March/April 2011

The Festival King: George Wein Casts A Long Shadow(2)

March 30, 2011

photo by Laura Brown There’s a scene in the great 1959 film Jazz On A Summer’s Day, shot at Newport Jazz Festival, which is often cited as an inspiration by rock and rollers like Keith Richards. A jazz rhythm section backs Chuck Berry for his nighttime set, and the band does everything to rattle Berry’s [...]

The Festival King: George Wein Casts A Long Shadow

Converse Rubber Tracks: A Studio Grows In Brooklyn

Geoff Cottrill has just come back from a tour of 130 Hope Street, where the shoe company Converse is creating a recording studio for musicians. “We’re literally in the middle of building the thing,” Cottrill says over the phone from New York. “It’s on the corner of Hope and Keap, which I think is tremendous,” [...]

The American Songwriter Q&A: Bright Eyes

After a brief stint as a solo artist, Conor Oberst has revived Bright Eyes to release The People’s Key, an album that deals with the nature of time, spirituality, and human existence. Also, it’s Rastafarian friendly. You sing “I and I” on a few songs, and there’s a track called “Haile Selassie.” Have you gone [...]

Getting Paid Through Publishing

With revenue from album sales on the wane, more and more artists are starting to explore synch licensing opportunities for film, TV and commercials. And for publishers in New York and Los Angeles, the focus is often on placing their writer’s songs on screen. “We’re not the publisher for you, if all you’re looking for [...]