Door County Style

CD REVIEW, VIDEO Scott Wakefield in Door County with Newest CD Entitled, “Vegetarian Nightmare”

Posted on 02. Aug, 2009 by Stephen Kastner.

Wakefield’s latest recording brings a wealth of talent together in 13 memorable tunes

Vegetarian Nightmare

Whatever on Earth would motivate a man to make music about meat? The prime cuts on Scott Wakefield’s newest CD entitled, Vegetarian Nightmare should come as no surprise. But, there’s much more than meaty ballads on this disc. It’s apparent that the humorous tunes about carnivorous culinary obsessions are a lighthearted mask for Scott’s deeper emotions regarding the nurturing he derived as the solo grandson of a Texas ranching family. One of the most touching songs on the album is dedicated to the memory of his deceased mom…

“There’s a cold black wind blowin’ through my family tree. I’m the last one on this branch and I guess I own a cattle ranch,” he sings.

At first glance, this album beckons you to take it lightly, by delivering what Mad Magazine used to call, “humor in a jugular vein.” Upon closer introspection, Scott has worked hard to produce a theatrical autobiographical masterpiece, balancing on the edge between comedy and tragedy. His cast and crew include a remarkable assemblage of notable backup singers and a diversity of musicians from jazz horns and keyboards to country string-picking masters.

Wakefield’s latest is a deep and well-crafted studio production. His voice is his primary instrument, polished and refined through decades of steady performance. His theatrical background is apparent in the fact that he also wrote and arranged all thirteen songs – a storybook that provides a close and revealing look at what really makes Scott run.

For the past few weeks Scott Wakefield played at numerous venues throughout Door County – stopping on his way to a California acting engagement. Eventually he will return to his current home in New York, but we were lucky to catch him on camera at a Fishstock Concert on August 2, 2009. Here’s Scott Wakefield, accompanied by drummer Pat Judy, performing “My Bed,” a song from his latest CD, Vegetarian Nightmare.

Scott is even more engaging on stage, in person than he is on his newest CD… and his latest recording is a delight. Here’s Scott Wakefield, accompanied by drummer Pat Judy, performing a song he wrote to commemorate the birth of Sarah Kaplan and the passing of Fred Alley, which took place on the same day.

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VIDEOS “Jimmy Kaplan & Friends” in Concert at Camp David Featuring Singers Whitney Allen and Holly Feldman with Eric Lewis and Hans Christian

Posted on 31. Jul, 2009 by Stephen Kastner.

On Sunday, July 26 Whitney Allen, Jenny Bienemann (and her husband Robin and daughter, Jessica Smith), Hans Christian, Katie Dahl (with guest bass players – Rich Higdon and Molly Rhode), Holly Feldman, Lynn Gudmundsen, Jeanne Kuhns, Eric Lewis, Matt Zembrowski and belly dancer Sarisha joined Jimmy Kaplan for a memorable concert at Camp David in Fish Creek.

I was there and captured the following performances on video…

“Everybody Loves A Clown” sung by Whitney Allen

“‘Fishing for the Moon,’ was the first show Fred and I wrote together, and it premiered in the summer of 1992,” says Jimmy Kaplan. “We went back and re-wrote the show for a 1999 production and replaced several songs. Whitney (Allen) had originated the role of the school teacher, singing a song called ‘Why Do the Dumb Ones Always Turn Out to Be So Smart?’ In the 1999 production, we created the song ‘Everybody Loves A Clown.’ Whitney was not in that production, but it all came full circle when she finally performed the number on Sunday.”

“The Promise” is a song that Fred Alley wrote in the late 1980s and is also sung by Whitney Allen

Jimmy Kaplan recalls, “When I first met Fred in 1990, he had been recording some songs with Hans Christian in San Francisco, and this was among them. He also recorded it in 1994 with Mark Thiede for the Door County Music Sampler. It is a deceptively simple piece of music, and I think it is one of Fred’s best collection of images. We did a show in Milwaukee called “The One That Got Away,” and Whitney sang the same version of that song as she performed at Camp David on Sunday.”

“White Bird” sung by Holly Feldman

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Primavera Strings Wish You a Merry Christmas… Door County Style

Posted on 17. Dec, 2008 by Stephen Kastner.

Primavera Strings launched their debut performance on a Friday evening in early December at Joe Jo’s Pizza in Ephraim. Hans Christian on cello, Lynn Gudmundsen and Beth Hon on violins comprise this elegant ensemble. Here they are:

Joe Jo’s was packed that evening and everyone enjoyed singing along on the last few Christmas carols.  On Friday, December 19 Jeannie Kuhns, George Sawyn and Lynn Gudmundsen will play from 7 -9 pm. There is a $6 cover charge.

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Dorothy Scott and Carole King, You’ve Got a Friend… VIDEO

Posted on 03. Nov, 2008 by Stephen Kastner.

On October 23, when Carole King was at the Ladder House in Sturgeon Bay for a lunch time rally, she met up with an old friend. Here’s the rest of the story from King, talking about why Republicans, including Colin Powell are voting for Barack Obama. She closes with a sweet sing-along duet with Door County’s own singer songwriter, Dorothy Scott.

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Celebrating our 9th Birthday with new media…

Posted on 29. Oct, 2008 by Stephen Kastner.

It was 9 years ago today that the Door County Compass was first launched from the offices of DesignWise Studios in Baileys Harbor. Much has changed while some things have remained the same. Our mission continues unchanged… to promote Door County by reaching out to the kinds of people who appreciate its natural beauty and its community of artistic, free-thinking individuals. The Compass has evolved, much in accord with the medium it exists in, spawning the Door County Style. The intent is to employ a new content management system that would permit the delivery of multi-media content. So here it is…

When the legendary American singer, songwriter, and pianist, Carole King was in Door County on October 23 for a lunch time rally at The Ladder House I was there to begin our much-anticipated video coverage. King spent two days traveling across Wisconsin urging supporters to vote early and become involved in the final days of this critically important election by getting their neighbors to the polls. Here’s the first of many more local video news stories that you can expect to see in the Door County Style e-zine.

We have launched dedicated channels on YouTube, Viddler, BlipTV and Google with more to follow, including a station on Mogulus and another on USTREAM, which will be used for live broadcasting. As steve Follett used to say, “Watch us grow.”

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