This November and December, guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and bassist Jack Casady will take to the road to close 2019 as Hot Tuna and wrap up their 50th year with acoustic shows with electric holiday performances as well.
Town Hall in New York City will host the tour kick off with two nights of electric Hot Tuna on Nov. 29 and 30, with special guest Steve Kimock. The Jefferson Airplane alums will then team up with Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams for 11 shows around the Northeast and Midwest, including stops in Troy, Poughkeepsie and Buffalo. Hot Tuna will then close out 2019 in Florida with shows on Dec. 28 in Clearwater and Dec. 31 in Ft. Lauderdale with an electric performance. Full tour dates can be found below.
Hot Tuna Fall Tour Dates
Nov. 29-30 – The Town Hall – New York, NY* Dec. 2 – Musikfest Cafe at ArtsQuest Center – Bethlehem, PA^ Dec.3 – Troy Savings Bank Music Hall – Troy, NY^ Dec.5 – Bardavon 1869 Opera House – Poughkeepsie, NY^ Dec. 6 – The Colonial Theatre – Keene, NH^ Dec. 7 – Garde Arts Center – New London, CT^ Dec. 9 – Asbury Hall – Buffalo, NY^ Dec. 10 – The Palace Theatre – Greensburg, PA^ Dec. 11 – Kent Stage – Kent, OH^ Dec. 13 – Park West – Chicago, IL^ Dec. 14 – Fitzgerald – St. Paul, MN^ Dec. 15 – Turner Hall Balroom – Milwaukee, WI^ Dec. 28 – Bilheimer Capitol Theatre – Clearwater, FL Dec. 31 – Parker Playhouse – Fort Lauderdale, FL+
* w/ Steve Kimock ^ w/ Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams
Common, an Academy Award, Golden Globe, Emmy and GRAMMY-winning artist, actor and activist, returns to the Apollo Theater stage on Tuesday, October 8, to celebrate the release of his second book, Let Love Have the Last Word and his latest studio album, Let Love.
This one-night-only New York City concert will showcase Common’s own unique and personal stories of the people and experiences that have led to a greater understanding of love and all it has to offer. Jamilla Woods joins Common as his special guest this evening. Visit the Apollo Theatre website for more information.
Madison Square Garden was given a heavy dose of uptempo funk on Saturday September 28 as the entire arena was surging with energy as Fearless Flyers and Vulfpeck brought their A-game to a sold out MSG.
Fearless Flyers, one of Vulfpeck’s many side projects, opened the night. Right out of the gate they came out swinging with heavy bass lines at an incredibly quick pace. All dressed in fighter pilot jumpers, the band was cool and clean as they ripped through each song.
Vulfpeck came out to a roaring arena, its members being announced one by one. They started the set with their incredibly upbeat “Animal Spirits” and went quickly into “Cory Wong.” After each song, the band moved seamlessly around the stage, changing instruments and showing off their incredible versatility.
After several songs, Antwaun Stanley joined the band on stage for “1612” which sent the fans into a frenzy, and appeared to be the climax of the night until the band got the crowd singing the chorus to “Back Pocket,” the intensity roared on for the rest of the night.
Vulfpeck Setlist: Intro, Animal Spirit, Cory Wong, My First Car; Daddy, He Got a Tesla; Smile Meditation, Running Away, Baby I Don’t Know Oh Oh, 1612, Funky Duck, Aunt Leslie, Wait For the Moment, Back Pocket, Beastly, Christmas in L.A.,Dean Town
For their first shows in over a year, Whose Hat Is This?, the free jazz collective of current and former Tedeschi Trucks Band members will be hitting the road for an East Coast U.S. tour this November. Featuring bassist Tim Lefebvre (David Bowie), saxophonist Kebbi Williams (Outkast), and drummers JJ Johnson (John Mayer) and Tyler “Falcon” Greenwell (Col. Bruce Hampton), the all-improvisational group will perform for the first time since the release of their second live album, Everything’s OK. Special guests on the tour include Ryan Stasik (Umphrey’s McGee) in Charleston, SC and Rachel Ann Morgan Band in Washington, DC.
Drawing on their collective experiences, Whose Hat is This? seamlessly conjure up music that combines elements of experimental jazz, funk, electronica, with unhinged musical spontaneity. The band’s debut self-titled record was released in 2017 and featured highlights from their first-ever performance, an impromptu gig at the A-Trane in Berlin.
Tour Dates:
Nov. 18 – Charleston, SC – Charleston Pour House (with Ryan Stasik’s Wondrous Band)
Nov. 19 – Washington, DC – The Hamilton
Nov. 20 – Baltimore, MD – The 8×10 (with Rachel Ann Morgan Band)
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)
Eclectic funk/jam band The New Motif are back on the road this fall and look to branch out of the Northeast with their two-night debut run in Colorado.
With stops in NYC at The Cutting Room, two nights on Cape Cod, a Phish after-party in Providence and supporting Kung Fu leading up to a performance at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, the deep psychedelic grooves The New Motif has become known for will reach wide audiences as they close out 2019 with a bang. For New Years Eve, they’ll perform at the iconic Paradise Rock Club in Boston, opening for Pink Talking Fish.
Sept. 20 – The Press Room – Portsmouth, NH Sept. 28 – MTG Pheno Cup Music & Arts Festival – Lancaster, NH Oct. 11 – LaBoca – Middletown, CT Oct. 12 – Cutting Room – NYC, NY Oct. 18 – Hawks & Reed – Greenfield, MA w/Strange Machines Oct. 26 – P.H.O.M.E. – Portland, ME w/ Strange Machines Nov. 15 – Your Mom’s House – Denver, CO – PPPP After Party w/Stig Nov. 16 – ULLR Tavern – Winter Park, CO Nov. 22 – Grumpy’s Pub – Falmouth, MA Nov. 23 – Grumpy’s Pub – Falmouth, MA Nov. 29 – Stone Church – Brattleboro, VT w/ Kung Fu Nov. 30 – Fete – Providence, RI Phish After Party w/ Meraki Dec. 19 – Port City Music Hall – Portland, ME w/ Kung Fu Dec. 20 – 3S Artspace – Portsmouth, NH w/ Kung Fu Dec. 21 – Toads Place – New Haven, CT w/ Kung Fu Dec. 22 –Bethel Woods Center for Arts – Bethel, NY w/ Kung Fu Dec. 31 – Paradise Rock Club – Boston, MA w/ Pink Talking Fish
Carving a wide path through the musical spectrum, Ezra Bell brings thrir folk/soul/rock sound to New York City on Friday, September 27 and Syracuse on Sunday, September 29. Featuring the irreverent and introspective songwriting of Benjamin Wuamett, Ezra Bell has been a staple of the Portland, OR scene since 2013, with three well-received EPs under their belt.
Ezra Bell features Maurice Spencer (bass), Tom Trotter (drums), Aaron Mattison (horns and arrangements), Honora Hildreth (backing vocals and percussion), and Jeremy Asay (keys and guitar) more-than-ably backing up Wuamett’s story-songs and satirical jigs with organic precision.
Ezra Bell has released three EP’s: Don’t All Look Up at Once, 2013; We Came by Canoe, 2014; and Farewell Griffin, 2016. Their first full length eponymous album dropped in May 2018 and is streaming now. They are currently recording regularly and releasing singles almost as quickly as the months fly by.
Rock icon Buster Poindexter returns to Café Carlyle, October 8 & 9. As a founding member of the New York Dolls and in a prolific solo career, David Johansen has been a seminal force in rock and roll, influencing countless singers and bands to this day.
For these performances, Buster Poindexter, Johansen’s celebrated alter ego, will showcase his songwriting, spanning his career from New York Dolls until now, in his inimitable elegant style, interspersed with amusing anecdotes from life in New York, past and present. As Poindexter, his previous engagements have been sellouts and he has become one of the most revered artists to grace Café Carlyle.
The E Street Band’s Steven van Zandt has said of past performances, “Buster Poindexter at the Café Carlyle is one of the great shows of the year. David Jo does an impressionistic look back at his life through his alter ego’s lens and it all works. It’s a jazz performance. His actor’s chops riffing comedy in between songs. Don’t miss it!”
Originally opened in 1955, Café Carlyle is New York City’s bastion of classic cabaret entertainment, a place where audiences experience exceptional performers at close range in an exceedingly elegant setting. Since composer Richard Rodgers moved in as The Carlyle’s first tenant, music has been an essential part of The Carlyle experience. No place is that more evident than in the Café Carlyle.
Reservations can be made online. Café Carlyle is located in The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel (35 East 76th Street, at Madison Avenue).
Steve Kimock & Friends kick off their 25 year celebration on Wednesday, September 25, and leading up to this silver anniversary they’re releasing SKF videos from the archives. Check out “Cole’s Law” from earlier this year at Sweetwater Music Hall in Mill Valley, CA.
The group recently released “While We Wait,” an elegant instrumental with Steve playing lap steel, guitar and piano on the track, alongside Spencer Murphy on bass, and John Morgan Kimock on drums, kalimba, piano, and synthesizers. Written by Steve and produced by John Morgan, the initial source of the song was the bittersweet joy Steve experienced in visiting with a friend who didn’t have much time left.
Steve’s playing creates a unique space, one not conventionally occupied by the average mind. As John Morgan put it, “You cannot identify what you are hearing, which is really exciting to me. I try to run with the ‘UFO’ vibes and let that creep into the production.” Commenting on John’s production work, Steve replied, “I don’t know how he does it. He takes pieces I’ve done and creates something new…his process is fascinating.” The other-worldly magic of Steve’s guitar meets its match with John Morgan’s studio alchemy.
Steve Kimock and Friends 25th anniversary tour dates:
The Kitchen, one of New York City’s most forward-looking nonprofit spaces, will kick off a new benefit concert series on September 25 with DJ sets from James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem/DFA) and friends. The first floor theater will host Murphy, with doors opening at 8:30pm and the DJ sets running from 9pm-12am. More information on the upcoming concerts for the 2019-20 season will be announced soon.
The Kitchen shows innovative work by emerging and established artists across disciplines, with programs ranging from dance, music, performance, and theater to video, film, and art, in addition to literary events, artists’ talks, and lecture series. Since its inception in 1971, The Kitchen has been a powerful force in shaping the cultural landscape of this country, and has helped launch the careers of many artists who have gone on to worldwide prominence.
