NYS Music 20​16

Category: Genres

  • Slick Rick Becomes a U.S. Citizen

    English-born rapper and long-time Bronx resident Ricky “Slick Rick” Martin Lloyd Walters became an American citizen last week in New York after a protracted 23-year battle.

    slick rick tourIn a statement, Walters said:

    I am so proud of this moment – and so honored to finally become an American citizen. This has been a long time coming for me, and I am relieved to finally put this long chapter behind me. I want to thank everyone – my family, friends and fans – who have supported me and stuck by me over these 23 years. I am truly blessed – and stay tuned, I will have more to announce soon.

    The rapper rose to fame in the early 1990s on the strength of his storytelling style of rap exhibited on his Def Jam debut The Great Adventures of Slick Rick. The album featured some of Walters’ biggest hits including, “Children’s Story,” “Teenage Love” and “Hey Young World.”

    Walters moved to the Bronx from London when he was 11 years old. He quickly became immersed in the hip-hop culture and joined Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew as MC Ricky D soon after finishing high school.

    The legal battle behind his citizenship began in 1990 when he was sentenced to prison for the self-defense shooting of his cousin, who had been hired and subsequently fired as his bodyguard. A bystander was also injured in the incident. Walters spent five years in prison on charges of attempted murder and residency issues with Immigration and Naturalization Services.

    When released from prison, Walters was threatened with deportation, spending several years in and out of prison. New York Gov. David Paterson granted Walters a full pardon in 2008, clearing the path to citizenship.

    Walters has been credited as the most successful British-American rapper and also one of the genre’s most sampled artists. He has collaborated with Jay Z, Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot and Outkast.

    Walters has dedicated much of his time to mentoring youth and raising funds for issues impacting under-served communities.

    Slick Rick embarks on a short spring tour throughout the Midwest and Southeast on May 7. Dates can be found on his website.

  • Hearing Aide: Gramatik ‘Epigram’

    EpigramEpigram, a short saying representing a larger meaning or idea. The album art for Gramatik’s ninth album, Epigram, is the epigram. Being an outspoken advocate of free music sharing, Gramatik often engages in discussion on Twitter. The concise and lucid quips people send in 140 characters – epigrams – are often the initial inspiration for his music, which led to the album’s name.

    Epigram is a short, yet powerful, album featuring collaborations with many popular names in hip hop, such as Raekwon, ProbCause, and Adrian Lau. The album’s 10 tracks span the range of electronic music and includes bits of dubstep, downtempo, and straight up electronic hip hop. Gramatik strays from his usual sampling of music from the ’40s, ’50s, ’60s and ’70s for his latest release. Instead, he chose to sample the music of his musician friends. The result is a concise album that flows from track to track and keeps the listener engaged and awaiting the next hook or beat to drop.

    “Tempus Illusio” kicks off Epigram with a short, intensifying tune. “Satoshi Nakamoto” is a rap, loosely based on Bitcoin, invented by Satoshi Nakamoto, sung over jazzy samples. It features both Adrian Lau and ProbCause trading up the vocal duties. “War of the Currents” is straight up dubstep. Gramatik remixes Laibach’s “Eat Liver!” into a more danceable track with elements of dubstep and house. The album closes out with the more downtempo “Anima Mundi,” featuring Russ Liquid, which nicely bookends the first track.

    Overall, Epigram is an excellent collection of beats displaying Gramatik’s skills. In staying true to his ideals, the album is available as a free download or through traditional paid download outlets, such as iTunes and Amazon.

    Key tracks: Satoshi Nakamoto, Native Son, Native Son Prequel, Back to the Future

  • The New Mastersounds Return to Brooklyn Bowl

    The New Mastersounds’ extensive U.S. tour is under way with the first of three concerts at the Brooklyn Bowl on Thursday, coming after a quick appearance at Wannee Festival. Opening a three-night residency on a Thursday gave fans a unique opportunity to see a band deliver a compelling show to a small weeknight crowd while also gearing up for the rest of a big weekend. The jazz-funk quartet from Leeds, UK, was supported by Brooklyn’s own Moon Hooch.tkenna_newmastersounds_bkbowl_35

    Moon Hooch put on an opening performance that was brimming with creativity and authenticity. Their music is a sort of new wave-influenced EDM brought to life with an arsenal of carefully selected acoustic and electronic instruments. The HN3A8280compositions are rooted in tight dance rhythms precisely metered out by drummer James Muschler. Mike Wilbur’s saxophone melodies typically take the lead while Wenzl McGowen produces womping bass lines using anything from a contrabass clarinet to a baritone sax to a woodwind MIDI controller. Song arrangements did vary in surprising ways, though, such as when
    Muschler sat down on the floor of the stage to provide some excellent tabla playing or when Wilbur delivered a dope rap verse. All three members of the trio proved themselves to be versatile and cleverly skilled. Moon Hooch’s set had a spiritual undertone throughout, made explicit at times by slowed down samples of Alan Watts and McGowen’s closing remarks about imaginal cells, which turn caterpillars into butterflies.

    The New Mastersounds kicked off their set with characteristic pep and never slowed down for a second. Their brand of bouncy, uptempo jazz riffing was infectious and immutable. Drummer Simon Allen propelled the band with giddy enthusiasm. Bassist Pete Shand was an endless fountain of rhythmic momentum and complex harmony. Some of the most ebullient soloing came from keyboardist Joe Tatton’s organ. Guitarist and bandleader Eddie Roberts defined the character of each tune with a steady cascade of jazz-funk techniques. The set consisted pretty much entirely of cheery, major key groovers. Whatever it may have lacked in emotional range, it more than made up for in intensity. The buzz that the band created was one of pure joy and vigor. Even as the Thursday night crowd began to thin towards the end of the performance, the remaining audience was huddled in front of the stage, soaking in every moment of what came to feel like a very intimate musical experience. The band seemed to be projecting a humble appreciation for the setting and to be gearing up for the remaining shows on Friday and Saturday. These weekend shows are likely to see larger turnout and even more fiery performances from The New Mastersounds.

  • Hearing Aide: Jason Bean ‘Black Then Blue Then Gray’

    Jason Bean, a singer-songwriter originally from Phoenix, NY, and now based in Syracuse, is a worthy local musician to be on the look-out for. Black Then Blue Then Gray sounds very professionally recorded and produced, which is quite notable, being that Bean recorded this, his fifth album, in his home studio, Black Match Studios. Mellow was the first word that came to mind as a very first impression, featuring a simple mix of guitar (played by Bean), vocals (predominantly from Bean himself, but joined by the lovely Kate Crawford on a few of the tunes), drums (masterfully played by Jason’s brother Christopher Bean), and the occasional bass and keys (performed by friend and previous producer Doug Moncrief).

    jason beanThis album can actually be enjoyed on two very different levels. On the surface, if you happen to just be listening in passing, this album can be appreciated for its simplicity and repetitiveness in both the instrumental and lyrical aspects of the music. Full disclosure: I admittedly was not overly impressed by this album when giving it a first listen, in part due to the fact that there aren’t any complicated jams or epic solos, but upon truly listening to the lyrics – which is something you evidently must do to be able to fully appreciate this album – it becomes clear just how impressive this album is. The heartfelt lyrics take you on a journey through something most of us have been through or are presently in: a relationship.

    Black Then Blue Then Gray features more traditional love songs such as “Real,” about new love in its purest sense, on which the “guy” is begging his love interest to let him show her “this is something real,” and “Safe,” about feeling truly comfortable and safe with someone, the type of song you wouldn’t mind someone singing to you! But this album also delves into much deeper and more difficult aspects of the relationship. “Let Her Run” puts a clever twist on the cliché “if you love her, let her go,” while “Our Fears” offers the listener an ironic “non-love” song, repeating the lyrics “Don’t tell me that you love me, it’s all downhill from here.”

    The album then moves on to the break-up stage of the relationship, from the bitter feelings and trying to justify the break-up on “Smokescreen,” to feeling the burn of being replaced by someone else on (the appropriately named) “Someone Else,” to the acceptance of and finding comfort in being alone on “Windows.” The last song on the album, “You,” brings everything full circle, with Kate Crawford joining in again on this nostalgic song of loving memories and regret about the love they have lost.

    Black Then Blue Then Grey presents the listener with a complete story put to music. One could venture to say, even, that the music plays a back seat to the story, while, at the same time, the understated nature of the instrumental components of the album seem to serve as the perfect backdrop to the story: a very symbiotic relationship. This album certainly leaves the listener curious about the four previous albums put out by Jason Bean, as well as those yet to be released.

    Key Tracks:  Our Fears, Safe, Smokescreen

  • NYC welcomes Journey with “Open Arms”

    Like Saturday Night Live is to NYC,  Journey is a household name in rock music. Since their inception in 1973, the band continues to tour tirelessly every year, rocking audiences of all ages and all over the world who welcome them with open arms.

    The guys made a pit stop at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night while on their short stint with the legendary Carlos Santana.

    journey Open ArmsA Journey show never disappoints, regardless if they are your all time favorite band in the world or you’ve merely sang (or screamed) “Don’t Stop Believin” at 3am in some random, dark bar in the East Village. You will love every minute of the show. The old favorites come back to you like it was yesterday, fielding distant memories from years gone by, you are sure to leave with the swagger of an 18 year-old.

    The band started the night with “Separate Ways,” followed by “Be Good to Yourself,” and right into “Open Arms.” And after a Neal Schon guitar segue, one of my personal favorites, “Stone in Love” cracked the crowd wide open.

    The humility and gracious nature of singer Arnel Pineda is purely contagious. Where we once thought there could be no replacement for Steve Perry, Arnel takes our experience to a fresh and creative new level. His soft as suede voice and unbridled excitement reminds us that anything is possible and your wildest dreams can come true if you dare.

    Sunglassed and sleek, guitarist Neal Schon is the backbone of Journey and has been since the beginning. As he meticulously picks his emerald green Gibson, you can sense the greatness that lurks behind those dark shades.

    Iconic songwriter and piano man, Jonathan Cain, is responsible for some of the most infectious love songs in the 20th century. As an intro to “Faithfully,” he stated:

    “This song was written on a late night bus ride from NYC, I was the new guy in the band and there was this moment when I realized we were family, sort of like a traveling circus, that’s where the inspiration for “Faithfully” came.”

    During this tear-jerking melody, a lovely photo montage of fans and life on the road were displayed behind them.

    As the night came to a close and my eyes caught the distant silhouettes of fans bowing from the stage left side seats, Journey ended the evening with “Don’t Stop Believin’,” followed by “Any Way You Want It” and an encore of “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin.”

    The ‘journey’ continues across the nation until September, don’t miss this legendary band.

  • Turkuaz Ends Sold Out 3 Night Run at Brooklyn Bowl

    On Saturday April 9,  Brooklyn’s own Turkuaz closed out their three-night run to a sold out crowd at Brooklyn Bowl.

    After the opening band, Sidewalk Chalk, began heating up the room to a simmer, Turkuaz brought the crowd to full on boil with their opening song “Lika” from their 2015 Digitonium release. Next up was “Chatte Lunatique” off of the Zerbert album, which had the crowd, brass section and backup vocalists bopping up and down in synch. Each band member sported their own signature, color-coded Members Only jacket on stage, reminiscent of a funky bag of Skittles that had somehow taken human form and hypnotized the Brooklyn Bowl. By the fourth song, and their first cover, Sam and Dave’s “Hold On, I’m Comin’” everyone from the back bar to the front of stage could taste the rainbow as the classic soul tune raged on.

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    The band took a minute to wipe the sweat from their faces before tackling “Lift It Up” into their most listened-to Spotify tune, “Bubba Slide,” off the Future 86 album. “Who were you two days ago/I’ll be damned if you should know,” are the opening lyrics to “Bubba” and on the third night of transformational Brooklyn run, the words took on a different meaning. There was a feeling in the room that something special was happening. We were witnessing a new brand of funk while simultaneously time-traveling to the golden age of the genre.

    The 9-piece jammed on with a few more originals before capping off the first set with their second cover of the night, “I’ve Got a Feeling” by a band founded far away from Williamsburg, The Beatles. Just before the tkenna_turkuaz_bkbowlN3_024cover began, the audience started to thin out for a fresh beer or cigarette during what was sure to be the break of an already stellar set until they heard the opening riff to this Let it Be classic. People began sprinting back inside to be part of the action and as the cigarette flames were extinguished outside, a new fire started within. Since the last time Turkuaz ignited the Brooklyn Bowl flame in 2015, the band’s sound has evolved through hard work, relentless touring and attention to their craft. Ask any die-hard Turkuaz fan and they will tell you that the band gets better every time you see them in Brooklyn. Smiles covered the group’s faces as they proudly sang the symbolic lyrics “Everybody had a good year, everybody let their hair down, everybody pulled their socks up, everybody put their foot down.” Oh, yeah!

    Set two’s energy picked off right where the first left off as Taylor Shell’s bass pumped out an extra groove-able intro to the Digitonium tune, “Doktor Jazz.” As if the band wasn’t hot enough on their own, they called tkenna_turkuaz_bkbowlN3_021upon James Casey (Trey Anastasio Band) and his saxophone wizardry to add some gasoline to the blaze. The band was just getting started as Casey exited the stage after a short lived, but memorable sit-in. The crowd appeared to have stretched their legs during set break as they put on an all-out dance clinic during the sexy “Desert Island,” “Coast to Coast,” “E.Y.E. (Lookin’ Good)” threesome of originals.

    An extended version of “Tired of Talkin’” led the band to show the heavily-breathing crowd mercy after “Digital Love” to cool things down for a moment, well, slightly. As the second set was coming to a close each tkenna_turkuaz_bkbowlN2_036member was placed under the spotlight during “Gogo, Mr. Dodo,” but especially Shira Elias, who was dressed like a feminine synth pop version of the yellow Power Ranger. She definitely took lead on this second-set highlight as she shook the Brooklyn Bowl with her soulful pipes.

    As Sunday morning was officially upon us, the band came out to cover one more song, The Talking Heads, “Take Me To The River.” Since the early days of Turkuaz, it has been no secret that the Heads have been one of the main influences from their tongue-in-cheek lyrics to their strange attire and genre melting sound. “Take Me To The River” may be one of the most covered and influential songs on the jam-band or funk circuit in the past 40 years and this group absolutely nailed their take on the Al Green penned piece. The climax came after the band collectively dropped the crowd into the funky waters of the venue.

    Hours after the show ended the caption on the Turkuaz Facebook page reads, “This was truly one of the most special weekends we’ve experienced as a band.” After that power-funk spectacle, it is safe to say that the growing fan base had a pretty special weekend as well.

  • Miles Deep: Lucid Bids Farewell

    Before I could even step inside I was already spotted. Walking down Brinkerhoff Street in downtown Plattsburgh on a Saturday evening, the bright lights of the newly reopened Strand Theatre could be seen for several blocks. And as I rounded the corner and approached this beacon of culture for the Lake City, numerous familiar faces turned towards me, smiled and ran over to say hello.

    It sure had been a long time. And yet, it all felt like one gigantic moment, hung proudly on the mantle of my soul. Standing in front of the theatre, the sounds of legendary North Country rock act Lucid spilled out onto the streets — echoing across the deep waters of nearby Lake Champlain and pushing up in the heavens, ultimately swirling around the ancient Adirondack Mountains to the west. For the last 14 years, their melodies have been the soundtrack of the Champlain Valley and beyond, and now, it was time to put the record on pause with the recent announcement of their hiatus.And yet, the irony lay right at the start of the evening. You see, for as long as Lucid has been together, the Strand Theatre has been under renovation, a longtime storied venue whose rejuvenation rolled along at such a slow burn, one wondered if the embers were just some glowing mirage we’d only hoped for in dreams.

    Lucid bids FarewellWandering into the large building, hundreds of glorious beings milled about, most of which standing like a rippling ocean of rhythmic movement at the base of stage. And just as stood there in awe of the spectacle, you heard a noise above you and looked up, only to realize there was a full balcony of music freaks overhead. Sure, there were two full sets of music, roaring like a freight train across the spectrum of the band’s career, making musical stops ranging from reggae to hip- hop, gypsy to nitty-gritty blues. And yes, it a performance that sent a chill through your body, where you raised your arm and could see the goose bumps emerge. But, that wasn’t what the evening was about, at least for those in the band and their inner circle.

    Lucid is (was) about creating a space for all walks of life to converge. It was a scene that was created to foster change, understanding, and happiness. It was about pulling into some random North Country town and showing them just how beautiful and mesmerizing the circus can be. It was about you, and me, and all of us. The power of their music, and their presence, is what was at the core of Lucid. They preached love, personal growth, and the joyous possibilities of humanity, where you can wake up everyday and conquer the world with your positive intent and bright light radiating from within.

    Lucid bids FarewellAnd as I stood there on the side stage, watching my musical brothers take their final encore for may be awhile, I was struck by how loud the standing ovation was from the enormous crowd. It wasn’t surprising, it was more so awe-inspiring, this never-ending roundabout circle of passion and energy shooting back and forth between the band and the audience — the essence of what music is, always and forever. Lucid chose “Whiskey Dreams” for their encore, a song whose word ricocheted around the depths of my heart when the lyric “we are them, and they are us…” catapulted out of the speakers, tying a bow on a career that, to at least myself, still
    has a few chapters left to write.

    Life is beautiful, grasp for it, y’all.

    Set 1: Suenos Intro Mind Trippin Four Winds>Gemini Eye* Boats Ancient Incantations Green Money Whoa Mamma$ Rainbow* San Pedro^ Po Man’s Blues^ Miles Deep Pushin Dirt

    Set 2: Black Smoke Blessed and Cursed Ground on Up Tight Tight Body in Free*% Psychedelic Bad Habit Break a Man* Lucky Dice Came and Went>Silhouettes Styles of the Smooth Backwoods^

    Encore: Whiskey Dreams$

    * – Meadow Eliz
    $ – Chris English
    ^ – George Wurster
    % – Catherine Wurster & Shannon Rigsby

    Lucid bids Farewell

  • Holly Bowling Announces Spring Tour, New Short Film

    Classical pianist Holly Bowling has captivated audiences over the past few years with her solo interpretations of Phish and others on piano. This spring, she will hit the road again to share her music with crowds from New Orleans all the way to Vermont (with New York in the middle, of course).

    Although her pre-Twiddle party show at Garcia’s at the Capitol Theatre has already sold out, tickets for her other shows are still available. See the full list of tour dates below; tickets for these shows can be found on Bowling’s Bandisintown page.

    Holly Bowling Short Film

    Holly Bowling is also the subject of a new short film, “Holly Bowling – Distilling a Dream,” which was recently released on YouTube by its filmmakers, Chris Weaver and Paul Camarata.

    Weaver and Camarata state in a press release:

    Our film “DISTILLING A DREAM” features the music of Phish ; a new interview with Royal Potato Family recording artist Marco Benevento ; and exclusive footage of Holly’s first ever East Coast tour date last August in Philadelphia – which Phish bassist Mike Gordon attended ; all in a story that reveals how this budding star has transformed her dream into reality.

    Tour dates:

    April 24 – Hidden Gems Showcase: JazzFest 2016 – New Orleans, LA
    April 26  Amy Winehouse, The Band & Phish Tribute – New Orleans, LA
    May 4 – The Pittsburgh Winery – Pittsburgh, PA
    May 5 – River Street Jazz Cafe – Wilkes-Barre, PA
    May 6 – The Paramount Theatre Backstage – Asbury Park, NJ
    May 7 – Twiddle Pre-Party at Garcia’s – Port Chester, NY (SOLD OUT)
    May 8 – The Lily Pad – Cambridge, MA
    May 9 – Starlite Gallery – Southbridge, MA
    May 11 – Higher Ground Showcase Lounge – South Burlington, VT
    May 12 – Massry Center for the Arts – Albany, NY (Presented by NYS Music)
    May 13 – THE BLUE NOTE – New York, NY
    May 14 – The Westcott Theater – Syracuse, NY
    May 15 – A Special Living Room show – Buffalo, NY
    May 16 – Woodlands Tavern – Columbus, OH

  • Spiritual Rez Northeast Run Blankets New York State

    High energy ska and funk is headed towards New York this week with Spiritual Rez’s 2016 Northeast Tour. With live performances that elicit an incredibly powerful blend of reggae, rock, ska and jam, the group has been on a cross country tour amid the release of their upcoming album due out this summer. 

    The Northeast Tour brings the group to Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo, Erie, Brooklyn, New Haven, Boston, Portland, Burlington and Saratoga Springs over a two week period, providing ample opportunities for you to dance the night away and walk into work exhausted but smiling the next morning.

    The as of yet untitled album, slated for an early summer release, was recorded in Los Angeles at Jim Kaufman Productions under the direction of Kenny Carkeet (Awolnation) and Max Collins (Eve 6). One of the many collaborators that took part in the album is trombonist Billy Kottage of Reel Big Fish, who is featured on the track “Bad Girl.” More jaw dropping collaborations will be revealed around the album’s release.

  • Turkuaz and lespecial Funk It Up Night Two at Brooklyn Bowl

    Turkuaz continued their 2016 Digitonium Tour with a 3 night run at Brooklyn Bowl, featuring lespecial for their second night. If any NY funk lovers were looking for something to do for 3 days in April, this was it.

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    lespecial opened the night of groovy dancing and brought a lighter, funkier version of their death-funk/future-groove with some staples from Omnisquid such as “Fruit Wolf Dance”, “Sugaboi”, and “Pressed For Time”tkenna_lespecial_bkbowl_020 (guitarist/vocalist Gruskauskas’ vocal range truly shines on this track). The trio from Boston also featured classic cover of Les Claypool’s “My Name is Mud”, some new music in collaboration with some Turkuaz members and even a cover of Tears For Fears’ “Everybody Wants To Rule The World.” I’ve mentioned before in previous reviews, lespecial is truly one of my favorite bands to experience live as their genre-bending capabilities are unmatched!

    Succeeding their funk-band-in-arms, Turkuaz took the stage and opened with a fitting “Introduction” from their recent album, Digitonium. Following a strong intro, a very funked up “The Rules” from the 2011 album Zerbert , had the crowd dancing and bopping from the floor to the bowling lanes. It was at this moment I realized what I had been missing; Turkuaz truly brings the funk and I had seen the light in only their second song of the night. Each piece of the band plays a very integral part as each member not only brings their extreme talent to each instrument and vocal aspect but also their own unique style. Some favorites from the night included “The Generator” and “King Computer” from Digitonium and “Tip Toe Through the Crypto” and “It’s So Hard” from the Stereochrome EP.

    Turkuaz’s second set was very special as they dedicated the entirety of it to The Band. They opened with a very funky “Chest Fever” followed by an affectionately soulful “Ophelia” and then an extremely heartfelt “The Night They Drove Dixie Down.” “Up On Cripple Creek” seems to have been made for them to cover as they certainly shined in all aspects whilst rocking the track. Naturally, during “The Weight”, a beautiful sing-a-long manifested from the crowd and a very dancey “Don’t Do It” got everyone moving and shaking. Closing out with a fervent and almost spiritual “I Shall Be Released” it’s an understatement to say that Turkuaz did these anthems justice; they put their all into every track and made each one a unique experience. Turkuaz is an amazing spectacle of talent, color and funk. If you consider yourself a fan of live music and have not experienced a Turkuaz show, you’re doing yourself an injustice.