Listen & Be Heard Weekly Archives

The review of “Sound Poems” by The Word-Music Continuum began in San Francisco’s China Basin at McCovey Cove. It was carried by a reviewer into a building at Pier 48. The planned route along the Embarcadero was not used. The above-mentioned reviewer emerged from the building joined by two other reviewers. Both of them were [...]

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According to www.allmusic.com, there are currently seventy-two recordings of the Gene McDaniels composition ?ÄúCompared to What?Äù listed at its website. The song, primarily associated with Les McCann and his many versions of it (his live one with Eddie Harris that opens the 1969 Atlantic Records album ?ÄúSwiss Movement?Äù is a personal favorite), has been featured [...]

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And the number one with a bullet (OK, it rhymes with ?Äúbullet?Äù) topic in Vallejo this week: yes, folks, once again it?Äôs bankruptcy. With a capital ?ÄúB?Äù and that rhymes with ?ÄúP?Äù and that stands for ?ÄúPLEASE FILE.?Äù Bankruptcy in California has a long history that goes back to the early days of its admittance [...]

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A quick glance at the songlist on the back cover of ?ÄúWelcome to Electricrazyland?Äù by The Craig Easley ?ÄòXperiment might allow a potential listener to expect a recording of Jimi Hendrix-inspired rock music. Titles like ?Äú?Ķand the gods went crazy,?Äù ?ÄúWelcome to ElectriCrazyland,?Äù and ?ÄúVoodoo Rider?Äù more than hint at Hendrix songs like ?Äú?Ķand the [...]

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OK, how about some free music now that you?Äôve dipped into the music budget to pay for a Valentine?Äôs Day gift and card? And by ?Äúfree?Äù I mean ?Äúfree and legal downloads of music from a computer website that agrees to remove any music per artist request or demand.?Äù One of my favorite websites with [...]

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It was not by design that the CD reviews for January 2008 have all featured recordings by members of The Band. I never know from week to week what I am going to choose as a subject. The past three weeks?Äô reviews of the music of Rick Danko, Levon Helm, and Robbie Robertson have inspired [...]

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?ÄúI ain?Äôt no cowboy/I just look like one.?Äù ?Äì Robbie Robertson, ?ÄúBetween Trains?Äù Dear Britney, I have been thinking about you a lot lately. I can?Äôt help it. Every time I go to the store I see your face on the front cover of tabloids and celebrity worship magazines accompanied by a headline that describes [...]

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Ed Muskie cried while defending his wife during a media encounter in 1972; his tears cost him the New Hampshire primary. Hillary Clinton cried thirty-six years later, during an ongoing campaign defense of why she would be a good President because, among other things, she was the wife of one; her tears have been credited [...]

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?ÄúAnd the sun don?Äôt shine any more/And the rains fall down on my door.?Äù ?Äì The Band, ?ÄúIt Makes No Difference,?Äù written by Robbie Robertson First weekend of 2008 in Vallejo. Rain. Lots of it. Two power outages. The first outage occurred around ten a.m. as I was getting ready to download a 1988 Rick [...]

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I know something about good songs. One was recorded about me in 1963. Maybe you?Äôve heard it. Maybe you?Äôve heard of me. My friends call me Jack. Back then I was known as Little Jackie. Back then millions of people were interested in my frolicking in the autumn mist with a friend who lived by [...]

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Gart Williams probably never played a single note of music. Unlike Bruce Berry in Neil Young?Äôs ?ÄúTonight?Äôs The Night,?Äù there were no moments to ?Äúsing a song in a shaky voice that was real as the day was long.?Äù Too busy working for an unappreciative employer whose single motivation tool was to sternly dictate, ?ÄúPush, [...]

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He can still do it. Wendy & Lisa, and Sheila E. perform on the disc, as well. The new release from Prince and the New Power Generation is called Planet Earth. A mix of pop, rock, funk, and a ballad, the CD was like having a D√©j√? Vu moment from Prince recordings circa 1985. You [...]

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Taiko drummer Shoji Kameda?Äôs skill with the big Japanese drum and his love of performance is quite evident. Not only does Kameda appear with his band On Ensemble, but in addition he performs with LA-based Hiroshima (currently on tour and recently at Yoshi?Äôs Jack London Square). A California native from Mt. Shasta, Mr. Kameda trained [...]

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I?Äôm dating myself by discussing Duke by Genesis. Originally released in 1980, Duke marked a shift in the Genesis sound scheme, followed by commercially successful releases like Abacab, Genesis, and The Invisible Touch. In a way, Duke was a break out album for Phil Collins as the disc included his first solo songwriting efforts as [...]

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The musical signature of Rickie Lee Jones is that slurred style of singing she uses. On her latest CD, The Sermon on Exposition Boulevard, Ms. Jones and her band take the listener on a lyrical and spiritual journey.¬? The background of The Sermon on Exposition Boulevard is notable. The idea was launched by Lee Cantelon. [...]

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