Junior Wells and Junior Mance & other: 2008

Wednesday, 10 September 2008

LA Opera goes Hollywood

Placido Domingo mines film talent for new season

It's been a long libretto and lashings of operas, high notes and low notes since superstar tenor Placido Domingo took over the Los Angeles Opera in 2001. But one accomplishment the risk-taking 67-year old aesthetic director points to with special pride is that "many of my dreams about victimisation the talent in Hollywood are coming true."

This season, Domingo is beginning with an operatic Hollywood two-step: Filmmakers William Friedkin and Woody Allen will direct the ternary one-act operas that make up Puccini's "Il Trittico," and David Cronenberg testament direct (and Domingo conduct) the U.S. premiere of Howard Shore's "The Fly," adapted from Cronenberg's 1986 film for which Shore supplied the score.

The artistic risks are that neither Allen nor Cronenberg, like Garry Marshall last season in Offenbach's "The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein," has of all time directed an opera. Friedkin, on the other handwriting, has directed here and abroad; his LA Opera productions include a Bartok/Puccini double bill in Domingo's first season and an "Ariadne auf Naxos" (Richard Strauss) in the 2004-05 season.

Cronenberg, whom Domingo introduced along with Shore at a late news conference at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, admits not having done whatever stage work since "playing Banquo in high school," but he talked enthusiastically about the challenge. The Canadian director described David Henry Hwang's libretto as "very cinematic: lots of back and forth kind of than monologues and arias."

Allen, wHO has directed only his own one-act plays, of late told the Village Voice, "I'll just do the best I can, and then get down out of town and let them tar and feather Friedkin." In both cases, it was Domingo who provided the impetus for initiating the projects and selecting the vehicles he thought would be suitable to the trey directors' personality and talents.

Used to making risky choices, Domingo believes that movie directors, even inexperienced ones, date things in different dimensions. Over the years, he has brought in Julie Taymor, Maximilian Schell, Bruce Beresford, Herbert Ross, John Schlesinger, Marthe Keller and Franco Zeffirelli to provide "new and different opera experiences."

Whoever is directing, a night at the opera is constantly a financial gamble.

The Opera's 2008-09 budget is estimated at $60 million, 50% more than than it was when Domingo took over, and it has to pay for 67 performances of 11 operas. So far in the new century, it's been relatively smooth cruising for the company, although like other playacting arts organizations, it took a funding hit later on Sept. 11. And even, single ticket prices are holding constant, ranging from $20 to $250.

Domingo is also putt his tender on the season by singing the role of Siegmund, one of Wagner's lustiest heroes, in "Die Walkure." The feat is being perceived as fairly remarkable -- so much so that fans from around the world are making plans to assist one of the seven-spot performances to hear Domingo seduce the character of Sieglinde, Siegmund's twin sister in the opera. Domingo's partner in crime will be Anja Kampe, one of the hottest young sopranos around.

The season's biggest artistic risk is likewise its one off-the-wall production, "The Fly," which discomfited critics in July when it premiered at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris. There was admiration for it as a theater small-arm, thanks to Dante Ferretti's striking fifties set henpecked by deuce contraptions, like giant industrial washing machines, which create the story's half-human fiend, and Stephan Dupuis' special effects. Shore's music, however, received mixed reactions.

The real meat of the season starts in February with the first of the deuce installments ("Das Rheingold" in April testament be the other) in the company's first production of Wagner's four-opera larger-than-life, "The Ring of the Nibelungen." Directed by Achim Freyer and conducted by LA Opera's music director James Conlon, it testament be a back-breaking department of Labor of love life but one that is every opera company's proof of its bona fides.

Sunday, 31 August 2008

Miley Cyrus Compared To Madonna By Video Director

Miley Cyrus has been compared to Madonna by director Brett Retner, wHO has worked with both artists.

"She reminded me a lot of Madonna," Retner says, afterwards working with Cyrus on the video for her single '7 Things'.

"And I hate saying that, but what I mean is that like Madonna, she can be dangling out and laughing, and then you put the camera on her and it's like, 'Holy s***!'"

"It was the hardest video I've of all time edited because every consequence was not bad. Every moment that she was on camera, she was awe-inspiring. She's got an incredible quality well-nigh her. Her instincts ar great. She has majuscule charisma and personality."

Miley Cyrus has been enjoying success with her latest album Breakout. The teen pop star turns 16 on November 23rd and is asking fans to keep with here.

More info

Monday, 11 August 2008

The Frames

Artist: The Frames

   Genre(s):
Rock
   Indie
   Pop
   Other

Discography:

Cost

Year: 2007
Tracks: 10

Fitzcarraldo

Year: 2006
Tracks: 11

Burn the Maps

Year: 2005
Tracks: 12

Set List

Year: 2004
Tracks: 13

For the Birds

Year: 2001
Tracks: 11

Dance The Devil

Year: 1999
Tracks: 11

Neil Young

Wednesday, 6 August 2008

Four weeks at No.1 for Dizzee, Calvin

Dizzee Rascal and Calvin Harris have maintained their grip on the UK singles chart, spending a fourth week at No.1 with 'Dance Wiv Me'.

Kid Rock's 'All Summer Long' climbs into second place, while Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown's 'No Air' rebounds to its previous peak of third.

Meanwhile, Gabriella Cilmi returns to the top ten with 'Sweet About Me', which has now spent three months inside the top 20.

Elsewhere, McFly's 'One For The Radio', which narrowly missed out on topping the chart last week, tumbles from two to twenty-one.

The top ten in full (click for our reviews):

1. (1) Dizzee Rascal ft. Calvin Harris: 'Dance Wiv Me'
2. (3) Kid Rock: 'All Summer Long'
3. (5) Jordin Sparks ft. Chris Brown: 'No Air'
4. (6) Ne-Yo: 'Closer'
5. (4) Basshunter: 'All I Ever Wanted'
6. (9) Ting Tings: 'Shut Up And Let Me Go'
7. (12) Gabriella Cilmi: 'Sweet About Me'
8. (8) Ironik: 'Stay With Me'
9. (11) Rihanna: 'Take A Bow'
10. (7) Madonna: 'Give It 2 Me'

> Click here for this week's albums chart

More News

Wednesday, 25 June 2008

Nelly - Nellys Close Cut Relationship With Barber

Rapper NELLY is so keen to maintain his well-groomed image - he has hired a barber to accompany him at all times.

The Hot In Herre hitmaker makes sure his own personal groomer is on hand to tend to his shaved head and perfectly trimmed facial hair before his on-stage performances.

And the star couldn't bear the idea of not having his barber as part of his full-time entourage - insisting he isn't confident enough to tackle his beard single-handedly.

He says, "I take my barber with me everywhere I go. He cuts my hair, styles it for photo shoots and shaves me.

"If he's not with me then I tend to let my thin moustache grow, because I'm not too confident I could cut it right."

See Also

Saturday, 21 June 2008

Pilot Preview: CBS Making ‘The Ex List,’ But Don’t Check It Twice

Courtesy of CBS

Title: The Ex List

Stars: Elizabeth Reaser (Grey's Anatomy), Alexandra Breckenridge (Dirt), Adam Rothenberg (Mad Money)

Network: CBS, Fridays at 9 p.m.

The pitch: On a visit to a psychic, florist Bella Bloom learns that she has already dated — and discarded — her future husband. But if she doesn't find him again within a year, she'll be alone forever!

Pilot report: In what looks like a pattern for every single episode of this show, Bella meets up with an old flame, in this case a rocker. She had blown him off years before but now wants him back. He plays hard to get, then comes on too strong. She tries to ditch him, but then realizes she loves him! Then she and all her friends go see his band and he humiliates her with a bad song called "Revenge." She's sort of upset, but when she calls someone about a lost cat, the owner turns out to be a guy she went to high school with. "Shut! Up!" Bella says to her old high-school boyfriend. We agree!

Representative dialogue: Bella: I think he's changed!
Auggie: Yeah, he's changed into someone who doesn't like you anymore.

Breakout star: The psychic, Anne Nahabedian. She's the most reasonable character on the show.

Worth a season pass? No. Bella's one-liner-spouting friends are pretty clever, but the whole show feels like a sitcom forced to be a grown-up, hour-long dramedy. Maybe that's because My Name Is Earl and How I Met Your Mother — shows that involve lists and a series of failed relationships, respectively — are already on television. Unless you too will be alone for the rest of your life, you won't be home to watch Ex List in its Friday-night time slot anyway.
—Aileen Gallagher

Extra Golden

Artist: Extra Golden

   Genre(s):
Ethnic

Discography:

OK-Oyot System

Year: 2006
Tracks: 6

A cross-continental quislingism, Extra Golden began with Ian Eagleson's corroboration of the Benga music of Kenya and Nairobi for his doctoral thesis. Starting in 2000, Eagleson was assisted in his act by Kenyan musician Otieno Jagwasi, world Health Organization played in a band with drummer Onyango Wuod Omari called Orchestra Extra Solar Africa. Eagleson returned to Africa in 2004 for further study, just this time, he brought a portable studio apartment along with him. In April of that year, Eagleson's bandmate from Washington D.C.'s Golden, Alex Minoff (as well of Weird War), distinct to see Nairobi and Extra Golden were innate. A rightfully collaborative endeavor 'tween African and American musicians, Ok-Oyot System was recorded (for the almost component part) in a single afternoon at a cabaret in Nairobi. Sadly, Otieno Jagwasi passed away in May of 2005 due to liver failure. In 2006, inspired by Extra Golden's recording, Thrill Jockey Records released their debut record album and suggested that the left over members press release a follow-up. Soon after, Benga wiz Opiyo Bilongo teamed up with the group, and later a five-day recording sitting in a Pennsylvanian home, the mathematical group emerged with Here Ma Nono in October 2007.

Arkona

Friday, 20 June 2008

Sandi Thom - Thom Eyes Tunstall Macdonald Collaboration

Singer/songwriter SANDI THOM is eager to join forces with fellow Scots KT TUNSTALL and AMY MACDONALD - insisting they would make the perfect all-girl supergroup.

The 26-year-old is keen to team up with the two successful singers as she is a huge fan of their music - and is honoured to be regularly compared to them.

And the I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker hitmaker is enjoying the pop world at the moment - because it's a great time for British solo female artists.

She tells Scotland's Daily Record newspaper, "KT, Amy, and I do attract a similar type of audience and we all kind of look alike as well. Maybe we should form a supergroup.

"There seems to be a real influx of female singer/songwriters in the charts just now, but we all have our own style and own sound."

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Babyshambles and The Rev supergroup announce gig tomorrow (June 21)

Mongrel, the supergroup formed by Babyshambles' Drew McConnell, Reverend And The Makers' Jon McClure and former Arctic Monkey Andy Nicholson are set to play a gig on a carnival float tomorrow (June 21).

The group will perform without Nicholson at Love Music Hate Racism's carnival parade through central London.

McConnell and McClure, joined by British-Iraqi rapper LowKey, are set to play on the back of a mobile float complete with sound system.

The parade will begin at the GLA offices on Tooley Street and will end in Trafalgar Square.

The event follows a stunt by the campaign during which they targeted Greater London Assembly member Richard Barnbrook, who represents the British National Party.

The "mock eviction" yesterday (June 19) saw activitists and several musicians mount a protest at London's City Hall.

"It's quite easy to get caught up in words and to try and over-articulate something very simple," explained Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly's Sam Duckworth. "I don�t want a facist organisation beeing involved in the running of London, or any borough for that matter. Notice is being served; it's time to get the BNP out of the GLA and out of politics altogether."

Sag And Amptp In Open Warfare

The Screen Actors Guild and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers
each issued blistering statements about the other's negotiating tactics Thursday
that suggested that the "de facto strike" that currently has stalled motion picture
production in Hollywood will not be brought to an end soon. SAG's statement said that the
union's leaders believe that it is possible to complete negotiations and secure a
fair deal before the expiration of the current agreement" on June 30. The statement
was issued shortly after union president Alan Rosenberg remarked that he was skeptical
that an agreement could be reached before that date. (Daily Variety reported
that SAG's strategy may be to drag its feet in negotiations until July 7, the day
when results of AFTRA's membership vote on a new contract are announced. SAG has authorized
the expenditure of a reported $150,000 to "educate" AFTRA members about the perceived
shortcomings of its deal with the AMPTP.) In its own statement, the AMPTP said, "Any
effort by SAG to drag out these negotiations past June 30 would be a disservice
to the people in this industry whose livelihoods are being put on hold. SAG's inability
to close this deal has already put the industry into another de facto strike."

13/06/2008

See Also

Billy Bob Thornton - The Things They Say 8581

"It was never a vial anyway. It was like a flower press. It was, like, from a slight cut on your finger and you press your fingerprint in. It was kind of a sweet gesture." ANGELINA JOLI clears up reports about the vials of each other's blood she and ex-husband BILLY BOB THORNTON wore around their necks.

See Also

Sam Frank ft. Jimmy Screech

Artist: Sam Frank ft. Jimmy Screech

   Genre(s):
Drum & Bass

Discography:

AK (AK06)

Year: 2005
Tracks: 2

Big River Cree

Artist: Big River Cree

   Genre(s):
Ethnic

Discography:

Just For U

Year: 2004
Tracks: 12

It's Been Awhile

Year: 2003
Tracks: 12

Together Again

Year:
Tracks: 12

Savage Grace

Artist: Savage Grace

   Genre(s):
Metal: Heavy

Discography:

Ride Into The Night (Ep)

Year: 1987
Tracks: 4

After The Fall From Grace

Year: 1986
Tracks: 9

Master Of Disguise

Year: 1985
Tracks: 9

The Dominatress

Year: 1983
Tracks: 5

Savage Grace was Detroit's reformist tilt band of the previous sixties. With chops galore and a background frozen in nothingness and R&B (with some upright old fashioned Detroit rock'n'roll thrown in for good step), Savage Grace stood kayoed from the rest of the Michigan bands as something special and as something rather eclectic. With Guitarist Ron Koss, keyboardist John Seanor, and drummer Larry Zack as the nucleus of a jazzy triplet called Scarlet Letter (with two albums on Mainstream), the addition of vocalist/bassist Al Jacquez transformed the grouping into Savage Grace. The striation was before long signed to Reprise and released their eponymic debut album in 1969. Upon moving to Los Angeles the next yr, the group embarked on a instant album, which took about 2 days to discharge. By 1972, the train had terminated and the group went their separate shipway. Savage Grace never achieved the success that seemed like their referable; for sure their musicianship was top mountain pass and their songwriting was good enough, simply in the long run, was too mayhap a chip too eclectic to find a mainstream audience.