By Anne Alvarez The music world lost a legend when founding member and keyboardist of “The Doors” Ray Manzarek passed away in Germany on May 19th at age 74 from Bile duct cancer. Manzarek met Jim Morrison while both were in film school at UCLA between 1962 and 1965. A month after graduating they ran...
By Anne Alvarez Chris Bennett sits still during a moment of reflection on the patio of her home overlooking the Venice Canals, as she takes me back through a multi faceted career that spans 3 decades, various genres of music and a Grammy nomination for co/writing and singing the title track for the film Midnight...
By CJ Gronner Oh, Suzy Williams. How are you so so cool? Well, for starters. she and her husband, Gerry Fialka, put on The Lit Show every year at Beyond Baroque, where you hear the words of famous authors put to jazzy compositions by Suzy and Brad Kay. Where you wind up being not only...
Venice Symphony Orchestra actively seeking local volunteer musicians to join community-based orchestra. Looking for orchestral/symphonic instruments (violin, cello, clarinet, oboe, trumpet, etc.). The purpose of this venture is to bring together local musicians within the Venice community to combine symphonic pieces with modern music for several performances each year. The intent is to celebrate all...
By Ronald K. Mc Kinley Mary Christine Brockert, known as Teena Marie, was born in Santa Monica and spent her early childhood in Mission Hills. Later she moved with her family to Venice to live in a large house on Nowita Court. Born on March 5, 1956 she was raised in Qakwood, nick-named “ghost town”...
By Mary Getlein On September 11, Lisa Green hosted a “Healing From The Heart” gathering at The Talking Stick. It was a woman’s art show, music and poetry event as an alternative to the national grieving of the 10 year anniversary of 9/11. It was an effective way to deal with grief: music, art, poetry...
By CJ Gronner Tom Freund has been a part of my Venice for as long as I can remember. His latest album, The Edge Of Venice, gave us a good excuse to sit down and talk about our Venice and his music inspired by this special part of the world. Tom was born and raised...
Interviewed by Karl Abrams Jacqueline Fuentes is a dynamic and charismatic Chilean folk singer, songwriter and international activist. She moved to Venice about 15 years ago from Santiago and has been playing for small to medium-sized groups of lucky people ever since. The legend is true – to hear her sing is to be instantly...
By Lynne Bronstein It was 40 years ago on July 3, 1971, that a titan of the 1960s rock scene passed away in Paris. Jim Morrison had gone there to get away from his turbulent career as front man for the Doors. His death was officially attributed at the time to a heart attack, which...
By Clay Claiborne The famous Rhythm & Blues singer Teena Marie died in her home in Pasadena the day after Christmas. She was born Mary Christine Brockert in Santa Monica in 1956 and grew up in Oakwood and was raised on Motown music and African-American culture. She attended Venice High School and worked at the...
