NYS Music 202​0

Category: Blues/Jazz

  • New York Guitar Festival Kicks off today with Set Two of ‘Reverend Gary Davis: In Search of Harlem Street Singer’ with Jim James, Chris Thile and more

    New York Guitar Festival (NYGF) has announced Set Two of the festival’s 2020 online performance series Reverend Gary Davis: In Search of the Harlem Street Singer. The series focuses on the music of blind blues musician Reverend Gary Davis.

    Rev. Gary Davis performed on the streets of Harlem from the late 1940s until his death in 1972. Overcoming poverty, racial discrimination, and blindness, Davis made numerous influential recordings and festival appearances, and also taught students including David Bromberg, Stefan Grossman, Dave Van Ronk, and Bob Weir.

    Set Two of Reverend Gary Davis: In Search of the Harlem Street Singer will premiere one video performance each day from July 13-19, at 4pm EDT daily via the New York Guitar Festival YouTube channel. There will be musical performances by Jim James, Chris Thile, David Bromberg, Piedmont Blūz, Jontavious Willis, and a special discourse by DJ Spooky to launch the festival. The schedule for the program can be seen below:

    Discourse by DJ Spooky (Paul D. Miller)  – Monday, July 13

    Jontavious Willis – Tuesday, July 14

    Chris Thile – Wednesday, July 15

    Jim James – Thursday, July 16

    Dave Bromberg – Friday, July 17

    Piedmont Blūz  – Saturday, July 18

    TBA – Sunday, July 19

    Access to Reverend Gary Davis: In Search of the Harlem Street Singer is free. The New York Guitar Festival and performing artists are asking viewers to make donations to MusiCares. You can learn more about charitable foundation of The Recording Academy’s MusicCares COVID-19 Relief Fund, and donate here.

    The New York Guitar Festival first moved its distinguished musical curation online in May, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, commissioning a diverse group of stellar musicians to participate.  Watch Set One of Reverend Gary Davis: In Search of the Harlem Street Singer – featuring performances by Bill Frisell, Rosanne Cash & John Leventhal, Warren Haynes, Fantastic Negrito, Amythyst Kiah and many more below.

    “We are incredibly grateful to the artists who have collaborated with NYGF to help shine a light on the authentic soul and humanity of Rev. Gary Davis’ music, and taken inspiration from his resilient life,” explains New York Guitar Festival’s Artistic Director David Spelman. “Heartfelt thanks, too, for the continued support of the Augustine Foundation, and for a special gift from the John and Joan D’Addario Foundation – for helping make Set Two of Reverend Gary Davis: In Search of the Harlem Street Singer possible.”

  • Alan Braufman Releases New Single “Sunrise” from ‘The Fire Still Burns’

    After tirelessly recording live at Long Pond (The National’s Studio) and elsewhere, Alan Braufman is releasing the second album under his name, The Fire Still Burns, will debut Aug. 28, 2020 (Via Valley of Search). Accompanying Alan Braufman (alto sax, flute) is Cooper-Moore (piano), James Brandon Lewis (Tenor Sax), Andrew Drury (Drums), and Ken Filiano (bass).

    Image may contain: 1 person, playing a musical instrument and indoor

    In preparation for the album’s release, Alan shares the lead single off The Fire Still Burns titled, “Sunrise.” This dreamy track rises and falls amidst the dance of Alan’s saxophone, and Cooper-Moore’s Piano, producing another heightened evolution of the “Loft Jazz” Alan is so well known for.

    Born in Brooklyn, Alan moved into a vacant building at 510 Canal Street in Manhattan with several other musicians, after studying at Berklee College of Music. Considering the fact that rent at the time for a whole floor was $140 a month, the space quickly became an area for rehearsals and a venue for shows. It was in this gritty atmosphere that the tradition of a “do-it-yourself” attitude was forged for the creatives of the city as well as Alan’s cult classic ,Valley of Search, released with the label India Navigation in 1975 and rereleased by Alan in 2018 amid popular demand.

    You can find Alan’s work on his Bandcamp and follow along with updates on the new album on his Facebook.

    The Fire Still Burns

    1. Sunrise

    2. Morning Bazaar

    3. No Floor No Ceiling

    4. Home

    5. Creation

    6. Alone Again

    7. The Fire Still Burns

    8. City Nights

  • Sunday Jazz: listen to a 2009 performance of The Earregulars at Manhattan’s The Ear Inn

    Manhattan’s historic The Ear Inn has played a pivotal role in the music scene and beyond. It’s the oldest bar in New York City that has continuously served alcohol since 1817. Check out this recording of The Earregulars, from November 2009 via JAZZ LIVES.

    The Ear Inn has a very unique history after being open for two centuries. It dates back to a time where there was African aide to George Washington and The Ear served as residence for John Adams and Aaron Burr, among others. The Ear Inn was nicknamed by patrons as an untitled bar (“The Green Door”) for obvious reasons. As a result, the bar is listed on the National Registrar of Historic Buildings.

    the ear inn

    Go ahead and enjoy these video selections of The Earregulars performing at The Ear Inn on November 8, 2009. The videos feature a plethora of musicians: Jon-Erik Kellso (trumpet), Matt Munisteri (guitar), Harry Allen (tenor saxophone), and Neal Miner (string bass). They also include Victor Herbert’s “Indian Summer” and Louis Armstrong’s swinging anthem of reproach, “Someday You’ll be Sorry.”

  • Paul Loren Releases New Single “We’ll Be Together Again”

    New York singer-songwriter Paul Loren has released his new single “We’ll Be Together Again.” Loren was raised on the rich legacy of soul, classic pop, and the Great American Songbook and in those musical idioms he feels most at home. 

    Loren has been keeping himself busy writing new music and entertaining fans via his weekly live stream, “The Leisure Lounge featuring Paul Loren” which can be found on his Facebook and Instagram pages. He is thrilled to share one of his ‘quarantunes’ written with his dearest family, friends and fans in mind. “We’ll Be Together Again” offers hope and solace in the difficult times that we are now living in.

    The Huffington Post described him as: “The dashing and retro-chic crooner whose songs bring a modern edge to lounge-era pop.” 

    The song was written during the first week of the New York City COVID-19 lockdown, unsure of when I’d get to see my loved ones again. I love those old WWII-era songs like “We’ll Meet Again” and “I’ll Be Seeing You,” and thought the referential nod to another difficult time in our history felt right. It’s a mission statement of sorts. We WILL be together again, even though circumstances are unpredictable—it’s about creating something sure in a very unstable climate. Amid times of uncertainty and separation, it is a song of hope and optimism.

    Paul Loren

    Check out this stream and more through our series NY Stream and Support, where you’ll discover artists around the Empire State streaming nightly, and ways to support musicians and charitable groups close to home!

  • Jeremy Beck & The Heavy Duty Horns Release New EP Take Me By The Hand

    NYC Based Band Jeremy Beck & The Heavy Duty Horns dropped their Take Me By The Hand EP on June 26th. The four song EP has a soulful, gospel, jazzy sound. Band leader Jeremy Beck has roots in rural Alabama and New Orleans. These roots influenced his music and sound greatly which can be heard throughout the EP.

    The Eight piece band decided to release their EP amidst COVID-19 and the fight for racial justice and equality in the United States. They understood the implications of releasing this EP during a pivotal moment for civil rights in America with it’s soulful, gospelly, and jazzy roots. “In a musical context, Black music has created what we know as American music. Without the great Black musicians, artists and writers, plain and simple, American music would not exist.” Beck explains, “So much of the music I’ve played and produced throughout my career has been directly inspired by Black musicians and I will be forever grateful. Growing up in Alabama and during my time in New Orleans, Black music and culture molded me into the musician and person I am today.”

    Jeremy Beck & The Heavy Duty Horns. Photo provided by Jeremy Beck & The Heavy Duty Horns press release.

    The EP includes the title track, “Take me by the hand” and then the love  song “Oh Baby!.” The EP wraps up with the upbeat, high tempo, song “Somebody Call Frank,” and ends with “Sing Hallelujah,”about a perfectly imperfect love. This Ep marks the first compilation of songs credited to a band composed of sidemen who have cut their teeth playing with big names like Bonnie Raitt, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings and Missy Elliot.


    Take Me By The Hand is out and available everywhere now. For more information on Jeremy Beck & The Heavy Duty Horns visit their website or their official Facebook page.

  • Jazz at Lincoln Center Streams Ellington’s “Black, Brown, and Beige”

    Blue Engine Records, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s music label, has released Black, Brown, and Beige, their first release dedicated entirely to famous jazz composer Duke Ellington.

    Photo from Wikimedia Commons Public Domain

    Jazz at Lincoln Center’s in-house recording label, Blue Engine records’ Black Brown and Beige is a recording of a live Rose Theater performance in 2018 by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Wynton Marsalis, the center’s managing and artistic director, says: “Black, Brown and Beige sits alone in the history of jazz. It covers a mosaic of not just Afro-American but of American styles of music.” 

    Born in 1899, Duke Ellington was a master jazz composer and musician for several decades and was an important figure during the Harlem Renaissance. He thought of his music not only as jazz but also “beyond category,” and he wrote pieces that influenced American music for the greater part of a century. He led the best-known orchestral jazz group of all time. Composer Percy Grainger even wrote that “The three greatest composers who ever lived are Bach, Delius and Duke Ellington.” 

    Black, Brown, and Beige, which includes nine tracks in total, originally debuted at Carnegie Hall in 1943 while Ellington was still alive. Elliot called it  “a parallel to the history of the Negro in America.” It is a notable work in both African-American history as well as that of all American orchestral compositions.

    Jazz at Lincoln Center is happy to release a present-day recording of the piece that does Elliot’s greatest work justice and makes it digitally available to countless people today. Blue Engine Records’ mission is to feature both past and present works that make up an entire canon of music to bring old and new fans of jazz together.

  • PROCTORS AND 98.3 TRY Present Concert Cinema Drive-In Series

    Proctors and 98.3 TRY will present musical acts paired with classic movies in a Concert Cinema Drive-In Series at Jericho Drive-In in Glenmont. The series features artists performing oldies, Motown, classic rock, and even Disney music over five consecutive Wednesdays beginning July 8. Each artist is paired with a similarly-themed classic film that is shown after the live concert performance, except for a Pink Floyd tribute act which performs The Dark Side of the Moon as the soundtrack during a showing of the 1939 film classic “The Wizard of Oz.”

    The concerts will kick off with a performance from The Oldies Show as well as the screening of the film “American Graffiti” on July 8 at 8p.m. The Albany-based The Oldies Show, led by three dynamic singers and backed by a rhythm section and horns, play hits from the 1950’s, 60’s, and 70’s. “American Graffiti” is the 1973 American coming-of-age comedy film directed and co-written by George Lucas, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Harrison Ford, and Cindy Williams.

    Concert Cinema Drive-In Series

    Into the Floyd will perform Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon live as the soundtrack to the “The Wizard of Oz” on the big screen on July 15 at 9p.m.  

    Concert Cinema Drive-In Series

    The Little Mermen is set to perform on July 22 at 7:30p.m. followed by the movie “Beauty and the Beast.” The Little Mermen are a New York City-based Disney cover band that play the hits from “The Jungle Book,” “The Lion King,” “Frozen” and more. “Beauty and the Beast” is the 2017 live action musical film about an arrogant prince cursed to live as a terrifying beast until he finds his true love.

    Concert Cinema Drive-In Series

    A performance from Tusk- The Ultimate Fleetwood Mac Tribute is on July 29 at 8p.m. as well as the screening of the movie “Almost Famous.” Tusk takes audiences on a sweet ride down memory lane through the catalogue of one of classic rock music’s most enduring acts; the 2000 comedy-drama “Almost Famous” follows. The film, written and directed by Cameron Crowe, is the fictional story of a 15-year-old music fan assigned by Rolling Stone magazine to interview an up-and-coming rock band.

    Concert Cinema Drive-In Series

    Reflections: A Motown Tribute Ensemble and “Lady Sing the Blues” is scheduled for August 5 at 8p.m. Reflections: A Motown Tribute Ensemble is an all-star group of lead singers from top Capital Region bands who pay tribute to the golden age of Motown, Staxx Records, Chess Records and Philadelphia International soul music. “Lady Sings the Blues” is a 1972 film about legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday featuring Diana Ross.

  • 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”

  • Annual Montréal Jazz Festival Will Be Broadcast Virtually

    The annual Festival International de Jazz de Montréal will take place virtually from June 27-30 due to the ongoing threat of the COVID-19 virus.

    Annual Montréal Jazz Festival
    Photo by Victor Diaz Lamich/Courtesy of Festival International de Jazz de Montreal

    Le Festival International de Jazz de Montréal is an annual event and draws millions of visitors to the city of Québec each Summer. It holds the Guiness World Record for largest jazz festival. Unfortunately, the festival cannot be held in person this year; however, recordings of live performances will be available for free online. Thanks to support from TD Bank Group and Rio Tinto as well as public partnerships with the Government of Canada, the Government of Québec, and the City of Montréal, the Montréal Jazz Festival will reach more than ever before.

    In order to keep everything up to the Festival’s standards, all performances will be filmed with high-quality production value in a specially made studio in Montreal’s L’Astral catered specifically for these online performances. Director Maxime Théoret-Bissonnette will manage these recordings and ensure that they will be of the highest quality. These live recordings will be free to view for anyone anywhere, making the Festival more accessible than it has ever been. If you can’t catch the performances live, they will be available for free on demand afterwards as well.

    The Festival will kick off on Canadian Multicultural Day, June 27, with a lineup that will showcase Canada’s rich and diverse talent. The show will begin with the Apéros SAQ, a mix of live performances from some of the Festival’s favorite artists. Up next are the Sessions TD and Rhymes Rio Tinto, sessions that will be enjoyable for all fans. The Festival will also showcase recordings of performances from past Festivals. The opening night will finish with the Fin de Soirée Loto-Québec, a virtual party for everyone who wants to join.

    Annual Montréal Jazz Festival
    Photo courtesy of Festival International de Jazz de Montreal

    The Festival will continue for three more days and wraps up on June 30. Although the full schedule has yet to be announced, the lineup includes the top local luminaries and artists of the city. Some notable performers who will be featured are Charlotte Cardin, Jean-Michael Blais, The Barr Brothers, Dominique Fils-Aimée, Elisapie, Jordan Officer, and many more. 

    The Festival’s General Manager Jacques K. Primeau expresses that it is extremely important for the Festival’s team “to bring the jazz Festival to the people.” He also expressed that the Festival “is thrilled to be able to offer an innovative solution to get the music out to the fans” even with such difficult challenges. 

    The Festival is only taking place thanks to the leadership of Primeau and Laurent Saulnier, the Festival’s team, the artists, and the Festival’s generous sponsors. Primeau remarks that “#JazzTogether is truly a community and a family affair” even in the hardest of times.

  • Tribute to Jazz Legend Jimmy Heath Announced at Flushing Town Hall

    Flushing Town Hall announced a tribute to the late Jimmy Heath, nicknamed Little Bird in the industry, who was an NEA Jazz Master and Queens Jazz Orchestra Music Director. Heath passed away back in January of 2020 at the age of 93 and was a jazz legend for his saxophone skills in particular. The event will be live-streamed on Flushing Town Hall’s Facebook page on Friday, June 19 at 7:00 PM. 

    Percy Heath (Left) and Jimmy Heath (right) performing in June 1977.

    Jimmy Heath received three Grammy nominations over the years. He was nominated for Best Historical  Album with John Coltrane: The Heavyweight Champion: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (Album) during the 38th Annual Grammy  Awards in 1995, Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance with Little Man, Big Band (Album) during the 36th Annual Grammy  Awards in 1993, and Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group with Live At The Public Theatre (Album) during the 23rd Annual Grammy  Awards in 1980. Jimmy Heath was also a recipient of the 2003 NEA Jazz Masters Award and in 2004 he was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Human Letters. With performing in over 100 albums and writing over 125 compositions Jimmy Heath was truly a legend in the Jazz world. 

    Flushing Town Hall plans to honor him with this special tribute by including appearances by many celebrated musical artists who have crossed paths – and taken the stage – with Jimmy Heath throughout his career. People on the docket include Jimmy Heath’s wife, Mona, and jazz legends Albert “Tootie” Heath, Barry Harris, Jimmy Owens, and Dorthaan Kirk; and members of Queens Jazz Orchestra, including Antonio Hart, David Wang, Jeb Patton and Douglas Purviance. On top of the musical component of the tribute there also will be testimonials about Jimmy Heath from special guests such as New York City Council Member Francisco Moya.

    Flushing Town Hall seemed like the right venue for this tribute for Jimmy Heath according to Town Hall Executive and Artistic Director Ellen Kodadek because, “Jimmy Heath was an iconic presence at Flushing Town Hall. Whenever we would announce that our Queens Jazz Orchestra would return, performances would sell out – because people wanted to come together to experience the music and the man.” 

    The event will take place Friday, June 19 at 7:00 PM and can be viewed for free on  Flushing Town Hall’s Facebook page. Donations will be accepted to support the Jimmy Heath Fund at Queens College. They can be sent to: The Jimmy Heath Fund, c/o Mike Lipsey, Queens College Music Department, 65-30 Kissena Blvd., Flushing, Queens, 11367. Donations are also being accepted for the Jimmy Heath Scholarship Fund at Queens College. They can be made by writing a check to the QC Foundation (and putting “Jimmy Heath Scholarship” in the memo), and mailed to: Queens College Foundation, Keily Hall, Queens College, Queens, NY, 11367, or by calling Joann Acquista, Queens College, Director, Donor Relations, at (718) 997-5864.

    For more information on the event visit Flushing Town Hall’s website.