From: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org (shindell-list-digest) To: shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Subject: shindell-list-digest V10 #44 Reply-To: shindell-list@smoe.org Sender: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-shindell-list-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk shindell-list-digest Sunday, March 15 2009 Volume 10 : Number 044 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [RS] re: stop to listen [Roxylee ] [RS] Re: shindell-list-digest V10 #42 [Chip Robertson ] Re: [RS] I like it ! [Ken & Karla ] [RS] Joshua Bell and the Open Violin Case [Bartley Gallagher Subject: [RS] re: stop to listen The story about the subway violinist reminded me of this Joni Mitchell song: For Free-- Joni Mitchell I slept last night in a good hotel I went shopping today for jewels The wind rushed around in the dirty town And the children let out from the schools I was standing on a noisy corner Waiting for the walking green Across the street he stood And he played real good On his clarinet, for free Now me I play for fortunes And those velvet curtain calls Ive got a black limousine And two gentlemen Escorting me to the halls And I play if you have the money Or if youre a friend to me But the one man band By the quick lunch stand He was playing real good, for free Nobody stopped to hear him Though he played so sweet and high They knew he had never Been on their t.v. So they passed his music by I meant to go over and ask for a song Maybe put on a harmony... I heard his refrain As the signal changed He was playing real good, for free ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Mar 2009 10:49:48 -0400 From: Chip Robertson Subject: [RS] Re: shindell-list-digest V10 #42 Got mine yesterday. After two full listens, I am completely knocked out!!!! Ron, as always, you bring up excellent points. Although I can't say enough about how enjoyable it is to listen to Richard solo acoustic, I have to say I'm enjoying the hell out of the sound the bouzouki brings to the new songs. As far as Larry's production values, I first discovered Richard when i borrowed "Reunion Hill" from my local library. At the end of my first listen to "Next Best Western", I felt like I had discovered a new planet. The vast majority of that feeling had to do with the talents of Richard, but a significant portion had to do with what I felt was a stellar production job out of Larry. Also, my first Richard show was a full band show (w/Larry and the gang at the Bottom Line). It wasn't until a few years later that I got to hear Richard's solo performance live. This gave me a whole different level of appreciation for Richard's talents. His solo and full/partial band offerings are very different. I'm glad that I can appreciate both. Chip On Mar 14, 2009, at 7:13 PM, shindell-list-digest wrote: >>> I have to admit on first listen I was a little disappointed (maybe >>> because I had memories of solo acoustic versions of quite a few of >>> the songs) << > > What's disappointing me the most so far is TMB: Too Much Bouzouki. > I like the sound of the instrument enough, I guess -- at least to > the extent that I bought Richard's Peterson bouzouki last year -- > but I like it more as a color instrument rather than a lead > instrument. > > There's nothing in the world I like more than the sound of Richard > Shindell playing acoustic guitar, and that sound just doesn't seem > to be center stage on most of NFN's songs. Even during the days of > Larry Campbell's sometimes heavy-handed production, or the plethora > of funky instruments on "Vuelta," at the center of each song was > Richard and his acoustic guitar. > > This is a really big deal for me. > > RG ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Mar 2009 12:20:30 -0400 From: Carol Love Subject: Re: [RS] listening On Sat, Mar 14, 2009 at 7:48 PM, Deana wrote: >>>>>>>I'm glad I got to see/hear Richard perform State of the Union while we were still in grave peril prior to our November elections. As to our John Wayne style ex-President...here's a quote from John Wayne himself: "I don't feel we did wrong in taking this great country away from them. There were great numbers of people who needed new land, and the Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves."<<<<<< .......Actually Deana, that's an insult to the the Duke. I didn't agree witih John Wayne's politics, but I don't think he was retarded -- as I do most certainly believe is the case with Bush. :-) *Ciao!* ...Carol ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Mar 2009 19:43:19 -0600 From: Ken & Karla Subject: Re: [RS] I like it ! rongrittz@cox.net wrote: What's disappointing me the most so far is TMB: Too Much Bouzouki. ... There's nothing in the world I like more than the sound of Richard Shindell playing acoustic guitar Janet Cinelli wrote: I like the added verses to Balloon Man and State of the Union. I'm not sure if I ever heard him sing these verses in concert. Friday evening, my wife and I heard Richard at the Ginkgo Coffeehouse in St. Paul MN. (It was our first concert there.) He had four instruments: two acoustic guitars, a bouzouki, and an electric guitar, which he told us he had bought just that day at Willie's Guitars. (I have no connection; just reporting.) He was eager to play the electric and did so on about four songs. He said he's trying to learn how to play some of his songs on it, but it sounded like he's doing just fine on that. RS sang all the verses to Balloon Man and then said that after the album was done, he discovered that he had forgotten to sing a verse. He seemed to be quite relaxed and enjoying himself the whole time. It was a nice concert in a small, intimate venue (audience about 50). We enjoyed it from our front table seats. -- Ken Bearman, Minneapolis ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Mar 2009 21:31:52 -0400 From: Bartley Gallagher Subject: [RS] Joshua Bell and the Open Violin Case Some social experiment. What do you expect when you stick a violin virtuoso in THE SUBWAY, where people are hurrying about their day. Most people don't know who Joshua Bell is, I confess I don't. And I do listen to some classical music. Then, if I did happen upon this scene, I would probably stick around for a bit. When I see players in the NYC subway, I may listen for a while and throw a buck in the case, sometimes I'll nod and smile, listen from a distance, or just hurry on by. Hey, he made $42.66 / hour. Not Bad. Bet if it were Broccoli Spears, a lot more people would congregate, but few would put a dollar into her mike (lip sync) case. Check out Peter Mulvey's, 10,000 Mornings, recorded in Boston's 'T'. Bart On Mar 14, 2009, at 7:13 PM, shindell-list-digest wrote: > In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and > stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk > their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and > silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was > there any recognition. > No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best > musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces > ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars. > Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a > theater in Boston and the seats average $100. > This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro > station was organized by the Washington Post as part of an social > experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The > outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate > hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we > recognize the talent in an unexpected context? ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Mar 2009 21:14:11 -0600 From: john clary Subject: Re: [RS] Joshua Bell and the Open Violin Case My partner was a fellow with Joshua at Aspen. He is well known by fans of classical music -- at least by name. He's probably 40 now but remains quite youthful looking and has a rep amongst his peers. When he plays an engagement (2 nights, maybe a half hour to 45 minutes each night, plus maybe an hour of rehearsal [unless there's also a choir, and then there's more rehearsal]), makes anywhere between $30K and $75K....yes *thousand*. The $40 chump change thrown in his hat in the subway is not really the point. I think the bigger point not overtly made by the experiment is that Americans are label conscious to a fault. As you suggest, were it Ms. Spears: If there had been even a small placard with his name on it, I bet there'd have been lots of people standing still and way less money thrown in his hat. When we think we're getting something good, something special, for free, we seem to tend to take as much as we can - -- for free. Just sayin' =) John Bartley Gallagher wrote: > Some social experiment. > What do you expect when you stick a violin virtuoso in THE SUBWAY, where > people are hurrying about their day. Most people don't know who Joshua > Bell is, I confess I don't. And I do listen to some classical music. > Then, if I did happen upon this scene, I would probably stick around for > a bit. > > When I see players in the NYC subway, I may listen for a while and throw > a buck in the case, sometimes I'll nod and smile, listen from a > distance, or just hurry on by. > > Hey, he made $42.66 / hour. Not Bad. > > Bet if it were Broccoli Spears, a lot more people would congregate, but > few would put a dollar into her mike (lip sync) case. > > Check out Peter Mulvey's, 10,000 Mornings, recorded in Boston's 'T'. > > Bart ------------------------------ End of shindell-list-digest V10 #44 ***********************************