The only thing missing at josallins.com these days appears to be an over-excited voiceover proclaiming something along these lines: “Crazy Jo is not only slashing prices, he’s giving it all away! Music, money… even instruments right out of his hands!”
Something you want to tell us, Jo?
“Well, you know, man, it’s all about exposure and opportunities for me,” Jo Sallins, the man regularly referred to as “the most famous unknown musician in the world,” says with a laugh. “If I can offer anything to any aspiring musician—inspiration, motivation—via my music, instruments, philosophies, any tool I have, then I am all about making that available.”
And, per the prize description detailed in his most recent undertaking, even Sallins’ most recognizable piece of equipment—his trusty Spector bass—will be offered up in accordance with the mission statement. “It’s time for a new one,” he explains.
In the Musicians With Chops contest, comers who register via Sallins’ Facebook page receive details on how to win cash prizes and his fabled instrument. “So,” he says, “I figured there must be a cat or two out there that could really benefit from my current bass, which has served me so well.”
A couple of clicks away, Sallins is also offering up free audio in the form of Epic Mind, a 16-tune, career-spanning free download that showcases some of his most impressive exercises in improvisation, composing, arranging and producing.
The Musicians With Chops contest is open to all ages, although those under the age of 18 must be represented by a parent or guardian with a valid e-mail address. The deadline to enter is March 1, 2011.
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In other news, a program note from the Yellow Sofa (yellowsofa.com) in Northampton. Seems the nasty weather forced cafe owners to cancel the kickoff for the new Royal Variety Show series originally slated to begin Jan. 12. They’ll give it another go Wednesday, Jan. 26, with the previously announced lineup—Michael Silverstone (of Mr. Silverstone and the Silvertone Horns), Julia Alpern, Frank Cable, Laura Titrud, Robert Wilfong (aka Fongster 100) and Shaughn Flynn—fully intact.
Meanwhile, up in nearby Diva’s Nightclub (divasofnoho.com), DJ Joseph Rogers reports that the electro/house Synth series he launched last year will become less frequent—yet considerably more focused and sizeable—in 2011.
Originally occurring on Thursdays, the new Synth is an every-other-Friday affair that begins Jan. 28 with special guests Designer Drugs.
“[The new format] makes us way more accessible to a larger crowd,” Rogers notes, “which in turn allows us to book larger acts. I mean, Designer Drugs is on IHEARTCOMIX Records, and has done official remixes for everyone from Mariah Carey to Thieves Like Us and Treasure Fingers, so it’s great to bring an electro artist of this caliber to the Valley.”
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Last but not least, the headliners at the Iron Horse (iheg.com) on Sunday, Jan. 30 seem to have unearthed a surefire way to automatically garner both credibility and star power. Dubbed Ernie & The Automatics, the fledgling sextet consists of former members of Boston, the Peter Wolf Band and John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band and churns out (not surprisingly) a finely honed amalgam of edgy blues laced with a classic rock vibe. In fact, the band’s current calling card—an independent first studio effort titled Low Expectations—debuted at number seven on the Billboard Blues chart. Tix for this show are neatly priced at $1.02 at the door. Three guesses which radio station made that possible.
Catch the Nightcrawler every Wednesday at 8:50 a.m. on the Steve Cantara Radio Show, WRNX 100.9 FM. Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, PO Box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to (860) 394-4262 or email garycarra@aol.com.
