The Maple Street Project: Press & Comments

... With Memorial Park, the usual home to the Arts in the Park concerts, closed as it is being renovated, the concert series is being held in front of Town Hall this summer, following an experiment with the location last year, when the Needham-based Maple Street Project performed in front of the town green.

“It’s nice to hear the [Ben Willmott] trio, very Ben Folds [Five]-esque,” said Eric Luskin of Blackman Terrace, the bass player for the Maple Street Project. “Between the new frozen custard [place] and this, this is great for the community.”

Luskin was with a friend from out of town, waiting to be seated at Not Your Average Joe’s for dinner, and decided to soak in some of the music...

On behalf of everyone at the Relay, I wanted to thank you...

I have received many comments from people saying how much they loved the performance and how amazing the music was.

... Everyone I witnessed or have talked to afterward was raving about you. Your music was absolutely beautiful and perfect for the setting and I (along with many others) was quite upset that you had to stop [due to the time/noise curfew].

It means so much to me that there are people like you who are willing to donate their valuable time and talent to such an important cause. Your donation of music is as important as any monetary pledge. I hope you all enjoyed yourselves and that you would be interested in performing next year to help us spread the hope.

Thank you!
Laura Simmons-Stern

Thanks for your votes. I want to express my gratitude for the support of so many people in a very competitive race for the Board of Selectmen...

Our musical event was more fun than anyone should have in a campaign. The credit goes to our planning team and the fabulous performances of the Maple Street Project, Pam Steinfeld with Bill Murphy, and Chris Gerstner with Claude Galinsky, nearly all Needham based artists.

... I take the job of selectman quite seriously, and there is much to do. Once again, thank you all and now its back to work.

Jerry Wasserman
Selectman

[Note: excerpted from a longer letter Jerry wrote to The Needham Times following the local election]

Beginning with a cover of Neil Young’s “After the Gold Rush,” Needham’s own Maple Street Project kicked off this summer’s Arts in the Park Thursday, June 21, with an hour-and-a-half set in front of Needham Town Hall.

Children danced to the folk-rock tunes as adults sat back on folding chairs, soaking up those tunes and the setting sun on the first official day of summer. Having the concert at Needham Common was an experiment, said Karen Peirce, assistant director of the Park and Recreation Commission, which organizes Arts in the Park. “It was something suggested by Town Manager Kate Fitzpatrick, who has been working with programs to revitalize the downtown,” said Peirce. “People liked being able to go, get some ice cream, be in the center.”

Deana Lew of Edwardel Road came to the Common with her friend, Mitch Cherniack, and her son, Max Manguane. The group laid out a picnic blanket on the lawn and nibbled on food while the band played. “We just decided it was a nice way to combine dinner with the concert,” Lew said about the picnic set-up. “I’ve been coming to these concerts for years. [The band] has a slightly Grateful Dead appeal."

The band, which relies on harmonies and a prominent folk-rock sound, has been around for about 17 years. Its members, all current or former Needhamites, are in their 50s and 60s. The band released its third album, “Kickin’ on Maple Street,” in February.

Band members said they were contacted by the Department of Park and Recreation to open up Arts in the Park this year. The band will also play at the gazebo at Memorial Park before the fireworks on July 3rd.

[Note: to read the entire article, click the link below]
Steven Ryan can be reached at sryan@cnc.com.

Members of The Maple Street Project jam almost every Tuesday in the basement of Bob Littman’s Standish Road home. They stand around a coffee table, harmonizing their vocals and working out songs composed by the band’s four songwriters, with Littman’s dog, Daisy, sometimes coming down to listen...."

For the complete text, please click here:

"Go get some scotch if you want it.”

As the rest of the band set up their equipment in preparation for their routine warm up song, The Mamas & The Papas’ “California Dreamin’”, everyone declines mandolin player and backup vocalist Bob Littman’s offer. These guys all have to get up for work in the morning.

But that hasn’t stopped them from getting together once weekly to practice their folky, string laden songs in Littman’s basement on Standish Rd. for the last 17 years.

The men of the Maple Street Project, Needham’s very own folk, bluegrass, progressively acoustic quintet, leave their concerns at the door when they come to play..."

To read the complete article, please click here:

I'm on the road, as usual, and sitting in my hotel room in Mt. Dora, FL. I've listened to both of your CDs and have a few observations to make. First, I can tell the difference (a positive one!) between "Attitude" and "Kick Back." The playing, writing and production is all a lot more mature on "Kick Back."

George Grove - The Kingston Trio (Feb 12, 2007)

"The Maple Street Project are an adventurous bunch of musicians, a group
completely unafraid to push the envelope"

Well, I've now really gotten into "Kick Back on Maple Street". I think you guys have done an amazing thing - truly amazing. Its no lie to say that my two favorites are "Murphy" and "Beyond Imagined" with "Running Out of August" coming a close third... "A teapot in a tempest" - is that bigger than a storm in a teapot?

"This is the first MSP album I have heard and you really reminded me of Hootenanny! The recording sessions must of been a blast. Keep that energy going."

On this their Second CD the guys from Maple Street have really turned the corner. They are now traveling down Musical Main Street. "Kick Back..." brings us excellent new material! There are no bad cuts on this CD. Some are better then others but none make you push the FF Button. Hear original Melodies and Lyrics wrapped tightly in Intricate Harmonies. The string work is complex, tuneful, and soothing. “Desperate Hands” builds momentum until it touches us all. You will have “Spin Doctor” stuck in your head for days. “Beyond Imagined” will tickle your fancy and send your imagination dancing. “Murphy” pushes the envelope of story telling through Alt/Folk in 2007. “Hail to the Chief” is the epitome of a modern folk song. Phil Ochs would be proud of MSP on this one. Do not miss the CSN like Harmonies. “Limbo” covers us with great Harmony... The simple yet effective progression of “Thinking about Your Eyes “ linked with the Crisp Lyrics, Delicate String Work and Soft Harmonies make this song truly Haunting. If you close your eyes, you can see the women that Mel is singing about. Kick Back will bring any music lover endless hours of listening pleasure.

My first thoughts on the full pass was that here is a bunch of musicians who REALLY like playing together, and respect each other's playing.
It's a more confident album than the last, to my ears. The instrumentation is really good, particularly some of the acoustic string elements (mandolin, violin). I also thought a lot of the songs had outstanding extended intros that I miss so much in music. Nothing too much or too long, but enough to get a real feel for the song and chord progression before you enter into the story. Well done... It's a very nice album.

"Attitude on the Street" is a great laid back cd w/good harmonies... Sounds similar to some of the early-mid 70's Dead music with a twinge of newness and harmonies that sound
as good as csn.. I hear lots of influences in there. worth the bucks for
this ear pleasing disc."

[Note: We've excerpted relevant sections of Susan's article here. To see the entire piece, click the link below]

Silver age of rock
Baby boom performers couldn't stay away
By Susan Chaityn Lebovits, Globe Correspondent February 5, 2006

... The Maple Street Project, based in Needham, is looking to the Internet to make a name for itself beyond the coffee-club circuit.

The five-man band has been jamming on Tuesdays for 15 years and plays local gigs nearly every month, including family services at their temple.

The group's core members, George Pultz and Bob Littman, met in 1971 in New Jersey. For extra credit in a college English class, they wrote music to accompany works by such poets as Yates, Shelly, and Tennyson.

They went on to play in two bands together, and after graduating in 1975, moved to Boston to pursue a music career as a duo, Ziro and Napoleon.

''We played at a number of big clubs in town, then George wound up going to law school and I got married," Littman said.

The two remained close over the years and connected again musically in 1991 for a local talent show. Through their temple, Beth Shalom in Needham, they recruited the rest of the band.

For now, the Maple Street Project is happy playing together, producing music, and playing gigs when they can. They hope to gain a wider following through an independent music download site, cdbaby.com.

''I can't afford to do it full time," Littman said. '' I'm in a lifestyle with kids in college and other demands on me -- but if I hit the lottery, or inherited money from some unheard-of relative, I'd probably walk away from my business. . . . All of us share that passion."

© Copyright 2006 Globe Newspaper Company.