The Massry Center at The College of Saint Rose has unvieled their 2019-20 season, featuring the Wooten Brothers, Martha Redbone, Martin Sexton, Dallas Brass, Milk Carton Kids and Kat Edmonson. The acoustically incredible Kathleen McManus Picotte Recital Hall and other concert spaces play host to a full slate of musical performances during the year, including orchestral works, chamber music, Latin jazz, zydeco, and more. The calendar also features several performances by Saint Rose Camerata in October, February and March.
Martha Redbone – Saturday, October 12
Martha Redbone is one of today’s most vital voices in American Roots music. A multi award-winning musician, the charismatic songstress with the magnificent voice is celebrated for her tasty gumbo of roots music embodying the folk and mountain blues sounds of her childhood in the Appalachian hills of Kentucky mixed with the eclectic grit of her teenage years in pre-gentrified Brooklyn. With the power of her gospel singing African-American father’s voice and the determined spirit of her Cherokee/Shawnee/Choctaw mother, Redbone broadens all boundaries of Americana.
Saint Rose Camerata – Saturday, October 26 – George Crumb’s 90th Birthday Celebration
Saint Rose Camerata honors American composer George Crumb for his 90th birthday (b. October 24th, 1989. The concert includes a group of songs from his early period, works for amplified instruments, and the use of extended techniques. Written in 1969 during the Apollo 11 flight, Night of the Four Moons features extracted texts from poems by Federico Garcia Lorca and an unusual ensemble combination of mezzo-soprano with flute, electric cello, banjo, and an array of ethnic percussion instruments. Celestial Mechanics [Makrokosmos IV], a piano masterpiece of twentieth century, will be performed with special lighting and projected images.
Dallas Brass – Saturday, November 9
Founded in Dallas, TX in 1983 by Michael Levine, the Dallas Brass has become one of America’s foremost musical ensembles. The group has established a unique blend of traditional brass instruments with a full complement of drums and percussion, which creates a performing entity of extraordinary range and musical challenges. They play an eclectic mix of classical masterpieces, Dixieland, swing, Broadway, Hollywood and patriotic music, all with their own unique and sometimes very comical twist!
Milk Carton Kids – Saturday, December 7
The Milk Carton Kids are a neo-traditional folk duo from Los Angeles, California. Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan-formed harmonized vocals and tightly entwined guitar lines might conjure shades of the Everly Brothers or Simon & Garfunkel, but their music has a unique American roots-folk flavor. Their witty onstage banter snaps as crisply as their guitar licks. They’re known on the road for their adversarial, Smothers Brothers-evoking comedic banter as well as their virtuosic guitar skills.
Saint Rose Camerata – Saturday, February 15 – Nineteenth and Twentieth-Century Chamber Music
Saint Rose Camerata presents 19th and 20th– century chamber music including a cello sonata by Beethoven (2020 marks the year of his 250th birthday anniversary), works by Dvořák, Martinů, and American composer Juliana Hall.
Wooten Brothers – Sunday, March 1
Victor Wooten, a five-time Grammy Award-winning artist and a founding member of the eclectic group Bela Fleck and the Flecktones,has also been playing with his brothers for over four decades. They are recognized as some of the most innovative musicians in existence and are collectively known as one of the most talented and dynamic band of brothers the world has ever known
Saint Rose Camerata – Saturday, March 28th Season Finale: Saint Rose Composers and Façade by Walton
Season Finale: Saint Rose Camerata presents a new work about Chilean artist Violeta Parra by Emily Pinkerton, Assistant Professor of Music Industry, and a work for voice and guitar by American composer Domenic Argento. The program also includes Façade: An Entertainment by British composer William Walton. The work is a clever and entertaining combination of recited poems by Edith Sitwell and Walton’s instrumental music. Saint Rose Camerata will perform selected movements from the collection of over forty poems, which were assembled between 1922 and 1928.
Kat Edmonson – Saturday, April 25
Kat Edmonson forged her sound, an unusually charming and seamless blend of old and new, performing in small rooms and clubs before touring worldwide and performing with the likes of Lyle Lovett, Chris Isaak, and more. She has emerged as one of the most distinctive performers in contemporary American music. With a sweetly mellifluous soprano echoing Blossom Dearie’s lighter-than-air approach as well as her gift for evocative songwriting, Kat is a rare artist who embodies the spirit of the past while remaining resolutely au courant.
Martin Sexton – Saturday, May 16
Syracuse native Sexton got his start singing in the streets and subways of Boston in the early ’90s. Still fiercely independent and headlining venues from The Fillmore to Carnegie Hall, he has influenced a generation of contemporary artists. His songs have appeared in television series and in numerous films, though it’s his incendiary live show, honest lyrics, and vocal prowess that keep fans coming back for more.
Click here for more info on the Massry Center’s 2019-2020 season.
Inside the expansive back room in the northwest corner of the old Kenmore Hotel hangs a drab, grey curtain concealing the last piece of history tied to the space.
The curtain protects a mural called “The Court of Cleopatra,” painted on the wall above a modest stage on which Frank Sinatra, Tommy Dorsey, Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington played. It’s a depiction of the Queen of Egypt, whose beauty was unparalleled and whose intelligence matched that of the powerful men she seduced, most notably Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. It’s placement high upon the wall implied that this was the room in which the masters of the universe was expected to frolic.
The space is now in the midst of a multi-million dollar renovation project that’s breathing new life to the North Pearl eyesore. Modern day Dapper Dons in hardhats expose the promise of a bright future, and at the same time enhance the ghosts of the hotel’s storied past.
When William Kennedy wrote about the Rain-Bo Room in “O’Albany,” he was still able to observe a piano on that stage. He imagined someone playing “Happy Days and Lonely Nights,” a tune Ruth Etting made popular in 1928, and a reported favorite of the Kenmore’s most famous resident, Jack “Legs” Diamond.
Diamond’s name was never mentioned during the press conference called by Redburn Development to announce the Rain-Bo Room’s intended rebranding as the Kenmore Ballroom. Nor would it be expected. He was a New York City mobster, whose charges included burglary, kidnapping and bootlegging. Nonetheless, he was a celebrity.
Diamond’s vocation aside, his choice of haunts reveals that the Rain-Bo Room was Albany’s top nightclub during the Roaring Twenties. Stars of the Big Band area would flock up the Hudson River to play there, especially lured by the prospect of broadcasting their live performances on the radio.
“The Kenmore Ballroom is the heart of this building at the heart of this development,” said Jeffrey Buell, principal of Redburn Development. “We want to fill the space with life, life that spills out into the surrounding streets and supports all of the Downtown.”
Katie O’Malley Maloney and her husband Nate Maloney will manage The Kenmore Ballroom. O’Malley Maloney has her own long history with the City of Albany. She served as the 50th Anniversary Tulip Queen and worked for the City of Albany planning events and fundraising under former mayor.
Jerry Jennings. She also owns and runs Katie O’ Weddings and Events, an event planning firm celebrating its 10th anniversary later this year. Nate brings over 20 years of corporate and not-for-profit marketing, communications, and event experience to their first venture together. Katie will oversee the day-to-day operations along with Casey Benson, Vice President of Operations for the organization.
“We are thrilled to be back in Albany and to be a part of the revitalization of Downtown” said O’Malley Maloney. “The Rain-Bo Room was once a vibrant centerpiece of Albany culture and society. We are excited to return the vibrancy of this historic space as the Kenmore Ballroom.”
The Kenmore Ballroom will accommodate up to 300 people for a seated function. The ornate double staircase, demolished when the building was turned into offices, will be rebuilt as the centerpiece of the space. It will also have a separate bar lounge and rooftop deck. For Elizabeth Young Jojo, she focused on the opulence of the room’s past while choosing all of its fixtures and accents.
“We chose an Art Nouveau inspiration,” said Young Jojo, vice president at Redburn Developments. “That, mixed with some super, super modern elements, as well.” The Art Nouveau style was popular during the turn of the last century, a look characterised by curves and asymmetric shapes to provide the illusion of movement. The juxtaposition of elements, Young Jojo said, “I think will be very fresh, that there is no other space like that in the Capital Region.”
“Projects like the revitalization of The Kenmore and its ballroom are transforming downtown Albany,” said Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan. “Thank you to Redburn for their commitment to Downtown, and to Katie O’Malley Maloney and Nate Maloney for believing in Albany and investing in Albany’s newest neighborhood.”
The Kenmore Building rehab project is part of a nine-building, $82 million neighborhood revitalization that will bring 350 apartments and 11 commercial spaces to a three-block radius. The first phase of the multi-building project, The Knick at 16 Sheridan, will welcome new tenants this week. The Kenmore is expected to be open by October 2020.
This article was originally published by The Spot 518
The Empire State Youth Orchestra has announced the 2019-2020 season which includes: a 40th birthday celebration for the organization, a concert with an ESYO alumnus who is assistant principal cellist for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and a tour to South America.
The organization is comprised of 13 performing ensembles and the successful CHIME (Creating Harmony Inspiring Musical Excellence) program. ESYO will also participate this season in two national music cohorts: Presto Sistema USA, and Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute PlayUSA. ESYO’s Symphony Orchestra will once again be led by music director Carlos Agreda.
This year also marks the organization’s 40th birthday. In celebration, there will be a concert on Saturday, Nov. 2 at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.
Hailing from the Capital Region, Kenneth Olsen, the assistant principal cellist in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra will also be joining Agreda. The Times Union will be sponsoring the November concert.
This upcoming season is particularly exciting. We have the celebration of our 40th Anniversary and also the appearance of an amazing soloist, who once played in ESYO. We are also going on an international tour to Argentina and Uruguay. But, on top of that, we are working on our new partnership with the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall that will bring a greater value to arts in the Capital Region.
Carlos Agreda
Since its founding in 1979, the Empire State Youth Orchestra (ESYO) has challenged and inspired young people to achieve excellence through music in a rigorous learning environment leading to high-level performance opportunities. Over 600 youth from the Capital Region of New York and western New England are selected by audition each year for the ESYO program. They then participate in one of the ten performing ensembles that collectively give approximately 30 performances a year. In 2015, ESYO launched ESYO CHIME (Creating Harmony, Inspiring Musical Excellence). ESYO CHIME seeks to expand access to music in underserved communities making sure that every child has access to musical excellence regardless of economic status.
ESYO concert attendees are once again able to use Access ESYO to attend the concert. Access ESYO allows ticket purchase for as little as $1.00 per seat, and will be sustained through a pay-it-forward campaign inviting donors to deposit the cost of a seat in an online ticket bank. For more information on ticketing click here.
2019 – 2020 Concert Dates
*locations and times
are subject to change
Nov. 2 – Troy Savings Bank Music Hall – Troy, NY
Nov. 4 – Shaker Junior High School – Latham, NY
Nov. 24 – TBA
Dec. 6 – TBA
Dec. 15 – Massry Center for the Arts, College of Saint Rose – Albany, NY
Dec. 19-22 – Proctors Theatre – Schenectady, NY
Feb. 1 – Crossgates Mall – Albany, NY
Feb. 12 – TBA
Feb. 13 – TBA
Feb. 27 – Massry Center for the Arts, College of Saint Rose – Albany, NY
Mar. 9 – UAlbany Performing Arts Center – Albany, NY
Mar. 29 – UAlbany Performing Arts Center – Albany, NY
Apr. 1 – Proctor’s Theatre – Schenectady, NY
Apr. 26 – Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
May 1 – TBA
May 2 – Arthur Zankel Music Center, Skidmore College – Saratoga Springs, NY
May 3 – Brown School – Schenectady, NY
May 10 – Massry Center for the Arts, College of Saint Rose – Albany, NY
May 17 – Massry Center for the Arts, College of Saint Rose – Albany, NY
May 31 – Saratoga Performing Arts Center – Saratoga Springs, NY
June 20 – GE Theatre at Proctors – Schenectady, NY
Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Blue Engine Records celebrates the most wonderful time of the year with the release of Big Band Holidays II, a sequel to a beloved and festive album released in 2015, performed live by the world-renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis.
The Big Band Holidays concerts have been a New York City tradition among jazz lovers and families for more than a decade. Every December, the critically acclaimed Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra ,Wynton Marsalis and an all-star roster of guest vocalists explore the canon of holiday standards to perform both new and traditional arrangements of Yuletide favorites. Blue Engine Records has assembled highlights from these historical performances, making them available on record for the first time.
Big Band Holidays II includes an electric, never-before-released solo piano performance of “O Tannenbaum” by Aretha Franklin. The Queen of Soul sang the holiday classic in English and German, while accompanying herself on piano, at a surprise performance at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 2015 Big Band Holidays concert. “O Tannenbaum,” exclusively on Big Band Holidays II, is one of only a handful of tracks to be released since Franklin’s passing on August 16, 2018.
Additional guests on Big Band Holidays II include some of today’s commanding new voices in jazz: Catherine Russell, Veronica Swift, Denzal Sinclaire and Audrey Shakir. This newest collection of holiday classics is now available for pre-order and will be available on all digital platforms on October 25, in stores as a CD on November 8, 2019, and available on 2xLP audiophile vinyl later in the holiday season.
Big Band Holidays II tracks include holiday favorites “Silver Bells,” “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” and “Silent Night.” They feature the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s signature sense of swing, New Orleans-flavored nuances, and deeply soulful, church-rooted grooves.
To celebrate this special Blue Engine Records release, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and guest vocalists Denzal Sinclaire and Alexis Morrast will embark on a 12-city Big Band Holidays U.S. Tour. Kicking off the holiday season with messages of peace and good cheer, the Big Band Holidays tour commences on November 30 in Toronto, Canada and ends with four performances December 18-22, including a special matinee at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater at Frederick P. Rose Hall, located at Broadway at 60th Street in New York, New York.
TRACK LISTING 1. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year 2. Cool Yule (ft. Catherine Russell) 3. We Three Kings (ft. Denzal Sinclaire) 4. O Tannenbaum (ft. Aretha Franklin) 5. Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow 6. (Everybody’s Waitin’ for) The Man with the Bag (ft. Veronica Swift) 7. What Will Santa Claus Say? (When He Finds Everybody Swingin’) (ft. Catherine Russell) 8. Brazilian Sleigh Bells 9. Silver Bells (ft. Catherine Russell) 10. Snowfall 11. Silent Night (ft. Denzal Sinclaire)
New England Conservatory (NEC)’s internationally renowned Jazz Studies Department, the first fully accredited jazz studies program at a music conservatory, celebrates its 50th anniversary by showcasing the department’s vibrant legacy and its place as one of the top jazz education programs in the world. A year-long celebration of Jazz50 will include concerts and events in Boston and NYC featuring many of the school’s distinguished jazz alumni, faculty, students and special guests.
Boston events will include the NEC Jazz Orchestra with Alan Pasqua (alum) and Antonio Sanchez (alum) led by the department’s first chair Carl Atkins and current chair Ken Schaphorst; Jazz Advance: The Legacy of Cecil Taylor (alum) featuring an all-star line-up including Matthew Shipp (former student), Bruce Brubaker (faculty), Dan Tepfer (alum), plus faculty members Ran Blake, Ethan Iverson and Joe Morris; a weeklong residency and concert by Luciana Souza (alum); and The Music of Gunther Schuller featuring the NEC Jazz Orchestra; Cosmosis: The Music of Dave Holland featuring Jim McNeely with the NEC Jazz Orchestra; The Invisible Choir, The Music of Ken Schaphorst and many more.
NYC events will include an NEC Faculty All-Star Group featuring Fred Hersch (alum, former faculty), and current faculty members Donny McCaslin, Billy Hart and Cecil McBee at the Jazz Standard; Dominique Eade (alum, faculty) and Fred Hersch (alum, former faculty) at the Jazz Standard; and Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society (alum) as well as the NEC Alumni Big Band at the Sheen Center. A full list of celebratory events is below.
“I’m very grateful for Gunther Schuller’s farsightedness and efforts in establishing the Jazz department in 1969,” says current Jazz Studies Chair Ken Schaphorst. “I’m also grateful to the faculty and students who have established NEC as a leader in the world of jazz education over the past 50 years. It’s been deeply humbling to share the responsibility of shepherding this noble mission for the past 18 years, educating students in the transformational art form of jazz, developing communication between unique individual human voices. I’m excited to have this opportunity with Jazz50 to celebrate the achievements of NEC’s past and present, while looking forward to our future.”
NEC’s Jazz Studies Department was the brainchild of Gunther Schuller, who moved quickly to incorporate jazz into the curriculum when he became president of the Conservatory in 1967. He soon hired saxophonist Carl Atkins as the first department chair, as well as other greats including NEA Jazz Master George Russell, pianist Jaki Byard and Ran Blake. The foundation of its teaching and success begins with the mentor relationship developed in lessons between students and the prominent faculty artists. In addition to its two jazz orchestras, faculty-coached small ensembles reflect NEC’s inclusive approach to music making, with ensembles focused on free jazz, early jazz, gospel music, Brazilian music, and songwriting, as well as more traditional approaches to jazz performance.
Students are encouraged to find their own musical voices while making connections and collaborating with a vibrant community of creative musicians, and ultimately to transform the world through the power of music. The program has spawned numerous Grammy winning composers and performers and has an alumni list that reads like a who’s who of jazz, while the faculty has included six MacArthur “genius” grant recipients (three currently teaching) and four NEA Jazz Masters.
“This anniversary provides us the opportunity to reflect on half a century of leadership in jazz education at New England Conservatory, and to celebrate the importance of jazz in both the history and future of American music,” says NEC President Andrea Kalyn.
2019-2020 Season: Jazz50 Celebration
FALL 2019
Wednesday, August 28 | Jazz Jam Session
7:30 p.m. Brown Hall
Tuesday, September 17 | Dave Holland Small Combo Master Class
1:30 p.m. Williams Hall
Thursday, September 19 | Dave Holland Master Class
1 p.m. Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Friday, September 20 | Music of Dave Holland Residency Concert
7:30 p.m. Brown Hall
Dave Holland will perform his original compositions with NEC student ensembles.
Wednesday, October 2 | A Discussion with Tyshawn Sorey
12-1:50 p.m. Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Thursday, October 3 | Concert Featuring Tyshawn Sorey
7:30 p.m. Jordan Hall
Composer and multi-instrumentalist Tyshawn Sorey is celebrated for his incomparable virtuosity, effortless mastery and memorization of highly complex scores, and an extraordinary ability to blend composition and improvisation in his work. A MacArthur Fellow, he’s been praised by The New Yorker as being “among the most formidable denizens of the in-between zone…An extraordinary talent who can see across the entire musical landscape.”
The concert will include Sorey’s recent orchestral piece, “For Bill Dixon and A. Spencer Barefield,” his chamber pieces “Inner Spectrum of Variables (Movement III)” and “For Fred Lerdahl,” his piano piece “Movement,” his noise project “LOUD” featuring faculty member Joe Morris, and an NEC student ensemble playing his “Autoschediasms.” It will also feature Sorey in an improvisational duo performance with NEC faculty member Anthony Coleman and excerpts from a Yiddish Theatre project featuring Sorey’s arrangements and orchestrations.
Wednesday, October 16 | Antonio Sanchez Master Class
1 p.m. Brown Hall
Thursday, October 17, 2019 | NEC Jazz Orchestra featuring Carl Atkins, Alan Pasqua, and Antonio Sanchez
7:30 p.m. Concert, Jordan Hall
9:30 p.m. Post-concert Jam Session, Brown Hall
The NEC Jazz Orchestra will celebrate the anniversary of NEC’s Jazz Studies Department by playing music drawn from throughout its 50-year history, including George Russell’s “All About Rosie” and Jaki Byard’s “Two Five One.” Featured guests will include alums Alan Pasqua and Antonio Sanchez. The department’s first chair, Carl Atkins, will assist current chair Ken Schaphorst in conducting.
Friday, October 18, 2019 | Jazz Advance: The Legacy of Cecil Taylor
5 p.m. Pre-concert panel discussion, Brown Hall
7:30 p.m. Concert, Jordan Hall
Among NEC’s many prominent alums, Cecil Taylor stands out for his influence over the history of jazz. Taylor’s significant legacy will be recognized with a series of piano solos featuring NEC faculty and alums: Ran Blake, Bruce Brubaker, Ethan Iverson, Matthew Shipp and Dan Tepfer. Ensemble performances will include Steve Lacy’s “Rain” as well as an ensemble led by NEC faculty member Joe Morris.
Wednesday, October 30, 2019 | NEC Philharmonia & Jazz Orchestra + Hugh Wolff
7:30 p.m. Jordan Hall
The NEC Philharmonia and Jazz Orchestra combine to perform Gunter Schuller’s Encounters, written in 2003 for the 100th anniversary of the opening of Jordan Hall.
Monday, November 4 | Grow Your Art Residency with Luciana Souza
1 p.m. Eben Jordan Ensemble Room – Master Class
6 p.m. Eben Jordan Ensemble Room – Workshop
Tuesday, November 5 | Grow Your Art Residency with Luciana Souza: Business Panel
6 p.m. Burnes Hall
Wednesday, November 6 | Grow Your Art Residency with Luciana Souza
1 p.m. Eben Jordan Ensemble Room – Workshop
6 p.m. Black Box Theater – Pitch Night
Thursday, November 7, 2019 | Luciana Souza: Grow Your Art Residency Concert
7:30 pm, Brown Hall
Grammy-winning NEC alum Luciana Souza is one of jazz’s leading singers and interpreters. She returns to her alma mater for a week-long collaborative residency with NEC’s Entrepreneurial Musicianship Department. From November 3 – 7, Souza will work with students, discuss lessons learned in the music business, ways to take charge of one’s career in the rapidly changing world and more, culminating in this performance with NEC students.
Wednesday, November 13 | Joe Morris Instantiation
8 p.m. Brown Hall
Guitarist and Jazz/CI Faculty Member Joe Morris will perform selections from his multi-part piece Instantiation for improvising musicians with ensembles featuring Brad Barrett on bass, Elinor Speirs on violin, Dan O-Brien on reeds, Ben Hall on percussion, Andrea Nicodemou on vibes and others.
Thursday, November 14 | Jazz Ensemble Concerts: Nieske
7-10 p.m. Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Monday, November 18 | Jazz Ensemble Concerts: McNeil and Carlberg
7-10 p.m. Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Tuesday, November 19 | NEC Gospel Ensemble & NEC Jazz Composers Ensemble
8 p.m. Brown Hall
Wednesday, November 20 | Jazz Ensemble Concerts: Seager and Lockwood
7-10 p.m. Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Thursday, November 21 | Jazz Ensemble Concerts: Reichman and Eisenmann
7-10 p.m. Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Tuesday, November 26 | Jazz Ensemble Concerts: Bergonzi and Morris
7-10 p.m. Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Tuesday, December 3 | Jazz Ensemble Concerts: Eade
7-10 p.m. Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Thursday, December 5, 2019 | The Music of Gunther Schuller
7:30 pm, Jordan Hall
One of Gunther Schuller’s first orders of business as president of NEC was to create the first fully accredited jazz program in a music conservatory in 1969. To honor his musical vision, Schuller’s compositions and arrangements will be performed by the NEC Jazz Orchestra, with the help of his son and NEC alum George Schuller and faculty member Ran Blake.
Monday, December 9 | Jazz Ensemble Concerts: Coleman, McBee and Morris
7-10 p.m. Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Tuesday, December 10 | Jazz Composers Workshop Orchestra Concert
7;30 p.m. Brown Hall
Wednesday, December 11 | Jazz Ensemble Concerts: Levy, Leake and Moses
7-10 p.m. Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Thursday, December 12 | Jazz Ensemble Concerts: Zaleski and Moran
7-10 p.m. Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
SPRING 2020
Wednesday, January 15 | Ran Blake Concert with Bruce Brubaker and Frank Carlberg
7:30 p.m. Jordan Hall
Monday, January 27 | Jazz and CI Faculty Spotlight
7:30 p.m. Jordan Hall
Tuesday, February 25 | NEC Symphonic Winds, William Drury Conductor
7:30 p.m. Jordan Hall
NEC’s Symphonic Winds will perform Grammy nominated composer Chris Brubeck’s Concerto for Bass Trombone and Orchestra featuring acclaimed trombone soloist James Markey (Boston Symphony Orchestra and chair of NEC’s Brass and Percussion Department). The ensemble will also perform Brubeck’s D-Day, March to Freedom, as well as other works.
Thursday, February 27 | Cosmosis: The Music of Dave Holland featuring NEC Jazz Orchestra with Jim McNeely
7:30 p.m. Jordan Hall
New York City
Thursday, March 19, 2020 | NEC Jazz50 Faculty All-Stars
7:30 and 9:30 pm, Jazz Standard, NYC
NEC has always boasted an impressive faculty. But this quartet, featuring NEC alum and former faculty member Fred Hersch, with current faculty members Donny McCaslin, Billy Hart and Cecil McBee, sets a new standard—each member a leader in the world of jazz, in addition to being a dedicated teacher.
Friday, March 20, 2020 | Dominique Eade and Fred Hersch
7:30 and 9:30 pm, Jazz Standard, NYC
NEC faculty member Dominique Eade was not only the first jazz artist to receive NEC’s prestigious Artist Diploma, but she is also the teacher of many of the most prominent jazz vocalists working today including Sofia Koutsovitis, Jo Lawry, Michael Mayo, Rachael Price, Luciana Souza and Sara Serpa. She joins with the legendary NEC alum and former faculty member, Fred Hersch, for the night.
Saturday, March 21, 2020 | Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society and NEC Alumni Big Band
8 pm, Sheen Center for Thought and Culture
Darcy James Argue is one of many prominent jazz composers to have studied at NEC, working with the legendary Bob Brookmeyer. Darcy’s ensemble will be joined by an all-star group of NEC alums, including Dominique Eade, Marty Ehrlich, Brian Landrus, Tony Kadleck, Michael Thomas, Noah Preminger, Chris Washburne, Curtis Hasselbring, Josh Roseman, Jennifer Wharton, Frank Carlberg, Jerome Harris, and Kim Cass.
Boston
Tuesday, March 31 | Jazz and Wildcard Honors Ensemble Concert
7:30 p.m. Jordan Hall
Thursday, April 2 | NEC Gospel Ensemble & NEC Composers Ensemble
7:30 p.m. Brown Hall
Thursday, April 9 | Jazz Ensemble Concerts: Niekse and Lockwood
7-10 p.m. Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Monday, April 13 | Jazz Ensemble Concerts: McNeil and Carlberg Ensembles
7-10 p.m. Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Tuesday, April 14 | Jazz Ensemble Concerts: Reichman
7-10 p.m. Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Wednesday, April 15 | Jazz Ensemble Concerts: Eade
7-10 p.m. Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Thursday, April 16 | NEC Jazz Orchestra Concert: Invisible Choir: The Music of Ken Schaphorst
7:30 p.m. Jordan Hall
Monday, April 20| Jazz Ensemble Concerts: Seager and Morris
7-10 p.m. Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Tuesday, April 21 | Jazz Composers Workshop Orchestra Concert
7:30 p.m. Jordan Hall
Wednesday, April 22 | Jazz Ensemble Concerts: Moses and Levy
7-10 p.m. Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Thursday, April 23 | Jazz Ensemble Concerts: McBee and Moran
7-10 p.m. Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Thursday, April 30 | The Future: a 50th Premiere
Featuring the world-premiere of a new work by Grammy nominated musician Chris Brubeck and excerpts from Ellington’s Sacred Concert with guest pianist Helen Sung.
7:30 p.m. Jordan Hall
In honor of 50th anniversaries of NEC’s Wind Ensemble and Jazz Department, this concert features the world premiere of a new work by esteemed jazz artist and multi-genre composer Chris Brubeck, commissioned and performed by the NEC Wind Ensemble conducted by William Drury. Brubeck will attend the concert, which will also feature excerpts from Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concert, performed by NEC’s Symphonic Winds and Chamber Singers with special guest jazz pianist Helen Sung.
Monday, April 27 | Jazz Ensemble Concerts: Bergonzi and Coleman
7-10 p.m. Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Tuesday, April 28 | Jazz Ensemble Concerts: Zaleski, Eisenmann and Leake Ensembles
7-10 p.m. Eben Jordan Ensemble Room
Thursday, April 30 | International Jazz Day Celebration
The staff at the Historic Colgate Inn in Hamilton, NY have been working extra hard this summer in preparation for their new music venue. “The Library” speakeasy will be open Thursday, Friday and Saturday each weekend featuring music, special events and opportunities for private parties. The venue is set to open September 14 with Colgate University Professor, Glen Cashman (saxophone/keys), with a three piece band visiting from the West Coast.
The Colgate Inn in Hamilton NY
This new venue is sparking interest among locals and more, as they put the finishing touches on the cocktail menu and small plates offered. The space in the basement of the Colgate Inn is also finishing a renovation with new lighting, seating including lounge furniture and bar stools as well as a stage for musicians. The Inn features 40 rooms and suites as well as several dining areas, a patio that overlooks downtown Hamilton and a cozy tavern room complete with a fire place.
The Tavern Room at The Colgate Inn
The music series is complete with jazz acts, folk singers, horn and rhythm pieces and much more. For the complete line up scroll to the bottom. The Library is billed as a sophisticated speakeasy serving a variety of bourbon, whiskey, wine and chef inspired plates to pair. This prohibition era style venue will offer music that compliments the dusky, intimate atmoshphere where you can settle into comfy seats or join patrons at the bar. It’s a great reason to visit Hamilton, NY and try this new space and see local, regional and national acts in a fun space.
List of Events:
GRAND OPENING: September 14, 8-10 PM.
GLENN CASHMAN TRIO: Seattle based trumpeter Jay Thomas and former Ithaca College Jazz Director/guitarist Steve Brown join jazz organist/Colgate Associate Professor of Music, Cashman.
STOCK MARKET SWING ORCHESTRA TRIO: September 27, 8-10 PM.
They will take you back to those swinging days of flappers, speakeasies, and doing the Charleston til dawn. Playing the best popular music of the 1920s, 30s, and 40s, the band’s library consists of several hundred arrangements from the Great American Songbook, including well-known tunes of the era. Greats such as Glenn Miller, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin, Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Rudy Vallee, Fletcher Henderson, Harry James, Bunny Berigan, Fred Astaire, and Bing Crosby form the backbone of the group’s repertoire. “Party Like It’s 1929!”
MARK SHINER’S STRUGGLEBUS: October 5, 8-10 PM.
Part jazz, part funk, and a whole lot of fun! Mark has played with musicians all over the world and as a Hamiltonian knows how to make any space better with his presence alone. With Dave Solazzo riffing on keys these guys will have you moving and grooving and you never know you might pop in and sing along!
THE DOVETONES: October 12th 8-10PM.
The Dovetones! Classic hits of the 1920s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond! Popular Swing, Blues, and Rock-n-Roll Classics; Ska & Rocksteady hits, Americana & more.
CHRISUNITED: October 19th 8-10 PM.
Left handed 17 year-old guitar prodigy ChrisUnited has been playing guitar for 17 years. Chris’ passion arose from within when he was two years old. His influences range from such artists as Bob Dylan, classic rock and even the classics. At a young age, Chris is becoming quite a name on the scene and we are so happy to have him in our series.
THE JES SHELDON DUO: October 26th 8-10 PM
Jes has been on the circuits her whole life, music being her passion since she could walk and talk. She is the lead singer of Syracuse, NY favorites, The Lightkeepers, and can transition from a rocking original or cover into a smooth jazz sing along. It will be a delight to hear her pipes soaring at this intimate show!
J. METTLER: November 1st 8-10 PM
Poetic, profound, folk-rooted and often blues oriented acoustic epics. Melodies that plod along on an R.S. Muth parlor guitar. An occasional pause for breath, perhaps a story, an account of his childhood or of a lingering sentiment. Frontman of the forthcoming band “Rabbit in the Rye,” his contrasting peaceful presence and soulful intensity during his performances rouse the faintest of hearts and instil a sleepy fondness for the romanticism of our everyday lives. Joseph lives in Sherburne, New York with his rabbit.
JJ MURPHY TRIO: November 9th 8-10 PM
JJ Hamilton, born and bred musician, will delve into all areas funk and jazz with his bandmates from Nashville, TN. This intsrumental three piece can regale you, and hear a pin drop on a Bill Frissell cover, then throw some country-jazz twang on a Hank Williams tune. They move in and out of jazz, funk and cover many standards as well.
THE DOVETONES: November 16th 8-10 PM
The Dovetones! Classic hits of the 1920s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond!; Popular Swing, Blues, and Rock-n-Roll Classics; Ska & Rocksteady hits, Americana & more.
MASON MCDOWELL: November 22 8-10 PM
Mason McDowell is equal parts storyteller and songwriter. He creates intricate stories from a theatrical perspective, and delivers them with a powerful voice and piano rock edge.
CHRIS “ISTO” WHITE: November 23 8-10PM
Hamilton favorite and native Chris White returns from Brooklyn for a special one night only, live and in person rendition of his favorite and covers and amazing originals.
JESS NOVAK (SOLO): November 29th 8-10 PM
She got a fiddle on fire and a pen on the page. Jess writes songs and writes stories. She plays shows all over this great country and is happy to call Syracuse home. With a passion for music, she was just voted The Best Female Vocalist of 2018 by the Syracuse New Times!
MARK SHINER’S STRUGGLEBUS: December 6th 8-10 PM
Part jazz, part funk and a whole lot of fun! Mark has played with musicians all over the world and as a Hamiltonian, knows how to make any space better with his presence alone. With Dave Solazzo riffing on keys these guys will have you moving and grooving. You never know, you might pop in and sing along!
MELISSA GARDINER (feat. ANDREW CARROLL):December 14th 8-10 PM
Emerging jazz trombonist, Melissa Gardiner, has been described by Curtis Fuller as ‘technically creative and emotionally powerful.’ Her improvisation is inspiring and motivating for the listener, and she draws you in with a raw expression that directly relates to life experience. Gardiner has shared the stage with several legendary musicians including: Aretha Franklin, Geri Allen, Wycliffe Gordon, Steve Turre, Gerald Wilson, Patti Austin, The Temptations, and Vulfpeck. As a bandleader, she performs regularly with her jazz organ trio, MG3, and Second Line Syracuse.
The Saratoga Performing Arts Center together with The Philadelphia Orchestra have announced a celebration of the 250th birthday of Ludwig van Beethoven to take place in 2020. In a concentrated four-night event, August 12-15, 2020, The Philadelphia Orchestra and Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin will present Beethoven’s Complete Cycle of Symphonies in dialogue with music by composers of today. The Philadelphia Orchestra has commissioned works that reflect on the relevance of Beethoven’s legacy today by its Composer-in-Residence, Gabriela Lena Frank, and a diverse group of composers from her Creative Academy of Music – including Jessica Hunt, Carlos Simon and Iman Habibi.
“Traversing the complete Symphonies of Beethoven is a profound and deeply moving musical experience. To hear them under the baton of the great Yannick Nézet-Séguin, in such a concentrated period, will be an artistic experience unlike anything we have ever presented at SPAC,” says Elizabeth Sobol, President and CEO of the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. “Though Yannick and the Orchestra will also be performing the cycle in Philadelphia and at Carnegie Hall, only at SPAC will audiences be able to experience the symphonies in this immersive and virtually unprecedented manner.”
“We are incredibly excited to share the majesty of Beethoven’s masterpieces in four consecutive nights with our beloved fans in Saratoga,” said Philadelphia Orchestra Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin. “By pairing his groundbreaking works with new companion pieces, we look forward to creating fresh perspectives on Beethoven’s legacy today. It will surely be an exhilarating and deeply moving experience unlike anything we’ve ever presented before at SPAC.”
Beethoven 2020:The Philadelphia Orchestra Beethoven Cycle at Saratoga Performing Arts Center August 12-15, 2020
Wednesday, August 12th
Conductor: Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Carlos Simon: Work in Dialogue with Beethoven – PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA COMMISSION
Beethoven: Symphony No. 8
Beethoven: Symphony No. 4
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7
Buoyant and humorous, the Eighth Symphony belies none of the composer’s worsening health issues or what had to be the devastating end of a love affair, detailed in a famous letter written around the same time to his “Immortal Beloved.” Perhaps the least known, the Fourth was widely admired: Schumann compared it to “a slender Greek maiden” between the two “Norse giants” of the Third and Fifth; Berlioz insisted it was the work of an angel. And Tchaikovsky described the triumphant Seventh as “full of unrestrained joy, full of bliss and pleasure of life.” The exhilarating and familiar second movement is said to have been so inspiring at the premiere, an encore was demanded instantly.
Thursday, August 13th
Conductor: Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Jessica Hunt: Work in Dialogue with Beethoven – Philadelphia Orchestra Commission
Beethoven: Symphony No. 2
Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 (“Eroica”)
Beethoven was just beginning to go deaf when he wrote his Second Symphony and though he was losing his hearing, he was finding his voice. He could have composed a manifestation of despair, but instead gave the world one of his most ebullient and life-affirming works. The Third Symphony was groundbreaking, a turning point in the composer’s oeuvre and a watershed in musical history. A vast ode to heroism, revolution, and freedom, the “Eroica” is considered by many to be the greatest not just of Beethoven’s symphonies, but of all time.
Friday, August 14th
Conductor: Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Iman Habibi: Work in Dialogue with Beethoven – PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA COMMISSION
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 (“Pastoral”)
The indelible four-note opening of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony lays the foundation for a truly fateful symphonic journey. Written in 1804, and on the program when The Philadelphia Orchestra gave its first concert in 1900, it’s an epic tour de force that resonates in 2020. Following its rousing conclusion come the verdant valleys and sweet smells of the woods and the Austrian countryside, an exposition of Beethoven’s love of nature. Composed and premiered at the same time, the “Pastoral” offers a striking contrast to the assertive Fifth.
Saturday, August 15th
Conductor: Yannick Nézet-Séguin Chorus: Albany Pro Musica Concert Chorus
Frank: Work in Dialogue with Beethoven – PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA COMMISSION
Beethoven: Symphony No. 1
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 (“Choral”)
Beethoven was just 25 when he wrote his First Symphony. Delightful and high-spirited, floating on strains of Mozart and Haydn, it’s a fascinating glimpse of the greatness and genius to come—all on full, glorious display in the climactic Ninth. Written just a few short years before his death, “Beethoven’s profound ode to brotherhood, salvation, and pure joy reminds us why we are here as an orchestra,” says Yannick, “and why we constantly try to make our world better by playing music.”
Live From Here hosted by Chris Thile will return this month with the fourth season of the weekly variety show from their new home at New York City’s Town Hall. Thile and producers American Public Media announced in May that the show’s creative and production teams would move from St. Paul, MN to NYC.
“Next season, our public radio listeners and live-stream viewers will get the best and broadest selection of music and musicians we can possibly present,” Thile said via press release, “and they can also expect an expanded range of spoken word content, including poetry, literature, comedy and storytelling.”
Live From Here‘s fourth season kicks off Sept. 7, with additional performances on Sept. 14 and 28, Oct. 12 and 26, Nov. 2, 16 and 23; and Dec. 7 and 14.
Guests for the season premiere include Ezra Koenig, frontman for Vampire Weekend, Natalia Lafourcade, Sarah Jarosz, Jake Gyllenhaal, Matt Braunger, and Holly Laurentand. The season continues with The Lumineers, Raphael Saadiq, Aparna Nancherla, Maria Popova, and Rachael Price on Sept. 14, then Jamila Woods, John Cameron Mitchell, Ann Patchett, and Tom Papa Sept. 28.
Oct. 12 brings Trey Anastasio plus The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra featuring trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, Sarah Jarosz, and Tom Papa, and Oct. 26 features Lake Street Dive frontwoman Rachael Price. Guests on Nov. 2 include Gregory Alan Isakov and Aoife O’Donovan. More artists and guests will be announced soon.
Tickets for the fall season are already on sale. To sign up for the Live from Here newsletter and for more information, visit LiveFromHere.org.
Tanglewood, the famed summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra since 1937, launches the Tanglewood Learning Institute, and a dazzling array of concerts for their summer season, which runs from June 15 through Labor Day weekend. Tanglewood is located in the Berkshire Hills, between Stockbridge and Lenox, MA. This summer includes a lot of debuts, as well as returning acts for Tanglewood.
The season starts off with Popular Artist Series throughout the month of June, including performances from Postmodern Jukebox, Josh Groban, James Taylor and Earth, Wind & Fire. Then, starting on July 5, the Tanglewood will be home to BSO’s Music Director, Andris Nelsons, for 14 orchestra programs. The BSO and Andris Nelsons will open the orchestra’s summer season with Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 and Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 22, with Emanuel Ax as soloist.
Other highlights from the season include a one-night-only performance of Bach Cello Suites by Yo-Yo Ma and three performances from The Boston Pops celebrating the music of John Williams. One of these performances being Star Wars: A New Hope, which includes a showing of the classic 1977 film, with the Boston Pops Orchestra performing Mr. Williams’ iconic score. For a complete list of events this summer at the Tanglewood and ticket information click here.
For thirty years the Music Haven Concert Series has been bringing musicians from around the world to the capital region and this year to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the summer series they are also adding eight additional events, including theater and film.
The seven Sunday shows feature artists from five continents, with special guests including Eddies lifetime achievement winner Kevin McKrell on July 28th opening for Ireland’s Seamus Egan (founder of the band Solas).
Music Haven’s Founder and Producing Artistic Director Mona Golub announcing the lineup. Photo by Ed Conway
Music Haven is also bringing Shakespeare back to Schenectady’s Central Park with two evenings of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. They will also be introducing a Broadway karaoke night, called Hamiltunes, a first of its kind event.
Along with great entertainment the concert series has great food vendors, specialty beers, ice cream and other novelties making it a treat for the whole family. It’s no wonder that Music Haven won this year’s Eddie for Concert Series of the Year for enriching the cultural experiences of the region.
2019 Concert Series (Sundays, 7 p.m.)
July 7—Raghu Dixit Dubbed “India’s biggest cultural export” by The Guardian, Raghu Dixit’s contemporary global sound embraces elements of rock and hip hop, while rooted to India’s rich cultural heritage. Special Guests: Crossroads—Jay Gandhi & Yacouba Sissoko Sponsored by M&T Bank, Ellis Medicine, Fingerpaint
July 14—Casuarina Named for the street where the band formed, Casuarina has gone from humble Rio de Janiero beginnings to rarified status as one of Brazil’s finest, sultriest Samba combos. Special Guests: Eduardo de Carvahlo e Forró de Bom Sponsored by Freihofer’s, The Salmon Law Firm, Goya
The Garifuna Collective
July 21—The Garifuna Collective Garifuna Collective preserves traditional Caribbean coastal rhythms like Wanaragua and the semi-sacred Hungu-Hungu with turtle shells, jawbones, guitars, bass and spiritual singing. Special Guest: Bodoma Garifuna Culture Band Sponsored by Benchemark Printing, Ben & Jerry’s, Snapple
July 28—Seamus Egan Project Simply put, Solas founder and multi-instrumentalist Seamus Egan is a giant in the world of Irish traditional music, and he returns to his roots with a top notch quartet. Special Guest: Kevin McKrell Sponsored by Galesi Group, Carlilian Foundation
Aug. 4—Thornetta Davis Multiple award-winner “Detroit’s Queen of the Blues,” Thornetta Davis has sung her truth alongside Bonnie Raitt, Kid Rock, Bob Seeger, and a host of blues luminaries. Special Guest: Tas Cru Sponsored by MVP Health Care, CDTA, Rivers Casino & Resort, WEXT 97.7/106.1
Aug. 11—Cimarrón Like the Spanish Fandango, the Colombian Joropo that Cimarrón brings from the plains of the Orinoco River, is fierce, stomping and virtuosic. Special Guests: Sten & Maria Z. Sponsored by FAM Funds, Bustelo Coffee, SAVI
Aug. 18—Jupiter & Okwess Kinshasa-born “Jupiter” Bokondji’s band Okwess marries the American funk heard during his youth in Germany with the Congolese Rumba of his homeland. Special Guests: TBA Sponsored by Lia Auto Group, Polar Beverages, WEXT
Additional Performances (7 p.m.)
Wednesday, July 17—The Turbans—Global dance party
Thursday, July 18—Hamiltunes: An American Singalong
Thursday, July 25—Huntertones—Horn-driven jazz/funk
Friday and Saturday, July 26–27—Will Kempe’s Players: A Midsummer Night’s Dream —Shakespeare in the park
Wednesday, July 31—A Tribute to Nick Brignola—Jazz
Friday, Aug. 9—School of the Performing Arts at Proctors—Broadway Cabaret
Saturday, Aug. 10—The Schenectady Symphony Orchestra—Pops and classical
Friday, Aug. 16—Woodstock: Three Days that Defined a Generation —Premiere screening of new PBS Documentary
