Elvis plays at Kennedy Library for Chuck Berry Feb 26, 2012

[FAVEHOUR]

See

http://bostonglobe.com/arts/2012/02/27/ ... story.html


and

http://bostonglobe.com/arts/2012/02/27/ ... story.html


with more to come I'm sure....


Dave

[johnfoyle]

Sound links in this -

http://blog.thephoenix.com/BLOGS/phlog/ ... brary.aspx

[FAVEHOUR]

The Boston Phoenix says the event was streamed live (dang!) but that it should eventually show up as a downloadable thing, and may be on iTunes.

Also, Chuck Berry did an impromptu number using EC's guitar!

Dave

[jardine]

No particular place to go!

http://www.examiner.com/bob-dylan-in-na ... is-regards

[FAVEHOUR]

Little bit of video of Elvis and Keef together here:

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2012/02/26/c ... k-library/

Dave

[Man out of Time]

Photos of Elvis and Keef

Boston Globe



Rather like London buses, you wait ages for EC to appear with a Rolling Stone, then he and Keith are at the same show twice in a few days.

MOOT

[sweetest punch]

No Particular Place: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0lapay5ZJY
Promised Land: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGzLexAr-LE

[Top balcony]

Thanks for the link SP, a suprisingly wonderful listen, obviously recorded using a microphone in a vibrating telescope from the back of the auditorium. Spectacular.

Colin Top Balcony

[johnfoyle]

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/multimed ... -30416433/



http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/ ... s-20120227

Chuck Berry, Leonard Cohen Get First PEN Songwriting Awards
Keith Richards, Elvis Costello, Paul Simon pay tribute at JFK Library


By James Sullivan
February 27, 2012


Midway through Paul Simon's praise of Chuck Berry, who was honored alongside Leonard Cohen as the first two recipients of PEN New England's Song Lyrics of Literary Excellence Award Sunday at the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston, Berry beckoned Simon to lean over so he could whisper in his ear.

The presenter returned to the microphone laughing. Berry, he said, told him he had a bad ear and couldn't hear a word he was saying.

Yet fans of Berry and Cohen, unquestionably two of the most original writers the rock & roll era has produced, have been listening very closely from the beginning. Addressing a tony crowd of writers and rock fans, Salman Rushdie presented Cohen's award, and Elvis Costello and surprise guest Keith Richards (introduced as "the best-selling author in this room") performed in tribute to Berry.

Given the intent of the Song Lyrics award, the event was peppered with references to great writers. In an email read by organizer Bill Flanagan, Bob Dylan called Berry "the Shakespeare of rock & roll" and Cohen "the Kafka of the blues." Cohen, accepting his award, compared Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven" to Walt Whitman's joyful noise – his "barbaric yawp."

"If Beethoven hadn't rolled over," he said, "there'd be no room for any of us."

After quoting key lines from Cohen's "Bird on the Wire" – "Like a bird on the wire/ Like a drunk in a midnight choir/ I have tried, in my way, to be free" – the author Rushdie, a former president of PEN American Center, said, "Put simply, if I could write like that, I would."

Last year the New England chapter of the world's oldest literary and human rights organization convened a panel to select the first recipients of the new songwriters' award. The panel included Costello, Simon, Rushdie, Bono, Rosanne Cash, Smokey Robinson and poet Paul Muldoon. After opening remarks from Caroline Kennedy, who spoke of her father's conviction that "the artist has a special responsibility in our democracy," PEN New England Chairman Richard Hoffman explained the symbolism of the oversize image of a lyre projected above the stage. It was a reminder, he said, that through most of history, "literature was sung."

After Shawn Colvin sang Cohen's "Come Healing" from his new album Old Ideas, Costello took the stage to pay tribute to Berry. "This is one of the more intimidating things you'll do," he joked – "play a Chuck Berry song in front of Chuck Berry, without a band." But his characteristically tweaked version of "No Particular Place to Go" drew smiles and finger-points from the master, who, at 85, looked the same as ever in his sailor's cap and string tie.

Rather than take the microphone to make an acceptance speech, Berry surprised the event organizers by indicating he'd just as soon take Costello's hollow-body guitar off his hands. After fumbling with some feedback, he played a muted version of "Johnny B. Goode."

"That's the way rock & roll is," he said when he finished. "It's funky. Is that too bad a word to say?"

For the event's final surprise, Richards, who famously squabbled with his guitar hero during the filming of Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll, stepped out of the front row and onto the stage, where he took Costello's guitar and joined him – Costello grabbing an acoustic – on an unrehearsed romp through Berry's cross-country yarn "Promised Land."

"We have a Mount Rushmore thing going on here," as Flanagan noted earlier in the program. The guests of honor were, of course, united in rock.

[johnfoyle]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/protestpho ... otostream/

[docinwestchester]

How did such a huge show to go completely under the media's radar until after the fact? Talk about star power. Spontaneous performances by Chuck and Keith?! WOW!

EC will cherish that guitar forever, that's for sure. He'll have a great story to go with it, like most of his other guitars, it seems.

[docinwestchester]

Audio from the stream:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SReh_8BXaQ
No Particular Place To Go

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3qo1fAupI4
Promised Land

[johnfoyle]

How did such a huge show to go completely under the media's radar until after the fact?

It was tipped here back in Dec. '11 & Jan. '12 -

http://www.elviscostellofans.com/phpBB3 ... y#p7697124

[Azmuda]

Audio from the stream:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SReh_8BXaQ
No Particular Place To Go

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3qo1fAupI4
The Promised Land

Excellent! Thanks Doc!

[bronxapostle]

Audio from the stream:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SReh_8BXaQ
No Particular Place To Go

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3qo1fAupI4
The Promised Land

will you do mp3's doc, or should i just capture them myself? thanks, benny

[docinwestchester]

Audio from the stream:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SReh_8BXaQ
No Particular Place To Go

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3qo1fAupI4
The Promised Land

will you do mp3's doc, or should i just capture them myself? thanks, benny

Easy enough to D.I.Y., don't ya think?

If not, let me know.

[johnfoyle]

Left to Right: Tom Perrotta, Salman Rushdie, Elvis Costello, Peter Wolf, Shawn Colvin, Paul Simon, Leonard Cohen, Chuck Berry, Keith Richards, Bill Flanagan

Taken backstage before the February 26, 2012 PEN New England Song Lyrics of Literary Excellence Award held at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum



Elvis 'n Peter Wolf 'n JFK - captions please!

[Top balcony]

Elvis 'n Peter Wolf 'n JFK - captions please!

Lets not repeat the sins of the "What a Relief" thread?

Colin Top Balcony

[Top balcony]

Audio from the stream:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SReh_8BXaQ
No Particular Place To Go

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3qo1fAupI4
The Promised Land

Own up - you are Glynn Johns
- these sound fantastic, thanks a bunch.

Colin Top Balcony

[johnfoyle]

http://blogs.bostonmagazine.com/boston_ ... k-library/

Chuck Berry, Leonard Cohen Honored at JFK Library

A backstage report as the rock 'n' roll idols come to Boston.

BY Bill Janovitz

3/1/2012


On Sunday, in one fell swoop, I met a significant segment of my record collection: Keith Richards, Paul Simon, Leonard Cohen, Chuck Berry, Elvis Costello, and others. The “others” are people like Salman Rushdie, Caroline Kennedy, Al Kooper, Shawn Colvin, and Peter Wolf. I mean, we get to see Wolf all the time around here. But while it is clear that he is a rock ‘n’ roll legend, when he is the low man on the totem pole, you know you’re in rarefied air. Can you imagine thinking, geeze, Paul Simon, would you get out of my way so I could go talk to Keith Richards?

I was fortunate to be able to attend the PEN New England Song Lyrics of Literary Excellence award presentation to Berry and Cohen (video of the whole thing here). My friend, novelist Tom Perrotta, was invited to present the opening remarks. At that point, it was only confirmed that Berry would attend and Elvis Costello would perform a song or two. Tom asked if I wanted to come along.

Hmm, lemme check my calendar.

Well, as the date drew closer, rumors had it that Cohen was now looking likely to attend and that none other than my main man, Keith Richards, was going to come as a tribute to his hero, Berry. Now we were entering real Bill Janovitz Fantasy Land. I did not allow myself to get too excited about it. But then Tom would check in with an update: Paul Simon will be presenting the award to Chuck Berry. Salman Rushdie will do the same for Cohen. Still, I would not get too excited. After all, I was to be a tag-along for this event. I figured it would be the high-rollers paying to be there would get access, if available, but not me. I was just hoping to catch a glimpse at these idols of mine.

Arriving, however, we were led up to the room where the artists and their entourages were to assemble. But none of them brought more than a few people along. It was so low-key. We were instantly introduced to Berry, who gave me one of those handshake bro-hugs. He is mostly deaf now, at 85. I said something. He said he had a bum ear, could not hear me, and drew me closer. I yelled in his good ear, “congratulations on the award, Mr. Berry!” He replied ,”I heard that!”

We chatted with author Peter Guralnick and his wife, Alexandra. So, as others came in — Costello; author and director of MTV Networks Bill Flanagan and his family — they came over to chat with Guralnick, whose books musicians love. We watched in amazement, though, as Cohen, Simon, and Richards all filtered in. Soon, people were organizing started to organize these jaw-dropping group shots. Finally, I got to chat with Richards for a few minutes, one on one. He had left the room after taking a few of the photos. Then he came back into the room, sidling up next to me with a drink, which he rested on a side table beside us. He was standing right next to me. I had thought about such a moment my whole life: What would I ever say to Keith Richards or Mick Jagger if I met them?



I said, “Keith, I just want to say hello. I am a huge fan, like everyone else. I mean, what can you say to Keith Richards?” He smiled, shaking my hand, bowing his head down modestly, and replied in that raspy drawl, “Hey, man, I feel the same way about Chuck Berry.” He proceeded to discuss how sad a song “Memphis, Tennessee” is. “Hurry home drops in her eyes,” indeed. It was a gracious transition, moving me away from talking about him to talking about Berry. I was having an out-of-body experience discussing music with the guy who was on a poster on my wall when I was a kid. A guy whose records I started listening to when I was maybe 8 years old. A man who influenced my whole career. A man about whom I wrote a book. One of the giants of our era. It was everything I could do to keep from begging, Keith, please let me be in the Rolling Stones with you! I know all the chords!

It was a heart-warming, soul-stirring ceremony, after which the lucky few of us were able to retire to an after-party at one of those houses on the Public Garden on Arlington Street you walk buy thinking, “Wow, I wonder who lives there.” There, we were able to chat with Al Kooper, known as a rock ‘n’ roll Zelig, who for over a decade has lived here in Boston and has played huge parts (literally) on some of rock music’s most iconic songs, such as the opening organ riff on “Like a Rolling Stone” as well as organ, piano, and the french horn opening on “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”

Well, maybe if you wait around to middle age, you can. Or at least, you get what you need, aw yeah.


http://www.boston.com/Boston/names/2012 ... index.html

Literary stars join rockers for after-party

02/27/2012

Sunday’s tribute to songwriters Leonard Cohen and Chuck Berry was hosted by PEN New England, so it makes sense that several well-known writers made the scene at the JFK Library or stopped by the after-party at literary agent Esmond Harmsworth’s fabulous Arlington Street abode. The stars of the show were Keith Richards, Elvis Costello, Shawn Colvin, and Paul Simon, but we also spied “The Saint of Lost Things” author Christopher Castellani, Megan Marshall, who was a Pulitzer finalist for “The Peabody Sisters: Three Women Who Ignited American Romanticism,” screenwriter/novelist Sabina Murray, “Mrs. Kimble” author Jennifer Haigh, “Mysterious Skin” scribe Scott Heim, poet Rose Styron, and Bill Janovitz, who is best known as a member of Buffalo Tom, but he also wrote a book about The Rolling Stones’s LP “Exile on Main Street.” Other faces in the crowd included Helene Atwan of Beacon Press, Boston rockers Asa Brebner and Andrea Gillis, Rhode Island congressman David Cicilline, Phoenix Media’s David Bieber, and photographer Jon Strymish. The night before the event, we’re told, Costello had dinner at Lala Rokh with Bieber, Peter Wolf, writer Bill Flanagan, and Al Kooper.

[FAVEHOUR]

Yow! Tucked away in that Janovitz piece, a link to a YouTube vid of the whole webcast:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6ONdgB-EpE


Dave

[docinwestchester]

Yow! Tucked away in that Janovitz piece, a link to a YouTube vid of the whole webcast:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6ONdgB-EpE


Dave

Yeah, I noticed that. That is one bizarro performance by Chuck! But he redeems himself at the end by saying "that's rock and roll". Gotta be a thrill for EC to have his guitar borrowed by both Chuck and Keith on the same day.

[docinwestchester]

Here are video clips of the 2 EC segments:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmCLI6dfVn0
No Particular Place To Go

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfVUbtHybaI
Promised Land (w/Keith Richards)

[charliestumpy]

Thanks for these lovely EC links, whose video if not required is easily audio-recorded with Audacity/mp3'd with CDEX.

[johnfoyle]

No Particular Place To Go from another angle. Milo Lewis, Elvis' sound man , can be seen to the side , taking photos etc. He appears briefly in the official clip, bringing on the guitar for Elvis after Elvis gives his to Keith.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTaI5KKb ... re=related