A year ago next week I wrote a blog post in which I put out there my intention to make some new recordings. I optimistically thought there might be one or two full collections of new material ready by the end of the year.
Well, I dropped off the first one at the plant today — 13 new masters and artwork for my next CD, entitled “BETTER GET RIGHT.” It’s a recording inspired by and, in some way, set in New Orleans and features the Biting Fish Brass Band.
There are more CDs to come. Two more are in their final stages of mixing — the first, “NO FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS” is my “Romania” song cycle. After that is “THE WORLD WILL BE DIFFERENT,” a collection featuring primarily guitar, bass and drums on a batch of new songs, many of which I’ve never played out.
I’m pretty excited about this stuff and I can’t wait for you to hear it. Thanks to all who have been so supportive and encouraging during this fevered year of recording activity. I think you’re gonna like the results…
The lovely Ms. McKay has invited me to join her on her shows this week in Cleveland at a great little jazz club called Nighttown. Apparently, we’re picking up a rhythm section from out there, so the shows (this Monday and Tuesday) should be nice and spontaneous!
Here’s a clip of Nellie singing my song “When It Rains” — enjoy!
Tomorrow night (Tuesday, November 17th) I’ll be doing a few songs live on the air as part of the WKCR 10th Anniversary Jamboree. Tune in to 89.9 FM in NYC if you’re around. I’ll be backed by the house band, including a few old and dear friends from way back when. Should be fun!
I’ve been asked to come and play guitar in Nellie McKay’s band for her upcoming dates at Yoshi’s in San Francisco (Oct. 16-18) and Jazz Alley in Seattle (Oct. 20-21). This will actually be my first time performing in San Francisco, and Seattle is one of my very favorite cities, so I’m really looking forward to this!
Here’s a clip of Nellie and me singing together at Joe’s Pub last year on the Hoagy Carmichael standard “Two Sleepy People”…enjoy!
Videographer extraordinaire Marie Le Claire has posted some new footage of the BITING FISH, from our show last month at (le) Poisson Rouge in NYC. Check it out!
The July 22nd concert at JOE’S PUB at the PUBLIC THEATER in NYC has become something of a concept evening entitled “YOUR VOICE,” featuring a number of friends covering my songs, backed by me and the band.
Here is a list of confirmed guests, and the songs they are scheduled to perform. In addition to these folks, there may yet be some unannounced surprises coming to sit in with the band. Hope to see you there!
“YOUR VOICE: THE SONGS OF HOWARD FISHMAN”
Wednesday, July 22 @7pm sharp.
JOE’S PUB @ The Public Theater in New York City.
Tickets and info here
Marika Hughes “Someday”
(from “LOOK AT ALL THIS!”) Susan Oetgen “Anywhere at All”
(from “we are destroyed”) Sasha Dobson “It Won’t Be Long II”
(from upcoming new release) Roland Barber “Want you to Be Mine”
(from “DO WHAT I WANT”) Bill Malchow “Katie La La”
(from “LOOK AT ALL THIS!”) Skye Steele “In Another Life”
(from “DO WHAT I WANT”) Sheriff Uncle Bob - “Luck”
(unreleased outtake from “LOOK AT ALL THIS!”) Richard Julian “Dreams of You”
(from “I LIKE YOU A LOT) Ian Riggs “Pictures”
(from “LOOK AT ALL THIS!”) Mazz Swift “Good Times”
(from “THE HOWARD FISHMAN QUARTET)
At the end of last night’s Jonathan Richman show at the Bowery Ballroom, a startling thing happened. After graciously giving two encores, JR put his guitar away, started for the exit, and then came back to the mic. He explained that something didn’t feel right to him…that the show had had a lot of ups and downs, but it hadn’t felt good to him, somehow. “We don’t play with any kind of plan,” he explained (speaking for himself and drummer Tommy Larkins, though clearly he’s the only one onstage calling the shots). “And tonight I was really feeling the lack of a plan. We try to keep things fresh…it’s like bread: as soon as you take it out of the oven, it starts to get old.” (I’m paraphrasing) “But I would rather fail like that than play the same stale thing every night.”
Anyone who’s ever gotten on a stage knows what it’s like to have a bad night…to not be connected to the music, or the audience, or oneself. It happens, and it doesn’t feel good. But witnessing Jonathan Richman’s palpable sense of confusion and unrest for not (in his mind) delivering the goods, to see him offer himself up like that in front of a packed house, was really something. One fan suggested he solve the problem by singing his song “Springtime in New York,” and yes, he said, that might very well be just the thing. He called Tommy back to the stage, unpacked his guitar, and performed the song with tenderness and real love for the audience and for the city, and all was well once again in the world.
This guy is amazing. I’ve had the pleasure to see him four times in the last three years, and each time have been completely floored by the intimacy he creates with the audience, by the spontaneity of his performance (the guitar flights of fancy, the lyric ad libs, the off-mic bits, the dancing!..he’s out of his mind, and G-d bless him for it), by his total engagement in offering service to the crowd in the form of light, humor, warmth, gentleness and wisdom.
Sure, I could tell he was a little off his game last night. He started strong, but seemed to become preoccupied with his decision to instruct the venue to keep the A/C off. As it got warmer in the room, he began to worry about the audience’s comfort, asking us if we were too warm, even as one of his songs railed against things like A/C and new housing developments and things that keep us from “the real” of life. He seemed to get confused, torn between following the dictates of his conscience and his concern for the audience, and the show took a noticeable energy dive from there on in. Or maybe it was the decidedly un-Jonathan Richman-like song he sang about being a victim to other people’s unkindness and cruelty (I don’t the name of it, but I’d put money on it being a cover of a Vic Chestnutt song, who opened the show).
Whatever the reason, JR lost his groove about halfway through, and struggled mightily to regain his balance. Seeing this guy, in his late 50’s, veteran of thousands of concerts, care so deeply about trying to find his way back into the moment, was a real gift. Hearing his conviction that he’d rather fail in his dedication to the moment than be another nail in the coffin of true, live performance and risk and humanity, confirms for me — once again — that Jonathan Richman is a modern-day hero.
People often ask me where I draw my musical inspiration from, and I often draw a blank. Reason being: most of the things that inspire me are not music. Theater, film, art, literature, history, religion, ideas..these are the things that generally get me going.
There are few things worse than being stuck in the audience at a bad piece of theater, but the converse is also true: when theater is really effective, no other art form can touch it for the visceral, exciting, startling feeling it inspires.
This week I had the opportunity to see “DESIRE UNDER THE ELMS”, as good and imaginative a production as I’ve seen on Broadway in a long time. Today I read that the show is closing early (May 24) because of bad box office receipts, mainly due to getting shut out of the Tonys (a travesty). Even if there are some casting issues, I still urge you to go see it before it’s gone forever.
In the musical realm (although there was a good deal of theater in this too), I had another opportunity to see Leonard Cohen perform last night in Waterbury, CT. I caught him for the first time last October in Obernberg, Germany, but Leonard and the show have only gotten better in the intervening months. He’s absolutely at the top of his game: totally present, giving and fully cognizant of his tremendous power at this late stage of his career/life. He’s in NYC this weekend, then has a few more dates in North America before heading back across the pond. Amazingly, there are still seats left at many of the shows. Really, if you can, do yourself a favor and go and see Leonard Cohen. You’ll never forget it.
“we are destroyed” (which we’re now calling an opera, btw — why not?) is about to go into rehearsals for its next showing, the first time that the piece has had a multi-night run and the first time that there will be movement, staged with elaborate brilliance by Ed Schmidt. You may remember Ed as the host and curator of DUMBOLIO, a very smart and entertaining monthly variety show that, sadly, has been on hiatus for a little while. Ed is directing a brand new cast, led by none other than the fabulous Susan Oetgen.
“we are destroyed” will be at the ABRONS ARTS CENTER here in NYC, on April 24-25 @8pm, and on April 26 @3pm. Tickets are here.
we are destroyed
The other good news is that since I’ll be here all month, I booked myself a residency at none other than PETE’S CANDY STORE, my old neighborhood haunt. I’ll be holding forth every Thursday night @11pm, and bringing in a variety of friends old and new to play with me. Lots of new material. Week one (4/2) will be a rare outing of the MONKEY FARM, with Jon Flaugher joining me on bass and Dave Berger on drums.
Photo by Sean Gallagher
Meanwhile, work in the studio continues apace. Stay tuned and thanks for listening!
I feel like I’ve been underground for most of 2009, writing and recording a pretty large trove of music with a variety of different ensembles. This week I’ll be making like a groundhog and popping my head out for some air to do a couple of shows in Brooklyn, before burrowing down again and getting back to work.
I don’t want to jinx anything, but it’s looking like three distinct new CDs are taking shape: a Biting Fish Brass Band record, a “Romania” record, and a collection of new originals. It’s all very heady and exciting, and perhaps irrational in the present economy, but what the hey?
Come on out and say hello if you can. My stuff tends to cool and form only after it’s been put in front of a live audience a few times. You’re my sounding board — come and weigh in…
