tag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:/blogs/notes-from-the-city-by-micah-barnes?p=3Notes from the City by Micah Barnes2022-01-24T16:57:19-05:00Micah Barnesfalsetag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/68783912022-01-24T16:57:19-05:002024-03-28T22:55:42-04:00TAKING THE VEGAS STAGE!<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_regular"> </span><span class="font_large">When I was a kid the legendary Vegas performers such as <strong>Louis Armstrong, Pearl Bailey, Dean Martin, Peggy Lee, Steve & Eddie</strong> etc were still performing on the TV Variety shows! That means although I was actually never in the audience during the 50’s/60’s hey day of the showrooms, I certainly fell in love with the style and the power of those musical personalities. <br>When we were thinking about a video for the <strong>“Welcome To The Club”</strong> single I wanted to recreate the 60’s Variety TV show experience ...but how to pull that off? </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_regular"><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="tF1Rov9ZB7s" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/tF1Rov9ZB7s/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tF1Rov9ZB7s?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large">Releasing<strong> Vegas Breeze</strong> at the beginning of the Pandemic had meant cancelling a fully booked tour and performing a <strong>14 date “Cross Canada” virtual tour</strong> from the living room! One of our favourite “virtual venues” was<strong> The Aeolian Hall in London Ontario</strong> and so we were pleased to be invited back to perform a Livestream with full band from the stage of historic venue during the summer of 2021! Thanks to the excellent team at <strong>The Aeolian </strong>we felt the footage was strong enough to offer to the public as a video, and working with my director <strong>Carlos Coronado</strong> we went about re-creating an old fashioned 60’s TV look for the final product!</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large">And then theres the band! I am so humble and proud to be sharing stage with such fine musicians as <strong>Michael Shand(</strong> Keys),<strong> Russ Boswell</strong> (bass) &<strong> Amhed Mitchel</strong> (drums)</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large">Hope you Enjoy it! </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/d55ca00feaf8403fbd3a080f290db12c7d710abd/original/wttc-11.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></span></p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/68683402022-01-13T19:24:11-05:002024-03-04T00:42:44-05:00Welcome To The Club!<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/994ef344470a9d6d53126ad0ac00014c88853696/original/welcome-to-the-club-facebook-banner.jpg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> <br>Since its release the Vegas Breeze album has become a listener favourite on Jazz stations around the world, especially the stand out track “When In Rome”. </p>
<p>Talking about Rome, we thought we would be touring Europe with this album at this time. </p>
<p>Since the whole world is grounded (again) for the moment I felt releasing a new track and video would be the best way to bring more music to our fans around the world! </p>
<p>For those paying close attention our focus on Vegas Breeze was to find unusual songs from the showroom era and chose material from beyond the regular Rat Pack repertoire. (Creating an “Alternate Vegas Playlist” if you will!)</p>
<p>That led to a really fun period of research, discovery and exploration for myself and the band! </p>
<p>FINDING THE SONG(S)! </p>
<p>You know when you are kids (before legal age) you hang out in each others houses a whole bunch (Whoever had the best basement!) In fact it was while playing records in the basement of a friends house I came across a Nat King Cole song that seared itself into my memory- The melody was bluesy and swaggering, the lyrics smart and sexy, the arrangement, played by Count Basie’s band, so fun and swinging! <br>Although it the album was out of print and unavailable for decades. (There are some advantages to streaming services!) <br>Searching for the song I came across another tune, a delicious ballad written by one other than Mel Torme with the same name! How strange and wacky was that?</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/93f48347442c7500f71515055e0ea99d3ef0aacb/original/img-8490.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>TWO SONGS IN ONE! <br>The new release “Welcome To The Club” combines the two little known songs, one recorded by Nat King Cole and the other one written and recorded by Mel Torme, (both with the same title!)..and sits firmly in the tradition of the “sophisticated swinger” giving advice to his fellow “loser in love”. </p>
<p>Working closely with my band on the Vegas Breeze project (Micheal Shand, Russ Boswell and Al Cross) we experimented with arranging the two songs together and it felt like the most natural thing in the world! </p>
<p>The joining of a tradition “bar stool ballad” with a swinging Vegas “showstopper” seemed to cover all the Vegas traditions at once! But what was really incredible is that BOTH lyrics give advice to a fellow “swinger”after being screwed over by a cheating lover! Perfect for our Vegas Breeze album” </p>
<p>Cant wait for folks to see the Video Dropping Jan 21st!</p>
<p> </p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/64832562020-11-22T09:59:50-05:002024-03-28T07:48:01-04:00Shooting In A Pandemic? No Problem!<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/3027e48b11f8e65dc751d35847b6d4d8485db00e/original/img-8382.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Thinking on our feet. Thanks the key to the whole “End Of A Love Affair” video. Let me explain. </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>It was our most complicated shoot, and expectations were high being the 4th Video from the chart topping “Vegas Breeze” album and after such acclaim for the When In Rome video, (which we shot in Rome itself), we knew we had to get it just right! </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>And all this in the middle of a pandemic? Luckily we had already shot extensive footage at the legendary Toronto after hours Club 120 in Feb just before the first shut down… </strong></span><span class="font_large"><strong>It was an extravagant affair, featuring my band onstage (Michael Shand, Russ Boswell & William Sperandei) and an invited “audience” of 11 friends and family to be create at the sophisticated atmosphere where our leading lady arrives at a Jazz Club and we begin the “Affair” in question! :)</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>A moment to introduce the singular powerhouse Laura Desiree. An internationally beloved Burlesque entertainer who day job is anchoring “The Naked News”, you may recall Laura as one of the classic showgirls from our “Thats Life” video! Laura and I have been kindred spirits for a while but during the rehearsals and shooting of this video we really found our groove as creative soul mates! </strong></span><span class="font_large"><strong>I cannot thank her enough for how much she has contributed to this “Love Affair”! </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/17bbde224dd30a38f1004359821982f889050707/original/img-8047.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></strong></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>The next member of the creative team you should meet is the wonderful Choreographer/Director Dayna Tekatch who is the resident Director of “Come From Away”. Dayna choreographed the latin dance sequence in the video, rehearsing Laura and myself as we sweated to get it just right upstairs in the Mirvish Studio’s on King Street in downtown Toronto. Dayna understood exactly what was needed to tell the emotional story and just how to teach the details to Laura and took time away from her busy schedule to coach us on our 2nd night of shooting at the Club 120. </strong></span><span class="font_large"><strong>My Co-Producer Leonardo Dell’Anno and our director Carlos Coronado strung the pretty lights and manned the fog machine while Laura and I worked hard to bring the choreography to life and not slip on the wet floor! </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/69d42b3b4ba1da7479a13074e324cc34b34ea9ff/original/img-7910.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong> All told we had two nights of filming in the can when the 1st lockdown ground us to a halt! </strong></span><span class="font_large"><strong>But it gave us time to sit and think. When all was said and done we had some hard decisions to make. </strong></span><span class="font_large"><strong>The Dance sequence looked & felt great. Dayna’s choreography really told the story of the “Love Affair”. </strong></span><span class="font_large"><strong>However the performance footage from the “Jazz Club” sequence had turned out just “ok” and we knew that the visual images had to match the lush musical arrangement of the track. </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Over the long pandemic summer I kept trying to solve the problem in my head, eventually landing on a change in narrative direction and creating a whole new shoot to capture the performance sequence you now see (in the white jacket and bow tie). We dropped most of the “Jazz Club” sequence and planned to have me performing in a giant imaginary Vegas Showroom filled with the disappointment of an affair gone wrong… tortured by images of Laura floating in my head. How romantic ..and how the hell to pull that off?</strong></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/a676545917b20939820a3d1e48d307a738f09828/original/img-8474.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Come the opening of restrictions in the fall, we were able to bring in award-winning Theatre, Film and Concert Lighting Designer Kimberly Purtell to help create the imaginary Vegas Showroom for the new performance footage. </strong></span><span class="font_large"><strong>Of course we had to wait until the first “lockdown” was over before gathering cast and crew but with no live theatre it meant the legendary alternative theatre venue The Theatre Centre would be available for us to shoot in! I started my career acting and writing music for many of the companies at The Theatre Centre right after graduating high school so it was especially sweet to be able to shoot there! And as soon as magic makeup lady Lorna Thibodeau and hair wizard William Hume came on board I knew we were ready to make some real magic happen! </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/a90a6cd76f3e3ca2adfb305649edc5cf8d33f285/original/eoala-videothumbnail.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>For our final shots we used the stage door of the legendary Elgin/ Wintergarden Theatre with Dundas Square standing in for the lights of Sin City as our singer walks away haunted by his romantic memories. </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Im proud to have co-produced our most intricate and complicated video shoot to date, (…with 6 locations & over 7 shooting days!) and must thank each of my team and everyone of you from the bottom of my heart for having supported this video. We're feeling deeply blessed and very grateful for the </strong></span><font size="3"><b>response! </b></font></p>
<p><font size="3"><b>Shooting in a Pandemic? No Problem! :)</b></font></p>
<p><font size="3"><b> </b></font></p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/64270522020-09-07T13:26:45-04:002024-03-04T00:45:08-05:00The End Of A Love Affair<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/25789c3815c2d279839a3dcba7650378deaa9da9/original/img-5007.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>A few words about The End Of A Love Affair. </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>What attracts a singer to a song? Is it the melody, the lyric, the overall mood, or perhaps the emotional resonance of another artists performance? With "The End Of A love Affair" it is for all of those reasons that I was interested in working on my own version for the Vegas Breeze album. </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Certainly this little known standard written by Edward Redding lands firmly in our #BeyondTheRatPack concept of avoiding the regular Vegas playlist. Many fine versions exist including by Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra but its actually Johnny Hartman’s 1956 Bolero version (which switches to a waltz on the bridge!) that made me excited to try it myself. </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>What happens when we are suddenly alone at end of a love affair? We may drink to much, we may drive too fast, we may talk too loud. But hopefully were still in the game-hoping to love again. There’s such a perfect beauty to this classic saloon song, the listener never drowns in the emotion but stay buoyed up in its mood of sophistication and intelligence. The rhyming scheme alone makes the singer of this song sound “world weary and wise” rather than broken & desolate. How grown up and true to life experience.</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Like all the tracks on Vegas Breeze the arrangement for this song started life with the band in our weekly creative sessions long before we hit the studio. </strong></span><span class="font_large"><strong> When we landed on the slow sensuous Bossa feel the vocal seemed to land for me. Once pianist/arranger Michael Shand worked his magic re-harmonizing the verses I felt we’d deepened the languorous mood and really put our own stamp on the song. </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>After laying </strong></span><span class="font_large"><strong>the bed track with the trio (including Russ Boswell on Bass & Al Cross on Drums) and getting that classic Bossa Nova feel on guitar with Rob Piltch the next move was to bring in master trumpet man William Sperandei who’s soulful playing makes this essentially a duet between two heart broken guys, all surrounded by Don Breithaupt's deliciously silky & smooth string arrangement.</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>The final results perfectly expresses the kind of mid century torchy “cool” that I was hoping to create on the Vegas Breeze album. </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Have a listen here folks: Spotify:track:7EqZm9hnuIHWL73unAsRI9 </strong></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><font size="3"><b> </b></font></p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/63119812020-05-11T10:14:07-04:002024-03-10T13:01:53-04:00Album Cover Shoot!<p> <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/d725bd0514e67f2af3d467c0190c5c1a9d02b30e/original/mg-7602.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Looking for the way to express the dynamic power of the Vegas Breeze album visually would have been a daunting task if I didn’t have such a top notch team! </p>
<p>Creative director Leonardo Del’Anno and I worked hard in advance to find clothes that packed a punch and expressed the nature of the music on “Vegas Breeze” -and I am especially grateful to the good folks at Got Style in Toronto who know men's wear so well & helped supply key pieces! </p>
<p>At first we thought we’d actually be shooting in Vegas, but as you can imagine locking down a location in that 24/7 town can be challenging. So we decided we would shoot in Montreal, a city with a wealth of interesting locations and where our incredible photographer Juan Palacio lives and works. </p>
<p>Experience told me to do a lot of personal prep to get ready, so I dug in with trainer Adrian at the Westend YMCA, did facial treatments with our favourite magician Crystal Rose & made sure to get my hair cut by magician William Humerick (at Qi Salon) before boarding the train to Montreal one fine Friday in June. </p>
<p> We were lucky enough to find Chanelle Bohemier for makeup and hair which was no small feat as all the makeup folks in Montreal were crazy busy that weekend! And so with my partner Thom Allison on hand to help (in a million amazing ways) our team assembled in a downtown studio to get me ready for camera! </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/9b4219f101a952e518a7c069dcd9edc97b72b8fa/original/img-7086.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br> </p>
<p>The photo we used for the Thats Life & When In Rome singles were shot at Bord-Elle (https://bordelle.ca) which has an awesome interior, designed to look like a sophisticated gentleman’s club of the roaring 20’s. Perfect for our purposes…. ...However when we were trying to make our way to the venue in the business district of downtown Montreal we found that due to a Triathlon the entire area had been blocked off ...and getting our car full of photography equipment etc proved more than a little challenging.. I dropped my credit card while paying for parking luckily a kind parking attendant found and returned it.. I almost sweated my make-up off worrying about losing valuable shoot time at the location-However once we hit the venue and made the decisions about where to shoot we got down to the session and came away with gold in record time.. </p>
<p><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/b57996608fadb7c1370a94304a10c57dd35bd086/original/img-7085.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>w. the A Team- Chanelle, Leonardo & Juan </p>
<p>The folks at the Board-Elle location were really helpful & Juan had already shot the photos for New York Stories so we found working together faster and easier this time because of the rapport we already have, Leonardo knew exactly what we needed to express the power and energy of this music.. and I have learned to trust my team and just relax into the experience of creating that perfect shot -thats why I hired them in the first place after all-and so the family of photo's we got that day in the various locations worked like a dream! Wait until we can show you the album cover and the rest of the shots that we did in "The White Room" !! :) </p>
<p>Sometimes when its that easy you don’t trust that you could possibly have gotten what you needed! </p>
<p>But thanks to attention to detail in the preparation- the results proved to be way beyond any of our expectations…. </p>
<p>and Hey, Sometimes……. THATS LIFE!! :)</p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/60258692019-12-17T08:14:27-05:002024-03-27T04:51:47-04:00When In Rome (I Do As The Romans Do) <p style="text-align: center;"> <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/3e64cc4cc45a702722d7026af0eba7c49b7aefe8/original/when-in-rome-facebook-banner-2.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Finding the songs for the <strong>Vegas Breeze</strong> album has been a gas. Searching meticulously through the canon of late 50’s early 60’s Pop has meant hours and hours of enjoyment, discovering lesser known material of the classic showroom era. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">It was an interesting time for song craft in that most of the hit parade was generated from <strong>Broadway </strong>and <strong>Hollywood</strong>, where songs from musical scores made up the mainstay of the pop charts. Its not a generalization to say that meant a more sophisticated sense of lyric and melodic structure in that pre-rock n roll period. (No wonder so many of the Jazz standards have their genesis in the Musical Theatre tradition!) </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Our first single having been the <strong>Frank Sinatra </strong>classic “Thats Life”, I knew it was important to look beyond the Rat Pack tunes (which are sung so often and by so many) on the rest of the collection. So I went deep diving into the repertoire of other <strong>Las Vegas </strong>entertainers such as <strong>Nat King Cole, Mel Torme, Judy Garland, Tony Bennett and Ms Peggy Lee</strong>. In fact our 2nd single “When In Rome”, written by <strong>Cy Coleman & Carolyn Leigh</strong> (Witchcraft, The Best Is Yet To Come etc) was first recorded by<strong> Peggy Lee</strong> in 1964, although it is the <strong>Barbra Streisand</strong> version (released the same year) that I was most familiar with from my families record collection at home. A fresh “self-empowered” approach from both ladies suited the song well, however When In Rome didn’t officially enter the “jazz” canon until the <strong>Tony Bennett</strong> included the song in his collaboration with <strong>Bill Evans </strong>in 1975. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/c1adcc8f87653be7f2914c585fc3da4c7d5c6be6/original/img-1479.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Arranged in collaboration with my stellar band <strong>Michael Shand, Russ Boswell & Al Cross</strong>, with the notable addition of <strong>Rob Piltch</strong> on guitar, we settled on a breezy Bossa Nova arrangement with strings (with a beautiful arrangement by <strong>Don Breithaupt</strong>!), for that “international playboy” approach, after all When In Rome is essentially a very smart and sophisticated “cheating song”. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I believe the NY Times said it best ; “When in Rome” has lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, Coleman’s greatest collaborator and the only major American lyricist whose bon mots consistently match Cole Porter’s in capturing an attitude of jaded sophistication fraught with heartbreak. The more pain is exposed, the sharper the wit that covers it up”.</span></p>
<p><font size="3">Ah yes that mid-century American attitude- Jet setting to the tune of international infidelity! LOL</font></p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/58977732019-09-19T10:02:15-04:002024-03-04T00:48:05-05:00Sinatra & The Song<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/21117df46958a0a676b9a308d1e063f818675d5e/original/micah-barnes-thats-life-single-album-cover.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large"><span style="font-size: 12px;">I'</span>ve always had a love/hate relationship with Frank. Although his phrasing, choice of material and superb arrangements are impeccable, the standard bearer of mid century pop artistry, his macho swagger and tuff guy personality has always turned me off the music. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large">His whole “Rat Pack” act may have defined a kind of “screw the establishment” hipster attitude at the time but Frank’s definition of “masculine cool” seemed hopelessly dated & old school by the time I started listening. Even his softer more vulnerable love ballads suffered from our knowledge of his treatment of the opposite sex. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large">When looking at material for the upcoming album “<strong>Vegas Breeze”</strong> It was pretty deep in the process before I realized that we needed to include at least one well known Sinatra tune in tribute to the great contribution he made to the American songbook. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/0d869d837ea6b78fe755b7e874e6252350cf3f0c/original/img-artalbums-145-4dc63197c911669be33bf04ed79a2ee0-png.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large"><strong>“Thats Life”</strong> was the first Sinatra tunes we tried and ended up being one of the last tunes recorded for the album. A late 60’s hit for Frank that I had previously only known through Aretha Franklin’s 1967 incendiary version. Apparently Frank hated singing the song ( because of it’s “loser” narrative) but because audiences always requested it he was forced to keep the song in his live sets. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large">Looking to create our own “Micah” version of the song, the band (Michael Shand, Russ Boswell and Al Cross) and I experimented with playing the song at breakneck speed and that “go for broke” tempo seemed to express the songs hopeful spirit the best! </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large">Im really happy with the power and punch that our arrangement delivers! LOVE what having the full horn section and the back up ladies does for the whole vibe-like you’ve just stepped into a classic era Vegas showroom in full swing!</span></p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/57491642019-05-09T20:33:57-04:002024-02-23T03:36:22-05:00Vegas Breeze: First Video!<p><strong><span class="font_large"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/daa15952ada8cb59bb4602dc3f08ce55b4bd5e9a/original/59938380-10157185851744696-8119514950147244032-n.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Genie, Laura and Carlos on the "Thats Life" Shoot!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span class="font_large">When I started talking to award winning director Carlos Coronado about our collaborating on a video I knew I wanted to do something fun and wild. The video's for</span></strong><strong><span class="font_large">"New York Stories" were mostly serious in nature and that "Vegas entertainer" vibe is a component of this new album that I wanted to make sure we communicated with our first video release!</span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large"><strong> The song I chose, "Thats Life", is a classic Sinatra tune, but the band and I had recorded our own sped up "Micah Barnes" version that seemed like the perfect way to introduce this new album. So over the course of a number of enjoyable visits to Carlos favourite watering hole in the Parkdale area of Toronto our plans were set in place.</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/73b3d2a5367fcdc4d9c73e48ded8c6d949151163/original/img-4852.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span class="font_large"> I knew we could ask horn players James Rhodes and Nebhu Yohannes (pictured) to come by since I'd worked with them on the "Micah At The Sands" show..</span></strong><strong><span class="font_large">..But we needed two statuesque performers to play the "Vegas Showgirls" which seemed like it would be biggest challenge, until I thought of talking to my pal </span></strong><span class="font_large"><b>Laura Desiree who just happens to be o</b></span><strong><span class="font_large">ne of North America's premiere burlesque artists! It took a while to coordinate schedules but once Laura came on board the shoot landed quickly, she </span></strong><b><font size="3">suggested her sister in arms Genie Emerald as the 2nd Showgirl and I knew we had landed our perfect cast! </font></b></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><b><font size="3"><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="2N6YkDwW2AQ" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/2N6YkDwW2AQ/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2N6YkDwW2AQ?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></font></b></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large"><strong>Little did we know that still shots from the day would end up being the image for the #VegasBreeze crowdfunding Campaign! </strong></span><span class="font_large"><strong>But with all that glamour it seemed like the perfect way to introduce this music to the world! </strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large"><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/85d4f85fd6c7e6ce81dbc62be89d23ec215fad31/original/instagram-micah-barnes-vegas-breeze-indiegogo-campaign-banner.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large"><strong>The shoot actually went very quick and was a whole lot of fun! We can't wait for you to see the results!</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/57437282019-05-05T13:29:25-04:002024-03-04T00:49:19-05:00Vegas Breeze: The Band<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span class="font_large"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/d5642618aa41f726f5e9416bd38fe971efd5ccc6/original/img-e5124.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></span></strong>The Band upstairs at The Jazz Bistro in Toronto</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span class="font_large">I knew the new album was going to consist mainly of existing songs that I have long wanted to sing but when we first started working cover tunes into the live shows I still wasn't sure which direction the album was taking. It was Russ Boswell who called it one day in rehearsal, remarking that all the material I was bringing in felt old school Vegas showroom tunes!</span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span class="font_large">That was an important moment in helping me focus the song selection! Russ (bass) and Michael Shand (piano) and I dug in on the arrangements around my piano for a few months before taking them to Al Cross (drums) over at the Cherry Jam rehearsal studios (Room #4!) and locking in the grooves. We took the time to dig and pull apart the arrangements many times, making sure we had tried all of the material out live, so that when we hit the recording studio, this music was already deep in our bones.</span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span class="font_large"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/e20fb11a6efc4c2f301ae3375ca0732ebd966261/original/img-3730.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></span></strong>Recording session at Union Studio in Toronto</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span class="font_large">Recording "live off the floor" with engineer John Beetle Bailey at the helm, we cut bed tracks at Union & Revolution Studios in Toronto, setting the instruments up so that we could all see each other and play together as a band. Thats long been the traditional way to record Jazz and I've always appreciated the extra prep time that it takes to make the tracks feel "alive" and "in the moment"</span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/4f8de6d008ae0fc64806dc6eeccdbc8c0a58514f/original/bf4f990b-bbe2-4eeb-aba5-f50f7f0d9ff3.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span class="font_large"> My deepest and ever-lasting thanks to Michael, Russ and Al for their musical contribution. The musical personalities of each of these players is embedded deep inside of every track on this album. Thats the delicious result of having a consistent band of top level musicians to work with.... </span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span class="font_large"> </span></strong><strong><span class="font_large">The results speak for themselves. Cant wait for you to hear this music!</span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/57374622019-04-30T13:07:47-04:002024-03-04T00:50:07-05:00Vegas Breeze: The Song!<p> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/cc3c7dbd455ac96b153b1b37aae483c39d9c4515/original/58384431-10157155730519696-5209863491178987520-n.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> <span class="font_large"><strong>Daniel and I grew up playing music together, formed a trio while in high school and hit the club circuit while still teenagers, so when I returned from LA it was exciting to rekindle our musical collaboration. I trust Daniel's ears as an arranger and composer implicitly, after all he co-produced the "New York Stories"</strong></span><strong><span class="font_regular"> (</span><span class="font_large">eOne Music</span><span class="font_regular">)</span></strong><span class="font_large"><strong> with me and had a large hand in shaping the musical arrangements as well as drumming and singing BG's on the album.</strong></span></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/e5f77fdd700ad516c976cd130fca3b82c35bfcc3/original/img-3247.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Micah and Daniel during "New York Stories" recording sessions at Drive Shed Studio</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large"><strong>On the way to New York Stories Dan and I had been co-writing tunes in his Liberty Village studio. There was one swing tune in </strong></span><font size="3"><b>particular that eluded our grasp, the lyric just never felt right to me. With it's</b></font><font size="3"><b> original lyric it was called " Lets Get Our Heaven Started" and was a kind of ode to the classic swing standards.</b></font></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><font size="3"><b>It was only once the new album was settling into it's classic Vegas sound and I was looking for a possible title tune to coalesce the vibe that I remembered Daniel's original melody and decided to have another crack at the lyric....</b></font></p>
<p><strong><span class="font_large"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/5309290428b80029bf491f394718fca2ff68a611/original/img-3981.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Micah and Daniel during "New York Stories" recording sessions at Drive Shed Studio</p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Bringing the new "Vegas" lyric to the band, we tried playing it a whole bunch of ways, landing on a kind of "Bossa a la Bacharach" approach (thanks to the creative input of Michael Shand and Russ Boswell and Al Cross)..suddenly "Vegas Breeze" become an audience favourite in the live shows! </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Adding a killer BG's arrangement from Rique Franks and horns by Don Breithaupt in later studio sessions, the recording of "Vegas Breeze" has become the catchy title tune that will help announce the the new album to a global audience!</strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><strong>Gee, thanks Dan! Guess we did it again! :)</strong></span></p>
<p><font size="3"><b> </b></font></p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/57345652019-04-27T12:35:24-04:002024-03-16T23:41:34-04:00Vegas Breeze: The Horns!<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/0f2c62f05df997472b7c955f837169fa591b556f/original/img-4151.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span class="font_large"> Its really exciting when you meet a new musical soul mate</span></strong>. <strong><span class="font_large">It has long been my dream to work with horns and thanks to Master Arranger Don Breithaupt (and his awesome taste!)- Vegas Breeze now features an all star horn section!</span></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="zRLcGcp2Y10" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/zRLcGcp2Y10/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zRLcGcp2Y10?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large"><strong>Have a peek at the video about and you'll see Don conducting the horn section through a tune. It was magic to hear his charts unfold with such incredible attention to detail and such deep musicality!</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large"><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/6d7545de7c12fec63f5fb07ea0f09aca6e5b4795/original/img-6812.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large"><strong> Pictured are Don and myself with Jason Logue(Trumpet), John Johnson (Tenor),Vern Dorge (alto) & William Carn (trombone</strong></span>) <span class="font_large"><strong>Talk about your</strong></span> <span class="font_large"><strong>All Star Horn Section!</strong></span> <span class="font_large"><strong>Cannot wait for you to hear this music! </strong></span></p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><font size="3"><b> </b></font></div>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/57304162019-04-24T08:57:49-04:002024-03-07T05:34:09-05:00Vegas Breeze: The Ladies!<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/03631d93f7724e7a532291685cb92f9d24cfea64/original/img-6732.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I have a very special and deep relationship with "The Ladies" who sing with me on the Vegas Breeze album.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">I met and vibed with both Miku Graham and Rique Franks long before actually singing with them and envisioned them as the perfect voices& performers to help bring the New York Stories to life in concert. The footage here tells the story! .....</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="1498jKf2zcU" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/1498jKf2zcU/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1498jKf2zcU?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Moving from the "late night jazz club" of New York Stories to the "classic Vegas showroom" meant the sex and sizzle of "girls girls girls" and so it was essential to me that we cut their vocals for the Vegas Breeze album BUT we were working against busy schedules with Miku about to head off on a long tour. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/c09b222b1c4570cf7cd59f65472ea7a812d3ece6/original/img-3795.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Rique did up the awesome arrangements in what seemed like a few days (she's incredibly fast) and we cut them really quick too, in a session at Revolution and one at Noble Street Studios. But the results are simply spectacular and I can't wait for you to hear how much they add to the feel and sound of overall album!</span></p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/56753082019-03-10T10:37:52-04:002023-12-30T09:50:30-05:00Knishes & Grits<p> <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/8e81243d9ab5034b7073e5924a1a60f0ef80c1ed/original/knishes.jpg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large">Of course its all about the food! </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large">We were looking for a title for the new show that Thom Allison and I are writing and performing that celebrates the coming together of Black and Jewish cultures musically -and when Thom hit on that title we knew we had our show! </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large">Two cultures familiar with the pain of discrimination & displacement. Yes. Two cultures whose coming together created Jazz, Musical Theatre and most of the Hit Parade. Yes.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large">But also two cultures that love to celebrate the good things in life-Family, Laughter, Love, Music ………and Great Food! </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large">I’m sitting here buried under a pile of historical reference books, with songs from every imaginable place and time- digging in to collaborate with a GREAT team- hoping to take the audience on a ride that is as informative, surprising and entertaining as this music can be! </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large">Of course now we spend a lot of time answering the culinary question of how to describe what both dishes actually are made of! :) </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large">May 21st to June 2nd @ Toronto Centre For The Arts! Direction by Avery Saltzman, Musical Direction Mark Camilleri, produced by Toronto Jewish Theatre starring Jackie Richardson, Kelly Hollif, Micah Barnes and Thom Allison. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large">Book your tickets early folks! https://www.secureboxoffice.com/Search?query=knishes+and+grits</span></p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/51588322018-04-01T10:01:11-04:002024-03-21T09:43:13-04:00The Vegas Showroom Is Forever! <p style="text-align: center;"> <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/86b2ecf497f74b2939f2ccbbc2eaea83e2309480/original/image001.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Why have the entertainers that worked the strip during the classic Vegas era held our attention all these years? While working on my new album and creating the new concert evening “<strong>Micah Barnes At The Sands</strong>” I have been thinking about that question a whole bunch. </p>
<p> It feels like the answer lies in what Vegas has represented in our collective memories all these years. </p>
<p> It’s certainly fun to imagine Vegas crawling with swingers out for a good time, theres an argument to be made that Vegas was where the American personality and culture found its greatest expression! In fact the romance of that bygone era with its atmosphere of sin and smoke and sex seems like the last time we were classy and lowdown at the same time, especially as we look back through the prism of decades of loosened morality, shorter hem lines and a much more casual approach to night life. Now “dressing up to get down” is a quaint look back at another era. Back then it was an expression of sophistication! </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/33d27938eac5a136a8cec36816ea48dc163e7e9b/original/29573345-10156243281524696-5272290726494534716-n.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> For many decades we looked back at that “Mad Men” moment in the 50’s and early 60’s as last gasp of the old guard before a younger generation toppled the establishment and took over the pop cultural landscape. The teenage revolution that gave us <strong>Elvis</strong>, <strong>The Beatles</strong> and <strong>The Supremes</strong> seemed to suddenly make <strong>Frank Sinatra</strong> your father’s music, but in fact there was a time when The Rat Packers were the hip new thing! </p>
<p> Frankie, Dean and Sammy encapsulated a fascinating moment of masculine cool and non conformity that expressed a new kind of new swagger that poked fun at the rules of the old establishment. But back when Broadway shows and Hollywood movies still gave us our hit songs the heppest cool cats and chicks of the day like <strong>Judy Garland, Lena Horn, Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee, Tony Bennett </strong>and <strong> Mel Torme</strong> played the Vegas showrooms on a regular basis. </p>
<p> It’s been an awesome adventure uncovering some of the lesser known songs from these great entertainers and finding my own way to express that exciting moment in time when the biggest names lit up the big showrooms of Las Vegas!</p>
<p> </p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/48687142017-09-28T10:11:17-04:002023-12-10T14:49:22-05:00 New Recording Adventure! <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/1dabbb0f757b3902b8afd6131d33f8d2a3429502/original/img-3031.jpeg/!!/b:W10=.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br><br> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Nothing compares to the thrill and creative energy when an artist is taking new music to the recording studio. </p>
<p>My band, Micheal Shand, Russ Boswell and Al Cross and I have been developing arrangements for a new batch of songs which we will be testing with live audiences throughout the recording process. Thats what worked so well for me while writing, arranging and recording “New York Stories” and I wanted to follow the same approach with this new batch of tunes. The major difference is that whereas New York Stories was made up of original songs paying tribute to romance and The Big Apple, this new batch is mostly comprised of cover tunes. </p>
<p>Touring across Canada with NY Stories I’ve had a chance to “road test” a whole lot of the new material. However last spring when I was still struggling to figure out the “spine” of the new recording I had a revelatory moment while thinking about the “stories” these new songs seemed to be telling. More about that later down the road but suffice to say once the new album had landed in a focused direction making decisions about which songs to try and include started to become easier and thats when I knew it was time to begin the process of readying the music for the studio. Starting over the summer the band and I got together for arrangement sessions and this fall we’ve begun cutting tracks “live of the floor” at Union Sound Company downtown Toronto. </p>
<p>We’re also doing a series of Ontario shows to put this new music on it’s feet in front of the public. Check the website for dates and venues! Its the audiences who told me which songs belonged on New York Stories and this time around it’s no different! </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/abfe948b7f3c716d33a39f628a76138840f04f4a/original/trio.jpg?1506607856" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br> </p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/47661782017-07-04T00:50:52-04:002023-12-10T13:54:26-05:00New York City Jazz: Lullaby Of Birdland<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/fe06cc8d51a8adf6ccff6793bf62dfbe20ad94bd/original/8c8edcd6506268dca76ba5cb2c379e5f.jpg?1499143167" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Birdland is a famous jazz club in New York City located at 1678 Broadway at 44th Street. Owner Morris Levy rnamed the club Birdland in honor of Charlie “Bird” Parker and it is that club after which this classic Jazz standard of the Bebop era was named. The legendary venue continues to book the top Jazz acts today, and with it's lushly appointed booths and classic look serves as throw back to a time when nightclubs were where you found the sophisticated elite of society.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> Jazz Pianist George Shearing, composer of “Lullaby of Birdland,” first played the venue in 1949 the year that it opened. In 1952 Levy decided to have station WJZ in New York broadcast a disc jockey program from there, and he asked Shearing to record a theme song for the show. For weeks Shearing tried to come up with something but to no avail. Suddenly one night in the middle of dinner he jumped up, went to the piano and wrote the whole thing in about ten minutes. The pianist explains, “Actually quite a lot of my compositions have come this way--very slow going for a week or so, and the finished piece comes together very rapidly, but as I say to those who criticize this method of working, it’s not that I dash something off in ten minutes, it’s ten minutes plus umpteen years in the business.”</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Somewhat later George David Weiss added lyrics to the tune, and Sarah Vaughan recorded it in December, 1954, for Mercury with trumpeter Clifford Brown. It was one of her biggest hits and became a standard in her repertoire. Being one of the first Jazz standards I attempted to learn as a young teenager, Ive always appreciated both the songs Bebop style melody which manages to nicely pay tribute to Charlie Parkers inventive playing style and to the simple poetry of the lyric, which is both imminently singable and emotionally engaging.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> I'm including Sarah Vaughan and Clifford Brown's classic version of "Lullaby Of Birdland" here for those who haven't heard it!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> <iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="vhgsKXCrvmc" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/vhgsKXCrvmc/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vhgsKXCrvmc?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/47637632017-07-01T12:42:40-04:002023-12-10T14:26:47-05:00New York City Jazz: "Stompin' At The Savoy" <p> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/1e4deccd137a58c67d669d211bcde0c2ae4f1320/original/savoy-ballroom-marquee-worlds-finest-1.jpg?1498926517" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> The title of the beloved swing standard “Stompin’ at the Savoy” refers to the Savoy Ballroom in the Harlem originally taking up the entire block on Lennox between West 140th and 141st Streets where the Savoy Apt. complex now stand. Incredibly that was our NYC address during the writing of "New York Stories" something I didn't realize until running for the milk one morning and spotting the plaque in front of the apartment complex! Now maybe thats why the swing music kept infiltrating my dreams at night leading to the writing of so many "old school" style tunes on New York Stories!</p>
<p>The plaque reads: "Here once stood the legendary Savoy Ballroom, a hothouse for the development of jazz in the Swing era. Visually dazzling and spacious, the Savoy nightly featured the finest jazz bands in the nation, and its house bands included such famous orchestras as those of Fess Williams, Chick Webb, and Teddy Hill. The great jazz dancers who appeared on its block-long floor ranged from professionals like Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers to everyday Harlemites. During a time of racial segregation and strife, the Savoy was one of the most culturally and racially integrated of institutions, and its fame was international. It was the heartbeat of Harlem’s community and a testament to the indomitable spirit and creative impulse of African-Americans. It was a catalyst for innovation where dancers and musicians blended influences to forge new, wide-spread, and long-lasting traditions in music and dance. Whether they attended or not, all Americans knew the meaning of ”Stompin’ at the Savoy.” </p>
<p> The song itself features a melody written by Chick Webb's saxaphonist Edgar Sampson and a lyric by Andy Razof (best known for his collaborations on Honeysuckle Rose and Ain't Misbehavin' with Fats Waller). "Stompin At The Savoy" was introduced to the public by Chick Webb's band featuring vocalist Ella Fitzgerald who gave the song it's first fame.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Here is my favourite version of the song recorded many years later in a duet version by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald! </p>
<p> <iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="Dk1toxG81nY" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/Dk1toxG81nY/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Dk1toxG81nY?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/47159272017-05-19T19:33:14-04:002024-01-01T05:16:57-05:00What I Learned from A Capella By Former Nylon Micah Barnes <p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/2b5b4f46c7f7e330381be0d70e7d6cce1ce3fc93/original/unknown-1.jpeg?1495236722" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>I was singing with my band in Canada when The Nylons came calling and I was suddenly in a three week boot camp on my way to becoming an a cappella singer! </p>
<p>Having sung lead vocal all my career I was not used to holding a harmony note and blending with other singers, let alone doing so without an instrument in site! On top of that I also needed to pull off choreography at the same time. As I entered that extremely steep learning curve I made the crucial decision to stay relaxed about getting it all perfect and to just do the best job I possibly could in the moment. The other Nylons were tremendously patient and supportive which helped a great deal and put me at ease. By the time I was singing my first concert with the guys, ( like a deer in the headlights remembering my parts just in time to sing them), I had been indoctrinated into that rare special breed of performer, the a cappella singer! </p>
<p>A cappella singing asks for a strong inner sense of rhythm, a sturdy sense of pitch and a desire to create music in close harmony with others. Not just musical harmony but a kind of spiritual harmony which a cappella singing needs. </p>
<p>What I learned from my years touring and recording with The Nylons was how to stay relaxed while working in a disciplined and precise art form, how to trust my instincts as we made the hundreds of decisions that affected our career, and how to take care of my Mind, Body and Spirit while in the middle of a gruelling tour schedule. <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/0f4987923b81c564bc3c98f9465cf94a8504c76f/original/img-8638.jpg?1495236314" class="size_l justify_center border_" />But perhaps the most important thing I got to learn was how to be part of a tight brotherhood of shared musicality and to share that harmonic communication with an audience of deeply committed fans night after night. I am so deeply thankful that the universe lead me to become a member of The Nylons!</p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/44866162016-11-28T09:33:12-05:002024-03-22T02:58:55-04:00Crowd Sourcing The Songs!<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/e33a45c8583dab96fa2fad8c6ed6596b3bf0a040/original/img-0413.jpg?1480343387" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br>Audiences tell you what they like. You just have to listen. <br>Many years ago while living and making music in LA a friend took me to a Frank Black concert at the Troubador a legendary venue on the Sunset Strip and I learned a really valuable lesson. Frank Black (the founder and frontman of the hugely influential band The Pixies), tours new material for a year before stepping into the studio to record. Working out the kinks in front of his die hard fans allowed him to hit the studio ready to record material that had been already lived in and worked out in front of audiences instead of second guessing brand new arrangements. </p>
<p>Thats how I approached the making of New York Stories, testing each "chapter" of the story in front of live audiences at the Jazz Bistro in Toronto and at venues across the country before cutting songs live off the floor with the trio. The audiences tell you what they like if you are listening and so of course I was able to shape and reshape the album long before stepping into the studio! It worked so well that I'm planning the same approach on the next recording! <br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/bfbd7552ef3e2c3b44faf7392bc605a57791b932/original/img-0008.jpg?1480343512" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Performing the"New York Stories" material across the country I have been working cover songs into the set to help communicate the vast musical history of New York from Uptown Jazz and Broadway to Back Alley Blues and Doo Wop. The songs that have gotten the most response have stayed on the set list and Ive brought those tunes home to my trio in Toronto for us to work out the arrangements in advance of upcoming shows where we will test out the tunes some more! <br> Songs by Tom Waits, Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter, Mose Allison and Laura Nyro are all getting their moment to "audition". It's surprising what material is getting the most response, the little known Marvin Gaye tune "The Bells", an old Harold Arlen tune covered by Sammy Davis Jr from the show "St Louis Woman" called "AnyPlace I Hang My Hat Is Home" and of course "A Sunday Kind Of Love", (an old pop standard that became a Doo Wop hit before Etta James shaped it into an R&B classic) </p>
<p>The music will be Crowd Sourced in that we're taking our cues from the audiences favourites, <br>so come out and make your choices heard! <br>The musicians are listening! :)</p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/44636272016-11-12T11:05:05-05:002024-03-28T22:55:42-04:00Words Have Power-Leonard Cohen <p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/ae3a8c92180e91446c220f6a7dad517f18c47160/original/img-0160.jpg?1478966259" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> Here in Canada Mister Cohen was more than just a singer-songwriter. North of the border Leonard has been and will remain a deeply respected "man of letters" who managed to became a world renowned songwriter without ever having written a"hit" or gone after a mainstream pop career from the sheer depth of his work. We have watched him develop from his early days as a "bad boy" poet into an international artist of huge influence and one of Canada's most important cultural voices. <br>Indeed his influence here is too large to measure. Generation after generation of Canadian songwriters have had to contend with the majesty and grace of Leonard's language. The integrity and authenticity of his artistic voice has inspired us to be true to ourselves in a way that feels truly Canadian in spirit. And as spiritual seekers we have been inspired to keep growing and to dive deeper into what makes life truly mysterious and magical.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/a28f6c33d5f35de834310ae7cd9119ab82d0c228/original/img-0161.jpg?1478966249" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br><br>Leonard might have been trying to seduce us with sorrow some of the time, but he also sought to make us laugh at life, to fill us with wonder and to hear our own folly and hubris as human beings</p>
<p> Perhaps his greatest accomplishment was Leonard's living of a deeply committed artistic life right up until the day he died at 82, releasing his latest critically acclaimed music just months before his passing.<br><br>It took him a lifetime for him to create the legend of Leonard Cohen. <br><br>As his grateful children we will never forget what he taught us. <br><br>Even if it will take our whole lifetime to understand it.<br><br>With Gratitude.<br>Micah Barnes<br>Toronto 2016</p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/44521782016-11-04T12:17:54-04:002023-12-10T13:22:44-05:00Charity Season Is Here Folks! <p> <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/2d1c9136ba9b8ac807e955843fe6099ebcbef41a/original/img-7690.jpg?1478276174" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br>Being able to sing in support of a cause or a charity is something that I take very seriously these days. In fact from the very beginning of my career the charity component has been an important focus, but recently with the success of "New York Stories" there have been so many more opportunities to give back, in fact last year the holiday season was my busiest in terms of charity concerts! Yahoo! </p>
<p>This year has presented an deepening of that commitment and it is with great pride that I announce having taken on the artistic directorship of the LOFT Community Services "Home For The Holidays" annual fundraising concert. LOFT is a charity that I have been involved with for a few years performing for their annual concert along with folks like Molly Johnson, Billy Newtown Davis and Jackie Richardson and I have seen first hand the incredible ways in which they house and support folks in the Toronto area who would otherwise slip between the cracks of the health care system. From older people with mental disabilities to young folks with addiction issues and all kinds of "at risk" and vulnerable people, LOFT is dedicated to making sure their programs give people a sense of dignity and respect and a place to call home. For more information about what they do have a peek here http://www.loftcs.org <br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/bbe0676da92282ddd313ca5fa8d2438444bcdbbb/original/img-7620.jpg?1478276218" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>This year "Home for the Holidays" will be held on Monday, December 5, 2016 at the beautiful St. James Cathedral in downtown Toronto and I've been lining up some top notch talent including Musical Theatre star Thom Allison http://www.thomallison.com, the delicious Jazz harmonies of The Ault Sisters http://www.aultsisters.com and the incredible Hogtown Brass Quintet http://www.hogtownbrass.com among many more. We hope you will join us for this beautiful holiday concert to kick off the season and enter the real spirit of giving back! </p>
<p>Tickets are only $40 for the general public! Home for the Holidays 26th Annual Christmas Concert Monday, December 5, 2016 St. James Cathedral (downtown Toronto) Ticket purchase and more info here: http://www.loftcs.org/support-loft/events/christmas-concert-2016</p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/44174052016-10-13T10:40:39-04:002023-12-10T14:10:06-05:00A Jazz Singer-Songwriter Pays tribute to Bob Dylan <p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/3a30b341340ff68ebbb8033b1ae9a8089e06b513/original/rs-108311-a6676bf1ab97a1d7acb4b3d2e68d5b90d1a70193.jpg?1476369344" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br>"Songwriter Bob Dylan wins the Nobel prize for Literature"<br><br>The thing is that Dylan's powerful determination to find "new ways to tell the old stories" began long before we ever heard of him. First he worked inside the tradition then he began to find his own voice inside of the tradition, then stretch and bend and push on the walls until he had created the kind of freedom that all songwriters who followed were able to work with! </p>
<p> In that sense our Mister Zimmerman is the best template for any artist seeking to find their own voice. First we imitate, then, if we are serious about finding our own voice we experiment and try and find a way to make the traditions our own. Then if we truly seek personal expression we dig in to find the way to communicate our most authentic selves through the music. Thats the gig of being an artist. It doesn't come easy. It doesn't come fast. Have a read of his masterful autobiography "Chronicles Vol 1" for the whole story. </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/f8e488bd33f0a416942c378a7ea1a64736d00c1b/original/unknown-1.jpeg?1476369589" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br><br>I remember sitting down with Bob Dylan's "Greatest Hits" LP when I was just a kid and studying what it was that made him the voice of a generation of counter culture grownups. I hated the scratchy voice that I would later come to dig, (have you heard Dylan's recent recordings of standards? They are a revelation!), but understood that somewhere in his beatnik ramblings there was a kind of patchwork map that was helping lead a generation to their own sense of self hood. </p>
<p>And as a budding songwriter I remember trying to find a way into Dylan's complex songwriting which explored older forms of folk and blues and a kind of rule breaking literary poetry of the street. It made me want to find a new way of expressing myself through Jazz and Blues using the traditions to communicate my contemporary experience (hence "New York Stories" etc) </p>
<p> What is it that makes a young artist determined to find one's own voice to add to the culture?<br>We may never know but Dylan's Nobel Prize for Literature answers the questions once and for all whether what we do it simply entertainment.</p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/43592132016-09-06T15:17:44-04:002024-03-18T00:59:19-04:00 A Jazz Singer On David Bowie's Legacy <p> <br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/6740bd5b851cf4a63c5cd5fc64a64c9370266b36/original/image1.jpg?1473188935" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>I was playing piano in a teenage rock n roll band playing T Rex, The Velvet Underground and Iggy Pop when I discovered jazz. </p>
<p>When I heard Billie Holiday I quit the band and went home to learn every jazz standard I could get my hands on. I was 13 years old. </p>
<p>Of course it was David Bowie that had made me want to join the rock n roll band in the first place. His big wide crooner voice and the inventive lyrics with the theatrical delivery seemed as close to performance art as could be possible in the context of pop music. I was a smart teen and I was interested in the "revolutionaries" of every tradition. Bowie flew in the face of everything safe, and seemed to be inventing himself as he went along. <br>I loved the attitude. I loved the show. I loved the drama. </p>
<p>In Jazz I responded to the same sense of "making it up as we go along" the same spirit of invention and fearlessness that we found in David Bowie. So I didn't experience all that much of a leap as I learned to deepen the harmonic landscape and emotional intelligence that was demanded by the standards. </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/b858b2262dcd3e635b3bc5d187888af392c0c57d/original/13938159-1814213745477026-1764345214075594679-o.jpg?1473188966" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><strong>We're All Bowie's Children</strong><br><br> When I began performing in night clubs (first solo at the piano then with my jazz trio) I found myself combining the old school charm of the standards with a cheeky kind of rock n roll /cabaret originals that owed no small debt to Bowie's oeuvre. The songs and the attitude poked holes at modern society with songs like "Food Has No Future", "Lost In The Computer" Utensils On Rampage". Audiences seemed to enjoy the challenging mix of genres and my band and I (including brother Daniel) became the darlings of the New Music set on Queen Street. </p>
<p>Later his legacy would become more obvious with everyone from Madonna to Lady GaGa using changing persona to grab out attention and keep us looking, but In those days we were all Bowie's children, putting on masks and changing persona's as quickly as we did our hair colour. But what was operative wasn't the costuming, it was the daring to be something "new" that the world had never seen before. Bowie made the dare…as a jazz artist my aim to to answer that challenge.</p>
<p>We Can Be Heroes Indeed.<br><br>Tickets for Sept 9th Rebel Rebel Bowie Tribute Concert at Hughes Room here: <a contents="Tickets" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://hughsroom.com/event/a-man-called-wrycraft-presents-a-tribute-to-david-bowie">Tickets</a></p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/43524222016-09-01T10:58:51-04:002023-12-10T13:02:16-05:00The Festival Experience <p> <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/6713d60681794b082e7dfa6be62fdc93450cee83/original/14080079-10154482833549696-2519139536922903031-n.jpg?1472741241" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><strong style="font-size: 1.4em;">Music fans crave discovery. </strong><br><span class="font_regular" style="font-size: 12px;"><strong>Thats why we love the festival experience. And of course Music Festivals are all about discovery. </strong></span><span class="font_regular" style="font-size: 12px;"><strong>The music lover may be there to see a favorite artist but along the way will have the opportunity to stumble on a whole bunch of other acts! Thats why artists love to play festivals too, we get to introduce ourselves to a whole army of potential fans we would never have reached otherwise! </strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_regular"><strong>Coming together in a community around a shared interest is even more important to us in the digital age. Just witness the communal experience Canadians felt as the Tragically Hip played it's last shows together this summer. At a music festival everyone can feel a part of the atmosphere of the bigger event. </strong></span><span class="font_regular"><strong>Its not about attending one concert, it's about our shared love of the music which is why everybody is there in the first place! </strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong style="font-size: 1em;"> Jazz festivals are no different. From the big international festivals like Montreaux to the local festival such as the Beaches Jazz Festival there are all kinds of arguments for hearing Jazz in a festival setting rather than only in a small local venue. There are many challenges to putting on a great festival and one of them is how to attract an audience in a busy marketplace, which is why mainstream music festivals tend to invite international artists that we rarely get to see. </strong><span class="font_regular"><strong> </strong></span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"><strong><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/7833a4f073a8f60986c9088d00084c910ca3162a/original/photo-copy-7.jpg?1472741616" class="size_l justify_center border_" style="text-align: center;" /></strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large"><strong>Toronto loves it's festivals</strong></span><span class="font_regular"><strong>.<br>From the big ones like Tiff and Hot Docs to the local neighbourhood food festivals like Taste of The Danforth there is hardly a week without a festival happening somewhere in the greater GTA. </strong></span><span class="font_regular"><strong>Our newest entry to the Festival calendar is The Kensington Market Jazz Festival (in my old stomping ground) which has been conceived of by musicians (our first lady of culture Ms. Molly Johnson) as a neighbourhood-oriented weekend for Toronto to discover and celebrate it's own jazz artists. </strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_regular"><strong>Its happening in a batch of unusual local venues which are just waiting for discovery. I'm particularly excited to be reunited with Sophie Milman when we share The Round stage Sept 17th. Our Ottawa gig with the National Arts Centre Orchestra singing Cole Porter duets was a pleasure indeed! </strong></span><br><br><span class="font_regular"><strong> There is already an amazing street vibe in Kensington Market, and the weekend of Sept 16th, 17th and 18th the air will be filled with Jazz of every kind! </strong></span><span class="font_regular"><strong>Come and hang out for the weekend. You'll see thrilled to see old favourites and make a few new discoveries I promise! </strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><b> <a contents="Kensington Market Jazz Video!" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.kensingtonjazz.com">Kensington Market Jazz Video!</a></b><br><br><br> </p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/42082062016-06-02T09:53:52-04:002023-12-10T13:26:50-05:00Is Hamilton The New Brooklyn? <p><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/cc244d3ec21436ec4daab040d4cfd2e77fc7f1a7/original/mg-8105.jpg?1464875099" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br>Well first of all lets just say it up front ... Hamilton folks have always been proud of being Hamilton folks ...so being compared with a borough of New York City doesn't sit easily with people around here. However the Hammer has always been a city of rugged individualists and folks who have decided to do it their own way, and in that regard Hamilton people are proud to flourish far from the high rents and hustle of larger cities like Toronto which now feel almost unliveable with it's high cost and over crowding. So the comparison may be loaded …..but it isn't all that off base. <br> In a recent article the Globe and Mail stated that "Brooklyn is booming as an arts hub because Manhattan is unaffordable for artists. Toronto is in severe danger of out-pricing its own creative types. Hamilton, with its cheap rents and supportive arts community, looks better with each visit." </p>
<p>Its true that Hamilton used to be where people escaped from. <br> But these days its the place where people escape to! </p>
<p> <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/d1a5ad45e76b74e1b1771888376f67f2717933b5/original/final-fb.jpg?1464875800" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> Why are people moving to Hamilton? Artists of all kinds need space that is affordable so we have time to develop ideas, try new things and not just scramble for the daily rent. Typically its artists that move into depressed areas with lower rent, developing the housing and making community in places that allow room for creativity to happen. And that ladies and gentlemen is how a scene develops. </p>
<p>The cool coffee house, artisan beer joint and organic vegetables are never far behind. Like worker bees, artists create the conditions that attract people to a new neighbourhood or town, digging into undesirable areas and creating an atmosphere that allows developers to step in make money down the road. </p>
<p> And that ladies and gentlemen is how cities develop. <br><br>Just thinking of the handful of Hamilton based artists that I know I see the benefits of living in a smaller city where we can grow our big size ideas!<br><br>So if media folks have decided to compare Hamilton to Brooklyn, both being places that are artist friendly and where a healthy local scene ends up influencing mainstream culture…well then, sure not! Just don't bring it up with your "Proud To Be Hamilton" pals. They're not looking for your approval..(thats why they are here)!</p>
<p>MICAH BARNES & NEW YORK STORIES <br>at The Artword Artbar in Hamilton Ont <br>Friday June 3 and Saturday June 4, 2016, at 8 pm. <br>$15 advance through http://www.artword.net/artbar / <br>$20 at the door. </p>
<p> </p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/41753342016-05-11T11:27:53-04:002023-12-10T13:16:10-05:00Whats Your New York Story Canada?<p> <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/eb4e71c24c2b07daa93e16301d6084729ccb18e7/original/nyc-b-w-skyline.jpg?1462979946" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>When I brought the songs that would become New York Stories back from the Big Apple it took a lot of polishing and crafting before the material was ready to record. First I played the material for audiences across Canada and they told me which songs were landing deepest with them. Then my trio and I worked up the arrangements and tested them out on Toronto audiences during our residency at The Jazz Bistro. By the time we hit the studio we knew exactly which tunes and which arrangements were telling the stories the best! </p>
<p>So it is in fact the audiences that helped create this CD from the very get go! </p>
<p>When creative producer Leonardo came to me with the Indie Go Go campaign idea I scoffed and told him I would never ask for money from fans. By the time we had our campaign in full swing I was feeling the support and engagement and the sense of community that was building around this music.<br>Truly an incredible experience for an artist let me tell you! </p>
<p>So, when Leo and I decided to use the CD launch at CBC's Glenn Gould Studio to film the audience and fans telling their own New York Stories it just made so much sense! After all the audience has been a huge part of this project from the very beginning. We enlisted filmmaker Diana Piruzevska to create a little studio set up in the lobby and filmed folks one at a time telling their favourite NYC adventures. You can hear an edited version of those stories in the new video of "Don't Take My Baby (New York New York)" (Big Thanks to all of those who came to support the music and leant their stories to this video!)<br><br> <iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="u8yAGARmwfw" data-video-thumb-url="http://img.youtube.com/vi/u8yAGARmwfw/0.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u8yAGARmwfw?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="200" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>AND as a way to say THANK YOU, as part of the national tour dates we're extending the conversation and inviting folks to post their favourite New York Stories on this page <a contents="Facebook Fan Page" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/micahbarnesmusic" target="_blank">Facebook Fan Page</a> using the hashtag #WhatsYourNewYorkStory in exchange for a free digital download of the New York Stories album! <br><br>…..Let the New York conversation continue! :)</p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/41699322016-05-07T08:51:35-04:002023-12-10T14:29:01-05:00Tour Life<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/ee1e3d6b7f39bff8c748be52957973184a5c1d7a/original/micah-1.jpg?1462625433" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br>I am not one of those artists that resents going out on the road. In fact I embrace it with a passion. </p>
<p>Touring is a fantastic way to see and hear the big wide world. </p>
<p>When I started my career I never imagined that music would become a way to experience new places, new people and have new adventures. </p>
<p>Keeping in mind that my introduction to full time touring was with the already established Nylons (flying to shows rather than touring in a van, staying in nice hotels, performing in beautiful theatres etc) so the beginning of my road life was supported in every way possible. </p>
<p> However even during my early career, which included tuff rock n roll bars and seedier lounges across Canada I was already caught up in the romance of collecting crazy stories and adventures. </p>
<p>In fact the road became so romantic for me that for many years I made it a practice of driving back and forth from the east coast out to California, stopping to see friends along the way, but relishing the alone time away from the crowded cities where my head and heart could expand and explore. </p>
<p>Perhaps thats the gift of being a songwriter, I see all of that road experience (or most of it) as grist for the creative mill. Even at the start of my career I loved taking time to wander in each city finding an old pier or a run down factory, or back alley's near downtown, looking for the lonely old guy to have a chat with etc. Writing notes in an ongoing journal through my wanderings (often turning up in lyrics for songs) I made a kind of loose map of North America in my head. </p>
<p>Being able to travel and make music for audiences has almost always felt like a gift, an opportunity, a blessing. These busy days I find solace in a hotel room, a good book, a newspaper and a cafe and so often plan to arrive a day early and leave a day later than I need to. </p>
<p>The road is a kind of home to me where my artist self feels most alive.</p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/41105062016-03-29T10:54:08-04:002023-12-10T12:12:05-05:00City Of A Million Stories<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/94c80946c90bd386643bf4b642e9a294e250d6af/original/mg-8168.jpg?1428339416" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br><br>New York is famously described as a city with a million stories. </p>
<p>Of course, like so many folks, the books I'd read about New York, ( El Doctorow's Ragtime, Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's and Patti Smith's Just Kids for example), had created a literary map New York in my imagination. When I was living and working in NYC I used that map had me exploring the cobblestone alley's, down into the subways and out onto the grand avenues as I wrote the material that would become "New York Stories". The influence of literature is obvious with each song acting like a chapter like a book of interweaving short stories designed to take the listener on a romantic journey describing a love story amongst the swirl of life in Manhattan. <br><br>A literary approach comes very naturally to me as a songwriter given that I was raised in a house filled with books and music in Toronto's Annex which, much like the West Village, was an area of town filled with Professors, Activists, Artists and Independent thinkers such as our mom author Lilly Barnes, who raised us in three story victorian home filled floor to ceiling with books. So, as I was discovering the music of Billie Holiday, Tom Waits, Laura Nyro and Tony Bennett I was absorbing the short stories of Mavis Gallant and Alice Munro and a literary tradition that asks the author to describe an entire universe in only a few pages. Perfect for a budding songwriter looking to create a new musical universe of his own! <br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/1cee83af590ba02c022cfd72c3e30716da114321/original/indigo-collection.png?0" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Of course the two romances at the heart of "New York Stories" are very real, both the romance of the lovers and the romance with New York City itself. New York becomes a character in of itself, a bustling metropolis so crowded that one never feels lonely or alone, but welcomed by the city to re create one's own story at every corner of the city of a million st </p>
<p>Two collections of short stories set in NYC that I can heartily recommend are "Wonderful Town", a collection of New Yorker stories edited by David Remnick and the Every Man Pocket Classics "New York Stories" both of which I discovered after the release of the disc but happily reread from time to time.. <br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/a990c562a152a500c7901b2957f30164fd690406/original/new-twitter.jpg?0" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/40159552016-01-29T23:03:44-05:002022-05-12T07:30:21-04:00 The New York Story <p> <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/40ee0941fd0593b69d3cda20aae3f51785433fa0/original/12512293-10153897685604696-2858553154542101224-n.jpg?1454126143" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br>So, we've made #1 twice with the same song thanks to you guys. Amazing! Making music is never a sure thing. You just have to do it and hope that someone else likes it. OR just do it and not give a crap. In my case as much as I want to communicate I've learned over the years that the best approach for me is to serve my inner voice and create from that very personal place. And thats how this New York Story happened. </p>
<p> When I accompanied my honey to NYC, who had moved there to work on Broadway, I booked myself into a writing room off Time Square and started composing the songs that would become New York Stories. I was inspired by the energy of the city around me, especially the musical history of the place which seemed to vibrate right up from the floorboards.. but more than anything I was caught up in the insecurities and anxieties of a new relationship. When I am experiencing inner drama the writing and composing of songs is the most alive for me, I can write very fast and instinctively ..hence the "song cycle" nature of the material that makes up New York Stories. </p>
<p>The tunes act like chapters describing different parts of developing relationships, both with my honey and with New York City itself. But before finishing the "book" I knew I needed a "first chapter" that would bring the listener into story right off the top. Most of the album was already written when the title song New York Story started to come, the idea forming during a memorable long walk down from Harlem through Central Park and into lower Manhattan. You can feel the romance of the city all around us in the lyric, but I will admit the words and the shape of the melody took hard work and crafting before I felt it was right </p>
<p>. <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/11ad4fd262067f399997cfb0883f0af23f997698/original/img-5601.jpg?1454126599" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Like the other songs on the record I brought New York Story to my trio (Daniel Barnes on drums, Russ Boswell on bass and Michael Shand on keyboard) and tested them with the audiences at the Jazz Bistro in Toronto and across Canada on tour dates before recording them, mostly live off the floor at The Drive Shed studio with engineer John Beetle Bailey. Bringing the legendary Jackie Richardson in to work out a duet version was the most logical and organic process imaginable, we have been singing together for many years now and I always learn and grow as an artist when I work with this amazing lady. Jackie helped me understand and plot through the emotional journey of the song, as it was still very "hot off the press" when we took it to the studio! </p>
<p>The fact that this music is finding an audience is no surprise to me, (although I am very grateful and happy about it), after all these songs come from a very deep and private place and something Ive learned as Ive grown as an artist is the if you write it "true" to your experience then a whole bunch of the rest of the human beings will know exactly what you are talking about! </p>
<p>Who Knows Where This New York Story Ends…..</p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/39980552016-01-20T10:30:41-05:002023-12-10T12:03:45-05:00Romance in New York City <p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/ed9f588250626ef4a565740670b2aaf5139c48de/original/micah-barnes-26.jpg?1453303784" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Long walks through Central Park in the cool crisp air of autumn with the leaves changing colours. </p>
<p>The magic of a wintery day with whole city slowed down by the snow. </p>
<p>Springtime with the possibility of new romance bursting all around us. </p>
<p>A delicious meal outdoors in summertime at a little cafe, feeling intimate and cozy in the midst of a busy avenue. <br><br>What is it about New York that makes everything feel so damn romantic!? </p>
<p>Foremost its a city that demands the most of ourselves, in business, in love, and in our reaching for the good things in life. <br><br>The building are tall, and likewise our expectations, which stretch towards the sky with a belief in the impossible! <br><br>Made for peek experiences, New York is all about the new adventure waiting to happen. </p>
<p>The unexpected meeting, the chance encounters that changes everything. No wonder our heads swim with possibilities! </p>
<p> Anything can happen in New York. That tiny island holds so much life and so much energy,<br>of course it allows for the biggest possible dreams and the craziest kind of magic. </p>
<p> It's that heady feeling of new romance that inspired me to compose the songs that make up "New York Stories". <br><br>"Come take my hand and we'll stroll through the park, far from the noise and the crowd….."<br><br><br> <iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="sl1ZxXQmG8c" data-video-thumb-url="http://img.youtube.com/vi/sl1ZxXQmG8c/0.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sl1ZxXQmG8c?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="200" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/39696152016-01-03T17:28:34-05:002023-12-10T12:23:30-05:00 The Making Of The New York Story Duet <p> <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/d466e1c9067b0198b32124a625f65742e1f71878/original/micah-barnes-and-jackie-richardson-new-york-stories-itunes-album-cover-2-revised.jpg?1451860330" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br> It was deep winter. A furious blizzardy day in Toronto when Jackie Richardson came up to the studio to cut the vocal for "New York Story". But the warmth of Jackie's voice would melt a polar ice cap and you can hear it in every note of the duet version of the title track from "New York Stories". A word about my duet partner. I have learned much about living in the emotional life of a song through our work together, Jackie being such a generous artist, with her audience, with musicians and with her fellow performers. There is a deeper truth to this lady's art and I couldn't think of a more perfect singer to bring this song to life as a duet! <br> The lyrics of "New York Story" which serve as the introduction to all the stories on the album, finds the lovers on a romantic stroll through Central Park, has them enjoying a late night meal and talking until dawn before cozying up together for the night and asking the question "Who knows where this New York Story ends?" The listener knows the relationship is new and full of possibility but that the question lingers in the air. Indeed that is the question and the struggle that we follow through the whole album as the love story is played out in the "city that doesn't sleep". </p>
<p>The band, consisting of Michael Shand on Keys, Daniel Barnes on Drums and Russ Boswell on Bass, had already laid down the tune and engineer John Beetle Bailey had actually changed the key for us so that it better suited Jackie's range. Best of all by the time we cut the duet vocal, Jackie and I had already sung the song on stage together and had a chance to work out the romantic dynamic of the story. So the romantic story felt very "lived in" and alive to us, much like the rest of the "New York Stories" material, all of which had been performed live for months before we ever recorded them in the studio. <br> <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/194127d2676ef3e672862ec03bb8987c3c01895c/original/img-3170.jpg?1451860395" class="size_l justify_center border_" /> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> <a contents='To pre-order the duet version of "New York Story" please click here!' data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/new-york-story-duet-jackie/id1069949388?ls=1" target="_blank">To pre-order the duet version of "New York Story" please follow this link:<br> </a> <br> <a contents="To pre-order the whole album please click here!" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/new-york-stories/id1069870163?ls=1" target="_blank">To pre-order the whole album please click here!</a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> <a contents="Tickets for Micah and Jackie's annual Valentine's Concert Feb 13th/Feb 14th at Hugh's Room!" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://hughsroom.com/2015/11/jackie-richardson-and-micah-barnes-a-jazz-valentine" target="_blank">Tickets for Micah and Jackie's annual Valentine's Concert Feb 13th/Feb 14th at Hugh's Room!</a></p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/39670812015-12-22T16:14:15-05:002023-12-10T14:43:15-05:00Christmas In Harlem!<p> New York is a surprisingly friendly city, and never more so than during the holidays. In fact when she's all dressed up for Christmas New York feels like one big glittering X mas tree giving a lift to the spirit and putting a song in your heart! </p>
<p> One of my most magical memories of the Big Apple during the Holiday season was when The Nylons ended up grounded in a blizzard during a tour of the East Coast. The planes weren't flying so suddenly we had cancelled shows and plenty of time on our hands while the entire city lay sleeping under a beautiful blanket of soft white. It was a delicious to wander through the city see old friends and feel the magic of the season; we were only able to jump back into the tour when the train tracks to Boston were cleared! A delicious memory of a snow globe white x mas, (not likely to happen this year is it?) </p>
<p>Another lovely memory was about 10 years ago when my family decided to "do" New York at Christmas, renting a friends apt on the upper East Side for a week and armed with an awesome plan for the week. Our Mom Lilly would decide on the museum expedition, Brother Daniel would choose the Jazz club and I was in charge of choosing the Broadway show. Of course I almost lost everybody in the Macy's Boxing Day sale! Our plan of action really worked out great, and we all trusted each other and went on the adventure including with a long walk in central park, delicious jewish food and a great family holiday that we will remember for years to come. </p>
<p> <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/7508f90cdeafba97e53d2261f0c6d22d92c18afc/original/img-7478.jpg?1450818655" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br> But I think my favourite X mas in New York was more recent, just a few years ago when my partner and I hosted the family up on Lenox Avenue where we were living at the time. Harlem is perhaps the friendliest place I have ever lived, with folks pulling chairs out to sit on the curb and visit, everyone saying hello and lots of easy going vibes. My partner being on Broadway at the time meant very little time off, (8 shows a week plus holiday matinee's!) but we managed to squeeze a lot of holiday fun including delicious home cooked meals and baking in! We took everybody to Amy Ruth's where the locals go for soul food, and of course did the windows of 5th Avenue downtown. Lilly and I finally got to The Met to see Madame Butterfly but forgot to check the show time and found ourselves suddenly galloping through a windy rain storm to make the 7.30 pm curtain. Bejewelled but a little bedraggled we enjoyed our Opera and laughed to see all the crashed and abandoned umbrellas on our way home. </p>
<p> Something about being able to head uptown for a home cooked meal after the hustle and bustle of the city made New York feel like the best place in the entire world to us! No wonder I ended up staying to write "New York Stories!<br> For those of you who have never been have a peek at my special video guide to Christmas in New York City ! </p>
<p> </p>
<p> <iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="axkQxou8mU8" data-video-thumb-url="http://img.youtube.com/vi/axkQxou8mU8/0.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/axkQxou8mU8?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="200" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/39654772015-12-17T00:27:00-05:002022-05-30T05:08:34-04:00What Are You Listening To This Season? <p> Being a working musician I used to dread being asked to perform X mas material. Growing up Jewish, I wasn't familiar with the repertoire and always felt like an imposter when I had to perform seasonal songs. <br><br>I simply didn't have the feeling in my heart. </p>
<p>Although I enjoyed singing in the Anglican church at the end of our street at christmas time it just didn't feel like my tradition. Growing up in our very musical household we certainly played Nat King Cole's recording of The Christmas Song and Mahalia Jackson's sacred music as well as Elvis Presley's Blue Christmas during the season, but it was many years before I would come to feel my own attachment to christmas songs and understand why people love them so much. </p>
<p>Not surprising that it has been contemporary Jazz artists like Harry Connick Jr., Diana Krall and Michael Buble who inspired me to have another listen to these songs in a new way. Also classic holiday recordings like those by Louis Armstrong, Tony Bennet with Count Basie and of course Ella Fitzgerald's Swinging Christmas which are all such strong records they would stand out in any season! </p>
<p> <iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="kWqohS4iy8w" data-video-thumb-url="http://img.youtube.com/vi/kWqohS4iy8w/0.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kWqohS4iy8w?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="200" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>Funnily enough though, it was Bette Midler's Cool Yule that convinced me that there might be something there for me to look at in terms of performing some of this material. And so tentatively I have begun exploring what songs might work on my voice with the idea of eventually releasing a recording of seasonal material sometime down the road! </p>
<p>It's about whether you get that feeling in your heart, right folks?!<br><br> </p>3:19Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/39554302015-12-08T13:45:00-05:002024-01-19T10:30:45-05:00Forever Frank<p><b> </b><span class="font_regular"> <br>You can't be a guy who sings jazz and not contend with Frank. You can try but you can't get around him :)<br><br>Sinatra cuts a huge a swath through the American Songbook, bending and shaping the songs to suit his distinctive personality and phrasing, often much with much more sensitively than we remember; the macho swagger of his public persona masking the vulnerability and romantic feeling that he brought to so much of his work.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">There's been a lot of different Sinatra's over his long career. The skinny boy band singer who fired up a whole generation of bobby soxers, (and started the teen idol craze long before Elvis). The sophisticated gentleman of his Capital Records years with his golden phrasing, impeccable taste in material and those incredible arrangements. And then there's the Hollywood movie star, and the Vegas Rat Pack: Sinatra always came off like a self made king, whose arrogance attitude and supreme self confidence made him a hero to generations.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">All of these Sinatra's add up to artist as legend, who managed to survive the changes in public tastes, carving out a singular vision of what kind of magic is possible when an artist declares himself to the world. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">Ultimatly Frank inspires us to trust our own instincts and go our own way.</span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular"> And if that isn't Jazz , then tell me what is?</span><br><br> </p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/38707912015-09-27T09:43:15-04:002023-12-10T11:56:04-05:00 The Jewel Of Harlem<p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 24px; font-family: Helvetica;"><strong>While writing "New York Stories" I was inspired by a number of the legendary music venues in the Big Apple.</strong> <strong>Of course top of the list is the Apollo Theatre, perhaps the most enduring and legendary of them all! </strong> Located on 125th street in the heart of Harlem this jewel of a theatre has housed the best in Jazz and R&B since the early 20's, offering variety shows in those early years that included singers, a dance troupe and comedic acts accompanied by a big band, (Duke Ellington's having been the most renowned), that clearly had roots in vaudeville.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; font-size: 24px; font-family: Helvetica;"> The Apollo audiences were known to be tuff but would shower new found talent with such adoration that The Apollo became known as the "black vegas" with the ability to jump start an artists career. Many legendary stars first found success during the long running "amateur night" and would return to the venue throughout their careers including Gladys Knight, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and The Jackson Five and of course James Brown who ignited the Apollo with his genius time and time again.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px; min-height: 29px;"><br><font face="Helvetica" size="5" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 24px;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/31ac59b68e4a7e6c2e4b14999ccde822227a5027/original/19785-10153231199517457-169756863572709608-n.jpg?1443361784" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></font><span class="font_small" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 24px;"><font face="Helvetica" size="5">I</font></span><font face="Helvetica" size="5" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 24px;">'ve always loved working with other singers and using vocal harmony in my music. Last spring when we asked the incredible vocalists Rique Franks and Miku Graham to join us on stage for the "New York Stories" release concert at The Glenn Gould Studio the beginning spark of UPTOWN; TRIBUTE TO THE APOLLO THEATRE was born. In this special evening of music we will be presenting a snapshot of the width and breadth of the music that graced The Apollo Stage including a medley of Ray Charles hits, and a medley of girl group songs made famous by The Crystals, The Ronettes and Darlene Love, who were all part of Phil Spector's Wall Of Sound.<br><br><strong>We hope you will join us to celebrate the next chapter in the "New York Story"!</strong></font><br><br><font color="#141823" face="helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14.40000057220459px; line-height: 17.280000686645508px;"> </span></font><br><span class="text_exposed_show" style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; display: inline; color: rgb(20, 24, 35); line-height: 18px;">Uptown: Tribute To The Apollo Theatre <br>November 15 - Hugh's Room, 2261 Dundas Street West (416-531-6604) <br>Tickets $27.50 advance/ $30 Door (includes HST) 7.30 pm show<br><a href="http://hughsroom.com/2015/08/micah-barnes-friends-uptown-tribute-to-the-apollo-theatre" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="color: rgb(59, 89, 152); cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://hughsroom.com/2015/<wbr></wbr>08/<wbr></wbr>micah-barnes-friends-uptown<wbr></wbr>-tribute-to-the-apollo-the<wbr></wbr>atre</a></span></p>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/36773822015-04-26T01:20:04-04:002023-12-10T13:15:29-05:00THANK YOU<div><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/01a1e43284175f14ae1f3343b9fa56c2519b6779/original/images.png?1430025501" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></div><span class="font_large">This is it folks! May 5th we release "New York Stories" worldwide! We couldn't have made this CD without your participation. The audiences told us which songs were strongest, the audience helped fund the project and now if youpre-order the digital version before May 5th from <a href="http://www.micahbarnes.com/">http://www.micahbarnes.com</a> you will help our chances of reaching #1 on the charts! Our thanks in advance!<br> <br>Of course we will have preview copies for sale May 3rd at the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto when we present "New York Stories" live with special guests including the wonderful Ms. Jackie Richardson. I will be on hand to sign copies of course so don't delay, make sure you get your seat before this concert sells out at <a href="http://www.micahbarnes.com/">http://www.micahbarnes.com</a> !<br> <br>This couldn't have happened without the generous support of the folks who helped fund this project through our Indiegogo campaign. This is a chance for me to publicly thank each and every one of these good folks: Nan Friedman, Judith Hanley, Anna C Korteweg, Christine Tier, David Warrack, Salah Bachir, Aaron Hastelow, Patricia L Tyrell, Party Barbara, Lilly Barnes, Barbara Saxberg, Joeanne Argue, Shannon Butcher, Charlotte M Moore,Patricia Cano, Sarah A Shippobotham, Glenn W Sevillo, Briane Nasimok, Robert Ault, Amanda Rushton, Sharon Weintraub, John M Rankine, Anne Marie Smith, Saskia Van Tetering, William Humenick, Marisa mcIntyre, Donita Large, Maureen E Gillies, David Gale, Laurie Lynd, Debra S Lary, Joanna Reynolds, Jennifer Sincero, Joseph Lewis, Renee Bouthot, Stewart G Arnott, Alida Kinnie Starr, Peter Dunn, Dorian Foley, Paula Griffith,Chris Jason Jones, Jeremy Podeswa, Paul V. Melissa Shriner, James Devins, Nella den Hollander, Sara Farb, Corrine Koslo, Melodee McPherson, Edna King, Thomas Rasky, Rochelle A Fabb, Richard M Sacks, Amanda Smith, Kristina Nojd,Lynne Fernie, Holmes Hooke, Renata Janiszewski, Colman Jones, Marianne Girard, Allegra Fulton, Ruth Ashton, Mark Zubeck, Michelle St John, Vera Bourne, Mercedes Moffatt, Carolyn Govers, Liza Balkan, Nicole Salter, Martin Julien, Ellen T Cole, Nurit Smith, Mathew Handscombe, Stephanie Clarke, Glenn A Walker, Lynda Covello, David Antoniuk, Meghan LeBlanc, Daniel Barnes, Sandra Farrauto, Jenny Wright, Adam Brazier, Robert M Saxe, Mark Cassius, Kyle Golemba, Sara Botsford, Bruce Dean, Rose Stewart, Tim Falconer, Amy Jewell, Michel Neray, Sam Broverman, Maria Dell'Anno, Elaine Gold, Lenny Dellanno, Kathrine O "Hara, Karen LeBlanc, Marvyn Morrison, Catharine Saxberg, Catherine Thompson, Colin Brown, Elaine Huras and Komiko Honjo!<br> <br>Our Thanks to each and every one of you. This is YOUR New York Story now!</span><br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/b277f04a8be566ce48af40a54cdd6705a5a19e72/small/signture.jpg?1413418359" class="size_s justify_left border_" /><br> Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/35720632015-03-03T20:11:26-05:002024-02-15T05:16:39-05:00MANHATTAN MIX TAPE:I've always been inspired by cover tunes. But when I was composing the songs that would become "New York Stories" I felt a special kind of inspiration from the city's musical energy all around me. In fact the musical history of The Big Apple seemed to be speaking to me through songs as I sketched out the tunes in a little writing studio off of Time Square! When I was back in Toronto I worked closely with my trio (Daniel Barnes and Russ Boswell) on the arrangements and it turns out the cover tunes proved so popular when we started performing them at our Jazz Bistro residencies that we decided to record a few while cutting the "New York Stories" album... and we're thrilled to offer them as the "Manhattan Mix Tape" to our hard core fans!<br><br>A word about the tracks:<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/bc351df343cdf89a68b8da3ff8971da3033f9bbe/small/1.jpg?1425427263" class="size_s justify_left border_" />Written and recorded by Smokey Robinson early in his career,"<a contents="Shop Around" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://micahbarnes3.bandzoogle.com/track/788961/shop-around?autostart=true" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0000FF;"><strong>Shop Around</strong></span></a>" with it's funky and loose arrangement, speaks to the urban energy of New York and the idea that there a million opportunities on every block of the city! Check the fun back up vocals from the trio, and imagine yourselves at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem around 1961 when this was a national hit for Smokey, an early indication of what was to come from the Motown hit machine!<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/8258a9c9ce3943fd34bd5b03a874db185066ef73/small/2.jpg?1425427486" class="size_s justify_right border_" style="font-size: 10px;" /><div>
<br>Looking for true love in the bustle of New York could leave anybody feeling lonely. Something that the lyric of "<a contents="Sunday Kind Of Love" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://micahbarnes3.bandzoogle.com/track/788957/a-sunday-kind-of-love?autostart=true" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0000FF;"><strong>Sunday Kind Of Love</strong></span></a>" expresses perfectly! Originally a jazz standard written by Louis Prima back in 1946, the song was brought into the rock n roll era by a Doo-Wop vocal quartet from New York known as The Harp-Tones. Their version is delicious in it's vulnerability and full of longing, BUT of course it pales in comparison to the great Etta James' whose 1961 blistering version seems ready to burst with emotion! We've taken a relaxed bluesy approach to this classic.
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<br>I've waited a very long time to sing "<strong><a contents="EveryTime We Say Goodbye" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://micahbarnes3.bandzoogle.com/track/788963/everytime-we-say-goodbye?autostart=true" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0000FF;">E</span></a><a contents="EveryTime We Say Goodbye" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://micahbarnes3.bandzoogle.com/track/788963/everytime-we-say-goodbye?autostart=true" target="_blank"><span style="color:#0000FF;">veryTime We Say Goodbye</span></a>"</strong> as I consider this song one of the greatest ever written. Both w</div>
<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/7929190445275fbb3bd9939a4950de6899bb8a01/small/4.jpg?1425427503" class="size_s justify_right border_" /><div>ords and music are by the hit Broadway composer Cole Porter, who was famous for composing risqué ditties but was especially powerful when turning his attention to a simple love ballad, and this is my favourite of them all. Written in 1944 and introduced in the show "Seven Lively Arts" on Broadway, I was most familiar with the Ray Charles/Betty Carter duet and of course Annie Lennox's version from the "Red Hot + Blue" album. I tried to sing it very simply in order to express the depth of this wonderful lyric and melody.<br><br>We do hope you enjoy the Manhattan Mix Tape<a contents=" click here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://micahbarnes3.bandzoogle.com/album/254020/manhattan-mix-tape?autostart=true"> <span style="color:#0000FF;">click here</span></a> for a sneak peek AND please do help us spread the word about the Indie Go Go campaign which is raising funds for the manufacture and marketing of "New York Stories" Have a look at the campaign here <a contents="Click Here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.igg.me/at/micahbarnes">www.igg.me/at/micahbarnes</a> any support you can give us will be deeply appreciated indeed!<br><br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/b277f04a8be566ce48af40a54cdd6705a5a19e72/small/signture.jpg?1413418359" class="size_s justify_left border_" />
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</div>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/35006262015-02-02T20:31:16-05:002024-01-23T07:18:25-05:00The Making Of Harlem Moon (part 2)<div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 24px; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 29px;"><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 24px; font-family: Helvetica;">
<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/b5450e2953ae867236a18057ea00142ae3408c77/original/miku.jpg?1422926753" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Casting the special guest stars for our little film noir video of the new single "Harlem Moon" was actually a little too easy. We all felt that the couple I am "stalking" in our story had to be so striking that even if we didn't really get to see their faces we could tell they were both attractive enough to drive yours truly out of my mind and out into the night!<br> </div></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 24px; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="font_regular">Our amazing keyboard man Michael Shand just happens to be partnered by a wonderful lady as talented as she is gorgeous, the Canadian actress and singer Miku Graham. Although we know each other, Miku and I had never worked together until we shared a stage at World Pride 2014 opening the show for kd Lang. Working with her then I realized she was the perfect choice for our female lead.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 24px; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 29px;"><span class="font_regular"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/b9c503415878b7161dd2023312fcd541ebd02bc3/original/photo-1.jpg?1422926782" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 24px; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="font_regular">However Miku is one popular girl, besides all her singing gigs she's also a busy actress and was up in Sudbury filming a movie the same week we were in production for "Harlem Moon". We weren't sure she could make it back in time for our multi location shoot day. But being a real trooper, Miku travelled back to Toronto after shooting all night long on the movie and jumped in a cab to Queen Street West just in time to shoot the sequence where I follow her into my old stomping ground The Cameron House. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 24px; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="font_regular"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/74677f8c98d2c0bff7e4a2323ad8ff4b3b885966/original/photo.jpg?1422926766" class="size_l justify_center border_" />Miku was the of epitome of grace and professionalism throughout even after having had a gruelling week filming up north. We both hated having to shoot the "argument" scene at my Queen Street West Apt which opens our video, but the mood changed when we headed to Trinity Bellwoods park to shoot the closing sequence and the whole crew got to enjoy both how perfect Miku and our male lead Thom Allison looked as a couple and what a blast they had working with each other The fact that they make perhaps the most stunning couple in the world certainly adds to the drama and jealousy factor of our little story. </span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 24px; font-family: Helvetica;"><span class="font_regular">For those of you who have yet to see the video you can view it here:<br><br><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="ZOuOQqpVEA4" data-video-thumb-url="http://img.youtube.com/vi/ZOuOQqpVEA4/0.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZOuOQqpVEA4?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="200" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe><br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/b277f04a8be566ce48af40a54cdd6705a5a19e72/medium/signture.jpg?1413418359" class="size_m justify_left border_" /></span></div>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/34749122015-01-19T18:59:56-05:002022-11-18T03:57:25-05:00The Making Of The "Harlem Moon" Video<br><strong><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/b587082912c487de01968cb11859245e7ced2f15/medium/micahhhhh.jpg?1421711937" class="size_m justify_left border_" /><br>"The Idea"</span></strong><br><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Cowriter JP Saxe and I had initially conceived of the song as a ballad but once my trio (Russ Boswell and Daniel Barnes and Michael Shand) began working on the arrangement we developed a more intense voodoo groove, (starting with Russ's baseline!) and we ended up with a final version more in keeping with the lyrical content about jealousy and following one's love.</span><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> Our video producer Leonardo Del'Anno brought director Dean Vargas to the project and we sat together to work out the ways in which we were going to portray the kind of "stylish but creepy" vibe of the lyric.</span><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">There was a collective "aha" moment when we realized that if I was stalking a couple and the viewer isn't sure which of them or perhaps if both of them are my lover it would make for an intriguing plot line that would pull folks into the modern film noir approach of our little drama.</span>
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<br><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><strong>"The Shoot"</strong></span>
</div><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Casting the amazing folks who leant their talents to this little drama was easy, but working around their busy schedules was key as the main couple were both were in the middle of TV and Film shoots and our "guest bartender" Ori Dagan is one of the busiest Jazz vocalists around!</span><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Shooting in no less than 8 locations over two days meant for a very quick schedule but as you can see by the finished product there was a lot of love and care to get the details right.</span><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Our first shoot day was at The Jazz Bistro in downtown Toronto standing in for a sophisticated New York club for the band sequence, along with sequences in their beautiful upstairs lounge. We also shot in my old stomping ground The Cameron Tavern on Queen Street for contrast and the vibe of both establishments really lends a great deal to our storyline.</span><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The park sequence at the end was really fun to shoot and although it's Trinity Bellwoods Park in Toronto standing in for Central Park I think you will agree it feels like we're in The Big Apple where the song is set. </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Our deepest thanks to the cast and crew and all the folk who made this little piece of film such a joy to work on and create! Enjoy!<br><br>Watch the Video Here. <iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="ZOuOQqpVEA4" data-video-thumb-url="http://img.youtube.com/vi/ZOuOQqpVEA4/0.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZOuOQqpVEA4?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="200" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></span>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/33921142014-12-12T12:14:40-05:002024-03-06T05:50:11-05:00"Sunday In New York"<br><br><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> Waking up to strong coffee, fresh b</span><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/56c337a84352b23d833510808baffb93838d927b/medium/micahhh.jpg?1418404286" class="size_m justify_left border_" /><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">agels and The New York Times, taking a leisurely walk in the park before an afternoon matinee, having a bite in a cafe before hitting a cabaret or jazz club; for our "</span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_2019764078" style="border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Sunday</span></span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> In New York" brunch shows at The Jazz Bistro my trio and I have put together songs that reflect that special feeling of a </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_2019764079" style="border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Sunday</span></span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> in New York, we want our audience to feel like they are enjoying a leisurely day off in "The City that doesn't Sleep".</span>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> <br>"</span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_2019764080" style="border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Sunday</span></span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> in New York" features songs that celebrate the city’s cultural landmarks (“Lullaby of Birdland”, “Stompin’ at the Savoy”), songs from Broadway shows that celebrate New York ( "Lullaby Of Broadway" from 42nd Street and "There's a Boat That's Leaving Soon for New York" from Porgy & Bess) plus luxurious ballads (“Ballad of the Sad Young Men,” "</span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_2019764081" style="border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Sunday</span></span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> Kind Of Love" & “Lush Life”),designed to give the listener that feeling of an afternoon of "Jazz and Cocktails".</span><br><br><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> <br>We are also including a few excerpts from this summer's hit show “Stand By Me: The Music Of The Brill Building” which celebrates the young composers who kept the hits coming in the Golden age of Pop and of course new original songs from the upcoming disc, including our #1 Itunes single "New York Story".</span><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">"Sundays in New York". It's cheaper than a Porter flight to the Big Apple, plus the brunch is delicious! </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We hope you will join us for a show this Dec! Reservations are recommended at 416 363 JAZZ. Show time </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_2019764082" style="border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">12.30 pm<br><br> <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/b277f04a8be566ce48af40a54cdd6705a5a19e72/small/signture.jpg?1413418359" class="size_s justify_left border_" /></span></span><br> </div>Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/33062722014-11-19T18:12:59-05:002023-12-10T13:04:52-05:00Jazz as a Living Art Form<br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">So much of the music we hear in the Jazz genre is made by of musicians and artists trying to recreate the music of another era or of an already existing sound. This is understandable in many ways, as audiences want to know what they are getting and so providing music that is familiar can be useful in the marketing of Jazz, (think Ella, Frankie or Billie etc), which has a smaller market share to begin with. </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Actually I don't have any issue with this, in fact there are times when I am attracted to the idea of creating an "old school" feel in my work…</span><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">…but my personal journey is to reinvestigate Jazz and Blues as a living art form. </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">For instance, during the writing of our upcoming "New York Stories" disc I was living in Harlem and writing down in Midtown near Time Square with Manhattan's energy and musical history swirling around me and filling me with inspiration. However I was also going through a great deal of personal upheaval and risk while romancing a new partner who was living and working in New York. And the upcoming disc certainly reflects both my romantic love affair and my love affair with New York.</span><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> <br>The early days of a relationship are an unsure and unsettling time (as well as very exciting and romantic of course) and luckily for me I have songwriting as a way to express and process my experience. </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Coming from the confessional singer-songwriter tradition has made my kind of Jazz & Blues a very personal mode of expression that I hope communicates to the world; A living art form that looks both forwards and backwards at the same time. </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">One listen to "New York Story" says it all!</span><br><br><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="9NfRgPFaDOE" data-video-thumb-url="http://img.youtube.com/vi/9NfRgPFaDOE/0.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9NfRgPFaDOE?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="200" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe><br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/b277f04a8be566ce48af40a54cdd6705a5a19e72/small/signture.jpg?1413418359" class="size_s justify_left border_" />Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/32591352014-10-30T19:21:58-04:002023-12-10T13:15:29-05:00STAND BY ME: THE MUSIC OF THE BRILL BUILDINGOne of the most important musical landmarks in New York City is the Brill Building where in the 50's and 60's a small army of ambitious teenagers competed with each other to write the next million seller for Elvis, The Drifters and The Shirelles. Along the way this small bunch of composers made a long string of hit records that saw them leaving parents basements in Brooklyn and entering rock n roll history as they created the second great American songbook, filling the airwaves and the dance floors and jukeboxes of the world with the hopes and dreams of the american teenager.<br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I first began singing this rich material during my time as a member of The Nylons when the guys schooled me on how the early Doo Wop and Rhythm and Blues developed into sophisticated three minute pop classics such as "One Fine Day" and "Spanish Harlem". It was while I was living and writing in The Big Apple, writing the songs for my upcoming release "New York Stories" in those little piano rooms off of Time Square when the music of the Brill Era and these songs began to inspire me once again.. and the idea of the show "Stand By Me" was born!</span><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Imagining an evening that might recreate a concert from the early 60's I asked some of the best singers in Canada to join me in forming a male vocal group to interpret songs written by legendary Brill Building composers and lyricists such as Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Lieber and Stoller and Bacharach and David. Each of the singers had to be able to handle harmonies so it was natural to ask Billy Newton Davis, Gavin Hope and Tyrone Gabriel (who have all been a part of The Nylons), however this show is not an A Capella evening as it also features my trio featuring my brother Daniel Barnes on the drums, Russ Boswell on bass and our musical director Michael Shand.</span><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Our upcoming show at The Al Green Theatre in Toronto is a fundraiser for the JCC's music scholarship foundation, and we are proud to be performing this concert in support of music education being available to all!</span><br><br>"STAND BY ME: THE MUSIC OF THE BRILL BUILDING"<br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Micah Barnes and Friends</span><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_141542243" style="border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Thursday, November 13th – 8:00pm</span></span><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">$50 Purchase ticket through the Box Office </span><a href="tel:416-978-8849" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" value="+14169788849">416-978-8849</a><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> | </span><a href="http://www.uofttix.ca/" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" target="_blank">www.uofttix.ca<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/b277f04a8be566ce48af40a54cdd6705a5a19e72/small/signture.jpg?1413418359" class="size_s justify_left border_" /></a><br><br><br><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/ce8d7eb20a9ce46481f5e031678c72cdf0c6ad6e/original/medium-brill-2.jpg?1414711283" class="size_l justify_left border_" /></span>
<div> </div><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> Micah Barnestag:www.micahbarnes.com,2005:Post/32346522014-10-15T20:06:42-04:002023-12-10T14:17:19-05:00Arrival Welcome to my brand new site. A much better way for me to share my world with you. To start off on this first of my weekly blogs I'm going to list the top 5 things you should experience on the site.. and why!<br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">1) Have a look at the video for the first single from "New York Stories", (which helped push the song to #1 on the Canadian Itunes Jazz chart!)<a contents=" Click Here" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NfRgPFaDOE"> Click Here</a></span><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">2) Have a listen to the sample of our 2nd single "Harlem Moon" which is going to drop later this month (with a super cool video!!) <a contents="Click Here" data-link-label="Music" data-link-type="page" href="/music">Click Here</a></span><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">3) Check out my coaching web site where you can see work I do with singers during our private and group workshop sessions! (Next Toronto Workshop </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_527378640" style="border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Nov 30th</span></span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">!) <a contents="Click Here" data-link-label="Coaching" data-link-type="page" href="/coaching">Click Here</a></span><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">4) Sign up for the newsletter which will allow me to stay in touch with you about upcoming shows, releases, news and stuff. <a contents="Click Here" data-link-label="Contact" data-link-type="page" href="/contact">Click Here</a></span><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">5) …and of course read my new weekly blog where I will be sharing the journey as we bring this music to the world! <a contents="Click Here" data-link-label="Blog" data-link-type="page" href="/blog">Click Here</a><br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/151712/b277f04a8be566ce48af40a54cdd6705a5a19e72/original/signture.jpg?1413418359" class="size_orig justify_left border_" /></span>Micah Barnes