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Speakeasy is behind the scenes at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary show tonight. (Read our earlier interview with Rock & Roll Hall of Fame CEO Joel Peresman.) We’re camped backstage, with the rest of the press, at Madison Square Garden, and will reporting back on all the acts as they go on stage. Follow us throughout the night for updates!

6:45 p.m. — Tom Hanks takes the mic in the press room and addresses what he calls the most jaded group of writers in New York right now. He oh-so-eloquently calls the night’s line-up — which consists of Bruce Springsteen, Simon & Garfunkel, Stevie Wonder, and Crosby, Stills and Nash, plus many, many others — “the music of our generation, the soundtrack of our lives.” He adds that he’s not a massive music aficionado. “I did it for the all access pass,” he says. “I don’t know what to say to half these guys other than wow. I’m lucky to be here.” Читать далее »

Peter Gabriel is set to release an orchestral covers album featuring the likes of Radiohead, Arcade Fire, Elbow and Paul Simon.

Entitled ‘Scratch My Back’ the album is reported to be a “song swap” with a host of “extremely legendary artists” set to cover each other’s material. Читать далее »

Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images

Singer-songwriter Paul Simon tried to lend a little harmony to the raucous health care debate Wednesday by pushing for a health care overhaul with Democratic leaders of Congress.Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid couldn’t resist musical references in the appearance with the popular performer who advocates improving health care for children.

“If there were ever a bridge that we need over these troubled waters, it’s passing comprehensive health care reform,” Reid said, describing how children have fared in the country’s health care delivery system.

“Bridge Over Troubled Water” was a hit for the duo Simon & Garfunkel, written by Simon. Simon joined Reid, House speaker Nancy Pelosi and various child advocates to push for health care changes at an event on the Capitol lawn.

Simon co-founded the Children’s Health Fund, which provides medical care for poor and underserved kids. He said the fund believes a health care measure “would go a long way to fill the gap in health care — the gap that these children live in and suffer in.”

Simon urged lawmakers to improve health care for children: “Poor kids can’t vote. Neither can they afford to hire lobbyists to plead their cause or to describe their situation.”

Paul Simon is cast as the voice of the great Yankee player Thurmon Munson who died in a tragic plane crash in the animated movie “Henry And Me”. The film is to be released in March 2010.

In the late 1970s, when I first heard this song by Paul Simon (the lead voice of the famous duo: Simon & Garfunkel), I could not help smiling aloud. A few days ago when I heard it again, I could not help laughing aloud. So what is amazing about the lyrics?

To begin with, Paul is a good lyricist with poetic quality to his work. That both him and Bob Dylan (Robert Zimmerman) are Jewish, does not bother me one bit. What bothers me is Bob’s about-turn on the protest song movement of the 1960s and his recent revelation that he blew in the wind because that was the way things blew back then. Читать далее »

After buying Paul Simon’s last album “Surprise”, I realized that I had forgotten how much I loved his music and decided I had to update my old vinyl collection on CD. We stated out with “Still Crazy After All These Years”, which was my husband’s first choice. But I’m so glad I insisted on buying “Graceland” next, and here’s why.

First of all, “Graceland” marked a special turn in Simon’s musical style, by bringing African sounds into his music. While this may sound strange for little Jewish guy who started out singing folk music and dabbled in classic American rock with a touch of pop on the side. However, the combination is beautifully incorporated, and in several different ways. First of all, he includes some ethnic singers to round out his own vocals. This brings a dimension to his own sound that we never heard before. This isn’t to say that Simon sounded flat previous to this album, but rather that these new types of vocals added extra depth, sometimes with shriller female voices that shock the senses, and in others with deep, earthy bass sounds that make your heart vibrate. In addition, instrumentally, this album took full advantage of the African rhythms with many songs including drums of all sorts to punctuate this collection. Add that to a good measure of jazz bass guitar, a country-western sounding accordion or a penny whistle solo and there’s nothing in this album you could call boring. Читать далее »

Paul Simon, the 12-time Grammy Award winner, will headline the 17th annual Heart & Soul Gala this fall at Norwalk Hospital.The gala features an acoustic performance by Simon, the Hospital announced Wednesday. The event is slated for Oct. 3 and is being organized by the Norwalk Hospital Foundation, a non-profit organization.

Simon, a New Canaan resident, last made local headlines in 2004, when he hosted a fundraiser at his home for Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass. That event included other celebrities, including “Saturday Night Live” creator Lorne Michaels and actors Richard Gere and Chevy Chase. It raised an estimated $1 million for Kerry and his campaign.

Paul’s mother, Belle Simon, lived in Stamford for years prior to her death in 2007. She was 97.

“We are honored and thrilled to have Paul Simon perform at this year’s gala, sharing with us his time and talent,” said Mary Franco, president of the Norwalk Hospital Foundation and vice president of public affairs.

For more information about the 2009 Heart and Soul Gala, call the Norwalk Hospital Foundation at (203) 852-2959 or go to http://norwalkhospitalfoundation.org.