|
|
|
|
 |
Editorial
Our newsletter has dwindled down to one per year; it seems to have become a low priority in all that is involved in running a music company.
Since the last issue we have put out four Cds in addition to our first, łPaper Cuts˛, and will release a sixth in January. The website has grown and many new features have been added. Weąve done several recordings in the studio and plan more for 2000 . Buckyball Master Classes is tugging along, but we still have a long way to go in that area. A Sunday afternoon concert series will begin in late winter at Buckyball headquarters. It will start as a low key affair where people can socialize (who has time to see anyone these days?), listen to some great music and enjoy good food- an experience reminiscent of the days before music became a łbusiness˛(a forgotten tradition).
Buckyballmusic.com
is like any website, a never-ending work in progress; and like this technological age in which we live, you can never have the satisfaction of saying łIąm finished!˛ because there is always some new development that will improve on what youąve already accomplished. Nevertheless, our new features include music charts that can be linked to most of our CDs using a program called łCD link˛. This is a great feature for fans and instructors alike. Join the program to get a password and youąre set. We have many sound files where you can sample the Buckyball Records catalogue, and some MP3 files have been added for the audiophiles out there who need that CD-quality download.
You can also leave your thoughts via a message on our note book, and searchthe site for a specific name or topic. There are many things we are also developing: live broadcasts of...., chat rooms about the interaction between music and science, and a sound library. So visit us often!
Buckyball Studio
has made two CDs this summer: one for Japanese pianist/singer Yo Kano that will be released in Japan next year. It is a combination of sequenced keyboard tracks and live performers, mixed by Chaz from the Blue Note jazz club.
The second one is an all live recording for drummer Mike Clark featuring Charlie Hunter, Tim Ouimette and Jed Levy, for a CD that will be released early next year. the CD also includes some tracks with Bennie Maupin.
Ethics
You might wonder what this is doing here, but in fact this is a very important part of our endeavours. Buckyball Music has been heavily involved in legal matters such as publishing and contract writing, and we have come to realize that recording contracts are often nothing more than a form of legalized slavery. The process of drawing simpler, leaner and fairer documents must consist of balancing the interests of all of the different parties involved. An entity like a record label is only as good as the artist it carries; similarly, an artist needs a good record company to distribute and promote his/her music to be successful. Since we are also musicians, we clearly understand these principles. Therefore, we have proposed this charter for Buckyball Music:
*50/50 share of the net
*payment of mechanicals as CDs are sold minus 20% for processing
*Proceeds before recoup of one CD are not to be used for another
*Clear and prompt acounting at the end of each six month period
*50% of publishers share (meaning 25% of actual total of publishing)
*Cap of $1500 on promotional costs to be charged to any CD unless otherwise agreed by artist.
Interview and CD Reviews
allaboutjazz.com is an expansive website devoted to all different styles of jazz. Check out the December Ś99 issue which has reviews full of praise for Buckyball Recordąs releases BR001, BR003 and BR004. And to top it off thereąll be an interview with Marc In the January 2000 issue.
Buckyball Records
has been the subject of the majority of our attention. Weąve promoted our five Cds to over 100 radio stations, advertised in several magazines, and received some very good reviews (which can be viewed on our website).
We now have distribution in Japan through Marquee Inc., and we are very pleased with their professionalism. We have signed a distribution agreement with EFA Meiden in Germany which covers all of Europe. The U.S. market seems to be the hardest: we had a distributor (I am not going to mention their name here) that basically did nothing. We got out of that situation and we now have a real distribution deal with City Hall Records. The CDs will be in the stores for January 2000.
Our sixth release is a double CD of the legendary fusion group Brand X. It consists of two live recordings: one from 1977, the other from 1993, and featuring Percy Jones, John Goodsall, Kenwood Dennard, Robin Lumley, Maurice Pert and Frank Katz. It will be released in January.
Our next project will be a new Sarah Pillow CD that involves some of the same musicians and more: it is a cross-over using Baroque melodies interpeted in contemporary styles.
The Well Fed Starving Artist
Spinach, Rice & Feta Pie
2 tsp. butter
3/4 c. chopped onion
2 tsp. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 c. 1% milk
2 c. cooked long grain brown rice
3/4 c. (3 oz.) crumbled feta cheese (French or Greek)
1 large egg,, lightly beaten
2 lg. egg whites
1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained & squeezed dry (kale can be substituted)
butter or oil for pan
2 tbsp. parmesan cheese, grated
1) Heat oven to 400š; melt butter and add onion and saute 3 - 5 min.
2) Stir in flour, S& P. Gradually add milk, stirring with whisk until well blended. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook 2 min. more until thicken, stirring constantly. Donąt boil!
3) Remove from heat, and and stir in rice, feta, egg and spinach
4) Pour into greased 9 inch pie plate. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese.
Cook at 400š for 35 minutes, then broil 2 min. until pie is golden brown.
6 servings; 198 cal., 6 g. fat, 10 g. protein
We recommend the following wines to accompany this meal:
Castoro Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon,1998, $9; Columbia Crest Chardonnay, $9.
|
|
|
