JIM SINGS WITH LISA LOEB AT STERLING HOTEL, ALLENTOWN!!

Below is the text of the article written by Paul Willistein which appeared in the Nov.9-10, 2005 East Penn Press in the Lehigh Valley, PA. Check the "Photo Gallery" here at the site for action shots, and be sure to keep up with Lisa at www.lisaloeb.com (she has a new TV show about to air on the E! Network about her recently "single" life entitled "#1 Single". "JIM LOFTUS PUTS ON A HARMONY WITH LISA LOEB"(Nov. 9, 2005) By PAUL WILLISTEIN (photos also Paul Willistein/East Penn Press) pwillistein@tnonline.com Lisa Loeb was singing her hit, "I Do," at the Sterling Hotel when she asked who was adding the harmony. A man raised his hand. Loeb, performing solo in Allentown PA for an American Red Cross benefit, asked the man on stage. When he started singing, it was clear it wasn't him. Shushing him, she asked again. A deep voice resonated from the audience. In a mocking basso profundo tone, Loeb said, "Yeah, right." That's when Jim Loftus, Lehigh Valley singer-songwriter and musician, stepped right up. Indeed, it was Jim who had been adding the harmony."Ironically, Dominique and I did the song when it first came out," said Loftus, referring to his former duo partner. Loftus appears with Gordon Gorin, performing 8 p.m.-midnight Nov. 17, Dec. 1 and 15 at the Leather Corner Post, along Kernsville Road at 6855 Horseshoe Road, Lowhill Township, near Orefield PA(610-395-1782), and solo Nov. 19 at the Terrace Restaurant, Rt. 145, Walnutport PA(610-767-1545). Jim plays keyboards, acoustic guitar and harmonica. Gordon is on electric and acoustic guitars. Their repertoire includes songs by James Taylor, Billy Joel and the Eagles. More information: http://ats.jimloftus.com/ At the Sterling, Loeb displayed her amazing vocal range, gutsy guitar-playing and humorous banter. Her set included songs from her most recent CD, "The Way It Really Is," fourth since her decade-ago breakthrough, "Stay" from the soundtrack to the Ben Stiller-directed "Really Bites. Loeb hung out after her gig to sign autographs, including her blue guitar, ironically won by that unharmonious other guy. For Loftus, hitting the right notes was second-nature. "I just instinctively did the high harmony on that one ['I Do']," he said. When Loeb broke into the Doobie Brothers' "Listen to the Music," Loftus also chimed in. Loftus is versatile. He soloed at the closing night party for the "Linda McCartney's Sixties" exhibition at the Allentown Art Museum. He programmed the parts to The Beatles' "A Day in the Life" and sang it, strumming an acoustic guitar. He also did other songs of the rock luminaries in the McCartney photos. Loftus gigs 7-10:30 p.m. Mondays at Nino's Tuscany, 117 W. 58th St., near 6th Avenue, in Manhattan. Opening for Loeb at last month's benefit for Gulf Coast hurricane victims was New Hope's Lindsay Rush, whose dad Robert plays in the surf band Ripchords; Mike Rauscher, of the Aardvarks; Sarah Ayers, with Greg Lipsky on guitar, and Northampton High School grad Alex Seier, of The Blackout Effect. Rauscher and Ayers sang on Loftus's CD of original tunes, "The Fame Game." Ironically, before he stepped on stage with Loeb, Loftus watched himself on TV at the Sterling bar. He was an extra in a jury scene on "Law and Order SVU." Loftus also appeared on this year’s “Hope & Faith”. --Paul Willistein

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