NYS Music 202​1

Category: Video

  • Watch Selections from Jazz at Chautauqua

    Jazz at Chautauqua is held periodically and has served as host to numerous jazz legends, including Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center, among many others. Jazz lovers have flocked to the western-most county of New York State to watch jazz performances on the shores of Chautauqua Lake

    At the Chautauqua Institution, a blend of arts programming, educational and religious opportunities and recreational activities are available to those who visit the grounds during the year.

    jazz at Chautauqua watch

    The Institution, originally the Chautauqua Lake Sunday School Assembly, was founded in 1874 as an educational experiment in out-of-school, vacation learning. It was successful and broadened almost immediately beyond courses for Sunday school teachers to include academic subjects, music, art and physical education.

    Thanks to Jazz Lives, we feature a selection of performances from 2007, 2008 and 2009 at Chautauqua.

    From the informal Thursday-night sessions at Jazz at Chautauqua on September 14, 2007, featuring Duke Heitger (trumpet), Randy Reinhart (cornet), John Sheridan (piano), Pete Siers (drums) and Frank Tate (string bass), and featuring “the Emperor of Chautauqua,” Joe Boughton, who was involved and yet deplored the aimlessness sometimes prevalent at “jam sessions,” which would lead to his strongest aversion — musicians playing over-familiar repertoire. Featuring “Jazz me Blues,” “I’ve Got the World on a String,” “I Found a New Baby,” “A Brief Etude,” and “Just You Just Me.”

    On September 21, 2008, festival director Joe Boughton had the idea to recreate the Bechet-Spanier Big Four of Blessed Memory (1940, Hot Record Society: Sidney Bechet, Muggsy Spanier, Carmen Mastren, Wellman Braud) with living Masters Bob Wilber (clarinet and soprano), Jon-Erik Kellso (trumpet), Marty Grosz (guitar) and Vince Giordano (string bass).

    Enjoy Fats Waller’s “The Boy in the Boat” and “Squeeze Me” as performed by Bob Wilber (soprano saxophone), Jon-Erik Kellso (trumpet), Marty Grosz (guitar), and Vince Giordano (string bass).

    From September 19, 2009, this performance was sparked by Jon-Erik Kellso’s idea of changing the key for every chorus (Jazz Lives believes between C and Eb). Trumpeter Jon is joined by Tom Pletcher (cornet), Bob Havens (trombone), Bob Reitmeier (clarinet), Dan Block (tenor saxophone), Ehud Asherie (piano), Howard Alden (guitar), Vince Giordano (string bass) and Pete Siers (drums).

    From the third weekend of Jazz at Chautauqua 2009, here is a segment featured ballad medleys. Performing “Memories of You,” “Stardust,” “Prelude to a Kiss,” “Old Folks,” and “If I Had You” are Duke Heitger (trumpet), Andy Schumm (cornet), Dan Barrett (trombone), Scott Robinson (tenor saxophone), Bob Reitmeier (clarinet), Ehud Asherie (piano), Marty Grosz (guitar), Frank Tate (string bass) and Pete Siers (drums).

    From September 17, 2009, a Thursday-night informal session at Jazz at Chautauqua, watch Jon-Erik Kellso (trumpet) Scott Robinson (tenor saxophone), Ehud Asherie (piano), Andy Brown (guitar) and Arnie Kinsella (drums) perform “Runnin’ Wild.”

  • Happy Birthday, Al Schnier

    NYS Music would like to wish a healthy and happy birthday to guitarist Al Schnier who turns 53 years old today. Al, a husband and father of two, first sat in with a band named moe. in 1991 and hasn’t looked back since.

    Al Schnier birthday

    A true New Yorker, Schnier was born in Utica, NY and attended New Hartford Central High School. One of his first musical endeavors was an eighth grade Rush/Neil Young tribute band called Cuttin’ Loose. High school and college at SUNY-Oneonta brought along with it various cover bands. In 1990, while playing in a band called Unclaimed Freight, Al came across a tape from some band from Buffalo called moe. and his life would be forever altered.

    I heard that tape and I thought, ‘This is the kind of band I want to play in.’ … Of course, I never thought I’d be playing with moe., but six months later I ended up moving to Buffalo, and my next introduction to the band was actually sitting in with them.

    Al Schnier
    AL Schnier birthday

    In 1991, Schnier first sat in with the band for a gig at Chicklets House in Buffalo, playing guitar and congas. The following year, after more sit ins and collaborations, Al became a fulltime member of moe. and has been a permanent fixture on his “side” of the stage ever since.

    What’s transpired since is a remarkable recording and touring career that’s still going strong and has seen the band travel the world and play some of the biggest stages and festivals out there. Like any musician, Schnier has also had his fair share of side projects over the years. In 1999, he formed the folk rock band Al and the Transamericans that featured the late Gordon Stone on pedal steel guitar and Strangefolk’s Erik Glockler on bass.

    Al has also self-produced and engineered a solo electronica album titled al.one that came out in 2001. A self-avowed Dead head, he’s also spent some time as one of bassist Phil Lesh’s “friends” for an incarnation of Phil & Friends in 2005. There’s been plenty of other collaborations since as well.

    Schnier was also an original member of the “newgrass” band Floodwood, but has since departed. And he’s also a founding member of the voter registration group Headcount.

    So let’s all raise a glass and cheers to Al Schnier, the birthday boy. Here’s to another trip around the sun and much more music to come.

  • Watch Grateful Dead Perform “It’s All Over Now” from Orchard Park 1990

    The latest release in the Grateful Dead video series ‘All The Years Live’ features a performance from Orchard Park, home of the Buffalo Bills. From their July 16, 1990 show, the Dead share a rollicking first set cover of Bobby Womack’s “It’s All Over Now.”

    grateful dead Orchard park

    Grateful Dead historian David Lemieux speaks on the performance:

    When It’s All Over Now first appeared in Grateful Dead sets in 1976, it was the perfect addition to the Bob-sung part of first sets. It was quite a bit different than any other Bob song: not an original, not a blues song, not a cowboy song. When The Last Time arrived in 1990, it was the same feeling, another Bob rocker, although The Last Time bounced around the setlist quite a bit, whereas It’s All Over Now was a first set song.

    The video is directed by Len Dell’Amico and co-produced by Len Dell’Amico and GDP. Click here to read a detailed take on the Grateful Dead opening for Bob Dylan in Orchard Park on July 4, 1986 and here for The Who and The Clash at Rich Stadium in 1982.

    Grateful Dead July 16, 1990 – Orchard Park, NY

    Set 1: Hell in a Bucket, Mississippi Half-Step, Blow Away, Mama Tried, Mexicali Blues, Loose Lucy, It’s All Over Now, High Time, Let it Grow, Don’t Ease Me In

    Set 2: Sugar Magnolia, Scarlet Begonias, Man Smart/Woman Smarter
    Ship of Fools, Truckin’, drums -> The Wheel, Gimme Some Lovin’
    Wharf Rat, Around and Around, Sunshine Daydream

    Encore: Brokedown Palace

  • Best of NYS Music 2020: Best Streams

    Best of 2020 finds The Beacon Jams on the headline for threefold: It took the podium for ‘Best Streaming Series’, ‘Best Charitable Effort,’ and outstanding audience interaction. While we didn’t expect much from such a painstaking year, one thing remains true: music always prevails. The Beacon Jams and Trey also came up countless times in other Best Of categories.

    Best of 2020: Overall Streaming Series

    The Beacon Jams earns the Best of 2020 Streaming series, an eight-week residency featuring acoustic and electric performances from Trey Anastasio, with bonus content and audience interaction. New York City’s historic Beacon Theatre took this on as its first ever virtual residency. Anastasio performed every Friday at 8:00 p.m. ET from October 9, and concluded November 27. The effort streamed exclusively on Twitch.

    With Trey’s name attached, it is hard to believe anything would fall short of ‘Best of.’ Trey is an all-in type of musician, despite being reluctant to create anything virtual. His leap of faith: The Beacon Jams.

    Trey calls The Beacon home. With countless performances at the theatre it was a natural choice. After a crazy two years of touring Anastasio didn’t think live-streaming was necessary. Times changed and he was still creating, with the July release of Lonely Trip, as well as prerecorded SummerStage Jubilee performance and a Jimmy Fallon appearance. While the mass of energy (people) in a live performance is hard to match, Trey was not disappointed with the reaction from The Beacon Jams. In fact, it was overwhelming and inspiring. “I don’t know if I want to play without our community with me,” but we we’re right Trey. We’re right here.

    So much of my work is about getting out of my own way, rather than fighting toward something. The work is to not mess up what already exists. There’s a tsunami of energy happening, and my mind is the impediment.” 

    Trey Anastasio – Homing Beacon, Relix interview
    Best of 2020: Charitable Effort From a Streaming Series

    In true Anastasio fashion, there is always a charity or greater good in mind. With The Beacon Jams, there were two: The WaterWheel Foundation and Divided Sky Fund (DSF). Since 1997 Phish and WaterWheel have been raising money for those in need via touring, while The Divided Sky Fund focuses more on delivering quality care and compassionate treatment for those suffering form alcoholism and addiction. Likewise, all net profit from The Beacon Jams merchandise sales went directly to DSF.

    The Divided Sky Fund crushed their initial goal of $150,000. As the organization inched towards its benchmark with mass fan-donations under $100, large sums (upwards of $15,000) and merchandise sales currently raised over $422,000 dollars. This is again feat in itself, especially during times where fans may have had little money to spend. Anastiaso set the bar high, gave back, and instigated this generous giving-tree lifecycle.

    You can still donate to DSF and aide The Beacon Jams’ efforts via Paypal HERE. Not only is your donation visible, but you can feature a public note or inspiration. A $20.00 donation is auto-populated, but amounts of any kind are more than generous, and can be marked anonymous. They are very close to their new $450,000 goal.

    My hope is that this fund can touch many lives with positive support for addiction recovery. Thank you so much for music each Friday. It became something my girlfriend and I looked forward to every week.

    Chris Strohm – Comments after Donating to DSF
    Best Of 2020: Stream For Audience Interaction

    Twenty-twenty was an odd-egg, but Anastasio opened a Beacon Jam set with “Corona,” interjecting a bit of comic-relief. Music lovers found happiness in all live stream series. It made light of a crude reality around us and social detachment. Livestreams sucked us back into how music should be: a constant, ever-changing dialogue between musicians, instruments and the fans.

    Other Streaming Series in 2020

    Other streaming series were hot on NYS Music’s Best of list from Umphrey’s Mcgee, Aqueous, Goose’s Bingo Tour, Dinner and a Movie, Lotus, Noon Chorus, The Talking Dead and multiple mentions of moe. Share your favorite streams of 2020 with NYS Music.

    Syracuse beat-driven psychedelic jam band, Vaporeyes, took their own flair to a livestream series via Facebook. With over a dozen episodes and a November album release, Cantrips, the band took advantage of live streams to the fullest.

    Catch up on Vaporeyes’ live streams via Facebook

    Heavy hitters moe. rolled with the punches after their drive-in series was shut down due to COVID-19 concerns. The band fired back with a live studio stream from Big Blue, and a saucy full length album stream from The Palace Theatre lobby. If you missed it, you missed out. Click play and get taken away with soaring vocals and unmistaken live-concert energy.

    Red Rocks is magical in its own regard. Add a trippy light-show and cosmic jam band, and well, you see where this is going. Lotus dominated a livestream in two sets and you didn’t have to leave your couch. The 4K livestream sucked us into production. Lotus released Free Swim, a 10-track album on 2xLP Vinyl in August, paired with this event at the Ampitheater as we closed out September.

    Make sure you check out all of your favorite bands and support them during these, still, turbulent times. Stay updated with NYS Music as your #1 source for all things music across New York State and beyond. The Best of 2020 is just beginning. And we promise, once we recap we’ll leave it where it belongs – dead in the past. Thank you to live stream series for keeping us alive.

    Check out photos from The Beacon Jams by Jake Silco
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