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 Songs are very much
like postcards. You attempt to say a lot within a small space.
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 BNOrecordingUSA our own label since 1996. Because
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PALM SPRINGS
CA -
I've had the pleasure of working with John since the seventies.
We have become great friends over the years and as faith would
have it, we now live very close to each other. I have learned
to more than appreciate his work. I 've come to understand it.His
photographic art is spontaneous and accurate. He has the ability
to capture the second that counts. The detail, lighting, positioning
the emotion of the composition. His work makes the artist or
subject the center of attention. His years of clicking the good,
the bad and sometimes the ugly, has earned him a cornerstone
of recognition in the world of photography. These days he continues
to apply his talents producing videos and designing websites
as well as clicking. (next to deborah) |
SAXON MAN AT PEACE (cont'd from callus)
By now many of you have discovered that my admiration for westerns
is almost as large as my love for music. One Christmas, back
when the tube was still black and white and the choice of channels
was somewhat limited, I received a silver and white pearl gun
encased in a fancy multi-colored rhinestone holster along with
a red cowboy hat…wasn't too impressed with the hat, but
it grew on me. This was another step in the subtle conformity
and acclimation of my youth towards a new culture.
The fifties was an era of discovery and if you were lucky enough
to own a TV you were the hit of the neighborhood. Sunday night
was a family favorite as the big-shouldered man, also known as
Ed Sullivan, would entertain us with a variety of interesting
guests. On one particular evening the Italian community was rockin'
when a petite and angelic woman with a giant voice, known as
Rita Pavone, displayed a proud performance of her hit record
"Partita de Paloni". They were simple times filled
with innocence and curiosity.
The day was perfect for that "forget about everything"
drive on Sunset Blvd. The mansions on both sides of the street
stood out with ultra arrogance with intimidating entrance gates.
The area further along that is nestled in the hills of Mandeville
and before you reach the Pacific coast, in contrast, posesses
a quaintness that jumps out and declares,"Welcome".
The inviting arched trees that lavish the winding road create
an inspirational tour. It was here in my travels that it occurred
to me that I would, in just a few minutes, be standing in front
of a man I have admired since my youth and yes, he was one those
good looking men that my mother insisted was Italian whether
or not he really was. In this case she was right. In many ways
John Saxon, and the many characters he played, helped fill a
void during my boyhood created by a cultural environment lacking
passion and understanding. Television was the eventual escape.
The familiar faces made us feel secure and thus played an important
role in our daily lives. John Saxon was one of those faces.
Surrounded by the many worldly artifacts that lined the walls
and shelves of his home, this iconic actor humbly described his
life's voyage over a glass of Perrier water. He related numerous
fascinating tales of an era when larger-than-life heroes would
ride off into the sunset and of the glory that usually followed,
Mr. Saxon has traveled that road numerous times. He began by
telling me about the hardships that many actors experienced during
the sixties when television really exploded onto the world scene.
It was a time when film studios had to rethink the motion picture
industry as it had been. "In 1960 to '61 things started
falling apart. The studios were not making money. There was lots
of trouble," he recalled. Many established actors were accepting
film roles from abroad. "I lived and worked in Italy for
over a  year, I did a movie with Kay Kendall
and a British play called… I can't remember the name…with
Rex Harrison, Minnelli Directed." I put him at ease and
told him I would google the film. It turned out to be the classic
"The Reluctant Debutante" with cutie Sandra Dee and
Angela Lansbury. "My family comes from Italy. My mother
spoke Italian. She left Italy when she was six years old."
His enthusiasm was apparent as he chatted about growing up in
Brooklyn
I could have sat there and listened for hours as he painted a
canvas of his life experiences, about his encounters with Otto
Preminger, the indecisive director, about the passion of Italian
director Mario Bava and about the freeform styles of John Huston
in "The Unforgiven". It was surreal to be sitting with
a man that has been a celluloid king for decades. A couple of
his notable giants include "Enter the Dragon" and "A
Nightmare on Elm Street".
I was awestruck as this legend spoke of his many fascinating
experiences, such as when he attended a Hollywood party only
to find himself in a flirtatious exchange with Marilyn Monroe
from across the room. There were more stories like his time spent
with Jack Palance in Rome, Italy, or how he found ways to keep
busy in Durango, Mexico with Burt Lancaster and Audrey Hepburn
while filming "The Unforgiven."
I can't begin to count the multitude of TV series and movies
in which this handsome Italian American has entertained us. He
has worked alongside some of the greatest actors in the history
of film and television. Mr. Saxon is an extraordinary human being
and one that I found to be at peace with himself. He was a teen
idol and still maintains the unexpected morals of an old-time
Hollywood celebrity. As we chatted, we walked around his quaint
estate surrounded by a lush garden and a view that was endless.
After a few moments he turned to me and, with a subtle nod, indicated
an area off in the distance. "That's where Schwarzenegger
lives and over here is where my outdoor gym will be."
Born Carmine Orrico, the son of Anna and Antonio, enthused and
determined confronted the dragons of an astute industry of flame
throwers and claimed his victory. JB |
 Jimi
Bertucci, Tal Bachman & Peter Foldy |
CANADA
D' EH - HOLLYWOOD CA - There's
something magical, without getting too ethereal, when a group
of people can get together for a common goal and enjoy the spirits
of a traditional patriotic celebration. The host was funny and
charming, innocently jabbing his American cronies and praising
the humbleness of Canada. I think. Dave Foley, the unassuming
actor that has been on a few television series including Kids
In The Hall and Talk Radio, was comfortable and proud as he displayed
his loyalty of the Great White North to several hundred transplanted
Canucks in the audience. There were cameras there to interview
the celebrities, and I guess many of them were... only I was
unfamiliar with any of the dozen camera huggers. Our Bondi Junction
man Peter Foldy...(more) photo by
John R. Rowlands |
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All THAT JAZZ BASS - When I first started playing bass
I thought it was so kool to have a Hofner Beatle Bass. I was
the talk of the neighborhood. I had people asking me to play
in their band without even knowing if I could play. As the years
went on I began to add to my collection of bass guitars, of course
I could do this now because I was a working musician. My next
bass was a Rickenbacker, I guess I was following in the steps
of Paul McCartney. Then came a Gibson. But soon I became bored
with the commercial basses that I was so accustomed to. I remember
one day I was listening to David Clayton Thomas 's band rehearse
above the Concord Tavern on Bloor Street when I noticed that
the bass player was using a real old tattered bass. I went closer
and saw it was a Fender Jazz Bass....he asked if I would like
to play it I quickly said yes..it was awesome. David walked in
the room and asked what the fuck I was doing there..I said with
a nervous sound that I was just checking out the bass. He asked
me to leave, of course in a DCT way. I remained friends with
Scott the bass player and many years later had another encounter
with David. That's another story.
Oh yeah I bought a Jazz Bass which I still have to this day. |
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Through The Eyes Of Vincenzo - Words and Music by Jimi Bertucci
- I don't suppose the title gave it away. My youth was unique,
in many ways it was an actor's dream. I was able to manipulate
the hand-me-down system and, at times, my parents. Being thrown
into a culture where it was the norm to be bullied by territorial
mangia cakes, my reactions to certain comments or gestures had
to be quick. At first a smile was sufficient to diffuse the situation,
but that eventually wore thin with the leaders of recess control.
Sooner or later I knew my swords would have to be drawn and my
stand made clear. That day had come. It was lunchtime, my favorite
period in what was usually a long tedious school day. I was sitting
on the steps with a couple of new friends when suddenly my capicollo
and pepper sandwich on a panino went flying into the air, landing
on the dirty grounds of the schoolyard. As I stood up to confront
my assailant, he attempted to throw a punch my way, I ducked
and landed a right on his nose making it bleed profusely. His
English profanity was difficult to make out as he cupped his
nose trying to get the bleeding to stop. At that moment the huge
wooden doors flung open. "Both of you in my office!",
 boomed
the commanding voice. It was an awkward moment for me as I tried
to explain to the principal that this rude, freckled-faced, red-haired
boy deliberately knocked my sandwich out of my hands. There were
many great times as well. I found that my most impressionable
years were in elementary school. By the time I went to junior
high discovering new things became more like serious work, thus
my musical wants began to kick in more and more. I started to
understand the new ways of my social surroundings and took in
what the scene had to offer. My ideals, some of which have remained
with me, developed through my observations. Life is a continous
journey revealing, at times, the hidden mysteries locked deep
within our souls, only to discover we hold the key. |
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Jimi giving Enrico
Colantoni his Common Spirit Award read the
story |
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Mr. Sugar sugar
Andy Kim with Marisa Lang of the Italian Walk of Fame. |
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 THE SILENCE THAT ROARED |
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oomii designs that take risks... |
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The idea of something tribal hanging
around your neck..very sexy. |
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Bear
State Coffee |
THE ONLY ALL-INCLUSIVE SUBSCRIPTION
Select a gear and coffee bundle from our boutique and get the
right coffee brewing gear to go along with that great coffee.
There’s no use paying so much for good coffee if you have
substandard gear. |
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DYK
that Jimi performed at the famous Roxy Theater in
hollywood California and his friend James Brown stopped by for
a slice of Pizza at the Rainbow Room.. |
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Hi Jimi-- Thanx for your note...just
had to let you know that "Some Things last forever"
is...(more) |
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THE BLOG |
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This is an exercise
into the human mind where anonymity fades into the darkness of
pixilated realism. They feel and see your bone structure like
an embossed layer of coagulated emotions. The extreme aversion
turns into a haunting lust of tension grasping the conditioned
heart to explode into a sea of orgasm. ..(order the book) |
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SYSTEM
2000
ALL THE A/V
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