I'm All Ears

To celebrate a week that finally saw an end to my annoying ear infection (not a pleasant way to start the year), I thought I would share some examples of what I am listening to these days:

Soul singer Sharon Jones found herself battling an even more serious health problem (the big "C") over the last year, forcing her to postpone a tour and album with her band, the Dap-Kings. I'm so happy to hear that she is better and that her new album, Give The People What they Want, was released last week. Soul music fan that I am, I had really been looking forward to hearing this one, as the first two singles, "Retreat" and "Stranger To My Happiness," are slamming! The rest of the album mellows out a bit, contains some "iffy" lyrics, and I wish there was more "fire" on the other tracks, but you can't deny its overall musicality.

Continuing on the retro-tip, Sarah and I love the cover of the old American folk song, "Fare Thee Well (Dink's Song)," which is featured on the soundtrack for the new Coen Brothers' movie, Inside Llewyn Davis. I haven't seen the movie yet (which I hear is "loosely/controversially" based on the life of singer Dave Van Ronk), but if the music is any indication, it should be interesting! 

Lead actor/singer Oscar Isaac joins Marcus Mumford (of Mumford & Sons) on the track. Every time I hear it on the radio, it makes the thought of our currently bitter cold weather a little more bearable...

Speaking of warmth, Shins frontman James Mercer continues to come up with the heartfelt goods on his latest single with side project Broken Bells:

"Holding On For Life" is the latest in a string of interesting, melodic tracks from Mercer-- this one has sort of a "Bee Gees" kind of vibe to it, which might explain the title of Broken Bells' forthcoming album, After the Disco (set for release on February 4). It's funny... I once resisted The Shins, thinking they were a bit pretentious, but this is classic pop song craft. Maybe I need to give the rest of Mercer's back catalogue a try... (The Shins did surprise me by releasing my favorite album of 2012, Port of Morrow). 

So bring it on, 2014... if this is any indication of the year to come, and my own musical aspirations pan out (doing more singing, and just got a new amp for my electric guitar!) I like the sound of it.

Related Links:

"Sharon Jones on Beating Cancer and Career Advice From Inmates," 

Rolling Stone, January 17, 2014

"Ring The Bells," Halesowen News, January 18, 2014

"T Bone Burnett: 'Inside Llewyn Davis? It’s the story of my life,'" The Independent, January 22, 2014

Bye Bye Love

Sad to learn this weekend of the passing of Phil Everly, who (along with his brother Don) made up one half of the legendary singing duo The Everly Brothers. One of the first popular groups to meld country, folk and r&b (thus ushering in the sound of rock and roll), the brothers released several classic hits and albums during the 1950s and 1960s, and went on to influence countless generations of musicians in the years to come.

It was during my second year of college that I got my first taste of working in radio/broadcasting, scoring an internship at WKLX in my hometown of Rochester, New York—I was thrilled! My job was to call listeners and get feedback on songs that the oldies station had in their musical library. I was already a big fan of the Beatles, but playing snippets of all these songs from the 1950s and 1960s served as quite the musical education. 

I suddenly became obsessed with such artists as Chuck Berry and The Everly Brothers— the latter, in particular, had such beautiful harmonies (Phil generally taking the highs, and Don the lower range) and guitar work, and their music was an interesting blend of upbeat rhythms and darker themes (think "Bye Bye Love," "All I have To Do Is Dream," "Wake Up Little Susie"). The following year my respect for the Everlys grew even more, when A-ha covered their introspective 1962 hit, "Crying in the Rain"—it turns out that Phil and Don Everly influenced many of my all-time favorite acts, including The Beatles, 

A-ha, and Simon & Garfunkel (you could certainly hear it in the latter).

The Everly Brothers join Simon & Garfunkel onstage at the Pepsi Arena,
Albany, New York, June 10, 2004. Photo by Jeremy Clowe.

In terms of music, 2004 was a big year for me: I began hosting the TV show "Berkshire Soundstage" and attended several memorable concerts (I called it "research"). One of the absolute highlights was getting the chance to see Simon & Garfunkel's "Old Friends" tour in Albany, New York, which included a set from the duo's own heroes, The Everly Brothers. I remember being quite impressed by their stripped-down set, and those gorgeous harmonies, still intact all those years later... I believe their brief performance actually outshone Paul and Art's that night!

Prior to Phil Everly's death, I had actually been thinking quite a bit about the legacy of his group —2013 saw the release of two strong tribute albums of the Everly Brothers' music ("What The Brothers Sang" by Dawn McCarthy and Bonnie Prince Billy; and "Foreverly" by Norah Jones and Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong), and the sheer perfection of their arrangements captured my attention once again. In addition, my growing awareness of the Appalachian folk music traditions, which the Everlys combined into their sound, has made me appreciate their work even more. 

There is obviously something to the fact that such artists as Paul Simon and Graham Nash talk about the Everly Brothers' influence, or that their work would be covered so reverently by artists such as Robert Plant and Alison Krauss (on their beautiful album, "Raising Sand") or A-ha (who played original guitars gifted by the brothers on their final tour): "gone, gone, gone," but surely never to be forgotten.

Related Links:

everlybrothers.net

"Phil Everly, Half of a Pioneer Rock Duo That Inspired Generations, Dies at 74," New York Times, January 4, 2014

"Phil Everly Dies; Transformed Rock 'N' Roll With Brother Don," NPR, January 4, 2014

"Serendipitously Intertwined" (statement from A-ha about Phil Everly's death), January 4, 2014, www.a-ha.com

"10 Great Covers of Everly Brothers Songs," USA Today, January 3, 2014


"Phil Everly, Everly Brothers Vocal Legend, Dead at 74," Rolling Stone, January 3, 2014

Step In Time

Happy New Year... or in my case, happy new 'ear-! We literally ended 2013 on a quiet note, as I recovered from an ear infection I picked up over the holidays... oof. 

Otherwise, we've been having a good time. On New Year's Eve we decided to go see the new movie Saving Mr. Banks, which tells the story of Walt Disney's attempts to win over author P.L. Travers for the rights to bring her book Mary Poppins to the big screen. Sarah and I both enjoyed it, agreeing that actress Emma Thompson, starring as Travers, really made the movie (I liked the New Yorker review of the film, which remarked that "a spoonful of her medicine makes the sugar go down."):

Of course I have always enjoyed Tom Hanks (at one point in college, I made a point of watching EVERY film he had appeared in); here he does a commendable job of bringing Walt Disney to life. It's a Disney film, and some of the scenes are fictionalized, but I felt that it struck a nice balance between the magical kingdom and "real-world"... in other words, the story was well-written, engaging, and didn't seem as sweet as the jelly beans sitting on Uncle Walt's desktop. Having recently become addicts of the TV show Mad Men, we also enjoyed watching the filmmakers' attempts to recreate the time period: 

Cover of 1957 biography on Walt Disney, signed by the filmmaker
to my father (a big Disney fan). The book was co-authored by Walt's
daughter, Diane Disney Miller, who died this past year.

It seemed somewhat fitting to end the year on a Disney note, after I had spent a good part of the year promoting our Snow White exhibition at Norman Rockwell Museum. In the process, I learned quite a bit about Walt Disney, including his friendship with Norman Rockwell (it was fun to see Rockwell's portraits of Disney's two daughters hanging in his office in the film). Sadly, Walt's daughter Diane Disney Miller, a member of the Museum's National Council, passed away in November, and never did make it to Stockbridge to see the exhibition. A nice touch was a note of dedication to Disney Miller in the movie's end credits—it was her love of Travers' original Mary Poppins books that inspired her father's 20 year effort to bring the character to the big screen.

Sarah ushers in the new year...
with another book (a 1943 P.L. Travers
original)!

A big part of Saving Mr. Banks also deals with Ms. Travers unresolved feelings for her departed father, who inspired several themes and characters in her novels. There was a great moment in the movie where Disney finally convinces Travers to bring her creation to the big screen, revealing the conflicted relationship he held with his own father and how also had used creativity to overcome some of life's trials: “That’s what story tellers do. We restore order to imagination. We bring hope.”

Damn it, Hollywood... another film this past year about the legacy of fathers, and it nearly choked me up (again). 




Later that night we ushered in the new year by watching the original Mary Poppins—I don't think I'd ever seen the movie all the way through. It was charming in many ways:  Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke (his physicality was amazing!), the music, and some fun special effects. Yes, I'd say it was a supercalifragilistic way to end a fairly pleasant year... 

Related Links:

"Saving Mr. Banks" official website

Norman Rockwell Meets Walt Disney (short clip from interview I conducted with artist Jarvis Rockwell, son of Norman Rockwell)

Marge Champion, the original "Snow White" (short clip from interview I conducted with the famed dancer/model for Disney's first feature-length film) 

Radio Disney Albany's "Backyard Show" (interview I conducted with the station re: "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The Creation of a Classic"), July 28, 2013

Marge Champion: The Real Life Snow White, 94, Danced in Her Dad's Footsteps," Babble, July 2, 2013

"Walt: The Man Behind the Myth" (trailer for decent documentary I saw this past year)

Heavenly Host

Schenectady Neighbors for Peace memorial march,
Central Park, Schenectady, NY, 2009. Photo ©Jeremy Clowe.
All rights reserved.

Tonight it's Sarah's turn in the spotlight, as she takes on hosting duties for both TV and radio shows! 

As I reported before, WEXT will be re-airing our "My Exit" guest DJ hour tonight at 11 p.m. ET, giving you all a chance to hear music that has been important to both of us through the years. You can stream the show on their website: exit977.org

Before that, tune into Schenectady's Open Stage Media (OSM) at 10 p.m., as Mrs. Clowe makes her TV debut, guest hosting for the program, "Building Peace." Created by Schenectady Neighbors for Peace (of which we are both members), the show looks at non-violent resolutions to current issues: tonight's program features an interview with SUNY Albany Professor Larry S. Wittner about nuclear disarmament. The show will be aired throughout the week, and those outside of Schenectady can watch the program on the OSM web page: openstagemedia.com

In the words of Beatle John: "Give Peace a Chance"—

of course we'll be playing some Beatles on the radio show!

Update (12/24): It's the gift that keeps on giving... WEXT will broadcast the radio show one more time this Saturday, December 28, 8 a.m. ET

Merry Christmas everyone!

Encore

With Diego Garcia this past November at a WEXT-
sponsored show in Albany (yes, he made "OurExit!").
Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

Sarah and I just learned that the guest DJ spot we recorded for Exit 97.7 WEXT over the summer will be rebroadcast this upcoming Monday, December 23, at 11 p.m. ET. We stumbled upon this news by hearing our promo air on the station a couple times during the last 24 hours... a bit of a surprise, but a nice compliment and way to end the year! 

WEXT's weekly "My Exit" program allows listeners to host an hour of their favorite music— this was my second time hosting, and Sarah and I used this occasion to celebrate our one year anniversary. It was good fun. 

We're lucky to have a non-commercial station like WEXT in the area. They produce several ongoing specialty shows, focusing on local music, Latin rock, classic soul, and so on... earlier this year they broadcast a retrospective I produced that looked at the 30 year career of Norwegian band A-ha, and this past week they have been counting down a list of the "top 500 bands of all-time"— for the most part I appreciate their choices (I even submitted a few picks of my own to them before hand). The station is currently in the midst of their year-end fund drive— to make a donation, learn more about their programming, or stream our show next week, visit exit977.org

How Sweet The Sound

Visitors admire "Saying Grace" during its loan to
Norman Rockwell Museum. Photo by Jeremy Clowe for
Norman Rockwell Museum. All rights reserved.

Back in the 1950s, The Saturday Evening Post conducted a poll, asking readers to vote for their favorite Norman Rockwell cover— Saying Grace, created for the front of the magazine's November 24, 1951 issue, won hands down; I think it was one of my Dad's favorites as well, judging from all the prints and copy of the illustration I discovered, created in my father's own hand. 

Over 60 years later, Saying Grace just set a record for the most expensive American artwork ever sold ($46 million) during Sotheby's auction on December 4. Before that, the painting had been on long-term loan to Norman Rockwell Museum, where thousands of visitors shared the artist's beautifully rendered message of tolerance.

Needless to say, It's been an interesting year managing press for the Museum. Calls about the auction and a controversial new biography on Rockwell have kept me busy, and fielding questions I never thought I would be asked during my time representing the arts organization. In the past week alone, I have heard from such outlets as The Associated Press, National Geographic, The Boston Globe, and was interviewed by New England Public Radio and The Atlantic about the auction (the writer for the latter ended up misquoting me and using my words out of context, but what can you do... I still enjoy the magazine's in-depth news coverage).

Freedom of speech (as long as they get my quotes
right). Courtesy Business West.

Yesterday I worked with producers of a popular, nationally syndicated TV game show, who visited the Museum to film segments for an upcoming episode. It was a nice way to end a productive year, and especially satisfying for me, as it was my initial pitch to the show that made it all happen. More details to come.

In the meantime, I have a live radio interview about the Museum's current exhibitions and events scheduled for this Tuesday, December 17, 9 a.m. ET with the show Well Talk With Avi Dresner, and I just found this interview I conducted over the summer with BusinessWest magazine about the Museum's creative initiatives. 

Sure, interviews can be creative and I enjoy talking about the Museum and illustration art, but look forward to expressing more of my own artistic impulses in the coming year.

Related Links:

"Community Profile: Stockbridge," Business West, October 22, 2013

"Iconic Rockwell Painting Shows Ideal America," The News-Press, November 27, 2013

"Norman Rockwell Museum Hopes This $46 Million Painting Will Hang On Their Walls," Atlantic Wire, December 4, 2013

It's a Clean Machine

Over the past week I finally managed to organize my home office, setting up a nice place for Sarah and I to focus on our various creative projects. One of the most daunting tasks was filing away all the various master tapes and discs for video projects I have worked on... a little background music helped.

I decided to stream Paul McCartney's latest album, New. The Beatles have always been an inspiration for me, but their solo projects are usually no match for the brilliance of their fab foursome days. This time out, Sir Paul has a surprisingly fresh offering... check out his latest single, "Queenie Eye," which has been getting a lot of airplay on WEXT: 

Pretty impressive, I'd say, for a guy who has been at it for over 50 years! Naturally, he was helped by several talented producers, including Mark Ronson (whose Version is one of my favorite albums). I have come to realize that a good music producer makes all the difference... I would go so far to say that the Beatles might not have been as good without the help of George Martin (Let It Be, their only studio album not produced by Martin, was marred by too much of Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" overdubbing, in my opinion).

J Walking outside the famed Abbey Road Studios, London.
April 1997. Photo ©Jeremy Clowe

Another treat for fans is the recent release of On Air— Live at the BBC, Volume 2, which features 63 previously unreleased tracks from the Beatles' 1963-1964 BBC Radio broadcasts. I've had a quick listen on iTunes, and it sounds even better than its 1994 predecessor (Live at the BBC). There are plenty of covers, including Motown and Chuck Berry, and some energetic performances of early Beatles songs I have always loved ("MIsery," "You Can't Do That"). Still sounding fresh, and a reminder of the elements that first made me a fan at the age of ten.

As I continue organizing our place, I'm finding other reminders of my Beatles love, including a box full of photos from my first trip to Great Britain back in the late 90s (reproduced here on this blog entry). It was a dream for this Anglophile, and of course I had to make a pilgrimage to London's Abbey Road to recreate the famous "walk" pictured on the band's 1969 album of the same name (with thanks to my patient aunt for photos). I even poked my head inside of Abbey Road Studio to inquire about what was happening...  

London calling... c. April 1997. ©Jeremy Clowe.

Apparently there is no shortage of Beatles-related projects in the pipeline, including a "top secret" project from the BBC, and a movie based on author Lars Saabye Christiansen's bestselling 1984 novel, Beatles. The film sounds especially promising, as it has the rare opportunity to use the group's original recordings, and will be scored by A-ha's Magne Furuholmen. A-ha have noted on many occasions how influenced they were by the Beatles, and knowing my love for both groups I'm particularly excited! During a recent live Q&A on Facebook, I asked Magne if there was any chance he and the other members of A-ha would reform to provide a Beatles cover version or two for the film: it "would be a dream (and worked so well on '#9 Dream!')". His reply: "a dream within a dream... don't go all 'Inception' on my ass here!"

Jermyn (pronounced "Jeremy")
Street, London, April 97.
Photo by MB. ©Jeremy Clowe.

Well, this dreamy state of vacation is starting to wear off... I better sign off and try to get some more things done, while I have the time (yeah, yeah, yeah).

Related Links:

www.thebeatles.com

www.paulmccartney.com

"Magne to score 'Beatles' movie," A-ha-live.com, April 22, 2013

"'Kon-Tiki' Directors Score Original Beatles Songs For Upcoming Film," Deadline.com, March 20, 2013

"Beatles' 'Live at the BBC' Unlikely to Expand, But 'Top Secret' Project in The Works," Billboard, November 12, 2013