Pop Life (Everybody Needs a Thrill)

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to give to this thing called life..."

On what would have been his 58th birthday-- remembering Prince (1958-2016), one of my all-time favorite musical artists. I just received a CD of his 1987 album, Sign O' The Times- that's where it really started to click for me...right through my college years- I could not get enough.

In 2004, he released the album Musicology, which was a return to form. Around the same time, I started hosting a TV music show, and had a chance to record part of his concert in Boston.

As I set up backstage, I had one of those truly surreal moments... I looked up to see the artist himself, walking straight towards me in all of his purple glory! I didn’t know quite what to do… except say, “Hey, you're Prince!” (well, not quite that obvious, but a greeting nonetheless).

It turns out he was walking over near me to check on the set up for his opening act, legendary saxophonist Maceo Parker (he also played during Prince’s set, and on the Musicology album). I was working, so I tried to remain somewhat professional... so that I didn’t get kicked out. As he started to leave, I patted him on his purple shoulder pads, and wished him a good show. It was. 

R.I.P. and thanks for your talent. 

"I wish you heaven..."

Keep It Bern-in'

So to recap: we have lost Bowie... and Prince... yet Trump is still around. It's been a rather depressing year so far.

Taking it outside: Bernie speaks to overflow crowd during his April 12
rally at Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY. Photo: Jeremy Clowe

One bright spot for 2016: Bernie Sanders. It was exactly a year ago this month that the Vermont senator announced his candidacy for President of the United States. As I understand, it was at the urging of veterans (for whom he has worked so hard), so Memorial Day weekend was perfect timing to launch the campaign.

Personally, I didn't even know who Bernie was a year ago. All I knew is that I felt uneasy with the idea that the Democratic Party was "anointing" Hillary Clinton (I, for one, do care about her "damn emails"). Following some work at the UN, my wife and I spent a long weekend in Vermont last July, and that's where I really started hearing about "The Bern." At first, I thought it was just hipsters being ironic....but no, he was the real "New Deal."

Captain America! A true civil war:
canvassing during the NYS primary

It was the Democratic debates that sealed it for me. Bernie not only talked the talk, but walked the walk. Here was a "once-in-a-lifetime" candidate who seemed to share my values when it came to the ideas of social justice and equality. I wanted to know more, so the obvious place to turn was the media covering the primaries. I was surprised and disappointed to learn that the mainstream outlets offered very little, and what it did seemed rather disrespectful. New York Times... NBC News... CNN... all so-called "reputable sources" that I trusted... as someone who has worked for and with media over the years, it was truly a depressing realization to learn about the corporate influence. If you believe, like I do, that media has an opportunity if not a responsibility to educate, it is indeed troubling.

Over the years, you always heard conservatives complain about the so-called "liberal media," when, in reality, the more progressive voices seem to be distorted as well (if presented at all). This, quite frankly, is what lead me to start donating and volunteering for the Sanders campaign. I surprised myself at how good I was, and actually enjoyed it... phone banking, canvassing, and even serving as a poll watcher for the New York State election (Bernie won our District handily, as he did most across the state...even if he did not win New York). 

Feelin' The Bern! Getting fired up during his August 10 rally 
in Albany, NY. Photo: Jeremy Clowe

Going up against the establishment and corporate influences, Bernie has not let up. I greatly admire him for his integrity and tenacity. This past week's proposal of a debate with Donald Trump seemed too good to be true - Bernie would, no doubt, mop the floor with that dangerous pretender. Indeed, who knows what Trump's intentions for running are, but I have had my suspicions along the way... and they are quite disturbing.

Bernie still has an uphill climb (not helped by reports of election fraud taking place in my own state and others) so I'm not sure how this thing is shaking out. I do know that this "progressive" is forever changed and grateful. Thank you, Senator Sanders for educating us about true democracy and the idea of "a future to believe in." In the words of Bowie, you're "a star man," and have my support to the end.

The real scoop! Yearning for Bernie...with the original Ben and
Jerry at College of St. Rose, Albany, NY, April 15, 2016.
Photo: Jeremy Clowe

www.berniesanders.com

www.democracynow.org

http://robertreich.org

Bernie Sanders I The Young Turks interview, May 27, 2016

"Be Like Bernie: Sanders Looks To Spread His Political Wealth," NPR, May 28, 2016

"Getting The Story Wrong: The Distortion of American Politics By The Press," Lawrence Wittner, Huffington Post, May 6, 2016

"How the 'New York Times' Sandbagged Bernie Sanders," Rolling Stone, 
March 15, 2016

Getting Real for the Rockwell

Today my short documentary for the exhibition "Roz Chast: Cartoon Memoirs" debuts as part of the show's opening at Museum of the City of New York. Along with my video and Chast's original New Yorker artwork, another highlight of this new venue will be a large mural that the cartoonist created onsite to celebrate her New York roots. The show is good fun... I recommend anyone visiting the City through October 9, 2016 to check it out! 

Robert Cottingham in his Newtown, CT
studio, April 2016. Photo by Jeremy Clowe /
NRM. All rights reserved.

This week I continued work on a video for a new exhibition we have opening at Norman Rockwell Museum this summer. Rockwell and Realism in an Abstract World will examine the forces that inspired the relegation of narrative painting, and especially the art of illustration, to a lesser status by mid-century. Illustrators working on the edges of abstraction and personal expression sought to meld both worlds, but cultural distinctions between fine and applied art remained. The exhibition will examine this fractured history and explore the resurgence of realist painting during the latter half of the twentieth century.

One of the contemporary artists to be featured in the exhibition is photorealist painter, Robert Cottingham. I had the pleasure of traveling to Newtown, Connectict this week to meet with and film Cottingham in his home/studio. Focusing on light/perspective, Cottingham has become known for dramatic, almost abstract works of such urban subjects as store signs. He was a good interview, and I think we had an even better time filming him painting; after we were done, he remarked to me that "you're the right guy to do this!" I enjoyed learning more about his work, which is stunning.

Photo: Jeremy Clowe / NRM

Also featured in the exhibition and joining us for an interview was realist painter Eric Forstmann, who has created some exceptional still life works over the years. Both Forstmann and Cottingham's work are exhibited at Eckert Fine Art of Pine Plains, NY (we interviewed founder Jane Eckert for the video as well).

Rockwell and Realism in an Abstract World is set to open June 17 at the Museum.

Related Links:

Eckert Fine Art

www.artsy.net/artist/robert-cottingham

www.artsy.net/artist/eric-forstmann

Museum of the City of New York

Fresh Country Air

Congratulations to Albany-based singer Joey Sontz, whose current single "I Melt" has top 20 on the Hotdisc Country Charts in the UK! 

Back in February I spent the day with Joey in Saratoga's Congress Park, filming a music video for the song, which is the second single off of his album It All Begins with a Song. It really is a great park, filled with interesting sculpture, buildings, and levels, which match the charms of the renowned resort town. Also charming was the interaction between Joey and his friend Rachel Wellington, who I captured larking about the park, having snow ball fights, getting sprayed by a water fountain, and hassling the local ducks (felt like I was directing the opening of Friends)! After a few weeks of dedicated editing, here is the final result:

In addition to the satisfaction of creating the video, I'm pleased to learn that it is featured on this week's Hotdisc Country Top 20 TV Programme, currently airing in the UK on Sky TV's Keep It Country channel! We'll see if the song/video can climb any higher in the weeks to come... fingers crossed!

Joey has been getting some nice reviews on his album, and offered his own words of praise on the edited video, saying that it looked like we had a large crew working on it... besides him and Rachel, it was just yours truly: videographer, director, and editor... signed, sealed, delivered!

Love To Turn You On

Photo by Chris Ware/Keystone/Getty Images

I read the news today, oh boy...

We have lost another great in the world of music. The Beatles became "The Beatles" (and one of my forever favorite groups) because of George Martin. I have had that discussion with several people over the years. Shaping the sound...bringing color to the studio...facilitating the experimentation...it's truly remarkable what the band were able to achieve with help from the producer, and it still holds up. 

After hearing of his passing this morning, I was in for a treat during my drive to work, as I discovered local WRPI Radio basically playing the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album in its entirety...on vinyl, no less (you could hear the "pops!"). This reminded me of my first discovery of the Beatles at age ten, following the tragic death of John Lennon. Seeing my growing interest in the band, my mother kindly gave me her old vinyl copies of Sgt. Peppers and Abbey Road-- those two albums were really what sealed it for me. Martin, of course, played a huge part in both, bringing classical music elements to the sound, clever sound effects and notation, and adventures in stereo, all while leaving it enough room to breathe... I remember being entranced by that opening of "Come Together"... the creativity of the side two medley... and blown away by the eccentric and dramatic elements present throughout Sgt. Pepper's, building up to the melancholic "Day in the Life"... I would put these albums on in the early evening, and marvel at the musical journey I was experiencing...my first, really... 

To you, Sir George, with sincere gratitude... you were the gold standard, and played a big part in igniting my passion for music and becoming a musician. R.I.P.

All Things Being Equal

Image courtesy: SanDiegoforBernieSanders2016.com


#FeelTheBern
#Vote 

berniesanders.com

Country Setting

Where to go in the Capital Region when you're asked to direct a country music video? Saratoga, of course! 

This proved to be a good call, as I joined musician Joey Sontz for some filming in the resort city's scenic Congress Park yesterday. 

Honestly, country music isn't normally my cup of tea, so I was a little wary about taking on this particular video project when Sontz first approached me about it. What finally convinced me was the idea of supporting a fellow musician/performer in the area, and Sontz's own enthusiasm (Rachel Wellington, his co-star in the video, admired the fact that "he doesn't give up on his dreams"). It also helps to be open-minded when it comes to music—his new album, It All Begins with a Song is actually quite well-produced (Jeff DeBusk of Tennessee's The Music Sanctuary at the helm), with some strong support from Nashville session musicians. 

Joey Sontz on the set of his new
music video. Photo: Jeremy Clowe

Yesterday was another great exercise for me to bring to life a vision inspired by music. The song we worked on is "I Melt," a rather straightforward love song from the album, slated to be the next single. I feel that I managed to capture some artistic moments, without being too cliché. Also, the weather was unseasonably mild, so our wintery "set" literally melted as we continued work (thanks for the visual metaphor, Mother Nature). The footage is now set to edit (yee-haw... where the real fun comes in!). As we wrapped, I took a swig from one of the local mineral springs for good luck.

On a related note: I'm still plugging away on my own music. I've made more advances with my guitar-playing, and look forward to attempting some new things in the year to come.

www.joeysontz.com