Frank Russo on Summit Records

It’s a full time job to keep up with the performance schedule of virtuoso Frank Russo, which is why your best bet to follow Frank is to check his website twice a day and perhaps even more often.  He really needs his own personal text message alert system so we can sign up and be alerted whenever he’s performing nearby so we can go!

He was not only part of the St. Michael’s Jazz Festival back in October of this year, he performed with virtually every act, including two I was lucky enough to catch:  the MARS 4Tet on their own, and then later backing Philadelphia Jazz phenomenon Joanna Pascale, who brought the house down.

Frank and the MARS 4Tet have a new recording soon to be released via Summit Records. We will let you know about it as soon as we know anything more.

But in the meantime you definitely need to hear any show in which Frank is participating.  He’s a remarkable drummer and works with the best musicians in the biz.   This coming Sunday, December 15, he’ll be at the Ram’s Head Tavern in Savage Mill from 11 AM to 2 PM, and later that same day from 7 PM to 9 PM he’ll be performing with the Capital City Voices at the brand new Jazzy’s Lounge in Bowie, Maryland.  And this is what I’m talking about!  I LIVE in Bowie and I didn’t even know Jazzy’s Lounge was open yet, but here’s Frank not only performing there, it’s no Ft his only show that day.  *whew*  I’m exhausted just typing all of this. For the latest, greatest info about his schedule, see his schedule at his own website.

Kathie Lee’s Podcast

Kathie Lee Gifford has her own podcast now, and BusinessWeek.com is reporting how she’s leading a trend in resurrecting the medium:

Westwood One founder Norm Pattiz … [has] built a Rolodex of Hollywood’s top names. Now Pattiz is getting his celebrity pals to create talk shows for a venture he began in February, PodcastOne, which sells ads in its free, downloadable radio programs. Superagent Ari Emanuel, who sits next to Pattiz at Lakers games, helped sign clients such as Kathie Lee Gifford … The audience for U.S. podcasts has surged 58 percent since 2010 …

Listen for yourself!  Click here and sign up today – it’s free!

Heart’s Crazy On You featuring Nancy Wilson’s extended intro

The 1970’s was a great time for rock music. Great acts like Peter Frampton, Rush, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin, Rush, the Eagles, Styx, Yes, and many others rose to prominence during that decade. Experts and fans often debate which group was the most influential, the most innovative, the most significant.

All I know is that the band I went to see more than any other was Heart. And this video is one reason.

This is the original formation of Heart, featuring Roger Fisher on lead electric guitar, his brother Mike Fisher on drums, Steve Fossen on bass, Howard Leese on guitar, Ann Wilson on vocals, and Nancy Wilson performing the extended intro on acoustic guitar. From Nancy’s compelling opening to the double-lead of Fisher and Leese, Heart makes it clear in this video that they were a unique rock band with a powerful pop edge that was both complex and thoroughly enjoyable.

It’s worth noting that Howard Leese has long been a customer of Paul Reed Smith guitars.  Smith is in our Skere9 Gallery of Stars.