Steve Miller’s Fly Like an Eagle went to number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the week of March 12, 1977, kept from the top spot by “Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born)” by Barbra Streisand. The single edit can be found on Greatest Hits (1974–1978). Live and on the radio, it’s usually played in tandem with Space Intro, but the song also segues into Wild Mountain Honey.
https://youtu.be/q67kd0c5Irg
Demy de Zeeuw is a Dutch soccer player that runs a soccer-based Instagram account. Look at what happens when he posts a photo.
Bobby Curtola, the original teenage heartthrob and music trailblazer has passed away at home in Edmonton, Alberta on Saturday evening June 4, 2016.
The family has released a statement at this time:
It is with heavy hearts that we confirm the passing of our father, Bobby Curtola. He was an amazing man who did so much for the people in this world, but even more as a father, uncle, godfather and Nono. His entire family requests privacy at this time while they grieve their loss.
To his fans…he loved each and every one of you more than you will know, and never took for granted the life you gave him. He would want you to do something kind for one another today and each day. He would also want you to know he loves you, and that you have another angel watching over you
– Chris and Michael Curtola
I Am The Edison Phonograph (Advertising Record), recorded by Len Spencer in 1906, would have been heard at most Edison phonograph dealers in the early part of the 20th century.
Challenges and problems can derail your creative process … or they can make you more creative than ever. In the surprising story behind the best-selling solo piano album of all time, Tim Harford may just convince you of the advantages of having to work with a little mess.
I took exactly one lesson in piano, and hated it. Couldn’t do it. Still can’t play an instrument, even the kazoo. But MIT has developed a gran ambitious project that just might influence the next generation of piano superstars.
Andante visualizes as animated characters walking along the piano keyboard that appear to play the physical keys with each step. Based on a view of music pedagogy that emphasizes expressive, full-body communication early in the learning process, Andante promotes an understanding of the music rooted in the body, taking advantage of walking as one of the most fundamental human rhythms.
Andante from Tangible Media Group on Vimeo.
Musician Dave Swarbrick, best known for his work with influential folk group Fairport Convention, has died at the age of 75.
The band shared the news on their website, and they posted the following message:
We have just had the sad news from Alex Swarbrick that his father, Dave Swarbrick, has passed away. Swarb, as you know, had been seriously ill for some time and, although he had showed recent signs of improvement, died in hospital this morning. Our thoughts right now are with his wife Jill and the Swarbrick family.
Described by Ashley Hutchings as ‘the most influential [British] fiddle player bar none’ Swarbrick’s style has been copied or developed by almost every British, and many world folk violin players who have followed him. He was one of the most highly regarded musicians produced by the second British folk revival, contributing to some of the most important groups and projects of the 1960s, and he became a much sought-after session musician, which has led him throughout his career to work with many of the major figures in folk and folk rock music.
His work for the group Fairport Convention from 1969 has been credited with leading them to produce their seminal album Liege and Lief (1969) which initiated the electric folk movement. This, and his subsequent career, helped create greater interest in British traditional music and was highly influential within mainstream rock. After 1970 he emerged as Fairport Convention’s leading figure and guided the band through a series of important albums until its disbandment in 1979.
He also played in a series of smaller, acoustic units and engaged in solo projects which have maintained a massive output of recordings, a significant profile and have made a major contribution to the interpretation of traditional British music.
As part of Verve Records’ ongoing 60th anniversary celebration, Verve/UMe is proud to announce the July 15 release of eight essential Diana Krall albums in 180-gram, 2-LP vinyl reissues. The renowned pianist and vocalist has called Verve home for the vast majority of her illustrious career, and these new versions of her recordings originally released between 1996 and 2009 showcase many of her finest moments in lustrous vinyl format.
These reissues, which each feature the original album in its entirety on two LPs, range from intimate trio sessions to celebratory big band outings, songbook standards to modern pop favorites and memorable original songs. All feature Krall’s expressive voice and deft piano playing, along with production by three-time GRAMMY Award-winner Tommy LiPuma.
The series begins with All For You, Krall’s reverent tribute to the Nat King Cole Trio, originally released by impulse! in 1996. The album features Krall leading a trio with guitarist Russell Malone and bassist Paul Keller through some of the legendary pianist/singer’s most beloved tunes, with guest appearances by pianist Benny Green and percussionist Steve Kroon. Its follow-up, 1997’s Love Scenes, includes 13 of Krall’s favorite love songs, performed by her trio with Malone and Christian McBride on bass.
A distinctly orchestral sound comes to the forefront on Krall’s official Verve debut, When I Look in Your Eyes, released in 1999. Eight of the album’s 13 tracks feature strings conducted by veteran composer/arranger Johnny Mandel along with an all-star jazz ensemble. The symphonic approach was expanded even further for The Look of Love (2001), which spotlights Krall’s vocals backed by the London Symphony Orchestra.
Recorded live during Krall’s sold-out run at the legendary Olympia Music Hall in Paris in late 2001, Live in Paris captures the energy and spark of Krall’s concert performances. The album’s dozen songs feature several of Krall’s regular collaborators, including guitarist Anthony Wilson, bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Jeff Hamilton, as well as Orchestre Symphonique Européen, conducted by pianist/arranger Alan Broadbent.
The Girl in the Other Room (2004) was Krall’s first release to prominently feature her own original songs, many of them written in collaboration with her husband, Elvis Costello. She returned to the Great American Songbook for 2006’s From This Moment On, which garnered a Best Jazz Vocal Album nomination at the 2007 GRAMMY® Awards. The series concludes with Krall’s 2009 album, Quiet Nights—her tenth release—highlighted by GRAMMY® Award-nominated arrangements from frequent collaborator Claus Ogerman.
Diana Krall is a star in a long line of revered and influential artists who have been featured on Verve throughout the label’s 60 years. Verve was founded in 1956 by Norman Granz, the forward-thinking impresario responsible for the hugely popular Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts, which brought the music to new audiences and garnered jazz an unprecedented level of respect in popular culture. Granz also managed Ella Fitzgerald and launched the label in large part to create new opportunities worthy of the singer’s immense talent, including her landmark series of “Songbook” recordings.
Under the visionary leadership of Granz and, after MGM purchased the imprint in 1961, Creed Taylor, Verve continued to set new trends. The label sparked the Bossa Nova craze with the 1964 release of the GRAMMY® Award-winning Getz/Gilberto and brought a lush, elegant new sound to jazz with the arrangements of Claus Ogerman and Oliver Nelson. Its focus eventually widened to encompass groundbreaking comedy, folk and rock recordings, including now-iconic releases by The Velvet Underground, Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention, Janis Ian and Laura Nyro.
It was its jazz legacy that cemented Verve’s place in the popular imagination, however, and after a fallow period in the ’70s and ’80s Verve was revived in the mid-1990s, again signing many of the biggest names in music: Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, John Scofield, Betty Carter, Abbey Lincoln and Shirley Horn, all of whom recorded for Verve during this period.
Over the course of its six-decade history, Verve has become synonymous with the very best in jazz, venerating the music while charting its course and helping to break down racial and stylistic barriers. There’s no better way to celebrate that legacy than with the music itself, and 2016’s 60th anniversary releases invite listeners to revisit the breathtaking sounds of Verve in new and exhilarating ways.
Make Music Day announced its full schedule of more than 3,000 free, outdoor musical events – with more to come – in more than 38 U.S. cities including New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago,Boston, Nashville, San Diego, Seattle, Portland (OR), Madison (WI), Philadelphia, Detroit, Denver, Cleveland,Washington, D.C., St. Louis, Chattanooga, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and the entire state of Vermont, while smaller festivities are popping up around the country. The world’s largest annual global music celebration will return to the U.S. for its tenth year on June 21.
Held annually on June 21 to coincide with the summer solstice, Make Music Day is part of the international Fête de la Musique, taking place in 700 cities across 120 countries. The daylong, musical free-for-all celebrates music in all its forms, encouraging people to band together and play in free public concerts. This year, 38 U.S. cities and the entire state of Vermont are organizing Make Music celebrations, encompassing thousands of music making opportunities nationwide. Make Music Day is presented by the NAMM Foundation and coordinated by the nonprofit Make Music Alliance. For more information, please visitwww.makemusicday.org.
Unlike typical musical festivals, Make Music Day, presented by the NAMM Foundation and coordinated by the nonprofit Make Music Alliance, seeks to encourage all people, young and old, amateur or professional, to experience the pleasures and benefits of making music. On the longest day of the year first-time and seasoned musicians pour out onto streets, and into parks, plazas, porches and other public spaces to share music-making with friends, neighbors, and other music-makers.
More than 175 single-instrument Mass Appeal events will take place across the country, bringing together musicians – of all levels and ages – to make music in large groups led by experienced facilitators. Instruments played in Mass Appeal events include guitars, harmonicas, accordions, flutes, recorders, pianos, saxophones, bagpipes, percussion, trombones, bassoons, French horns, music boxes, synthesizers, ukuleles, and more.
Free guitar, harmonica, ukulele, drum and other instrumental lessons are being offered nationwide. In New York City, 50 guitar teachers will set up in the pedestrian plazas around Times Square, equipped with a guitar for themselves and a guitar for anyone interested in learning to play, presented by Fender. In Nashville, The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will be hosting free, group guitar lessons during which aspiring guitarists will learn basic chords and strumming techniques through familiar country songs.
Sousapaloozas in Chicago, Cleveland, New York and St. Paul, will bring together hundreds of brass and wind musicians to play the music of John Philip Sousa while Street Studios in Chattanooga, Los Angeles, Boston and New York will feature DJs and producers with a simple setup – a laptop, mics, MIDI controllers, speakers, and instruments – bringing gear and engaging passersby in a spontaneous, collaborative production of original music on the street. In partnership with Found Sound Nation, audio products leader HARMAN will transport the basic elements of a music studio to six public spaces in New York City andLos Angeles and in four cities abroad – and make them open and accessible to everyone in the local community. In Boston, Lumit Audio is presenting Street Studio.
Additional national Make Music Day 2016 highlights include:
Stones/Water/Time Breath, a meditative piece of music by Dean Rosenthal in which participants will skip stones and take in the beauty of the simple sounds of nature in Boston, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.
Philip Glass, known as one of New York City’s iconic musical figures, will help usher in Make Music New York’s second decade by playing from his Etudes for piano at Pier i in Riverside Park, along with 40 students from New York City public schools.
“Shimmer” with Yeah Yeah Yeahs Drummer Brian Chase: In New York City, Boston, Chicago and Nashville, dozens of performers will premiere “Shimmer,” a new 45-minute work by Brian Chase of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, scored for 16 (or more) Zildjian cymbals, arranged in a circle. Chase will lead the New York City performance at Madison Square Park.
Inside the Bird Chorus:Â New York City’s avian life is celebrated in this project by composer/clarinetist David Rothenberg, conceived as a dialogue between improvising musicians and native bird species of the city. Rothenberg performs at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and their resident bird expert will be on hand for conversation. There will be similar performances by other musicians at wildlife havens in all five boroughs, at either dawn or dusk (prime bird-call hours), in partnership with the National Audubon Society.
The Bumblebee Challenge: Around the country, woodwind, brass and string players will strive to play the fastest, most accurate performance of Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumblebee.” Participants can enter using a special free version of SmartMusic, the interactive music practice software.
“Eye of the Tiger” on Boomwhackers: Fans attending baseball games on Make Music Day in New York City (the minor league Staten Island Yankees) and in Madison, Wisconsin (the collegiate Madison Mallards) will be given Boomwhackers – pitched hollow pipes made of plastic. During the seventh-inning stretch, conductors and a singer will come onto the field and lead fans in a crowdsourced performance of Survivor’s anthemic “Eye of the Tiger,” inviting people to whack the tubes on cue, on the seats or bleachers in front of them. Original Survivor front man Dave Bickler, renowned for his vocals on “Eye of the Tiger,” will sing the classic hit at the Staten Island Yankees game.
Jazz Foundation of America, which offers a variety of programs and assistance for jazz and blues musicians in need, is presenting gigs in Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Seattle, bringing more free, high-quality jazz to the public and giving performance opportunities to over a dozen living legends.
Clavinova Cafe:Â In a partnership between Yamaha and nearly 60 music retailers around the country, people can try out a Clavinova keyboard, learn to play a song, and enter to win an instrument.
Other events around the country will highlight the musical history and ingenuity of each city including:
Minneapolis, MN – John Munson of Semisonic, the Minneapolis-based alternative rock band whose song, “Closing Time,” soared to the top of the charts in 1998, will lead a ukulele jam session. Sheet music will be provided, just bring your uke.
Cleveland, OH – Twenty string players will perform the National Anthem at Progressive Field prior to the baseball game between the Cleveland Indians and Tampa Bay Rays. Additionally, musical groups lined up along the concourse will play throughout the game, and two bands will perform at each entrance gate when the stadium opens at 6 pm.
Salem, OR – Original and all current members of The Kingsmen will lead a play-along performance of their enigmatic 1963 hit, “Louie Louie“and musicians will perform on the steps of the State Capitol.
Auburn, AL – High school marching bands, drum lines, community choirs, electric guitars, people holding egg shakers and others will gather for a performance of the legendary song, “Sweet Home Alabama.”
Detroit, MI – A massive performance will take place on the front plaza of the Detroit Institute of Art.Â
Make Music Day began in France in 1982 as the Fête de la Musique where it takes place every year on June 21, the summer solstice. It has since spread to over 700 cities across 120 countries.
All Make Music Day events are free and open to the public. Participants who wish to perform, or to host musical events, may register at www.makemusicday.org. The full schedule of events will be posted on the website in early June.
Cities participating this year include Atlanta (GA), Black Hills (SD), Boston (MA), Buffalo (NY), Cedar Rapids (IA), Chattanooga (TN), Chicago (IL), Cleveland (OH),Columbia (SC), Denver (CO), Detroit (MI), El Paso (TX), Fort Lauderdale (FL), Fort Wayne (IN), Fullerton (CA), Issaquah (WA), Liberty (MO), Los Angeles (CA), Madison (WI), Mentor (OH), Minneapolis/St. Paul (MN), Montclair (NJ), Nashville (TN), New York(NY), Niagara Falls (NY), Ossining (NY), Philadelphia (PA), Pittsburgh (PA), Platteville (WI), Portland (ME), Portland (OR), Salem(OR), San Antonio (TX), San Diego (CA), Seattle (WA), St. Louis (MO), Vermont (statewide), and Washington (D.C.).
In honor of the upcoming Traveling Wilburys reissue campaign, here are a pair of videos offering behind-the-scenes glimpses of the group.
The Traveling Wilburys Collection (Deluxe Edition) contains Vol. 1, Vol. 3 with bonus tracks, and a DVD with a True History of The Traveling Wilburys mini-documentary and the 5 music videos. Packaged in a linen wrapped rigid slipcase and includes a 40 page casebound book, an envelope containing 2 photocards, 2 postcards, a fabric sticker and a numbered certificate of authenticity.
The Wilburys formed in 1988 after Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne and Roy Orbison assembled at Dylan’s Malibu, California studio to record a B-side for the Harrison single “This Is Love.” The resulting song, “Handle With Care,” was instead released under the Wilburys name, with the artists posing as a band of brothers. George later said, “I liked the song and the way that it turned out with all these people on it so much that I just carried it around in my pocket for ages thinking, ‘Well what can I do with this thing?’ And the only thing to do I could think of was do another nine. Make an album.” The original album release, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1, achieved great success; after hitting No. 3 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, the certified double Platinum album earned a GRAMMY for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group.
Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3, the group’s second album, was released in 1990 and dedicated to Lefty (Roy Orbison) Wilbury, who passed away in late 1988 before recording could be completed. “She’s My Baby” and “Wilbury Twist” became radio hits as the album reached #11 in the U.S. and was certified Platinum.
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Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.
Contact me: eric@thatericalper.com
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