Thanks to everyone who came to see us in Europe/London. We had a great time. Below is a little slide show made from some of my cell phone camera shots. More words to come soon.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Friday, November 23, 2007
Off on the Road
Hello -- We head off to Europe today for a week-long tour, which is about all that we can bite off and chew nowadays. We really look forward to it and the brevity keeps it all fresh, new, and interesting for us. It is a vacation. We also plan on sporadic weekend jaunts to certain cities in the US, a tour in Australia and possibly NZ in March, and something in Barcelona in May. Not sure if everything is 100% yet, but we are working on it.
Sorry for the infrequency of the posts here. Busy, busy. Maybe I will have some time to post photos and words from the road. Hope to see some of you out there.
Sorry for the infrequency of the posts here. Busy, busy. Maybe I will have some time to post photos and words from the road. Hope to see some of you out there.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
Timlin and Wakefield
Hey, what can I say? Us old guys are getting more sntimental:
Wake and Timlin
Also, an exemplary post from old friend Bill Simmons
Wake and Timlin
Also, an exemplary post from old friend Bill Simmons
Friday, October 26, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Believe
Just in time for th World Series:
Bill Janovitz & Crown Victoria's "Believe" used for WEEI 2004 post-season re-cap:
Or just the song itself:
Bill Janovitz & Crown Victoria's "Believe" used for WEEI 2004 post-season re-cap:
Or just the song itself:
Powells Bookstore Blog
Hey, the piece I contributed as part of the 33 1/3 guest series at Powells is up:
Jano entry on Powells blog.
Jano entry on Powells blog.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Keeping the Faith
Yeah, not looking great for the Sox. But one game at a time and we have Beckett going and then back to Fenway. Better than we had in 2004 when they came back against the Yanks and had to run 4 straight, 2 at Yanks Stadium.
Words of encouragement from Mike O'Malley:
Mike's blog for Yahoo Sports
Words of encouragement from Mike O'Malley:
Mike's blog for Yahoo Sports
Sunday, October 14, 2007
October Music
Yeah, the Sox got blown away in extra innings, so I'm biding my time on an off-day with actual inspiration, work, creativity, etc. Or trying. It is disconcerting how much time I spend watching, even passively, Red Sox games throughout the season -- which, for those of you unfamiliar with the details, lasts for 6 months.
I don't know how much more productive I would be with music, but I know I would read more. Right now, I am reading and re-reading some John Cheever stories. I read and appreciated them as a much younger fellow, but nothing can prepare you for their impact until you start hitting the same age as most of his characters. Some devastating stories. I left it home by mistake when we went to the Cape for Labor Day last month, so I picked up Lolita to read again. Also have Ian McEwan's Atonement to star again. It was one I put down without getting too far, not due to a judgment on my part; just got distracted by something.
Speaking of books, keep an eye on the Powell's book store blog at Powells.com (one of the great independent book stores in the world, based in Portland, OR). They will be having a guest series by authors from Continuum Books' 33 1/3 series, to which I contributed the book on Exile on Main St. I have a blog entry that will be posted there, music-related.
Here is some music I am listening to lately:
This is a song called "First Night" by a band I have finally gotten into after hearing friends recommend them for the better part of the last year or two, the Hold Steady. Look them up. Great record called Boys and Girls in America
Here is another great one, a bit more wistful:
Speaking of wistful, I will shout about these guys out of Iowa City, a band called Deathships, until everyone buys their records and makes the millions. This is one of the year's great rock records. Check out "Little Mystery." I was going to stream it here, but Divshare does not stream Mp4 files, made when you load CDs into or buy from iTunes and i am not about to start converting files and all that. If you care about me, you will seek the tunes out:
Deathships
I was riding my bike and, as often happens, the iPod gave me a great random mix, including Nina Simone's "No Opportunity Necessary"
That went into the Velvet Underground's "Sister Ray"
And on into the Faces' blistering version of "I'm Losing You"
I highly suggest Ian MacLagen's book about those years called All the Rage.
I don't know how much more productive I would be with music, but I know I would read more. Right now, I am reading and re-reading some John Cheever stories. I read and appreciated them as a much younger fellow, but nothing can prepare you for their impact until you start hitting the same age as most of his characters. Some devastating stories. I left it home by mistake when we went to the Cape for Labor Day last month, so I picked up Lolita to read again. Also have Ian McEwan's Atonement to star again. It was one I put down without getting too far, not due to a judgment on my part; just got distracted by something.
Speaking of books, keep an eye on the Powell's book store blog at Powells.com (one of the great independent book stores in the world, based in Portland, OR). They will be having a guest series by authors from Continuum Books' 33 1/3 series, to which I contributed the book on Exile on Main St. I have a blog entry that will be posted there, music-related.
Here is some music I am listening to lately:
This is a song called "First Night" by a band I have finally gotten into after hearing friends recommend them for the better part of the last year or two, the Hold Steady. Look them up. Great record called Boys and Girls in America
Here is another great one, a bit more wistful:
Speaking of wistful, I will shout about these guys out of Iowa City, a band called Deathships, until everyone buys their records and makes the millions. This is one of the year's great rock records. Check out "Little Mystery." I was going to stream it here, but Divshare does not stream Mp4 files, made when you load CDs into or buy from iTunes and i am not about to start converting files and all that. If you care about me, you will seek the tunes out:
Deathships
I was riding my bike and, as often happens, the iPod gave me a great random mix, including Nina Simone's "No Opportunity Necessary"
That went into the Velvet Underground's "Sister Ray"
And on into the Faces' blistering version of "I'm Losing You"
I highly suggest Ian MacLagen's book about those years called All the Rage.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Stevie Wonder show
I can't tell you how great the Stevie Wonder show was last week at the Bank of Whatever Pavilion in Boston. Words can simply not do justice to the almost 3 hours of incredible songs, performances, singing, emotional drama, sound, etc. I have never seen anything so thoroughly and intensely entertaining, soul-satisfying, and artful. I have been a fan since childhood, Songs in the Key of Life being the first LP I actually went to the store to purchase. I have seen him in concert once before, at the Wang Center. And that was fine, but it is as if he is now performing with heightened inspiration, which he is, apparently. In a moving introduction, accompanied by his daughter Aisha, Stevie dedicated the show to his recently deceased mother, who basically told him to get off his ass and go do what he was put on earth to do.
And there is no doubt that no one else in the world was more clearly intended to write and perform music than Wonder. I left the show absolutely stunned, gobstruck by the utter genius and mastery effortlessly demonstrated by Wonder that night. The man just exudes music. He sings as fabulously as ever. He seems to be missing zero in terms of range. And the songs -- hits and deep album track alike -- were an embarrassment of riches. I am unlikely to see anyone else that approaches this level of musical genius in my lifetime -- an expert multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, singer, improviser, performer. It has started a mini debate amongst my music buddies and so far no one has come up with any other figure in pop music that has accomplished all that Wonder has in all of those categories. I challenge you all, but perhaps not until you get to witness the man soon (hopefully he tours again soon) to remind you of just how much of a force this man is.
And there is no doubt that no one else in the world was more clearly intended to write and perform music than Wonder. I left the show absolutely stunned, gobstruck by the utter genius and mastery effortlessly demonstrated by Wonder that night. The man just exudes music. He sings as fabulously as ever. He seems to be missing zero in terms of range. And the songs -- hits and deep album track alike -- were an embarrassment of riches. I am unlikely to see anyone else that approaches this level of musical genius in my lifetime -- an expert multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, singer, improviser, performer. It has started a mini debate amongst my music buddies and so far no one has come up with any other figure in pop music that has accomplished all that Wonder has in all of those categories. I challenge you all, but perhaps not until you get to witness the man soon (hopefully he tours again soon) to remind you of just how much of a force this man is.
Rock studio
Above is the link for my real estate blog, featuring a post about my listing of the former Fort Apache Studio. The irony.
GO SOX!
GO SOX!
Monday, September 24, 2007
music on blogs
I should already know the answer to this, as I am a musician with recordings for sale, but I am interested in hearing what the latest thoughts are on the legality and ethics of streaming music on blogs such as this one without asking for approval or being sent music or using music that is not already posted for free by the artist? I would love to share what I have been listening to more often, and as an artist, I encourage such use of music as another outlet for exposure. I don't want anyone posting files for downloads of whole records as thievery, but a sample tune or two would be fine. I am aware of the whole issue with internet radio fees but I am not sure how that relates to this.
Show People on iTunes
That's right. So now you can get the Show People CD on iTunes as well as billjanovitz.com. And you can buy a hard copy of the CD at CDBaby. What in the name of all that is holy are you waiting for?
Friday, September 14, 2007
Show People
You can't just tell them
You have to show people
A bunch of us were singing at the piano bar at Frank's Steakhouse in North Cambridge years ago. It's a legendary joint in the part of Cambridge that becomes pretty suburban and Irish. The last vestiges of Tip O'Neil-land and times still hang on, Frank's being one of them.
Amidst the regulars scuffling up to sing "Danny Boy" and "The Unicorn" and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," were sometimes Chris Toppin, Hilken Mancini, Winston Braman, a bunch of other people who came but would not sing, and me.
The piano player, a rather flamboyant chap, would look at us askance, trying to figure out if we were there on a goof, or subsequent times, if we were the people who he remembered being there before, the scraggly bunch who actually could sing and knew the words to some classic old tunes. We were.
He once asked on the microphone, "who are you people? Are you show people? You must be show people!"
When our side project, the Bathing Beauties, finally gave up trying to be a real band, Top and I decided to soldier on and finish the songs and recordings we had started sporadically in fits and starts over the better part of 10 years. That project needed a name. Show People. It is all recorded, mixed, and NOW MASTERED. So if you downloaded it before, it now sounds better on disc. I think Kevin will upload it at billjanovitz.com. If you need a new version, I am sure. But you can go get it at CDBaby. I want to send it out to some college stations, but I'm sure it will take my sorry ass a while to do so. But if you are involved in such an endeavor and would like to request one, send an email to janovitz.bill@gmail.com or post here. Eric Masunaga mastered it and made it sound infinitely better, great, in fact.
I will also post some tunes here as time goes on.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Welcome
Hey all -- Not sure what this blog will be ultimately, but I envision it as a step up from the web page and message board, as well as my newsletters. Maybe it will replace the board and newsletter, or maybe I will just send out a new link to the newsletter when I make a new post. I think you can subscribe via RSS feeds.
As for content, I think of this as a place to share some tunes I am listening to, some images on my mind, perhaps some of my daly outrage. maybe even some works in progress. To that end, my next post includes some words, music, and Blackberry snapshots from my Labor day weekend. I will also share some tour images and thoughts.
At the risk of this becoming an adolescent-level journal, I would still rather err towards sharing some of my raw inspiration. But please don't take it as any more than that, even though some of this might end up in finished songs someday, most of it will be "of the moment," and hoping to achieve some web-based Zen. Most of the time, though, I know I will swing and miss. Just like most of life. If we bat .300, we are doing great.
Speaking of which, just back from a great Sox v. Jays game pitched by Beckett. A win.
As for content, I think of this as a place to share some tunes I am listening to, some images on my mind, perhaps some of my daly outrage. maybe even some works in progress. To that end, my next post includes some words, music, and Blackberry snapshots from my Labor day weekend. I will also share some tour images and thoughts.
At the risk of this becoming an adolescent-level journal, I would still rather err towards sharing some of my raw inspiration. But please don't take it as any more than that, even though some of this might end up in finished songs someday, most of it will be "of the moment," and hoping to achieve some web-based Zen. Most of the time, though, I know I will swing and miss. Just like most of life. If we bat .300, we are doing great.
Speaking of which, just back from a great Sox v. Jays game pitched by Beckett. A win.
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