Check it out:
Featuring Joan Baez, Billy Bragg, Bruce Cockburn, Guy Davis, Ruby Dee, Ani DiFanco, Emmylou Harrish, Larry Long, Scarlett Lee Moore, Bernice Johnson Reagon, Toshi Reagon, Tao Rodriquez-Seeger, Pete Seeger, Dar Williams
Tomorrow, Saturday, March 10th, there will be a ‘Celebration of the Life of Marv Davidov’ in stories, poetry, song, and film. Speakers and performers include Larry Long, Garrison Keillor, Jamela …Pettiford, Clyde Bellecourt, Tony Bouza, Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, Carol Connolly, Bill Tilton, Jerry Rau, Steve Sato, the MacDonald Sisters, and others.
Where: Woulfe Alumni Hall on the third floor of the brand new Anderson Student Center at St. Thomas University
Northeast corner of Cretin and Summit Aves., St. Paul, Minnesota.
Gathering and visiting: 1:00 to 2:00 PM
Formal Program: 2:00 to 3:30 PM
Open Mic: 3:35 to 4:05 PM
Exhibits and refreshments: 3:30 to 5:00 PM
Suggested $5 minimum donation to the Marv Davidov Peace and Justice Fund (c/o Tilton & Dunn P.L.L.P, U.S. Bank Center, 101 East Fifth Street, Ste. 2220, St. Paul, MN 55101)
Visit the event’s Facebook page and see the memories, photos, and links to Marv memorabilia from those affected by Marv’s amazing life of dedication. Add your own contributions to this treasure of remembrances:
https://www.facebook.com/events/305995852784674/See More
UPDATE: Larry Long will be performing his new song with Billy Peterson, Generations 2 Come at the St. Paul Capitol in Minnesota on March 8th, 10:30 am.
Larry has just completed the recording Generations 2 Come to help save the Boundary Waters. You can learn more about the event here. Dog Sleds are heading out February 29 – arriving March 8th in St. Paul. Larry will be singing Generations 2 Come on March 8th at the Capitol.
Listen to Generations 2 Come on SoundCloud now!
SLED DOGS TO ST. PAUL: The Race to Protect Minnesota’s Natural Heritage – March 1st through March 8th, 2012
Get involved with this historic eight day dogsled trip from Northeastern Minnesota to the State Capitol. Frank Moe and his dog team from Grand Marais will deliver your letters and petition signatures to the Capitol on Thursday March 8th.
Hear and share Larry Long’s Generations 2 Come SONG and Lyrics
Dog teams from both Ely and Grand Marais will leave on Thursday March 1st. The teams will meet in Finland and Frank Moe and his dogs will continue to Duluth and arrive at their destination in St. Paul on Thursday March 8th.
Rallies will be held in Ely and Grand Marais on March 1st, Finland on Saturday March 3rd, Duluth on Sunday March 4th and at the Capitol on March 8th.
The benefit, Friends of Carrie, with the legendary members of “Hang Dynasty” raised over $12,000 for Carrie Stenson-Hansen’s fight against cancer. Larry wrote and performed a song especially written for the occasion with Hang Dynasty, called Friends of Carrie.
Friends of Carrie
Friends of Carrie
We are bathing in your love
Love for your mother
Love for your father
Love for your family and friends
Love for each other
Sisters and brothers
With a love that has no end
Friends of Carrie
We are bathing in your love
Love for the healing
Power of giving
Your love to somebody else
Love has the power
To do for others
What’s hard to do for yourself
Friends of Carrie
We are bathing in your love
Love from a power
So far greater
Than the love we ever known
To open up
To let it in
To love and not let go
Friends of Carrie
We are bathing in your love
Love in the morning
Love in the evening
Love to set things right
Love for the moment
We’re together
With love for you tonight!
Friends of Carrie
We are bathing in your love
With a little bit of money and a prayer
We want to show you that we care
Friends of Carrie
We are bathing in your love
Words & music by Larry Long. Copyright Larry Long Publishing 2012 / BMI
Larry will be performing at a benefit concert for Park Avenue Youth & Family Services. Hosted by T. Mychael Rambo with special guests Greta Oglesby, Larry Long, Van Nixon, Kingdown Road and more.
Friday, March 2, 2012
6:30 Reception – 7:30 – 9:30 concert
Where: Profile Event Center
2630 University Avenue
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414
Tickets: $75 VIP Seating $50 General Seating
(www.payfs.org/)
All proceeds from this fundraiser will go to support the amazing programs of Park Avenue Youth and Family Services.
About Park Avenue Youth and Family Services (PAYFS)
Park Avenue Youth and Family Services (PAYFS), (formerly the Park Avenue Foundation), is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization affiliated with the Park Avenue United Methodist Church. PAYFS was organized to give a stronger identity to outreach programs started by the church in the late 1960s.
Since 1985, Park Avenue Youth and Family Services has reached out to nurture and empower the children, youth and families of our community through academic programs, summer camps and family services. PAYFS programs are open to everyone, regardless of religious belief.
Join Larry on February 22, 2012, from 6:30 to 9:00pm, for a Book Release Party for This with my last breath and a 112th birthday celebration for Meridel LeSueur. Featuring performances by Barb Tilsen, Gayla Ellis, Louis Alemayehu, Steve Sklar, Fernando Silva, Larry & Jacqueline Long Sandy Spieler and Marcie Rendon.
Wednesday February 22, 2012 6:30-9:00 pm
In the Heart of the Beast Puppet & Mask Theater
1500 E. Lake Street, Minneapolis, MN
Celebrate Midwest Villages & Voices’ publication of This with my last breath featuring the previously unpublished final writing of Meridel LeSueur.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/DP24D83kVyI[/youtube]
Watch Larry Long and Tonia Hughes perform the title track from Don’t Stand Still at Loring Theatre. Filmed live at the Don’t Stand Still CD release concert, a benefit for Community Celebration of Place.
On February 16th at 1:00 PM Larry Long & JD Steele will be giving a one hour seminar for Black History Month entitled Freedom, Oh Freedom: The Power of Song at the Minneapolis Media Institute, College of Media Arts, in Edina, MN. The Recording Campus is in the old Flyte Tyme Studios, where Grammy Winners Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis created countless gold and platinum records. MMI is accredited by ACCSC. For more information, go to www.MediaInstitute.edu.
Larry Long will be joining Hang Dynasty and the Leech Lake Honor Guard in Cass Lake, January 27-28 in a benefit concert to raise money for “Bring A Vet Home” (BRAVE), an organization devoted to helping homeless U.S. military veterans.
“Hang Dynasty” is a four-piece rock-and-roll band whose members have played with some of the most successful acts in rock history, including The Steve Miller Band, Prince, Bob Dylan, Boz Scaggs, The Beach Boys, Neil Young, Stevie Nicks, Kenny Loggins and others.
The concerts will be held at Cadillac’s Northstar Grille in Cass Lake on Friday, January 27 and Saturday, January 28. Both shows are scheduled to run from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Hang Dynasty members include:
- Billy Peterson. Billy has performed with The Steve Miller Band, Bob Dylan, the Righteous Brothers and many others
- Kenny Lee Lewis. Kenny Lee has provided lead guitar and vocals for many acts including The Beach Boys, The Steve Miller Band, Edgar Winter and B.B. King
- Ricky Peterson. A keyboarder and vocalist, Ricky has performed with The Steve Miller Band, Bonnie Raitt, John Mayer and Stevie Nicks
- Paul Peterson. Paul’s musical resume includes percussion and vocals alongside Prince, Kenny Loggins and Boz Scaggs, in addition to The Steve Miller Band
Groups being helped by this event are the Salvation Army, which provides transitional housing and support services to homeless U.S. military veterans and Beyond the Yellow Ribbon.
Tickets are: General Admission $15 in advance, $20 at the door, and are available at Cadillac’s Northstar Grille, the Cass Lake Chamber of Commerce and online at www.bringavethome.com. A limited number of reserved seats are available at the same outlets for $25 in advance, $30 at the door.
Studies by the Veterans Administration and the Department of Housing and Urban Development estimate that on any given day, 67,000 military veterans are battling with homelessness. Veterans make up more than one-third of the homeless population. Many suffer from psychological problems brought on by the trauma of combat, while others suffer feelings of isolation that make it difficult to assimilate back into society.
Larry Long will be featured this evening at 6 PM on ‘Centerstage Minnesota’, KAXE, Grand Rapids. The program that will include an interview with Larry and music from his just release CD, Don’t Stand Still. It will also air Saturday at noon. This segment will also be posted on the KAXE.org webpage.
For more information, contact:
Music Director/Arts & Culture Producer
Northern Community Radio, 91.7 KAXE
260 NE 2nd St, Grand Rapids, MN 55744
(218) 326-1234
www.kaxe.org
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (12/15/11) — On Sunday, January 15, 2012, from 4-6 p.m., the University of Minnesota will host the 31st Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Concert featuring Committed, winners of NBC’s The Sing-Off, plus Larry Long with musical guests Tonia Hughes, Billy Peterson, and Billy Steele. The concert will take place at the University’s Ted Mann Concert Hall (2128 4th Street South, Minneapolis, MN 55455, U of M West Bank campus). This program honors Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Dr. Reginald Buckner, founder of the MLK, Jr. Concert.
When the University of Minnesota’s Martin Luther King Jr. Concert began more than 30 years ago, it was the only tribute of its kind in Minnesota. The late Reginald Buckner, School of Music professor and an accomplished performer and composer, founded the concert and began the tradition of celebrating the life and accomplishments of Dr. King through the performing arts. After professor Buckner’s death in 1989, the University continued to honor Buckner’s memory and artistic genius by carrying on the inspiring legacy of this annual program. The Martin Luther King Celebration is now a joint program of the University of Minnesota’s Office for Equity and Diversity and the School of Music.
The concert is free of charge and open to the public; no advance tickets or reservations are required. For more information about the program, or for disability accommodations, contact the Office for Equity and Diversity at oed@umn.edu or 612-624-0594. Visit z.umn.edu/MLK2012 for more information.
ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES
Committed is a highly sought-after a cappella singing group comprised of six young men who love creativity, music, and God. The group began in 2003 at Forest Lake Academy and solidified their sound while at school at Oakwood University in Huntsville, AL. Members of the group include Maurice Staple, Alain “Tommy” Gervais, Theron “Therry” Thomas, Robbie Pressley, Dennis “DJ” Baptiste, and Geston Pierre.
Committed has been compared to a cappella groups like Take 6 and Boyz II Men. What sets Committed apart is its versatility – four out of the six members are instrumentalists, and all of them are able to sing various styles of music from gospel, pop, R&B, contemporary worship, and jazz.
The group was featured on the second season of NBC’s hit singing competition, “The Sing Off,” and emerged as the season two champions. It has been their strong faith, hard work, and creativity that has gotten them to the point of being called one of the nation’s top ten a cappella groups. Committed truly believes that “with God all things are possible,” and they continue to work toward inspiring people through music. More on Committed’s website.
Larry Long, called “a true American Troubadour” by author Studs Terkel, has made his life work the celebration of American stories and heroes. Long’s hundreds of ballads readily capture the American history of our time, while embracing our common humanity with stories about those history makers who are known and those who are unknown. He has worked in urban communities with Latin, Somali, African-American, and Scandinavian students. He has worked in southern rural communities combining black, white, Native American and Latin stories.
Now a Smithsonian Folkways recording artist, Long has sung at major festivals, concerts and events throughout the U.S. and internationally. Long is a recipient of the prestigious Bush Artists Fellowship, the Pope John XXIII Award and In The Spirit of Crazy Horse Award for his work in forgotten communities. For more information, visit Larry Long’s website.
Tonia Hughes has spent the last five years broadening her appeal in the Twin Cities by garnering critical acclaim in musical theatrical productions throughout the area. Her latest and long-awaited release I’m Ready Now is uniquely different from anything that she has done to date in that it embodies all that she is vocally and spiritually.
In addition to serving as a lead vocalist with the Grammy and Stellar Award nominated Excelsior Chorale Ensemble, Hughes has provided background vocals at various events featuring Tremaine Hawkins, Rance Allen, and William Murphy. Because of her versatile vocal ability, Hughes has opened for various events featuring legendary music artists such as Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and Little Richard. However, she’s most grateful for the experience garnered while working with industry powerhouses Fred Hammond, Mary J. Blige, and Judith Christie McAllister.
Billy Peterson is one of the premier bass players in the world, as well as a successful producer and arranger. He has worked with Ben Sidran, Eddie Harris, Leo Kottke, Bob Dylan and Steve Miller, to name a few. Peterson was also the bassist for the Steve Miller band for 20 years. More at Jazz.com.
The youngest of the Steele siblings, Billy Steele performs, writes, and produces for the Grammy Award-winning ensemble, the Sounds of Blackness, for who he is currently serving as Assistant Director. He is the co-recipient of three Grammys via this talented ensemble. He continues to write and produce for various artists, including the Steeles. His voice has been heard on soundtracks with artists such as Rod Stewart, Luther Vandross and many more. Recently, he collaborated on the Disney soundtrack Legends, The John Henry Story, narrated by James Earl Jones. More at the Steele’s website.
Larry just facilitated his second in a series of collective songwriting workshops in the Appalachian communities of Section and Camp Hill, Alabama through a partnership with PACERS through Larry’s nonprofit, Community Celebration of Place. Celebrating Appalachian communities is a project through which young people and adults will document and celebrate their towns, culminating in two community celebrations in June, 2012. Funded through the generous support from the Appalachian Regional Commission. (Stay tuned!)
Check out this great article on Larry’s work with Elders Wisdom in the schools and his residency at Sanford this past school year:
In 2007 I was asked to write a song to honor the Eden Prairie Fire Department. After going out with them on a fire run the first draft of Duty, Honor, Courage, was written. The song remained unfinished until 2009, when I visited Ground Zero.
Duty, Honor, Courage
Here’s to the people who put out the fires
Who fall into line, seem never to tire
In helmets of white, red, yellow, and black
When they go in might never come back
Walking through fire when danger is near
To give their life year after year
With a water-hose,as a life line
Never to leave their buddy behind
Duty, Honor, Courage
We cannot summon the rain
Nor make the wind blow
But we can raise up a fire
Know your way out, stop, drop, and roll.
First responders and EMT’s
Neighbors, classmates, and family
Soon to go in to the base of that tower
Everything in life has a golden hour
Suicide, stroke, a heart attack
A Senator in a plane crash
Surrounded by flames above a crib
A fire fighter now holding him
Duty, Honor, Courage
We are in trouble down here
There’s blood in the dirt
Looking up to the sky
For help on this earth
Please don’t hide under your bed
Crawl low and go to stars overhead
With your family away from harm
Change those batteries in your fire alarm
Train like a team, no time to freelance
Nobody’s life should be left to chance
Count to five when you’re in a rush
Give thanks to those in them fire trucks
Duty, Honor, Courage
Words & Music by Larry Long
© LARRY LONG 2011 / BMI
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This year, the Minneapolis Monarch Festival will be held on Saturday, Sept 10, at Lake Nokomis. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, the Nokomis East Neighborhood Association and Community Celebration of Place invite you to join us at the Festival to learn about our state’s official butterfly – the Monarch.
Last year, an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 guests and volunteers helped nearly 400 live Monarch butterflies start their amazing 2,300 mile migration from Minnesota to the mountains of Michoacán Mexico. The Festival highlights this Minnesota – Mexico connection with with cross-cultural food, music, dance, habitat awareness and art.
Specialists from native plant vendors will be on-hand to explain and sell Monarch-friendly garden plants. Enjoy guided prairie-garden tours, canoe rides on Lake Nokomis, and monarch-inspired art and games. Back by popular demand, the steamroller operated by ArtOrg (last year’s photos) and Grupo Soap del Corazon, will roll over special print blocks created by kids to make individual butterfly artwork.
There will be performances by Mariachi Mi Tierra, the Javier Trejo Trio (Mexican/Americana), Larry Long (American Folk), the Tropical Zone Orchestra (Salsa), KetzalCoatlicue (Aztec Dance), Ballet Folklorico Mexico Azteca (Traditional dance), Larrie Yazzie (Native American Fancy Dance) and Batak (Fusion Jazz).
For more information: http://www.monarchfestival.org/