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A few dozen revelers rang in the new year from our base in Times Square, where they overlooked the proceedings from our strategic roof deck, ate, drank, and jammed into the wee hours. And fully 19% of the singles who attended the party also hooked up before night's end - just another benefit of being a part of the Jam. Here's wishing you and your loved ones a very peaceful and happy 2007. Our first 2007 Showcase happens this Thursday (1/4) at The Red Lion, and will feature acoustic hits from Planet Girl unplugged (Valerie Gurka and Tony Novarro), Classic Rock from Frisky Business (Lisa Thaler, Al Sklar, Marc Steve, Tony Novarro); Pop/Rock from Princess Rainbow & The Crown Victorians (Minx, John Carucci, Grace Millo, Phil Dunn, Guy Villano, Tyler Land); party music fromThe Contractors (Maribeth, Dwayne, John, Pete, and Gregg), the award-winning Beatles tribute No Mersey (Elliot Hurwitz, Bobby Berher, Ed Howe, Al Sklar, Zoe Friedman), and Bleecker Street's ever-popular Rolling Bones (Ted Ames, Sandra Lagerstrom, George Majoros, Greg Manning, Dave Stancavish, Guy Villano, Scott McCoy, Charlie Mangano). |
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New for 2006 is the Gibson Custom Shop ES-335 Diamond, a limited-run twist on a classic design. This all-maple semi-hollowbody features front-and- back body binding, diamond-shaped f-holes, a bound rosewood fingerboard on a one-piece, slim-taper mahogany neck, and gold hardware (Grover "kidney" tuners, '57 Classic humbucker pickups). Our Pearl White test model sports an optional Bigsby vibrato. And if you're a Jam member, you can take her for a spin this week at the Jam. |
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Those who see things radically differently than the average human being are either "visionary" or "crazy". It struck me while watching Rivers and Tides, the award-winning video portrtait of environmental artist Andy Goldsworthy, that regardless of whether you can fully receive his wavelength, his unique sensibilty is easy to appreciate and has much to teach musicians. Many of Goldsworthy's works are ephemeral - they "play" and are gone, yet their emotional impact resonates long afterward. Deeply contextual, his pieces are not only created from their surroundings - they enter a "dialogue" with their environment before being reabsorbed. Most facinating to the very limited artist in me is the fact that Goldsworthy's work doesn't rely so much on "technique" as it does keen perception and fine attunement to his materials and their surroundings - he "listens" very well before deciding how to contribute to the landscape. The end result is a strikingly beautiful statement constructed from rather simple means. |
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Thursday (1/4): Showcase at Red Lion, featuring: Planet Girl unplugged (7 pm), Frisky Business (8 pm), Princess Rainbow and The Crown Victorians (8:45 pm), The Contractors (9:30 pm), No Mersey (10:15 pm), and The Rolling Bones (11:15 pm). Friday (1/5): Open Blues and Rock Jam from 6 to 10 pm at The Jam (701 7th Ave., 7W). $15 for Jam members, $25 for everyone else, all gear included. Saturday (1/6): Open Rock Jam at The Jam (701 7th Ave., 7W), 4 to 8 pm. $15 for Jam members, $25 for non-members, all gear included. |
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Next week, we'll return to the Meatpacking District's shabby-chic R&R, for a showcase with original rockers Fugue State, femme- fatalists Complicated Lady, the award-winning Newspaper Taxis, and perhaps the always-awesome Pink Flawd (pictured at left). The Newbie Jam (with your hostess Patty Murray) returns on Monday, January 8. |
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Starting this week, we'll begin the switch over to Evans EC2 ("edge control") drumheads on our rack toms. The 2-ply design features a proprietary edge ring that controls overtones, adds focus and warmth, and enhances low-end attack. Now that cold season is (nearly) upon us, you should know that we give our studio microphones a nightly Clorox disinfecting/sanitizing wipedown. So breathe easy. |
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I've always found it odd that people can have great difficulty with abstract (visual) art, yet easily appreciate instrumental music. A Jackson Pollock painting isn't "representational", but neither is a Bach concerto. I'm not sure why we require less ambiguity from our eyes than our ears, but it's to our detriment. If you can't see the music in a Pollock, you'll only be looking at splattered paint. Jam Master G a/k/a Gregg Raybin |
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