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My Chemical Romance Visits The GRAMMY Museum

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New Jersey-based quartet discusses their formation, musical influences and latest album
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 4:06 pm
GRAMMY.com

My Chemical Romance participated in an installment of the GRAMMY Museum's An Evening With series on Jan. 26. Before an audience of 200 at the Clive Davis Theater, the four-piece band discussed their latest album, Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys, early musical influences and how Sept. 11 inspired their formation, among other topics.

"It was like watching a horror movie," said Gerard Way of Sept. 11. "I was doing something really irrelevant at the time that I didn't feel was important and I remember just thinking to myself, 'This is not a waste. I can't waste this.' And it was literally like two weeks later that we had our first rehearsal."

Formed in New Jersey, My Chemical Romance consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, bassist Mikey Way, and guitarists Frank Iero and Ray Toro. In 2002 the band released their debut album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, ripe with alternative rock and pop elements and dark, introspective lyrics. Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge followed in 2004 and netted the band their first Top 40 hit, "Helena." My Chemical Romance's third album, The Black Parade, was released in 2006 and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Conceptual in nature, the album centers around the story of a cancer patient in a hospital bed who reminisces on his life at the moment of his death. Certified platinum, The Black Parade spawned My Chemical Romance's highest-charting single to date, "Welcome To The Black Parade," which reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. Gerard Way received a GRAMMY nomination in 2007 for Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package for his art direction for The Black Parade — Special Edition. Released on Nov. 22, 2010, the band's most recent album, Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys, is a sci-fi-themed depiction of anti-corporate outlaws living in the year 2019.

Upcoming GRAMMY Museum events include An Evening With Booker T. Jones (May 12), From Vision To Vinyl: A Step-By-Step Look At Vinyl Production (May 18), and American Express Presents The Drop: Diane Schuur (June 9).

For more information on the GRAMMY Museum, visit www.grammymuseum.org.

Click on the "GRAMMY Museum events" tag below for links to other GRAMMY News stories in this series.

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Raphael Saadiq Drops By The GRAMMY Museum

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GRAMMY-winning artist discusses the creation of his latest album, Stone Rollin'
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 4:06 pm
GRAMMY.com

GRAMMY-winning recording artist Raphael Saadiq was the featured guest in an installment of the GRAMMY Museum's The Drop series on March 23. Before an intimate audience at the Clive Davis Theater, Saadiq discussed topics such as his recent GRAMMY performance with Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, touring and his latest album, Stone Rollin'. Following the discussion, Saadiq performed a brief set, including a rendition of the album's title track.

"He's more than a legend, he's a real musician," said Saadiq of Jagger, with whom he performed "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love" in tribute to the late soul legend Solomon Burke at the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards in February. "He's a blues guy and a rock guy, gospel — he loves all kinds of music. So it was really a natural fit for both of us to work together."

Born Charlie Ray Wiggins in Oakland, Calif., Saadiq began playing music at the age of 6. He received his first career break in 1986, landing an opportunity to play in Recording Academy Los Angeles Chapter Governor Sheila E.'s band during a tour opening for Prince. In 1987 he formed the R&B/soul trio Tony! Toni! Toné! with his brother, Dwayne Wiggins, and cousin, Timothy Christian. The group charted six songs in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, including "If I Had No Loot," which reached No. 7 in 1993. Saadiq next made a foray into producing, collaborating with artists such as D'Angelo, Macy Gray, the Roots, and TLC. His debut solo album, Instant Vintage, was released in 2002 and garnered three GRAMMY nominations. That same year, Saadiq won his lone GRAMMY to date for Best R&B Song for "Love Of My Life (An Ode To Hip-Hop)," a song he co-wrote with Erykah Badu and Common, among others, featured on the soundtrack for the film Brown Sugar. Saadiq landed three more GRAMMY nominations in 2008, including Best R&B Album for The Way I See It. Stone Rollin', which NPR has described as "a full cycle of moods and grooves," was released on May 10.

Upcoming GRAMMY Museum events include An Evening With Booker T. Jones (May 12); From Vision To Vinyl: A Step-By-Step Look At Vinyl Production (May 18); Forever Young: Celebrating Bob Dylan's 70th Birthday (May 24); the inaugural installment of Homegrown, a series that will spotlight Los Angeles-based artists, featuring Andy Grammer (May 31); An Evening With Flavor Flav (June 1); and American Express Presents The Drop: Diane Schuur (June 9).

For more information on the GRAMMY Museum, visit www.grammymuseum.org.

Click on the "GRAMMY Museum events" tag below for links to other GRAMMY News stories in this series.

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Preservation Hall Jazz Band Is Preserving Music In The Big Easy

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New Orleans jazz band visits the GRAMMY Museum
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 4:06 pm
GRAMMY.com

In celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month, on April 5 the GRAMMY Museum welcomed the Preservation Hall Jazz Band to the intimate Clive Davis Theater for an installment of the Museum's An Evening With series. The band discussed the origins of New Orleans jazz and the music's spiritual ties and performed a brief set, including "Bourbon Street Parade" and "Short Dressed Gal."

"There's a mix of many races in New Orleans that we call it a melting pot," said Charlie Gabriel, vocalist and clarinet player for the band. "In this melting pot we're able to create this music and give it back to the universe. It's the only art form that [America has] given to the universe. Everything else we have comes from abroad, but this is American music."


Founded in 1961 by Allan and Sandra Jaffe, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band derives its name from Preservation Hall, the historic music venue founded that same year in New Orleans' French Quarter by art dealer Larry Borenstein. Under the leadership of Creative Director Ben Jaffe, the son of co-founders Allan and Sandra, the current band lineup includes Mark Braud (trumpet/vocals), Gabriel, Joseph Lastie Jr. (drums), Freddie Lonzo (trombone), Clint Maedgen (tenor saxophone/vocals), and Rickie Monie (piano). Members of the earlier installments of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band included musicians such as clarinetists Albert Burbank and Willie Humphrey, trumpeters Punch Miller and De De Pierce, and pianists Sweet Emma Barrett and Billie Pierece, among others. Since their founding, the band has traveled worldwide with the mission to nurture and perpetuate the art form of New Orleans jazz. The band charted on the Billboard 200 in 2010 with the release of Preservation: An Album To Benefit Preservation Hall & The Preservation Hall Music Outreach Program, which featured guests Ani DiFranco, Steve Earle and Merle Haggard, among others. They are currently on tour throughout the United States and performed at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival on June 10 in Manchester, Tenn.

Upcoming GRAMMY Museum events include Roger Steffens' Life Of Bob Marley, Part 2 (June 17); An Evening With Max Weinberg (June 20) and Homegrown: The Airborne Toxic Event (June 22).

For more information on the GRAMMY Museum, visit www.grammymuseum.org.

Click on the "GRAMMY Museum events" tag below for links to other GRAMMY News stories in this series.

Nick Lowe

Photo: Rebecca Sapp/WireImage.com

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The High Points Of Nick Lowe

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Pioneering musician/producer visits the GRAMMY Museum
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 4:06 pm
GRAMMY.com

Pioneering rock musician/producer Nick Lowe was the featured guest for a recent installment of the GRAMMY Museum's An Evening With series. Before an intimate audience, Lowe discussed becoming a musician, his early musical influences and working with GRAMMY winner Elvis Costello. Following the interview, Lowe performed a brief set, including "Heart," a song from his 1982 album Nick The Knife.

"I figured out pretty quickly that if you want to have any kind of long-term career, you have to figure out [how] to write your own song[s]," said Lowe. "Lots of things have changed in the pop business, but that is still true."



Born the son of a British Royal Air Force officer, Lowe was raised in the Middle East until his family relocated to the UK. He began playing bass guitar while at boarding school and as a teenager performed in a variety of bands, including Three's A Crowd and Sounds 4 Plus 1 with his friend, guitarist Brinsley Schwarz. In 1965 Lowe joined Schwarz's pop act Kippington Lodge. Four years later, Kippington Lodge morphed into a country rock act under the name Brinsley Schwarz and landed a recording contract with United Artists. Brinsley Schwarz released their self-titled debut in 1970. The band slowly built a following on the pub rock scene, and their under-the-radar approach helped set the stage for the breakthrough of punk rock in the late '70s.

Brinsley Schwarz severed ties in 1975, but by then Lowe had established himself as a significant figure in the development of punk rock. With a reputation as a talented songwriter, he began working as producer for artists including Dr. Feelgood, Graham Parker and the Kursaal Flyers. Lowe eventually became the first artist signed to independent label Stiff Records, where he also worked as an in-house producer. Lowe was credited for producing arguably the first British punk album, the Damned's Damned Damned, as well as Costello's 1977 release, My Aim Is True. His rough, DIY producing style earned him the moniker "Basher."

In 1978 Lowe released his debut solo album, Jesus Of Cool, which was later renamed Pure Pop For Now People for its release in the United States. Labour Of Lust was released in 1979 with Lowe's backing band, Rockpile, and featured the Billboard Hot 100 Top 20 hit "Cruel To Be Kind." Lowe shifted his music toward roots rock for his 1984 release And His Cowboy Outfit, and 1985's Rose Of England, featuring "I Knew The Bride (When She Used To Rock & Roll)," his second and last Billboard Hot 100 hit to date.

Lowe formed Little Village in 1986, a supergroup featuring multigenre musicians Ry Cooder and John Hiatt and percussionist Jim Keltner. The group earned a GRAMMY nomination in 1992 for Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal for their self-titled release. Lowe released several more solo albums throughout the '90s and 2000s, including 2001's The Convincer and 2007's At My Age, both of which made the Top 40 on Billboard's Independent Albums chart. His most recent release, The Old Magic, was released in September and peaked at No. 25 on Billboard's Rock Albums chart.

Upcoming GRAMMY Museum events include An Evening With Judy Collins (Nov. 1), An Evening With LeAnn Rimes (Nov. 2), Spotlight: Colbie Caillat (Nov. 3), and An Evening With America (Nov. 4).

For more information on the GRAMMY Museum, visit www.grammymuseum.org.

Click on the "GRAMMY Museum events" tag below for links to other GRAMMY News stories in this series.

Todd Rundgren

Photo: Mark Sullivan/WireImage.com

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Hello, It's Todd Rundgren

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Producer/songwriter visits the GRAMMY Museum
GRAMMYs
Dec 2, 2014 - 4:06 pm
GRAMMY.com

Acclaimed producer/songwriter Todd Rundgren was the featured guest for a recent installment of the GRAMMY Museum's An Evening With series. In an intimate interview setting, Rundgren discussed his musical influences, his tenure in the psychedelic rock band the Nazz and his work as a producer/engineer, among other topics. Following the interview, Rundgren performed a brief set, including "I Don't Want To Tie You Down," from his 1973 solo album A Wizard, A True Star, and "Bang The Drum All Day," from 1983's The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect.

"My very first professional gig was as a blues guitar player when I got out of high school," said Rundgren. "I was playing a mishmash of blues, Beatles and Yardbirds [songs]."

Born in Upper Darby, Pa., Rundgren landed his first professional gig as the guitarist for the Philadelphia-based blues band Woody's Truck Stop. He then formed the Nazz with bassist Carson Von Osten in 1967. A year later, the Nazz released their self-titled debut album featuring 10 songs, a majority of which were penned by Rundgren. Rundgren departed the band to focus on a solo career, releasing his debut album, Runt, under the guise of the band Runt, in 1970. Rundgren earned his renown as a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer with 1972's Something/Anything? peaking at No. 29 on the Billboard 200 and featuring the Top 10 hit "Hello It's Me," one of his five songs to crack the Top 40. ("Hello It's Me" was originally recorded on the Nazz's debut album.) In 1974 Rundgren formed the progressive rock band Utopia, a project he continued to record with into the mid-'80s. As a producer, Rundgren's résumé includes work with artists such as Patti Smith, Cheap Trick, Grand Funk Railroad, Hall & Oates, and Meat Loaf's 1977 album Bat Out Of Hell, which peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard 200 and has sold more than 14 million copies.

Released in April, Rundgren's latest solo album, Todd Rundgren's Johnson, is a tribute to the legendary bluesman Robert Johnson. The album features 12 interpretations of Johnson's songs, including blues classics such as "Sweet Home Chicago," "Love In Vain" and "Crossroad Blues."

Upcoming GRAMMY Museum events include An Evening With Dave Alvin (Sept. 19), The Drop: Johnny Gil (Sept. 20), Spotlight: Matthew Morrison (Sept. 24), and An Evening With Blind Boys Of Alabama (Sept. 28).

For more information on the GRAMMY Museum, visit www.grammymuseum.org.

Click on the "GRAMMY Museum events" tag below for links to other GRAMMY News stories in this series.