http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/13857623.htm Brian, first let me say that many times I said your name, and the Just Plain Folks name when talking about you and this site. Sorry for the exclusion of both.
Audio clip: It was the first time I sang about my dad's death in front of that many people and was choking up. I'll see if we can get another clip for them to put up.
Hope you enjoy the read and the pics. Notice Jim's face when his daughter greets him after the last song. Priceless! HE is the one that started this whole band thing, with him emailing me out of the blue by finding me by accident when surfing for music online.
Thanks,
John
[This message has been edited by dhsongs (edited 02-13-2006).]
Hey John!!
What a great article! Good for you and the band! Even better....ALL your music!!
Best of luck to you! Keep Rockin!
Joanne
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[*]The Best is Yet to Be,Joanne Lurgio-singer/songwriter
www.joannelurgio.com
[*] Joanne's Gig Calendar -
http://www.musi-cal.com/search?key=performers&value=Lurgio [*]
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=100751 [*]
www.cdbaby.com/cd/lurgio [*] MySpace -
www.myspace.com/joannelurgio
Hi John,
What a great feature! Make sure you save some copies for your press kit.
The main difference between you and the 'youngster' musicians is... the kids wouldn't have remembered to get press!
I especially like the slide show with the audio clip. It's nice to finally have a face to put with your name too.
Peace,
Christine
Congrats on a wonderful article.
ONOFFON and I, my dad and my jazz museum are having an article written and published in the Valley News section of the Los Angeles Daily News on Wednesday. It's been written for a while and the writer confirmed the Wednesday date - I hope.
You just never know...
Cheers!
Von from ONOFFON
Terrific article, John!
It can be so hard for bands to get that kind of positive repsonse from a newspaper....great job on the publicity!
This is fantastic exposure.
Glad you're having so much fun
![[Linked Image]](http://www.justplainfolks.org/ubb/smile.gif)
Emily
[This message has been edited by Emily Sanders (edited 02-13-2006).]
Hey John:
Good read there! Nice to see the photos. So, what's next for you guys?
Cover of the Rolling Stone
![[Linked Image]](http://www.justplainfolks.org/ubb/biggrin.gif)
------------------
Steve West
Steve's Website
John, this keeps dreams alive. Thumbs up for you and the band.
Keep up the good work!!!
All the best
Jan Petter
Joanne,
Thanks for your time! We will keep rockin! Keeps us going. They didn't mention my cowriter for some of the songs, Buddy Holcombe, so to be fair, there it is.
Tracy, upon my order, didn't have her baby that night too! Any day now. 16th due date.
Christine,
What a mug huh? Blame me mum and dad! Yes, will same some copies for the press kit. Make copies too, in that kind of paper that doesn't age. Not paper I guess. Some kind of plastic.
"Remembered to get press": I didn't do anything other than be here! It was John Sambolino, who wanted to come over, then he told the reporter, Mike Vitez. From there it was all them. We just had to get a place to play at. That was not easy until I tuned another piano for someone who knew the club owner, who also happened to know Sambolino and Vitez! I couldn't believe how it all lined up after trying so hard on my own and getting nowhere at any of the other clubs.
Thanks for your time also.
Von,
Great to hear about your article! Make sure you post it, either from online or in print if you have to. Congrats to you!
Emily,
Yeah,,,,,and you never know ehat angle they will take. We were just oursleves and however it came out, so be it. I like how Mike Vitez mentioned our mothers. They will get a kick out of that! Mom's still sleeping. She keeps musician's hours too.
Yes, we are having GREAT fun just playing together again. But to have this! Wow! Chance thing to, for me just tuning a piano for this guy who I tuned for before, and he asked what I was up to. So I told him. He came over the next practice to hear us, then played tennis that night with the reporter, Mike Vitez! He got interested in the story line and came over himself to hear is then interview us, which turned out to be not so easy for him, as to get any of us to sit still and not joke around with each other is pretty tough. So he would take things form what we siad to each other, or when "trying" to explain some things. We don't take ourselves too seriously, as we know this is all just whacky fun we can have in our spare time. Beats playing golf and cursing. We play music and laugh!
Thanks!
Steve,
What's next? Tonights practice to introduce "Get Busy With It". From there, to play the same place, Rmacs, on the 22nd. My goal is to play and sing better than last Wednesday. Then so on, with more new songs, adding to the set, to get the show to an hour and a half. No two or three sets. One time up for each night and let it all out. Leave nothing up there but our best for that night.
Thanks again for the great Lennon T! Going to wear it on the 22nd.
R.S. Cover: We might have too much moss even for a Rolling Stone!
Jan,
WE should ALL keep our dreams alive, and do things every day while awake to at least work towards them. The fun, and we think the best part, is the doing of it everyday. Taking in the little things that make us smile and laugh. The rest is just business.
Thanks for the encourgement!
John
Great job, John!
------------------
Howlin' Hobbit (
www.howlinhobbit.com )
Got Uke?
Snake Suspenderz (
www.snakesuspenderz.com )
Hot jass, Hokum and Novelty music... with a bite!
Hey John -
That was good of your daughter to cooperate with your gig plans ... Glad to hear you can enjoy the upcoming birth of your first grandchilden without any distractions
Be sure to keep us posted.
Joanne
------------------
[*]The Best is Yet to Be,Joanne Lurgio-singer/songwriter
www.joannelurgio.com
[*] Joanne's Gig Calendar -
http://www.musi-cal.com/search?key=performers&value=Lurgio [*]
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=100751 [*]
www.cdbaby.com/cd/lurgio [*] MySpace -
www.myspace.com/joannelurgio
Very nice article. Sounds like everyone had an awesome time performing, listening and reuniting. That's great!
Deb
Great article. I liked the audio clip. I couldn't make out some of the words, but the voice and music were great.
Congrats!
Howlin,
Thanks man! Hey,,I saw your pic. Real cool. Real cool music too. I played similar music with my dad early on when he played the mandolin!
Joanne,
Now to get her not to have the boy on the 22nd around 7 to 10!
Deb,
Yes it was fun. Lots more folks there than our group of about 60 as reported, and that's about right. Around 200 total though, which really made for a fun time. The more packed a place is, the better I like it.
Moosesong,
You are too kind, as I didn't like the vocals in that one. Too shaky from emotion, and I know I wasn't in the center of the notes. Maybe the emotion was enough though. Cindy, my wife said that it sounded much better there. ??? The words: (think it started with the last verse)
I can always try to do the good in things
And that helps for a while then the yo-yo sinks
To a low that can only lifted in time
I'm still waiting, waiting for father of mine
Chorus:
I always knew I was your son
From the time of conception I am your only one
So find my eyes, and find my ears
I need to see you, I need to hear you
(Repeat chorus)
Congrats John! See, you never know what will happen when you put yourself out there and do music for the joy of doing it. It always pays off on a personal level, but sometimes it goes beyond that. Good Karma leads to more good stuff.
I was surprised I didn't see We Just Gotta Be Friends and More Than a Memory in your song lineup. Are you going to add them at some point?
Brian
Thanks Brian!
Yeah, the good feelings that are natural from us, from just wanting to play at first, to then just wanting to play out somewhere, to now wanting to play out more is all from the fun of us getting together, no matter where we are. The challenges seem like a natural and fun progression.
Those two songs, (thank you for even thinking of them as good), are going to be another challenge to pull off. Friends, for the ballad that it is. (I would like to get some more stage time before trying to really nail this). Also, for now, we want the show to be of high energy. We do have a slow one to have the dynamics in the show, (a bluesy one with "Just Be Me"). BUT as you know, with adding more upbeat songs, ("Get Busy With It" started last night), we will need to have another slower one in there soon. Hoping by then, I'll have Friends down better than ever.
For Lennon's tribute: Man, that is so heavy laced in strings and horns and backing vocals, it's like when the fab four did their later albums, but couldn't, or didn't want play those songs out. We could do it simply I guess, (the public who would be at the clubs haven't heard the recording for the most part huh?!). We could do it like a ballad with some tempo.
Something to think about and try some things. We're trying now to decide whether to record a CD, (one song to start with), with just the four of us as is, with nothing at all added. Or to layer in some extra tracks, including strings and extra vocals, say in One Moving Mind, or for Lennon's tribute if we add that later. For live, we would either sound very plain compared to it, or have to add in players to take care of those parts and vocals. (assuming people at the clubs would have heard the recordings, or for when we sell them at the clubs). I am thinking in lines of just us being us, on tape, like on stage. "What you hear is what we" are sort of thing.
Yes, this is fun,,,even the debates we have as to the songs, or anything to do with this band. It's all good! These are really great guys to play music with and to hang out with! The music end and venues are a bonus though. It's just fun to see these guys come through the front door, and just talk and laugh together. Unique blend of charactors!
John
[This message has been edited by dhsongs (edited 02-14-2006).]
If Clapton can do Layla as an acoustic number without what everyone assumed was the impossible to lose signature electric guitar riff and it worked you can make your Lennon song work as well. Don't let yourself get pigeonholed by the production limitations. Ironically, that's long been given as the reason the Beatles stopped touring and doing live gigs, they couldn't do the studio versions of their songs. But we all know decades later than just about any Beatles song works just fine sans effects and production. I don't know how More Than a Memory would sound just with piano, but I am guessing it would still work and you might even discover more about the song than you realized was there like Clapton did with Layla.
And you could mimic some of the Beatle riffs on piano. I saw Howard Jones do an entire concert with solo piano and a hand percussionists where he did all his Synth hits on acoustic piano and you didn't miss a thing and the songs really came to life in a whole new way. Be creative and daring and give it a try.. you might be shocked.. don't ever tie yourself down (or your songs)simply because it was "produced" a certain way. You're not playing a CD.. you're performing live music with live humans.. if done right it's always better than a recording..
Food for thought,
Brian
Now inspired to try Lennon's song with just piano. I remember doing that a little while back and thinking "it has holes", but I was playing the piano as if on the recording. Now, I might find another beat, or however I play the piano might work fine. Maybe even more of a ballad. Will try it on just guitar too, for that matter.
Thanks for that!
Will keep an open mind and will try to let the song's feelings come through, not thinking of the production. Same for Friends.
Appreciating your thoughts and time,
John
PS. Maybe if I come up something I like, I'll post the mp3's in the feedback forum. Of ocurse, I'll play them for the guys too. Our bass player has said, (in so many words): As long as the song has soul, it doesn't matter if fast or slow.
John, really cool article, the way they put together the photos and the songs..you and the band look great..
stephen
Congratulations John.I don't write much rock and roll but I have a song that should suit your band,seeing you are getting up there in age,it's called Rockin' chair Rock.LOL
Everett
Great article! keep rockin'
John:
Awesome article. Person who wrote this obviously liked your stuff (and got across how much you guys like it, too). That is absolutely tremendous publicity.
If you are ever in need of a cover (and yes, I noticed y'all want to play all your own stuff, so I won't say it too loud), y'might consider "Test Tube Baby," my one and only rock 'n' roll song (from my very brief Elvis Period). Was recorded for the Internet by The Collaborators, and you can hear it on their site:
www.soundclick.com/bands/7/thecollaborators_music.htm They did it as a Big Band R&B number, but it sounds just fine as a straight ahead 12-or-maybe-I-forgot-how-many-bar blues. That's how The Dodson Drifters did it, 25 or so years ago. Would be pleased if y'all included it in y'all's repertoire. You're good.
Neat, neat article. Congratulations.
Joe
www.soundclick.com/bands/7/joewrabek_music.htm
Stephen,
I will pass that along to Michael Vitez and Peter Tobia. They reall did a great job, you're right! Great guys too. They were in with the laughs right along with us. Thanks!
Everett,
Funny! This rocker isn't sitting long enough to even need a chair! Ha! Thanks for the congrats! And your time.
bc,
Will do, keep rockin! The 22nd is the next one! Starting to gear up for it. May have another song ready for it. At least for the next one after that anyway. Got to be honed with some time to find it's groove with the band. So it's not just chords and memorizing breaks. Got to be breathing on it's own as we're playing it. Thanks for yout time too!
Joe,
Yeah, Michael Vitez took the time to come over to our practice a few days before, and asked about the songs afterwards. Very personable guy. Not just an interviewer, but someone who was interested in everything about the songs, as well as us, even though his story was about us and not the music. Lucky to have him do this story. Fate really. One tuning led to one person coming over who played tennis with Vitez that night! What are the odds of that happening out of all of my tunings? Oh,,,,,100% now!
I understand you shopping your song, (what I would do also). Right now, we have a long lineup of songs waiting in the wings, with even more needing to be rearranged, and I'm starting to string a few together again, (as they seem to come). "London's Ferris Wheel" and "Want You Girl Only" came out of nowhere and in a hurry. The guitar player writes as well, and is preparing some of his songs and has been patiently waiting for them to be considered. So please don't be offended if we don't cover your song.
I am going to listen to that song however. I love Big Band music, so that, mixed with R&B sounds interesting! There are songs that I hear from here that I play on the piano, as they come to me after hearing and liking them. So I will most likely play that kind of a song especially. (not just saying that to be nice). I love to play all kinds of music on the piano, mine or anybody's.
Thank you for even wanting our band to consider one of your songs. Very cool really.
John
[This message has been edited by dhsongs (edited 02-15-2006).]
John, Congratulations! I have been following you story in these boards since the showcase last year. It would make a great documentary. Keep up the inspiration, we all appreciate it. I hope to get out to RMacs next Wednesday. Kevin
Ah Kevin! I remember meeting you in Hatboro, PA! How are you tall one?! (I know, or at least am 99% sure I'm picturing you right). Salt and Pepper hair; Nice guy; No?,,,,not nice? Ha!
Really, it would be great to see and talk with you again?
Have you been playing out since then? That was last May 27th! Geezzz! Doesn't seem like that long ago. does it?
Yes, please come out and find me before we go on, around 9:00. Cindy will be there too.
John
[This message has been edited by dhsongs (edited 02-15-2006).]
Hi John-
The article was good and upbeat and everything---BUT I don't think it really got across how GREAT the songs ARE!!!! It was more about nostalgia-which is fine--BUT--and I know you're gonna do this---I want to see these SONGS get the recognition they deserve---NOT because you guys are old--but because the songs are GREAT--this is your mission Mr Phelps--da da dada dum dum---da da dada dada dum dum--I KNOW you can do it.
Herbie
By the way, I promised YOU a smile- last night I brought my wife to open mike at one of Chicago's best places to play, Fitzgeralds. Once a month they have open mike in the big club where the "national" acts play. Last night, I brought my sweetie and played her a brand new song I wrote about her (one she never heard before)--she AND the crowd loved it-my buddies said I never sounded better, and that the song could easily be a hit song.
Just confirmed that WXPN, one of Philly's hot stations, especially for new artists, is playing "One Moving Mind" this Tueday night,(Feb. 21st), in the 9o'clock hour that showcases new artists. Not signed, and no radio promotion! HUH? Ray Koob, a well known DJ in Philadelphia has been fighting for us on his own time. (Thanks Ray!). Hope whoever is reading this can or has had this happen: For the first time, (yet another first!), I'll be hearing a song I co-wrote on the radio. (Buddy Holcombe is the co-writer on "One Moving Mind").
John
[This message has been edited by dhsongs (edited 02-20-2006).]
Soon to be grandpa
,
You sound youthful...and you look youthful..!!
Keep it goin', John.
..Wonderful Article...
Wonderful pictures...Wonderful Songs.....
Wish I could get that philly station....I would listen......
best to you.....
Kaley
Kaley,
Thanks!
The station might reach you in PA. It might be 88.7 or near that in your area. (Not sure how far out of the Lehigh Valley you are), as I know it transmits in that area.
I'm thinking about having the guys over to listen together, so we can all get even more pumped up for the next night's perfromance.
Hi John....
...
3 hours north and bit west of Lehigh Valley area... about 30 miles from the NY line now.....
quite a ways away...but I'll get it a try and see what comes up on the dial..
best...
Kaley.......
Kids:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=6469 Adults:
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=8404 Animation:
http://www.flashfast.com/kids/ CD:
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kwwg TONS of GREAT JPF music here:
www.cdbaby.com/group/justplainfolks
You can listen to WXPN on the Web at
www.xpn.org. I'm not sure how closely the internet broadcast is tied to the radio broadcast, buy it's worth a try. They're fund raising right now so you may have to listen to a little shpiel. Kevin
Kaley, you are above 80 then, huh? Past the Poconos a bit. Yeah, online...Just found out myself. It is the shows.
Kevin,
Thanks for posting that link!
John