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Updated 6-23-08
James recently performed as a special guest at the Centennial Celebration for St. John The Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Omaha, NE.
Distinguished guests included Academy Award Winner Alexander Payne as M.C., Acclaimed Author Nicholas Gage, His Emminence, Metropolitan Isiah of Denver, His Emminence, Archbishop Demitrios of America.
Please go to the "Gallery Page" for photos from this fabulous event.
For our European Visitors: New T-Shirts are now available through Anteater Recordings. Anteater is a premiere High Fidelity Recording Label that specializes in hard to find recordings. Check out the Anteater Store on the "Buy Page" or see the link here - The Anteater Store (T-Shirts and more)
Note: Not available in North America as of yet...Shipping of these shirts are to Japan, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Monaco, Switzerland, Netherlands, France, Ireland, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, Greece and other European Countries. Please see the website for a complete list. We hope to expand this soon. Thanks!
To return to James' Website while in the TShirt Store , just hit the "back arrow" on your browser.
February 2nd, James had the distinct privelge to sing "So In Love" from the Musical "Kiss Me Kate" to Patricia Morrison at the Steve Chase Humanitarian Awards Banquet in Palm Springs for the Desert AIDS Project. Ms. Morrison introduced the song on Broadway opposite Alfred Drake in 1948 and is on the original cast recording of the show. Other attendees included America Ferrera from "Ugly Betty", Judith Light and Betty White.
Footlight Records has just added My November Guest to their catalog. Footlight is the premiere seller of Broadway-Related music in the Nation. See the "links" page for the direct link to the recording.
9-6-07: LUCIANO PAVAROTTI, the famous operatic tenor died this morning. He lost his fight with pancreatic cancer at the age of 71.
For those of you who don’t know who Maestro Pavarotti is, let me tell you. He simply was one of the best singers this world has EVER known.
Last night I could not sleep...bleary-eyed, I flipped on my computer to do a little work, and saw the sad news. I felt a loss. Not only because I’ve spent the better part of my adult life studying, singing, and appreciating opera, but more, knowing that most of the world would not even know who this great was, if it weren’t for the “Three Tenor” phenomenon that began in the Mid 90’s. Digressing, I think about that first Three Tenor CD, listening to Pavarotti singing “Nessun Dorma” with a sound that, to this day, still gives me chills (and honestly, that hardly EVER happens). I then have to chuckle a bit when I think about that same CD, with Domingo, Carreras and “Pav” singing the English Medleys…OK…that was pretty silly. “Toooonaaaeeet tooonaaaaeet, eeeet aaahhhhlll beeegahhhhhn toooonaaaeeeet…”, and so on. Even that, a real schooling in how to sing vowel to vowel.
I also bring up the “Tonight” example because Luciano enjoyed working with musicians of other genres. He wanted to not only “have fun”, but also understood the 3 Tenor phenomenon for what it was. Using his new-found popularity, he proceeded to bring opera to millions of otherwise uninterested listeners through Sting, Zuccero and Bryan Adams, to name a few.
After I saw the news on my computer this morning, I didn’t really feel like doing any work so, I went back to bed. I have awaken now to write you these thoughts-a first time author of such thoughts on this website.
I close by saying a few things to consider…
“Elevate mediocrity long enough and it will soon become the norm”.
This version of an old saying comes to me often. But here I feel it’s most applicable.
Pavarotti was not the “norm”. He was even an anomaly in his “hay day”. And in his time there were dozens of fantastic singers. Of all genres. A time when microphones, sound boards, sound engineers, looping, auto tune, digital enhancement, vocal doubling, and yes, even lip sync-ing (it’s not just for Milly Vanilli AND It’s still a common practice used today by several major live pop artists. Especially those that sing a lot while dancing. Now you know).
Thanks for media, the mediocre has arrived folks. We are being told what to like. Just think about all those movie ads. “Best of the year”, “a must see”…Nauseating. It permeates throughout our lives. Art, in most regards, has been censored and dumbed-down to the point that most of it has absolutely no meaning. Even the “news” we get has been so watered down, spun and slanted that it’s not the news anymore. It’s a video tabloid.
So here we are. What do we do? Well we have choices. We can flip the switch. Scratch the surface and see what lies below. How about starting with “Nessun Dorma” by Luciano Pavarotti. Here’s a link I found on the web. Download it. Sandwich it into your iPod or wherever you play your music. Scroll lower to see the English Translation of that Puccini Classic. Copy and paste the translation if you like.
I’ll drink one for you tonight Pav.
James
NESSUN DORMA from the opera Turandot by Puccini:
None must sleep! None must sleep!
And you, too, Princess,
in your cold room,
gaze at the stars which tremble with love
and hope!
But my mystery is locked within me,
no-one shall know my name!
No, no, I shall say it as my mouth
meets yours when the dawn is breaking!
And my kiss will break the silence
which makes you mine!
(No-one shall know his name,
and we, alas, shall die!)
Vanish, o night!
Fade, stars!
At dawn I shall win!
News
James most recently shot a commercial for Cellular South. He'll be seen fly fishing-a skill he learning fising in the streams of Nebraska.
Jon Naples, composer of James' latest recording "My November Guest", has been in deep rewrites for his musical stage adaptation of "The Glass Mountain". James is slated to perform the lead role of "Richard" at the next reading. Check back for more information on this front.
My November Guest is now in full distribution. The latest to carry the album is payplay.fm Payplay is an up and coming site which features unrestricted mp3 downloads which can be played on ANY mp3 player. And the prices seem to be very competitive. See the "links" page for the direct links to James' music. You can also buy it on this site.
iTunes now carries My November Guest. You can search it for the time being but check back soon for the direct link which will be posted on the "links" page.
Pat Dannatt of the North Platte Telegraph wrote a great article about James and My November Guest. Please look under the "Gallery" tab and then under the "Promotional" strip. There you will find that article and others.
Amoeba Music in Hollywood,CA & Berkeley, CA now carry "My November Guest" and "Calvary Street". For more information on location, etc. Call 323-245-6400 (Hollywood) or 510-549-1125 (Berkeley).
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