tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:/blogs/it-was-twenty-years-ago-today--2
IT WAS TWENTY YEARS AGO TODAY..
2021-06-11T23:08:37-04:00
John Montagna
false
tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:Post/6657155
2021-06-11T23:08:37-04:00
2024-02-25T21:06:52-05:00
CHANGING STRINGS JAMS
<p style="text-align:center;">Well it's finally happening: gigs are slowly opening up again, and I'm slowly preparing to re-emerge. </p><p style="text-align:center;">As I cope with some post-COVID social anxiety, I take comfort in a familiar ritual by replacing my dead quarona lockdown strings (I don't wanna say how long they've been on) with a fresh spanking new set of GHS Boomers!</p><p style="text-align:center;">Hope to see you on the trail soon enough (safely, of course). </p><p style="text-align:center;">REMEMBER WHAT'S IMPORTANT </p><p style="text-align:center;">Be well</p><p style="text-align:center;">JM<br> </p><p style="text-align:center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tuBde18l06Q" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>
John Montagna
tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:Post/6495025
2020-12-09T01:10:51-05:00
2022-03-03T10:12:50-05:00
REMEMBER 1980
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="font_small"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/189978/7de9da98420e80e396969487e24a6446db576745/original/john-lennon-nobody-told-me-54379.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_small">John & Yoko photographed by Kishin Shinoyama at Café La Fortuna, New York, 18 August 1980.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">To be honest I don’t remember much about the morning of December 9, 1980. My mother woke me up and broke the news to me, which could not have been an easy task: I was a Beatles-obsessed 8 year old (an anomaly in those days), and my parents were as devastated and confused as I was. </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">But beyond that, the rest of the day is a blur. I remember going to school, and my mother picking me up afterwards and the DJ on the car radio playing <em>Double Fantasy</em> in its entirety, but that’s about it. </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">But I do remember the news coverage that night and the next few nights and weeks, as well as a palpable sense that pop culture had been shaken to its core. I remember the various anchors on different channels using a variety of synonyms; the news media assigns titles to deceased public figures so they don’t have to repeat the name throughout the report, but this was new territory for the copy writers of 1980: </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">“The<em> former Beatle </em>was <em>gunned down in front of his home</em>…” </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">“The <em>legendary musician</em> was<em> killed outside his luxury apartment building</em>…” </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">“The <em>rocker </em>was <em>murdered </em>as he<em> returned from a recording session</em>…” </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">“The<em> singer</em> was <em>assassinated…</em>” </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">I remember the flood of Beatles footage on the news from every era of their career, much of which I’d never seen before in those pre-YouTube days: the Ed Sullivan show, the Washington Coliseum, Shea Stadium, “Hey Jude” on the David Frost Show, “Don’t Let Me Down” on the Apple rooftop, and clips from the rarely-shown promo films. I remember New York's Channel 5 airing <em>Yellow Submarine </em>at 11pm on New Year’s Eve, and staying up late to watch it. </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">I remember marathons of Beatles and solo Lennon music all over the radio. “(Just Like) Starting Over” and “Watching The Wheels” were in constant rotation, as were “Imagine” and “Give Peace A Chance,” and I remember hearing “I Call Your Name” for the first time. I remember Channel 7 (ABC-TV in New York) broadcasting the vigil in Central Park the following Sunday, the first and only time I’ve ever seen 10 minutes of silence on live TV. That was also the afternoon I heard Side 2 of <em>Abbey Road</em> for the first time. </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">I remember getting the <em>Hey Jude </em>album for Christmas that year. Purists who denounce that patchwork American LP as an “Allen Klein cash grab” with “no continuity” can bite me: those 32 minutes of primo Beatles were a ray of sunshine in that long cold lonely winter. I also remember hearing<em> Plastic Ono Band </em>for the first time, and my young mind attempting to reconcile the gap between that LP’s raw emotion and the slick polish of <em>Double Fantasy</em>.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">I remember a lazy Saturday afternoon in January of 1984, when a DJ suddenly announced “…and how great is it to have something new from JOHN LENNON!” followed by John shouting the “Three…four!” count-off that launches the joyous, rollicking <a contents="“Nobody Told Me.”" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZJLrAKCiow" target="_blank">“Nobody Told Me.”</a> The first single from the posthumous <em>Milk and Honey </em>album, marrying his biting social commentary with an infectious groove and jangly guitars straight outta 1965, felt like a wink and a smile from rock and roll heaven and remains my favorite solo Lennon track to this day. </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">I also remember a paradigm shift in the cultural landscape as the decade wore on, a new sensibility that too often interfered with my own young efforts to absorb the man and his music objectively. I remember feeling what I now understand to be the canonization of "The Beatles:" with their body of work as a group now finite and any reunion hopes forcibly put to rest, their music was now coated with a new aura of reverence that was completely antithetical to the madcap fun and <em>irreverence </em>that made them so irresistible in the first place. </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Likewise, I remember the hasty deification of “John Lennon,” shoddy attempts by mainstream media and fair-weather fans to oversimplify this complicated artist, and the build up of myths and misunderstandings about his music and his message (which <a contents="continues to this day" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/20/arts/music/coronavirus-gal-gadot-imagine.html" target="_blank">continues to this day</a>). I remember the shopping mall proliferation of cheesy t-shirts, posters and buttons with slogans like “GIVE PEACE A CHANCE” and “WE ALL SHINE ON,” often recycling John’s 1968 <em>White Album </em>photo and surrounding it with peace signs, flowers, strawberries and all manner of psychedelic crap-ola. I also remember watching the <em>J<a contents="ohn and Yoko: A Love Story" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1I54Z1WNTE" target="_blank">ohn and Yoko: A Love Story</a> </em>TV movie on NBC, and wondering why the “John” character kept his 1968 <em>White Album</em> look all the way thru 1975. </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">I remember Mayor Ed Koch dedicating Strawberry Fields in Central Park in 1985. The first time I actually went there was on a December 8th in the mid-90s, hoping to connect with some like-minded Beatles Fans. Instead I encountered a filthy bunch of wannabe hippie freaks with guitars and tambourines and bongoes singing “All My Loving,” “Hey Jude” and “Get Back” (Paul songs, duh), lighting candles and dancing around like stoned idiots and generally making a cheap spectacle of John’s memory. At one point I was approached by a creepy guy carrying a giant science fair display board, showing me his evidence that John Lennon had actually been murdered by author Stephen King (the "evidence" consisted of articles from Newsweek about Ronald Reagan that had been cut up to reveal "hidden" messages). </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">I remember being disgusted with these losers, but not just because they were singing Paul’s songs at John’s memorial or accosting me with wacko conspiracy theories. I was furious because these people were making it all about THEM: bending and shaping “John Lennon” and “The Beatles” into their own image and likeness, to suit their own needs and fulfill their own John Lennon/Beatles/60s dreams. </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">It was as if everything John ever sang, wrote or spoke about went directly over their heads. If you have a moment,<a contents=" check out his interview with Jonathan Cott " data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/john-lennon-the-last-interview-179443/" target="_blank"> check out his interview with Jonathan Cott </a>from September of 1980 (<a contents="audio available on YouTube " data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qofTunet3g" target="_blank">audio available on YouTube </a>for full effect): </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color:#c0392b;"><span class="font_regular"><em>These critics with the illusions they’ve created about artists – it’s like idol worship. Like those little kids in Liverpool who only liked us when we were in Liverpool – a lot of them dropped us because we got big in Manchester, right? They thought we’d sold out. </em></span></span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="color:#c0392b;"><span class="font_regular"><em>I’ve never claimed to have the answers to life. I only put out songs and answer questions as honestly as I can, but only as honestly as I can – no more, no less. I cannot live up to other people’s expectations of me because they’re illusionary. I cannot be a punk in Hamburg and Liverpool, because I’m older now. I see the world through different eyes now. </em></span></span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">This is the John Lennon I love and am most fascinated with, the man that he was right near the end of his life. He seemed determined to live his life simply and fully, by creating the best art and music he was capable of and staying in the moment. After the turmoil of the early 70s, he’d earned the right to enjoy a peaceful life on his own terms in the greatest city in the world. But he also remained a restless truth seeker, with no patience for cheap sentiment or bullshit of any kind. The John Lennon I love would have reprimanded those freaks in Strawberry Fields, telling them to fuck off and get a life. </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Perhaps that’s why the tragic events of 12-8-80 still carry a bitter sting four decades later. John Lennon was seemingly doing everything right to ensure that he would age gracefully with dignity and self-respect, without losing his edge. It hurts us to be reminded that such a hard-won existence could be so fragile. And so we ask ourselves and each other “What would John Lennon be doing now?” or ”What would he say about what’s going on in the world today?” </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">I’ll tell you what he WOULDN’T be doing or saying: whatever we think or expect he’d be doing or saying. By all accounts he was full of contradictions, constantly evolving and adjusting his perspective to accommodate the truth of the present moment. Besides, for us to pontificate on “what John Lennon would be doing/saying now” is presumptuous, and missing the point: what should only matter to us is our own thoughts, words and deeds.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">You, and me, right now.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">That’s the message I’m getting from John Lennon in this season of my life: to live your own truth, and find your own way. Upholding these beliefs is the only fitting memorial. </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">REMEMBER WHAT’S IMPORTANT </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Be well </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">JM</p>
John Montagna
tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:Post/6450458
2020-10-06T17:45:35-04:00
2021-06-01T10:37:16-04:00
EDDIE VAN HALEN RIP
<p><span class="font_large">I'll always be grateful to Tommy Strazza for inviting me onto his Van Halen tribute show at Berklee in the 90s. Up until then the only VH I knew was "Jump" and the Hagar-era stuff (don't judge). But Tommy's thing was "Nope, just the EARLY SHIT, man!" </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I left it to the last minute to prepare, which turned into a mixed blessing: cramming a dozen or so songs in one sitting the afternoon before the first rehearsal and soaking it all up at once, I had one of those deeply profound musical moments of "Ahh, NOW I get it." </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I had the same feeling years later when my cousin Joe and I saw the David Lee Roth/Sammy Hagar tour. Hagar was goofy: waitresses onstage and plugging his "Cabo Wabo" tequila, etc. But Roth was all business: just him and a 3-piece band giving the people what they wanted, which was the aforementioned early shit. He played a bunch of deep cuts I didn't know, but again the fervor that cousin Joe and his fellow VH freaks showed for Roth was so deep and infectious that I had to give it up. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">What a blessing to create something completely unique, that sounds and feels like nothing that came before it or after it and leads the way for an entire generation. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">RESPECT</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">REMEMBER WHAT'S IMPORTANT </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Be well</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">JM</span><br> </p>
John Montagna
tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:Post/6388349
2020-07-21T08:55:18-04:00
2022-01-30T15:26:17-05:00
"Fresh As A Daisy," for Emitt Rhodes (1950-2020)
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="font_large">Many years ago I recorded a cover of Emitt Rhodes’ “Fresh As A Daisy,” for possible inclusion on my solo EP Senza. It didn’t make the cut, but this mix has been sitting on a hard drive since then and wondering if it would ever see the light of day. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="font_large">I wanted to post it in honor of Emitt, a true genius of pop music who passed away this weekend at age 70. But I also wanted to tell a short story about remembering what’s important, and following the thread. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="font_large">I won’t rehash Emitt’s story here. But I do hope that he knew just how many people truly loved his work, myself included. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="font_large">Be well </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="font_large">JM</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4AIYdQuEM54" width="560"></iframe></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"> </p>
John Montagna
tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:Post/6386965
2020-07-18T11:10:07-04:00
2024-03-09T19:57:23-05:00
SUNSET GRILL: use it or lose it
<p style="text-align:justify;"><span class="text-big"><i>“Ready to be my personal Pino Palladino!!!??” </i></span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span class="text-big">That was the text from Steve Murphy - drummer, singer, one of the finest musicians on earth and my rhythm section road brother since we joined the Alan Parsons Live Project in 2003. We’ve rocked thousands of stages together around the world and elsewhere, and after spending endless days and nights in buses and vans and planes and rental cars and hotel rooms bonding over music we share an artistic shorthand and a common musical language. <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/189978/4df9fdc5a648819158912cf38e9409df7f6ae4b3/original/1913774-141690616361-5890799-n.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_" /> So when Murphy asks me to “be” his “Pino Palladino” I immediately know what he means: he wants a fretless bass track from me. In this case, he was doing a “video collab” cover of Don Henley’s “Sunset Grill” to keep busy during the quarona lockdown. </span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"> </p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span class="text-big">Now: I’m sort of familiar with the chorus to “Sunset Grill,” but that’s about it. I almost know some of the verse. I don’t know the bridge at all…is there even a bridge? I know there’s a section at the end with the key change and the horn parts, because I vaguely remember somebody doing an arrangement of this tune at Berklee after Miles Davis died and quoting the melody to “All Blues” during that section. But in all my years of learning tunes I somehow bypassed “Sunset Grill.” To be honest, it was never my favorite Don Henley song (“End Of The Innocence” is). </span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span class="text-big">I also haven’t played my fretless in weeks, and god knows what condition it’s in (or what condition my fretless chops are in). But I do know that Pino Palladino’s patented, high-register fretless countermelodies are always tricky and unforgiving: there’s nowhere to hide if you screw those up. Plus I have to film myself recording the track, which means no cheating with punch-ins or edits: it’s gotta be one continuous, flawless, on-camera performance of some very challenging parts on a difficult instrument, on a song that I barely know. </span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span class="text-big">My reply was obvious and inevitable: “I’m on it!” </span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span class="text-big">I downloaded the entire<i> Building The Perfect Beast </i>album and slapped on the headphones to get acquainted with the tune, and right away I was lost in unfamiliar territory. First I was startled by some unexpected harmony: the tune is in Ab major, and the pre-choruses start with a bold Pino lick over a <i>B natural chord with A natural in the bass</i>. (Non-musicians, take my word for it: this is some wacky shit.) The pre-chorus is also 5 bars long, and on the first listen the chorus seems to come out of nowhere. Then the bridge happens (turns out that yes, there is a bridge): it’s 10 goddamn bars long, with more unpredictable chord changes. </span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span class="text-big">Back in ’03, Murphy, guitarist Godfrey Townsend, keyboardist Manny Focarazzo and I worked up the entire APLP set list in just four days of rehearsal. “Happy Together” tours were prepped with two rehearsals: one marathon session with just us at Godfrey's house, and a quick run-through with the principal artistes on the empty stage of the first venue the day before the first show. The four of us became a powerhouse band that could quickly absorb any music thrown our way and deliver it flawlessly night after night. I should be able to smoke “Sunset Grill” for breakfast. But there I was, 48 years old and literally sweating at the sound of some chord changes, a few bass licks and an unusual form. I felt completely helpless, adrift in a stormy sea of 80s synths and reverbs, with Pino’s fretless lines circling around me like tiny sharks shouting “Catch us if you can, sucker!! Ha ha ha ha!!!”</span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span class="text-big">I finally asked myself: “Why is this music making me so nervous?” </span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span class="text-big"><i>“Because it’s been months since you’ve had to learn a song accurately from start to finish, that’s why,” </i>I answered myself. <i>“That part of your brain that processes music has been dormant since mid-March, not unlike all the live music venues that were shut down when your industry was decimated by COVID. Take a breath, make a cup of tea, and get to work.” <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/189978/7eb4bbab1dacd42767c91c29d050b2231c90b230/original/img-5344.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_left border_" /></i></span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span class="text-big">With my wife and child ensconced in the living room watching a movie, I retreated to the bedroom with my blue Spector Q4 Pro fretless, my Focusrite Scarlett 2-channel interface, my MacBook, a pencil and some staff paper. I started notating and erasing and hitting play-pause-rewind, and eventually I had a “road map” that made sense of everything. I picked up the fretless and plugged her into the Scarlett, and the old girl was in better shape than I expected: intonation good, neck straight so her high notes sang clean, piezo pickup in the bridge adding some sparkle. I hit record, and with Murphy’s guide track playing in the headphones I struggled through at least a dozen failed attempts to get this unorthodox part under my fingers and onto “tape,” all while filming myself with my iPhone. </span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span class="text-big">It was embarrassingly obvious that this bass line was kicking my ass. But I tried to ignore how humiliated and frustrated I was as I confronted my own limitations, and kept on.</span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span class="text-big"><i>“Hard to walk away with anything that feels like dignity…” </i></span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span class="text-big">My mind wandered to the studio in Los Angeles where Pino and Don Henley and Danny Kortchmar and all the other musicians cut this track in 1983, back when full bands of live human musicians were still being hired to play on pop records. I thought about those cats thriving in a robust music industry, making all kinds of money and gathering inside crowded window-less recording studios without having to worry a potentially fatal airborne virus. I ignored how jealous I was of them and the seemingly easier times they lived in.</span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span class="text-big">I ignored everything except the task at hand. Even though Pino cut his track in a big LA pro studio and I was running a 9-year-old MacBook in my bedroom in Brooklyn, our jobs were the same. But I finally hit the wall at 2am: my head grew heavy and my sight grew dim, I had to stop for the night. </span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span class="text-big">The next morning I moved the operation back to my studio area in the living room, reconnecting the Scarlett to my 27-inch iMac. I also ran the fretless through my Aguilar TH500 head, which added some sweet color to her sound.<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/189978/56884b649999cf6c92b274c34420634abdc9e4bb/original/61211619174-ec9c5fe3-1915-4cea-8d9c-cc1be59de4d9.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_right border_" /> After a good night’s sleep I’d also finally absorbed the tune, so I could focus on playing actual music without worrying about which chord or section comes next. I nailed it dead in the pocket after five takes, and proudly sent the audio and video files off to Murphy who was thrilled and grateful. A little EQ and some chorusing got the track sitting perfectly in the mix, and the finished product can be enjoyed here: </span></p><p style="text-align:center;"><span class="text-big"><iframe style="border-style:none;overflow:hidden;" allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FMurph94%2Fvideos%2F10223003477739378%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560"></iframe> </span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span class="text-big">After a certain point in your life/career as an artist, there’s going to be people that you’ll almost always say “yes” to simply because you’ve known them for so long and you trust them to guarantee your creative safety. I could have easily copped out on Murphy with any number of excuses: too tired, too busy, don’t really know the song, whatever. But I’m thankful to him for the opportunity to get my gears turning again, and I’m glad I went through it to get to it. The joy and camaraderie of a great collaboration, and the satisfaction of finally getting it right, far outweighed any discomfort I confronted in the beginning. Sitting still in the safety of your “wheelhouse” can leave you with rusty wheels, and now more than ever it’s “use it or lose it” for me and my fellow musicians. </span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span class="text-big">Remember what’s important </span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span class="text-big">Be well </span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span class="text-big">JM</span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"> </p><p><span class="text-big"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/189978/a756a6238411ee36a853c9f1edbbf430ced7c169/original/jm-fret-essgrill.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></span></p>
John Montagna
tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:Post/6318897
2020-05-16T11:17:24-04:00
2021-06-01T09:50:34-04:00
Bass Magazine Lockdown Check-In With John Montagna
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_regular">Bass Magazine's "Low End Lockdown Check-In" feature is reaching out to bassists around the globe as we adjust and maintain during the quarantine.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_regular">Thanx to Chris Jisi, Jon D'Auria and the whole BM team for welcoming me into the fold and keeping our community strong!</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_regular"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/189978/ebd6fe0f21cca88a2123492083913d26c46de325/original/john-montagna-lockdown-studio.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a contents="https://bassmagazine.com/artists/bass-magazine-lockdown-check-in-with-john-montagna" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://bassmagazine.com/artists/bass-magazine-lockdown-check-in-with-john-montagna" style="" target="_blank">https://bassmagazine.com/artists/bass-magazine-lockdown-check-in-with-john-montagna</a></p>
John Montagna
tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:Post/6314797
2020-05-13T11:13:30-04:00
2021-06-01T09:58:37-04:00
DON'T STOP THE MUSIC (quarona remix)
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7u9qCZf_kKM" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large">I don’t always play “private event” gigs, but when I do it’s usually with these rock stars. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large">I wanted our “isolation collab” video to look and feel like we’re in the same room. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large">So I had everyone film their performances in front of a blank background, and with a little Final Cut magic we got the band back together for your dancing and dining pleasure!</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large">Please don't stop the music, indeed. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large">Be well</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large">JM</span></p>
<p><span class="font_small">“Don't Stop the Music” </span></p>
<p><span class="font_small">Written by Tor Erik Hermansen, Mikkel S. Eriksen, </span></p>
<p><span class="font_small">Tawanna Dabney & Michael Jackson </span></p>
<p><span class="font_small">© 2007 EMI MUSIC PUBLISHING LTD, SONY/ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, </span></p>
<p><span class="font_small">DABNEY MUSIC PUBLISHING , SONY/ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING UK LTD, and MIJAC MUSIC</span><br> </p>
John Montagna
tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:Post/6293486
2020-04-24T16:00:29-04:00
2021-07-08T12:41:27-04:00
I Ain't Got You (but I got me!)
<p><span class="font_large">First it was the cancellations. Fest For Beatles Fans…Concert For Bangladesh Revisited…Flower Power Cruise…all gone within 72 hours. Then it was the bars and restaurants closed, so no more of those mid-week “stacking” gigs I did for the hang and the grocery money. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Then two days into the “shutdown” it was chills, body aches and fatigue, and fevers spiking to 100+ at night. Tylenol relieved my fever during the day, but my media-fueled paranoia was only relieved by a 2-day depressive episode. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">A telemedicine Dr said that since I wasn’t in any respiratory distress I should just monitor my symptoms at home. The next morning the fever went away permanently, and after another two weeks indoors my energy, focus, and the color in my face were fully restored. A second telemedicine Dr said that my wife and I “most likely had the virus or something like it,” whatever that means. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><a contents="Then Murray passed away." data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://johnmontagna.com/blog/blog/murray" target="_blank">Then Murray passed away.</a> My stepfather had been hospitalized just before the shutdown with a severe, non-COVID illness. My mother, my sisters and I and our families gathered on Zoom with our rabbi and said prayers together, promising to celebrate his life with family and friends when gatherings are allowed again. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">It’s been almost six weeks since COVID-19 brought life as we know it to a screeching halt, and I know I’m not alone in feeling as if I’ve lived several lifetimes since then. The outside world brings both horrendous stories of infections and fatalities, and inspiring tales of brave essential workers putting themselves in harm’s way for the greater good. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">But the inner world of the performing artist has become a complete alternate universe, full of mind-bending existential questions and dilemmas: Who am I? What am I? What have I accomplished? Has any of it mattered? Will it ever matter again? What am I supposed to do when things get “back to normal?” </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">That's the fog I was living in when my dear friend Rob Silverman texted me: “Not sure if I sent this to you before…” </span></p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="_wq6fludCYg" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/_wq6fludCYg/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_wq6fludCYg?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="360" width="640" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p><span class="font_large">It was a video clip from last year's annual “Clapton Is Godfrey” show at the Space at Westbury, with the Godfrey Townsend Band (Godfrey, Steve Murphy and Manny Focarazzo, plus guitarist Mark Newman). Rob is a faithful GTB supporter and can always be counted on for good audience footage, and he sent me a few seconds of our rendering of The Yardbirds' "I Ain't Got You" (1965 album track). We attacked this tune with only one rehearsal at soundcheck, and I had <em>just </em>memorized the lyrics. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">This was a heavy gig, and a heavy season. My father-in-law had been diagnosed with leukemia a few stressful weeks earlier; I knew that making the big noise with my brothers-in-rock would be necessary therapy, and I showed up for this gig loaded for bear. My bandmates knew what was up with the family and had my back, and we hit the stage like a bomb (as we always do). I drove home that night feeling both invigorated and relaxed, a contentment that only comes after 2 hours of doing what you’re put on this earth to do. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">That was a little less than a year ago, and I’d completely forgotten about it. After six weeks of the quarantine I was convinced that I was only put on this earth to wash my hands, disinfect the groceries, wash my hands again, try to wear a mask without fogging up my glasses, and wash my hands again. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">But something magical happened as I looked at my 2019 self in the video clip: lean, strong, clean shaven with a fresh <a contents="St Marks Place haircut" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B9KAzV-BfAx/" target="_blank">St Marks Place haircut</a>, wielding my beloved Spector Rebop DLX 4-string and boldly fronting the mighty GTB in front of a packed house. Neural pathways that had been dormant for weeks started flowing again. The unprecedented confusion and uncertainty about my future gave way to a familiar sense of confidence and calm, and the blue monster ran off like a little bitch. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Being a singing bassist gives you exponentially more power and control over a band, and this clip reminded me that it’s only when I’m up front with the 4-string that my brain is fully activated. I watched it several times, smiling to myself as I thought, <em>That’s who I am</em><em>. That’s who the fuck I am. </em></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">How much longer will it be before we can raise the Goblet of Rock for a packed house again? Nobody really knows. If I had a dollar for every article I’ve read and free webinar I’ve attended since mid-March pertaining to “the music business in the age of COVID,” I’d have a hundred dollars but no answers. Nobody knows anything, and nobody should be expected to know anything because nothing like this has ever happened to us in our lifetime. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">All of us are making this shit up as we go along. And that’s okay. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">But whatever you do, <em>don’t forget who the fuck you are. </em></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Remember what’s important! </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Be well </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">JM</span></p>
John Montagna
tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:Post/5912895
2019-10-02T12:56:05-04:00
2021-03-27T07:31:29-04:00
Radio 418 podcast: Better Days with JOEY MOLLAND
<p><iframe data-name="pb-iframe-player" height="122" scrolling="no" src="https://www.podbean.com/media/player/kkani-c1c6f9?from=usersite&skin=1&share=1&fonts=Helvetica&auto=0&download=1&version=1" style="border: none;" title="Joey Molland: Better Days" width="100%"></iframe></p>
<p>The Liverpool-bred guitarist, singer and songwriter brought his tough, rock and roll edge when he joined Badfinger in 1969. But that legendary group is only a part of Joey Molland’s story. He has survived the ups and downs of this business always coming up swinging and smiling, and with a new solo album in the works it was finally time to chat with my frequent tour mate (and a personal musical hero)! </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><a contents="Click here to support Joey’s new solo album, produced by Mark Hudson!" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fourchordconsulting/new-album-joey-molland-of-badfinger?ref=nav_search&result=project&term=joey%20molland%20" target="_blank"><span style="color:#f1c40f;">Click here to support Joey’s new solo album, produced by Mark Hudson!</span></a></em></p>
John Montagna
tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:Post/5807393
2019-06-28T12:23:33-04:00
2022-03-08T06:00:47-05:00
Radio 418 podcast: Mark Lindsay ON the UMG Warehouse Fire
<p>The <a contents="story of a massive 2008 fire" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/11/magazine/universal-fire-master-recordings.html" target="_blank">story of a massive 2008 fire</a> that destroyed untold thousands of irreplaceable master tapes owned by Universal Music Group has only fully come to light this year. As a musician AND a music lover I'm compelled to weigh in on this catastrophic blow to our culture, but not without seeking the counsel of friends and colleagues in the business. On this episode I'm joined by Mark Lindsay, legendary vocalist from Paul Revere and the Raiders (and my frequent tour mate), who shares his unique perspective on asset management in the recording industry. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Keep up with Mark at <a contents="www.marklindsay.com" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.marklindsay.com" target="_blank">www.marklindsay.com</a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe data-name="pb-iframe-player" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.podbean.com/media/player/sjfjd-b620a0?from=usersite&vjs=1&skin=1&fonts=Helvetica&auto=0&download=1" style="border: none;" title="Mark Lindsay ON: the UMG Warehouse Fire" width="100%"></iframe></p>
John Montagna
tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:Post/5654787
2019-02-22T08:59:42-05:00
2021-07-08T12:46:08-04:00
Do I Have To Do This All Over Again? (RIP Peter Tork)
<p>The news of Peter Tork’s passing broke yesterday afternoon, and within minutes there were tributes spreading across social media: links to Monkees songs he wrote and/or sang, photos, stories of personal encounters. The remembrances of his colleagues paint a portrait of a kind, compassionate man with a good heart, a dedicated musician who was deeply committed to the “peace and love” ideals of the 60s. His music with The Monkees will no doubt receive some extra play in the next few days, but it’s my considered opinion that the quintessential Peter Tork moment happened in the band’s surrealistic, satirical 1968 feature film, “Head.” </p>
<p>A box office bomb in its time, “Head” is now revered as one of the most innovative marriages of rock music and cinema. The group conspired with series creators Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider to make a film that would shatter the squeaky-clean “Monkees” image, and in doing so created a stunning visual commentary on pop culture circa 1968. There are multiple references to the war in Vietnam, mass media, Hollywood and automation, and the cinematic rules of narrative structure are disregarded in favor of a dreamlike series of vignettes that overlap into each other. </p>
<p>In one memorable sequence the group is in a canteen spouting non-sequitur dialog with a waitress; suddenly the action cuts to a boxing match between Davy Jones and Sonny Liston, followed by a dramatic scene between Davy and Annette Funicello, then more drama at the boxing match, then back to Peter and the waitress in the canteen. (Don’t ask me to explain; just see the movie.) After a brief exchange Peter suddenly, and without provocation, jumps up and punches the waitress and knocks her out. She stumbles backward and lands in a chair, and then we hear a voice from off screen yell “Okay, CUT!" The waitress removes her wig, revealing herself to be a male actor in drag, and the entire sequence having been staged on a film set. </p>
<p>The POV then shifts to a handheld documentary camera, capturing the chaos as the “crew” surrounds and follows Peter to prepare him for the “next scene” in the film-within-a-film. In an exchange that seems expertly improvised, Peter confronts producer Rafelson (portraying himself) about the end of the previous scene, with palpable frustration. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>“Hey Bob, that’s not right, man. I mean, about hitting a woman and everything. Man, it’s about the image, it’s not right! Bob, it’s a movie for kids, they’re not gonna dig it, man! Think of it: the kids aren’t gonna dig it…me hitting a girl. Especially the way I feel about violence and all that stuff, y’know?” </strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">As the crew scurries around him, mostly oblivious to his crisis of conscience, Rafelson dismissively tries to placate Peter and assure him that the scene will be taken out “if it doesn’t work.” Peter snaps at Rafelson reflexively: <em><strong>“Well, you TELL me that, man, and it never happens!” </strong></em></p>
<p>This scene knocked me out the first time I saw the film (on VHS in 1988, when I was 16); I thought it was so cool the way they broke the fourth wall, and presented “behind the scenes” Monkees drama (even if it was staged). But yesterday afternoon I watched that scene again with tears in my eyes. The depth of the sadness, vulnerability and righteous anger that Peter conveyed in that scene was profoundly moving. But the sentiment itself - Peter protesting the mere portrayal of violence against a woman - offered a unique window into the soul of this peaceful, principled man. The “Peter Tork” character in the film seems to be the only one grounded with any sort of moral compass, and there was clearly some truth pervading the “acting” in that scene. </p>
<p>Whether or not they were assembled by an NBC casting director, the joy and happiness that The Monkees and their music brought to millions of lives worldwide is real, alive and well. I sincerely hope that Peter, before he left this earthly existence, knew and understood just how deeply his work and his very being touched so many people. We were born to love one another; this is something we all need. Thank you Peter Halsten Thorkelson, for leaving this world just a bit nicer than you found it. </p>
<p>Be well </p>
<p>JM</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/189978/bbd49f641291ff1e586baf15a84f9473e2adf22c/original/03708-rafelson-peter.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
John Montagna
tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:Post/5577298
2019-01-02T10:36:13-05:00
2021-10-27T05:33:42-04:00
Rockeology: When 48th Street Was the Center of the Universe
<p>Happy New Year to all! I'm ringing in 2019 with a new piece for CultureSonar, celebrating the parallel histories of two legendary NYC music retailers: Manny's Music, and Sam Ash. What are some of your most cherished memories of 48th Street? </p>
<p>Be well</p>
<p>JM</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><br><a contents="https://www.culturesonar.com/rockeology-48th-street/" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.culturesonar.com/rockeology-48th-street/" target="_blank"><span class="font_large">https://www.culturesonar.com/rockeology-48th-street/</span></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/189978/b8536cf0ac25d7572ef5d8f3ff2419ed71c6983b/original/sam-ash-hp.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></span><span class="font_small">Photo Credit: Archival images of Rose and Jerry Ash courtesy of Sam Ash.</span></p>
John Montagna
tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:Post/5562587
2018-12-20T10:16:51-05:00
2021-07-08T12:46:54-04:00
JM'S "CLOUD NINE" INTERVIEW WITH KEN MICHAELS
<p style="text-align: center;"><a contents="http://globaltexanchronicles.com/john-montagna-interview/&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://globaltexanchronicles.com/john-montagna-interview" target="_blank">http://globaltexanchronicles.com/john-montagna-interview</a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span class="font_large">LISTEN TO ME JABBER ON ABOUT GEORGE HARRISON! </span></strong></p>
<p>About a year ago, Ken Michaels interviewed me on his <a contents='"Every Little Thing" radio show' data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://kenmichaelsradio.com/every-little-thing.html" target="_blank">"Every Little Thing" radio show</a> about my love for <a contents="George's 1987 "Cloud Nine" album." data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.georgeharrison.com/albums/cloud-nine/" target="_blank">George's 1987 "Cloud Nine" album.</a> The interview is now available at the link above; dig the full show or scroll to about 16:27 to get straight to the Montagna!</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/189978/c409c95400cbee1b91391d4a2946796c2b9bff5e/original/gvs99vcbkkq11.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />This is love! </p>
<p>Be well</p>
<p>JM<br> </p>
John Montagna
tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:Post/5523552
2018-11-21T20:12:41-05:00
2020-11-10T00:07:52-05:00
New episode of "Breaking It Down With Jeff And John" celebrates Steve Gadd!
<p>Hello all! </p>
<p>Just in time for holiday listening, our latest episode of the "Breaking It Down with Jeff and John" podcast is live, celebrating the artistry of drum <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/189978/7b4d87a7de5c7225b303cb4d56d73f5a20fba0b0/original/steve-gadd-singer-photo-1.jpg/!!/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_right border_" />legend Steve Gadd. </p>
<p>From his roots in Rochester, NY to studios and concert stages around the globe, Gadd has influenced a generation of drummers and left an indelible mark on the sound of American popular music. On this very special episode Jeff and I are joined by five esteemed drumming colleagues - James Saporito, Steve Murphy, Ray Marchica, Steve Singer and Justin DiCioccio - to examine the evolution of Gadd's musicianship and discuss our favorite Gadd performances. You do not want to miss this one! </p>
<p><a contents="CLICK HERE TO BREAK IT DOWN WITH JEFF AND JOHN&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.culturesonar.com/breaking-it-down-50-ways-to-love-steve-gadd/" target="_blank"><strong>CLICK HERE TO BREAK IT DOWN WITH JEFF AND JOHN </strong></a></p>
<p>Many thanks to all of you for your continued support and enthusiasm, and have a happy and safe Thanksgiving! </p>
<p>Be well </p>
<p>JM </p>
<p><span class="font_small">Steve Gadd photo by Steve Singer</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_small">• James Saporito is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music. He is currently the associate principal percussionist of the New York City Ballet Orchestra. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_small">• Steve Murphy is currently touring the nation as the drummer with The Hit Men (alongside Jeff Ganz). He has also toured extensively with the Alan Parsons Live Project and the perennial Happy Together tours (alongside John Montagna). </span></p>
<p><span class="font_small">• Ray Marchica is a graduate of Brooklyn College, where he studied percussion with Morris Lang of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. He has toured and/or recorded with Roy Buchanan, James Brown, Barbara Streisand and many others, and has been a member of the Ed Palermo Big Band for over 25 years. He is also a veteran of numerous Broadway shows and was the drummer on The Rosie O’Donnell Show. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_small">• Among Steve Singer’s drumming credits are the Broadway and international touring productions of Chicago and Dreamgirls, including first runs in Tokyo. An accomplished photographer, his photo of Steve Gadd used in this episode has been published around the world. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_small">• Justin DiCioccio is internationally recognized as one of the foremost jazz educators of our time. Formerly the Associate Dean of the Jazz Arts Programs at Manhattan School of Music and the jazz director at LaGuardia High School of Music and Art, he currently presents jazz clinics and concerts internationally.</span></p>
John Montagna
tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:Post/5499921
2018-11-05T10:25:12-05:00
2021-07-08T12:47:11-04:00
Sanborn Sessions: A New Day for “Night Music”
<p><a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.culturesonar.com/sanborn-sessions-a-new-day-for-night-music/" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/189978/1c0f709db709fadad894a72e703eb8559e47131b/original/sanborn.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></a><span class="font_small">Photo Credit: David Sanborn by Sam Zhang courtesy of the artist</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a contents="https://www.culturesonar.com/sanborn-sessions-a-new-day-for-night-music/" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.culturesonar.com/sanborn-sessions-a-new-day-for-night-music/" target="_blank"><strong>https://www.culturesonar.com/sanborn-sessions-a-new-day-for-night-music/</strong></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_regular">Those closest to me know how passionate I am about "Night Music," the revolutionary music series hosted by David Sanborn on NBC from 1988-1990. So you can imagine how excited I am about "Sanborn Sessions," the new web series that finds Mr. Sanborn reviving the eclectic "Night Music" format for the digital age! Check out my latest piece for CultureSonar featuring an exclusive interview with Mr. Sanborn about this tremendous new venture (the pilot episode is killin'), and find out how you can get involved! </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">Be well</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">JM</span><br> </p>
John Montagna
tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:Post/5498949
2018-11-04T08:34:03-05:00
2020-11-12T01:49:40-05:00
NEW REVIEW: "The Complete Cuban Jam Sessions"
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/189978/5ebde3a6cfdf5a8c9fb1833145afd337e71f76c3/original/cachao-y-orchestra-hp.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><span class="font_large">I recently fell under the spell of <em>son Cubano </em>thanx to Craft Recordings' red hot "Complete Cuban Jam Sessions" box set! </span></p>
<p><strong><a contents="Check out my review for CultureSonar here.&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.culturesonar.com/cuban-jam-sessions-havana-at-its-hottest/" target="_blank"><span class="font_large">Check out my review for CultureSonar here. </span></a></strong></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Be well</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">JM</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_small">Photo Credit: Cachao and His Orchestra courtesy of Tommy Meini/Gladys Palmera Collection via the Concord Music Group</span></p>
John Montagna
tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:Post/5473698
2018-10-17T11:55:54-04:00
2021-05-04T01:00:21-04:00
New episode of "Breaking It Down With Jeff And John" is live!
<p>Today's episode is entitled "Yesterday And Today." Jeff and I re-examine some of our favorite music from our youth to see if it holds up to our modern-day, grown-up scrutiny. Click the photo and listen to find out what happens to old favorites with new ears!</p>
<p><a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/193121/830973-yesterday-and-today?fbclid=IwAR0g2tgdRWR6ex1nMOi6M4ypmkc61csWj50ZCbsIXR5niUVmrMT3Nk9CjeU" target="_blank"><span class="font_small"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/189978/1c34fbbe18ee8434830dbaf3f40f7e5de87df51c/original/breaking-it-down-getty.jpg/!!/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></span></a></p>
<p><span class="font_small">LISTEN TO MUSIC<br>LISTEN TO MUSIC<br>LISTEN TO MUSIC<br>IT'S GOOD FOR YOU! </span></p>
<p><span class="font_small">Be well<br>JM</span></p>
John Montagna
tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:Post/5362545
2018-07-26T11:03:41-04:00
2021-04-30T02:44:04-04:00
"BREAKING IT DOWN WITH JEFF AND JOHN" is live!!
<p><a contents="http://www.culturesonar.com/breaking-it-down-ep1/" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.culturesonar.com/breaking-it-down-ep1/" target="_blank">http://www.culturesonar.com/breaking-it-down-ep1/</a></p>
<p>It's been so hard to keep this a secret until now! My dear friend and fellow bassist Jeff Ganz and I have created "Breaking It Down," a music podcast for CultureSonar. We will explore the music, players and ideas that inspire us, and hopefully convince you to do the same. </p>
<p>Today's premiere episode celebrates the musical legacy of Motown bassist James Jamerson (1936-1983). This is some grade-A music geekery here, so dig in and enjoy! </p>
<p>Be well</p>
<p>JM<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/189978/1c34fbbe18ee8434830dbaf3f40f7e5de87df51c/original/breaking-it-down-getty.jpg/!!/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></p>
John Montagna
tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:Post/5086058
2018-02-18T12:20:03-05:00
2021-03-05T05:39:17-05:00
Sonny Rollins' "Way Out West" at 60: still essential
<p style="text-align: center;"><a contents="http://www.culturesonar.com/sonny-rollins-way-out-west/" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.culturesonar.com/sonny-rollins-way-out-west/" target="_blank">http://www.culturesonar.com/sonny-rollins-way-out-west/</a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Sonny Rollins is undoubtedly one of the most influential American jazz musicians of all time. His landmark LP "Way Out West" just turned 60, and Craft Recordings has released a 2-LP deluxe anniversary reissue that's worth every penny. I review the set in my latest piece for CultureSonar; follow the link above to check it out! </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
John Montagna
tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:Post/5000821
2017-12-31T11:25:09-05:00
2021-04-21T13:02:19-04:00
"Night Music:" NBC's high-art answer to MTV
<p style="text-align: center;"><a contents="http://www.culturesonar.com/nightmusic/" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.culturesonar.com/nightmusic/" target="_blank">http://www.culturesonar.com/nightmusic/</a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">For two seasons on NBC (1988-1990) <a contents="David Sanborn" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.davidsanborn.com/" target="_blank">David Sanborn</a> hosted "Night Music," showcasing the finest musicians in jazz, rock, R&B, the blues and everything in between. My final CultureSonar piece for 2017 celebrates this ground-breaking TV series, a "vortex of music and love" that marks a peak moment in American cultural excellence.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/189978/61ca3c7434b030c137ee4ed7291169f7dd1a4591/medium/hqdefault.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">I wish you all nothing but the best of health and happiness for 2018; see you on the next one! </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Be well</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">JM</p>
John Montagna
tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:Post/4911187
2017-10-29T23:05:30-04:00
2021-07-08T12:42:41-04:00
FACEBOOK LIVE SOLO BASS HIGHLIGHTS Sunday morning 10.29.17
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GvMBe_cRV1Y" width="560"></iframe></p>
<p>Sunday morning 10.29.17 11am I switched on the Facebook Live with my bass and jammed for almost 2 hours. Here's the best stuff! </p>
<p>Be well</p>
<p>JM</p>
John Montagna
tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:Post/4905817
2017-10-25T10:32:04-04:00
2021-06-01T10:35:18-04:00
10 Quintessential Bass Lines in ’80s Pop
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/189978/f085931b6f5f579bf9e7038a80e35339f9db23e4/medium/jm-4bass-80s.jpg?1508941866" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large"><a contents="http://www.culturesonar.com/10-quintessential-bass-lines-80s-pop/" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.culturesonar.com/10-quintessential-bass-lines-80s-pop/" target="_blank">http://www.culturesonar.com/10-quintessential-bass-lines-80s-pop/</a></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">A young man and his Peavey Fury bass, circa 1987. What music inspired this fine youngster to pick up a bass guitar and learn how to play? How were his sensibilities formed about what the function of the bass ought to be (supportive AND melodic)? </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Like, click the link to find out in my latest totally awesome CultureSonar piece, "10 Quintessential Bass Lines In 80s Pop!" </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Be well</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">JM</p>
John Montagna
tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:Post/4896587
2017-10-18T09:41:58-04:00
2021-06-01T10:12:57-04:00
We've Got Your Back, Mariah Carey
<p><a contents="http://www.culturesonar.com/mariah-carey/" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.culturesonar.com/mariah-carey/" target="_blank">http://www.culturesonar.com/mariah-carey/</a></p>
<p>My latest piece for CultureSonar is live, extolling the virtues of Mariah Carey. Time to recognize Mimi as the American Cultural Icon that she is! </p>
<p>#ARIESPOWER</p>
<p>Be well</p>
<p>JM<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/189978/d552e9da8702925857da42279f4f72882082de90/medium/mariah-carey-90s-wallpaper-1.jpg?1508334076" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></p>
John Montagna
tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:Post/4785412
2017-07-19T20:29:09-04:00
2021-07-08T12:47:28-04:00
RINGO STARR Birthday Tribute highlights!
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<p>We celebrated Ringo Starr's 77th birthday with a full set of his solo hits and some choice Beatles cuts. Many thanx to my incredible band of stellar musicians: Bennett Paster (keys), Benny Landa (guitar), Anthony Babino (guitar), Steven Babino (bass) and Ethan Eubanks (drums). Thanx also to all of you who came out and celebrated with us that night, and to Steve Walter and the full staff of The Cutting Room. Enjoy these highlights! </p>
<p>Be well</p>
<p>JM</p>
<p> </p>
John Montagna
tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:Post/4720897
2017-05-24T15:29:56-04:00
2022-05-09T17:30:49-04:00
Defending My Defense Of Dave Dexter Jr!
<p>Being a freelance writer in the internet age is not for the faint of heart. The court of public opinion has grown wider and more vicious than ever, with “comments” sections full of self-appointed thought leaders skewering anything and anyone that they disagree with. But I’ve accepted the fact that when you offer creative works to “the public” there’s just gonna be people that don’t like what you do. Also: eyeballs are eyeballs on the web whether they agree with me or not, and since I ultimately benefit from each new click, please fire away! </p>
<p>Now, I would expect invective from strangers if I wrote about heavier topics like politics, crime, etc. But I write mainly about The Beatles, and I’ve been shocked recently at a handful of my fellow Beat-ards whose love of The Fab Four has morphed into an intolerance for anything other than their own narrow viewpoint. How could the band that sang “the love you take is equal to the love you make” attract fans who are so combative, rude, and short-sighted? </p>
<p>“I don’t care what you think.”</p>
<p>“There’s no debate anymore.” </p>
<p>”Totally stoopid.” </p>
<p>Really? </p>
<p>Case in point: <strong><a contents="my recent piece for CultureSonar, in defense of Dave Dexter Jr. (“Stop Knocking The American Releases Of The Beatles, Already.”" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.culturesonar.com/beatles-dave-dexter/" target="_blank">my recent piece for CultureSonar, in defense of Dave Dexter Jr. (“Stop Knocking The American Releases Of The Beatles, Already.”</a>)</strong> In short, “Dex” was the Capitol Records executive that prepared The Beatles’ LPs for the American market in the 1960s. My view is that Dex deserves more credit because those <strong><a contents="US albums" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://thebeatlesstore.com/collections/music/products/the-us-albums-13-cd-box-set" target="_blank">US albums</a></strong> stand on their own as fine cultural artifacts of their era. But this disputes the prevailing narrative that Dex ignored the “creative intentions of the band,” and woe betide to anyone who tampers with the Fabs’ precious artistry! </p>
<p>I expected some blowback because my opinion is the unpopular one. But it was interesting to note just how quickly and easily the discussions would turn mean-spirited, thanks to the anonymity of the web; a group of Beat-ards gathered in person at a Fest For Beatles Fans would never get so defensive or belligerent. Dex was called a “creep,” a “corporate stooge” and a “butcher.” And at least one reader took the time to deconstruct my entire article, line for line, and refute every single point I made. Some of these freedom fighters even started turning on each other, disagreeing about what they disagreed with me about! (“You are greatly misinformed.” “Afraid not, read up on it.”) </p>
<p>Again, the negativity did not affect me. But I also didn’t let it go to my head when I saw all the folks who agreed with me 100% and thanked me for a well-written piece. No, the feedback that I actually paid attention to was the only feedback that matters: the emails I received from Dave Dexter’s family. </p>
<p>First it was Tyson Dexter, whose “Grandpa Dave” passed away when he was very young. He thanked me for my accuracy, saying that the article “put a smile on the faces of my entire family.” A few hours later, a second email came in from Dex’s eldest son, Mike. “Thank you for actually getting my father's legacy correct,” he wrote. “He has been criticized through the lens of today's technology by self-anointed purists.” </p>
<p>When a name that you’ve only read on LP covers and in history books suddenly comes to life and reaches you as a result of something you wrote, it’s a beautiful feeling. What the world needs now is love, and it’s the only thing I’m trying to pay any attention to! </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_small"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/189978/640202d457df239f520b9adb23521a6d8e2d403c/medium/col-dexter-p435-275px.jpg?1495654092" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></span>Dave Dexter, Jr. (Quotes from Tyson & Mike Dexter's emails used with permission.)</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
John Montagna
tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:Post/4695296
2017-05-03T15:11:29-04:00
2020-10-19T02:31:49-04:00
MESSAGE TO MILLENNIALS: LIVE MUSIC IS IMMERSIVE!
<p><span class="font_regular">The news about the <a contents="Fyre Festival disaster" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://nymag.com/thecut/2017/04/fyre-festival-exumas-bahamas-disaster.html" target="_blank">Fyre Festival disaster</a> spread fast. Hordes of unsuspecting millennials who were promised a luxurious "VIP music experience" in the Bahamas were simply cheated out of thousands of dollars, and left stranded on an island with bad cheese sandwiches and wet mattresses. <br><br>It's easy to assume that us forty-somethings are having a laugh at your generation's expense. But the truth is, we actually admire (and envy) you millennials, for your mastery of rapidly-changing technology, your social consciousness and connectivity, and your spirit of adventure that drives you to seek out the most compelling experiences in life. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">So I speak to you today, not as a 45-year-old man, but as a professional musician who’s been on the grind paying bills with 4 strings and a smile since you were born. I’ve played hundreds of dodgy gigs over the last two decades, and I’ve seen it all. Sound, lighting and stage gear smaller than necessary or contractually-agreed-upon. Crap food. Shoddy, insufficient accommodations backstage, and even more dismal lodging after the gig. But those memories fade and become great stories, and I ultimately find myself having some empathy for the promoters and organizers who put on these shows. I don’t envy these poor souls, because Big Rock Shows involve meticulous, multifaceted planning and organizing I could never comprehend. And honestly, as long as everybody gets paid and nobody gets injured, most musicians can hit the stage, rock asses, and go home happy having survived another night in show business. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">But for the “organizers” of the Fyre Festival, I have no such empathy. And not just because they took money from a bunch unsuspecting young people and left them stranded, literally, on a f***ing island with no food or water. (They say their “infrastructure wasn’t set up in time,” but their infrastructure for accepting payment online was up and running immediately. Their e-commerce A-game nearly caused a humanitarian crisis; nice work, bros.) </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">No, what finally rocked me out of my schadenfreude stupor was the <a contents="promo video for the Fyre Festival" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANYqvbFsodw" target="_blank">promo video for the Fyre Festival</a>, ironically being shared online like an invitation to the launch of the Titanic. It features sexy models swan-diving off of yachts into crystal-clear blue water and “epic music festival” B-roll, as titles flash on the screen promising “AN IMMERSIVE MUSIC FESTIVAL” and “THE BEST IN FOOD, ART, MUSIC AND ADVENTURE.” This is the short-sighted, ignorant nonsense that makes my blood boil. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">Listen to me very carefully: live music itself is an immersive experience. Whether it’s a local club gig or a massive stadium spectacular, your body sharing a physical space with top-notch musicians kicking ass is about as “immersive” as it can get. I know I’m <a contents="not the first person to whine about bogus “VIP Concert Experiences”" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/why-vip-packages-are-ruining-rock-festivals-20140522" target="_blank">not the first person to whine about bogus “VIP Concert Experiences”</a> and I despise them as both a performer and as a concertgoer. But my hope is that the Fyre Fiasco will finally be the tipping point that inspires savvy, adventure-craving millennials to discover what the Baby Boomers already know about: the raw power and magic of pure, high-quality Live Music. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">Here’s a true story about the “best in food, art, music and adventure.” A few nights ago I went with a singer buddy of mine to see The Revolution at BB King’s in NYC. I took the train from Brooklyn to Times Square, and met my buddy on the ticket-holders’ line. It was a glorious, warm sunny day in Manhattan as we hung out with our fellow Prince-lovers on the street, including one guy who’d just come from “Celebration 2017” at Paisley Park. We got inside and went to the bar, where I enjoyed some delicious BBQ chicken sliders and a nicely poured Jameson. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">We then stood on a crowded, sweaty dance floor surrounded by hundreds of our fellow black white latino asian gay straight butch femme queer trans cis whatever short tall New Yorkers, all of us coexisting peacefully, respecting each other’s space and getting happily funk’d by the pre-show DJ and then by The Revolution themselves. Halfway through the set the band left the stage while <a contents="Wendy &amp; Lisa played “Sometimes It Snows In April” on just piano and acoustic guitar," data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsVJWXnjyVA" target="_blank">Wendy & Lisa played “Sometimes It Snows In April” on just piano and acoustic guitar,</a> and you could hear a f***ing pin drop as Wendy sang a tribute to her departed legendary friend with raw emotions that touched everybody in that room. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">After the show my buddy and I snuck backstage without any passes (I’ve played BB Kings a thousand times so I know where all the secret passageways are). But security was tight. Eventually a bouncer was politely but firmly escorting us out, but he unknowingly escorted us in a direction that brought us face-to-face with Wendy Melvoin. With the bouncer’s hand still on my shoulder I told her what a <a contents="Rock Goddess " data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdfAhCG3oDo" target="_blank">Rock Goddess </a>she’s been to me for thirty years. She was sweet and gracious, shaking my hand and looking me in the eyes as she spoke, while 15-year-old me freaked the f*** out. Seconds later, 45-year-old me said farewell to Wendy before the bouncer lost his patience. My buddy and I got out of there and we grabbed some frappuccinos at Starbucks, laughing all the way into the downtown train. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">That, my friends, is an “immersive musical experience.” My five senses were gratified beyond all expectations, and I have a fresh batch of memories that will last a lifetime. And I didn’t even pass out from dehydration in a third world airport! The total cost, including my concert ticket, food and drink, and round-trip subway ride was, I kid you not: $75. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">Dearest millennials, if you’re paying $1,000+ to watch a band from a massage table in an air-conditioned tent on a beach, you’re doing it wrong. Trust me: save your money for buying real estate, and come back to the intangible, immeasurable, truly interactive and immersive experience of Real. Live. Music.<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/189978/d14295ac1c0b1c8d72d85ad20c6018badb49ea5f/medium/img-4067.jpg?1493838577" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span class="font_small">Do you really need anything more than this right here? </span></strong></p>
John Montagna
tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:Post/4579512
2017-02-06T22:29:53-05:00
2021-05-18T03:27:52-04:00
CLASSIC BLOG - Sound And Fury: US Beatles Box Backlash (1.13.14)
<p>Several days ago I wrote a blog about the backlash toward the upcoming Beatles "US Albums" box set. In short: the source audio for these CDs will be the 2009 remasters done in the UK at Abbey Road, and not the original tapes mastered by Capitol Records in the US back in the 60s. </p>
<p>Those Capitol mixes were done with the average 1960s American teenager’s turntable in mind, and under tight production deadlines. As a result, American Beatles fans heard the music with extra compression, EQ, reverb, and the occasional "duophonic" (or “fake stereo") mix (more on this later). And that's how we remember Beatles music sounding, for better or worse! </p>
<p>So when Capitol announced that the 2009 UK remasters would be used for the "US Albums" box, many fans were outraged at what they perceived as a "rip-off." My blog post sought to calm the fury a bit, telling these "outraged" fans to get over themselves: if they want to hear those US albums, they should dust off their old LPs and give them a spin on their turntables. I posted the blog, got a fairly positive response, and that was the end of it. Or so I thought. </p>
<p>All weekend long, the phrase "rip-off" kept going around in my head. I couldn't stop thinking about it, and I couldn't figure out why it bothered me so much that these folks were complaining. Meanwhile, I was bingeing on Beatles music, particularly the discs from both volumes of "The Capitol Albums" (released in 2004, utilizing the original US masters). </p>
<p>And then it hit me: Rip-off? What are you talking about? Those Capitol LPs were rip-offs to begin with! Yes, we American fans have our sentimental attachments to US-only LPs like "Something New," "Beatles '65," and the imaginatively-titled "The Beatles Second Album." But sense memories aside, let's face it: those LPs were always hodgepodges, "packaged in the US" like bagged spinach from China. </p>
<p>Don't forget: despite being a subsidiary of EMI, Capitol Records rejected The Beatles for almost two years. But over time, Beatles news (and sales figures) from the rest of the world couldn't be ignored. So with an eye on the Almighty Dollar (and no input from the band or producer George Martin), Capitol started slapping Beatles LPs together with lightning speed and efficiency. </p>
<p>For a start, the Capitol albums always had fewer songs on them. This was for two basic reasons: to keep the group's royalty payments low, and to crank out more albums. (In the UK, singles never appeared on albums; this policy gave Capitol plenty of extra tracks to cobble together extra LPs in the US.) Track listings were sequenced almost at random; cover art was equally slapdash, and the liner notes read like generic teenage ad copy written by a grownup who’d never listened to the music. ("AND HERE THEY ARE, SINGING AND PLAYING THEIR NEW COLLECTION OF HITS!") </p>
<p>This is to say nothing of the way they sounded. When tapes of the stereo mixes of "She's A Woman" and "I Feel Fine" didn't arrive from the UK in time for the scheduled release date, Capitol's engineers didn't wait. They took the mono mixes, filtered the highs to one channel and the lows to the other, and washed the whole thing in reverb. As a result, an entire generation of Beatles fans heard "She's A Woman" and "I Feel Fine" as if they were playing on a boombox at the bottom of an elevator shaft. It wasn't until the 1988 release of the "Past Masters" CDs that we Americans heard the truth, the UK mixes initially being the template for Beatles compact disc releases. </p>
<p>Let’s be honest: America has a proud history of presenting The Beatles sloppily and haphazardly. We had goofy "interview" albums like "Hear The Beatles Tell All" and "The American Tour With Ed Rudy." The American “A Hard Day's Night" soundtrack album released by United Artists is padded out with instrumental scores, some of which aren't even in the film. (And Capitol's "Something New" LP even recycled five of those HDN songs!) The Beatles cartoon series produced by King Features didn't contain their real voices. And the less said about a Capitol album called "The Beatles Story," the better. </p>
<p>The very first sound American record buyers heard of The Beatles was a mistake, on an album called "Introducing The Beatles" released by Vee-Jay Records in January 1964 (before Capitol came to their senses). The opening track, "I Saw Her Standing There," is missing the "one-two-three" of Paul's famous count-off, thanks to a sloppy edit by a careless American engineer. Similarly, the very last sound they released was also an edit: applause from the live rooftop performance of "Get Back" grafted onto the studio take of the same song, closing out the "Let It Be" album (another hodgepodge LP "reproduced for disc" by Phil Spector under the aegis of Allen Klein, both Americans). </p>
<p>But back to the forthcoming "US Albums" box: most of the people whining about the 2009 source audio will most likely play these CDs in their car, or copy them onto their computers for listening on desktop speakers and/or iPods. The serious audiophiles will listen through home systems that are a million times better sounding than whatever audio gear they owned as teenagers in the 60s. In other words, we'll never be able to completely replicate the "experience" of hearing those albums the way we did back in the day. Yes, some wonderful sense memories will be activated. But unless you play your old vinyl on your old system thru your old speakers, placed in the exact same position in your old bedroom in your parents' house as before, it's gonna sound different! </p>
<p>Just for laughs, the other night I compared my 2004 CD of "Something New" from "The Capitol Albums Vol. 1" with the 2009 stereo remaster of "A Hard Day's Night." There's no contest: the ’09 tracks are cleaner, bolder, fuller, alive and breathing as if they were recorded tomorrow. The "Something New" disc is nice, but next to the 2009 disc it sounds like a color Xerox. </p>
<p>If the highest-quality audio source available is being used, thus improving the listening experience, how can this be considered a rip-off? And if the argument that the original product was something of a rip-off to begin with, can a slightly-improved re-packaging of said product also be considered a rip-off? What metrics are we using to make this evaluation? Are we concerned with the quality of the current product, or its authenticity in relation to the spurious item that it seeks to re-create? Are these fans who are shouting "rip-off" upset because they're not being ripped off again today as they were then? </p>
<p>I'm choosing to think of the "US Albums" box like a guitar company reissuing an old model. My Fender Jazz Bass is a 1965 reissue, built in 1989. The body shape, hardware, pickup configuration and paint job are all exactly the same as a Jazz Bass made in 1965, but it'll never sound exactly like a '65: the wood is 24 years younger, and bass amp technology has grown by leaps and bounds since the 1960’s. But it's still a sweet axe that I love to play, so who cares? Love is all you need.</p>
John Montagna
tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:Post/4579511
2017-02-06T22:27:02-05:00
2020-10-13T02:21:24-04:00
CLASSIC BLOG: Sting's "THE LAST SHIP" review (5.22.14)
<p>Being a Sting fan hasn't always been easy. Haters love to tell you how pretentious and self-indulgent they think he is, and how his solo work lacks the fire and passion of The Police. But I disagree: I love the guy, and I love pretty much everything he's ever done. To me he's a Rock God: tall, handsome, supreme intellect, writes some of the best songs heard by human ears. (He's also one of rock's most under-appreciated bassists, by the way.) </p>
<p>But despite my man-crush, even my faith in Sting has been challenged over the last decade or so. His last two albums of original music - 1999's "Brand New Day" and 2003's "Sacred Love" - were heavy on production polish but lacked focus and cohesion. Arabic percussion here, muted trumpet over hip-hop beats there, gospel choir in 7/8, some guy rapping in French; I want Sting to show me his true feelings, not his passport stamps. (But I will say that the 5.1 mix of "Brand New Day" is a sonic treat.) </p>
<p>The "side projects" he's done since then have been mostly enjoyable. 2010's "Symphonicities" was simply his voice, his songs, and a symphony orchestra; what's not to love? Same for 2009's "If On A Winter's Night," which is the closest we'll ever get to "A Jolly Christmas From Sting" (and thank god for that). And I don't care what you say: I'm in love with 2006's "Songs From The Labyrinth," his tribute to English Renaissance composer and lutenist John Dowland. Again, what's not to love? Sting's husky tenor, growing richer with age, respectfully wraps itself around soaring melodies from Elizabethan England accompanied by master lutenist Edin Karamazov. </p>
<p>But no new Sting compositions since 2003. And there's nothing sadder than looking at one of your musical heroes and asking yourself the question: Has he lost it? Has he dried up? Will he simply be a "greatest hits" machine from now on? </p>
<p>So when I heard that Sting would be writing a musical, I initially braced myself for the worst. (“Sting's 'Roxanne!' Now on Broadway; starring Kristin Chenoweth!”) But then my fears were quelled and I exhaled: these would be new songs, and a story written with Tony-award winning book writers John Logan and Brian Yorkey and director Joe Mantello. The semi-autobiographical narrative would draw upon Sting’s working-class roots in Newcastle, and the shipyards that employed most of the men in his town (including his father). </p>
<p>Now: any self-respecting Sting fan knows that this is not new territory. In 1991 he released "The Soul Cages," a concept album composed after a lengthy writer's block brought on by his father's death in 1989. Sting processed his grief with a song cycle full of imagery connecting his father to the sea, and the Newcastle shipyards. Though not well-received at the time, "Soul Cages" has actually held up pretty well. (It's my considered opinion that "Mad About You" is one of the best pop songs written by anyone, ever.) </p>
<p>Having also read his splendid autobiography "Broken Music," I gained a deeper sense of where and what Sting comes from, and how his early life in Northern England helped to form the essential elements of his character. He has stated more than once that the ships being built and then launched out to the world, never to return, seemed like a metaphor for his own life. </p>
<p>With this in mind, I snapped up my CD copy of "The Last Ship" unhesitatingly. But I was not prepared for how deeply moved by this music I would be. I'll say it: "The Last Ship" is as magnificent as anything Sting has ever done. It's simply that strong; like I-can't-get-some-of-these-songs-out-of-my-head strong. Forget the modern media caricature of Sting in a castle doing tantric yoga; this is the Sting of "Ghost In The Machine" and "Synchronicity," equally comfortable spinning gorgeous, catchy melodies AND shouting at injustice with his fist in the air. </p>
<p>Sting has said of writing a musical that "every couplet, every verse, every song, every character is constantly fighting for its life,” and he’s right: there's not one wasted note, lyric or sound on "The Last Ship." Sting's gifts for captivating melodies, poetry and storytelling are sharper and more refined than ever, and his compelling narrative puts them all to great use. </p>
<p>Rob Mathes' warm production and arrangements are a breath of fresh air as well; the "world" flavors and electronics that cluttered up "Brand New" and "Sacred" are gone, and Sting is back among sounds that actually exist in nature. Longtime guitarist Dominic Miller anchors a superb rhythm section featuring drummer Joe Bonadio and bassist Ira Coleman, and a fine complement of fiddles and pipes evoke Newcastle's medieval history without being overbearing or descending into caricature. </p>
<p>But make no mistake, the Geordie factor is high on "The Last Ship." There's plenty of thick Newcastle accents, and lyrics like "woe betide ye if you're late," "we've got nowt else," "sweet bugger all," etc. And that's fine: I'll take the rich amber ale of Newcastle over the cotton candy-flavored vodka that too much musical theater sounds like today. Besides: anyone who's ever been a wage slave, dreamt of a better life, or been in love with someone who loves someone else will have no trouble relating to these characters. Working class is working class, whether it's the South Bronx, East New York or the north of England. </p>
<p>It was the UK’s working class that spawned the young men who would eventually storm America's shores with "British Invasion" rock and roll, a cultural force that turned the world on its ear and all but rescued Great Britain's economy after the Second World War. Fellow Geordie Eric Burdon formed The Animals in the shadow of those same Newcastle shipyards. Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend and John Entwistle formed the nucleus of The Who in Acton, a suburb that was once home to a thriving automotive manufacturing industry. And of course, the northern port town of Liverpool would receive ships returning from America loaded with rock and roll records; these found their way into the hands of the savage young Beatles. </p>
<p>All of these working-class heroes simultaneously discovered what John Lennon once described as "another field of professionalism that doesn't need any qualifications except for you've gotta get down to it…and you can make it in the terms of the world, the terms they're talking about!” ”The Last Ship" is fueled by the sentiment of that entire generation: standing up to authority, challenging social norms and expectations, refusing to follow in their fathers' footsteps up the hill toward grueling physical labor, and changing the world. In choosing such a personal story, Sting has touched on something uniquely universal. </p>
<p>Recently, Sting and his amazing band presented the "Last Ship" songs live at the Public Theater in New York, a performance that was filmed and broadcast on PBS's "Great Performances." Watching this show was a revelation: at 63, Sting manned the stage like a shipyard's foreman. Standing with one foot up on a wooden box, he belted out these killer new songs with the energy, grace and authority of a man half his age. He also looked amazing, rugged and muscular in jeans and a grey t-shirt and buzzed hair cut. (Okay, I’ve got a little man-crush;what's it to you?) </p>
<p>"The Last Ship" sets sail on Broadway this fall, and you can bet that I will be in that theater singing along. And I'll never allow anyone to tell me who to be a fan of, ever again. Show some respect!</p>
John Montagna
tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:Post/4396021
2016-09-29T12:56:19-04:00
2021-06-01T10:12:29-04:00
The iPod Playlist That Got Away!
<p>Sept. 29, 2016 </p>
<p>Last Saturday night I was doing a “private event” gig in Manhattan (aka “the city”). I generally take the subway to city gigs; traffic and parking make the driving experience hellish, and my amp is light enough to be carried on a small cart (it’s all Aguilar: SL112 cab, Tone Hammer 500 head). </p>
<p>I spent the afternoon uploading CDs into my MacBook to make a killer iPod playlist for the commute (old school I know, but it works for me so there). How do I make my choices? I have no idea; I grab CDs seemingly at random, following some kind of subconscious inspiration, and I go from there. </p>
<p>But I never got to hear the playlist; on the way in, my subway line was running with delays and re-routing that necessitated switching trains and a longer walk in the street, and after the gig I splurged on a cab ride home while my iPod sat in the trunk. </p>
<p>It wasn’t until I got home, got out of my suit and stretched, and brewed my evening cup of mint tea that I got to listen to the unique mix that I’d created. I hit “Recently Added” and “Shuffle,” and got a jumble of 5 very different albums that I just had to share with you (hover over titles for links to more info on each): </p>
<p><a contents="John Brown’s Body - Pressure Points&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.amazon.com/Pressure-Points-John-Browns-Body/dp/B00092ZMXO">John Brown’s Body - Pressure Points </a><br><a contents="Jack Bruce - Things We Like&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.jackbruce.com/2008/Music/Albums/things_we_like.htm" target="_blank">Jack Bruce - Things We Like </a><br><a contents="Lucy Schwartz - Timekeeper&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://lucyschwartzmusic.com/" target="_blank">Lucy Schwartz - Timekeeper </a><br><a contents="Sly &amp; Robbie - Language Barrier&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.amazon.com/Language-Barrier-Sly-Robbie/dp/B00009ATJJ" target="_blank">Sly & Robbie - Language Barrier </a><br><a contents="Toto Bona Lokua - Gerald Toto, Richard Bona &amp; Lokua Kanza&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/toto.bona.lokua/" target="_blank">Toto Bona Lokua - Gerald Toto, Richard Bona & Lokua Kanza </a></p>
<p>Five very different sensibilities, from different parts of the world and different years, with only my Saturday night at home with my tea post-gig in common. I love music! </p>
<p>Be well <br>JM</p>
John Montagna
tag:johnmontagna.com,2005:Post/4296409
2016-07-27T01:02:48-04:00
2020-09-26T04:24:46-04:00
IT WAS TWENTY YEARS AGO TODAY...
<p>July, 1996. The Summer Olympics are being held in Atlanta, and my “private events” band is flown down by Swatch to play their massive event at the Hard Rock Cafe. We are given all-access VIP credentials for the “Olympic Village," and a full extra day off in Atlanta, including Olympic event tickets. </p>
<p>We meet up in the lobby of the Cumberland Suites Hotel the morning after the gig, to receive our Olympic tickets. Suddenly, Michael Angelo (singer) comes running out of the elevator toward us. “Yo,” he says, “I just heard on the radio: JAMES BROWN IS AT THE HOUSE OF BLUES TONIGHT!” </p>
<p>Men’s Swimming, or the Godfather Of Soul? No contest! Five of us - myself, Michael, Joe Hrbek (tenor sax), Tommy Russo (trumpet) and Wade Taylor (singer) - form a coalition for The Funk. We call the House Of Blues, and learn that JB tickets are $50. (This is 1996, no internet yet.) We run to the Swatch/Olympics rep and ask her if we can sell our event tickets; she says yes, but only for face value: $150 each. Done! </p>
<p>We run out of the hotel like the cartoon version of the Jackson Five and catch a tram to the Olympic Village, somehow finding our way to the House Of Blues box office. (How we did it in 1996 without smartphones, GPS, etc. is beyond me.) We buy our JB tickets, and then stagger through the hot, humid streets of Atlanta for the next four hours trying to sell our Olympic tickets. We finally reach the Aquatic Center at Georgia Tech; we are accosted by people waving cash and desperate for our swimming tickets, and they sell quickly and easily. </p>
<p>We stop at a hot dog stand for some lunch and ice cold Coca Cola, hot and exhausted but thrilled at how the day is unfolding: James Brown tonight, AND an extra $100 in our pockets. God is good, we tell each other. (The photo below marks that moment.) We go back to the hotel, shower, rest up, then catch another tram back to Olympic Village for The Show. </p>
<p>We are buzzing with excitement, but now it’s after dark in the Village and the vibe is different. This was 10 days after TWA Flight 800 mysteriously exploded over the Atlantic Ocean, giving rise to multiple theories about terrorism; you could feel the extra police and security presence, and a slight tension in the air at the jam-packed Centennial Park. I see the tension rise: a plainclothes cop tries to get into to the show by simply flashing his (concealed) badge, but the doorman won’t let him in without a wristband. Much chest-puffing and finger-jabbing ensues, but the plainclothes cop ultimately is sent away by the manager. </p>
<p>We get into the venue, a huge tent erected next to the House Of Blues, and take our places near the front of the stage. A local opening act plays a few songs, and then the stage fills with a dozen or so musicians who start up some monstrous jamming for about 20 minutes before little Danny Ray ambles over to a mic and says “Alright, are you ready for some SUPER DYNAMITE SOUL?” For the next 2 hours, James Brown hands us our asses and we are completely lost in the glory of The Funk. </p>
<p>The show ends, and Wade and I find ourselves separated from the group. We decide not to wait up, and start making our way back to the hotel. We exit the venue, and it’s chaos in the streets: sirens blaring, people running in every direction, helicopters with searchlights. We try to turn a corner, and we’re stopped by a policeman who shouts “You can’t go down this street; it’s been closed off because of the bomb.” </p>
<p>The bomb?!? What bomb? We duck into a bar to try and call a taxi to the hotel (again, it's 1996: no Uber). The TV above the bar is tuned to CNN, and we find out what’s up: a bomb went off in Centennial Park about 30 minutes earlier, but we missed it because James Brown was handing us our asses. As the reporters are talking, they’re showing a live shot of the building next door to us! </p>
<p>We tear out of the bar and run down the block, not knowing where we're going. By the grace of God a taxi pulls up in front of us, and we get in shouting at the driver: “CUMBERLAND SUITES HOTEL!!” Dude floors it, and we sit in the back listening to the news on the radio about the explosion. We get to the hotel and the other band members are watching the news on the TV in the lobby. They run to us: “Are you guys okay?” We exclaim that we’re more than okay, that James Brown saved us, protected us with The Funk. </p>
<p>Nobody sleeps that night; our flight home is at 6am. By 9:30 I’m back in my Manhattan apartment, dead asleep on my futon. I wake up that afternoon, go to the bodega on the corner and have my mind blown as I stand on a corner in New York City reading a newspaper story about the bombing at the Atlanta Olympics that I was just at the night before. </p>
<p>What has changed in 20 years? Footage of the actual explosion occurring is nearly impossible to find; today we’d see it from a hundred different angles on Facebook Live. We have unfortunately grown accustomed to violence at public gatherings, and the increased security and surveillance that accompanies it. But one thing has remained the same: The Funk will always save your ass.<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/189978/502807bbf3d4684d72af3db298aa9a9b13d6900f/original/atlanta-5-1996.jpeg?1469595669" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">From L to R: Wade Taylor, Tommy Russo, Joe Hrbek, JM, and Michael Angelo; July 26, 1996</p>
John Montagna