Our Work

Chris Kraul on efforts to preserve the marimba in Colombia

Our Chris Kraul, a veteran foreign correspondent now freelancing from Colombia, has this nice piece in the Los Angeles Times on the marimba, and efforts to save it. From his story:

The performing style of the man Angel Marino calls the greatest marimba player ever may help explain why the instrument is so obscure outside the villages along Colombia's Pacific Coast mangroves.

"He only played after dark and usually naked," Marino said.

Marino, a virtuoso player of the xylophone-like instrument, said that until recently marimba masters kept it hidden from outsiders to preserve its mystical power to drive away evil spirits.

The last time the marimba was in the international spotlight, Brian Jones was playing it on the Rolling Stones hit "Under My Thumb."

But that may be about to change. UNESCO, the U.N.'s cultural and educational arm, this month added Colombian marimba to its list of customs and practices that constitute mankind's "intangible cultural heritage." The designation has been given around the world, to falconry in Jordan and masked dances in Bhutan, often because they are either under-recognized or in danger of extinction.

Paul Tullis on Frank Sinatra and his desert house

Recent member Paul Tullis has this nice piece in Fraser magazine on singing legend Frank Sinatra's desert house in Palm Springs, now renovated and available for getaway rentals. From his story:

Twin Palms is a wonder to behold. It was one of the era’s architectural gems, immortalised by the photographer Julius Shulman. Juxtaposing his pictures against the house as it currently exists shows how well the restoration remained faithful to the original – while not sparing contemporary standards of luxury, such as a flat-screen TV in every room and an all-Viking appliances chef’s kitchen – and how well the new interior design evokes the style of the era.

The most prominent change is the restoration’s reorientation of the house. Its most impressive features, including a dramatic covered breezeway that casts shadows on the ‘keyboard’ of the piano-shaped pool, are now the first that a visitor beholds. This grandentrance leads to double glass doors to the great room, which features sliding glass doors (tinted, for comfort) opening to the pool area. These doors are emblematic of the indoor-outdoor seamlessness that would become a hallmark of the midcentury modern style. The living area features plush carpeting that would make a cashmere goat jealous, grand piano and recording equipment (no longer functional) that Sinatra himself used.

Kathy Price-Robinson goes from verbs to video

Our Kathy Price-Robinson was part of the team that put together this video for New Orleans singer/songwriter Alexis Marceaux. A little music always lightens the soul ....

 

Lynne Heffley and the Parents' Choice Awards

Our Lynne Heffley has been writing reviews for the Parents' Choice Awards, which strikes us as a fun way to spend some time. This is the link to her profile page, and you can type her name into the search engine there to see what she's been saying. Meantime, this is from her review of The Jimmies' "Trying Funny Stuff":

Wow. Kindie rock doesn't get any better than this fresh and exciting DVD; the mix of music videos and live concert action catapults the Jimmies, fronted by singer/songwriter Ashley Albert, into stellar territory. Bubbling over with offbeat humor, sophisticated musicianship, smart, entertaining lyrics and impressive visual creativity, it's a rock-out feast for ears and eyes, whatever your age.

The band sings six of its image-rich original songs (repeated in karaoke versions) in a riotous combination of live action, animal costumes, film clips and all manner of animation styles. A "backstage" documentary is a deft mash-up of wit and the imaginative high- and low-tech ways the DVD was put together, with some how-to tips for making props. The only misstep: the live concert's brief intro involving certain nasal emissions. This immensely talented band is light years beyond needing a gross factor to engage its audience.

Scott Martelle on singer-songwriter Peter Case

Our Scott Martelle, who in the distant past served as a music critic, had this piece Monday for the Los Angeles Times on Peter Case, and his first album of new material since emergency open-heart surgery in early 2009. From the story:

Case, 56, falls silent and stares out the window, drumming his fingers on the back of the empty chair next to him as he goes through some sort of internal calibration.

"It's hard to put your finger on, man," Case finally says. "It was really a shocker, really blew my mind… The things you think about, about life and stuff, are different from what you think about a lot of the rest of the time. So on some level, I suppose it was charged up by that, a 'now is the time' kind of vibe."

"Charged up" is the right phrase for "Wig!" It's Case's first collection of new songs since the emergency bypass surgery in January 2009 that forced him to cancel special concerts marking his 25th year as a solo artist. ("I'm glad to be alive," he announced at the time, "but it really kicked my… .")

With old friends D.J. Bonebrake of X on drums and Memphis, Tenn., guitarist Ron Franklin backing him up, Case spent a mere two days laying down the 12 tracks, which bristle with the energy of hard-charging roadhouse blues.

Jim Fowler and all of L.A.'s jazz

 Yesterday got away from us so we missed posting on member Jim Fowler's latest interview ahead of last night's gig by jazz vocalist Cathy Segal-Garcia at Vitello's in North Hollywood. Fowler does this interviews regularly, so if you're a jazz lover, bookmark his site, City of the Angels, and check back regularly for more podcast interviews and a schedule of jazz gigs around town.

Rosemary McClure shows you what's to see in Hollywood

Our Rosemary McClure, a veteran travel writer, provided the content for a new "Experience Hollywood" site. As McClure explained it in an email, the site "was launched Friday by Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa to promote tourism in Hollywood. 

 "The website, which offers travel information, is being coordinated and powered by Universal Studios. It is part of an 'Experience Hollywood 2010 campaign' kicked off last week by the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors' Bureau and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. The website has places-to-go and things-to-do information, with an emphasis on where to see classic Hollywood sights. It also lists restaurants and nightspots where celebrities often can be seen."

Scott Martelle on punk icon Exene Cervenka

Member Scott Martelle has a piece in the current Orange Coast magazine on Exene Cervenka, one of the key figures in the seminal roots-punk band, X, who now lives in suburban Orange County. From his story:

Things have changed from those raucous days. Punk has moved from rebellion to commodity. The originals are becoming nostalgia acts, the imitators are the scene-setters and, were it not for all the hair dye, this night’s crowd of 50-or-so fans would look like a battalion of Q-Tips. Mosh pit? Um, no. 

Cervenka has changed, too. Age is rarely gentle, and in Cervenka’s case it has brought along multiple sclerosis, diagnosed nearly a year ago. She keeps on top of it with medication, and, so far, the mysterious degenerative disease hasn’t had much affect on her physically. 

 And she has settled, improbably, in Orange County after a four-year sojourn in rural Missouri where she pursued a whim to live “in a big stone house out in the middle of nowhere in the country with my husband, making music and art.” In fact, Cervenka’s band on The Detroit Bar stage looks like one from a Missouri country and western roadhouse, circa 1955.

Nancy Wride visits LA's Grammy Museum for the Sacramento Bee

Our Nancy Wride has this piece in the Sacramento Bee on the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles - yes, there's more to the Grammys than the annual awards show that aired last night. From Wride's story:

The 30,000-square-foot building anchors a corner of the $2.5 billion entertainment and sports complex called L.A. Live, developed by AEG. It houses ESPN Sports, a plaza with giant outdoor screens and 16 new restaurants. Across the street is Staples, home of the Lakers, and next door is the Los Angeles Visitors and Convention Center.

[...]

The museum's name reflects its heritage in the recording industry and decades of awards shows. It does not, however, reflect all that a visitor experiences. The closest thing to museum exhibits are those like the denim duds of 1970s Neil Diamond, or the sequined costumes of Cher and other musical legends. 

There's a Gwen Stefani jumpsuit circa 2005 and a Martin Quintero outfit with Stetson from a 2007 concert. Visitors listen, touch screens, strum guitars or belt out songs. They can hear themselves play on headsets. 

"I think it's great here!" shouted Ian Gonzalez, 8, of South Gate, as he banged on a drum set, his brother Matthew, 5, fingering an electric guitar on a mock stage.

Lynne Heffley on Music for Little People

Member Lynne Heffley has a fresh piece in the LA Times on the recording label, Music for Little People, a look at an eclectic record label of children's music. The label is celebrating its 25th anniversary - a notable milestone is a challenging business. From Heffley's story:

 "With more than 100 releases, a catalog of 500-plus songs and more than 8 million CDs sold, including the platinum-selling "Toddler Favorites," Music for Little People is an improbable survivor in a niche industry that not only presents singular marketing challenges, but also is subject to the ups and downs of the recording industry at large.

 "Luck and business savvy have played a part -- the company produces its own recordings and sells music-related and educational products such as instruments, CD and MP3 players, organic toys and child-safe headphones -- but it's the world-as-one vision of company founder Leib Ostrow that has earned respect and a loyal following through good times and bad."