Manhattan. . .

. . . Transfer. . .

First line-up
The first manifestation of the group was established in 1969 in New York City by Tim Hauser, Erin Dickins, Marty Nelson, and Pat Rosalia. Gene Pistilli, a good friend, soon became an integral component and composed for, and recorded with, the group. They contracted with Capitol Records, recorded several tracks, and issued their first album, Jukin' (1971).The album listed the original group in the order of billing determined by sequence to this first group's formation as was customary to the industry. Accordingly, Erin Dickins, Pat Rosalia, Tim Hauser, and Marty Nelson were listed out of alphabetical order. The album was later reissued in the UK by EMI's Music for Pleasure under the title The Manhattan Transfer and Gene Pistilli. Pistilli had been best known for his performing and songwriting collaborations with Terry Cashman and Tommy West. This team endured until 1973. According to Hauser, "Gene and I were in two different places. He was more into R&B, and the Memphis sound, and by then I'd become more interested in jazz and swing..."

Second line-up
Alan Paul, Janis Siegel, and Laurel Massé. After performances at Max's Kansas City, the group developed a cult fan base. Ahmet Ertegün, founder and chairman of Atlantic Records, saw them at Reno Sweeney and offered a recording contract. The group's first album for Atlantic was The Manhattan Transfer (1975), which included their first successful single, the gospel music tune "Operator". During the summer of 1975, the group was showcased in their own hour-long television variety series on CBS.

They also gained a following in Europe, where their next two albums, Coming Out and Pastiche, brought a string of hits. One was a revival of Wayne Shanklin's "Chanson D'Amour", which became a number one hit in the UK and Australia in 1977, though it failed to chart in the U.S. These were followed by a live album, The Manhattan Transfer Live, which was recorded in the UK and reached the UK Top 5.

Third line-up and journey into jazz
In 1978, soon after that album was recorded, Laurel Massé was badly injured in a car accident and was replaced by Cheryl Bentyne. The line-up has remained the same since. Their next album, Extensions (1979), earned the group their second U.S. popular music success—the disco hit "Twilight Zone/Twilight Tone", written by Alan Paul and Jay Graydon as a tribute to the 1960s CBS television series created by Rod Serling. The track also reached the Top 30 in the UK, where the group continued to make several appearances on popular television shows such as The Two Ronnies.
(from wikipedia.com)

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Hallelujah. . .

 

(from wikipedia.com)
"Hallelujah" is a song written by Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, originally released on his album Various Positions (1984). Achieving little initial success, the song found greater popular acclaim through a cover by John Cale, which later formed the basis for a cover by Jeff Buckley. It is the subject of the book The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley & the Unlikely Ascent of "Hallelujah" (2012) by Alan Light. In a New York Times review of this, Janet Maslin praises the book and the song, noting that "Cohen spent years struggling with his song 'Hallelujah.' . . . He wrote perhaps as many as 80 verses before paring the song down." Many cover versions have been performed by many and various singers, both in recordings and in concert, with over 300 versions known. The song has been used in film and television soundtracks, and televised talent contests. It is often called one of the greatest songs of all-time

In 2004, k.d. lang recorded a version of "Hallelujah" on her album Hymns of the 49th Parallel. She has since sung it at several major events, such as at the Canadian Juno Awards of 2005, where it "brought the audience to its feet for a two-minute ovation." Lang also sang it at the 2006 Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame when Cohen was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Cohen's partner, singer Anjani Thomas, said: "After hearing k.d. lang perform that song at the Canadian Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 2006 we looked at each other and said, 'well, I think we can lay that song to rest now! It's really been done to its ultimate blissful state of perfection'." Lang sang it at the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, before a claimed TV audience of three billion.

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Kind. . .

. . . words and the usual clever prose. . .

. . . of Mr. Rod Deacey, Frederick, MD music impresario, singer, songwriter, bluesman and all-around good guy.

". . .The gonzo piano prelude this Monday will be played by piano fitness instructor ROCKIN’ RAY JOZWIAK, who comes to Brewer’s Alley once a month to keep those black and white keys in shape – he is one of the few pianists to play for us to actually use all the keys, often in the same piece! If our embryonic grand had real strings, he would be climbing under the hood to search for quarter- tones and to make other Keith Jarrett-like noises, but it’s all electronic, so he has to make do with including as many extra notes as he can cram in. Incidentally, besides being a gonzo pianist, Ray is an accomplished classical composer, and is also able to pass for a normal person for the most part... As per usual, the benefits of an early arrival are good seats for the evening, as well as being able to see and hear the entire prelude... You can come upstairs at 7:15 pm (maybe 5 minutes or so earlier than that if we’re ready; performers can come up when they arrive). . . "

Brewer’s Alley Songwriters’ Showcase this Monday, March 18
Brewer's Alley Restaurant & Brewery
(take the elevator on the right to the 2nd floor)
124 North Market Street Frederick, MD 21701
Telephone: 301-631-0089 Fax: 301-631-1874
http://www.brewers-alley.com/

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Beer. . .

. . . and other stuff. . . 

. . . at Brewer's Alley. . .

This week I'll be there at 7:30 to open another great  show of talented, local and regional singer/songwriter and creative musicians and poets on a late winter evening in lovely, historical Frederick, MD.

Monday Night Songwriters' Showcase (now in its eighth year!) is held on Monday evenings upstairs at Brewer's Alley, 124 N. Market St., in beautiful downtown Frederick, MD, except during December (when we are closed after the first Monday). The program starts at 7:30 pm with a piano prelude, followed by three or four songwriters doing three songs each (lots of variety). The featured songwriter for the evening goes on around 9 pm for around 45 minutes, followed by two or three more three-song performers. Somewhere in the mix we throw in some poetry from our resident poet, John Holly. Our MCs are Ron Goad, Todd C. Walker and Tomy Wright, frequently interrupted by Rod Deacey on sound. Most of you know all this, but this mailing is going out to some people who may be unfamiliar with our format, so please bear with me.... Our shows are FREE – we collect tips for the featured songwriter, but there is no door charge, so come and support LIVE MUSIC! Our featured songwriters are a mix of national and regional touring performers, with many award winners from all genres.

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Embryonic. . .

. . . grand. . .

(from the desk of Mr. Rod Deacey)
     "At Brewer’s Alley Songwriters’ Showcase this Monday, Jan 28, we are delighted to welcome back TOM McBRIDE, who since his last visit has a new CD out, called Morning in Glen Burnie. One track from that CD – But I Don’t Care -- has won Gold in the Adult Contemporary category of the 29th Mid-Atlantic Song Contest, organized as always by the Songwriters Association of Washington (SAW)! We’ll know tonight if he wins any other awards at the MASC Gala! Tom is much in demand around the country these days – his next gigs after Brewer’s are in San Francisco – so come and catch him before he gets too famous! . . .

      The gonzo piano prelude this week is played for us by our favorite classical composer, Rockin’ Ray Jozwiak! Ray usually can’t resist tinkering with those keys as soon as he arrives, around 7:15 pm or so, just to make sure they are all in working order, and he then proceeds to put them through their paces... Without the monthly work-out from Ray, our embryonic piano would soon be soft and flabby, unable to convey the simplest emotion, so we’d like to thank him for keeping it in shape! As per normal, come early to find good seats for the evening and to catch the entire prelude. You can come upstairs at 7:15 pm (maybe 5 minutes or so earlier than that if we’re ready; performers can come up when they arrive). . ."

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Genius?. . .

 . . . well maybe. . . but even if NOT. . . certainly one of the most creative, uncompromising, free-thinking artists. . .

 . . . of this (and last) century . . .

(from wikipedia.com)
". . . Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American composer, singer-songwriter, guitarist, recording engineer, music producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed album covers. Zappa produced almost all of the more than 60 albums he released with the band The Mothers of Invention and as a solo artist. While in his teens, he acquired a taste for 20th-century classical composers such as Edgard Varèse, Igor Stravinsky, and Anton Webern along with 1950s rhythm and blues music. He began writing classical music in high school, while at the same time playing drums in rhythm and blues bands; he later switched to electric guitar.

Zappa was a self-taught composer and performer, and his diverse musical influences led him to create music that was often difficult to categorize. His 1966 debut album with the Mothers of Invention, Freak Out!, combined songs in conventional rock and roll format with collective improvisations and studio-generated sound collages. His later albums shared this eclectic and experimental approach, irrespective of whether the fundamental format was rock, jazz or classical. His lyrics—often humorously—reflected his iconoclastic view of established social and political processes, structures and movements. He was a strident critic of mainstream education and organized religion, and a forthright and passionate advocate for freedom of speech, self-education, political participation and the abolition of censorship.

He was a highly productive and prolific artist and gained widespread critical acclaim. He had some commercial success, particularly in Europe, and for most of his career was able to work as an independent artist. He also remains a major influence on musicians and composers. Zappa was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995 and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997. Zappa was married to Kathryn J. "Kay" Sherman from 1960 to 1964. In 1967, he married Adelaide Gail Sloatman, with whom he remained until his death from prostate cancer in 1993. They had four children: Moon Unit, Dweezil, Ahmet Emuukha Rodan and Diva Thin Muffin Pigeen. . . "

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Brewer's. . .

(

  (from Rod Deacey, Frederick (MD)-area musician, songwriter, performer, impressario)     
 ". . . At Brewer’s Alley Songwriters’ Showcase this Monday, Jan 14, we are delighted to welcome back JASON MYLES GOSS, who I first met when he played for me at the late, lamented WestSide café. Since those days, Jason has been busy touring around the U.S. and recording. He moved from Massachusetts to Brooklyn, NY, about six years ago and his latest CD, his fourth, called Radio Dial, has met with critical acclaim across the country…He’s really good – come and check him out!

         “This one-man-show reminded everyone packed into the small venue what live acoustic performances are all about and why the up-and-coming deserve to be heard.”
– Dissolver Magazine

          We are happy that COLETTE ROHAN has changed her working hours, so she is able to come and play some piano preludes for us this year! She starts this week – come out and hear her play!  As per normal, come early to find good seats for the evening and to catch the entire prelude. You can come upstairs at 7:15 pm (maybe 5 minutes or so earlier than that if we’re ready; performers can come up when they arrive).

          For three-song cameo performers this Monday, we are happy to see the return of RICARDO – THE DIVINING SAGE, plus BASSWOOD, and advertising his Feb 18 feature spot, BRETT BARRY! Brett is also helping me tweak the sound this week, so if you see him lurking behind the soundboard – that’s why! We will be also hearing from the regular crew; poet JOHN HOLLY, reciting his poems between other performers, and TODD C. WALKER, who also takes photos, helps emcee and helps run sound. TOMY WRIGHT is with us for the first time this new season, and will play some guitar and sing after the feature. . . "

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Talent . . .

 . . . humor and heart. . .

If you missed his performance at the the Brewer's Alley Songwriter Showcase Monday evening, I suggest you see this artist in the near future - T. Edwin Doss.

(from http://www.tedwindoss.com/)
Born in a small town in Alabama, T. Edwin Doss grew up in a family that enjoyed music. By the time he was six years old, he was copying his sister’s piano lessons without taking formal lessons. He managed to acquire a right-handed guitar from a friend and learned chords “up-side down”. After three years, someone suggested that he switch the strings around, and after doing so T. Edwin began learning more, playing along with folk music, country, and blues. His early influences were Peter, Paul and Mary, The Kingston Trio, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Pat Boone, Perry Como and various Motown acts.

In high school, he wrote jingle-type advertisements for those running for class office, cheerleading, etc. The halls were filled with his rhymes on poster board. During those days and in college, he continued with poetry and prose, developing technique in meter and rhyming. He also began learning the Travis picking style and other finger picking styles, and incorporated these into his first original tunes.

He released a 45rpm record in 1975, receiving favorable reviews and substantial air-play. T. Edwin was booked in many venues including a few warm-ups for Hank, Jr., Townes Van Zandt, Johnny Paycheck and others. After moving to the Washington, D.C. area, he worked clubs in Georgetown, Bethesda, Chevy Chase and Rockville and many universities and colleges, warming up Livingston Taylor, The Roselyn Mountain Boys, and various blue grass acts. During this period T. Edwin penned more than one hundred songs transitioning into performing only tunes he had written.

T. Edwin’s guitar styles are perfectly matched for his performing, using finger picking and flat picking styles. He will surprise you with musical hooks to lure you further into the enchantment of his tunes, taking one into the warmth of a distant memory or perhaps the sadness of a lost love, returning one to the laughter of tunes from….a run-away bull to perhaps a parody of Merle Haggard’s “Mama Tried”, appropriately titled….”Mama Lied”. T. Edwin is absolutely “off-the-wall” with songs titled, “If I’d shot ‘ya long before I did, I’d be out of prison by now”…..”She’s a Real Good 4 ½!”….”Martian Manure” and “One Foot in the Grave”.

He is a treasure and a triumph to the singer-songwriter world. Check out house concerts on-line, find where he performing, and go enjoy one of America’s creative secrets, a genuine artist with wit, depth and sensitive introspect on life, love and libation. You will come away with a new twist to songwriting and dead-on lyrics that remain in your heart.

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