Qtrax - A Plaintiff Declaration

After further research into the phenomenon surrounding the 25,000,000 + tracks available for free download through digital music service Qtrax, this may be a standard case of "too good to be true." In the wake of the announcement from Qtrax CEO Alan Klepfisz at the Midem Conference in Cannes that he had signed deals with the four major labels authorizing users to download the songs, you will find the Songbird-based interface up and running, but without any downloadable content.

"We're not idiots," is the latest public statement from Klepfisz, alleging that "the ink has not dried on the contracts," but deals are still forthcoming. At one point, Qtrax did have deals with EMI and Sony BMG, but the EMI contract has since expired, and Sony BMG stipulated only limited-play downloads as opposed to Qtrax's unlimited play model. There is a substantiated deal in place with EMI's publishing division with allows Qtrax to distribute a certain collection of songs, but the distributor must not only come to an agreement with the publisher (creative content owner) but also the record label which owns the copyright to the master use license.

Copyright law is the roadblock preventing the timely release of an ocean of material to the mass public. Klepfisz is ademant that downloads will begin soon, so in the meantime, keep your ear to tuned into the media buzz.

Graham

25 Million Songs for Free? Of Course There's a Catch!

It's times like these when I wish I had disposable income to float into the stock market. I say this because today, music digital site Qtrax launched the Beta version of its file sharing service, allowing U.S. and European residents access to a catalogue of more than 25 million songs that users can download entirely for free, for an unlimited period of time, with virtually no strings attached. After conferring with a friend who is acquaintances with one of Qtrax's primary share holders, the cost per share has skyrocketed from just under 30 cents, to $10 after today's unveiling.

A threat to iTunes? Unlikely, but this is an impressive maneuver from Qtrax, especially considering the service has been endorsed by all the major record labels, including EMI, Universal and Warner, the very same companies that have waged war against illegal file-sharers for the better part of a decade. This revolutionary concept carries with it only two small annoyances; 1) users are required to maneuver through a moderate amount of advertising from major corporations Ford, McDonalds, and Microsoft; 2) users are strongly encourage to "dock" their players once a month so Qtrax can analyze which songs have been downloaded in order to pay artists, publishers and record companies an appropriate usage fee.

My first instinct was to say "great, tons of free music without the threat of legal action," and while this service is certainly highly attractive, my second instinct was one of heavy speculation since Qtrax has yet to offer an "iPod solution." In a consumer market where the iPod accounts for almost 50% of total digital player sales, is it really possible for Qtrax to stay competitive if its tracks aren't compatible with something as internationally popular as chocolate? Where's the motivation if the songs are resigned to living on most people's laptops? Qtrax has announced their intention for a future "solution", so it'll be interesting to see what transpires in the next several months.

I look forward to speaking with some Wolf Trap artists about this phenomenon once the summer hits. The reality of music theft has been such a major topic of contention for so long, I'd imagine its legalization is creating quite a bit of confusion for long time recording artists who have always relied on conventional music sales as their sole source of income. This has got to be a good thing for them, right? I guess it's just way too early to tell.

Talk soon,

Graham

New Wolf Trap Education Video

Happy Friday, everyone! Hope you all have big plans this weekend. Hopefully they include a trip tomorrow to The Barns to see John Eaton as he salutes the One Hit Wonders of the American popular song book?

For today's video, I wanted to give you a glimpse of the latest video put together about one of our arts education programs—the video was recently posted for public consumption on YouTube. This presentation focuses on the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts which places Wolf Trap hired and trained professional Teaching Artists in classroom residencies to work collaboratively with teachers on ways to use the performing arts to reinforce important learning concepts for preschool children.

The Wolf Trap Institute Teaching Artists engage children in active, creative learning experiences. Generally speaking, children and adults learn in different ways whether they be visual, auditory or kinesthetic. So by giving young children early, high quality educational experiences through music, drama, and movement, they have the opportunity to acquire knowledge through a love of the learning processes.

So next time you come to see a Wolf Trap production at The Barns or the Filene Center, you should feel good knowing that a portion of your ticket cost is going to help shape children's futures for the better by funding these types of programs. Or maybe you’re just here for the music – which is fine by us too. :) You can learn more about the Wolf Trap Foundation education programs by accessing this link.

This a pretty cool video, check it out.

Talk next week,

Graham

A Window into the Wolf Trap Opera Company 2008 Audition Tour

Each year, our Wolf Trap Opera Company director Kim Witman and administrative director Lee Anne Myslewski embark on a nationwide audition tour in search of emerging talent to occupy our 20 open spots for Filene Young Artists. All principal roles in WTOC productions are performed by these select singers, which were chosen this year from an initial pool of over 700 applicants.

Kim and Lee Anne hit New York, Chicago, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Vienna, VA, Houston, and LA in search of the finest applicants with New York attracting by far the most applicants at 37% of the total pool. This past Friday, on her blog, Kim posted what is many staff members favorite of the year, titled Raw Audition Comments 2008 in which she publishes her stream of consciousness reactions to what she is hearing during select auditions. I've included the link to her post here.

If you have a few minutes to browse, it's sure to give you a good chuckle. Some of my personal favorites are "Not exactly a stage animal", "Open Your Eyes!", and "It's an American opera, for he has his hands in his pockets."

If you're curious about the caliber of auditions given the amateurish impression that many of these comments excude, the WTOC is widely regarded as one of the premier young artist programs in the country. Providing an important step between vocal graduate work and a full time career as an opera singer with multiple dates at the Met in New York, the WTOC has graduated such alumns as Denyce Graves, Nathan Gunn, Dawn Upshaw, and Larry Brownlee who are amongst today's most recognizable names in the opera world. It is a rigorous audition process, with very specific criteria for selection.

If you're free tonight, come out for some cabaret at The Barns courtesy of Tony-Award winning Broadway, TV, and screen star Faith Prince. Her electric performance style is sure to give you a spark on this cold Thursday.

Tune in for the video of the week tomorrow featuring a sneak peak into the world of Wolf Trap's education programs.

later on,

Graham

Cravin' Dogs with Luke Brindley Band Tomorrow Night

Happy Friday all!

Tomorrow at 7:30 p.m., your assignment is to go check out Vienna's own Cravin' Dogs at The Barns with Luke Brindley Band as support (The Brindley brothers own and operate Jammin' Java). Front man and rhythm guitarist Caldwell Gray actually lives right up the street from our offices, and has been a close friend of Wolf Trap for many years. This is a perfect Saturday band with their array of upbeat, energetically delivered roots/jam-rock tunes. If you've had a tough week at work, Caldwell and company will melt your cares away. For an added degree of celebratory spirit, tomorrow night marks the band's official CD release of Live At The Black Cat, a memorable recording from a 1995 D.C. performance.

To help you get ramped up for tomorrow night's show, here's a high octane version of the fan favorite "Resign" from a 2003 performance at the State Theater. Have a great weekend!

Graham

Duke Robillard and John Hammond Tonight

For Roomful of Blues fans, today is probably one mixed with emotions. On one hand, its founding member Duke Robillard is performing tonight at The Barns with John Hammond, but there is also the unfortunate news surrounding the death of long time trumpeter Bob Enos. The second-most tenured member after saxophonist Rich Lataille, Enos passed away peacefully in his sleep early this past Friday in a hotel room in Douglas, GA.

His surviving band mates made themselves available to the Providence Journal to comment on Enos' lifelong impact as a friend and colleague. Saxophonist Greg Abate was quoted as saying "You couldn't find anybody nicer than him. A real free spirit, a loving individual, and a family man." Former band member Greg Piccolo recalled Enos' professional ability through a comparison to a monster, or a bull. He went on record as saying, "One thing we didn't have before we got him was someone we could depend on in that lead trumpet spot. When we got him, that just brought it to another whole level." Enos and the band were no strangers to Wolf Trap, recording their 2002 performance at The Barns for a commercial release titled Live at Wolf Trap, and their contribution to our Raise the Roof live compilation with the inclusion of "Two Bones and a Pick."

Robillard never played in Roomful with Enos considering he left the band after 12 years to collaborate with the well known Rockabilly musician Robert Gordon, so it'll be interesting to hear if Robillard mentions Enos' two decade impact on Roomful at tonight's Wolf Trap show. Something you can expect from tonight's show is multiple tunes performed in Robillard's signature "jump blues" style from his latest CD, World Full of Blues, which is getting some pretty serious attention after climbing to #7 on Billboard magazine's blues chart.

Paired with John Hammond, one of the leading intepreters of classic blues and the man responsible for igniting the careers of several major recording artists including Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Pete Seeger, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan and Stevie Ray Vaughan, this has the makings for a fantastic show.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's video of the week! Happy snow day from everyone at Wolf Trap!

Graham

Wolf Trap Radio Offers an Exclusive Advanced Preview of Cravin' Dogs Newest Live Release

Morning All,

In anticipation of the upcoming Cravin' Dogs performance this Saturday, January 19 at The Barns, Wolf Trap's internet radio station is offering an exclusive five day opportunity to hear eight tracks off their soon to be released live CD, Live At The Black Cat. Tune in at 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. by accessing this link on Wolf Trap's website. http://www.wolftrap.org/performances/castradio.html. The performance can be streamed via iTunes, Real Player, or Live 365.

During Saturday's show, Cravin' Dogs will celebrate the official release of Live At The Black Cat on CD, a show originally recorded in 1994 and released on cassette in 1995. The CD contains the nine original tunes, plus two bonus tracks—“Liquor Store” from their 1994 release El Camino, and the Neil Young cover “Cortez the Killer”.

For those who aren't familiar with Cravin' Dogs, these Northern Virginia boys truly are charting new musical waters with tunes that explore the far reaches of folk, rock, ’80s new wave, and bluegrass. Originally formed in 1986, Cravin’ Dogs have recorded seven full-length albums, one EP, and two compilation retrospectives, several of which were recorded with producers John Alagia and Doug Derryberry at the helm (Dave Matthews Band—Remember Two Things and Live at Red Rocks). Cravin’ Dogs have developed a local cult following throughout their 20-year tenure on the touring circuit due to their infectious sound and stage time with some of yesterday’s and today’s biggest names in music including Chuck Berry, Dave Matthews Band, Styx, Gillian Welsh, Cake, and NRBQ, to name a few.
If you like what you hear, come out to the show on Saturday! Tickets are still available by calling 1 (877) WOLFTRAP; or online at http://www.wolftrap.org/performances/tickets.html.

Talk soon,

Graham

Video of the Week

Tom Hanks (who in the not-so-distant past made a point to mention "the opera at Wolf Trap" during an appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman), yesterday commented to Reuters that he is eager to see the conclusion of the writer's strike that has been in effect since early November. Given the cancellation of the Golden Globe awards in favor of a news conference that will likely draw a very thin attendance, Hanks is concerned that the Academy Awards will suffer a similar fate, and as a member of the Screen Actor's Guild, Director's Guild and the board of governers of the Academy, he views this as unacceptable. I think it was important for someone with Hanks' celebrity status to step forward given the significance and industry impact of the Oscars, and I appreciate his apparent concern for caterers, carpenters, electricians, gaffers, and other technical professionals who are equally affected by this stopage in labor.

With NBC recently announcing that they will exceed $1 billion in digital revenue for 2008, maybe it's time for the corporate bigwigs to concede and allocate a percentage to their writers? Even from a professional PR and general editorial standpoint, it's been a slightly frustrating few months considering that much of our local and regional arts news coverage is getting bumped by coverage given to the strike (and the obligatory content surrounding presidential caucus and primary season). Plus I'm sure many of us are fiending for new episodes of "The Office" and "30 Rock". But, I digress.

I thought an appropriate video of the week would be this update of the writer's strike.....so far.

Have a great weekend.

-Graham

Bill Kirchen as "the Musical Glue" for the Nick Lowe Tribute

In attendance for the Nick Lowe Tribute at The Barns this past Saturday night was Wolf Trap's friend and former colleague, Carter Nelson. Given his passion for Lowe's body of work, and his personal connections to some of the musicians on the evening's bill (which qualifies him to subjectively rate their performances), he approached me with the idea of guest posting a review of this show.

Carter is a great writer, and recounts last Saturday evening with remarkable enthusiasm and appreciation for a man who is clearly one of our author's most prominent musical heroes.

Check it out....

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With the fervor of a tent revival, the Barns at Wolf Trap shook with a mighty joy Saturday evening as a stalwart gathering of the Washington area’s finest musicians celebrated the genius of Nick Lowe -- U.K. pub rocker, tunesmith, producer, and onetime professed “Jesus of Cool.”

Those who know Nick Lowe also know that a more self deprecating soul can hardly be found in rock & roll so the moniker is now as humorous as it once was controversial when Lowe burst forth in 1978 with his debut solo album (re-titled Pure Pop for Now People for the US market) From the edgy, creative ferment of the punk rock era emerged a body of work that is well deserving of the homage paid -- thanks to the stunning efforts of Band House in staging an ambitious and well rounded tribute to this very-much active rock legend.

Providing the musical glue to the proceedings was local hero and longtime Lowe sideman, Bill Kirchen who, in the absence of the master himself, quite possibly knows the Lowe song catalog better than anyone else – at least on this side of the pond. Bill’s sublime command of the Fender Telecaster is routinely in demand for both recording sessions and on the road when Lowe performs in the US.

Appropriately enough, BK opened the show with a plaintive acoustic rendition of “What’s So Funny (Bout Peace Love & Understanding)” the Lowe chestnut made famous by fellow pub rock traveler Elvis Costello. From there, an astonishing parade of local talent (some 40 members strong) bent, conjured and teased that song catalog into a sparkling bouquet that provided testament to those in attendance of Nick Lowe’s sly brilliance.

Those, like myself, who were first introduced to his music via FM radio, were rewarded with the quirky, rollicking staples that, in their time, ran under the legs of period hit-making gladiators such Genesis, Foreigner and the Police. Personal highlights included a high octane version of “Switchboard Susan” courtesy of Johnny Castle & the Thrillbillys, beguiling harmony on “The Rose of England” from Deadmen’s Hollow and a seemingly pitch perfect vocal treatment on “Cruel To Be Kind” by bass player Cal Everett (formerly with homegrown new wavers, 4 Out of 5 Doctors.)

An added attraction was the deft use of a side stage during set changes which provided principle members of The Grandsons (and others) an opportunity to deliver “Lowe unplugged” while alternating as the horn section for the main stage. At the end of the evening the performers assembled en masse for a rousing encore of the timeless and increasingly symbolic “What’s So Funny (Bout Peace Love & Understanding)” sending the crowd home in tuneful glee.

- by Carter Rawson 1.10.08

Edwin McCain Tomorrow

Tomorrow brings an exciting Wolf Trap debut with Edwin McCain and his acoustic trio beginning at 8 p.m. in The Barns. You may remember McCain for his massive late '90s hit, "I'll Be," and his follow up Billboard #1, "I Could Not Ask For More."

This guy is a true road warrior. He performs over 300 shows per year and is currently making the rounds in support of his latest release, Lost in America, which offers yet another hit single, “Gramercy Park Hotel.” Throughout his career, he's been compared to the likes of Dave Matthews Band, Big Head Todd & The Monsters, and Hootie & The Blowfish. Not bad company to keep. Lately however, his work has gone in a more progressive direction, so you're likely to hear somewhat of a departure from his traditional pop-rock sound at tomorrow night's show. Also, word has it that he is currently working on a cover album of southern soul tunes from the 1960s! Shout out some requests tomorrow night and test his knowledge!

Stay tuned later on this week for a guest post review of Saturday Night's Nick Lowe Tribute from our friend, Carter Rawson.

later on,

Graham

Nick Lowe Tribute Tomorrow!

In a unique tribute to the “headmaster of British Rock,” 27 artists will gather tomorrow night to perform on The Barns stage, featuring songs drawn from Nick Lowe’s 40-year history as a singer-songwriter. The artists scheduled to appear are Bill Kirchen, Ruthie & The Wranglers, Eric Brace, The Rhodes Tavern Troubadors, Billy Hancock, Thrillbillys, Cravin’ Dogs, JP McDermott, Tommy Lepson & Soul Crackers, Eric Ambel, Alan McEwen, Dead Men’s Hollow, Martha Hull, Cal Everett, Jon Carroll, Flat Broke, The Tone Rangers, Rico Petrucelli, Bill Baker, Ratso, Billy Coulter, Chris Watling, Bob Berberich, Dave Chappell, Louie Newmyer, Paul Pisciotta and Tom Lofgren. This special evening is formatted a bit differently with a series of short performances from each act, several of which will feature a cross-pollination of artists designed to put a unique spin on Nick Lowe’s tunes.

A couple of interesting tidbits about Lowe's life:

Did you know that Lowe was once married to Johnny Cash’s step-daughter Carlene Carter? They are no longer together but remain close friends.

Lowe wrote “The Beast in Me” which is many people's favorite track off of Cash’s American Recordings album in 1994. In 2003, the album was ranked number 364 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Alas, Nick Lowe's recent performance of "I Trained Her to Love Me" off of his most recent record, At My Age, is this week's Video of the Week.

Great, great song. Enjoy.

Back From Break, and It's 2008

Hello All! Sorry for my brief hiatus from the blogosphere, but I'm back and have high hopes for a prosperous 2008 for Wolf Trap and all of you.

We have some great shows coming up in the next few weeks, several of which I will preview for you extensively. This Saturday, The Barns presents a Tribute to Nick Lowe, with performances from 27 total artists featuring a cross pollination of sounds designed to put a unique spin on Lowe's extensive catalogue of material. I will blog about this show more extensively tomorrow, as my specific intent for today's post is to test your knowledge about revolutionary moments in music history.

If one of your resolutions for the new year is to increase your breadth of musical knowledge, then start by taking this test brought to you by Live Nation.

http://static2.livenation.com/akamai/seasonsgreetings2007/

It's a pretty intuitive design, with 50 questions posed side by side with screen shots taken from Google Earth. It's titled, "Moments that Revolutionized Music." I was able to get 36 correct, which I'm sure is extremely beatable. Chime in with a comment if you're able to get more than 45, I'd be interested to know.

Catch you tomorrow with the video of the week.

Graham