Moo-Town Productions: News

This week's Shepherd Express includes a very positive review of Jym's "Live...Now and Then" CD. You can read the full review here: http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/article-9943-jym-mooney.html

The Texas filk duo Ghost of a Rose has released their take on Jym's song "I Have Come to Take My Boy Home" on their first CD, "Plaid & Personal." You can hear the song on their MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/ghostofarose2007

Simply Folk played "Women Be Wise (Don't Advertise Your Man)" from Carol's new CD tonight. Host Tom Martin-Erickson also gave a nice mention of Carol and Jym's upcoming concert this Saturday night at the Sweet Water Sea Concert Series in Manitowoc (see our Calendar page for details). Thanks for the support, Tom!

We are delighted to announce the release of Carol Lee Hopkins' first solo CD, "Live at The Coffee House." This exciting album features a baker's dozen of classic and traditional folk and country songs. Carol's strong, bluesy vocals are tastefully backed by her Band of Angels: Brett Kemnitz, Chris "Ives" Iverson, and Moxie Chicks Jym Mooney and Jon "Sly Dog" Pagenkopf. You can pick up your very own copy at any Moxie Chicks performance.

Tom Martin-Erickson was apparently stricken with a surge of nostalgia Sunday night, and played two songs from a 1981 concert by Jym with Brett Kemnitz. "Chocolate Chip Cookies" and "289-0465" appear on Jym's newest CD, "LIVE...now and then." Thanks, Tom!

Moxie Chick Chris Straw is finally getting serious about making her first solo CD. The album will feature all original compositions from Chris. She is co-producing the project with Jym, and we are working with our favorite recording engineer, Jonathon Leubner. So far we've recorded basic tracks for five songs, including two with the Moxie Chicks. So a good start has been made! We'll keep everyone posted as the project continues.

"Down in New Orleans" from Jym's new CD was played this week by Tom Bingham on his "General Eclectic" show on WCVF-FM in Fredonia, NY. Thanks for the support, Tom!

Wisconsin Public Radio's Simply Folk aired "Sisters" from Jym's new CD on tonight's show. Thanks to Simply Folk host Tom Martin-Erickson for the support! (Tom also recorded the 1981 concert set included on "LIVE...now and then.")

Yes, all of you tech-savvy hipsters can now purchase downloads of Jym's new CD, "LIVE...now and then." It is available by individual song or entire album from iTunes, Napster, and Amazon. (Jym's 1999 CD "East Side Guy" is also available for download from Amazon.)

For those of you who still enjoy holding a solid product in your hands, you can purchase CDs on-line from www.CDBaby.com or from Jym in person.

Jym's brand new CD is now available for purchase. You can order online from CD Baby (see the Buy link on your left), or you can pick up a copy at any Moxie Chicks performance. You can listen to excerpts from the CD by clicking on the Music link.

Here are some of Jym's thoughts on this new project:

As much fun, and as creatively satisfying, as it is to work in the recording studio, carefully crafting and polishing a musical statement from the raw materials of words and music and the talents of the contributing musicians, there is something transcendent in a live performance when everyone is synched together and feeding off each other’s and the audience’s energy. Twenty-five years ago I recorded my first solo album, The Lines Are Open, live in concert at The Coffee House, assisted by my friend Brett Kemnitz and recording engineer Jonathon Leubner (Jon’s and my first project together). When Brett proposed that he put together a band to back me up on some of my songs as an added feature for his annual spring concert at The Coffee House, I jumped at the chance to complete a circle of sorts and invited Jonathon to record the performance.

For my set I chose half a dozen songs that I had not yet recorded on my own albums (three songs – “Down in New Orleans,” “Sisters,” and “Springtime in Ohio” – had appeared on recordings by the Moxie Chicks, the band that my wife Carol Lee Hopkins and I are part of). Brett played acoustic bass guitar, and rounded up lead guitarist Craig Siemsen and Dobro whiz Jerry Danks, both of whom I had worked with on past recordings, and also brought in Chris “Ives” Iverson, who played banjo and harmonica. We had two rehearsals to learn the songs, and another run-through the evening of the concert. The resulting performance was loose and relaxed, but with an energy and enthusiasm that kicked the songs up another level.

Six songs, however, do not an album make, so I dug back into the archives and dusted off a set Brett and I performed at the Old Time Music & Crafts Festival in Shawano, WI in August 1981. A chance mid-winter encounter with one of the organizers of the festival had led to an invitation for me to perform. I invited Brett to come along, and we had a great time playing at the afternoon workshops and making new friends. Brett had a new song called “Reagan Time” that was a huge hit at the workshops, and went over quite well at the evening concert. The reception that we received was so encouraging that it led directly to the recording of Reagan Time & Other Love Songs for the 80s, our joint record released in 1982. The evening concert was recorded for broadcast on Wisconsin Public Radio’s Simply Folk program, and now after near 30 years it makes it appearance on an album. [These six songs (re-recorded later) appeared on Reagan Time & Other Love Songs for the 80s and The Lines Are Open. With the exception of “Holidays,” which (in a different live recording) appeared on my album East Side Guy, all of these songs make their CD debut on LIVE…now and then.]

Two more live tracks are included as a bonus. “Frank Said,” recorded at The Coffee House’s 40th Anniversary Concert in 2007, has previously been available for download from my website and on the CD Songs for Frank Zeidler, which also includes Larry Penn’s “In My Father’s Mansion.” “House of Cards” was recorded at The Coffee House in 2008, and features my wife Carol on vocals and our friend and fellow Moxie Chick Jon Pagenkopf on slide guitar.

Click on the Photos link to your left and you can see the cover art for Jym's new CD.

Those of you who enjoyed the one-time-only appearance by the Jym Mooney Band (Jym with Brett Kemnitz, Craig Siemsen, Jerry Danks, and Chris "Ives" Iverson) at The Coffee House on March 28th will be pleased to know that the recording of the concert came out very well, and will be incorporated into a new live CD due for release later this year. In addition to the March 28th set, an archival performance by Jym with Brett from 1981 will be included, plus a couple of surprises. Keep tuned in for more information as it happens!

When you visit our site, an audio clip will now play automatically. Currently we have some clips from our recent Valentine's Day concert loaded. We hope you will enjoy this new feature!

Our longtime recording engineer, collaborator, and friend Jonathon Leubner has a new CD out called Something Borrowed, which features his recordings of songs written by his friends. He has included his take on Jym's song "The Robert Burns Statue," as well as songs by Brett Kemnitz, Larry Penn, Kevin Mulvenna, and more. Jonathon will feature the CD this Saturday night, Dec. 20th, at The Coffee House, 631 N. 19th Street in Milwaukee. He is opening the show for Larry Penn. Showtime is 8 p.m.

When Neil Young released his Living With War CD in 2006, he complained that "no one is writing protest songs anymore." He was quickly corrected, and his website now has links to nearly 3,000 topical songs. Jym's song "I Have Come To Take My Boy Home" has recently been added to the list. Click here to go straight to the page with song links: http://www.neilyoung.com/lwwtoday/lwwsongspage.html (the rest of the website is pretty fun to explore, too: www.neilyoung.com).

The Shepherd Express is running its annual Best Of Milwaukee reader's poll now through September 26th. You can vote for your favorite restaurants, politicians, clubs, stores, etc. In the Arts & Entertainment section you can vote for your favorite Acoustic Musician and for Vocalist - Female (that's spelled M-O-X-I-E C-H-I-C-K-S). Last year YOUR VOTES put the Moxie Chicks among the top three finalists for Best Acoustic Musicians. Let's see if we can do even better this year!

You can vote by filling out the paper ballot available in your weekly Shepherd Express, or you can vote on-line at http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/flex-76-best-of-the-city.html
One vote per person, please. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't encourage all of your friends to join the vote, of course! Thanks for your support!

This week's Shepherd Express newspaper has a very nice review of Jym and Larry's Songs for Frank Zeidler CD.

You can read the review on-line by clicking here: http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/article-2809-jym-mooney-and-larry-penn.html

This week's issue of MKE has a feature article called Tune Tales in which six area songwriters discuss their craft. The artists include the Bodeans, Blonde on Blonde, Bear Proof Suit, John Sieger, Flights, and Jym, who talks about "Frank Said." If you live outside of Milwaukee, you can read the story on-line at http://www.mkeonline.com/story.asp?id=1403835
Contrary to what the story says, The Coffee House was founded in 1967 by Agnes Zeidler, Frank Zeidler's wife, and NOT by Jym (which would have been a neat trick, seeing as he was only 10 years old at the time!).

I am so excited about Larry's new CD that I wanted to share my thoughts with all of you. Jym

Larry Penn's new CD, War Stories, is a masterwork by one of Milwaukee's
finest folk music performers. On this excellent CD Larry explores the feelings and concerns of working people serving in times of war. He collects satirical ballads made up and sung in barracks by the working stiffs in uniform ("Army Life," "The Daring Young Man in a P-39") and popular songs like "Lili Marlene" and Woody Guthrie's "Reuben James," then adds some of his own well-crafted songs ("The Sullivans," "Dewey Pratt," "Sins of the Father") for a whole that is very much more than the sum of its parts. The songs reference America's wars from World War I up through Iraq, with echoes of earlier conflicts (note the inclusion of the Civil War era fiddle tune "Soldier's Joy" in "Dewey Pratt").

Larry has never been captured in better performing shape. His guitar
picking is rock solid, and he sings with a confidence and nuance that many a
younger performer would well envy. Just listen to the sweet sadness he
brings to "Lili Marlene," or the anger that drives "Sins of the Father." The original songs reflect a lifetime of careful thought and observation of human nature. Whether he is creating a portrait of a demanding drill instructor ("Sgt. Plisco") or bringing the WWI chestnut "Hinky Dinky Parley Vous" to new life in a wickedly funny 21st century update, Larry displays again and again why his songwriting is deeply respected across the country. The songs are arranged with a spare grace, featuring occasional embellishments of banjo, guitar, and accordion that enhance but never detract from the heart of each song.

War Stories may well be Larry's finest achievement to date, a deeply mature
and riveting work that bears repeated listenings well. Each song is a delight, and taken as a whole the result is a stunning and moving tribute to our citizen soldiers.

Wisconsin Public Radio's Simply Folk program celebrated Memorial Day with a special Memories, Memorials, and Tributes show. Host Tom Martin-Erickson took the opportunity to play both tracks from Songs For Frank Zeidler, the new CD from Larry Penn and Jym. Thanks, Tom!

Speaking of Larry, don't miss the release celebration for his new CD, War Stories, at Cafe Carpe in Ft. Atkinson on June 7th! The album is possibly Larry's finest work, and the Moxie Chicks (who contributed a song to the project) will be on hand to help Larry launch the album's release with a special concert. See our Calendar page for details!

Milwaukee's Shepherd Express newspaper gave Mooney Tunes and Maynard Melodies a nice review in this week's issue. If you live outside of the area, you can read the review on-line at http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/article-1745-jym-mooney.html

"Frank Said," Jym's wonderful tribute to the late Milwaukee mayor and longtime community activist, Frank Zeidler, has long been available for download from this website. At the request of the Zeidler family, this song is now being released on a specially-priced CD. Jym is deeply honored to have his song share the CD with "In My Father's Mansion," written and performed by the Dean of Milwaukee folksingers, Larry Penn. Together, Jym and Larry pay tribute to the life and work of one of Milwaukee's greatest and most beloved citizens. This CD is available at performances by Jym, Larry, and the Moxie Chicks. You can view the cover art on our Photos page.

Wisconsin Public Radio's Simply Folk played the Moxie Chicks' recording of "Springtime in Ohio" tonight, and host Tom Martin-Erickson gave Jym "extra credit" for rhyming guano with Capistrano. You can request more Moxie tunes by emailing Simply Folk at martin-erickson@wpr.org or by visiting their weppage: http://www.wpr.org/simplyfolk/folk_request.cfm
On another note, we really enjoyed our premier performance at Fixx Coffee House in St. Francis last night. It's a great venue for acoustic music, with delicious coffees, teas, and other beverages, tasty food, and a comfortable atmosphere. We'll be back there again soon, we promise!

Last night's CD release concert for Mooney Tunes And Maynard Melodies at The Coffee House was a big success. Francesca (Her Highness of Small Fryness) and Jerry Danks (the Duke of Dobro) warmed the crowd up with a set of Frannie's wonderful songs, then Jym performed a set featuring the songs from his new CD. Jym's second set highlighted old favorites and several unrecorded gems from his songbag. Jym was aided through the evening by Carol, Jerry, and the Moxie Chicks. Surprise guests on stage included Brett Kemnitz, Jonathon Leubner (happy birthday, Jon!), and nephew Jim Hopkins. The enthusiastic crowd thoroughly enjoyed themselves, singing along lustily to several songs. Judging by comments from many members of the audience, one of the night's highlights was a moving rendition of a song that Jym wrote for his late father, "When You Tried." Thanks to everyone for coming out and giving Jym's new CD such a successful launch! (If you missed the concert, you can pick up a copy of Jym's CD either through CD Baby or at the next Moxie Chicks performance.) Jym would like to thank Carol for making the beautiful Hawaiian shirt that he wore at the concert, and Barb Webber for bringing a batch of tasty homemade oatmeal cookies to share.

Wisconsin Public Radio's Simply Folk gave Jym's upcoming CD release concert a plug on tonight's show, then played "The Tree" from the CD. Thanks to Tom and Randall for the support!