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Neil Young is set to take on iTunes with a new high-resolution music service designed to combat the compressed audio offered by MP3s.
Launching next year, Young's service Pono will offer a music download service, portable music players, and digital-to-analogue conversion technology. The aim is to present songs as they first sounded when they were recorded, it has been reported.
In his book Waging Heavy Peace, out this week, Young explains how Pono will help to "save the sound of music". The title reportedly refers to the response Young gave to a friend when asked if he was waging a war on Apple with his new service.
Young claims in the book that had emailed Steve Jobs about Pono before his death last October: "I have consistently reached out to try to assist Apple with true audio quality, and I have even shared my high-resolution masters with them," he writes, before stating that his service will "force iTunes to be better and to improve quality at a faster pace."
Apple launched it's Mastered For iTunes program last year, which requires engineers to change audio quality based on the listener's location – such as on a flight, on a bus, or a club. However, its critics argue that it still doesn't offer the sound quality options that Pono will.
Young has teamed up with Craig Kallman – chairman of Atlantic Records, to create the project. Atlantic's parent company Warner Music Group home to Muse and Black Keys – has already converted its catalog of 8,000 albums to high-resolution sound. The two other big labels Universal and Sony have reportedly been approached with the idea too.
30 Eylül 2012 Pazar
Character Spotlight: OKLAHOMA!'s Will Parker
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Erin Joy Swank, of the Education & Community Programs Department, recently caught up with baritone Curt Olds. Below is an excerpt from that interview.
Welcome back toCentral City Opera! We last saw you on stage as John Styx in Orpheus in theUnderworld (2010). While keeping guard over Eurydice in Hades, youentertained us in song and dance. This summer you’ll once again charm theaudience as the dancing rodeo cowboy Will Parker in Oklahoma!
You’ve made a careerout of working as a “triple threat,” a performer who acts, sings and dances.Can you explain the similarities and differences working in opera, musicaltheatre and dance?
Thanks for the compliment of calling me a "triplethreat." The skills that might make me a "triplethreat" as you say (singing, acting and dancing) come out of my theatretraining and years of doing musicals as a child and young adult. In the musicaltheatre world, a performer definitely has to possess a singing voice, butsinging tends to be on equal footing with acting ability and, if the dramaticmoment calls for it, the singing might be compromised for dramatic effect.Regarding dance, if a singer also happens to have the ability to dance, then itopens an entire new world of casting possibilities. In the operatic world, singing and attention to the voice iseverything. If an opera singer possessing a world-class voice can also act -- and Imean not only just while singing, but also in the moments on stage that areunsung -- then they have the makings of a major career. But the voice and abilityto use it come first. And that is a very good thing. For most opera singers,acting skills are developed later because of the heavy requirements of foreignlanguages and the study of historical performance practices. With me, when Iwas studying opera, I put all serious acting, dancing and musical theatre studyon the back burner for a little over six years. I had to concentrate on vocalstudies and languages. My mainobjective when performing is to affect the audience, to move them, to make themfeel. Any extra skill to help do that is a bonus.
You’ve played Curlyin a past production of Oklahoma! What is it like to preparefor the role of Will Parker this time?
When I played Curly, all I really wanted to do was play WillParker. I am definitely a casting possibility for Curly, but personally, I ammuch more like Will Parker and I understand the comic elements of the role.Curly is cool, steady. He has to be to deal so keenly with Jud Fry. Will is awild card and easily excitable. The great thing about Oklahoma! is Istill get to be handsome and cute outside of the central romantic leading man.I feel very fortunate to have played both roles professionally and Rodgers andHammerstein shows are always so fulfilling to perform. I did The Soundof Music earlier this season and Oklahoma! is apersonal favorite of mine. Win win.
You were also a pastApprentice and Studio Artist with Central City Opera. What did you learn orpractice in the artist training program that helped you in your careerdevelopment?
The Bonfils-Stanton Training Program was instrumental to anysuccess I have enjoyed over the past twenty years. I was a college kid fromMontana with no idea how to approach a singing career on a national level. Icame to Denver and sang for John Moriarty and it changed my life. Not only didCentral City Opera's training program offer wonderful classes in diction,audition technique, movement, and repertoire, but it also provided me withquality stage time in comprimario [supporting] roles, recital engagements andscenes concerts. That first summer with Central City Opera led to mygraduate studies at New England Conservatory and additionally, Central CityOpera gave me some of my first principal roles. I will be forever grateful.
The full interview with Curt will be available in the 2012 Opera Insider (festival resource guide) very soon. Stay tuned for more insider interviews!
Erin Joy Swank, of the Education & Community Programs Department, recently caught up with baritone Curt Olds. Below is an excerpt from that interview.Welcome back toCentral City Opera! We last saw you on stage as John Styx in Orpheus in theUnderworld (2010). While keeping guard over Eurydice in Hades, youentertained us in song and dance. This summer you’ll once again charm theaudience as the dancing rodeo cowboy Will Parker in Oklahoma!
You’ve made a careerout of working as a “triple threat,” a performer who acts, sings and dances.Can you explain the similarities and differences working in opera, musicaltheatre and dance?
Thanks for the compliment of calling me a "triplethreat." The skills that might make me a "triplethreat" as you say (singing, acting and dancing) come out of my theatretraining and years of doing musicals as a child and young adult. In the musicaltheatre world, a performer definitely has to possess a singing voice, butsinging tends to be on equal footing with acting ability and, if the dramaticmoment calls for it, the singing might be compromised for dramatic effect.Regarding dance, if a singer also happens to have the ability to dance, then itopens an entire new world of casting possibilities. In the operatic world, singing and attention to the voice iseverything. If an opera singer possessing a world-class voice can also act -- and Imean not only just while singing, but also in the moments on stage that areunsung -- then they have the makings of a major career. But the voice and abilityto use it come first. And that is a very good thing. For most opera singers,acting skills are developed later because of the heavy requirements of foreignlanguages and the study of historical performance practices. With me, when Iwas studying opera, I put all serious acting, dancing and musical theatre studyon the back burner for a little over six years. I had to concentrate on vocalstudies and languages. My mainobjective when performing is to affect the audience, to move them, to make themfeel. Any extra skill to help do that is a bonus.
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| Central City Opera’s ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD (2010). Pictured (L to R): Joanna Mongiardo (Eurydice) and Curt Olds (John Styx). Photo by Mark Kiryluk. |
When I played Curly, all I really wanted to do was play WillParker. I am definitely a casting possibility for Curly, but personally, I ammuch more like Will Parker and I understand the comic elements of the role.Curly is cool, steady. He has to be to deal so keenly with Jud Fry. Will is awild card and easily excitable. The great thing about Oklahoma! is Istill get to be handsome and cute outside of the central romantic leading man.I feel very fortunate to have played both roles professionally and Rodgers andHammerstein shows are always so fulfilling to perform. I did The Soundof Music earlier this season and Oklahoma! is apersonal favorite of mine. Win win.
 |
| Central City Opera’s OKLAHOMA! (2012). Pictured: Kaitlyn Costello (Ado Annie), Curt Olds (Will Parker). Photo by Kira Horvath. |
The Bonfils-Stanton Training Program was instrumental to anysuccess I have enjoyed over the past twenty years. I was a college kid fromMontana with no idea how to approach a singing career on a national level. Icame to Denver and sang for John Moriarty and it changed my life. Not only didCentral City Opera's training program offer wonderful classes in diction,audition technique, movement, and repertoire, but it also provided me withquality stage time in comprimario [supporting] roles, recital engagements andscenes concerts. That first summer with Central City Opera led to mygraduate studies at New England Conservatory and additionally, Central CityOpera gave me some of my first principal roles. I will be forever grateful.
The full interview with Curt will be available in the 2012 Opera Insider (festival resource guide) very soon. Stay tuned for more insider interviews!
Denver Public Library's Fresh City Life takes a Road Trip
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Last Saturday, participants from Denver Public Library's Fresh City Life took a road trip to Central City. First on the agenda was attending one of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program's classes, which focused on auditioning. We watched as the young artists, chosen from a pool of over 900 applicants, rehearsed an aria as if they were at an audition. Program Administrator Marc Astafan and Principal Coach Michael Baitzer gave each singer feedback on their mock auditions -- everything from their attire to the organization of the book of music given to their accompanist.
After watching a few of the talented young artists, we made our way down the hill to Main Street for an old-fashioned shoot out, performed by members of the Gilpin County Historical Society.
Next on the agenda was a look at the costumes of Oklahoma! with Costume Designer Marcy Froehlich. You can get your own virtual sneak peak of the costumes in our earlier vlog post.
After a lunch in the beautiful Opera Garden, we took a tour of the historic Teller House, once the most opulent hotel between Chicago and San Francisco. Finally, it was time for the Oklahoma! wandelprobe.
An important stage of the opera production process is the sitzprobe-- a German term which literally means "seat test." It's the rehearsal in which the singers sit on the stage while singing with the orchestra for the first time.
A wandelprobe, however, is an entirely made-up word, used for when the singers actually move around the stage while rehearsing with the orchestra for the first time. After enjoying the first hour of the wandleprobe from the Opera House's balcony, we made our way back to Opera Garden for a quick Q-and-A session.
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| Apprentice Artist Stephen Carrol sings his audition aria as Program Administrator Mark Astafan, right, looks on. |
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| An unsuspecting onlooker is roped into an attempted shotgun wedding before being run out of town. |
Next on the agenda was a look at the costumes of Oklahoma! with Costume Designer Marcy Froehlich. You can get your own virtual sneak peak of the costumes in our earlier vlog post.
After a lunch in the beautiful Opera Garden, we took a tour of the historic Teller House, once the most opulent hotel between Chicago and San Francisco. Finally, it was time for the Oklahoma! wandelprobe.
An important stage of the opera production process is the sitzprobe-- a German term which literally means "seat test." It's the rehearsal in which the singers sit on the stage while singing with the orchestra for the first time.
A wandelprobe, however, is an entirely made-up word, used for when the singers actually move around the stage while rehearsing with the orchestra for the first time. After enjoying the first hour of the wandleprobe from the Opera House's balcony, we made our way back to Opera Garden for a quick Q-and-A session.
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| Participants from Fresh City Life watch from the balcony as the cast sings "Kansas City" with the orchestra for the first time. |
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| Gene Scheer (Ali Hakim) sings "It's a Scandal, It's an Outrage," surrounded by a chorus of cowboys. |
Britten's Brilliant Twelve-Tone Row in THE TURN OF THE SCREW
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Central City Opera opens its third mainstage production tonight with the creepy and cool opera The Turn of the Screw. While not as toe-tapping as the songs from this year's Oklahoma!, the score is very interesting. The opera is organized in a way that would thrill those of the Type-A personality. Benjamin Britten built the entire opera on a twelve-tone row, which is a non-repetitive ordering of a set of pitches. You can listen to the twelve-tone row here.
The opera is divided into two acts, with each act containing eight scenes, and the first act preceded by a Prologue. Before each scene, the chamber orchestra plays a short introduction based on the twelve-tone row you just heard. Each introduction features the instruments that are important in the following scene. You may be thinking: “Wow, this sounds so mathematical and boring. How can this music be interesting, dynamic, and evocative?” Britten was a genius at getting the music to serve the story. His use of instrumentation and speech-like melody brings out all of the colors and emotions of the drama happening on stage.
Listen again to that twelve-tone row, then watch the first scene of the opera below, produced by the Glyndebourne Festival in 2011. You’ll hear the main theme – with the twelve-tone row masterfully played by the entire orchestra – then the Governess’s first aria. Note the use of percussion in the theme and during the first scene. Britten uses the percussion to invoke the feeling of anticipation, excitement, and a bit of apprehension – all feelings that the Governess has as she is traveling to Bly House to begin her new job.
Want to know more? This blog post is part of the article What to Listen for in The Turn of the Screw, found in the 2012 Opera Insider (Festival Resource Guide - PDF).
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| Twelve-Tone Row on which the opera is based |
The opera is divided into two acts, with each act containing eight scenes, and the first act preceded by a Prologue. Before each scene, the chamber orchestra plays a short introduction based on the twelve-tone row you just heard. Each introduction features the instruments that are important in the following scene. You may be thinking: “Wow, this sounds so mathematical and boring. How can this music be interesting, dynamic, and evocative?” Britten was a genius at getting the music to serve the story. His use of instrumentation and speech-like melody brings out all of the colors and emotions of the drama happening on stage.
Listen again to that twelve-tone row, then watch the first scene of the opera below, produced by the Glyndebourne Festival in 2011. You’ll hear the main theme – with the twelve-tone row masterfully played by the entire orchestra – then the Governess’s first aria. Note the use of percussion in the theme and during the first scene. Britten uses the percussion to invoke the feeling of anticipation, excitement, and a bit of apprehension – all feelings that the Governess has as she is traveling to Bly House to begin her new job.
Want to know more? This blog post is part of the article What to Listen for in The Turn of the Screw, found in the 2012 Opera Insider (Festival Resource Guide - PDF).
Video Clips from LA BOHÈME - Central City Opera's 2012 production
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Central City Opera's La Bohème continues through August 12th. To whet your appetite, enjoy these snippets from the production.
From Act One, an excerpt of "O soave fanciulla" with Mimi & Rodolfo:
From Act Two in the Café Momus:
From Act Three with Marcello & Mimi:
Glimpses of Central City Opera's 2012 production of LA BOHÈME
Music by Giacomo Puccini
Libretto by Giacosa and Illica
Based upon Henri Murder's 1849 novel SCÈNES DE LA VIE BOHÈME
Conductor: John Baril
Director: Kevin Newbury
Assistant Director: R. B. Schlather
Scenic Designer: David Korins
Costume Designer: Jessica Jahn
Lighting Designer: David Martin Jacques
Wig/Makeup Designer: Dave Bova
Associate Conductor: Adam Turner
Musetta: Deborah Selig
Marcello: Troy Cook
Rodolfo: Eric Margiore
Mimi: Elizabeth Caballero
Colline: Ryan Speedo Green
Schaunard: Chris Carr
Alcindoro: Thomas Goerz
Performed by the Central City Opera Festival Orchestra
Visit the La Bohème website for more information.
From Act One, an excerpt of "O soave fanciulla" with Mimi & Rodolfo:
From Act Two in the Café Momus:
From Act Three with Marcello & Mimi:
Glimpses of Central City Opera's 2012 production of LA BOHÈME
Music by Giacomo Puccini
Libretto by Giacosa and Illica
Based upon Henri Murder's 1849 novel SCÈNES DE LA VIE BOHÈME
Conductor: John Baril
Director: Kevin Newbury
Assistant Director: R. B. Schlather
Scenic Designer: David Korins
Costume Designer: Jessica Jahn
Lighting Designer: David Martin Jacques
Wig/Makeup Designer: Dave Bova
Associate Conductor: Adam Turner
Musetta: Deborah Selig
Marcello: Troy Cook
Rodolfo: Eric Margiore
Mimi: Elizabeth Caballero
Colline: Ryan Speedo Green
Schaunard: Chris Carr
Alcindoro: Thomas Goerz
Performed by the Central City Opera Festival Orchestra
Visit the La Bohème website for more information.
29 Eylül 2012 Cumartesi
Jethro Tull's Thick As A Brick To Be Reissued
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EMI has announced that a 40th anniversary edition of Jethro Tull's 1972 album, Thick as A Brick, is to be issued on November 5. The album, which went to Number 1 on the Billboard charts, features lyrics credited to the fictitious child character Gerald Bostock, whose parents supposedly lied about his age.
Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson released Thick As A Brick 2 earlier this year. Anderson and his band are on the road, playing Thick As A Brick and Thick As A Brick 2 in their entirety.
The 40th Anniversary edition of Thick As A Brick features a new 5.1 stereo mix, mixed by Steven Wilson, plus a DVD containing DTS & Dolby Digital 5.1 surround mix, high quality stereos 96/24 (new mix and 1972 flat transfer), the original newspaper over 40 pages, an article by Classic Rock’s Dom Lawson, rare photos from photographers Didi Zill and Robert Ellis, recording and touring mementos and much more, all contained in 104 page 7 ½”x 5 ½” hardback book.
It will also be available as a 2 LP set with the original Thick As A Brick remix, and the new Thick As A Brick 2, both as 180gm audiophile pressings and available for the first time in vinyl .
The package also has a 72-page 12x12 book all held in a hard card slipcase.
Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson released Thick As A Brick 2 earlier this year. Anderson and his band are on the road, playing Thick As A Brick and Thick As A Brick 2 in their entirety.
The 40th Anniversary edition of Thick As A Brick features a new 5.1 stereo mix, mixed by Steven Wilson, plus a DVD containing DTS & Dolby Digital 5.1 surround mix, high quality stereos 96/24 (new mix and 1972 flat transfer), the original newspaper over 40 pages, an article by Classic Rock’s Dom Lawson, rare photos from photographers Didi Zill and Robert Ellis, recording and touring mementos and much more, all contained in 104 page 7 ½”x 5 ½” hardback book.
It will also be available as a 2 LP set with the original Thick As A Brick remix, and the new Thick As A Brick 2, both as 180gm audiophile pressings and available for the first time in vinyl .
The package also has a 72-page 12x12 book all held in a hard card slipcase.
Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart Involved In Alleged Assault
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Police in Kentucky have a warrant for the arrest of former Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart stemming from an alleged assault after a recent show.
Harrodsburg Police Lt. Chad Powell told The Associated Press on Thursday that the warrant stems from an incident Saturday after a performance by the Mickey Hart Band at Terrapin Hill Farm in Harrodsburg. Hart denies the accusation.
Powell says that the investigation is ongoing and that the paperwork could not be released. Mercer County Attorney Ted Dean was in court Thursday morning and did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
In a statement, Hart said he had no idea where the charge came from. "I am totally baffled by a bizarre claim of assault by me coming out of Kentucky - the home of Bluegrass and a state I love dearly," he wrote. "Any accusation or claim of assault against me is completely false and without any basis whatsoever. I played drums on "Shakedown Street," but I never expected to be
"The Victim or the Crime."
Details of the incident remain unclear. Hart played with the Grateful Dead from 1967 until 1995.
TMZ first reported the incident. Hart's rep told the site the drummer's camp is looking into the incident.
Hart was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the Grateful Dead in 1994.
In recent years, Hart has played with other surviving members of the group and has headed up the Mickey Hart Band, which has scheduled concert dates this fall.
Harrodsburg Police Lt. Chad Powell told The Associated Press on Thursday that the warrant stems from an incident Saturday after a performance by the Mickey Hart Band at Terrapin Hill Farm in Harrodsburg. Hart denies the accusation.
Powell says that the investigation is ongoing and that the paperwork could not be released. Mercer County Attorney Ted Dean was in court Thursday morning and did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
In a statement, Hart said he had no idea where the charge came from. "I am totally baffled by a bizarre claim of assault by me coming out of Kentucky - the home of Bluegrass and a state I love dearly," he wrote. "Any accusation or claim of assault against me is completely false and without any basis whatsoever. I played drums on "Shakedown Street," but I never expected to be
"The Victim or the Crime."
Details of the incident remain unclear. Hart played with the Grateful Dead from 1967 until 1995.
TMZ first reported the incident. Hart's rep told the site the drummer's camp is looking into the incident.
Hart was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the Grateful Dead in 1994.
In recent years, Hart has played with other surviving members of the group and has headed up the Mickey Hart Band, which has scheduled concert dates this fall.
Peter Gabriel Launches 'So'-centric Tour, Plots Hiatus
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Peter Gabriel's Back To Front Tour, which begins Sunday, may be the last we see of him for awhile. Gabriel says that "there is new music" he's working on, but it will have to wait for a hiatus he's planning after the tour ends in mid-October.
"I'm going to take a sabbatical after the tour with my family and travel around the world," Gabriel says, "visiting some of the people we know on the music world, the human rights world, the science community, as well as a bit of straightforward tourism. It's something I've been intending to do for the last 12 years, so I'm really looking forward to that."
But Gabriel does hope to leave fans with some memories by uncharacteristically delving into his past and celebrating his multi-platinum 1986 album So. He'll be performing the chart-topping set in its entirety on the tour, with the original band from the original tour -- bassist Tony Levin, guitarist David Rhodes, drummer Manu Kache and keyboardist David Sancious -- while a 25th anniversary edition of the album comes out in three configurations on October 23, including demos and a Martin Scorsese-produced film of a 1987 performance in Athens, Greece. Of course, it's actually the album's 26th anniversary this year, but Gabriel says he sacrificed timeliness for quality.
"The box set...involved a fair bit of organizing and pulling things together," he says. "That was much harder work than I anticipated, but fun. We bit off a bit more than we could chew within the correct time frame, so we now are running a little behind our 25th anniversary. But nonetheless I think we have a good box there."
Gabriel -- whose most recent projects were the 2010 covers set "Scratch My Back" and the "New Blood" orchestral revisions of his songs -- says he's particularly excited about letting fans hear the "So DNA" disc, which includes the demos in the same sequence as the finished album.
"I'd forgotten quite a lot of that, and how the songs evolved," Gabriel notes. "On 'That Voice Again,' for instance, there was a whole other lyric I'd sort of pushed into the back of my mind. There's a lot of things like that...which really give people some insight into how these songs developed and sometimes changed quite a bit as we went along."
The concerts during the tour -- which kicks off September 16 in Quebec City -- will also recreate the staging and visuals used during the original "So" trek, but Gabriel also expects to tweak and modernize things a bit.
"Nothing ever stays the same, so even when you try to recapture a moment you put today's time print on it," he explains. "I'm trying not to use pre-recorded video material this time, just as a starting point -- though I may retreat from that position. But we're trying to see if we can generate all the video content from what we're doing live. That's the aim, at least."
Gabriel acknowledges that he initially resisted celebrating "So" in this way; "I never really considered a retro tour like this before," he says. But after seeing Brian Wilson perform the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds in its entirety, he reconsidered.
"There were always a couple of songs which for one reason or another I decided not to be playing," Gabriel says. "And we were getting some good offers, so I thought it could be quite fun to do this and try to get the band together again. It's been quite an undertaking, but I think it's going to be very enjoyable."
Peter Gabriel's Back To Front Tour, which begins Sunday, may be the last we see of him for awhile. Gabriel says that "there is new music" he's working on, but it will have to wait for a hiatus he's planning after the tour ends in mid-October.
"I'm going to take a sabbatical after the tour with my family and travel around the world," Gabriel says, "visiting some of the people we know on the music world, the human rights world, the science community, as well as a bit of straightforward tourism. It's something I've been intending to do for the last 12 years, so I'm really looking forward to that."
But Gabriel does hope to leave fans with some memories by uncharacteristically delving into his past and celebrating his multi-platinum 1986 album So. He'll be performing the chart-topping set in its entirety on the tour, with the original band from the original tour -- bassist Tony Levin, guitarist David Rhodes, drummer Manu Kache and keyboardist David Sancious -- while a 25th anniversary edition of the album comes out in three configurations on October 23, including demos and a Martin Scorsese-produced film of a 1987 performance in Athens, Greece. Of course, it's actually the album's 26th anniversary this year, but Gabriel says he sacrificed timeliness for quality.
"The box set...involved a fair bit of organizing and pulling things together," he says. "That was much harder work than I anticipated, but fun. We bit off a bit more than we could chew within the correct time frame, so we now are running a little behind our 25th anniversary. But nonetheless I think we have a good box there."
Gabriel -- whose most recent projects were the 2010 covers set "Scratch My Back" and the "New Blood" orchestral revisions of his songs -- says he's particularly excited about letting fans hear the "So DNA" disc, which includes the demos in the same sequence as the finished album.
"I'd forgotten quite a lot of that, and how the songs evolved," Gabriel notes. "On 'That Voice Again,' for instance, there was a whole other lyric I'd sort of pushed into the back of my mind. There's a lot of things like that...which really give people some insight into how these songs developed and sometimes changed quite a bit as we went along."
The concerts during the tour -- which kicks off September 16 in Quebec City -- will also recreate the staging and visuals used during the original "So" trek, but Gabriel also expects to tweak and modernize things a bit.
"Nothing ever stays the same, so even when you try to recapture a moment you put today's time print on it," he explains. "I'm trying not to use pre-recorded video material this time, just as a starting point -- though I may retreat from that position. But we're trying to see if we can generate all the video content from what we're doing live. That's the aim, at least."
Gabriel acknowledges that he initially resisted celebrating "So" in this way; "I never really considered a retro tour like this before," he says. But after seeing Brian Wilson perform the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds in its entirety, he reconsidered.
"There were always a couple of songs which for one reason or another I decided not to be playing," Gabriel says. "And we were getting some good offers, so I thought it could be quite fun to do this and try to get the band together again. It's been quite an undertaking, but I think it's going to be very enjoyable."
Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience Hits The Road
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The popular and critically acclaimed concert Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience (JBLZE), which celebrates the life and music of Jason’s father, the legendary Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, will return to the west coast starting October 5 in Napa Valley, CA and concluding October 16 in Sacramento, CA.
In November, JBLZE will head to the east coast and select dates in Canada. Tickets for the JBLZE shows are now on sale; see www.jblze.com for ticket links and more information.
"This is a personal trip through my life with the music of Led Zeppelin,” explains Jason, "and how the music influenced me."
Jason played with Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones at Led Zeppelin's "final" show at London's O2 Arena in 2007. The O2 Arena show was heralded as the most powerful Led Zeppelin performance since the group’s original disbandment.
The band received uniformly rave reviews the epic night will finally see a worldwide theatrical release titled Celebration Day in 1,500 screens in 40 territories beginning October 17. Tickets will be available starting September 13 via www.ledzeppelin.com.
“Performing my father’s songs at the Led Zeppelin 02 reunion concert in 2007 was an honor that I will forever remember as one of the most bittersweet, yet greatest nights of my life,” says Jason. “I’m over the moon that the 02 concert will finally be available for all Zeppelin fans to enjoy. That special night was the original spark that ignited JBLZE.”
Bonham partnered with Annerin Productions, the critically acclaimed theatrical producers of "PFX-The Pink Floyd Experience" and "Rain, A Tribute to the Beatlesm" to create a once-in-a-lifetime concert experience.
Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience is a spectacular rock concert with the iconic blues-infused rock ‘n’ roll of Led Zeppelin, stunning atmospheric video and lighting effects, which highlight the unique history that Jason Bonham shares – in commemoration of his father John Bonham – with the legendary rock n’ roll group Led Zeppelin.
Bonham and his band’s powerful live performance of over 20 iconic Led Zeppelin classics takes concert-goers through a mesmerizing visual and aural journey as giant backdrops display iconic art, and Bonham’s own historical footage, photos and stories are set to stunning atmospheric effects.
The JBLZE line-up -- Jason Bonham (drums), Tony Catania (guitar/theremin), Stephen LeBlanc (keyboards/lapsteel guitar) Dorian Heartsong (bass) and James Dylan (vocals) -- will make stops at such venues as San Francisco’s The Warfield (October 14), Sacramento’s Crest Theatre (October 16) and Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre (October 11), among others. For the new line-up, see dates listed below with more coming soon.
In November, JBLZE will head to the east coast and select dates in Canada. Tickets for the JBLZE shows are now on sale; see www.jblze.com for ticket links and more information.
"This is a personal trip through my life with the music of Led Zeppelin,” explains Jason, "and how the music influenced me."
Jason played with Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones at Led Zeppelin's "final" show at London's O2 Arena in 2007. The O2 Arena show was heralded as the most powerful Led Zeppelin performance since the group’s original disbandment.
The band received uniformly rave reviews the epic night will finally see a worldwide theatrical release titled Celebration Day in 1,500 screens in 40 territories beginning October 17. Tickets will be available starting September 13 via www.ledzeppelin.com.
“Performing my father’s songs at the Led Zeppelin 02 reunion concert in 2007 was an honor that I will forever remember as one of the most bittersweet, yet greatest nights of my life,” says Jason. “I’m over the moon that the 02 concert will finally be available for all Zeppelin fans to enjoy. That special night was the original spark that ignited JBLZE.”
Bonham partnered with Annerin Productions, the critically acclaimed theatrical producers of "PFX-The Pink Floyd Experience" and "Rain, A Tribute to the Beatlesm" to create a once-in-a-lifetime concert experience.
Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience is a spectacular rock concert with the iconic blues-infused rock ‘n’ roll of Led Zeppelin, stunning atmospheric video and lighting effects, which highlight the unique history that Jason Bonham shares – in commemoration of his father John Bonham – with the legendary rock n’ roll group Led Zeppelin.
Bonham and his band’s powerful live performance of over 20 iconic Led Zeppelin classics takes concert-goers through a mesmerizing visual and aural journey as giant backdrops display iconic art, and Bonham’s own historical footage, photos and stories are set to stunning atmospheric effects.
The JBLZE line-up -- Jason Bonham (drums), Tony Catania (guitar/theremin), Stephen LeBlanc (keyboards/lapsteel guitar) Dorian Heartsong (bass) and James Dylan (vocals) -- will make stops at such venues as San Francisco’s The Warfield (October 14), Sacramento’s Crest Theatre (October 16) and Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre (October 11), among others. For the new line-up, see dates listed below with more coming soon.
Neil Young's Pono Challenges iTunes
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Neil Young is set to take on iTunes with a new high-resolution music service designed to combat the compressed audio offered by MP3s.
Launching next year, Young's service Pono will offer a music download service, portable music players, and digital-to-analogue conversion technology. The aim is to present songs as they first sounded when they were recorded, it has been reported.
In his book Waging Heavy Peace, out this week, Young explains how Pono will help to "save the sound of music". The title reportedly refers to the response Young gave to a friend when asked if he was waging a war on Apple with his new service.
Young claims in the book that had emailed Steve Jobs about Pono before his death last October: "I have consistently reached out to try to assist Apple with true audio quality, and I have even shared my high-resolution masters with them," he writes, before stating that his service will "force iTunes to be better and to improve quality at a faster pace."
Apple launched it's Mastered For iTunes program last year, which requires engineers to change audio quality based on the listener's location – such as on a flight, on a bus, or a club. However, its critics argue that it still doesn't offer the sound quality options that Pono will.
Young has teamed up with Craig Kallman – chairman of Atlantic Records, to create the project. Atlantic's parent company Warner Music Group home to Muse and Black Keys – has already converted its catalog of 8,000 albums to high-resolution sound. The two other big labels Universal and Sony have reportedly been approached with the idea too.
Launching next year, Young's service Pono will offer a music download service, portable music players, and digital-to-analogue conversion technology. The aim is to present songs as they first sounded when they were recorded, it has been reported.
In his book Waging Heavy Peace, out this week, Young explains how Pono will help to "save the sound of music". The title reportedly refers to the response Young gave to a friend when asked if he was waging a war on Apple with his new service.
Young claims in the book that had emailed Steve Jobs about Pono before his death last October: "I have consistently reached out to try to assist Apple with true audio quality, and I have even shared my high-resolution masters with them," he writes, before stating that his service will "force iTunes to be better and to improve quality at a faster pace."
Apple launched it's Mastered For iTunes program last year, which requires engineers to change audio quality based on the listener's location – such as on a flight, on a bus, or a club. However, its critics argue that it still doesn't offer the sound quality options that Pono will.
Young has teamed up with Craig Kallman – chairman of Atlantic Records, to create the project. Atlantic's parent company Warner Music Group home to Muse and Black Keys – has already converted its catalog of 8,000 albums to high-resolution sound. The two other big labels Universal and Sony have reportedly been approached with the idea too.
28 Eylül 2012 Cuma
Scenic Design of THE TURN OF THE SCREW
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In the final segment of our interview with Alessandro Talevi, stage director of this summer's The Turn of the Screw, Mr. Talevi gives us some background information on the Madeleine Boyd's rich, dark scenic design. If you've seen a performance already, you may have wondered about the upside-down images that are projected onstage; watch the video below for the inside scoop. If you haven't seen the opera yet, watch it now, then buy your tickets and see the opera in a whole new light!
Turn of the ScrewFest
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Last Saturday, the historic and haunted Teller House filled with spirits and entertainment for the first of two creepy-cool Turn of the ScrewFest paranormal parties. The events are part of Central City Opera's Paranormal Project, in celebration of Benjamin Britten's The Turn of the Screw and Menotti's The Medium.
After checking in at the Teller House, tasty pub fare and cocktails were served in Lanny's Lounge (normally the Terrace VIP Lounge). Guests were then treated to a performance of Ballet Nouveau Colorado's [The Untitled Book] before heading back into the lounge for more performances by the the all-stars of Lannie's Clocktower Cabaret, including a vintage burlesque tease by the Mistress of Polesque, Roxy Star; the magical juggling and xylophone act by Tovio; the cabaret-style musical stylings of Lola Licious; Peggy Tulane's burlesque fan tease; stilt walker Tom Too Tall on the piano; and a dazzling acrobalancing act by Carmen Maria and Tatiana TaTa. For a preview of the Lannie's Lounge performances, check out the video below:
Meanwhile, on the second floor of the Teller House, guests roamed about, participating in a creepy carnival, a Ghost Hunting 101 session with The Other Side Investigations, séances with Mystical Magdalena, and crystal casting, dream interpretations, Tarot card readings, palm readings, and more with the psychics of Isis Books.
If you missed last week's Turn of the ScrewFest, don't worry! There's one more opportunity to join the fun, this Sunday, July 29. Tickets are just $30 or $6 with a ticket to the opera, The Turn of the Screw. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets. See you at the Teller House!
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| The all-star cast of Lannie's Clocktower Cabaret, including Professor Phelyx, Peggy Tulane, Tovio, Tom Too Tall, Roxy Star, Carmen Maria and Tatianna Tata. (Center - ScrewFest Director Heather Brecl) |
After checking in at the Teller House, tasty pub fare and cocktails were served in Lanny's Lounge (normally the Terrace VIP Lounge). Guests were then treated to a performance of Ballet Nouveau Colorado's [The Untitled Book] before heading back into the lounge for more performances by the the all-stars of Lannie's Clocktower Cabaret, including a vintage burlesque tease by the Mistress of Polesque, Roxy Star; the magical juggling and xylophone act by Tovio; the cabaret-style musical stylings of Lola Licious; Peggy Tulane's burlesque fan tease; stilt walker Tom Too Tall on the piano; and a dazzling acrobalancing act by Carmen Maria and Tatiana TaTa. For a preview of the Lannie's Lounge performances, check out the video below:
Meanwhile, on the second floor of the Teller House, guests roamed about, participating in a creepy carnival, a Ghost Hunting 101 session with The Other Side Investigations, séances with Mystical Magdalena, and crystal casting, dream interpretations, Tarot card readings, palm readings, and more with the psychics of Isis Books.
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| "Holy Toledo! We are going to get married," discovers Central City Opera's Publicist Kelly Nelson while listening to the reading from Isis Books & Gifts's Meghan Taft. |
The Talented Teens of the Summer Performing Arts Intensive
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This week is one of my favorite times of the entire year. As production/stage manager of Central City Opera's Education & Community Programs, I get to witness some pretty transformative experiences as young students enjoy their first exposure to classical music. But probably the most touching, powerful and uplifting moments for me happen during our Summer Performing Arts Intensive. For two weeks, in a collaboration with Linda Weise and our friends at the Colorado Springs Conservatory, we bring together approximately 20 teenagers for an amazing experience.
The students met just shy of two weeks ago and spent the first week and a half of their Intensive in residency in Colorado Springs. In addition to classes in acting, movement and more, they work with composer Roger Ames (who taught our Build an Opera educators' professional development class the week before) and librettist Jeff Gilden to create an original opera. This year's opera is inspired by a Waldo Canyon Fire survivor, asking the question, "If you had to pick your most prized possessions to fill just one box, what would you pick?"
After roughly ten days in the Springs, the students arrive in Central City. They enjoy all three mainstage operas of the 2012 Festival as well as Lunch & A Song and Short Works, and they also become fully-immersed company members of the Central City Opera. While continuing to rehearse their scenes program and original opera, these talented teens not only observe classes of the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program, but also participate in numerous private masterclasses with CCO staff.
The two-week program culminates with two public performances of the students' scenes program "Salt of the Earth" and their original opera "Re-collections," this Friday (today) and Saturday at 4pm in the Foundry. Tickets are just $5 and can be purchased by calling the Box Office at 303-292-6700. Check it out - you'll be amazed!
The students met just shy of two weeks ago and spent the first week and a half of their Intensive in residency in Colorado Springs. In addition to classes in acting, movement and more, they work with composer Roger Ames (who taught our Build an Opera educators' professional development class the week before) and librettist Jeff Gilden to create an original opera. This year's opera is inspired by a Waldo Canyon Fire survivor, asking the question, "If you had to pick your most prized possessions to fill just one box, what would you pick?"
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| The preview of their original opera "Re-Collections" was presented Tuesday night in Colorado Springs. |
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| Movement Coach Melinda Sullivan leads them in the "Farmer & The Cowman" dance from Oklahoma! |
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| Andy Moss shows the intricacies of unarmed stage combat to the Intensive students. |
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| Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program Administrator Marc Astafan coaches a section of the students' original opera. |
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| Principal Coach Michael Baitzer gives some advice on diction and vocal production. |
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| Music Director John Baril works one-on-one with Chloe on her aria. |
Video Clips from LA BOHÈME - Central City Opera's 2012 production
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Central City Opera's La Bohème continues through August 12th. To whet your appetite, enjoy these snippets from the production.
From Act One, an excerpt of "O soave fanciulla" with Mimi & Rodolfo:
From Act Two in the Café Momus:
From Act Three with Marcello & Mimi:
Glimpses of Central City Opera's 2012 production of LA BOHÈME
Music by Giacomo Puccini
Libretto by Giacosa and Illica
Based upon Henri Murder's 1849 novel SCÈNES DE LA VIE BOHÈME
Conductor: John Baril
Director: Kevin Newbury
Assistant Director: R. B. Schlather
Scenic Designer: David Korins
Costume Designer: Jessica Jahn
Lighting Designer: David Martin Jacques
Wig/Makeup Designer: Dave Bova
Associate Conductor: Adam Turner
Musetta: Deborah Selig
Marcello: Troy Cook
Rodolfo: Eric Margiore
Mimi: Elizabeth Caballero
Colline: Ryan Speedo Green
Schaunard: Chris Carr
Alcindoro: Thomas Goerz
Performed by the Central City Opera Festival Orchestra
Visit the La Bohème website for more information.
From Act One, an excerpt of "O soave fanciulla" with Mimi & Rodolfo:
From Act Two in the Café Momus:
From Act Three with Marcello & Mimi:
Glimpses of Central City Opera's 2012 production of LA BOHÈME
Music by Giacomo Puccini
Libretto by Giacosa and Illica
Based upon Henri Murder's 1849 novel SCÈNES DE LA VIE BOHÈME
Conductor: John Baril
Director: Kevin Newbury
Assistant Director: R. B. Schlather
Scenic Designer: David Korins
Costume Designer: Jessica Jahn
Lighting Designer: David Martin Jacques
Wig/Makeup Designer: Dave Bova
Associate Conductor: Adam Turner
Musetta: Deborah Selig
Marcello: Troy Cook
Rodolfo: Eric Margiore
Mimi: Elizabeth Caballero
Colline: Ryan Speedo Green
Schaunard: Chris Carr
Alcindoro: Thomas Goerz
Performed by the Central City Opera Festival Orchestra
Visit the La Bohème website for more information.
Video Clips from THE TURN OF THE SCREW and OKLAHOMA! - Central City Opera
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Yesterday we gave you a glimpse of this year's production of La Bohème. Today we continue with video clips from the other mainstage operas this summer.
First up is the creepy and cool ghost story The Turn of the Screw.
From Act One, Scene 5, The Window - The Governess & Mrs. Grose :
From Act One, Scene 7, The Lake - Flora & The Governess:
From Act Two, Scene 3, Miss Jessel - Miss Jessel & The Governess:
And the end of the opera [SPOILER ALERT -- if you want to be surprised by the ending, don't watch this!]:
For something completely different, we also leave you with this rousing number from Oklahoma!'s Act Two opening:
Glimpses of Central City Opera's 2012 production of THE TURN OF THE SCREW
Music by Benjamin Britten
Libretto by Myfawny Piper
Based upon a novella by Henry James
Conductor: Steuart Bedford
Director: Alessandro Talevi
Assistant Director: Stephanie Havey
Scenic and Costume Designer: Madeleine Boyd
Costume Designer: Jessica Jahn
Lighting Designer: David Martin Jacques
Wig/Makeup Designer: Dave Bova
Projection Designers: Madeleine Boyd and Ronan Kilkelly
Peter Quint: Vale Rideout
Governess: Sinéad Mulhern
Miles: John Healy
Glimpses of Central City Opera's 2012 production of OKLAHOMA!
Music by Richard Rodgers
Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Based upon the play GREEN GROW THE LILACS by Lynn Riggs
Original Dances by Agnes de Mille
Conductor: Christopher Zemliauskas
Director: Ken Cazan
Choreographer: Daniel Pelzig
Assistant Director: Kyle Lang
Scenic Designer: Alan E. Muraoka
Costume Designer: Marcy Froehlich
Lighting Designer: David Martin Jacques
Wig/Makeup Designer: Dave Bova
Curly: Matthew Worth
Aunt Eller: Joyce Castle
Will Parker: Curt Olds
Ado Annie: Kaitlyn Costello
Andrew Carnes: Thomas Goerz
Ike Skidmore: Nathan LeFevre Milholin
Laurey: Maureen McKay
Dancers appearing courtesy of Ballet Nouveau Colorado: Colby Foss, Ben Delony, Sarah Tallman, Marian L. Faustino
Chorus: Members of Central City Opera's Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program
Both productions performed by the Central City Opera Festival Orchestra
Visit The Turn of the Screw and Oklahoma! webpages for more information.
First up is the creepy and cool ghost story The Turn of the Screw.
From Act One, Scene 5, The Window - The Governess & Mrs. Grose :
From Act One, Scene 7, The Lake - Flora & The Governess:
From Act Two, Scene 3, Miss Jessel - Miss Jessel & The Governess:
And the end of the opera [SPOILER ALERT -- if you want to be surprised by the ending, don't watch this!]:
For something completely different, we also leave you with this rousing number from Oklahoma!'s Act Two opening:
Glimpses of Central City Opera's 2012 production of THE TURN OF THE SCREW
Music by Benjamin Britten
Libretto by Myfawny Piper
Based upon a novella by Henry James
Conductor: Steuart Bedford
Director: Alessandro Talevi
Assistant Director: Stephanie Havey
Scenic and Costume Designer: Madeleine Boyd
Costume Designer: Jessica Jahn
Lighting Designer: David Martin Jacques
Wig/Makeup Designer: Dave Bova
Projection Designers: Madeleine Boyd and Ronan Kilkelly
Peter Quint: Vale Rideout
Governess: Sinéad Mulhern
Miles: John Healy
Glimpses of Central City Opera's 2012 production of OKLAHOMA!
Music by Richard Rodgers
Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Based upon the play GREEN GROW THE LILACS by Lynn Riggs
Original Dances by Agnes de Mille
Conductor: Christopher Zemliauskas
Director: Ken Cazan
Choreographer: Daniel Pelzig
Assistant Director: Kyle Lang
Scenic Designer: Alan E. Muraoka
Costume Designer: Marcy Froehlich
Lighting Designer: David Martin Jacques
Wig/Makeup Designer: Dave Bova
Curly: Matthew Worth
Aunt Eller: Joyce Castle
Will Parker: Curt Olds
Ado Annie: Kaitlyn Costello
Andrew Carnes: Thomas Goerz
Ike Skidmore: Nathan LeFevre Milholin
Laurey: Maureen McKay
Dancers appearing courtesy of Ballet Nouveau Colorado: Colby Foss, Ben Delony, Sarah Tallman, Marian L. Faustino
Chorus: Members of Central City Opera's Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program
Both productions performed by the Central City Opera Festival Orchestra
Visit The Turn of the Screw and Oklahoma! webpages for more information.
27 Eylül 2012 Perşembe
Meet John Healy
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When Central City Opera produces an opera that requires children in the cast, we turn to our friends at Colorado Children's Chorale. This year, you can see the young singers of the Chorale as the children in Act III of La Bohème and one young singer, John Healy, as Miles in The Turn of the Screw.
Watch the video below to meet John and hear his perspective on The Turn of the Screw, which closes this Saturday, August 4.
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| John Healy as Miles, with Alicia Suzanne Jordheim, in The Turn of the Screw. Photo by Mark Kiryluk. |
Watch the video below to meet John and hear his perspective on The Turn of the Screw, which closes this Saturday, August 4.
"Malo" in THE TURN OF THE SCREW
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This year’s opera The Turn of the Screw doesn’t have the ever-popular songs that Oklahoma! does, or even the familiar musical moments of La Bohème, but composer Benjamin Britten did include very tuneful children’s songs in the opera. One notable song that could have several meanings is Miles’ song “Malo.” This verse was originally a pneumonic device to help beginning Latin students remember the different meanings and conjugations of the word “malo:” 1) verb “malo” meaning “I wish;” 2) the noun “malus” meaning “apple tree” and “malum” meaning “apple;” and 3) the noun “malum” meaning “evil” – but his song seems to have dark undertones, especially because Britten set it to very melancholy music.
Here is the text of the song:
Malo: I would rather be Malo: in an apple tree Malo: than a naughty boy Malo: in adversity
Click here to hear Thomas Parfitt as Miles sing this song at the 2011 Glyndebourne Festival. Remember this song, because you’ll hear a variation of it at the end of the opera.
Britten’s The Turn of the Screw may not be mainstream, but it certainly leaves an impression. We hope that you will get even more out of your experience having learned a little more about the music. Enjoy the show!
The Turn of the Screwplays its final performance on Saturday, August 4 at 8pm. Hurry to see it before it disappears!
Want to know more? This blog post is part of the article What to Listen for in The Turn of the Screw, found in the 2012 Opera Insider (Festival Resource Guide - PDF). We also excerpted the section on The Turn of the Screw’s twelve-tone row in a previous blogpost.
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| Composer Benjamin Britten |
Here is the text of the song:
Malo: I would rather be Malo: in an apple tree Malo: than a naughty boy Malo: in adversity
Click here to hear Thomas Parfitt as Miles sing this song at the 2011 Glyndebourne Festival. Remember this song, because you’ll hear a variation of it at the end of the opera.
Britten’s The Turn of the Screw may not be mainstream, but it certainly leaves an impression. We hope that you will get even more out of your experience having learned a little more about the music. Enjoy the show!
The Turn of the Screwplays its final performance on Saturday, August 4 at 8pm. Hurry to see it before it disappears!
Want to know more? This blog post is part of the article What to Listen for in The Turn of the Screw, found in the 2012 Opera Insider (Festival Resource Guide - PDF). We also excerpted the section on The Turn of the Screw’s twelve-tone row in a previous blogpost.
Bonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists in the Spotlight
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This Thursday afternoon (August 9 at 2:30pm), you can witness the splendid young artists of Central City Opera's 2012 Festival as they take the stage in the lead roles of La Bohème during our Nina Odescalchi Kelly Family Matinee. These hardworking and extremely talented artists, most of whom are in their college years, are usually seen in the chorus and in minor roles of our main stage operas. They also star in their own smaller productions like Short Works and The Face on the Barroom Floor, but on this date they get the chance to shine in the spotlight front and center.
Earlier this year, the Opera Insider caught up with Marc Astafan, who has recently taken the reins as administrator of the Program.
CCO: You’ll be returning to Central City Opera this summer in a new capacity; Administrator of the Bonfils Stanton Artists Training Program. You’ve been here many times as a Stage Director, and before that as an Assistant Director, working directly with young artists. The Training Program, as established by John Moriarty, is known as a rigorous preparation for young artists pursuing a career in opera, with required classes in diction, audition techniques and stage movement, and opportunities to perform full roles on the main stage as well as scenes and recitals.
As a Central City Opera veteran, what are your observations about the challenges and opportunities for young artists in this program?
MARC: The challenges and opportunities faced by the young artists who participate in the Central City program are many, but the main one that comes to mind is: stamina. We work six days a week and nine hours a day (sometimes more!) for ten to twelve weeks straight over the summers in Central. Every part of the body, heart and mind will be called upon for these young singers to use. Not to mention the voice. They have classes every morning and rehearsals and/or coachings for the rest of the day, sometimes until ten or eleven at night. But year after year I've witnessed the fact that the more the singers put into the program, the more they gain. They will not only feel great, but perform better than they ever thought possible by the time they leave Central City in mid-August. When one is immersed in creativity for such an intense period all of the senses are at work. They might leave exhausted, but with a tremendous sense of accomplishment, knowing they've been a part of something extraordinary. They'll have personal and artistic growth that they never thought imaginable.
The full interview with Marc Astafan (as well as the Program's Principal Coach Michael Baitzer) is available in the 2012 Opera Insider (Festival Resource Guide - PDF).
Tickets are still available for the Family Matinee performance this Thursday. You can also see these talented Young Artists during Lunch & A Song, Short Works, and in the chorus and secondary roles of the remaining La Bohème performances. All performances of Oklahoma! are sold out.
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| Kaitlyn Costello starred in the Family Matinee performance of Carmen last year; this summer she made her main stage debut as Ado Annie in Oklahoma! |
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| Marc Astafan, AdministratorBonfils-Stanton Foundation Artists Training Program |
As a Central City Opera veteran, what are your observations about the challenges and opportunities for young artists in this program?
MARC: The challenges and opportunities faced by the young artists who participate in the Central City program are many, but the main one that comes to mind is: stamina. We work six days a week and nine hours a day (sometimes more!) for ten to twelve weeks straight over the summers in Central. Every part of the body, heart and mind will be called upon for these young singers to use. Not to mention the voice. They have classes every morning and rehearsals and/or coachings for the rest of the day, sometimes until ten or eleven at night. But year after year I've witnessed the fact that the more the singers put into the program, the more they gain. They will not only feel great, but perform better than they ever thought possible by the time they leave Central City in mid-August. When one is immersed in creativity for such an intense period all of the senses are at work. They might leave exhausted, but with a tremendous sense of accomplishment, knowing they've been a part of something extraordinary. They'll have personal and artistic growth that they never thought imaginable.
The full interview with Marc Astafan (as well as the Program's Principal Coach Michael Baitzer) is available in the 2012 Opera Insider (Festival Resource Guide - PDF).
Tickets are still available for the Family Matinee performance this Thursday. You can also see these talented Young Artists during Lunch & A Song, Short Works, and in the chorus and secondary roles of the remaining La Bohème performances. All performances of Oklahoma! are sold out.
1930s Paris to the English Countryside in Under 3 Hours!
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Last Saturday afternoon, the Central City Opera House stage featured Rodolfo and Marcello's brightly lit Parisian garret for a matinee of La Bohème. By 7:30 that same night, the stage was transformed into the dark Bly House setting for The Turn of the Screw. On days like this, our hardworking stagehands have only a few hours to make this transformation. They remove all of the set pieces, pull up the marley floor, change pieces hanging from the counterweight system, refocus lights, change gel colors, bring on new set pieces, and apply all of the finishing touches in time to reopen the house for the evening performance.
Check out this super-sped-up video of Saturday's changeover to see how it's done.
Check out this super-sped-up video of Saturday's changeover to see how it's done.
The Welsh Musical Tradition - Past & Present
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This blog post was written by Irene Rawlings of KBCO FM.
On a recent trip to Wales, I visited the poet Dylan Thomas' hometown of Swansea and stayed in his childhood home at 5 Cwmdonkin Drive (now an authentically restored B&B that also serves great dinners). I expressed an interest in the Welsh choral tradition and was invited to a rehearsal of the Swansea Male Choir, founded in 1946 to “further the art of music and support local charities.”
I was moved by the joy that the Swansea male-voice choir members took in their singing but I was not surprised. There is a rich musical tradition in Wales—especially the male-voice choirs—whose songs provide the vibrant soundtrack to everything from chapel to the rugby field to the boisterous late-night sing-alongs in the local pubs.
Who are these men? They are miners, steelworkers, quarrymen, farmers and shopkeepers. Many of the current members were brought to the choir by their male relatives back in a simpler time when choirs were a big part of village life. Yes, there were a lot of gray heads and even a wheelchair or two, but there were also plenty of young men in leather jackets and slicked back undercuts (think Boardwalk Empire) which makes me think that the Welsh male-voice tradition has a strong future.
As I sat at the Swansea rehearsal and heard everything from hymns to show tunes, I thought of the Central City Opera House back home in Colorado, built by Welsh and Cornish miners in 1878. How they must have missed the camaraderie of the choral tradition in their home country. And what a lovely opera house they built for us to enjoy still today.
I took out my cell phone and recorded one of the songs to share with you. It is not the quality that I would have liked but I'm thinking it will give you a good idea. And they were sitting down. Think of the power they unleash when they stand up and raise their voices in a concert hall.
[Editor's Note: You may want to jump ahead to 30 seconds in or so.]
--Irene Rawlings from Swansea, Wales
On a recent trip to Wales, I visited the poet Dylan Thomas' hometown of Swansea and stayed in his childhood home at 5 Cwmdonkin Drive (now an authentically restored B&B that also serves great dinners). I expressed an interest in the Welsh choral tradition and was invited to a rehearsal of the Swansea Male Choir, founded in 1946 to “further the art of music and support local charities.”
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| A member of the Swansea Male Choir |
Who are these men? They are miners, steelworkers, quarrymen, farmers and shopkeepers. Many of the current members were brought to the choir by their male relatives back in a simpler time when choirs were a big part of village life. Yes, there were a lot of gray heads and even a wheelchair or two, but there were also plenty of young men in leather jackets and slicked back undercuts (think Boardwalk Empire) which makes me think that the Welsh male-voice tradition has a strong future.
As I sat at the Swansea rehearsal and heard everything from hymns to show tunes, I thought of the Central City Opera House back home in Colorado, built by Welsh and Cornish miners in 1878. How they must have missed the camaraderie of the choral tradition in their home country. And what a lovely opera house they built for us to enjoy still today.
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| Central City Hard-Rock Miners in 1889 |
[Editor's Note: You may want to jump ahead to 30 seconds in or so.]
--Irene Rawlings from Swansea, Wales
26 Eylül 2012 Çarşamba
Jethro Tull's Thick As A Brick To Be Reissued
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EMI has announced that a 40th anniversary edition of Jethro Tull's 1972 album, Thick as A Brick, is to be issued on November 5. The album, which went to Number 1 on the Billboard charts, features lyrics credited to the fictitious child character Gerald Bostock, whose parents supposedly lied about his age.
Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson released Thick As A Brick 2 earlier this year. Anderson and his band are on the road, playing Thick As A Brick and Thick As A Brick 2 in their entirety.
The 40th Anniversary edition of Thick As A Brick features a new 5.1 stereo mix, mixed by Steven Wilson, plus a DVD containing DTS & Dolby Digital 5.1 surround mix, high quality stereos 96/24 (new mix and 1972 flat transfer), the original newspaper over 40 pages, an article by Classic Rock’s Dom Lawson, rare photos from photographers Didi Zill and Robert Ellis, recording and touring mementos and much more, all contained in 104 page 7 ½”x 5 ½” hardback book.
It will also be available as a 2 LP set with the original Thick As A Brick remix, and the new Thick As A Brick 2, both as 180gm audiophile pressings and available for the first time in vinyl .
The package also has a 72-page 12x12 book all held in a hard card slipcase.
Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson released Thick As A Brick 2 earlier this year. Anderson and his band are on the road, playing Thick As A Brick and Thick As A Brick 2 in their entirety.
The 40th Anniversary edition of Thick As A Brick features a new 5.1 stereo mix, mixed by Steven Wilson, plus a DVD containing DTS & Dolby Digital 5.1 surround mix, high quality stereos 96/24 (new mix and 1972 flat transfer), the original newspaper over 40 pages, an article by Classic Rock’s Dom Lawson, rare photos from photographers Didi Zill and Robert Ellis, recording and touring mementos and much more, all contained in 104 page 7 ½”x 5 ½” hardback book.
It will also be available as a 2 LP set with the original Thick As A Brick remix, and the new Thick As A Brick 2, both as 180gm audiophile pressings and available for the first time in vinyl .
The package also has a 72-page 12x12 book all held in a hard card slipcase.
Led Zeppelin To Receive Kennedy Center Honors, Release 02 Show
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If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now. It's just a spring clean for the May queen. Or something.
Led Zeppelin's lyrics may mystify occasionally. But there's no doubting that the British heavy-metal gods knew how to wring pure dramatic power out of Jimmy Page's intricate guitar fingerings, Robert Plant's tenor shrieks, John Paul Jones' ferocious basslines and the late John Bonham's brilliant baroque drumming.
So there's a certain poetic justice in the fact that Led Zeppelin is being honored this December by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts alongside another musician known for his primal urgency, Chicago bluesman Buddy Guy. Whether loudly bemoaning his woman troubles or bringing his guitar down to a hushed confessional, Guy has been praised by Page himself (among many others) as "an absolute monster" and master of the genre.
Led Zeppelin and Guy are among the class of 2012 that will receive the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors, joining Dustin Hoffman, David Letterman and Natalia Makarova, a former Kirov Ballet dancer during the Soviet era who later joined the American Ballet Theatre.
The honorees will receive their medals December 1 at a State Department-sponsored dinner, followed by a next-day White House reception and Kennedy Center performance.
In other Led Zeppelin news, the band is finally releasing the long awaited 02 reunion show from 2007. According to Britain’s Sun newspaper, the powerhouse English blues rockers will release the concert on DVD, Blu-ray and CD this Nov. 22.
The project was recorded and filmed at Led Zeppelin’s reunion gig on December 10, 2007, which featured Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham, son of the late Zeppelin drummer John Bonham. In a show staged to raise money for the Ahmet Ertegun Education Fund, the legendary musicians ripped through a set that included classics like ‘Good Times, Bad Times,’ ‘Dazed and Confused,’ ‘Black Dog’ and ‘Stairway to Heaven,’ finishing up with ‘Whole Lotta Love’ and ‘Rock and Roll.’
It appears the long-rumored official release of that concert is actually set to see the light of day. ‘That Metal Show’ co-hosts Eddie Trunk and Jim Florentine have been hinting at big Zeppelin news, and while the band have made no announcement, they have been teasing fans with a countdown on their Facebook page. There is speculation that the band will have a big announcement on Thursday, which is perhaps not coincidentally the fifth anniversary of the day they announced the 02 Arena show. The group updated the countdown by posting a II this morning, and have also posted a teaser clip to YouTube that appears to be the lead-in to ‘Good Times, Bad Times,’ the opening song from the 02 gig.
A source allegedly told the Sun the project is a done deal, saying, “Jimmy has been in the studio making sure everything is perfect. The band want it to remain true to their exceptionally high standards. It’s coming out on November 22 as part of a simultaneous global release.”
If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now. It's just a spring clean for the May queen. Or something.
Led Zeppelin's lyrics may mystify occasionally. But there's no doubting that the British heavy-metal gods knew how to wring pure dramatic power out of Jimmy Page's intricate guitar fingerings, Robert Plant's tenor shrieks, John Paul Jones' ferocious basslines and the late John Bonham's brilliant baroque drumming.
So there's a certain poetic justice in the fact that Led Zeppelin is being honored this December by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts alongside another musician known for his primal urgency, Chicago bluesman Buddy Guy. Whether loudly bemoaning his woman troubles or bringing his guitar down to a hushed confessional, Guy has been praised by Page himself (among many others) as "an absolute monster" and master of the genre.
Led Zeppelin and Guy are among the class of 2012 that will receive the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors, joining Dustin Hoffman, David Letterman and Natalia Makarova, a former Kirov Ballet dancer during the Soviet era who later joined the American Ballet Theatre.
The honorees will receive their medals December 1 at a State Department-sponsored dinner, followed by a next-day White House reception and Kennedy Center performance.
In other Led Zeppelin news, the band is finally releasing the long awaited 02 reunion show from 2007. According to Britain’s Sun newspaper, the powerhouse English blues rockers will release the concert on DVD, Blu-ray and CD this Nov. 22.
The project was recorded and filmed at Led Zeppelin’s reunion gig on December 10, 2007, which featured Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham, son of the late Zeppelin drummer John Bonham. In a show staged to raise money for the Ahmet Ertegun Education Fund, the legendary musicians ripped through a set that included classics like ‘Good Times, Bad Times,’ ‘Dazed and Confused,’ ‘Black Dog’ and ‘Stairway to Heaven,’ finishing up with ‘Whole Lotta Love’ and ‘Rock and Roll.’
It appears the long-rumored official release of that concert is actually set to see the light of day. ‘That Metal Show’ co-hosts Eddie Trunk and Jim Florentine have been hinting at big Zeppelin news, and while the band have made no announcement, they have been teasing fans with a countdown on their Facebook page. There is speculation that the band will have a big announcement on Thursday, which is perhaps not coincidentally the fifth anniversary of the day they announced the 02 Arena show. The group updated the countdown by posting a II this morning, and have also posted a teaser clip to YouTube that appears to be the lead-in to ‘Good Times, Bad Times,’ the opening song from the 02 gig.
A source allegedly told the Sun the project is a done deal, saying, “Jimmy has been in the studio making sure everything is perfect. The band want it to remain true to their exceptionally high standards. It’s coming out on November 22 as part of a simultaneous global release.”
Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart Involved In Alleged Assault
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Police in Kentucky have a warrant for the arrest of former Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart stemming from an alleged assault after a recent show.
Harrodsburg Police Lt. Chad Powell told The Associated Press on Thursday that the warrant stems from an incident Saturday after a performance by the Mickey Hart Band at Terrapin Hill Farm in Harrodsburg. Hart denies the accusation.
Powell says that the investigation is ongoing and that the paperwork could not be released. Mercer County Attorney Ted Dean was in court Thursday morning and did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
In a statement, Hart said he had no idea where the charge came from. "I am totally baffled by a bizarre claim of assault by me coming out of Kentucky - the home of Bluegrass and a state I love dearly," he wrote. "Any accusation or claim of assault against me is completely false and without any basis whatsoever. I played drums on "Shakedown Street," but I never expected to be
"The Victim or the Crime."
Details of the incident remain unclear. Hart played with the Grateful Dead from 1967 until 1995.
TMZ first reported the incident. Hart's rep told the site the drummer's camp is looking into the incident.
Hart was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the Grateful Dead in 1994.
In recent years, Hart has played with other surviving members of the group and has headed up the Mickey Hart Band, which has scheduled concert dates this fall.
Harrodsburg Police Lt. Chad Powell told The Associated Press on Thursday that the warrant stems from an incident Saturday after a performance by the Mickey Hart Band at Terrapin Hill Farm in Harrodsburg. Hart denies the accusation.
Powell says that the investigation is ongoing and that the paperwork could not be released. Mercer County Attorney Ted Dean was in court Thursday morning and did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
In a statement, Hart said he had no idea where the charge came from. "I am totally baffled by a bizarre claim of assault by me coming out of Kentucky - the home of Bluegrass and a state I love dearly," he wrote. "Any accusation or claim of assault against me is completely false and without any basis whatsoever. I played drums on "Shakedown Street," but I never expected to be
"The Victim or the Crime."
Details of the incident remain unclear. Hart played with the Grateful Dead from 1967 until 1995.
TMZ first reported the incident. Hart's rep told the site the drummer's camp is looking into the incident.
Hart was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of the Grateful Dead in 1994.
In recent years, Hart has played with other surviving members of the group and has headed up the Mickey Hart Band, which has scheduled concert dates this fall.
Peter Gabriel Launches 'So'-centric Tour, Plots Hiatus
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Peter Gabriel's Back To Front Tour, which begins Sunday, may be the last we see of him for awhile. Gabriel says that "there is new music" he's working on, but it will have to wait for a hiatus he's planning after the tour ends in mid-October.
"I'm going to take a sabbatical after the tour with my family and travel around the world," Gabriel says, "visiting some of the people we know on the music world, the human rights world, the science community, as well as a bit of straightforward tourism. It's something I've been intending to do for the last 12 years, so I'm really looking forward to that."
But Gabriel does hope to leave fans with some memories by uncharacteristically delving into his past and celebrating his multi-platinum 1986 album So. He'll be performing the chart-topping set in its entirety on the tour, with the original band from the original tour -- bassist Tony Levin, guitarist David Rhodes, drummer Manu Kache and keyboardist David Sancious -- while a 25th anniversary edition of the album comes out in three configurations on October 23, including demos and a Martin Scorsese-produced film of a 1987 performance in Athens, Greece. Of course, it's actually the album's 26th anniversary this year, but Gabriel says he sacrificed timeliness for quality.
"The box set...involved a fair bit of organizing and pulling things together," he says. "That was much harder work than I anticipated, but fun. We bit off a bit more than we could chew within the correct time frame, so we now are running a little behind our 25th anniversary. But nonetheless I think we have a good box there."
Gabriel -- whose most recent projects were the 2010 covers set "Scratch My Back" and the "New Blood" orchestral revisions of his songs -- says he's particularly excited about letting fans hear the "So DNA" disc, which includes the demos in the same sequence as the finished album.
"I'd forgotten quite a lot of that, and how the songs evolved," Gabriel notes. "On 'That Voice Again,' for instance, there was a whole other lyric I'd sort of pushed into the back of my mind. There's a lot of things like that...which really give people some insight into how these songs developed and sometimes changed quite a bit as we went along."
The concerts during the tour -- which kicks off September 16 in Quebec City -- will also recreate the staging and visuals used during the original "So" trek, but Gabriel also expects to tweak and modernize things a bit.
"Nothing ever stays the same, so even when you try to recapture a moment you put today's time print on it," he explains. "I'm trying not to use pre-recorded video material this time, just as a starting point -- though I may retreat from that position. But we're trying to see if we can generate all the video content from what we're doing live. That's the aim, at least."
Gabriel acknowledges that he initially resisted celebrating "So" in this way; "I never really considered a retro tour like this before," he says. But after seeing Brian Wilson perform the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds in its entirety, he reconsidered.
"There were always a couple of songs which for one reason or another I decided not to be playing," Gabriel says. "And we were getting some good offers, so I thought it could be quite fun to do this and try to get the band together again. It's been quite an undertaking, but I think it's going to be very enjoyable."
Peter Gabriel's Back To Front Tour, which begins Sunday, may be the last we see of him for awhile. Gabriel says that "there is new music" he's working on, but it will have to wait for a hiatus he's planning after the tour ends in mid-October.
"I'm going to take a sabbatical after the tour with my family and travel around the world," Gabriel says, "visiting some of the people we know on the music world, the human rights world, the science community, as well as a bit of straightforward tourism. It's something I've been intending to do for the last 12 years, so I'm really looking forward to that."
But Gabriel does hope to leave fans with some memories by uncharacteristically delving into his past and celebrating his multi-platinum 1986 album So. He'll be performing the chart-topping set in its entirety on the tour, with the original band from the original tour -- bassist Tony Levin, guitarist David Rhodes, drummer Manu Kache and keyboardist David Sancious -- while a 25th anniversary edition of the album comes out in three configurations on October 23, including demos and a Martin Scorsese-produced film of a 1987 performance in Athens, Greece. Of course, it's actually the album's 26th anniversary this year, but Gabriel says he sacrificed timeliness for quality.
"The box set...involved a fair bit of organizing and pulling things together," he says. "That was much harder work than I anticipated, but fun. We bit off a bit more than we could chew within the correct time frame, so we now are running a little behind our 25th anniversary. But nonetheless I think we have a good box there."
Gabriel -- whose most recent projects were the 2010 covers set "Scratch My Back" and the "New Blood" orchestral revisions of his songs -- says he's particularly excited about letting fans hear the "So DNA" disc, which includes the demos in the same sequence as the finished album.
"I'd forgotten quite a lot of that, and how the songs evolved," Gabriel notes. "On 'That Voice Again,' for instance, there was a whole other lyric I'd sort of pushed into the back of my mind. There's a lot of things like that...which really give people some insight into how these songs developed and sometimes changed quite a bit as we went along."
The concerts during the tour -- which kicks off September 16 in Quebec City -- will also recreate the staging and visuals used during the original "So" trek, but Gabriel also expects to tweak and modernize things a bit.
"Nothing ever stays the same, so even when you try to recapture a moment you put today's time print on it," he explains. "I'm trying not to use pre-recorded video material this time, just as a starting point -- though I may retreat from that position. But we're trying to see if we can generate all the video content from what we're doing live. That's the aim, at least."
Gabriel acknowledges that he initially resisted celebrating "So" in this way; "I never really considered a retro tour like this before," he says. But after seeing Brian Wilson perform the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds in its entirety, he reconsidered.
"There were always a couple of songs which for one reason or another I decided not to be playing," Gabriel says. "And we were getting some good offers, so I thought it could be quite fun to do this and try to get the band together again. It's been quite an undertaking, but I think it's going to be very enjoyable."
Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience Hits The Road
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The popular and critically acclaimed concert Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience (JBLZE), which celebrates the life and music of Jason’s father, the legendary Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, will return to the west coast starting October 5 in Napa Valley, CA and concluding October 16 in Sacramento, CA.
In November, JBLZE will head to the east coast and select dates in Canada. Tickets for the JBLZE shows are now on sale; see www.jblze.com for ticket links and more information.
"This is a personal trip through my life with the music of Led Zeppelin,” explains Jason, "and how the music influenced me."
Jason played with Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones at Led Zeppelin's "final" show at London's O2 Arena in 2007. The O2 Arena show was heralded as the most powerful Led Zeppelin performance since the group’s original disbandment.
The band received uniformly rave reviews the epic night will finally see a worldwide theatrical release titled Celebration Day in 1,500 screens in 40 territories beginning October 17. Tickets will be available starting September 13 via www.ledzeppelin.com.
“Performing my father’s songs at the Led Zeppelin 02 reunion concert in 2007 was an honor that I will forever remember as one of the most bittersweet, yet greatest nights of my life,” says Jason. “I’m over the moon that the 02 concert will finally be available for all Zeppelin fans to enjoy. That special night was the original spark that ignited JBLZE.”
Bonham partnered with Annerin Productions, the critically acclaimed theatrical producers of "PFX-The Pink Floyd Experience" and "Rain, A Tribute to the Beatlesm" to create a once-in-a-lifetime concert experience.
Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience is a spectacular rock concert with the iconic blues-infused rock ‘n’ roll of Led Zeppelin, stunning atmospheric video and lighting effects, which highlight the unique history that Jason Bonham shares – in commemoration of his father John Bonham – with the legendary rock n’ roll group Led Zeppelin.
Bonham and his band’s powerful live performance of over 20 iconic Led Zeppelin classics takes concert-goers through a mesmerizing visual and aural journey as giant backdrops display iconic art, and Bonham’s own historical footage, photos and stories are set to stunning atmospheric effects.
The JBLZE line-up -- Jason Bonham (drums), Tony Catania (guitar/theremin), Stephen LeBlanc (keyboards/lapsteel guitar) Dorian Heartsong (bass) and James Dylan (vocals) -- will make stops at such venues as San Francisco’s The Warfield (October 14), Sacramento’s Crest Theatre (October 16) and Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre (October 11), among others. For the new line-up, see dates listed below with more coming soon.
In November, JBLZE will head to the east coast and select dates in Canada. Tickets for the JBLZE shows are now on sale; see www.jblze.com for ticket links and more information.
"This is a personal trip through my life with the music of Led Zeppelin,” explains Jason, "and how the music influenced me."
Jason played with Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones at Led Zeppelin's "final" show at London's O2 Arena in 2007. The O2 Arena show was heralded as the most powerful Led Zeppelin performance since the group’s original disbandment.
The band received uniformly rave reviews the epic night will finally see a worldwide theatrical release titled Celebration Day in 1,500 screens in 40 territories beginning October 17. Tickets will be available starting September 13 via www.ledzeppelin.com.
“Performing my father’s songs at the Led Zeppelin 02 reunion concert in 2007 was an honor that I will forever remember as one of the most bittersweet, yet greatest nights of my life,” says Jason. “I’m over the moon that the 02 concert will finally be available for all Zeppelin fans to enjoy. That special night was the original spark that ignited JBLZE.”
Bonham partnered with Annerin Productions, the critically acclaimed theatrical producers of "PFX-The Pink Floyd Experience" and "Rain, A Tribute to the Beatlesm" to create a once-in-a-lifetime concert experience.
Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience is a spectacular rock concert with the iconic blues-infused rock ‘n’ roll of Led Zeppelin, stunning atmospheric video and lighting effects, which highlight the unique history that Jason Bonham shares – in commemoration of his father John Bonham – with the legendary rock n’ roll group Led Zeppelin.
Bonham and his band’s powerful live performance of over 20 iconic Led Zeppelin classics takes concert-goers through a mesmerizing visual and aural journey as giant backdrops display iconic art, and Bonham’s own historical footage, photos and stories are set to stunning atmospheric effects.
The JBLZE line-up -- Jason Bonham (drums), Tony Catania (guitar/theremin), Stephen LeBlanc (keyboards/lapsteel guitar) Dorian Heartsong (bass) and James Dylan (vocals) -- will make stops at such venues as San Francisco’s The Warfield (October 14), Sacramento’s Crest Theatre (October 16) and Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre (October 11), among others. For the new line-up, see dates listed below with more coming soon.
25 Eylül 2012 Salı
Thin Lizzy To Record First Album Without Phil Lynott
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Members comprising the current lineup of Thin Lizzy are set to record their first album in nearly 30 years. It will be the first Thin Lizzy album without original frontman Phil Lynott.
Guitarist Scott Gorham said the group will work with producer Kevin Shirley on the new album, and that recording will likely start next month.
"I'll be going out to Los Angeles at the end of the month to work on some songs with [guitarist] Damon [Johnson] and then I think we will start recording in October in our producer Kevin Shirley's studio," Gorham said.
"We are all excited about the new record but especially [vocalist] Ricky [Warwick] and Damon, they just can’t wait to start recording!" said Gorham. "You have got six guys there that are chomping at the bit that can't wait to get this thing going."
The current Thin Lizzy lineup includes Gorham, Warwick and Johnson along with founding member Brian Downey, longtime keyboardist Darren Wharton and bassist Marco Mendoza.
Lynott died in 1986 at age 36.
Thin Lizzy's last studio album, Thunder and Lightning, was released in 1983.
Guitarist Scott Gorham said the group will work with producer Kevin Shirley on the new album, and that recording will likely start next month.
"I'll be going out to Los Angeles at the end of the month to work on some songs with [guitarist] Damon [Johnson] and then I think we will start recording in October in our producer Kevin Shirley's studio," Gorham said.
"We are all excited about the new record but especially [vocalist] Ricky [Warwick] and Damon, they just can’t wait to start recording!" said Gorham. "You have got six guys there that are chomping at the bit that can't wait to get this thing going."
The current Thin Lizzy lineup includes Gorham, Warwick and Johnson along with founding member Brian Downey, longtime keyboardist Darren Wharton and bassist Marco Mendoza.
Lynott died in 1986 at age 36.
Thin Lizzy's last studio album, Thunder and Lightning, was released in 1983.
Led Zeppelin, Queen & Iron Maiden Members Rock Sunflower Jam
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Classic rock stars were out in full force at London’s Royal Albert Hall Sunday night for Sunflower Jam 2012.
The 6th annual event raised funds for a UK cancer charity of the same name, founded by Jacky Paice, wife of Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice.
The evening, hosted by actor Jeremy Irons, consisted of many very special performances and collaborations from artists such as Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones, Brian May of Queen, Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson, Alice Cooper, Ian Paice, Mark King, Alfie Boe, Kerry Ellis, Jerry Brown, Margo Buchanan, Micky Moody, Murray Gould, Nick Fyffe, Sandi Thom, Steve Balsamo, Temperance Movement, Uli Jon Roth and Wix Wickins.
This year's Sunflower Jam will be committed to improving the treatment and care of patients with pancreatic cancer.
The Sunflower Jam will use the proceeds of this year's Jam to do original research on integrated approaches to pancreatic cancer and also produce an easily readable summary of promising treatments for patients with pancreatic cancer, which will include conventional medicine, lifestyle approaches including nutrition, complementary treatments such as immune Modulation Therapy and hyperthermia, treatments are beginning to look promising such as photodynamic therapy and the ways in which the mind can be harnessed to help fight this disease.
The 6th annual event raised funds for a UK cancer charity of the same name, founded by Jacky Paice, wife of Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice.
The evening, hosted by actor Jeremy Irons, consisted of many very special performances and collaborations from artists such as Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones, Brian May of Queen, Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson, Alice Cooper, Ian Paice, Mark King, Alfie Boe, Kerry Ellis, Jerry Brown, Margo Buchanan, Micky Moody, Murray Gould, Nick Fyffe, Sandi Thom, Steve Balsamo, Temperance Movement, Uli Jon Roth and Wix Wickins.
This year's Sunflower Jam will be committed to improving the treatment and care of patients with pancreatic cancer.
The Sunflower Jam will use the proceeds of this year's Jam to do original research on integrated approaches to pancreatic cancer and also produce an easily readable summary of promising treatments for patients with pancreatic cancer, which will include conventional medicine, lifestyle approaches including nutrition, complementary treatments such as immune Modulation Therapy and hyperthermia, treatments are beginning to look promising such as photodynamic therapy and the ways in which the mind can be harnessed to help fight this disease.
Beach Boys Wrap 50 Years As Questions Arise About Their 51st
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The Beach Boys gathered at the Grammy Museum Sept. 18 to celebrate their 50th anniversary with a platinum award presentation, a museum fund-raising meet-and-greet with donors and an acoustic performance that followed a half-hour Q&A.
But the undercurrent in the area where the museum has housed the exhibit Good Vibrations: 50 Years of the Beach Boys concerned the future of the band in the wake of lead singer Mike Love announcing a day earlier he was jettisoning Brian Wilson, Al Jardine and David Marks to resume touring as the Beach Boys with bandmate Bruce Johnston and his regular band. Two shows in London - Sept. 27 at Royal Albert Hall and Sept. 28 at Wembley Arena - will apparently wrap up the reunion.
The band members kept the focus on the tour, their history and the exhibit, but members of the musicians' camps found the timing of Love's announcement, at the very least, curious. Several people close to the Beach Boys said they could have easily added another dozen dates in the U.K. In addition, Wilson has continued writing for a follow-up album to That's Why God Made The Radio and has four songs in the vein of the album's suite of "Strange World"/"From There to Back Again"/"Pacific Coast Highway."
The only thing certain about future releases from the reunited Beach Boys is a live album that Capitol will release in 2013.
In his press release issued on September 17, Love said the 50th anniversary tour "was designed to be a set tour with a beginning and an end to mark a special 50-year milestone for the band." The tour did a lot to restore the band's image, which has been pockmarked by decades of legal squabbles and infighting over the band's direction.
Wilson made known his desire for the band's future in no uncertain terms: "I wouldn't mind getting together and recording an exciting rock 'n' roll album. By early next year, we'll be ready to rock." Jardine added: "Why stop now?," a question that apparently only Love can answer.
The Beach Boys were all smiles during the presentation of a triple-platinum plaque for Sounds of Summer: Very Best of the Beach Boys. Donors to the museum were given an opportunity to take their pictures with the band in front of an exhibit that included one of Dennis Wilson's surfboards - a Hermosa model similar the one used on the covers of "Surfin' Safari" and "Surfer Girl" - concert posters from and clothing from tours of the '60s plus an essay Wilson wrote while in high school titled My Philosophy. "I don't want to settle with a mediocre life, but make a name for myself in my life's work, which I hope will be music," Wilson wrote in October 1959.
Grammy Museum executive director Bob Santelli curated the exhibit "to tell the story as a fan and a museum director," noting he first saw the band as a 10-year-old at the Convention Hall in Asbury Park, N.J.
In their acoustic set after the Q&A in front of an SRO crowd that included Monkee Mickey Dolenz, fabled L.A. disk jockey Rodney Bingenheimer, lyricist Joe Thomas and Beach Boys' family members, they performed five songs that will appear on both of the next Beach Boys compilations - 50th Anniversary Greatest Hits and the two-CD Greatest Hits: 50 Big Ones. The two collections will be released October 9.
Also on October 9, 12 remastered studio albums will be released with mono and stereo mixes. "It's really for the collectors market," EMI Music North America senior VP, catalog, Jane Ventom said.
Beach Boys titles had previously been released as two-fer "that were driven by physical retail," Gagnon said "We had them out digitally but it didn't make sense so we're reissuing each album at $7.99."
But the undercurrent in the area where the museum has housed the exhibit Good Vibrations: 50 Years of the Beach Boys concerned the future of the band in the wake of lead singer Mike Love announcing a day earlier he was jettisoning Brian Wilson, Al Jardine and David Marks to resume touring as the Beach Boys with bandmate Bruce Johnston and his regular band. Two shows in London - Sept. 27 at Royal Albert Hall and Sept. 28 at Wembley Arena - will apparently wrap up the reunion.
The band members kept the focus on the tour, their history and the exhibit, but members of the musicians' camps found the timing of Love's announcement, at the very least, curious. Several people close to the Beach Boys said they could have easily added another dozen dates in the U.K. In addition, Wilson has continued writing for a follow-up album to That's Why God Made The Radio and has four songs in the vein of the album's suite of "Strange World"/"From There to Back Again"/"Pacific Coast Highway."
The only thing certain about future releases from the reunited Beach Boys is a live album that Capitol will release in 2013.
In his press release issued on September 17, Love said the 50th anniversary tour "was designed to be a set tour with a beginning and an end to mark a special 50-year milestone for the band." The tour did a lot to restore the band's image, which has been pockmarked by decades of legal squabbles and infighting over the band's direction.
Wilson made known his desire for the band's future in no uncertain terms: "I wouldn't mind getting together and recording an exciting rock 'n' roll album. By early next year, we'll be ready to rock." Jardine added: "Why stop now?," a question that apparently only Love can answer.
The Beach Boys were all smiles during the presentation of a triple-platinum plaque for Sounds of Summer: Very Best of the Beach Boys. Donors to the museum were given an opportunity to take their pictures with the band in front of an exhibit that included one of Dennis Wilson's surfboards - a Hermosa model similar the one used on the covers of "Surfin' Safari" and "Surfer Girl" - concert posters from and clothing from tours of the '60s plus an essay Wilson wrote while in high school titled My Philosophy. "I don't want to settle with a mediocre life, but make a name for myself in my life's work, which I hope will be music," Wilson wrote in October 1959.
Grammy Museum executive director Bob Santelli curated the exhibit "to tell the story as a fan and a museum director," noting he first saw the band as a 10-year-old at the Convention Hall in Asbury Park, N.J.
In their acoustic set after the Q&A in front of an SRO crowd that included Monkee Mickey Dolenz, fabled L.A. disk jockey Rodney Bingenheimer, lyricist Joe Thomas and Beach Boys' family members, they performed five songs that will appear on both of the next Beach Boys compilations - 50th Anniversary Greatest Hits and the two-CD Greatest Hits: 50 Big Ones. The two collections will be released October 9.
Also on October 9, 12 remastered studio albums will be released with mono and stereo mixes. "It's really for the collectors market," EMI Music North America senior VP, catalog, Jane Ventom said.
Beach Boys titles had previously been released as two-fer "that were driven by physical retail," Gagnon said "We had them out digitally but it didn't make sense so we're reissuing each album at $7.99."
Led Zeppelin Regroups To Launch Concert DVD, Not Tour
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The three surviving members of Led Zeppelin regrouped in London today for a press conference to mark the launch of Celebration Day, the upcoming film of the band's 2007 one-off reunion concert at the 02 Arena here.
Celebration Day will premiere in London, New York, Los Angeles and other major cities ahead of a worldwide theatrical release by Omniverse Vision on 1,500 screens in more than 40 territories October 17. Swan Song/Atlantic will then release the concert on DVD, CD, Blu-ray, vinyl and digitally November 19.
Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones were in jovial form at the event, which followed a media screening of the two-hour concert movie, directed by Dick Carruthers. But they sidestepped any and all questions from the floor that made reference to future reunions, apart from one moment near the end of the conference, when Plant answered the shouted question "Will you do it again?" by simply saying: "With you?"
"We don't see each other too often," Plant said earlier, "but we've just spent about an hour together...and no sooner we start talking, than some little innuendo creeps in. It's just what happens when you've spent a lot of time together."
Responding to a question about why it has taken five years for the concert film to be released, Jones got one of the biggest laughs of the occasion by saying drily: "Five years is like five minutes in Zeppelin time. I'm surprised we got it out so quickly."
Page described the contribution of drummer Jason Bonham, who took the place of his late father John at the concert, as "monumental, from the very first rehearsal right through to the 02." "We'd played with him before, at his wedding," added Plant. "Sadly, he decided to go to bed during the reception, and because I was a friend of the family from way back, I was the one that had to go up to his room and get him to get out of bed. Then he played with us."
The film is a faithful, sequential record of the show, which took place in memory of Zeppelin's mentor and Atlantic Records supremo Ahmet Ertegin. It has few special effects beyond effective use of multiple camera angles, and no speech except for what was said on stage on the night. Carruthers placed some Super 8 cameras in the crowd to add an occasional "bootleg" feel, as he put it, "and no cranes."
November's release of Celebration Day will be as a 1 DVD/2 CD set, also available in Blu-Ray; deluxe 2 DVD/2 CD and 1 Blu-ray/1 DVD/2-CD editions, which add film of the band's rehearsals for the gig at Shepperton and BBC news footage; a music-only 2 CD set; a music-only Blu-ray in two high-resolution formats; a 3-LP vinyl version; and in digital from all digital retailers.
Celebration Day will premiere in London, New York, Los Angeles and other major cities ahead of a worldwide theatrical release by Omniverse Vision on 1,500 screens in more than 40 territories October 17. Swan Song/Atlantic will then release the concert on DVD, CD, Blu-ray, vinyl and digitally November 19.
Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones were in jovial form at the event, which followed a media screening of the two-hour concert movie, directed by Dick Carruthers. But they sidestepped any and all questions from the floor that made reference to future reunions, apart from one moment near the end of the conference, when Plant answered the shouted question "Will you do it again?" by simply saying: "With you?"
"We don't see each other too often," Plant said earlier, "but we've just spent about an hour together...and no sooner we start talking, than some little innuendo creeps in. It's just what happens when you've spent a lot of time together."
Responding to a question about why it has taken five years for the concert film to be released, Jones got one of the biggest laughs of the occasion by saying drily: "Five years is like five minutes in Zeppelin time. I'm surprised we got it out so quickly."
Page described the contribution of drummer Jason Bonham, who took the place of his late father John at the concert, as "monumental, from the very first rehearsal right through to the 02." "We'd played with him before, at his wedding," added Plant. "Sadly, he decided to go to bed during the reception, and because I was a friend of the family from way back, I was the one that had to go up to his room and get him to get out of bed. Then he played with us."
The film is a faithful, sequential record of the show, which took place in memory of Zeppelin's mentor and Atlantic Records supremo Ahmet Ertegin. It has few special effects beyond effective use of multiple camera angles, and no speech except for what was said on stage on the night. Carruthers placed some Super 8 cameras in the crowd to add an occasional "bootleg" feel, as he put it, "and no cranes."
November's release of Celebration Day will be as a 1 DVD/2 CD set, also available in Blu-Ray; deluxe 2 DVD/2 CD and 1 Blu-ray/1 DVD/2-CD editions, which add film of the band's rehearsals for the gig at Shepperton and BBC news footage; a music-only 2 CD set; a music-only Blu-ray in two high-resolution formats; a 3-LP vinyl version; and in digital from all digital retailers.
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