american roots live with nasty ned arl roots review 82 by nasty ned

ARL Roots Review 82

I can't even begin to explain how much satisfaction I get from promoting and hosting American Roots Live and Writers in Raritan each week.

I have the best job in the world, if that's what you want to call it. I call it fun, fun, fun.

I get to meet and interact with a lot of people, and hear and play with many of the most talented musicians in the area, and upcoming youngsters. I get to present them on stage in combinations with other musicians. Then I get to introduce them to an enthusiastic audience and sit back to soak in the sound. The sweet music. And the audience reaction. Pinch me.

Last week's American Roots Live celebration and our on-going singer-songwriter showcase, Writers in Raritan, were no exceptions.

That's Case Newcomb from New York City (pic: win, above) choosing to rock a chair with his Les Paul. Case tore it up. He's rocked with us before and we're always happy when he's able to join us. Case is a big fan of ARL and we are big fans of his.

We also heard a young, new band who made their American Roots Live debut last week called Command Radio. When I say young, I mean 18 and 19 years old - six talented college students.

A big group with a big sound, Command Radio features sax, trumpet, guitar, bass, drums and lead singer Ryan Egan. Together they threw down some 60's roots-rock with ferocity and some well crafted, timeless-sounding originals that were both refreshing and down right fun!

While on the subject of well crafted originals, Writers in Raritan proved again to be the place to be if you're interested in witnessing very special songwriting talent up-front and personal. Last Wednesday night Tommy Fuller wrote a song on stage, on-the-spot, for the second time in three shows with us, that left our mouths open.

The song, "She's a Soul Girl" - his inspiration - an amazing young woman named Kerry Anderson who stunned us all earlier with her brilliant songcraft and phenomenal, world-class voice.

Beyonce, Marhiah, Whitney, Sarah, Alicia, Jewel... Time out. You've got to hear Kerry Anderson.

Ms. Anderson also proved a very talented musician switching from guitar to piano and back again, accompanying herself - more than aptly.

Tommy Fuller has always been a great performer, but he is also a very special songwriter. Check out his song "Worlds on Fire" at http://www.neilyoung.com/lwwtoday/index.html Last I looked, Tom's video was #1 on 'ol Neil's Living With War web charts.

Wednesday's WiR also featured the witty and passionate songs of John Kasper and Peter Prasa respectively.

The four songwriters will join us again in December. Don't miss them next time. Come, keep the show alive. Visit www.myspace.com/writersinraritan for WiR's upcoming December schedule. Tommy Fuller can be heard again November 28.

ARL 82's playlist included: Case Newcomb, Robert Zee, Ed Pampani, JR Bradfield, Keith Autocunas, Tommy Toye, Hershall Dow, Mordechai Jones, Lisa Batruch, Carlo Trentacosta, Joe Salerno, Randy Marinelli, Johnny Thompson, Dutch Kopp, Randy Smith, John Mei, Command Radio, Sticks Obremski, Paul Marinelli, Chris Mongiello, Evan Miggs, Big Boy Kenny Nerbak, Ron Seibert, Ed Zrock, Carl Marcantonio, Rich Keorner, and Tal Patton.

Thanks to all who help keep the music alive; Orphan Annie's, Rick, Karin; DeCicco's, Denise, Joe; JR Bradfield, John Powers, Chuck Wegman, Ed Pampani, Richard Skelly, Freddie Fry and Win.

See you soon again, huh?. Please come and support our shows - you'll be happy you did.

Keeping it real,

Ned


















Kerry Anderson to perform Writers in Raritan in December.

Boz Burrell Bassist for King Crimson and Bad Company dead at age 60

When I was writing my biography of King Crimson back in 1999, Id been pleasantly surprised by how many of the ex-members were keen to talk to me about their time with the band. Even the couple who at first were reluctant eventually agreed to talk. The one person who declined to talk was Boz Burrell.

He was always polite when I rang him at his home. Sometimes his wife would answer and she would say Oh hang on, he s just out playing some golf. I will just go and get him. My head would immediately fill with the image of Boz in those Pringle sweaters and the ludicrous slacks. It somehow did not fit the image of the hard-drinking, hard rocking blues and jazz loving singer who had joined Crimson as a brief stopping point on his way to global success with Bad Company.

I think I spoke to him three times in total. On each occasion he d politely enquire how the book was progressing. Sometimes I would tell a little of what someone had said, hoping it would spur him into a response but Boz was too seasoned a pro to be caught like that. Instead he would offer neutral comments; We ll it might have been like that but, you know I can not really remember was about as far as he would be drawn.

Only on once or twice did he offer an opinion but it was strictly off the record and most definitely non-attributable. He was always struck me as affable and courteous and I felt sure that if I kept up with the calls, he would have relented and talked on the record.

Everyone from Crimson who had an association with Boz that I talked to Dik Fraser, Robert Fripp, Peter Sinfield, Mel Collins and Ian Wallace all had good things to say about him. Both Mel and Ian were particular defensive about their ex-band mate, feeling he had been unfairly maligned by certain sections of the Crimson fanbase.

It was not until the release of material through the King Crimson Collectors Club and more recently though DGMLive, that the reputation of the Boz era KC was rehabilitated, from being dismissed as a mere jam-band, and now exonerated as a group with its own distinctive identity. Certainly my own opinion of the group received a 360° turn-around after hearing the first four gigs the band played at the Zoom Club in April 1971.

Once Crimson toured the UK they somehow lost the sense of danger and adventure which is such a vital part of those Zoom Club recordings, hampered as they were by the need to bring what was for them, the ill fitting material of the previous incarnation, to the punters who were eager to hear the Court material played live.

Unfortunately, I never saw Boz with Crimson, having missed them at Newcastles City Hall by a matter of days. There was a compensation of sorts when Bad Company played the same venue on their first UK tour a few years later.

I think we watched Boz the whole night in his red leather rock god trousers, secretly hoping that Bad Company would break into a Crimson tune. Of course, given Bozs antipathy to that part of his career, it was never going to happen. Even though we knew it deep down, we held out hope until the end of the show. "Ladies of the Road" from Islands would have been ideal but of course it was not to be.

I heard about Bozs death from Jakko, who had heard the news himself from Peter Sinfield. I know Jakko was a huge fan of the Islands line up with Bozs version of the title track being one of his favourites.

Details were sketchy. Nobody quite knew what was going on. We thought at first that Boz was in Edinburgh with Tam White. I rang the news desk of The Scotsman newspaper but they had heard nothing. I checked out the local radio station but they knew zilch.

After contacting Tam Whites agent, I eventually spoke to guitarist Neil Warden who played with Boz and Tam in The Groove Connection. Neil clarified and confirmed the sad details.


Tam was visiting Boz at his place in Spain. They were getting ready to go out. Boz had just picked up a guitar to play, sat back and died there and then in the chair, killed (it seems likely) by a massive heart attack.

As the DGM HQ team hastily prepared a tribute page to Boz, I thought it was appropriate that David and Alex had chosen an alternative mix of "Ladies of the Road" as Bozs last encore with Crimson.

REPOSTED FROM SID SMITHS BLOG

sidsmith.blogspot.com