Junk Music
Donald Knaack's Junk Music was
performed at the Sundance Film Festival's
Closing Night Party. Knaack/The Junkman's
percussive music, played on a variety of
found objects, covers a wide range of musical
styles and infectious grooves. He has had
a great success performing Junk Music
for a wide variety of audiences from Late
Night with Conan O'Brien to World Environment
Day at the United Nations to First Night
Boston to Lincoln Center's Out-of-Doors
to the Van's Warped Tour to performances
at Colleges and Universities to workshops
to performances for elementary & high
school students. The Junkman's new album,
Junk Music 2, which incorporates
dance-oriented tracks, includes "Surfer
at the River Styx" written for choreographer
Twyla Tharp as well as "Abracadabra"
featured in the ESPN television spot Makeshift.
The album is now available at www.junkmusic.org.
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An American Life
Leonard Bernstein's An American Life,
a groundbreaking eleven-part documentary
series illuminating the life and work of
Leonard Bernstein, aired on radio stations
across the country and around the world
beginning in October. The series of 60 minute
programs is narrated by Susan Sarandon and
produced by Steve Rowland with Larry Abrams.
For additional information, go to www.wfmt.bernstein.com. | 
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Song for
a Cause
Award winning recording artist Judy Pancoast
joined commentator Chris Matthews from Hardball
after her September 2004 performance at
a Washington, DC fundraiser. Pancoast premiered
two original songs written and recorded
by the children of the Nyumbani Orphanage
in Nairobi, Kenya. Matthews is a longtime
supporter of Nyumbani, which provides a
home for children whose parents have died
of AIDS. |
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Moore
to the Story
Skye Moore's I'm Flyin' (Southern
Signal Records), an honest and passionate
collection of rock songs from a singer/songwriter/producer
with an extraordinary background. When he
was a young child, Moore's parents split up.
He moved with his mom to Louisiana, but at
the age of 10 Skye was kidnapped by his father
and the two were the subject of a nationwide
manhunt that lasted nine months. The saga
is the basis for a screenplay Moore has written
entitled In the Name of God. Billy
Bob Thornton, who has directed a video for
one of Moore's songs, "What's Up With
That," has picked up the film rights
for Moore's story. For more information on
Moore and his music, visit www.skyemoore.com.
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New from Phil Vassar
Phil Vassar has released his third Arista
Nashville album, Shaken and Not Stirred,
his most compelling record to date. Each
song tells a story about the joys of friendship
present and past, the changing textures
of life and on the album's first single,
the transition from irresponsible youth
to adulthood. Each note reflects Phil's
growth as a singer, musician, and storyteller.
The multitalented piano man in country music
wrote the songs with his band, which includes
Jeff Smith, his guitar player. Vassar also
wrote with his bus driver, Billy Alcorn,
and his wife Julie. Several songs on this
album are just Vassar, a piano and a microphone.
Vassar has written hits for many of Nashville's
top names and has won Songwriter of the
Year honors twice at the ASCAP Country Music
Awards. Vassar has also won the "Top
New Male Vocalist" award from the
Academy of Country Music. |
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Teddy
Richards and Hilary Duff
Teddy Richards has signed with Germany's Skip
Records to release his album Chelsea Sketches
internationally in November. The pop/rock
artist just returned from a jam-packed tour
schedule that included several sold out dates
with Aretha Franklin in Los Angeles and Las
Vegas. The Queen of Soul had not performed
on the west coast in over twenty years. Numerous
celebrities, including Emmy award winning
actor James Spader, record label magnet Clive
Davis, and acclaimed recording artists Natalie
Cole, Chaka Kahn and K.D. Lang were in attendance.
In November, Richards will head to Germany
for a series of festival performances. Pictured
with Richards in Los Angeles is pop star Hilary
Duff. For more info, check out www.teddyrichards.com.
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