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Happy Birthday Barry Manilow!

by darla

He writes the songs that make the whole world sing...and today is his birthday! Born June 17, 1943, Barry Manilow has been an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, entertainer, and performer since the 1970s. Despite his career longevity and massive record sales, he is often disrespected by critics for being a sappy, schlocky show-boater. (Does Barry Manilow know that you raid his wardrobe?). Whether you're a lover or a hater, there's no denying that Barry's career is alive and well. He has his own website for fans to keep tabs on his activities, like his current show at the Paris Las Vegas Theater. Off stage he maintains the Manilow Music Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to putting musical instruments in the hands of middle and high school students, which is supported by ticket sales and Barry Manilow merchandise. Happy Birthday Barry, we "can't smile without you".

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Blog Post

Hawaiian Music in France

by cecile

Gino Bordin was an Italian born Hawaiian steel guitar virtuoso who became famous in France in the 1930s. He was fascinated by Hawaiian music as a child and first appeared at casinos in Monte Carlo, and then in cabarets, restaurants and music halls in Paris. Where is Mr. Peabody and Sherman's Wayback Machine?

Bordin recorded for all the major record companies Odeon, Pathé and Parlophone of the time. We are lucky to have some of these recordings available today.

The Ann Arbor District Library has Virtuose De La Guitare Hawaiienne: Paris 1930s by Gino Bordin. "Chant d'amour de Tahiti", "Crepuscule Hawaien" and "Retour d'Hawai" are songs that create a wonderful atmosphere and bring back that time. Hawaiian music was a huge fad in the 1930s (my mother was in a children's ukelele band!) that generated some music that was as bad as the worst of 1970s disco.

Gino Bordin composed and played some of the most beautiful music of the genre and it definitely is not kitsch. If you like Django Reinhardt you might like this too. How could you go wrong with "Waikiki en fete?"

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Blog Post

Top of the Park 2010

by ErinDurrett

Looking for something to do this weekend?

Top of the Park kicks off this Friday evening at 5:00pm. Fridays entertainment includes opening act Tokyo Sex Whale, Mucca Pazza and Ann Arbor's own, My Dear Disco. Also, After Dark at TOP featuring DJ Brody Rock starts at 10:30pm that evening. Bands play every evening and movies show Sunday through Thursdays at dusk (10 pm), now with the exception of Mondays. This year TOP will be officially closed on Mondays i.e. no events/movies/music will take place on Monday evenings. Some of the movies featured this year include: Star Trek, Princess Bride, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The Birds, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Avatar!

You can view the entertainment schedule at the Festival Website. For a printable Calendar, click here. (Top of the Park events are in gray, other Summer Festival programs are in orange.)

Top of the Park is located at Ingalls Mall, directly in front of the Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies on Washington Street near the Burton Memorial Tower.

Don't forget to check out the performances at our Mainstage as well. Artist/Musicians that are performing at the Power Center include: Patti Griffin, Company P.T.O., Cinematic Titanic, Devo, Chris Isaak and Bernadette Peters!

Before you go, make sure to check out Festival Rules and Regulations for helpful tips to make everyone's experience more enjoyable.

The Ann Arbor Summer Festival runs till July 11th, so come prepared to dance, sing along and have a good time!

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Top of the Park Kicks off June 18

by katieh

The Ann Arbor Summer Festival is back! Top of the Park will kick off on Friday June 18, with Mucca Pazza playing the opening night celebration at Ingalls Mall. This awesome festival will run through July 11. All events, except those at the Power Center, are completely free. While at Top of the Park you can enjoy food from local vendors, watch live music, see a movie under the starry sky, get your face painted, take a free yoga class, and even learn how to salsa! I know I'll be there and I hope you will be too.

Visit Top of the Park's website for a complete list of musical acts and activities.

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All About Hip Hop: Learn the Moves With Carlos Garcia

by Bertha

Join us for All About Hip Hop on Tuesday, June 22 at 7 PM at the Downtown Library. Neutral Zone's studio manager and hip hop artist Carlos Garcia leads a hip hop session for beginners or those who want to learn some new moves! Take a look at the artistry behind the dancing and check out The Freshest Kids.

Tuesday, June 22 | 7-8 PM | Downtown Multi-Purpose Room | Grades 9 - Adult

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Blog Post

Music for the Road

by annevm

The US 12 Heritage Trail sounds like a fun road trip. I also like their list of Best Road Trip Songs, including Mustang Sally by Wilson Pickett and Truckin' by The Grateful Dead. Some weekend this summer, I'd like to check out a bunch of road-music CDs and head for the highway.

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Blog Post

Myths and Myths Retold

by marshd

Legends and myths have always fascinated me. I've been looking into them since I was little, and I am no less interested in them now. So, I figure, why not spread the joy?

Greek and Roman mythology are quite similar. In fact, some might say that the Romans essentially copied their earlier counterparts. Both cultures' stories are extremely telling; they include tales ranging from the long-loved IIiad, Odyssey, and Aeneid, to the more modern tellings of Rick Riordan's demi-god Percy Jackson, or the Odyssey parallels of James Joyce's Ulysses and the Cohen Brother's cinematic O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Egyptian mythology is quite different from the former two, though, oddly enough, Riordan also came out with a book based off of it.

Celtic mythology gives us stories like The Táin (Táin Bó Cúailnge), which has been interpreted in many ways, including in the music of The Decemberists.

Nordic mythology gives us the days of the week. Today, as we all know, is Frigga's Day. One of the Scaldic poets, Snorri Sturluson, might be of particular interest here. Though, if you're looking for something more contemporary, The Sea of Trolls series includes some really cool Vikings.

Perhaps the single book that most closely relates to this blog and its forms of mythology is Neil Gaiman's American Gods. Library Journal describes it as "the vast and bloody landscape of myths and legends where the gods of yore and the neoteric gods of now conflict in modern-day America."

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Blog Post

Happy Birthday Miles Davis!

by darla

As I begin this blog, I am faced with the reality that a proper tribute to Miles Davis is quite a daunting task. To say he was a famous jazz musician is a bit of an understatement. "Throughout a professional career lasting 50 years, Miles Davis played the trumpet in a lyrical, introspective, and melodic style, often employing a stemless Harmon mute to make his sound more personal and intimate. But if his approach to his instrument was constant, his approach to jazz was dazzlingly protean. To examine his career is to examine the history of jazz from the mid-'40s to the early '90s, since he was in the thick of almost every important innovation and stylistic development in the music during that period, and he often led the way in those changes, both with his own performances and recordings and by choosing sidemen and collaborators who forged new directions. It can even be argued that jazz stopped evolving when Davis wasn't there to push it forward. - Allmusic.com"
Do yourself a favor and check out some of his incredible music from the AADL or watch one of our DVDs to see him in action. Try Kind of Blue if you need a place to start. We also have many many books about Miles Davis for you to get better acquainted with this icon of music history.

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Blog Post

Pirate Radio, on DVD

by manz

“1 Boat. 8 DJs. No morals.” The creator of Notting Hill and Love Actually bring us a high sea comedic adventure dipped in a prime coat of illegal music, with a laugh or four speckling the top. I enjoyed it more than I expected to.

Based on a true story, Pirate Radio is set in 1966, Rock & Roll is HUGE and mega talent is bursting off the vinyl, but it’s banned from British airwaves. Radio Rock was one of the radio stations playing the sought after pop and rock anyway, not without major scowls from the British government, who is trying to shut down all the pirate stations. That’s right, 24 hours of radio music broadcast from an anchored ship, amidst waves of faraway adoring fans.

This feel-good, get up and dance film features an ensemble cast to play the quirky music-loving DJs, including Philip Seymour Hoffman, as “The Count,” who is the king. Until Gavin, played by Rhys Ifans, shows up and plans to reclaim his crown as the #1 DJ in Great Britain. It is a hilarious mix of characters, the music throughout the film is top-notch, and the film's soundtrack is worth a check out. Step into the 60s and crank up the tunes! Also available on Blu-ray.

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Blog Post

Catch up on The Kinks

by manz

My way of listening to the Kinks has mostly been on vinyl, which is wonderful, and excellent. But since AADL has recently beefed up their Kinks CD collection, I will indeed indulge and listen to more of their music in my car. Lola blasting on a hot summer day for all to hear? I think so.

If you too would like to indulge in all things Kinks, and perhaps further try to prove that Ray Davies is a genius, check out some of their fine tunes from the 60s and 70s. For some individual records, check out Arthur, Muswell Hillbillies, or The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society. For a large collection of Kinks, you want The Kink Kronikles to get a good sampling.