Friday, January 16, 2009

Chris Bergson Band "Fall Changes" album a must listen.




Brooklyn, NY-based Chris Bergson & his band Chris Bergson Band provide the listeners w/ an amazing blues, jazz, soul & rock album that leaves 'em craving for more. Rarely is there a group of talented & accomplished musicians that join forces & successfully set their own bar as they due on this album released in '07 on the label 2 Shirts Records, but recorded @ Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY. With the assistance of Levon's recording right-hand man, Justin Guip, the album offers a wonderful balance, strength & clarity between vocals & instrumentals.




Chris' voice resembles a younger, jazzy/bluesy Gregg Allman. Ironically, Chris' bandmate Jay Collins (Levon's son-in-law), frequently performs w/ Gregg. Chris is the driving force behind most of the album's songwriting & takes the helm w/ the vocals & guitar. Jay receives songwriting credit for The Engine & provides the distinctive tenor sax sound & background vocals. Jay's wife (Levon's sole offspring) Amy, also offers her beautiful voice for some background vocals. The backbeat his held by the very talented Tony Leone, who is the drummer & co-lead singer for Ollabelle (Amy is also a member of this band). Bruce Katz, who needs no introduction, mans the B-3 organ & piano. Chris Berger holds the bass line.

Fall Changes is predominantly original, except for a gradually steadily increased tempo on Bob Dylan's When I Paint My Masterpiece & a cool rendition of Jimi Hendrix's Are You Experienced. We really appreciate the band's fresh approach towards those two covers. The original tunes seem to draw upon life in NYC, relationships & themes we'll learn more about the more we experience the album.

Bottom line....Chris & the guys provide fans such as us a timeless album. Thank you guys.

Cavern Club opened 52 yrs ago.

The place where The Beatles began opened Wednesday, January 16, 1957, on Matthews Street in England.

Justin Guip, Levon Helm's (& many other's) man behind the scenes.

Justin is the amazing recording & mixing talent behind Levon Helm's Grammy Award winning Dirt Farmer album & numerous other artist's albums, including Chris Bergson Band, Alexis P. Suter, Jay Collins & Bow Thayer & Perfect Trainwreck. Justin helps create an amazing balance between each album's vocals & instrumentals w/ out drowning either out. The clarity on his albums is very much appreciated. Justin is also ever-so-present @ Levon's Midnight Rambles to help ensure a great sound. He too is very deserving of the Grammy he received for Levon's album. We look forward to experiencing more of his work.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Remembering Amos "Junior" Wells today....

Amos passed away in '98 @ the age of 64. He was a blues musician (vocalist & harmonic) w/ Muddy Waters, Van Morrison & Rolling Stones.

Happy b'day to the late Ronnie Van Zant!

The late Lynyrd Skynyrd frontman would have turned 61 today. He died in a '77 plane crash, the same plane that was to potentially be Aerosmith's. Our late neighbor & Aerosmith pilot, Harold Buker, refused to fly the junker.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

New World Cooking expanding to Albany, NY.


Ric Orlando, owner of the amazing New World Home Cooking (NWHC) in Saugerties, NY, is opening New World Bistro in Albany, NY. NWHC is where Richard Manuel recorded (in '85) his Whispering Pines live album. Ric opened NWHC in '93 & the food is wonderful.


Steven Tyler interview on Elle.com.


Very cut-to-the-chase interview w/ Aerosmith's frontman. He answers to questions about sex, women & his relationship w/ guitarist Joe Perry.


Jim Weider free live performance download.


New from JIM WEIDER'S PRoJECT PERCoLAToR Myspace website:

River Street Jazz Cafe


Plains, PA


January 2, 2009





http://www.%20jimweider.%20com/





Jim Weider - guitar


Mitch Stein - guitar


Rodney Holmes - drums


Steve Lucas - bass





http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vYnQuZXRyZWUub3JnL2RldGFpbHMucGhwP2lkPTUyMTYwMQ==

Happy b'day T-Bone Burnett!


T-Bone turns 61 today.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Derek Trucks Band covers Bob Dylan's "Before the Flood."


We love the live version of Down in the Flood from the Dylan & The Band '74 Before the Flood album. Derek Trucks Band released its version of it back in November '08. Take a listen.

Motown's 50th Anniversary.


It was 50-yrs ago yesterday that Motown founder Berry Gordy borrowed on an $800.00 loan to begin this great music genre.


Monday, January 12, 2009

Fender Stratocaster marketing legend passes away.




Don Randall, marketer for Fender who coined the name Stratocastor, has left us @ the age of 91.




Levon Helm Midnight Ramble photo book by Paul LaRaia.


You can pre-order the Midnight Ramble photog's book on Amazon.com.


New "Rick Danko" facebook page by Carol Caffin.


Rick's frmr publicist has been hard @ work creating this page on the vastly emerging facebook network. This picture is on her main Rick Danko page on facebook.


Happy b'day Larry Hoppen!


The voice of Woodstock, NY-formed Orleans turns 58 today.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Chris Bergson Band.











We have recently become fans of the Chris Bergson Band. We are familiar w/ two of the members - Tony Leone of Ollabelle & Jay Collins of the Jay Collins Band. Both Tony & Jay perform w/ Levon Helm @ his Midnight Rambles (as well as other bands) & so too has Chris Bergson. We are extremely happy to experience more of Chris who hails from Brooklynn. Like Tony & Jay, Chris is another musical talent not to be overlooked. We cannot wait to catch up w/ Chris & his band January 24th in North Bennington, VT @ the Vermont Arts Exchange.