Tony Doggett » tonydoggett

Clinton’s Band Reviewed in Washington Post

tonydoggett — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 20:38:07 +0000

MORE HUMANS
Album review: “Demon Station”

There are plenty of pop moments on “Demon Station,” an invigorating five-song EP by locals More Humans. Many come when members of the trio combine for sparkling vocal harmonies. But instead of hearing the usual “ooh oohs” or “yeah yeahs,” you’ll get a phrase such as “Welcome to the Childhood Home of Andy Warhol and Dan Marino.” And that’s not just a lyric – it’s a chorus.

That balancing act defines “Demon Station,” which presents a band that plays rock music with a sense of purpose and precision. Songs are jolting one moment and pretty the next, filled with twists and turns that add and release tension but never become a distraction. The crooked guitars that kick off “Mason-Dixon” suggest the non-stylized sounds of ’90s indie rock everymen Chavez and Polvo, but the song quickly rumbles into a pristine, New Pornographers-esque chorus. The wordy chorus of “Warhol and Marino” (they’re talking about Pittsburgh, by the way) turns into an unlikely singalong.

Music with sharp cuts and carefully considered vocals deserves stellar production, and that’s another strength of “Demon Station” – it simply sounds great, perfectly crisp and clear. Even though it’s only 14 minutes, the EP is packed with enough personality that you feel as if you really get to know More Humans and you quickly want to know them even better.

–David Malitz, Nov. 4, 2011

Glad Tidings

tonydoggett — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 13:36:51 +0000

Last week my son Ben had two gigantic milestones in his life–release of his eagerly anticipated record album “Glad” and marriage to the wonderful and gorgeous Barbara Kosny, whom we affectionately call “Basia.” This is indeed a glad time, not only for Ben and his new bride but also for our respective families and Ben’s many fans, who waitied patiently for release of the new record. (In case you haven’t figured it out, Ben is a rock star in his church, and I do believe that his songs are going to start spreading through the Christian music communinity now that his record is out.) So congratulations, Ben, on what surely must have been the best week of your life so far; thank you for bringing Basia into our lives; and happy holidays to all of our friends, family, and colleagues. I wish you all a magically exciting and prosperous new year.

It All Comes Back To You

tonydoggett — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:08:00 +0000

I had a lot of fun on my 59th birthday helping USAID kick off its anual charity drive, part of a much larger government-wide effort known as the Combined Federal Campaign. Here I am in my birthday suit playing a song I wrote for the CFC years ago, “It All Comes Back to You.” Since there was extra time, I performed two additional songs from my second CD “Please Don’t Send Me To Zaire,” including the title track and a song about about an adventure-filled trip to Cameroon back in the eighties called “Yaounde Bound.” Here’s a picture of my colleagues enjoying the show. Since it began in the early seventies, CFC has raised over $6 billion from federal employees for a myriad of good causes. Check them out, and remember: everything you give comes back to you one way or another.

Is This What Democracy Looks Like?

tonydoggett — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:04:21 +0000

I’ve been thinking about the very lopsided balance of power in America, specifically the outsized power held by a few small or sparsly-populated states. Did you know that 16 percent of the U.S. population controls 50 percent of the votes cast each year in the U.S. Senate? I understand that the authors of the Constitution wanted to establish a regional counterweight to the population-based House of Represenatatives, but that was in the mid 1700s when we were comprised of 13 separate and very different entities trying to live in a loose framework of association. There was a logical need to protect the smaller states from the over-reaching tendencies of the large ones.

But that was before the Civil War established once and for all our identity as a single nation–a house undivided, as it were. The notion of states’ rights lives on in both our national conscience and our legal structure, but pretty much every U.S. citizen now sees him or herself as an American first and a “Virginian” or a “South Dakotan” second.

We’re not the same country we were in 1776. We are a nation of 300 million people who are not equally represented. We need to fix that, so let’s dump the Senate. Just erase it from the Constitution. It would not only make our democracy more representative but would also greatly reduce legislative gridlock in Washington. Two birds with one stone. No brainer. Let’s do it. Seriously.

Why I Support President Obama

tonydoggett — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:08:25 +0000

When Obama came into office the nation’s financial system was in free-fall. Working with the outgoing Republican administration, he put a program of action into place that saved us from economic disaster.

The Obama Administration saved thousands of jobs and potential collapse of the American automotive industry by taking a partial ownership position in GM and assisting in its restructure.

When Obama took office, roughly 180,000 Americans were serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. By the end of this year, that number will be cut in half, and it will continue to decline. Adherence to the Geneva Conventions has been a hallmark of this administration, including a ban on all forms of torture. Obama’s policies have greatly improved our standing in the world.

President Obama has worked tirelessly to find common ground with a recalcitrant opposition to reduce the federal deficit in a way that everyone pays a fair share; essential social services are protected; and the economy is not further dragged down through capricious and draconian budget cuts.

Oh yeah, and he got that son-of-a-bitch Osama Bin Laden.

My Three Sons

tonydoggett — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 13:58:38 +0000

In case you’ve been wondering, the Tony Doggett Band has been on hiatus most of this year as band members pursue other projects. Rosser put out an instrumental bluegrass album with Andrew Acosta, Chuck has been in the studio recording some original tunes, and Charlie, Frank, and Chris have all been active with their other bands. Meanwhile I have been living vicariously through my three sons, all of whom have been moving ahead with recording projects of their own. Brad (center), who was a contestant on NBC’s “The Voice” last March, is finishing up a new album called “Miles and Miles” produced by John Krauss at Cue Studios. (John also engineered and co-produced my last album, “A Moment In Time.”) Last month Brad moved to LA, where he is busy launching his musical career. Eldest son Clinton (right) and his band “More Humans” just released their fourth CD, “Demon Station,” which is now available on iTunes. And Ben (left), who just announced his engagement to the awesome and lovely Barbara Kosny–we call her Basia or sometimes “Babs”–plans to release “Glad,” a collection of original Christian songs, shortly. All in all a very productive year. I am proud of my three sons!

Profile: Charlie Hastings

tonydoggett — Sun, 22 May 2011 18:33:49 +0000

A self-described suburban hippie kid, Charlie grew up in Falls Church, VA has been involved in music since he was fifteen, starting with a high school singing group called the Magical Popcorn Machine. He picked up the saxophone in the early seventies and headed out on the road touring with a variety of rock and roll bands. For the last seventeen years he has been playing with one of Washington, DC’s premier rhythm and blues combos, “Hey Norton.” Charlie is always looking to expand his artistic horizons, one of the reasons he agreed to serve as executive producer for my most recent album, “A Moment in Time.” Charlie not only helped shape the arrangements and instrumentation but also provided extraordinary contributions as a saxophonist on songs such as “Irresistible,” “Walking With My Baby,” and the album’s title track. Charlie provides strong direction for the Tony Doggett Band as well as vocals and his signature sax playing. He is an accomplished artist and a true friend.

“Meet the Doggetts” Graphic Wins Award

tonydoggett — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 01:27:46 +0000

Hey now this is interesting–the graphic I commis-sioned for the last “Meet the Doggetts” event has won a design award! That’s right, Eric S. Townsend–who also designed the artwork for my most recent album, A Moment In Time–took the bronze at the Eighth Annual Service Industry Advertising Awards (SIAA) for his Pez-inspired poster, “Meet the Doggetts: The Sweet Retreat.” How sweet it that? Congratulations Eric!

Doggetts Rock Jammin’ Java

tonydoggett — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 02:49:19 +0000

Many thanks to all who came out for the second annual “Meet the Doggetts” concert last Sunday night. Over 100 colleagues, friends, and fans heard various combinations of Brad, Ben, Clinton, Elizabeth, Anne, and me performing tunes ranging from the raucious to the romantic, the sublime to the ridiculous. Ben was joined by bassist Doug Stevens and keyboardist Chris Rothgeb for a series of beautifully soulful gospel numbers, while Anne brought down the house with “Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell and a couple of racey Bonnie Raitt numbers. The incomparably awesome Tony Doggett Band (Charlie Hastings, Frank Amodeo, Rosser Clark, Chris Wing, and Chuck Haskins) served as house band. Brad soloed some lovely originals, and later rocked the house with a full-on rendition of “Sweet Home Alabama,” and, in combination with various sibs and parents, Clinton provided deft interpretations of songs from his quirky collection. Sweet, gorgeous Elizabeth provided backing vocals. A lot of star power on one stage for an amazing night of great music and good times at Jammin’ Java! Keep reading to see the photos.

Meet the Doggetts–Again!

tonydoggett — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 17:12:19 +0000

Meet the Doggetts threatens to become an annual event. The January 2010 concert drew over 160 friends, colleagues, and fans. This is the Doggett living room brought to you live and on stage, an evening of music and family togetherness–just like before TV.

Sunday January 9
7:00-9:30 pm
Jammin’ Java
227 Maple Ave E
Vienna, VA 22180

An otherwise normal family, the Doggetts greatly exceed their quota of musical talent and output. Tony has been writing, singing, and playing guitar since his early teens and has three published CDs, the first one recorded at a studio in downtown Harare, Zimbabwe. He met Anne over guitars in 1977 and never looked back, captivated by the way she channeled Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, and other female greats. Anne teaches children with autism and leads the worship team for Ask Network, an international prayer fellowship. She also gifted the world with four amazing children: Elizabeth (the vivacious older sister who runs distance races and sings at every possible opportunity, including weddings and family gatherings); Clinton, a gifted singer-songwriter-guitarist and member of the alternative rock band More Humans; Ben, the middle son with the sweet voice who leads the music ministry at Christ our Shepherd Church and also has an album coming out next year; and Brad, the industry up-and-comer who has tens of thousands of YouTube subscribers and once opened for Wyclef Jean.

We invite everyone, young and old, to an evening of home grown music and family good times at Jammin’ Java, one of America’s best small venues. Tickets available here. See you there!