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New Releases
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Storming
Heaven by the San Francisco area's premiere progressive
Celtic and Medieval rock band Avalon
Rising is finally here! Clocking in at 74 minutes
with 15 tracks, this beautifully mixed and packaged CD features
the current powerhouse lineup of this unique band, combining
original songs, rockin' Celtic fiddle tunes and beautiful
ballads with a funky, rock-solid bass-and-drums rhythm section
and soaring electric guitar. Buy
it now online at AvalonRising.com. Also available from:
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Not
As Messy As It Sounds
Finally, in an explosion of geeky critical mass, the long-awaited
album To Touch The
Stars has been released. A cooperative production by
Prometheus Music,
the Mars Society,
and the National Space Society,
this album of songs by various artists celebrates the history
and future of space travel. Musical director Kristoph Klover
had a hand in |
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recording and mixing a majority of the tracks (even penning
the soaring rock ballad Others Standing By),while I,
your humble scribe, played electric guitar and other gadgets
on 10 of the 17 cuts. Timed to coincide with the recent convergence
of 3 spacecraft on Mars (yeah, that's right...we PLANNED it
that way!), the album is receiving a gratifying amount of airplay
and press coverage around the country. It's also been enthusiastically
endorsed by The Second Man on the Moon, astronaut Buzz
Aldrin, who said:
"As
someone who has actually set foot on the threshold of space
and experienced firsthand its majesty and the incredible potential
it holds for the human race, I am thrilled by this new collection
of original songs celebrating the beginnings of our great
endeavor to reach for the stars."
Here's
a great review
of the album from Clark Lindsey, editor of HobbySpace,
as posted on Amazon.
By the way, MP3 downloads of 5 full songs are also available
from Prometheus Music.
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4/26/03
I'm pleased to announce the release of a new album and the reissue
of an old classic, both featuring your roving guitarist/multi-instrumentalist
Mark Ungar!
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Last night
while at the Plough and Stars on Clement St. listening
to a great set by Irish fiddler Maeve Donnelly accompanied
by brilliant local guitarist Steve Baughman, I ran into
old pal and musical partner Kyle Thayer. He and I recorded
an album called Rainshadow back in 1993, and he's now
re-mixed it and re-released it on cd. |
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It features Kyle on octave mandolin, playing several
original and traditional Celtic instrumental tunes, accompanied
by myself on guitar as well as Scott Thunes on double
bass, John Rothfield and Heather Alexander
on fiddles, John Pederson on uillean pipes, and Leo
Desrochers on bones. The remix is a marked improvement over
the original cassette release, and I'm happy to say the album
has stood up well over time - it should appeal to anyone who
digs lush instrumental sounds in the Celtic folk vein. It's
available from Watershed Productions, 200 Gate Five Road, Suite
212, Sausalito, CA 94965. Contact Kyle by email at kthayer@saber.net. |
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Monday,
March 10th:
Silo @ Central Perk - 7:30-ish
10086 San Pablo Ave, El Cerrito, CA 94530 (corner
of Central & San Pablo) (631) 553-3841
http://www.centralperkcoffee.net/.
Friday,
March 14th, 7 - 9 pm: Axis of Blues acoustic duo @ Eclectix.
Eclectix presents in the gallery - "Altarations":
Art Altars, Boxes & Related Images. Eclectix is located
at 7523 Fairmount Avenue.El Cerrito, CA 94530
Saturday,
March 15th, 9:30pm:
Avalon Rising @ Schelly's Bar
15001 Farnsworth St., San Leandro, CA 94579
(510) 351-1222
This is our big St. Paddy's Day Weekend Party, so get green
and be seen!
Monday,
March 17th - 5:30 – 7:30 pm:
St. Paddy's Day! Homeland Security Alert Level Emerald!!
Silo @ AJ’s Sports Pub & Grill
4633 Clayton Road, Concord, CA 94521
925-459-0574 http://www.ajsportspub.com/
At the site of the former Mr. Pickwick's.
Now featuring Peruvian food!
Saturday,
March 22nd, 2 pm or so:
Avalon Rising @ The San Francisco Celtic Festival
Oakland Veteran's Hall, 200 Grand Avenue, Oakland, CA (650)
326-6265
SanFranciscoCelticFestival/l
Thursday,
March 27th, half-past-7-ish:
Axis of Blues @ Central Perk
10086 San Pablo Ave, El Cerrito, CA 94530
(corner of Central & San Pablo)
(631) 553-3841 http://www.centralperkcoffee.net/.
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