Beck, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Grace Potter, Violent Femmes, City and Colour to perform at Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival

A pretty cool lineup - a wide range of strong artists are slated to perform. I count Beck, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Grace Potter, Kacey Musgraves, Violent Femmes, and City and Colour all must see for those attending the Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival this fall... PRAISE FOR INAUGURAL YEAR"With an A-list lineup (arguably the best curated of the year) and all the charm of a county fair, the inaugural Pilgrimage Music Festival, held just south of Nashville in Franklin, Tennessee, established itself as a festival to watch." - Rolling Stone"Pilgrimage Music Festival comes out on top." - American Songwriter  "...if this inaugural edition was any indication, this could be a great festival for years to come."  - Consequence of Sound"Pilgrimage had the vision to get it right the first time... It is a perfect representation of the modern South- from the food to the music and everything in between." - CMT  Franklin, TN - June 15, 2016 - Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival is thrilled to announce the second wave of artists for their 2016 line-up and return to The Park at Harlinsdale in Franklin, TN for its' second year taking place on September 24 and 25, 2016. Two Day GA passes and VIP passes are available beginning yesterday (June 15, 2016), PRESS HERE. The full lineup includes:  Beck Daryl Hall & John Oates Jason Isbell Grace Potter Kacey Musgraves Violent Femmes The Arcs CAKE City and Colour Shakey Graves Better Than Ezra Kaleo Preservation Hall Jazz Band The Struts Margo Price Anderson East The Suffers Blind Pilot Brothers Osborne  Langhorne Slim & The Law Wild Belle The Strumbellas LunchMoney Lewis Son Little JD & The Straight Shot Big Sam's Funky Nation Jonny P The Settles Connection Electric Western Dance Party Family Stage with Ralph's World and more                                              The Little Pilgrim's Family Stage will feature performances by Ralph's World, The Happy Racers, Tom Mason and the Blue Buccaneers, Mr. Steve, Jazzy Ash & The Leaping Lizards, and more.  The Little Pilgrim's area will not only feature performances by these top children musical acts but will also have interactive activities that will include: a painting wall; drum circles; a hip hop rhyming workshop; breakdancing demonstrations and workshop; a musical petting zoo featuring musicians from the bands demonstrating their instruments and special cameos by main stage acts!   "In addition to the incredible artists we have added to the lineup, we have also teamed up with local and regional sponsors, restaurants, food trucks and festival vendors that includes great partners like The Frye Company Harpeth River Stage." For more information, please visitwww.pilgrimagefestival.com.    Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival is a two-day event transforming The Park At Harlinsdale Farm into an oasis of music, food, and culture set against the natural amphitheaters and vistas of this former walking horse farm located in Franklin, TN.  Renowned musical acts, many performing acoustically, will be presented on wood-clad stages reflecting the area's historic aesthetic. In addition to artists performing their own sets, Pilgrimage will feature Pilgri-mashupswhere one-of-a-kind pairings of musicians collaborate with one another on stage.  The region's best food and drink will be on display as well as numerous local artists and artisans creating an all-encompassing festival experience. The festival debuted last year with a star studded lineup featuring artists such as Willie Nelson,Wilco, Weezer, Sheryl Crow, Cage theElephant, Band of Horses, Steven Tyler and more with 10,000 fans descending upon the Park at Harlinsdale Farm in Franklin each day. To watch the highlights from last year's festival, PRESS HERE. Not only will the festival drive tourism dollars to Williamson County but a portion of each ticket sale will benefit the City of Franklin and Franklin Parks. In addition, a portion of ticket sales will also benefit MusiCares®, a nonprofit organization that was established by The Recording Academy® to provide a wide range of emergency financial assistance and addiction recovery resources to members of the music community. To post artist announce video, PRESS HERE

Follow Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival:  |  #MakeThePilgrimage http://pilgrimagefestival.com        About The Pilgrimage Foundation  The Pilgrimage Foundation was established to develop, in conjunction with the Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival, a non-profit program whereby organizations that support the arts, artists, historic preservation and education may benefit from the growth of the festival.  Each year several organizations will be chosen to participate and benefit from the festival in ways that include publicity, events, and donations. About Friends of Franklin ParksThe not-for-profit organization Friends of Franklin Parks was formed in 2011 to mobilize community resources to continually enhance the City of Franklin's park system.  In 2015, Friends embarked on a $1.3 million effort to construct a multi-purpose equestrian arena at the Park at Harlinsdale Farm. The new Tractor Supply Co. Arena is slated to open in April 2016, and will host numerous public events ranging from polo matches to concerts. For more information, please visit www.friendsoffranklinparks.org. About MusiCaresEstablished in 1989 by The Recording Academy, MusiCares provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need. MusiCares' services and resources cover a wide range of financial, medical and personal emergencies, and each case is treated with integrity and confidentiality. MusiCares also focuses the resources and attention of the music industry on human service issues that directly impact the health and welfare of the music community. For more information, please visit www.musicares.org.  For breaking news and exclusive content, please like "MusiCares" on Facebook, follow MusiCares on Twitter (@MusiCares), and join us on Instagram.

OHANA Dana Point to host Eddie Vedder, Elvis Costello, Band of Horses, Lana Del Rey, City and Colour and more!

Wow, this festival sounds amazing! And it's coming to Orange County in August! I had missed the announcement about this that went out last month, and a friend just emailed me the link to the festival Web site...It is being held in the same amazing location that hosts the annual Doheny Blues Festival (which happens to land in Dana Point this weekend, May 21-22)...

OHANA Dana Point coming August 27-28, 2016

Elvis Costello will perform at OHANA Dana Point in
August. Photo: Kelly A. Swift

Eddie Vedder, Elvis Costello, Band of Horses, X and more to play Saturday

Lana Del Rey, City and Colour, Cat Power and more to play Sunday

The event will be held at Doheny State Beach, 25300 Dana Point Harbor Dr., Dana Point, CA. 

According to the event's Web site, OHANA Dana Point is a special event to help generate funds which will support the efforts of maintaining coastal access in south Orange County state beaches. California State Parks, Orange Coast District (CSP-OCD) and its cooperating association, the San Onofre Parks Foundation are focusing efforts toward enhancing and maintaining beach access for the people of California via California State Parks.

The event will be held 1 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 27, and 1 p.m. - 9:15 p.m. on Aug. 28.

Information: theohanafest.com.

A last listen back at 2015 releases: City and Colour, Kinky Friedman, Fats Domino, Pat Metheny

Before becoming immersed in all things 2016, this writer wanted to take one last look (and listen) at some strong 2015 releases that I discovered late in the year.


Artist: City and Colour
Title: If I Should Go Before You (Dine Alone Music)
You might like if you enjoy: Band of Horses, Bon Iver, Neil Young
Tell me more: City and Colour is the apt moniker for singer-songwriter-guitarist Dallas Green, whose far-reaching and falsetto-adorned voice delivers Americana-styled rock that is deeply affecting on the 11-track If I Should Go Before You. City and Colour's 5th full-length album is ripe with striking song craft (the haunting "Woman," potent title track, infectious "Wasted Love" and propulsive "Runaway" are among this writer's favorites), and a disc best heard from start to finish. Information: cityandcolour.com.


Artist: Kinky Friedman
Title: The Loneliest Man I Ever Met (Avenue A Records/Thirty Tigers)
You might like if you enjoy: Willie Nelson
Tell me more: Before the release of his The Loneliest Man I Ever Met in October 2015, it had been 39 years since singer-songwriter Kinky Friedman had recorded a studio album. His new album is launched with a tuneful "Bloody Mary Morning," a duet with Willie Nelson. Offering up intimate countrified reflections with his deep baritone, the material includes a mix of heartfelt covers by the fabled likes of the aforementioned Nelson, Tom Waits, Warren Zevon as well as his own probing confessionals (particularly the winning "Lady Yesterday" and stirring title song). Information: kinkyfriedman.com.


Artist: Fats Domino
Title: Thrillin' in Philly! Live 1973 (Goldenlane Records)
You might like if you enjoy: Dr. John, Fats Domino
Tell me more: Early rock 'n' roll hero Fats Domino influenced the far-flung likes of Bob Marley, reggae star Yellowman, Elton John and the Beatles ("Lady Madonna"), and listening to the recent release of a wonderful 1973 full-length recording is to hear why the New Orleans boogie woogie piano master was one of the most significant artists to emerge in the '50s. Highlights on the outstanding 22-track Thrillin' in Philly! Live 1973 include a soulful "Blueberry Hill," his rollicking "Ain't That A Shame" and a swinging "I'm in Love Again." This concert was captured via a multi-track recording and was incidentally recorded while Domino was in the midst of a career-reviving tour. The energy and sound of the performance will thrill old and new fans alike. Information: CleopatraRecords.com.


Artist: Pat Metheny
Title: The Unity Sessions (Eagle Vision)
You might like if you enjoy: Frank Zappa, Mark Egan
Tell me more: A 20-time Grammy winner, innovative jazz guitarist Pat Metheny's impressive musicianship is displayed across The Unity Sessions, a concert event filmed at 5 Angels Theater in New York City. Much of the material featured comes from Metheny's album "KIN" recorded with the Unity Group, including the freewheeling "On Day One" (where handclaps are used magically), beautifully lush "KIN" and "Born," the latter showcasing Metheny's stellar touch on the guitar. In addition to the concert itself, there is a bonus interview with Metheny and his band. The Unity Sessions is available on DVD, Blu-ray and digital formats. Information: eagle-rock.com.

Below is an embedded version of my column as it first appeared in Desert Star Weekly on January 6, 2016:

http://issuu.com/desertstar/docs/dstarweekly_wednesday_january_6_201/14?e=5727783/32600977

Sights and Sounds: City and Colour, Tony Bennett and Bill Charlap, my latest Desert Star Weekly column

Happy Friday everybody. Going into the weekend, here is some breaking news to share...

City and Colour's "Lover Come Back" premieres at Paste Magazine

New album 'If I Should Go Before You' to be released October 9, 2015 on Dine Alone Records

 “His music, often dreamy and introspective without being moody and bleak, and maintaining a unique edge, is the perfect score for a long drive or quiet afternoon.”—Esquire

“…tells a story with a sincerity and fluency that is truly masterful.”—BBC

 “…moving, melodramatic songs delivered with candor and confidence by Mr. Green in a sweet, soaring voice. An excellent guitarist, he’s equally adept in a sparse solo folk setting and out in front of powerhouse players…”

—The Wall Street Journal

“Green’s folk sound expands even more…laid-back drums prompt slide-guitar swells and Green’s easy falsetto.”—Rolling Stone

City and Colour’s new single “Lover Come Back” recently premiered at Paste Magazine and can now be heard/shared HERE and purchased at iTunes. Of the single, the site praises, “…a gorgeous, R&B-tinged torch song split evenly between joyous, earnest affection and yearning, lovesick sadness.”

“Lover Come Back” is from City and Colour’s upcoming release If I Should Go Before You, which will be availableOctober 9 on Dine Alone Records. The highly anticipated new record is now available to pre-order via iTunes, which includes an immediate download of “Lover Come Back” as well as the album tracks “Woman” and “Wasted Love.” A fan pre-order is also now available via www.cityandcolour.com featuring limited edition colored vinyl along with other unique items. For those that prefer to shop at record stores, a vinyl pre-order will be available in September, including a bonus 12” that fans will receive instantly upon order. Additional details to be announced.

After performing countless sold-out shows worldwide, City and Colour (aka world-renowned singer, songwriter and performer Dallas Green), will embark on an extensive full band tour this fall, including dates at L.A.’s Hollywood Palladium, NYC’s Terminal 5 and Nashville’s War Memorial Auditorium. Tickets for all shows are now on-sale. See below for complete details.

Recorded at Nashville, Tennessee’s Blackbird Studios, If I Should Go Before You was produced by Green with additional production and engineering by Karl “Horse” Bareham. Unique to this project, the studio players on If I Should Go Before You are made up of Green’s trusted touring band: Jack Lawrence (The Raconteurs, Dead Weather) on bass, Dante Schwebel (Spanish Gold, Dan Auerbach) on guitar, Doug MacGregor (Constantines) on drums and Matt Kelly on pedal steel guitar and keys.

Of the album and recording process, Dallas comments, “They inspired me to want to create new music, just to create it with them—I don’t think I wrote these songs for the band, per se, but I certainly wrote them because of the band.” He goes on to add, “Anybody who has seen us play will understand that this is the best representation of what we do live that we have ever recorded. I was so excited about being able to make and record an album with these guys that it just flowed. I felt so confident about their abilities to make all of my ideas come true.”

If I Should Go Before You is Green’s fifth release as City and Colour and follows 2013’s The Hurry and The Harm,which received widespread critical and commercial praise. The album debuted at #1 on Canada’s Top 200 Chart, #16 in the U.S., #4 in Australia, #32 in the U.K., and #83 in Germany—all career highs.

Most recently, in 2014, Green collaborated with international superstar Alecia Moore (aka P!nk) on a new project, entitled You+Me. The duo’s acclaimed debut, rose ave., debuted at #4 on the U.S. Top 200 Chart, #1 in Canada, #2 in Australia and #6 in Germany. Of the music, The Huffington Post praised, “While such prominent voices rarely mix too seamlessly, Green and Moore were destined to harmonize together,” while Entertainment Weekly declared, “The harmonies on the album are absolutely beautiful.”

IF I SHOULD GO BEFORE YOU TRACK LIST

1. Woman

2. Northern Blues

3. Mizzy C

4. If I Should Go Before You

5. Killing Time

6. Wasted Love

7. Runaway

8. Lover Come Back

9. Map Of The World

10. Friends

11. Blood

CITY AND COLOUR TOUR DATES

November 5—Detroit, MI—The Fillmore*

November 6—Chicago, IL—Metro* (SOLD OUT)

November 7—Minneapolis, MN—First Ave*

November 9—Denver, CO—The Ogden Theatre*

November 12—Portland, OR—Roseland Theater*

November 13—Seattle, WA—Paramount Theatre *

November 15—Oakland, CA—Fox Theatre

November 16—San Diego, CA—House of Blues* (SOLD OUT)

November 18—Los Angeles, CA—Hollywood Palladium*

December 2—Pittsburgh, PA—Stage AE†

December 3—Ithaca, NY—State Theatre†

December 4—Northampton, MA—Calvin Theatre†

December 5—Boston, MA—House of Blues†

December 7— Sayreville, NJ—Starland Ballroom†

December 8—Philadelphia, PA—Tower Theatre†

December 10— New York, NY—Terminal 5†

December 11—Washington, DC—Echo Stage†

December 12—Richmond, VA—The National†

December 13—Nashville, TN—War Memorial Auditorium†

*with special guest Hurray for the Riff Raff

†with special guest Bahamas

 (additional dates to be announced)

Tony Bennett and jazz pianist Bill Charlap record 'The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern'

Bennett's new album for RPM/Columbia Records available everywhere on Friday, September 25, 2015

Photo credit: Kelsey Bennett

RPM/Columbia Records is proud to announce the release of The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, a new album from American musical legend Tony Bennett and acclaimed jazz pianist Bill Charlap, arriving Friday, September 25, 2015. The album is available for pre-order beginning today at Amazon.com at http://smarturl.it/silverlining_amazon and iTunes athttp://smarturl.it/silverlining_itunes.

Following the enormous success of his #1, Grammy-Award winning album with Lady Gaga, Cheek To Cheek, this new release continues the classic series of Tony Bennett album releases celebrating the essentials of the Great American Songbook. The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern is an appreciation of the genius of Jerome David Kern (1885-1945), one of the 20th century's most important American composers of musical theater and popular music.

Tony Bennett is the only artist to successfully bridge the worlds of pop music and jazz on an international scale for over 60 years. The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern become parts of a timeless legacy of recordings that Bennett has done throughout his career that have embraced both genres, in particular the revered piano jazz albums that he recorded with the late Bill Evans in 1975 and 1977.  Tony has become synonymous with the pop/jazz connection and in recent years has been a mentor to contemporary artists such as Lady Gaga and the late Amy Winehouse in encouraging them to embrace jazz music.  With his 90th birthday less than a year away, The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern defines what makes Tony Bennett unique in the pantheon of great singers and is a testament to the legacy that he continues to create as a recording artist and influence in the music industry.

Over the course of his career, Kern composed more than 700 songs, creating musical elements used in more than 100 stage works, collaborating with the greatest lyricists and librettists of the era including P.G. Wodehouse, Oscar Hammerstein II, Dorothy Fields, Johnny Mercer, Ira Gershwin, E.Y. Harburg and many others on a seemingly limitless repertoire of classic songs including "Ol' Man River," "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man," "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," "The Way You Look Tonight," "Long Ago and Far Away" and many more.

New York native Jerome Kern was a major force on Broadway and in Hollywood musicals in a career that spanned more than four decades. He expanded on earlier musical theater traditions, from vaudeville to operetta, to embrace new dance rhythms, syncopation and jazz progressions and helped invent the modern musical template. While many of his Broadway musicals and Hollywood musical films were contemporary smash hits, Kern is perhaps best remembered today through revivals of "Show Boat," one of his signature achievements.

In his liner notes for The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, music historian Will Friedwald describes Kern as "...the key link between the great music of historical and contemporary classics, a direct connection between Brahms and Charlie Parker....a key architect of a uniquely American art form that would eventually take shape as musical theater....one of the founding fathers of a term that Tony Bennett later coined himself, 'the Great American Songbook.'" (Friedwald writes about music and popular culture for The Wall Street Journal, worked with Tony Bennett on Tony's "The Good Life" memoir, and is author of eight books including the award-winning "A Biographical Guide to the Great Jazz and Pop Singers," "Sinatra! The Song Is You," "Stardust Melodies," and "Jazz Singing."

"The idea of a Kern Songbook project was Tony's," writes Will Friedwald, "thereby placing Kern on the very short list of canonical composers (Rodgers & Hart, Harold Arlen, Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin, and Cy Coleman) who have been the beneficiaries of an entire album by Bennett. It was also Bennett's idea to create the album in collaboration with the remarkable Bill Charlap....who can also take a great song we all know by heart and make us feel like we've never heard it before."

Playing alongside Tony Bennett and Bill Charlap on The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern are pianist Renee Rosnes (on the piano duet pieces), Peter Washington (bass) and Kenny Washington (drums).  Unrelated, though sharing the same last name, Peter and Kenny have been performing with Bill Charlap for nearly two decades and pianist Renee Rosnes has been Charlap's life partner for close to 10 years.

With more than 700 Jerome Kern compositions to choose from, the set list for The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern is a distillation of essential highlights from a boundless catalog. With these interpretations of some of Jerome Kern's finest songs, Tony Bennett and Bill Charlap offer a definitive introduction to Kern's music while providing a deep understanding of the abiding and universal qualities of these songs.

TONY BENNETT & BILL CHARLAP
THE SILVER LINING: THE SONGS OF JEROME KERN
Musicians:
Vocals: Tony Bennett
Pianos: Bill Charlap & Renee Rosnes
Bass: Peter Washington
Drums: Kenny Washington

Arranged by Tony Bennett and Bill Charlap

Tracks in Alphabetical Order (14 total)
ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE (single piano)
DEARLY BELOVED (trio)
I WON'T DANCE (trio)
I'M OLD FASHIONED (trio)
LOOK FOR THE SILVER LINING (piano duet)
LONG AGO AND FAR AWAY (piano duet)
MAKE BELIEVE (single piano)
NOBODY ELSE BUT ME (trio)
PICK YOURSELF UP (trio)
THE LAST TIME I SAW PARIS (piano duet)
THE SONG IS YOU (piano duet)
THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT (single piano)
THEY DIDN'T BELIEVE ME (trio)
YESTERDAYS (trio)

*Single piano is Bill Charlap
*Piano duet is Bill Charlap & Renee Rosnes

My latest column - update Finally, you can read my new album/DVD review column published in Desert Star Weekly here. I'll post a longer version of the column online sometime this weekend.