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Metropolis (1927) – Gorgio Moroder Presents and the Complete Metropolis Bundle 50% Off

Posted on by Musicofourheart
Metrópolis (1927)

Metrópolis (1927) (Photo credit: Lord_Henry)

metropolis.jpg

I didn’t get to see Metropolis until 1984 when it was re-released in the nostalgia movie houses. I went to SoNo Cinema in South Norwalk to experience it. Giorgio Moroder restored and produced the 80-minute 1984 re-release, which had a pop soundtrack written by Moroder and performed by Moroder, Pat Benatar, Bonnie Tyler, Jon Anderson, Adam Ant, Cycle V, Loverboy, Billy Squier, and Freddie Mercury. I love that soundtrack. I find it inspirational and vibrant to this day. The combination of rock artists and the colorizing techniques proved a very effective medium to communicate this Sci Fi classic to our generation.

Giorgio Moroder presents Metropolis

There is a special 3-Disc DVD bundle available at 50% off (29.99) from Kino Lorber Home Entertainment. It contains THE COMPLETE METROPOLIS and GIORGIO MORODER PRESENTS METROPOLIS.

What’s really sensational is that The Complete Metropolis is now the most comprehensive restoration of Fritz Lang‘s classic with an additional 25 minutes of lost footage and the original Gottfried Huppertz score.

Now I just have to make one final decision do I get the DVD edition or the Blue Ray edition? Flips a coin….calls heads….

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Stretching out on Sunday with Vijay Iyer

Posted on by Musicofourheart

I have been reading with relish about superlative pianist/composer/bandleader Vijay Iyer, his trio and their latest recording, Accelerando.  A definitive piece written by Nate Chinen captures the essence of Vijay Iyer’s art. I urge you to read the Nate Chinen article, “A Pianist’s Escalating Insurgency” which appeared this past Wednesday in the New York Times. It is insightful, vigorous and enthusiastic in educating the reader about the significance of Vijay Iyer’s role in jazz today and going forward.

I hear Vijay Iyer’s music as controlled excellence unfolding before the listener’s ear then increasing in a multidimensional awareness as it spirals my soul upward and outward.

A YouTube electronic press kit for Accelerando underscores the exuberance of the Vijay Iyer Trio. It has a reflective interview with Vijay Iyer along with the trio performing music segments.

If  the engagement hasn’t sold out yet I think we’ll go see the Vijay Iyer Trio Live at Birdland in New York City next month.

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PBS Great Performances – 25th Anniversary of The Phantom of the Opera

Posted on by Musicofourheart

The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall, a fully staged, lavish 25th anniversary mounting of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s long-running Broadway and West End extravaganza, comes to Great Performances in March (check local listings) on PBS.

There is no greater musical in all the theater than The Phantom of the Opera. We have seen it twice on Broadway at the Majestic Theatre and plan to go again soon. We have also seen it at The Bushnell in Hartford but the best place to see it is on Broadway. Perhaps one day we’ll get to London and see it at the West End Theatre where it began.

We love this romantic musical. It is immortal and breathtaking.

Now you can own a DVD edition of the theater production. The 25th Anniversary has some special treats in store for you.

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Real Time White House Celebration of the Blues, Tune In On the Web Via Facebook

Posted on by Musicofourheart
Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, as well as Mick Jagger, BB King, Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy, Warren Haynes, Gary Clark Jr. and many more artists will perform at the White House TONIGHT as part of a celebration of Blues music. Click the link below at 7:20pm EST for live streaming video of the concert at the White House.
You can also participate in real time collaboration with the White House, these great blues artists and fans all over the world on Facebook here.
This historic blues concert will be part of the “In Performance at the White House” series that airs on PBS. Tonight’s event is designed to recognize Black History Month and will be broadcast on Feb. 27 on PBS stations and aired later on American Forces Network.
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No Room for Rock Stars – The Vans Warped Tour Movie

Posted on by Musicofourheart

Music festivals take on a life of their own. The Vans Warped Tour has been going strong for 17+ years now.

If you have never been to a Vans Warped Tour event try to attend. The energy and the vibe is great to witness first hand. Plan on spending the entire day at a Vans Warped Tour event. I was the “designated Dad” for my son and his friends in 2004 and 2005. The 2004 Vans Warped Tour event we went to took place in the parking lot outside of Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. The fans moshed and surfed on the asphalt that day. 2004 was the 10th anniversary celebration of Vans Warped Tour.

It’s a wild day. There is a main announcement wall that gives you the schedule of bands to appear on the two main stages and all the alternate stages. I saw some interesting groups such as Bowling for Soup (hung out with them back at their area, they were fun), The Used, New Found Glory (how does that lead singer still have vocal chords left…) and Flogging Molly just to name some of the lineup that day.

The 2005 Vans Warped Tour was held on Randall’s Island just outside New York City. It was a huge dust bowl and you had to protect your eyes/throat from the dust. No matter how much they hosed down the dirt fields there the dust persisted. My favorite Warped Tour 2005 moment was when my son and his friends joined me at the Lordz of Brooklyn show and got me a Lordz t-shirt that was thrown from the stage. The Lordz signed it for me later on at their booth ;)

My past lineage with the Warped Tour has me excited for the new movie, No Room for Rockstars.

The documentary No Room for Rock Stars has more than 300 hours of film shot during the 2010 tour.  The film documents the true stories of modern era rock and roll from every possible angle. From the kids in the van playing parking lots to gain notice, to the veteran stage manager whose life was saved by the tour, to the musician who crosses over to mainstream success while on the road, No Room For Rock Stars is Cinema Vèritè story-telling at its finest. A historical retrospective or concert film this is not.

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Bruce Springsteen’s We Take Care Of Our Own Video Debuts

Posted on by Musicofourheart

This will be the song Bruce Springsteen triumphs with on The Grammy Awards Show on Sunday night, February 12th.

President Obama’s reelection team included Bruce Springsteen’s new single “We Take Care of Our Own” in the list of songs our  President will use on the campaign trail.

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Guns ‘n’ Roses – Sweet Child O’ Mine

Posted on by Musicofourheart

Just the best song ever, Slash‘s opening guitar coda, Axl Rose‘s compelling vocal, is there any doubt why 36+ million people have listened to and viewed  Guns and Roses‘s video, “Sweet Child O’ Mine“.

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World Premiere – Bill Ortiz “Winter In America” Video

Posted on by Musicofourheart

I just witnessed with a deep sense of pride and humility, the world première of our dear friend, trumpeter extraordinaire Bill Ortiz’s new video, “Winter In America“.

Please take a few minutes to watch why we must show more compassion towards our fellow-man. We must all help to defeat the winter of our discontent.

Bill,

Your new music video speaks for justice. Your trumpet is the voice that draws our attention to the winter of our discontent that is all around us in this nation. Poverty is the cause we must all help to end.

The vocals by Tony Lindsay and The Grouch accentuate the message that “Winter In America” is the plight of the human condition in our society we must eradicate.

I feel that Gil Scott-Heron is smiling down at how you extend his music to show the message of how we must all collectively help to defeat “Winter In America”.

I tip my hat to Ari Berger and domoarifoto for their wonderful visual abilities used in this video.

Peace, from the music of our heart,
Ed & Rosemary Jennings

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Occupy The Dream, People Have The Power

Posted on by Musicofourheart

“We occupy Wall Street, we occupy the dream, and we occupy the future for our children.” - Former head of the NAACP, Dr. Benjamin Chavis Jr.

Occupy The Dream achieves its impetus from combining the messages of Occupy Wall Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I love the solidarity between the two organizations as this unification strengthens the cause and the message that must be heard.

occupy the dream

An important step in the unification strategy between Occupy Wall Street and Occupy The Dream took place in New York City on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 83rd birthday.

Several hundred people packed into the historic Riverside Church in the Morningside Heights section of New York City on Sunday night, January 15, 2012 for an Occupy Wall Street vigil honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  The event featured performances by Patti Smith, Steve Earle, Stephan Said, Global Block, and St. Christopher’s Gospel Choir, among others. Russell Simmons, civil rights attorney Norman Siegel, Dr. Benjamin Chavis, Jr. and Sumumba Sobukwe addressed the crowd.

A powerful moment occurred when Patti Smith took the pulpit and brought tears to the hearts with her moving presentation of solidarity. She poetically combines her poetic song Peaceable Kingdom with People Have The Power then meshes this with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s words.

The Occupy movement has gained new momentum.  Never doubt for a minute that people have the power because we do!

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What Pearl Jam and Cameron Crowe Taught Me

Posted on by Musicofourheart

Image via Wikipedia

I watched the Pearl Jam Twenty rockumentary film last night. My goal was to absorb as much as I could about the evolution of Pearl Jam. The film exceeded my expectations as I experienced a total immersion with Pearl Jam.

I have a long time respect for Cameron Crowe as a rock music journalist, film director, producer, and screenwriter. I have relished his unique music journalism ever since I first encountered his articles in Rolling Stone Magazine in 1973. His passion for the culture of music is infectious as it is enlightening. My favorite music film of his is the semi-autobiographical movie,  Almost Famous. 

Cameron Crowe has put his best foot forward with Pearl Jam Twenty. His role as a long time fan and advocate presents a polished dimension one rarely witnesses in a rockumentary. His insight into the artistry of Pearl Jam takes the viewer far and wide in its global view of Pearl Jam live. He also zooms in on the details of each band member so we learn about the sum of the parts known as Pearl Jam.

I must also give credit to the members of Pearl Jam and their team who pieced together lots of personal film and memorabilia to underscore the strength of a twenty year partnership.

I am impressed with the magnetism Pearl Jam exudes. Most notably this is represented in the identity of Eddie Vedder. We learn of his beginnings as a surfer in Southern California who soon mounts the waves of grunge rock success in Seattle. I had no idea Eddie Vedder was such a risk taker launching himself way above  the stage into the waiting audience to catch and break his fall below. We see what heights and depths Pearl Jam assumed in their first 10 years of the 20 year journey.

I gained a strong appreciation for Pearl Jam’s commitment to their fans by taking on the Ticketmaster monopoly. I love their activism and dedication to their beliefs in the integrity of music and their fans.

Pearl Jam Twenty increases my need to see them live some day soon, hopefully when they announce their 2012 North America tour plans. The film elevates their live performances in correlation to my want to witness their incredible energy and sound.

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