Showing posts with label WNET. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WNET. Show all posts

Monday, February 23, 2015

'Bryan Adams in Concert' coming to Great Performances on PBS

The internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Bryan Adams shares an evening of his rock classics in Bryan Adams in Concert, coming to Great Performances in March on PBS. Among the hit songs in the special are “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You,” “Summer of ‘69,” and “All for Love.”
With his distinctive vocals, the Canadian born singer-songwriter has been one of the most successful international performers in contemporary rock music, selling over 65 million records in a career that has spanned more than three decades. 

Adams rose to fame with his Cuts Like a Knife album and became a global star with his 1984 album Reckless. In 1991, his Waking Up the Neighbours album included the single “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You,” which went on to become one of the best-selling singles of all time.

Adams current album, Tracks of My Years, is his first studio release in six years, and features a wide range of musical styles reflective of a time when rock was played alongside pop, country and R&B. Great Performances captures Adams in peak performance during his current world tour, performing favorites from the new album as well as his own chart-topping hits. The performance – including “Here I Am,” “Summer of ‘69,” “Heaven,” and “Straight from the Heart” — was filmed at Toronto’s Elgin Theater in July 2014, and marks the singer’s PBS debut.
Bryan Adams in Concert will air on Great Performances in March on PBS. (Check local listings.) (In New York, THIRTEEN will air the program on Monday, March 2, 2015 at 9:30 p.m.)

The multi-faceted Bryan Adams — singer, songwriter, acclaimed photographer — has been one of the most successful figures in the world of rock music. The Grammy Award winning artist has toured six continents, garnered 21 top 10 hits, earned nominations for three Academy Awards and five Golden Globes, received 18 Juno Awards, an American Music Award and five ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards.
Adams has been awarded the Order of Canada and the Order of British Columbia for contributions to popular music and philanthropic work via his own foundation. He has been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame as well as Canada’s Walk of Fame and in 2011 received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Music Line Up

Run To You
Here I Am
Any Time at All
God Only Knows
The Only Thing that Looks Good on Me is You
(Everything I Do) I Do It for You
Cuts Like a Knife
She Knows Me
When You’re Gone
Summer of ‘69
18 ‘Til I Die
I Thought I’d Seen Everything
Heaven
It’s Only Love
You’ve Been a Friend to Me
C’mon Everybody
Straight from the Heart
All for Love


About the Production

A production of THIRTEEN Productions LLC for WNET and Pivotal Media Inc., Bryan Adams in Concert is directed for television by David Horn and produced by Mitch Owgang. For Great Performances, Bill O’Donnell is series producer and David Horn is executive producer.
Great Performances is funded by the Anne Ray Charitable Trust, the Irene Diamond Fund, The LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust, Rosalind P. Walter, The Agnes Varis Trust, The Starr Foundation, the Philip and Janice Levin Foundation, the Kate W. Cassidy Foundation, and PBS.

Saturday, November 02, 2013

Jimi Hendrix - Hear My Train A Comin' offers revealing look at the legendary guitarist

Jimi Hendrix performing at the Royal Albert Hall, London, England (February 18, 1969). Photo Credit: Graham F. Page / EMP Museum / Authentic Hendrix, LLC
No guitarist in the history of rock has been as influential and groundbreaking as the late Jimi Hendrix. From his contemporaries (The Beatles, Ten Years After) to his musical descendants (Lenny Kravitz, Gary Clark Jr.), Hendrix' reach continues to touch new audiences.
Now, more than four decades after his death at the age of 27, the pioneering musician's short but prolific life is celebrated via Jimi Hendrix - Hear My Train A Comin', a two-hour documentary set to premiere on PBS Tuesday, Nov. 5 as part of THIRTEEN's American Masters series. 
Directed by two-time Grammy-winning filmmaker Bob Smeaton, the documentary provides a comprehensive look at his early interest in playing guitar while growing up in Seattle (his father reportedly purchased his first guitar for $5), to his service in the U.S. Army, his early success as a hired sideman for the likes of Little Richard and the Isley Brothers (we hear part of a 1964 recording featuring him performing a guitar solo on the group's "Testify") before going on to score solo success following his move to London in 1966.
Hendrix' story is brought fully to life with a fast-moving mix of archive and modern-day interviews as well as great concert footage and even home movies that were taken by Hendrix and drummer Mitch Mitchell. Long-time fans of Hendrix as well as new and casual followers of one of the 20th century's most gifted artists will all find plenty to keep watching throughout the compelling special. New interviews with rock notables such as Paul McCartney and Steve Winwood as well as those with a trio of women who were closest to him (Linda Keith, Faye Pridgon, Colette Mimram) and several music journalists all add texture to a television special that might otherwise have been overshadowed by Hendrix' arresting on-stage appearances (including previously-unseen footage of Hendrix at the 1968 Miami Pop Festival). 

American Masters: Jimi Hendrix - Hear My Train A Comin' premieres nationally from 9-11 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013. Check your local listings or pbs.org/americanmasters to see when the documentary is being aired on your local PBS station.

Jimi Hendrix performing at the Isle Of Wight Festival of Music, Isle Of Wight, UK, August 30, 1970. Photo credit: Chris Walter / © Authentic Hendrix, LLC

Set for release on the same day (Nov. 5, 2013) as Jimi Hendrix - Hear My Train A Comin' is the 11-track audio collection Miami Pop Festival, an important recording that captured the Jimi Hendrix Experience at the first major rock festival staged on the East Coast, the May 1968 Miami Pop Festival. Opening with a blistering version of "Hey Joe" (that starts out unhurried but tactfully builds to a roar). Other classics delivered with a superb mix of rock attack and virtuoso skill include "Foxey Lady" and blazing "Fire." By the time Hendrix closed with a mighty version of "Purple Haze," it was clear the future of rock would never be the same. This concert marked the first time that the instrumental "Tax Free" and freewheeling "Hear My Train A Comin'" were ever performed live. Information: www.JimiHendrix.com

Monday, September 09, 2013

Jimi Hendrix - Hear My Train A Comin' documentary coming to DVD and Blu-ray; also airing on PBS on November 5

While the world lost Jimi Hendrix almost 43 years ago, today brings exciting news that we are about to get more music from the world's most seminal rock guitarist. Here is the official release...


Experience Hendrix LLC + Legacy Recordings Releasing Home Edition of Jimi Hendrix - Hear My Train A Comin' Documentary on DVD and Blu-ray

Jimi Hendrix Experience: Miami Pop FestivaAvailable for First Time Ever on CD and Double 12" Vinyl Album

Jimi Hendrix American Masters Documentary Premiering Nationwide on PBS Tuesday, November 5, 2013
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Experience Hendrix LLC and Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, will release, on DVD and Blu-ray, the expanded home video edition of the American Masters documentary Jimi Hendrix - Hear My Train A Comin', combined with a host of never-before-released special performance features, on Tuesday, November 5, 2013.

Also coming November 5, Jimi Hendrix Experience: Miami Pop Festival, the first-ever release of one of the guitar virtuoso's most sought-after performances, as originally recorded on site by Hendrix's long term sound engineer, Eddie Kramer.  Never available in any form, Miami Pop Festival is being released as a single CD and a limited edition numbered double 12" audiophile vinyl set (all analog cut by Bernie Grundman, pressed at QRP on 200 gram vinyl).

Jimi Hendrix Experience: Miami Pop Festival introduces the first recorded stage performances of "Hear My Train A Comin'" and "Tax Free" while showcasing definitive live takes on such classics as "Fire," "Hey Joe," "I Don't Live Today" and "Purple Haze."  The package includes never before published photos taken at the festival and an essay by award-winning music journalist and Grammy Museum Executive Director Bob Santelli.  

The first ever major rock festival staged on the East Coast,  the May 1968 Miami Pop Festival was the first event promoted by Michael Lang—who would organize Woodstock, the biggest pop culture event of the decade, fifteen months later—and Ric O'Barry, who had been the dolphin trainer for the popular television program Flipper.  Lang and O'Barry had been inspired by the June 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, the groundbreaking gathering where Jimi Hendrix, making his US debut, famously set fire to his guitar at the conclusion of his performance.   Lang staged the festival at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Florida, securing the Jimi Hendrix Experience as the headline act for the two-day festival.

Jimi Hendrix Experience Miami Pop Festival
1. Introduction
2. Hey Joe
3. Foxey Lady
4. Tax Free
5. Fire
6. Hear My Train A Comin'
7. I Don't Live Today
8. Red House
9. Purple Haze
BONUS PERFORMANCES
10. Fire (Afternoon Show)
11. Foxey Lady (Afternoon Show)
Miami Pop Festival, May 18, 1968
Gulfstream Park, Hallandale, Florida
Miami Pop Festival - CD
Miami Pop Festival – Vinyl
Miami Pop Festival – iTunes Pre-order + instant Grat Track "Foxey Lady"
* * * * *
Recently uncovered film footage of Hendrix at the 1968 Miami Pop Festival is among the previously unseen treasures featured in American Masters: Jimi Hendrix - Hear My Train A Comin', premiering nationwide Tuesday, November 5, 2013, 9-11 p.m. (ET) on PBS (check local listings or pbs.org/americanmasters).

Hear My Train A Comin' unveils previously unseen performance footage and home movies taken by Hendrix and drummer Mitch Mitchell while sourcing an extensive archive of photographs, drawings, family letters and more to provide new insight into the musician's personality and genius.

A pioneering electric guitarist, Hendrix had only four years of mainstream exposure and recognition, but his influential music and riveting stage presence left an enduring legacy. Hear My Train A Comin' traces the guitarist’s remarkable journey from his hardscrabble beginnings in Seattle, through his stint as a US Army paratrooper, unknown sideman to R&B stars such as Little Richard, Joey Dee and the Isley Brothers and his discovery and ultimate international stardom.

Presented as part of a year-long celebration around his 70th birthday year--the guitarist was born November 27, 1942--the two-hour Hear My Train A Comin' tells the definitive story, illustrated by interviews with Hendrix and illuminated with commentary from family, well-known friends and musicians including Paul McCartney, Noel Redding, Mitch Mitchell, Billy Cox, Eddie Kramer, Steve Winwood, Vernon Reid, Billy Gibbons, Dweezil Zappa and Dave Mason as well as revealing glimpses into Jimi and his era from the three women closest to him: Linda Keith (the girlfriend who introduced Jimi to future manager Chas Chandler), Faye Pridgeon (who befriended Hendrix in Harlem in the early 1960s) and Colette Mimram, (one of the era's most influential fashion trendsetters who provided inspiration for Hendrix's signature look and created such memorable stage costumes as the beaded jacket Hendrix famously wore at Woodstock).  The film details the meteoric rise of the Experience, the creation of his groundbreaking music, the building of Electric Lady Studios, his state-of-the-art recording facility in Greenwich Village and concludes with poignant footage from his final performance in Germany in September 1970, just 12 days before his death at age 27.

The new two-hour documentary "American Masters: Jimi Hendrix - Hear My Train A Comin' premieres nationwide Tuesday, November 5, 2013, 9-11 p.m. (ET) on PBS (check local listings or pbs.org/americanmasters). The same day the expanded home video edition of the film will be released on DVD & Blu-ray, and "Jimi Hendrix Experience: Miami Pop Festival" --  the first-ever release of one of the guitar virtuoso's most sought-after performances -- will be released on CD and as a limited edition numbered double 12" audiophile vinyl set. 

Janie Hendrix, President and CEO of Experience Hendrix LLC and the sister of Jimi Hendrix commented, "Hear my Train a Comin' is an in-depth look at the life and legacy of Jimi with his own words as well as the words and memories of those that knew him well and were close to him. His impression on the world through his genius, music and talent continue to magically touch the lives of ensuing generations."

American Masters: Jimi Hendrix - Hear My Train A Comin' is directed by the award winning director Bob Smeaton (Festival Express; The Beatles Anthology; Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Child; Hendrix 70: Live at Woodstock).  Susan Lacy is series creator and executive producer of American Masters.  The expanded DVD features an array of special features highlighted by never before released film footage featuring performances filmed at Miami Pop, the July 1970 New York Pop Festival and the September 6, 1970 Love & Peace Festival at the Isle Of Fehmarn in Germany—the final performance by the Jimi Hendrix Experience.  The high definition DVD features new stereo and 5.1 surround mixing by Hendrix's engineer Eddie Kramer.  The documentary is a production of Fuse Films and THIRTEEN's American Masters in association with WNET.
Jimi Hendrix: Hear My Train A Comin' - Blu-ray
Jimi Hendrix: Hear My Train A Comin' - DVD
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Founded by James 'Al' Hendrix, Jimi's father, in 1995, Experience Hendrix, has been managed since its inception by the family members handpicked by Al during his tenure as Chairman.   It is the official family company charged with managing the music, name, image and likeness of Jimi Hendrix. As a part of their daily operations, Experience Hendrix and Authentic Hendrix oversee Jimi's timeless legacy on a worldwide basis.

About Legacy Recordings
The multiple Grammy-winning Legacy Recordings, Sony Music Entertainment's catalog division, produces and maintains the world's foremost catalog of historic reissues, an unparalleled compendium of thousands of digitally re-mastered archival titles representing virtually every musical genre including popular, rock, jazz, blues, R&B, folk, country, gospel, Broadway musicals, movie soundtracks, ethnic, world music, classical, comedy and more.

About WNET
In 2013, WNET is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of THIRTEEN, New York’s flagship public media provider. As the parent company of THIRTEEN AND WLIW21 and operator of  NJTV, WNET brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to over 5 million viewers each week. WNET produces and presents such acclaimed PBS series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, Need to Know, Charlie Rose and a range of documentaries, children’s programs, and local news and cultural offerings available on air and online. Pioneers in educational programming, WNET has created such groundbreaking series as Get the Math, Oh Noah! and Cyberchase and provides tools for educators that bring compelling content to life in the classroom and at home. WNET highlights the tri-state’s unique culture and diverse communities through NYC-ARTS, Reel 13 and MetroFocus,the multi-platform news magazine focusing on the New York region. WNET is also a leader in connecting with viewers on emerging platforms, including the THIRTEEN Explore iPad App where users can stream PBS content for free

Thursday, September 06, 2012

'Paul McCartney's Live Kisses' is a magical ride

One of the genuine musical surprises of early 2012 was the release of Paul McCartney's Kisses On The Bottom album. Released back in February, the album is a wonderful collection of standards that Sir Paul listened to as a young boy, as well as several originals (notably, the evocative "My Valentine," my favorite song on the disc).
The album was a definite artistic challenge for McCartney with him focusing strictly on singing and leaving the instrumental duties to Diana Krall and her top-notch band, as well as guest appearances from Stevie Wonder and Eric Clapton.

In celebration of the release of Kisses On The Bottom, McCartney and many of the players who helped him complete that album gathered in the same Capitol Studios space in Los Angeles on Feb. 9, 2012 (the 48th anniversary of The Beatles' U.S. TV debut on The Ed Sullivan Show) to revisit their roles in the first-ever live performance of the songs.

Diana Krall, left, with Paul McCartney
The glorious results can now be seen by all when Paul McCartney's Live Kisses comes to Great Performances, set to air at 9 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 7, 2012 on PBS stations (check local listings here).
Over the course of the fast-paced 53-minute special, McCartney joins forces with Krall at the piano, guitar great John Pizzarelli and others - all of it captured by Grammy-winning producer Tommy LiPuma and Al Schmitt in the studio booth.

Those wondering why McCartney veered off recent path of rock-styled releases (2007's Memory Almost Full, 2005's Chaos and Creation In The Backyard) or experimental rock he has pursued with Youth as The Fireman, will see the life-long love affair McCartney has had with traditional pop music through interviews, old family photos, vintage video clips on The Beatles back in the early '60s and through the 10 performances themselves.

From the opening performance of Fats Waller's "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter" to more affecting material ("More I Cannot Wish You," with McCartney's emotive vocals on full display), other standouts on the special include the affecting "My Valentine" (featuring Joe Walsh's fantastic acoustic guitar work), the poignant "Bye Bye Blackbird" and bouncy "My Very Good Friend the Milkman." On several songs, his longtime live drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. contributes winning harmony vocals.

Jumping back and forth between black & white and color, the flow and look of the film is seamless, and director Jonas Akerlund gets all the details just right. At one point, McCartney recalls "John (Lennon) and I both loved this old stuff."

Thanks to Paul McCartney's Live Kisses, the rest of us get to share a little bit of that love too.