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C K Y M O U N T A I N H I G H
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The John Denver
Internet Fan Club
Monthly Newsletter
J U N E 2 0 0 9
Editor: Emily M. Parris
Table of Contents
June
2009 - Issue #182
John Denver Events............................2
Concert Reviews:
"Country Roads, The Music of
John Denver"
Rochester, New York
Reviewed by Martha
Jodoin...................6
Life Ain't Nothin' But A Funny, Funny
Riddle..6
"John Denver's Music Alive with John Adams"
Summit Daily News - May 1, 2009.............7
John Denver Notes.............................8
Poetry Corner:
"The Poetry In
Nature"
by Carole Romanowski................9
John Denver Want
Ads.........................10
Rejoice in the creative
spirit
that lives in you. Use it consciously
to create
the life and the world you want...
John
Denver
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J O H N D E N V E R E V
E N T S
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June 13, 2009
– Hamilton, OH – “Friends With You” Band
(859) 567-2955 http://www.friendswithyouband.com
June 13, 2009 - Liberty, NC -
Christopher
Westfall Presents: John Denver - A Musical Retrospective
Liberty Showcase,
Liberty, North Carolina 7:30pm Join Chris for a
splendid evening of music
in this theater located in the Piedmont area of
North Carolina. Chris
will be doing a comprehensive review of John
Denver's music, as well as
original pieces. Tickets are $12 in advance
Or $15 at the door. Please
call: 1-336-622-3844 or go to
www.libertyshowcase.com
June 14, 2009 - JAPAN - John Denver Tribute Concert in Ginza, Tokyo -
Tanaka
Takeru sings John Denver's best-loved hits, joined by Suga
Katsutoshi and
Daniel Clay Idol / Ginza TACT / 6-9-15 Ginza, Chuo-ku,
Tokyo, JAPAN /
+81-3-3571-3939 (03-3571-3939) / 1:00pm / 2,800 yen
http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/~nisenora/e-pineapplers-liveinfo.html
June 14, 2009 - Breckenridge, CO - John Adams
& Friends play the music of
John Denver / Noon to 3:00pm - Main Street
Station / Free Concert
June 19, 2009 – Westampton, NJ – Charlie Zahm
presents a Tribute to
John Denver with fiddler Tad Marks and guitarist,
Steve Hobson.
Burlington County Amphitheater 6:30pm 5 Pioneer Blvd /
Westampton, NJ * http://www.charliezahm.com
Info: pahough@aol.com The
event is free.
June 26, 2009 - Medford, NJ - Chris Westfall in
Concert 7:00pm
Village of Taunton Forge Summer Concert Series
Taunton
and Tuckerton Roads, Medford, NJ 7:00pm
Come on out and join Chris for an
evening of music under the stars in
Taunton Forge's beautiful pavilion.
Bring a chair and dust off the vocal
chords. This is a free outdoor
concert nestled in the village.
http://www.chriswestfall.com
June 27, 2009 - UK - John Denver Tribute and
Charity Concert
Thingwall Recreation Centre, Sparks Lane 7:30pm
Jim
Gallacher, Vocal Point and Mark Robinson will perform
Info: fojdnews@fojd.org.uk
July 31, 2009 - Breckenridge, CO - John Adams
& Friends play the music
of John Denver 7:00pm Riverwalk Center
$15
August 14, 2009 – Van Wert, Ohio – Tribute to John
Denver starring Ted
Vigil and his band. Fountain Park – Van Wert,
OH
August 21-22, 2009 – South lake Tahoe, CA – 6th
Annual “Dancing With the
Mountains: A Musical Tribute to John Denver”
featuring the “Friends With You
Band” as well as “Aspen Meadow” Tickets
$15 – Tahoe Valley RV Resort /
1175 Melba Drive / South lake Tahoe,
CA
Laurie Kern lkern@sbcglobal,net
916-416-3547
www.dancingwiththemountains.info
September 18, 2009 - Charlottesville, VA - "A
Tribute to the Music
of John Denver" will be performed by Jim Curry, his
band, and
special guest Jim Connor 8:00pm at the Paramount Theater,
215 East Main Street, Charlottesville, VA 22902
(434) 979-1333
http://www.theparamount.net
http://www.JimCurryMusic.com
September 26, 2009 - UK - Friends of John Denver's
Autumn "Denver Day"
Histon & Impington Royal British Legion Club,
Saffron Road, Histon,
Cambridge, CB24 9LJ. 11:00am / More info on the
"Events Page" at
http://www.fojd.org.uk
An evening concert will feature Rene and Thomas from
"Nickels & Dimes"
October 7, 2009 - Aspen, CO - Chris Collins in
Concert at the
Aspen Community Church 7:00pm Tickets: $15
Jeff Pine
will also perform. Chris and Jeff will perform
original music along with a
few John Denver tunes.
Hollie: holliecwoodstock@aol.com
(678) 576-0269
Doors open at 6:30pm
October 8, 2009 - Aspen CO - Wheeler Opera House –
THE JOHN DENVER ALL STAR TRIBUTE BAND IN CONCERT "Doin' Their Own
Thing"
Featuring the original music of: MACK BAILEY - DENNY BROOKS - BILL
DANOFF -
ALAN DEREMO – RICHIE GAJATE-GARCIA - PETE HUTTLINGER
CHRIS NOLE - HERB PEDERSEN - KENN ROBERTS
JIM SALESTROM - JOHN SOMMERS -
MOLLIE WEAVER
Tickets go on sale June 2009!
http://www.wheeleroperahouse.com/wheeler/
October 8, 2009 - Aspen, CO - "Friends With You
Band Tribute to John Denver"
Chris Collins, Mark Cormican, Kevin
Delmolino, Paul Swanton, Bill Powell
and Mark Nelson perform at the Aspen
Community Church 2:00pm
Tickets: $15 Sharon alaskanchild@yahoo.com
Doors open at 1:30pm
OCTOBER 9th & 10th,
2009 – ASPEN, CO - THE WHEELER OPERA HOUSE
12th Annual JOHN DENVER
TRIBUTE CONCERTS
Celebrating the Man and his Music
MACK BAILEY -
DENNY BROOKS - BILL DANOFF
ALAN DEREMO - RICHIE GAJATE-GARCIA - PETE
HUTTLINGER - DON GROVE
MICHAEL JOHNSON (special guest - both
nights!)
GARY MULE DEER - CHRIS NOLE - HERB PEDERSEN - KENN ROBERTS
JIM SALESTROM - JOHN SOMMERS - MOLLIE WEAVER
Tickets go on sale June
2009!
http://www.wheeleroperahouse.com/wheeler/
http://www.aspenshowtickets.com (866) 449-0464
October 10, 2009 - Ashcroft, CO - Pine Creek
Cookhouse Luncheon
11:00am - 3:00pm / Tickets $50 includes a gourmet lunch.
A DVD from the film libtrary of Mr. John Wilcox will be available
for
purchase at the event. It is not included in the admission price.
"Friends With You Band" will perform. The event is sold out but a
waiting
list will be kept. Email Jennifer at windwalker@samsco.org
October 11, 2009 - Pacific Grove, California -
John Denver Tribute -
Info: pixiedmyr@aol.com
October 11, 2009 – Aspen, CO - Jim Connor and
Ellen Stapenhorst will
present a FUN concert at the Aspen Community
Church, 200 E. Bleeker St in
downtown Aspen. 3:00pm Donation, $15 if
ordered with SASE before October 1,
or $20 at the door. To order send a
SASE (self-addressed-stamped-envelope)
to J. Therrien, 12 Dunecrest Av,
Monterey, CA 93940.
Info: jht2008@pacbell.net
October 11, 2009 - Aspen, CO - "Coming Home - A
Windstar Celebration"
Windstar Land Conservancy / 2317 Snowmass Creek Road
/
Old Snowmass, Colorado 10:00am - 4:00pm
Live music, new Windstar
products, silent auction, Environmental
presentation by John Fielder /
Special Windstar History Presentation
featuring rare photos / Q&A's
with President Ron Deutschendorf /
JD Memorial Peace Cloth Display /
EARTHcamp and Connections Presentations
History walk / Hike to the
Meditation Platform / Refreshments
ComingHome@wstar.org
October 11, 2009 – Aspen, CO – Mark Cormican – A
Concert for Vital Ground /
Mark will perform original and cover songs in
this environmentally themed
Concert. 7:00pm Tickets $15 – Location to be
announced.
Sharon Cormican alaskanchild@yahoo.com
http://www.vitalground.org
October 11, 2009 - Aspen, CO - "Rocky Mountain
High John Denver Tribute Concert"
with John Adams and Friends. Wheeler
Opera House 7:00pm. Tickets go on sale
June 19, 2009 (970) 920-5770
Reserved seating $35
http://www.JohnAdamsMusic.com * www.youtube.com/JohnAdamsMusic
http://www.wheeleroperahouse.com
The band will consist of John Adams; Guitars and lead
vocals,
Tim Stroud, piano, keyboards and vocals; Randy Utterback,
Mandolin,
Fiddle and Dobro; Dave Harding, lead Guitar; Willie Hoevers,
Percussion;
Salena Castleberry and Sally Peterson, Vocals
Branson, MO - Monday through Saturday 10:00am
"A Tribute to John Denver & Country Music Legends"
James Garrett sings
John Denver's best-loved hits.
IMAX Little Opry Theatre / 3562 Shepherd of
the Hills
Expressway / Branson, MO 65616 (800) 419-4832
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“Country Roads: The Songs of John
Denver”
Downstairs Cabaret Theatre
Rochester, New York
Reviewed by
Martha Jodoin
This show has its world premiere at the
Downstairs Cabaret Theatre in Rochester, New York now
through at least the middle of June and hopefully
longer. It was conceived by Randal Myler and Dan
Wheetman (one of the original band members of John
Denver’s Band).
It was a great show with three talented singers. One
is Ryan Nearhoff
who was in the first national touring company of Almost
Heaven: The
Songs of John Denver. Benjamin Zep Misek was also in Almost
Heaven:
Songs of John Denver (National Tour). Lauren Stevens is new to
the
John Denver scene. Jack Boice is the narrator.
Seth Weinstein
is the musical director/pianist and Mark Weeg
plays fiddle/mandolin. Ryan
and Jack play guitar.
For a show like this it is not only important to be
a good singer (which they are) but also to
be a good actor. Ryan, Benjamin and Lauren do a
fantastic job of singing their songs and portraying
the emotions that John Denver wrote about. Almost
twenty songs included solos, duets, and the whole
ensemble, with some audience participation.
Pictures of John Denver and his family are used as a backdrop. Some of the
nature pictures were
taken by John. This show reminds us of the
beautiful music John wrote and of his environmental
concerns. It is not to be missed.
Martha Jodoin
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Life ain’t nothin’ but a funny, funny
riddle
By L. David Wheeler, staff writer
Daily Messenger
May 14,
2009
Rochester, N.Y. — The music of Henry John
Deutschendorf Jr. — better known as John Denver — are
ingrained in the American consciousness. Whether
they’re Denver fans or not, almost everybody knows
that the phrase “Almost heaven” is properly
followed by “West Virginia.” And that — “Take Me Home,
Country Roads” — is just one of the songs Denver
left behind, songs about love and loss and simple
pleasures and leaving a positive mark on the
planet.
Randal Myler didn’t know John Denver personally. But his
friend and frequent collaborator Dan
Wheetman, was a close friend and a colleague,
touring and recording with Denver for seven years.
Myler and Wheetman had put together a Christmas
show at the Wheeler Opera House in Denver’s adopted
hometown of Aspen, Colo. — Denver’s hits combined
with some traditional Christmas music in his style
— and thought to expand on it.
“We decided
to put together something that could run year-round, but to keep it in a real
simple
vein, nothing too orchestrated,” Myler said by
phone Tuesday, “in an honest, simple, direct style.”
What they put together
was “Country Roads: The Songs of John Denver,” which has made its world
premiere at the Downstairs Cabaret Theatre. The
performances continue through June 14.
The show features six performers:
pianist Seth Weinstein; Mark Weeg on fiddle and mandolin; and
singers Ryan Nearhoff, Benjamin Zep Misek, Lauren
Stevens and Jack Boice (who also plays guitar).
It’s a low-key show — the
cast simply sings and plays Denver’s songs, with occasional narration
taken from Denver’s own writings and from
Wheetman’s, while photographic images are shown behind
them: images of Denver and his family, and many
nature images taken by the singer himself, who died
in 1997 in a plane crash.
While adamant
that they weren’t trying to present Denver’s life story, the show does follow a
certain narrative arc. The first half is heavy on
songs evoking simple pleasures from rural life and
childhood (“Grandma’s Feather Bed,” “Thank God I’m
a Country Boy,” etc.); the discovery of awakening
love (as in “Annie’s Song”); and the exhilaration
he found in the mountains, as in “Rocky Mountain
High”:
But the Colorado Rocky Mountain high
I’ve seen
it raining fire in the sky
The shadow from the starlight is softer than a
lullabye ...
The second half is more reflective, its keys
tending toward the minor, as it presents songs of
lost love and loneliness (“I’m Sorry,” “Leaving on
a Jet Plane”), transitioning into songs
reflecting on what’s been learned through the
experience of love found and lost (“Perhaps Love”) and
reflective of Denver’s growing environmental and
social-justice passion (“Calypso,” “I Want to
Live”).
“It’s a young cast, but they’re
magnificent in this,” Myler said, “delivering it with an honesty
and a simplicity that I admire, even in its early
form.”
Myler’s a familiar name to Downstairs Cabaret patrons: He also
developed the Janis Joplin show
“Love, Janis,” using letters the rock-blues singer
sent home as a unifying motif; that show is still
running at DCT.
Myler has received Tony and
Drama Desk nominations (“It Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues/Lincoln
Center”) and an Outer Critics Circle nomination
for his direction of “Hank Williams: Lost Highway,”
a collaboration with music director Wheetman.
Wheetman’s projects, past and present are many, as an
actor, musical director, composer and musician. He
toured with Denver, wrote a Christmas song for
Kermit the Frog, opened for Steve Martin for a
year, and performed with artists ranging from Itzack
Perlman to R. Crumb.
“I think he was the
whole package,” Myler said of Denver. “He had warts like everyone else, he
was no saint — but in the end, he tried to be a
person of the planet. He put his money, and his
talent, where his mouth was. ... He became famous,
but it didn’t tell him who he was. Eventually, he
realized who he was: ‘I’m a person of the
Earth.’”
WHAT: “Country Roads: The Songs of John
Denver”
WHEN: Through June 14: 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; 6 p.m.
Fridays; 4 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 3
p.m. Sundays
WHERE: Downstairs Cabaret Theatre,
20 Windsor St., Rochester
TICKETS: Range from $27-$32 (discounts available
for seniors, groups, full-time students and DCT
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John Denver's Music Alive with John
Adams
Summit Daily News
Frisco, Colorado
by Kimberly Nicoletti
May
1, 2009
John Adams isn’t just a fan of John Denver’s
music; he played with Denver on a television
special before Denver’s untimely death in 1997.
After getting to know Denver, Adams felt like he
was sharing stories with a close family member.
They’d talk about life, their love for acoustic
guitars and their shows in China. Adams moved to
Silverthorne from his native land of Holland after
Denver died; since then he has been committed to
keeping Denver’s music alive in the States, as well
as in Europe.
And he’s had great success.
After winning a national song contest in Holland (akin to “America
Idol” here) in 1988 with Denver’s “Leaving On a
Jet Plane,” he began performing Denver’s music
throughout Europe, and even in Africa and
China.
Though he recently moved to the Front Range, Adams still plays
with three Summit County
musicians, each of whom have earned their own
status as musicians.
Husband and wife team Tim Stoud (keyboards) and
Keely Brown (backup vocals, accordion, harp and
percussion) have toured extensively and even
enjoyed a stint performing on Carnival cruise ships.
Willie Hoevers (bass guitar, drums, percussion)
moved to the U.S. from Holland at age 7 and has
toured extensively with Adams throughout the Rocky
Mountain state. All have been touched by Denver
in some way. “He was a great influence on me as
far as where I’m living now,” said Hoevers, who
moved to Summit County in 1988. “His music made me
feel like I belonged here.”
Though the band doesn’t imitate Denver (in
glasses or hair style), they do play his music
exactly the way he wrote it — note for note,
guitar lick for guitar lick.
“It reaches everybody,” Hoevers said. “It’s
timeless. There’s a lot of passion, a lot of romance, a
lot of love for the Earth and the land in his
music. People of all ages relate to it; they can
actually feel what he’s talking about.”
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J O H N D
E N V E R N O T E S
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Frank from
California posted some exciting news last night:
I was fortunate to see
John's concert at the Universal Amphitheatre on August
26th, 1974. I was 14 at the time, and was there
with my 19 year-old brother. The show was recorded
and released the following February as the album,
'An Evening with John Denver'. Even today I still
consider it to be among John's best work.
At
the concert we noticed several professional camera rigs recording it, and for
over 30 years I've
wondered what happened to this footage. In
addition to being acoustically perfect, the show was
visually stunning: John had three huge video
screens behind him, and the sheer beauty of these
images and videos was often breathtaking. If you
listen closely you can hear the audience's initial
reaction to these screens during 'Mother Nature's
Son', toward the start of the concert.
Well, after so many years, and so many
inquiries about this video footage, I was beginning to think
I had just imagined these cameras. But today,
miracle of miracles, I got an email from Cherry Lane
that said they found this footage (!!!) during the
most recent cataloging of their video archives.
They said it will be released in about a
year.
This is fantastic news for JD fans, and I know from first-hand
experience this video is a
rediscovered treasure. I'm posting this news
simply as a heads up, and asking people to please
refrain from contacting Cherry Lane about further
details. They were generous enough to look through
their archives for this footage and I don't wish
to repay them with hundreds (or maybe thousands) of
emails from other JD fans, most of whom will be
asking the same questions over and over.
Thank you,
Frank DeCarlo
Let’s
hope this comes to fruition!
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--
Dawn Publications will be publishing a new book in
the John Denver and Kids series this August, and
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POLICE BLOTTER — Stumbling' drunk at JD's
sanctuary
by Andrew Travers
Aspen Daily News
John Denver's
enduring spirit of peace and love got an 80-proof dose of boozy reality last
Monday afternoon. Police responded to a report of
several people arguing at the folk singer's rock
garden on the Roaring Fork River. On scene they
confronted a 44-year-old man, who allegedly stood
up, stumbled forward, fell down, dropped his
bottle of Early Times whiskey, drank from said bottle,
and was then arrested for drinking in
public.
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Kevin Bacon's band to perform on top of Pikes Peak
COLORADO SPRINGS (AP) — Move over John Denver.
This will be a real Rocky
Mountain high.
Actor Kevin Bacon's band is set to play a concert on top
of 14,110-foot Pikes Peak as part of a
cancer charity fundraiser.
The Bacon Brothers,
Cy Curnin of The Fixx and The White Buffalo will perform June 27 for about 100
people hiking to the summit to raise money the
Love Hope Strength Foundation. The foundation says
Curnin plans to play at the base in the morning
and join hikers on the climb. The Bacon Brothers
expect to perform at the top around 1 p.m. for
those who reach the summit. The foundation previously
has held concerts at Machu Picchu in Peru and
Mount Everest to raise funds
for cancer treatment and to raise awareness
about bone marrow donation.
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Steve Dafoe has a tribute song to John Denver
called "Back As An Eagle
(Ode to John Denver)". It can be heard on his
website:
http://www.stevedafoe.com/songs
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POETRY
CORNER
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The Poetry in
Nature
"Two (poets) diverged in a yellow wood"
On like
path but at different times.
Both held nature in deep esteem
One through
song, the other through rhymes.
John Denver loved the Aspen trees.
Robert Frost
the maple, birch, the oak.
He penned poems on their lasting beauty.
Drew
mental pictures with his pen's stroke.
But John Denver ventured one step further.
He
instructed us in preserving the trees
And all living things in our
environment
For none is the least of these.
John and Frost, "Mother Nature's Sons"
And
nature lovers remembered since
Both took the road "less traveled by"
"And
that has made all the difference."
________________________________
(copyright by Carole
Romanowski)
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J O H
N D E N V E R W A N T A D
S
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WINDSTAR PRODUCTIONS is looking
for high quality concert & candid photographs of John Denver,
for a soon
to be released DVD box set of unreleased John Denver concerts from around the
world.
All photographs must have been filmed by the submitter who owns the
copyright, we cannot accept
photographs from you taken by other
photographers. We are also looking for high resolution
scans of any concert
memorabilia, such as tickets, posters, hand bills, newspaper advertisements,
etc. There will be no payments, but we will send
a free box set to whoever submitted accepted
and used material. While we
cannot promise it, if the DVD label includes a thank you section, we
will also put your name there.
Please send an email that clearly states that you
give Windstar Productions permission to use your
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Rocky Mountain High: The John Denver Internet Fan Club
emily@parris.net
http://www.rockymtnhigh.org
June 2009 * Issue #182 * Editor: Emily M.
Parris
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