Pioneering drummer Ginger Baker, best known for his role in the late ’60s supergroup Cream died Sunday in England at the age of 80.
Baker’s Facebook account published this message Sunday morning.
Baker’s style influenced many heavy metal drummers much to his dismay. The notoriously cantankerous drummer, in a 2015 Forbes interview, when asked about his influence on the metal genre, had this to say:
I find it incredibly repulsive, always have. I’ve seen where Cream is sort of held responsible for the birth of heavy metal. Well, I would definitely go for aborting [laughs]. I loathe and detest heavy metal. I think it is an abortion. A lot of these guys come up and say, “Man, you were my influence, the way you thrashed the drums.” They don’t seem to understand I was thrashing in order to hear what I was playing. It was anger, not enjoyment – and painful. I suffered on stage because of that [high amplifier] volume crap. I didn’t like it then, and like it even less now.
Nevertheless, Baker’s heavy-handed, double-bass style of drumming influenced scores of drummers that came after him. Cream was formed from the ashes of Baker and Jack Bruce’s band, the Graham Bond Organization. Eric Clapton had left The Yardbirds in 1966 and suggested forming a power trio to Baker, including Bruce in the equation. The often volatile relationship between Baker and Bruce led to the demise of several of their early bands, including Cream, which lasted only two years.
In those two years, Cream released four albums that produced such influential singles as “White Room,” “Tales of Brave Ulysses, ” “Sunshine of Your Love,” and “Badge.”
Following the dissolution of Cream, Clapton and Baker recruited Steve Winwood and Ric Grech to form Blind Faith. The short-lived band produced one self-titled album before calling it quits. Clapton went on to perform with Delaney and Bonnie and Derek and the Dominoes, while Winwood and Grech returned to Traffic. Baker moved to Nigeria, performing with legendary Afrobeat composer Fela Kuti.
Blind Faith’s first live performance at London’s Hyde Park in 1969
Baker spent much of the later ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s performing with a number of bands to help pay the bills. One of these bands was Syracuse-based Masters of Reality, a King Crimson and Black Sabbath-inspired band. He joined the group for their Sunrise on the Sufferbus album in 1993. They charted with the single “She Got Me (When She Got Her Dress On).”
Baker, who famously rejected being called a rock drummer, returned to his jazz roots in the mid-’90s, forming the Ginger Baker Trio with jazz legends, guitarist Bill Frisell and bassist Charlie Haden.
In 2005 he reunited with his Cream bandmates for a series of concerts in London and New York, the former is chronicled on the album, Royal Albert Hall London May 2, 3, 5, 6, 2005.
Cream was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
Baker’s health had been deteriorating in recent years, falling victim to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, degenerative osteoarthritis and heart issues, eventually taking him off the road.
Artists worldwide from Flea to Paul McCartney have been paying tribute to the legendary drummer on social media.
Ginger Baker, great drummer, wild and lovely guy. We worked together on the 'Band on the Run' album in his ARC Studio, Lagos, Nigeria. Sad to hear that he died but the memories never will. X Paul pic.twitter.com/Rne4tn6A2i
Central New York songwriters Mike Powell and Chris Merkley will celebrate the connection between craft beer and music this October with their first mini-tour of local breweries, fittingly in their home region, which at one time produced 90% of the hops in the U.S.
Since the passing of the Craft New York Act in 2014, more than 400 licensed breweries have opened across the state. Not only did this act create many new places to sample craft-brewed beers, but it also created almost as many new performance spaces for musicians. Powell and Merkley have chosen four of these breweries for their 4-pack micro tour, dubbed Original Gravity.
In brewing terms, original gravity refers to the specific gravity of the wort prior to fermentation, which is the process that produces the beer. The name of this mini-tour fits perfectly within that theme. The two friends are embarking on the first of what they hope will be a continuing series of brewery stops. This tour will measure the original gravity of this type of endeavor.
They’ll be exploring different perspectives on the idea of craftsmanship, taking a closer look at the similarities between songwriters and brewers while documenting their travels as part of a collaboration with NYSMusic. The folk, blues and Americana-inspired songwriters will make stops in Rome, Penn Yan, Warners, and Pompey between October 10 – 13.
Mike Powell and John Hanus of the Black River provided by press contact person for Woods Fest Music Festival.
Singer-songwriters spend countless years honing their craft and exploring the endless possibilities and nuances of pairing lyrics to music. When these songs finally make it to the microphone, they impact listeners with a wide range of thoughts, feelings, and emotions. In similar ways, a craft brewer can enter into the tradition of brewing beer and spend as many countless years refining their recipes and process to create just the right balance of flavors and notes for that first sip.
The first stop of the tour takes Powell and Merkley to Copper City Brewing Company in Rome for a Thursday, Oct. 10 show. Established in 2016, Copper City is Rome’s first brewery since the 1940s. With 11 beers on tap and a selection of hard ciders and wines hand-selected from the region, Copper City has dedicated itself to bringing brewing back to the community and is proud to be the first local microbrewery in over seven decades. Music starts at 7 p.m. and admission is free.
Mike Powell
The second show of Original Gravity takes the songwriters west to Abandon Brewing in Penn Yan on Friday, Oct. 11. Perched atop the Finger Lakes, Abandon Brewing Company is a geothermal-powered craft brewery located in a reused farmhouse overlooking Keuka Lake. Visitors can enjoy tastings in the taproom, a pint in their beer hall or out on the deck overlooking the grapes, apples and hops of Abandon Acres. Music starts at 8 p.m. and tickets to the show are now available through the Facebook event and through Eventbrite.
For the third show of the tour, Merkley and Powell travel to a brand new brewery in Pompey called Heritage Hill Brewhouse. With farm-to-table dining options and an expansive property that features multiple playgrounds and patios, a pumpkin patch, and numerous gardens, Heritage Hill offers views as far as the Carrier Dome and across nine counties on a clear day. Powell and Merkley are scheduled to perform on their outdoor stage at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12. In the event of inclement weather, music will move indoors in Heritage Hill’s event barn.
The fourth and final show of the micro tour brings the songwriting duo to Warners for a performance at Local 315 Brewing Company. Growing their own hops at Fawn Crossing Hops Farm, and supplementing other ingredients from as many New York State products as possible, Local 315 Brewing has made it a mission to keep it local in the 315. Music starts at 3 p.m. on the 12th and will take place on the outdoor stage weather permitting.
With a vintage voice and a chest full of hauntingly heartfelt songs, prolific storyteller Mike Powell is the underground messenger of blue-collar soul. Each night the lights go up, this pioneering poet lets his guard down and allows the fervently fearless stories to come to life. His comfort behind a microphone and unique brand of atomic folk creates a vibe that warms the room like a long-ago fire burning hot inside a cabin in the woods.
Armed with a pair of homemade wooden boxes, resonator guitar, and a suitcase full of harmonicas, Chris Merkley has performed over a thousand shows from the streets of Paris to venues throughout Europe and across the United States. He has released nine albums with a variety of groups which include the songwriting duo Merkley & Morgan, his high-octane country/blues belting band of globetrotters called The Crooners, and the swampy blues rock trio Digger Jones. In addition to an extensive career of recording and touring, Merkley has composed and produced catalogs of original music for Cinemax and HBO and has had his songs featured in numerous independent films and television broadcasts.
Throughout the duration of Original Gravity, there will be regular updates at NYSMusic featuring blog-style entries to document tales of their tour. Accounts of the shows as well as perspectives on the unique characteristics of each brewery, and their approach to brewing will be covered along with stories from the road. More information on the music of Powell and Merkley can be found on Facebook or by visiting their websites at MikePowell.co and ChrisMerkley.com.
The 19th Annual Native American Music Awards will take place at Seneca Niagara Hotel and Casino in Niagara Falls on Nov. 2. Among this year’s nominees are four New York-based acts. Public voting is now open through the NAMA website.
Syracuse’s Irv Lyons, Jr., Joanne Shenandoah, and the Ripcords were each nominated as well as Buffalo’s Nick Lone. Lyons earned two nominations, one for Best Rock Recording for his Sisters and Brothers album and one for Song of the Year, “Looking for the Light” from that album.
Lyons recorded his latest album at SubCat Studios in Syracuse with an all-star cast of area musicians that included Joe Driscoll, Billy Harrison, Melissa Gardiner, Edgar Pagan, Melanie Krahmer, Richie Melito, and others. Lyons is a Oneida Nation native and also a member of the Ripcords, who have also been nominated this year. His band’s sounds are rooted in blues, Latin jazz and country. The lineup he put together for his latest album brings hip-hop, jazz, rock, Latin jazz performers, producing a truly eclectic album.
Irv Lyons, Jr.
Shenandoah is up for Best Indie Single of the Year for her song “We Will Rise Up.” She is a Grammy-winning and 14-time Nammy winning Oneida Nation Native that not only writes and performs but is also an internationally recognized humanitarian and peace advocate. She is a founding member of the Hiawatha Insitute for Indigenous Knowledge and has performed for the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela. The Associated Press has described her as “America’s most celebrated and critically acclaimed Native American musicians of her time.”
Joanne Shenandoah
Buffalo’s Nick Lone is nominated in the Best Rap/Hip Hop/R&B category for his song “Native Pride.”
The Ripcords are a Syracuse-based band influenced by the blues, roots rock, rock-a-billy, and the music of New Orleans. They’ve been on the Syracuse music scene since 2003 and have performed throughout the Northeast. The band has been nominated in the Best Blues and Best Live Video categories for this year’s Nammys for their album Live at SubCat Studios.
The full list of this year’s nominees is below.
19th Annual Native American Music Awards Nominees:
Artist of the Year
Bear Fox (Mohawk) – Life Blanket
Murphy Platero (Navajo) – Butterflies, Horses and Guitars
Shelley Morningsong (Northern Cheyenne) – Simple Truth
Tonemah (Lumbee) – Red Dirt Remark
Vince Redhouse (Navajo) – A Distant Star
Wade Fernandez (Menominee) – Journey of the Heart
Group or Duo of the Year
Crazy Flute (Cherokee) – We Belong To The Music
Cree Confederation (Cree/Various) – Medicine Horse
Larry Redhouse Quartet (Navajo) – Naomi’s Dance
Sihasin (Navajo) – Fight Like A Woman
The Cody Blackbird Band and Connor Chee (Dakota, Cherokee, Navajo) – Live From White Horse Black Mountain
Young Spirit (Plains Cree/Various) – Red Dress Special/Love, Life, Round Dance
New Artist or Debut Artist of the Year
Alex FireThunder (Lakota) – Makȟóčhe Kiŋ Theȟíla (Love For The Land)
D Johnson (Navajo) – K Town
David Lopez (Comanche/Tarahumara) – If I Won The Lottery
Rooted Entertainment and Woods Valley Ski Area are joining forces to celebrate Mother Earth with the inaugural Harvestfest at the ski area located just north of Rome on Oct. 19.
The day-long, first-year festival is headlined by Hayley Jane with special guest Rob Compa of Dopapod and Syracuse’s Root Shock.
The festival kicks off at 2:00 p.m. and is designed as a celebration of Mother Earth and female musicians. Joining the headliners are Connecticut r&b/soul act Erica T. Bryan from West End Blend with her latest project the New Mosaic, Ithaca ska band ¡Viva Mayhem!, and Syracuse alt-blues punks Late Earth.
A portion of the proceeds from the festival will be donated to Groovesafe, a non-profit movement organized to stop unwanted touching and sexual assault at live music events.
Tickets for the family-friendly festival are $20 and available through the Woods Valley website here. For more information, visit the Facebook event page here.
Ric Ocasek, the singer-songwriter for the prolific New Wave band The Cars was found dead in his Manhattan townhouse Sunday. The cause of death was listed as heart disease according to the New York City medical examiner’s office.
In an Instagram post from his wife, Paulina Porizkova, the 75-year-old musician was home recovering from surgery when he passed in his sleep. The couple had amicably separated in 2018.
The Cars broke out of Boston in the late-70s. Their debut album went on to sell six million copies behind the strength of the single, “Just What I Needed” and led to nearly a decade of constant radio and MTV play for the band.
They were inducted into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame by Brandon Flowers of The Killers in 2018 who said of the band, “They had it all: the looks, the hooks, Beat romance lyrics, killer choruses.” At the ceremony, the remaining members of the band reunited with Scott Shriner of Weezer on bass. Original bassist and founding member, Benjamin Orr, died in 2000.
Richard Theodore Ocasek was born in Baltimore, MD on March 23, 1944, moving to Cleveland, OH with his family at the age of 16. He dropped out of Bowling Green State University to focus on music. It was in Cleveland where Ocasek met Benjamin Orr. They performed in various bands throughout Columbus, OH and Ann Arbor, MI before relocating to Boston, MA in the early 1970s.
Boston is where Ocasek and Orr met up with who would become the Cars lineup: keyboardist Greg Hawkes, guitarist Elliot Easton, and former Modern Lovers drummer David Robinson.
Ocasek became the face of the band, taking on most songwriting duties and singing the majority of their hits. Orr sang lead on the band’s biggest hit, 1984’s “Drive.”
From 1978 until the band dissolved in 1988, The Cars were a force on modern rock radio and the early days of MTV. They had 13 Top 10 singles and four Top 10 albums during their run and their legacy is still being felt today, particularly in the works of Weezer and The Killers.
Rolling Stone columnist Rob Sheffield wrote of the band Monday:
Candy-O was the ultimate Cars album — a concept album about Ric’s favorite topic, which was girls. His songs serenade the kind of girl who’s the “Dangerous Type,” dancing merrily out of the clutches of any boy foolish enough to think he could impress her. Nobody did songs like these as brilliantly as Ocasek — the doomed romance between an awkward twit of a boy and a tough, worldly, risque-mouthed muse.
Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone
Weezer’s Twitter account offered condolences. Ocasek produced the band’s multi-platinum Blue and Green albums.
The weezer family is devastated by the loss of our friend and mentor Ric Ocasek, who passed away Sunday. We will miss him forever, & will forever cherish the precious times we got to work and hang out with him. Rest in Peace & rock on Ric, we love you. #RIPRicOcasek#karlscornerpic.twitter.com/JcTXevr6V8
The Killers expressed their grief as well via Twitter:
Feeling grateful for Ric. Had the opportunity to send him this email a couple years back. My first king. Thank you, thank you, thank you. pic.twitter.com/h4u8CXDhRg
Eddie Money (née Edward Joseph Mahoney), the Brooklyn-born, Long Island-raised rocker famous for the hits “Two Tickets to Paradise,” “Think I’m In Love,” and “Shakin’” died peacefully early Friday morning according to a statement released by his family.
Late last month, the singer revealed he had been diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer, which is what ultimately took his life.
Photo: Steve Malinski, Monument Square – Troy, NY
The statement provided by his family said:
The Money Family regrets to announce that Eddie passed away peacefully early this morning. It is with heavy hearts that we say goodbye to our loving husband and father. We cannot imagine our world without him. We are grateful that he will live on forever through his music.
Money moved to Berkley, CA in 1968 and signed a recording contract with Columbia Records. He eventually charted in the late ’70s with the hits “Baby Hold On” and “Two Tickets to Paradise” and became a fixture during the early days of MTV with hits such as “Shakin’” and the duet with Ronnie Spector, “Take Me Home Tonight.”
He is survived by his wife Laurie and five children, Zachary, Jessica, Joseph, Julian, and Desmond.
The Disco Biscuits are back. The Philly-based trance-fusion band has announced an extensive 23-date winter tour with several multi-day runs, including SI Hall at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse on November 22 and 23, 2019.
The tour kicks off with two dates in McKees Rocks, PA at the Roxian Theatre on Nov. 14 and 15. The tour also includes the previously announced four-day run at the Playstation Theater for New Year’s Eve. The run marks the band’s 40th and final time performing there as the venue announced it will be closing at the end of December.
Photo: Stephen Olker, NYS Music
Tickets for the tour go on sale Friday, Sept. 6 at 10:00 a.m. local time. Ticketing information can be found on the band’s website here. See the full list of dates below.
The band issued a statement regarding the tour and timeline for their upcoming album:
“We’ve been teasing this for some time now, it feels so good to finally be able to share it with you. We are back…and back in a big way. New tours. New music. New Jams. 2019 and 2020 are going to be our best years yet and all of you are at the heart of it. Expect to see us a lot, expect the unexpected.
The first thing we’ve got for you is our winter tour starting in just a few weeks. We’re coming back to a few places we haven’t been to in a while, and others that we’ve seen a lot through the years. All will be sweat dripping off the ceiling, Bisco fire fueled nights.
The second is a new album…we’re already burning the midnight oil on this, and can’t wait for you to hear it. We plan on teasing some of these soon, and dropping them individually in early 2020, then a full album next summer. ‘Til then, we’ll be seeing you all quite a bit and spending every waking hour making sure this is the best of the Biscuits for all of us.”
Disco Biscuits Winter 2019-2020 Tour Dates: Oct. 5 – Breckenridge Brewery Hootenanny – Littleton, CO Nov. 14 – Roxian Theatre – McKees Rocks, PA Nov. 15 – Roxian Theatre – McKees Rocks, PA Nov. 16 – The National – Richmond, VA Nov. 17 – The National – Richmond, VA Nov. 20 – Higher Ground – Burlington, VT Nov. 21 – Higher Ground – Burlington, VT Nov. 22 – SI Hall – Syracuse, NY Nov. 23 – SI Hall – Syracuse, NY Dec. 11 – House of Blues – Orlando, FL Dec. 12 – Jannus Landing – St. Petersburg, FL Dec. 13 – Revolution – Ft. Lauderdale, FL Dec. 14 – Revolution – Ft. Lauderdale, FL Dec. 27 – PlayStation Theater – New York City Dec. 28 – PlayStation Theater – New York City Dec. 30 – PlayStation Theater – New York City Dec. 31 – PlayStation Theater – New York City Jan. 2 – Riviera Theatre – Chicago, IL Jan. 3 – Riviera Theatre – Chicago, IL Jan. 4 – Riviera Theatre – Chicago, IL Jan. 15 – The Ritz – Raleigh, NC Jan. 16 – The Fillmore – Charlotte, NC Jan. 17 – The Fillmore – Silver Spring, MD Jan. 18 – The Fillmore – Silver Spring, MD
After failing to secure venues in New York State, where the original Woodstock was held, officials sought to move the whole thing to the venerable Merriweather Post Pavilion the weekend of Aug. 16-18. That event has now been canceled.
Following news of another venue change, artists originally slated to perform began announcing that they would not be participating. John Fogerty was the first to withdraw. A statement from the former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman’s camp, on Thursday, said, “John Fogerty knows where he will be for the anniversary weekend of Woodstock. At only one site… at the original one – the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts.”
This announcement was quickly followed by similar statements from Jay-Z, Dead & Co. On Monday Miley Cyrus, the Raconteurs, the Lumineers, John Sebastian, Santana, and Country Joe McDonald followed suit.
In what was supposed to have been a free ticketed event being staged as a fundraiser for HeadCount and global warming causes, another wrench in the works was the previously scheduled Smashing Pumpkins and Noel Gallagher and the High Flying Birds show already scheduled to take place at Merriweather on the 17th, smack dab in the middle of what was supposed to be a three-day Woodstock festival.
On Wednesday, organizers officially declared the event dead, stating:
“We are saddened that a series of unforeseen setbacks has made it impossible to put on the Festival we imagined with the great line-up we had booked and the social engagement we were anticipating, said Michael Lang, co-founder of the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival. “When we lost the Glen and then Vernon Downs we looked for a way to do some good rather than just cancel. We formed a collaboration with HeadCount to do a smaller event at the Merriweather Pavilion to raise funds for them to get out the vote and for certain NGOs involved in fighting climate change. We released all the talent so any involvement on their part would be voluntary. Due to conflicting radius issues in the DC area many acts were unable to participate and others passed for their own reasons. I would like to encourage artists and agents, who all have been fully paid, to donate 10% of their fees to HeadCount or causes of their choice in the spirit of peace. Woodstock remains committed to social change and will continue to be active in support of HeadCount’s critical mission to get out the vote before the next election. We thank the artists, fans and partners who stood by us even in the face of adversity. My thoughts turn to Bethel and its celebration of our 50th Anniversary to reinforce the values of compassion, human dignity, and the beauty of our differences embraced by Woodstock”
Is this the end of Woodstock 50? A statement from Seth Hurwitz, chairman of I.M.P., which owns the 9:30 Club in Washington and manages Merriweather, suggests that there may still be something in the works, “Hopefully, with plenty of time to prepare, Merriweather will become the site of a future festival that captures the original vibe. A lot of people clearly wanted it to happen.”
In a last-ditch effort to save the 50th-anniversary celebration of Woodstock, organizers are moving the concert to Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD.
Bloomberg reported Thursday that the outdoor amphitheater will host “Woodstock 50 Washington” on the originally planned dates of Aug. 16-18. The venue is said to hold 32,000 people, a number far lower than the 150,000 promoters originally planned to host at the Watkins Glen site.
After having their permit pulled by Watkins Glen officials in early June, Woodstock organizers sought to move the concert some 150 miles northeast of the Glen to the Central New York town of Vernon.
After being rejected by Vernon four separate times, Michael Lang, and Greg Peck have landed in Columbia, MD, according to Bloomberg. Howard County executive, Calvin Ball is welcoming the festival with open arms:
“When we heard that there was an opportunity to save this festival and bring a piece of American history to our community this summer, we jumped at the chance. Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia is a jewel of Howard County and one of the top music venues in the nation. It felt like such a natural fit to host a historic festival on our storied stage.”
The new venue brings with it a new mission. It is now being pitched as a benefit for climate change and the voter registration organization HeadCount. Portions of the proposed $129-$595 one-day passes would go towards these non-profits.
The wrench in the works is whether the acts originally slated to appear will be on board with the venue change. Variety reports that artists, who have already been paid in full, are simply waiting for the event to be canceled altogether.
The clock is ticking to get this thing off the ground. With three weeks until the event is scheduled to take place, ticket sales still need to be announced. Stay tuned.
For Phish fans looking to fill their plate with even more tasty jams this summer, this Friday, July 26 in New York City, CEG and PhanArt have teamed up for a Booze Cruise featuring Uncle Ebenezer, as well as Phish fan-artists and vendors Dave Russo, SetListTees and Outcasty Designs.
Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 DOS, age 21 and up, and can be purchased here. Boarding begins 6:30PM om Friday, with The Lucille departing at 7PM sharp. The cruise leaves from Skyport Marina, located at East 23rd Street & FDR Drive (East side of Manhattan). There are cash bars on board the boat, as well as food available for purchase.
Art by Dave Russo
PhanArt brings together artists from around the country for art shows during Phish tour, and this boat cruise is no exception. Featuring artist from the greater NYC metro region, fans will be able to pick up summer tour posters and shirts, clothing for kids, hats, koozies, stickers and a bunch of other surprises.
Design by Setlist Tees
Outcasty Designs features clothing for kids and flat brim hats, among other items; Setlist Tees features a wide array of shirt designs that commemorate some of the biggest Phish shows, including a number of Baker’s Dozen designs; and Dave Russo who will bring his cartoonish style with pieces of art including “Slave,” “Pageside,” “Crowd Control” and “Puppeteer.” Check out a few designs here and find more info on these artists and Uncle Ebenezer on PhanArt.net and get your tickets for this unique NYC cruise.
