Ragas Live Festival will broadcast on November 21-22, hosted by the Brooklyn nonprofit organization Wave Farm. The virtual festival will run for 24 hours straight – from 7 p.m. on Saturday until 7 p.m. Sunday. The 24-hour broadcast will feature over 60 musicians’ global performances.
The Indian classical music tradition known as “raga” was the inspiration for the festival. A “raga” is a musical mode with its own emotions, associated with a specific time of day. The music from the raga harmonizes with changes in light and the emotions associated with a sunset, high noon, or midnight. The musical tradition helped to cultivate the concept for the festival to beam out 24 hours of “raga” to reflect the innovations within the music industry. Ragas Live Festival is in its consecutive ninth year since its start back in 2012. With the music industry having to readjust around COVID-19, Ragas Live Festival was able to transition into a first-ever broadcast for this year’s celebration.
The Ragas Live Festival will feature performances from all around the world and fellow New York artists including; Andy Statman (Manhattan), Krishna Mohan Bhatt (Brooklyn), Arun Ramamurthy (Manhattan), Roopa Mahadevan (Brooklyn), Ask Hafiz (Manhattan), Samarth Nagarkar (Brooklyn), and more.
International performers include Terry Riley (Himitsu, Japan), Betsayda Machado y Parranda El Clavo (El Clavo, Venezuela), Derek Gripper (Capetown, South Africa), and more. Pioneer Works, Brooklyn Raga Massive, NYC Radio Live, and the Rubin Museum of Art are all partners in presenting the event.
Wave Farm will continue to provide support to artists with their Wave Farm Artist Residency Program coming up in February. Artists have the chance to gain valuable radio experience by applying with a specific radio art project. The deadline for the Residency applications is February 1.
Click here to register for The Ragas Live Festival event.
Pioneering hip hop producer, Pete Rock, is set to release the third installment of his PeteStrumentalsseries of beat albums. The Bronx native released the inaugural project in 2001, beginning a trend of beat albums for producers looking to share their un-versed work.
The second edition was released in 2015, with the latest version set to feature his live ensemble, The Soul Brothers.
With the album set to arrive on December 11 through his Tru Souls imprint, the legendary producer released the album’s first single and video “Say it Again” last week. Now he has decided to share the project’s second single, “Rejoice.” Amidst a strong Jazz and Funk influence, the record features looping guitar and drum set, with a strong 70’s feel. Running just over two-minutes, it resembles something of an Isaac Hayes composition, standing as the perfect cross between laid-back and up-tempo, action packed music.
In an interview with OkayPlayer, the fabled producer went into more depth on the song’s creation. “I created ‘Rejoice’ in my basement as just a simple idea of a beat I made in my head. I listened to some jazz that day and heard something interesting and remembered it and just gave the band a direction reference; and they took it from there.”
Known for some of the most iconic production in rap history, the Grammy-winner has taken a different approach to this upcoming album, this time assembling a full-on band. The outfit includes, two-time Grammy-winning drummer Daru Jones, later on recruiting guitarist Marcus Machado, bassists Mono Neon and Christopher McBride, keyboardist BigYuki (A Tribe Called Quest), and vocalist Jermaine Holmes (D’Angelo). “I want the best; I’m like James Brown and Kool & The Gang; I want precision,” Pete Rock alerts.
One of the better Grateful Dead shows at the Fillmore East was aided by its surprise attack. Allegedly, two nights before at the same venue, Grace Slick, on behalf of Bill Graham, announced an impromptu “pop-up” show with Jefferson Airplane and the Dead at the same venue that would take place just days later. Since Slick was still pregnant at the time, Jefferson Airplane wound up being replaced as the opener by Hot Tuna. The New Riders of the Purple Sage played an opening set as well as was customary for this tour.
There’s also some previous controversy surrounding this show. For years, it’s been misidentified as an 11/23/70 show at the Anderson Theater in New York City. After a Bill Graham introduction, the band is off and running immediately with a “Casey Jones” that ably motors down the tracks. Next, Bob Weir leads them through the traditional first set stalwart of “Me and My Uncle.”
Oddly, the house PA seems to cut in after this with a recording of Elton John’s take on “Honkey Tonk Women.” This leads into a a cut version “Friend of the Devil.” Despite this lapse, Garcia’s vocals sound pristine in the recording and the band is on point. Then, after essentially a “no huddle” transition, a short yet crisp version of “Cold Rain and Snow” takes place. Afterwards, Pigpen finally gets to take lead for a while as he leads the Dead through a cover of Slim Harpo’s blue standard “I’m A King Bee.” The opening harmonica solo and later interludes between that and guitar solos stretch this one out into a healthy, bluesy jam.
Another classic first set pairing ensues with “China Cat Sunflower,” eventually joined by its traditional partner, “I Know You Rider.” A seemingly quick transition jam later sees the band in full vocal harmony on this spirited take of yet another classic blues cover.
At this point, a special guest joins them on stage in the form of Traffic’s Steve Winwood. The blues sentiment that had been previously established seems to carry right over to the cover of Otis Redding’s “Hard To Handle” that follows. Once again, Pigpen lends his signature vocal prowess to this classic Dead cover. Winwood’s backing on Pigpen’s Hammond organ is immediately felt and can be heard throughout. This one gets into a serious jam with Pigpen taking a backseat and Winwood soloing on top of the groove. Then came the relatively new “Big Railroad Blues,” yet another cover, written by Noah Lewis of Cannon’s Jug Stompers that dates all the way back to 1928.
Right after, the heavily percussive intro of “Not Fade Away” begins with. Chris Wood and Jim Capaldi of Traffic join the band on a half-hearted attempt at the vocals. This eventually evolves into a deep, drum-led jam. More splendid Winwood outbursts later lead into “Goin’ Down The Road Feelin’ Bad” with Garcia and Weir reassuming command. Surprisingly, at its conclusion, this shifts right back into one more quick take of “Not Fade Away,” albeit this time with Weir confidently taking the lead on vocals.
After more than three minutes of a break between songs, Weir once again takes lead on the “Mama Tried” that follows. This is followed by one of the better two-song sequences of the evening. The relatively fresh “Truckin’,” debuted only months earlier at the Fillmore West, follows. Hot Tuna’s Will Scarlet adds a touch of harmonica to this one. Another percussive laden jam follows that seamlessly steers itself into a mesmerizing version of “The Other One.”
The jam that ensues gets spacey midway through before settling back into its normal progression. This is followed with the unofficial encore of “Uncle John’s Band” with more early harmonica fills from Will Scarlet – a near acoustic version until the drums kick in. It’s still fairly new song at this time, but this version is flawless as it continues to build its reputation. This put the cap on the Dead’s “surprise” Fillmore East gig.
Trey Anastasio returned for another installment of The Beacon Jams last night and delivered another astounding show with a well-crafted setlist that showcased several TAB debuts.
Trey was joined by the usual suspects rounding out his band. This included Ray Paczkowski (keyboards), Tony Markellis (bass), Russ Lawton (drums) and Cyro Baptista (percussion). In addition to his backing band, Trey was also again joined by the Rescue Squad Stings. They were composed of Maxim Moston (violin), Katie Kresek (violin), Rachel Golub (viola), and Anja Wood (cello). Jeff Tanski (piano) also sat in sporadically as well. The band was rounded out by the Angels 3 backing vocalists: Jennifer Hartswick, Celisse Henderson and Jo Lampert.
Trey and company wasted absolutely no time opening up with the Phish staple “You Enjoy Myself,” a TAB debut. The opening sequence of the song featured The Rescue Squad strings adding an elegant touch of flair to the beloved number. After “The Silver Light,” Trey turned to his acoustic guitar for a beautiful version of “Winterqueen” before shifting gears to the heavy-hitter “The Moma Dance.”
One of the highlights of the evening came in the middle of the set. Trey opted for the classic Phish ballad “Billy Breathes,” another full TAB debut, where Trey delivered the song’s signature solo (even though he claimed he “messed up”). Before a percussion-heavy version of “Bouncing Around The Room,” Trey dedicated the song to his longtime friend/co-writer Tom Marshall – who recently celebrated his birthday.
The evening wrapped up with a fitting message of hope and optimism in “Rise/Come Together” which fully embraces the overarching theme of The Beacon Jams as a whole. This week’s show also raised over $100,000 for The Divided Sky Fund which provides quality care and compassionate treatment for those struggling with substance abuse issues. If fans are able to donate they can head over to trey.com/donate. The Beacon Jams will resume next Friday at 8 p.m. on Trey’s personal Twitch channel.
Set: You Enjoy Myself [1], The Silver Light, Winterqueen [2], The Moma Dance [3], Kill Devil Falls[3], Twenty Years Later[3], Mercy [4], Light [5], Summer of ’89 [6], Joy [7], A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing[3], Farmhouse, Tube[3], Billy Breathes[3], Every Story Ends in Stone, Bouncing Around the Room[3], Wading in the Velvet Sea[3], Are You There Colleen? [8], Rise/Come Together
[1] Full TAB debut. Began with just Trey with The Rescue Squad Strings and Jeff Tanski on piano with the rest of the band and Jennifer Hartswick, Celisse Henderson, Jo Lampert joining in on vocals later. Lyrics changed to “boy, woman, god, shit.”
[2] Trey on acoustic guitar with the full band and singers.
[3] Full TAB debut.
[4] Debut; with The Rescue Squad Strings and Jeff Tanski on piano.
[5] With The Rescue Squad Strings.
[6] With just Trey on acoustic guitar and The Rescue Squad Strings.
[7] Full TAB debut; with The Rescue Squad Strings.
[8] Debut.
This performance was part of The Beacon Jams series and featured the debuts of Mercy and Are You There Colleen? and the full TAB debuts of You Enjoy Myself, Moma Dance, Kill Devil Falls, Twenty Years Later, Joy, A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing, Tube, Billy Breathes, Bouncing Around the Room, and Wading in the Velvet Sea. You Enjoy Myself began with just Trey with The Rescue Squad Strings and Jeff Tanski on piano with the rest of the band and Jennifer Hartswick, Celisse Henderson, Jo Lampert joining in on vocals later. The lyrics in You Enjoy Myself were changed to “boy, woman, god, shit.” Winterqueen featured Trey on acoustic guitar with the full band and singers. Trey teased No Men In No Man’s Land in Moma Dance. Mercy through Joy featured The Rescue Squad Strings. Mercy also featured Jeff Tanski on piano. Summer of ’89 featured just Trey on acoustic guitar with the Strings. Trey quoted On the Road Again after Summer of ’89. Trey quoted She Blinded Me with Science in Tube.
The election may be over, but the people and causes that pushed for change are still making their voices heard. “The Ultimate Litmus” was written by Carlos Henriquez and Jenny Hersch, in response to the protests sparked by the May 25 death of George Floyd. The pair have produced an accompanying music video for the song, featuring Jazz at Lincoln Center Managing and Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis on both vocals and trumpet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5N6FCNN8X4
Hersch says of the song,
I wrote a verse of poetry on June 2. It just poured out. On June 9, I wrote verses two and three. I have poetic thoughts but I don’t often write them down. Carlos Henriquez (bassist and arranger, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra) and I have worked on several projects together over the past few years involving music for kids. I sent him the lyrics and asked him to write a brass band arrangement.
Jenny Hersch
Using a New Orleans street sound seemed to be the best choice given the circumstances behind the lyrics, with emotion and energy being simultaneously expressed.
I gave the vocals a try in a rhythmic spoken-word style over Carlos’s MIDI file and immediately called Bryan R. Smith, a photographer friend in NYC to ask for the use of the protest pictures he took in New York, Washington D.C. and Minnesota. Carlos then called Dwight Adams (trumpet), Jeffrey Miller (trombone), Ibanda Ruhumbika (tuba) and Ali Jackson (percussion) to record their parts from home.
Jenny Hersch
With the track laid down, Carlos played a rough audio mix of “The Ultimate Litmus” for Wynton Marsalis in early September. Marsalis was moved by the project and offered to recorded the vocal track and a trumpet solo, which he did in early October.
Protesters walk across the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan during a demonstration over the death of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer on June 6, 2020 in New York. Photo by Bryan Smith
The video was assembled by a team of recent Berklee College graduate Alex Leiva (sound) and Shannon Magnaldi (video), a recent Massachusetts College of Art grad. “The Ultimate Litmus” features Dwight Adams and Wynton Marsalis on trumpet, Jeffery Miller (trombone), Ibanda Ruhumbika (tuba), and Ali Jackson (percussion).
Lyrics for The Ultimate Litmus, by Jenny Hersch
A bottomless pit of pandemonium A breaking point? A tipping point? No quick fix outcome
A state of being? A state of mind? Is it an absence of mind? Where is the presence of mind?
Confusion …. Delusion No illusions No stop gap brawl In it for the long haul
A faction reaction No abstraction Identity …. Integrity Conformity …. Community
Relationships based on tolerance not trust? Is it them or is it US?
Protest No contest 24 7 With no rest
Pros and cons A long list at best Overwhelmed by stress In need of a life vest
Constitution …. Restitution Persecution …. Absolution Abusers …. Accusers For the foreseeable future
Civic values Civic virtue Reeling …. kneeling Rail against the curfew
Fleet of feet Running from a browbeat Bias Is a one way street
Who will bear witness The ultimate litmus A test of wills What values instilled
No justice No peace May wonders NEVER cease
ACTION Is gaining traction Words are not enough Need satisfaction
Lines of questioning Is what we’re expecting Fear of the unknown Will compassion be shown
What is the hold up We’re all thunderstruck No sit down strike Throngs are running amok
Painted into a corner No clear path forward Blurred on the periphery The slope is very slippery
Tears are to be expected We’re so disconnected Celebrate our differences While honoring our preferences
Human rights Are bona fide Like clockwork Like predicting the tides
400 years Of victimization We need a DO-OVER In this nation
Cuban percussionist Cándido Camero passed away on Nov. 7, 2020. Camero was 99 years old and was a well known, and loved, pioneer of Afro-Cuban jazz genre. He was an innovator in conga drumming.
Cándido Camero died peacefully at his home in New York on Saturday morning according to Camero’s grandson, Julian, told NPR member station WBGO of the sad news. Despite his age Cándido Camero played music up until the very end.
Cándido Camero performs with Paquito D’Rivera at Flushing Town Hall (November 2019)
He was born in San Antonio de los Baños, near Havana, in Cuba on April, 22 1921. His parents were Caridad Guerra and Cándido Camero. He moved to New York in 1946 and was “already a well-known musician in Havana as a percussionist and also for playing the Cuban tres, a folkloric guitar. He spent eight years playing at the famed Tropicana nightclub, backing the biggest Cuban stars of the day and counted the young Mongo Santamaría among his bandmates” according to NPR’s article.
Throughout the years Cándido Camero became a well known and extraordinary pioneer of the Latin Jazz genre and played with the best of the best throughout the years. Some of the big names he performed with include Charlie Parker, Tony Bennett, Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, and Machito. He is known for being one of the first percussionists to play multiple congas at the same time, with each conga tuned to a different pitch, enabling him to play not only rhythm but melodies.
His biggest mainstream track came in 1979 with his disco recordings for Salsoul. He recorded several albums for the audiophile label Chesky Records. One of these records included Inolvidable, with Graciela, which earned him a nomination at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards. He was still playing and performing live up until the end. Back in Sept. of 2019 he joined Flushing Town Hall to celebrate their season’s launch with a performance from Canadian Afro-Cuban artists Jane Bunnett & Maqueque. He then returned in November to perform with the Gathering of the Masters alongside fellow greats Paquito D’Rivera, Joanne Brackeen, Jimmy Owens, Jimmy Cobb, and Reggie Workman.
Cándido Camero will be greatly missed from the music community. We mourn his loss and send our condolences to his family and friends.
Alternative rock band from New York City, Black Suit Youth, released their new environmental anthem “The World Is Almost Over,” on October 30. The release date for their upcoming 5th LP, The World is Almost Over, is set for 2021 and will feature the newly released single.
Black Suit Youth blends a combination of punk rock, classic rock and indie rock into their music. The four-person group includes Bryan Maher (vocals/guitar), Fed Canalos (guitar), Juan Orellana (bass), and Ray Mazza (drums). The group’s original name started out as The New York Dynamite in 2004. In 2007, the band changed their name and released their debut album Our Future is History.
A song they eventually scrapped called “A Black Suit For My Youth” inspired the group’s name change. Since their formation, they have has released seven projects and had 10 different members throughout the group’s tenure. The band has amassed various touring experiences including opening up for acts such as Story of the Year, Alien Ant Farm, The Undead, and more. Following their 2017 release of their LP False South, Black Suit Youth looks to lean toward a new musical direction while maintaining their usual punk rock style.
The song is about the reality that we all see, but often ignore things while we deal with our immediate troubles. At some point, the bigger picture is going to become too big to ignore and it may already be too late to do anything about it. History is happening all around us and it gave us the opportunity to film in a desolate, boarded up Times Square, something you’d normally only see in a post-apocalyptic movie.
In 2016, they signed to 59 X Records and released FalseSouth in 2017. Black Suit Youth single The World Is Almost Over will be their second project released under the label.
When we were young they said our future would be so bright we’d have to wear shades Well there weren’t completely wrong It’s gonna be so hot we’re gonna melt in our graves Now we’re lost inside a mindless paper chase As the oxygen is leaking into space Yeah the worlds almost over Throw a life preserver to a drowning polar bear Yeah the worlds almost over So have another drink cuz no one cares The ocean is the first casualty Of our never ending worship of the GDP So what is left for you and me? When all the fresh water is owned by corporate entities I’m sorry to say but things are looking bleak It’s the new dark ages so pop off a few more tweets Newsflash we’re all gonna die poor As the refugees from the countries we destroy are knocking at our door We don’t ever take any blame It’s always some Boogieman We’re too afraid of change Yeah we’re dead and gone We’re living on krypton We pretend it isn’t true Yeah we’re dead and gone Hallelujah it’s the great beyond Ces la vie and bye bye baby blue
The Allman Betts Band brought their 2019 fall tour to The Paramount on November 10, 2019. The tour was supporting their latest album, Down to the River which came out earlier in the year. The supporting acts were Joanne Shaw Taylor and and Jackson Stokes. The Allman Betts Band is Devon Allman, Duane Betts, Berry Duane Oakley, John Ginty, Johnny Stachela, R. Scott Bryan and John Lum.
Jackson Stokes, who is the first artist signed to Devon Allman’s new record label, Create Records, opened up the show with songs from his new self titled album, released on October 25, 2019. He was also the guitarist for The Devon Allman Project from 2016 to 2018. Joanne Shaw Taylor is a British blues rock guitarist and singer. Her sixth album, Reckless Heart, was released on May 17, 2019.
The Allman Betts Band set consisted of songs from their latest album including “Down to the River” and “Southern Accents,” plus a covers of Tom Petty’s “You Got Lucky.” The Allman Brothers Band “Elizabeth Reed,” “Midnight Rider” and The Grateful Dead’s “Friend of the Devil,” rounded out the bill. They also brought back Taylor for a cover of John Lee Hooker’s “Dimples” and Jackson Stokes to play on “Mahalo.” The two-hour set ended with “Long Gone” from the new album.
The Allman Betts Band @ The Paramount Theater on Huntington, Long Island, NY November 10, 2019
Setlist: All Night, Shinin’, Autumn Breeze, Down to the River, Ain’t Wastin’ Time No More, Blue Sky, You Got Lucky, Good Ol’ Days, Melodies Are Memories, Dimples*, Friend of the Devil, Mahalo^, Jessica, Down to the River.
Encore: Long Gone * with Joanne Shaw ^ with Jackson Stokes
Foo Fighters were the musical guest for the first post-election Saturday Night Live last night, which was also the record sixth consecutive show for the NBC late night institution.
With comedian Dave Chappelle returning for the second time, the first since November 12, 2016, which was also a post-election show but one that had a much more somber tone to it. The tone for the election results this past week would be set by the master comedian, who offered up a lengthy, thought provoking, and hilarious intro monologue.
Foo Fighters have performed seven times prior on Saturday Night Live, and just before the show announced via Pitchfork that they are releasing a new album, Medicine at Midnight, due out February 5, 2021. They performed “Shame, Shame,” a slow rocker that stands out as different than past Foo Fighters songs. Guitarist Chris Shiflett told The Brag, “It’s definitely a little different than anything we’ve ever done before and it’s a little bit different than anything else on the record, although the record has a lot of songs that are, you know, groove-based like this one is.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh_vJ-E337g
For their second song of the night, Foo Fighters went back to their 2002 release One by One for a fitting “Times Like These.” The true-to-the-moment version, with lyrics that are nearly two decades old hold true in the wake of a monumental election, with Dave Grohl notably repeating with increasing emotion, “It’s times like these you learn to live again.”
I—I’m a one-way motorway I’m the road that drives away Follows you back home
I—I’m a street light shining I’m a white light blinding bright Burning off and on
It’s times like these you learn to live again It’s times like these you give and give again It’s times like these you learn to love again It’s times like these time and time again
I—I’m a new day rising I’m a brand new sky To hang the stars upon tonight
But I—I’m a little divided Do I stay or run away And leave it all behind?
The first musical moment of the show, however, came in the cold open, featuring Alec Baldwin’s President Trump, finding the lame duck sitting down at a piano to sing a sad version of The Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” The musical moment was a nod to the first post-election show in November 2016 that had Kate McKinnon’s Hillary Clinton singing an emotional version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” with Baldwin even saying a line similar to McKinnon’s, “I will never give up, and neither should you.” However, this time the performance by the losing candidate was met with laughs from the audience, and not a somber reception followed by ecstatic applause as was the case in 2016. Jim Carrey’s Joe Biden and Maya Rudolph’s Kamala Harris also closed out their celebration dancing to “Lose Yo Job” as the open wrapped up.
Phish had not yet started their Fall 1997 tour, one that would be dubbed “Phish Destroys America,” yet they were already debuting new tunes for fans. On November 7, 1997, Phish performed on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, giving fans a first taste of “Farmhouse,” despite being there to promote the just-released live compilation Slip Stitch and Pass, before heading west a week later to kick off their Fall Tour in Las Vegas, NV.
As Glide Magazine points out, Phish was not prone giving names to their tours, but Fall 1997 quickly earned the “Phish Destroys America” moniker by fans, thanks to a controversial Ames Design tour poster used to advertise the tour opener at Thomas and Mack Center, althought the title fits the tour perfectly.
The performance on Late Night featured a stand alone version of “Farmhouse,” a song that lent its name to their May 2000 studio album. The mild reggae vibe brings to mind Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry” and could be found in Phish’s regular rotation beginning in the summer of 1999. Guitarist Trey Anastasio can be seen enjoying the guitar solo thoroughly during the more than four and a half minute version of the song.
Following the performance of “Farmhouse” and Conan coming over to introduce and thank the band, O’Brien said “Take it away guys,” and Phish quickly moved into the intro to “Mike’s Song,” as they might do in live performances, much to the glee of lucky fans in the audience.
Phish would return to Late Night with Conan O’Brien once more on June 27, 2000 to perform “Get Back on the Train,” which would also be featured on the band’s ninth studio album, Farmhouse.
