Come for dinner, or just drinks,
and enjoy the music.  Celebrating final studio work on the next album.

Marco’s Italian Bistro,

10855 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd.in Scottsdale (1 block north of Shea, NE corner of Sahuaro and FLW.) Beginning 6 pm until whenever!

  ]]> http://www.kriegsmusic.com/2011/11/08/performing-this-thursday-nov-10th-2011-6pm/feed/ 0 http://www.kriegsmusic.com/2011/08/07/marcos-thurs-august-11-6-pm/ http://www.kriegsmusic.com/2011/08/07/marcos-thurs-august-11-6-pm/#comments Sun, 07 Aug 2011 20:58:44 +0000 admin http://www.kriegsmusic.com/2011/08/07/marcos-thurs-august-11-6-pm/

Come for dinner, or just drinks,
and enjoy the music. A couple
new covers to share.

Marco’s Italian Bistro,

10855 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd.in Scottsdale (1 block north of Shea, NE corner of Sahuaro and FLW.)

  ]]> http://www.kriegsmusic.com/2011/08/07/marcos-thurs-august-11-6-pm/feed/ 0 http://www.kriegsmusic.com/2011/08/07/touch-me/ http://www.kriegsmusic.com/2011/08/07/touch-me/#comments Sun, 07 Aug 2011 20:45:48 +0000 admin http://www.kriegsmusic.com/2011/08/07/touch-me/ [Excerpted from our Once and Future Songs column in our newsletter.]

I casually mentioned a song idea to my wife, “I Want You to Touch Me.” A plea, of sorts. Of course, good writers edit, and we decided, “Touch Me” was better (sound familiar?)

Of course my wife asked what genre? What do you mean?

Well, if it’s country you might say, “Touch me with your ten foot pole.”

If Rap, “Touch me, Bitch!”

“Not rap,” I say.

But, alas, it has been done many times. Might be hard to do it better.

Diana Ross, when recording “Touch Me in the Morning”(Michael Masser and Ron Miller) apparently “pushed so hard”, she almost had a nervous breakdown over it. She recorded it during the time when she put her kids to bed, left them with her mother, and recorded all night—returning in the morning to send them off to school before going to bed.

Samantha Ross was little more direct about it, “Touch Me (I Want Your Body)”. But that might be expected from a performer who’s publicity photos look like they came right out of Playboy (at least the Playboy I knew as a teenager- haven’t seen one for many years—really!)

But, of course, the most classic “Touch Me” was by the Doors (written by Robbie Krieger.) Originally the title (and lyric) was “Hit Me”, changed by Morrison, supposedly afraid the audience might take him literally and assault him. Why might they do that?

Don’t hit me.

Kriegs.

Marco’s Italian Bistro,

10855 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd.in Scottsdale (1 block north of Shea, NE corner of Sahuaro and FLW.)

(In this “column” anything goes as long as it has to do with a song.)

When I played for my three-year-old grandson recently, he definitely liked the few cover songs I have been learning best, though the Warren Zevon song, Don’t Let Us Get Sick, had a bad word—“stupid.” In spite of this faux pas, afterward he said, “That’s a good song.”

My version of Lyle Lovett’s, “She’s No Lady” also has been well received (not only by my grandson, but by my audiences.) Another very “audience-friendly” song. I guess that’s why restaurant performers do well with covers, though I will not do any of the mainstay standards (if I can help it.) Don’t get me wrong, I firmly believe in covers and plan to add more—as a former choir teacher once said to us, “There is more great music out there than any of us could sing in a lifetime.” And she was speaking strictly of classical church music. Boggles the mind.

Kriegs

 The 15th Floor, Suzy Fiddles, Ian Miller, and John de Roo at this acoustic music fundraiser for Arthritis Introspective. 

Moneys will be used to defray costs for national members to attend the annual meeting here in the valley.

In the “Big” room at Fiddlers Dream,

1702 E. Glendale Ave. in Phoenix.

Tickets $12 online, $18 door, tax deductible.

For more info and to buy online: http://www.arthritisintrospective.org/PhoenixBonanza.html

“Do you know any cover songs?”

Emily asked me that question at a point when I thought we had the set list for the Transplant House Benefit all set.  She knew the answer.  Yes.  Two songs.

When I was co-manager of The Songsmith (an extinct singer-songwriter venue in Scottsdale), more than once I lamented how this or that singer-songwriter needed to mix it up and do some covers.  For the diversity.

Now confronted as the singer-songwriter, I bristled.  “Why?  These songs aren’t good enough?" 

But she was right and I knew it.  Ideally, we should find a very familiar sing-along, but neither of our two cover choices is of that ilk.

Emily remembers me singing her to sleep with Jackson Browne’s, “Song for Adam.”  She likes my version better than Jackson Browne’s.  She also likes Kraft macaroni and cheese better than gourmet truffle mac and cheese. It’s what she’s used to.  I rarely sing that song, but have never forgotten it because it reminds me of my best friend growing up.  But not a good song for next week’s set.

The other choice is “Hope for Morning” by Christopher Williams, a singer-songwriter I met in my “Songsmith” days, and a great guy.  Emily and I have performed this song in the past and I have recently re-learned it, I think in anticipation of just this scenario. Not a mainstream song by any means, but I penciled it in on the set list. It is a song that (not oddly) seems to mean different things to different people.  In a strictly literary sense, it is vague, but, unlike a short story or memoir, a song can get by with vague, as long as it carries a feeling.  Often performed at weddings, according to Christopher, “Hope for Morning” is actually about his grandfather.  Go figure.   Killer first verse:

When the orange glow of the sky

Turns from sunset to city light

And the moon slowly rises through the trees.

When the clenched hands of the day

Have released the stars to play

And night rides on a gentle breeze.

Hold my hand and whisper my name.

I promise you that I will always love you the same.

Close your eyes and look for nothing more.

Let my gentle spirit give you the wind to soar.

This Saturday, January 16^th, we will perform at Fiddlers Dream.  Our 8 pm set will be followed by Brad Colerick, a very fine singer-songwriter who lives in Pasedena.  Besides an outstanding singer-songwriter, Brad is also a Music Supervisor/Producer for television commercials. 

Follow the link and listen to his music.  You will not want to miss this show.  Bring a friend or two.

Scott will perform a couple of songs solo at The Mayo Talent Show…

to be held at the Paradise Valley High School Auditorium, 3950 E. Bell Rd. between 7 and 9 pm.  The show is free and open to all.  A reception will follow.

Work has begun in earnest on the new album.  I am thrilled to announce that Kyle Harris, PlayR Recording, will be producing the album.  More information on Kyle will be forthcoming, as I plan to spotlight him in a future newsletter/blog entry.  Suffice it to say, Kyle, Emily, and I are very excited about the project.

The tentative goal is to have the album ready in April 2010.

The “old” album (From the Dining Room) is just now receiving a small surge of activity over the pond, with a review expected soon from The Netherlands and one from Leicester, UK.  (Hopefully, glowing reviews– I supply the CD, they supply the opinion.) The recent availability on CD Baby apparently has brought us more attention overseas.