Late Night With Kush, Live. CD and DVD
Performers: Bruce Kushnick, James Casola, Zeke Stevens
DVD and CD were Created by Punkcast, Recorded, Live, The Duplex, New York City, December 14th, 2008
The Songs, Lyricists, and Performers.
Late Night with Kush, Live is sort of a ‘greatest hits’ collection, Volume 1 and it spans 40 years of songwriting and performances. It is also the first concert in 18 years. The last performance of this material with Zeke Stevens and Jim Casola was Carnegie Recital Hall, 1990. While Bruce Kushnick wrote the music for the songs, the lyrics were done by collaboration with lyricists, including Paul Zelevansky and Daniel Dern, to poems set, from Gregory Corso to Sir Walter Raleigh.
The Pieces, Year Created and Lyricist
• Fast Willy, 2008
• Dedicated to my friend John, his fiancé, and his new Steinway model A piano. The goal was simple - Play fast. "more notes then Mozart."
•Bombastic, 2008
• Tom Allibone wanted a more straightforward piece. This is actually the introduction to an old song "Should I feel bad about it?", written in 1980.
•Should I feel Bad About It, 1980, Lyrics by Paul Zelevansky
•Originally created as part of No Laughing, this is one of the Zelevansky collection.
•Boogie All Night, 1980, Lyrics by Paul Zelevansky
• Another classic from 1980. Who doesn’t want to boogie all night.
•Last Night I Drove a Car, 1975, Poem by Gregory Corso.
•Mad Yak, 1975, Poem by Gregory Corso
•These two songs are part of a collection of Corso poems.
•Sister Nancy, 1974, Lyrics by Matt Seltzer
•Ode to the Apocalypse, 1974, Lyrics by Daniel Dern
•This is a very misunderstood song… It’s the end of the world and this serious pianist is putting on the moves, thinking it will be his last chance at love. This was part of the “disaster trio’.
•Electric Eyes of Love, 1974, Lyrics by Daniel Dern
•In 1973, Dan and I were housemates and we wrote over 20 tunes. Dan’s science fiction tunes, like this one about a man who gets a robot lover, was way ahead of his time.
•Palm Beach, 1981, Lyrics by Richard Pravda
• This sentimental ballad has a favorite line – Rosie played with an alligator, she tried to pet it but instead it ate her.
•Bare Stage, 1974, Lyrics by Daniel Dern
•Pink Slip Blues, 1978, Lyrics by Doug Freeman
•This song was written as part of a class in musical theatre sponsored by BMI Music.
•Rockin Over 55, 1981, Lyrics by Paul Zelevansky
•In 1981, this song was called Rockin over 35 with No Laughing. We’ve just moved the dates as we all have to keep rockin’.
•15 Million Plastic Bags, 1975, Poem by Adrian Mitchell
•Life of Man, 1975, Poem by Sir Walter Raleigh
•These two tunes were poems I set as part of a class in music & poetry at Brandeis.
•Velvet Sportscoat, 1975, Lyrics by Gary Mankin
•New York City, 1973, Lyrics by Bruce Kushnick
•When I tried to copyright this piece, the copyright office said it was not music as it was too short. It is one of my ‘miniatures’.
•What’s it All About Davy?
•Written at David Isenberg's Freedom to Connect, a musical mobious strip is played over an ostinato bass… both yearning to be free. They try to run from their past but are always coming back to the inevitable, same discussions --- regardless if you change the tempo, the key or even the facts of life.
ENCORE:
• Wor Shu Opp, 1981, Lyrics by Bruce Kushnick.
• Inspired by a dinner at a restaurant in Chinatown, this song is the first Chinese menu set to music – could even be the first menu. Released by No Laughing in 1981, it was picked up by John Hammond Music’s Zoo York label, an affiliate of CBS records. We were even on MTV.
•Stand Up, 2008, Lyrics by Bruce Kushnick and Zeke Stevens.
•A new anthem for change, we used it at the end of the show to make sure that the audience gave us a ‘standing ovation’.
•Sitting by a Window, 1969, Lyrics by Bruce Kushnick
•In 1969, with the Vietnam War raging, I wrote this for “Tar & Feather as a ‘summer of love’ song for peace. On the recording you can hear the audience and former band singers joining in.
for more informaton http://www.newnetworks.com/kush.htm
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