Last week, my good friend Brian Webb called me up to say that he was going into the studio -hurrah!- and to ask me if I could come and sing on his new record -yes-. Oh, yes. There is nothing I would love better. Brian is one of those people I would drop anything for - and I did drop an awful lot on that bitterly cold Wednesday. I woke early and called out of work, rousted my sweet wonderful friend Rose Cousins from her futon (she was staying with us for a few days in the middle of a tour), and we headed down to Harvard Square to pick up coffees and a rental car.

The drive was about three hours that morning. Rose played some rough mixes off her friend Jenn Grant’s new record. Rose sang on the record - it’s gorgeous! I love adventurous, orchestral, humble productions like this new album… watch for it out in February. I played Rose our live-at-club-passim cover of “lonesome polecat” - an mp3 I’m going to post on this site very soon -and we listened to the Radiohead tribute from Club Passim as well. Our directions had a good sense of humor: “Go left off the off ramp (even though signs indicate that there’s nothing of interest to the left).” This was true. There were a bunch of signs telling us to GO RIGHT!!! But we didn’t. And we made it there just fine.

Inside the studio, the boys were already recording. The studio was beautiful - remote - with a wood-burning stove and a paradoxically warm feeling way out in the cold vermont hills. Pete Weiss took pictures (he owns the place I think, and was engineering the record) with a gorgeous, professional-looking camera - I have the memory of him associated with a shutter-clicking sound, but I don’t even know it that sound is true or if I made it in my heart everytime his lens popped up around a corner.

Rose Cousins and I sang harmony on “That’s where I’ll be” first, and then I got to belt it out with Brian on “Changed by Love”. I thought we were done at that point, because “Changed by Love” had taken several passes to complete. But then Brian came out with his guitar and announced that he and I were going to work up a version of “Bird on a Wire.” Originally I think he meant for it to be just the two of us singing, with himself playing the guitar. But I absurdly reached for my baritone ukulele, almost just to be difficult. I brought the thing, I might as well play it, even if I just strum along, I thought. But ultimately, I recorded a solo that day!!! My first recorded solo on a stringed instrument (I think. My self-congratulatory crowing sounded a little deja-vu to my ears). The arrangement stretched out with Austin Nevins on banjo (also first-time soloist on the banjo), and Jeremy Curtis on the upright bass. It was such a lovely experience. The song took its time, had a sense of humor, and felt deadly serious all at once. I don’t know how Brian and I didn’t bust out laughing from staring into each other’s eyes during the song. I think we really meant it.

“Like a baby, stillborn, like a beast with it’s horn,
I have torn everyone who’s reached out to me.
But I swear by this song, and by all that I have done wrong,
I will make it all up to thee.”
-”Bird on a Wire” by Leonard Cohen

Hey everybody! Rose Cousins and I made a Holiday video for you all: We sing "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"...

YouTube has changed some things recently, so that you can watch videos in much higher definition, though you have to go view the video on YouTube to do this (once you're on YouTube, click on "view in high quality" at the bottom right of the video screen). Therefore, I've included a link to each of these videos on YouTube.

Happy holidays!! best wishes for a wonderful new year, and many thanks for the blessings you all have bestowed upon the two of us this year.

The Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AUGU3Jbmbw



The blooper reel (think of it as a stocking stuffer):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnfSVIlPe1s


Love,
Rose

I spent all day on the computer today, I cried and I screamed and I cursed myself for putting my files in a million different virtual folders, and this is the result:

My new CD is available for pre-order!

"When the River Meets the Sea," Produced by Billy Conway, was recorded live-in-studio with Boston phenomenon Session Americana. Each of the songs captured here were introduced to the band and special guests no more than an hour before they were recorded. You can almost hear the arrangements' organic emergence as the songs rise out of the sonic dust. All those present were free to play any of the studio's instruments, from a grand piano to a toy piano to a vibraphone, and from over a dozen guitars. The resulting musical arrangements stand as unrepeatable works of chance, friendship, and artistry.

There are two ways to order:

1. Pre-order the CD
Orders ship on September 30th.
$15 plus shipping

2. Special Pre-order Offer!
Pre-order the album, receive an immediate Digital Download of the full album, PLUS an exclusive, unreleased track, a live version of "I Was Young Once," from the upcoming "Cornfield" e.p. Physical CD ships September 30, 2008.
$18 plus shipping

These offers are available on my myspace homepage.

www.rosepolenzani.com is still being futzed with. I think it's almost ready...

love,
rose

I woke at 4am, because I have this thing about eating breakfast and spending time bustling about in the kitchen... It limbers me up. By 5am, I had called the cab and was in my way down the stairs, nailing lightswitches on the way. I was in the cab, I was at the aiport. In two hours I was in new jersey. In seven more hours I was at baggage claim in Portland, OR, sniffing the western air deeply already, what little was already sneaking in through the revolving doors. Four hours later I rolled into Sisters, OR. I was in a silver PT Cruiser, and burned a little from the immensity of the trees, the sheer slope of the land, and the sky, which is twice as large in the west. The first thing that happened when I wandered into the green room to check in at this festival was to run into my old friend Jess Byers... I travel 3,000 miles by cab, air, and rental car to a small town and into the company of an old friend! I just think that's folk music. Jess is traveling with the Wailin' Jennys, and I gotti see their new line-up, which includes one-time Boston resident Heather Massey, who was unbelievable. Think Aoife O'Donovan with a deep alto, chocolate voice. She played upright bass and brought the house down with an Ella Jenkins song, "Racin' with the sun". The sun just moved onto a new wall of this cafe, and it shines on the lustrous skin of a black bear, tacked up on pine boards. I got soy milk in this place! Oh, tolerance. Anyway, I'm typing this in my iPhone and I apologize for incoherence or melodrama... Editing is a limited experience. I can only see fifteen words at a time. And I can't even get to the top of this entry to say that I'm here because I entered a songwriting competition and was chosen as a finalist. My sisters folk festival badge has a shiny, light blue ribbon hanging from it, with the word "FINALIST" embossed in silver, Takes me right back to the swim meets of my youth.

Last Friday it was my birthday, and I wanted to do the thing I seem to most love doing: making media!!!! I set up a videocamera in my room, cleared the floor, and left it there. The party got underway, and eventually so did the video.

It started with Laura Cortese helping me come up with some easy choreography, and then spiralled into various choreographed moments (some of which didn’t make it into the video) and several spontaneous interactions. We split into red teams and blue teams, and we got the song seriously stuck in all our heads. It’s called "Cornfield", an outtake from the Session Americana record I’m about to put out. "Cornfield" features Jennifer Kimball and Jordan Caresss on harmony vocals, and I’m playing a fender rhodes, I think. Engineered and mixed by Matt Malikowski.

Thanks to all the wonderful participants!!!! More people were at the party than are in the video, and I want to thank them too, it was the best birthday party I ever had.

..

Hello All!

I'm writing from just outside of London.
Sharon and I are having a lovely time in the UK -
and we have only four shows left!

We are doing a short ukulele set as part of a show called "Songbird"
tonight near King's Cross in London. This is a last minute addition,
and the show is cabaret style, which is always worth it.

That's tonight, Feb 6, 2008, 8pm.
at Cross King's Pub,
126 York Way, King's Cross N1 0AX, London
Cost : £5/4

Katy Carr is DJing!

Then tomorrow though the end of the week:

Thursday, February 07, 2008, 8pm
OXFORD, UK
The Catweasel Club
East Oxford Community Centre, Cowley Road

Friday, February 08, 2008
CANTERBURY, UK
Orange Street Music Club, 8pm
15 Orange St.
CT1 2JA,
Richard Lewis (formerly known as Richard Pollott).

Sunday, February 10, 2008
BRIGHTON, UK
The Angel House, 8pm
1 Brunswick Road.
This is a house concert, so it's best to book reservations in advance,
limited seating available.
Please contact Sharon for reservations: info@sharonlewis.net



And I thought you might enjoy a few new youtube additions:

1) "Queen of All Argyle"
this is only up for a couple more days - our version of an online limited edition.
We were inspired by Celtic Connections festival to sing this Scottish folk song
with our host, Michael Simons. This particular version is silly. tartan cap. rubber ducky:


2) "The Skin and the Body are Blind"
From the house concert in York:


3) "Kings and Queens"
From the house concert in York:




Smugmug:
I've yet to successfully add captions to these photos,
but we go from Scotland and the Boston Tea Party through to
Findhorn
Tynemouth and a little Manchester. baby.

check out my photos so far:
http://rosepolenzani.smugmug.com/gallery/4263611

Alright - thanks so much,
please send your UK friends out to the shows,
or if you're from the UK, come on out,
hop on the train, it's almost over.
much love
Rose P

Hello All!

I'm writing from just outside of London.
Sharon and I are having a lovely time in the UK -
and we have only four shows left!

We are doing a short ukulele set as part of a show called "Songbird"
tonight near King's Cross in London. This is a last minute addition,
and the show is cabaret style, which is always worth it.

That's tonight, Feb 6, 2008, 8pm.
at Cross King's Pub,
126 York Way, King's Cross N1 0AX, London
Cost : £5/4

Katy Carr is DJing!

Then tomorrow though the end of the week:

Thursday, February 07, 2008, 8pm
OXFORD, UK
The Catweasel Club
East Oxford Community Centre, Cowley Road

Friday, February 08, 2008
CANTERBURY, UK
Orange Street Music Club, 8pm
15 Orange St.
CT1 2JA,
Richard Lewis (formerly known as Richard Pollott).

Sunday, February 10, 2008
BRIGHTON, UK
The Angel House, 8pm
1 Brunswick Road.
This is a house concert, so it's best to book reservations in advance,
limited seating available.
Please contact Sharon for reservations: info@sharonlewis.net



And I thought you might enjoy a few new youtube additions:

1) "Queen of All Argyle"
this is only up for a couple more days - our version of an online limited edition.
We were inspired by Celtic Connections festival to sing this Scottish folk song
with our host, Michael Simons. This particular version is silly. tartan cap. rubber ducky:


2) "The Skin and the Body are Blind"
From the house concert in York:


3) "Kings and Queens"
From the house concert in York:




Smugmug:
I've yet to successfully add captions to these photos,
but we go from Scotland and the Boston Tea Party through to
Findhorn
Tynemouth and a little Manchester. baby.

check out my photos so far:
http://rosepolenzani.smugmug.com/gallery/4263611

Alright - thanks so much,
please send your UK friends out to the shows,
or if you're from the UK, come on out,
hop on the train, it's almost over.
much love
Rose P

Hey all!

My parents got me a new camcorder for Christmas! It was a bit of a drama, as it is a hard disk model, and iMovie didn't work with it - I had to buy iLife '08, which has turned out to be okay. At first, there were like a million things the new iMovie didn't do that the old one did, but once I downloaded the updates from apple, it is doing just fine. We'll see how the next office video goes however.

In the meantime, I was excited to try my hand at editing some footage from the field - my friend Nicole came to the last SUB ROSA show (January 1, 2008), and took 7 or 8 videos... I created this montage thing so you could get some idea of what the show is like:

There were some other wonderful performances at this show, but we couldn't capture them all...

 

Hey all...

I made a myspace page for SUB ROSA
(which incidentally is happening in Cambridge this weekend, DEC 22, at Lizard Lounge)

the page is at: http://www.myspace.com/subrosasociety

but also can be found in my top friends.

the page has SIX live tracks from the shows, and I'll change them soon,
because it was nearly impossible to decide which ones to put up,
there are so many good ones.
seriously. It's a blast - what a show. I have such a good time.
it's a little embarrassing how many times I say
"wow that was beautiful" or things like that - but it just is.

and then, I put up my old, 4-track version of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
it's on my myspace page now:
http://www.myspace.com/rosepolenzani

Happy Holidays, peoples.

love,
rose p

Hello all... please vote for me in the Boston Music Awards! I am up for Local Female Vocalist of 2007. Anyone can vote, no matter where you live. That's weird, but let's make it work to my advantage...

Thanks,
Rose