William Galison
Encyclopedia
William Galison is an American jazz
musician, most famous as a harmonica
player but also known as a multi-instrumentalist, singer and composer.
, New York
. As a child, he started to study piano, but at the age of eight decided to switch to guitar having been inspired by The Beatles
. He developed a love of jazz in high school and subsequently attended Berklee College of Music
in Boston
. He decided to change to the harmonica because "I was one of a million guitarists at Berklee" and it was easy to carry around. He became Berklee's only harmonica player. Among his role models at the time were Toots Thielemans
and Stevie Wonder
.
After Berklee, he studied further at Wesleyan University
in Connecticut
, then returned to New York in 1982. He swiftly developed a good reputation as a singer, songwriter and instrumentalist.
He performed at various New York venues including The Village Gate
, The Blue Note and the Lone Star Cafe
with legendary jazz musicians Jaco Pastorius
and Jaki Byard
. He also played with his own group at Preacher's Cafe in Greenwich Village
.
, Sting, Barbra Streisand
, Peggy Lee
, Chaka Khan
and Astrud Gilberto
. He has performed Gordon Jacob
's "Suite for Harmonica and Orchestra" and toured the USA in the Broadway
musical, Big River
. He has also recorded soundtracks for films, most notably Academy Award nominees The Untouchables and Bagdad Café
. His harmonica is also heard on the Sesame Street
theme ("a great honor") and countless commercials. Other television work includes Oz
and Saturday Night Live
.
One of his major influences and role models, Toots Thielmans, once described him as "the most original and individual of the new generation of harmonica players".
Some of his more notable contributions:
Seidel and Galison toured Queensland, Australia's jazz clubs to promote the album, which was well received by audiences and critics alike.
in a bar on Bleecker Street
in Greenwich Village
, New York City. They started to play music together in May of that year and toured up and down the East Coast of the US for the next 14 months as a duo; later as a trio and a quartet. Galison acted as Peyroux's musical director and arranger.
Peyroux moved in with Galison and they shared a residence from July 2002 to February 2003. In February they recorded a seven song CD called Got You on My Mind
(henceforth referred to as GYOMM) which they sold at their live shows. It was essentially a good-quality demo
. Galison had recruited an impressive set of back-up musicians including Bob Dylan
's bassist Tony Garnier
and Saturday Night Live
s drummer Sean Pelton on three tracks, with Rod Stewart
's bassist Conrad Korsch and Conan O'Brien
's drummer James Wormworth
on the rest. Carly Simon appeared very briefly, speaking one line. By August of that year, they had played a great many shows including a performance with the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra
. Peyroux was by then signed to Rounder Records
, a division of Universal
.
Various legal problems then arose from conflicting accounts of who held the copyright to the recordings. Peyroux's attorney Jeff Greenberg played a large part in creating confusion over the matter, as explained below.
In August 2003, Peyroux abruptly, and without explanation, stopped performing with Galison. He was quoted as saying "We were romantically involved. She lived with me, she was eating my food. We were romantically involved and we had an amazing act. But suddenly she stopped working with me." At around the same time, Greenberg unsuccessfully attempted to get Galison to sell him the rights to GYOMM.
He decided on the additional material and carried out some minor overdubbing. He added two instrumentals and a track from early 2004, as well as a track (Flambee Montalbanese) that he recorded with the German ensemble Quadra Nuevo in 1999.
Galison sings on four of the eleven tracks, twice with Peyroux. His voice has been described favorably as "somewhere between Paul Simon
and James Taylor
".
Due to Greenberg's misrepresentation of the ownership of the album to Rounder, and because the expanded version of GYOMM would be ready six months prior to the release of Careless Love, Rounder threatened to cancel Peyroux’s contract immediately.
In December 2003, a letter from Greenberg said: "it is the position of our client and Rounder that if Mr. Galison or his designees proceed in the manner described... such claims will give rise to material breach of the agreement between Mr. Galison and Ms. Peyroux concerning exploitation of the recording, tortious interference
with the contractual relationship between Ms. Peyroux and Rounder Records, infringement of Ms Peyroux's rights in the recordings and her performance thereon, unauthorized use of our client's name, likeness and trademark, false designation of origin under the Lanham act
and violation of various state and common law unfair competition and unfair trade laws. Ms. Peyroux and Rounder records will advise any third party seeking to sell, distribute or otherwise exploit any of the recordings that such release is unauthorized and actionable."
Peyroux denied these allegations under oath, saying "I've never said I was physically abused by Mr. Galison. And that's something we went over last time, and I answered the same way."
Despite this, Greenberg made these allegations known to Rounder and to Cynthia Herbst, Peyroux's manager. He also made the claim that Galison had violated a "verbal agreement" that prohibited him from selling GYOMM outside of Peyroux's live shows. Greenberg hasn't provided any evidence that such an agreement ever existed.
According to U.S. copyright law, Galison was within his rights to promote and sell the CD.
Irwin responded that the situation was being handled by Rounder's legal department and he wouldn't be getting involved. Irwin subsequently attempted to have a 'protective order' placed against Galison due to 'harassing emails'; an allegation that was disproved when Galison supplied copies of the entire email exchange that were found to contain nothing that could be described as harassment.
Despite this admission, Peyroux's lawyers argued that the case was not about copyrights and shouldn't be held in Federal court. The lawyers insisted that though they had been wrong about Galison's ownership of GYOMM, he was still forbidden from selling the album due to a verbal agreement with Peyroux that restricted him to selling it at her shows. No evidence of such a verbal agreement has ever been produced.
Galison insisted that none of the allegations involved physical touching, telling United Press International
, "I never touched her inappropriately, ever."
Another aspect of the lawsuit was an allegation of "trade libel" due to 'his' album being passed off to Universal, parent company of Rounder, as a demo solely owned by Peyroux, helping her to win a contract with them.
Peyroux subsequently countersued Galison for $5 million for various claims, most of which were dismissed. The two remaining claims are a motion for accounting and a motion for damages due to use of her name and picture on the album's cover.
The case continues to rumble on, although Galison is keen to end it amicably and to that end wrote an 'Open letter' to Madeleine Peyroux giving his account of what had happened and why and how she could end all the legal problems very easily if she chose to.
Galison has said: "I endorse Hohner, and think they do make the best sounding harmonica."
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician, most famous as a harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
player but also known as a multi-instrumentalist, singer and composer.
Early life and rise to fame
Galison was born and raised in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. As a child, he started to study piano, but at the age of eight decided to switch to guitar having been inspired by The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. He developed a love of jazz in high school and subsequently attended Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. He decided to change to the harmonica because "I was one of a million guitarists at Berklee" and it was easy to carry around. He became Berklee's only harmonica player. Among his role models at the time were Toots Thielemans
Toots Thielemans
Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron Thielemans , known as Toots Thielemans, is a Belgian jazz musician well known for his guitar and harmonica playing as well as his whistling. Thielemans is credited as one of the greatest harmonica players of the 20th century...
and Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
.
After Berklee, he studied further at Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, then returned to New York in 1982. He swiftly developed a good reputation as a singer, songwriter and instrumentalist.
He performed at various New York venues including The Village Gate
The Village Gate
The Village Gate was a nightclub at the corner of Thompson and Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village, New York.Art D'Lugoff opened the club in 1958, on the ground floor and basement of 158 Bleecker Street. The large 1896 Chicago School structure by architect Ernest Flagg was known at the time as...
, The Blue Note and the Lone Star Cafe
Lone Star Cafe
The Lone Star Cafe was a cafe and club in New York City at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 13th Street, from 1976 to 1989. The Texas-themed cafe opened in February 1976 and became the premier country music venue in New York and booked big names and especially acts from Texas, like Asleep at the...
with legendary jazz musicians Jaco Pastorius
Jaco Pastorius
John Francis Anthony Pastorius III , known as Jaco Pastorius, was an American jazz musician and composer widely acknowledged as a virtuoso electric bass player....
and Jaki Byard
Jaki Byard
Jaki Byard was an American jazz pianist and composer who also played trumpet and saxophone, among several other instruments. He was noteworthy for his eclectic style, incorporating everything from ragtime and stride to free jazz...
. He also played with his own group at Preacher's Cafe in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
.
Collaborations and recordings
Galison has worked with a diverse range of artists including Carly SimonCarly Simon
Carly Elisabeth Simon is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records, and has since been the recipient of two Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award for her work...
, Sting, Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
, Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...
, Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
and Astrud Gilberto
Astrud Gilberto
Astrud Gilberto is a Brazilian samba and bossa nova singer. She is well known for the Grammy Award-winning song "The Girl from Ipanema".-Biography:...
. He has performed Gordon Jacob
Gordon Jacob
Gordon Percival Septimus Jacob was an English composer. He is known for his wind instrument composition and his instructional writings.-Life:...
's "Suite for Harmonica and Orchestra" and toured the USA in the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
musical, Big River
Big River (musical)
Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a musical with a book by William Hauptman and music and lyrics by Roger Miller.Based on Mark Twain's classic 1884 novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, it features music in the bluegrass and country styles in keeping with the setting of the novel...
. He has also recorded soundtracks for films, most notably Academy Award nominees The Untouchables and Bagdad Café
Bagdad Café
Bagdad Café is a 1987 German film directed by Percy Adlon.The film is a comedy set in a remote truck-stop café and motel in the Mojave Desert. The plot is centered around two women who have recently separated from their husbands, and the blossoming friendship which ensues. It ran 95 minutes in...
. His harmonica is also heard on the Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
theme ("a great honor") and countless commercials. Other television work includes Oz
Oz (TV series)
Oz is an American television drama series created by Tom Fontana, who also wrote or co-wrote all of the series' 56 episodes . It was the first one-hour dramatic television series to be produced by premium cable network HBO. Oz premiered on July 12, 1997 and ran for six seasons...
and Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
.
One of his major influences and role models, Toots Thielmans, once described him as "the most original and individual of the new generation of harmonica players".
Some of his more notable contributions:
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- Bosa / Barefoot - Christy Baron - Steppin'
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- Talking Hands - Chaka KhanChaka KhanChaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
- Woman I Am - Peggy LeePeggy LeePeggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...
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- Baby I'm Yours - Bob McGrathBob McGrathRobert Emmet "Bob" McGrath is an American singer and actor best known for playing the human character Bob on Sesame Street. He was born in Ottawa, Illinois. McGrath was named for Irish patriot Robert Emmet....
- Sing Me A Story - Ivan NevilleIvan NevilleIvan Neville is a multi-instrumentalist musician, singer, and songwriter. He is the son of Aaron Neville and nephew to members of The Neville Brothers....
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- Tropical Escape - Craig Peyton - Web
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- Amor - Louise TaylorLouise TaylorLouise Taylor is an American folk singer-songwriter from Brattleboro, Vermont. An older brother gave her a guitar when she was twelve and at age 15 she left home, hitchhiking and busking her way around the United States...
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- End Of Summer - Dar Williams - Mortal City
- Soundtrack - Bagdad Café
- Soundtrack - Bean
- Soundtrack - Crooklyn
- Soundtrack - Prelude To A Kiss
- Soundtrack - Tremors
- Soundtrack - The Truth about Cats and Dogs
- Soundtrack - The Untouchables
- Soundtrack - Way West
- Various Artists - Carols Of Christmas
- Various Artists - Red, Hot & Rio
Love Letters
'Love Letters' by Janet Seidel and William Galison was released in 2001. Seidel is an Australian singer and piano player. ABC Fine Music magazine gave the album a glowing review, saying: "a sheen of quiet sophistication is everywhere apparent."Seidel and Galison toured Queensland, Australia's jazz clubs to promote the album, which was well received by audiences and critics alike.
First meeting, tour, they move in together
In 2002, Galison met jazz singer and guitarist Madeleine PeyrouxMadeleine Peyroux
Madeleine Peyroux is an American jazz singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Peyroux is noted for her vocal style, which has been compared to that of Billie Holiday....
in a bar on Bleecker Street
Bleecker Street
Bleecker Street is a street in New York City's Manhattan borough. It is perhaps most famous today as a Greenwich Village nightclub district. The street is a spine that connects a neighborhood today popular for music venues and comedy, but which was once a major center for American bohemia.Bleecker...
in Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village
Greenwich Village, , , , .in New York often simply called "the Village", is a largely residential neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City. A large majority of the district is home to upper middle class families...
, New York City. They started to play music together in May of that year and toured up and down the East Coast of the US for the next 14 months as a duo; later as a trio and a quartet. Galison acted as Peyroux's musical director and arranger.
Peyroux moved in with Galison and they shared a residence from July 2002 to February 2003. In February they recorded a seven song CD called Got You on My Mind
Got You on My Mind
Got You on My Mind is a jazz album by William Galison and Madeleine Peyroux, recorded in 1999, and later compiled into an album by Galison alone in 2003...
(henceforth referred to as GYOMM) which they sold at their live shows. It was essentially a good-quality demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
. Galison had recruited an impressive set of back-up musicians including Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
's bassist Tony Garnier
Tony Garnier (musician)
Tony Garnier is an American bassist , best known as an accompanist to Bob Dylan, with whom he has played since 1989...
and Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
s drummer Sean Pelton on three tracks, with Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
's bassist Conrad Korsch and Conan O'Brien
Conan O'Brien
Conan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and performer. Since November 2010 he has hosted Conan, a late-night talk show that airs on the American cable television station TBS....
's drummer James Wormworth
James Wormworth
James Wormworth is an American drummer and percussionist. Wormworth is a member of Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band on the TBS late night comedy program, Conan. Wormworth often filled in for Max Weinberg during the band's run as The Max Weinberg 7 on Late Night with Conan O'Brien while...
on the rest. Carly Simon appeared very briefly, speaking one line. By August of that year, they had played a great many shows including a performance with the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra
Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra
The Dresdner Philharmoniker is a symphony orchestra based in Dresden, Germany. The orchestra was founded in 1870 and gave its first concert in the Gewerbehaussaal on 29 November 1870, under the name Gewerbehausorchester. The orchestra acquired its current name in 1915...
. Peyroux was by then signed to Rounder Records
Rounder Records
Rounder Records, originally of Cambridge, Massachusetts, but now based in Burlington, Massachusetts, is a record label founded in 1970 by Ken Irwin, Bill Nowlin and Marian Leighton-Levy, while all three were still university students...
, a division of Universal
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
.
Various legal problems then arose from conflicting accounts of who held the copyright to the recordings. Peyroux's attorney Jeff Greenberg played a large part in creating confusion over the matter, as explained below.
In August 2003, Peyroux abruptly, and without explanation, stopped performing with Galison. He was quoted as saying "We were romantically involved. She lived with me, she was eating my food. We were romantically involved and we had an amazing act. But suddenly she stopped working with me." At around the same time, Greenberg unsuccessfully attempted to get Galison to sell him the rights to GYOMM.
The expanded version of the album
In December 2003, Galison informed Rounder of his intention to add new tracks to GYOMM and release it as a full album, as he was entitled to do as joint owner of the material. Rounder were shocked by this because their forty-seven-page contract with Peyroux claimed that she had the sole commercial rights to the CD. Galison's name didn't appear anywhere in the contract.He decided on the additional material and carried out some minor overdubbing. He added two instrumentals and a track from early 2004, as well as a track (Flambee Montalbanese) that he recorded with the German ensemble Quadra Nuevo in 1999.
Galison sings on four of the eleven tracks, twice with Peyroux. His voice has been described favorably as "somewhere between Paul Simon
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
and James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
".
Due to Greenberg's misrepresentation of the ownership of the album to Rounder, and because the expanded version of GYOMM would be ready six months prior to the release of Careless Love, Rounder threatened to cancel Peyroux’s contract immediately.
In December 2003, a letter from Greenberg said: "it is the position of our client and Rounder that if Mr. Galison or his designees proceed in the manner described... such claims will give rise to material breach of the agreement between Mr. Galison and Ms. Peyroux concerning exploitation of the recording, tortious interference
Tortious interference
Tortious interference, also known as intentional interference with contractual relations, in the common law of tort, occurs when a person intentionally damages the plaintiff's contractual or other business relationships...
with the contractual relationship between Ms. Peyroux and Rounder Records, infringement of Ms Peyroux's rights in the recordings and her performance thereon, unauthorized use of our client's name, likeness and trademark, false designation of origin under the Lanham act
Lanham Act
The Lanham Act is a piece of legislation that contains the federal statutes of trademark law in the United States. The Act prohibits a number of activities, including trademark infringement, trademark dilution, and false advertising.-History:Named for Representative Fritz G...
and violation of various state and common law unfair competition and unfair trade laws. Ms. Peyroux and Rounder records will advise any third party seeking to sell, distribute or otherwise exploit any of the recordings that such release is unauthorized and actionable."
Unfounded allegations
Greenberg then claimed, "Over the course of this year, we have obtained directly and from Ms. Peyroux, evidence of numerous incidents of physically and verbally abusive behavior by Mr. Galison against Ms. Peyroux." and additionally that "Mr. Galison has also made documented claims and threats against Ms. Peyroux and her business representatives, which caused her to contemplate filing criminal harassment charges against Mr. Galison."Peyroux denied these allegations under oath, saying "I've never said I was physically abused by Mr. Galison. And that's something we went over last time, and I answered the same way."
Despite this, Greenberg made these allegations known to Rounder and to Cynthia Herbst, Peyroux's manager. He also made the claim that Galison had violated a "verbal agreement" that prohibited him from selling GYOMM outside of Peyroux's live shows. Greenberg hasn't provided any evidence that such an agreement ever existed.
Libel claim against Greenberg and Peyroux
As a result of Greenberg's unfounded claims, Galison's attorney demanded an immediate recantation, but received no response from either Greenberg or Peyroux. Peyroux later testified that she had been unaware of the existence of any letter from Galison's lawyer.NPR interview and Echomusic
On January 18, 2003, Galison appeared on NPR's 'Weekend Edition' to announce the imminent release of GYOMM. The day after the interview, publisher Echomusic received hundreds of pre-orders. However, a day later, Greenberg sent a letter to Echomusic warning that selling the album would be "violative of Ms. Madeleine's rights, including without limitation, her ownership rights in seven of the recordings on the Album (the "Masters"), her authorship rights in a composition on the album (the "Composition"), and rights to the use of her name, likeness and biographical material in connection with the advertising and sale of the Album. Such sales would also interfere with the contractual relations of Ms. Madeleine and Rounder Records."According to U.S. copyright law, Galison was within his rights to promote and sell the CD.
Galison contacts the owners of Rounder Records
In an attempt to avoid legal action, Galison made contact with the owners of Rounder, Ken Irwin and Bill Nowlin. Galison urged them to tell Greenberg to recognize his ownership - which would defuse the situation.Irwin responded that the situation was being handled by Rounder's legal department and he wouldn't be getting involved. Irwin subsequently attempted to have a 'protective order' placed against Galison due to 'harassing emails'; an allegation that was disproved when Galison supplied copies of the entire email exchange that were found to contain nothing that could be described as harassment.
The Federal civil complaint
In April 2004, Galison filed a complaint against Greenberg, Greenberg's firm and Peyroux in the Federal civil court for tortuous interference, libel and for a judgment establishing his joint ownership of GYOMM. Upon arriving in court, Peyroux's lawyers provided an affidavit stating that Greenberg had been mistaken when he claimed Galison would be guilty of copyright infingement and that Galison was indeed joint owner of the album and joint author of the song 'Playin'.Despite this admission, Peyroux's lawyers argued that the case was not about copyrights and shouldn't be held in Federal court. The lawyers insisted that though they had been wrong about Galison's ownership of GYOMM, he was still forbidden from selling the album due to a verbal agreement with Peyroux that restricted him to selling it at her shows. No evidence of such a verbal agreement has ever been produced.
The Supreme Court Case
In September 2005, Galison filed a $1 million lawsuit against Peyroux, Jeffrey Greenberg and Rounder Records. Galison said that he had had an agreement with Peyroux to tour and support the album, but that her attorney had attempted to sever their professional relationship through a disinformation campaign once Peyroux had been in contact with Rounder. This partly consisted of unfounded allegations of abuse.Galison insisted that none of the allegations involved physical touching, telling United Press International
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
, "I never touched her inappropriately, ever."
Another aspect of the lawsuit was an allegation of "trade libel" due to 'his' album being passed off to Universal, parent company of Rounder, as a demo solely owned by Peyroux, helping her to win a contract with them.
Peyroux subsequently countersued Galison for $5 million for various claims, most of which were dismissed. The two remaining claims are a motion for accounting and a motion for damages due to use of her name and picture on the album's cover.
The case continues to rumble on, although Galison is keen to end it amicably and to that end wrote an 'Open letter' to Madeleine Peyroux giving his account of what had happened and why and how she could end all the legal problems very easily if she chose to.
Campaigner for Judicial Reform
As a result of his experience with litigation connected with Madeliene Peyroux and her lawyer Jeff Greenberg, Galison has dedicated much of his time to campaigning against corruption in in the judiciary of New York State. The primary objects of Galison's reform efforts are the so-called "oversight agencies" that are mandated to enforce rules and laws regulating the behavior of judges and lawyers, the New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct, and the various Departmental "grievance committees", respectively.His gear
Galison uses a wide range of instruments and equipment, including, but not limited to, the following:Harmonicas
- HohnerHohnerHohner Musikinstrumente GmbH & Co. KG is a company specialising in the manufacture of musical instruments. Founded in 1857 by Matthias Hohner , Hohner is identified especially with harmonicas and accordions. The Hohner company has invented and produced many different styles, and most of the...
270 Chromomica in B - Hohner 280 '64 Chromonica'
- Hohner 'Toots Hard Bopper' with F&R Farrell 'lifetime comb'
- Hohner 'Toots Mellow Tone' with F&R Farrell 'lifetime comb'
- Filisko blues harps
- Mark Lavoie smoked maple combs
Microphones and other equipment
- Audio Technica ATM45 dynamic microphone
- Trace ElliotTrace ElliotTrace Elliot is a United Kingdom-based bass amplification manufacturer, and has a sub-brand, Trace Acoustic, for acoustic instruments.-History:...
Acoustic Cube Amplifier - NeumannGeorg NeumannGeorg Neumann GmbH , founded in 1928 and based in Berlin, Germany, is a prominent manufacturer of professional recording microphones. Their best-known products are condenser microphones for broadcast, live and music production purposes...
km 54 microphone - KorgKorgis a Japanese multinational corporation that manufactures electronic musical instruments, audio processors and guitar pedals, recording equipment, and electronic tuners...
footpedal - ShureShureShure Incorporated is an American corporation originally founded by Sidney N. Shure in Chicago, Illinois in 1925 as a supplier of radio parts kits. The company became a consumer and professional audio-electronics manufacturer of microphones, wireless microphone systems, phonograph cartridges,...
wireless system
Galison has said: "I endorse Hohner, and think they do make the best sounding harmonica."
Discography
- 1988: Overjoyed (PolygramPolyGramPolyGram was the name of the major label recording company started by Philips from as a holding company for its music interests in 1945. In 1999 it was sold to Seagram and merged into Universal Music Group.-Hollandsche Decca Distributie , 1929-1950:...
) - 1997: Midnight Sun (Eclipse Collage)
- 2000: Waking Up With You (JVCJVC, usually referred to as JVC, is a Japanese international consumer and professional electronics corporation based in Yokohama, Japan which was founded in 1927...
) - 2001: Love Letters (with Janet Seidel) (La Brava Music)
- 2004: Got You on My MindGot You on My MindGot You on My Mind is a jazz album by William Galison and Madeleine Peyroux, recorded in 1999, and later compiled into an album by Galison alone in 2003...
(Wake Up Music)