermeil de la Ville de Paris in recognition of his career achievements in a formal ceremony on October 1 at the Hotel de Ville (City Hall) presided over by Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoë.

Past recipients of the award have included Jane Fonda, Gianni Versace, Kevin Liles (former Def Jam President) and Johnny Depp.

Elliott began his career with the classic album “Aquashow” in 1973 and has released over 30 albums as well as being the author of two novels and numerous short story collections. He has often joined his long time friend Bruce Springsteen on stage in Paris.

Elliott will make his yearly East Coast tour in December 2012.

6 Tin Angel, Philadelphia, PA [Band]
7 Rockwood Music Hall, NY, NY [Band]
8 Stephen Talkhouse, Amagansett, NY [Band]
9 Live @ Drews, Ringwood, NJ [Band]
12 The Turning Point, Piermont, NY [Band]
13 Iron Horse, Northampton, MA [Band]
15 Mexicali Blues, Teaneck, NJ [Band]

Los Angeles' Cat Writers Writing Conference is Cat’s Meow (and a Steal), Nov. 2 & 3

For more information, contact:
Sharon Melynk
cwaconfregistrarsam@gmail.com

Su Ewing, President, Cat Writers' Association
dogwriter@windstream.net
www.catwriters.org

www.catwriters.org/12conference-registration.pdf
Conference info: www.catwriters.org/annual-info.html
Cat Writers’ Association home page: www.catwriters.org
Hotel reservations: 800-228-9290 or 310-337-2800

A star-packed writers’ conference loaded with professional seminars by nationally known speakers will be held Friday and Saturday, Nov. 2 - 3, 2012 in Los Angeles – and it’s an extreme bargain. Sessions cover writing for (and publishing on) the Web, social media, self publishing, blogging, photography and more (partial menu below). For registrations made by Sept. 15, the cost for both days is $125, including dinner Friday and three meals on Saturday (single-day registration is $55). The conference, organized by the Cat Writers’ Association (CWA), a nonprofit group, is open to anyone interested in writing.

The fun includes a book signing party on Saturday, November 3 – open to the public – just in time for holiday gift buying. Jackson Galaxy, star of Animal Planet’s “My Cat from Hell,” will be there autographing his new book, "Cat Daddy." So will veterinarian Dr. Karen Halligan, author of Doc Halligan's "What Every Pet Owner Should Know," and Bob Walker, whose spectacular photo books highlight the home he and his wife transformed into The Cats’ House, the ultimate kitty playground.

In addition, on Saturday night CWA will present cash prizes totaling $10,000 for the year’s best writing, broadcasting and graphic arts about cats.

All events take place at the Renaissance Los Angeles Airport Hotel (Marriott), 9620 Airport Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045. A block of rooms has been reserved for conference attendees at a discount rate of $105.

“It’s a two-day pep rally for writers,” says Su Ewing, President of the Cat Writers’ Association. She explains that the conference is inexpensive because speakers are not paid. “All of them want to share,” she says. “That’s what our organization is all about. The conference is our once-a-year time to get together to learn, network, be recognized, be inspired and celebrate.”

Founded in 1992, the Cat Writers' Association, Inc. (CWA), is an organization of professionals writing, publishing and broadcasting about cats. Members receive a quarterly newsletter plus access to the e-group. Besides the annual conference, CWA runs a mentoring program and a yearly contest.

Conference speakers include:
-Arden Moore, award-winning author and podcast host, on how to land deals for websites, radio, TV and being hired as a media consultant and professional speaker (appearing with Zeki, a feline ambassador)
-Patricia Fry, literary and manuscript consultant, editor, public speaker, teacher, and author of 35 books (and executive director of SPAWN [Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network]), on self-publishing
-Sandy Robins, whose work appears on MSNBC.com, TodayShow.com, AOL's Pawnation and regularly in multiple national publications, on rewriting and reselling the same topic to different markets
-Lee Wardlaw, award-winning author of close to 30 books for young readers, on writing for children, tweens and teens
-Melissa Kauffman, Website Editorial Director for the websites of 16 BowTie Inc. publications, on website management
-Amy D. Shojai, certified animal behavior consultant, co-founder of Cat Writers' Association and author of 24 nonfiction pet books, on e-publishing and "Kindle-izing” books
-Marilyn Krieger, certified cat behavior consultant, owner of The Cat Coach, LLC®, Web and magazine columnist and award-winning author, on changing unwanted cat behaviors through clicker training and other gentle methods (appearing with her Bengal cat)

 

Bruce Conte Needs Help (Tower of Power's recent and original guitarist)

A note from Tower of Power's Web master, Brian Rachlin

I am sending this email to all of the people in my address book that have any connection to me regarding music.

Former Tower Of Power Guitarist Bruce Conte has been diagnosed with Leukemia. He is in treatment and his condition seems to be stabilizing with some very expensive medication. To complicate things, Bruce has been an insulin-dependant diabetic for many years and has been unable to maintain suitable health insurance due to his condition. We all know about insurance companies and pre-existing conditions.

I have set up a Facebook Page to make people aware of Bruce's condition and financial need. Right now, there are two ways to donate funds:
1. PayPal. If you have a PayPal account, log on and send money to " bruceconte@towerofpower.com ".
2. Go to this Tower Of Power page, and click DONATE: http://www.towerofpower.com/news-and-updates/
3. Mail donations payable to Bruce Conte to: Bruce Conte c/o Brian Rachlin
4201 Neshaminy Blvd #223 Bensalem, PA 19020

Most importantly, please spread the word by visiting the Friends Of Bruce Conte Facebook Page and clicking "like" and send the link to your friends on Facebook as well as forwarding this email.

Any help in any amount will be appreciated!

Thank you,
Brian Rachlin
Web Admin For Tower Of Power

Chamber Pop Rock and Roll History: The Zombies Meet The Left Banke, 2012

The founding members of the 1960s classic chamber pop/baroque pop acts, The Left Banke and the Zombies taken at New York City's Highline Ballroom by Daniel Coston.

Both bands played shows in New York City (August 5 and 6) at the Highline Ballroom and will be performing in Washington DC at the Howard Theatre (August 9).

Left to right: George Cameron (Left Banke), Rod Argent (Zombies), Tom Finn (Left Banke), Colin Blunstone (Zombies).

Blunstone says, " It was great playing with The Left Banke....great tunes, lovely people!"
Tom Finn and George Cameron were equally impressed with the Zombies.

The Left Banke Performs Baroque Pop

Five-part vocal harmony, violin, cello, bass, drums and percussion, guitars, keyboards is the 10-piece band The Left Banke. Acknowledged as the forerunners of the Baroque Pop genre, which is finding its way into popularity through musicians including the Decemberists, the Shins, Fleet Foxes, and Regina Spektor, The Left Banke is experiencing a renaissance as two of the orignal members Tom Finn and George Cameron are leading the band these days.

The Left Banke finds support from the music world, including contemporaries The Zombies, who the band is sharing bills with this summer in New York City and Washington, DC. Sundazed Records has re-mastered PRETTY BALLERINA and THE LEFT BANKE TOO on CD and 180gr vinyl; the collection has never-before-seen pictures and extensive recording information. HUFFINGTON POST praises The Left Banke's live shows, "Each song sounded as fresh as the last time it was played onstage, and if you squinted and didn't look too clearly at the stage or register the drink prices it could have been 1968 again."

Since 2011, when the group sold out shows in New York City's DROM and Joe's Pub, and collaborated on a Christmas program with WNYU's Choir, Finn and Cameron have been honing their touring chops, adding shows in the Mid-Altantic and New England, and rehearsing a band with musicians of several generations.

Finn and Cameron have received MORE than just the blessings of original members Michael Brown and Steve Martin as both have been writing new songs with the band. Brown also joined the group on stage to play piano when the group played at BB King Blues Club.

Originally formed in New York City in 1965, The Left Banke came to prominence with the orchestral and melodic "Walk Away Renee," which featured a harpsichord and a string quartet. “Walk Away Renee” was shopped to every major label, and turned down by all except Smash, a subsidiary label of Mercury Records. It charted in 1966, reaching #5 on the Billboard charts.

Leonard Bernstein (Conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and brilliant composer of many musicals including WEST SIDE STORY and CANDIDE), stated"The Left Banke and 'Pretty Ballerina' are an example of what good pop music can be" on his CBS-TV special, INSIDE POP - THE ROCK REVOLUTION. Two albums were released: WALK AWAY RENEE/PRETTY BALLERINA and THE LEFT BANKE TOO. Bad management and poorly-planned tours broke up the group in 1968.

Through the years, the music of The Left Banke has gained legions of new fans and a lot of newfound credibility, as evident by Oasis' front man Noel Gallagher's recent comments in the press, where he praises The Left Banke, as "the best f*****g record I've heard in my life!" A wide range of artists have covered "Renee," including the Four Tops, Tori Amos, Frankie Valli, Vonda Shepard, Billy Bragg, The Association, Linda Ronstadt, Marshall Crenshaw, Southside Johnny, Badly Drawn Boy, Bon Jovi, and Rickie Lee Jones. It's performed in the Dolly Parton/Queen Latifah movie, JOYFUL NOISE.

In 2008, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked it #220 in their list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song is in the movie THE BODYGUARD and on the soundtrack of ADDICTED TO LOVE. "Pretty Ballerina" appears in APOCALYPSE NOW, while Alice Cooper, John Mellencamp, and the Dickies kept the beauty and mystique in their covers of the song in their versions. The Bangles Susanna Hoffs and Matthew Sweet (as Sid 'n' Susie) and also Anne Murray covered "She May Call You Up Tonight."

So many artists have been part of the Left Banke's history. In addition to "Martin," there was a Steven Tallarico who sang back up on the album LEFT BANKE TOO. The other Michael than Brown, who sang with the band was "McKean," who we now know as a great actor. So as The Left Banke continues to create music, we'll see discover new stories of this growing group.

THE LEFT BANKE ON TOUR

August 5 & 6: Highline Ballroom, New York, NY w/ The Zombies

August 8: World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA

August 9: Howard Theater, Washington, DC w/ The Zombies

###

http://www.leftbankeband.com

http://www.facebook.com/LeftBanke

 
 

Powderfinger Radio Promotions Breaking Ground on Stratospheerius' album, "The Next World"

Stratospheerius' Leader Joe Deninzon available for interviews in support of album

Powderfinger Promotions, who is promoting Stratospheerius' new album, THE NEXT WORLD to AAA Radio, Jam Band and College Radio, is getting adds out-of-the-box from many stations, including heavy rotation on WNSU-Ft. Lauderdale and KPFK-Los Angeles, and other indicators KUMD-Duluth, WERS-Boston, WAER-Syracuse.

Powderfinger Promotions, helmed by David Avery, has worked a number of charting campaigns including releases from: Medeski Martin & Wood, Esperanza Spalding, Gov't Mule (w/ Ben Harper), String Cheese Incident, Victor Wooten... David says Powderfinger's slogan is "nurture the urge," and he was compelled to work with Stratospheerius' album THE NEXT WORLD because of its variety, "It's a great pleasure to be promoting a group as talented and exciting as Stratospheerius. I see great things for them and am thrilled to be part of the team that's bringing their music to the public."

The album is being worked to college, AAA, and jam band radio. Plug songs to jam band radio from the album are:
the glorious RELEASE, the genre bending--electronic/ska-inspired TECH SUPPORT, and, the whiplash-inducing ROAD RAGE. Other songs receiving attention from radio programmers are: "The Prism," "One Foot In The Next World," "The House Always Wins," "Climbing," and "The Missing Link.

Stratospheerius' new album THE NEXT WORLD is on Steve Vai's Digital Nations and Joe's imprint D-Zone Entertainment. Generally Steve signs metal/hard rock acts, but in addition to the great singing/songwriting on this album, Joe shreds on electric violin.  Stratospheerius generally shares bills or opens for bands from fusion, jam, progressive, rock, and hard rock. 

Stratospheerius just calls itself a "Rock group," with a musical range combines jam, fusion, rock, progressive, virtuoso, singer-songwriter, jazz and metal. The group was a winner in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition, won the Online People's Choice Awards in the Cornucopia Festival, and was named "Best Jam Band" in Musician's Atlas Independent Music Awards. THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER praises Stratospheerius for its "funky electric violins, driving guitar rhythms, and fevered drumming layered in an explosive fashion."

Critics continue to weigh in on the album, Progressive Ears' Angel Romero says THE NEXT WORLD is “A leading contender for the best rock album of 2012… Joe Deninzon’s dazzling violin solos, creative loops and effects are clearly spectacular and demonstrate that he is one of the most talented instrumentalists in the current rock scene.” MUSIC STREET JOURNAL's G.W. Hill writes, “You just can’t go wrong with this outfit. Nor can you assume what you are going to hear when they release a new disc. While the fusion elements of previous releases are still present, this one has more pure rock in it, too. Frankly, this might be the best Stratospheerius disc yet!”BLOGCRITICS writes, "If Jeff Beck had been a fiddlemaster with a streak of humor." Binghamton's PRESS & SUN BULLETIN calls the group "innovative."

Stratospheerius members are: Joe Deninzon-electric violin/mandolin/vocals, French guitarist Aurelien Budynek (Cindy Blackman, Vernon Reid), bassist Jamie Bishop (The Syn, Francis Dunnery), and drummer Lucianna Padmore (praised by Modern Drummer Magazine for her “Deep grooves and serious fusion chops.” The group's leader Joe Deninzon has written the book on Electric Violin--literally; Mel Bay books has released his "PLUGGING IN: A Guide To Gear and New Techniques for the 21st Century Violinist." Often called "The Jimi Hendrix of the Electric Violin," his innovative performances on the electric seven-string violin and his compositions blend rock, funk, jazz, classical, and Eastern European Gypsy influences. While leading Stratospheerius since 2001, Joe has worked with Bruce Springsteen, Sheryl Crow, Les Paul, Aretha Franklin, Ritchie Blackmore, and President Clinton. He can be heard on over 100 recordings and jingles as a violinist and string arranger, and receently on the soundtrack of the Will Ferrell/Adam McKay-produced movie, VIRGINITY HIT.

http://www.stratospheerius.com

http://www.powderfingerpromo.com

South Africa's Number One Flautist Wouter Kellerman To Tour The United States, July 26-August 12

"Wouter" pronounced "VO-ter."

In-Person Media opps available in Washington, DC, Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York City, Woodstock, Boston, Southern California, Las Vegas

After wowing audiences at SXSW in 2010 and 2011, South Africa’s Top Flautist Wouter Kellerman returns to the United States this July and August. Shows include dates at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage July 26, Summerstage and Joe’s Pub in New York City on August 6 and 7. These shows, in particular, were booked by Wouter and his manager Tholsi Pillay from their homebase in Johannesburg, South Africa. More shows are being scheduled now along the East coast, in Las Vegas, and Southern California.

Wouter’s album “Two Voices” won the 2011 SAMA (South African Music Award, the SA equivalent of the Grammy) for “Best Instrumental Album,” and reinforces his status as one of South Africa’s foremost musicians. Inspired by styles and cultures drawn from South Africa and around the world, Wouter Kellerman takes his listener on a musical journey through African, Latin, jazz and Celtic sounds, with classical inflections.

His debut album, “Colour,” enjoyed rave reviews, topped the charts and was nominated for a 2008 SAMA for “Best Instrumental Album.” His DVD “Kellerman Colour Live” won the 2010 SAMA for “Best Jazz/Instrumental/Popular Classical DVD.”

In March 2010 and 2011 he performed at the South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival in Austin, in Texas. SXSW is the biggest music festival in the USA. Wouter’s flute-playing can be heard on the soundtrack of the Emmy Award-winning film “Eye of the Leopard.” His albums “Colour” and “Two Voices” were mixed in Los Angeles by Grammy-winning engineer Husky Hoskulds.

In 2010 Wouter performed at the FIFA Soccer World Cup Closing Ceremony for a global TV audience of 700 million people, followed by Concerts at the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz festival in Johannesburg and two performances at the Shanghai World Expo, China.

Passionate about teaching and empowering young people, Kellerman has sponsored the living expenses of 10 children in the SOS Children’s Village in Ennerdale for the past 14 years, and also financed the building of a house in the SOS Children’s Village in Rustenburg. For his continued efforts in helping give these children a better life, Kellerman was nominated by the SOS Children’s Villages for the Inyathelo Special Recognition Award for Philanthropy. He continues to facilitate the teaching of young dance and music students.

Wouter Kellerman started playing the flute at the age of 10, and in 1981 appeared as a soloist with the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra. He went on to feature in several South African orchestras, scooping musical accolades along the way. Among these was winning the Perrenoud Foundation Prize during the 1997 Vienna International Music Competition.

Using his classical training as a foundation, Wouter focuses his attention on world music, exploring the versatility of the instrument and fusing classical and contemporary sounds, resulting in a potent and thrilling musical encounter. He is taking his crossover world music to a global audience, having gained a solid following in South Africa. He has already released the album in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and most recently in Australia, where he combined his release with a nationwide tour, which included a support slot on Johnny Clegg’s Down Under tour.

WOUTER KELLERMAN CONFIRMED TOURDATES
July 26: The Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, Washington DC
July 27: North East Jazz & Wine Festival, Syracuse, NY
August 3: The Lily Pad, Cambridge, MA
August 4: Harmony, Woodstock, NY
August 6: Summerstage, Marcus Garvey Park, New York City, NY
August 7: Joe’s Pub, New York City, NY
August 9: Hotel Cafe, Los Angeles, CA
August 10: Caesars Palace, National Flute Convention

###Wouter Kellerman's "Mama Tembu"

Joe Deninzon, Tracy Silverman, Chuck Bontrager Together, July 16, Olathe, KS

PLEASE DOWNLOAD THIS E-FLYER AND SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES.

The MWROC Faculty Concert Series begins Monday July 16, at 7:30 PM with three of the music world's most prestigious electric violinists (who are also counselors at Mark Wood's camp this summer): Joe Deninzon, Tracy Silverman, Chuck Bontrager.

This takes place MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe, KS (just outside of Kansas City) – in the brand-new, 40,000 sq ft acoustically engineered masterpiece, Bell Cultural Events Center Cost: $15 in advance, $20 at the door, $60 for entire week. Call 913-971-3636, Email bellboxoffice@mnu.edu, or visit www.mnu.edu/events for ticket info (Ask About Special Student Pricing)

If you are ANYWHERE near the Kansas City area, make sure you get tickets to any or all of the FIVE concerts at the Bell Center while Mark Wood Rock Orchestra Camp is in town! Performers will include The Mark Wood Experience, Rachel Barton Pine, Tracy Silverman, Joe Deninzon, and will culminate with all campers and faculty sharing the stage for the LOUDEST ROCK ORCHESTRA IN THE WORLD!! For more information on all the performers, please visit the camp website and/or click on the concert flyer!

SPREAD THE WORD! SHARE THIS WITH EVERYONE YOU KNOW! LET'S PACK THE JOINT!

Mark has brought together some of the country's most revered musicians and educators to work with the camp attendees, and they will be offering performances - open to the public - throughout the course of the week. Special reduced tuition to MWROC is available for area residents.

All concerts will take place in the state-of-the-art concert hall at the Bell Cultural Events Center on the campus of MidAmerica Nazarene University, 2030 E. College Way, Olathe, KS 66062.

Other shows run July 17, 18, 19, and 20 at the MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe, KS.

Joe Deninzon, electric violin--hailed by critics as “The Jimi Hendrix of the Violin” because of his innovative style on the electric seven-string violin and his compositions combining jazz and rock with Gypsy influences. A musician who transcends many genres, he has worked with artists such as Sheryl Crow and Bruce Springsteen.

  Tracy Silverman, electric violin--lauded by the BBC as “the greatest living exponent of the electric violin.” The world’s first concert electric violinist, he has worked with artists such as the Turtle Island String Quartet, Jim Brickman, and Bob Geldof.

Chuck Bontrager, electric violin--Chuck Bontrager uses his electric violin to play lower than most cellos and louder than most guitars. He obviously chose the wrong instrument. He’ll keep it up until his students, friends, bandmates, and old teachers (like Myron Kartman from Northwestern) tell him to stop. You can also find him playing “regular” with the Lake Forest Symphony, the Chicago Sinfonietta, and the occasional Broadway in Chicago production.

Contact for Joe Deninzon: Anne Leighton
718-881-8183
LeightonMedia@aol.com
http://www.joedeninzon.com

For more info on Tracy Silverman, please visit:
http://www.tracysilverman.com/

Chuck Bontrager's web site is
http://nmorchestra.org/chuck-bontrager-violin-electric-violin

MWROC (Mark Wood Rock Orchestra Camp)
http://www.mwroc.com/
1-516-767-6677, MWROC@markwoodmusic.com

The Family Stone

"GET UP AND DANCE TO THE MUSIC" shouts trumpet player Cynthia Robinson as saxophonist Jerry Martini wails and drummer Greg Errico pound "peace, love, and psychedelic soul into their music."  These life-long friends from San Francisco were the enthusiastic backbone and founding memebers for Sly and the Family Stone in the 1960s, through their August 17, 1969 appearance at The Woodstock Music and Art Festival, and the '70s'-laden riot that was going on within the group.

In the end it paid off for The Family Stone, even with occasional reunions w/ Sly at the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1993), 2006 GRAMMY Awards, and the R&B pioneer awards. In between it all, ROLLING STONE magazine ranked this loud psychedelic clothing-clad band 43rd on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Cynthia and Jerry toured with Prince in the 1990s. STARBUCKS' Hear Music Label released a tribute album, "Different Strokes by Different Folks" in 2005, including The Roots, Maroon 5, will.i.am, Steven Tyler.  In 2007 the group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. In 2011 The Famiy Stone returned for the Woodstock Weekend 43rd Anniversary at Bethel Woods Ampitheater on August 15, 2011, and Jerry Martini & Cynthia Robinson were asked to sit in at Las Vegas' iheart festival with Steven Tyler & Jeff Beck Sept. 2011. This year, the group is the subject of a TV ONE profile for the show, "Unsung."

Sly and the Family Stone have recorded five Billboard Hot 100 hits which reached the top 10: "Dance to the Music," "Everyday People," "Hot Fun in the Summertime," "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)"/"Everybody Is A Star," and "Family Affair." Some of their other hits are: "I Want to Take You Higher," "Stand!," "Sing A Simple Song," "You Can Make It If You Try," and "If You Want Me To Stay."

The group's albums, especially DANCE TO THE MUSIC, STAND!, and THERE'S A RIOT GOING ON greatly influenced the sound of American pop music, soul, R&B, funk, and hip hop music. 

Fans include Steve Winwood, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Prince, Chuck D, John Mayer, and the late Miles Davis.

The group also pioneered topical and social issues in the 1960s when segregation filled the United States with angst, violence, and headlines.  Sly and the Family Stone sang against raciscm, discrimination and self-hate, and is said to have been the first first-inter-racial band, and group with male and female instrumentalists.  

The current lineup of The Family Stone features Cynthia, Greg, and Martin, plus singers Alex Davis and Trina Johnson Finn, guitarist Nate Wingfield and bassist/musical director Blaise Sison. This line up has been the most consistent for the past seven to ten years, and heard and seen by over half-a-million people the Europe and the United States.  Says Lincoln Center's Director of Programming Bill Bragin, The Family Stone's "energetic performance galvanized a large, enthusiastic, multi-ethnic, and inter-generational audience of “Everyday People” that truly embodied the groups inclusive philosophy."  POLLSTAR writes, “The Family Stone delivered tight grooves and endless hits that kept the audience on their feet all night.  The band is powerful, fun and still fun." The Family Stone is a party you will never forget"      

Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson Announces the THICK AS A BRICK Tours for 2012

Ian Anderson will be performing both his composition THICK AS A BRICK in its entirety for the first time since 1972, and his new album, THICK AS A BRICK 2 for a world tour, commencing in the UK in Mid-April. Then, it's on to Europe and the United States from September through November.

This tour will feature a more theatrical production with video and additional musicians, including Ian's band: bassist David Goodier, keyboardist John O'Hara, drummer Scott Hammond, and wunderkind guitarist Florian Opahle-- all of whom have performed with Ian on his solo dates over the years as well as having performed at various times as members of Jethro Tull. British singer Ryan O'Donnell, who has been active in the UK theatrical scene will also be singing. Ian added the young performer as he wants to perform vocals and instrument parts as they appeared on the original THICK AS A BRICK.

Ian's new album, THICK AS A BRICK 2 (TAAB2) also features David, John, Scott, and Florian. It was produced by Ian Anderson and mixed by Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson (who also re-mixed Jethro Tull's AQUALUNG-Special Edition, released this past fall.)

TAAB2 answers the question 40 years later, whatever happened to Gerald Bostock (the person credited with writing the lyrics for THICK AS A BRICK, which hit number one on the US Billboard Pop Albums chart. With the first THICK AS A BRICK, Jethro Tull broadened rock beyond the limitations of the short song format).  Ian Anderson says  “Part two” gave him a chance to wonder, “how we baby-boomers look back on our own lives, and often feel an occasional 'what-if' moment. Might we, like Gerald, have become instead preacher, soldier, down-and-out, shopkeeper or finance tycoon?”  

Since 1972, the original THICK AS A BRICK has never been performed in its entirety although a few minutes of the material have been a regular repertoire staple in both Tull and IA solo shows over the years.

After 44 years of leading Tull to 54 countries worldwide and over 60 million albums sold, Ian Anderson celebrates these true progressive rock classics with old and new fans across world-wide. Ian is known as the flute, voice and composer of the legendary Jethro Tull which formed in England in 1968. Since their first performance at London's famous Marquee Club in 1968, the band has released 30 studio and live albums and earned a prominent place in rock history.

TOUR DATES

SEPTEMBER 18 Miami Beach: The Fillmore Miami Beach at The Jackie Gleason Theater
SEPTEMBER 19 West Palm Beach, FL Kravis Center for the Performing Arts - Dreyfoos Hall
SEPTEMBER 21 St Augustine, FL St. Augustine Amphitheatre
SEPTEMBER 22 Orlando Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre
SEPTEMBER 23 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall
SEPTEMBER 24 Fort Myers. FL Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall
SEPTEMBER 25 Fort Pierce, FL Sunrise Theatre
SEPTEMBER 27 Atlanta Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
SEPTEMBER 28 Asheville, NC Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
SEPTEMBER 29 Durham, NC Durham Performing Arts Center
SEPTEMBER 30 Richmond, VA Richmond CenterStage – Carpenter Theatre
OCTOBER 1 Newport News, VA Ferguson Center For the Arts on sale for members, 7/18 public
OCTOBER 3 Lynn, MA Lynn Auditorium
OCTOBER 4 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena
OCTOBER 5 New YorK Beacon Theatre
OCTOBER 6 Atlantic City, NJ Caesar's Circus Maximus
OCTOBER 7 Newark, NJ Nj Performing Arts Ctr-Prudential Hall
OCTOBER 17 San Diego, CA Balboa Theatre
OCTOBER 18 Santa Ynez, CA Chumash Casino
OCTOBER 19 Rancho Mirage, CA Agua Caliente Casino - The Show on sale 7/14
OCTOBER 20 Long Beach, CA Terrance Theater Long Beach Performing Arts center
OCTOBER 22 Salt Lake City Abravanel Hall
OCTOBER 23 Denver Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre
OCTOBER 26 Grand Praire (Dallas), TX Verizon Theatre
OCTOBER 27 Houston, TX Bayou Music Center
OCTOBER 28 Austin, TX Paramount Theatre on sale 9/1 public
OCTOBER 30 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium
NOVEMBER 1 Milwaukee, WI Pabst Theater
NOVEMBER 2 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre
NOVEMBER 3 Detroit, MI Fox Theatre
NOVEMBER 4 Akron, OH Akron Civic Theatre
NOVEMBER 5 Newark, OH Midland Theatre on sale 5/29 members,

### The official Jethro Tull website:
www.jethrotull.com
and please visit: www.stcleve.com

Jann Klose at the Rockwood Music Hall, June 23 and 30

Jann Klose and his band will be playing at the Rockwood Music Hall, 196 Allen Street, New York City, NY, on June 23 and 30, at 8 PM.
Admission is free, though a $10. tip is recommended.

These shows will include special guests.
Confirmed on both June 23 and June 30 is Gary Lucas (Captain Beefheart, Jeff Buckley), who is writing songs with Jann for his upcoming album, which is being produced by David Bendeth (Paramore, Papa Roach, Bruce Hornsby).

Jann's music is heard on the Grammy-nominated ‘Healthy Food for Thought” compilation and MTV Cribs.

Writes the Washington Post, "Klose wins over the listener with his soaring voice, which may well be a staple of chamber pop for a long time to come.”

CONFIRMED JANN KLOSE CONCERTS
June 23: ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL, w/ Gary Lucas, New York, NY
June 30: ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL w/ Gary Lucas, New York, NY
July 8: RIDGEFIELD PLAYHOUSE w/ Ben Taylor, Ridgefield, CT
August 11: CLUB PASSIM w/ Jake Armerding, Boston, MA
August 12: THE CORN FESTIVAL, Beacon Waterfront, Beacon, NY
                                           ###
Downloadable flyer to share for gig!

The Multi-talented Dr. Frank Ercoli and his sax join Tower of Power on stage at the Palm Springs Smooth Jazz Festival, May 19.

Dr. Frank Ercoli goes back with Tower of Power to the days he played sax and keyboards with the West Coast rock band, Fertile Earth. He also runs the Palm Springs Smooth Jazz Festival where Tower of Power played May 19. That was a benefit for Dr. Ercoli's Hanson House, “a community-supported facility with low or no cost services whose dedicated staff and volunteers are committed to making available a safe, clean and caring temporary HOME AWAY FROM HOME for the families of the critically ill and injured.”

Left to Right: Stephen "Doc" Kupka, Tom Politzer, Dr. Ercoli, and Emilio Castillo

http://www.towerofpower.com
http://www.hansonhouse.org
http://www.palmspringsjazz.com

Van der Graaf Generator Performs in New York City Saturday, June 30 - The Concert Hall at NYSEC

* Produced by John Scher/Metropolitan Talent Presents *

For additional press information, please contact Renee Pfefer; 914-273-0007
renee@ontourpr.com

Icons of English Progressive Rock, Van der Graaf Generator, return to New York City on June 30 to perform at The Concert Hall. The group features three of the original touring members and blew away fans when they performed in 2009 (read NYT review). Their signature sound is shaped by Peter Hammill’s distinctive & dynamic voice, Hugh Banton’s thick chordal keyboard & bass parts and Guy Evans' rolling jazz-rock-like drumming. Formed in Manchester 1967, VDGG first broke out on BBC Radio One and performed at such prestigious venues as London's Royal Albert Hall and Paris’ Olympia. Since their reunion in 2006 as a trio, the group has remained active and produced new material as well as reworked versions of earlier songs. They have toured worldwide for the past six years and on the strength of their newest release, A Grounding in Numbers, Van der Graaf Generator will storm North America with a series of dates that also includes NearFest (6/12) and Montreal Jazz Festival (7/3).

www.vandergraafgenerator.co.uk

Ticket information:
Van der Graaf Generator
With guest Don Dixon
Saturday, June 30 – 8:00pm
The Concert Hall at New York Society for Ethical Culture
2 West 64th Street at Central Park West
Tickets: $45 & $55 (includes ALL fees) available via Ticketmaster outlets, online at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000.

Vonda Shepard's East Coast Dates

Singer/Songwriter/Pianist Performs in Annapolis on May 18, Woodstock on May 19, and New York City on the 21

Vonda Shepard and her piano will be performing three east coast dates this May 18, 19 and 21.

On May 18, Vonda performs at The Ram's Head On Stage, 33 West Street, in Annapolis, MD, on May 18, at 8 PM. Jann Klose opens. The web site is http://www.ramsheadtavern.com/

May 19 brings Vonda to the Bearsville Theater, 291 Tinker Street in Woodstock, at 9 PM. The web site is http://www.bearsvilletheater.com

Vonda performs at BB King Blues Club & Grill, 237 West 42nd Street, in New York City, on May 21, at 8 PM. Jann opens again, there. The web site is www.bbkingblues.com/

Vonda is touring in support of her new album, SOLO, which features just Vonda and her piano. The songs are favorites from Vonda's albums through the years, "Lose My Way," "Don't Cry Ilene," "The Sunset Marquis," "Soothe Me," and "I Know Better," as well as some favorite cover ballads--"Walk Away Renee" and "You Belong To Me." This show features Vonda Shepard (piano), James Ralston (guitar) and Jim Hanson (bass). The SOLO tour provides the perfect opportunity to get to know Vonda's earthy and accessible style, and to get a glimpse of her intimate interaction with her audience.

The Fans have known, but now the media is falling in love with Vonda one person at a time, and we'd love for you to join the fold. Just recently Vonda was featured on SIRIUS XM's DAVID ESSEL ALIVE, who said "She was insightful, vulnerable, inspirational-- everything you could want from a top guest... her impact on the lives of my listeners will be long lasting. And yes, we want her back for more. "

Tood Goodbout from contemporary pop web site, myjoog.com, says, "I never really bothered to listen to Vonda Shepard. Maybe it was an anti-pop culture phase from her "Ally McBeal" fame. Maybe it was being tied to the blues and roots rock. Whatever the reason, that was a huge mistake. Recently I was sent a copy of her latest CD, SOLO - just Shepard and her piano - and I was completely overwhelmed."

LET IT ROCK writes, "Her new album...requires all your attention, and the late night romanticism is a rarity nowadays. Recorded live in the studio and produced by Mitchell Froom whose credits include Paul McCartney, SOLO is as sensual and intimate as it gets."

RED at Redhotvelvet.co.uk writes: “Delectable.”

With over 12 million album sales to her name, two Golden Globes, two Emmy Awards, two Screen Actor's Guild Awards as well as the Billboard prize for selling the most television soundtrack records in history for the hit TV series “Ally McBeal,” Vonda is a world-renowned artist who continues to delight audiences with her magnanimous live performances. She dedicates songs, tells stories, and-at the same time-projects dynamic charisma and intimacy with her audience.

Over the past few years Vonda has opened for Sugarland, who once opened for her, and she has performed live with the Indigo Girls and The Funk Brothers (a highlight of her life), and has shared the stage at music festivals with Sting, The Eurythmics, Santana, and Matchbox 20. She is also known for "Can't We Try," her duet with Dan Hill, which hit number 6 in 1987. She played keyboards and sang with Rickie Lee Jones, Al Jarreau, and Jackson Browne, eventually opening for Browne in the U.S. and Asia.

Fans all over the world have been listening to Vonda for years, and there's a reason why SOLO is getting the attention of critics and fans alike. Listen, and let us know what you think. 

Welcoming State Lawmakers Back to Raleigh, North Carolina, with an Unforgettable Protest

First-ever Pots & Spoons Protest of our out-of-control General Assembly will be one to remember in Raleigh at 10 A.M., Wednesday, May 16th

Doing this protest was my stepmother, Estelle Leighton's idea. An amazing woman, she has always fought "city hall," and made this world a much better place!

Contact: North Carolina State AFL-CIO, PO Box 10805, Raleigh, NC 27605
Press Advisory for May 16, 2012
Contact: Jeremy Sprinkle, Communications Director, 919-833-6678,jeremy@aflcionc.org

Raleigh, N.C.– When lawmakers return to town on Wednesday, May 16, North Carolinians outraged and disappointed at actions taken by our General Assembly to enrich the few at the expense of the rest will converge on Bicentennial Mall at 10 A.M. for a cacerolazo – a Pots & Spoons Protest – the first-of-its-kind protest of our out-of-control state legislature.

The Pots & Spoons Protest comes at a critical time for North Carolina.  As corporate lobbyists and the right-wing “crazy train” line up to be heard inside the legislative building, we will drown them out with a noise only We the People can muster!  Each of us armed with only a pot, a spoon, and a determination not to be ignored, we will stand across the street from the People’s House – our house – and bang our empty pots non-stop for 15 minutes.

Despite election results that disappointed hundreds of thousands of North Carolina voters, we are not going to let our out-of-control legislature off the hook.  We will make May 16, 2012 a day to remember in the ongoing struggle for economic and social justice in our state.

What: Pots & Spoons Protest of our Out-of-Control legislature
When: Wednesday, May 16 at 10 A.M.
Where: Bicentennial Mall (across from the legislative building),16 W. Jones St.,Raleigh,NC
Why: Let’s welcome state lawmakers back to Raleigh with a sound they can’t ignore.
Who: AFL-CIO, MoveOn.org, Action NC, Triangle Jobs with Justice, and others

Schedule:
10:00, welcome
10:05, the main event – a 15-min people’s protest
10:20, call to action by MaryBe McMillan

Press availability:
Before the protest begins, MaryBe McMillan and James Andrews of the NC State AFL-CIO will take questions from reporters; rally participants will be available to share what motivated them to participate in such a novel protest.

Photo ops:
1. A hundred or more North Carolinians from all walks of life, assembled between the Capitol and the legislative building, united in their opposition to out-of-control lawmakers using the state against the people, each banging a pot or pan they brought from home non-stop for 15 minutes.
2. Call to action by MaryBe McMillan (2-5 minutes).

Unique recording opportunity:
The sound of a cacerolazo is unmistakable and unforgettable.  The 15-minute Pots & Spoons Protest on May 16 will be unlike anything most radio and television viewers have ever heard or witnessed.  It will be unlike any protest ever held in our state capital.

About the cacerolazo:
A form of popular protest that originated in Latin America which consists of a group of people creating noise by banging pots, pans, and other utensils to call for attention.  In cacerolazos from Chile and Argentina to Iceland, Ireland, Greece, and even Syria, people have come together to challenge power and affect change. It is time to bring the spirit of the cacerolazo to North Carolina, where our out-of-control state legislature has busied itself since the 2010 election with catering to corporate interests and right-wing ideologues, gutting funding for public education, endangering women’s health care, putting the rights of unmarried couples up for popular vote, and attempting to lock some groups of voters out of the political process. ###

Video: When lawmakers return, let’s welcome them back!

 

Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius Celebrate the Release of THE NEXT WORLD, at the Shrine, in Harlem, May 24

Stratospheerius will be releasing its new album, THE NEXT WORLD at The Shrine, 2271 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd., at 135th Street, in New York City, on May 24, at 10 PM. Admission is free, and there will be FREE Stratospheerius gifts, prizes, and free food catered by the Shrine!

The band will play THE NEXT WORLD, and video tape the show.

The venue phone is 212-690-7807. The web site is www.shrinenyc.com .

Stratospheerius members Joe Deninzon-electric violin/mandolin/vocals, French guitarist Aurelien Budynek (Cindy Blackman, Vernon Reid), bassist Jamie Bishop (The Syn, Francis Dunnery), and drummer Lucianna Padmore (praised by Modern Drummer Magazine for her “Deep grooves and serious fusion chops.”

Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius just calls themselves a "Rock group," with a musical range combines jam, fusion, rock, progressive, virtuoso, singer-songwriter, jazz and metal. The group was a winner in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition, won the Online People's Choice Awards in the Cornucopia Festival, and was named "Best Jam Band" in Musician's Atlas Independent Music Awards.

Stratospheerius' new album THE NEXT WORLD is on Steve Vai's Digital Nations and Joe's imprint D-Zone Entertainment. Generally Steve signs metal/hard rock acts, but in addition to the great singing/songwriting on this album, Joe shreds on electric violin.  Stratospheerius generally shares bills or opens for bands from fusion, jam, progressive, rock, and hard rock.  Powderfinger radio promotions will be working the album to AAA radio this summer. THE NEXT WORLD features the fiery "Gods," an energetic power clash in "The Missing Link" and the glorious "Release." The album's wide ranging instrumentals are the whiplash-inducing "Road Rage," the soulful "Ballad for Ding Bang," and the post-apocolyptic "Fleshbot." Joe & his band bend genres in the electronic/ska-inspired "Tech Support," the country rock ballad "Climbing," and the bluesy "The House Always Wins."

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER praises Stratospheerius for its "funky electric violins, driving guitar rhythms, and fevered drumming layered in an explosive fashion."

Already THE NEXT WORLD is gaining some media attention. BLOGCRITICS writes, "If Jeff Beck had been a fiddlemaster with a streak of humor." Binghamton's PRESS & SUN BULLETIN calls the group "innovative."

The band is on the soundtrack of the recent Will Ferrell/Adam McKay-produced movie, VIRGINITY HIT.

Joe has written the book on Electric Violin--literally; Mel Bay books has released his "PLUGGING IN: A Guide To Gear and New Techniques for the 21st Century Violinist" at NAMM. Often called "The Jimi Hendrix of the Electric Violin," his innovative performances on the electric seven-string violin and his compositions blend rock, funk, jazz, classical, and Eastern European Gypsy influences. While leading Stratospheerius since 2001, Joe has worked with Bruce Springsteen, Sheryl Crow, Les Paul, Phoebe Snow, and Ritchie Blackmore, and President Clinton. He can be heard on over 100 recordings and jingles as a violinist and string arranger.

###

2012 STRATOSPHEERIUS DATES

May 4: CYBERCAFE WEST, Binghampton, NY
May 5: MOJO's, Jamestown, NY
May 17: SULLYS, Hartford, CT
May 18: STONE CHURCH, Newmarket, NH
May 19: SLAINTE, Portland, ME
May 24: RECORD RELEASE PARTY at THE SHRINE, New York, NY

Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius "One Foot In The Next World" Live

www.joedeninzon.com
www.stratospheerius.com
www.facebook.com/stratospheerius
www.reverbnation.com/stratospheerius

Jann Klose Sings For Epilepsy Awareness, Pennington, NJ, May 19

http://www.jannklose.com
http://www.facebook.com/jann.klose

CONTACT: CANDLELIGHT CONCERT SERIES
contact@candlelightconcert.org
http://candlelightconcert.org

Jann Klose, heard on the Grammy-nominated ‘Healthy Food for Thought” compilation and MTV Cribs, and currently in the studio with David Bendeth (Papa Roach, Paramore, Bruce Hornsby), will be performing at the Candlelight Concerts For Epilepsy Awareness, in Pennington, NJ on May 19, at 8 PM

Writes the Washington Post, "Klose wins over the listener with his soaring voice, which may well be a staple of chamber pop for a long time to come.”

The Candlelight Concert is a unique and fundraising house concert series to raise awareness and spread the facts about epilepsy. Currently, the house concert series is in Pennington NJ and open to a very limited number of guests (40 per show.) The shows are also streamed online using StageIt.com, with proceeds going to various epilepsy charities.

Other artists performing include Jeffrey Gaines (May 5), John Wesley Harding (June 9), Francis Dunnery (June 23), and Dan Reed (July 15).

The web site is http://candlelightconcert.org and tickets and information on this unique house concert services are available on the Candlelight Concerts For Epilepsy Awareness or by e-mailing: contact@candlelightconcert.org

CONFIRMED JANN KLOSE CONCERTS

May 19: CANDLELIGHT CONCERT SERIES FOR EPILEPSY AWARENESS, Pennington, NJ (and on Stageit.com)
June 7: SELLERSVILLE THEATER, W/ A.J. Croce, Sellersville, PA
August 12: THE CORN FESTIVAL, Beacon Waterfront, Beacon, NY
                                           ###

Rick Derringer and Pat Travers Headline the Fifth Annual Bourbon Street Blues Fest, May 19

New Jersey's most exciting Blues Fest features two stages, craft and vendor tables, food, and free parking!

The Fifth Annual Bourbon Street Blues Fest comes alive May 19 at the Lebanon Township Memorial Park, 70 Bunnvale Road, in Califon, NJ, from 11:30 AM to 8 PM.

Tickets for the Festival are: $20.00 in advance/$25.00 at the gate.
Families (up to two parents with four children) can get in for $50.00 pre-sale.
There are discounts availble for military and college students of $10.00 for those with current military or college ID.
Children from 6 to 18 years old get in for $5.00 each, and must be accompanied by a guardian.
Those 5-and-under are admitted for free.

Tickets are on sale at the gate and select Bourbon Street Wine & Spirit locations. Parking is available free of charge outside the main gate. A variety of quality foods and beverages including beer and wine will be available for purchase. Please bring valid identification if you plan to consume alcoholic beverages. Identification will be checked upon entering through the main gate. Please call 609-488-4789 for more information.

Headlining are Rick Derringer and Pat Travers Band.

Rick Derringer's classics "Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo" and "Jump" are off his platinum album, ALL AMERICAN BOY, and "Real American" is used as a theme song by wrestler Hulk Hogan and the biggest politicians around. Derringer recorded and played with Johnny Winter And... and both Edgar Winter's White Trash and The Edgar Winter Group. Derringer also has a successful solo career; he's recorded on albums with Steely Dan, Cyndi Lauper, KISS, Richie Havens, and as a producer most recently on Jenda Derringer's viral youtube hit "Cigarette."

Pat Travers is known for his own song "Snortin' Whiskey," a dynamic cover of Smiley Lewis' "Boom Boom Out Go The Lights" and Bob Marley's "Could This Be Love." Since first joining Ronnie Hawkins' touring band (before it became the band), Pat went on to release the critically acclaimed 1976 debut album, PAT TRAVERS featuring his own brand of high quality '70s guitar rock and roll. He has gone on to deliver melodic eighties rock, a blues period throughout most of the nineties, noted performances with various power trio’s during the first few years of the new Millennium, and a full blooded return to the trademark Pat Travers Band sound as he enters his fifth performing and recording decade. His latest album, says Pat, "is, quite simply, one of the best Pat Travers releases of any era."

Other International touring acts on the bill include: *George Kilby Jr., who calls his style "rough-cut American music" *Willie McBlind, a trailblazing psychedelic electric Mississippi Delta band *C.C. Coletti, who in addition to singing w/ Meat Loaf, features former Spin Doctors' guitarist Anthony Krizan

Regional artists include the best in the New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York City scene: Slackjaw with Nasty Ned, Citizens Band Radio, 61 North, and the Black River Band.

2012 BOURBON STREET BLUES FEST LINE UP
Exact performance times are subject to change without notice.
 

PAVILION STAGE
11:30: BLACK RIVER BAND
1:15: GEORGE KILBY JR.
3:15: WILLIE MCBLIND BAND
5:30 CITIZENS BAND RADIO
7:45: SLACK JAW BLUES BAND WITH NASTY NED

BOURBON STREET BAND
12:15: 61 NORTH
2:15: CC COLETTI BAND
4:15: PAT TRAVERS
6:30: RICK DERRINGER

FESTIVAL CONTACT: BOURBON STREET BLUES FESTIVAL CONTACT INFO
http://www.bourbonstreetbluesfest.com/
Phone: 609-488-4789
Email: info@bourbonstreetbluesfest.com
 

Rita Coolidge's Birthday is May 1

If you're including celebrity birthdays, here's Rita Coolidge's: May 1.

Also, like her on FACEBOOK at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rita-Coolidge

Rita Coolidge, best known as the “Delta Lady” as penned by Leon Russell and for her Cherokee Native American ancestry, had great success on the pop charts with four consecutive top 25 hits. Her repertoire includes remakes of Jackie Wilson's "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher," Boz Scaggs' "We're All Alone," and The Temptations' "The Way You Do The Things You Do," fand "You." She was married to Kris Kristofferson in 1973, but they split 7 years later. She continues to record and tour.  Look for her a new Christmas CD in the fall of 2012.

http://www.RitaCoolidge.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rita-Coolidge

Rita and Les Paul on "Am I Blue."

Please Review Jann Klose Live April 22, 29, May 2

This photo and the video below were created by Unsteady Freddie

Jann Klose, heard on the Grammy-nominated ‘Healthy Food for Thought” compilation and MTV Cribs, and currently in the studio with David Bendeth (Papa Roach, Paramore, Bruce Hornsby), has three shows coming up in New York City.

On April 22, 7 PM, he shares new songs at the Rockwood Music Hall, Rockwood Music Hall, 196 Allen Street (between Houston and Stanton), in New York City.  Gary Lucas (Jeff Buckley and Captain Beefheart will be joining him that date).  Web site is http://www.rockwoodmusichall.com, and phone number is 212-477-4155.

Jann returns to the Rockwood the following Sunday, April 29, at 7 PM.  On tap to sit in is Ryan Ordway, whose new album was produced by the Rembrandts' Danny Wilde.

On May 2, Jann returns to the the Iridium, 1650 Broadway (at 51st Street), in New York City, on May 2 at 8 and 10 PM. Admission is $27.50. The venue phone number is 212-582-2121. The web site is http://www.theiridium.com.  Writes the Washington Post, "Klose wins over the listener with his soaring voice, which may well be a staple of chamber pop for a long time to come.”

JANN KLOSE DATES:

April 22, 29: ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL Residency, New York, NY
May 2: THE IRIDIUM, w/ Jim McCarty (Yardbirds, Renaissance) & John Hawken (Strawbs, Nashville Teens), New York, NY
May 19: CANDLELIGHT CONCERT SERIES FOR EPILEPSY AWARENESS, Pennington, NJ (and on Stageit.com)
June 7: SELLERSVILLE THEATER w/ A.J. Croce, Sellersville, PA
August 12: THE CORN FESTIVAL, Beacon Waterfront, Beacon, NY

                                        ###

Jann's new viral video, "Hold Me Down."

The Left Banke: a Re-Introduction

The Left Banke have been acknowledged as forerunners of the musical style known as "Baroque Pop." This genre has found a resurgence with new artists including The Shins, The Decemberists, Regina Spektor, plus Belle and Sebastian (who in their interviews have cited the Left Banke repeatedly, as major influences on their music.)

Originally formed in New York City in 1965, the group came to prominence with the orchestral and melodic "Walk Away Renee," which featured a harpsichord and a string quartet. “Walk Away Renee” was shopped to every major label, and turned down by all except Smash, a subsidiary label of Mercury Records. It charted in 1966, reaching #5 on the Billboard charts. The follow up single, "Pretty Ballerina" was cited by Leonard Bernstein (Conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and brilliant composer of many musicals including WEST SIDE STORY and CANDIDE), who played "Pretty Ballerina on piano for his CBS-TV special, INSIDE POP - THE ROCK REVOLUTION, in which he stated, "The Left Banke and 'Pretty Ballerina' are an example of what good pop music can be." 

Two albums were released: WALK AWAY RENEE/PRETTY BALLERINA and THE LEFT BANKE TOO.

Bad management and poorly-planned tours broke up the group in 1968.

Through the years, the music of The Left Banke has gained legions of new fans and a lot of newfound credibility, as evident by Oasis' front man Noel Gallagher's recent comments in the press, where he praises The Left Banke, as "the best f*****g record I've heard in my life!" A wide range of artists have covered "Renee," including the Four Tops, Tori Amos, Frankie Valli, Vonda Shepard, Billy Bragg, The Association, Linda Ronstadt, Marshall Crenshaw, Southside Johnny, Badly Drawn Boy, Bon Jovi, and Rickie Lee Jones. It's performed in the Dolly Parton/Queen Latifah movie, JOYFUL NOISE. In 2008, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked it #220 in their list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song is in the movie THE BODYGUARD and on the soundtrack of ADDICTED TO LOVE. "Pretty Ballerina" appears in APOCALYPSE NOW, while Alice Cooper, John Mellencamp, and the Dickies kept the beauty and mystique in their covers of the song in their versions. The Bangles Susanna Hoffs and Matthew Sweet (as Sid 'n' Susie) and also Anne Murray covered "She May Call You Up Tonight."

Late 2009, original Left Banke singer/drummer George Cameron and original singer/guitarist/bassist Tom Finn found each other on Facebook. After Tom created the "Official Left Banke Fan Page" on Facebook, they went out in search of a lead singer, and found Mike Fornatale, a fan and veteran of many New Jersey bands.

Sundazed Records plotted the re-mixes and re-releases of PRETTY BALLERINA and THE LEFT BANKE TOO. The group sold out New York City's Drom and Joe's Pub, and have started hitting the road, first playing the Bearsville Theatre. Albany's METROLAND writes, "one element that I’m sure the band’s ‘60’s shows never had: unrestrained joy. Everybody on stage was beaming for the entire show... I wanna relive what I experienced over and over and over again." HUFFINGTON POST praises, "Each song sounded as fresh as the last time it was played onstage, and if you squinted and didn't look too clearly at the stage or register the drink prices it could have been 1968 again."

In December 2011, The Left Banke participated in the NYU Cantorum, performing "Walk Away Renee" and "Desiree" with the college's choir. The group is working on new songs, which may include contributions from original member Michael Brown. They play songs from the upcoming album live. In addition to George, Tom, Mike, the line up includes bassist Charly Cazalet, guitarist Paul Alves, keyboardist Mickey Finn (no relation), drummer/vocalist Rick Reil, and a cellist and a violinist.

The Left Banke is currently represented by TCI (Talent Consultants International, Ltd.) who is developing the group's Spring tour schedule. The web site: http://www.leftbankeband.com/ offers The Left Banke's history with performance videos, stories, and photos, and its future history including live appearances.

THE LEFT BANKE ON TOUR

April 29: BB KING BLUES CLUB, New York, NY
May 5: PARILLA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, Rockville, MD
May 6: RAMS HEAD ON STAGE, Annapolis, MD

http://www.leftbankeband.com/

Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius Release New Album, THE NEXT WORLD through Digital Nations/D-Zone Entertainment, May 24

Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius' new album, THE NEXT WORLD is being released on May 24 through Steve Vai's Digital Nations and Joe's imprint D-Zone Entertainment. The band's acclaimed sound is a melodic mixture of progressive hard rock with jam band, funk, jazz, and Gypsy influences. The unique merging of these sounds can be heard on the album's fiery "Gods," the energetic power clash in "The Missing Link" and the glorious intro, "Release." The album's wide ranging instrumentals are the superfast "Road Rage" and the soulful "Ballad for Ding Bang," and the post-apocolyptic "Fleshbot." Joe & his band bend genres in the electronic/ska-inspired "Tech Support," the country rock ballad "Climbing," and the bluesy "The House Always Wins."

THE NEXT WORLD is chockful of dynamic musicianship, and creative energies of bandmates--leader Joe Deninzon on electric violin and lead vocals, French guitarist Aurelien Budynek (Cindy Blackman, Vernon Reid), bassist Jamie Bishop (The Syn, Francis Dunnery), and drummer Lucianna Padmore (praised by Modern Drummer Magazine for her “Deep grooves and serious fusion chops."

The album is dedicated to the memory of Bob Bowen, the bassist in both Stratospheerius and the Joe Deninzon Trio. Bob was killed in a bicycle accident in Manhattan in 2010. Bob's bass playing can be heard on "The House Always Wins." He was also a talented visual artist and drew the cover artwork for the album.

Stratospheerius has played at colleges, festivals, and clubs throughout the US. The New York-based group has opened for Tim Reynolds, Mickey Hart, The Slip, Ekoostik Hookah, and John Scofield. The group was a winner in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition, won the Online People's Choice Awards in the Cornucopia Festival, and was named "Best Jam Band" in Musician's Atlas Independent Music Awards.

Joe Deninzon is the music world's expert on alternative violin techniques and has been called the "Jimi Hendrix of the electric Violin." His song "Scarlett's Waltz" is in the soundtrack of the Will Ferrell-produced movie, VIRGINITY HIT. This year Mel Bay books published his "PLUGGING IN: A Guide To Gear and New Techniques for the 21st Century Violinist." A musician who transcends many genres, he has recorded and performed with a variety of artists including Bruce Springsteen, Sheryl Crow, Everclear, Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple, Smokey Robinson, Johnny Matthis, Les Paul, Phoebe Snow, Jane Monheit, and Robert Bonfiglio among others.

Joe has appeared in Lincoln Center's Meet the Artist program, as a soloist with the New York City Ballet, has performed on MTV and at the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, and has played for former President Clinton. His music has been featured on CMT, VH1, ABC, Comedy Central, the Travel Channel, History Channel, Food Network, and National Geographic. An active clinician, Joe has taught at Mark O'Connor's renowned String Camp and Mark Wood's Rock Orchestra Camp.

http://www.joedeninzon.com
http://www.stratospheerius.com
http://www.facebook.com/stratospheerius
http://www.reverbnation.com/stratospheerius