Spill The Beanz

September 20, 2008

ORLANDO GUITARTOWN!! (Part 1)

Recently, I had the honor of being the only artist form Brevard County to be selected (with 35 other Central Florida Artists) to put our original art works on a 10ft tall replicas of a Gibson Les Paul Guitars!
These guitars will soon be placed all around downtown Orlando for several months, then they will auctioned for charity.

....but, THIS SATURDAY (9/20), there will be a sneak preview Party at Orlando City Hall with many of the artists in attendence! And a free concert (read the official press release below). We will be there at 3pm for several hours. Hope to see you there!

Here are a few snaps of my work in progress.....

laying down the base coat.

with the plants painted on.

the back of the guitar.

"Tequila Sunset" awaiting delivery to it's post at the CITY ARTS FACTORY.....
along with a few of the other (beautiful) pieces.

From www.orlandoguitartown.com:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Official Orlando Kickoff Saturday, September 20 With FREE Concert and Sneak Peak of All Gibson Guitar Sculptures and Epiphone Showcase Guitars

Public Has Opportunity to Meet Visual Artists and Celebrate Orlando GuitarTown with Mayor Buddy Dyer

Orlando, Florida, September 12, 2008... Gibson Guitar, the world’s premier musical instrument manufacturer and presenter of the Orlando GuitarTown project, along with the City of Orlando, announced a special Orlando GuitarTown Concert and Event to take place Saturday, September 20, 2008 from 3-8pm at Orlando City Hall.

The Honorable Mayor Buddy Dyer will officially kick off the Orlando GuitarTown project in grand style and unveil the ten-foot tall Gibson Guitar sculptures in a special event downtown sponsored by Widmeer Beer and WMMO Radio. All guitar sculptures will be on display for the very first time. The public will have a chance to view the art guitars and meet the visual artists in attendance. After this special unveiling the sculptures will be placed around the City Beautiful as part of a multi-week display. The ten-foot Gibson Guitar sculptures will be featured outside of City Hall and the showcase Epiphone Guitars will be displayed inside City Hall for this special concert event and then moved to their assigned locations throughout the city.

To celebrate the official launch of Orlando GuitarTown, the City of Orlando has produced a free concert featuring popular local bands. Performances from Big 10-4, John Frank, Gerry Williams Band, Christian Wilson & the Wayward Sons and Thomas Wynne & The Believers are scheduled. The free concerts are open to all ages and free to the public. After the launch the committee will produce a map that will be available on line or in various tourist locations which will feature the locations of each guitar and sculpture.

The Orlando GuitarTown project is a public arts project featuring ten-foot tall fiberglass Gibson Les Paul model guitars and a series of regular size showcase Epiphone guitars painted by local and regional visual artists. Each will be placed throughout Orlando in front of city landmarks, sponsor locations and other popular destinations. The project unites the Orlando art, music and business communities and will benefit local charities. The culmination of the project will come in 2009 with an all-star live auction hosted by world renowned Juliens Auctions (www.juliensauctions.com). For information on Orlando GuitarTown go to www.orlandoguitartown.com or call the toll-free hotline at 1-866-321-4212. The project is administered by the Gibson Foundation (www.gibsonfoundation.org).

ORLANDO GUITAR TOWN

GIBSON GUITARS

CITY ARTS FACTORY

CITY OF ORLANDO

August 15, 2008

Then and Now: AL SCORTINO

During the past 15 years I've been blessed to have become friends with many fine musicians here in Brevard County, and the rest of Florida. And, I've been lucky enough to design some CD covers, play harp on one disc, and help produce another.

Two that I am particularly fond of are the "CoffeeHouse Hootenanny" and the "Home Away From Home...Kool Beanz" CDs, because they are compilations that feature many of our friends. Since starting this blog, I've been wanting to do a series called "Then and Now" focusing on the musicians on those two discs, and taking a look at how they've grown.

We are going to kick this thing off with a favorite of many folks around Florida: award winning singer-songwriter "Sebastian" Al Scortino.

"CoffeeHouse Hootenanny" performers: The Secrets (Robin and Eddy, Kathleen Berghuis, Harvey Kishter, Taylor Made, Steve Hodak, Rev. Don Maxson, Anna Delgado, Terry Kelley, Jammin' Joe, Bob Parker, Rocky D'Andrea, & Slim Chance and the Yugo Girls

I first met Al Scortino on Open Mic nights at the "Java" The Hut" Coffeehouse (Indian Harbour Beach) where I was working all those years ago. We had a bunch of great songwriters come through there, and Al was among the best.

Maj. Art Dorie and his wife Helga were big fans of the Open Mic, and from there Art recruited a number of artists to perform on a CD he was producing about folk songs of The Korean War. As a gift for helping him, Mr. Dorie produced a Limited Edition CD of those artists performing their songs, and covers, to help them promote themselves. That was the "CoffeeHouse Hootenanny" CD.

Art Dorie hired me to design the CD "Hootenanny" cover (my first), and from there Al Scortino hired me to do my second for his second disc "The Promised Land". My favorite track on the disc is What'll We Do With Mary (the cover concept is based on this song).

Whatll We Do With Mary.mp3

Back in 1998 my wife and I had just opened our coffeehouse, Kool Beanz. Al had his CD release party for "The Promised Land" there, and when we decided to record a live album of many Kool Beanz faves the next year, we knew we wanted Al (and his partner norm mcdonald) to be a part of it. For the disc, the powerful "Jacksonville is Burning" (about the Florida fires in '98) was selected.

Jacksonville Is Burning.mp3

Sometime around "The Promised Land" Al started hooking up with some other fine musicians from across the state, together the became known as "The Ashley Gang", and fast became favorites on the Florida folk festival circuit. So far, Al's recorded two discs with the band, and is currently working on his third solo project.

ALnorm- The Ashley Gang.mp3

"Home Away" performers:Will Pearsall and Steve Shanholtzer, Diane Runion & Willie Hunton, Bob Sanders, Matt Riley, Bryan McCahill, Big Red & the Bus, Rocky D'Andrea, HoneyBucket HillBilly Band, Dave Grooms, Terry Kelly, Janet Reedy, Steve Setron. Al Scortino and norm mcdonald, Brad Keeler and Kim Roque, Mike Runion, Laura and Seven, Steve Hodak, & Sam Pacetti

I recently asked Al a few questions, and here's what he had to say:

Al, where are you now?

Still singing and playing whenever possible, although not as frequently as I'd like. The band has been not quite as eager to travel lately, to many family and job obligations and disasters. I have a home studio set up now. I originally put it together to record my own material on my own schedule. But it's kind of like being the first kid on the block with a car, everyone wants to ride! So I've recorded a few projects with some local groups, some scream band and a punk group. Good experiences all, enjoyed every minute of it. Still writing and working on a new CD which should be done within the next couple months.

How and when were you inspired to become a songwriter?

Hmmm.... I guess it all started like many song writers, not so much an inspirational thing but a self therapeutic thing. By the time I got through with my therapy phase I knew how to write a song, so I just kept doing it.

What songwriter from the time you stated was your favorite?

I think at the time I started writing I'd say I was listening to a lot of folk rock types, Jackson Browne, Eagles, Dan Fogelberg.

Who is your favorite songwriter of today?

That's tough. I like a bunch of independent artists. It's almost safe to say if they play them on the main stream commercial radio, they suck. If they play them on WFIT's newest program The Acoustic Record, they've got my seal of approval!

Of all the songs you’ve ever written, which would you most like to be remembered for?

I'd like to be remembered by a bunch of different folks for a bunch of different songs. I'd like to think they were all worth writing and recording. Then again, I could be wrong.

Al was kind enough to debut a few of his new track here for you folks, Thanks Al!
Make sure you visit Al's and the Ashley Gang's websites, and be sure to tune into my radio show An Acoustic Record this Monday night (10pm WFIT 89.5 Melbourne, On-line: wfit.org) when I'll feature Al Scortino and many other fine Florida talents.

NEW!

What's A Metaphor -Al Scortino.mp3

NEW!

Confession -Al Scortino.mp3

AL SCORTINO

THE ASHLEY GANG

KOOL BEANZ

WFIT

August 04, 2008

OBAMA in FLORIDA: Brevard!

Bright and early on August 2nd an excited crowd started lining up for entry to Barack Obama's first public appearance in Brevard County. Many arriving before sun-up for the 8:30am door opening. (all photos, except where noted, were taken by my brother and I)

A general admission ticket, which were handed out free to a lucky 1000 people.

The crowd anxiously awaits.....

My gang believing in Change.

My Volunteer pass.

The Senator takes the stage (some of the crowd singing Happy Birthday) Today, August 4th, is his birthday.

Our next President speaks for about 25 minutes....

then fields questions for another half hour from the crowd.

After a standing ovation (many Space Coast residents pleased with his plans for NASA and keeping jobs in Brevard), Obama says goodbye. Stopping to shake hands and fist bump with many excited fans.

This is a photo (by Rik Jesse) of Barack first bumping with a young man in a hat which appeared (in black and white) in Sunday's edition of the FLORIDA TODAY Newspaper....