Just a quick note to tell you about some changes for the Carpenter Ants, with regard to our main Myspace page...
Until recently, that chore had been handled by our own Kathy Clark who is based in Winston Salem NC. Kathy had worked for us tirelessly, until she became unable to continue due to her own work restraints. So she had to move on from the nest.
In her place, we've decided to go with Amy Bowe who heads up our fan based Myspace page under www.myspace.com/carpenterantsfan.
Look for Amy to take it to the next level for us.
I'm told that she will begin to incorporate our shows with the myspace pages, so that those of you who look for us on the web can easily find us along with our main website http://www.carpenterants.wvmusichalloffame.com/, as well as right here in Standing In The Shadows Of Music.
First and foremost I want to say thank you very much to Kathy Clark, the work that you've done for us over the past year was exemplary. Thank you for getting us to the consciousness of the great folks in North Carolina. Well will miss you more than you know.
Next, I want to thank Amy for taking the ball and helping us to continue on our path.
When I'm given the signal, I will write in detail how you can catch the Carpenter Ants today tomorrow and always.
For now you can still check us out via www.myspace.com/carpenterants
Until then...
Support Live music today tomorrow and always.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Remembering Beverly Sills
"You can take the girl outta Brooklyn, but you can't take Brooklyn outta the girl..."
Those words that she said so many years ago still stick with me on a daily basis.and I have found that to be absolutely true.
I remember vividly the first time I saw her. It was at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and it was The Siege of Corinth at La Scala in 1975, and it moved my soul.
Miss Sills though would come to make me love Opera in different way though, she did it by being just a cool girl from Brooklyn and not some stuffy, stuck up died in the wool snob.
Opera, and classical music in general was losing favor in young people during the 70's because so many if it's artists quite frankly thought that they were better than us. Many of the musicians thumbed their noses at regular people, and in many of us who may have aspired to that life simply turned in another direction.
During those days, you had to wear a tuxedo, or a good suit to see the Opera, and so many if us just couldn't afford to even though we loved the music, and the pagentry. It was just beautiful music and we were turned away at the door.
All of that changed when a girl from the hood stood up and showed us the entrance, and taught us how to enjoy her style of music.
Beverly made it fashionable to see the Opera in any fashion. She bridged the gap between the stuffed stodgy superelative speaking Mink coats and suits. When Miss Sills arrived we began to come as we were; jeans, sneakers, ballcaps.
I had the pleasure to enjoy her performances some 30 times, before she gave it up to become President of the Met, and when she did become its head I went to the Met even more.
I was very sad to learn of her passing because to me she was a true gem...an American gem. She was our Diva, and she was a girl from the hood.
Belle Miriam Silverman ( Beverly Sills ) 1929- 2007
Good night Sister.
Support Live music today tomorrow and always.
Those words that she said so many years ago still stick with me on a daily basis.and I have found that to be absolutely true.
I remember vividly the first time I saw her. It was at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and it was The Siege of Corinth at La Scala in 1975, and it moved my soul.
Miss Sills though would come to make me love Opera in different way though, she did it by being just a cool girl from Brooklyn and not some stuffy, stuck up died in the wool snob.
Opera, and classical music in general was losing favor in young people during the 70's because so many if it's artists quite frankly thought that they were better than us. Many of the musicians thumbed their noses at regular people, and in many of us who may have aspired to that life simply turned in another direction.
During those days, you had to wear a tuxedo, or a good suit to see the Opera, and so many if us just couldn't afford to even though we loved the music, and the pagentry. It was just beautiful music and we were turned away at the door.
All of that changed when a girl from the hood stood up and showed us the entrance, and taught us how to enjoy her style of music.
Beverly made it fashionable to see the Opera in any fashion. She bridged the gap between the stuffed stodgy superelative speaking Mink coats and suits. When Miss Sills arrived we began to come as we were; jeans, sneakers, ballcaps.
I had the pleasure to enjoy her performances some 30 times, before she gave it up to become President of the Met, and when she did become its head I went to the Met even more.
I was very sad to learn of her passing because to me she was a true gem...an American gem. She was our Diva, and she was a girl from the hood.
Belle Miriam Silverman ( Beverly Sills ) 1929- 2007
Good night Sister.
Support Live music today tomorrow and always.
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Today,Tomorrow and Always
If you've read my blog for some time now, you know that I normally sign off by telling you to support live music today, tomorrow and always. It's my tag line, but truly there is a deeper meaning to it.
This past Friday I was put in a position to put my money where my mouth is, and I came to realize, that at least in my mind I think that I've failed on some levels. Let me explain...
Earlier in the evening, I left home a bit early, before my gig at Blues BBQ in Charleston to eat. At the restaurant I ran into an old friend who a few months earlier I had noticed was down on his luck, he had become an alcoholic and just generally a nusense to folks. It was pretty disappointing to see. Now, here we are, and I found out not only had he become "saved," he completely cleaned himself up, and was now employed gainfully at the restaurant.
Ike thanked me profusely for not giving up on him, even though I had been disappointed...he "understood." We talked for a long time, and I told him several times how proud I was of him.
I left the restaurant and was pretty much on cloud nine.
Driving down the street, I ran into another good friend, saxophonist Dugan Carter ( one of my musical heroes...), and with him were David Loyd a great keyboardist, Michael " Stoney" Burks, a phenom trumpeter, and Warren Pope, a great drummer, all former bandmates of mine when I was the lead vocalist of their band Stratus.
Without too much prodding they invited me into the Cafe de Paris, where they hold court every Friday during Happy hour as the jazz combo "Full Flavor." It's one of the newer spots in town.
As I was preparing, I noticed that during the entire time that they were playing, no one was paying attention to them at all, but none the less Dugan introduces me, and when he mentioned that I was with the Carpenter Ants, everyone stopped cold and paid close atttention to me, and when I finished a huge applaud came my way. Then the owners of the club, a wonderful Frenchman , and his co-owner Shelly stepped up to not only sing, but do so in French, something that should have been a real treat for these folks was met with continued talking. How utterly embarrasing !!
I've been at my craft of music for far too long and have been treated by club owners and patrons alike with the utmost respect, and those patrons acted as if they were at home on the phone. They talked right over this beautiful music as if it weren't even there.
Of course this got me thinking, what could I do to make the efforts of these musicians and others worthwhile. I'm great for telling everyone thay they need to support live music, but where have I been ? By not going to some of my fellow musicians gigs when I'm off, I'm being just as bad as those people were... I'm not being supportive. So, after scolding that audience, I left for my own gig, but not before I made the vow to Dugan and the boys that I would be back at least once a month to support them, because truthfully, if not for them and the other musicians in my life who have supported me, I would always be standing in the shadows of music.
To my brothers in Full Flavor, I will put my money where my big mouth is and you'll see me in your audience occasionally.
To the owners of Cafe de Paris, continued success, and thank you for supporting live music.
I know this story was a bit long, but truly it needed to be told. The point here is that by supporting live music it will be here for us to enjoy today, tomorrow and always
Support Live music today tomorrow and always.
This past Friday I was put in a position to put my money where my mouth is, and I came to realize, that at least in my mind I think that I've failed on some levels. Let me explain...
Earlier in the evening, I left home a bit early, before my gig at Blues BBQ in Charleston to eat. At the restaurant I ran into an old friend who a few months earlier I had noticed was down on his luck, he had become an alcoholic and just generally a nusense to folks. It was pretty disappointing to see. Now, here we are, and I found out not only had he become "saved," he completely cleaned himself up, and was now employed gainfully at the restaurant.
Ike thanked me profusely for not giving up on him, even though I had been disappointed...he "understood." We talked for a long time, and I told him several times how proud I was of him.
I left the restaurant and was pretty much on cloud nine.
Driving down the street, I ran into another good friend, saxophonist Dugan Carter ( one of my musical heroes...), and with him were David Loyd a great keyboardist, Michael " Stoney" Burks, a phenom trumpeter, and Warren Pope, a great drummer, all former bandmates of mine when I was the lead vocalist of their band Stratus.
Without too much prodding they invited me into the Cafe de Paris, where they hold court every Friday during Happy hour as the jazz combo "Full Flavor." It's one of the newer spots in town.
As I was preparing, I noticed that during the entire time that they were playing, no one was paying attention to them at all, but none the less Dugan introduces me, and when he mentioned that I was with the Carpenter Ants, everyone stopped cold and paid close atttention to me, and when I finished a huge applaud came my way. Then the owners of the club, a wonderful Frenchman , and his co-owner Shelly stepped up to not only sing, but do so in French, something that should have been a real treat for these folks was met with continued talking. How utterly embarrasing !!
I've been at my craft of music for far too long and have been treated by club owners and patrons alike with the utmost respect, and those patrons acted as if they were at home on the phone. They talked right over this beautiful music as if it weren't even there.
Of course this got me thinking, what could I do to make the efforts of these musicians and others worthwhile. I'm great for telling everyone thay they need to support live music, but where have I been ? By not going to some of my fellow musicians gigs when I'm off, I'm being just as bad as those people were... I'm not being supportive. So, after scolding that audience, I left for my own gig, but not before I made the vow to Dugan and the boys that I would be back at least once a month to support them, because truthfully, if not for them and the other musicians in my life who have supported me, I would always be standing in the shadows of music.
To my brothers in Full Flavor, I will put my money where my big mouth is and you'll see me in your audience occasionally.
To the owners of Cafe de Paris, continued success, and thank you for supporting live music.
I know this story was a bit long, but truly it needed to be told. The point here is that by supporting live music it will be here for us to enjoy today, tomorrow and always
Support Live music today tomorrow and always.
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