NYS Music 202​0

Tag: Central Park

  • Giant Art Steps Announces Central Park Series In Honor Of U.S. Representative John Lewis

    The non-profit Giant Art Steps have announced a new series of performances honoring the legacy of U.S. Representative and civil rights leader John Lewis. “Walk with the Wind” will occur on The Mall in NYC’s famous Central at 1 p.m. Featuring acoustic music and small groups, the series is free for those attending.

    While the special series began on August 28th with a performance by Wayne Escoffery’s trio, there are numerous other opportunities to catch feature performances. Upcoming on September 19th is Giant Step Arts’ own Leap Day Trio featuring drummer Matt Wilson, bassist/vocalist Mimi Jones and saxophonist Jeff Lederer. On September 20th, vibraphonist and Blue Note recording artist Joel Ross Quartet with saxophonist Sergio Tabanico, drummer Craig Weinrib and bassist Rashaan Carter will perform.

    Giant Art Steps

    The pandemic has been disastrous for musicians, many of whom normally earn a living through live performances and tours. We’ve presented and recorded music in various venues, including partnering with the non-profit Jazz Gallery, but the current circumstances have forced us to improvise. We wanted to find a way to continue supporting musicians, bring them together with audiences, safely, and enable them to have a payday! Walk with the Wind, honoring the legacy of the great American John Lewis, is one way we are accomplishing this, and the response has been tremendous. Our goal is to raise enough money from foundations and donors so that we can have performances each spring and fall.

    Jimmy Katz
    Giant Art Steps

    Giant Art Steps was created in January 2018 by Jimmy and Dena Katz. Both renowned jazz photographers, the Katzs set out to provide an environment for modern jazz’s most ingenious artists without the confinements of making a profit. Membership into the non-profit is by invitation only, where jazz artists are given control over their artistic projects. Giant Step Arts provides substantial financial and artistic resources for those bold musicians ready to take their careers to uncharted territory.

    Giant Step Arts [is] a nonprofit dedicated to giving underappreciated but visionary jazz musicians the support they need to make quality live albums. Palmer is a…thrifty improviser with a vast dynamic range and an ambitious composer.

     Giovanni Russonello, The New York Times

    Upcoming Show Schedule:

    Sept. 19 – Leap Day Trio 

    Sept. 20 – Joel Ross Quartet with saxophonist Sergio Tabanico, drummer Craig Weinrib and bassist Rashaan Carter

    Sept. 26 – Drummer Nasheet Waits with saxophonist Mark Turner and bassist Rashaan Carter

    Sept. 27 – Immanuel Wilkins with drummer Nazir Ebo and bassist Burniss Earl Travis

    Oct. 3 – Saxophonist Melissa Aldena with bassist Pablo Menares, drummer TBA

    Oct. 4 – Saxophonist Darius Jones with drummer Gerald Cleaver and bassist Dezron Douglas 

    Oct. 10 – Saxophonist Nicole Glover – band TBA

    Oct. 11 – Saxophonist Chris Potter – band TBA

  • On this day in 1980, Elton John rocked Central Park dressed as Donald Duck

    On Sept. 13, 1980, Elton John performed for around 400,000 people in Central Park. The sun was out, people were gathered (less than six feet apart), and Sir Elton was wearing a Donald Duck suit.

    Elton John Donald Duck
    Sir Elton John performing, “Your Song” while wearing his legendary duck suit.

    It might seem surreal, now, to imagine 400,000 people in the same place, at the same time, dancing and enjoying themselves. With Nigel Olsen on drums and Dee Murray on bass, the original Elton John Band created a legendary experience.

    The concert was part of Elton John’s 1980 World Tour, supporting his latest album 21 at 33. He played top hits “Bennie and the Jets,” “Your Song,” and of course, “Tiny Dancer,” and added some new ones in there too, like “Little Jeannie” and “Sartorial Eloquence.”

    Imagine all the people. Elton John paid tribute to his long time friend John Lennon by performing a cover of Lennon’s classic tune, “Imagine.” A few months later Lennon would be murdered by Mark David Chapman. Sir Elton said this made it too painful to perform the song ever again.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wy2VmfgEaag

    Elton John, born Reginald Kenneth Dwight, started playing piano at a very young age, so it comes to no one’s surprise that he has plenty of awards under his belt. With two Academy Awards and four Grammys, John has and always had quite the reputation as being a musical genius. The latest tribute to the icon is the acclaimed film “Rocketman,” starring Taylor Edgerton as Elton John throughout his career; the movie would also land Elton John and writing partner Bernie Taupin an Oscar for Best Original Song with “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again.”

    Seeing Elton John, Donald Duck suit and all, singing “Your Song,” will never be forgotten as part of one of the most legendary concert experiences in Central Park of all time.

  • Flashback: Garth Brooks Holds the Largest Concert in Central Park history on this day in 1997

    It’s been 23 years since Garth Brooks rocked the Big Apple with a powerful concert dubbed “Garthstock” in Central Park, and people are still talking about it.

    Garth Brooks Central Park
    An estimated 980,000 people attended the 1997 Garth Brooks concert.

    On August 7, 1997, Brooks decided to perform on the grounds that so many acclaimed musicians had as well. Among the stars to play there were Diana Ross, Elton John and Paul Simon, to name a few. Could Brooks pull off the same notoriety as the past shows?

    Brooks tweets about the 20 year anniversary of the Central Park Concert.

    The pop-country musician started making headlines in the late 1980s, so by 1997, the crowd for his show was expected to reach thousands. Brooks won Country Music Award ‘Entertainer of the Year’ seven times, a first for any artist.

    The significance of this concert came from admittance being free and was broadcast live on HBO. He also had a couple famous special guests by the name of Billy Joel and Don McLean.

    The largest concert held in Central Park.

    The New York City Fire Department said that 980,000 people attended the concert, making it the biggest concert ever. Although there’s debate to whether that number was true, the crowd’s size surpassed all of the past artists.

    https://youtu.be/_ACGXBcA2XI?list=PL4nHA4cnNtyjU2VKrHMIoNt2R4URgrQjt

    On the 20 year anniversary of the Central Park concert, Garth Brooks sat down with ET.

    “I never seen so many people in my life. Try to remember, in my hometown, when I grew up, [there were] probably 17,000 people. So, to look out and see 40 times your hometown out there, it’s like — it was crazy. It was so beautiful.”

    Garth Brooks
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