Links and other misc stuff

-Click here for Jean Mikle's APP blog entry about the Road Construction CD Release Party at Sprengels Garden Sports Bar

-Click here for Danny Coleman's blog entry about Road Construction in Chorus And Verse Magazine

- Al-Vis on the radio!!! Click here for the archived version on my appearance on Danny Coleman's Rock On Radio 8/22/2010, featuring my good friend Cook Smith.

- Spring Lovelle's site (FKA Spring Libutti on the CD liner notes)

- Danny Gallagher's site

From Al-Vis and Friends, Official Road Construction discussion thread:

 Official Road Construction ThreadDelete Topic|Reply to Topic.Displaying all 5 posts..

Al-Vis Al "-Why did you have to go on?
-Too many people told me to stop." The Big Sleep

"He thinks he's some kind of guitar player rock star or something. Has his own web site and everything." Overheard at QMed, a company I worked at in Eatontown

"You play guitar? And sing??? You???!!!" 9th grade classmate
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I've decided to open this thread now that the CD is finally on its way (they are punching the holes in the middle as I write this).

Feel free to comment, question or correct any aspect of it in this thread, censor-ship free (as long as we stay on topic).

To start with, let me just repeat the details of it:

- Recorded at LA East Studio in Loch Arbor, Cook Smith producer
- All instruments and vocals by Al-Vis, except for some bass by Cook
- 5 songs: 3 originals and 2 covers dones as tributes to a couple of Al-Vis' career VIPs.
- Price: 10.00 at gigs (with specials from time to time), 12.00 by mail, extra is just to cover cost of shipping and packaging
- Full liner notes by Al-Vis inside
- Cover by our good pal Joe Tallman from the Nightwing days
- Asbury Media did the mastering

And more: The CD will not be available online, at least not for now. I will be able to accomodate some mail orders but I'm mostly encouraging people to come out to the gigs to purchase it.

Played together from the beginning and in order, the songs tell the true story of some events that happened back in 2007 as I was approaching my 50th birthday, and trying to help out a good friend who was going thru a deep personal tragedy. Some of you know parts of the story (no one knows the whole story just yet), but the CD tells it better than words could anyway so I won't repeat it here. Feel free to discuss it though.

As the CD tries to convey (and see my online notes at AlvisRocks.com also for some commentary on this), it has been a long, sometimes scary and almost always thrilling journey thru the past and into the future these past 3 years. With the CDs release I feel that one leg of it is at an end, though the journey will certainly continue into other, maybe even more thrilling, possibly with even more scary twists and turns.

Since the CD was recorded (in the summer of 2009) some time has passed and I do want to acknowledge the support and encouragement several of you have given me while trying to get the project completed.

Carol Barbieri, whose incredible talent is also a constant source of flabbergastment to me, has been a tireless supporter not only of me but of so many others. It is not just a happy coincidence that she and Cook are two of the most successful open mic hosts around- a large part of that success has to do with their full-throttled support of the talent they host. I thank both of you for you friendship and sincere enthusiasm, which have helped me see this project thru to the end.

Beth Amatelli, I don't know what to say to you. You have many admirers amongst your old-time friends and as a newer friend I can see why. Your love for music and for life itself is infectuous, and I consider our friendship one of the happier surprises of this post-road construction phase. When God brought you into my life I could feel Him smiling at me.

Doyle Crowe, I think many of us 'tunes owe you our gratitude, since you were one of the first up here and have been a constant online cheerleader for everything Neptune (and for life itself). I thank you deeply, my good friend and look forward to keeping up our friendship thru the years.

Bobby D., you have been so generous with your ample musical talent that words could never reciprocate. Always there as a fill in or as a co-conspirator, and to share your musical quips and stories, it is a great honor to call you friend.

And the others I have met while taking this strange new journey - Sandy Mack and Laura Crisci, whom I met the same fateful day at that benefit in Monmouth Beach, and whose music has been a real eye opener for me ever since; Jo Wymer, whose voice reverberates inside my head for days after it enters my heart at her live shows.

I could go on and on. I do want to give a special mention to Christine Martucci, who made such an impression on me that day I first ventured out from the darkness and into the light that first warm Spring night in 2008 at her Paramount show. I hadn't seen anything like that in years, by a local or a national act, and at that moment she exploded onto the stage my sensibilities leapt to the ceiling of that theater, a touchstone moment of this 3 year journey.

And of course my long time friend Tim Cusack, who let me sit in at First Saturday in AP all those times, and my new partner Patty Tracy, who is really another long time friend but as ready as I am to continue on this journey with me together.

These acknowledgements are all in addition to the ones in the liner notes, which are more specific to the actual events in Road Construction. But I do want to repeat one- my loving wife Denise Grogan, Mrs Al-Vis, long suffering wife of the maniacally emotional Al-Vis. I have dedicated the CD to her, and I am sure you can understand why.

Let the discussions begin- hope you enjoy the CD as much as I enjoyed putting that part of my life to music!

last Sunday · Delete Post.

Sandy Mack

Hey Bro, You are a BC!(beautiful cat) Best of luck with the new CD! Catch you soon ;) Sandy

last Monday · Mark as Irrelevant · Report · Delete Post.

MarkJoan Lipman Had a little trouble locating this thread after the announcement, but glad we did & enjoyed Al-vis' heartfelt writeup above. We know his CD will be great after all the work he's put into it with Cook.

We met Al-Vis in the early 90s. We always enjoyed his excellent playing and singing through the decades. He's performed with Asbury area's most talented & respected musicians in every venue that there is and was.

There's two main things we can say about Alvis. One, is his unique way of expressing sincere kindness. He has this "quiet low key aura" with which he greets everyone he meets. Joan and I felt like lifelong friends the first time we met him. He always has something nice to say, always goes out of his way to hook you up with people he likes and shares anything he thinks is worthy or fun with you. He's always been an inspiration to us and our band. Al is one of those people we specifically seek out in Asbury whenever we visit our home town from Florida because we know we will never be disappointed and always know they'll be a hug along with the great music there! I'm sure we'll detect those great traits of "who Al-Vis IS", as we listen to this CD. The other thing is our amazement of what a truly superb guitar player/singer he is. If you've seen him when he's really "kicking" you know exactly what I mean! We're really looking forward to his CD where he plays every instrument, which should include some pleasant surprises! Congrats on Road Construction Al-vis!

Lip Man and the Lips! (Mark and Joan)

last Monday · Mark as Irrelevant · Report · Delete Post.

Al-Vis Al Thanks Sandy- its an incredible honor to have shared stages with you! And you too, Mark and Joan- much of what you say about me I've felt about you, 2 of the most sincerely good, fun and talented people I've known. Wish you all the best with your vids and CDs.

last Monday · Delete Post.

Beth Amatelli I am deeply humbled! Your friendship has been a light in my tunnel and I, too, am very grateful that God has placed you in my life! Your ability to make me smile and laugh when I want to cry, your compassion and your honesty - make you one of the truest of friends. I am honored that you would even think to mention me and I trust that the gift that keeps on giving will continue to make you smile (and confuse others) for a long, long time!!! Love ya lots, Al!!!