By JESSICA A. BOTELHO

Renowned rock drummer Carl Palmer makes music with drumsticks and creates artwork with them, too. He’ll be showing off both talents at the Narrow’s Center for the Arts in Fall River, Mass., this Sunday, May 5^th, as he and his band will celebrate the music of Emerson, Lake and Palmer (ELP) during a two-hour performance.

The show is part of his extensive world tour, “Twist of the Wrist,” also the name of his fine art collection, which features a series of visual images constructed by capturing the rhythm of drum performances through photographs.

The images, crafted in conjunction with California’s Scene Four Art Studios, combine motion, color and LED lights. He uses what he calls “special drumsticks” that emit four colors: blue, green, yellow and red, while playing drums in a dark room. The scene is photographed and then printed on canvas. Each print is signed and numbered.

“I don’t paint with paint; I paint with light,” he said. “I’m extremely proud of it.”

His art will be showcased, as well as available for purchase, during the performance at the Narrows. A meet and greet will follow for anyone who has purchased a ticket to the show.

“I like to give the fans an opportunity to not only meet myself and the band, but to give autographs,” Palmer said. “It does take a bit of time, but I enjoy doing it. It’s a nice payback to fans for supporting us and they get to meet (guitarist) Paul (Bielatowicz) and (bassist) Simon (Fitzpatrick), who are great musicians. And they can purchase my new DVD “Decade” and get it signed by the band.”

“Decade” pays homage to the fact that Palmer began playing ELP hits as a power trio, replacing keyboards with electric guitar, more than a decade ago in 2001. The DVD captures a multi-camera video shoot recorded at Pittsburgh’s MusikFest in 2011 and features Bielatowicz, who has been performing with Palmer since 2006, and Fitzpatrick, who came on board about three years ago.

Palmer is grateful for the enthusiasm they bring to the band and is happy they help deliver his fresh take on ELP to fans of all ages.

“They give me the satisfaction to be able to push this music to the future using different instruments – where Emerson, Lake and Palmer left off, I’ve just carried on,” said Palmer. “People can hear this through a new format, which is using guitars instead of keyboards and techniques that are available to us today. They give me that chance to push this music far along down the line.”

Palmer, best known as a founding member of ELP, as well as ASIA, has been performing for more than 40 years, taking on new projects such as the power trio and artwork to keep things interesting and fresh. He doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon.

Even a serious bout with E Coli, which sidelined him for more than two months and caused the cancellation of ASIA’s 2012 UK tour, can’t hold him back. It was the first time one of his tours had to be cancelled in his professional career.

“I love to play,” said Palmer. “I have no reason to stop or retire. People only retire when they don’t like what they do and I love what I do. I’m in a very fortunate position to have a job that I’ve loved all my life. Why stop working? I’m still improving and that’s more encouragement to keep going. I’ve been blessed by God and I’m still in good health. I’m very happy.”

Currently, Palmer has been on tour with his ELP Legacy since February. The tour kicked off in Japan before Palmer and his crew hopped aboard a Caribbean-bound cruise ship during the last week of March for Cruise to the Edge, which featured ELP Legacy, YES, Steve Hackett, and UK.

“We really enjoyed doing that,” Palmer said. “I played inside in the main room and then decided I wanted to play outside on the top deck. Unfortunately, it was rather windy when we started – winds were up to 35 miles an hour – but we played a good 45-minutes and had a great time. I was able to display my art aboard the ship.”

After the cruise, Palmer toured South America before beginning his North American leg earlier this month. So far, it’s been smooth sailing.

“It’s been going very well,” he said. “All in all, it’s been tremendous.”

The Narrows Center for the Arts is located at 16 Anawan Street in Fall River. Tickets can be purchased online at www.narrowscenter.org, by calling 508-324-1926 or in person at the box office Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Tickets will also be available at the door on the day of the show.

By LEAH ASTORE

After nearly five years since his last solo CD, singer/songwriter/guitarist Charlie Farren is releasing a new studio record, Tuesday.

The title and track by the same name serve as a tribute to the late Brad Delp of BOSTON. When Farren first heard Delp’s song “Tuesday,” it left a lasting impression on him.

“I loved it immediately,” Farren said. “It reminded me of ‘Yesterday’ by The Beatles.”

The first time he heard a demo of the song he was in Delp’s car after judging a songwriting contest for Rock 101 (WGIR-FM). Years passed and Delp’s song was never released. However, inspiration struck recently when Farren heard the song “Yesterday” while driving in his car.

Farren called Delp’s family members and asked them to send him a demo of “Tuesday,” and for permission to record a cover of the song for his newest record.

“They were very, very supportive and enthusiastic,” Farren said, adding, “[Delp] was a fantastic guy and an incredible singer.”

Local DJ Lisa Garvey who wrote a review of the song said, “I honestly think ‘Tuesday’ could be the new ‘Yesterday.’”

Due to Farren’s background in hard rock with his band FARRENHEIT!, his other songs on the album have a similar influence mixed with a “jazzier and more eclectic” sound, he said.

At the moment Farren is also working on around 30 or 40 songs, which he said is a regular creative process for him.

“Everyday I pick up the guitar,” Farren said. “Most of the time I’m not just playing it, I’m writing my songs.”

For Tuesday, Farren recorded the acoustic guitar and vocals at his studio, The FMansion. Then the tracks were finished at producer Anthony J. Resta’s studio, Studio Bopnique, where cello and ambient guitars were added. Farren sang all the vocals, with the exception of the songs “That Kind of Girl” and “Middle of My Heart,” where his daughter Veronica Farren joins him on backup vocals.

While some of the songs on his album will not lend themselves to full solo performance, Farren said, half are songs he will incorporate into his set list. Farren has four upcoming shows in New England in April, including an intimate CD release party on April 5^th at The Center for the Arts in Natick, Mass.

“It’s been a blast to get back into music,” he said. “I’m psyched to be performing solo again.”

Tomorrow, March 29, Farren is playing a show at Purple Pit Jazz Club in Concord, N.H. where he said he might preview some of his new songs.

“I’ll probably be previewing the ones I feel strongly about,” Farren said.

As for the rest of his newest tracks, fans can attend his CD release party and show The Center for the Arts in Natick. Tickets are available on venue’s website.

For more information about Farren, visit his website at www.charliefarren.com.

By JESSICA A. BOTELHO

Grab your sweetheart – and a pair of concert tickets – for Valentine’s Day, as Grammy-nominated blues and gospel artist Ruthie Foster is set to play at the Zeiterion Theatre this Friday, Feb. 15, with Grammy Award-winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Mavis Staples.

Foster, who attended Sunday’s 55th Grammy Award celebration in Los Angeles, CA, said the nomination was “a nice surprise.”

“It’s validating more than anything,” said Foster. Her 2012 recording, Let It Burn, was up for Best Blues Album.

On Dec. 5, the day the nominees were released, Foster was spending time with family in her hometown of Gause, Texas, a small town just north of Austin. Later that night, her manager called her to share the good news.

“I spent the day with my sister and brother just getting back to my roots and then I got that call,” Foster said. “It was pretty cool. It all came together full circle.”

Foster also talked about something else that excites her: the fact that Staples will be joining her for the show.

“I love her to pieces,” said Foster, noting that she channeled Staples when recording a few songs for Let It Burn. “I brought her sound into a couple tunes, mainly the Los Lobos song, because it’s in a register I don’t sing in much.”

With the exception of two songs, Let It Burn consists of 11 soulful covers, including “This Time,” by Los Lobos, as well as Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire,” Adele’s “Set Fire to the Rain,” John Martyn’s “Don’t Want to Know,” plus hits by The Band, Pete Seeger, Crosby, Stills & Nash and more.

She recorded it in New Orleans with producer John Chelew, another Grammy-Award winner, who suggested Foster cover these particular songs.

“He brought a lot of new tunes to me from different genres for this album that I hadn’t really got into until then,” Foster said. “I wasn’t familiar with John Martyn until I did this album and now I’m a fanatic for his stuff. I just can’t find enough of it. I’m chasing everything he’s got. It’s sad he’s no longer here.”

The CD features an array of artists, such as The Blind Boys of Alabama, soul legend William Bell and the rhythm section of The Funky Meters.

It also includes New Orleans-bred guitarist Dave Easley, renowned saxophonist James Rivers and Ike Stubblefield on organ.

Foster said The Blind Boys brought a lot of “earthiness,” as well as a “spiritual side” to the recording. Growing up with a group of uncles who all sang, she said hearing them brought her back to her childhood.

“They were real close to that sound I was so familiar with, so having the chance to put it on one of my albums was just a huge opportunity,” said Foster. “I wasn’t sure what the songs really meant until these guys started singing on them. They really just made the song ‘Welcome Home’ shine.”

For the first time in her recording career, Foster, who plays multiple instruments, including piano and guitar, didn’t play an instrument on Let It Burn. It gave her a chance to hone in on being a singer and get the chance to “channel” a variety of singers.

“It was different and very welcoming,” she said, adding that the recording process of the entire album was a pleasure. “Getting someone like George Porter, Jr. (of The Funky Meters) to be the first to say ‘yes’ to being a part of a group of guys that were going to lay down the tracks. Then, everybody else jumped on board. It was huge. My manager happens to be the manager to The Blind Boys, so all he had to do was make a phone call. We made it happen. It really came together well. I’m really happy with the way it turned out.”

The Grammy-nomination marks her second, as The Truth According to Ruthie Foster was in the running for Best Contemporary Blues Album a few years ago. She also has a long list of nominations and awards, including three consecutive wins for the Blues Music Award in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

“All of them are special,” she said. “I have three Blues Awards, but it means something different each time.”

This year, she hopes to hit the studio again. Writing more and recording with Keb’ Mo’, a three-time American Grammy-Award winning blues musician, is a possibility.

In terms of her show at The Z next month, she plans on bringing a full band with her, as she will playing a lot of songs from the CD.

“It should be a good time,” she said. “I like getting the chance to be introduced to the audience. That’s what’s great about what I do.”

The Zeiterion is located at 684 Purchase Street in New Bedford, Mass. Tickets are priced at $40, $37.50 & $35. Box Office Hours: M-F 10 a.m. to 5 pm.., Sat 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and one hour before each performance. For more information, visit www.zeiterion.org or call 508-994-2900.

By JESSICA A. BOTELHO

 Rockapella, a five-piece American a cappella group that formed in 1986 in New York City, will be coming to the Zeiterion Theatre in New Bedford, Mass., this Sunday, Feb. 10 for “Motown and More,” a show featuring songs from their upcoming album of the same name.

USA Today sang their praises for Rockapella, as they reported, “The best musical instrument of all is the human voice – if you’ve seen Rockapella you know that’s the truth.”

Scott Leonard, the group’s primary songwriter, arranger and high tenor, said he anticipates the album will be available in the next few months, and that the show, which begins at 7 p.m., pays tribute to the music of Motown with one-of-a-kind versions of hits from his all-time favorites such as The Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, and more.

Among Rockapella favorites, which have rock, jazz, R&B and doo-wop elements, the concert will include songs like The Temptations’ “My Girl” and “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg” to The Jackson 5’s “Stop The Love You Save” and “Dancin’ Machine.”

“Songs from my childhood are the ones that really inspire me to make an arrangement,” Leonard said. “People have a connection to the music, so we’re already half way there. The songs are so great and we give a unique, new approach to them and that usually hits home pretty well. Rockapella and Motown is a good match.”

Leonard started singing in male groups in college, and joined the group in 1991. He said Rockapella has evolved through the years, as they’ve added a lot more staging, technology and choreography to the mix.

“We’re not a dance act by any means, but it’s the most energetic Rockapella show we’ve ever done,” he said. “We don’t want the dancing to distract from the sound and the experience, but you rarely see a cappella groups going at it like this.”

None of the founding members are still in the band, but as each of them retired, said Leonard, they were able to strengthen the group, as they handpicked replacements they were looking for. Aside from Leonard, the current line-up also features bass vocalist George Baldi III, tenors John K. Brown and Steven Dorian, plus vocal percussionist Jeff Thacher.

“This line-up has never been better,” Leonard said. “Rockapella is a band, we just don’t have the keyboards and rhythm guitars. We have two guys with voices picking up the background, and then you have the bass, drums and melody.”

Of Thatcher, Leonard said he’s basically a human drum set.

“He’s got a technique where he puts a microphone to his throat to pick up a lower, more full sound that you don’t usually hear from a human,” Leonard said. “And the jingle bells he does at Christmas shows really stun the audience. They are remarkable.”

To keep their voices in “remarkable” condition, Leonard said he drinks a lot of water. Unlike other vocalists who are backed by bands, there are no musical breaks or gaps in a cappella, so their vocal chords get little rest during performances.

Keeping a healthy cardiovascular system, plus a musical education, is important, too.

“I have a voice degree, so being able to correctly produce the sound really helps me because I’m screaming so high,” said Leonard, who has a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from the University of Tampa. “If I didn’t do it right, or at least try to do it right all these years, I’d be horse by now.”

As the primary writer, Leonard uses a piano to write and make arrangements. He grew up singing at a piano with his mother and always adds his own twists to songs.

“If it’s a cover, I need a great idea to make it new and different,” he said. “I don’t just do a Beatles’ song because people will like it because it’s The Beatles – we want to offer something to the fans that’s new and deserves to exist.”

The group made a name for themselves in America in the early 1990s shortly after creating the theme song for the PBS hit show, “Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?” They appeared as the show’s vocal house band and resident comedy troupe. Leonard said the experience was a lot of fun, and to this day, they sing the theme song at every show.

They also penned the well-known Folgers commercial with the famous catch line, “The best Part of waking up is Folgers in your cup,” a Taco Bell commercial, starred in the television special “Do It A Cappella,” which was hosted by accomplished filmmaker Spike Lee, starred with Whoopi Goldberg and Denzel Washington in the HBO family series “Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child,” as well as opened for acts such as Chuck Berry, Styx, Billy Joel, and their a cappella idols The Persuasions.

Additionally, they performed on Jay Leno’s first New Year’s Eve episode of “The Tonight Show “in 1992. Since then, they’ve built quite the fan base.

“We have fans that have seen over 200 shows apiece,” Leonard said.

He’ll most likely see some of those fans within the month: the group recently booked a gig to perform on a cruise from Australia to Bali. He’s also hoping to see them at The Z Feb. 10.

“There’s a rumor surprise guests might be opening for Rockapella,” he said.

To learn more about the group or to download their music, visit http://www.rockapella.com.

The Zeiterion’s box office is located at 684 Purchase Street in New Bedford, Mass. Tickets are priced at $30.50. Box Office Hours: M-F 10 a.m. to 5 pm.., Sat 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and one hour before each performance. For more information, visit www.zeiterion.org or call 508-994-2900.

Editor’s Note: Since this interview, the surprise special guest alluded to by Mr. Leonard is the G-20 Chorus, an award-winning chorus group from Fall River, Mass.

By JESSICA A. BOTELHO

While Jan. 26th will mark the first time singer-songwriter John Waite will take the stage at the Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River, Massachusetts, it’s certainly not his first show in the area.

Considering the fact that he used to live in New York, and knows many people from Massachusetts and Rhode Island, he said Fall River feels just like home.

“It’s stunning, especially this time of year,” said Waite, who was born in Lancaster, England. “I’m used to the East Coast weather and I like the seasons. It’s just great to be out there. We can’t wait to get back East. I’m sure it’s going to be a pretty good show because we love to play.”

The evening will feature two opening acts, including Burlington, Vermont, singer-songwriter Justin Levinson, as well as former Somerset, Mass., resident Shaun Hague, who was a member of Waite’s touring band last year.

“We love him,” Waite said of Hague. “He looks like ‘House,’ so that’s what we used to call him and introduce him as on stage. He’s really great and we’ll be pleased to see him.”

Waite, a guitarist, will have a full electric band with him. They’ll be performing fan favorites from throughout his career, including songs from his days as lead vocalist for The Babys, such as “Isn’t It Time,” as well as “When I See You Smile,” an anthem he released with the rock band Bad English.

Of course, he’ll play songs from his solo career that produced numerous Billboard Top 40 hits, such as the #1 smash hit “Missing You.”

“It will be colorful because there’s a huge amount of songs to choose from,” Waite said. “We keep it interesting and we start each show off differently. If we got into playing the same set every night, everybody would just stay home. I can’t be part of that. It’s just not what I do. I try to keep it as fluid as I can.”

As he said, every show is unique, as is every audience. He believes an audience has a big impact on how a band performs a particular song or even a whole set.

“Sometimes the audience is pretty vocal and sometimes they just watch. It’s my job to sort of bring it,” said Waite. “I don’t really have any rules about it – you just step into it and go. If the vibe is in the air, everything just explodes. It’s music; it’s the best thing in the world.”

Aside from his show at the Narrows, Waite is set to gig at a handful of other venues in New England. In February, he plans to record tracks at an unplugged show in New York for a live album, which he expects to release in the spring. The album will also feature songs he recorded during a Philadelphia performance in November.

He anticipates he’ll be on a world tour shortly afterwards, leaving little time for writing and recording new material. Still, he’d like to go into the studio this month to tinker around.

His last studio album, “Rough & Tumble,” was released in 2011, and contained some of his most personal songs.

“I had a rough couple of years going in to that record, and came out with a lot of interesting lyrics,” Waite said.

He described it as a “funny” album, as he planned to release it as a five track EP, but his former management wanted more songs.

“It was really frustrating because to me, it was complete, so I was completely stumped,” he said. “I didn’t know what to do.”

That’s when Waite hooked up with Matchbox 20 guitarist, Kyle Cook, in Nashville. The two collaborated and made music Waite said is some of his best.

“It was like a career record for me,” he said. “I have no idea how it worked, but it all worked. We completed about seven songs in four days. At the end of the day I was pretty beat, but it’s a great little record. I was very happy with it and it got a lot of airplay.”

He also said working with Cook was “great fun.”

“We got on very well and wrote songs at a very fast speed,” Waite said. “He was always game to jump in and try anything new. He’s a great guitar player and he’s very intelligent.”

When recording the track, “The Evil,” Waite said he made up lyrics on the spot. The demo is on the album as a master track.

But Waite is known for not liking overly produced music. Rather, he enjoys imperfections.

“It’s the honesty of it,” he said. “When you’re in the studio doing a vocal, the first is always the best. You’re bobbing and weaving and you’re in that place. You’re just being yourself completely. You can’t be out of tune and you can’t be going down the road – you have to know where you are, but mistakes make it more human.”

Like his music, Waite appreciates life and all the imperfections and magical moments that go along with it.

“I’m lucky to have the life I have,” he said. “And I love making music. I’m so knocked out by it. It’s a beautiful thing.”

Tickets to Waite’s show can be purchased online at www.narrowscenter.org or by calling the box office at 508-324-1926. Tickets can also be purchased in person at the box office. Hours are Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Our publisher, JKB Booking, is presenting the show. They can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jkbbooking.