Tag: News

JUNE 2nd AT GERLADINE’S? SAY YES!

AAUES June2

Join us for some sweet soul music Thursday, June 2nd! Akina Adderley and The Upper East Side are playing a special show at Geraldine’s, the gorgeous new venue on the 4th floor of the Hotel Van Zandt. Swanky but comfortable, delicious food and classic drinks, and best of all, it sounds beautiful in there. See you next Thursday! Please confirm on facebook so we can gage attendance and plan well. Listen to a clip here while you RSVP!

The Austin Music Minute first got word of the fabulous Akina Adderley through her music with The Vintage Playboys. But those incredible, electrifying performances were just the tip of the iceberg. Music is party of her rich family history, coursing through her veins, a living, breathing part of her DNA, morning, noon and night. It’s only natural, of course; the family tree boasts renowned jazz musicians Nat Adderley and Julian “Cannonball” Adderley, her grandfather and granduncle, and father Nat Adderley, Jr., jazz pianist and former bandleader for Luther Vandross.

Akina Adderley is a standout in many areas of music: Fierce front woman, songwriter, collaborator, backing vocalist and educator. While dividing time between her own bands – The Vintage Playboys, Nori, the Upper East Side –  she performs with a myriad of well-known artists, including Gary Clark, Jr., Alejandro Escovedo and Booker T. Most recently, she’s written and performed with Charlie Faye and Betty Soo (Charlie Faye & The Fayettes), and contributed her talents to a spectacular Prince tribute at Antone’s. And several budding musicians hold Adderley in highest regard as voice instructor and band coach at Girls Rock Camp in Austin.

But really, these are only a few of Adderley’s accomplishments. The best is yet to come. Treat yourself to a grand evening tonight, when Akina Adderley and the Upper East Side perform at Geraldine’s, located on the fourth floor of Hotel Van Zandt, 605 Davis St.

Soak in all the soul. The music starts at 9:30 p.m. Very recommended.

IT’S ALL HAPPENING AT ANTONES!

I am proud to present the first public appearance of JANIS. She is a very magical lamp, named for, of course Janis Joplin.  “I loved her style and her laugh. She loved the outlandish and was larger than life.” This was written by her designer Ruth Ellsworth Carter. I think it is fitting to debut this work of art at Antone’s Home of The Blues where another work of Ruth’s found it’s first home. The co-write between Ruth and her husband Bill Carter for Stevie Ray Vaughan Crossfire went on to become a world-wide hit and Billboard #1 single for Stevie and his band Double Trouble (Chris Layton, Tommy Shannon, Reese Wynans).

I think most music, pop culture and fashion fans would agree, Janis and Prince share a lot in the additions they made to the wonderful world of rock and roll and I could not think of a better place to show off this lamp! She is for sale for $2000 if you just can’t help yourself.

2016 OLD SETTLER’S MUSIC FESTIVAL

OSMF 2016

Old Settler’s Music Festival begins in just nine days — Thursday, April 14 — at the Salt Lick Pavilion & Camp Ben McCulloch in Driftwood, Texas. Join us for the 29th Annual Old Settler’s Music Festival. Camping, jamming, performance workshops, kids’ stuff, craft beer and gourmet food, and much more.

Tickets for Friday, Saturday and Sunday are available as single days or in an economical 3 day package. We are almost sold out of camping passes. A few platinum passes are left as well. Platinum passes get a 4 day camping pass, a car camping pass, an electrical permit, backstage privileges with free drinks and food at the Salt Lick on Friday & Saturday, a special viewing area at the Salt Lick, and a commemorative t-shirt and poster. For tickets, go here.

RajiWorld and our sister agency Compass Sponsorship Stewards would like to thank our 2016 sponsors!

2016 OLD SETTLER’S MUSIC FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
(Artists and times subject to change)
 
THURSDAY, APRIL 14
Camp Ben McCulloch Stage
4-5:15 p.m. – The Accidentals
5:40-6:55 p.m. – The HillBenders
7:20-8:40 p.m. – Jitterbug Vipers
9:05-10:20 p.m. – Brothers Comatose
10:45 p.m. to midnight – Della Mae
 
FRIDAY, APRIL 15
Hill Country Stage
4-4:45 p.m. – Joelton Mayfield
5:15-6:25 p.m. – The Black Lillies
6:55-8:10 p.m. – Rodney Crowell
8:40-9:55 p.m. – Hayes Carll
10:30 p.m. to midnight – Dawes
 
Bluebonnet Stage
4 -5:15 p.m. – Della Mae 
5:45-7 p.m. – Deer Tick

7:20-8:35 p.m. – The HillBenders present “The Who’s Tommy: A Bluegrass Opry”
9:10-10:25 p.m. – The Suffers
10:45 p.m. to midnight – Jeff Austin Band
 
Discovery Stage
5 p.m. – TBA
6 p.m. – Kent Finlay, Dreamer book reading by Jenni Finlay
7 p.m. – TBA
 
SATURDAY, APRIL 16
Hill Country Stage
11-11:45 a.m. – The Deer
12:05-1:05 p.m. – Lonesome River Band
1:25-2:25 p.m. – Green River Ordinance
2:45-3:45 p.m. – Dustbowl Revival
4:05-5:20 p.m. – Jerry Douglas presents The Earls of Leicester
5:40-6:55 p.m. – Sarah Jarosz
7:15-8:30 p.m. – Shinyribs
8:50-10:20 p.m. – The Del McCoury Band
10:50 p.m. to midnight – Bob Schneider
 
Bluebonnet Stage
10:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. – Youth Talent Competition

1:30-2:30 p.m. – Sierra Hull
2:40-3 p.m. – Youth Talent Competition winner

3:20-4:20 p.m. – Carolyn Wonderland
4:40-5:50 p.m. – David Ramirez 
6:10-7:20 p.m. – The Jay Farrar (Trio) performs songs from Son Volt’s Trace
7:35-8:45 p.m. – The Jayhawks
9:15-10:25 p.m. – The Milk Carton Kids 
10:45 p.m. to midnight – The Wood Brothers
 
Discovery Stage (Presented by The Bluegrass Situation)
1-5:45 p.m. – Workshops on the hour
 
SUNDAY, APRIL 17
Camp Ben McCulloch Stage
10-10:45 a.m. – Sunday Service
11-11:45 a.m. – Lonesome River Band
noon to 1 p.m. – HONEYHONEY
1:20-2:20 p.m. – The Band of Heathens
2:40-3:30 p.m. – MilkDrive

4-5 p.m. – Shinyribs
 

HEAR IT HERE, NEW TRACK CHILD BRIDE FROM SONGS FROM THE I CHING

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Cotton Mather, the brainchild of Robert Harrison, is an ambitious dude. His new project Songs From The I Ching will tap out at 64(!) songs. That behemoth isn’t due until May, but we’ve got a new track for you today called “Child Bride” to give you a taste of the epic that is to come. “Child Bride” proves that Cotton Mather isn’t going for some huge act of self-indulgence; this song is incredibly down-to-earth and well-crafted. Check it out HERE.

HELP ME TO WARMLY WELCOME ANDREW SCHINDLER TO RAJIWORLD!

Andrew

RajiWorld is carrying on a long tradition of having good karma when it comes to being matched with the best interns in the world!

A very evolved guitar player and a recent graduate of the McCombs School of Business AND The Butler School of Music, Andrew is driven to push himself and others to create refreshingly original experiences that take us to the height of our abilities. In the past month that I have had the pleasure of supervising his work, I have become the student! Please help me expand the opportunities I can afford Andrew in our work together. Let me know if you have a project on deck that RajiWorld is right for but did not have the man power to accept previously, we just might be able to now! Andrew also accepts additional work in the studio, as a graphic artist and on stage.

Andrew currently plays with;

Alesia Lani
Ben Cina
Casie Luong
The Levite
Ruby Jane

IPAY BIKE ZOO AND YOU, SETTING MEETINGS NOW

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Will you be in Montreal for International Performing Arts for Youth? 

May I set a time to show off our live videos and answer your questions in our booth at IPAY?  We are in BOOTH #8, Grand Salon Opera, HYATT Regency MontrÊal 1/28 4:15-6:15, 1/29 3:30-6 PM and 1/30 3-5 PM. Please book your appointment now as I want to be able to give you the time you deserve, You will not see anything else like us at IPAY or anywhere:)
Ringleader, co-founder and mechanical engineering graduate of UT Austin, Jeremy Rosen and his company create life-long memories with The Bike Zoo. The ever-growing menagerie of giant, playful, interactive, hand-built creatures includes the following: our 80-foot Rattlesnake, a flurry of Giant Butterflies, the Beloved Bat, our Fanciful Owl, a Majestic Bald Eagle. Our Praying Mantis functions as a stage and our Bicycle Carousel can carry a dozen people at once! We are a unique addition to any festival or corporate event, or as a placemaking option for a public space, environmental, arts or science event. You can count on us to engage visitors of all ages and captivate the imaginations of those who see or interact with our work. The Bike Zoo may be booked as a static backdrop  for event video and photo opportunities or as functional roaming displays for guests and VIPs.
 

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APAP NYC JANUARY 14-19

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I am setting meetings this week while at APAP/ New York Hilton Midtown 1/14-1/19. I am yours if you want to discuss The Bike Zoo who will have a booth there or any of my clients or projects. Let’s work together!

We had a great experience as first timers at last year’s APAP with new bookings made there at events all over the world  with more to come in 2016.

We would like to make the most of year two.

May I set a time to show off our live videos and answer your questions? We are at Booth 1232 Americas Hall I – Level 2. Please reply here as I want to be able to give you the time you deserve, You will not see anything else like us at APAP or anywhere!

Ringleader, co-founder and mechanical engineering graduate of UT Austin, Jeremy Rosen and his company create life-long memories with The Bike Zoo. The ever-growing menagerie of giant, playful, interactive, hand-built creatures includes the following: our 80-foot Rattlesnake, a flurry of Giant Butterflies, the Beloved Bat, our Fanciful Owl, a Majestic Bald Eagle. Our Praying Mantis functions as a stage and our Bicycle Carousel can carry a dozen people at once! We are a unique addition to any festival or corporate event, or as a placemaking option for a public space, environmental, arts or science event. You can count on us to engage visitors of all ages and captivate the imaginations of those who see or interact with our work. The Bike Zoo may be booked as a static backdrop  for event video and photo opportunities or as functional roaming displays for guests and VIPs.

APAP|NYC is the place to feel the pulse of the industry. Plenary speakers such as Stephen Schwartz, Rosanne Cash, Harry Belafonte and Ira Glass inspire attendees. Innovators from various fields share knowledge. Colleagues exchange practices and problem-solving techniques. The popular EXPO Hall is the one-stop networking hotspot with 370 exhibitors. More than 1,000 artist showcases make up a mini festival of the performing arts.

THE DREAM SYNDICATE TO PLAY AND RECORD!!!

The Dream Syndicate 2013

Medicine Show

Steve Wynn brings the reunited Dream Syndicate to Strange Matter

by 

December 1, 2015

JOIN US AT FEST FORWARD!

Butterfly Bikes are the best photo op

The one and only Bike Zoo will be in booth 7 at FestForward and We are booking appointments now! 

We would love to work with you on both public and private events. I can show you many videos of our active participation in events all over the world as well as answer any questions on how we can add to yours!

The Bike Zoo presents a magical show for people of all ages, thrill seekers, corporate clients and is ready made for festivals. You can feel a bit of what the experience is like through our live videos.

“Circuit of The Americas would like to thank The Bike Zoo for being an unforgettable part of the United States Grand Prix. Their creations reflected the unique culture of Austin and were clearly a delight to our guests.”

— Dominic Iacano, CMO, Circuit of the Americas

“Disco Donnie Presents has worked with Bike Zoo for over five years and the originality of their ideas keeps us coming back. Their unique blend of creativity and craftsmanship is loved by our fans around the world. ”
—Evan Bailey, Disco Donnie Presents

“The Bike Zoo was a HUGE success!!! It was awesome to look out in the park and see the bikes riding around! … We thoroughly enjoyed working with you and The Bike Zoo.”
— Martha Gros, Marketing Coordinator, The Howard Hughes Corporation

“Thank you so much for all your help in making the Bazaarvoice holdiay party such a success. It was such a pleasure working with you & the Bike Carousel was truly such a huge hit!!”
—Kelsey and Callie, High Beam Events

“Learn 2 Live Green at the Shops at Legacy was a tremendous success … Feedback from exhibitors and attendees has been extremely positive …. Your participation as a special feature helped make the event a success and we sincerely appreciate your interest, time and involvement. Everyone was fascinated and enthralled by the butterfly bikes!”
— Heather Merchant, Learn 2 Live Green Event Manager

“The Bike Zoo was a major and delightful feature of our recent spark! Festival, engaging visitors of all ages and captivating the imaginations of those who saw their exciting images in pre-event media and promotional materials. The event was a festival of creativity, and the imaginative, visually stunning, interactive nature of the creatures of Austin Bike Zoo were the perfect fit for an environment filled with immersive, creative experiences! Jeremy Rosen, Artistic Director, and his crew, were a joy to work with and so happy to do whatever was needed to provide our patrons and staff with a seamless and successful experience!”
— Cindy Ornstein, City of Mesa Arts and Cultural Director 

WHOLE LOT OF ROCKIN’ GOING’ ON

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Linda Gail Lewis jackhammers the piano in the family tradition

PHOTO BY TODD V. WOLFSON

“I have to play faster,” laughs 68-year-old Linda Gail Lewis, newly minted Austinite and, according to her new LP, Hard Rockin’ Woman! “My hands’re small, and I have these short, stubby fingers. I don’t have the reach of other piano players, so I have to play faster to cover what they can do!”

The Ferriday, La., native jests. Watching her working with daughter Annie Marie and her new son-in-law, local rockabilly guitar wizard Danny B. Harvey – instrumental in the creation of Hard Rockin’ Woman! – it’s apparent she’s being modest about her keyboard mastery. Her boogie-woogie chops are brutal, driving, Lewis playing with every part of her body. Her accompanists have to work triple hard to keep up.

Consider her piano teacher: older brother and pioneering rock & roller Jerry Lee Lewis. Not having touched a keyboard until age 40, she was primarily known as a wailing vocalist, Ă  la Wanda Jackson. Her piano playing is the major revelation of the new disc, her first American release since the Nineties.

“When my sister-in-law kicked me out of my brother’s band in 1987, I had to start playing piano myself,” explains Lewis prior to her performance for the Soul of a Musician series put on by St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church at the Iron Cactus. “To get that sound I wanted.”

A solitary lesson from her brother backstage in Germany staked her in the family business. Consider the gene pool: Jerry Lee Lewis, country star Mickey Gilley of Urban Cowboy fame, and controversial televangelist Jimmy Swaggart. Those three men, all cousins, were born the same year, in and around Ferriday. All play the same style of boogie-woogie piano.

“We learned from him,” nods Lewis. “We surely have some talent in our family, but I have to say what my dear cousin Mickey Gilley says: ‘We can all play, but none of us can play like Jerry.'”

Now, Linda Gail Lewis passes on the family tradition to daughter Annie Marie, killing it as a vocalist in her own right after years occupying the backing vocals slot in her mama’s band. Mama long enjoyed the very same position in Jerry Lee’s band.

 

Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On

“I was born in ’47,” begins Lewis. “So in ’57, when ‘Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On’ hit, I was 10. My brother called Mama and said, ‘Mama, I want you and Daddy and Linda Gail and Frankie Jean to have everything that I have.’ So he shared everything he made with us. He bought us a brand-new Fleetwood Cadillac, moved us into a really nice house in town, and got us new clothes. Mama had two dresses: one to wear at church and one to wear at home. That’s all she had.

“We went to Dorothy’s Dress Shop in Ferriday with $1,000 Jerry gave us and bought everything they had in our sizes.”

Once the family relocated to Ridgecrest, a fancy spinet piano replaced the upright Jerry Lee had learned on from age 7 and then had sent to him in Memphis, where it resides with him to this day. Linda Gail learned enough basic chords on its replacement to become a songwriter of some note later in life, a talent she does not share with her brother, who famously views himself as a “stylist” and has only written two songs his entire career.

Her mid-Seventies Top 40 country hit, “Smile, Somebody Loves You,” won an ASCAP award, but her piano playing remained primarily a songwriting tool as she eased into a musical career influenced equally by the rocking gospel the family heard in Ferriday’s Assembly of God church, and singers Brenda Lee, Patsy Cline, and Lavern Baker. Duetting as a teenager with Jerry Lee on one of his later Sun Records releases – “Teenage Letter” B-side “Seasons of My Heart,” penned by George Jones – she subsequently hit the road with the Killer at 14, later signing with ABC Paramount. One vinyl 45 issued forth: a stab at “Heartbreak Hotel” composer Mae Axton’s “Small Red Diary.”

Lewis demurs about her vocals of the time, but YouTube clips of her at 17 belting out Elvis Presley hits “Crying in the Chapel” and “Don’t Be Cruel” on mid-Sixties TV showcase Shindig! beg to differ. She eventually landed on the same label that resurrected Jerry Lee’s career in the late Sixties by easing him into the country market following the furor over his marriage to third wife Myra. The siblings’ Togetheryielded a 1969 country hit in “Don’t Let Me Cross Over” and starred a raucous rendition of Chuck Berry’s “Roll Over Beethoven.”

“I didn’t like my vocal on that so much,” fusses Lewis about the former. “I sing it much better now, but it was a country hit for us. I don’t know why. It’s definitely a rock & roll song.”

For all her insecurity over the single, the Lewises’ white-hot performance of Berry’s anthem on The Midnight Special remains prime YouTube fodder. Linda Gail shimmies in sequins next to Jerry Lee, himself clearly in the grips of some sort of demon chemistry with the piano.

In 1977, Lewis left music for nearly a decade to concentrate on the family she was building with her then-husband. Her brother’s country stardom continued unabated, cousin Mickey Gilley rode Urban Cowboyinto his own music/nightclub empire, and cousin Jimmy Swaggart built, then destroyed, his tele-gospel credibility in the Eighties.

The Lewises at L.A.’s Palomino Club, 1968.
SOURCE: JERRYLEELEWIS.ORG / COURTESY OF LINDA GAIL LEWIS

You Win Again

“Three things happened that changed my life,” Lewis recalls of her late-Eighties return to performing. “I saw Wanda Jackson play live, my sister-in-law kicked me out of my brother’s band, and I started playing piano in my own band. I hadn’t seen Wanda live onstage, I’d just heard her records. So we did this gig, and I went out to watch her part of the show.

“This nice, matronly, Christian woman I had gotten to know through the tour walked out on that stage, and she became another person. ‘Cause I’d sit with her at breakfast and think, ‘What a nice lady.’ Then she walked up to that mic and sang, [growling], ‘Some people like to rock!’

“I thought, ‘Okay, now I get this.’ I became a very different singer right there.”

Guesting with Memphis firebrand Jim Dickinson at a showcase for noted French punk/roots label New Rose led to a comeback solo disc, International Affair, featuring a definitive take on Nick Lowe’s “They Called It Rock” that dazzled critics worldwide. Several indie releases and international tours later, Van Morrison called, looking to realign himself with his roots. After some disastrous sessions with rockabilly legend Carl Perkins and unsuccessful overtures to Jerry Lee Lewis, Morrison thought Linda could be the answer.

“In reality, Van told me he had writer’s block,” confesses Lewis. “For a few years, he couldn’t write anything.”

That resulted in the pair’s bestselling duet set, 2000’s You Win Again.

“I was absolutely horrified,” she says, “because he wanted to cut live on the floor. Van’s not the easiest person in the world to work with or to sing with. I figured it would be a big flop like the Carl Perkins sessions, so I just said, ‘I’m not gonna worry about it. I’m gonna do my best, I’m gonna have a good time, and I’m gonna sit here and do what I can. It’ll either work or it won’t.'”

The teaming proved arduous. Lewis learned most of Morrison’s repertoire for the You Win Again tour, a task so physically demanding she couldn’t lift a drink off a table one night. Devout fans hated the album and her presence on the promotion even though she held her own with longtime Morrison accompanist Geraint Wat­kins. Serving notice after a year, Lewis incurred Morrison’s legendary wrath. The two haven’t spoke since.

 

A Hard Rockin’ Woman

Linda Gail Lewis acknowledges she and her cousins live in her brother’s shadow. She also admits to being a “party girl” in her 20s and not taking her profession seriously, hence her coasting as her brother’s backing vocalist the first half of her career, with the occasional fluke hit.

“I didn’t work on them like I worked on Hard Rockin’ Woman!” she says. “I went into that studio, and I worked on that like my life depended on it! It’s different now.”

Cut live in the studio, with Danny Harvey spinning virtuoso guitar and providing prime material like driving set opener “Hard Rockin’ Man,” plus daughter Annie Marie harmonizing only the way kin can, it’s a taut set of vintage rock & roll bearing the sonic family crest. Family’s the key when Mama launches into “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” at the Iron Cactus.

Pounding bass notes with her fist, jackhammering the keyboard and kicking her boot heel atop the keys – her cocky expression hardening familiar features – Linda Gail remains all Lewis.


Linda Gail Lewis plays the White Horse Jan. 9.

MUSIC MONDAY: COTTOM MATHER HARNESSES ANCIENT CHINESE WISDOM

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Music Monday: Cotton Mather Harnesses Ancient Chinese Wisdom In “The Book of Too Late Changes”

Cotton Mather translates the wisdom of ’I Ching’ to Texas power pop.

11/16/15 by Michael Hall with photo by Valerie Fremin 

 Robert Harrison moved to Austin from Auburn, Alabama, in the late eighties and formed his first band, Cotton Mather. It started with Harrison and cellist Nat Shelton making avant-garde music, but evolved, as more members were added, to power pop: catchy songs, memorable guitar hooks, quirky lyrics, and sweet harmonies reminiscent of the Beatles, Squeeze, and Crowded House. Cotton Mather’s second album, Kon Tiki (1997), became a hit in the UK after Noel Gallagher raved about it in the British press, and soon the group was touring with Gallagher’s band, Oasis, and living like rock stars.

The band broke up in 2003, and Harrison focused on his next project, Future Clouds and Radar. But since Cotton Mather reunited in 2012 to play a limited number of shows marking Kon Tiki‘s deluxe release, the band has continued to perform. Lately Harrison has been working on a new concept with Cotton Mather: writing songs inspired by his readings of the I Ching, the ancient book of Chinese wisdom and advice. Although he eventually plans to package them on two vinyl albums, right now Harrison is releasing the songs individually, beginning with “The Book of Too Late Changes.” AND YOU CAN HEAR THE FIRST ONE HERE RIGHT NOW!

 

Texas Monthly: Your band was named for a seventeenth century Puritan preacher, and your latest project revolves around songs inspired by the words of a Chinese book from the tenth century BC that has been used for eons as a source of wisdom and spiritual guidance. Is there some kind of connection between a witch hunter and a spiritual guidebook?
Robert Harrison: Starting in my teens I began experiencing a deep longing for a connection with the divine behind—and within—the world I saw. By college I was seriously considering a life in the ministry and decided to major in religious studies. I became especially enamored in those years with Chinese religions—Taoism in particular. As for the I Ching, I studied it in college but didn’t delve deep until later.

I’ve always been spiritually curious. I love the story about Woody Guthrie getting admitted to the hospital near the end of his life, when he’s asked by the attending nurse to state his “religious affiliation,” and he answered “all.” When she replied, “No Mr. Guthrie, please be serious,” he shouted in anger, “All or none!” Well, I’m an all or none guy myself.

When I started this band my brother suggested the name Cotton Mather and we couldn’t stop laughing. It was his brilliant, perverse tip of the cap to my road not taken. And as for the witch burning characterization, I’ll take this moment to point out that Cotton Mather was an extraordinarily complicated man, hideous and despicable as those events were. Graduated Harvard age eleven. A man of science who first introduced vaccines into the colonies. Someone who likely wrote more in their lifetime than anyone ever! But Salem is to Cotton Mather as Vietnam is to Lyndon Johnson. History is a cruel publicist.

TM: Your breakthrough album Kon Tiki was influenced by Chinese philosophy, right?
RH: Yes. One night, our drummer Dana Myzer, burst into a Cotton Mather rehearsal going on about some talk and demonstration being given the next evening at a place called The China Health Center. Something from those college years stirred within, and I knew I had to be there. The band attended en masse and joked about it as our “trip to India.” What was being offered by this amazing, beautiful, humble master from an age-old tradition of qigong and tai chi was unique, rarified, pure temple training, handed down directly through generations from ancient masters. My music up till then had been so cerebral—our first record was clever, poppy, well-crafted, and smart. My mother had died a couple of years before, just before we were to open on a tour for Hootie and the Blowfish, and I was devastated. Performing night after night I felt so constrained by these clever, emotionally restricted, carefully crafted songs.

But now this training opened up my heart channel—and the music we were making—the music that became Kon Tiki—was emotional and spiritual. The album captures the pure joy of our experience. That’s the energy of Kon Tiki—it’s almost giddy with it. Also, in that class I met a guy who recommended consulting the I Ching. I began to ask questions of it, though I didn’t really know how to do it yet. Another friend pointed me to a different translation, and I began to understand it, have a rapport with it. The I Ching became an invaluable companion, and guide out of the deep dark forest of life I was temporarily lost in.

TM: The way I understand it, the I Ching is split into 64 hexagrams, and you consult it by asking a question, then tossing some sticks or coins, and analyzing the results.
RH: Right. My theory of how the I Ching works is: if you shoot an arrow into the distance, it’ll land somewhere, though we don’t see where. If you ask a question to the cosmos, there is an answer somewhere. The I Ching is an ingenious device to give you an answer here and now. I consult it at the beginning of most days, to give me an awareness of what to pay attention to.

TM: When did you start using it in songwriting?
RH: A few years ago I wrote a song titled “Call Me the Witch” for a woman named Nicole Atkins. I got the idea for the song after consulting the I Ching, trying to figure out what to write. I wrote a couple more after that, basically using it as a writing aid. Around Christmas last year I got the idea for this project as I was recalling a conversation with a friend, who was also a student of the I Ching, and I said my favorite movie is It’s a Wonderful Life, and he supposed this was because every condition of the I Ching happens in that movie. So I thought, “What if I could do that in songs?” At first, when I would ask, “Should I do a project based around the I Ching?” I’d get a gentle “No.” But this spring I was in Europe and realized it was burning in me to do it. I thought it would be gimmicky to do all 64 at once, it would only work if it comes from sincerity. It couldn’t just be, “Hey, look at me.”

TM: So, what is your motivation?
RH: One, once you have an idea, you realize if you don’t do it now, you never will. And two, when I first started playing music, I was in my twenties, and the script for my songs was furnished for me by the way I was living—staying out late, making discoveries, living an edgy life. But the newness begins to diminish as you age. The exploration turns inward. I find this is a valuable way to keep my eyes and ears open and fresh. Also, it gives me a framework for making something with its own agenda. I’m just along for the ride.

The question was, where do I begin? One problem is you have to convince people you’re worth hearing again. I knew it had to be something explosive. I consulted the I Ching and got hexagram 24, “The Return,” which is about turning back onto the path. So I thought, I’ll make it about the return of Cotton Mather. I wrote the song, which I call “The Book of Too Late Changes.” It’s an answer to people who might say, “What happened to Cotton Mather? You guys got really big and then were gone.” I thought, This needs the full rock production. It’s way over the top. Pretty soon I had about seven songs written or in production in my home studio. By summer I had some more.

TM: How many have you written now?
RH: I think about eighteen, with another five or so simmering. Recently I was wrestling with a relationship that seemed unhealthy for myriad reasons. And the I Ching directed me, as I asked for guidance, to hexagram 21 which is called “Biting Through” or “Eradicating,” depending on what translation you’re using. The primary theme of this reading is about setting boundaries and administering justice in a relationship by “biting through” to the truth of an unfavorable situation. So I wrote a song. I also recently finished up a track called “Never Be It,” which is taken from the hexagram 5 called “Waiting.”

TM: How does the I Ching actually guide you in writing the songs?
RH: The I Ching, as I experience it, communicates about what is predominantly occupying my thoughts or feelings at a given time. And as songwriters, that is typically what we end up writing about anyway. So this serves as a companion, directing me toward that which I’m in some sense most qualified to speak to. I’m not super literal. I’m still writing the songs like Robert Harrison would.

TM: Will “The Book of Too Late Changes” be available on iTunes?
RH: We will make it available as a free download in the next few days on our website. It will migrate to iTunes eventually. And we’ll let everybody know where to find the new tracks as they materialize. Each track will also come with a “commentary” which might be personal, humorous, anecdotal, or all of the above. The commentary for this one is called “Mama Sugarly’s Yum-Yum.”

TM: What will the next song be?
RH: I’m not sure. My aim is to release one per month until we bring out a new Cotton Mather record next summer. This first song will definitely be on it, but I’ll hold the other candidates back until that time. One result of creating in this way is that there is a great deal of range within the collective. So I’ll bring some songs out deemed less suited for the first record. As for the musical personnel, I’ll probably be calling it all Cotton Mather, but you can expect a heavy dose of Future Clouds as well. And more records.

– See more at: http://www.texasmonthly.com/the-daily-post/music-monday-cotton-mather-harnesses-ancient-chinese-wisdom-in-the-book-of-too-late-changes/#sthash.idLqofsi.dpuf

STRAGAZING FOR SIMS

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#STARGAZING LINEUP

Thanks to our friends at the Austin Chronicle, our star-studded lineup is officially out and we’re seeing stars!  RajiWorld/Compass SS will be providing a VIP Hospitality suite fit for these starts and I would love your in-kind donation of Austin’s favorite food, non-spirited drinks and VIP services for our STARS lead by Music Director Michael Ramos, including:

Patty Griffin
Chris Layton
Jimmie Dale Gilmore
Alejandro Escovedo
Tito Larriva
Lolita Carroll
Fastball
Nakia
Peter Stopschinski
Elias Haslanger
Kyle Ellison
David Garza
Nina Diaz
The Peterson Brothers
Hunter Sharpe
Grooveline Horns

All-star house band:
Adrian Quesada
David Garza
Michael Ramos
George Reiff
Conrad Choucroun
Sonia Moore
#SIMS20

Austin Chronicle editor Louis Black and long time Austin arts supporter, Sandy Boone will host the evening, while KUTX’s Elizabeth McQueen and Jody Denberg handle emcee duties.

NEVER SAVE BEAUTY FOR LATER

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Nearly every time I meet a dashing rockstar or my gown at a gala receives  a longing look from another women I am in something my friend Jane Booke has designed… “Jane Booke’s love of art and fantasy began as a small child growing up in Bel Air, California. Jane’s mother and stepfather, a renowned geophysicist, were jet-setters who frequently traveled the world collecting art:.Her father was a successful international businessman. With traveling parents and two older siblings away at college, Jane spent much of her time painting, playing the piano and reading stories about mystical creatures. Summer vacations at her father’s villa in the South of France and other European destinations further influenced Jane’s creativity and sparked her love for Renaissance art. During a trip to England one summer, Jane discovered beautiful antique chiffon dresses and decided to create her own designs. She used the sewing room in her home to construct one-of-a-kind pieces for her and her friends to wear.

After attending University of California Santa Barbara, Jane moved to New York City where she pursued a career in acting, modeling and music. She performed in various theatre productions and television shows, and became the lead vocalist for the band Sleeping Beauty. She later moved back to Los Angeles, where she married her husband and gave birth to her first child. Ironically, it was when Jane decided to be a stay-at-home mom that her fashion career began to take shape. With time to sew her own clothes, Jane began filling her closet with her own creations. While at a friend’s wedding, a buyer from Los Angeles boutique Les Habitudes commented on the gown Jane was wearing and, after learning that Jane had made the garment herself, placed an order for several dresses.

Soon, fashionistas all over began clamoring for Jane’s chiffon princess gowns and other fantasy-inspired couture designs. At this time, Jane also began designing a collection of fairy-inspired furniture that included whimsical vanities, thrones, custom swing sets, canopy beds and elaborate dining tables fit for fairy royalty. Jane’s designs are elegant and feminine with a sexy twist; They evoke the essence of womanhood while retaining the Renaissance-inspired nuances for which she has become known.

Jane has dressed numerous notable actresses, musicians and private clients for film, red carpet events including: Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Aniston, Melanie Griffith, Patricia Arquette, Nicole Kidman, Emma Thompson, Faith Hill, Rita Wilson, Maria Shriver, Sharon Stone, Minnie Driver, Courtney Cox Arquette, Lisa Kudrow, Cher, Julie Delpy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Nicollette Sheridan, Eva La Rue, Kim Cattrall, Trudy Styler, Patricia Heaton, Jennifer Tilly and Vivica A. Fox. ” – Michelyn Camen

“ALL IT TAKES IS ONE TIME…AND YOUR HAVE THREE CHANCES THIS FALL!

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“All it takes is one time. You see Akina Adderley onstage and you instantly fall for her dynamism and her superstar performance. You want a show? This lady delivers with finesse.” –Laurie Gallardo, KUT 90.5 FM

Three chances to fall in love this fall at one of Rajiworld’s favorite beauty spotting bars in town. Great vibe, great drinks, seating and parking! Stay Gold 1910 East Cesar Chavez St, Austin, Texas 78702

WE WELCOME HARD ROCKING WOMEN SEPTEMBER 18th!

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Linda Gail Lewis is the younger sister of one of music’s great performers, Jerry Lee Lewis. After decades preforming and recording with her brother, she released a critically acclaimed album of duets performed with Irish rocker Van Morrison in 2000.

Like her brother Jerry Lee, Linda Gail Lewis soaked up the sounds of hillbilly music and rhythm and blues in the rural areas of Louisiana. When Jerry Lee began to score hits with “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” and “Great Balls of Fire”, he singlehandedly lifted the family from dire poverty to a life of relative ease.

Linda Gail’s chief inspiration was Jerry Lee, but later, as the era of rock ‘n’ roll came into play, she also tuned into the sounds of Brenda Lee, Patsy Cline, and Lavern Baker.

Lewis’s official recording debut came when she performed as Jerry Lee’s duet partner for Sun Records in 1963.  Lewis’s first two solo releases, did well but failed to chart. It was after Jerry Lee mounted his late-1960s comeback via country music that Lewis was able to make it onto the charts. Recording with her brother, she scored a top ten country hit with a version of Carl and Pearl Butler’s “Don’t Let Me Cross Over.” A rousing duet remake of Chuck Berry’s “Roll Over Beethoven,” a staple of her act, followed it onto the charts. The Lewis duo’s 1969 Smash LP “Together”, featured their rowdy duet style on a variety of country standards and rockers. This led to Lewis’s debut solo album for the label, The Two Sides Of Linda Gail Lewis.

In addition to composing material for her brother’s top-selling Smash and Mercury discs, Lewis also garnered an ASCAP award for her song “Smile, Somebody Loves You,” a top 40 country hit.

During this time, Lewis toured almost non-stop as part of her brother’s show. By 1977 she had had enough—she quit the act, married a man outside the music industry and started a new family.

After a hiatus of nearly ten years, Lewis returned to music in the late 1980s, touring briefly with Jerry Lee before belatedly going solo at age 39. Lewis caught a career break when the New Rose label in France released International Affair, her first solo album in 23 years. Well regarded by critics for its raw, openly country sound, the album did not get much distribution in the United States, but put the European rock community on notice that she was available for shows.

Lewis’s biggest career boost came via legendary Irish rocker Van Morrison. Lewis met Morrison at a Jerry Lee Lewis convention in England. After a sound-check jam session, Morrison proposed the collaboration, which resulted in the 2000 Pointblank/Virgin album You Win Again The album reached the pop charts and sold strongly at the duo’s live shows. It became Lewis’s best-selling disc.

Over the next 15 years Lewis toured the world constantly playing some of the biggest and most prestigious rock and roll festivals. During 2014 Lewis met Rockabilly guitarist Danny B Harvey who introduced her to Quentin Jones of Lanark Records. Jones had just finished producing and playing guitar on a new album by Robert Gordon and was looking for his next project when Harvey introduced him to Lewis. Jones proposed recording an album of new songs recorded at the Lanark Studio during four days in February 2015. Lewis, Jones, Harvey along with Drummer Blair King and backing vocals Annie Lewis, Linda daughter cut 12 new tunes which will be released worldwide on an album called “Hard Rocking Woman” September 18th! 

ACC MBPT AND THE FUTURE OF ROCK AND ROLL (AND RAP, AND CLASSICAL…)

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Last night I had the honor of spending a few hours with my colleague Jean Spivey’s wonderful class at ACC as her substitute teacher.  MBPT students are required to take traditional music classes such as Music Fundamentals to address the constants of music as well as classes in music business and technology. There are classes in Commercial Music Theory, Songwriting, Applied Music Lessons and several Ensembles. The MBPT course inventory includes classes such as Survey of the Music Business, Legal Aspects of the Entertainment Industry and five other courses to enhance student’s knowledge of the music business. There are sixteen Music Technology courses including MIDI and Synthesis classes, Live Sound and Audio Engineering, taking students from beginner to advanced levels. While these classes teach the fundamentals of the technology they also address changes as they occur. They also  stay connected to the community recording in-store performances at Waterloo records, student internships at local music businesses (RajiWorld has had many ACC MBPT students over the years) and by providing volunteer opportunities for students at events such as SXSW. The faculty remains connected to the community via live performances in and around Austin and working with local music businesses and charitable organizations. I shared my excitement for Black Fret, SIMS, HAAM and all of Austin’s unique organizations we are so grateful to have available. I was able to hear about each of their current experiences in addition to goals they had for my talk and post graduate level work. Each and every one of these students was engaging and I think an asset to our local business landscape. I learned a lot just being with them. To The Future!

HELP US HELP TURK RAISE $15k TO BUILD A NEW PRESCHOOL AT MWEIGA PRIMARY IN KENYA

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4 x 4 For the Nobelity Project is an acoustic concert series at Austin’s most exclusive music venue, the Gibson Guitar Showroom at Penn Field. Each 4 x 4 presents four great acts performing four songs, a Nobelity Project short film, and great cocktails and appetizers. Proceeds from the April 8, 2015 4 x 4 will fund a new preschool at Mweiga Primary in Kenya. 

4 SONGS BY 4 GREAT ARTISTS – BUILDING THE NEW MWEIGA PRESCHOOL

Bruce Robison & Kelly Willis    Guy Forsyth   Elizabeth McQueen   Patrice Pike

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7 @ GIBSON GUITAR SHOWROOM (3601 S. CONGRESS)

7 p.m. Cocktails by Tito’s, Shiner Brewery, Hope Family Wines & Topo Chico

Food by Four Great Austin Restaurants 

Appetizers by Dos Chivos & Goodall’s Kitchen at Hotel Ella

Deserts by Word of Mouth Bakery and Amy’s Ic Cream

8 p.m. 4 x 4  – 4 Songs from 4 Great Acts

4 x 4 For the Nobelity Project is an acoustic concert series at Austin’s most exclusive music venue, the Gibson Guitar Showroom aND Tickets are on sale at www.nobelity.org $50 each. 

JON LANGFORD & STEVE WYNN GRACE YARD DOG AND THE CONTINENTAL CLUB THIS WEEK!

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JON LANGFORD & STEVE WYNN

Art & Music & 20 Years of Yard Dog

August 31 – October 11

OPENING RECEPTION

AND 20TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4

7 – 9 PM

Artist/musicians Jon Langford & Steve Wynn will be in Austin on Friday, September 4, to help celebrate our 20th anniversary. We think it’s a big deal, and we hope you’ll join us if you can.

Jon Langford is a Welsh artist & musician (Mekons, Waco Brothers, Three Johns, etc) living in Chicago, Steve Wynn is an artist & musician (Dream Syndicate, Steve Wynn & The Miracle Three, Gutterball) living in New York City. Yard Dog will be featuring original paintings by both artists. In addition, Steve Wynn will be drawing “instant album covers” to go with a limited edition cd that will be for sale.
The show is online now – check it out!

Steve will have a new album, available only from him, titled “solo! electric!”. The front cover is a hand drawn self-portrait of sorts but the inside panel of the digipack is left intentionally blank so that he can draw a new Instant Alternate Cover. He’ll be drawing instant album covers for anyone who buys the cd. There will also be some available for purchase online.

THEN please join us across the street at The world Famous Continental Club to hear the new songs!

Saturday, September 5: Jon Langford @10, Steve Wynn @midnight. 21+ only.
Advance tickets: $12

TIGHTENING MY AUSTIN//LA CIRCLE

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My very favorite part of booking has always been and still is the showcase. It was a huge thing in the days of full record company support and major label deals. I was the go-to girl to match make the right band to the right fans in front of media and I loved every moment of it. It was the opportunity for 200 or less people to say they were there. This was before social media but word of mouth lasted longer. I have missed everything about it. The moment I stepped into The Townsend I was hopeful and transported back to that feeling. Bands I love will have the chance to be heard with good sound, all eyes on them and with enough glamour on the walk to the show room that the feeling of anything possible can exist again! Thank you Kathy Valentine, Steven Weisburd and Justin Elliot for keeping the dream alive and well and fresh!

I’ve just booked Thursday Oct 22 for the first Austin appearance of The Sisterhood. I hope you will join us!