NYS Music 202​1

Category: Bronx

  • GEMS Announces Open Gates Project With Three Concerts Featuring Women of Color

    Gotham Early Music Scene also known as GEMS announced their Open Gates Project launching with three concerts featuring women of color. The concerts will take place November 12-14, 2021 across three boroughs of New York City. 

    Open Gates Project inaugural concert series is The Divine Feminine: Centering Women of Color in Early Music. This concert series is focusing on the 17th–century works celebrating the animating feminine spirit featuring an ensemble composed of women of color.

    The 17th–century female composers it will be focusing on are Chiara Margarita Cozzolani, Barbara Strozzi, and Francesca Caccini. The concerts will be performed by outstanding rising and established American and international artists, with careers encompassing early, chamber, and Classical music, opera, jazz, and musical theater. The program is bookended with works devoted to the Virgin Mary. It opens with Madre, de los primores by New World visionary Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz who is considered the first great Latin American poet and recognized for her influential perspectives on women and scholarship. Pergolesi’s glorious and sublime Stabat Mater closes the program.

    The Open Gates Project and GEMS as a bigger entity is committed to helping make significant efforts to make early music performance opportunities more equitable for artists of color and more accessible to historically excluded communities of color. Over the coming year, the Project will offer a rich variety of music performed by distinguished artists for diverse audiences throughout New York City.

    The three performances will take place starting on Friday, November 12, 2021 at 7 PM at the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Manhattan. Then on Saturday, November 13, 2021 at 7 PM at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center in Queens. And will wrap up on Sunday, November 14, 2021 at 4 PM at the Pregones Theater in the Bronx. All audience members must have proof of vaccination and wear a mask. Check the GEMS website closer to the opening dates for full COVID-19 protocols and any updates.

    The lineup includes Nicole Besa singing soprano, Aine Hakamatsuka singing soprano, Heather Hill singing soprano, Amaranta Viera singing soprano, Tanisha Anderson singing mezzo-soprano, Guadalupe Peraza singing mezzo-soprano, AnnMarie Sandy singing mezzo-soprano, Hai-Ting Chinn singing alto, Jessica Park on violin, Maria Romero Ramos on violin, Amelia Sie on violin, Patricia Ann Neely on viola da gamba, and Duangkamon “Wan” Wattanasak on harpsichord.

    The program includes performances of: Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz: Madre, de los primores, Chiara Margarita Cozzolani: O dulcis Jesu, Barbara Strozzi: I baci, Francesca Caccini: O vive rose, Alessandro Stradella: Sinfonia No. 22 in D minor, and Giovanni Battista Pergolesi: Stabat Mater.

    Tickets are available for $15–$30 ($5 for students, ID required at venue) are all General Admission seating and are available online by calling 212-866-0468, or at the door depending on availability.. 

    For more information on the GEMS Open Gates Project and its upcoming events visit their website. 

  • Steve Conte To Release New Album ‘Bronx Cheer’, New Track Out Now

    NYC guitarist and singer-songwriter Steve Conte is back with his first solo album in five years. Bronx Cheer is set for release on November 5, with lead single “Dog Days of Summer” out now on all streaming platforms.

    Steve conte

    Conte has been a fixture of the rock scene for several decades as the lead guitarist of New York Dolls. He has also collaborated with countless esteemed artists, including Michael Monroe of Finnish band Hanoi Rocks, and Japanese composer and artist Yoko Kanno. Kanno and Conte are noted for creating various soundtracks for anime series (Cowboy Bebop, Wolf Rain, and more).

    Bronx Cheer features a core band of Steve Conte on guitar and vocals with bass by his brother John Conte (Southside Johnny & The Jukes, David Bowie, Ian Hunter) and Charley Drayton (Keith Richards, Iggy Pop, The Replacements) on drums. The album also features guest appearances by Clem Burke (Blondie), Andy Rourke (The Smiths) and Jesse Malin. It will be released through Wicked Cool Records.

    “Dog Days of Summer” was released last week, a fitting timeframe for its name. On the track, Conte explores topics like family, getting older, and the future.

    “It started with the title, which is a phrase I always liked, but when I was finished with it, I noticed that I wasn’t only writing about those awful hot days in August where you don’t want to do much of anything. I was also writing about getting older and watching the young upstarts, full of hope and goals, pushing hard to get somewhere – and seeing my kids zoom by me with all their energy. At this point, I feel like I can relax and don’t have much to prove, because my work is out there on records, on video, in the consciousness of the public – in my bubble, anyway. And the work speaks for itself.”

    Conte on “Dog Days of Summer”

    The album’s title refers to the true definition of a “Bronx cheer”–blowing a raspberry. Conte currently lives in the Bronx and loves the community. The cover art features a photograph of an NYC high schooler marching down Fifth Avenue in protest of Donald Trump’s election. Conte states, “Not only is the lead kid, Theo Fenton, raising his fist in protest, contrasting the word ‘cheer,’ the title also gives Trump a big fat raspberry!”

    Steve conte
    Photo by Grayson Dantzic

    Bronx Cheer draws from blues and punk rock influences as well as the charming and gritty spirit of New York. Tracking for the album began in September 2019 at Atomic Sound in Brooklyn. Overdubs were completed by February 2020, and the album was mixed during the pandemic by Niko Bolas (Neil Young, Keith Richards, Don Henley). Conte produced the album with Andrew Hollander, who has worked with big names in indie and pop.

    Listen to “Dog Days of Summer” below ahead of Bronx Cheer‘s November release. Be sure to keep up with Steve Conte on his website, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

  • Concerts Announced in all Five Boroughs for NYC Homecoming Week

    Concerts have been announced in all five boroughs of New York City taking place August 14-22, 2021. The stacked lineups will help create New York City’s “Homecoming Week” to celebrate the return of NYC over one year into the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

    homecoming week

    Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the lines earlier this week including the mega show being held on Central Park’s Great Lawn which is the centerpiece of the celebration. Outside of the centerpiece event, the theme for the shows will be “It’s Time for Hip Hop in NYC,” with hip-hop, Latin freestyle, dance, freestyle, techno, and funk artists dominating the lineups. 

    homecoming week

    The concerts will take place at Orchard Beach in The Bronx on, August 16 from 3 to 9:30 PM, Midland Beach on Staten Island on August 17 from 4 to 9:30 PM , Brooklyn Army Terminal in Brooklyn August 19 from 4 to 9:30 PM, Forest Hills Stadium in Queens on 20 from 4 to 9:30 PM, and wrapping up at the Central Park’s Great Lawn in Manhattan on August 21, 5 PM. 

    For more information on New York City’s “Homecoming Week” visit their website and check out the full lineup below: 

    Orchard Beach in The Bronx – Monday, August 16th from 3 to 9:30 p.m.

    • KRS One (Headliner)
    • Slick Rick (Headliner)
    • Remy Ma (Headliner)
    • Busy Bee
    • CL Smooth
    • DJ Hollywood
    • DJ Jazzy Joyce
    • DJ Kevie Kev
    • Fantastic Five
    • Furious 5 featuring Grandmaster Melle Mel and Scorpio
    • Grand Wizard Theodore
    • Joeski Love
    • Kid Capri
    • Nice & Smooth
    • PopMaster Fabel
    • Soul Sonic Force
    • T La Rock
    • Ultra Magnetic MC’s

    Midland Beach on Staten Island – Tuesday, August 17th from 4 to 9:30 p.m.

    • Raekwon (Headliner)
    • Ghostface Killah (Headliner)
    • Crystal Waters
    • DJ Chuck Chillout
    • EMPD
    • Force MDs
    • Hakim Green
    • HeeSun Lee
    • Kool Keith
    • Lizzy Ashliegh
    • Pharoahe Monch
    • Rikki
    • Rob Base
    homecoming week

    Brooklyn Army Terminal in Brooklyn – Thursday, August 19th from 4 to 9:30 p.m.

    • Big Daddy Kane (Headliner)
    • Desiigner (Headliner)
    • C&C Music Factory
    • DJ Mr. Cee
    • Elle Varner
    • Judy Torres
    • Lizzy Ashliegh
    • Maino
    • Obasi Jackson
    • Papoose
    • PopMaster Fabel
    • Special Ed
    • Stetsasonic
    • Sweet Sensation
    • Young Devyn

    Forest Hills Stadium in Queens – Friday, August 20th from 4 to 9:30 p.m.

    • George Clinton + The P-Funk All Stars with Special Guests (Headliner)
    • Too $hort (Headliner)
    • DJ Hurricane
    • DJ Wiz
    • EPMD
    • Mobb Deep
    • Yo-Yo

    HOW TO GET IN: All attendees must present proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter the “It’s Time for Hip Hop in NYC” concerts. Reasonable accommodation will be provided for persons unable to get vaccinated because of a disability. Free tickets for all four concerts will be released to the public in batches at nyc.gov/HomecomingWeek starting on Monday, August 2 at 10 a.m. EDT. Additional free ticket release dates and times are as follows:

    • Tuesday, August 3 at 7 a.m. EDT
    • Wednesday, August 4 at 9 p.m. EDT
    • Thursday, August 5 at 7 a.m. EDT
    • Friday, August 6 at 10 a.m. EDT
    • Saturday, August 7 at 9 p.m. EDT

    And once again, here’s the lineup so far for the Homecoming Concert in Central Park, produced in part by Clive Davis and will air on CNN. You can get more details on this show here.

    Central Park’s Great Lawn in Manhattan – Saturday, August 21st, 5 p.m.

    • Jon Batiste
    • Andrea Bocelli
    • Kane Brown
    • LL COOL J
    • Elvis Costello
    • Lucky Daye
    • Earth, Wind & Fire
    • Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds
    • Cynthia Erivo
    • Jimmy Fallon
    • Jennifer Hudson
    • Wyclef Jean
    • Journey
    • The Killers
    • Gayle King
    • Don Lemon
    • Barry Manilow
    • The New York Philharmonic
    • Polo G
    • Carlos Santana
    • Paul Simon
    • Patti Smith
    • Bruce Springsteen
    • Rob Thomas  

    HOW TO GET IN: Citi cardmembers will have access to purchase presale VIP tickets beginning Thursday, July 29th at 10 a.m. EDT until Sunday, August 1st at 10 p.m. EDT. For all presale details, visit citientertainment.com. Additionally, Citi will be giving away 1,000 general admission tickets to Citi cardmembers on a first-come, first-served basis beginning on Monday, August 2nd at 10 a.m. EDT. Free tickets, as well as VIP tickets for purchase, will be released to the public in batches at nyc.gov/HomecomingWeek starting on Monday, August 2nd at 10 a.m. EDT. Additional free and VIP ticket release dates and times are as follows:

    • Tuesday, August 3 at 7 a.m. EDT
    • Wednesday, August 4 at 9 p.m. EDT
    • Thursday, August 5 at 7 a.m. EDT
    • Friday, August 6 at 10 a.m. EDT
    • Saturday, August 7 at 9 p.m. EDT

  • So MaNY Roads: The Grateful Dead in New York State

    Few bands have a relationship with the state of New York like the Grateful Dead. Outside of California, the Grateful Dead have performed more shows in New York than any other state.

    With 309 unique shows performed across the Empire State in a 28 year span, beginning at Tompkins Square Park on June 1, 1967, the Grateful Dead made New York a home away from home, with venues of all sizes welcoming them during their career.

    Over the past few years, NYS Music has looked back on some of these shows, whether they be archival releases, or an iconic show worthy of a closer look. In 2020, we began to look intently at the history of the Grateful Dead in the Empire State, and in doing so, discovered some overlooked diamonds in the rough.

    grateful dead new york

    While performances at Madison Square Garden, The Knickerbocker Arena and Barton Hall garner the glory, there are shows that are equally compelling which we took a second look at. Whether the performance was in The Bronx, Alfred State, Oswego, Glens Falls, Lake Placid or Watkins Glen, each show gets a thorough analysis, with first-hand accounts and memorabilia, as well as audio and/or video of each performance.

    We’ve taken all these articles that examine the long history of the Grateful Dead in New York State, as well as Jerry Garcia’s solo and JGB performances, and created an interactive Google Map that allows you to observe the history of the Grateful Dead in New York – So MaNY Roads. You can find info on each of these shows (were you there?), and dive into shows you may or may not have known about.

    With more than 300 shows to include in this series, we so far have looked at more than 50 of these shows, all searchable in the map below. More will be added each month as we continue looking at the Grateful Dead and their history in NY.

    We welcome Section 119 as a sponsor for So MaNY Roads, our Grateful Dead in New York series. Section 119 takes you from beachfront to stage front with the highest quality merchandise celebrating the Grateful Dead. Shop for a variety of officially licensed clothing and accessories including board shorts, polos, button-down shirts and more at Section119.com.

  • Bronx Music Heritage Center Presents El Tambor Arabe Part 2

    The Bronx Music Heritage Center held a percussion discussion on June 16, part two of El Tambor Arabe. The musicians participated in a live discussion on Facebook about what they enjoy the most about Arabic music.

    Bronx Music

    The event started with a performance from the band followed by an interview that was conducted by NY-based drummer Bobby Sanabria. Each of the musicians shared their stories on how they got interested in Arabic music. Zafer Tawil is from Palestine and has worked at many pop records and movie soundtracks. He fell in love with music and instruments at an early age.

    Michael Burdi is from Brooklyn and grew up in an Italian and Syrian family. He grew up listening to hip hop and rock music and played guitar. He developed an interest into heritage music and eventually started to play music with Tawil. Philip Mayer grew up in Miami and didn’t grow up listening to Arabic music. It wasn’t until he was in his 20s when Mayer moved to New York and became interested in Arabic music.

    The artists also spoke about the drums that they use and how they are used to play music in many other cultures. They also spoke about the difficul parts in playing the drums.

    The Bronx Music Heritage Center provides musicians from other cultures to speak about how music has influenced society. You can check out more information about other events on their website.

    You can also watch the discussion at the Bronx Music Heritage’s Facebook page.

  • Happy Birthday, Carly Simon!

    Prolific singer-songwriter Carly Simon celebrates a very happy 76th birthday today, June 25. The quintessential 70s songwriter now lives in Martha’s Vineyard, but has many ties to the state of New York throughout her career.

    happy birthday carly simon

    Born in the Bronx in 1943, Simon was raised surrounded by music. Her father, Richard, was the founder of publishing company Simon & Schuster and an avid classical pianist. Her mother, Andrea, was a singer and civil rights activist.

    Music and arts talent definitely runs through the Simon family. Carly Simon has two sisters and a brother. Both sisters, Joanna and Lucy, spent time in the music industry. Joanna had a brief stint as an opera singer in the New York City Opera, while Lucy had her own folk-rock career and became a Tony Award-winning Broadway score writer. Her brother, Peter, is a photojournalist.

    Simon entered the music scene in the mid-1960s as a duo act with her older sister Lucy Simon. The pair released three albums, including popular songs “It Rains in My Heart” and “Wynkin’, Blynkin’, and Nod,” and toured until Lucy took a break from the music scene in 1967.

    “Older Sister,” a song released in her 1974 album Hotcakes, is about Lucy and their sibling relationship.

    happy birthday carly simon
    The Simon Sisters Credit: Peter Simon

    Simon’s self-titled debut album was shared in 1971 and found immediate success. From Carly Simon, she won her first Grammy Award for “Best New Artist” and a Top-10 Single from the song “That’s the Way I Always Heard it Should Be.”

    Even Art Garfunkel and George Harrison showed up so support Carly Simon!

    Simon married folk-rocker James Taylor in 1972, shortly after her solo career began. The pair moved into a New York City apartment on the Upper West Side and had two children.

    Taylor and Simon often performed duets during their marriage and released multiple tracks together. “Devoted to You” and “Mockingbird” were two popular duets of theirs on Simon’s albums Boys in the Trees and Hotcakes, respectively. The pair got divorced in 1981.

    Carly and James singing “You Can Close Your Eyes”

    Simon reached peak success in 1973 with her breakthrough album No Secrets. Standout single “You’re so Vain” is on this release, which propelled Simon into the #1 spot on American, Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand charts. “You’re so Vain” is #92 on Billboard’s “Greatest Songs of All Time” and even includes lyrics connected to her New York roots, mentioning upstate staple Saratoga Race Course.

    Well I hear you went up to Saratoga… And your horse naturally won

    “You’re so Vain” – Carly Simon
    “No Secrets” Album Advertisement

    With all of its popularity, “You’re so Vain” had peak media interest. The public buzzed with rumors about who the exposé-like song was about. Simon revealed one inspiration for the hit was actor and notorious womanizer Warren Beatty, but won’t tell who the others are. To Simon, her songs are all too true to life to share all the details – so much for No Secrets!

    I wanted to be discreet to a certain level…I ended up not being terribly discreet.

    Carly Simon on USA Today

    Besides being a 70’s pop-folk icon, Simon is responsible for many television and film scores, including 2003’s Piglet’s Big Movie, 1977 James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me, as well as Working Girl in 1988, which she won a Grammy, Golden Globe, and an Oscar Award for.

    Singer-songwriter Carly Simon photographed in June 1971. Credit: Jack Mitchell/Getty Images

    Simon’s voice has matured beautifully over the decades, always having a soulful and deep register, but now holding a jazzy, raspier tone. Her most recent album, 2015’s Songs from the Trees, is a “musical memoir” of sorts. The album shares remasters of fifteen songs, including “You’re so Vain,” “Boys in the Trees” and “Mockingbird.”

    More recently, Simon shared on Billboard Magazine that she is preparing to release a remastered version of her iconic 1995 concert at Grand Central Station. She also had a digital performance at the Rock ‘n’ Relief Concert, supporting Coronavirus pandemic recovery this past March.

    Happy birthday and here’s to another fruitful year of music, Carly Simon! “Nobody Does It Better” than you.

  • Fyütch Celebrates Historical Black Women in His New Single

    Bronx rapper, Fyütch, released a new song, “Black Women in History,” highlighting the strengths of powerful Black women on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

    Fyütch
    photo from Fyütch.com

    Fyütch is a social justice musician who uses hip-hop and visual storytelling to educate upcoming generations. He directs music and poetry workshops for K-12 students, college students and corporations. He makes music with the intent of spreading positivity through messages about fatherhood, spirituality and love.

    His distant relative, Fannie Lou Hamer, and other overlooked Black women inspired the song. The lack of representation for Black women in history was apparent when he was growing up. He only recalled learning about Harriet Tubman and Rosa Parks. Fyütch felt compelled to tell their stories and in order to honor their accomplishments; he made “Black Women in History”.

    It acknowledges Black women who have made history in the past and who are currently making history in the present. It began with Civil Rights Leader, Fannie Lou Hamer, who helped Black people register to vote despite voter suppression. He mentions more Black women who have fought against voter suppression such as J Frankie Pierce who also made a school for Black girls in the 1920s; and currently, Stacey Abrams and Felicia Davis. Shirley Chisolm, the first Black woman elected to Congress, and Kamala Harris, the first woman to be elected Vice President of the United States were noted for making history as political figures. 

    The song reveals Claudette Colvin, who was 15-years-old when she refused to give up her seat on the bus, and Ida B Wells who refused to give up her seat years before Rosa Parks. Fyütch also commemorates Black women who have made history in the medical field such as Rebecca Crumpler, who is the first Black woman to get a medical degree along with Jane Hinton and Alfreda Webb, who were the first Black veterinarians. The last impactful Black woman named in the song is Dr. Kizzmekia “Kizzy” Corbett who recently helped create the COVID-19 vaccine. 

    The song doesn’t only recognize Black women in history, it features two Black women musicians. Rissi Palmer and Cheri Moon, from the children’s music band Snooknuk, collaborated with Fyütch to bring the song to life. Palmer made history as the first Black woman in 20 years to reach the Billboard country charts. Her radio show on Apple Music called Color Me Country, honors the contributions of BIPOC country singers. Cheri Moon focuses on raising social awareness for children through family music and has collaborated with Missy Elliot and Timbaland.

    “Black Women in History” gives thanks and gratitude to Black women that have made an impact, by standing up for what they believe in and for being the firsts, despite the struggles they have gone through.