In 2015, I wrote about the recording of Bruce Springsteen’s rock-and-roll anthem “Born to Run” on the album’s 40th anniversary, which led to the unveiling of a historic plaque placed at the site a year later. I revisited and updated the story on the album’s 50th anniversary. Click on the link below for the full story.Continue reading “‘Born to Run,’ Born in the Burbs 50 years ago”
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Facing ALS, in love and in tune
Wayne Warnecke and Vaneese Thomas have been on quite a journey together: first as musical partners, then as husband and wife, and now as Wayne battles ALS. The Westchester County couple has deep roots in the music industry — Wayne as an acclaimed engineer and producer spanning many genres; Vaneese as an R&B and bluesContinue reading “Facing ALS, in love and in tune”
Don’t tell me this town ain’t got no heart!
Grateful Dead co-founder Phil Lesh was beloved for more than his bass playing. He brought good vibes with him everywhere he went, and after receiving a life-saving liver transplant, he ended his shows by encouraging fans to become organ donors. Here’s my first article for The Rye Record: https://ryerecord.com/street-outside-capitol-theatre-to-be-named-for-grateful-dead-founding-member-phil-lesh/
A hundred years of solitude along the Hudson River
Mother Marianne bought this foreclosed farm adjacent to the Hudson River in 1924, creating a peaceful setting to connect with nature, spirituality, and one’s inner self. Here’s my article on the Marydell Faith and Life Center’s past, present and future.
Peace at last for revered war photographer
[This article originally appeared in The Recorder] By Robert Brum A short walk uphill behind the Amawalk Friends Meeting House in Yorktown Heights leads to the final resting place of one of the world’s greatest combat photographers. Robert Capa, known for his iconic images of the Spanish Civil War and World War II, including theContinue reading “Peace at last for revered war photographer”
Imagine: Skinny-dipping at The Land with John Lennon
An exhibit about the Gate Hill Cooperative evokes memories for one former Rocklander. Imagine you’re a teenage girl in the mid-1970s, a bit of an outsider among your 11th-grade classmates. Your friend’s an apprentice to an avant-garde artist at the Gate Hill Cooperative, “the groovy artist colony secluded-away on a nearby mountain” in Rockland CountyContinue reading “Imagine: Skinny-dipping at The Land with John Lennon”
Upper crust enclave gets the bakery it deserves
Scotts Corners in the Westchester County town of Pound Ridge has become a destination for visitors, and BreadsNBakes is one reason why. Devotees queue up outside the bakery waiting for the fresh croissants, pain au chocolat and other European treats coming out of the oven. Here’s my profile of Jason and Dawn Bowman, who areContinue reading “Upper crust enclave gets the bakery it deserves”
Sing Sing, the Movie: Hope Behind Bars
What goes on behind those high, ominous walls of Sing Sing, barely four miles from where I live? Life in the maximum security men’s prison is not exactly full of laughs. But a new film about the efforts of a theater group composed of prisoners to stage a comedy does have its lighter moments, amongContinue reading “Sing Sing, the Movie: Hope Behind Bars”
‘It’s like being a kid again’
The towns of Bedford and Lewisboro in northern Westchester County, N.Y., have more than 40 miles of unpaved roads. Why aren’t the roads paved? I’m not quite sure, but probably because the well-heeled populace likes the rural charm, or perhaps want to prevent their streets from attracting out-of-towners. Either way, these dirt-and-gravel roads are aContinue reading “‘It’s like being a kid again’”
Frank Lloyd Wright’s last original owner talks about his home in Usonia
Robert Brum For The Journal News On a recent March morning, Roland Reisley looked out from the terrace of his home in the Usonia Historic District and recalled the summer day in 1950 when he and his wife, Ronny, chose the rocky hillside to put down roots. The Reisleys were lured from their tiny ManhattanContinue reading “Frank Lloyd Wright’s last original owner talks about his home in Usonia”
Robert Brum 