PRESS ROOM

American Zen's fourth album, LEVEL 4 = Kung Fu Cowboy PART 1: King Solomon's Temple,
is the Freemason story about Hiram Abif, who was murdered in King Solomon's Temple.
Kung Fu Cowboy Rock & Roll Movie
is based upon the true story of The Hippy Coyote before and after being stung by a scorpion in 2012.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
North Hollywood, California – May 3, 2013--American Zen, America's first Buddhist rock band, released their newest album, PART 1: King Solomon's Temple, produced by Richard Del Connor, on June 9, 2010. LEVEL 4 = Kung Fu Cowboy is their fourth level of Shaolin Zen Buddhism. The band's spiritual odyssey is detailed in poetry and short stories at their OFFICIAL WEBSITE: americanZEN.org

For more information:
Richard Del Connor, Record Producer   858-717-7074

An Interview With The Author: Richard Del Connor / The Hippy Coyote

Question: This book, 4 Decades of Love, was created for a Freemason fundraiser?

Coyote: Yes it was. I was very deeply immersed in masonry during those years. I hardly missed a weekly meeting.

Question: And you performed at this fundraiser?

Coyote: Yes. That's the reason I created the book was to perform it. I gave them a couple of American Zen CDs to auction also.

Question: How was the show?

Coyote: It was a good show. Many of these songs were about sexual relationships -- so I had to censor my own lyrics during the performance at the masonic lodge.

Question: Why publish this book?

Coyote: It is a really great selection of songs I've written since 1974. From my first love and relationship with my Canadian guardian, Sally Kuehn, to my last ex-wife -- I chose the best songs for this book -- or maybe for the performance actually.

Question: You had how many wives and relationships in this book?

Coyote: I don't know off-hand. We should count them. I've had a couple loves that didn't result in a song -- or if it did -- it surfaced later -- and wasn't directly about them -- so I chose the songs that defined or was my favorite song about them -- or was appropriate for the Mason fundraiser -- and some of those were still too raunchy.

Question: So this book, 4 Decades of Love, is a romantic manly book of poetry?

Coyote: Thanks for the manly, but not poetry -- lyrics. The book contains lyrics with guitar chords for playing or by yourself.

Question: Lyrics and poetry are the same thing aren't they?

Coyote: Kind of. Once you put melody to poetry -- they become lyrics. But I approach each one differently. I have lots of rhythms and rhyme schemes I use for poetry I wouldn't use for lyrics.

Question: So when you write a lyric it's a lyric -- not a poem?

Coyote: Well -- not quite. I've written hundreds of lyrics that have never been put to music. So if I published them -- I'm not sure what I'd call them.

Question: Is there any of your bass poetry in this book?

Coyote: No, my bass poetry is pretty musical -- but it's still poetry -- not lyrics.

Question: So why would someone buy this lyric book?

Coyote: Because it is full of some great songs. I invented this new technique of putting the guitar chords above the lyrics with underscores in-between them. So when you reduce the page it is easier to see where the chords are if the lines break in half.

Question: I'll check it out. I read that the original book was hand-written.

Coyote: Yes. I enjoy calligraphy. I purposely made the original book look really nice so people seeing me perform would be impressed.

Question: Is the original version for sale?

Coyote: Maybe someday I'll scan the pages and sell that book. Right now the only handwritten book I have published is Kung Fu Cowboy Original Draft.

Question: Good luck with your book and songs.

Coyote: Thanks. I've been performing some of them the past few years. I'm excited to have a band again and perform some more of them again.

iTunes BAND page (all albums):
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewArtist?id=7403290

iTUNES:  LEVEL 4 = Kung Fu Cowboy PART 1
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/level-4-kung-fu-cowboy-part-1/id378526106

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Monthly Press Release from Shaolin Records
Editor: Richard Del Connor

Copyright 2013 Shaolin Music
All rights reserved.  ASCAP

The PR-AmZen is the official PRESS RELEASE of American Zen, "America's First Buddhist Rock Band."
This is intended for magazine, news, radio, and distributors.

The AmZen_eNEWS NEWSLETTERS are published monthly and contain much more information than the “Press Releases.”
Sent to fans, friends, and anyone wanting to know as much as possible about American Zen featuring The Hippy Coyote.

American Zen is an exclusive artist of Shaolin Records.
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