Tour dates and merchandise to follow, bit by bit, through 2017!
Anne Leighton is pleased to announce the birth of her first poetry book, THE LEIGHTON EXPLOSION, which has always been the title Anne has wanted to use. “Inspired by The Music Explosion who rocked with a favorite song, ‘A Little Bit Of Soul.’ It's optimistic, glorious, fun, and self-empowering, which are qualities I love in art... “
Empowerment was something Anne felt all the way through the making of the book. She pre-sold THE LEIGHTON EXPLOSION through a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. Lots of friends, including her stepbrother Ken Bluttman, helped her along. “Through my whole adult life, when my dad was telling me to get ‘a real job with the phone company,’ Ken was one of the biggest cheerleaders I had.” In the campaign, Ken would cc Anne and some of her closest friends in round-robin emails, “Come on, let’s spread the word; she’s gonna reach her goal.” Anne says,”He believed in me.”
Her father’s attitudes changed for the better as Anne became an editor at a rock magazine, HIT PARADER, and built a freelance career as a writer in rock, fitness, and cat magazines including BILLBOARD, GOLDMINE, CREEM, CATFANCY, INSIDE KUNG FU/KARATE, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, and then authoring books: USING YOUR ART AND THE MEDIA TO COMFORT PEOPLE (Free to Run, California) and PAWS FOR THOUGHT HOW TO KNOW WHAT YOUR CAT IS THINKING (Rockwell UK), and her own 2014 ebook, GET THE GIG: COMMON SENSE CAREER CONSULTING. Her plays are read in churches, libraries, and bars. They were also performed at the Howl Fest and by The Poets Repertory Theater of Long Island. She won some small writing awards and honorable mention for a 1993 BILLBOARD songwriting contest for the song “Carry Across” with Jessie Galante. She also works in music and publicity with clients that include Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson (who wrote the foreword to THE LEIGHTON EXPLOSION).
Anne has also performed on radio and in a variety of recordings, from Jay Tausig’s TRIP AROUND THE MOON series to the the GRAMMY-nominated album, HEALTHY FOOD FOR THOUGHT: GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT. It was with the making of HFFT that she met Canadian poetry publisher Ken Cowle.
THE LEIGHTON EXPLOSION is available for order at every major book chain in North America, Australia, Europe, South America. Next, look for Anne’s growing merchandise line (e-books, home recordings of the book, USB sticks, and her T-shirts, all designed by Anne!).
As for her agoraphobia, she’s becoming more mighty every day. She travels by buses throughout the city, and then asks people to help her cross the street till she reaches her destination. She will be traveling and sharing her poetry live through 2017 in New England, Washington, DC, eastern Pennsylvania, Buffalo, Bronx and Manhattan. She would love to open for Courtney Barnett.
E-books as PDF files will be available for media; please email Anne at Anne@AnneLeighton.com
“Anne Leighton is hilarious.” — Bebe Buell, author of REBEL HEART, singer, animal lover
“Whether musing about pets or past loves, the pleasure of her word-play is palpable.”— Sander Roscoe Wolff, LBPost.com
“You have an awesome book, Anne, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and found myself, smiling often, and laughing out loud at times too, with your great sense of humor and wit.” — Ken Cowle, Anne’s publisher at Soul Asylum books
American singer-songwriter-novelist and long time Paris resident Elliott Murphy has been honored with the Chevalier des Arts et Lettres by the French Minister of Culture. The medal will be awarded to Elliott in a ceremony on November 4 in Paris. He recently released his 35th album AQUASHOW DECONSTRUCTED, wherein he revisited the songs of his first album AQUASHOW (1973) and his novel MARTY MAY was published by Gallimard in 2013.
The Order of Arts and Letters includes such American artists as Clint Eastwood, Patti Smith, Terry Gilliam, Paul Auster and Meryl Streep.
Vonda Shepard will be performing at (le) Poisson Rouge on November 21 at 7:45 pm.
(Opening act—to be announced) is on at 7 pm.
(le) Poisson Rouge is at 158 Bleecker St., in New York City, near the A, D, F train lines.
Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door.
The venue phone is 212-505-FISH.
The website is lepoissonrouge.com/ lepoissonrouge.com/
This is an “after work schmooze” with Vonda Shepard. This intimate room with Vonda (and her band or solo) should bring some wonderful memories.
ROOKIE, Vonda’s 14th album, is a title that bears no little irony, since last year marked 25 years since the release of her self-titled Warner Bros. debut and her hit “Don’t Cry Ilene” from 1989. Being of independent ways and means now, Shepard doesn’t necessarily have to raise a fortune to make a record that’ll sound like a million bucks, thanks to the ongoing participation of producer/maestro Mitchell Froom (Elvis Costello, Crowded House, Bonnie Raitt, Paul McCartney), who’s been behind the boards for all of her albums since 1999’s BY 7:30.
ROOKIE promises a mixture of moods and tempos, with perhaps slightly more emphasis on the upbeat than some past efforts. Vonda says. “I felt a need to go a little bit crazy on this album.” The album features classic Vonda Shepard, whose pop-singer songwriter style weaves soulful and heartfelt pop ballads, with influences from gospel, country and jazz.
Vonda belts the mighty song “Rookie,” which is about not being a rookie. “It’s actually the opposite of what the title suggests,” she says. “It’s about a person who’s been around the block, around all the blocks! The chorus says ‘I’m not a rookie,’ and it really conveys this feeling that I’m a ‘bad-ass’ who’s going to throw it down.” “Need Your Love,” and the empowering “Walk On Water” are some of ROOKIE’S soulful highlights.
Her styling of ballads including “Saturday,” and “I just Don’t Get It” (with its surprising twist on love and shyness) is passionate. Vonda’s relationship songs also include ROOKIE’S “Train To Inverness” and “Long For The Days,” which offer both depth of dialog with ear-catching melodies.
ROOKIE ends with two live tracks of recent songs that have become show stoppers in Vonda’s sets, the funky “Downtown Dirtytown,” and the tender-hearted pop ballad, “Roll In The Dirt.”
Vonda is charging into an active touring season in the States and Europe after enjoying her belated debut as a musical stage actress, portraying sassy tart Martha in Randy Newman’s FAUST at New York’s City Center this past summer. Ms. Shepard earned such grand reviews from New York’s tough theater critics, you could almost believe she’d paid off the devil! Said Playbill: “Indie-pop singer/songwriter Shepard was the find of the evening, at least for audiences unfamiliar with her five years of acting and singing on Ally McBeal.” The Theatermania.com critic called the Newman/Shepard duet of “Feels Like Home” “one of the year’s great stage moments to date.” New York Times theater critic Christopher Isherwood weighed in with a rave, too, calling her duet with the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer on “Feels Like Home” “the song that received the warmest reception” and adding: “Ms. Shepard’s soulful singing brought out the yearning quality in Mr. Newman’s own.”
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 Vonda Shepard live is getting the attention of fans everywhere.
Songwriting Duo Spotlights People Still Without Homes Due to October 2012 Weather Disaster
Guitarist Gary Lucas (Jeff Buckley, Captain Beefheart) and award-winning singer Jann Klose are adamant about bringing attention to our neighbors in need. With January 2016 plans to release STEREOPTICON, an album of song collaborations, the two continue to spread the word about their 2014 music video "Mary Magdalene.” Co-written with Dan Beck (who has written with Dion DiMucci and the Rascals’ Felix Cavaliere), “Mary Magdalene” brings attention to people in Long Island, Queens, Staten Island, Brooklyn, and New Jersey still struggling to get their lives back to normal since Oct. 29, 2012's Superstorm Sandy.
Among the other indignities these disaster victims have faced, some people who didn’t have flood insurance were told by FEMA that they needed to return money.
These songwriters still hear stories of people desperately wishing Long Beach had its hospital back. “An urgent care center is not good enough for the different health emergencies any of us would have on a given night,” says resident and musician, bassist Joanne “J-Bird” Phillips. “I needed to go to the emergency room but the hospital has been boarded up since Superstorm Sandy. I had an eye emergency and went to the Urgent Care Center that's on the grounds of the former hospital. They had no ophthalmologist and a very limited pharmacy that didn’t have the medication I needed. I had to drive almost a half hour to a 24 hour pharmacy, with my eye problems, while waiting 3 hours to be seen by a doctor who didn't even physically examine my affected eye!”
Gary Lucas says, “Until everybody is back in their homes and things are back to normal, we are getting the word out in support of everyone affected by Superstorm Sandy.”
Dan, Gary and Jann created the video for “Mary Magdalene” with help of Long Beach, NY travel agent Debra Michaels who cleared locations with colleagues in Island Park within a half hour of hearing about the video. They all said, "We want to get the message out that we're having a rough time getting Island Park back to normal."
Recalling tragic songs like Gordon Lightfoot's "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” Christy Moore’s “Back Home in Derry, Peter Adamson's "The Titanic,” "Mary Magdalene" is about living through Superstorm Sandy. Jann, Gary and Dan, plus a three-person production crew: Z3Rro The Comet, and Ashley Christopher (recent graduates from Five Towns' College) and EDM DJ James Messina filmed "Mary Magdalene" throughout Island Park. They showcased footage of condemned homes, the local firehouse and a favorite pub, The Local Ale House. In addition to cinematography in Island Park, the video uses footage of Breezy Point supplied by Getty Images Editorial Footage/Getty Images.
Jann and Gary's songwriting style is based in the Roots Music Genre. In actuality both artists are eclectic musicians, who tour throughout the world on their own.
Through his career, Gary Lucas worked extensively with both Jeff Buckley and Captain Beefheart. He is a solo artist and band leader with 27 albums of his own to his credit. He just toured Australia as the music director of A STATE OF GRACE, the music of Jeff & Tim Buckley; Martha Wainwright shared the stage with Gary. He shared a GRAMMY nomination with Joan Osborne for co-writing the song “Spider Web.” ROLLING STONE says Gary is, "One of the best and most original guitarists in America...a modern guitar miracle." His long-awaited Fleischerei album (Music from Betty Boop) will be released on Cuneiform, end of January.
Jann Klose recently finished touring South Africa where he grew up as a child; he sang with South Africa's National Symphony Orchestra’s conductor Richard Cock and talented orchestra students from South Africa and Nambia. He is a multiple Independent Music Award (IMA) winner. In December, the award-winning Australian documentary VENUE FOR THE END OF THE WORLD, that Jann appears in alongside of Dick Cavett and Ian Anderson, will be out on Brink Vision.
Gary and Jann both worked on the movie GREETINGS FROM TIM BUCKLEY (Tribeca Films/Focus World/Universal). Jann is the singing voice of Tim Buckley, while Gary consulted and played guitar. Tony Award winner Frank Wood plays Gary in the film.
Gary & Jann encourage their fans to donate to the Island Park Volunteer Fire Dept., P.O Box 500, Island Park, NY 11558 or online at 2ndbattalion.org/departments/island-park/.
Billy Sherwood Available for Interviews in Advance of Album Release of CITIZEN due November 6
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—October 13
Frontiers Music Srl has released the single, “Just Galileo And Me” from Billy Sherwood's upcoming concept album, CITIZEN: and it can be heard on youtube at youtu.be/9Rp-Gblyzpw. The song features XTC’s Colin Moulding on lead vocals.
"Just Galileo And Me" is about Galileo’s friend and confidante trying to convince the scientist to keep his theory that “the earth is not flat,” which is also the song’s hook, to himself for fear he’ll be labeled a heretic. The friend does acknowledge the scientist’s conviction, and the lyrics show how he knew that “eventually they would see.”
CITIZEN will be in stores and online November 6th. Billy Sherwood created this concept album based on a lost soul that is reincarnated into various periods of history. Each song places the Citizen into a unique set of circumstances where decisions are made that have serious personal and global consequences.
Fans can pre-order the album on Amazon at radi.al/BillySherwoodAmazon and on iTunes: http://radi.al/BillySherwoodiTunes radi.al/BillySherwoodiTunes . All digital pre-orders include instant downloads of "No Man's Land" and "Just Galileo And Me."
Billy Sherwood was recently handpicked by Chris Squire to fill in for him on bass and vocals in Yes, before he left for cancer treatment and ultimately, his untimely death. Billy started his career in the band Lodgic and then as a member of World Trade, who have two critically-acclaimed albums. He has produced and engineered for many artists including John Wetton, Motorhead, Queensryche, Paul Rodgers, and Yes. He joined Yes first as touring member on the “Talk” tour in 1994, and was a full time member from 1997 to 1999. He recorded two albums with Chris Squire as the “Conspiracy” project and released six albums with Circa, the band he formed with Tony Kaye.
CITIZEN is Billy’s eighth album of new material, though he sees this as a group effort, "While I've created a lot of this record myself I couldn't have done it without the amazing talents brought to bear by all the great artists who participated. So I feel it's much more of a collective effort than a solo album. It's my desire to take this production onto the stage and some of these amazing artists can help bring this concept to life.”
Jethro Tull Guitarist’s music also has touch of blues; he’s doing tour press
Martin Barre will be headlining his first solo tour of the States, starting this November as he is playing CRUISE TO THE EDGE November 15-19 with Yes, Marillion, Spock’s Beard, Enchant and rising prog guitarist Randy McStine. (In 2004, Martin co-billed in the United States with Willie Porter, whom he met when Porter opened for Jethro Tull in 2003.)
After Cruise to the Edge, Martin starts his solo date in Del Ray, Florida at the Arts Center on November 21, which is almost sold out. The tour moves up the east coast through Fayette, Alabama, Tupelo, MS; Jackson, MS, Shreveport, LA; Atlanta, GA; Asheville, NC; Vienna, VA; Rocky Mount, VA; Sellersville,PA; Binghamton, PA, Cleveland, OH; Rochester, NY; New York City, and other TBA shows.
For the past four years Martin has toured the world with his own band to play the "classic" music from the Jethro Tull catalogue, but also many new tracks written by Martin including his new album, BACK TO STEEL, (plus his two recent solo albums MARTIN BARRE and AWAY WITH WORDS).
For 43 years Martin Barre was the renowned guitarist of Jethro Tull, and his role in the band cannot be overestimated. Bruce Eder wrote on allmusic.com, “His playing has provided much of the energy that allows the band to soar on record and in concert.”
His unique sound and style contributed enormously to their success, which includes several chart topping albums, eleven gold and five platinum albums, a Grammy Award for CREST OF A KNAVE in 1988, and album sales exceeding 60 million units. Tull continues to be played worldwide, representing an important part of classic rock history.
Martin’s guitar playing has earned him respect and recognition; he’s been voted among the best ever in the USA and in the UK for his playing on “Aqualung.” Beyond numerous Jethro Tull albums, Martin has plied those award-winning chops with many other distinguished artists, including Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, Gary Moore, Joe Bonamassa and Chris Thompson. He has shared a stage with such legends as Jimi Hendrix, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.
Redoubtable drummer George Lindsay, alongside super songwriter and bass player Alan Thomson form the core of Martin’s accomplished band, with vocals performed by the talented and distinctive Dan Crisp. All members are committed to giving the Tull fans and a broader audience the chance to hear tracks not performed for many years with a few surprises along the way.
November 15-19: Cruise to the Edge
w/ Yes, Marillion, Randy McStine, Enchant, Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy, Spock’s Beard…
November 21, 2015 Arts Garage in Delray Beach
November 24 Fayette Civic Centre Alabama
w/ opener Chris Simmons
November 25: Tupelo, MS, The Blue Canoe
November 26 and 27: off
November 28 Bears on Fairfield, Shreveport, LA
November 29 Duling Hall, Jackson, MS
December 2, Smith’s Olde Bar, Atlanta, GA
December 3: Asheville, The Grey Eagle
w/ opener: The Get Right Band
December 4: Harvester Performance Center, Rocky Mount, VA
December 6, 7:30 pm: Jammin’ Java, Vienna, VA
w/ opener: The Get Right Band
December 10 Sellersville Theater, Sellersville, PA
w/ opener: Joe Deninzon & Randy McStine
December 11, Dublin Double Celtic Pub, Endicott, NY
w/ opener: Joe Deninzon & Randy McStine
December 13 Beachland Ballroom and Tavern, Cleveland, OH
opener: Cuda Krishna & Cuda
December 15 The Lovin’ Cup (Presented by the Bop Shop)
December 18: The Spire Center for The Performing Arts, Plymouth, MA
December 19: Rockwood Music Hall, New York, NY
w/ opener: Black Cat Groove
December 20: The Ballroom at Outer Space, Hamden, CT
w/ opener: Phoebe Legere
Click the Downloadable Poster of Martin Barre To Enjoy It Fully
The British Press loves JETHRO TULL, Written and Performed by Ian Anderson. Now delighting audiences in South America, the production wrapped up its first leg in the UK last week.
This multi-media night of music by the band Jethro Tull offers new life on both the songs and the inspiration of the original Jethro Tull, the famous 18th Century agriculturist and inventor of the seed drill.
It’s “something remarkable to beheld,” writes Andy Snipper of London’s MUSIC NEWS. “It isn’t often that I go overboard about live performances but I have to say that if you don’t have a ticket for a show on this tour you need to be out there searching. It wasn’t about the performances – although they were excellent – or about the songs – once more great songs. It is about a concept brought through to completion that is in itself circular and thoroughly original but also immediately familiar to anyone familiar with the band.”
It was only recently that Ian began researching the life of the man that his band took the name of 48 years ago on a weekly audition night at London’s famed UK club, The Marquee.
The performance of Jethro Tull includes favorites “Aqualung,” “Living In The Past,” “Wind-Up,” “A New Day Yesterday,” and “Locomotive Breath” alongside of songs that could be about Jethro Tull including “Heavy Horses,” “Farm On The Freeway,” “Songs From The Wood” and “The Witch’s Promise.” Some of them are rewritten slightly to better tell the tale.
The band features Greig Robinson (bass), John O’Hara (keyboards), Florian Opahle (guitar), Scott Hammond (drums) and virtual guests including Ryan O’Donnell who toured with Ian from 2012-2014/15. Bassist David Goodier, who has played with both Jethro Tull and with Ian since 2002, appears in Ian’s virtual world. Also on the big screen is Unnur Birna Björnsdóttir as the Agricutluralist’s wife. Writes Public Reviews Selwyn Knight, “She is expressive and has a beautifully clear and pure voice that cuts through the rumble of drums and guitars. She’s a mean violinist, too.”
Knight also raves about Ian Anderson’s charisma, “to whom all eyes are drawn… a looming stage presence, stalking the stage like a caged animal casting notes from his flute far and wide, occasionally rising to stand on one leg in his signature silhouette. Even singing at the microphone, one feels there is great energy barely held in check as he is never quite still. A consummate showman with a unique voice and flute style.”
Ian Anderson recently won The Prog God Award from Prog Magazine, celebrating the innovators of rock who have inspired generations and carved a way for others to be at their creative best. There is no one who has pushed the boundaries more than Ian Anderson, who to this day remains immersed in his love for the music.
Fronting seminal Prog outfit Jethro Tull and performing simply under his own name, Ian Anderson has performed in more than 54 countries over 45 years; he is widely considered an icon of the genre and is recognized as the protagonist of the flute in rock music. With over 60 million albums sold in its career, Tull has been characterized by Anderson’s trademark acoustic textures created with ethnic flutes and whistles together with acoustic guitar and the mandolin family of instruments. In many recent shows, Anderson has played with orchestras, string quartets and featured soloists. His eclectic acoustic performances are also a hit with fans of the progressive genre.
Look for more dates in Russia and throughout Europe and South America before the end of the year. Below are the November U.S. shows. Below that are the full reviews.
DATES:
November 1: Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL
November 3: Fox Theatre, Detroit, MI
November 5: CITI Performing Arts Center, Boston, MA
November 6: Kings Theatre, Brooklyn, NY
November 7: Academy of Music, Philadelphia, PA
November 8: Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket, CT
November 10: Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY
November 11: New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark, NJ
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Selwyn Knight’s write-up in THE PUBLIC REVIEWS of JETHRO TULL from Symphony Hall in Birmingham, UK.
http://www.thepublicreviews.com/jethro-tull-the-rock-opera-symphony-hall-birmingham/
Say the name ‘Jethro Tull’ to people and you are likely to elicit one of three responses depending on their age and interests – a blank look; if of a historical bent: ‘Oh, yes, the famous 18th Century agriculturist and inventor of the seed drill’; or, if someone of a certain age, ‘Oh yes, the famous progressive rock/folk fusion band led by Ian Anderson’. The central conceit of this evening is that Ian Anderson and other musicians tell the story of Jethro Tull (the man) using songs from the extensive repertoire of Jethro Tull (the band, now, according to Anderson, officially disbanded).
Anderson tells how it was only relatively recently that he began looking into the life of the man and that he recognised that songs from his back catalogue could represent events and moods during Tull’s life. So the seed of the idea for Jethro Tull The Rock Opera germinated, was tended and grew.
Tull was an agricultural pioneer. His design of the seed drill improved productivity and he continued to invent ways of improving yields throughout his life. Anderson has taken the outline of Tull’s life and replanted it in the near future; in this vision, Tull becomes a leading government scientist and wealthy businessman in the field of genetically modified crops before becoming disillusioned and returning to a more organic lifestyle.
The song choices Anderson has made do indeed suit the story with little modification. And he has wisely ensured that some real crowd-pleasers are included – Heavy Horses, Aqualung, Songs from the Wood, Living in the Past, The Witch’s Promise and Locomotive Breath all feature. The story is largely told through video projection with characters from the story – Jethro Tull, his father, wife and son chief among them – appearing and singing with the onstage band. This is very effective and allows Anderson and the musicians to do what they do best – rock Symphony Hall to its foundations – while maintaining the narrative. On screen, Unnur Birna Björnsdóttir sings as Tull’s wife. She is expressive and has a beautifully clear and pure voice that cuts through the rumble of drums and guitars. She’s a mean violinist, too. Ryan O’Donnell, currently starring as Ray Davies in The Kinks’ musical, Sunny Afternoon, cuts a suitable figure as the young Tull trying to make a name and also the mildly disillusioned son. He sounds disconcertingly similar to the young Anderson as well. The whole is technically perfect with the onstage band and the video footage synchronising perfectly. A nice touch is the use of archive Jethro Tull footage showing a young Ian Anderson in full flow on the flute alongside today’s model live onstage.
And it is Anderson to whom all eyes are drawn. He has great charisma and is a looming stage presence, stalking the stage like a caged animal casting notes from his flute far and wide, occasionally rising to stand on one leg in his signature silhouette. Even singing at the microphone, one feels there is great energy barely held in check as he is never quite still. A consummate showman with a unique voice and flute style.
The other musicians are first rate: Scott Hammond’s drums provide an insistent, almost industrial driving force contrasting with the delicacy of some of Anderson’s flute work. Often understated keyboards from John O’Hara add to the tonal mix. However, the lead guitar of Florian Opahle really strikes the ear. Technically superb, he makes notes soar over the heads of the audience. All are equally at home rocking it and also with the pastoral more introspective pieces.
As an evening celebrating the music of Jethro Tull, a greatest hits evening, the performance works. The use of some other singers is refreshing and gives familiar songs a new sound and life. However, the narrative of the story of Jethro Tull (the man) is less well developed – one really needs to read the synopsis in the programme to see the narrative arc. However, this aspect of the evening is perhaps the least important to fans of Jethro Tull (the band). Wearing T-shirts celebrating all eras in the band’s long life from 1967 to 2014, they, and this reviewer, are happy to hear iconic songs performed with gusto by the man who originally wrote them. And in this regard, one cannot fault the evening.
From London’s MUSIC NEWS, this is Andy Snipper’s review.
It isn’t often that I go overboard about live performances but I have to say that if you don’t have a ticket for a show on this tour you need to be out there searching.
It wasn’t about the performances – although they were excellent – or about the songs – once more great songs. It is about a concept brought through to completion that is in itself circular and thoroughly original but also immediately familiar to anyone familiar with the band. To clarify: Ian Anderson named his band Jethro Tull after an 18th Century farmer and agriculturalist who invented a mechanical seed drill and mechanised hoe. Jethro Tull (the band) were extremely successful and Ian Anderson decided to make a rock opera of the life of the man who the band were named after, set in the modern day and using the songs of the band to illustrate his life.
The performance at Shepherd’s Bush last night was superb and the use of filmed and digital backdrops with some of the performers on the album singing in the film and perfectly synched with the live performance happening on stage added immensely to the ‘show’. The band were Anderson’s touring band of Florian Opahle on guitar, John O’Hara on keyboards, Scott Hammond on drums and Grieg Robinson on bass but there were also excellent filmed performances by Ryan O’Donnel as the young Jethro, David Goodier as the older Tull and wonderful singing and violin from Unnur Birna Bjornsdóttir as Jethro’s wife and mother. All were excellent but Ian Anderson is such a perfect front man that when he was on stage all eyes were inevitably on him.
Speaking of Ian Anderson, when the band started in 1967 he was whip-thin, lithe and as hairy as any of his contemporaries. He also had a great and very unique voice and occasionally played flute. In 2015 he is stockier, bald and has less of a voice than 50 years earlier. However, he is the same prancing and gesticulating actor/artist, can still balance on one leg while playing flute, plays more and better flute than in the past and is still utterly captivating onstage. The show itself featured a veritable ‘best of’ of Jethro Tull music including songs not heard for years – ‘Living In The Past’, ‘Witch’s Promise’ – tracks from ‘Aqualung’ and also the later albums such as ‘Heavy Horses’. These were not shoe-horned in to fit but, where necessary, the lyrics were tweaked to add relevance. It is NOT a bog standard concert, it really does have a readily understood theme and the show in toto is something remarkable to behold.
Singer/songwriter/bassist/multi-instrumentalist releasing music video exactly one month in advance of upcoming album, CITIZEN
Billy Sherwood has unveiled the first single and music video, “No Man’s Land,” from his album, CITIZEN via Frontiers Music Srl's Facebook page as well as his own. It can be viewed at this link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp4hLAonqUo . The video and the song, which features Deep Purple/Dixie Dregs/Kansas guitarist Steve Morse, are about a World War I runner, someone who runs from trench to trench where his fellow soldiers are fighting, to pass messages from their leaders—the generals who are giving orders from behind friendly lines.
In “No Man’s Land,” the Runner sees his buddies die, and, as the video progresses, seems to be walking more and more in a daze. Billy says, “You get the idea that he’s the only guy who walked away from the battle.”
Billy used three distinct sources for footage in “No Man’s Land”: 1) archival footage from World War I, 2) a cameraman taping him up-close and facing front in a brightly-lit room, 3) modern day footage of a tall and powerful looking young man being the runner. “That is David Hussey,” explains Billy. “He’s in the prog band XNA which I produced/recorded. We shot the footage in the desert behind my house.”
The video is directed by Devin DeHaven, and it reflects on war—the losses, pain, and darkness.
“No Man’s Land” appears on Billy’s upcoming album, CITIZEN, which is being released on November 6, 2015 by Frontiers Music Srl. All digital pre-orders of CITIZEN include an instant download of “No Man’s Land." Here are the pre-order links.:
Billy Sherwood created CITIZEN, a concept album based on a lost soul that is reincarnated into various periods of history. "I was inspired by the notion that General Patton believed he was reincarnated on various battlefields through time; I wanted to take that concept even further." As the songwriter/producer, Billy placed the citizen character into significant moments of history.
A who’s who of the prog world appears on the album:
* Guitarists Steve Morse and Genesis’ Steve Hackett contribute some amazing fret work.
* Both Alan Parsons and XTC’s Colin Moulding sing on the CITIZEN album.
* Keyboardist Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater) and violinist Jerry Goodman (the Flock, Dixie Dregs, Mahavishnu Orchestra) are also on the album.
* Billy’s Yes friends: all these keyboardists: Tony Kaye, Geoff Downes, Rick Wakeman and Patrick Moraz, plus current singer Jon Davison, and Billy’s mentor the late Chris Squire.
Chris Squire handpicked Billy to fill in for him on bass and vocals in Yes, before he left for cancer treatment and ultimately, his recent passing. Billy started his career in the band Lodgic and then as a member of World Trade, who have two critically-acclaimed albums. He has produced and engineered for many artists including John Wetton, Motorhead, Queensryche, Paul Rodgers, and Yes. He joined Yes first as touring member on the “Talk” tour in 1994, and was a full time member from 1997 to 1999. He recorded two albums with Chris Squire as the “Conspiracy” project and released six albums with Circa, the band he formed with Tony Kaye.
CITIZEN is Billy’s eighth album of new material, though he sees this as a group effort, "While I've created a lot of this record myself I couldn't have done it without the amazing talents brought to bear by all the great artists who participated. So I feel it's much more of a collective effort than a solo album. It's my desire to take this production onto the stage and some of these amazing artists can help bring this concept to life.”
