Screening of "Phil Ochs, There But For Fortune" with Kenneth Bowser (Director); Tom Hayden and Michael Ochs @ Grammy Museum (L.A.)
(Tues.) March 1, 2011
As our country continues to embroil itself in foreign wars, Phil Ochs, There But For Fortune is a timely and relevant tribute to an unlikely American hero. Over the course of a meteoric music career that spanned two(2) turbulent decades, Phil Ochs sought the bright lights of fame and social justice in equal measure - a contradiction that eventually tore him apart. From youthful idealism - to rage - to pessimism, the arch of Och's life paralleled that of the times; the anger, the satire and righteous indignation that drove his music, also drove him to dark despair.
In this brilliantly constructed film by Kenneth Bowser, interview and performance footage of Ochs is illuminated by the ruminations of Joan Baez, Tom Hayden, Pete Seeger, Sean Penn, Peter Yarrow, Christopher Hitchens and others.
Commentary by Dr. ka-TI: Social and Political Activist and former CA Senator Tom Hayden, made one indelible statement: "The 60's isn't over; we are still in it." With that statement, I went home in absolute ... silence.
Clive Davis began his career at Columbia Records where he was appointed President (1967) and where he signed such legendary rock artists as Janis Joplin, Santana, Blood/Sweat & Tears, Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith, Chicago, Loggins & Messina and Earth/Wind & Fire. In 1974, Davis went on to co-found Arista Recods and signed Barry Manilow, Patti Smith and Whitney Houston and developed the careers of the Grateful Dead, Eurythmics, Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin and Carly Simon.
His business ventures include forming LaFace Records (1989) with Babyface and L.A. Reid, and creating Bad Boy Records (1994) with Sean "Diddy" Combs. In 2000, J Records was born in partnership with BMG and merged a dominant force, releasing the works of Alicia Keys, Luther Vandross and Maroon 5. Davis was then appointed Chairman/CEO of BMG U.S. Label group in which he oversaw and expanded RCA Music Group, including J Records, RCA and Arista Records. After BMG and Sony merged in 2008, Davis was appointed CCO, Sony Music Worldwide.
Diane Warren is one of the most prolific contemporary songwriters of our time. A quick glance at her list of Top 10 Hits reveals a range of musical genre and styles so diverse, it's difficult to believe the songs could have come from the same person but yet they did. Diane continues to pour forth songs that keep climbing the charts for artists such as Celine Dion, Cher, LeAnn Rimes, Toni Braxton and many, many others ....
Harvey Mason, Jr. has penned and produced for Justin Timberlake, Beyonce', Chris Brown, Britney Spears and artists of iconic status such as Elton John, Aretha Franklin, Luther Vandross, Whitney Houston and Toni Braxton. Major motion picture studios also called upon his talent to produce music for films such as Academy Award winning film: "Dreamgirls." As of Feb. 2011, Harvey is currently working on new records with Jennifer Hudson, Chris Brown, Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls, and Anita Baker.
Commentary from Dr. ka-TI: Important to note that the 200-seat theatre at the Grammy Museum, where all of these events take place, is also known as the: Clive Davis Theatre!
California State U. Northridge's Valley Performing Arts Center ("VPAC") held a star studded Opening Gala (Sat.) Jan. 29, 2011. Stars, civic leaders and arts patrons gathered to celebrate the grand opening of the Valley's $125 million megacenter with live music, ballet and dramatic performances, followed by a black-tie dinner.
Guests thrilled to the big-band sounds of trumpeter Arturo Sandoval - ably accompanied by actor, Andy Garcia, on the bongos. Monica Mancini performed dreamy songs from her famous father's playbook, creating a full evening of inspiring performances to kick off the center's debut.
Those attended include: Calista Flockhart (Mrs. Harrison Ford), Beau/Wendy Bridges, Benjamin Bratt, Jane Kaczmarek, Steven Weber, Noah Wyle, Eric Stoltz, Tyne Daly, Arturo Sandoval, Andy Garcia, Cheech/Natasha Marin, Gillian Murphy (ballet), Jose Carreno, Dave Koz, Monica Mancini, Doris Roberts, Nancy Cartwright (the voice of Bart Simpson), Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Supervisors Zev Yaroslavsky/Michael Antonovich and others ....
Dr. ka-TI played "photo journalist" yet again, as she has done for most of the photos on this website.
The week-long Yoga Retreat @ Samasati Nature Retreat near Puerto Viejo de Talamanca (Southern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica) = downpour, downpour; endless downpours!
Puerto Viejo
There was a brief visit to town, Puerto Viejo, on the first full day (see photo of colourful gift shop and sighting of a turkey vulture!).
Tsiru Ve Cocoa House (aka the "chocolate factory")
The Tsiru Ve "chocolate factory" consisted of one large hut. Cocoa trees surround the hut as well as other tropical plants including bananas, coconuts, papayas and even wild basil.
A lovely villager girl guided us from initial picking of the cocoa pods; the drying/cooking of the cocoa seeds into paste, until the final product ... chocolates(!) sweetened by natural cane sugar. Yum!
"Tour de Artisania y Plantas Medicinales/Familia Catato (Watsy Talamanca); Bribri' Indian Village
A village elder guided us around the area consisting of several huts. Every plant/seed/flower was useful in some way as food, medicine, jewelry (+ decorative colourings/dyes), strings, utensils and more. He then demonstrated how strings are made, from scratch, by picking a certain fibrous leaf - extracting its fibre and so on. He even dyed the string orangey-red, colour directly from a red pod filled with seeds.
Waterfall @ Carbon
Trecherous, especially crossing the various waterways and also because the rain poured down on us, mercilessly. Key word to the waterfall experience: mud, mud, slippery mud!
Sloth Sanctuary: Rescue/Research/Education @ Limo'n
Luis Arroyo and Judy Avey-Arroyo rescued the first orphaned infant sloth in 1992. Since then, the focus has been primarily on rescuing and caring for both kinds of sloths native to Costa Rica: the Bradypus Variegatus (3-fingered) and Choloepus Hoffmanni (2-fingered). The rescue center became official in 1997 with the purpose to learn to truly understand these animals, with its remarkable ability to adapt and survive as far back as prehistoric times.
The Sanctuary responds to the need to educate people about these animals; to protect sloths from variety of threats caused, mostly, by human intervention: electrocuted while crossing power cables; orphaned because mothers were hit by cars; stoned/beatened by people; attacked by dogs and other horrific accidents.
The clinic/nursery/kitchen (for the preparation of the sloth's special diet) at the Sanctuary is in desperate need of basic equipment. For further information, please contact: slothsanctuary@gmail.com; www.slothrescue.org
The Shaman of Talamanca (Reservations) Watsy (State)
We were guided by Fernando - our guide for the week - to the Shaman's section of the village during the last day at Samasati. I observed, carefully and quietly, as Shaman - Lisandro - performed several ceremonies for our Yoga teacher, Wendy Banks. I also received his Blessings.
Parc Morazan, San Jose'
On the last day, prior to the Sunday dawn flight (Frontier Airlines), I spent the night @ the Parque Morazan, San Jose' (the capital of Costa Rica), where a dear old friend from Berklee days - Robin Blakeman - met me.
Good ol' Robin took an 8-hour bus ride, from Panama City, just to meet me for ... dinner.
On (Tues.) December 7, 2010, Dick Cavett was in town to promote his latest book, "Talk Show: Confrontations, Pointed Commentary, and Off-Screen Secrets," a compendium of his New York Times columns that combines reminiscences with observation. Brooks was there to help, holding up the book from time to time to remind the audience of the occasion.
"I feel somewhat like a panther or a leopard on an overhanging limb of a tree, and there's a rabbit walking underneath," Brooks said, comparing Cavett, whom he called "sweet" to a vulnerable bunny. "Because you said that," Cavett responded, "I'm going to tell a couple things I had decided not to tell."
Cavett is, of course, best known as an erudite and incisive talk show host, whose calm, bred-in-Nebraska demeanor proved a fertile foil for everyone from Janis Joplin to Groucho Marx. Brooks is the comic filmmaker: Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, Spaceballs and whose 1968 movie, The Producers, became a Tony-winning Broadway hit more than 30 years later.
Brooks and Cavett know each other from their early days as comedy writers and on stage they traded anecdotes like old friends. Clearly they'd mapped out some of the things they'd touch on: There was much Jewish-Gentile banter, a shared recollection of a Ballantine Beer ad they'd done together, and tales of meeting Bob Hope as young men, then again later as celebrities. In one of several obviously prearranged "spontaneous" moments, when Brooks called out to Carl Reiner, who was sitting in the third row, the 88-year-old film director-writer-actor joined the conversation for a bit from the audience. Reiner, who is remarkably quick-talking and still very funny, told the story behind the famous 2,000-Year-Old Man routine that he and Brooks did in the '60s and '70s.
It was a night full of Hollywood reminiscences. Because Brooks and Cavett admire comedians of an earlier generation -- Hope and Marx among them -- the evening harkened the industry's Golden Era. The night was also a kind of club meeting of Hollywood funnymen. In addition to Reiner, director Paul Mazursky was also in the audience, responding when Brooks called out to him from the stage, cupping his hands against the lights and looking into the crowd.
Brook and Cavett also talked about Alfred Hitchcock, with whom Brooks lunched regularly while working on "High Anxiety." Cavett, who spiced up by his Hitchcock anecdote with an impression of the wheezy director, recalled something that happened during a break in the taping of Cavett's talk show: Hitchcock, who had been sitting silently during the taping, suddenly spoke up, apropos of nothing. " 'Grace Kelly,' " Cavett remembered him saying, " 'was the most promiscuous woman I have ever known.' "
Other notable moments of the evening: Brooks jumping up and singing "Springtime for Hitler," in the voice of Frank Sinatra and Cavett's talking about Fred Astaire's response to what Katharine Hepburn said about him and Ginger Rogers (something like, "He gave her class, she gave him sex").
Much of what Cavett and Brooks said can't be repeated because they used plenty of words they never got to say on '70s TV and a lot of their comedy exists in the moment, in the pacing and the delivery. Brooks was particularly brilliant Tuesday night with both the long slow build and the well-told story with comic zingers dropped in nonchalantly, like grenades. Cavett seemed more direct: I'm going to tell you a funny story now, but his anecdotes tended to end with a one-two punch, the obvious funny line followed by a curve from another direction. He even got Brooks to do a spit-take.
After the recent hubub over Steve Martin's 92nd Street Y appearance, it was nice to see a large audience embracing the more than hourlong conversation through whatever turns it took. The only exception were a few who had some trouble hearing as the sound in the balcony of the historic and magnificent Saban, where restoration is underway, was a little muffled.
During the Q&A session, Cavett talked about his stint as the narrator in the Broadway revival of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." He's not on the cast album, he said, because he engaged with hecklers too much. Brooks also answered a question about Broadway, saying "Blazing Saddles" is "almost a musical" and "a good possibility."
"I'm really proud of our friendship," Brooks said as they wound down. "I really am." "I'm moved," Cavett said, dry as dust, "Can you tell?"
[*The above article: Courtesy of L.A. Times]
Commentary from Dr. ka-TI: Carl Reiner sat one row behind me to the left and a few seats over. I could observe Carl quite easily, as he utilized the floor mic to carry dialogues with Dick and Mel.
At the book signing, Dick Cavett saw how I spell the name "Ti" and commented that ... Americans probably call me "Tie" and shook his head saying, how the education of Americans need much improvement.
This is one man I'd really like to meet again and learn from!
Dr. ka-TI attended both L.A. shows of Roger Waters' "The Wall."
The first evening, she was seated high up thus the (almost) bird's eye view from stage right. The second evening, she was seated at the center of Staples Center, thus the full frontal view of the stage and "The 'Wall."
The centerpiece of the show was the wall of white bricks that was methodically built up while Waters and his crack band churned out The Wall's tales of isolation and oppression. A major theme of the two+ hour presentation - which included a 25-minute break - was the futility and madness of war.
An hour after the show started the wall was complete, standing about 40 feet high and stretching the entire length of the stage, so that the band was completely hidden and only Waters could be seen peeking through where one brick was missing, singing the languid, "Goodbye Cruel World."
During intermission, "The Wall" became a memorial for the casualties of human conflict, displaying pictures of scores of dead civilians, soldiers, and activists to a solemn soundtrack.
By the end of the show, all the bricks in "The Wall" have tumbled to the ground, yet again ... where a small army of workmen folded down the white cardboard-box bricks, readying for the next gig.
Journalist, Rona Elliot, very kindly invited me to Thanks Giving at her Bel Air home. She told me a great musician/bass player will also come for dinner. That bass player was Jack Casady (of the Jefferson Airplane).
Rona then proceeded to tell us that her friend, Charles, will be popping in for a drink. That Charles just happened to be ... Althorp. I believe Rona and her hubby were somewhat surprized that I knew who Charles was, having recognized him immediately.
The 9th Earl Spencer (Princess Diana's youngest brother and uncle to Prince William) was recently introduced to a very lovely Philanthropist/Whole Child founder: Karen Gordon, by Rona - the matchmaker. Forthcoming wedding June 18, 2011.
Elektra60/Jac Holzman @ Book Soup (Hollywood) (Sat.) November 6, 2010
Elektra60/Jac Holzman with Joe Smith and Ray Manzarek @ the Grammy Museum (L.A.) (Mon.) November 8, 2010
Jac Holzman was the founder, CEO & creative head of both Elektra(1950) and Nonesuch Records(1964). While part of the WCI Music group, Mr. Holzman helped establish both WEA Distibuting Group and WEA International. Among artists he has produced/discovered are: Butterfield Blues Band, Tim Buckley, Harry Chapin, Judy Collins, The Doors, Love, Mc5, Fred Neil, Phil Ochs, Queen, Carly Simon, Iggy(Pop) & the Stooges, and numerous others.
In 1973, Mr. Holzman became Senior VP of WCI and the company's Chief Technologist. He co-wrote Warner's business plan for early entry into home video and the first interactive cable system (Qube). In 1976, Mr. Holzman performed technical evaluation for WCI's acquisition of Atari (focussing on product planning), which he became a member of the Board (through 1982).
From 1972-1982, Mr. Holzman was appointed Director and Senior Consultant to Poineer Electronics, contributing to Pioneer's early adoption and successful implementation of both the CD and Laserdisc technologies. He led the team that launched CD for Warner Music Group obtaining critical know-how technology to be used by WMG's own manufacturing arm.
June 1982, Mr. Holzman assumed Chairmanship of Panavision Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Warner Communications, then in both financial and structural decline. In 2-1/2 years, Panavision was turned-around and became, instead, a cash generator. Under his stewardship, Panavision began a totally new program of optical design resulting in the Academy Award winning Primo series lenses.
In 1986, Mr. Holzman formed FirstMedia, a closely held investment firm specializing in communications. FirstMedia led the acquisition of Cinema Products, the largest non-camera maker of precision equipment for the motion picture industry which included the Oscar winning Steadicam family of camera stabilizing products.
Mr. Holzman served four times on the steering committee for Scientific and Technical Awards; was awarded British Rock Magazine's MOJO Medal; 2008 Trustees Grammy for Lifetime Achievements; inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2011).
2010 marks the 60th Anniversary of Jac Holzman's founding of Elektra Records.
Currently, at the age of 79, Mr. Holzman is back full time at WMG immersing himself in a wide range of Digital Music Initiatives and serving as Senior Advisor to WMG Chairman, Edgar Bronfman, Jr.
Commentary from Dr. ka-TI: In the Fall of 2010, I had the opportunity to hear Mr. Holzman share his wisdom three(3) times altogether. The first of the three was (Thurs.) October 14 at the 92nd St.Y (NY), where Natalie Merchant and Jackson Browne performed an acoustic set, in Mr. Holzman's honour. Moderator for the 92nd St.Y Talk was Patti Smith Band founding member, Lenny Kaye.
Dr. ka-TI's personal observation:
Russell Brand is truly a genius and a one of a kind talent. The interviewer @ October 12th's "Times Talk" could hardly keep up with the guy.
At the after-show "Booky Wook 2" signing, I'd mentioned to Russell that I was @ artist Shepard Fairey's studio earlier in the Summer and Shepard had shown me the design, on the computer, of this very book cover. Yes, "Shepard is a bloody genius."
As lots of fans were waiting for the book signing, including a young man with "Bieber hair" (see photo), I patted Russell on the shoulder to thank him. Russell turned to me and said, "Don't you want a ... cuddle?" Alright, alright, I thought.
John Lennon's 70th Birthday celebrations (L.A.) October, 2010
"John Lennon, Songwriter" Exhibit @ the Grammy Museum (L.A.)
(Sun.) October 3, 2010 (early p.m.)
The exhibit pays tribute to the songwriting genius, his roots, his influences and the various elements of Lennon's songwriting history; covering his earlier influences (Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran, Bob Dylan and others); his songwriting collaborations with McCartney and his transitions from a Beatle to a solo artist/songwriter and his work with Ono.
John Lennon Educational Tour Bus @ Nokia Plaza (L.A. Live)
(Sun.) October 3, 2010 (mid p.m.)
The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus was comfortably situated @ the Nokia Plaza (L.A. Live) on Sunday afternoon, where British singer/songwriter, Julia Fordham, her husband Arthur and Dr. ka-TI entered the curious world of the Lennonbus, for demonstrations. Check it out: lennonbus.org
An evening with Yoko Ono @ the Grammy Museum (L.A.)
(Sun.) October 3, 2010 (later p.m.)
In celebration of the 70th anniversary of John Lennon's birth (Oct. 9) and in support of Grammy Museum's exhibit, "John Lennon, Songwriter," Yoko Ono took part in the Museum's "An Evening With" series. Two-time Grammy winner, multimedia artist and peace activist discussed her late husband's life and legacy before taking audience questions.
Note: This was the evening where Dr. ka-TI was introduced to Ms. Ono resulting in the one-on-one photo taken by Ms. Ono's personal photographer. http://www.yoko-ono.com/
West Coast Premier: "LennoNYC" @ the Grammy Museum (L.A.)
(Mon.) October 4, 2010
LennoNYC is the story of one of the most famous and influential artists of the Twentieth Century; how he found redemption not in the public adoration he craved as a youth but in the quiet and simple pleasures of fatherhood. LennoNYC is a comprehensive documentary by Michael Epstein about Lennon's NY years: his final decade or virtually his entire post-Beatles career. It is a perfect companion to the remix/remastered '80's album: "Double Fantasy/Stripped Down CD - which were handed out as souvenirs the previous evening. LennoNYC's purview is not only musical; it also touches on Lennon's political involvements, his four-year deportation battle and the ups and downs of his marriage with Ms. Ono. Lennon's post-Beatles musical development is the glue that holds the story together.
The documentary features interviews with Ms. Ono and artists who worked closely with Lennon including Elton John and photographer, Bob Gruen (who took the iconic portrait of Lennon in a "New York City" t-shirt. It also included musicians who collaborated with Lennon: members of his early 1970's backup band, Elephant's Memory, as well as studio pros like guitarists: Earl Slick; Hugh McCracken, and drummer Andy Newmark, who worked with him later, offering insights into Lennon's composing and recording process, in which he often rewrote lyrics and changed arrangements as he went along. Lennon's music, for the most part, was an autobiography in progress.
Commentary from Dr. ka-TI: I attended the screening with journalist (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Trustee) Rona Elliot. Yoko Ono was seated to our right, a couple of seats away. As the film approached 1980, I noticed that Yoko began to get fidgety. I, personally, felt suffocated as we all know what the outcome will soon be. Rona wept uncontrollably until the close of the screening and all the way to the bathroom, where we bumped into Yoko. As I went into the toilet stall, Rona and Yoko had a private moment between two old friends. Yoko told Rona: "What a messed-up life..." (as a humble testament to Yoko's own life).
No, Yoko; not a messed-up life. You are the ultimate survivor. You have risen above all of those that simply love to blame you for the breakup of the Beatles (even though the breakup was inevitable, with or without you ...). They couldn't destroy you then and they can't even touch you now ....
John Lennon's 70th Birthday celebrations (N.Y.)
October, 2010
"Documenting John Lennon": The Paley Center for Media (NYC)
The Paley Center for Media held exhibits and screenings in honour of John Lennon throughout October, 2010 as follows: "Imagine" the documentary (Fri.) October 8, 2010 (early p.m.)
This was the first of several NY events celebrating John Lennon's 70th Birthday, which Dr. ka-TI attended.
"This Boy ... John Lennon in Liverpool" (Fri.) October 8 (mid p.m.)
The exhibit consists of photographs from Lennon's youth with rare images of his first band, the Quarrymen, which eventually became the Beatles. Also includes some of the earliest images of Paul McCartney and then George Harrison, joining the group, plus a video of John speaking about these formative years.
"Nowhere Boy" Screening; Q & A w/ Quarrymen, MC'd by Beatles historian, Martin Lewis @ the AMC (Lincoln Square, N.Y.)
(Sat.) October 9, 2010 (a.m.)
Dr. ka-TI attended an early morning (10:20am!) screening of "Nowhere Boy" a theatrical biopic which dramatically captures the crucial teenage years of John Lennon. For the first time on screen, it depicts the events and personal circumstances that led to the formation of the Beatles, and the underlying family currents, that shaped and molded the creative and inspirational qualities of John Lennon.
"Happy Birthday John!" Concert @ Society for Ethical Culture (NYC)
(Sat.) October 9, 2010 (p.m.)
Featuring friends of John Lennon's including The Quarrymen (Len Garry, Rod Davis [w/beard] - Gtrs./ Colin Hanton - drms) ), Pete Seeger, Tom Paxton, Neil Innes (The Ruttles), Mark Hudson, Earl Slick, Glen Burtnik, Marshall Crenshaw, Tom Chapin, Garland Jeffreys, Never Shout Never (Christopher Drew), and others ....
The after-show "VIP" reception took place at the Gibson Guitar Entertainment Showroom aka The Hit Factory (where John and Yoko recorded "Double Fantasy" up until the last day of John's life (December 8, 1980).
Commentary by Dr. ka-TI: At the Gibson Showroom, I got to meet studio guitarist: Hugh McCracken (see LennoNYC); saxophonist: Lou Marini (Saturday Night Live Band) and of course, members of the Quarrymen. Neil Innes was also there and he very graciously handed me the original printed sheet of the poem he'd just read at the concert.
This was the first after-show reception I have ever attended in NYC and I oh so loved that NYC vibe. Yeah ... New YORK!
Strawberry Fields, Central Park (NYC)
WE MISS JOHN!
An Evening with Blake Edwards (+ the screening of S.O.B.), hosted by Walter Mirisch @ the Academy of Motion Pictures (L..A.) (Thurs.) September 30, 2010
Blake Edwards (RIP Dec. 15, 2010): is the last grand survivor of America's Golden Age of the Movies' studio system, which collapsed under him just as he was hitting his stride with two huge hits in a row: "Operation Petticoat" (Cary Grant's biggest box office win) and "Breakfast at Tiffany's" (Audrey Hepburn's most iconic performance). Equally adept at comedy or drama (check out "Days of Wine and Roses" again), Blake is most identified with wild comedy, the toughest thing to direct successfully, and the least taken seriously. But a man who could do such extraordinary brilliant and achingly funny pictures as the Pink Panther series, "10", S.O.B., Victor/Victoria, and "What Did You Do In the War, Daddy?" among many others, deserves a very special place in the pantheon of great picturemakers.
Signed: Peter Bogdanovich, September 16, 2010.
Walter Mirisch: New York native, produced his first film "The Fall Guy" in 1947. He, his brothers (Harold and Marvin) formed the Mirisch Company in 1957, producing films such as: The Apartment, West Side Story, The Great Escape, Thomas Crown Affair, Fiddler on the Roof, and several features directed by Blake Edwards including: The Pink Panther(1964) and the Party(1968).
Walter Mirisch won Best Picture Oscar for producing: In The Heat of The Night(1967); received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award(1977) and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award(1982). Mirisch served as President of the Academy of Motion Pictures from 1973-1977. His memoir: "I Thought We Were Making Movies, Not History" was published in 2008.
Commentary from Dr. ka-TI: Nearing the end of this special evening as I headed to the loo, lo and behold, there she was ... Julie Andrews (Mrs. Blake Edwards) herself, in the loo queue immediately in front of me. We found ourselves leaning up against the bathroom wall together, inches apart, while waiting patiently for a stall to open up. Julie Andrews was tall, elegant, down-to-earth (chatting with the gals in the loo) and as stunning as ever.
Pilgrimage to Woodstock and Bethel Woods (the site of the 1969 Woodstock Music and Art Fair) August 2010
I chose to go on a Woodstock "Pilgrimage" in August, to be as close to the time/climate of the original 1969 Woodstock Festival as possible, as August 2010 would have been the 41st Anniversary of the original Festival. Below is my personal account of one inspirational and magical week in the Catskills, N.Y. (my first):
Meeting Photographer Elliot Landy and wife, Lynda, Saugerties (N.Y.)
(Wed.) August 4, 2010 (a.m.)
On the day that I arrived in Woodstock (Tues. August 3) and after having checked-in at the Wild Rose Inn, I went for a drive and stopped at Bearsville Theatre, where there was an exhibit by Dylan/The Band photographer: Elliot Landy. His phone number was also present and the following morning, I gave Elliot a ring.
Elliot thought I just wanted to check out his work and told me to go to the library. After a few persuasive minutes, telling him that I have an appointment to meet with Michael Lang in the afternoon, Elliot gave me directions to his home studio via Glasco Turnpike, a mere few minutes drive from the Wild Rose. He and his wife, Lynda, were there to greet me.
I was at Landyvision studios for hours - learning about the history of Woodstock and the vicinity; about how Elliot was invited up to this area because Dylan's then manager, Albert Grossman, hired him to shoot Dylan and The Band. He also told me the address of the "Big Pink" - the famous landmark that housed members of The Band resulting in the album, "Music from Big Pink."
I purchased several prints and the book, "Woodstock Vision" and left ....
In the late afternoon (same day), I visited the Lang's 100-acre Mount Tremper estate. Tamara has had a tough few weeks but made time for me. Harry, one of the twin boys, gave me a tour of the estate including a visit to the chicken coop; there were two eggs laid.
Michael finally arrived from the City and we got "down to business." He only had 15+/- minutes before jumping back on the phone - a 7:30pm conference call ("Michael's always on the phone," stated Tamara). I brought a map of the Catskill, gave Michael a pen/yellow highlighter and proceeded to ask him how he went about finding Max Yasgur's farm, the location of the 1969 Woodstock Festival. With the help of Tamara, they highlighted the map so I could follow his "Road to Woodstock."
Here's Michael story:
He'd originally found a site in Saugerties, "but they didn't want us." At Walkill, "we were there for three(3) months but they were shooting at us." With less than one month before the scheduled Festival was to begin, the resultant karma brought him to Max Yasgur's farm in Bethel, the most perfect of all locations (aka the "Bowl") [Important to note: Michael had already seen this "Bowl" in his dreams some months earlier....]
Q: Why did Max Yasgur allow the Festival to be held on his farm, in spite of oppositions from neighbouring farmers?
A: Max Yasgur saw the Festival as a Freedom of Speech (Constitutional) issue. Even after the Festival came to a close, Max Yasgur continued his path as an advocate for these rights and liberties.
Michael proceeded to tell me about a 1963 (yes, 1963!) Woodstock Festival for the Arts logo. When the 1969 logo was designed, he never knew the 1963 design existed. I saw the artwork hanging in the den area next to the kitchen, by the window [he bought it recently at an auction]. The logo was almost identical, including a guitar neck with a bird, but this bird was a ... raven, as opposed to a peace dove.
Just as Michael had seen the "Bowl" in his dreams, he must have also "channeled" the 1963 artwork. Extraordinary...!
Q: How can close to half a million people maintain "order" under such circumstances i.e., there must be something sacred about the land?
Michael agreed adding that ... this has never been repeated (i.e., how things fell into some kind of "order," to this extent).
Q: On water i.e., If they had remained in Walkill ...
Off I went ... headed for Bethel and the Museum of Bethel Woods (aka the site of the 1969 Woodstock Festival). It was a long and winding road (Michael Lang's "scenic route") in a cheapo economy rent-a-car that didn't negotiate the Catskills curves too well [the car was light as a feather and did not "hug" the road the way a German SUV would have]. Got there somehow and as I am continuously being "guided" ... the Path led me straight to the parking lot of the Museum of Bethel Woods (no idea how I got there!).
At the box office they told me Wade Lawrence, the Museum Director, wasn't in; I asked them to check once more. Lo and behold, not only was he there, he'd invited me in + gave me another guest ticket, should I wish to return later in the week.
Omg, OMG ... I am standing in the site where the stage was; below ... the Filippini Pond ("where the hippies bathed"). I could hardly believe!
I circumambulated the "sacred" site three(3) times, like a good Buddhist should.
No cel phone signals in and around the Catskills. Tamara Lang and I, somehow, managed to meet at Menla Mtn. A very lovely receptionist, Charley (Parkinson?), greeted us as we were kindly fed vegetarian left-overs (of rice and mango) by Menla Mtn. kitchen staff that Tamara knows. [Charley and I were at the Karmapa's Delhi Teachings, Feb. 2010, but didn't meet at that time.]
Menla Mountain is managed by: Nena Thurman.
Nena had requested that I find figurines to fill the Thai Spirit House she plans to install outside the Yoga studio @ Menla. Found them in Bangkok. There is a sage, an old man, a male/female couple, a gay male couple, four horses and two white elephants.
A tough path to negotiate in my ultra light economy rent-a-car i.e., a narrow/unpaved pothole-filled lane for access deep in the woods. Found it [not that I know much about the Music from Big Pink]! Owners - Glen & Don - were there and took photos for me.
They're throwing a party Sat. night which Elliot Landy had invited but don't think I should risk negotiating the potholes, when it's pitch black out. I'll never get outta there!
Don't think this place has changed much within the past 41 years, since Michael Lang and team were "shot at" and eventually kicked-out of Walkill, less than one month before the Festival was to take place.
Walkill: not a place I'd return to. Michael told me he has never been back ....
By 8:15a.m. I was already waiting at the Violette Restaurant lot located @ 85 Mill Hill Road, Woodstock. Flags were distributed. Parade of flags continued through town, past the village green, continued along Route 212 to Comeau Drive up onto Comeau Field, where the World Peace Prayer Ceremony was held.
The "Smile Car" with legendary folk singer/environmental activist, Pete Seeger, arrived by 11:00am, where he performed. This was my first seeing/hearing him. The "Noble (as opposed to ... Nobel!) Peace Prize: in recognition and appreciation for a lifetime of noble dedication to peace, the environment, and human rights" was betowed upon Pete Seeger at the Peace Prayer Ceremony.
As I was taking photos of Pete Seeger off stage, his lovely daughter, Tynia, came over to introduce herself to me.
Pete Seeger gave a performance and book signing of "Where Have All The Flowers Gone, A Musical Autobiography." Of course it was a sold-out show. Something guided me to the very front of the line where someone immediately offered me a ticket. There really are angels. Once in, one more obstacle: the books require cash payment, which I did not have, since I was buying three(3) for Rona Elliot and sons plus one(1) for myself. Pete had already signed the 200+ books and drew a little banjo in each and everyone of them. Precious! I convinced the management of Bearsville to charge my card and give the booksellers a cash voucher, as they did. All was well that ends well.
Pete Seeger performed with two other banjo players: Eric Weissberg (composer of "Duelling Banjos") and Bill Keith. Pete, later, invited the audience on stage (+ lots of little kids, as usual) to sing some of the songs from the songbook.
Grace Slick, lead singer of the Jefferson Airplane, retired from Rock 'n Roll in 1989 and began her new career in the visual arts, mid-1990. Her first show was in Ft. Lauderdale (2000). Since then, Grace has had over 100 exhibits and is represented by some of the best galleries in the U.S. and Europe.
Grace Slick now lives in Malibu (CA) and paints every day.
Commentary from Dr. ka-TI: I adore many of her paintings, especially the ones of the Monterey International Pop (1967) and Woodstock (1969) Festivals.
"The Greatest Ears in Town [the Arif Mardin Story]" with: Chaka Khan/Quincy Jones - Artists
Joe Mardin/Doug Biro - Filmakers; Chris Montan - Moderator@ the Grammy Museum (L.A.)
(Mon.) June 28, 2010
Arif Mardin: producer/arranger, musician and multi-Grammy Award winner - worked with Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield, Bee Gees, Chaka Kahn, Bette Midler, Barbara Streisand, Norah Jones - just to name but a few. The documentary comprises of interviews with Arif, Sir George Martin, Ahmet Ertegun, Quincy Jones, Chaka Khan, Phil Collins, Carly Simon, Barry & Robin Gibbs, Darryl Hall and many of the other stars whose successes he helped create. Arif was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2005 an passed in June 2006. The documentary follows Arif's recording of his last album: "All My Friends Are Here."
Lovingly shaped and pushed to completion by son and collaborator, Joe Mardin, the film created a portrait of a musician, a father, an impresario, an artist in his own right, whose sheer joy of creativity transcends illness and harshness of the industry in which he worked.
As Ahmet Ertegun, co-Chairman/co-founder of Atlantic Records, put it: "The difference between everybody else and Arif was: he was as musician, and he was a great musician. Because of this, he was an irreplaceable member of the Atlantic team and was more responsible than he has ever been given credit for many of the successes that we've had. Probably more than anyone else, he combined an understanding of American taste, American folk roots and great musical ability. Arif became one of the greatest producers of the 20th Century.
Commentary from Dr. ka-TI: This documentary received a nomination for the Grammy Awards (February 2011).
A generation has now been raised on street art and Shepard Fairey has been known to these young people for the past twenty(20)+ years. Best known as the creator of the now ubiquitous Barack Obama Hope poster, Shepard Fairey has been both an insider and an outsider from the start.
While studying at Rhode Island School of Design, he began turning out posters and stickers - the most famous of which depict the face of wrestler, Andre the Giant, over the caption, "Obey." Other mass-produced efforts followed.
Informed by the mechanical style of Andy Warhol, Soviet agitpop, protest and record jacket art of the 1960's, and contemporary graffiti, Fairey's early work was the visual equivalent of punk rock, pitting posters and paste against such quaint concepts as private property. His efforts showed up everywhere from billboards and street corner mailboxes to factory walls all across the planet. In the process, he was arrested fifteen(15) times, most recently in 2009 for vandalism in Boston, a charge to which he pled guilty, receiving a $2,000 fine and a two-year probation.
Because Fairey has often employed images created by others as points of departure, his pieces have also drawn criticisms for being less than original. The most controversial of all Fairey's works is, of course, his signature one - the Obama Hope poster. It is based on a picture snapped in 2006 by Mannie Garcia, a freelance photographer for the Associated Press. Whether the issue is Fair Use or Copyright Infringement, a lawsuit is now headed for the Circuit Court for the Southern State of New York.
Commentary from Dr. ka-TI: I jumped at the chance to visit Shepard Fairey's Studio Number One, when Henry Diltz told me that he will spend the day signing his image of Neil Young. I brought over the very limited edition150 - gold tone - Obama Hope print, which I'd received as a "thank you" gift for supporting Gemini G.E.L.'s "Artists For Obama" campaign.
Shepard was in the midst of designing Tom Petty's album (see design on computer screen behind the seated Shepard) but he took time off to sign the gold Obama and helped explain the process of his designs, via examples on the computer screen. His office manager gave me a private tour of the Studio; then handed me a Shepard Fairey print of Burmese Nobel Laureate: Aung San Suu Kyi, as a gift.
I am soooo very grateful to you all @ Studio Number One. Thank you!
A personal observation by Dr. ka-TI:
On (Wed.) March 31, 2010, something magical happened at the Hollywood Bowl ("the Bowl"): Sir Paul McCartney performed the second of two concerts @ the Bowl, where the Beatles originally played in 1964/1965 ["this takes me back, as you can imagine," as he told the crowd, "I just want to take a minute to drink it all in ..."].
As I arrived at the Bowl before 6pm. with hopes to get hold of one ticket (as I don't buy tickets in advance for most concerts), the Bowl was filled with people at this early hour and had a completely different vibe about it. What was it ...?
It was ... Beatlemania all over again...!
The box office repv. told me there were no tickets available (but of course). As I believe in the laws of karma, I asked the box office repv. to check once more. He gave me a blank stare as if ... you must be kidding!). Well, well, well (quoting a McCartney song) ... two(2) tickets became immediately available - located in the center "box" next to the sound board. Meaning: great seat + great sound!
There are no words to describe what it was like to hear Beatles music performed "live" by a Beatle. This was my first.
The most moving moments were Paul's homage to his late friends, George Harrison and John Lennon. He chatted disarmingly about how he and George used to hang out and practice together, trying to figure out how to play chord progressions by J.S. Bach on guitar. Clutching a ukulele that George had given him, McCartney plucked a minimal and lovely adaption of Harrison's "Something."
"Here Today" was Paul's belated attempt to express all of the things he wished he'd said before John was murdered in 1980. Paul also performed "A Day In the Life" and "Give Peace A Chance" in honour of Lennon.
This was Rock 'n Roll at its best, and was almost three hours (with no intermission). How's that for an almost 68-year young musician?
Teachings by HH The 17th Gyalwa Karmapa (Delhi, India)
(Fri./Sat.) February 19 & 20, 2010
The Foundation of Universal Responsibility of HHDL, graciously invited Dr. Ka-TI to receive Teachings by HH The 17th Gyalwa Karmapa. The two-day Teachings on "Cultivating Compassion" was held at the India Habitat Centre, Delhi. www.kagyuoffice.org
Gandhi Smriti (Memorial) - the Place of Mahatma Gandhi's Martyrdom (Delhi, India)
(Thurs.) February 18, 2010
This National Memorial honours the virtues of truth, non-violence, unity and equality; representing the last days of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi's life and teachings have left an indelible mark on human history and the purpose of preserving this memorial is to foster and propagate his ideas.
Gandhi arrived in Delhi from Calcutta, September 9, 1947, to purge the city of the communal virus and to "do or die." He planted himself alone, amidst the raging torrent and listened to the tales of woe of the embittered and the uprooted. He stayed here several times in the past but the last 144 days of his life, spent here, are more important to the Nation's history than any other time, as he left a rich legacy of speeches and writings.
On January 30, 1948 at 5:00pm, Mahatma Gandhi left for the Prayer Meeting by walking down the path from the room with which he had spent the past 144 days. He fell a martyr to the bullets of the assassin on the prayer ground with Rama's name on his lips at 5:17pm. The epic life of the Father of the Nation ended here. http://www.mkgandhi.org/
Neil Young: MusiCares Person of the Year @ the L.A. Convention Center
(Fri.) Jan. 29, 2010
On Friday, January 29, 2010, Dr. ka-TI attended MusiCares' 20th Anniversary gala held @ the L.A. Convention Center. Legendary Musician/Philanthropist, Neil Young, was named 2010 Person of the Year by the MusiCares Foundation.
Performers included: Dierks Bentley, Jackson Browne, Neko Case, T-Bone Burnett, Shawn Colvin, Elvis Costello, Crosby/Stills & Nash, Sheryl Crow, Everest, Patty Griffin, Josh Groban, Emmylou Harris, Elton John, Booker T. Jones, Norah Jones, Ben Harper, Lady Antebellum, Dave Matthews, John Mellencamp, Jason Mraz, Ozomatli, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Leon Russell, James Taylor, Lucinda Williams, Wilco; MC'd by: Jack Black.
Proceeds from the gala dinner and concert honouring Neil Young, held two days prior to the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, will provide essential support for MusiCares, which ensures that music people have a place to turn to in times of financial, medical and personal need.
The singer/songwriter/performer was honoured in recognition of his influential artistic accomplishments as well as his philanthropic work, which has included many generous charitable activities over the years. Neil Young was one of the founders of Farm Aid in 1985, and continues to be an active member of the organization's Board of Directors.
Each October, Neil and his wife, Pegi, organize and host the Bridge School concerts, a benefit for the Bridge School that he and Pegi helped found. Neil Young's son (below) is also a Bridge School student
The school ensures that children with severe speech and physical impairments (including their son) achieve full participation in their communities through the use of assistive technology and the development, implementation and dissemination of innovative educational strategies. These weekend concerts have drawn an international array of musical artists and have raised significant resources for the school.
For more than four decades, Neil Young has set a standard of artistic integrity and iconoclastic creativity and his achievements have been matched by his unwavering humanitarianism. Neil Young is a shining example of how music people offer their creative gifts to the world, and how they also give back through their commitments to charitabble endeavours.
An Evening with Ringo Starr @ the Grammy Museum (L..A.)
(Tues.) January 19, 2010
For the release of his latest solo recording, "Y Not" (and first time as Producer), Dr. ka-TI had the opportunity to spend an intimate evening with Ringo Starr and friends. In the audience were Ringo's friends and family e.g., Edgar Winter, Dhani Harrison (musician son of George's), Barbara Orbison (the late Roy Orbison's wife), drummers: Greg Bissonnette, Max Weinberg, and others ....
Ringo's backup band included: Ben Harper - Guitar/Vocals, Jason Mozersky - Guitar, Jesse Ingalls - Bass/Vocals, Bruce Sugar - Keys/Vocals, Justin Pace - Keys/Vocals, Ann-Marrie Calhoun - Violin/Vocals.
Commentary from Dr. ka-TI: Ringo Starr is tiny (skinny and certainly not tall) yet, once @ the drums ... he was way larger than life and ... funny too. This was my first time seeing/hearing Ringo in person and oh, what a joy it was!
"Elvis at 21: New York to Memphis" a conversation with Alfred Wertheimer @ Grammy Museum (L..A.)
Photographs curated by Chris Murray of Govinda Gallery ( Washington, D.C.)
(Fri.) January 8, 2010
A celebration of was held at the Grammy Museum, (Fri.)January 8, 2010, for what would have been Elvis' 75th Birthday.
Taken during the year Elvis Presley turned 21, Alfred Wertheimer's photographs are remarkable visual record of a defining time for rock-n-roll's most enduring figure. When Elvis Presley walked on stage in 1956, time stopped - and then exploded. The earth shook on its axis and the beat of everyday life was jolted. In an instant, mainstream America's veneer of cultural complacency evaporated, in 1956: It was the year Elvis released his first record, made his first TV appearance, and started a movie career. It was the year he bacame a ... star.
Alfred Wertheimer, then a young freelance photo-journalist, was there to document the extraordinary transition. Here - and including photographs of Elvis never before published - are images that are a national treasure: a unique visual record of one of the most exciting performers of his time, one of the most influential of all time, the first true icon of rock-n-roll. Here, is the first and last unguarded look at Elvis, featuring images of him in every aspect of his life - from performance and with the fans, to the recording studio and at home with his family.
On stage and off, Elvis defined the motion of "rock style." His electrifying synthesis of Rhythm and Blues, Gospel, and Country bridged traditional divides between white and black, urban and rural. For tens of millions of fans, Elvis transformed the beat of everyday life. His music and style helped launched a cultural revolution!
Commentary from Dr. ka-TI:
This was the first time I'd seen anything on Elvis (he was a bit ... "before my time," so to speak). Now I understand and, without a doubt, consider Elvis one of the greatest performers ever lived.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Annex NYC Presents: John Lennon - The NYC Year
(Fri.) October 16, 2009
"I have a love of this country. Two thousand years ago, we would all have wanted to live in Rome ... and now this [NYC] is Rome. This is where the action is," John Lennon.
This feature exhibit explores John Lennon's passion for music, art, politics and film, with NYC as his backdrop. Capturing a time in Lennon's life that was full of political and social activism, the exhibit reflects the spirit of the era during which he created some of his best work.
To denote Lennon's lengthy fight against deportation, instigated by the Nixon administration's belief that his anti-war campaign presented a threat to its power, his green card and never-before-seen letters of support for his American visa are on display (penned by e.g., Joan Baez, Dick Clark and John Lindsay - the Mayor of NYC (1966-1973). Also debuting is an original self portrait of Lennon with fist in air, in the guise of NYC's famed landmark, the Statue of Liberty. Created in the early Seventies, this powerful work of art represents a tumultuous and impactful period in American history; a time that focused on freedom and the power of the people.
Lennon's actual "New York City" t-shirt is on display for the first time, as well as his Telecaster guitar used at the Elton John 1974 Madison Square Garden concert. More than ten(10) original hand written lyrics are also on display including: "Nobody Told Me," "Luck of the Irish," and "Whatever Gets You thru the Night."
To show support for stricter gun laws in the U.S., Dr. ka-TI participate by signing @ the wall space specifically provided for, by Yoko Ono. The signatures (drawings and more) were then sent to President Barack Obama at the close of the exhibit.
Monty Python, the world renowned British troupe celebrating its 40th Anniversary, was honoured with the British Academy for Film and Television Arts ("BAFTA") Awards, for its contribution to film and television. The event took place at the Ziegfeld theater in the heart of Manhattan.
Our own Dr. ka-TI, braved the bone-chilling and soggy New York evening for at least two hours, in hopes that some kind soul will invite her in, to attend this private event. It happened!
The event was a re-union of the complete troupe: John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin with a life size cut-out of the late Graham Chapman, Python style (but, of course!). Co-hosted by the Independent Film Channel, the invitees also screened the latest documentary, "Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer's Cut)."
Monty Python created the infliuential British Television show "Monty Python's Flying Circus," which first aired in 1969, and went on to produce popular full length features, including "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" and "Monty Python's Life of Brian."
Five remaining members of Monty Python took questions from the audience and reminisced. Cleese recalled his most embarrassing moment as "when the Queen came down to watch and my trousers fell down ...." http://pythonline.com/
Rock a Little, Feed a lot and Sheryl Crow @ Club Nokia (L.A.)
(Tues.) September 29, 2009
Dr. ka-TI was invited to attend a star-studded evening in support of Feeding America and the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank. The fundraiser featured performances by Sheryl Crow, Ben Harper, Benji and Joel Madden, Tom Morello, Johnny Lang and others. Miley Cyrus, Rob Thomas and OneRepublic pre-taped special performances aired during the concert.
Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Marcia Cross, Lance Bass, Alison Sweeney, Alanis Morisette, and Christina Applegate were presenters during the concert. Legendary comedian, Garry Shandling, performed stand up comedy. David Arquette, MC'd.
Commentary from Dr. ka-TI: Quite an evening ... and all for a good cause too!
Dr. kaTi was very honoured to have been invited to the public memorial of the great entertainer, Michael Jackson. The memorial was held at the Staples Center (Los Angeles) where Michael had been rehearsing for a concert series, in the days before his untimely death June 25, 2009, at the age of 50.
Although the actual memorial took place July 7, Dr. ka-TI visited the Staples Center/L.A. Live vicinity one day prior to the televised memorial (July 6), to pick up wrist bands handed out only to those invited to attend the memorial.
For Dr. ka-TI's birthday, she treated herself to this fabulous concert at the famed, Hollywood Bowl. The concert took place during a "star-studded" evening.
The stars included (heavy-set) Val Kilmer, James Caan, fashion guru - Jean Paul Gaultier, Steve Bing (father to Liz Hurley's child) and others. Dr. ka-TI was in the front box seat, reserved for Hollywood "Royalties."
The Fulfillment Fund (Los Angeles):
In Los Angeles, the graduation rate in many of the public high school is less than 50%. Many students who do complete high school never realize that college is a possibility for them. The Fulfillment Fund builds relationsips with students to shift their believes about their education potential and provides resources to motivate students to overcome barriers to college. The sale of the ticket to tonight's event helped the Fulfillment Fund mentor, counsel and guide disadvantaged high school students to achieve a college education. Through mentoring, classroom instruction, college counseling, and scholarships, the Fulfillment Fund reverses the cycle of poverty in famililes and in our community.
Featuring performances by Songwriters who wrote them, as follows:
Jeff Barry: Tell Laura I love Her; Chapel of Love; Be My Baby; Doo Wah Ditty; River Deep Mountain High; Sugar Sugar; And Then He Kissed Me; Hanky Panky; Montego Bay; I Can Hear Music; Da Do Run Run; Baby, I Love You; The Leader of The Pack; and Grammy Nominated/American Music Awards "Song of the Year" - I Honestly Love You. Jeff has written and produced several classic TV theme songs including: The Jeffersons - "Movin' On Up"; Family Ties - "Without Us"; and the theme song for "One Day At A Time."
Having discovered Neil Diamond and producing Neil's first three years of recordings, Jeff yielded such hits as: Solitary Man; Girl,You'll Be A Woman Soon; Kentucky Woman; and Cherry-Cherry. He also produced the Monkees' hit: I'm a Believer.
Bob Crewe (best known for hits penned with co-writer Bob Guido): Sherry; Big Girls Don't Cry; Rag Doll; Ronnie; Walk Like a Man; Bye Bye Baby; Connie O; Can't Take My Eyes Off You; The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine (Anymore); Silence is Golden.
Prior to working with Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Crewe and teammate Frank Slay wrote several hits: Silouhettes; Daddy Cool; Lah Dee Dah; Lucky Ladybug; Tallahassee Lasssie; and Okefenokee. With Guido and Kenny Nolan, he co-wrote: My Eyes Adore You (Frankie Valli); Lady Marmalade (Patti Labelle). With Guido and Jerry Corbetta: You're Looking Like Love to Me (Roberta Flack/Peabo Bryson); With Corbetta and Ellie Greenwich: Cast album for Greenwich's Broadway Musical, "Leader of the Pack." On his own, Crewe composed: Music to Watch Girls Go By; Barbarella Soundtrack; Eternity (Vicki Carr). As arranger: Jenny Take a Ride; Devil With the Blue Dress On; Sock It to Me Baby (hits for Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels).
David Foster, Produced and/or co-wrote: After the Love Is Gone (Earth, Wind and Fire); Got To Be Real; Hard to Say I'm Sorry (Chicago); Glory of Love (Peter Cetera), Man In Motion (St. Elmo's Fire Soundtrack); Ghostbusters/Footloose/Bodyguard Soundtracks; Chicago 16, 17, 18 albums; Power of Love (Celine Dion); Unforgettable (Natalie Cole); Have You Ever (Brandy); Music of My Heart (Gloria Estefan w/ N'Sync); (single) Somewhere and (album) Back to Broadway (Barbra Streisand); Unbreak My Heart (Toni Braxton); I Will Always Love You (Whitney Houston); I Swear (All-4-One); Because You Loved Me (Celine Dion); The Prayer (Celine Dion/Andrea Bocelli); and countless others ....
Charles Fox: Ready to Take a Chance Again; I Got a Name; Killing Me Softly With His Song (Grammy Awards for Best Song of the Year). Soundtracks: Barbarella/Nine to Five/Goodbye Columbus/Foul Play and The Other Side of the Mountain (Two Academy Award nominations). TV: The Love Boat/Happy Days/Laverne and Shirley/Wonder Woman; The Paper Chase and Love American Style (Two Emmy Awards).
Kenny Loggins: Celebrate Me Home; Whenever I Call You Friend (w/ Stevie Nicks); This is It; Don't Fight It; Heart to Heart; Conviction of the Heart; I'm Alright; Footloose; Danger Zone; Nobody's Fool; What a Fool Believes (Grammy Song of the Year). Children's album: Return to Pooh Corner; More songs from Pooh Corner.
Carole Bayer Sager: Groovy Kind of Love; That's What Friends are For (Grammy Song of the Year); Arthur's Theme (Academy Awards); The Prayer/Don't Cry Out Loud/On My Own/Nobody Does It Better/Thru the Eyes of Love (Academy Award Nominations); plus two Golden Globes and one Tony.
Richard Sherman: You're Sixteen; Let's Get Together; Tall Paul. Music for Film (Disney): Jungle Book; The Parent Trap; The Aristocats; Bedknob and Broomsticks; The Happiest Millionaire; The Family Band; The Sword In the Stone; Winnie the Pooh. Mary Poppins [Score] and Chim Chim Cher-ee [Song] (Two Academy Awards). Post Disney: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; Snoopy Come Home; Charlotte's Web; Over Here (Broadway Musical). Screenplay and Score: Tom Sawyer; Huckleberry Fiinn; The Magic of Lassie; The Slipper and The Rose. Richard received nine academy Award Nominations and three Grammy Awards.
Paul Williams: We've Only Just Begun; Rainy Days and Mondays; You and Me Against the World; An Old-Fashioned Love Song; I Won't Last a Day Without You; Let me Be The One; lyrics to the theme for The Love Boat. Soundtracks: The Rainbow Connection (The Muppet Movies); Evergreen (A Star Is Born [remake])
Commentary by Dr. ka-TI: The highlight of the evening was at the close of the show, when we joined in to sing: "Can't Take My Eyes Off You," in the presence of its composer - Bob Crewe. Wow ... what an honour!
The 18th ELLA Award honouring Herb Alpert and Lani Hall; SOS's First Lifetime Achievement Award to Pat Boone, took place at the Beverly Hilton, May 18, 2009, and oh! what an evening it was ....
Herb Alpert and Lani Hall were honoured for their significant musical accomplishments and dedication to charitable and humanitarian causes. They created the Herb Alpert Foundation more than twenty(20) years ago to fund the Arts and Arts education. The Foundation provides grants to emerging artists in the five disciplines annually. Alpert and Hall have also been major contributors to UCLA, to endow the Herb Alpert School of Music, and also CalArts.
Pat Boone, an American Musical Treasure, was deeply surprized (and pleased) to have received the first ever Lifetime Achievement Award from SOS.
Commentary from Dr. ka-TI: My tablemates were Paul Hefti (Composer, Neil Hefti's son) and beautiful wife, Denise. It was a most memorable evening which, in turn, inspired me to become a member of the SOS.
The number of sessions Al Scmitt has been involved could probably fill an encyclopedia. He has produced, engineered and/or mixed more than 150 Gold and Platinum records for a diverse range of artists including Frank Sinatra, Steely Dan, Barbara Streisand, Henry Mancini, Natalie Cole, Michael Bolton and Aretha Franklin. Schmitt was a 1997 inductee into the "Technical Excellence and Creativity Awards" Hall of Fame.
Over his illustrious career spanning four decades, Schmitt has won 17 Grammys, including Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical Awards for Diana Krall's "The Look of Love"; Ray Charles and Friends: "Genius Loves Company;" "Unforgettable: With Love," Natalie Cole; "Aja," Steely Dan. Schmitt has also won the Recording Academy's prestigious Trustee's Award, as well as two Latin Grammys.
He continues to produce Grammy-winning recordings of the highest quality and has inspired and influenced generations of producers, engineers and artists across genres.
Commentary by Dr. ka-Ti: What can one say about ... Al Scmitt?
He began his career hands-on, at his uncle's recording studio - helping with the bookings, etc. One day a bunch of musicians walked in for a session that was not scheduled in the book (someone must have forgotten to write it in) and his uncle was not around. A mere teenager, Al Scmitt's first gig was recording: the Duke Ellington Orchestra! "Don't worry kid, we'll get through this ...," remarked Duke Ellington.
Between 1950-1984, Ritchie Valens, Eddie Cochran, Phil Spector, Brian Wilson, Sonny & Cher, Buffalo Springfield, Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young, The Ronettes, Dick Dale, The Righteous Brothers, Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass, The Runaways' Joan Jett and Cheri Currie, Meat Loaf, The Champs, The Baha Marimba Band, and even Alvin & The Chipmunks(!), among dozens of others, all had their first introduction to the art of recording at the trailblazing studio that changed the course of modern music.
Gold Star Recording Studios, founded by David S. Gold and Stan Ross, located in the heart of Hollywood, threw open doors of unbridled creativity to Music, Film, Television, Radio and Broadway artists and impressarios such as Frank Loesser, Johnny Mercer, Sammy Fain, Dimitri Tiomkin, Legendary West Coast Jazz artists such as Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Oscar Moore, the Hi-Los and the classic swing bands such as Louie Bellson's.
Most importantly, Gold Star between 1950-1984 generated more National Endowment of the Arts ("NEA") and Recording Industry Hall of Fame winners than any other independent studios in America.
Combining David S. Gold's custom-designed recording gear and "secret-recipe" reverb chambers (also known as, the Phil Spector "Wall of Sound") with Stan Ross' relentless creativity and ground breaking approach to recording as an art form, Gold Star Studios pioneered the single most important innovation in 20th Century music: What Sir George Martin called "the recording - studio - instrument" concept.
Today, entry-level musical instrument, amplification and effects technologies routinely incorporrate the sound and effects that shocked listeners and revolutionized the entertainment industry decades ago when they first appeared on Gold Star Recordings.
Commentary by Dr. ka-TI: I met Stan Ross in the 80's while I worked at Taft Entertainment (Los Angeles). Stan was a dear friend to Taft's (then Office Manager) July Lewis. Stan told me he was a Sound Engineer. I had no idea, at the time, that he was the pioneering Sound Engineer of our time.
The Making of "Sgt. Pepper" and Cirque du Soleil's "Love" moderated by Sir George Martin, Bovard Auditorium, USC (L.A.) (Fri. ) July 11, 2008
Starry Night honouring Sir George Martin, McCarthy Quad, USC (L.A.)
(Sat.) July 12, 2008
On July 12, 2008, Dr. ka-TI attended a beautiful evening of dinner and concert, under the stars, at USC (University Of Southern California). The Grammy Trustees Award recipient and six-time Grammy Award winner, Sir George Martin, was honoured with the Leadership Award at the Grammy Foundation's annual signature gala, Starry Night. The Leadership Award salutes noteworthy humanitarians whose charitable work and contributions align with the mission of the Foundation. Sir George's commitment to social, cultural, economic and educational concerns exemplifies the spirit of this special honour.
Performers include: The band "America," Burt Bachrach, Jeff Beck, Chris Botti, Natalie Cole, Kurt Elling, Dave Grusin, Sir Tom Jones, Michael McDonald, Jimmy Webb and others; the evening's musical director: David Foster. Distinguished group of dinner chairs for this event include: Olivier Harrison, Sir Paul McCartney, Yoko Ono and Ringo Starr.
Producer, arranger, composer, author, humanitarian and knight, Sir George has set standards throughout his legendary career that are immeasurable. Known as "the fifth Beatle," Sir George helped introduce a musical phenomenon to the world that shaped popular music and culture as we know it today. Listed in the Guiness World Records as the most successful producer of all time, his career spans more than five decades and his recordings have collectively sold more than 1 billion units worldwide ranging in every conceivable recording genre and style.
Additionally, Sir George has dedicated himself to a range of philanthropic causes. The Prince's Trust, which he helped found, is dedicated to improving the lives of disadvantaged young people in the United Kingdom by offering opportunities such as job tranining, access to the workplace, personal development, mentoring and advice. Sir George also founded the Monserrat Foundation to aid in the relief of poverty, advancement of education, promotion of health and protection of historic sites and the environment on the Caribbean island of Monserrat, in the wake of a devastating 1995 volcano eruption. The George Martin Foundation was established to construct an educational and cultural center on the island.
Proceeds from the the Starry Night tribute event benefit the Grammy-in-the-Schools and Preservation & Advancement programs of the Grammy Foundation. The Grammy Foundation was established by the Recording Academy in 1989, to cultivate the understanding, appreciation and advancement of the contribution of recorded music to American culture.
On July 11, also at USC, a special multimedia presentation moderated by Sir George on "The Making of Sgt. Pepper" and Cirque du Soleil's "Love" was held.
Commentary from Dr. ka-TI: I find it hard to believe that I've had the opportunity to be in the presence of Sir George Martin and to participate in the seminar taught by him, about the Beatles' music (what else? Ha!). This was a very, very inspiring event indeed ...!
Dr. ka-TI attended an evening of inspiring talks
by Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., held at the Foreign Correspondence
Club Thiland (the "FCCT") where Rev. Jackson kindly signed
a photo for her. The "Bridges - Dialogues Towards a Culture of
Peace" series - facilitated by the International Peace Foundation
- brought Rev. Jackson to Bangkok.
The topics of the ongoing Bridges Dialogues
deal with the overall theme of "Building a Culture of Peace and
Development in a Globalized World." With a wide range of issues
in the field of politics, economy, science, culture and the media,
the Foundation especially highlights the challenges of both globalizaion
and regionalism and its impact on development and international cooperation
"Live to Love" - Integrating Spirituality
with Daily Life
Like the lotus that emerges pristine from the murkiest depths, thus
the first ever Annual Drukpa Council springs forth bringing hope and
liberation in a world weary with war, economic uncertainly and unprecedented
pollution.
Dr.ka-TI was blessed with the opportunity to attend Teachings on "Awakening
Your Mind: Lojong" by Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo.
"Dr. ka-TI on 2009 Grammys Telecast" (Sun.) February 8, 2009
During the 2009 Grammys Telecast, President of National
Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) - Neil Portnow - informed
worldwide Grammys audience of the on going advocacy work of the Academy's.
The first "Recording Arts Day on Capitol Hill," Washington
DC (September 7, 2005) involved approximately one hundred music professionals
from across the US, including our own Dr. ka-TI (see photo on YouTube
video screen). Virtually every facet of the music community - musicians,
songwriters, producers, as well as business professionals that distribute
music to the public - were represented.
Inauguration of Barack H. Obama and
Joseph R. Biden, Jr. The Capitol of the
Unites States of America,
City of Washington (Tues.) January 20, 2009
Invitation to the 56th Inaugural Ceremonies of the President and
Vice President of the United States
Admission ticket to the Ceremonies
Map of the locations of gates and guest sections.
The "Swearing In" took place where highlighted in
light blue. Dr. ka-TI was seated at the top of the Yellow
Zone (next to the wheelchair sections)
Entrance to the Yellow Zone
Notice the red awning above the Capitol's balconies (left);
this is where all the VIPs emerge. The balcony (yellow circle)
is where Barack Hussein Obama took the Oath of Office
All ushers were members of the U.S. Army
As close as one could get to the Ceremonies.
Notice the red awning behind Dr. ka-TI (above right)
"Wish Tree for Pasadena," Pasadena (CA) (Sat.) August 2 - (Sun.) November 9, 2008
The "Wish Tree for Pasadena" is an art installation
that consists of 21
living Crape Myrtle trees installed amongst cafe' tables and chairs
in the
courtyard of One Colorado. Visitors are invited to write their wishes
on
pieces of paper and hang them on the tree branches.
Wishes from the "Wish Tree for Pasadena" will be joined
with others from
all over the world and placed in specially constructed capsules to
be
installed in the area surrounding Yoko Ono's "Imagine" Peace
Tower on
Videy Island off the coast of Reykjavik, Iceland. The artwork is
dedicated to the memory of John Lennon.
Rubin Museum's "Nine Rivers Gala," New York City (NY) (Tues.) October 7, 2008
The Rubin Museum of Art
of West 17th Street, which focuses on Himalayan Art, held a Gala Dinner
honouring Her Royal Highness, Ashi Kesang Wangmo Wangchuck,
Princess of Bhutan, and Matthieu Ricard, celebrated
author, teacher, photographer, humanitarian and Buddhist monk.
The Mandala Award symbolizes illumination, focus,
and the striving for perfection. It is presented annually to an individual
or individuals who exemplify these qualities through a commitment
to Himalayan art or humanitarian service to benefit the global community.
Image 22, from left: Sirabhorn
Ti Muntarbhorn, Matthieu Ricard and Maura Moynihan.
Ti's tablemates included: Walter and Carol
Beebe, Founder, The Open Center; James Ivory
of Merchant-Ivory, Tim McHenry, Producer, Rubin Museum
of Art; Amanda Rubin, daughter of Donald
Rubin - founder of the Rubin Museum; Bennett Shapiro,
MD, of the DNDi (Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative;
Fredericka Foster Shapiro of thinkaboutwater.com.
RE: BILL CUNNINGHAM - Photographer: A New York Treasure.
Few people can encapsulate what New York City is all about. Bill Cunningham
is one of those people. He covers the characters that make New York
City unique, and in doing so, provides New York with a unique character.
Bergdorf Goodman recently paid tribute to Cunningham, displaying selections
from three decades of work for the New York Times in its windows.
"Bill Cunningham is a brilliant shining star on the street of
New York City. He brightens up the New York Times pages with his artistic
photos, witty dialogue, and keen fashion sense." (Hilary Geary)
"Bill is one of New York's living landmarks! When you see Bill
you know you are in the right place at the right time." (Blaine
Trump)
"Bill captures the essence of New York City through his camera
lens - the styles, trends, and moods of the city. Bill's photographs
define New York City." (Olivia Chantecaille)
"Bill Cunningham epitomizes an inquiring photographer. When he
is at a party, you know it's a good party. He's just wonderful and
totally one-of-a kind." (Nicole Limbocker)
"Like New York itself, Bill is as much about the street as he
is about the stylish inner sanctums that he documents so energetically.
If Bill deems to shoot you with any regularity, you should know that
more important than any 'Social Register,' you've made it on Bill's
'Style Register.' He's a one and only, and is as important to the
landscape of New York as the Empire State Building!" (Linda Fargo)
Above article (and quotes) from, "Photographers On the Street"
by Georgina Schaeffer. Quest Magazine.
[Bill Cunningham is eighty(80) years young. He represents the visual
history of the past 40-50 years of New York worthy of our own tribute
(Ti)]
Interfaith Prayers at Rajghat, Delhi (India) (Sat.) March 29, 2008
THE SHAMATHA PROJECT, Shambhala Mountain Center (Colorado) September - December, 2007
..
Dr. ka-TI was recently selected participant
in a ground breaking research on Meditation, collaborating with a
team of neuroscientists and psychologists. This study dubbed The "Shamatha
Project" is a joint project with the Santa Barbara Institute
of Consciousness, headed by B. Alan Wallace, Ph. D, and the University
of California (Davis) Center for Mind and Brain, headed by Clifford
Saron, Ph. D.
Sixty four(64) participants with varying
degrees of meditation experience were tapped to take part in the two(2)
three-month meditation retreats. The participants lived mostly in
silence in the secluded 600-acre mountainous estate in Northern Colorado,
near the Wyoming border of the U.S.
Over a three(3)-month period, Dr. Wallace guided the research study
participants in various forms of Shamatha practices drawn from the
Theravada and Mahayana Buddhist traditions. Shamatha is a standard
form of Buddhist meditation utilizing focused attention and is often
translated as "calm abiding."
Recent studies of the effects of meditation
practices on stress management and emotional stability and of meditation
as a therapeutic agent have produced exciting results. There is no
question that meditation practices are effective and cheap solutions
to a host of mental problems besetting contemporary society and could
help cure ailments such as stress, ADHD, anxiety, excessive anger,
post traumatic symptoms, depression and insomnia. But, the studies
conducted to date have been short-term and have generally used non-intensive
interventions.
To prove beyond doubt, a team of talented
neuroscientists and psychologists were engaged in a longer-term study,
with state-of-the-art methods, to examine the effects of intensive
meditation training on attention, cognitive performance, emotion regulation
and health. With this effort, the "Shamatha Project" has
garnered the endorsement of His Holiness the Dalai Lama as follows:
"I believe this research project has the potential to be of significant
benefit for advancing scientific understanding of the effects of meditation
on attention and emotional regulation."
The questions the research team seek
to answer include whether and how, intensive meditation training in
the Shamatha and in the cultivation of the heart, known as the Four
Immeasurables (loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy and equanimity),
which was practiced between Shamatha sessions, will improve one's
ability to attend to events in the environment and to regulate emotional
reactions. In addition, to answer whether meditation training affects
endocrine processes, immune function and other biomarkers of physiological
processes.
The participants were asked to perform
various tasks while the brain waves, heart beat and finger pulse,
hand sweating, muscle tension, breathing, and facial expressions were
monitored. (The EEG caps held ninety(90) sensors for purposes of recording
the brain waves.) In addition, there were two non-lab testing sessions
during which the participants were to respond to visual events on
a computer screen and monthly interview sessions with a psychologist.
The experiments were designed to assess different qualities of attention
and emotion regulation as well as the brain and other bodily responses
involved.
In the lab, the various tasks included:
paying attention for periods of time and responding with a button
press or a vocal response to visual events on a computer screen or
auditory stimuli delivered over headphones; watching short films that
depict scenes of humans suffering or neutral scenes, watching other
films of emotional interactions between people; watching pictures
of positive neutral or negative images while short noise bursts occur
over headphones; and having your physiology monitored while the participants
rest, meditate or practice altruistic thoughts.
In monitoring endocrine (hormonal) processes,
immune function and other biomarkers of physiological processes, blood
samples were collected. Saliva was also collected to assess endocrine
hormones.
Dr. Saron is confident that once the
results are in, even the no-nonsense world of business will take meditation
seriously. "I am sure the accretion of evidence will ultimately
result in policy change about the priorities in civilization."
Blue conductive gel being applied
to scalp by Dr. Tonya Jacobs
EEG cap fittings/adjustments
All wired up and ready to go!
Oh, this is SO uncomfortable
Dr. Tonya Jacobs testing the sensors
Noticed something on the left hand, index finger?
That's how they check the finger pulse and sweat.
So, that's why I couldn't even wiggle - for
4 hours!
A .jellyfish or
a perm?
The head, the body, the fingers - all tangled
Pray for this to be over ... soon!
Guess what that plastic bag is for?
Dr. Stephen was the only one who bothered
to ask whether we needed to make a ...pee stop...in the midst
of the testings. He invented the bag to store the wires when
we needed to be unplugged in order to go to the loo, after
two brutal hours of testings (with two more hours to go).
Off I went (to the loo, that is)
Dr. Stephen Aichele was a former Theravadin
monk in the "Wat Pa" tradition. Now he's a Scientist!
.
Side and back view of a tangled-up Mae-chi
Looking relieved after 4 hours. Big smiles because
my prays have been answered as I am being unplugged and untangled.
Meeting His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Delhi (India)
(Tues.) December 26, 2006
With His Holiness, the Dalai Lama (HHDL), at the Foundation
of Universal
Responsibility meeting, Delhi, India.
Dr. ka-TI recently took Ordination in
the Theravadin Tradition, taking the Eight Precepts, for a period
of one(1) year. She was selected participant in the "Shamatha
Project" - a ground breaking Buddhism and Science project of
UC Davis Center of Mind and Brain (Cliff Saron, Ph.D) and the Santa
Barbara Institute of Consciousness (B. Alan Wallace Ph.D). She will
be in long term Retreat at the Shambhala Mountain Center, Red Feather
Lakes, Colorado for most of the 2007.
อัลบั้มบันทึกการแสดงสดเพื่อช่วยเหลือ "มูลนิธิบ้านสงเคราะห์สัตว์พิการ"
From the Heart (Live in Concert)
by Dr. ka-TI Brazilian Jazz
แม้เวลาจะผ่านไป การช่วยเหลือนั้นยังสานต่อ ล่าสุด ดร.กะทิ ได้จัดทำโครงการหาเงินเพื่อช่วยเหลือ
มูลนิธิบ้านสงเคราะห์สัตว์พิการ ขึ้นมาอีกครั้ง โดยในครั้งนี้เธอได้นำบันทึกการแสดงสดจากคอนเสิร์ท
Dr. ka-TI Brazilian Jazz From the Heart ที่แสดงไว้ ณ สถาบันเกอเธ่
ในครั้งนั้น มาจัดทำเป็นซีดี โดยได้รวบรวมเอาบทเพลงไพเราะในแนวทางบราซิเลี่ยน
แจ็ซ จากการแสดงในวันนั้นมาไว้อย่างครบถ้วน ซึ่งประกอบไปด้วยบทเพลง อาทิ
Aqualera Do Brazil ("Brasil") โดย Ary Barroso, Vivo Sohando (Dreamer)
กับ Garota De Ipanema (The Girl From Ipanema) โดย Antonio Carlos Jobim
และอื่นๆอีกมากมาย รายได้ทุกบาททุกสตางค์จากการจำหน่ายซีดีในครั้งนี้
จะนำไปช่วยเหลือเหล่าสัตว์พิการที่ยังรอธารน้ำใจต่อไป
CD release in aid of the
"Home for Handicapped Animals Foundation" (Thailand)
Special Holiday treats for all of you
Bossa Nova lovers ...
Many of us will fondly remember the soft
and sensous sounds of the Brazilian Bossa Nova as performed by Dr.
ka-TI Brazilian Jazz. Dr. ka-TI (Sirabhorn Muntarbhorn) - Thailand's
first and only lady jazz musician/guitarist - has released a special
and Limited Edition CD entitled "From the Heart" (Live in Concert),
in support of the Home for Handicapped Animals Foundation, Nonthaburi.
The Performance took place at the Goethe Institute, Bangkok, May 2003.
Just as the Live Concert was a fundraiser for the Home for Handicapped
Animals Foundation, the ENTIRE proceed from this CD will also be donated
to the Foundation.
Some of the great Bossa Nova classics
include: Aqualera Do Brazil ("Brasil") by Ary Barroso; Vivo Sohando
(Dreamer), Garota De Ipanema (The Girl From Ipanema) by Antonio Carlos
Jobim and more. What better gift than the gift of Love, Compassion
and ... great Music too!
Dr. ka-TI Brazilian Jazz "From The Heart"
(Live in Concert) is available NOW! at CDwarehouse, B2S and Mangpong.
For special orders and additional donations
in support of this worthy cause, please contact: Mr. Vorapoj Nimvijit
at: 661-833-2305 or e-mail: vorapoj@anet.net.th
Thank you for your kind support ... From
The Heart!
Dr. ka-TI joins Silent Peacewalk w/
Thich Nhat Hanh & Cindy Sheehan (L.A.) (Sat.) October 8, 2005
Thich Nhat Hanh, front row (holding hands with children).
Cindy Sheehan,
far right (red T-shirt). Dr. ka-TI, second row, next to three monks
(white T-Shirt, glasses and jeans).
Thousands, including our own Dr. ka-TI
(Sirabhorn Muntarbhorn), gathered at MacArthur's Park (Los Angeles)
October 8, 2005, to advocate for Peace. Activist Mom, Cindy Sheehan,
whose summer vigil outside President Bush's Texas Ranch crystallized
anti-war sentiment, sat in silence with others as Buddhist monk and
long time peace advocate Thich Nhat Hanh explained from an open stage:
"We don't think shouting in anger can help. If you make people
angry and fearful, then you cannot reduce violence and fear. Peace
must arise from within the self before it can spread out across the
"collective consciousness" and put an end to conflict and
war. When we are able to change our own thinking, the government will
have to change.
Walk as if you kisss the Earth with your
feet, really tenderly, with all your love. If you know how to touch
the present moment, you will touch the ultimate. You will touch ...
GOD."
Dr. ka-TI goes to Washington!
(Wed.) September 7, 2005
Dr. ka-TI at Capitol Hill (front row-center)
flanked by the Recording Arts Day
"Who's Who" including Musician - Dave Koz, President of
NARAS - Neil Portnow,
Producer- Jimmy Jam (with hat).
A musician with a JD (Doctor of Jurisprudence)
Law Degree, Dr. ka-TI is very much an Advocate for the rights of Performing
Artists and their creative works, as evident by a visit to Washington
D.C. for the first "Recording Arts Day On Capitol Hill,"
September 7, 2005.
Approximately 100 music professionals from across the
U.S., including our own Dr. ka-TI, participated in this grassroots
advocacy day designed to inform policy makers of the important role
the Recording Arts play in the nation's culture and economy. The day
also stressed the value of Music Education, especially in cultivating
the next generation of Artists and raised the profile of the Recording
Arts during meetings with Legislators.
Throughout the day, the delegation of
music professionals from across the country met with members of Congress
and other policy makers at special briefings and in small breakout
meetings to discuss the issues that affect the creation and distribution
of recorded music. Virtually every facet of the music community -
musicians, songwriters, producers, as well as business professionals
that distribute music to the public - were represented.
Interview
: Brazilian Contemporary Arts July,
2004
Blame it on the Bossa Nova An
interview with Sirabhorn Muntarbhorn by Robin Rix (http://www.brazilian.org.uk)
Tribute to "Sting," Sony Pictures Soundstage (L.A.) (Fri.) Feburary 6, 2004
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