September 2010 E-Newsletter

Quote of the Month

“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.” John Lennon

Blog

September is here, my birth month, oh dear! It’s also the month when a year ago, I started the journey of mapping out, then recording, 22 superb John Lennon compositions with my collaborator Tom Dean of Devonsquare. Imagined seems like a dream to me now but because I dreamed it out loud with a friend, it is a reality as well. We launch our fall tour to promote our album as The John Lennon Song Project with a six-member band at Gracie Theatre in Bangor, Maine, just 45 miles north of Pittsfield where I grew up dreaming.

I want to reassure all of you that this project will in no way interfere with Aztec Two-Step. I’ll continue this year weaving in ATS dates with Neal who incidentally has been supportive and enthusiastic throughout this process. We’ll be celebrating our 40^th anniversary in 2011 with concerts all over the U.S. continuing through 2012, which will mark the 40^th year since our self-title debut album was released on Elektra Records in 1972. We’re also considering a new studio album to celebrate this significant anniversary. Believe me, no one’s more amazed by these 40 years than we are.

Meanwhile, I sincerely hope each one of you supports this labor of love in what would have been John’s 70^th birthday year. It still haunts and hurts that Lennon’s life ended so tragically but his songs live on as does his legacy as an activist and artist - perhaps the greatest of all time. Let’s put our sorrow aside and celebrate this amazing man’s artistry together. Lennon archivist Tony Traguardo has kindly put together a ten minute video tribute that will be shown where possible prior to each concert.

Ron Olesko of WFDU wrote:"Absolutely Brilliant! I've been listening non-stop. What an amazing job of paying homage to Lennon and the Beatles and creating music that has so much of your own style and class. I can't wait to go on the radio and start spinning tunes from it. Album of the year!!"

The official release date of Imagined is October 9^th - John’s 70^th birthday - but is available now on our ATS website. We’ll be performing live with Tom’s bandmate Alana MacDonald and three to four other talented musicians. Like the CD, the live show’s instrumentation features bass, acoustic and electric guitars, cello, violin, mandolin, accordion, chromatic harmonica and some very cool vocals. For complete details, song samples and Imagined fan quotes, you can visit the JLSP website.

October E-Newsletter

Quote of the Month

“If someone thinks that love and peace is a cliché that must have been left behind in the Sixties, that's his problem. Love and peace are eternal..” John Lennon

Blog

We are honored to participate once again with the Daniel Pearl Foundation by dedicating all of our October shows to the memory of Daniel Pearl, the Jewish-American journalist who was kidnapped and murdered by Pakistani terrorists in 2002. This is a worldwide initiative with thousands of musicians participating to honor Danny’s life as a musician and humanitarian. Shortly after his death, Danny’s parents founded the Daniel Pearl Foundation whose mission is to promote cross-cultural understanding through journalism, music, and dialogue.

On a lighter note, there was magic at Mitchell (Horse) Farm in Salem, CT last Saturday as Neal, Fred, Marshal and I played our 4^th consecutive festival fundraiser to over 800 jubilant attendees. We started out with 200 attendees four years ago. It was another great year of merriment and music thanks to Jonathan Edwards and band, The Jon Pousette-Dart Band, founders Dee and Hank Doolittle and all of the wonderful volunteers.

We’ve got some cool and unusual shows coming up this month as well including a benefit concert with Ralph Nader, then another trip to Kent, Ohio to play with Brewer & Shipley before moving on to Chicago! Here is a complete list of our gigs for this month.

Sun, Oct 10 @ Infinity Hall, Norfolk, CT a benefit with Ralph Nader
Fri, Oct 15 @ Firehouse Center for the Arts, Newburyport, MA ATS/S&G Combo Show
Sat, Oct 16 @ Ashburnham Conservation Trust in Ashburnham, MA
Fri, Oct 22 @ Kent Stage, Kent, OH performing with our musical brothers Brewer & Shipley
Sat, Oct 23 @ WMFT, Chicago, IL on air studio concert
Thur, Oct 28 Private Halloween Party
Fri, Oct 29 @ Turning Point Café in Piermont, NY
Sat, Oct 30 @ Palace Theatre, Manchester, NH S&G Songbook Show

If you’ve been opening our recent mailers you know that I launched my John Lennon Song ProjectTour two weeks ago with a three city swing in Maine. All of the shows were tremendously successful as my band mates Tom Dean (guitars and mandola), Alana MacDonald (violin), Jordan Jancz (cello), Robby Coffin (guitars), and Teg Glendon (bass) hunkered down to honor the greatest artist of all time. Had he lived, John Lennon would have turned seventy on October 9^th. FYI, we’re performing at The Regent Theater in Arlington, MA on his birthday. Virtuoso musician Gary Schreiner (chromatic harmonica and accordion) will join us on stage there as well as Flying Monkey, Infinity Hall and Joe’s Pub. We promise to inspire.

Fri, Oct 1 @ Park Theater, Cranston, RI
Sat, Oct 2 Live broadcaston WFUV-fm 90.7 or WFUV.org between 4-5pm with Pete Fornatale
Sat, Oct 2 @ Turning Point Café, Piermont, NY
Sun, Oct 3 @ Infinity Music Hall, Norfolk, CT
Tue, Oct 5 @ Joe’s Pub, NYC
Fri, Oct 8 @ Flying Monkey, Plymouth, NH
Sat, Oct 9 @ Regent Theatre, Arlington, MA

Many thanks to Ron Olesko of WFDU who had me on his show this past Sunday to promote my JLSP CD and our area shows. Ron wrote this about Imagined: "Absolutely Brilliant ! I've been listening non-stop. What an amazing job of paying homage to Lennon and the Beatles and creating music that has so much of your own style and class. I can't wait to go on the radio and start spinning tunes from it. Album of the year !!"

The official release date for Imagined is October 9^th - John’s 70^th birthday - but is available now on our ATS website. For complete details, tour dates,song samples and Imagined fan quotes, please visit the JLSP website