Keep Calm and Flutter On!

Fear not: The return of Fbox is still nigh. The long delay has been for good reason – Neill has been in Denmark working on a dream assignment, writing lyrics for a theater production entitled Mozart Undone: A Theatre Concert. The show was a huge success in Copenhagen and Oslo and is soon to play at the Barbican in London, Feb 25 - March 1, 2014. Tickets available here and a very enticing slideshow here. When Mozart Undone played in Oslo, the company received a further commission to do for Ludwig what they did for Wolfgang. TEATERKONSERT BEETHOVEN is currently playing at the Rogaland Teater in Stavanger, Norway; this is a production still. Better still is this Google Translation of a rave review of Neill's work: "and even more of the beautiful word-drown from Cardinaling Furio, who can make you gooseskin to laughter tears with-out why." Only Beckett could have said it better. I hope to see both shows in New York someday. Could Mozart and Beethoven match the seemingly endless appeal of Jersey Boys? Let's dare to hope so.

The Flutter Third

At a recent milestone birthday party (belated), a cousin's camera captured this harmonic convergence of birthday gal and Neill with Susan Kassapian, more properly K-Sap. K-Sap lives next door to Janine and she loves to sing, sing while washing dishes, sing in the shower, folding laundry, in the sunshine, anytime. K-Sap also has a perfect memory for melody and enviable pitch. We think of her as the flutter third. One day she will surprise us all with a sudden descant. The girl can't help it! If you're wondering, it was a carrot cake from Greenberg's bakery on Madison. Mad good. Like the party.

Save Buster's ball field!

People who auditioned to work with/for the great Buster Keaton were asked only two questions: "Can you act?" and "Can you play baseball?" A "yes" answer to either question got you the job. When Buster was shooting on location and in need of an idea, what did he do? He called a ballgame. Everyone put down their props and cameras and picked up their bats and gloves. A game ensued until an idea came around, as it always, always did, and pretty soon. Today, we learned that Muskegon, Michigan is poised to bulldoze the baseball field where the Keatons used to play during summers, while resting up from their ceaseless vaudeville tours. Damfinos! We must do our best to keep this field of dreams intact! Sign the petition here!!

There is a fLUTTER in your fUTURE

And the fUTURE is NOW, under tonight's fROST moon. From the fBOX Archive of the Inexcusably Unreleased, streaming here at soundcloud, fULLY aerodynamic renditions of fBOX favorites, Whoops Wrong Daisy, Safety Last Spin Around The Moon; a Hal Willner rough mix of Will You Love Me Tomorrow?, Tony Scherr's appropriately rough mix of Neill's exquisitely terrifying Black Dahlia Blues; plus a gorgeous rehearsal take, when it's right, it's right, from the couch to the Zoom on the floor, Neill's heart-bending arrangement of The fUGS' Morning Morning/Ah! Sunflower Weary Of Song (lyrics William Blake), something we did in a concert to benefit the late poetic genius of living, Tuli Kupferberg. "Jawdroppingly gorgeous," The Wire, the UK Wire, called it. We apologize for the delay. We meant to make it worth the wait.

Lovers of the printed word – Pledge!

Isn't it appropriate that this graphic is impossible to read?

New Flutter In The Zeitgeist!

Every once in a while we search the word "flutterbox." Tonight's search led to this description of a homemade instrument by the Scottish experimental musician and composer Daniel Padden in a collaboration with the instrument maker Sarah Kenchington. Their record is called The Bellow Switch, and it's on the Shadazz label.

Specifically,

"The Flutterbox is a large, kalimba-like musical box with a spinning drum that creates rhythmic loops – simple, repetitive figures that form the backbone to the music collected here."

Picture please! We'd like to see and hear it. To begin the hunt, here's Daniel's myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/danielpadden.

Looking for "effective amazement texts?" Call for Cardinal Furio!

I, Janine, have not heard a note of this music, but I can't wait to and it won't be long now, since he's headed back to town. In recent days and weeks, Neill has been across the pond writing lyrics to melodies from the great Mozart, melodist supreme, all for a Danish "theatrical concert" now playing in Copenhagen. Talk about brave.

And not just brave, but really, REALLY good. Did Samuel Beckett ever want to write anything other than "effective amazement texts," as Neill's work is characterized in this review? I don't think so.

"For an authentic Danglish experience," Neill texts (the hand-held kind),

read all about it here!