Haley's picking out her band!

[gillyking]

Nothing against Keith, but I still miss Neara. She's such a sweetheart, gave Haley a much needed female companion and friend on the road (in fact, Haley glowed speaking of her in interviews), and she could provide the much needed backup vocals. To put it frank, she got screwed by management because she didn't have an edgy enough look. Total bullshit.

Flask Man... Dude, I totally concur with you! I wish I'd have thought to write what you just did.. and for the same reasons!

[Tusk]

Nothing against Keith, but I still miss Neara. She's such a sweetheart, gave Haley a much needed female companion and friend on the road (in fact, Haley glowed speaking of her in interviews), and she could provide the much needed backup vocals. To put it frank, she got screwed by management because she didn't have an edgy enough look. Total bullshit.

I liked Neara alot too and never heard about the specifics of her release, I just heard all of these guys are not on indefinite contracts, they are signed for periods of times. Neara's contract was up...never heard anything about lack of 'edge'.

As someone pointed out, Neara's ambitions go beyond being a session musician. Neara is a front woman, not a back up.

"Everything happens for a reason". I liked Neara a lot too, but it's "Haley Reinhart" not "Haley Reinhart and the ________'s" Haley will have performed with tons of musicians before she's done.

At the very least, being with Haley gave Neara a little exposure and more people became aware of her than would have had she never played with Haley.

[john]

I think Keith Phelps was a great find for Haley. I hope he sticks around.

[Miguel]

They obviously thought so too as they threw him into the mix right before the Idol performance.

[Tusk]

I think Keith Phelps was a great find for Haley. I hope he sticks around.

He really makes the NTYH in Spokane, a performance above the rest IMO (versions of this song). It's so groovy, so soulful so good. Just focus on the keyboards. Love this song.



Love the part @2:33 and
the interlude @ 2:50
Keith and Haley grooving and riffing LOL

[Tom22]

I think Keith Phelps was a great find for Haley. I hope he sticks around.

I agree with you there.

I like to stay positive but I commented more than a few places that they needed a change at keyboards weeks before the change of musicians .

I know comparing a road version of a song 2 months ago to a more recent one might be unfair, but I'm not trying to make a point Neara vs Keith but more Neara vs the support I thought a key board needed to give on the demo tour. I really felt that the keyboardist needed to give Haley a lot more kick.. Both in terms of enthusiasm in the rhythm and answer to her phrases of some sort giving the support of each phrase as a backup singer was.

Below was a Neara performance of wasted tears (yes it was early , yes she might have gotten different directions or only later got directions etc)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYxJpYbB62M

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CYxJpYbB62M" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Here is a recent version with the new promotion tour musicians

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNOyfnxTbEo

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TNOyfnxTbEo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

In the first one , Haley introduces it as having some groove to it and said "we're going to have some fun with it" and (to my ear) it ended up almost dirge-like.

Listen to the actual notes and attack on the notes espeicall near 1:40 in to both performances. The Recording of the two makes it more difficult as the keyboard is too soft in the first and too loud in the second but its not the mix I'm talking about that had more to do with the placement of cheap fan recording devicies.

We have no idea what the directions were from producers or comfort level was mixing it up etc. Perhaps Haley or someone should have been explicit to Neara that they wanted her to try to bring something more.. or to ok it.. but for whatever reason it wasn't working back then.

I don’t think that its a matter of waiting to be directed to do something. I figure it would be more of a feedback loop where there is a lot of "how about this " and mixing it up till they find what's comfortable .....very especially so with live shows. That can change day to day if Haley say’s , "I've gots a blues vibe today", the keyboard player has gotta feel that and go more blues but is she’s saying soul, its going to need a different kind of pop from him/her. Different crowds or atmospheres will dictate different takes on the same songs.

Not being there we'll never know and it’s not fair to guess exactly. Neara could have been pushing all sorts of creative ideas and discouraged from trying things out.

I will say that I like the more recent accompaniment much more than the past even whether or not that change meant changing the musicians. Personally I still think there is a fair bit of room to grow but that could just be my taste what I want a live performance to sound like.

[Miguel]

Something new from Breezy. I think it's autobiographical.

7K views in a day, not bad.

Breezy Lovejoy ‏@BreezyLovejoy
I got love for the town...had a blast shootin this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvuuz29Vv...ata_player

[john]

Keith Phelps ‏@KEiTHPHELPS
RT @Mar_Tamius: If steroids are illegal for athletes, why isn't autotune illegal for musicians?----#DEAD!!!!!

---

BREEZY LOVEJOY - P.Y.P.

[Miguel]

Looks like Haley's band director, Courtney, might be doing a gig in Hawaii.

Allan Troy ‏@TroyLaureta

It's going to be amazing tomorrow! Rehearsing with @OfficialCharice @CheesyFbaby @KortHaussProd @ChrisWrate @SeeValDrum! #HawaiiShow #SWAG
Retweeted by Courtney Leonard

He's worked with Charice before.

---

John Notto with his girlfriend Chloe.

John Notto ‏@JohnNotto

In death we shall not part! Mwuhahahaha.

---

New tweet from Courtney:

Courtney Leonard ‏@KortHaussProd

My setup for @OfficialCharice Infinity Tour Hawaii! #Epic pic.twitter.com/MnnDe39y

"After a successful 'Infinity' concert tour in Dubai, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea last March 2012, Charice is back to do another one in Hawaii. The concert will be held at Neal S Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, Hawaii on November 3, 2012 at 7 PM."

[Miguel]

Haley's band is on hiatus until she is signed again.

They're keeping busy though.


Today, Keith Phelps released a video to go with his new song:




John Notto is in NYC with his girlfriend.