NYS Music 20​19

Category: Genres

  • Albany Symphony and David Alan Miller Present The American Music Festival, Sing Out! New York

    Sing Out! New York celebrates New York’s leading role in championing equal rights through innovative concerts, close encounters with today’s most adventurous artists and composers, interactive workshops, collaborative community events, film screenings, and artistic happenings throughout Troy and the New York Capital Region.

    The Albany Symphony is committed to telling the stories of our time, place, and history through collaborations between composers and fellow artists, and through the creation of new music.  In late May and early June 2019, we will shine a light on New York State’s leading role in social justice history through Sing Out! New York, this year’s American Music Festival and free concert tour. To frame an artistic discussion surrounding the fight for inclusion and equality in New York State, we drafted a broad team of artists, including a number of emerging composers who represent our richly diverse community and partnered them with other creative artists and community organizations from myriad disciplines. Then we invited them to tell stories, about the heroic figures, defining events and related issues of some of the most defining equal justice movements in our history.  We paired remarkable new and recent works by composers who have led the fight for social justice in New York State alongside established works, and we designed immersive events that celebrate the things that bring us together as New Yorkers and as human beings.

    David Alan Miller, Albany Symphony Music Director

    The Albany Symphony’s American Music Festival will return to Troy with performances and happenings at EMPAC, Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and Troy’s Monument Square starting Thursday, May 30 through Sunday, June 9. Curated by Grammy Award-winning conductor and Albany Symphony Music Director, David Alan Miller, the festival will turn downtown Troy into a hub for new American concert music featuring 50 new or recent works by 38 composers, including 27 world premiere performances.  The Festival includes works by acclaimed composer-activist David Del Tredici, and four-time Grammy and Academy Award-winning composer, John Corigliano, as well as performances by composer/performer Molly Joyce, the Argus Quartet and soprano Hila Plitmann.  Sing Out! New York kicks off on Thursday, May 30 with First Draughts Reading Session & Beer Tasting and runs through Sunday, June 2 in Troy. The musicians, then embarks on a four-concert regional tour in Schuylerville (June 6), Schenectady (June 7), Albany (June 8), and Hudson (June 9), New York.

    The American Music Festival Sing Out! New York explores the storied legacy of New York’s rich cultural history in the fight for inclusion and equality.  Two milestone anniversaries frame the festival: the centennial of the passage of the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote and the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising. 

    “I began researching the history of the suffragist movement last year in advance of its centennial.  I discovered that many of the seminal events of the movement happened right here in New York. At the same time, I knew that June 2019, marks the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, that amazing moment in Greenwich Village when members of the LGBTQ community stood up and demanded true equal rights for all. By exploring these movements together, we send the message that the fight for social justice and equal rights never includes just one interest group but applies to all of us.” – David Allen Miller

    Sing Out! New York

    The stories of the activists who led these movements, and their significance today are the basis for each festival event. On Friday, May 31, the Dogs of Desire, combining popular culture and classical ensemble, will premiere five commissions inspired by the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention. The Albany Symphony will premiere a suffragist inspired piece by composer/performer Tanner Porter on Saturday, June 1 alongside Pop-Pourri with soprano Hila Plitmann, David Del Tredici’s first in his series of works based on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and John Corigliano’s Piano Concerto with pianist Phillip Edward Fisher.  Albany Symphony will record both Pop-Pourri and the Piano Concerto for commercial release.

    Sing Out! New York is a terrific addition to the slate of events taking place across New York State this summer to celebrate WorldPride and commemorate Stonewall 50, and the concerts will inspire travel to the Capital-Saratoga vacation region. Empire State Development and I LOVE NY are excited to support this great series of events and the always innovative work of the Albany Symphony.

    Ross D. Levi, New York State Executive Director of Tourism

    According to Executive Director Anna Kuwabara, “The American Music Festival is the annual blossoming of the Albany Symphony’s commitment to the music of our time, to giving voice to the stories, aesthetics, thoughts, and emotions of our society right here, right now. The Festival is a hub for new music, and it is our opportunity to celebrate and unite our community, to transform lives and be transformed through the power of music.  The four free Sing Out New York! Tour events are our joy and honor to present. The program in each community includes Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, sing-alongs, and summertime favorites.  The centerpiece of each is one of the newly commissioned works from the Dogs of Desire concerts earlier in the Festival.  Along with great music, we look forward to bringing attention and business to each site with family activities, food trucks, fireworks, and other festivities.” 

    Tickets and Festival Passes to the American Music Festival Sing Out! New York in Troy May 30 – June 2, 2019 are on sale now and can be purchased through the Albany Symphony Box Office: 518-694-3300, Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or online. Performances take place at EMPAC Concert Hall on the campus of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, and Troy’s Monument Square 

    The American Music Festival Sing Out! New York Tour concerts at Hudson Crossing Park in Schuylerville, Mohawk Harbor in Schenectady, Albany’s Jennings Landing, and Basilica Hudson are free and open to the public.  

    2019 American Music Festival Sing Out! New York Calendar can be found at their website.

  • Trey Anastasio Documentary ‘Between Me and My Mind’ to Hit Select Theaters July 17

    A Trey Anastasio documentary, Between Me And My Mind is slotted to hit select North American theaters on July 17. The three-year production follows Anastasio through the writing and recording of his recent solo project Ghosts Of The Forest and also features documentation of the tremendous preparations for Phish’s 2017 New Years celebration at Madison Square Garden.

    Premiering at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival this past spring, the documentary spans 100 minutes with deeply personal footage of the prolific musician, including conversations with his friends, family and bandmates. Delving into the icon’s songwriting process, the film is an exploration of his methods, a nod to his genuine character and a showcase of one of the most talented and revered artists of our time. Watch the official trailer for Between Me And My Mind below.

  • Karla Bonoff Gets Personal At The Egg

    Karla Bonoff had a wry smile on her face at The Egg Friday, May 10 as she recalled an audience member at a previous show shouting play something cheerful!

    “I’m trying,” muttered Bonoff ruefully, pausing a beat. “Actually, I told her she’s at the wrong show.”

    Accompanied by the exceptionally tasteful guitarist, Nina Gerber, Bonoff alternated between acoustic guitar and grand piano, singing every number except for Gerber’s solo instrumental version of Clive Gregson’s “It’s All Just Talk.” The 67-year-old Bonoff is blessed with a powerful voice, yet she’s most comfortable expressing melancholy and yearning, as exemplified by “Please Be the One” and “Someone to Lay Down Beside Me.”

    Karla Bonoff

    A succession of such downcast material doesn’t necessarily sound like a fun Friday night, but thankfully Bonoff has become something of a raconteur, displaying a sly sense of humor that appears only intermittently in her lyrics. She spoke fondly of her early years, recalling all the “icky boyfriends” who inspired “Trouble Again” and remembering open mike nights at the Troubadour where she first heard Jackson Browne unveil “Something Fine.”

    Karla Bonoff and Gerber finished strong with a couple of disparate cover versions. An up-tempo rendition of “Personally” was set up nicely by Bonoff.

    “I’m gonna play a tune I didn’t write — it was my only hit, technically. Number 11 on the Billboard charts! The way I found this song was my dear old friend Glenn Frey, a great collector of obscure R&B tunes, played me this record by Jackie Moore from the mid-seventies.”

    (I said) “Wow, what a great tune — I can’t believe that hasn’t been a hit for anybody!”

    Frey: “Yeah, you know, I was thinking I should send this to Bonnie Raitt.”

    Cue much laughter from the audience. “Hi Glenn,” continued Bonoff.

    “Here I am, right here. So, I didn’t let him send it to Bonnie. I recorded it and it was a hit. This record had horns on it and strings and the Eagles singing background vocals and all this stuff — a big record. So I didn’t really over the years play it very much. I didn’t feel like I could really reproduce that big record. But I don’t give a shit anymore!”

    Karla Bonoff

    The subsequent version of “Personally” was a nice shot of adrenaline after so many ballads, but Bonoff slowed things down for the finale.

    “I was taking guitar lessons (in the late sixties) from a great musician: Frank Hamilton who was in the Weavers on and off with Pete Seeger. He taught in a little guitar store in the heart of Hollywood called Barney Kessel’s Music World. He taught me a lot of arrangements they used to play in the Weavers. When I recorded it I was lucky enough to have James Taylor and J.D. Souther play on it, but they couldn’t quite make it here tonight.”

    And in fact no one missed them, as Bonoff and Gerber meshed beautifully on a gorgeous rendition of the Irish folk ballad “The Water is Wide.” It was a fitting end to a lovely evening at the Egg.

    Setlist: Home, Baja, Oklahoma, Trouble Again, Something Fine (Jackson Browne), Daddy’s Little Girl, Rose in the Garden, Restless Nights, Tell Me Why, It’s All Just Talk (Clive Gregson), Please Be the One, Falling Star, Carry Me Home, Lose Again, Someone to Lay Down Beside Me, Personally (Paul Kelly), The Water is Wide*

    *(traditional, arranged by Frank Hamilton, Pete Seeger & Karla Bonoff)

  • Kat Wright and The Old Main Take on Clinton

    The Kirkland Art Center in Clinton was recently the scene for Kat Wright‘s return to her upstate roots. The Rochester-born chanteuse and her band performed a soulful, sometimes funky, 22-song set to a sold out audience at this small venue in Central New York.

    NPR once described Wright as a mix of Amy Winehouse and Bonnie Raitt. It’s easy to note tones of Susan Tedeschi in her delivery as well. This served Wright well later in the set when she and guitarist, Bob Wagner, teamed for a stirring duet of Tedeschi Trucks Band’s “Shelter.”

    Kat Wright 

    Wright’s band is one of the tightest around, making due without the presence of keyboardist, Shane Hardiman, who was missing due to health issues. Wright made note of the spaciousness to her right and wished Hardiman well in his recovery.

    Wright commands your attention with her presence and her voice. As soon as she opens her mouth, the notes pour out effortlessly. She possesses that rare quality of projecting deep soulful notes with what may seem to the onlooker as pure ease.

    Their set opened with an instrumental jam sans Wright, where the band: Bob Wagner (guitar), Josh Weinstein (bass), Colin Jalbert (drums), Jake Whitesell (tenor sax), and Phil Rodriguez (trumpet), displayed their chops right out of the gate.

    Wright joined the fellas for a sultry, soulful performance of “All About You” to get things rolling. The standing room only audience was rapt with the voice coming from the stage while the band provided a jazzy backdrop.

    Throughout the course of the night, Wright wowed with her voice while the band did the same. There were points during the show where the band seemed like they were ready to let rip but were holding back just a bit, to allow Wright to shine. These moments were sparse and when they let loose; they really let loose.

    This is a well-educated outfit, as shown in covers of blues classics from Howlin’ Wolf and Junior Wells and their jaw-dropping version of the Tedeschi Trucks Band’s “Shelter.” This is a band that wears its influences on their sleeves. If you want funk, they can funk you up with the best of them. If you want soulful ballads, you got it. Blues? Indeed. Kat Wright is one to check out.

    The night’s opener was the Utica-based Americana band, The Old Main. Their brand of music is rife with foot-stompers and tender ballads with the ability to flat-out rock. They’re a band on the rise around New York State, but knew their role on this night as the opening act. Humble and funny, they quickly won the audience over with witty, self-deprecating banter between songs and a solid set of original material spanning their two studio albums, as well as a new, as-yet-unnamed song.

    The Old Main

    The band, consisting of stand-up bassist Nash Robb, guitarist Seth Becker, drummer Mitch Eckler, and banjoist Dusty Elmer, rolled through a solid eight song set, incorporating an enthusiastic jam session that had Eckler using Robb’s bass as an adjunct to his drum kit during “Tuesday.” Robb and Owen offer some of the best harmonizing in Americana today with Eckler providing additional harmonies to add an extra punch. Elmer’s picking is effortless. The Old Main did exactly what they set out to do for this show — provide solid opening band material while winning over new fans.

    Kat Wright will be performing at the moe.down Festival in Turin Fourth of July Weekend. The Old Main will be performing at Woods Fest 2 in Westernville on August 10. Both bands are well worth checking out.

     

  • The Big Takeover Announces New Single, Tour Dates

    By Maddi Annunziata, Contributing Writer

    New York seven-piece band, The Big Takeover, perfectly fuses big band Motown with Jamaican pop roots, making it nearly impossible not to dance along. In their new single “Shy.” they offer an upbeat, retro tune that stays with you,  keeping you bopping around all day. This is the first single released from the band’s upcoming fourth album, and it’s filled with powerful horns, a foot-stomping beat, and soulful vocals.


    Despite its cheery, optimistic sound, the single has a rather somber story. Powerhouse singer/songwriter, Nee Nee Rushie, tells us about a love triangle, and everyone involved is too shy to communicate with each other and see their own truth. “I was trying to tell a very specific story, because I’ve written many stories that are left up to interpretation,” she elaborates, “feeling shy is an inexplicable and intriguing human behavior that most humans should be able to relate to.” “Shy” has an incredibly rich, boppy, and sweet sound that flows through you in a way that you can’t help but dance across the room. Listen to the single below or check it out through your favorite streaming platform here.

    The Big Takeover has been making a name for itself recently, sharing the stage with major acts such as The Wailers, Sister Sparrow, Jefferson Starship, and Pete Seeger. In 2018 they completed a 12-state tour and performed at Omaha’s Jazz on the Green festival.

    In addition to writing their new album, which is set to release later this year, The Big Takeover is set to appear at a number of notable music festivals this summer, including  Strangecreek in Greenfield, MA this weekend, Mountain Jam, and Musikfest. Check out the dates below to see when they’re playing near you.

    The Big Takeover Tour Dates:

    May 24 – Strangecreek Festival –  Greenfield, MA

    May 25 – Cisco Brewers – Portsmouth, NH

    May 30 – Lukin’s – Utica, NY

    May 31 – Red Square – Burlington, VT

    June 1 – Newburyport Brewing Co. – Newburyport, MA

    June 2 – Strawberry Jam – Turin, NY

    June 7 – Waterhole – Saranac Lake, NY

    June 8 – Burlington Discover Jazz – Burlington, VT

    June 9 – Earth Sky Time – Bennington, VT

    June 14 – Mountain Jam – Bethel, NY

    June 15 – Clearwater Festival – Croton On Hudson, NY  

    June 23 – Unifier Festival – Tolland, MA

    June 30 – Cisco Brewers – Nantucket, MA

    July 3 – The Promenade at Sagemore – Marlton, NJ

    July 5 – First Fee Friday Eve – Shelburne, VT

    July 6 – Dockside Park – Cold Spring, NY

    Aug. 1 – CFCU Summer Concert Series – Ithaca, NY

    Aug. 3 – Reggae Festival – Woodstock, NY

    Aug. 8 – Musikfest – Bethlehem, PA

    Sept. 7 – Drum Boogie Festival – Woodstock, NY

    Sept. 14 – Gloucester, MA @ Gloucester Harvest Fest

    Sept. 21 – B-Side Ballroom – Oneonta, NY

    Sept 28 – Canjam Festival – Pottstown, PA

  • Into the Mystic brings music of Van Morrison to Skyloft

    Into the Mystic – six musicians from the Burlington, Vermont area plus a ringer guitarist from neighboring New Hampshire – paid tribute to the artistry of Van Morrison at Skyloft in Crossgates Mall on Saturday May 18.

    For nearly two hours the septet ranged through the early years of Morrison’s catalog, focusing mostly on his heralded seventies period. With Avery Cooper contributing on sax (plus some lovely flute on “Tupelo Honey”) and Gordon Clark on trombone, Into the Mystic resembles a stripped-down version of Morrison’s 1973 Caledonia Soul Orchestra.

    The Caledonia ensemble featured a string section as well as horns, but Into the Mystic was content to embellish every song (except “Bulbs”) with peppy horn arrangements. They certainly did justice to such early hits as “Wild Night,” “Domino” and “Caravan,” but the charts were even more intriguing when ITM explored less familiar eighties compositions, such as “Dweller on the Threshold,” “Cleaning Windows” and “Tore Down a la Rimbaud.”

    Justin Panigutti, on vocals and rhythm guitar, had perhaps the toughest job of anyone in the septet, emulating Morrison’s gruff vocals, his penchant for wordless exclamations and exhortations, and even occasionally Van’s patented leg kick and arm thrust.

    Into the Mystic
    The Alchemystics

    Panigutti’s love for Van’s music was evident – in fact, it was clear that the entire band enjoyed their work. Guitarist Daniel Rahilly didn’t have much room to show off, but on “Kingdom Hall” he unleashed a pithy stinging solo with a studied nonchalance that evoked Robbie Robertson.

    Setlist: Wavelength, Kingdom Hall, And It Stoned Me, Warm Love, Dweller on the Threshold, Glad Tidings, Wild Night, Domino, Cleaning Windows, I’ve Been Working, Tupelo Honey, Sweet Thing, Tore Down a la Rimbaud, Satisfied, Bulbs, Into the Mystic, St. Dominic’s Preview, Caravan

  • In Focus: Shakey Graves With Illiterate Light

    Shakey Graves With Illiterate Light – May 15, 2019 at Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park, NY.

    Unofficial Setlist: Hard Wired*, Nobody’s Fool*, Roll the Bones, Built to Roam*, Georgia Moon*, Pansy Waltz, Mansion Door, Dining Alone, Big Bad Wolf, Dearly Departed, Family and Genus, The Perfect Parts, Word of Mouth*, Tomorrow*.

    Encore: Late July.

    *Performed Solo Acoustic

    Illiterate Light

  • In Focus: Eric Krasno closes out Blue Note Residency

    On Sunday, May 19, Eric Krasno closed out his residency at the famous Blue Note Jazz Club with an amazing night of music and special guests. The eight-show residency concluded with two sets with the house band: keyboardist/vocalist Nigel Hall, drummer Louis Cato, and bassist Chris Loftlin

    Krasno welcomed previously announced guest bassist MonoNeon, as well as surprised guest saxophonist James Casey and lap-steel god Robert Randolph to close out this special run. This amazing group of musicians was such a treat and really seemed to be a close-knit group of friends, a quality that shines through in the music.  

  • Relix Live Music Conference Brings Industry Experts Together in Brooklyn

    Brooklyn Bowl was host to the 3rd annual Relix Live Music Conference this past week, featuring speakers from every corner of the live music industry. Attendees gathered, eager to absorb as much knowledge as possible from the scheduled panels, ready to gain inspiration in one of the most iconic venues in the live music scene. Peter Shapiro, Seth Hurwitz, David Fricke and Warren Haynes were a few of the legends that sat on stage to share their insight.  

    Throughout the two-day conference, there was one common denominator – community.  It is clear that the live music industry has created a family comprised of staff, fans and artists themselves. The live music scene provides a sense of “home.”  

    Day 2- A Conversation With Warren Haynes & Rolling Stone’s David Fricke
    Day 2- In Conversation: Peter Shapiro & Seth Hurwitz

    The Relix Live Music Conference showcased entrepreneurs, activists, journalists and everything in between. One of the conference’s highlights included a panel on social media featuring Roger McNamee, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist and author of the book Zucked. In the panel moderated by Dean Budnick of Relix, McNamee discussed the ubiquity of social media in our lives today and what companies like Facebook and Google do to retain as much data about us as they can. One particular poignant comment by McNamee was that despite his resistance to Facebook, the bands he’s involved in need the platform to stay viable.

    Not only did Brooklyn Bowl and Peter Shapiro host a great networking and professional event, they also hosted some incredible bands to close out the event.  

    Midnight North and Lucky Chops took the stage, one that had just been warmed up by a who’s-who of the music industry, to provide a night of music that certainly did justice. Midnight North is a San Francisco based Rock/Americana band with a tight, timeless sound. Guitar, vocals and charisma from Grahame Lesh led the band through a thoughtful set of true rock ‘n’ roll.  

    Lucky Chops, a New York City-based brass band with a self-dubbed genre, “Happy Horns,” closed out the night with a huge breath of wind instrument spectacle. Comprised of Josh Holcomb (trombone), Daro Behroozi (tenor sax), Joshua Gawel (trumpet), Charles Sams IV (drums) and the incredible Raphael Buyo, aka Patchy Brian Sousaphone. The band closed out the third show of its Brooklyn Bowl album release residency in support of their soon-to-be-released crowd-funded album with a hefty mix of new songs and their longtime repertoire. Keeping with the beat of the previous two shows, Lucky Chops welcomed several friends to the stage including former bandmates, high school band classmates, and a special guest from Snarky Puppy.

    In Focus with Midnight North

    In Focus with Lucky Chops

  • In Focus: Jackie Greene Serenades City Winery

    On Friday, May 17, Americana singer/guitarist Jackie Greene treated an intimate City Winery crowd to an acoustic evening filled with rare catalog classics and his take on many classic rock hits. His second of a two-set evening, accompanied by Nathan Dale on guitar and vocals and special guest Leslie Mendleson on vocals and piano, showcased why he is one of the top musicians around today.

    This was a special, intimate setting for the musician who is usually flanking some of the biggest names in music with his soulful electric guitar. On this evening in a small venue like City Winery, donning only an acoustic guitar, Jackie told a different story using his amazingly rich voice and soulful lyrics. Known for his ties to the Grateful Dead family, he treated fans to stellar renditions of “Brokedown Palace” and “Peggy O.” But it was the stripped down version of Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice it’s Alright” that made this evening a special one.  

    Setlist: Don’t Let the Devil Take Your Mind, Brokedown Emotion, Slip Slidin’ Away, Gone Wanderin’, Honey I Been Thinking About You, Never Satisfied, Mexican Girl, Animal, Don’t Think Twice It’s All Right, Shaken, Breakdown, Trust Somebody, Don’t Let Me Down, Scarlet Begonias, That’s What Love Will Make You Do, Brokedown Palace, Ball and Chain, Peggy O

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