NYS Music 202​0

Author: Jessica Sherman

  • Caffe Lena Cancels Reopening

    Update: Based on the rise of new Covid-19 infections in the Saratoga Springs region, Caffe Lena have announced the halt of live audience concerts at their venue. This postponement comes just after the announcement of a series of live audience concerts that were to be held starting July 14. Programming will continue via livestreams. Once the infection has diminished Caffe Lena plans on reopening their doors to a live audience.

    See original announcement below.

    Saratoga’s Caffe Lena Set To Reopen During Phase 4

    Saratoga Springs‘ famous 60+ year old concert venue, Caffe Lena, begun preparations to reopen, as performance venues are given the green light during Phase 4 of New York’s reopening plan.

    In a press release Caffe Lena’s Executive Director Sarah Craig explains their plan:

    “We’re taking it in baby steps, starting with 25% capacity. Live performance venues were the first to shut down, and they’re the last to reopen. It’s essential for the future of music that we work out a way to open stages safely. Our goal is to meet and surpass the NYS Health Department guidelines.”

    The venue’s first regular concert would have taken place on July 14 with ensemble members from the New York City Ballet. Serving as an alternative opening night due to the cancellation of their Saratoga Performing Arts Center performance, the five musicians would have been able to play for 12 parties as well as hundreds that will be tuning in via an online stream. In compliance with social distancing, guidelines seating would have been in groups of two to four with no individual tickets being offered the time. The New York City Ballet will now be live-streamed event instead of being a live audience concert after the postponement.

    https://youtu.be/UCH4LeK8iY4

    When New York hit pause in March Caffe Lena was forced to close its doors to the public. Due to designation as an essential business for live broadcasting use, the seats remained empty but thousands watched via the venue’s Youtube channel, concerts taking place on Lena’s stage.

    “Recognizing that many of our patrons are not in a position to return to public gatherings, we’re becoming a kind of hybrid live-stream and live-audience venue,” explained Craig. “From now on, our headline concerts will be available in real time via Vimeo for a small fee, and our community programs and shows featuring local amateur talent will be streamed on YouTube for free.”

    Tickets and Information about Caffe Lena’s upcoming schedule are available on their website.

  • Saratoga’s Caffe Lena set to reopen during Phase 4

    Saratoga Springs‘ famous 60+ year old concert venue, Caffe Lena, has begun preparations to reopen, as performance venues are given the green light during Phase 4 of New York’s reopening plan.

    In a press release Caffe Lena’s Executive Director Sarah Craig explains their plan:

    “We’re taking it in baby steps, starting with 25% capacity. Live performance venues were the first to shut down, and they’re the last to reopen. It’s essential for the future of music that we work out a way to open stages safely. Our goal is to meet and surpass the NYS Health Department guidelines.”

    The venue’s first regular concert will take place on July 14 with ensemble members from the New York City Ballet. Serving as an alternative opening night due to the cancellation of their Saratoga Performing Arts Center performance, the five musicians will be able to play for 12 parties as well as hundreds that will be tuning in via an online stream. In compliance with social distancing, guidelines seating will be in groups of two to four with no individual tickets being offered at this time.

    https://youtu.be/UCH4LeK8iY4

    When New York hit pause in March Caffe Lena was forced to close its doors to the public. Due to designation as an essential business for live broadcasting use, the seats remained empty but thousands watched via the venue’s Youtube channel, concerts taking place on Lena’s stage.

    “Recognizing that many of our patrons are not in a position to return to public gatherings, we’re becoming a kind of hybrid live-stream and live-audience venue,” explained Craig. “From now on, our headline concerts will be available in real time via Vimeo for a small fee, and our community programs and shows featuring local amateur talent will be streamed on YouTube for free.”

    Tickets and Information about Caffe Lena’s upcoming schedule are available on their website.

    Upcoming Schedule:

    July 14 – Franz Schubert’s Trout Quintet

    July 15 – Bluegrass Night with High Peaks Bluegrass Band

    July 17 & 18 – Aztec Two-Step

    July 19 – Erin Harpe Country Blues Duo

  • Camp Circle Jam Hosts Festival for Artists in Need

    Camp Circle Jam creator Ostin Gold has announced a virtual music festival taking place July 2 at 12 p.m. A collective streaming event for music, art and wellness, the grassroots festival will showcase over 30 creators ranging from live music to mindfulness workshops and more.

    Live performances will include Brooklyn based DODONGO, Jeremy Kraus (Space Carnival), Danny Littler (Autonomix) and Josh Nermon (Autonomix), Vaporeyes, Gallons Of Pork, Chameleonize and a set of Phish from Nectar.

    Performing solo will be Pat Tato (of Vaporeyes/Baked Potatoes) Ron Solo (Of Space Carnival), Smurfy, Khalil Jade, Marliii, Josh Nermon (of Autonomix) and more.  Unique DJ sets will feature names like Fuzzy Bunny Slippers, APROTU, Waves,  and more.

    Available to stream on Twitch, there is no cost to watch the event but donations will be accepted which will directly benefit artists and creators that have found themselves out of work due to the pandemic.

    Find more information about the festival on Instagram and Facebook.

  • The Canadian National Anthem gets a Daniel Hersog Jazz Orchestra makeover in new video

    The Daniel Hersog O Canada Jazz Orchestra has released their first digital music video, featuring the Canadian National Anthem “O Canada.” The video’s release comes just in time for Canada‘s July 1 Independence Day.

    Daniel Hersog‘s 17-piece ensemble formed in response to the Coronavirus Pandemic. The group is comprised of Juno Award winners, Canadian jazz stars and a recipient of the Order of Canada. All 10 Canadian Providences are represented among these musicians that have come together to support each other during trying times.

    Daniel Hersog, hailing from Vancouver, British Columbia, has quickly become a vital Jazz player as a trumpeter, composer and arranger. Hersog is currently receiving significant airplay, and international media attention for his newly released album Night Devoid of Stars released through Cellar Music Label.

  • Marco Benevento Shares His Musical Journey on the Past, Present, Future, Live! Podcast

    Marco Benevento joined RJ Bee on this week’s episode of the new podcast series Past, Present, Future, Live! brought to you by Osiris Media. Spanning almost an hour, in the episode we hear the virtuoso keyboardist discuss his life experiences and musical inspirations behind the 7 solo albums that have successfully blended indie pop, jazz, hard rock and improvisation into the smooth fun sound he is known for. The episode wraps with a special performance “Two of You,” “Dropkick,” and “In the Afternoon Tomorrow” right from Benevento’s studio home in Woodstock, NY

    Marco Benevento went on to talk during the podcast about musical partnership that has spanned over twenty years with drummer Joe Russo, the other half of the Benevento/Russo Duo and mastermind behind Joe Russo’s Almost Dead. From bus tours to moving to the Hudson Valley of New York, Benevento’s life and career was impacted immensely leading up to the new artists who have inspired diverse sounds on Benevento’s new album Let it Slide.

    “I literally am living the dream. I couldn’t even imagine being anywhere else right now,” said Marco Benevento.

    Past, Present, Future, Live! is a weekly show that captures the musical journey of an artist in four parts. From early inspirations to the creative process to what drive’s future projects these stories provide a unique inside look. Hosted by RJ Bee, past episodes have included Grammy winning producer and musician Eric Krasno and the frontman for Old 47s Rhett Miller. Upcoming episodes of Past, Present, Future, Live! will include conversations with Ted Leo, Dani Markham, Maggie Rose, and more. Check out full audio episodes every Tuesday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. A video of each live performance will be available immediately following on the Osiris website and Youtube channel.  

  • Jon Batiste, Bela Fleck, Abigail Washburn, Pedrito Martinez Headlining “Freihofer’s Jazz Fest Stay Home Sessions”

    Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Absolutely Live Entertainment and Caffè Lena have announced the first ever “Freihofer’s Jazz Fest Stay Home Sessions” to take place June 26 -28 at 8 p.m. est. The series will feature pre produced videos from national artists along with live performances on Caffè Lena‘s stage from local favorites. Each session will be hosted through Caffè Lena’s “Stay Home Sessions” Youtube channel. “Freihofer’s Jazz Fest Stay Home Sessions” have replaced the 2020 Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival usually hosted at Saratoga Performing Arts Center that was cancelled due to health and safety concerns as a result of the Coronavirus Pandemic.

    Elizabeth Sobol, President and CEO of  Saratoga Performing Arts Center gave this statement in a press release; “Freihofer’s has been a generous and steadfast supporter of Jazz Fest for the last 23 years. When presented with the possibility of creating a Virtual Jazz Fest, they didn’t miss a beat – pledging to support our efforts to bring great musicians and audience together despite the challenges of COVID-19.  Being able to create connection for jazz lovers – and support both national and local musicians, the latter performing from Caffe Lena — is a privilege.”

    The series is broken down into three themed nights. Kicking things off with a Cuban-themed evening will be previous headliner, Grammy nominated Pedrito Martinez with local artists Chuck Lamb and Jorge Gomez. Bringing the sounds of folk and jazz together will be husband and wife duo Bela Fleck (four time headliner and winner of 15 Grammy awards) & Abigail Washburn followed by Saratoga Spring’s own Skidmore Jazz Institute Alumni Trio. Closing out the weekend long event with some smooth sounds from Detroit will be Garland Nelson’s Reflections: A Motown Tribute Ensemble” opening for musician and television personality Jon Batiste.

    Freihofer’s Jazz Fest Stay Home Sessions Lineup:

    *all performances at 8 PM EST

    June 26

                Pedrito Martinez

                Chuck Lamb & Jorge Gomez

    June 27

                Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn

                Skidmore Jazz Institute Alumni Trio

    June 27

                Jon Batiste

                Garland Nelson’s “Reflections: A Motown Tribute Ensemble”

  • Pete Seeger’s Clearwater Sloop Hosts ‘The Virtual Great Hudson River Revival: An Epic Stream to Save the River’

    Setting sail five decades ago by the folk icon Pete Seeger, The Hudson River sloop Clearwater was recently doubting its state of continuing after the pandemic forced a stop to its educational and activism activities. With donations from supporters worldwide, the ‘nation’s oldest music-rooted activist organization’ has stopped this ship from sinking. The annual music festival will once again go on this year, but virtually to keep in accordance with the current social distancing guidelines, dubbed ‘The Virtual Great Hudson River Revival: An Epic Stream to Save the River.’

    Airing June 20 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. est. Viewers can enjoy the 3 hour festival on Clearwater’s website, YouTube channel  and Facebook page for free with donations being accepted that will go to continue the educational, environmental and activism programming. Artists will get to perform one at a time, giving them a chance to watch their fellow performers, something that has never occurred in the history of the activism festival.  

    Great Hudson River Revival

    Grammy winning singer/songwriter Tom Chapin, a returning headliner and one of the organizers for this year’s virtual concert said, “Happiness, for me, is performing at the Clearwater Revival and, for the first time, being able to actually watch all the other great artists play.”

    Other musicians who have stepped up to the plate for 2020 include Judy Collins, David Amram, John McCutcheon, Jay Ungar and Molly Mason many more.  

    Conceived in 1966, the Clearwater sloop has played an important role in the history of environmentalism and grass-roots activism along the Hudson River. From a history of female captains, to flying of the rainbow flag in support of its trips dedicated to empowering LGBTQ young people and its role in the long running cleanup of the Hudson River. The organization called for an end to systemic racism in a post on their Facebook page and recalled when Seeger and civil rights activist Paul Robeson were attacked 70 years ago after performing in Peekskill, NY according to a Billboard article. Also the sloop has hosted several generations of the region’s youth have learned about the Hudson River from field trips aboard the Clearwater.

    “Despite the distance, we’ve been excited to be able to bring people to the river through virtual sails and interactive online programs, and the response so far has been terrific,” says Erik Fyfe, Clearwater’s education director.

  • ‘Live from Here’ with Chris Thile Canceled Amidst Budget Concerns

    On Tuesday, Minnesota Public Radio and American Public Media jointly announced in a statement that the national show ‘Live From Here with Chris Thile’ will come to an end, along with 28 jobs will be cut due to budget concerns that have occurred since the start of COVID-19. Also canceled is ‘The Hilarious World of Depression,’ a podcast hosted by John Moe.

    These cuts come after much consideration to keep MPR and APM running as is. Last month 14 staff members took voluntary staff buyouts in hopes of saving other staff members jobs. Among those announcing they’re leaving MPR/The Current is multimedia producer Nate Ryan and podcast producer Jeyca Maldonado. Despite these buyouts and money raised through emergency fundraising, the staff reduction and program eliminations could not be avoided.

    Additionally MPR and American Public Media stated that executive pay will be cut by 20-35 percent, all 2021 pay raises are canceled and the reduction of working hours. At this time any unionized journalists and staff will not be effected by the cuts according to MPR/APM union representatives.

    chris thile Live from Here
    Photo credit: Brantley Gutierrez

    MPR says the cuts it made were done in a way that “aligned with our mission, values and long-term vision” and “protects our core strengths” in an effort to provide programming that their audience wants while maintaining in a time of financial uncertainty.

    MPR added, “We will find new ways to give you more control over when and how you listen, and greater access to our content on your favorite media devices. We’ll offer fresh, distinctive programming that deepens our value to you and attracts new audiences. We will double-down on trusted, in-depth information that engages and equips you to make informed decisions about your health, the economy and our democracy. And we will invest in understanding and addressing the systemic issues of racism and inequities further exposed by the killing of George Floyd.”

    ‘Live From Here’ started in 2016 with musician and songwriter Chris Thile at the wheel after the phasing out of ‘A Prairie Home Companion’. Broadcasting via public radio for two hours weekly from legendary Town Hall in New York City. With its blend of musical performances, comedy and audience interaction delivered by Thile and his wide range of guests, the show was an unique experience  for audiences nationally.

    Chris Thile expressed his excitement and hope for the show when he told NYS Music during an interview in September, “We have this two-hour canvas that we get to paint every week and there is a lot of space for things to happen and it feels good being in a place like this where on any given night there are hundreds of wonderful things happening”.

  • Julia Gargano Returns to Saint Rose to Record

    Even though schools have been closed since March 16, the College of Saint Rose in Albany has given former season 18 American Idol contestant Julia Gargano and a small group of former classmates special permission to use the Hearst Center for Communications and Interactive Media, the Times Union recently reported. 

    From Staten Island, Gargano was a senior in the music-industry program at Saint Rose when the opportunity presented itself to travel to Brooklyn and perform in front of Idol producers. She continued on to impress all three judges, singing her way onto the show. Each week her performances were top notch until an unprecedented coronavirus pandemic caused the show to halt and send contestants home. 

    Idol production resumed from each of the contestants’ homes where Gargano sang her way into the top seven for the finale. Even though the singer-songwriter did not win she feels that Idol has impacted her career in ways that she did not imagine. Gratitude for how recent experiences have impacted her life has been Gargano’s outlook since the ending of the show. 

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CATwNDeBGJs/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

    Gargano told the Times Union “‘Idol’ totally lit this drive inside me, I’m in work-work-work mode. The show will really help me be my own artist, my own singer-songwriter.”

    The show might be over but it is not the end of the road for Gargano’s music journey. Now a Saint Rose graduate, Gargano and four of her previous classmates are working on three singles that are set to be released on streaming services later in the year. For now check out Gargano’s original song ‘Growing Pains. 

  • The Jazz Foundation of America Partners With Relix for Online Benefit Concert

    The Jazz Foundation of America has partnered with music publication Relix to produce an online concert on May 14 at 8 PM ET, dubbed #TheNewGig. Hosted by actor/producer Keegan-Michael Key, the lineup will include; Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, Jon Batiste, Ivan Neville, Angelique Kidjo, Robert Cray, Stanley Jordan and more. Performances are expected to be new and will be pre-produced prior to air time. Drummer Steve Jordan will serve as the concert’s musical director.

    Relix publisher Peter Shapiro said in the press release: “We are honored to be collaborating with the Jazz Foundation of America to host #TheNewGig on Relix’s YouTube platform. Jazz and blues lie at the foundation of everything, really, and it is at the core of the music that we feature everyday on our websites, in our magazine, and on our social platforms. As part of giving back, it’s a privilege to host this very special event.

    In addition, the stream will feature performances by Herbie Hancock, Patti Smith, Brittany Howard and more who performed at the organization’s annual fundraiser ‘A Great Night in Harlem’. Many celebrities including Danny Glover, Bruce Willis and Mark Ruffin are set to make appearances during the music fundraiser. 

    Monies raised from the online concert will benefit the COVID-19 Musicians’ Emergency Fund. Established in March of this year, the emergency fund is geared towards helping musicians and their families affected by the pandemic by offering funding to cover basic living expenses. 

    “An entire community of artists who survive month-to-month have gone from standstill to freefall, financially speaking, but their music has continued to give us solace and comfort in quarantine,” said Joe Petrucelli, Executive Director of the JFA in the press release. “Support for #TheNewGig and the COVID-19 Musicians’ Emergency Fund offers them direct assistance and creates a sense of solidarity and hope in a time of despair and uncertainty.”

    To tune into the #TheNewGig, head to the Relix YouTube Channel on May 14 at 8 PM ET, with a 10 PM ET rebroadcast. For more information, visit Jazzfoundation.org.

    the jazz foundation of america