Monday, June 18, 2007

TOM RUSH’S “THE REMEMBER SONG” VIDEO CLIP GOES 2.2 plus HITS!


TOM RUSH’S “THE REMEMBER SONG” VIDEO CLIP HITS OVER
2.2 MILLION VIEWS ON YOUTUBE!


ATLANTA, GA - Legendary singer/songwriter Tom Rush’s video clip for “The Remember Song” has become a true internet phenomenon, having amassed over 2.2 million plays and counting on YouTube.com in just three months. The live performance video clip of “The Remember Song” was filmed in San Diego at Humphrey’s By the Sea during one of the shows Tom was doing with Judy Collins. Rush sings about the most feared aging symptom that all Baby Boomers dread: forgetting. He sings about missing keys, glasses, phones, and well - worse - names. So please take a look at this fabulous video: a vignette into the genius mind of Tom Rush. Follow the YouTube road to this link and see for yourself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yN-6PbqAPM

The song was written by Steven Walters and Tom has been playing it live for several years because it always connects with his audiences of all ages. The video also shows the reactions of the audience, as well as the comedic timing that Tom Rush has while delivering the song. It’s a flawless performance. This clip is taken from the Judy Collins Wildflower Festival DVD with Tom, Judy, Arlo Guthrie and Eric Anderson, which is available for sale on Tom’s web site.

Tom Rush first came into prominence in the 1960s as a singer/songwriter at a time when music began to really shape American culture. He is a gifted musician and performer, whose shows offer a musical celebration - a journey into the tradition and spectrum of what music has been, can be, and will become. His distinctive guitar style, wry humor and warm, expressive voice have made him both a legend and a lure to audiences around the world. His shows are filled with the laughter of terrific story-telling, the sweet melancholy of ballads and the passion of gritty blues.
Over the years, he has toured throughout the world, and his songs have been re-interrupted by several new generations. He was one of the first artists to record a then-unknown Joni Mitchell’s songs, and was an inspiration to a young James Taylor, who has been quoted as saying, “Tom was not only one of my early heroes, but one of my main influences.” Tom Rush signed with Elektra Records in 1965 and his early work exposed listeners to Mitchell (The Circle Game album), Jackson Browne (“Jamaica Say You Will”) and Leonard Cohen. Tom’s craving for good songs and attracting great musicians gave way to his legendary Club 47 shows in Boston, which brought in young talent like Nanci Griffith, Shawn Colvin, Bonnie Raitt, and Allison Krauss. The Club 47 shows were the pre-cursor to the coffee house circuit as a way to champion new emerging artists. A few years ago, U2 inserted a lyric from Tom’s song, “No Regrets” into the live performance of their hit, “Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own,” with the words, “I don't want you back/We'd only cry again/Say goodbye again.”

As an artist, Tom Rush feels his approach is to be the servant of the song, saying, in an interview several years ago when Columbia/Legacy released his retrospective CD, No Regrets, The Very Best of Tom Rush, “You just want to be the window people see the song through.”

This honest approach is what draws people to Tom; he’s very personable, witty and thoughtful. His uncanny knack for finding songs that suit him is incredible, which makes him one of the chief architects of the singer/songwriter genre.

Tom is still an active performer doing about 60 shows a year and currently resides in the Santa Barbara area his wife, Renee Askins, who is the founder of the Wolf Fund.

For more information on Tom and his music, a complete listing of his tour itinerary and to purchase CDs and other merchandise, visit www.tomrush.com

To schedule an interview, or to get more information on this YouTube.com story and Tom, please contact Jill Kettles at the office: email: jill@markpuccimedia.com


Upcoming Tom Rush Performance ItineraryJuly12 - Manchester, NH - Thu. Night Live Concert Series - Veterans Park - 7:30 PM 13 - Sanbornville, NH - Wolfeboro Folk Concert Series - 7 PM 14 - Patchogue, NY - Great South Bay Music Festival 16 - Larchmont, NY - Watercolor Café - 7 PM 23 - Jackson, WY - Jackson Hole Center for the Arts - 8 PM - 30 –

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

JOE RATHBONE IS UNDER THE SCORPIO MOON!



SINGER/SONGWRITER JOE RATHBONE IS UNDER THE SCORPIO MOON
NEW CD COMING JULY 24, DISTRIBUTED NATIONALLY BY SELECT-O-HITS






NASHVILLE, TN – Zakz Records announces a July 24 release date for Under the Scorpio Moon, the new CD from singer/songwriter Joe Rathbone, nationally distributed by Select-O-Hits. Produced by David Henry and Joe Rathbone and recorded at Henry’s studio in Nashville, Under the Scorpio Moon also features Brad Jones on bass, Craig Wright (Steve Earle) on drums, Tony Miracle (Venus Hum) on keyboards and guitars, Jimmy Bowland (Delbert McClinton) on sax, clarinet and flute and Rich Malloy and Marco Giovino on drums. David Henry, a sought-after cellist whose playing has appeared on CDs by the Indigo Girls, Cowboy Junkies and Guster, also adds cello, guitar, keyboard and backing vocals on the new album.

Joe Rathbone has fashioned a new sonic landscape for himself on Under the Scorpio Moon, turning in a poetic study in the art of simplicity. Vintage-raw guitar and keys combine with techno grooves and stellar choruses to paint a picture of a world shifting beneath our feet. The songs deal with elation, depression, dreamlike acceptance of fate and hitting back against the emotional flatliners who try to control even our illusions. Joe Rathbone has drawn comparisons to Elvis Costello, Tom Petty, World Party, Paul Westerberg, Matthew Sweet and many more, but with this CD’s release, he’s found his own, real voice.

Under the Scorpio Moon follows 2004’s I Can Hear the Windows of Your Heart Breaking and his 2002 debut, Welcome to Your New Life, both of which received very favorable reviews in national media, extensive airplay on AAA radio stations and were lauded as an impressive showcase for his songwriting skills.

“He’s fashioned a thoroughly winning pop album filled with strong melodies and well-turned lyrics,” said Paste Magazine. “Joe Rathbone throws himself into the arena of Tom Petty (nee Dylan),” commented the Village Voice. “Joe’s music unites top-shelf hook-a-minute pop songwriting and a pleasing soulful voice,” added No Depression. “The trick to creating a perfect pop confection revolves around getting the mix between sweet and sour just right. Joe Rathbone’s songs prove that he has the recipe down pat. Every song on his second solo release, I Can Hear the Windows of Your Heart Breaking, displays a level of songwriting savvy usually associated with contemporary masters like Elvis Costello or Nick Lowe,” summed up Vintage Guitar.

Rathbone followed up his last release with lengthy tours in the US and UK, as well as opening shows for Shawn Colvin, Chuck Prophet, Peter Mulvey, Robbie Fulks, and Jim Lauderdale, among others, and also appeared on the nationally syndicated radio show, Mountain Stage. Several of his songs were licensed for use on the MTV show, Sorority Life, and a DVD season release of the television series, Party of Five.

Originally from Philadelphia, Rathbone’s music has taken him to New York City, Atlanta and now Nashville, where he currently resides. To support the release on Under the Scorpio Moon, Joe Rathbone will tour extensively in the U.S. and Europe.

For additional information, please visit www.joerathbone.com.

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Tuesday, May 1, 2007

SICK? LAURIE MORVAN GOT THE CURE FOR WHAT AILS YA!


LAURIE MORVAN CURES WHAT AILS YA ON NEW CD COMING JUNE 12 FROM SCREAMING LIZARD RECORDS, DISTRIBUTED BY BURNSIDE


LONG BEACH, CA – "Smokin', sexy, screamin' rock & roll blues like you've never heard a woman - or a man - play." "Few blues guitarists pour as much energy into their performance... she brought the house down with one fiery burst of rock-solid blues fireworks after another."

These are some of the quotes about Southern California-based guitarist/singer Laurie Morvan, whose new CD, Cures What Ails Ya, will be released June 12 on Screaming Lizard Records, distributed nationally by Burnside Distribution.

The Illinois-born and raised Morvan discovered modern blues through artists such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, .38 Special and The Marshall Tucker Band. In her early 20s, she was already playing lead guitar and singing in a power trio, and by going back to the sources of her guitar heroes, she discovered the roots of the blues from artists such as Robert Johnson, Luther Allison, Etta James and Big Mama Thornton.

To support her music "habit," Laurie graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign, received a Master's Degree in Applied Mathematics from California State University in Long Beach and taught math classes to raise funds to record her first album, Out Of the Woods, released in 1997 under the band name Backroad Shack. In 2004, she released Find My Way Home, and by then the group had changed its name to the Laurie Morvan Band.

Cures What Ails Ya was produced by Laurie Morvan and Lisa Grubbs, who also sings background vocals on the new CD. It features 12 original Laurie Morvan songs, all powered by her incendiary guitar work and soulful vocals, which recall Heart's Ann Wilson.

In addition to Laurie's regular touring band, the new CD features special guest performances from drummer Tony Braunagel (B.B. King, Taj Mahal), long-time Bonnie Raitt bassist James "Hutch" Hutchinson, Grammy-winning keyboard master George Duke, B3 organist Sammy Avila (Walter Trout) and keyboardist Doña Oxford (Shemekia Copeland). With its blend of energized blues/ rock, Cures What Ails Ya captures the raw power, dynamics, versatility and passion of a Laurie Morvan Band live performance.

The Laurie Morvan Band will celebrate the release of Cures What Ails Ya with a number of shows in Southern California before heading out to the rest of the country in support of the new CD. For more information, video clips, or to hear sample tracks from the new CD, visit these two sites:
http://www.lauriemorvan.com/ or www.MySpace.com/lauriemorvanband.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Maria Muldaur is Naughty, Bawdy and Blue!


MARIA MULDAUR IS NAUGHTY, BAWDY & BLUE ON NEW CD OUT MAY 15
COMPLETES CLASSIC BLUES WOMEN TRILOGY ON STONY PLAIN
INCLUDES SPECIAL DUET WITH MARIA AND BONNIE RAITT




EDMONTON, AB – Stony Plain Records has announced a May 15 release date for Maria Muldaur’s new CD, Naughty, Bawdy & Blue, which completes the trilogy of albums the acclaimed singer has released as a tribute to classic women blues singers from the 1920s through the 1940s. Both of Maria’s previous albums in this series for Canadian label Stony Plain, which is distributed in the U.S. by Navarre Corporation, were nominated for Grammy Awards: Richland Woman Blues (2001) and Sweet Lovin’ Ol’ Soul (2005).


Bonnie Raitt makes a special guest appearance on Naughty, Bawdy & Blue singing a duet with Maria on “Separation Blues,” a song written by Sippie Wallace, with whom Bonnie toured in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Both Maria and Bonnie sang the song with Sippie prior to her death in 1986.

“How great to hear these classic blues again, done up right by one of my favorite singers and the incredible James Dapogny’s Chicago Jazz Band,” says Bonnie Raitt about the new album. “I loved joining in on Sippie Wallace’s ‘Separation Blues’!”


Backing Maria Muldaur on most of the album is James Dapogny’s Chicago Jazz Band (who often performed with Sippie Wallace), which provides the perfect accompaniment of instruments (clarinet, sax, trumpet, trombone, tuba, banjo, guitar, piano, bass and drums) to these songs, a sassy mix of blues and jazz. Other guests on the CD include Dave Mathews on piano and Kevin Porter on trombone. Naughty, Bawdy & Blue was produced by Maria Muldaur and Ron Harwood and recorded at Solid Sound in Ann Arbor, Michigan.


In addition to Sippie Wallace, the other blues queens saluted on the album include Bessie Smith (“Empty Bed Blues,” “A Good Man Is Hard To Find”), Victoria Spivey (“TB Blues,” “One Hour Mama”), Alberta Hunter (“Early Every Morn”), Ma Rainey (“Yonder Come The Blues”) and Mamie Smith (“Down Home Blues”), as well as songs made famous by Ethel Waters and Sara Martin, plus another Sippie Wallace classic, “Up the Country Blues.”

As a young girl growing up in New York City’s Greenwich Village, these are the songs – and the women – who helped inspire Maria to sing and perform, eventually joining the burgeoning folk scene as a member of the Even Dozen Jug Band and later the Jim Kweskin Jug Band. It was also around that time that Maria met Victoria Spivey, who took her under her wing and taught her the finer points of blues singing and performing.


“These singers presented a more sophisticated, polished and urban blues style compared to the more primitive sound of the Delta blues artists,” says Muldaur in the album’s liner notes. “Appearing in large theaters, decked out in lavish finery and accompanied by the most accomplished jazz musicians of the day, their music resonated at the crossroads where jazz and blues meet. These women were ‘liberated’ way before the term was coined; liberated socially, financially and - most of all – sexually from the prevailing confines and mores of the time.”

Naughty, Bawdy & Blue includes extensive recollections from Maria Muldaur on these women singers and their impact on music, as well as individual bios of the women saluted and beautiful watercolor paintings by Rowland Salley of Chris Isaak’s band, who also contributed his work to both previous Muldaur albums on Stony Plain.

Maria Muldaur will tour extensively in support of Naughty, Bawdy & Blue, and is booked by Charlie Ellicott of Ellicott Talent Group (http://www.ellicotttalentgroup.com/)

For more information, visit http://www.mariamuldaur.com/ or http://www.stonyplainrecords.com/

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It's a TRAIN WRECK-Record label that is...


CHIP TAYLOR LAUNCHES TRAIN WRECK RECORDS IN THE U.S. ON APRIL 3RD WITH NATIONAL DISTRIBUTION BY RED
LABEL TO KICK OFF WITH NEW CDS BY GUITARIST JOHN PLATANIA AND SINGER/FIDDLER KENDEL CARSON


NEW YORK – Legendary singer/songwriter Chip Taylor has announced the launch of his indie label, Train Wreck Records, with national distribution by RED Distribution. On April 3rd, the imprint will release its first CDs by guitarist John Platania, Blues, Waltzes and Badland Borders, and Canadian singer/fiddler Kendel Carson’s debut, Rearview Mirror Tears. Train Wreck is already distributing the past Chip Taylor/Carrie Rodriguez catalogue, with additional plans including a possible new live Taylor/Rodriguez duet CD.

“I am extremely enthusiastic about having Train Wreck Records – which has been active in Europe for several years – distributed by RED in the U.S.,” said Chip Taylor in making the announcement. “In the last few years, hands-on support from indie labels has helped break the Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez albums, as well as our solo projects. Guided by Heinz Geissler, Chuck and David Knoblock, the plan for Train Wreck is to continue that hands-on approach with new releases of the first instrumental/concept album by my favorite guitarist in the universe, John Platania, as well as great new artist, Kendel Carson, a young fiddling singer/songwriter,” he added.

John Platania is a well-known guitarist who has played on a number of Van Morrison albums, including the classic hits “Moondance” and “Domino,” and is currently a member of Morrison’s touring band. He’s also recorded and performed with Bonnie Raitt, Randy Newman and Judy Collins, and has been a regular member of Chip Taylor’s band for many years, both on record and on the road.

“It amazes me that John Platania has never recorded his own instrumental album,” Taylor remarked. “Of course, his unique sound is heard throughout some of the all-time great recordings, including many by Van Morrison; and I’ve been fortunate to have him weave his magic on my albums all the way back to Last Chance in 1973. But this album features John in the spotlight and it’s about time.”

Blues, Waltzes and Badland Borders showcases John Platania’s amazing skills on both electric and acoustic guitars and features special guest vocal appearances by Lucinda Williams and Alejandro Escovedo, plus narrative contributions from Academy Award-winning actor Jon Voigt and Ruben Ramos (Los Super Seven), among others. The main studio band for the sessions includes Tony Mercadante on bass, Anton Fig (David Letterman Band) on drums and Chip Taylor on acoustic guitar, with a special guest appearance on fiddle by Carrie Rodriguez. As the CD’s title implies, the new album touches on several sounds associated with Tex-Mex music, as well as blues, rockabilly and some beautiful John Platania guitar instrumental portraits colored with emotion and tenderness. All 11 songs on the CD were written individually or co-written by Platania and Taylor.

22-year-old Kendel Carson has been a professional musician for over a decade, beginning as a trained classical violinist at the age of three in her hometown of Victoria, BC. She has been a featured guest soloist with the Victoria Symphony and a member of the acclaimed National Youth Orchestra of Canada. Kendel has already toured all over the world as a member of several bands, most-recently The Paperboys, with whom she currently tours and is prominently featured on their latest CD, The Road to Ellenside.

“Carrie Rodriguez and I met Kendel Carson a few years ago at a festival in Canmore, Canada,” said Taylor. “Later, at some extremely inspiring sessions in New York, we recorded her first solo album, Rear View Mirror Tears. Kendel is a one of a kind, in talent and personality. She’s an amazing fiddle player, has her own sweet/edgy vocal sound and has a down-home honesty about her on stage that will certainly win folks over.”

On Rear View Mirror Tears, Carson is backed by an all-star band that includes Chip Taylor and John Platania, as well as Tony Mercadante on bass, Dan Rieser on drums and Seth Farber on accordion and keyboards, with special guests Carrie Rodriguez and Kendel’s brother Tyler on background vocals. Chip Taylor wrote the majority of the songs on the new CD, with two co-written by Taylor and Kendel Carson. Rear View Mirror Tears was recorded live in the studio and has the spontaneous, energized feel of a live show, with sounds ranging from Texas fiddle tunes, to tender ballads and several country roadhouse rockers that will get audiences singing along with the lyrics.

Chip Taylor, John Platania and Kendel Carson will support the release of the new CDs with an extensive touring schedule, including appearances at the upcoming South By Southwest Music Conference in Austin, as well as the first Train Wreck Records ensemble tour of the country that will see all three artists performing solo and together.

For more information, visit www.trainwreckrecords.com

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Thursday, March 1, 2007

AMERICAN CATAPULT AT MOLLY MALONE'S ON 3/2

Don't forget that American Catapult will be at Molly Malone's on 3/2 in LA. I am hoping that you will be interested in going to see them play. They are truly a band with the grassroots roots…they even have stains on their cars to prove it. (If you wanna try on their sound, go to www.myspace.com/americancatapult just make sure you give it back to the dressing room person in charge so they can hang it back up).


Their CD, Trees of Mystery is going to be released May 22 on Cooking Vinyl if you don't get the title, just look at the CD art and then drive down your streets and roads to see if you can find something that would match it...then you will get it.


BUTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT if you aren't able to get out tomorrow…try Austin:

They will be in Austin for SXSW 3/14 at Sam's Town Point at 8PM (no badge or wristband to get in) and at Cheapo's on 3/15 on S. Lamar at 1PM.

So try it you'll like it!

Thursday, February 15, 2007

A NEWS FLASH FOR FOLK ALLIANCE RE: MICK OVERMAN

“I don't know who he is or from where he hails, but when a CD is this good, I don’t much care about the small print. Overman comes with a Springsteen work ethic and a singer-songwriter folk-rock sound not so far off the beaten path as to call it anything but commonplace – but commonplace in the way of those Diane Arbus black and white photos from the '60's that look quite ordinary until you really look at them and see that there’s something else going on beneath the surface. Likewise, there's something worth encountering just under the surface of Overman’s wonderful road-wizened voice.
Rating - 4 ½ stars – NBCSan Diego.com review of Mick Overman’s new CD,
Good Thing Happen

Come hear Mick Overman for yourself at Folk Alliance, the man whose music has been described as “bluesy folk & roll with jazz attitude.” Mick is considered a SF Bay Area legend, having been long regarded as one of the West Coast’s hardest-working and most-prolific artists (He’s played as many as 379 shows in one year.). He’s also a poet and a master musician, with a rootsy/gutsy style of singing and guitar playing that’s been dubbed “Berklee College of Caveman.”

MICK OVERMAN 2007 FOLK ALLIANCE PERFORMANCES

Wednesday February 21st
12:00am Natchez Room
Official Folk Alliance "Performance Alley" Showcase

Thursday February 23rd
4:00pm Room #1710
Houston Jones "Best Of The West" Showcase

4:45pm Room 204
Spoken Word Showcase entitled "Storytelling With Rosalie Sorrells"

12:00am Room #1708
"Aurora Gorilla" Showcase

1:50am Room #1903
Folk Alliance Troubadour Room

Friday February 23rd
5:00pm Room #1809
"Ronda Barton Presents SOS Annex"

12:00am Room #1710
Houston Jones "Best Of The West" Showcase

1:30am Room #1708
"Aurora Gorilla" Showcase

Saturday February 24th
4:30pm Martin Guitar Day Stage Official Folk Alliance "Performance Alley" Showcase
12:30am #1708
"Aurora Gorilla" Showcase