News & Reviews

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="044d4c03.jpg"> <bR> <bR> <div> [<A HREF="http://www.mrpsarkle.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mrpsarkle.com"><U>MR. SPARKLE</U></A>]</div> <bR> <div> Problems or issues?</div> <div> Contact our <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#3300CC" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="mailto:webmaster@mrsparkleband.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:webmaster@mrsparkleband.org"><U>webmaster</U></A></FONT></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <A HREF="http://www.mrsparkle.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mrsparkle.com"><U><IMG SRC="07c21940.gif" border=0 width="545" height="148" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A><A HREF="http://www.mrsparkle.com/music.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mrsparkle.com/music.htm"><U><IMG SRC="086dc7d0.jpg" border=0 width="220" height="125" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="music.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Music"><U><B>Music</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="shows.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Shows"><U><B>Shows</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><B>News & Reviews</B><B>   |   </B><A HREF="biography.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biography"><U><B>Biography</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="gallery.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gallery"><U><B>Gallery</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="messageboard.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Message Board"><U><B>Message Board</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="links.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="contact.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact"><U><B>Contact</B></U></A></div> <div> <U>News & Reviews</U></div> <bR> <div> <I>October 2005</I></div> <bR> <div>      <B>Mr. Sparkle reunes in DC?...</B></div> <bR> <div>      <A HREF="http://www.mrsparkle.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mrsparkle.com"><U>Mr. Sparkle</U></A> members Will Stephens, Brett Harvey, Jeff Weinshenker, and David Arkush have all moved to Washington </div> <div>      DC.  More news coming soon? </div> <bR> <div>      "<B>The Mr. Sparkle Agenda" gets rave review in </B><I><B>The Record</B></I><B>...</B></div> <bR> <div>      "Mr. Sparkle's debut album, the aptly named The Mr. Sparkle Agenda, is a free-wheeling spin through jazz, Dixie, swing, </div> <div>      rock, and all points in between, accented and punctuated by the Sparklers' blend of humor and politics. As the elegant </div> <div>      piano and confidant guitar on the opener "Denial" establish, the music is by no means a mere vehicle in this venture - </div> <div>      the arrangements are strong, thoughtful, but more than anything, jazzy. Will Stephens' drumming is a case in point - </div> <div>      rather than pounding his way across the toms, his cymbal work is serpentine yet lush as it snakes its way through the </div> <div>      band's arrangements. Johnny Carlsson's work at the keyboards is a tremendous standout, punctuating the songs with </div> <div>      a melodic sense that is unusual in its simultaneous adventurousness and concision. Paired with David Arkush's </div> <div>      Phish-esque guitar lines on "Happily Married Man," it makes the tracks move without being overthought - a curse many </div> <div>      bands of this ilk often stumble into.</div> <div>      ...</div> <div>      Lyrically, the songs alternate between conflicted but thoughtful ruminations like "Dixieland" to more humorous mock-</div> <div>      ups like "Spats 'n' Hats '99." At times, vocalist Brett Harvey lends a certain Barenaked Ladies feeling to the affair (a </div> <div>      comparison further enhanced by the band's humor and overall touch), although few cheeky Canadian jambands boast </div> <div>      a horn section! As self-produced works go, the production values are also very good - again, the tone is a cleaner, </div> <div>      jazzier one that results in something less than an ear-blasting octane-chugging rawk monster, but clearly the goal was </div> <div>      something more subtle- intricacy and wit are the order of the day here, and as such, Mr. Sparkle's agenda is clearly </div> <div>      realized.</div> <bR> <div>      A great band, and an album worth picking up - all in all, I may pan my own album someday, but I can't in good faith say </div> <div>      anything but good things about this one."</div> <div>                                                                                                          -- Jeff Leven, Music Editor, THE RECORD (3/11/04)</div> <bR> <div>      For full article, click here:</div> <div>      <A HREF="http://www.hlrecord.org/news/2004/03/11/Etc/The-Mr.Sparkle.Agenda-632140.shtml" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.hlrecord.org/news/2004/03/11/"><U>http://www.hlrecord.org/news/2004/03/11/Etc/The-Mr.Sparkle.Agenda-632140.shtml</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>March 4, 2004</I></div> <bR> <div>      <B>Boston </B><I><B>Phoenix </B></I><B>previews charity event at Club Passim...</B></div> <bR> <div>      For full article, click here:</div> <div>      <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/qa/documents/03655782.asp" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/news"><U><U>http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/qa/documents/03655782.asp</U></U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>February 21, 2004</I></div> <bR> <div>      <B>Mr. Sparkle to support human trafficking prevention in Boston...</B></div> <bR> <div>      On Sunday, March 7th at <A HREF="http://www.clubpassim.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.clubpassim.org"><U>Club Passim</U></A>, <A HREF="http://www.mrsparkle.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mrsparkle.com"><U>Mr. Sparkle</U></A> will join Ari, Dave Falk & Lisa Housman, Meg, and Lisa Bastioni in a </div> <div>      benefit concert to support <A HREF="http://www.fairfund.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.fairfund.org"><U>FAIR Fund</U></A>, a local NGO which supports women's and girls' rights across the globe, </div> <div>      particularly Eastern Europe and Central Asia.  This concert will go to support trafficking prevention programs in Boston </div> <div>      -- including special training for Boston police personnel on recognizing trafficked victims.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>February 20, 2004</I></div> <bR> <div>      <B>Mr. Sparkle celebrates 1-year anniversary concert...</B></div> <bR> <div>      <A HREF="http://www.mrsparkle.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mrsparkle.com"><U>Mr. Sparkle</U></A> joined funk and Carribean bands for the 11th annual Mardi Gras Party and Zulu Parade on February 20th, at </div> <div>      Club Bohemia/The Kirkland.  This marked the one year anniversary of <A HREF="http://www.mrsparkle.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mrsparkle.com"><U>Mr. Sparkle</U></A>'s first public gig, which was </div> <div>      Thursday, February 20, 2003 -- also at the Kirkland.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>January 21, 2004</I></div> <bR> <div>      <B>Mr. Sparkle's first album released...</B></div> <bR> <div>      "The Mr. Sparkle Agenda" has arrived!  This album of 10 original songs can be found under "Music" or by clicking on the </div> <div>      "Buy our Album" graphic above.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>September 30, 2003</I></div> <bR> <div>      <B>Mr. Sparkle bids farewell to Jeff & David, welcomes Jay & Mike...</B></div> <bR> <div>      Trumpet maestro Jeff Weinshenker and guitarist extraordinaire David Arkush left Boston at the beginning of September </div> <div>      to pursue careers in D.C. and Georgia, respectively.  We are sad to see them go, and wish them all the best.  Jeff and </div> <div>      David both added a lot of maturity, musical skill, and creativity to the band.  In the meantime, <A HREF="http://www.mrsparkle.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mrsparkle.com"><U>Mr. Sparkle</U></A> wants to </div> <div>      welcome trumpeter Mike Corayer and lead guitarist/vocalist Jay Mahler, who we know will also make great </div> <div>      contributions to the group.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>August 11, 2003</I></div> <bR> <div>      <B>Mr. Sparkle to release studio album in Fall...</B></div> <bR> <div>      <A HREF="http://www.mrsparkle.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mrsparkle.com"><U>Mr. Sparkle</U></A> is planning to release its first full studio album of 10 original songs in November.  Fans should stay tuned to </div> <div>      the <A HREF="http://www.mrsparkle.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mrsparkle.com"><U>Mr. Sparkle</U></A> website for further information on the CD release date and CD release concert.  The location and time </div> <div>      of the concert are to be announced soon.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>April 10, 2003</I></div> <bR> <div>       <B>Mr. Sparkle described in review as a "madcap musicological prankster circus"...</B></div> <bR> <div>      "Live, <A HREF="http://www.mrsparkle.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mrsparkle.com"><U>Mr. Sparkle</U></A> is a mix of styles, covers, musical whims and half-ironic gestures, freely alternating between pure </div> <div>      swing, dense organic jazz and even the odd medley of Top 40 schlock-around-the-clock....  According to [drummer </div> <div>      Will] Stephens, what this translates to in genre-speak is "funk, rock or folk rock, Dixieland jazz, Latin jazz, quasi-sea </div> <div>      shanty, ambient, etc."  The description is apt enough, but doesn't manage to fully indicate how genuinely tuneful and </div> <div>      beautiful some of their original compositions are.  Featuring lilting guitar, carefully-placed horn parts and a buoyant but </div> <div>      never over-busy rhythm secion, songs like "Slippin' By" and "A Letter" showcase a musicality that far transcends </div> <div>      the...rocker-schtick.  Simply put, the concept is funny, but the music is great."</div> <div>                                                                                                          -- Jeff Leven, Music Editor, THE RECORD (4/10/03)</div> <div>      For full article, click here:</div> <div>      <A HREF="http://www.hlrecord.org/news/2003/04/10/Etc/Student.Bands.Sparkle-413504.shtml" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.hlrecord.org/news/2003/04/10/"><U>http://www.hlrecord.org/news/2003/04/10/Etc/Student.Bands.Sparkle-413504.shtml</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>March 31, 2003</I></div> <bR> <div>      <B>Mr. Sparkle to play in benefit "Battle of the Bands" for Little Kids Rock...</B></div> <bR> <div>      <A HREF="http://www.mrsparkle.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.mrsparkle.com"><U>Mr. Sparkle</U></A> will be joining bands from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and Business School for a "Battle of </div> <div>      Bands" to benefit <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#3300CC" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.littlekidsrock.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.littlekidsrock.org"><U><B>Little Kids Rock</B></U></A></FONT> -- and organization that brings music education to neighborhoods whose schools </div> <div>      can't afford music programs.  The Battle will take place at the Big Easy in downtown Boston on April 10, 2003.  The </div> <div>      $10 cover will go directly to supprt the launch of Little Kids Rock in Boston.</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>