Anthology: Behind the Scenes

By Robert Bush | sandiegoreader.com

“Recording in the studio with Keezer was probably the easiest and most fun process I’ve ever been a part of,” said San Diego vocalist Leonard Patton about his latest CD, Expressions, recorded at local guitar hero Peter Sprague’s Spragueland Studio in July.

The album is a freewheeling duet featuring the soulful, burnished tenor of Patton and the internationally acclaimed piano virtuoso Geoffrey Keezer.

The two musicians are celebrating the release of their collaboration on Sept. 29, at Anthology.

Although he resides in San Diego, Keezer continues to work most often outside the city, touring the United States and around the globe with artists like vibraphonist Joe Locke and saxophonist Tim Garland.

One possible precedent for the music on Expressions is the duet CD Play by pianist Chick Corea and vocalist Bobby McFerrin. There is a similar feeling of empathic intuition and devil-may-care adventurism.

“There is a nice sense of ebb and flow between Keezer and I,” says the singer, adding, “it’s very much a collaboration…a lot of give and take on this record.”

Patton has also been working with Sprague for years.

Read the full story »

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Via sandiegoreader.com

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WHAT: Leonard Patton CD-Release Show
WHEN: Thursday, September 29th, 2011, 7:30pm
TICKETS: $10-$26 Buy Tickets
MORE INFO: Artist Profile

by Mario Carrington | jazzpolice.com

James Farm is an all star quartet composed of 3 jazz titans and one major jazz revelation. The titans are saxophonist Joshua Redman, bassist Matt Penman and drummer Eric Harland; the revelation is AaronParks on piano. The first set of a 4 show, two night engagement September 20 at the Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant, 1010 Nicollet Mall, in downtown Minneapolis, was mesmerizing, and is a must see show.

On the short list of transformative jazz quartets there was John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones and Jimmy Garrison, with a fast forward to Branford Marsalis, Joey Calderazzo, Jeff Watts and Eric Revis. This nascent quartet brought together by Redman could be an heir apparent to that continuum with the recent dissolution of that Marsalis band.

The Dakota has been the scene of some extraordinary shows featuring 3 of the band members— Redman, Penman and Harland—during their appearances as part of the San Francisco Jazz Collective. Redman has also appeared at the club separate from SFJC with individual projects, while Harland has variously appeared with McCoy Tyner, Charles Lloyd and Dave Holland.

If you enjoyed any of those shows and the performances by Redman, Penman and Harland, you will be similarly enthralled by this new group. It is the first visit by Parks and his playing brings to mind the young Keith Jarrett, and you will want to bear witness to a star in the making. James Farm is what a work of art by Romare Bearden would sound like if one of his jazz collages came to life–lyrical, harmonious, and beautiful.

All of the selections played were original compositions from their eponymous debut album and included “1981,” “If By Air,” “Unravel,” “Chronos,” “Star Crossed” and “I-10.” Their playing can be described as insouciant where they seem to amaze and entertain the audience and themselves as they talked to each other in simultaneous collaborative improvisations. The room seemed to levitate from the energetic, propulsive, thunderous displays from all of the musicians, particularly Redman and Harland.

It was the kind of scintillating performance that if Thelonius Monk were alive and on stage, he would have been moved to get up and dance around in mid chorus.

Click here to read the rest of the story.

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WHAT: James Farm ft. Joshua Redman, Aaron Parks, Matt Penman & Eric Harland
WHEN: Saturday, October 2nd, 2011, 7:30pm
TICKETS: $13-$56 Buy Tickets
MORE INFO: Artist Profile

Ah, San Diego: dream weather, sun-kissed beaches and a thriving arts scene? With its coastal location and ideal year-round temperatures, visitors have flocked to San Diego in search of fun and sun for years, but dig deeper and you’ll find cultural offerings rivaling any big city that make for a new way to experience the town.

“After dinner…go to Anthology to hear some of the best jazz in the city.” – Peter Greenberg

Read the full article here

Via petergreenberg.com

By Alanna Berman | sdjewishjournal.com

Nestled in between the East Village and Little Italy, Anthology is the hip music and culinary venture of owners Marsha and Howard Berkson, drawing crowds of all ages to experience world class entertainment and award-winning food and drinks. One of the only venues of its kind in San Diego, the intimate, 300-seat house has won numerous awards since opening in 2007.

“We loved the venues from the 1930s and 40s — the supper club restaurants and venues from the old days,” Howard says. “But we put a contemporary spin on it so you can actually have a three- or four-hour experience here with great vibes in a room that’s architecturally pleasing, with artists you can’t always see up close, from all over the world.”

Anthology has been host to world-class acts like the legendary jazz artists Ramsey Lewis, Natalie Cole and Wyton Marsalis. The venue has even helped propel the careers of many rising stars, like Israeli musician Idan Raichel, who appeared in June on Anthology’s stage with popular hip-hop and soul singer India.Arie. Contemporary artists Micelle Branch and Sarah Bareilles have also taken the stage here.

Each week, the Anthology team sits down to look for new and emerging artists to bring to San Diego, so that no matter what type of music guests listen to, they’re sure to find an artist who appeals to them on the lineup.

“There is always something different playing,” Marsha says, “but the level of talent will always be very high.”

In addition to a nice mix of well-known and up and coming artists, the Anthology House Band plays R&B and jazz standards every Tuesday night, and once a month, the venue is host to the San Diego Symphony in a collaboration called “Luscious Noise,” drawing crowds of all ages to enjoy an “edgier side of classical music,” as Howard describes it.

But it’s not just the music that’s garnered Anthology praise. The food, “California cuisine with a farm-to-table twist,” is as eclectic as the musical talent that accompanies it. The menu changes seasonally, and sometimes daily, based on the availability of the freshest ingredients, Marsha says. The California Restaurant Association has even awarded Anthology’s culinary staff the coveted Gold Medallion three of the last four years.

Bringing to the table all of the components of a great night out — award-winning food, world-class entertainment and an exceptional, fully stocked bar — is what the Anthology experience is all about.

“The best thing about running Anthology is making people happy,” Marsha says. “It’s a different experience than going to a 20,000-seat arena, so we are very proud with how happy we are able to make people, doing what we love.”

Anthology serves up entertainment for all ages six nights a week, Tuesday through Sunday. Dinner starts at 5 p.m. nightly. For reservations and ticket prices, visit Anthology online or call the box office. Additionally, Anthology’s private event team can accommodate any party or gathering, from weddings and b’nai mitzvah to corporate meetings.

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Anthology

1337 India Street

San Diego, CA 92101

www.anthologysd.com

(619) 595-0300

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Via sdjewishjournal.com

By Angela Carone | KPBS.org

Above: Veteran soul singer Jerry Butler gives a rare performance in San Diego - Saturday and Sunday - at Anthology in Little Italy.

The contemporary rock duo The Black Keys covered the song “Never Gonna Give You Up” on their hit album from 2010 “Brothers.” The song was written and first recorded by Chicago soul singer Jerry Butler.

During a recent phone interview, I asked Butler what he thought of the Black Key’s cover. I was surprised to find he didn’t know about it. The 72-year-old singer responded: “If you run into them, please thank them for me. And if they hear this, thank you fellas, I appreciate that.”

That’s the kind of gracious response Jerry Butler is known for. After all, he’s survived in the music industry for over 50 years, and he’s been in Chicago politics for 25. You don’t survive in either industry without making friends along the way.

Butler grew up on the North side of Chicago in the 1950s. He and Curtis Mayfield started singing together in church. Butler says a lot of soul and R&B musicians come up that way. He explains with a chuckle, “The first place you can go and perform is in a church and someone’s gonna say ‘Amen’ whether you’re good or bad.”

Butler and Mayfield formed the doo-wop group The Impressions and they made a splash with a song Butler wrote as a poem at the age of 16. “For Your Precious Love” was a surprise hit in 1958. “In the days of rhythm and blues and rock ‘n’ roll, everything was pretty much juked up so the kids could dance and all,” says Butler.

Shows like “American Bandstand” helped launch musical careers back then, but Dick Clark had to be convinced to play a slow song on a show known for high energy dancing. When Clark agreed to play “For Your Precious Love,” everyone slow danced. Butler slyly adds, “and they found out they liked it!”

Soon after the success of “For Your Precious Love,” Butler left the Impressions and started a solo career. (The band would later become Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions.) But Butler and Mayfield would team up again in 1960. Together they wrote and performed the hit song “He Will Break Your Heart.”

Click here to read the rest of the story and to listen to the radio feature.

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WHAT: Jerry “The Iceman” Butler – Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and Co-Founder of The Impressions
WHEN: Saturday, August 20th, 2011, 7:30 & 9:30pm and Sunday, August 21st, 2011, 7:00pm
TICKETS: $17-$63 Buy Tickets
MORE INFO: Artist Profile

Recent years have seen Carl Verheyen performing guitar solos for 67 million viewers at the 2009 Academy Awards, laying down tracks for every variety of movie (everything from from Cars to the upcoming Star Trek), delivering master classes at USC, sharing a stage with pop tart Miley Cyrus and even designing his own signature guitar.

On Wednesday, Verheyen will take the stage with his eponymous solo project at Anthology.
As the reigning guitarist of Supertramp since 1985, Verheyen still tours with the progressive rock group, which just returned from the stages of the Carhaix festival, in France, where they played for 77,000 people. But he also has his hands full with an increasing number of side-projects.
Educating future musicians is at the top of his list.

» read the rest of the story here

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Source: Supertramp’s Master Looks Ahead | NBC San Diego

photo by David Ramos

It’s not exactly a new phenomenon.

Actors have been crossing over into the musical world for years. But this isn’t Tim Robbins’ first time at the rodeo.

I mean, forget the fact that Robbins’ father, Gil, was a member of 60s folksters The Highwaymen and toured with Harry Belafonte as part of the Belafonte singers. And forget that the elder Robbins also managed the Gaslight Club in Greenwich Village, so music has been an integral part of the family for decades.

If you remember that Robbins opened for Pearl Jam, cranking out punk-rock versions of folk tunes, while they both stumped for John Kerry on the campaign trail, it should be about all that you need to know. Sure Robbins’ Bull Durham character, Ebby Calvin “Nuke” LaLoosh, butchered Otis Reddings’ “Try A Little Tenderness,” and his turn as Ian “Ray” Raymond in the audiophile-classic High Fidelity found him pony-tailed, patchouli-ed, and with a penchant for sitar, but this ain’t the movies.

Robbins and his Rogues Gallery Band started touring on their self-titled debut in Europe and Australia before kicking off dates stateside on July 8.

He’ll be at Anthology Saturday night, but I recently spoke with him from San Francisco, where he was at the KFOG radio station about to do a live, in-studio performance.

Read the interview here

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Source: Academy Award Winner Gets His Folk On At Anthology | NBC San Diego

You don’t want to miss this show, featuring songs from EJ’s 1970-75 catalog, this Sunday at Anthology

by MORGAN M. HURLEY – SDGLN ASSISTANT EDITOR

SAN DIEGO — If you are one who tends to feel all your Pride on Saturday and relax and kick back on Sunday, is there a treat in store for you, although standing on your feet maybe involved.

This Sunday, at 7 pm, there is an alternative way for you to extend or close out your weekend of Pride celebrations, by spending it with Elto

Elton – The Early Years (ETEY) is a tribute show that is coming this Sunday to Anthology in Little Italy.

Whether you are a rabid, lifetime fan of Elton John or were just a heavy listener of the (album oriented rock) AOR radio of the early 1970′s, you will be completely entertained.

Elton and three of his very memorable bandmates of the era are brought to life by four seasoned musicians; Kenny Metcalf as Elton John, Joe Alessandro on drums as Nigel Olsson, Bobby H.Q. Storm on bass as Dee Murray, and Dean Cooper on guitar as Davey Johnstone.

Who can forget the outrageous props and outfits that were all about Elton John during his stage performances and on his record jackets in those days? He even sang about them … electric boots and mohair suits … and a concert at Dodger Stadium in the mid-70′s produced a Dodger baseball uniform, with full bling.

That stage presence and the costumes embodied that period of Elton John’s career and helped skyrocket him to fame every bit as much as his melodic handiwork complemented by his songwriting partner, Bernie Taupin. The combination of all those things made him a superstar of iconic proportions.

This is the Elton John who just a few years before had been Reginald Dwight; a frumpy young bloke who had adapted a new name before releasing his first album in 1969 in the UK, an album that got little attention on this side of the pond. A year later, that same guy stepped off a plane in Los Angeles to play his first gig in the USA — at the Troubadour — on a trip that would not only inspire one of his biggest hits, Tiny Dancer, but finally launch his career.

Elton John created his own destiny back in the 1970′s, his songs demanded radio play and soon, domination.

His concerts were larger than life — just like his persona — long before his throat surgeries, hair implants, a misguided marriage and his drug and alcohol rehabilitation; long before both the AIDS epidemic and Broadway reinvented him into the activist musician and billion dollar empire he is today.

From 1969 to 1975 Elton John made ten albums and released a total of 13. He has since released 33 more studio albums, live concerts and other collaborations. But music enthusiasts know those early years are the period where he etched his name into the history books, and that is the man that Metcalf and his colleagues pay tribute to today.

“We currently pull our selections from around 30 songs from eight albums [between 1970 - 1975],” Metcalf recently told San Diego Gay & Lesbian News.

“You can only play so many songs in a two hour set, so we change them around a bit to keep it fun for us and entertaining for those who have seen us before. We are also continually working on new selections to add into the show, but timing is everything for us at this stage of the game.”

“The best tribute band ever”

Be aware that this show is not just some fancy karaoke group — all the music and the singing come from these four gentlemen, but you will put yourself right back where you were in 1974; because everyone in Elton – The Early Years is in full character and costume, and Metcalf’s costumes change several times per show to reflect Elton’s various moods and his style of the time period.

“The tribute show is a technical show and not a classic rock band playing Elton’s material,” said Metcalf. “We really want our show to be an Elton John 1970-75 experience that leaves the people blown away and for those who were there … to relive it.”

Although they primarily choose what are known as “radio cuts” for their shows — since there are plenty of those to pull from — they occasionally pull deeper cuts from some of those beloved early albums and add them to the set, as well, with Metcalf either playing solo on the piano (Sixty Years On) or the full band taking one on (Madman Across the Water, Have Mercy on the Criminal).

“We really strive to perform these as close as we can to how Elton played them, and I continually practice his vocal tones and delivery to continue to improve inflections that are his key voice signatures,” Metcalf continued. “If not … my voice can slip out and sing it sloppy and I don’t want Kenny Metcalf to be heard … I want Elton John to be heard, and that is when it is a real tribute to him and his fans.”

According to Metcalf, putting together the group was at first a bit of a challenge. Members had to be willing to learn Elton John’s most demanding catalog of songs, pick up signature licks, wear costumes, wigs and be willing to play at a moment’s notice. They reached out to friends in the business and after six long months, the current line-up was ready to start rehearsing for their first gig in May of 2010.

Some of them have been playing together for years in other projects, but not all of them have been lifelong Elton John fans. Metcalf’s appreciation eclipses Cooper’s long-held fan status, but bass player Storm was, and still is, traditionally a “metal head” bassist. And although ETEY was the brainchild of Alessandro, he has always been more into progressive rock and jazz, so clearly there was some “getting up to speed” required to make this happen.

Since that first show, they have been busy rehearsing, planning, scheduling, performing and adapting costumes that depict the time period. They’ve also continued to gel as a team, getting tighter not only in their delivery and ability to read each other, but also in the total show experience they provide for their audiences. Thanks to word of mouth and social media, the show has developed quite a following, too.

Click here to read the rest…

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Via sdgln.com

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WHAT: Elton – The Early Years
WHEN: Sunday, July 17th, 2011, 7:00pm
TICKETS: $10-$29 Buy Tickets
MORE INFO: Artist Profile

Acclaimed singer-songwriter and her band perform here Sunday

By George Varga | signonsandiego.com

Nellie McKay

There’s a sound reason singer-songwriter Nellie McKay has earned almost uniformly rave reviews since the release of her 2004 debut album: She’s terrific. She also rarely performs in these parts, which makes her Sunday concert at downtown’s all-ages Anthology a show of particular note.

Equally gifted as a musician, actress and satirical artistic provocateur, this London-born, New York-based maverick excels at jazz, pop and cabaret-styled torch songs that predate her birth by decades. Her repertoire has also included subversive rap parodies of Eminem, bubbly folk-pop, Tin Pan Alley ballads, Broadway-styled jaunts, urbane swing and more.

“I’m pretty indiscriminating, and I have awful taste, generally,” McKay told me, only half in jest, during a 2007 San Diego Union-Tribune interview.

At 27, McKay has five albums to her credit, including 2009’s often sublime “Normal As Blueberry Pie: A Tribute to Doris Day.” Her 2006 double-album, “Pretty Little Head,” found her easily holding her own when duetting with such veteran singers as k.d. lang and Cyndi Lauper.

McKay and Lauper first teamed in an off-Broadway production of “The Three Penny Opera,” in which McKay played the role of Polly Peachum and Lauper was cast as the prostitute Jenny. (McKay fared well enough that she subsequently performed in a Broadway production of “Three Penny Opera,” as part of a cast that co-starred Edie Falco and Alan Cumming.)

Like Randy Newman before her, she infuses a distinctly idosyncratic sense of humor in some of her songs. On “Mother of Pearl,” McKay (a devoted equal-rights advocate) takes barbed aim at feminism while throwing in a few tap-dancing segments (!) for good measure.

The song includes such memorable zingers as: They say child molestation isn’t funny / Rape and degradation’s just a crime / Rampant prostitution, sex for money / Can’t these chicks do anything but whine?

What results on “Mother of Pearl” evokes Randy Newman’s controversial 1977 hit “Short People,” which skewered bigotry by pretending to champion it.

“I really don’t care what people say. It’s amazing that feminism continues to exist at all, considering how much counter-feminism is out there,” McKay said. “So, I’m glad if people can listen to some music and maybe fix some prejudices of their own, just by thinking.”

McKay’s current concert tour with her five-piece band showcases her ingenious musical adaptation of “I Want To Live!” — a 1958 movie that starred Susan Hayward as Barbara Graham (who in 1955 became the third woman to die in the gas chamber at San Quentin).

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read the full article here

via signonsandiego.com

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WHAT: Nellie McKay – “I Want to Live!”
WHEN: Sunday, July 10th, 2011, 7:00pm
TICKETS: $12-$39 Buy Tickets
MORE INFO: Artist Profile

Veteran comic performs at Anthology in Little Italy July 2

By Gordon Downs | sandiego.com

With over 30 years in the business comedian Paula Poundstone is somewhat of an institution in the world of stand-up comedy.

Poundstone rose to success during the great comedy boom of the eighties landing her on HBO, Saturday Night Live and what once was the Holy Grail for stand-up comedians, The Tonight Show. Having survived the fast paced lifestyle and over indulgence of the 1980’s and endured the lethargic comedy scene of the 1990’s, Poundstone has remained relatively unscathed and still performs around the country all while raising several children and numerous cats.

As she prepares for her one night only performance at Anthology in Little Italy, SanDiego,com was fortunate to catch up with Poundstone from her home in Los Angeles and discussed her early years as a comic in Boston and the ongoing improvisational relationship she has with her audience.

Is it true that you traveled across the country via Greyhound bus doing open mics?

Paula Poundstone: Yeah, I started out in Boston and wanted to see what clubs were like in different cities, so I rode the dog all around the country and Canada. I had an Ameripass; for $150 you could go anywhere you wanted for a month.

What year was this?

PP: It might’ve been 79’ or 80’.

So this was right at the cusp of the great comedy boom.

PP: Yeah I was really lucky, and there was no genius there. It was just time and place. I also happened to be nineteen years old, which sure doesn’t make it easy.

Would you describe the nineteen year old Paula Poundstone as a free spirit?

PP: Um, no, just really compulsive. I look back on it now and if one of my kids wanted to do that; I wouldn’t stand in their way. But if they wanted to it would probably be for a good reason. But I look back on it now and I’m like, ‘Whoo boy! Gee.’ I’m lucky I wasn’t clubbed over the head.

It’s a different world now than it was back then.

PP: Yeah, it is. You’re absolutely right about that. I told my kids this story before, I sort of tell it, couching it in. The first night I spent in San Francisco; I knew a comic from Boston who’d gone out to San Francisco and I was going to catch up to him and stay with him a couple of nights or whatever. But when I got to the Greyhound station I couldn’t reach him. I believe this was the day before the elections when Reagan was elected, and there was a rally for John Anderson who I had moderate interest in knowing nothing about politics. Having really nothing else to do I went to the rally and I think I had a newspaper that I was sitting on and someone asked me if they could read it or maybe it was the other way around. And I ended up hanging around for the rest of the night with that guy. Nice young guy, probably a couple of years older than me; can’t remember his name. I remembered that he lived up a ton of stairs and we rode the cable cars together. We invested what seemed like a huge amount of money at the time which was $10 to go see Gallagher at the Great American Music Hall, and I stayed only that one night. It wasn’t like a sexual thing, I stayed in one room he stayed in another room. I have never seen that guy again. I don’t remember his name or anything about him. I remember saying to him as we were riding the cable car, ‘Isn’t this strange in a way?’ and he said, ‘Naw, people treated me nicely when I came to town.’

Click here to read the rest of the interview…

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Via sandiego.com