Three of Central New York’s most notable Native American music artists were announced as nominees for the Native American Music Awards. Notable nominees include The Ripcords, Earl Slick, Pete McMahon and the West Side Social Club.
Irv Lyons Jr., of the Oneida Nation, Wolf Clan, is nominated for four Native American Music Awards, including “Best Rock Recording” and “Artist of the Year” for his EP, Private Invitation, not to mention nominations for “Best Male Vocalist” and “Song of the Year” for “Save The Planet.”
Irv Lyons Blues Fest
Rex Lyons of the Onondaga Nation, Eel Clan., along with Irv Lyons and The Ripcords are also nominated for “Group of the Year” and “Best Blues Recording” for their album, “Unmasked (Live).” Along with this, they’re nominated for “Best Blues Recording” with the group West Side Social Club. This includes Earl Slick, Pete McMahaon and Liz Strodel.
The Ripcords in the studio
The Ripcords are a musical collaboration from cousins, Rex and Irv Lyons. Along with members Jay Gould, Tom Witkowski and Steve Palumbo. They are a versatile group who can deliver various genres of music such as blues, rock, swing and jazz, they even write their own songs as well.
Joanne Shenandoah, Native American singer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist based in the New York, is also on the Private Invitation EP for the song “Save The Planet” which received a “Song of The Year” nomination. She belonged to the Oneida Nation, Wolf Clan, and passed away November 22nd, 2021.
Irv Lyons Blues Fest
“I’m honored and excited to be up for a couple of NAMMY awards!” adds Rex Lyons. “We’ve been making original music for over 2 decades, hopefully 3rd times a charm and we bring home the hardware. Congrats to all my fellow nominees. Good luck!”
“To be nominated for the Native American Music Awards is an amazing honor and great privilege,” says Irv. “Private Invitation is my best work to date. The most complete in lyrics and music. It is a snapshot of my experiences in love, friendship and the heart. These songs are all radio ready as any of them could be on the charts now. My true labor of love that hopefully people will enjoy and play over and over.”
March 30 Update: Gov’t Mule has postponed their tour following an injury to Warren Haynes. Read the full band statement below.
Gov’t Mule Tour Postponed
Following the release of their 2021 album, Heavy Load Blues, Gov’t Mule will be touring this spring. Several dates, which were originally set for last December, have been moved forward to accompany this tour.
The band will commence its tour in three New York cities over four nights. In their tour, they will hit the LandmarkTheatre in Syracuse, the Palace Theatre at Albany, and the BeaconTheatre in NYC. All dates can be found below.
Gov’t Mule
Warren Haynes, a former member of The Allman Brothers Band, leads the band. Moreover, the renowned musician also toured with The Dead and Phil Lesh and Friends, as well as the frontman for Gov’t Mule.
As impressive as Haynes’ accolades are, the band would also be nothing without New York native Danny Louis. Born right outside Woodstock, the cultural epicenter of jam rock, Louis’ calling was always one for musical brilliance. An alumnus of The Berklee School of Music in Boston, Louis dances around his keyboard with energy, confidence, and grace. You can also find the multi-instrumentalist playing guitar and providing backing vocals throughout the band’s discography.
Rounding out the band’s membership, Matt Abts drums with the soul of jam-rock legends before him, and Jorgen Carlsson’s bass guitar synthesizes perfectly. The jazzy atmosphere the band delivers would be nothing without the two of them.
April 6 – Syracuse, NY @ Landmark Theatre
April 7 – Albany, NY @ Palace Theatre
April 8 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre (originally 12/30/21)
April 9 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre (originally 12/31/21)
April 11 – McKee Rocks, PA @ Roxian Theatre
April 13 – Wilkes-Barre, PA @ F.M. Kirby Center
April 14 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Met (originally 12/29/21)
April 15 – Erie, PA @ Warner Theatre
April 16 – Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
April 17 – Grand Rapids, MI @ 20 Monroe Live
April 19 – Fort Wayne, IN @ Clyde Theatre
April 21 – Memphis, TN @ Soundstage at Graceland
April 22 – Little Rock, AR @ The Hall
April 23 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
April 25 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Jones Assembly
April 27 – Mobile, AL @ Saenger Theatre
April 28 – Atlanta, GA @ SweetWater 420 Festival
April 29 – New Orleans, LA @ TBA
April 30 – Tuscaloosa, AL @ Druid City Music Hall
June 3-5 – Chattanooga, TN @ Riverbend Festival
Artist presale tickets will be available on Wednesday, February 2nd at 10 AM EST. General sale tickets will be available Friday, February 4th at 10 AM local time. For more ticket information, as well as public health guidelines, visit mule.net.
Isaac Mizrahi will return to Cafe Carlyle in NYC for his annual residency, running March 1-12. The classic jazz restaurant has previously hosted a number of notable performers including legends like Eartha Kitt, Elaine Stritch and Debbie Harry.
Photo Credits – Gregg Richards
Mizrahi’s new show, In-Person, will run for two weeks and features an array of covers, ranging from Billie Eilish to Stephen Sondheim. There will also be social commentary about everything going on in the modern world, from social media to pandemic headlines.
His previous residencies have racked up a myriad of critical acclaim, with the New York Times saying, “He qualifies as a founding father of a genre that fuses performance art, music and stand-up comedy.”
Mizrahi has directed theatre productions in St. Louis, as well as directed and narrated his production of Peter and The Wolf at The Guggenheim Museum. The multi talented performer has also been the subject and co-creator of Unzipped, which focuses on the making of his award winning Fall ‘94 collection.
Photo Credit – David Andrako
Adding to his long list of accomplished work, Mizrahi has created his own production company, Isaac Mizrahi Entertainment, which he uses to produce several projects.
Tickets are available for purchase here and additional information can be found here.
An album full of alternative, rock, punk, indie and jazz vibes are what constitute Brooklyn musician, Nathan Leigh’s latest work of art. As of today, Leigh’s All Myths Are Remixes, is added to his never ending music portfolio. He released his lead single No Poetry (feat. Noie) [Timelapse Mix] [Timelapse Mix] – Single — Nathan Leigh, this past January 14th, providing listeners an idea of what to expect from his latest album.
Nathan Leigh portrays powerful messages throughout the duration of All Myths Are Remixes. It relays a creative vision on how to overcome the anxieties of our deepest thoughts, whereas other songs provide a more easy going and relaxing tone that listeners can vibe to.
“Pirkei Avot,” shares a message of perseverance, especially when all hope is lost. Meanwhile, “Thx::Spkr” opens with a woman discussing the protests taking place in today’s society, as well as the impact of revolutions that are necessary to establish change. Subsequently, “For When You Feel Like Giving Up” eases the mind with a slow jam without words, but is full of jazz melodies featuring saxophonist Anthony Cekay.
I started working on the album in the first days of the pandemic as a project to keep my mind off the existential dread. I thought of each song as a miniature world I could construct to escape into. The recording sessions for ‘Myths, Conspiracy Theories & Other Stuff I Made Up To Sound Interesting’ yielded so much great material that landed on the cutting room floor, and part of my goal with it was to highlight the contributions of my collaborators that didn’t make the album. So each song is constructed around showcasing one collaborator’s work. Working with their tracks has been my way of playing with them and existing in a room together at a time when it’s still not safe to gather such a large group to rehearse.
Nathan Leigh
As a composer, writer, animator, and activist , Leigh is well versed in the artistry of America’s society as we know it. His previous EP dropped on November 19, 2021, House On Stilts, which was accompanied by a stop-motion film.
Additionally, he has worked in the theater industry, sharing his talents for over 300 plays across the U.S. Specifically, he has designed sound and composed music for plays located at the American Repertory Theatre, Huntington Theatre Company, New York Theatre Workshop and more. Leigh was presented with his most recent award “Broadway World Berkshires” in 2020 for Sound Design of the Decade for Godspell. Therefore, there is no doubt that All Myths Are Remixes will significantly impact his music career.
A new art exhibit opens at the UAlbany Performing Arts Center. Blind Visionariesisa visual and musical installation that combines images from blind photographers and live jazz. The performance will be on Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m. at the UAlbany Performing Arts Center.
The photographers are from a New York City based group called the Seeing with Photography Collective. They use a new method of painting referred to as “light painting” which they will perform in a concert with a live jazz band. Their work is being published in the book Shooting Blind by Aperture.
At the event itself a voice narration from the members of the collective guides the participants through the same artistic process. At the same time, their photographs are projected on the walls to create a connection between the visual and musical.
The musical accompaniment is courtesy of Daniel Kelly. The long time composer and performer, who even worked with Lauryn Hill in the past, will be playing with his band the Danny Kelly Trio.
The group also features Adam Coté on bass and Bram Kincheloe on drums. In addition to the Feb. 3 performance Blind Visionaries will host a free show for high school students on Feb 4. Free reservations at the Performing Arts Center website.
Alan Braufman announces a new live album due on April 8, tilted Live In New York City featuring the recording of Braufman with his five-piece band, Cooper-Moore (piano, ashimba, recitation), William Parker (bass), John Clark (French horn), Jim Schapperow (drums) and Ralph Williams (percussion) in an early 1975 live radio session.
Alan Braufman Album, Live From New York City
Alan Braufman was born in 1951 in Brooklyn and raised on Long Island. After some time, he moved to Boston to attend Berklee in 1968 to pursue music. Doing so made him become an instrumental figure in New York City culture. He currently lives and performs in Salt Lake City, UT, and became a teacher along with learning to play the saxophone.
Photo by Gabriela Bhaskar
Braufman is an experienced saxophonist, flutist, and composer within the Jazz community and preforms with many acts such as Alan Michael Band, Cooper-Moore, Cecil McBee and many others. In 2016, the Alan Michael Band became nominated for Best Jazz Artist by the Salt Lake City Weekly.
Photo by P Squared
Braufman would go on to work with drummer William Hooker and his own groups before relocating to Salt Lake City. His album “Valley of Search” has gained popularity and captures a unique historical slice of New York’s creative underground Jazz.
The vinyl of the album is a 94-minute performance that is spread over 5 album sides on 3 LPs and 2 CDs. Along with this, the album will feature a live version of his song “Chant.” The album will be available on vinyl, CD and to stream on April 8th via Valley of Search and is available for pre-order/ pre-save at Bandcamp.
Update: New York City Winter Jazzfest has moved all virtual for this year’s event, and will be broadcasting January 14 – 22 featuring 30+ different groups and 150 musicians performing from cities all over the world including New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Johannesburg, Miami, St. Louis, Rio de Janeiro, New Orleans, and more.
In line with this year’s theme, “The Feel Good,” we asked many of the musicians to perform “Feel Good” music, especially now during these challenging times, when we cannot all be together, we need the valuable musical medicine these musicians provide us. We are so grateful to all of the artists for moving mountains to make this happen.
NYCWJF founder Brice Rosenbloom
The events will start on January 14, starting with the first of four Virtual Marathon Nights More in-person events will be announced in the coming weeks. The full schedule of performers can be found here.
Performances can be accessed via winterjazzfest.com, on YouTube and Facebook. Select performances are also available on Qwest.TV and on WBGO channels.
2022 NYC Winter Jazzfest has announced its lineup running from January 13-22, 2022 presenting a full spectrum of jazz. The Artist-in-Residence will be Chicago composer and multi-instrumentalist Angel Bat Dawid.
This will be the 18th annual rendition of the NYC Winter Jazzfest. The festival was founded in 2005 and over the years has cemented a reputation as a hotbed of cultural discovery, supporting the rich growth and continued vitality of the jazz community.
This year’s festivities will include 10 nights of programming: marquee performances, including major world premieres, from artist-in-residence Angel Bat Dawid, Pino Palladino & Blake Mills, Ben LaMar Gay, Jaimie Branch, Fay Victor and Kate Gentile; a Summer of Soul screening/convo and “The Feel Good” Party with Questlove and guests; and once again our weekend multi-venue, multi-artist marathon, which has become recognized as one of New York’s most essential nightlife offerings, giving audiences full access to all participating venues and dozens of groups performing from early evening deep into the wee hours.
NYC Winter Jazzfest’s Artist-in-Residence is composer and multi-instrumentalist Angel Bat Dawid who is known in the world for the premiere of “Afro-Town Topics: A Mythological Afrofuturist Revue”. Inspired by Fats Waller, Bat Dawid presents a new original score using the traditional framework of a musical revue (a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches) as a compositional blueprint with the intention of creating and exploring the production of new Afro sonic realities and futures. Additionally, Bat Dawid will perform a DJ set at the opening night event at City Winery on January 13 and present her Sistazz of the Nitty Gritty on January 14 during the NYCWJF Marathon.
With the support of South Arts, Mutual Mentorship for Musicians will hold its inaugural residency under the auspices of NYCWJF. Supported by a consortium of public and private funders including the National Endowment for the Arts, the Andrew Mellon Foundation and nine state arts agencies, South Arts has, through its Jazz Road Creative Residency program, provided grants of up to $40,000 this year to 52 artists or groups including M3, in order to foster their artistic and professional growth while allowing them to engage in a wide range of artistic and community projects throughout the US.
M3 was cofounded by acclaimed musicians Jen Shyu and Sara Serpa in 2020 to address ongoing gender inequity and underrepresentation in the jazz and creative music worlds, and to foster partnerships among women and non-binary musicians around the world through new composer commissions, published writings, collective conversations and other programs. The M3 residency seeks to reverse the imbalance seen at many jazz festivals by presenting 21 women and non-binary bandleaders, showcasing them across 10 days as performers, composers, workshop leaders and facilitators.
Participants include Samantha Boshnack, Romarna Campbell, Caroline Davis, Miriam Elhajli, Ganavya, Eden Girma, Val Inc. AKA Val Jeanty, Maya Keren, Erica Lindsay, Lesley Mok, Camila Nebbia, Shanta Nurullah, Cleo Reed, Michele Rosewoman, Sara Serpa, Jen Shyu, Monnette Sudler, Anjna Swaminathan, Sumi Tonooka, Fay Victor and Malika Zarra.
The current lineup for NYC Winter Jazzfest includes: Angel Bat Dawid (Artist-in-Residence), Alan Braufman, Alicia Olatuja, Allison Miller, Anjna Swaminathan, Antonio Sánchez – A Bad Hombre Project, Ben LaMar Gay, Brianna Thomas, Camila Nebbia, Camille Thurman, Caroline Davis, Chien Chien Lu, Cleo Reed, Code-Switch with Nasheet Waits, JD Allen, Eric Revis, Connie Han Trio, Craig Taborn, Dave Harrington Pranksters East, Eden Girma, Erica Lindsay, Fay Victor, Ganavya, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Gilles Peterson (virtual), Greg Ward’s Rogue Parade, Harriet Tubman, In Common: Walter Smith III and Matt Stevens featuring Kris Davis/Harish Raghavan/Terri Lyne Carrington, Jaimie Branch, James “Blood” Ulmer, James Brandon Lewis, James Francies, Joel Ross, Blaque Dynamite, Jen Shyu, Joel Ross, Julian Lage, Julius Rodriguez, Kassa Overall, Kate Gentile, Lakecia Benjamin, Lesley Mok, Louis Hayes, Madison McFerrin, Mahogany Browne, Makaya McCraven, Malika Zarra, Marc Ribot Trio, Marshall Allen, Matthew Whitaker, Maurice Brown, Maya Keren, Melanie Charles, Michele Rosewoman, Miki Yamanaka, Miriam Elhajli, Monnette Sudler, Nate Mercereau, Nate Smith +KINFOLK, Nduduzo Makhathini, Pino Palladino and Blake Mills featuring Sam Gendel and Abraham Rounds, Questlove, Ray Angry, Romarna Campbell, Rudresh Mahanthappa Hero Trio, Sam Gendel, Samantha Boshnack, Samara Joy, Samir LanGus, Samora Pinderhughes GRIEF, Sana Nagano, Sara Serpa, Sarah Elizabeth Charles SCOPE, Shai Maestro Quartet, Shanta Nurullah, Sistazz of The Nitty Gritty, Steph Richards +Supersense, Sumi Tonooka, SuperBlue: Kurt Elling featuring Charlie Hunter, Takuya Kuroda, Terence Blanchard featuring The E-Collective and Turtle Island Quartet, Terri Lyne Carrington & Social Science, Thana Alexa, The Bad Plus, The Jazz Gallery All-Stars, Theo Croker, Tim Berne Duo with Gregg Belisle-Chi, Val Inc. AKA Val Jeanty, and Zoh Amba.
For more information on 2022 NYC Winter Jazzfest visit their website.
Bill Charlap Trio have announced a new date for their upcoming performance at Flushing Town Hall on Friday, April 8, 2022. Bill Charlap is a multi-nominated GRAMMY artist with four nominations and one win back in 2015 for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album with The Silver Lining: The Songs Of Jerome Kern. The show was originally planned for January 15 but was postponed due to the omicron wave of COVID-19.
Bill Charlap Trio, Photo Credit: Philippe LEVY-STAB
Bill Charlap Trio will be performing at Flushing Town Hall will host pianist Bill Charlap, bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Kenny Washington. The Trio was formed nearly 25 years ago by Bill Charlap back in 1997 and has earned GRAMMY nominations for Uptown Downtown (Impulse!/Verve), Somewhere: The Songs of Leonard Bernstein, and The Bill Charlap Trio: Live at the Village Vanguard (both on the Blue Note label).
Bill Charlap was born in New York City in 1966 and started playing the piano at the young age of three. His father was Broadway composer Moose Charlap, whose credits include Peter Pan, and his mother is singer Sandy Stewart, who toured with Benny Goodman, appeared on the Ed Sullivan and Perry Como shows, and earned a GRAMMY nomination for her recording of “My Coloring Book.” He has performed with many of the well known artists ranging from Phil Woods, Gerry Mulligan, Wynton Marsalis, Freddy Cole and Houston Person to singers Tony Bennett and Barbra Streisand. He is known for his interpretations of American popular songs and has recorded albums featuring the music of Hoagy Carmichael, Leonard Bernstein and George Gershwin.
The performance will take place on Friday, April 8, 2022 at 8PM. In-person tickets are $25/$20 Members. Those unable to attend in person can join the livestream and tune in virtually for free at here, but donations are greatly appreciated. For tickets and more information, visit here or call (718) 463-7700 x222.
COVID Policy: In adherence with Mayor Eric Adams’s Covid policy for performance venues, Flushing Town Hall will require all visitors ages 12 and up, performers, and staff to show proof of vaccination. Masks will be required at all times for everyone. For more details on Flushing Town Hall’s Covid-safety measures and vaccine requirements, please visit here.
For more information on Bill Charlap Trio’s performance at Flushing Town Hall visit Flushing Town Hall’s website.
Live at Seneca One Jazz Series has announced dates beginning in January of 2022, produced by JazzBuffalo.
The Rhythm Future Quartet
The series will run January through June and will host monthly concerts, (apart from the month of May) in the Seneca One Auditorium. The Auditorium will be providing the experience of pre-concert music, food, and drinks available in the Seneca One Lobby and Bar, and high-quality sound and lighting for the community to enjoy.
SVETLANA
The “Live at Seneca One” jazz series will focus on next-generation rising stars, as well as a unique variety. Concerts will include the Rhythm Future Quartet with prodigy phenomenon Henry Acker, rising star swing jazz vocalist Svetlana, Grammy® nominated rising star saxophonist and composer Remy Le Boeuf, the young jazz vocalist taking New York and beyond by storm Anaïs Reno, and the winner of the 2019 Sarah Vaughn International Jazz Vocal Competition Samara Joy with rising star jazz guitarist Pasquale Grasso.
The Remy Le Boeuf Quartet
The first event of the series is “The Rhythm Future Quartet Celebrate Django Reinhardt Birthday.” The event will take place on Friday, January 21, 2022 at 8PM – 10PM at the Seneca One Tower. The second event will be “SVETLANA Love at the Movies.” The event will take place on Friday, February 11, 2022 at 8PM- 10PM at the Seneca One Tower. The third event will be “The Remy Le Boeuf Quartet.” The event will take place on Friday, March 18, 2022 at 8PM – 10PM at the Seneca One Tower. The fourth event will be “Anaïs Reno with Juliet Kurtzman and Pete Malinverni.” The event will take place on Saturday, April 30, 2022 at 8PM – 10PM at the Seneca One Tower. The fifth event will be “Samara Joy featuring the Pasquale Grasso Trio.” The event will take place on Friday, June 24, 2022 at 8PM – 10PM at the Seneca One Tower.
Tickets to all the events are $29. Details and links on each “Live at Seneca One” concert are available on the Live at Seneca One page on JazzBuffalo’s website. People will be able to purchase tickets directly at the JazzBuffalo.org event listing or through Eventbrite.
To start 2022, let’s jump back 75 years years to a jazzy New Year’s Day concert at New York City’s Town Hall. The show was both a celebration of Mezz Mezzrow’s then recently published book Really The Blues, and also served as a benefit for the American Committee for Yugoslav Relief.
Thanks to Jazz Lives, we are able to revisit this show, packed with jazz musicians including Muggsy Spanier, Sandy Williams, Sidney Bechet, Mezz Mezzrow, Sammy Price or Art Hodes, Wellman Braud, and Baby Dodds. Later in the evening Bob Wilber’s Wildcats (who were also on Mezzrow’s King Jazz Label) were added, which included Johnny Glasel, Ed Hubble, Bob Wilber, Dick Wellstood, Charlie Traeger, Eddie Phyfe. Jazz Lives notes Coot Grant and Kid Sox Wilson also performed on a playful version of their song “You Can’t Do That To Me”
The concert was recorded on 12-inch acetates on two machines and 10 performances were issued on LP (Jazz Archives JA-39), although this recording was not. It seems Mezzrow was one of jazz music’s most interesting characters, and was responsible for putting together many great jazz sessions in his time.
This particular concert from New Year’s Day 1947 celebrated the release of Mezzrow’s autobiography, Really The Blues, and he brought in a who’s-who of traditional jazz musicians, most notably Sidney Bechet on soprano sax and Muggsy Spanier on cornet. Sammy Price joined on piano, Sandy Williams on trombone, Wellan Braud on bass and Baby Dodds on drums rounded out the band.
Recordings like this offer insight into the post-war era in New York City, a return to normalcy if you will. Featured below is “When You’re Smiling” by Johnny Windhurst, along with Bechet and Wellstood. Jazz Lives compared Windhurst to Hot Lips Page in his prime, energetically lit from within, and radiantly taking another chorus just when you think he might have had or done enough. To the jazz aficionado, you’ll hear “an exultant hymn of praise to Louis Armstrong.”
A full recording of the performance is available here. The track listing includes: Darktown Strutters Ball, The Blues, Muskrat Ramble, Sammy’s Boogie Woogie Blues, You Can’t Do That To Me, There’ll Be Some Changes Made, Friar’s Point Shuffle, Really The Blues, Really The Blues (Extension), and High Society
Read and listen to more from Jazz Lives on a 1952 performance at Town Hall, featuring Bill Davison, Bobby Hackett and many more.
