Moors news!
I am watching a DVD of 2 concerts right now, of the Moors, in duo form, one from 3-29-1996, the other from 7-1-1994, we'll be posting at least some of the tracks from these shows on YouTube. I think we should consider just posting all of it, but we'll see, the audio and video quality isn't top notch, the audio is actually pretty good considering. The question is, is it marketable, don't want to give it all away for free if it seems like some fans might be willing to pay a few bucks for it. For years I've been suggesting releasing the early material, cassette-only releases, in purchasable online digital audio format, ie on iTunes, etc, looks like Sharynne is ready to get that project rolling once she's settled into her new place which may be quite soon indeed. So, that's super exciting!
The Moors began as a studio project Sharynne put together, hiring musicians to play with her, and recorded a very cool album, which was released on cassette in the late 80's, when she took it on the road, none of those players came along, instead, she found Scott Dakota who played many strange guitars of his own invention, wide-range fretless guitars, with lots of loops, and for a while they had a cellist/bassist and violinist as well, that was right after I got back from Japan, I met Sharynne right before I left for Japan, gosh, around June of 1990 I think, she was looking for a bassist and guitarist at that point, my guitarist got her tape by replying to her Phoenix ad, and passed it onto me, I must thank him again for that.
I saw her face on the cover and was smitten at once by her beauty, and when I heard the music, I was floored, great celtic tinged rock, with amazing female vocals, what more could anyone want? I called her up and we ended up talking for a half hour straight as I recall, hitting it off, I have no idea what we talked about, but I recall I was at work, and I didn't have a cell phone back then so I must have called on Brookline community cable's dime. I got another tape from her at the Tam where she was waiting tables at the time, and later jammed a couple of times with her, turned out she lived 2 miles away. alas I already had my ticket to Japan, and couldn't really change my travel plans. when I came back, 6 months later, she had a bassist, and so I roadied for them. I recall another audition/jam with her and Scott, but they didn't want someone who was in other bands, and I had 2 at that point, Najarian and my own band M3, that's show biz. somewhere around then I started taking voice lessons from Sharynne as well.
The Moors went on to record their CD across the hall from my rehearsal room in a building where many a Boston rock legend rehearsed, Aimee Mann was across the hall, Tribe was upstairs, Seka, later Strip Mind, were around the corner, and Juliana Hatfield, if I'm not mistaken, a former classmate who's band I very nearly joined when I was at Berklee, was there in Aimee's room. Perry, the drummer from Big Catholic Guilt, shared my room when he was rehearsing for a tour with Rasputina. Incidentally I ran the central video camera for their recently released DVD Resurrection (http://www.bigcatholicguilt.com)
The Moors decided to go their separate musical ways and the CD went out of print with the closure of CVB records, people were paying up to $80 on ebay for copies when the decision was made to re-issue it. you can now buy it on iTunes, or cdbaby.com, or via their site, which is hosted on mine, and maintained by me. http://www.mobiusbandwidth.com/themoors.html I've been their and Sharynne's webmaster forever, basically. there was no official site for the band I suggested making one, first on MySpace, then on my own site as well. Sharynne and I talked for ages about collaborating musically, and have in little ways here and there, we performed at a private party, with me playing my 10 string Cittern, and Sharynne singing, and playing tambourine, we did a Loreena McKennit tune, and a Moors' tune if I recall. and have tinkered around musically, as well as both playing in TrouzBras the Breton Celtic band for a time, me on 5 string fretless bass, Sharynne on vocals and woodwinds. Sharynne wrote and gave me a tune, which I recorded an arrangement of, haven't done anything with it, I started to write more for it, at some point I'll work on that, I should probably have her sing on it too. she almost appeared on the first M3 cd on flute, but as we couldn't get our schedules to mesh in time, I ended up playing that part on Mandolin, which worked out for the best in retrospect.
well I have prattled on a bit haven't I? that was more history than news, but possibly of interest to Moors fans, and I know there are a few who follow this blog specifically for some. Sharynne plans to make music a big part of her life again starting later this year, after a hiatus from performing, other than in rituals at various events. this is the best possible news. stay tuned!
oh for those interested Sharynne is now offering a correspondence course, details of which are on her site here: http://www.mobiusbandwidth.com/DNS_workshops.html for those who have long wished to study with her, and learn the mystical secrets of the universe via Celtic Shamanism, you now can! oh yeah, and there will be a new book soon, with art by me and Donna Martinez.
The Moors began as a studio project Sharynne put together, hiring musicians to play with her, and recorded a very cool album, which was released on cassette in the late 80's, when she took it on the road, none of those players came along, instead, she found Scott Dakota who played many strange guitars of his own invention, wide-range fretless guitars, with lots of loops, and for a while they had a cellist/bassist and violinist as well, that was right after I got back from Japan, I met Sharynne right before I left for Japan, gosh, around June of 1990 I think, she was looking for a bassist and guitarist at that point, my guitarist got her tape by replying to her Phoenix ad, and passed it onto me, I must thank him again for that.
I saw her face on the cover and was smitten at once by her beauty, and when I heard the music, I was floored, great celtic tinged rock, with amazing female vocals, what more could anyone want? I called her up and we ended up talking for a half hour straight as I recall, hitting it off, I have no idea what we talked about, but I recall I was at work, and I didn't have a cell phone back then so I must have called on Brookline community cable's dime. I got another tape from her at the Tam where she was waiting tables at the time, and later jammed a couple of times with her, turned out she lived 2 miles away. alas I already had my ticket to Japan, and couldn't really change my travel plans. when I came back, 6 months later, she had a bassist, and so I roadied for them. I recall another audition/jam with her and Scott, but they didn't want someone who was in other bands, and I had 2 at that point, Najarian and my own band M3, that's show biz. somewhere around then I started taking voice lessons from Sharynne as well.
The Moors went on to record their CD across the hall from my rehearsal room in a building where many a Boston rock legend rehearsed, Aimee Mann was across the hall, Tribe was upstairs, Seka, later Strip Mind, were around the corner, and Juliana Hatfield, if I'm not mistaken, a former classmate who's band I very nearly joined when I was at Berklee, was there in Aimee's room. Perry, the drummer from Big Catholic Guilt, shared my room when he was rehearsing for a tour with Rasputina. Incidentally I ran the central video camera for their recently released DVD Resurrection (http://www.bigcatholicguilt.com)
The Moors decided to go their separate musical ways and the CD went out of print with the closure of CVB records, people were paying up to $80 on ebay for copies when the decision was made to re-issue it. you can now buy it on iTunes, or cdbaby.com, or via their site, which is hosted on mine, and maintained by me. http://www.mobiusbandwidth.com/themoors.html I've been their and Sharynne's webmaster forever, basically. there was no official site for the band I suggested making one, first on MySpace, then on my own site as well. Sharynne and I talked for ages about collaborating musically, and have in little ways here and there, we performed at a private party, with me playing my 10 string Cittern, and Sharynne singing, and playing tambourine, we did a Loreena McKennit tune, and a Moors' tune if I recall. and have tinkered around musically, as well as both playing in TrouzBras the Breton Celtic band for a time, me on 5 string fretless bass, Sharynne on vocals and woodwinds. Sharynne wrote and gave me a tune, which I recorded an arrangement of, haven't done anything with it, I started to write more for it, at some point I'll work on that, I should probably have her sing on it too. she almost appeared on the first M3 cd on flute, but as we couldn't get our schedules to mesh in time, I ended up playing that part on Mandolin, which worked out for the best in retrospect.
well I have prattled on a bit haven't I? that was more history than news, but possibly of interest to Moors fans, and I know there are a few who follow this blog specifically for some. Sharynne plans to make music a big part of her life again starting later this year, after a hiatus from performing, other than in rituals at various events. this is the best possible news. stay tuned!
oh for those interested Sharynne is now offering a correspondence course, details of which are on her site here: http://www.mobiusbandwidth.com/DNS_workshops.html for those who have long wished to study with her, and learn the mystical secrets of the universe via Celtic Shamanism, you now can! oh yeah, and there will be a new book soon, with art by me and Donna Martinez.