Webshows
By admin on Jan. 30, 2009.
lays down our tracks at his CDM Studios
in New York City.
Clicking on the title will take you to the playlist for that show.
In the summer of 1967, all hell was breaking loose around the world – war in Vietnam, war in the Middle East, riots in American cities. And yet, and still, it was the Summer of Love. Music bubbled up from the California coast, helped create a scene in San Francisco, sent waves and ripples across the country, and ushered in an era of fragile optimism and anticipation. Now, 40 years later, we celebrate the best impulses and legacies of the Summer of 1967. One of those is the music and leadership of Penny Nichols, a California singer-songwriter who carried the craft along over the decades and spawned a national program called SummerSongs (www.summersongs.org). Summer and winter camps for songwriters, performers, musicians at every level, SummerSongs has not only kept the spirit alive, but also grown it into one of the engines that drives the current boom in acoustic handmade music.
On this Summer 2007 edition of the show, we’ll enjoy Penny Nichols’ music, talk to her about the Summer of Love and the world since then. Joining us is the engaging and melodic singer-songwriter (and SummerSongs archivist) Tom Ryan, whose live recordings make it possible for us to savor these special moments.
Penny’s at SumSongs@aol.com. You can reach Tom Ryan at sparkletc@verizon.net. And as always, I’m tom@rocknroots.org. I’ll be back in September with new programs and new adventures. Meantime, have a great summer 2007, and enjoy the music that provides a fresh and vital expression of the Summer of Love.
I hadn’t planned on doing this show. I was getting ready for the next one, the big “Sixties Appreciation and SummerSongs Celebration.” And that’s coming, watch this space. But the world is much with us these days. There are protracted and frustrating wars, environmental menace, staggering wealth alongside crushing poverty, and more. Something in the news the other day made me turn to these songs, expressions of the feelings and outrages of our times. These Times.
Many thanks to those of you who suggested songs for this show. I have selected a cluster of tunes out of hundreds I could have chosen. I picked these because they make me think about “These Times.” I offer them to you in that spirit.
Every so often, a song comes along that invites re-interpretation, or an appreciative echo. Cover songs are a staple of most live shows. Most performers have a few tucked away for special moments. I’ve collected a bunch of these interesting and inventive covers for this edition of RocknRoots on the Web. You’ve probably never heard “SuperFreak” done as a bluegrass workout, or “Sixteen Tons” with a mouth trombone solo, or an REM tune with a big Las Vegas showband behind it. Here’s your chance: “They’ve Got It Covered,” on this playful edition of RocknRoots.
NOTE: Speaking of egg on my face. . .”Let My Love Open the Door” was NOT a Who cut, but a Pete Townsend single. Sorry about that, I guess I just always associate Pete’s work with The Who, and should have checked the date. Enjoy it anyhow.
RocknRoots…….
………on the Web
Choose a WebShow, click in and come along. I hope you’ll enjoy it, and if you do, tell your friends. If you don’t, send me an email. In any event, welcome to
RocknRoots on the Web.
Another 40th anniversary: in 1967, Bob Dylan and The Band came off the road, and hunkered down in the cellar of a small house in upstate New York. They turned on the tape recorder and went about the business of singing and playing some of the most unusual, compelling and splendid American vernacular music that has ever been captured. What resulted was “The Basement Tapes,” the raw material for this edition of the webshow. My special guest, Howard Fishman, is himself one of the most original and inventive interpreters of “the good old stuff.” Last year, he presented three full nights of Basement Tapes material at Joe’s Pub in New York City. On this program. We share some of that music, some of the original Basement Tapes tunes, and some of the influences on Dylan and The Band. This is as roots, and as rock, as it gets. Learn more about Howard Fishman at www.howardfishman.com. Enjoy his unique takes on some unique music, and celebrate the special alchemy of Dylan and The Band.
Forty years ago: anti-war marchers protested U.S. involvement in Vietnam. . .riots broke out in Detroit and Newark. . .”Hair” opened on Broadway. . .but forget all that. In 1967, The Beatles released “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” one of the most important albums in all of rock music. This edition of RocknRoots on the Web explores the band behind the album, and attempts to explain, just a bit, why The Beatles hold such a special place in our hearts and our history.
The show is called “John Redgate Meets the Beatles,” but my special guest has met them indeed. John played Paul on Broadway, teaches Beatles music to singer-songwriters, tours with his own compositions and loads of great Beatles tunes, and is the classiest guide I could find for this too-brief magical mystery tour through some Beatles music – early stuff, influences, imitators, cover versions, more. (contact him at jredgate@sbcglobal.net )
Listen several times to this show, it’s a gem. And my special thanks to John Redgate for sharing his love of Beatles stuff, and his generous spirit for the music that never