The Queen of Rockabilly hit the Music Hall of Williamsburg along with a smokin' band fronted by band leader / guitarist Jack White (White Stripes/Raconteurs/the Dead Weather) to support her new CD produced by White, The Party Ain't Over. The 73-year-old pioneering rock and roll singer and the Third Man House Band breathed new life into a set filled with classics.
Wanda and the band opened the sold-out concert with a brief instrumental followed by a thrilling version of "Riot in Cell Block # 9". White seemed in his glory from the start of the show, barely able to control his enthusiam, there were times when he seemed he would knock the Queen right off the stage. One of the highlights of the set included a cover of "I'm No Good" by Amy Winehouse, which was delivered in a funky and sexy style. Other highlights included "Fujiyama Mama", "Dust on the Bible", "Heartbreak Hotel", and "Let's Have A Party".
Jackson toured with and dated Elvis Presley when she was a teenager. She referred to the King a few times in her set and sang a song which Elvis recorded "Like A Baby." Wanda and the band closed the night with a sizzling rendition of "Shakin' All Over", which opens Wanda's new CD. I left the concert hall thrilled to have spent some time with one of rock n roll's living legends who was backed by Mr. White and his smokin' hot Third Man House Band.
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NY Rocks TV at Drama Desk "Movie and TV Stars on Broadway"
@ Sardi's featuring
Moderator Robin Milling by Mike Martinez & Photo's by Phil Fiumano
Featuring Jim Belushi, Maxwell Caulfield, Stephen Kunken, John Laroquette, Dan Lauria, John Leguizamo and Annabella Sciorra
Friday,April 15, 2011
@ Sardi's Restaurant, 234 West 44th Street in New York City
NY Rocks TV was thrilled to attend a special Drama Desk Panel Discusion 'Movie and TV Stars on Broadway' hosted by entertainment reporter Robin Milling. The prestigious panelists came from the world of movies and television; all of them making a successful impact and transition to the stage.
Panelists: Jim Belushi (Born Yesterday), Maxwell Caulfield (Cactus Flower), Stephen Kunken (High), John Laroquette (How To Succeed in Business), Dan Lauria (Lombardi), John Leguizamo (Ghetto Klown) and Annabella Sciorra (The Motherf**cker with the Hat).
Robin Milling has a wealth of experience as an Entertainment Reporter covering film, theater, television and music. Her style is conversational and candid, discussing personal issues as well as professional topics with celebrities. She is a writer/producer and host of Milling About Entertainment News, a daily entertainment news and interview program servicing the Internet, radio, television, and print, featuring her provocative conversations with the hottest names in Hollywood along with news and coverage of current entertainment events.
Robin is the host of Milling About, a BlogTalk radio show http://www.blogtalkradio.com/robin-milling featuring uncensored and candid conversations with celebrities in movies, theater, television and music in their homes and on-location.
Interview with Roye Albrighton - Guitarist & Vocalist from the Rock Band Nektar by Mike Martinez.
Guitar virtuoso Roye Albrighton from the legendary rock band Nektar is having a busy year. Nektar is headling the Space Rock Invasion Tour with Brainticket and Huw Lloyd-Langton (of Hawkwind) which arrives at BB Kings in NYC on August 17, 2011. He is also involved with reissue classic early catalog recordings, recording a new CD, and releasing a 2 CD Box Set on Cleopatra Records. Considered by many to be a " Prog Rock " band, Nektar are much more. Their early recordings display a mastery of psychedelic and experimental rock which grew into further musical innovation with each new recording. Their live recordings clearly display Nektar as a great live rock band with a unique artistic vision.
Tickets for Nektar at BB Kings: http://www.bbkingsblues.com
Mike: 2011 is a very active year for you and Nektar with the Space Rock Invasion Tour, recording a new CD, releasing a 2 CD Box Set on Cleopatra Records and you are also reissuing CD's from your original catalog. Let's start with the tour and the 2 CD Retrospektive, how did your relationship develop with Cleopatra Records?
Roye: My first contact was with John Lappen who enquired through email if Nektar had any material that Cleopatra could release. I gave John a list of what was available and that included 'Waves' , which was to be a "Best Of" release. Cleopatra seemed very interested in this because it combined tracks from the old catalog, the releases after 'Magic is a Child' right up to and including 'Evolution'. Since then things have gone a little further and the discussion of a tour was on the table as a package together with Brainticket and Huw Lloyd-Langton.
Cleopatra believe as I do that Nektar music should be put out to a wider audience, I still get emails from people rediscovering the band all saying the same thing "I didn't know the band was still around." Cleopatra and Nektar aim to rectify this.
Mike: How did you decide on what music and songs would go into the 2 CD Retrospektive?
Roye: We already has a "Best Of" album out there but it was sadly out of date and we thought it was time to bring what the band have been creating over those years to the public's attention. I hope that they would then realize that there was more to us than just 'Remember the Future" or "Tab in the Ocean'.
Mike: How far are you along into recording your new album? How did you approach composing and recording the new music?
Roye: Nektar tend to do the recording of an album in what would be considered today as record time. We enter the studio pretty much ready to go and only require a little extra time for a few overdubs. This is because we work the material 'live" first to "iron out the bugs" and re-arrange parts. All thats left to do is record and mix. Even though the actual recording of it hasn't started yet, we are dedicated in getting it right and expect to have it ready by the end of the year.
Mike: I've recently listened to the reissues of 'A Tab in the Ocean' and 'Remember The Future' released by ItsAboutMusic.com. The sound, packaging and the previously unreleased material are great. How involved are you in this reissuing process and do you feel this is an opportunity to give your catalog the proper treatment regarding sound quality?
Roye: Yes, I was / am involved in these reissues. I also found the remasters that were released in 2004 were good but I felt that a few tweaks here and there were needed. The bonus material included on the second disc is really an insight into the "live" formats of the band. Rowe Howden and myself are the two remaining original members and we have changed bassists and keyboardists through the last ten years, so I thought these bonus discs would be something the fans could be interested in as every musician we had put their particular stamp on the music. Ron and I have been very lucky having such great musicians to work with and they are and always will be considered part of the Nektar family.
Mike: 'Remember The Future' was the album that landed you on the Billboard charts and is possibly the most renowned of your early albums. Looking back on the recording and the success that that followed its release, why do you think 'Remember The Future' obtained its level of success and why does it stiil hold a special place in the hearts of Nektar fans?
Roye: I think from the outset 'Remember The Future' was something totally different from what was out there at the time. If you were to look at the charts during our brief visit to Billboard, above and below us was music that was totally different from what we had to offer. It seemed like we were a fish out of water but nevertheless it was a earworm for the fans and remains so to this day. We all felt at the time of the recording the album that something special was happening, we felt the same about 'A Tab in the Ocean' too and later "Recycled' but RTF was the one that we all felt that it was where Nektar had finally stabilized their musical direction.
Mike: What is 'Remember The Future' about?
Roye: Basically it's about an alien (bluebird) arriving on earth who is unable to communicate to humans by speech. He has been here before and wants to warn us of the pitfalls we humans could easily fall into. The alien was so strange looking that he could not expose himself for fear of being hunted down. He was about to give up when he meets a blind and deaf child who could hold no prejudice. The alien communicates his fears for the human race by telepathy and hence the term 'remember what I have told you' remember the future.
Mike: Nektar has been described as "progressive rock legends". I listen to your early recordings and I hear more in common with early Deep Purple and Pink Floyd than Genesis, ELP or Yes. How do you feel about being considered "Prog Rock" legends?
Roye: Music critics will invariably try to label you, this is part of the human condition however, I have tried to disregard the term 'prog rock' or 'art rock' etc. At the outset we were called 'psychedelic rock' and went through the 'pop rock' era. We also went through the 'Krautrock' channel. At the end of the day, Nektar write and record what we want to and if they want to label the next phase of the band ' psycho analytic grunge jazz' , who am I to say no. Nektar music is simply Nektar music.
Mike: What are your plans for Nektar beyond 2011?
Roye: The new album has to be ready by the end of 2011. Beyond 2011 our aim is to reach out to the other parts of the globe and bring our music to those who never had a chance to hear or see us live. We are very lucky indeed to have such a loyal fanbase around the world, so we want to bring the band to them.
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