The Virginian-Pilot
©
Producer and musician Randy Friel is returning home to Hampton Roads this month.
If you've ever heard the sweet acoustic rock sounds of "Twilight Red Sky" from Virginia Beach singer-songwriter Skip Friel, you're already familiar with the sonic quality engineered by his brother and producer, Randy Friel.
Randy Friel owns and operates New Moon Music, which he started in Chapel Hill, N.C., in 1994 and which released "Takin' a Stand" from Portsmouth's dynamic woman of blues, Deborah Coleman.
In 2000, Friel moved his business and recording studio to New Jersey, where he worked with an array of artists such as Levon Helm, Dr. John, Bruce Springsteen and, of course, his brother Skip.
"That experience of working with my brother and reconnecting with family is bringing me back home to Virginia," Randy said.
The Friel brothers are in the midst of producing a compilation CD of holiday standards as well as a couple of newly penned tunes in the spirit of Christmas.
New "Morning"
On Monday from 5 to 10 a.m., soft-rock radio station 2WD will debut its new morning drive show, "Jenna and Mark in the Morning." Jenna Kehoe is best known to local listeners for her seven-year stint at sister station WPTE The Point. Mark McCarthy is also a former Point on-air personality, though he has been with 2WD for the past two years.
Big beat
Portsmouth's Chris Clark won Guitar Center's local Drum-Off competition this week. As the top drumhead pounder from the Virginia Beach store location, Clark moves on to compete with winners of other regions. He plays in two local bands: Midi Band and Chromatic Crescendo.
Guitar wizards
Alpha Music in Virginia Beach is hosting a wickedly cool guitar competition billed as Wizards of Oz on Oct. 25. Local six-stringers are invited to submit a recording of their best attempt at one of the following: Black Sabbath's "Fairies Wear Boots" and "Paranoid," or Ozzy Osbourne solo tunes "Crazy Train," "Perry Mason" and "Bark at the Moon." The submission deadline looms near: Saturday. Dial (757) 486-2001 for more info.
Gold Phish
The Mockingbird Foundation, an all-volunteer organization of Phish fans dedicated to documenting the band's career as well as raising money for music education, will donate $5,000 to Hampton High School in celebration of Phish's scheduled return in March. Phish has performed 13 times at Hampton Coliseum, their favorite venue.
Jeff Maisey, (757) 222-3934, jmaisey@pilotonline.com
Delicious
Digg
Reddit
Facebook
Twitter
Google
Yahoo
