NY Phoenix School of Design

I received this SNAP today from our old dear friend Steve Kazlauskas. I figure it's from about 1971... I think maybe some weed was involved, don't you? LOL

OK who knows the answer? I admit I have not figured it out yet!!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! to my beloved. Terry Russo, my muse, my confidant, my Everly sister, my lover, my toughest critic and my greatest supporter, and... my bass player! LOVE Lou

Day 6! CLEM BURKE!

S.I. SNUGS, Lou Russo, LIVE at the Metro Bar & Bistro a few years ago, performing MY original song "Cruisin'"

FAB clip, Snugs: "Here Comes the Sun" by Frank Fontana, from the 50th Anniversary Abbey Road show at the ETG Cafe Sat night. If you missed it, come see the SNUG...S at Killmeyer's 4254 Arthur Kill Road S.I., this Sunday afternoon Sept 29, 3pm-6pm and we'll do it again for you. bring the kids! See more

My painting of "Shea '86". Ter and I are in the lower right corner.

Today I received this review of my new song "Contagion" from a musicologist, Micheal Siletti, and it made my day!: Dear Lou, I just listened to "Contagion." I a...m sincerely sorry I did not get around to it sooner. A very challenging and unusual school year just finished, and I wanted to give your music the attention it deserves. Your excellent song summoned up a lot of feelings for me: happiness, sadness, anger, etc. I mean that as a compliment, of course. I just read an article in the NY Times about how museums across the country are collecting artifacts from the pandemic and strategizing about how to best remember and represent these times. I think your recording would make a perfect addition to such a collection! Picture yourself walking through a Covid exhibit two, five, fifty, or one hundred years from now. You walk past a homemade face mask, a ventilator, an empty bottle of Purell, the death certificate of a poor person from the South Bronx, a screenshot of a kindergarten class being conducted on Zoom, and then you arrive at a listening station where you can listen to "Contagion," recorded during the pandemic by a venerable NYC-based musician. It's a no-brainer! I think the song, both lyrically and musically, vividly captures the feelings of fear, isolation, sadness, frustration, and perhaps above all, uncertainty ("I don't even know if I can pet my cat anymore!"), that have accompanied the pandemic. It's beautiful and horrifying at the same time, as it should be. What is that you're saying at the very end of the track? It sounds like "Be careful" and "Go away." Whatever it is, it gave me goosebumps! When does the full album drop? Excited to hear more!

Here is my new CD Cover, for "Contagion" (15 new songs). Hope you like it. (the original shot was by my friend Walter Weeks). Anyone know a good, reasonable CD maker? I have used CD Baby and Amazon in the past. A small run probably 50. Please let me know, thanks.

Lock down has not been too bad. I writing a recording new songs and I am still giving music lessons on Zoom, and we even performed (me on banjo, Ter on bass) "Freight Train" by "Libba" Cotten , last night, via "Go to meeting" for (Philip Garcia) at Hunter College.

Today's new vid, for my song "YOU" (Lou Russo). and a new mix too! With Sanchie Bobrow on violin.