News, News?

 
Two gigs coming up: Sunday July 25 (Sunday Morning) I’ll be the guest artist on 100.3 “The Sound” Fm radio’s “Peace Love & Sunday Mornings” hosted by popular radio DJ Mimi Chen. This will be a live-on-air performance (8 to11am) from the large deck at Organic Panificio Café & Restaurant at 4211 Admiralty Way, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292 - (310) 448-8900. Ed Krzyzaniak will be helping me out on acoustic guitar. This is a gorgeous setting, right on the water at the Marina. Great food & drinks, too! Check it out LIVE, or catch us on 100.3 or visit http://www.thesoundla.com July 30 (Friday Night) I’ll be sitting in with The Conleys at the Cabana Club, 1439 Ivar Avenue
Hollywood, CA 90028 (directly behind Amoeba Records) (323) 463-0004. Performances begin at 7:45 pm. This is a great classic club with lots of space, right in the center of Hollywood. C’mon on down! Alex’s other site, www.SongwritersVantage.com is live and has tons of great resources for songwriters and musicians. Find insightful instruction, information and encouragement via video interviews, audio, and text.  ******************** Currently revamping CD project with producer Mike Giangreco of Meroke Sky Records. The album includes co-writes with Franklin Spicer, Mony Jackson and John McLean Allan. Some of the players include Fred Herrara (Sweetwater), Mark Newman, Dave Williams, Voyce McGinley, III, Tony Sales. etc... Woodstock 40th anniversary August 15th, 16th & 17th Alex and the surviving members of Sweetwater were recently interviewed extensively by both VH1 and The History Channel. Look for these interviews to appear on their respective TV channels any day now. A number of new books on the subject of WOODSTOCK have recently been released and Sweetwater is featured prominently in all of them with some never-before-seen photos to quotes from the members. They can be found in bookstores everywhere, or @ Amazon. Rhino Records (in conjunction with Warner Bros) has released several different versions of WOODSTOCK Anniversary BOX SETS. Sweetwater’s music, recorded LIVE exactly 40 years ago, is represented in most of them, but please read the packages first, as there are separate versions to be sold through different outlets. Sweetwater’s live songs on these CDs are being released for the first time! The film “TAKING WOODSTOCK” by Oscar Winner Ang Lee featured Sweetwater’s “Motherless Child”. Check out the “ARTICLES” section of this site for Alex & Fred Herrera’s interview with the good folk at SHURE MICROPHONES on their WOODSTOCK performance, using (what else?) SHURE MICs! Alex has done a sweeping Q & A with Harvey Kubernik for www.sonicboomers.com which covers aspects of Alex’s career that he’s never revealed before from his musical influences as a teen, through his time in the Air Force, and years on the road (both with Sweetwater and with several other major acts) and WOODSTOCK to the recording of Alex’s original new songs for his upcoming Meroke Sky label CD. Get comfy – it’s a long one. Rev-Ola (U.K.) is re-releasing Sweetwater’s first Warner Bros/Reprise album, entitled “SWEETWATER” for the European market. It is a state-of-the-art remix with all new, thorough liner notes. ******************************* THIS SITE: The BIG news is that after grunting about it for several years, Alex has recently left his Neanderthal cave and come into the sunlight, allowing someone to create this official presence on the web. He is now full-on into it, contributing boatloads of old and recent pics, rare rock posters, new & vintage songs & other music, videos, YouTube links, etc... Many of these photos are vintage one-of-a-kind Sweetwater (and other) performance and on-the-road shots. Early video from TV shows Alex (with Sweetwater) were on, as well as some rare live moving film items will (slowly) be included. Most of the early publicity pix were taken by Annette, Alex’s late sister, a pro photographer. Others were “instamatic” backstage/side-stage snaps from Alex. He will continue to add to this rare archive, as Annette’s vast collection is carefully accessed, scanned, titled and watermarked. Additionally, Alex’s collection of rare posters, hand bills and flyers from “the day” will continue to be scanned and uploaded as they are unearthed. New Music from Alex: The other news is that Alex is in the process of recording a full-length album for Meroke Sky Records, a Hollywood-based indie label. It will feature many of his new and previously-unrecorded songs and a host of cool players, including: Fred Herrera, his old bandmate from Sweetwater Don Peake (Ray Charles’s guitarist, and much, much more) Tony Sales (Bowie, others) Voyce McGinley III (drums/percussion for the best) Gary Popenoe (the known universe’s most versatile and extraordinary harmonica player) Along with some other major surprises. Lookout for it this summer! And . . . Stay tuned to this page for updates! http://www.thesoundla.comhttp://www.SongwritersVantagehttp://www.sonicboomers.comshapeimage_2_link_0shapeimage_2_link_1shapeimage_2_link_2