From: owner-navy-soup-digest@smoe.org (navy-soup-digest) To: navy-soup-digest@smoe.org Subject: navy-soup-digest V2 #68 Reply-To: navy-soup@smoe.org Sender: owner-navy-soup-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-navy-soup-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk navy-soup-digest Thursday, June 24 1999 Volume 02 : Number 068 In This Digest: ----------------- Re: Predictions [James McGarry ] Gig Magazine [James McGarry ] website [Steve I ] Re: Predictions [Tab Siddiqui ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 23 Jun 1999 00:26:02 -0400 (EDT) From: James McGarry Subject: Re: Predictions On Wed, 23 Jun 1999, karen hester wrote: > 1. Do people who have seen her live over a long period see a change in > direction? I'm going to be very candid... I've seen Sarah close to forty times in the last few years. The direction has been Better, the only thing that changes sometimes the the pace at which better is achieved. Her songwriting is more mature, and I've seen her take songs through the development process a lot quicker and with a lot more confidence than she had, lo that warm late spring evening at NxNE three, is it really three years ago. The big change: a solid consistency of performance. She's confident at gigs outside of her crowd (Toronto, Rochester?! and now Guelph) and she plays at the level she should. I'm pretty confident in saying right about now, she could play well to a brick wall. Two years ago the better the crowd, the better she played, but that's true of all but the best musicians. Sarah Slean now, is in that class; of the best musicians. I'm very proud to say, I saw how good she could be right away, in the first 10 seconds. Its nice that she's starting to achieve that but I think she'll surprise us a few more times before she makes it big. I've seen her probably more than anyone but her family and her savvy manager and Sarah still surprises me. :-) > 2. Do you think it'll all be full band, much overlaying of vocals, studio > trickery, or lots of solo piano pieces? Um, no studio trickery. :-) > 3. Does she do much solo piano stuff live? Loads, even with a string section, backup singer and percussionist (Mark is no _mere_ drummer) she usually does at least 1/3 solo piano. > I was surprised that her ep had so many instruments because I've this idea > that early releases are usually solo and acoustic (ghostly demos of songs > they don't have the studio knowledge to develop fully), which doesn't hold > true, but its stuck in my head as the format of musical careers. Depends on a lot of factors, the person, money, if they have musician friends, money, if their manager has connections, money and, um, money. :-) I don't know the precise combination in Sarah's case though. Having said that, a studio recording of Sarah, no matter how good, is a pale imitation of a living, breathing Sarah Slean. Its watching the passion in her closed eyes while playing and its the knowledge that you have that this is something she was born to do; its watching this cute little goofy chick spin your world around so that its just you and her and that music, even in a crowd of a few hundred people; and its that breaking beam of sunlight as it hits her face _just_ at the perfect moment. And while this will be a great recording, nothing and no one can put those on plastic. And to me _those_ somewhat ineffable qualities _are_ Sarah. Ok, the Twin Moon recording comes close ;-) > I love growly cellos. One of my favourite concerts was an 8 cello > performance, and in the front row my teeth were vibrating. Uncle Charlie, Sarah's most frequent cello friend (as played by Kevin Fox - - Happy Birthday Mr. Fox!) isn't really growly, more of a smooth rumble. Like a really big, Big Cat purring. > 54334. Any guesses at the songs the album will contain? We could guess... ...but that's like shaking your presents on Christmas 'eve. :-) > Are they personal, are they stories of others, are they upbeat or melancholic? I can think of at least one that is upbeat. Its my favourite. :-) Ok, I gushed as Tab often puts it, but I won't lie about music, this is the truth at least as much as I am able to perceive it. James. ========================================================================== James McGarry | jmcgarry@UoGuelph.CA - -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Some men are so selfish that they read a book or go to a concert for their own sinister pleasure, instead of doing it to improve social conditions , as the good citizen does when drinking cocktails or playing bridge." - Jacques Barzun French-born U.S. Educator ========================================================================== ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Jun 1999 09:34:01 -0400 (EDT) From: James McGarry Subject: Gig Magazine Hey kids and Slean Completists. Check out a tiny blurb on Sarah Slean in this month's Gig Magazine, in their special report on Gigging in Toronto. Also in a tiny spotlight is Robyn Black and the Intergalatic Rockstars. James. (Who is not mad there is no photo credit... *sigh*) P.S. Robyn Black cuts Moe Berg's hair; Moe Berg toured with Sarah Slean; Kevin Fox often plays cello for Sarah Slean. Just a tip for your morning game of Six Degrees of Kevin Fox. Man I gotta make that T-Shirt sometime! ========================================================================== James McGarry | jmcgarry@UoGuelph.CA - -------------------------------------------------------------------------- An artist should be fit for the best society and keep out of it. - - John Ruskin ========================================================================== ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Jun 1999 12:59:34 -0400 From: Steve I Subject: website Hi soupers... some of you may have noticed that at long last, sarahslean.com has gotten a much-needed facelift. Check it out folks, I welcome all your feedback, positive and negative. Negative especially, since that can help me make improvements/fix problems. Also up are a bunch of new photos in the image gallery (any bets as to whether Sarah is/was a natural blonde?). http://www.sarahslean.com Coming soon to sarahslean.com: - - more pics! see the zaniness of Sarah on tour! - - online ordering of cooool sleanmerch! - - a gorgeous new full-length CD-quality MP3 track from the upcoming album! - - possibly, some sort of message board! Gab with other Slean fans! Steve ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 23 Jun 1999 19:40:57 PDT From: Tab Siddiqui Subject: Re: Predictions James wrote: >Having said that, a studio recording of Sarah, no matter how good, >is a >pale imitation of a living, breathing Sarah Slean. Its watching >the >passion in her closed eyes while playing and its the knowledge >that you >have that this is something she was born to do; its >watching this cute >little goofy chick spin your world around so that >its just you and her and >that music, even in a crowd of a few >hundred people; and its that breaking >beam of sunlight as it hits >her face _just_ at the perfect moment. And >while this will be a >great recording, nothing and no one can put those on >plastic. And to >me _those_ somewhat ineffable qualities _are_ Sarah. Ok, >the Twin Moon recording comes close ;-) >Ok, I gushed as Tab often puts it, but I won't lie about music, this >is >the truth at least as much as I am able to perceive it. Ah, but would that I could gush so eloquently. ;-) Perfectly put, James, perfectly put. - - Tab :) ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ End of navy-soup-digest V2 #68 ******************************