NYS Music 20​16

Author: Jim Rizzo

  • Jeff Beck and Buddy Guy Tour Makes 3 New York Stops

    Jeff Beck and Buddy Guy announced that they will be play a short tour together, which will make stops in Port Chester, New York City and Canandaigua.

    Guitarist Jeff Beck and bluesman Buddy Guy will co-headline the tour this summer. It kicks off July 19 at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester and ends Aug. 10 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. The tour includes stops at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City on July 20 and CMAC in Canandaigua on July 29. They also make a couple other stops in the Northeast at the Borgata in Atlantic City, New Jersey on July 23 and the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey.

    Jeff Beck, who replaced Eric Clapton in the Yardbirds in 1965, has been a guitar powerhouse for the past 50 plus years. He credits blues great Buddy Guy as being a major influence on his career. Beck said in a press release, “Sharing the stage and this moment with Buddy is a dream for me. His concerts are legendary, and the music world would be a very boring place without his influence.”

    In addition to the co-headlining dates, Jeff Beck is scheduled for a couple solo shows at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut on July 22 and at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. More dates for the tour with Buddy Guy are expected to be announced.

    Jeff Beck/Buddy Guy tour dates:
    July 19 – The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY
    July 20 – Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
    July 22 – Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket, CT *
    July 23 – Borgata Spa & Resort Event Center, Atlantic City, NJ
    July 24 – Sands Bethlehem Event Center, Bethlehem, PA *
    July 26 – PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ
    July 27 – Wolf Trap for the Performing Arts, Vienna, VA
    July 29 – Constellation Brands Marvin Sands Perf. Arts Center, Canandaigua, NY
    July 30 – Meadow Brook, Rochester Hills, MI
    July 31 – Ravinia Festival, Highland Park, IL
    August 3 – Ascend Amphitheatre, Nashville, TN
    August 10 – Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA

    * Jeff Beck solo show

  • Beatles Producer George Martin Dies

    Sir George Martin, producer and “fifth member” of The Beatles, has died at the age of 90.

    martin_2202236b

    Late Tuesday night, Ringo Starr tweeted news of Martin’s death.

    Martin can be credited with much of the success of the Beatles throughout their career. While leading EMI’s Parlophone Records, he was looking for a rock act to sign and diversify the company’s offerings, which had previously consisted primarily of jazz and comedy. He signed the band when no other record company would and, even after finding them lacking in promise at first, he gave them a deal. He had suggested replacing Pete Best on drums, chose not to promote any of them as the frontman and allowed them to record their own songs.

    As a very active producer, Martin played a major role in formulating the Beatles’ sound. While recording their first U.S. single “Please Please Me,” he suggested they up the tempo. He added the string arrangements to “Yesterday,” which went on to become the most-covered song of all time. He was responsible for the orchestration in “A Day in the Life.” He personally played the piano part in “In My Life” and composed the harpsichord solo. He conducted the string arrangement in “Eleanor Rigby,” and he added the backwards tapes to Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band for the psychedelic element.

    Martin was nominated for three Academy Awards for the musical arrangement in A Hard Day’s Night. He is responsible for a staggering 23 No. 1 hits in the U.S. and 30 in the U.K.

    In addition to the Beatles, Martin produced records for Cilla Black, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, Mahavishnu Orchestra, America, Jeff Beck, Cheap Trick, Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz, Kenny Rogers, Neil Sedaka, Jimmy Webb, Dire Straits, Peter Gabriel, Sting, Meat Loaf, Carly Simon, Celine Dion, Kate Bush and many others.

    George Martin was born in London on Jan. 3, 1926. As a child, he took a few piano lessons but is mostly self-taught. After leaving the Royal Navy in 1947, he attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London on a government grant, where he learned composition, orchestration and how to play the oboe. He first started working for Parlophone as a producer of classical music. In 1955, he became the head of A&R and gained success producing comedy records. He left EMI in 1965 but continued to produce on a freelance basis, including the production of the Beatles’ Abbey Road. He later worked on a couple of Paul McCartney’s solo albums in the 1980s.

    McCartney posted a tribute to Martin on his Facebook page.

    Martin is survived by his four children, Giles, Alexis, Gregory and Lucy.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUDje4cTev0

  • String Cheese Incident to Play Brewery Ommegang

    Beer and cheese lovers will rejoice at the String Cheese Incident‘s just-announced summer tour, which makes a stop at Brewery Ommegang in Cooperstown and Big Sky Brewing Company in Missoula, Montana. The tour brings them back to New York to close out at Brooklyn’s historic Kings Theatre.

    string cheese summer 2016Following their three-night headlining appearance at Electric Forest, the String Cheese Incident will head out on tour starting with two back-to-back two night stands in Asheville, North Carolina on July 1 and 2 and an “Independence Incident” July 3 and 4 in Atlanta. A few days later, they roll into Cooperstown Friday, July 8 to play Brewery Ommegang, with Twiddle kicking off the night.

    The tour includes a couple special multi-night runs, including three nights at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado and two nights at Big Sky Brewing Company. After two nights in Oregon, they take a couple weeks off before playing the Peach Music Festival in Scranton, Pennsylvania on Aug. 12. They close out their tour with two shows at Kings Theatre in Brooklyn on Aug. 13 and 14.

    string cheese summer 2016String Cheese is in the process of recording a new studio album produced by former Talking Heads guitarist and keyboardist Jerry Harrison. They are about to embark on a March Madness tour of Nevada and California.

    Tickets for the summer tour go on sale this Friday, March 11.

    String Cheese tour dates:
    June 24-26, 2016 – Rothbury, MI @ Electric Forest
    July 1-2, 2016 – Asheville, NC @ US Cellular Center Exploreasheville.com Arena
    July 3-4, 2016 – Atlanta, GA @ Chastain Park
    July 8, 2016 – Cooperstown, NY @ Brewery Ommegang w/ Twiddle
    July 9, 2016 – Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
    July 10, 2016 – Portsmouth, VA @ Portsmouth Pavilion w/ Yonder Mountain String Band
    July 15, 2016 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre w/ TAUK
    July 16, 2016 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre w/ Kamasi Washington
    July 17, 2016 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre w/ Hot Rize
    July 20-21, 2016 – Missoula, MT @ Big Sky Brewing Company
    July 22, 2016 – Redmond, WA @ Marymoor Amphitheater
    July 23-24, 2016 – Eugene, OR @ Cuthbert Amphitheatre
    August 12, 2016 – Scranton, PA @ The Peach Music Festival Montage Mountain
    August 13-14, 2016 – Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre

  • Reid Genauer, Children’s Author

    Reid Genauer is a well-known musician, best known as the frontman for Strangefolk and Assembly of Dust, and a tech executive. He can now add children’s author to his résumé.

    JeffreysJungle

    Jeffrey’s Jungle, as the book is titled, is Genauer’s first foray into writing books. The book, illustrated by Genauer’s friend Alan Close, is a playful, 24-page children’s book aimed at ages 4 to 9. The story chronicles a young boy, Jeffrey, and his imagination as he’s left at home while his mom runs some errands. The curious boy cranks up the heat in the house, sprouting a jungle throughout the home, waterfalls and all.

    Genauer was inspired to write poetry when he was 10 after reading Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends. As he moved towards songwriting, he drew inspiration from Jerry Garcia’s longtime songwriting partner, lyricist Robert Hunter. Genauer’s style is often compared to that of Hunter, Steely Dan or Neil Young. His writing style, which will feel very familiar to those who love his music, is very lyrical and bouncy.

    Screen Shot 2016-02-24 at 10.23.48 PM

    Bill Nershi of String Cheese Incident is quoted in the press release:

    Reid’s a great song writer. He has a natural approach to a song that is artful, lyrically acrobatic and accessible. He and I have always bonded about the role of song craft in the sea of musical improvisation. Writing a children’s book is a natural extension of what he does best. Not surprisingly his book comes off as mischievous and fun loving as he is.

    In addition to writing Jeffrey’s Jungle, Genauer has written more than 100 children’s poems and plans to publish a series of books over the years to come. Jeffrey’s Jungle is available now on Amazon.com.

  • All Good Music Festival Retired

    After nearly 20 years of great music and fun, All Good Music Festival & Campout is retiring.

    All_Good_Festival_2011

    Tim Walther and Junipa Conteno-Süslü began promoting and producing shows as a way to highlight the growing jamband scene in the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore area. The All Good Music Festival, which commenced in 1997, was the culmination of their work, bringing many touring acts to a single location. The festival began at Wilmer Park in Brandywine, Maryland and, after bouncing around for a couple years, landed on the festival’s longtime home at Marvin’s Mountaintop in Masontown, West Virginia. It was held there until 2012, when it moved to Legend Valley in Thornville, Ohio.

    The festival had become a mainstay in the early days of music festivals, but was not without problems. In 2011, a truck crashed through the camping area over some tents, killing one and severely injuring three others. The driver blamed the parking lot attendants and security guards who guided him to park on a steep grassy area near tents and other vehicles, but failed to guide him out of his space upon leaving. Families of the victims sued him, along with about a dozen organizers and promoters.

    All Good Music Festival has showcased both big names and newcomers to the jamband scene, as well as alternative rock acts. Well-known acts such as the Allman Brothers Band, Phil Lesh & Friends, Furthur, Primus, the Flaming Lips, and Cake have made appearances at the festival. Many popular smaller and regional acts have also been featured at All Good, including Brew, the Slip, the Werks and Brooklyn’s Moon Hooch. While Phish was broken up in 2006, the headliners were Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon with the Benevento/Russo Duo.

    The retirement was announced via a post on the All Good website.

    [embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpiKzK12HWI[/embedyt]

  • Ed Mann Joins Paul Green’s Rock Academy for Tribute to Frank Zappa

    Ed Mann, Frank Zappa‘s longtime drummer, will join forces with Paul Green’s Rock Academy for a special night of Zappa music at The Hollow in Albany on Saturday, March 5.

    Ed Mann Zappa Paul Green, founder of School of Rock and inspiration for Jack Black’s character in the movie of the same name, has been teaching children to play rock music, including that of Frank Zappa, since 1998. His students have played Lollapalooza, Carnegie Hall, CBGB and Austin City Limits. They have worked alongside many Zappa collaborators including Ike Willis, Napoleon Murphy Brock, Denny Walley, Adrian Belew and Mike Keneally.

    The Rock Academy is about to kick off a yearlong collaboration with Zappa drummer Ed Mann, who has appeared on more Zappa albums than any other member of the band. Mann has had a successful career post-Zappa as well, including teaching music at different colleges, recording for film composers and pioneering the development of holistic sound therapy. In 2012, he began working with various jam bands on percussion and as sound artist.

    The show takes place on March 5 at 8 p.m. at The Hollow Bar and Kitchen. Tickets are currently available for $12 in advance or $15 at the door the night of the show. Acoustic Trauma will play a late set beginning at 11 p.m.

  • 3 Great Metal Shows Coming to Rochester

    Three metal shows are coming to Rochester at Montage Music Hall in May, including Like A Storm with Devil You Know, Texas Hippie Coalition and All That Remains.

    Kiwi rockers Like A Storm are known for combining heavy baritone guitar riffs and hard rock songs with the didgeridoo, the traditional Australian wind instrument. They have shared the stage with Alter Bridge, Korn, Shinedown, Creed, Puddle of Mudd and Staind. They will be joined by metalcore supergroup Devil You Know from Los Angeles on Friday, May 6.

    Texas Hippie Coalition will take the stage on Friday, May 13. Vocalist Big Dad Ritch describes their sound on their website:

    It’s like Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top had a child, and Pantera ended up raising it. We’re Red Dirt Metal. That’s a flag we wave high. There wasn’t a line formed for us, so I created a line and jumped to the front of that bad boy. Ride On is the best example of what we do.

    Opening for Texas Hippie Coalition is Sons of Texas.

    Hailing from nearby Springfield, Massachusetts, All That Remains have released seven studio albums and sold well over a million records worldwide. They recently went through a lineup change back in September when longtime bassist Jeanne Sagan left the band. She has since been replaced by Aaron Patrick. All that Remains will play Sunday, May 22.

    Tickets for these shows are not yet on sale. Check the Montage Music Hall website for more info.

  • 518 Songfest at the Egg

    The 518 Songfest, a local singer/songwriter showcase, will take place at the Egg in Albany on Saturday, Feb. 27.

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    The 518 Songfest is part concert and part panel discussion that will showcase four local up-and-coming musicians along with songwriter Tim Moore, who wrote hit songs “Second Avenue” and “Rock and Roll Love Letter.” The other musicians include Bryan Thomas, Ashley Sophia, Benjamin John and Rhiannon’s Lark (featuring Alyssa Yeager). Sandy McKnight, co-producer of this event and producer of the Indie Fest at the Egg, will also take part in the panel discussion. The discussion will be led by the other co-producer, Andy Gregory, and Exit 97.7 WEXT’s Dave Michaels, who will be fielding questions from the audience.

    Attendees will want to arrive as close as possible to 6 p.m., when the doors open, as performers and sponsors will have booths setup in the Swyer Theater lobby and be available for questions and to autograph merchandise. Meet-and-greet sessions will also take place during intermission. Seating will begin at 6:30.

    Tickets for the show are available for $10 at the box office or online. Buyers are encouraged to purchase tickets early, as seating will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis, with the best seats going to the earliest buyers. Proceeds from the event will benefit Columbia Arts Team, WEXT and the Egg, all 501(c)3 non-profit organizations.

    [embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWbZ4iWWAAQ[/embedyt]

  • Florida Georgia Line to Play Dick’s Sporting Goods Open

    Florida Georgia Line will play at the 2016 Dick’s Sporting Goods Open at the En-Joie Golf Course in Endicott.

    The Dick’s Sporting Goods Open, held July 6 to 10, has become a staple in the area, attracting business to Endicott and the surrounding towns. In celebration of their 10th anniversary, Florida Georgia Line will perform at the Friday Night Concert on July 8. The concert takes place greenside once the golfers have finished swinging their woods and pulled their balls from the hole.

    Florida Georgia Line, the duo of Brian Kelly from Florida and Tyler Hubbard from Georgia, are one of the most successful country acts of the current decade, having won several music awards including Favorite Country Duo and Favorite Country Album, for their album Anything Goes, at the 2015 American Music Awards.

    They are gearing up for their Dig Your Roots 2016 tour, which begins next month in Australia and goes through mid-October in Atlanta. The tour brings them back to New York on July 17 at the Nikon at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, along with a handful of other stops in the Northeast.

    Visions Federal Credit Union is partnering with Dick’s Sporting Goods as a sponsor of the golf tournament. In celebration of their 50th year, all credit union members will have special priority pre-sale access to tickets to the open. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday, Feb. 19 at 9 a.m. The $60 ticket provides access to the First Round of Champions Tour Gold and to the Friday Night Concert on the McIntosh Soundstage.

  • Albany Symphony Orchestra 2016-2017 Season Features Yo Yo Ma

    The Albany Symphony Orchestra announced their 2016-2017 season, and it’s a big one with special guests Yo Yo Ma and anniversary celebrations.

    albany symphony yo yo maCelebrating the 25th anniversary of Grammy Award-winning musical director David Alan Miller, the Albany Symphony Orchestra has a big season lined up for their 87th year, including a performance with special guest cellist Yo Yo Ma and six world premiers. Miller’s strong devotion to music education, dynamic presence on the podium and dedication to the music of our time have brought a new level of success to the orchestra. The new season is designed to celebrate the collaboration between Miller and the musicians.

    The 2016-2017 season will also feature a number of special guest musicians in addition to Yo Yo Ma’s visit on Dec. 8. From the press release:

    The gala opening concert will feature soprano Saili Oak and pianist Natasha Paremski. In January, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1 will be performed by the great Russian virtuoso, Ilya Rashkovskiy. Other artists making their first appearance with the Albany Symphony include oboist Kathleen Needleman, violist Richard O’Neill, and guest conductor Karina Canellakis. In addition, there will be soloists from the Bard College Conservatory for the Mozart & Bach weekend. Several outstanding guest artists will participate in the American Music Festival in May, including the radiant violinist Chee-Yun and legendary Indian Folk-Clarinetist Shankar Tucker. 

    The season runs from October through June, with an opening night gala on Sept. 24. Season subscriptions are available, though they do not include the Evening with Yo Yo Ma. However, subscribers will have early access to purchase those tickets.

    2016-2017 Season:
    Opening Night Gala- Ravel & Sibelius
    Saturday, September 24, 2016: 7:30PM
    Palace Theatre
    David Alan Miller, Conductor
    Saili Oak, Soprano
    Natasha Paremski, Piano
    Reena Esmail: “Aria” for Soprano and Orchestra
    Ravel: Piano Concerto in G
    Sibelius: Symphony No. 5

    Peer Gynt
    Saturday, October 22, 2016: 7:30PM
    Sunday, October 23, 2016: 3:00PM
    Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
    David Alan Miller, Conductor
    Katherine Needleman, Oboe
    Reznicek: Donna Diana Overture
    Leroy Anderson: Three Pieces
    Rouse: Oboe Concerto
    Grieg: Peer Gynt, Suite No. 1
    Tchaikovsky: Francesca da Rimini

    Water Music & Schumann
    Saturday, November 19, 2016: 7:30PM
    Sunday November 20, 2016: 3:00PM
    Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
    David Alan Miller, Conductor
    Richard O’Neill, Viola
    Handel: Selections from “The Water Music”
    Theofanidis: Viola Concerto
    Bermel: “A Shout, A Whisper, and a Trace”
    Schumann: Symphony No. 4

    An Evening with Yo-Yo Ma
    (Non-Subscription Series, but first access to season subscribers)
    Thursday, December 8, 2016: 7:30PM
    Palace Theatre
    David Alan Miller, Conductor
    Yo-Yo Ma, Cello
    Wagner: Prelude to “Die Meistersinger”
    Dvorak: Serenade for Strings
    Conor Brown: New Work (World Premiere)
    Elgar: Cello Concerto

    Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto
    Saturday, January 7, 2017: 7:30PM
    Palace Theatre
    David Alan Miller, Conductor
    Ilya Rashkovskiy, Piano
    Barber: The School for Scandal Overture
    Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1
    Corigliano: Symphony No. 1, “Of Rage and Remembrance”

    Brahms’ Fourth
    Saturday, February 18, 2017: 7:30PM
    Palace Theatre
    Karina Canellakis, Guest Conductor
    Higdon: Dance Cards
    Beethoven: Triple Concerto
    Brahms: Symphony No. 4 in E minor

    Mozart & Bach
    Saturday, March 4, 2017: 7:30PM
    Sunday, March 5, 2017: 3:00PM
    Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
    David Alan Miller, Conductor
    Soloists from the Vocal Division of Bard College-Conservatory
    Mozart: Symphony No, 40 in G minor
    Torke: Three Concertinos for Solo Instruments and Orchestra (World Premiere)
    Bach: Cantata No. 78 “Jesu, der du meine Seele”

    Beethoven’s 9th
    Saturday, April 8, 2017: 7:30PM
    Palace Theatre
    David Alan Miller, Conductor
    Albany Pro Musica Tower: Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman, No. 6
    Tsontakis: 25th Anniversary Commission (World Premiere)
    Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor (“Choral”)

    American Music Festival
    Saturday, May 21, 2017: 7:30PM
    EMPAC
    David Alan Miller, Conductor
    Chee-Yun, Violin
    Shankar Tucker, Clarinet
    Harbison: Partita for Orchestra
    Theofanidis: Violin Concerto
    Reena Esmail: Clarinet Concerto (World Premiere)
    Mellon Young Composer: New Work (World Premiere)

    Additional Subscriber Specials:
    Roscoe: An American Grand Opera, by Evan Mack (Concert Premiere)
    Saturday, October 15, 2016: 7:30PM
    Palace Theatre
    David Alan Miller, Conductor
    A new opera composed by Capital Region resident and Skidmore College Professor Evan Mack, based on the novel of the same name by Pulitzer Prize winning author William Kennedy.

    Magic of Christmas
    December 4, 2016: 3:00PM
    Palace Theatre
    David Alan Miller, Conductor

    American Music Festival
    May 18-21, 2017
    A weekend of innovative new works by living American composers, artistic happenings, and special events across Troy, including performances by the Albany Symphony and the Dogs of Desire.

    [embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbspIl7-5V8[/embedyt]