The Essentials

"Sunny Day" review from: IndieShowcase!

2009-11-24T18:19:00.009-05:00

From: Shashona, at, www.indieshowcase.com

"The Essentials latest release, "Sunny Day & Other Groovy Mega Super Hits" has arrived and has shaken the world of music clear into the second Tuesday of next week!

Sunny Day & Other Groovy Mega Super Hits is the kind of album you will play over and over. Nancy Katz brings the groove back with tunes such as "There was A time" and "Sunny Day". She rocks us with "Luckiest Girl In The World" "The Peace Song" and "I Need A Lover" done in her own unique retro style.

Art Perry is definitely the rockers rocker. This guy's vocal is second to none. Art can rock you gentle or rock you hard. It doesn't matter which, he does it with ease. He can handle a ballad and have you swooning just as easily as he can rock you old school...

...All in all, The Essentials new release Sunny Day & Other Groovy Mega Super Hits is a listeners dream album.

We love this album! We Love this band! Listen to it today!! Buy it for tomorrow!
That's just how I see it.

Yours in the music
Shashona
Indie Showcase
www.indieshowcase.net

Leslie Lieber. “How To Form a rock Group.” Or: “How lightweight literature can profoundly influence your life.”

2009-10-11T00:00:00.012-04:00

Wow. It’s fall of 2009. And what a long, strange trip it’s been. (Really, if you knew the half of it!)

About eight years ago I moved out of a crappy little rented bedroom, in a crappy little house, and a on cold, wet day took on a new life out here in funky little “Sticksboro” in my funky little house. (Along with my cat, Princess, and a vanload of miscellaneous possessions that have somehow have managed to tail me around for thirty or forty years.)

In due time, I got married to the one woman on earth that can tolerate me. (Don’t tell her this, but I love her for this and so much more!) Princess has since passed but was subsequently replaced by a pair of wonderful new feline companions, Gypsy and Snippet. (That's Gypsy in the picture warming up her drums!) I’ve made some great friends, had numerous adventures, and I’ve somehow managed to record five CDs.

Yes, five!

How the heck did that happen?

A strange combination of internal drive and grandiose fantasy I suppose.

Nonetheless, here I sit. We’re about to release number five, “Sunny Day,” and each time I go through this process (The release) I swear that I will never, ever, subject myself to this again! (But I suppose I will, what else would I do? )

Anyhow, thanks to The Beatles and the 1968 literary efforts of, Leslie Lieber, (“How to form a Rock Group.” What a naughty, naughty, book!)

So…

Here I go again!!

Do me a favor, and check out our new tunes. (They’re on the player up above along with tunes from our last CD, “The Marshmallow Theory”.)

I hope you dig ‘em.

(Yes, I said, “dig,” Sorry, it slips out sometimes along with, “groovy.”)

Have a, umm…groovy day!

Art

Venus, "The Shocking Blue," and the sexual misconceptions of a confused ten year old boy.

2009-04-17T01:02:00.011-04:00

"Venus!" Released, 1969 by the Dutch band, (Who knew? For God's sake, They could have easily been Canadian!)

"The Shocking Blue!!"

(Very psychedelic title. Who thought of that? What type of drugs were they on? Tylenol? I don't think so. Moldy Tylenol? Maybe, perhaps. Let's share!)

E minor, A major, E minor, A major, rinse and repeat.

"I'm your Venus, I'm your fire, what's your desire!"

Don't knock it, it works!

But what an extremely cool song! Sexy female vocals, obscure lyrics, and that cool slide down the guitar neck that made it all happen. Best of all, it featured the word, “Venus,” which to a pair of ten year old boys sounded alarmingly like, “penis.” Hmmm.

We wondered:

1) What they looked like. (There was no music video, no internet, and ABC news sure as hell wasn’t going to feature them.)

2) Was the girl a brunette or a blond. And…

3) (I’m not making this up!) Did their mother know that they were singing a song about a penis?

Wow.

Yes, it’s true, we had many serious sleepover conversations which largely revolved around this topic.

It stuck with me. (Both the penis question and the song)

Sometime in the 1980’s I sought out and bought the single for the second time. (You remember those things? "Singles?" Little vinyl platters about the size of a sandwich dish? Two songs, the good one and the one that time will soon forget? )

Through it all, the fundamental question never occurred to me:

Why would a woman, (Forgetting the fact that she was surrounded by musicians, one of whom could produce a pretty cool slide sound with his guitar) call herself a, “ penis?”

Time marched on, I grew up somewhat and learned the following:

1) Women are many things. (Always confusing, always beautiful, and always seemingly willing to purchase the man in their life new clothes) but they are by no means in any way, shape, or form, male genetalia, nor do they desire to be.

2) Popular music lyrics exist on many, many levels. Often, they simply are what you want them to be.

3) My mother was not offended by this song. (Heck, she still doesn’t even know it exist!)

The magic of lyrical confusion somehow infected me. For example, check out our song: “Never Too Late.” I’m not even sure what it’s about, and I was quite sober at the time.

Anyhow, I suppose the band had the following lyrical option available and for reasons know but to God, choose not to use it:

“I’m your male genetalia, I’m the intensity of your pre-adolescent sexual confusion, let’s light a fire!”

Groovy man. Deep intense stuff, but I dunno, I just doesn’t sing as well. (Even with that cool guitar slide!)

Thanks for your time.

Have a most groovy day.

Art

On The Night Shift

2009-04-15T04:07:00.010-04:00

I'm staying up late tonight to prepare for my up-coming night shift, catching up on emails, checking news and weather, gig-searching sonic bids, and doing laundry. No rest for the weekend warrior; gotta get it all done so we can rawk the weekend. I'll be getting my quiet time on the night shift, and thinking of that made me think of the song by The Commodores, "On The Night Shift". If you've never heard it, check it out on YouTube. It'll WOW you for sure. That's when a smoke was a smoke and groovin' was groovin' (words of John Mellencamp).

It's true that music brings back memories, and that memories are often memorialized in song, so The Essentials will be making some memories for you this weekend. We're working on new songs for our next CD, and will be sharing some of the new stuff at Mirarchis Williamstown Inn, N.J. on Friday, April 24th, 7:30 P.M., for those who would like a preview. We'll be doing a few Sinatra songs, including one Nancy Sinatra song, and our original rock and other groovy stuff. Maria will have Martini Specials and some give-aways, and we'll be giving away an "Essentials" T-shirt to the person who can answer our trivia question of the night. Hope to see you there. If you can't make it this time, check out our website, "Where To See Us" page, at http://www.essentialsmusic.net/

On Having Faith

2009-04-07T20:41:00.004-04:00

Even in the most desperate of times, in this seemingly ungodly world, God answers prayers. Please pray for our men and women in the military and for the families who love them. Pray for peace. Pray for the sick, the lost, the hungry, and for the poor souls living in states of poverty that many of us can't even imagine. Then...

Thank the Lord for your many blessings. Let me share just a few of mine: In 2007, after major surgery, I lived to walk outside in the sunlight. Something I felt I may never do again, and prayed for earnestly. Thank you God.

Last year, I got the new job that I prayed for, on the very day that I prayed for it; one that left me the time and energy I needed to devote to making music again, something I just love.

Last year, I also got to spend time with my daughter who is recovering from major surgery, and got to see my son through a very rough time in his life. The gift of time is priceless.

Last year, I married my kindred spirit, the one God sent to stand by me in times of trouble, and the one I got to stand by through his recent tribulations. That strength and conviction came directly from God. We are weak and petty and scared on our own. I know.

This year, Art got a new job, sporting a tie and team-leading. The Essentials are rocking the gigs, and our music was picked up by several licensing companies. Happy Happy Joy Joy!

This week, I got a new job, one with really good benefits, one that I prayed for because I could no longer afford doctors visits or prescriptions. Hard times indeed!

Yesterday, we became members of the Jingle Punks army; they picked up one of our songs for licensing. A prayer went with that submission.

Today, I got to share my blessings with you.

Tomrrow, is a blessing waiting to happen.

God answers prayer.

"Essentials" News

2009-03-22T20:53:00.005-04:00

"Essentials" News... It's official: We've had some of our music picked up by "The Music Dealers", and "Rumblefish". They sent us actual contracts. This means we may soon be getting some royalties, and we don't mean a visit from the Brits. That would be almost as cool though. Especially cool if they invite us to Wembley Stadium to play. Dream big, don't I?

Also, we've officially become a "House Band". Thanks to the gracious Ms. Maria, at Mirarchi's Williamstown Inn, The Essentials now have a home away from home in Williamstown, New Jersey. We're playing once a month, and Maria has all kinds of surprises planned for our play dates. Check out our website http://www.essentialsmusic.net/ or www.myspace.com/justtheessentials for the schedule.

We're working hard to sell "The Marshmallow Theory" CD, and our new T-shirts. So get 'em while their hot! You can buy them at any of our band sites, and at our gigs. A-a-and, we've got a bunch of groovy new songs coming out. Another whole CD in fact! We're looking forward to seeing all of you wearing our shirts, and enjoying our music.

Thanks to all who came out to our opening night at Mirarchi's. A special thanks also to our guest Irish entertainer, Joann O'Joella. You rocked the shamrock baby! We had a great time. We had an awesome audience, and feel blessed to have shared St. Patrick's Day with you.

Peace~Love~Music

Nancy

Keep The "U" In The U.S.A.

2009-03-21T17:56:00.007-04:00

I've been thinking about the U.S.A. that President Obama has inherited, and have got to say that I honestly feel sorry for the man. Here he is, the first man of color elected U.S. president, and his chance to shine is undermined by the beleaguering tasks of bailing out corporate America and stomping out the thousands of fires left behind by the Bush administration. He is most assuredly going to need our help. He deserves our help. The task ahead is daunting, but do-able. I just hope that we don't get lazy, and wait around for months and months expecting that someone else will do something. The time to act is now. We're all going to have to roll up our sleeves and pitch in. Let's get it together, America. "Keep the "U" in the U.S.A."

An aside... Our corrupt financial institutions need us, the lowly tax-payers, to rescue them; yet, they're playing reindeer games with the money that we just gave to them to keep their sorry asses in business. Yes, you, me, our children, and grandchildren are paying for their rescue! If it were up to me, some of them would be in jail, and the others would be taking pay cuts (and liking it) in order to keep their jobs. We need to let these people know that we're not going to tolerate any more irresponsible spending at our expense. Bonuses-schmonuses! Employee contracts can be renegotiated! Most of us have been there, done that. In crisis, corporate entities (even those who think they're deities) are no exception. Keep an eye on them America!

Our citizens are losing their jobs, their medical benefits, their homes, and their self-respect, not to mention our loss, as a nation, of the support and respect of the international community. My hope is that you will speak out, that you will offer moral support, that you will write letters, or make phone calls, or volunteer, or just talk to one another about what can be done or should be done to bring this country back up from it's knees. Most of all, I hope you don't forget to support our president in his efforts to move this country forward on all fronts; financial, educational, ecological, technological, etc. Got a suggestion? Post it. Share your thoughts and concerns. We're all in this together, and we can get out of this together. "Keep the "U" in the U.S.A." (Ask me about this quote.) essentialsdujour@yahoo.com

Love~Peace~Music

Nancy

Hey, Hey, we're the Monkees! (And other great Twinkies of rock history)

2009-03-12T22:27:00.011-04:00

Wow, I’ve been reaching back into my formative years and rediscovering some of the music that, for better or worse, made me the musician that I am today. In particular, I’ve been playing the heck out of The Monkees 1967 masterwork of pop-rock, “Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones Ltd.”

Okay, so it’s the Monkees! I know that! Now please, cut me a break and let’s just put that aside for a moment and take it for what it is:

A good, solid, well produced mix of good, solid, hook-laden tracks with cool harmonies, four distinct and quite competent vocalist, and just the right mix of light psychedelic effects and a fun qwirky, (Keyword: Fun.) sense of humor.

I was raised on the Beatles and Motown. (Thanks to my big sister, the Cellist) Then along came The Monkees, and they seemed pretty cool too, and it didn’t really matter to me whether or not they played their own instruments. The end product was what mattered and the end product was great! (Sort of like a Twinkie: Do you really want to know what’s in the cream filling? Of course not! Just shut up and enjoy!—and keep in mind, Twinkies shall outlive us all!)

I loved it! Like a Twinkie, it may not have been “good for me” but man it was fun!

As I, “matured,” (An ongoing process that I’ve yet to complete) I moved on to more, “sophisticated” rock: Early Genesis, King Crimson, early Yes, and others till a time came that it occurred to me just how mind-numbingly bored I was listening to thirty minute tracks of outstanding musicianship while so wasted that I couldn’t find the “stop” button on my cassette player. (Let alone the bathroom) Then along came Elvis Costello...

It was fresh. Old but new. Well structured songs, cool hooks, a nice overall sixties vibe, intelligent lyrics, and just the right amount of sexual innuendo.

Thank God almighty I was free at last! Free to move on and discover a host of other artist who were clearly not embarrassed to keep one foot firmly entrenched in 60’s pop while moving on to bigger and brighter things:

Tom Petty
Bruce Springsteen
U2
REM
The Talking Heads
The Cars
Lucinda Williams
Old 97’s

The B-52s

And so many more.

Please, note, all these artist have a few things in common. (Aside from the aforementioned link to the 60’s)

No fear of jingle-jangle guitars.
They like reverb and tremolo.
There’s nothing wrong with the occasional Farfisa or Hammond B3 organ.
Rhythm really is king.
They never curse or belittle in their lyrics.
They’re fun.

Okay, time to get off the pedestal.

My feet are getting sore.

Now go checkout, “Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones Ltd.”

You may get a cavity, but You’ll have fun trying to sing along with "The Door into Summer" while you're in the the dentist chair.

Art

From the Essentials Archives...

2009-03-02T23:33:00.001-05:00

"I know, it's only rock 'n roll.."

2009-02-23T00:08:00.006-05:00

I know, it’s only rock and roll…

But I like it!!

Wow. Once in awhile you play a gig that makes all the endless head-banging stress of running a rock band worthwhile. Last night was one of those ethereal moments. Not quite, “the great gig in the sky” but nonetheless, numerous positive elements were present in abundance:

The band was solid, the crowd although not exactly stadium sized, simply great, the staff wonderful, and the venue owner was beyond awesome. (And it’s not often I get to say that--thank you Dante!)

In this business one is tempted to throw in the proverbial towel about every five minutes or so, but as if Hollywood scripted, once in a while, an especially nice thing happens.

Aside from death and taxes, there’s always another day. This much I know to be true, and when you’re a middle-aged rock ‘n roller, sometimes that little sliver of faith is about all you’ve got.

Thanks for being our fans, and if you’re new to us, please check us out. (We're fun, really we are, and even better, we're filled with happy little memories just waiting to be yours)

“I like it, like it, yes I do…”

Art

To The Shiny Happy People Everywhere

2009-02-22T21:21:00.008-05:00

Thanks to everyone who came out to see us at Dante's last night. We had a great time rockin' your world, and hope to see all of you again in April. We're taking the month of March off to finish our new CD, and, although we'll miss you, we'll make it up to you with some of our new material next gig. You're going to love it.

In the meantime, check out our new electronic press kit at sonicbds.com/theessentials7 In other great news; one of our songs was picked up for licensing by Rumblefish Music, and we are now being played in Australia at awesomeradio.com. Check them out. It's very cool.

Thanks retrokimmer for the work you've done for us and your constant encouragement. See Kim at Retrokimmer.com and thanks to Dom at myspace.com/domrocks. Your friendship is treasured. Life is good, and we are blessed to have you in our lives. Peace~Love~Music, Nancy

I want to be a music millionaire...

2009-02-16T00:32:00.006-05:00

I want to be a music millionaire so:

My cat can wear big, thick gold chains around her neck.

Drunken people will worship me.

Sober people will buy me a cup of coffee.

Poor kids from broken families with ineffectual parents will realize that there’s hope in the world.

To prove that you can make a living beating the crap out a dead horse.

My cat can have a luxury litter box complete with a stiff-backed butler with a pooper-scooper in hand.

I can use curse words in my songs and Rolling Stone magazine will think it’s cool.

I can buy beer in a bottle.

My cat can take driving lessons, get her license, and take me to the store to buy coffee filters.

I can make some sense.

Peace!

Happy Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-15T01:59:00.004-05:00

My labor of love for my Valentine this year is this high-tech, super cool, electronic press kit at www.sonicbids.com/theessentials7 I worked at it in secret for hour upon hour until I had just the right stuff to dazzle and WOW him on this special day for lovers. He was overcome with joy. Indeed! He sang the "Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy" song for me, and we did the traditional "Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy" dance. The sugar rush from the chocolates we shared made the dance part all the more interesting; we tried to outdo each other with new outrageous moves. I dare say, it was quite an entertaining spectacle. Anyway, here's hoping that your Valentine's Day was totally awesome. The Essentials say, "We love you, yeah, yeah, yeah!" Nancy

2009-02-14T00:42:00.001-05:00

Faded memories, Black and white moments…

The Beatles on Ed Sullivan:

Viewed on a black and white TV in an apartment in Brooklyn…

My father was a relatively young insurance broker. My mother played Mahjong.

I played with my hamster.

John Kennedy…

A black and white TV at my grandma’s house in Brighton Beach.

She cooked, I ate. She spoke Polish, taught me about Hitler.

Martin Luther King Jr…

A grade school teacher had us write a letter to his widow.

I bounced pinkie balls off the side of the building with my friends.

Hey Jude…

Miss Judge. My teacher, (Approximately 6th grade) who arrived at school, nearly breathless, “You kids have got to hear this!”

She procured a, “record player” (Pop music did not exist in schools in those days) and introduced us to one of rock ‘n rolls greatest moments.

I went to her wedding. He was a Marine Lieutenant who went to Vietnam.

Later, I ran excited through a field during recess. They labeled me, as” incorrigible. ”

Elvis is dead…

Living with my single mom on Long Island. I was never a big Elvis fan, (Times change, I’m listening to him right now) but it hit me.

I lit a candle in the window.

John Lennon died:

Living in my first apartment in Delaware. My best friend called. I didn’t believe him. (He was my idol for God’s sake!)

Turned to my crappy black and white TV. The truth came out.

Attended an amazing memorial service in Rodney Square.

Oh bla di oh bla da, life went on. I joined the Air Force.

Life is a hell of a road trip, and I’ve met some beautiful people along the way.

Elvis is awesome.

Where were you?

Peace:

Art

Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Unpretentious rock 'n roll.

2009-02-09T00:23:00.006-05:00

Wow. I'm sitting here listening to a B.T.O. greatest hits collection and wondering just when and where rock ' roll got lost. In the beginning, rock was a simple, fun form of musical entertainment and for years it succeeded based upon that simple formula. Then, somewhere along the line it took itself a little to seriously and as as a result lost a huge chunk of its audience to rap and Top 40 Country.

Now I've got nothing against those genres and their dedicated listeners, (Okay, rap can be a little too vile for my taste, and Top 40 Country, a bit too corny) but overall, it looks like they've won the race for mass market appeal.

I was in my early teens and had just recently picked up my first guitar when B.T.O. hit the scene. Most of their material was adolescent simple: Three or four chords, simplistic lyrics, overdriven guitar and a driving rhythm section, but they had this irresistible jazzy edge that showed up on a few songs that gave them a sense of musical legitimacy.

It was the kind of music that made you want to grab a guitar, find a few musically inclined friends, and start your own little rock band. Furthermore, nobody, cursed, nobody discussed killing people, nobody glorified spending time in prison and sex? Sex was a silent and nearly inaudible innuendo at best.

I try to carry that spirit into the music that The Essentials produce today. Simple, fun, uncomplicated. The kind of stuff that would've had me up dancing in my underwear on those rare occasions when I had the house and my sister's stereo to myself.

Okay, I'm sounding like an old fuddy-duddy, but so be it.

Rock 'n roll needs all the help it can get. Between me, my lovely wife Nancy and our fine band mates, Kevin, Eddie and Louie, we're doing what we can. But we can't do it alone.

So do yourself a musical favor. Open up your ears, clear your mind and check us out.

You just might find yourself dancing in you underwear.

"Rock is my life, and this is my song..."

Randy Bachman

Thanks for your time:

Art

Mother Nature Says Little Things Matter

2009-02-08T22:08:00.010-05:00

Winter is hard on these little creatures. Please do what you can to help them survive another year. Sunflower seeds (AKA oilers) and suet are the food of choice for wintry weather. The fat content helps to maintain the body heat needed to survive the cold. A feeder is not essential if you're on a tight budget. Seed can be spread on the ground, placed in a dry birdbath, or in an up-side-down trash can lid; birds are not particular about serving dishes. If you can't purchase a hanger for suet, you can place it in the crook of a tree branch, in a dry birdbath, or just place it on a ledge on a patio or porch. You will attract a variety of birds with these offerings, and, as repayment, they will provide you with beautiful sights and entertaining antics. Art and I love our little feathered friends so much, we bought them a heater for their birdbath this Christmas. It keeps the water just warm enough to prevent freezing so that they have fresh water to drink and/or bathe in should they so desire. It's a five star birdie paradise if there are no water sources near your home.

Recession Hits The Music Scene Hard

2009-02-07T09:54:00.003-05:00

Original rockers in New jersey are feeling the death grip of the recession already. We have had venues cut bands from their schedule due to lack of funds, and even had one venue close it's doors forever because they just couldn't afford to stay open. A prayer for bar and club owners may be in order here. Venues for original bands were already a precious commodity in our area, the Delaware Valley, now we stand to lose more and more of them as the economy continues to rumble and thunder downhill.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the stock market mobsters and real estate swindlers, who defrauded and bankrupted our nation, are not behind bars, but living large on the monies they stole from us. Is there something wrong with this picture? A street thug who grabbed a purse would not enjoy such liberties, and would be made to pay back what they stole one way or another. In the case of the rape and pilfering of our nation, however, three generations of American citizens are expected to pay for the bailout of these corrupt institutions. Where is the justice in all of this? There is none! Yet, no-one is standing up and demanding that these criminals (and they truly are criminals) be prosecuted. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Wake up America. The time to demand accountability is now. Don't wait for someone else to act; that someone else is likely waiting for you. A phone call, letter, or petition is all it takes to start a movement. Let's get moving now friends. If you don't know who to contact "Google" your state's government officials, and go from there. You can literally move a mountain with your fingers.

That's all it takes; Googling, writing, and speaking out. Please get involved. This is your country, your government, and your loss if you do nothing. God save America, and God save Rock n' Roll. The opinions expressed here are not necessarily the opinions of all of "The Essentials", but most certainly mine. Nancy

An Essentials Winter Adventure…

2009-02-05T18:47:00.004-05:00

I had one of the worst snow driving experiences of my life today.

Even the interstates were covered. Off on the shoulders I witnessed
entire pods of snowmen, (Do snowmen, or “snowpeople”-- the more
politically correct term--congregate in, “pods” or in “herds”?) tossing
children into the woods and lighting abandoned cars on fire for warmth.

Visibility was the equivalent of trying to watch a sunset through a food
processor filled with a torrent of swirling oatmeal and the plow operators
were all at home having a beer, watching reruns of, “The Simpson’s” while
wondering just who might be trying to call them at such an inconvenient
hour.

At one point, on some forgotten little back road between the local
convenience store and “Nowhere.” (Nancy and I live in Nowhere,
and we like it that way) a gaggle of perplexed motorist had slid to a
stop at the bottom of a relatively steep hill. Both lanes appeared blocked.

After a few minutes of the prerequisite, “patient waiting,” I got out of
my car and asked a grayhaired gentleman in a pickup as to exactly
what the issue was:

To my surprise, my fellow snowbound motorist responded with a British
accent: “There’s a guy in a pickup stuck up there, you can’t make it up
without four-wheel!” (Early tracks from The Essentials next CD—
due out late summer—were blaring on my stereo)

Hmm. This presented a problem. Let’s see, I could sit here at the
bottom of this hill until fully entombed by frost, (At least I’d be in
the company of what was in all likelihood the world’s only British Redneck)
or I could take a chance, hold the throttle steady, and trust my solid
old front-wheel-drive clunker to pull me over the hill to a magical land
of beer, emails, and oh yeah,my wife. Damn it all! I choose the later.
With the British Redneck screaming,

“Keep going! Keep it steady!” I soon reached the summit, and with
the most exceptionally groovy sounds of The Essentials ringing in my
ears, I continued toputt my way home at approximately five mile per
hour while diligently avoidingthe masses of desperate snowpeople who
yanked at my door handles begging for mittens, scarves, and spare
carrots. (Their noses were nearly frozen off)

About twenty minutes of unplowed road later, I arrived at my
happy littledomicile to find all in order: Cat whining, exhausted wife
sleeping, beer cold.

See, life with The Essentials is good. It’s vitamin enriched and
guaranteed to take you to the next level. Just don’t wait for
the plow guy.

Have a nice day: Art

Art's First Post

2009-02-01T22:17:00.000-05:00

A brave new world…

So, The Essentials have entered the “blogosphere!"

(Fasten your seat belts and put your seats in the upright

position!) So many questions; What is it? Where does it go?

Why does it go there? What’s the capital of Minnesota?

Why do we park in the driveway and drive on the parkway?

Sorry, I digress…

Yes the blogosphere. Yet another ultra modern, hi-tech

gadget which allows new visitors, and our loyal fans, to

check out our latest tunes, get the skinny on what’s new,

and watch groovy Essentials videos. Best of all, you can

buy stuff here too!

Downloads
CDs
Super Cool T-shirts

This should be fun, now if I can just figure out how to get

this seat stay upright, damn, there goes my coffee, hmm,

that river’s looking awfully close…

Art

The Marshmallow Theory Concept

2009-02-01T18:27:00.005-05:00

The Ability to Defer Gratification =
Greater Success in Life

The Marshmallow "Experiment" is a famous test
of the concept of delayed gratification conducted
by American social psychologist, Walter Mischel,
at Stanford University, and discussed by Daniel
Goleman in his popular work.

In the 1960s a group of four-year-olds were tested
by being given a marshmallow and promised another
if they could wait 20 minutes before eating the first one.
Some children could wait and others could not.

The researchers then followed the progress of each
child into adolescence, and demonstrated that those
with the ability to wait were better adjusted and more dependable (determined via surveys of parents
and teachers), and scored an average of 210 points
higher on the Scholastic Aptitude Test.

Instructions For In-Home Experiment

1. Have your child come to the kitchen table to meet
with you, under the guise of an important discussion
about school work or an up-coming event.
(The child does not have to be 4 years old, but at
least pre-high school aged.)

2. Once the child is seated and comfortable, make
up an excuse to leave the room, (have marshmallows
in a convenient location).

3. Offer your child a single marshmallow, and tell
the child that if he/she waits for you to return to
the room, he/she may have two marshmallows.

4. Leave the room for at least 10 minutes.

5. Return to the kitchen and note the results.
Do give the child another marshmallow if the child
has waited.

Planning Your Future Based On The Results

1. If your child passes the test: Get a second job,
and get that college fund going. Also, consider
that medical school may be in your child's future,
and an addition four years of financing will be
needed.

2. If your child sneaks a bite, then attempts to reshape
the marshmallow to hide the transgression, you will
either be paying for law school or repeatedly bailing
him/her out of jail. The differentiating factor:

An eloquent verbal explanation by your child = law

school. For sure!

3. If the child eats the whole marshmallow, then
beguiles or tantrums you into giving him/her another,
go ahead and spend that college fund.

This child is going to be a musician.

Good Luck To All ! Love~Peace~Music~The Essentials

More Essentials

2009-02-01T18:16:00.002-05:00

Louie!

Kevin!

Eddie!

"The Essentials" are now playing clubs, coffee

houses, festivals, and benefits throughout N.J., Pa.,

and De., and have had Air-play in N.J.

(WVLT and WGLS) and De. (WSTW).

Their newest CD, "The Marshmallow Theory", which

they believe is their best work to date, was completed

in June 2008. The CD is available at Cd Baby,

(click on the cd button) on the blog, website, myspace,

at itunes, and at "The Essentials" gigs .

The Cd features classic style rock, pop, and ballads

with captivating lyrics, melodies, and rhythm.

"The Essentials" describe their sound as unique and

stylistic. A "sounds-like" group-thing has not be

definitively chosen, so they settled on "Original Classic

Rock" as the closest of kin to t
heir non-genre genre. An oxymoron? Yes.

So... What's next? Work, work, work; honing their skills,
creating new songs, seeking out new venues, romancing
the indie labels, and trying to generate more interest.
That's why you find yourself reading this bio. Tee-Hee!

Sorry, that was Tink's eternal child thing coming through..

" We Are The Music Makers"

2009-02-01T10:47:00.000-05:00

I was born; that much I'm sure is true. I've been told it was
in New York. Of course, for all I know, I could have been born
in Toledo, been kidnapped by a band of benevolent gypsies,
then shipped to New York in the back of a U.P.S. truck.
I was very young. I don't remember much from that period
of my life.

Later, I recall a long stint in the Air Force, a longer stint in the
institution of marriage , a substantial amount of travelling about,
and a string of ill-fated creative ventures.

Okay, I admit that the toy surprise in the bottom of a mayonnaise
jar wasn't such a great idea but I was deported to New Jersey
anyway.

Coming from a family of eccentric-creative types, music has been
an integral part of my life.(Ever since I learned that I could make
my sister scream by pulling her hair).

In my early teens, I began my life-long quest to "look cool".
I purchased my first electric guitar: It was green, it was shaped
like a crushed elf, and, if I remember correctly, it had more
pickups than New Jersey has hazardous waste sites.

In no time I was cranking out really bad renditions of,
"Smoke On the Water". I quickly succeeded in becoming an
"unknown", starving, singer/songwriter.

A trend which continues to this day.

A few years ago, while surfing bars looking for hot babes, I came
across Nancy, and my quest was complete. Since then, I've become
somewhat domesticated, and have learned to accept that my
mothership is never coming back for me

Please check us out at one of our shows, listen to our MP3s,
and show your support by sending us blank checks, free beer,
and gift certificates for food, smokes, gasoline and automobiles.

Thank you, thank you very much.

Art

Nancy!

2009-02-01T10:25:00.000-05:00

Born, in Hartford, Conn., during the reign of Frank Sinatra,

and was named by my mother, obviously an avid Sinatra fan,

after Nancy Sinatra. And, yes, I do wear boots, and have sung

"These Boots Are Made For Walking". Moved to N.J. as a

grade-school kid, and have lived in and around the Gloucester

County area since, with the exception of a few months in California.

A lovely place, but a bit too shake-and-bake for me! I am, after

all, of Germanic descent; thus, a genetic preference of cold to hot.

And I very much prefer to feel the earth move under my feet in a

more abstract sense.

My interest in music began at age six, when I performed my first

vocal solo, "Away In A Manger", at a shool Christmas play. I've

dabbled in musical ventures, singing in choirs, dramatic plays,

and cover bands, on-again, off-again, ever since.

My greatest "high" in life is getting paid for doing what I love.

Education, College: Law/Justice Major. My favorite classes:

English Comp., love to read and write poetry and song lyrics.

Forensic Science, love investigations and proof positive, and

can classify latent fingerprints and make ten points of identifi-

cation without the aid of a computer. This could come in handy

sometime, don't you think?

American History, unlike George W. (Sorry, Mr. President),

I did learn something from studying the mistakes that we,

as a nation, have made in the past.

Occupation: Full-time, private security, shift supervisor, for a

contract security agency. Surprised?

Part-time, muse and musician. I enjoy the best of both worlds.

Musical Loves: All of the greats of the 60s; "The Beatles",

"The Rolling Stones", "The Moody Blues", "Pink Floyd",

"Jefferson Airplane", "Led Zeppelin", and who could forget

"The Who"? Of the more contemporay sounds; "U2" and "REM".

Greatest guitar man, Mark Knofler, and vocalist, Sarah McLaughlin.

"The Essentials" were born soon after Art and I met in March, 2002. We worked together, forming the bands "The Katz Jammers"

and "Art Perry At Large", then decided we worked best as a team

and down-sized to just "The Essentials"; hence the name. We write

and perform our own music, have recorded two CDs, and have a

third in the works.

"The Essentials" have gone through several incarnations, the latest

bringing our number to five. We sometimes perform as a

two-three-or-four piece, depending on the venue, but most often

play as a full band now, and we love it!

We aren't signed with a label yet, but are working hard on it.

Who knows what tomorrow brings?

Very pleased to meet you!

Nancy

NANCY'S EMAIL: essentialsdujour@yahoo.com

Now To Introduce Ourselves

2009-01-31T19:12:00.001-05:00

"The Essentials " Singer-Songwriters Art Perry and Nancy Gibson.
Art (centered, kneeling) on vocals, guitar, some bass, and Nancy
(mad-hatter, left) on vocals, hand percussion, and some bass.
Art and Nancy are the founding members of the group.

Kevin Joella (center, standing, subtle smile) also a singer-songwriter,
awesome lead guitarist, key-man, and studio wizard.

Louie Vasile (tall guy, right) bass, some guitar, official girl magnet,
and, much sought-after, rock n' roll hair model.

Ed Albrecht (sporting sunglasses and stix) banger of the drums,
certified descendent of Thor, with his trademark menacing look...

Featuring Original "Classic" Rock And Other Groovy Stuff...

For Art and I, writing and performing songs has always been both
an avenue of expression and a source of joy. With the help of our multi-
talented and extremely handsome friends, Ed Albrecht, Louie Vasile,
and Kevin Joella, we are living our dream. We have become creators
of beautiful noise.

We are an eclectic group of children of the 60's, 70's, and 80's, and
Rock N' Rollers at heart, but pride ourselves on writing and performing
songs that have cross-generational and cross-genre appeal. Well, okay,
we don't do any Metal, Emo, or Rap, but have tried just about everything else.

The Essentials!

2009-01-25T15:27:00.000-05:00

The Essentials!

Kimmer ran into this very interesting band from Jersey

yesterday on Myspace.

They said if I was a Monkees fan then I would like their tunes.

Actually I wasn't a big Monkees fan. Did have a crush on Mickey

though.

Listening to this retro groovy band actually reminded me of the

Sopranos. They are edgy and would fit right into any film

soundtrack. Gritty vocals and damn good guitar.

The Essentials are current and not some oldie cover band, which is

what I was afraid they'd be.

Their lyrics are fun! Cigarettes and Lies being a standout!

I love Never Too Late so watch their video.

You can grab their cd on their website

They are on Itunes too.

Here is a bit of their BIO

See The Essentials website HERE

Picture in your mind a secret place where eternal children with competitive
instincts and vivid imaginations meet to play, an underground cult of muses
and musicians who refuse to grow up or to give up their dreams: You are there.
Welcome to "The Essentials" world.

It all began in the year 2000, with a chance meeting of eyes between kindred
spirits, singer/song-writers, Art Perry (The Ultimate Peter Pan) and

Nancy Gibson (A Real Tink). An alliance was formed and their secret music-making

society was born. They created beautiful music together, and played everywhere

they could, winning over fans of all ages with their cross-genre and

cross-generational appeal. Yet, they longed for MORE! So the sly pair devised a

plan to seduce new "Pan" members.

First seducee was Cyber-Drum-Machine, Ed Albrecht, who, although he does not
wantto be associated in any way, shape, or form with a grown man in tights, confessed
before God and man that he absolutely can not grow up. Next was Louie Vasile, the
bass-man with the 100 % authenticated Rock n' Roll hair, who was bewitched, and still
doesn't know it to this very day. Shhhh! Last but not least was the multi-talented lead
guitarist, Kevin Joella, who, with no fairy-dust needed, had already sworn to never

grow up. Now the band of "Pans", AKA "The Essentials", was ready to rock.

(Sounds of fans rejoicing! Do you hear it too?)

ART'S EMAIL: artrockmusic@yahoo.com

Here is a video of NEVER TOO LATE