Saturday, June 24, 2023

DAVID COUSINS ‘STRAWBS’ LEGEND TALKS NEW ALBUM/DOCUMENTARY AND FAREWELL CONCERT AT FAIRPORT’S CROPREDY CONVENTION: ZOOM TV SPECIAL EVENT ON INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS!

 




British Music Legends

S T R A W B S 

To Release New Album 

“The Magic Of  It All” 

followed by documentary later this year

ZOOM TV SPECIAL EVENT 

with

founding member...singer...musician...

and most active songwriter since 1967

D A V I D   C O U S I N S

CLICK BELOW

TO WATCH IN ITS ENTIRETY!



SUPERB NEW ALBUM BY STRAWBS FEATURING DAVID COUSINS, BLUE WEAVER AND JOHN FORD

British music legends Strawbs will be releasing their new album “The Magic Of It All” on July 14th! Recorded in Cape Town, the album features David Cousins, Blue Weaver, and John Ford from classic 1970’s line up joined by some of the finest musicians and singers in South Africa.

Strawbs were high in the charts with “Grave New World” and “Bursting At The Seams” 50 years ago which coincided with a pivotal moment in the struggle for freedom in South Africa, when students and workers launched a new wave of resistance against so-called “resettlement”. The resistance in South Africa identified with Strawbs songs, especially “Part Of The Union”, “Lay Down”, and “New World”.

Recognizing this, South Africa documentary maker, Niel van Deventer, approached David Cousins with the idea of producing a documentary about Strawbs and the band’s influence around the world. Niel wanted to film while new songs were being recorded in a Cape Town studio. David Cousins came up with a bunch of his finest songs; Blue Weaver flew over to produce the sessions and co- write some of the material, while John Ford joined in with his contribution to the songs from New York.


Featuring brand-new songs recorded at the Academy Of Sound Engineering in Cape Town, with engineer Peter Pearlson, who worked with Paul Simon when he was recording South African musicians for the “Graceland” album. The South African musicians on this album include Mauritz Lotz, Schalk Joubert, Kevin Gibson, Byron Abrahams, Simangele Mashazi, Marzia Barry and Luna Paige. Cathryn Craig and Nicole Tee joined the singers from the UK. The documentary “The Magic Of It All” will be released July 14, 2023.

PURCHASE THE LATEST
ALBUM

BY

STRAWBS 


The Magic Of It All 

Cherry Red press release announces the new Strawbs album, to be released on CD, vinyl and download on 14 Jul 2023.  You can pre-order the album from Cherry Red from the Cherry Red website. Purchasers will get signed postcards whilst stocks last.

The new Strawbs studio album was recorded in Cape Town in 2022.David Cousins, Blue Weaver, and John Ford from classic 1970s Strawbs join with the some of the finest musicians and singers in South Africa. 

Strawbs were high in the charts with Grave New World and Bursting at the Seams fifty years ago in the early 1970s. It coincided with a pivotal moment in the struggle for freedom in South Africa when students and workers launched a new wave of resistance against so-called “resettlement”. The resistance in South Africa identified with Strawbs songs, especially "Part of the Union", "Lay Down", and "New World". Strawbs albums sold well and became highly prized.

Recognizing this, South Africa documentary maker, Niel van Deventer, approached David Cousins with the idea of producing a documentary about Strawbs and the band’s influence around the world. Niel wanted to film while new songs were being recorded in a Cape Town studio. David Cousins came up with a bunch of his finest songs, Blue Weaver flew over to produce the sessions and co-write some of the songs, while John Ford joined in with his contribution to the songs from New York.

The album is called The Magic Of It All - 11 brand-new songs recorded at the Academy of Sound Engineering in Cape Town in Sep 2022. Engineer Peter Pearlson worked with Paul Simon when he was recording South African musicians for the Graceland album. The South African musicians on this album include Mauritz Lotz, Schalk Joubert, Kevin Gibson, Byron Abrahams, Simangele Mashazi, Marzia Barry and Luna Paige. Cathryn Craig and Nicole Tee joined the singers from the UK.


David Cousins says: “The Academy of Sound Engineering is a college for training young audio engineers. We were surrounded by several students every day while we recorded, and they were involved in setting up the studio and lining up the desk. They learned a lot – and so did I. It was magic!”

Blue Weaver says: “It really was 'Magic' working in Cape Town especially having such great musicians and an engineer who made my job very easy. It was wonderful also to see how the students reacted to our ways of recording live in the studio and to answer their questions. I‘m looking forward to seeing the documentary especially the "fly on the wall" video recordings that were made during the sessions.“

The Magic Of It All is released simultaneously on vinyl, CD and download by Cherry Red on 14 July. The documentary "The Magic Of It All" will be released later this year."

Strawbs “The Magic Of It All” will be available on CD and vinyl. 

To pre-order: www.cherryred.co.uk/artist/strawbs





FINAL TOUR FAREWELL SHOW

 AUGUST 11TH

AT FAIRPORT'S CROPREDY CONVENTION

THURSDAY 10 AUG 2023

NILE RODGERS & CHIC

Toyah & Robert Fripp

Damien Wilson & Adam Wakeman

Merry Hell

Fairport Acoustic


FRIDAY 11 AUG 2023

10CC

Fisherman's Friends

Strawbs (farewell show)

Peat and Diesel

Kiki Dee and Carmel Luigieri

Joshua Burnell

Two more Friday Acts TBA

 

SATURDAY 12 AUG 2023

Fairport Convention & Friends

Gilbert O'Sullivan

The Young 'Uns

Solstice

Beans on Toast

Morganway

Richard Digance

 

 FOR MORE INFORMATION

ABOUT

DAVID COUSINS

AND

STRAWBS

VISIT

www.strawbsweb.co.uk

Official website

www.facebook.com/groups/strawbs

Facebook

https://twitter.com/strawbsband?lang=en

Twitter


STRAWBS

Discography

Strawbs (1969)

Dragonfly (1970)

Just a Collection of Antiques and Curios (recorded live) (1970)

From the Witchwood (1971)

Grave New World (1972)

Bursting at the Seams (1973)

All Our Own Work (1973; recorded 1967)

Hero and Heroine (1974)

Ghosts (1975)

Nomadness (1975)

Deep Cuts (1976)

Burning for You (1977)

Deadlines (1978)

Don't Say Goodbye (1987)

Ringing Down the Years (1991)

Heartbreak Hill (1995)

Baroque & Roll (2001)

Strawberry Sampler Number 1 (2001; recorded 1969)

30 Years in Rock (2001; Issued with "Wondrous Stories" magazine)

Blue Angel (2003)

Déjà Fou (2004)

Live at Nearfest (2006)

The Broken Hearted Bride (2008)

Dancing to the Devil's Beat (2009)

Hero & Heroine in Ascencia (2011)

Prognostic (2014)

The Ferryman's Curse (2017)

Live in Concert CD / DVD (2020)

Best of The Strawbs - Live in Concert Vinyl (2020)

Settlement (2021)

The Magic Of It All (2023)

SOLO ALBUMS

Two Weeks Last Summer (1972) (with Roger Glover, Rick Wakeman, Dave Lambert, etc)

Old School Songs (1980) (with Brian Willoughby)

The Bridge (1994) (with Brian Willoughby)

Hummingbird (2002) (with Rick Wakeman)

Wakeman and Cousins "Live 1988" (2005) (with Rick Wakeman)

High Seas (2005) (with Conny Conrad)

The Boy in the Sailor Suit (2007)

Secret Paths (2008)

Duochrome (2008) (with Ian Cutler) live recordings from the US tour in March 2008

Moving Pictures (2015) solo acoustic live recording from The Kent Stage, Kent, Ohio US 15 March 2008







Dave Cousins has co-written a song "The Water Song" with Kendra, a 15-year-old South African schoolgirl as part of the Commonwealth Medical Trust’s (Commat) initiative to bring the importance of conserving water as widely as possible to school children in countries throughout the world.

DAVID COUSINS

APPEARS WEEK OF 

JUNE 24TH 2023


ON INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS

WITH RAY SHASHO

NOW STREAMING ON THESE SITES

The Classic Rock Music Reporter  

Classic Rock Here and Now

   Music Tried and True 

   www.rockmusic.show

 YouTube   Facebook   Apple   

amazon music   iHeartRadio  TuneIn 

Podcastics   Podchaser   Spotify  

PANDORA   Deezer   Google Podcasts  

 ReverbNation   LinkedIn   Twitter   Stage32 



ORDER NOW

 WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!

RAY’S BEST-SELLING BOOK

ENTITLED

THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES

SERIES ONE  

CHRONICLES,TRUTHS

 CONFESSIONS AND WISDOM 

FROM THE MUSIC LEGENDS 

THAT SET US FREE!



BY MUSIC JOURNALIST ...TALK SHOW HOST...  

AUTHOR ... TV SITCOM SCRIPT WRITER 

RAY SHASHO

Order yours today on (Collector edition) Hardcover or E-book at bookbaby.com and amazon.com

Featuring over 45 intimate conversations with some of the greatest rock legends the world will ever know.

CHRIS SQUIRE... DR. JOHN... GREG LAKE... HENRY MCCULLOUGH... JACK BRUCE … JOE LALA…  JOHNNY WINTER... KEITH EMERSON... PAUL KANTNER...  RAY THOMAS... RONNIE MONTROSE... TONY JOE WHITE... DAVID CLAYTON-THOMAS… MIKE LOVE... TOMMY ROE... BARRY HAY... CHRIS THOMPSON... JESSE COLIN YOUNG... JOHN KAY... JULIAN LENNON... MARK LINDSAY... MICKY DOLENZ… PETER RIVERA ...TOMMY JAMES… TODD RUNDGREN... DAVE MASON... EDGAR WINTER... FRANK MARINO... GREGG ROLIE... IAN ANDERSON... JIM “DANDY” MANGRUM... JON ANDERSON... LOU GRAMM... MICK BOX... RANDY BACHMAN… ROBIN TROWER...  ROGER FISHER... STEVE HACKETT... ANNIE HASLAM… ‘MELANIE’ SAFKA... PETULA CLARK... SUZI QUATRO... COLIN BLUNSTONE… DAVE DAVIES... JIM McCARTY... PETE BEST

 

THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES

BOOK TRAILER

 

BOOK REVIEW

-By Literary Titan (5) STARS

The Rock Star Chronicles by Ray Shasho, is a splendid book written by a music enthusiast who has poured their heart and soul into it. It’s a story of a boy who loved rock music, and his obsessive passion of it earned himself the name Rock Raymond. He went to school but instead was schooled in all matters of music while his peers were buried chin-deep in coursework. He then became a radio DJ and has now compiled a book on all interviews he held with Rock gods who raided the airwaves back in the 70s and 80s. It’s a compilation of interviews with outstanding vocalists, legendary guitarists and crazy drummers in the rock music scene. Each interview gives a reader an in-depth view into their personal lives and the philosophies that guide their lives which all serve to humanize these great icons. For readers who are old enough to call themselves baby boomers this book will bring old memories back to life. Millennials, on the other hand, may think of this book as a literal work of the Carpool Karaoke show. 

The Rock Star Chronicles is a book I didn’t know I was waiting for. To come across a book that will talk me into trying something new. One brave enough to incite me to venture into new frontiers. This book made me a believer- I am now a bona fide Rock and Roll music fan. 

Ray Shasho masterfully gets the interviewees talking. He smartly coaxes answers from them with crafty questions designed to get a story rolling out of them. The artists talk about diverse issues ranging from music, politics, and their social engagements. Having been on the music seen all his life, Ray Shasho knows the buttons to press, how to get them comfortable about talking about their lives. 

The book’s cover is befitting of its subject matter with the leather look offering a royal background to the golden letter print. It speaks to how high a level rock music holds in the pecking order- arguably, modern music as we know it has originated from blues and rock music.  The second noteworthy thing is the use of high-definition pictures to reference the musician being interviewed in every sub-chapter. This ensures that the book is for both original rock and roll lovers and aspiring new ones. Together is makes for a refreshing and consistently enjoyable read.

I recommend this book to rock music enthusiasts, aspiring musicians wondering what it takes and all readers curious to learn new things by going back in time.

https://literarytitan.com/2020/05/03/literary-titan-book-awards-may-2020/   

Gold Award Winner



MORE BOOKS BY RAY SHASHO



Sunday, June 18, 2023

‘AUTOMATIC MAN’ LEGEND TODD COCHRAN RELEASES ‘FROM THE VAULT: NOTES FOR THE FUTURE’ ZOOM TV SPECIAL EVENT ON INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS!

 



‘AUTOMATIC MAN’

 LEGEND
 TODD COCHRAN 

RELEASES 

‘FROM THE VAULT: 

NOTES FOR THE FUTURE’ 

ZOOM TV SPECIAL EVENT

 ON INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS

CLICK BELOW

TO WATCH IN ITS ENTIRETY!


Todd Cochran is an American pianist, composer, keyboardist, electronic musician, and conceptual artist.

Early in his career he was also professionally known as Bayeté. Cochran started his career as a teenager with saxophonist John Handy. 

Two years later he joined vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson’s Quartet and made his jazz recording debut composing and performing on a benchmark album for Hutcherson, “Head On” (Blue Note Records).

Cochran’s first solo project “Worlds Around the Sun” became a #1 jazz album. From the mid-1970s forward Todd has experimented with and incorporated synthesizers, electronic and mixed-media concepts in his creative projects while collaborating with a wide range of artists in the genres of jazz, art rock, pop, R&B, and twenty-first-century classical.  Todd released two albums on Prestige Records in 1972 and 1973. He was keyboardist, principal composer, and lead singer of Automatic Man from 1976–1978 which also featured drummer Michael Shrieve and guitarist Pat Thrall.

He was also a member of Fuse One, a coalition of jazz musicians who released two albums on CTI Records in 1980 and 1981. The shortlist of his collaborations includes Peter Gabriel, Joan Armatrading, Maya Angelou and Stewart Copeland.



PURCHASE

THE NEW ALBUM

BY

TODD  COCHRAN

entitled

FROM THE VAULT:

 NOTES FOR THE FUTURE


A Narrative Exploration and Foray Into Cochran’s Jazz, Classical, and Electronic Music Palettes. 

Blue Buddha Productions Release Date: June 23, 2023

To pre-order: Bandcamp: https://bluebuddha.bandcamp.com/

Notes for the future are the “imagined sometime in the past” tropes of a storyteller. Freed from every day “isms” of convention and released from the symbolic containment of the vault, the music is an allegorical exploration in futurism. The stream running throughout the musical narrative is a speculative commentary about our human search for meaning, and we’re reminded that as a version of our ancestors’ vision, this quest never ends.

“From The Vault” is structured around a sequence of recurring themes and develops as an unfolding tour of references, hints, and clues. Moving from one perspective to another, we connect with how our planet is perpetually in a state of seeking solutions. Within the soundscape, without words, an underlying language is speaking. Nature evolves for the sum of us, not the few. We are in a continual state of becoming. We are connected. Love is passed along, as is happiness. Nevertheless, expressly for the listener, an implied sense of reasoning encourages us to feel free and let go of all things familiar. And then, “over there” in the distance, we get a passing glimpse of the sacred structure.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

ABOUT

TODD COCHRAN

VISIT

www.toddcochran.com

Official website

www.facebook.com/toddcochranmusic

Facebook

www.instagram.com/toddcochran_musart

Instagram

https://twitter.com/CochranMusart

Twitter

www.youtube.com/channel/UC0pJUL4z18tA02LdgQkQa_w

YouTube


TODD COCHRAN

DISCOGRAPHY

with AUTOMATIC MAN

Albums

1976: Automatic Man

1977: Visitors

 

with FUSE ONE

Albums

1980: Fuse One        

1981: Silk

1984: Ice

Compilation albums

1989: Fuse One: The Complete Recordings     

 

As solo artist

1972: Worlds Around the Sun (Prestige) 2014 Reissue

1973: Seeking Other Beauty

1991: TODD

1997: Secret Places

1998: Melrose Place Soundtrack, She Is Gentle Rain

1999: A Voice In The Forest, Colour Naturelle

2023: From The Vault: Notes For The Future

 

As collaborator

1971: Intensity - John Klemmer

1972: Head On - Bobby Hutcherson

1972: Iapetus - Hadley Caliman

1974: Love, Love - Julian Priester

1975: Rebirth Cycle - James Mtume

1976: Automatic Man - Automatic Man

1976: You to Me Are Everything - The Real Thing

1977: Visitors - Automatic Man

1977: Spellbound - Alphonso Johnson

1978: Peter Gabriel - Peter Gabriel

1979: Slug Line - John Hiatt

1979: I Wanna Play for You - Stanley Clarke

1979: Betcha - Stanley Turrentine

1979: Touching You, Touching Me - Airto Moreira

1980: 1:PM - PM

1980: Aretha - Aretha Franklin

1980: Fuse One - Fuse One

1981: America's Greatest Hero - Joey Scarbury

1982: H.A.T.E. Don't Live Here Anymore - Staple Singers

1982: Hollywood - Maynard Ferguson

1983: Home Again - Stanley Turrentine

1984: Sunrise - Paulinho Da Costa

1985: Put Sunshine In It – Arthur Blythe

1986: Headed For The Future - Neil Diamond

1987: Strawberry Moon - Grover Washington Jr.

1988: Out of Control - Dynasty

1989: Through The Moving Window - Juan Martin

1989: Times Are Changing - Freddie Hubbard

1991: Animal Logic II - Animal Logic

1993: Now and Then - Ernestine Anderson

1995: What´s Inside - Joan Armatrading

2000: The Friends - Fishbone

2004: Trios: East River Drive/Schooldays/Live at the Greek - Stanley Clarke

2005: Blue Note Plays Sting - Freddie Hubbard

2005: Robbery - Teena Marie

2005: Very Best of George Howard - George Howard

2007: Moodo Records Presents Guitarra de Pasion, Vol. 3 - Juan Carlos Quintero

2008: Believe It or Not: The Billy Griffin Collection - Billy Griffin

 







TODD COCHRAN

APPEARS WEEK OF 

JUNE 18th 2023


ON INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS

WITH RAY SHASHO

NOW STREAMING ON THESE SITES

The Classic Rock Music Reporter  

Classic Rock Here and Now

   Music Tried and True 

   www.rockmusic.show

 YouTube   Facebook   Apple   

amazon music   iHeartRadio  TuneIn 

Podcastics   Podchaser   Spotify  

PANDORA   Deezer   Google Podcasts  

 ReverbNation   LinkedIn   Twitter   Stage32 



ORDER NOW

 WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!

RAY’S BEST-SELLING BOOK

ENTITLED

THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES

SERIES ONE  

CHRONICLES,TRUTHS

 CONFESSIONS AND WISDOM 

FROM THE MUSIC LEGENDS 

THAT SET US FREE!



BY MUSIC JOURNALIST ...TALK SHOW HOST...  

AUTHOR ... TV SITCOM SCRIPT WRITER 

RAY SHASHO

Order yours today on the Collectors edition Hardcover or E-book at bookbaby.com and amazon.com

Featuring over 45 intimate conversations with some of the greatest rock legends the world will ever know.

CHECK OUT ALL THE MUSIC LEGENDS INTERVIEWED IN THE BOOK!

CHRIS SQUIRE... DR. JOHN... GREG LAKE... HENRY MCCULLOUGH... JACK BRUCE … JOE LALA…  JOHNNY WINTER... KEITH EMERSON... PAUL KANTNER...  RAY THOMAS... RONNIE MONTROSE... TONY JOE WHITE... DAVID CLAYTON-THOMAS… MIKE LOVE... TOMMY ROE... BARRY HAY... CHRIS THOMPSON... JESSE COLIN YOUNG... JOHN KAY... JULIAN LENNON... MARK LINDSAY... MICKY DOLENZ… PETER RIVERA ...TOMMY JAMES… TODD RUNDGREN... DAVE MASON... EDGAR WINTER... FRANK MARINO... GREGG ROLIE... IAN ANDERSON... JIM “DANDY” MANGRUM... JON ANDERSON... LOU GRAMM... MICK BOX... RANDY BACHMAN… ROBIN TROWER...  ROGER FISHER... STEVE HACKETT... ANNIE HASLAM… ‘MELANIE’ SAFKA... PETULA CLARK... SUZI QUATRO... COLIN BLUNSTONE… DAVE DAVIES... JIM McCARTY... PETE BEST

 

THE ROCK STAR CHRONICLES

BOOK TRAILER

 

BOOK REVIEW

-By Literary Titan (5) STARS

The Rock Star Chronicles by Ray Shasho, is a splendid book written by a music enthusiast who has poured their heart and soul into it. It’s a story of a boy who loved rock music, and his obsessive passion of it earned himself the name Rock Raymond. He went to school but instead was schooled in all matters of music while his peers were buried chin-deep in coursework. He then became a radio DJ and has now compiled a book on all interviews he held with Rock gods who raided the airwaves back in the 70s and 80s. It’s a compilation of interviews with outstanding vocalists, legendary guitarists and crazy drummers in the rock music scene. Each interview gives a reader an in-depth view into their personal lives and the philosophies that guide their lives which all serve to humanize these great icons. For readers who are old enough to call themselves baby boomers this book will bring old memories back to life. Millennials, on the other hand, may think of this book as a literal work of the Carpool Karaoke show. 

The Rock Star Chronicles is a book I didn’t know I was waiting for. To come across a book that will talk me into trying something new. One brave enough to incite me to venture into new frontiers. This book made me a believer- I am now a bona fide Rock and Roll music fan. 

Ray Shasho masterfully gets the interviewees talking. He smartly coaxes answers from them with crafty questions designed to get a story rolling out of them. The artists talk about diverse issues ranging from music, politics, and their social engagements. Having been on the music seen all his life, Ray Shasho knows the buttons to press, how to get them comfortable about talking about their lives. 

The book’s cover is befitting of its subject matter with the leather look offering a royal background to the golden letter print. It speaks to how high a level rock music holds in the pecking order- arguably, modern music as we know it has originated from blues and rock music.  The second noteworthy thing is the use of high-definition pictures to reference the musician being interviewed in every sub-chapter. This ensures that the book is for both original rock and roll lovers and aspiring new ones. Together is makes for a refreshing and consistently enjoyable read.

I recommend this book to rock music enthusiasts, aspiring musicians wondering what it takes and all readers curious to learn new things by going back in time.

https://literarytitan.com/2020/05/03/literary-titan-book-awards-may-2020/   

Gold Award Winner



MORE BOOKS BY RAY SHASHO