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It Wuz & Still Iz Late Octobra

by John Tabacco

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1.
Call Me In The Morning 04:03
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CALL ME IN THE MORNING Everyone has a voice - but not all choose to use it Some believe that choice is a natural fact For those who disagree it’s a never ending battle From the cradle to the grave - always under attack Do you think that other earthly creatures ever wrestle with such pointless jive? Take the cat next door with sexy features She just wants to sleep all day then chase a bakery string Should you run - should you hide, is there an answer? Who’s controlling your world? Should you run - should you hide, is there an answer? Try to get a good night’s sleep and call me in the morning Everyone’s engaged in this universal circus Peaceful or enraged - it’s a balancing act Not much seems to change but the shade of our surroundings Neutralize each frame, either it’s white or it’s black Do you think that other earthly creatures ever wrestle with such pointless jive? Take the dog next door with gruesome features He just wants to lick his balls and hump the nearest leg Should you run - should you hide, is there an answer? Who’s controlling your world? Deep inside beyond pain - beyond the cancer Is there joy to unfurl? Should you run - should you hide, is there an answer? Try to get a good night’s sleep and call me in the morning Or maybe when you wake you might just not care anymore It’s nice to take a break and not think too much - too much a bore... Premonition #1 : When I go to sleep I wonder is it your life we still resume? Premonition #2 : Say goodbye to Piss Clam Charlie the jolly roger the straight arrow shooter by god Premonition #3 : All of my hunger - All of my yearning - maybe I’m learning... Should you run - should you hide, is there an answer? Who’s controling your world? Deep inside beyond pain - beyond the cancer Is there joy to unfurl? Should you run - should you hide, is there an answer? Try to get a good night’s sleep and call me in the morning Try to get a good night’s sleep and call me in the morning
2.
If Ya Wanna Have Fun 02:50
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IF YA WANNA HAVE FUN If ya wanna have fun all ya got to do is call usIf ya wanna have some all ya got to do is warn us If ya wanna have fun all ya got to do is call us If ya wanna have some all ya got to do is warn us They’re taking down your bridge to nowhere We can’t stop them now They’re taking down your bridge to nowhere We can’t stop them now So If ya wanna have fun all ya got to do is call us If ya wanna have some all ya got to do is warn us If ya wanna have fun all ya got to do is phone us If ya wanna have some all ya got to do is bone-us They’re taking down your bridge to nowhere We can’t stop them now They’re taking down your bridge to nowhere We can’t stop them now Indecisions need to feed off circles Watching time pass can be quite a torture But if ya wanna have fun... Yeah, if ya wanna have fun all ya got to do is call us If ya wanna have some all ya got to do is warn us Taking down the bridge can be a lot of fun Think for just a smidge what you’ve been missing! So if ya wanna have fun...
3.
Phone Demos and Studio Complaints 02:33
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PHONE DEMOS AND STUDIO COMPLAINTS Meryl’s blasting vocals on the phone The 89 is cringing The music stand supports the talking bone Levels red and deadly through the console with the eq fighting The G3 takes a beating but endures Cat leaping upper floor - Furnace booms One blender and a fridge swapping tunes This dark booth is not too sound proof There’s always a toilet flush! FLUSH! Hi, come on in. Not doing anything but recording and that’s not important, not important at all... Upstairs phone rings: No, this is not Mr. Noodleman’s house Upstairs phone rings: Must check my messages every 15 minutes Upstairs phone rings: Must leave an incredibly long fax about cheap flights to your neighboring states... Start again... Dish washer lifting off - Water zooms Loud beeping - Louder cough from next door And what’s more, this booth smells like cork “But that’s good for sound”, Rupert says. I think he’s insane... (Lame attempt at whistling the outro melody from Monty Python’s Eric The Half A Bee plays here...)
4.
Chaos Is Calling 05:01
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CHAOS IS CALLING Come on and pull out the press pass Gotta find us a safe place to park We're plumb out of dry gas And we're late and it's cold and it's dark But we’ll be instant amigos Once the DJ begins to roll Massaging our ego's will make minutiae spin into gold We all need surprises from time to time Pass up the expected - let worlds collide Double your input if you let it all slide Chaos is calling Just whip up a sample There's a place for one wherever you go Like this Gear Head example  Say Mr. DJ - do ya wanna hear a sax man blow?... Do it! We all need surprises from time to time Pass up the expected,let worlds collide Double your input if you let it all slide Chaos is calling We all need excuses from time to time Tickle the boring - expand your mind Don’t have a cow if ya late to arrive Chaos is calling Boris : “Now Master, Tool Of The Universe, Expose Yourself” Cheerleaders: Game Time! Boris : “You could be fined for saying that in the temple!” We all need surprises from time to time Pass up the expected, let worlds collide Double your input if you let it all slide Chaos is calling We all need excuses from time to time Tickle the boring - expand your mind Don’t have a cow if ya late to arrive Chaos is calling and it wants your ass any time, and any place... C.H.A.O.S is calling C.H.A.O.S C.H.A.O.S is calling C.H.A.O.S etc...
5.
Piss Clam Charlie 03:45
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PISS CLAM CHARLIE Piss Clam Charlie was the uncle you went to When you needed some cheap advice He had been through the paces Waded through all the stages of a 1000 human lives He had grace he had charm he had maps on his arm He could talk you through a fork in the road And he knew where to clam with his St. Bernard Sam every morning Piss Clam Charlie told me life was easy once you mastered the open door He said the best way to wake up Was to smile and take up where you left off the night before Piss Clam Charlie was no jolly-roger Just a straight arrow shooter by God So drink one last round Before we put’em in the ground Next to his old St. Bernard Every day held a clue You had to follow it through You had to undo your mind of it’s fear Then it was off to the shore Hunting clams to eat raw till the evening... Piss Clam Charlie was a polemic folly Like his dear old Sister Quinn He had all the right answers but his sea food romances Finally got the best of him So we say our farewells As the ground water swells With the smell of the incoming tide To our savior and saint And the clams we just ate in their honor... Piss Clam Charlie was no jolly roger Just a straight arrow shooter by God So drink one last round Before we put’em in the ground Next to his old St. Bernard Sister Quinn too and Mercury Stew! (Lyrics inspired by Nigey Lennon and Eric Weaver one pleasant, early evening walk along Stony Brook Harbor)
6.
Follow The Fold 04:00
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FOLLOW THE FOLD Lucy Loop was a dyke The kind of dyke who was a stealth cross dresser Fairly easy to like In church she was the sister confessor Then one day in a fit - she decided to split Headed out to where a voice was calling Soon she got on a plane, Sat right next to this dame Who repeated in her face this warning line... Follow the fold and always whack out for flats falling down Follow the fold and always whack out for flats falling down Flats falling down Lucy Loop was impressed She slid her hand across the dame’s left titty It was an instant romance The kind of roaming that could leave one gritty Then the plane took a dive and a stewardess cried Some crazy douche was high-jack happy But Lucy Loop and her pair were way too busy to care, Trading spit and trading this stupid line... Follow the fold and always whack out for flats falling down Follow the fold and always whack out for flats falling down Flats falling down Well this high-jacking fool quickly started to drool As he saw the ladies get in deeper Distracted just for a sec, loose baggage fell on his neck Producing quite a flat unconscious clown Follow the fold and always whack out for flats falling down Follow the fold and always whack out for flats falling down Flats falling down
7.
The Girl's Got Patience 04:11
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THE GIRL'S GOT PATIENCE Jennifer - Jennifer X is her name Jennifer - Jennifer X is her name Jennifer - the girl’s got patience Jennifer - the girl’s got patience Jennifer - she’s got herself a brother named Steve Here he comes (Humm, I wonder what he’ll laminate today) The boy sure got some serious needs In the most inappropriate time he’s got questions on his mind and the only suitable one to set him strait Is the girl I’m singin’ ‘bout - she’s got him figured out What to say. what to do and how to escape... Oh, Jennifer - the girl’s got patience Jennifer - the girl’s got patience Jennifer - the girl’s got patience Jennifer - the girl’s got patience In the middle of the kitchen I remember making conversation with the girl And she stood there real politely in a daze As if to barely comprehend my words Then she referred to herself in the third....person Off to Jen Land she goes What is it like there? Off to Jen Land she goes A place free of reindeer... Jennifer... The girl’s got patience Jennifer - the girl’s got patience Jennifer - Jennifer X is her name Jennifer - Jennifer X is her name Off to Jen Land she goes What is it like there?
8.
I've Known You Before I Met You 03:54
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I'VE KNOWN YOU BEFORE I MET YOU In a daydream - In the papers In the backseat of a yellow cab There were signs that led me to you To a time we already had Everyone around me reminds me of you Every situation is another a clue Like a spiral adaptation of present past I can see the future I’ve known you before I met you I’m certain but don’t know why Last night on the plane to nowhere You knew it and so did I Here I am besides you talking But I’ve died and I’m outside looking in I must let you have your lover Until you see me beneath his skin Every single moment is worth the wait Every situation is no mistake On a spiral staircase before us and now I can see the future I’ve known you before I met you I’m certain but don’t know why Last night on the plane to nowhere You knew it and so did I I’ve known you before I met you I’m certain but don’t know why I’m certain but don’t know why I feel this way Why I feel so strong by you Why I feel as if we were once one beaming source of LIGHT! I’ve known you before I met you I’m certain but don’t know why Last night on the plane to nowhere You knew it and so did I I’ve known you before I met you I’m certain but don’t know why We’ve been many times together That feeling I can’t deny That feeling I can’t deny - can you?
9.
I Can Crawl Again 03:29
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I CAN CRAWL AGAIN I can crawl again etc...
10.
20 Years Pass 03:13
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20 YEARS PASS I was driving ‘round the parking lot And won’dren if I’ll ever be born I was driving ‘round the parking lot And won’dren if I’ll ever be born But somethin’ told me Nor’ East That was the side of the storm Yeah somethin’ told me Nor’ East That was the side of the storm And I wonder why I wonder why I am here I wonder why I just keep on doing this and that and... You may end up in Wyandanch You may end up in Wyandanch You may end up in Wyandanch You may end up in Wyandanch Why, it wuz late Octobra when the Captain Tank of Ralph Voyager 47 confiscated Sandra Pilot’s wax paper thesis on the origins and slightly altered myths of the epileptic Trawbadoor and it’s most misunderstood, I said it’s most misunderstood counterpoint THE STANDARD CLOWN The Priest : “Are you reading me on this one Phillip?” It was Late Octobra when Captain Tank came stumblin’ in And he told us of his conquests and his fears And 20 years went past Now I’m standin’ here alone As memories rush over me What for? What for?
11.
Seeking That Bitter Clown 05:10
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SEEKING THAT BITTER KLOWN Seeking that bitter clown Seeking that bitter clown in the city Seeking that bitter clown Seeking that bitter clown in the city Mumbo jumbo rap: (()()**&&^^%$#%$#%$#%$%&^*&()*())_*(*(*&(** Don’t get duped Don’t get screwed Don’t get looped ‘round and ‘round Don’t get duped like some fool Don’t get looped ‘cause that’s forever Seeking that bitter clown Seeking that bitter clown in the city Seeking that bitter clown Seeking that bitter clown in the city Mumbo jumbo rap: (()()**&&^^%$#%$#%$#%$%&^*&()*())_*(*(*&(* Don’t get duped Don’t get screwed Don’t get looped ‘round and ‘round Don’t get duped like some fool Don’t get looped ‘cause that’s forever Four in the morning staring at the ceiling Just wantin’ to kill myself is how I’m feelin’ It’s a wonder now on how I’m dealin’ Maybe, it’s not worthwhile!
12.
Hitman From Hicksville 05:59
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HITMAN FROM HICKSVILLE Friday night it’s Brandys, three sets from nine to two The pay’s for shit, the music stinks, but whatcha gonna do? On Saturday, a wedding, on Sunday night a bris in some cul de sac in Riverhead - No time to take a piss Like a corny human jukebox in a tux from Junior High I’m behind the mic at 50, as the band plays “Stayin’ Alive” It’s no artistic crusade but it beats a 9 to 5 Besides, my pager keeps life interesting, there’s always a surprise! In the middle of the set I go walking in my sleep There’s got to be a cure for this In the middle of the night I go talking in my sleep It’s gonna be the death of me Hit man from Hicksville - Hit man from Hicksville - town Monday morning and my pager just went off the richter scale It seems some one eyed trouser snake’s been pryin’ in the mail If he leaks it to the papers we all end up sing - singin’ in jail Can’t count on Papa Gallo to get me out of here on bail So I’ll pay this douche a visit Maybe take him for a ride Make a solid offer that I know he won’t decline He’ll get bed time with the fishes, I’ll get bed time with his bride I wonder if Andy Kauffman is alive or did he die? IIn the middle of the set I go walking in my sleep There’s got to be a cure for this In the middle of the night I go talking in my sleep It’s gonna be the death of me Hit man from Hicksville - Hit man from Hicksville - town So I make my secret phone call, grab my over coat and hat I never leave no fingerprints - it hasta be like that It’s always quick and dirty, it always feels the same Get in, get out, no prisoners it’s the way I play the game No regrets and no hard feelings, this is strictly in the genes Like Papa Gallo told me: I was born to be this mean That’s why I had to burn him like he did to my Styrene Make Tuesday mass confession time That’s sure to keep me clean Now my pager sings a meetin’ of the Goombas and the Gats At Guido’s down on Toity -Turd, in fifteen minutes flat Switch off the DX7 and pull up the Old Capri “Yo!, Tony do me a favor, Wouldja start it up for me?” - (Car explosion) - In the middle of the set I go walking in my sleep There’s got to be a cure for this In the middle of the night I go singin’ in my sleep It’s gonna be the death of me I’m a Hit man from Hicksville (Stayin’ Alive - Stayin’ Alive) Just another Hit man from Hicksville (Stayin’ Alive...) Hit man from Hicksville (Stayin’ Alive - Stayin’ Alive) Hit man from Hicksville (Stayin’ Alive...)
13.
Stop The War (Gotta Give It Up) 03:47
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STOP THE WAR (GOTTA GIVE IT UP) Stop the war Stop the war right now Stop the war (gotta give it up) Stop the war - Stop the war right now Stop the war (gotta give it up) Human figures shrouded in a cloud of smoke and fire I can barely make them out but I can hear them cry My good conscience tells me that these actions aren’t right As I watch in disbelief with a bowl of popcorn by my side Stop the war Stop the war right now Stop the war (gotta give it up) Stop the war - Stop the war right now Stop the war (gotta give it up) A land of history straight through the ages where the cradle of civilization may have bloomed Is now a pile of dust shattered by a wave of base intentions As I ponder this so safe inside my room Stop the war Stop the war right now Stop the war (gotta give it up) Stop the war - Stop the war right now Stop the war (gotta give it up) This military jones This greed for wealth and power is a dead end street And there’s no turning back Like many organized religions, this need to have control Is a sure fire way to keep a war intact and Cloud all the facts... Stop the war Stop the war right now Stop the war (gotta give it up) etc...
14.
Good Night New York (Now You're On The Inside) 04:39
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GOOD NIGHT NEW YORK / NOW YOU'RE ON THE INSIDE My mother came to America Sailed through the harbor of hopes and of dreams Back in the Thirties When the streets were paved with moon beams Now you’re on the inside (warmer than the outside) Now you’re on the inside how does it feel? Now you’re on the inside (warmer than the outside) Now you’re on the inside how does it feel? Mothers and daughters, fathers and sons Here in the free world We're the lucky ones (we’re the lucky ones) Before the Kennedys Before the Beatles Before the Vietnam War Back in the days when anything was possible Having less meant knowing Now you’re on the inside (warmer than the outside) Now you’re on the inside how does it feel? Now you’re on the inside (warmer than the outside) Now you’re on the inside how does it feel? Brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts Here in the free world, for a second chance All of my yearning - All of my hunger Maybe I'm learning Sometimes I wonder Good night, New York Nothing’s the way that it seems All of my yearning - All of my hunger Maybe I'm learning Sometimes I wonder Now you’re on the inside (warmer than the outside) Now you’re on the inside how does it feel? Now you’re on the inside (warmer than the outside) Now you’re on the inside how does it feel? Now you’re on the inside (warmer than the outside) Now you’re on the inside how does it feel? Now you’re on the inside (warmer than the outside) Now you’re on the inside how does it feel? etc...
15.
Don't Fall Silent 05:16
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DON'T FALL SILENT I know that you feel shipwrecked here, adrift on shifting sands I see it in your empty eyes and the way you hold your hands I feel it in the chamber where you spend your days alone You say your work is solace though your love is far from home And you have no voice in the silence of this dream And you don’t know why nothing’s as it seems You can deny this song I sing you Just don’t fall silent Don’t fall silent Now some of us are aliens by accident or fate Most of us are searching for someone to lift the weight To play for us the music that til’ now we’ve never heard And communicate the message that goes beyond these words But you have no voice in the silence of this dream And you don’t know why Nothing’s as it seems I believe a voice awaits you Just don’t fall silent Please don’t fall silent ... on me The when - the why - the answers that we live for I wish I had it down I wouldn’t hesitate to send you a message Give you a sound... But I have no voice in the silence of your dream And I don’t know why nothing’s as it seems I believe a voice awaits you in the silence of this dream It’s a faith I’m holding on to Should you hear me scream Just don’t fall silent on me Don’t fall silent on me Don’t fall silent
16.
The Day I Die 05:05
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THE DAY I DIE Oh I - I always hurt you Always made you cry Oh I - I always hurt you and lied Now these days of hell and fear are over I will soon be alone in this chair But the world will be a better place when I’m not standing by your side Breathe a sigh of relief And enjoy your space and smile the day I die Truly wonderful the day I die Oh why, Why did I use you? The heart is often blind Oh why, did I abuse you? You were always so kind All those nights of screams and battered moments They left you with scars you can’t hide But the world will be a better place when I’m not standing by your side Breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy your space and smile the day I die Breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy your space and smile the day I die Truly wonderful the day I die The day I die - Electricity sings through me Soon this evil cloud around my heart will be broken And the world will be a better place when I’m not standing by your side Breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy your space and smile the day I die Yes, the world will be a better place when I’m not standing by your side Breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy your space And smile the day I die Truly wonderful the day I die Electricity sings through me (truly wonderful) etc...
17.
A Tree Is A Beautiful Thing 01:26 video
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A TREE IS A BEAUTIFUL THING A tree is a beautiful thing Like a blue sky that hangs above the ocean A tree is a beautiful thing Like a peaceful summer wind across a spine I know a tree that’s fallen But there was no one ‘round To hear the sound it made But I swear I heard the calling Underneath the boot hill grave That bears my name A tree is a beautiful thing Like a blue sky that hangs above the ocean A tree is a beautiful thing Like memories of when I used to breathe Sweet memories of fire wood and leaves... Or the time I put my heart out on my sleeve I took a chance... Oh well.

about

It Wuz And Still Iz Late Octobra

We all seem to be given a certain amount of time to play with as human beings on this planet. The question is : How do we spend this time? This is a question I’ve been aware of for the last 30 years. It’s a question that has governed most of my life choices (or what seems to be my choices - that’s still up for debate). I decided one day in 1975, downstairs in my old house in St. James, NY, after listening to Frank Zappa’s mini opera, Billy The Mountain, that the creation of music was what I wanted to do full time. Music moved me in a way like no other art. It pushed all the right buttons. If I could sustain this great feeling, life would surely be a wonderful experience. For the most part, I was right. Living in the ether where music and all art for that matter, is in constant invention/realization is a cool place to be. Time becomes meaningless and pain is certainly not an issue. Through a myriad of elaborate circumstances I have been able to sustain an existence (75% of the time) in this ether and it certainly has afforded me to realize many of my cheap musical visions. With the exception of a brief 9 to 5 job working at Pam Rent A Car from 1983-1986 I have done nothing else but revel in the world of music, while simultaneously dabbling in analog and digital art as well. However, now in my 40’s, I have begun to realize there are other aspects of living that I did not take into account; that I completely avoided. The results : A consistent body of musical work largely unknown to the public, a tremendous amount of debt, social retardation and often, a life filled with severe loneliness. Quite frankly, it is time for a change. As September, 2004 comes closer and my stay here at Sonic Underground Studios comes to an end, I am entertaining the option of moving to Hawaii and running a studio my old friend Chris Pati has taken over. I think this will be a good change of scenery for me and maybe some of my bigger dreams will finally have room to breathe and blossom. Maybe, I can start to fill in the blank spots I have neglected all these years and become more of a whole person. Who knows? Is it a coincidence 20 years ago I wrote a song (the first one I ever played live in front of an audience) called Gorgo Twain Has Gone Hawaiian? I don’t think so.

It Wuz And Still Iz Late Octobra is like all my work : a musical puzzle / diary. Musical references going as far back as The Akai Years (1979-84) and The 8 Track Years (1984-88) abound and brief thoughts on current events slip through the mouth. Alas, I’m just a semi-competent passive aggressive, conscientious objector type musician, who grew up in the 60’s and 70’s in Long island suburbia rehashing what has already been said more eloquently in the past. Nonetheless, I had fun coming up with this music and I certainly enjoy singing. I hope you ( the listener) finds something here you can dig (as self indulgent as it is).

Yes, it was and still iz late Octobra and I may never escape that, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I have to wallow in it full time for the rest of my life. There are other distractions that point to future vistas I can’t even imagine. Some of them, probably really cool. Thankfully, it’s anybody’s guess where we’re going... Or is it?
Gleepingly,
JT (6/19/04)


Note:

This collection was the last CD to be realized at 21 Walnut Ave. aka Sonic Underground Studios. It was completed in August 2004 just before I left to work at George Benson's studio in Lahina, Maui. Six of the tunes :
Seeking That Bitter Clown, I Can Crawl Again, Hitman From Hicksville, Now You're On The Inside. Chaos Is Calling, The Day I Died
were derived from these little demonstration tracks I was constructing for a possible recording client who had connections with SONY Music. That particular client dropped off the face of the Earth leaving me with all this unfinished music. So what else was an ambitious songwriter suppose to do? I completed them. It was easy.
At one the time, this was a two CD set, but the logistics of putting out a double CD was too complicated to deal with in the early days of digital distribution so I broke them up. It's sister disc "Rubber Solstice" came out a little while later. In fact, the Rubber Solstice tune "Why You Have To Be So Cruel?" was derived from these demo tracks as well as the "Eros Ebb & Flow" song "Love Me, Love Me Not". That song was presented to Nicole Placco to finish but she kind of let it slide. Two years later I played it for Susan DeVita who immediately knew what to do with it.
Once again proving that nothing goes to waste here in my musical universe.

credits

released August 9, 2014

Final Musical Diary From Sonic Underground Studios, Stony Brook, NY (1992 - 2004)

Realized and fussed with by John Tabacco : Lyric-coloratura tenor, general programmer and instigator

Cover photography of JT at Blydenberg Park, Smithtown, 2003 by Eric Weaver
CD Design and Various Pict Files by Arty Rukidin
© 2004 by Farben Fosfeen Art

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXWYKjdU5Bk&list=UUq7UDOqXdL6_Zzd6OsmXXYg

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John Tabacco Stony Brook, New York

John Tabacco is a composer, singer-songwriter, producer, recording engineer, and visual artist.

Like an unfolding musical diary / puzzle, Tabacco’s music and art are constantly being re-worked, juxtaposed and intertwined.

For more info : www.johntabacco.net ... more

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