Photo: Bernard Ente
September 2008Bibi wrote that theme song!This summer I had the pleasure of completing my first work- for hire, a theme song for an NPR related show called the Kid's Science Challenge, a web podcast show. Host Jim Metzner, of the show "Pulse of the Planet" together with his project manager Tim Hawkins contacted me to create a theme song and instrumental music for this project. "I Wanna Know" was recorded at The Buddy Project studio in Astoria, NY and the brilliant engineer/ producer/ multi instrumentalist Lowell Thompson created drums, played bass & guitar. I played guitar, sang, and additional vocals were sung by Jaylee Kylan, and my nephew Jeremy's friends Willie and Forrest. Check it out at http://www.kidsciencechallenge.com/ This is the video for the tune--the screen right there on the home page. Click to play! The show is a competition to have real scientists conduct kid's ideas for experiments, and will debut this October. I am devoting all time in the near future to songwriting & recording and will not be performing gigs in the near future, but we had a great couple of "last gigs" in July. Thanks to all of you who showed up to hear the intergenerational Farber group-- with my nephew Jeremy and sister Celia. (photos below). We have passed the torch! Have a great September everyone!   July 2008July 29th, Bibi plays with unique dream-come-true line up!I am honored to be introducing the talented new guitarist on the block - Jeremy Bannister. He is only 14 years old but he has astounding sound, ability and is already a tasteful guitarist in his own right. ( OK he happens to be my nephew!) Come hear him contribute fresh energy to my original songs and some goodies from our shared pool of classic infuences...and my sister Celia - an exceptional drummer-- will be joining us on percussion! Peter Stuart, my all time favorite bassplayer, who has played in numerous bands with both my sister and will be on deck too! See you there! Bibi Farber plays with Peter Stuart on bass and Jeremy Bannister on guitar, Celia Farber on percussion! Tuesday July 29th at 8:00 pm at :
Kenny's Castaways 157 Bleecker Street, NYC between Sullivan & Thompson Street. No cover charge May 2008
On Friday June 20th the choir I sing in, the Swedish Church Choir, will perform at The Traditional Swedish Midsummer Celebration in Battery Park City in Manhattan. We sing all kinds of genres, contemporaray and traditional but at this gig: all classic Swedish folk music! It's a fun,free outdoor party! Background info: On the Friday closest to the actual summer solstice, Swedes celebrate Midsummer's Eve, taking time to rejoice in the light of the sun and the arrival of summer with traditional midsummer festivities throughout the weekend. This major holiday is usually celebrated in the heart of nature, as Swedes head out to the countryside to enjoy food, drink, games, dancing and general revelry. The annual Swedish Midsummer Celebration will once again take place in Robert F. Wagner Jr. Park in Battery Park City on the southwestern tip of Manhattan on June 20, 2008.  Families and children of all ages are welcome to help decorate the midsummer pole, make flower wreaths, play traditional games, and dance to the authentic fiddle music of Paul Dahlin and fiddlers from the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis. The ring dancing will be led by Jeanne Eriksson Widman. Food stands will offer traditional delicacies from New York's finest Swedish restaurants. Swedish Midsummer Celebration Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Park Battery Park City New York, NY Friday, June 20, 2008 5–8 pm Here now finally at last I have some more music available! Three new songs produced by Kevin Salem -- they will be on I Tunes by May 25th, if you prefer a disk please send me $5 in some type of useful currency or paper representing currency and I will send you a disk. Bibi Farber 2211 Broadway #3A New York, NY 10024 1. Habit of Dreaming 2. More Than You Bargained For 3. Power Back On You will love this! thanks! and by the way, My house now has a resume and headshots! Yes, and it is looking for a new owner! This dwelling is now on the market. I have put many years of love into it and now am releasing it to the next person! More music news soon! Best Regards, Bibi March 2008Hoorah! I get to sing my Undertones song again: "Girls Don't Like It" This is hands down the most FUN event I have the honor of participating in-- get down there and join us! Happy St Patty's Day! Cheers!http://www.roguesmarch.com/irishrevue/
Every year during the St Patrick's Season, NYC singer/songwriter Joe Hurley salutes his Irish heritage with a blazing all-night long musical extravaganza that celebrates Ireland's musical gifts to the world - The All-Star Irish Rock Revue.WFUV and BOWERY PRESENTS Present JOE HURLEY'S 9TH ANNUAL ALL-STAR IRISH ROCK REVUE Featuring Joe Hurley & Rogue's March and a Cast of Thousands WEBSTER HALL 125 East 11th Street 212 353 1600 Saturday March 15th 2008 Doors 6.30pm 18+ Special guests, Ireland's The High Kings (straight from Radio City show), Chris Collingwood (Fountains of Wayne), Stew, (star of Broadway's new hit show - Passing Strange) and Stephen Frost, star of UK's "Who's Line is it Anyway?" will be joining Joe Hurley's 9th Annual All-Star Irish Rock Revue on Saturday, March 15th, held for the first time at the legendary Webster Hall in the heart of the East Village. Other guest performers this year include members of the New York Dolls, The Dictators and the Patti Smith Band, Ellen Foley, Willie Nile, and SNL's Christine Ohlman. Gathering friends and performers ranging from NYC punk-rock legends to Broadway stars to best-selling novelists to star comedians to rock legends - from R&R Hall of Famers to up and coming local singers, the All-Star Irish Rock Revue is a much-loved one-night-only event celebrating the songs of Ireland's greatest: Thin Lizzy, U2, Van Morrison, Sinead, Morrissey, Undertones, Rory Gallagher, SLF, The Pogues, John Lydon, Declan MacManus, The Dubliners, Trad Gems ie. 'The Great Irish Songbook'. The evening begins with a set from Joe Hurley & Rogue's March featuring Jay Dee Daugherty (Patti Smith Band) and James Mastro (Ian Hunter). Called 'the best singer of vowels in rock' by the VILLAGE VOICE, Hurley has released several critically acclaimed CDs and is featured on the recent SONY release 'Whiskey in the Jar-Essential Irish Drinking Songs and Singalongs' with his ballad 'Amsterdam Mistress.' Hosted by Joe Hurley and Ed Rogers, The Irish Rock Revue begins at 9pm sharp - band members this year include Steve Goulding (Mekons) Mark Bosch (Ian Hunter) Sal Maida (Cracker) and Tish n Snooky, Megan Weeder (Mellencamp), Pat Robinson and MD Chris Flynn. "It's always an incredible night. When a collection of New York's finest entertainers, from all walks of life and backgrounds, sing Ireland's greatest songs, sparks fly and cultures collide with an off -the-cuff magnificence that could only happen here', says Joe Hurley, founder and co-host of the Irish Rock Revue.' We're celebrating the musical riches of Ireland, but we're also toasting NYC in all its splendid, ragged glory. The character of this town is up on stage at the Revue, and it's a thing of wonder watching the two worlds meet in song. A Broadway star singing a Van Morrison classic? A New York Doll ripping through Thin Lizzy's 'Cowboy Song'? A downtown punk legend shredding an Undertones rocker? It's all there." February 2008The 3 tracks I've been working on with Kevin Salem, and the 2 with Christian Cassan are finally - FINALLY --almost-- mixed! These 5 songs will be available for download on I-Tunes as soon as I can make it happen! Kevin is just a very busy fellow and Christian is too- he is the drummer in the new groundbreaking hit Broadway musical "Passing Strange". So it's been a busy time for everyone!BIG NEWS! I was contacted to create original music for an NPR- related kids science show! This will be my debut "work for hire" project, it is tremendously exciting. I am actually for the first time being offered money for music that doesn't exist yet! Well, almost. Last year I wrote a customized song for my dear friend Karl Saliter, who is a juggler / stilt walker/ fire breathing/ crazy guy. (www.vaudevilleonwheels.com and www.karlsaliter.com) He had me write a song for his stage show, "Karl the Amazing Cup Diving Man" which was a big success. . More details to follow as this project develops! This lovely review of Second Kiss appeared on Jim Testa's " Jersey Beat" website. This is a column written by Robert Barry Francos after my appearance at the International Pop Overthrow concert a while back from http://www.jerseybeat.com/quietcorner.html  After seeing BIBI FARBER at the International Pop Overthrow festival, I said hello to her since I enjoyed her set (and she coincidentally sat next to me at the communal table to see some of the other artists). Then I went to my go-to guy, Bernie Kugel, to find out more about her. He filled me in that her lineage is long and respected; part of her signposts is as one of the original members of The Richard Lloyd Band. Then her second CD, “Second Kiss” (Glow Time, c/o bibifarber.com), arrived. I immediately put it on, and it was such a breath of fresh air. Live it was Bibi and her guitar (and wonderfully amusing self-effacing banter), which was enjoyable, and here with full backing it was that much more fulfilling, part in thanks to her, and to the good production by John Agnello and Bibi. Most of the topics covered are of the human condition, and especially a close look at people, including one just born (“Evelyn), one in a home with Alzheimer’s (“Selma Smiles”), and one recently passed (“Does It Have to be Christmas This Year?”, about her mom). Many of these are subjects and persons with whom the listener can identify, like the “Meticulous Man” (“You can find a place for every single thing but me”) and “Verbalworld” (“Baby can’t we please turn off the words and close the door?”). This is solid rock with a pop sheen, that has some ‘60s influence with a touch of Mersey Beat (make me think of George Harrison’s way of being wonderfully off-formula). This CD is highly recommended. October 2007Thanks for checking in here!I do have some exciting gigs coming up to let you know about : Saturday October 20th: I will be singing with the Swedish Church Choir, but the concert is in English and open to the public. We are performing selections from Duke Ellington's Sacred Music at the Swedish Seamen's Church at 5 East 48th Street, off of 5th Ave at 7:00 pm. It's been mind blowing to work on these exquisite harmonies. I sing the alto parts! In the last years of Duke Ellington's life, the jazz maestro explored the spiritual side of his extraordinary musical gifts. Between 1966 and 1973, Ellington wrote three massive works that combined elements of jazz, classical music, choral music, spirituals, gospel, blues and dance. He called them his "sacred concerts" and they were performed in churches and cathedrals around the world. He said it was the most important music he'd ever written. We will be performing selections for the choir, with bass, piano and sax as well as some vocal solos. I have the honor of performing a solo piece titled "Freedom" Donation: $10 Thursday November 8th: Bibi Farber solo at The Baggot Inn 8:00 pm I have been invited to be part of the International Pop Overthrow festival in New York. This is an organization that is dedicated to promoting the POP in pop/ rock. Visit these fine people at www.internationalpop overthrow.com/ Location : 82 West 3rd st, New York www.thebaggotinn.com November 18th: Bibi Farber with Sean Seymour also at The Baggot Inn at 10:30 pm full set and REALLY full guitar sound this time! Sean and I have been playing together this year - he's a stellar guitarist and bassist who makes my songs sparkle and shine! This is our first gig playing my originals. In Licensing News: One of my songs from "Firepop" - Seeds of Anger- was used in an online promotional clip for THE SOPRANOS on the A&E Network's website. I will be turning up heaven and earth to get a clip of that...what I know is that is was to depict a scene with Tony Soprano and Dr. Melfi! In Recording News: I am almost done with 3 new songs with Kevin Salem-- someone I've wanted to work with for many years. He played guitar with Freedy Johnston, but I discovered him from his solo work. Wait till you hear this stuff! Should be done in a month or so...I have also been doing two songs with drummer/ producer Christian Cassan in his studio in Brooklyn. We had the pleasure of working with Sal Maida on bass (who is now with Cracker, Mary Weiss and toured with Roxy Music for a while too) Excellent stuff- all around! Hope to have finished tracks soon. Best to you all till then! June 2007I am happy to announce a most delightful collaboration with a gifted guitarist, Sean Seymour. I've known him as a bass player through the years of treading various downtown paths in the rock world, especially the Irish rock veins... now I come to see: he specializes in acoustic fingerpicking magic!Our first gig will be a lunch gig, playing choice covers: JULY 3rd
12:00 noon- 1:30 pm Dag Hammarskjold Plaza in Manhattan East 47th St. Between 2nd And 3rd Aves. New York, NY 10017 free outdoor concert May 2007Hi everyone - I will be doing a mini-set at the Songwriter's Triangle on:SUNDAY, MAY 27th
6:30-8:30pm THE BAGGOT INN 82 W 3rd ST NY, NY 10012 http://www.baggotinn.com/baggot.html I will be going on right around 8:00 pm Hope to see you there! March 2007LOOK: I’m in WIRED MAGAZINE this month: March Issue on page 134.It’s a cover story about how everything is becoming smaller and faster in entertainment, so I’m talking about pop song snippets. Click over here: www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.03/snackmusic.html#five I have three gigs this month and they run the gamut from raunchy to religious—hope to see you at one of them! |