All Blog Posts (167)

Fawcett omission from Oscar segment no accident

The executive director of the film academy said Tuesday that Farrah Fawcett wasn't included in the Academy Awards' In Memoriam segment because the actress was better known as a TV star.

It was a difficult decision for the committee that assembles the segment to omit Fawcett, said Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences executive director Bruce Davis, who added that he's not surprised some fans and family members are upset.

Fawcett's family issued a statement through a public

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Added by Eddie Grinstead on March 10, 2010 at 7:24am — No Comments

Sotheby's raises record sum at Amsterdam auction

An auction at Sotheby's of more than 160 works of post-war and contemporary art from the Peter Stuyvesant Collection exceeded all expectations on Monday, raising a record 13.6 million euros ($18.6 million).

The works on offer in Amsterdam were the property of British American Tobacco The Netherlands and formed the largest collection of such art ever to come to auction in the country.

"We witnessed a truly remarkable depth of bidding from Europe, North and South America and Asia,

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Added by Eddie Grinstead on March 9, 2010 at 5:20am — No Comments

Stevie Wonder receives top French award

US singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder was Saturday awarded one of France's top cultural honours, which he dedicated to his deceased mother 30 years after he was tapped to receive it.

"I receive this honour in memory of my mother and in memory of all of those that have made it possible for me to stand here today," said an emotional Wonder, clad in marine blue striped suit, as he received the Commander of Arts and Letters award from French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand.

"As I

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Added by Eddie Grinstead on March 7, 2010 at 1:09pm — No Comments

Met premieres Shostakovich's absurdist 'The Nose'

Dmitri Shostakovich composed his first opera, "The Nose," more than 80 years ago and based it on a short story written nearly a century before that.

Yet few works in the repertory seem more modern or musically challenging than this absurdist masterpiece that came to the Metropolitan Opera for the first time Friday night.

Written when the composer was just 22, the opera is adapted from a story by Nikolai Gogol about a bureaucrat in St. Petersburg named Kovalyov who wakes up to di

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Added by Eddie Grinstead on March 6, 2010 at 6:20pm — No Comments

Black From The Day-Dee C'rell & Claire Simone New Release on Lemongrass Music Label (DE)

The scheduled release of "Lounge Du Soleil Vol.9" (containing Dee C'rell feat. Claire Simone) on Lemongrass Records will be on March 19th. It will be available exclusively on iTunes for the first 2 months and after that it will be available

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Added by Aja on March 5, 2010 at 2:45pm — No Comments

Look...DON'T TOUCH (A Musician's Universal Plea)

A couple of weeks ago, I had an experience that has put me on a personal crusade to educate people about musicians and their equipment.

Now first of all, if you are a fan of mine, I hope that you will not take offense to this statement, but people simply don't have a single clue as to how expensive our equipment is and why nobody, other than the musician who owns it, should ever bother

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Added by Shenole Latimer on March 5, 2010 at 1:44pm — No Comments

Sarah Palin pitching TV show about Alaska

Producer Mark Burnett said Thursday he is pitching a series to television networks that would be about Alaska seen through the eyes of its most famous resident, Sarah Palin.

Palin and Burnett have been meeting this week to talk about the idea with executives at ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox, according to three broadcast executives, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the networks don't publicly discuss story pitches.

Burnett, one of TV's busiest producers best known for his "Sur

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Added by Eddie Grinstead on March 5, 2010 at 11:42am — No Comments

Comments on Marvin Bu Ga Lu Smith's 2/23/10 concert at The Terrace

Beneath the Multitudinous and even conflicting desires of men we can see the one desire which gives UNITY and MEANING,FORCE AND DECISION to all human desires. All men seek what they seek for one reason: THEY THINK IT WILL SATISFY THEM. They believe that the accomplishment of their desires will make them happy. We all know that happin… Continue

Added by Steve Habib on March 3, 2010 at 3:53pm — No Comments

STEVE HABIB

Thank you for allowing me to be here to comment about our JAZZ FIELD OF MUSIC. It truly is The American Art-Form of SOUND VIBRATION. Jazz is something that runs deep inside of all of us that have been drawn to it. It is LOVE,PEACE,HEALING and PASSION. It is expressed with the utmost inner feelings coming to the surface. Few words are needed as the colors of the sounds from the speaker cabinets of our soul(THE INSTRUMENT THAT WE CHOOSE)tell it all.

Steve Habib

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Added by Steve Habib on March 3, 2010 at 3:25pm — 1 Comment

New `Shrek' film to open Tribeca Film Festival

The Tribeca Film Festival will open with the world premiere of "Shrek Forever After" on April 21.

The annual New York film festival, co-created by Robert De Niro, announced the selection Monday.

"Shrek Forever After" is the fourth film in DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc.'s "Shrek" series. It stars Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas.

The film is being advertised as the "final chapter" in the "Shrek" series. It's also the first "Shrek" released in 3-D.

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Added by Eddie Grinstead on March 1, 2010 at 6:50pm — No Comments

Argentine Oscar nominee is historical thriller

Argentina's Oscar nominee for best foreign film is a thriller set in the country's main federal courthouse, where an investigator discovers co-workers torturing suspects into false confessions and running death squads for the president.

Does Benjamin (Ricardo Darin) risk everything to expose the bad guys and bring them to justice? Or resign himself to silence and fear — the same emotions that keep him from revealing his feelings for his boss Irene (Soledad Villamil), the woman he despe

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Added by Eddie Grinstead on February 25, 2010 at 3:47pm — No Comments

Jennifer Lopez announces split from Sony

Jennifer Lopez is off of Sony's block.

The singing and acting diva has confirmed she has split from Sony Music after more than a decade. Sony's Epic Records put out her first CD, "On The 6," in 1999. Since then, she's sold millions, but also had a couple of CDs with disappointing sales.

A new album called "Love?" was due to be released by the label this spring. But in a statement released Tuesday night, Lopez said: "At this point, I have fulfilled all my contractual obligations

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Added by Eddie Grinstead on February 24, 2010 at 2:58pm — No Comments

"First Impressions" Now Available!

Today marks the official release of Hulon's CD, "First Impressions." It is now available digitally on both CD Baby and iTunes! Click below to get your copy:

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Added by Hulon on February 23, 2010 at 2:37pm — No Comments

Vegas hotel unveils Elvis extravaganza

Three decades after Elvis Presley took his last bow on the Las Vegas Strip, where he once reigned as king, the magicians of Cirque du Soleil have tried to summon back the power of this supreme entertainer in a show titled, "Viva Elvis."

They have mixed a dizzying array of dance, acrobatics, live musicians, over-the-top stage sets, and glitzy costumes with gigantic videos of Elvis in his most legendary performances and memorable life events.

In the words of an Elvis song, the res

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Added by Eddie Grinstead on February 21, 2010 at 11:47am — No Comments

National Trust may save Abbey Road studios

Britain's National Trust may intervene to protect the Abbey Road studios where the Beatles recorded most of their hits.

The London studios are being put up for sale by the cash-strapped record company EMI.

The possibility that the studios might fall into private hands and be demolished has sparked a national outcry spurred by former Beatle Paul McCartney and prominent disk jockey Chris Evans.

The National Trust said Thursday that public input is being sought before making

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Added by Eddie Grinstead on February 18, 2010 at 1:58pm — No Comments

Holly Hofmann Transcription

There is an interesting version of Close Your Eyes on YouTube featuring flutist, Holly Hofmann and pianist, Mike Wofford:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkWfr3sr4Zs

I liked the flute solo so much that I transcribed it and put it on my website:

http://scooby-sax.com/transcriptions.aspx

Enjoy!

- Scooby

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Added by Jeff Rzepiela on February 18, 2010 at 2:20am — No Comments

Hulon Makes Good First Impressions With New CD On Premier Musique Group Label

Hulon’s debut First Impressions is a perfect title for his new album on the Premier Musique Group imprint. Hailing from Panama City Beach, FL,. Hulon knows how to enjoy his surroundings to the fullest and nothing makes it more appropriate than some relaxing smooth jazz to listen to.

If you are looking for some mood music Hulon has just the… Continue

Added by Hulon on February 18, 2010 at 1:06am — No Comments

“Tonight” CD marks first release for new indie label

Oklahoma City (Jazz Drops Records) – It was officially announced that independent, aritst-owned Label, Jazz Drops Records will release Oklahoma City guitarist, Maurice Johnson’s debut album, “Tonight” which is scheduled to hit initial digital distribution points within weeks.

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Added by MAURICE JOHNSON on February 16, 2010 at 4:45pm — No Comments

Hollywood producer Evans' life story headed to stage

First, there was Robert Evans the producer/studio executive. Then Evans the autobiographer. Then audiobook star. Then documentary subject. And now, Evans the Broadway play.

Smuggler Films said Wednesday that it has acquired the live stage rights to Evans' 1994 autobiography, "The Kid Stays in the Picture," and its unpublished sequel, "The Fat Lady Sang."

Jon Robin Baitz -- whose first play, "Mizjon robin baitzlansky/Zilinksy," concerned a couple of down-on-their-luck Hollywood p

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Added by Eddie Grinstead on February 11, 2010 at 3:40pm — No Comments