By Zac Taylor
Managing Editor

Kate Chadbourne

Lauren Passarelli and her friend and colleague Kate Chadbourne treated the Red Room attendees to an inspiring clinic on coaxing out your muse last Tuesday, February 23. Passarelli, a professor in the guitar department, and Chadbourne, a songwriter, pianist and harpist, unabashedly revealed personal strategies about their respective writing processes with regards to creative islands of time as well as stubborn droughts that any creative person is bound to experience.

“I love listening to bootlegs of my heroes,” said Passarelli. “You get to see how great of editors these artists were. They’re just like us.” The discussion eventually included questions and responses from people in the audience, many of whom were students and faculty. “If you can muck around, you can make music,” Chadbourne said.

The discussion veered into the often fickle territory of the creative process. “Give yourself music like you give yourself vitamins,” Chadbourne said, who also teaches at Harvard. She encourages her students to push the envelope with regards to what they consume on the literary side of things, including children’s books, scholarly articles, newspapers, and lyrics. “Coast, and then push,” she said.

Lauren Passarelli

The two songwriters played only snippets of their songs in an effort to save some time and to point out certain aspects of roadblocks they encountered, and how they broke through them. “Don’t let anyone ever make your instrument into your enemy,” Passarelli said. “If someone gives you advice that makes you feel like writing more,” Chadbourne chimed in, “then it’s good advice. If it makes you feel like shutting down and curling up into a little ball, then it’s bad advice.” The two mentors bid good afternoon to the fellow creators in the room with a duet entitled “What Does the Wind Say?,” with Chadbourne on harp and Passarelli on guitar.

Russell Lacy performs at the Red Room. Photo by Zac Taylor.

By Zac Taylor
Managing Editor

This past Saturday at the Red Room was a rootsy, soulful evening of blues-infused indie Americana. Opening the show was Russell Lacy, who’s often a lead gun for hire for a handful of country rock bands in the neighborhood. He welcomed the crowd by playing all by his lonesome, accompanying himself with either a 6-string or 12-string acoustic guitar, sultry fingerstyle pickin’, bluesy harmonia riffin’, and boot heel-stompin.’ Audience members sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the stage, and stood in the back, to take in the heartfelt tunes likes “Sweet Virginia” and “Angelina.” Imagine Ray Lamontagne took some delta blues guitar lessons and sang with a little more old-timey twang. Pedal Steelist Tommy Bohlen sat in on a couple of numbers, which was a welcomed addition to this tasty appetizer of acoustic blues.

Next up were local darlings Nini+Ben, who have since morphed into a quintet, since guitar slinger extraordinaire Johnny Duke is Nashville-bound. Their Americana-meets-Norah Jones sound has been perfected over the last few months with relentless touring in support of their debut LP The Reasons We Try. Tommy Bohlen’s pedal steel melts into the thumpin’ groove provided by bassist Derek McWilliams and drummer Jake Cohen. The chemistry between lead singer Nini Fabi and her beau Ben Gebert is undeniably moving. Crowd-pleasers “Shine” and “Mother” held a firm grip on the audience, many of whom were singing along to just about every tune.

New York-based trio the Spring Standards closed the evening with an energetic set of lead-singer-switching indie pop. The experience of James, Heather, and James definitely comes across with their impeccably-crafted tunes and engaging performance.

By Liz Turner
Contributing Writer

Since 1965, The Boston Ballet’s Nutcracker has been an annual New England Holiday tradition. Principal dancers of the Boston Ballet and young children dance their hearts out to the music of Tchaikovsky. The Nutcracker, based on the original fairy tale by E.T.A Hoffman, tells the story of a young girl named Clara who is given a nutcracker as a Christmas gift on Christmas Eve, she soon falls asleep and starts dreaming about mice, soldiers, snowflakes and sugar plumb fairies.

The Nutcracker’s original production debuted December 18, 1892 in St. Petersburg Russia at the Maryinsky Theater. It is amazing to see that more than one hundred years later, the art and music of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker is still celebrated across the world today at Christmas time. The Boston Ballet orchestra employs more than 100 musicians and is the second largest musical institution in Boston.

This show is truly a magical experience, appropriate for all ages, don’t miss The Boston Ballet’s Nutcracker playing now till December 27, 2009 at the Boston Opera House, visit www.bostonballet.org for ticket sales, by phone 617-695-6955 or visit the Boston Opera House Box Office 539 Washington St Monday-Friday 10AM-5PM.

By Ann Driscoll

The Ex-Girlfriends. Photo by Rachel Sumai

Associate Editor

As befitting the current synth-pop craze, keyboards in all its forms, dominated Storytellers 09. Of nine singing/songwriting talents chosen for the biannual showcase at David Friend Recital Hall, only three played guitar: Tubby Love, Brian Dunne, and The Ex-Girlfriends. Ramzy Suleiman opened the show with a bouncy crowd-pleasing piano number, which, to the chagrin of the Storytellers coordinators, was different than the tune he was selected to play. Eva Louhivuori, Merrily Scruggs-James and Maddy Zani all sang down-tempo piano ballads. Jaret Hewitt and Tubby Love both performed synth-heavy R&B pop. While Hewitt’s tune sounded like Justin Timberlake, Tubby created a mellow lounge-y vibe, harkening back to Innversions-era Stevie Wonder.

Read the full story

By Garrett Frierson
Contributing Writer

For anyone on the search for up and coming talent, the show at Gallery 263 in Cambridge last Thursday night was a goldmine. The small venue allowed for an intimate show while rain fell just outside.

The Tales started the night with some feel good rock, reflecting on past loves and life with three part harmonies and classic guitar sounds over the rhythms of surf and soul. The band shows a knack for songwriting in the vein of the Beatles, letting songs tell their stories without clutter. Lead singer Andrew Burri sang with conviction, backed by drummer Machael Haziza and lead guitarist David Brandwine, both of whom also sang several songs. Grooving steady, bassist Taylor Shell let his shoulders keep the tempo. Contained in such a small place, they swayed the crowd with charisma, letting their melodies flow over the art and into the assembled crowd.

The pace slowed as Michigan natives Daisy May and Seth Bernard took center stage, singing tales of life in America’s heartland. Between songs they told the crowd the stories behind songs as they re-tuned their instruments. Seth Bernard’s guitar was from the 1920s, and he explained that they both played older instruments that, though requiring more upkeep, came with a history that shown through in the music. Daisy’s voice followed the hilly roads their travels follow, pulling the heart of soul into their all acoustic set.

Taking a jazzier turn, Margaret Glaspy serenaded the crowd with a smoky voice drifting somewhere between Regina Spektor and Kate Nash. The music, jazz-turned-Americana complete with a banjo played by Ben Krakafur, was tight and fit complex grooves unexpectedly under Glaspy’s nylon guitar strumming. Vishal Nayak and Josh Hari blended drums and bass into a single force that carried the room till the end of the night.

For more on these bands, visit:
www.myspace.com/thetalesmusic
www.myspace.com/daisymayandsethbernard
www.myspace.com/margaretglaspy

By Ann Driscoll
Associate Editor

After holding panels and master classes earlier this week, the musicians of the Women In Rock residency will play the Berklee Performance Center on Wednesday, October 8th at 8:15 PM. The show features Meshell Ndegeocello, Nona Hendryx, Siedah Garett, Felicia Collins, Joyce Kennedy, and Cindy Blackman. According to Voice Professor Kudisan Kai, who planned and coordinated Women In Rock, “Many people don’t even realize there is such a thing as a black female rocker.” She devised the residency in part to present strong, multi-talented role models for all female musicians at Berklee and beyond.

Kai coordinated the participation of the performers by relying on her vast array of personal and professional connections. Her touring experience as a vocalist in Chaka Khan’s band helped establish contacts with Meshell Ndegeocello and Felicia Collins. The friendships among many of these women, each of whom have a different musical background, go back decades. They are the pillars of a network of talented, successful black female rockers in the music industry.

Historically, black female musicians have encountered discrimination in rock music, which is both male-dominated and white-dominated, despite its roots in African-American music. According to Kai, the music industry functions like any other industry by “compartmentalizing,” that is, putting people in a rigid, market-tested box. Black rockers have often been considered too “black” for rock radio and too “rock” for radio stations that typically play African-American-dominated genres like soul, R&B, and rap.

However, Kai said that the recent shift in the power structure from the record labels to the artists has contributed to the popularity of a greater diversity of artists and the genres they play. “[Via the Internet,] the whole world is now truly a melting pot,” and now artists of all races playing all kinds of music can achieve popularity without the strictures of the labels and radio conglomerates.

The performers have offered their hands-on talent and experience to Berklee over the past two days. Ndegeocello visited a bass lines lab and a liberal arts class on Monday. Siedah Garrett lent her songwriting expertise to a songwriting class and a Contemporary Writing & Production class. Nona Hendryx and Joyce Kennedy each participated in a vocal lab, and Cindy Blackman drummed with students at the South American Rhythms drum lab.

According to Kai, Berklee can help foster a community for black rock artists by continuing to allow forums, residencies, and concerts such as Women In Rock. A diversity division in place, and the support of President Roger Brown has contributed to the success of this residency. Though all of them may not be household names, each musician has made an indelible mark on music history.

Featured Performers

• Renowned vocalist and songwriter Siedah Garett recently won a Grammy for the song “Love You I Do” from Dreamgirls, though she is best-known for co-writing the hit, “Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson.
• Felicia Collins is an in-demand session guitarist, having recorded for artists such as Madonna, George Clinton, and Cyndi Lauper. She is currently a member of the CBS Orchestra for Late Show with David Letterman.
• Nona Hendryx was one third of 1970’s glam funk band LaBelle, who achieved worldwide success with their number one worldwide hit, “Lady Marmalade.” The LaBelle reunion CD, produced in part by Lenny Kravitz and Wyclef Jean, comes out on October 21st.
• Joyce Kennedy formed the first successful multi-cultural metal band, Mother’s Finest. They have maintained a devoted cult following since their inception in 1975.
• Cindy Blackman, best-known as Lenny Kravitz’s drummer for fourteen years, attended Berklee in the 1980’s. She has held the groove for rock greats like James Brown and Mick Jagger.
• Meshell Ndegeoello defies description. A prolific songwriter and multi-instrumental, she is fluent in a variety of genres, including rock, folk, soul, pop, and funk. She has been nominated for nine Grammys.
• Terri Lyne Carrington, a drum professor, who has toured with Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter is the musical director for the show and will play percussion for the acts.