WAMC's RoundTable program this morning is asking listeners to call in and tell who their favorite local artist, musician, or artist, alive or dead.
It is about time that people are realizing that there is a lot of talented people in this area involved in the arts. From what I have heard of the show so far, they have already gone over all of the famous arts heros from the area, but so far I have not heard anything about any of our local poets.
You can send them an email about who inspires you locally and they will read them on the air on Monday. You can also leave a comment here and let us know who your favorite local artist is.
Documentary on Music Legend Gram Parsons Makes Capital Region Debut at The Sanctuary For Independent Media; Local Musicians To Present Music Tribute
On Tuesday, September 19, 2006 some of the Capital Region's most talented musicians will pay tribute to country/rock music legend Gram Parsons as "Fallen Angel," the documentary film about his life, premieres at The Sanctuary For Independent Media (3361 6th Avenue in Troy). The event begins at 7 PM with a brief musical introduction, followed by the film screening and concluding with a full set of live performance.
For this event, songwriter/bandleader Michael Eck has cherry-picked the best of the region's alt.country scene, including Jeff Sohn (bass), Sten Isachsen (lead guitar), Kevin Maul (pedal steel and dobro), Bob Girouard (drums) and guest artists Leigh Gibson (of the Gibson Brothers), Hayseed, Mother Judge, Sloughter Jug All-Stars, Peter Bearup, Steven “Cousin” Clyde (of Ramblin Jug Stompers) and Don “Diego” Ackerman -- all performing their favorite Gram Parsons songs!
On September 19, 1973, musician and million-dollar heir Gram Parsons died under the influence of drugs and alcohol near his favorite place The Joshua Tree National Monument in the Californian desert. As the founder of the Flying Burrito Brothers, a member of the hit-making, legendary Byrds, an important influence on the Rolling Stones and the man who catapulted Emmylou Harris to fame, Gram Parsons made music history in only a few years. Using rare footage of his performances, director Gandulf Hennig shows why Gram Parsons has become a legend. Interviewees include Keith Richards, Emmylou Harris, Chris Hillman and "Road Mangler" Phil Kaufman.
According to Stephen Thomas Erlewine of the All Music Guide, "Gram Parsons is the father of country-rock. With the International Submarine Band, the Byrds, and the Flying Burrito Brothers, Parsons pioneered the concept of a rock band playing country music, and as a solo artist he moved even further into country music, blending the two genres to the point that they became indistinguishable from each other. While he was alive, Parsons was a cult figure that never sold many records, but influenced countless fellow musicians, from the Rolling Stones to the Byrds. In the years since his death, his stature has only grown, as numerous rock and country artists build on his small, but enormously influential, body of work."
Among the many enduring compositions by Gram Parsons are classics like "Hickory Wind," "Sin City," "We'll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning," "Streets Of Baltimore," "A Song For You," "Christine's Tune (Devil In Disguise)," "Return Of The Grievous Angel" and "Do You Know How It Feels To Be Lonesome?"
"His songs stand the test of time," said Emmylou Harris. "They have a universal, timeless quality to them. And all of them were written before the age of 26, when he died. So it's pretty amazing to think of what he came up with. His songs run the gamut from being deeply romantic and touching, and sad, and playful and funny to apocalyptic." In his San Francisco Chronicle review of the film, David Wiegand wrote, "It might seem easy to dismiss Parsons for flaming out too soon, except for his astounding musical legacy. It isn't just that he was a member, however briefly, of the Byrds, or that he gave Harris' career a start. It's that he personally brought his abiding love for pure country music, as delivered by guys like Lefty Frizzell and George Jones, to the attention of Hillman, Richards and others, made them see that it was something to respect. Parsons is still known as the father of country-rock. Bands that came later, such as the Eagles, then Son Volt and others, carried the legacy."
"Gorgeous archival footage of the pretty, young, Nudie-suit clad Gram performing with the Flying Burrito Brothers mixes with old home movies of Gram's privileged upbringing," said Jason Moon Wilkins in The Tennessean. "Parsons' almost unbelievably dramatic life was cinematic in every respect, but, shockingly, until 'Fallen Angel' arrived, no one had ever successfully filmed Gram's story."
This event is made possible by volunteer labor and small financial contributions from hundreds of patrons of The Sanctuary For Independent Media. Admission to this screening is by donation ($10 suggested, $5 student/low income).
The Sanctuary For Independent Media is a community media arts center located in an historic former church in Troy, NY. The Sanctuary hosts screening, production and performance facilities, training in media production and a meeting space for artists, activists and independent media makers of all kinds. The Sanctuary is located at 3361 6th Avenue, three doors down from 101st Street in north Troy.
Call (518) 272-2390, or email info@TheSanctuaryForIndependentMedia.org, or visit www.TheSanctuaryForIndependentMedia.org for more information.
Are you too busy to read your favorite novel? Well, here is a service where you can have novels emailed to you a little bit at a time. There are many classic books and novels to choose from on the site.
How long will it take to read the book? DailyLit answers that in their FAQ:
"That depends on three factors. First, on how many parts are in the book (shown when you browse for books). Second, on how frequently you choose to receive emails. Third, on how often you read more than one part (by using the "send me the next part immediately" feature). So here is a typical example. I am currently reading Dracula, which has 187 parts and I am receiving parts on weekdays, i.e. 5 days/week. So at most it will take me 187/5 = 37 weeks. But when I am on the train or waiting, I often read more than one part, so I usually wind up reading about 10 parts/week. This means I will finish Dracula in about 19 weeks or 5 months. If that seems long to you, try something shorter!"
The Mop & Bucket Co., the area's oldest improvisational theatre troupe, will stage its season premier at Steamer 10, 500 Western Avenue Albany, on Sept 29 and 30 at 8 PM. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for all others.
Originally founded in 1995, the company has been the chief innovator in the Capital District improve scene, offering an ever-evolving blend of short-form sketches, musical improvisations, audience participation, and innovative long-form pieces.
MopCo offers a new format this season: elements of Saturday's performances will be based on suggestions gathered from Friday's audiences. Audience members who attend both shows will receive a discounted ticket price, and have the opportunity to see a more intricately structured performance piece, crafted from their ideas.
In addition to regular performances at Steamer 10, the company performs at various other venues. The company also offers corporate, murder mystery, and specially tailored training events to organizations. The web site is www.mopco.org.
For reservations call the Steamer 10 Box Office 438-5503.
Another little resource for writers. I have never heard of some of these websites, but it seems like they may be good jumping off point for aspiring writers.
"They offer plenty of advice and insight into the world of writing and publishing by those that are within the industry. And if five isn't enough, each includes a links list to other great blogs!"
Here is a great website with a huge list of resources for writers who are self-publishng their work. Self-publishing has long been the only way that poets can get their work published as many of the big publishing houses do not want to take the chance and print something that may be interesting and thought provocing.
Here is a website featuring recordings of poets from all over the world. It looks like this is a great resource for teachers and students for research.
"The Poetry Archive exists to help make poetry accessible, relevant and enjoyable to a wide audience. It came into being as a result of a meeting, in a recording studio, between Andrew Motion, soon after he became U.K. Poet Laureate in 1999, and the recording producer, Richard Carrington. They agreed about how enjoyable and illuminating it is to hear poets reading their work and about how regrettable it was that, even in the recent past, many important poets had not been properly recorded."
Autum Ashante has been mentioned on the Albany Poets BBS recently concerning the controversy surrounding her poetry and background.
"A 7-year-old prodigy unleashed a firestorm when she recited a poem she wrote comparing Christopher Columbus and Charles Darwin to "pirates" and "vampires" who robbed blacks of their identities and human rights."
Poetry can turn up anywhere these days, which is great to see. According to an article from Indianapolis, Indiana TV station WISH, "Thirty-nine Indiana poets will have their work displayed on IndyGo busses and for 10 days they'll be doing live readings." These readings took place from 4:00pm to 6:00pm right on the busses. What a great way to let people know about poetry and spoken word.
I would love to see this happen in the Capital Region.
What is going on in the world of poetry and spoken word outside the Albany community? Who are the up and coming poets and performers downstate in Woodstock and Hudson?
Welcome to the new Albany Poets blog. This will be updated with the latest from the poetry, spoken word, music, art and performace scenes all around the Upstate New York area and beyond. Be sure to comment on the post that are in this section and voice your opinion.
If you would like to be a contributor of the Albany Poets blog, send an emal to info@albanypoets.com and tell us about your self and how you can help out with the Albany Poets Blog project.
