“Now that the E Street Band has come off the road “for a little while,” Max Weinberg can back to concentrating solely on his Tonight Show Band, right? You might think so… but there’s just too much Mightiness to be contained by one gig. Later this month, Miami will witness the debut of the Max Weinberg Big Band.
Max unveils his 15-piece band — nearly double the size of his Tonight Show combo — for two shows at Fontainebleau Miami Beach, December 27 and 28 at 8:00 p.m. As just announced: “Weinberg has fulfilled his long held dream and vision with this new swinging 15-piece big band composed of the cream of LA’s musicians including trumpeter Mark Pender and pianist Scott Healy of The Tonight Show Band…. expanding his interests to capture the essence of the classic soundtrack to the much loved ‘Rat Pack’ era and invoking such musical heroes as Buddy Rich, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Maynard Ferguson, among others.”
No cover charge for the two nights in the Fontainebleau’s Chateau lobby, standing room only, for table seating reservations or additional information please call (305) 695-2488.”
via Backstreets.com: Springsteen News
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“Like many of you who live in New Jersey, I’ve been following the progress of the marriage-equality legislation currently being considered in Trenton. I’ve long believed in and have always spoken out for the rights of same sex couples and fully agree with Governor Corzine when he writes that, “The marriage-equality issue should be recognized for what it truly is — a civil rights issue that must be approved to assure that every citizen is treated equally under the law.” I couldn’t agree more with that statement and urge those who support equal treatment for our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters to let their voices be heard now.” (via)
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(Mel Brooks, left, Dave Brubeck, Grace Bumbry, Robert De Niro and Bruce Springsteen.)
“In remarks at the White House, Mr. Obama thanked the honorees for “the joy and the beauty” they brought to people’s lives.
“In times of war and sacrifice, the arts — and these artists — remind us to sing and to laugh and to live. In times of plenty, they challenge our conscience and implore us to remember the least among us,” Mr. Obama said. “In moments of division or doubt, they compel us to see the common values that we share; the ideals to which we aspire, even if we sometimes fall short. In days of hardship, they renew our hope that brighter days are still ahead.”
A 19-time Grammy winner firmly rooted in the Jersey Shore, Mr. Springsteen has made top-selling albums including 1975’s “Born to Run” — which, in addition to the title track, included “Thunder Road” and “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” — and 1984’s “Born in the U.S.A.” He has also won an Academy Award.
At the State Department dinner, which was emceed by the comedienne and 2003 honoree Carol Burnett, the violinist Itzhak Perlman spoke of how Mr. Springsteen, 60, who is known for his famously long concerts with his E Street Band, connected with his audience.”
(via NY Times.com: Kennedy Center Honors 5 With Awards)
Kennedy Center Honors - SPIEGEL ONLINE
elohbee:(via oldfilmsflicker)
Bob: So you da Boss?
Bruce: Are you talkin’ to me?
With honors aplenty, is Springsteen ready to retire? - washingtonpost.com -
On the occasion of receiving Kennedy Center Honors, Bruce sat for this great interview with Joe Heim of the Washington Post (click heading to read in full) - with some additional bits that didn’t make it to the printed article here.
(Spoiler alert: no, he’s not even close to thinking he might perhaps one day retire. Pheew.)
President Barack Obama, right, greets Kennedy Center honoree Bruce Springsteen in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009.
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)