Blog: Van Dyke Parks to Play Fundraising Concert at Library

“An Evening with Van Dyke Parks” will be presented on the South
Pasadena Public Library Community Room “Carnegie Stage” on Wednesday, February 27, 2013, at 7 p.m.

The concert, part of the City of South Pasadena’s 125th Birthday Celebration, will be presented by the South Pasadena Public Library,the Friends of the South Pasadena Public Library, and the Mike Kelley
Foundation for the Arts, an organization launched by the world famous artist
who passed away at his home in South Pasadena last year.  The Community
Room, the original 1907 main reading room of South Pasadena’s original Carnegie
Library, retains its historic hand-painted beam ceilings, leaded glass windows,
and wrought iron and glass main doors—and wonderful acoustics. The concert will
be a fundraiser for the Friends of the South Pasadena Public Library who will
also provide refreshments.

As so many know, Van Dyke Parks is an extraordinary composer,
arranger, producer, and musician, probably best known for his collaborations
with Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys, including the famed SMiLE album,
finally released in 2012 to critical and popular success. Mojo magazine,
in its June 2012 issue rated “Surf’s Up,” for which Van Dyke Parks wrote the
lyrics, as #1 of the “Fifty Greatest Beach Boys Songs.” Just as his first
album, the legendary “Song Cycle” was released on vinyl when it was came out in
1968,  Van Dyke continues to support the format with his latest offering:
a set of six 7 inch 45 rpm singles housed in art sleeves created by celebrated
contemporary artists. Parks also released an album in 2012 “Arrangements:
Volume 1,” named Best New Reissue of 2012 by Pitchfork, “the essential
guide to independent music and beyond.”

During Van Dyke Parks’ remarkable 40+ year career, he has collaborated with such artists as Phil Ochs, The Byrds, U2, Loudon WainwrightIII, Rufus Wainwright, Harry Nilsson, Silverchair, Ry Cooder, Joanna Newsom, Randy Newman, Fleet Foxes, Keith Moon, Frank Zappa, and Ringo Starr. He has also released six acclaimed studio albums, as well as a distinguished live album. During the last year Van Dyke Parks has performed in Barcelona, Madrid, Munich, and Tokyo.

The one-of-a-kind, not-to-be-missed concert will also showcase:

Singer/songwriter Inara George, a member of the duo The Bird and
the Bee, the trio The Living Sisters, and the band Merrick will perform two
songs.

• Joe Henry, singer/songwriter and three-time GRAMMY®-winning
  producer, who will appear as Special Guest Artist.

• "South Pasadena's Own" David Plenn will play guitar
  cameos.

For the South Pasadena concert Van Dyke will be playing a Steinway accompanied by his stellar band:

• Amy Shulman, harpist, received her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from the Juilliard School of Music. She has performed as a soloist in France, Canada and the USA including live television and radio broadcasts in Paris, New York and Los Angeles. Ms. Shulman has performed with several orchestral, chamber, opera and contemporary music groups including the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Opera and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Very active as a recording harpist in the Motion Picture, Television and Record Industries, she has appeared and recorded with numerous artists including Placido Domingo, Andrea Bocelli, and Aretha Franklin. Amy has been on the faculty of Occidental College since 2003.
• Cameron Stone, cellist, began is studies with the Suzuki method of instruction in 1973 at the age of 3. At the age of 13, he was already playing concerts in America, Europe, and Asia., After teaching for over a decade, he found opportunities to play recording sessions and has recorded and/or played with Elton John, Melissa Etheridge, Depeche Mode, Guns and Roses, Michael Jackson, Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, the Doobie Brothers,     Jewel, and played on numerous TV shows and movies.  
• Bassist Dave Stone traveled with Ray Anthony, Woody Herman, Stan Kenton, and Harry James. He also toured with Nancy Wilson and Debby Boone in addition to doing short gigs with many bands. Dave has been freelancing in LA and doing jingles, concerts, jazz clubs, festivals, and Broadway shows. He’s recorded with Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, Linda Ronstadt, Barry Manilow, Natalie Cole, Whitney Houston. Brian Wilson, and Paul McCartney.
• Don Heffington, the group’s drummer/percussionist, was born in Los Angeles. Don first learned to play from his grandmother at age 9. Don has worked with Big Mama Thornton, Big Joe Turner, Johnny Otis, and others. He’s also recorded with such luminaries as Emmylou Harris, the Jayhawks, Randy Newman, Victoria Williams, Joe Walsh, Dave Alvin, Bob Dylan and many more.

Tickets are $20 each and can be purchased at ttp://vandykeparks.eventbrite.com
. Only limited seating is available. It is not known at press time if any tickets will be available at the door on the night of the event. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and it will be “festival style” seating—first come, first served. At the conclusion of the concert, autographed Van Dyke Parks CDs, 45s, and LPs will be available for purchase. Ample free parking for concertgoers will be available across the street from the Community Room at 1020 El Centro Street, thanks to the generous support of the South Pasadena Unified School District. Audience members are asked to enter the parking lot on the west side of Fairview Avenue, just north of El Centro. Special thanks are due to Bob McClain and S & B Sound, Scott Gandell & Anneline De Croos/South Pasadena Mercantile, and the Restoration Concert
Committee of the Friends of the South Pasadena Public Library.