Jamie Moore has a lot of friends. The question,
of course, then follows; who is Jamie Moore? Answer: Jamie Moore
is the drummer for a Kensington-based band called Yes Virginia.
He is also the founder of Brooklyn Above Ground (BAG).
The organization, which raises money for World Hunger Year, has
just released its first compilation CD, "Brooklyn Above
Ground 1."
"BAG 1" is an eclectic collection of songs, each recorded
by one of Moore’s friends. The amazing thing about this CD is
that every song is a standout. From the opening strains of "Willingness"
by Emily Curtis to the final notes of "Piece of Your Heart"
by Debbie Deane (both of Carroll Gardens), you will be amazed
by the talent that remains in obscurity in our little hamlet
of Brooklyn, USA.
The initial spark for BAG was lit in the mid ’90s when Moore
was a student at Berkeley College of Music. Many of the musicians
in BAG were classmates of Moore, including Prospect Heights resident
Jen Chapin. Her father, the late Harry Chapin, a Brooklyn Heights
native who wrote and recorded such classic songs as "Taxi"
and "Cat’s in the Cradle," also co-founded World Hunger
Year with Bill Ayres in 1975.
It seems that Harry passed down to his daughter both charitable
and musical genes as her track, "Gold," highlights
her songwriting ability as well as her jazzy vocal style.
Moore, Chapin and several of their classmates immediately began
creating their own music scene in Brooklyn.
"There is an intricate web of friendship that connects us
all to each other," Moore told GO Brooklyn. "If you
look at the liner notes, you’ll notice that many of the musicians
appear on many of the BAG tracks. They also sit in with these
bands when they play live."
The tracks on "BAG 1" show off each of the artists’
individual talents. It is also impressive as a collection because
these artists somehow share a sound that incorporates almost
all types of popular music. There’s the smoky vocal style of
Jodi Sheeler of Carroll Gardens on her soulful but folksy, "Closer
to Serenity," the grungy blues of Hugh Pool of Williamsburg
on "I forgot where I was," and the brooding cynicism
of Teddy Goldstein on "Love, Love, Love."
If I could go on forever, I would. Each track here is an example
of a talented musician at their best and my regard for the tracks
and the artists grows with each subsequent listening.
Moore’s band, Yes Virginia, performs "Gone Bad," a
track that brings back the best of Stevie Wonder with modern
flourishes of funk, soul and rock. The track was recorded in
Moore’s basement studio, affectionately referred to by Moore
as "Benny’s Wash & Dry," as were several other
BAG tracks. In fact, the impetus for the compilation had occurred
immediately after the recording session where Jill Seifers, of
Carroll Gardens, cut the track, "Big Man."
"A lot of my friends had a lot of music that needed an outlet,"
said Moore. He decided to test the waters and e-mailed his friends
to see if they had any interest in putting together a compilation.
The response was overwhelming and BAG was born.
"The ultimate goal with BAG is to create a cycle,"
said Moore. "In a way, BAG is very similar to World Hunger
Year in that its goal is to allow grassroots organizations to
take a leading role in creating their own success. Similarly,
each artist on BAG takes a leading role in creating their own
success" by getting their music heard by a wider audience
and at the same time contributing to a worthy charitable organization.
"I hope that BAG inspires other groups of musicians to do
something similar. I would encourage bands to make their own
CDs with their friends," said Moore.
I strongly recommend that you give "BAG 1" a listen.
It can be sampled and purchased at www.BrooklynAboveGround.com.
The Web site also allows you to hear additional music by BAG
artists, link to the individual band Web sites, and find out
where you can see these artists play.
In fact, Moore’s goal is to begin a BAG night at a local club
where all of these artists can sit in and jam and "hopefully
recreate the type of communal feeling that musicians used to
have."
Plans are in the works for "BAG 2," but for now, we’ll
just look forward to BAG night No. 1 and enjoy a compilation
of music that is incomparable.
Adam Stengel is a singer-songwriter
who has produced the album "Train of Thought." He is
also a Manhattan-based music attorney.
Brooklyn Above Ground artists will perform
Thursday, Sept. 6 at the Bitter End [147 Bleecker St. between
Thompson and LaGuardia streets, Manhattan, (212) 673-7030]. Doors
open at 6:30 pm. The lineup is Jodi Sheeler, Jen Chapin, Yes
Virginia, Red Time and Lil’ Big Man and special guests.
A portion of the door admission ($10) will be donated to World
Hunger Year and all money from "BAG 1" ($15) sales
will go to that organization. To purchase CDs, visit www.CDBaby.com
or www.Starpolish.com on the Web. For more information, visit
www.brooklynaboveground.com.
