Listening with Lee Zimmerman

 
Michael Fracasso: A Pocketful of Rain
(Lone Star)
Austin resident Michael Fracasso lives in a competitive place. After all, the town’s bubbling over with budding singer/songwriter types, all vying to make a name in the bustling Americana marketplace. However, after a series of superlative albums, Fracasso seems poised to move to the top of the tier, a fact made all the more obvious with the release of his stunning new effort, A Pocketful of Rain. 
Enlisting an impressive cast of backing musicians—Patty Griffin, Eliza Gilkyson and Beaver Nelson are among the participants—Fracasso crafts a series of sumptuous melodies, some embracing, some acerbic, all of them engaging. Most of the songs move at an easy loping pace, with good-natured tunes such as “All or Nothing,” “K.C..” “Loretta” and “Silver Spoon” reflecting a generally sunny view of life, albeit one that sometimes shines through a barroom haze.   However, there’s nothing oblique in Fracasso’s down-home delivery. While he occasionally lapses into a Dylanesque drawl—most notably on the bluesy acoustic ramble “Ragamuffin Blues” and the jangly, fiddle-drenched narrative “Mean Ol’ Place”—his style is deliberately unassuming and compelling. 
Taken in tandem, A Pocketful of Rain belies its title with its upbeat attitude and generally engaging disposition. And in this overcast world, that’s reason enough to give it a listen. 
For more information, visit www.michaelfracasso.com.
 
Splitsville: Incorporated
(Houston Party)
Splitsville has been among the leaders in the power pop sweepstakes, ever since their self-titled debut album made its appearance some eight years ago. Up until now, the band’s reputation has been based on its infectious over-the-top approach, a sound somewhat akin to that of Cheap Trick. It’s proven a good tact, one that’s built a small but loyal cult following both in this country and overseas, particularly Spain where many of the band’s albums are unleashed prior to U.S. release.
The band’s last album, The Complete Pet Sounds, was a reflective look at the band’s initial influences, specifically the mid ‘60s melodic innovation spearheaded by the Beatles and the Beach Boys.   That retro recharge is a common bond among most power pop combos, but Splitsville’s reverent homage imbued the band with a depth and sophistication that was all the more striking for the seamless way they mined their influences. It’s significant that its follow-up, Incorporated, adds a new level of innovation to this musical mix, an observational attitude that finds the band addressing a number of different topics. “Trouble” tackles racism, while “California” critiques the nation’s troubling political situation. “Headache” and “I Wish I Never Met You” deal with the issues that evolve with edging towards maturity. The music remains as focused and frenzied as ever, a rollicking mix of sizzling guitars, soaring rhythms and dynamic vocals, but the new-found attitude brings a depth and resonance that reveals both vision and conviction.
Splitsville sometimes seems over-exuberant, like a precocious child trying to convince a bunch of adults that he can recite the Declaration of Independence from memory, or in this case, mimic every ‘60s and ‘70s band that ever committed their sound to vinyl. Fortunately, in the case of Incorporated, the strategy seems to work real well. 
For more information visit www.houstonpartyrecords.com.
 
Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers: True Companion
(Schoolhouse Records)
A quarter of a century ago, when Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers was still a break-out band and Bruce Springsteen was still on the ascent towards superstardom, the Iron City Houserockers was the ultimate blue-collar combo, a group of street-savvy rockers from Pittsburgh whose rough and tumble, no nonsense sound propelled the band into the national spotlight. Unlike their contemporaries, the Iron City Houserockers never achieved the mass adulation of their peers, although the band’s leader, Joe Grushecky has been pounding a steady string of gritty anthem-filled albums ever since. Now, 23 years after the release of their cult classic, Have a Good Time But Get Out Alive, the band is back with what they’re calling a long-overdue sequel, and in terms of sheer drive and determination, it clearly was worth the wait. 
The characters that inhabit these songs are obviously drawn from real life, honest, hard-working folk who are struggling to overcome the struggles that life has thrown their way. Songs such as “Long Way to Go,” “A Shot of Salvation,” “What Gives,” “The Shape I’m In” and “Strange Days” reflect the angst of their titles with surging, hard-bitten assaults that leave no quarter in terms of dialogue or delivery. Likewise, the well-chosen cover of the ‘60s grunge rock classic “Dirty Water” plays well to these edgy observations, with the band adapting the references to Boston and the River Charles to their hometown environs. 
If angst and cynicism are hallmarks of the new American psyche, then Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers ought to be nominated to compose the nation’s new national anthem. True Companion is filled with sentiments too honest to ignore. 
For more information, visit www.grushecky.com.

Miami International Piano Festival to
Host Israeli Artist’s North American Debut

 
 
The Miami International Piano Festival will host Israeli artist Boris Giltburg, an extraordinary young pianist, as he makes his North American debut. Mr. Giltburg will appear as part of the Festival’s Discovery Series and will perform works written by Beethoven, Liszt, Rachmaninov, and Mussorgsky. The Discovery Series, which will be held at the Lincoln Theater from May 14-16, is a true voyage of enlightening lectures and mesmerizing recitals, featuring exceptional artists from around the world. It is a celebration of the piano performed by some of today’s most exciting young talents.

Born in 1984, Boris Giltburg began his piano studies with his mother at the age of five. He currently studies with Arie Vardi, a world-renown master pianist and pedagogue, at the Rubin Academy of Music of Tel-Aviv University. Despite his youth, Mr. Giltburg’s artistic gift has amazed audiences in Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Portugal and Israel. He has performed at UNESCO Hall and Alfred Cortot Hall in Paris, The Mozarteum in Salzburg, and Steinway Hall in London. In 1998, he was soloist with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Philippe Entremont. Mr. Giltburg has also performed with the London Soloists Chamber Orchestra, the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and with the Stuttgart and Baden Baden Philharmonic Orchestras.

In recognition of his exceptional talent, Boris Giltburg has received numerous prestigious awards, including the European Union’s International Youth Music Competition, the Voice of Music Competition in Israel, the Roma 1999 Competition, the Ettlingen International Competition and the Newport International Competition. His most recent triumph was receiving both Second Prize and the Sony Audience Prize at the XIV Palonia O’Shea Santander International Piano Competition for his brilliant interpretation of Bela Bartok’s Concerto No. 3 for piano and orchestra. The Santander Prize includes an intense artistic calendar which began in 2003 with recitals in Spain, South America and Europe.

The Miami International Piano Festival was established in 1998 by Patrons of Exceptional Artists and the Community Concert Association, both non-profit organizations. Their mission is to discover, promote and support the great Masters of the Keyboard emerging in this generation and to build the audiences of the future to help insure the very existence of classical music. 
Patron tickets for the Series are available at $250, which includes premier seating, program listing and invitations to private events. Individual tickets are available from $15-$50. A special package price of $180 for the Discovery Series includes preferred seating at concerts and lectures. To purchase tickets or for more information about The Miami International Piano Festival and the Discovery Series, contact Giselle Brodsky at 305-935-5115 or visit www.miamipianofest.com. 
 

For the First Time Ever, the
“2004 MTV Video Music Awards”
to Air Live from Miami on Sunday, August 29

 
Van Toffler, President, MTV & MTV2, announced last week that the “2004 MTV Video Music Awards” will be broadcast live from Miami moving for the first time in its 20-year history to a city other than New York or Los Angeles. The 2004 VMAs will air live from AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami on Sunday, August 29th at 8pm ET/PT. Host, performers, nominees, and presenters for the “2004 MTV Video Music Awards” will be announced soon.

“The VMAs are always the biggest, craziest party of the year, and Miami is a beautiful backdrop for this summer’s show,” said Van. “When we made the decision to move the VMAs this year, we found a perfect host in Miami, a town with a rich musical heritage and strong cultural diversity.”

“I am extremely pleased that Miami has been chosen to host the 2004 Video Music Awards. MTV has recognized what Miamians already know—that Miami is a world-class city on par with New York and Los Angeles,” said Miami Mayor Manny Diaz. “In our discussions with MTV, we made it known that our location, weather and amenities make us a natural and logical choice. Yet, we also wanted to assure MTV that the people of Miami are keenly prepared to make this event a resounding success. We are intent on hosting the VMAs with true conviction, to show the world that Miami is a worthy host—both for 2004 and beyond.”

“We are honored that MTV has selected Greater Miami and the Beaches to host the 2004 MTV VMAs. Miami is home to many of MTV’s artists and therefore this is a homecoming for an event that belongs here. On behalf of over 2.5 million residents, we promise to make this the most memorable VMAs ever,” said Mayor Alex Penelas of Miami Dade County.

MTV Networks owns and operates the cable television programming services MTV: Music Television, MTV2, mtvU, Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite, TV Land, VH1, CMT: Country Music Television, and Spike TV, as well as The Digital Suite from MTV Networks, a package of thirteen digital services, all of which are trademarks of MTV Networks. MTV Networks also operates and offers joint ventures, licensing agreements and syndication deals whereby its programming can be seen worldwide.

University of Miami Ready to Rock with 14th Annual Summer Guitar, Bass Guitar, Drum Set and Keyboard Camp
 
 
The University of Miami School of Music and Ellis Family Music Company, Inc. present the 14th Annual Summer Guitar, Bass Guitar, Drum Set and Keyboard Camp, June 21 through June 25, 2004 at the Coral Gables campus of UM. The regular camp runs from 9am to 5pm and is $295 per student and includes lunch, books, and T-shirts. Students will train with University professors and special artists, including Rene Gonzalez, classical guitarist and head of the UM Classical Guitar Program; Don Coffman, jazz bassist and Assistant Chair UM Jazz Department; Steve Rucker, drummer for the Bee Gees and director of the UM drum set Program; Mike Harvey, drummer for Julio Iglesias, and many others! This camp is open to beginning students through advanced players, grades 5 through graduating high school seniors. The camp includes a final gala performance at the University of Miami.
                Full and Partial Scholarships are available through the “William R. Ellis Scholarship Fund” and are distributed on a first-come, first-serve, financial need basis. For more information, visit www.efmproductions.com or call Professor Gonzalez at 305-284-2083 or the Ellis Family Music Company at 305-858-8189. You can also email efmmusco@aol.com.

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