Category: News Desk

Flushing Town Hall Celebrates Jazz Appreciation Month With Stellar Lineup

Considering April is Jazz Appreciation Month, Flushing Town Hall has announced their celebration of this monumental genre with performances from Bill Charlap Trio, Louis Armstrong Legacy Monthly Jazz Jam, Alicia Lieu, and last but not least, Mark Wade.

Flushing Town Hall is a cultural nonprofit that is known for being a sanctuary for jazz music. In fact for over 40 years, the organization has held numerous jazz music programs, in addition to events with jazz legends like Jimmy Owens, Barry Harris, Sheila Jordan, Akua Allrich, and many more. Considering Queens has been home to a variety of legendary jazz musicians, Flushing Town Hall is a creative space to keep jazz alive and discover more musical talent.

The Bill Charlap Trio, consisting of pianist Bill Charlap, bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Kenny Washington, was formed in 1997 and have been a notoriety group ever since. In fact the group has been Grammy nominated numerous times for Uptown Downtown (Impulse!/Verve), Somewhere: The Songs of Leonard Bernstein, and The Bill Charlap Trio: Live at the Village Vanguard.

The Grammy Award-nominated Bill Charlap Trio is set to perform on April 8 at 8:00 P.M. During this performance the group will play some of the songs from their latest jazz album Street of Dreams. In person general tickets are $25 and $20 for members; while virtual viewing is free.

The next event at Flushing Town Hall will be held on April 13 at 7 P.M., with the Louis Armstrong Legacy Monthly Jazz Jam. This organization invites jazz students, musicians, and music educators to Flushing Town Hall to join together as one with the sole purpose of creating new music in a comfortable setting. Furthermore, the house band led by saxophonist Carol Sudhalter always begins a performance with the work of Louis Armstrong, a true pioneer of jazz. For this event, in person tickets are $10, while it is free for members, students, and jamming musicians. However, virtual viewing is free.

New Music Horizons will make an appearance at Flushing Town Hall to present classical composer Alicia Lieu and jazz composer Mark Wade on April 24 at 2 P.M. Alicia Lieu is not only a composer, but is also the founder of the Composers Collective, Pitches Brew, and New York Con-ducting Institute. At the Flushing Town Hall, she will perform new material from her opera in progress, “Unwrapping Fortune”. This work of art demonstrates the culture behind Chinese food, in addition to love.

Mark Wade is known to be one of the best bassists of this era and has played with other noteworthy jazz artists, like James Spaulding and Jimmy Heath. In fact, Downbeat Magazine Readers Poll voted him as one of the top bassists five of the last six years. The Flushing Town Hall is inviting the Mark Wade Trio, known for their improvisation to perform next month. In-person tickets are $10, while for seniors, students, and members the event is free; as well as virtual viewing.

To watch these events virtually tune in to Flushing Town Hall’s YouTube page. Donations are of course appreciated to support the performers and Flushing Town Hall. To learn more information on how to do so visit Flushing Town Hall Circle of Friends.

March 31, 2022
Beau Fleuve Festival Announced for 2022

The Beau Fleuve Festival in Buffalo has announced the date for the 2022 festival, which will happen on August 28.

The festival is a one-day music, arts, and cultural celebration held in the city of Buffalo. Standing on the pillars of diversity, the festival merges Buffalo’s historic past with the Buffalo Central Terminal and the continued resurgence of the arts within Western New York.

photo by Madison McCafferty

The annual celebration includes performances on multiple stages from regional, national, and international musical acts, art exhibitions, the silent disco, spoken word poetry, speaker panels, street art, fashion, sports, film, games, food, and more.

The Beau Flueve Festival 2022 lineup and early bird tickets will be released in May.

March 30, 2022
MPTF and Binghamton Local 380 Announce Free Jazz Events

The Recording Industry’s Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF) and Binghamton Local 380 announced that free live Jazz events will be happening in Binghamton and Ithaca to celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month throughout April.

Grants totaling $235,000 from MPTF will support 224 live, admission-free events throughout the US and Canada. Funding will support professional musicians to perform at different venues and live streams on Facebook.

MPTF sponsored event.

Jazz Appreciation Month was created at the Musuem of American History in 2001, and it celebrates the extraordinary heritage and history of jazz. It was also made to encourage people of all ages to study the music, listen to jazz, read books about jazz, and attend concerts.

MPTF’s Trustee Dan Beck spoke about the new events scheduled for Jazz Appreciation Month.

Seeing regional jazz greats working again, coming out of the past 24 months of the pandemic, is extremely exciting and so culturally important. Jazz Appreciation Month has been a significant focus of the MPTF’s efforts throughout its history.

Binghamton’s Local 380 represents over 160 professional musicians in the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes region of New York.

Schedule

April 3 2PM- Empire Saxophone Quartet (with percussion) @ The Heart at Castle Gardens

April 6 6:30PM- Island Hoppers Steel Band @ United Methodist Homes: Hilltop

April 15 4PM- Alpha Brass @ Willow Point Nursing Home

April 17 3PM- Chris White Trio @ Bridges’ Tudor Houses

April 27 7PM- Southern Tier Brass @ Good Shepard Fairview

March 30, 2022
Roxy Music’s 50th Anniversary Tour Coming to MSG

For the first time in over a decade, Roxy music will return to the stage, this time for their 50th anniversary tour. The tour will journey from Canada and through the US, eventually ending in London. They will be joined by special guest, St. Vincent.

Roxy Music will be touring the U.S for the first time since their critically acclaimed 2011 “For Your Pleasure” tour. Featuring stops across the U.S, including landmark venues like MSG and The Forum, their 50th Anniversary tour is sure to be the celebration of a lifetime.

Formed in 1972, Roxy Music has been regarded as one of the most influential bands of all time. They have inspired a number of big names including Depeche Mode, Nile Rodgers and Kate Bush. The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.

PC : Brian Cooke

Special guest St.Vincent will be joining Roxy Music for all North American dates, except Boston. After originally making her debut in 2007, St.Vincent has been described as one of the most interesting artists in modern music. Her work has been justly recognized, with her 2021 album, Daddy’s Home, garnering universal acclaim.

Artist presale is available from now until 4/1. General tickets go on sale 4/4 at 10 AM. Eight special anniversary editions of Roxy Music’s albums will be reissued throughout the year, with the first two LPs, Roxy Music and For Your Pleasure being released on 4/1.

NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES

09/07 – Scotiabank Arena – Toronto, ON

09/09 – Capital One Arena – Washington, DC

09/12 – Madison Square Garden – New York City, NY

09/15 – Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA

09/17 – TD Garden – Boston, MA*

09/19 – United Center – Chicago, IL

09/21 – Moody Center – Austin, TX

09/23 – American Airlines Center – Dallas, TX

09/26 – Chase Center – San Francisco, CA

09/28 – The Forum – Los Angeles, CA

U.K TOUR DATES

10/10 – OVO Hydro – Glasgow, UK

10/12 – AO Arena – Manchester, UK

10/14 – The O2 – London, UK

March 30, 2022
Eastbound Throwdown Returns Sept. 9-10

The annual Eastbound Throwdown Festival will return to the Irwin Family Farm in Salem, NY on Sept. 9-10.

This year’s festival will feature Eastbound Jesus and Guthrie/Bell Productions.

Attendance at last year’s event was capped at 1,000 people due to COVID-19. This year attendance has been increased to 1,00 guests.

Two-day passes, which include camping, are available starting April 1 at 10am. Single day passes for Saturday, Sept. 10 are also available. Eastbound Jesus will be performing on both nights of the festival.

Since Eastbound Throwdown is a family event entrance for all attendees under the age of 15 is free.

March 29, 2022
And the Winner of NYS Music’s March Madness 2022 is….

HANZOLO! The indie group with an explosive, emotional sound mixing soul, jazz, rock and funk, hail from Cooperstown, and bested Albany’s Fine Grain en route to winning the finals of NYS Music’s March Madness 2022.

HANZOLO, hailing Cooperstown – where 5 of the 7 members attended Cooperstown High School – formed in 2016 after playing in a variety of groups from high school and into college. The group’s name derives from the name of a samurai, Hanzo, and a certain science-fiction cowboy.

Band members include Carl Loewenguth (vocals, guitar), Nick Summers (keyboard, trumpet), Jack Loewenguth (bass), Nate Olmstead and Sebastian Green (drums), James Matson (trombone), and Joey Katz (keyboard, saxophone)

Since forming, HANZOLO have opened for bands like Lawrence, Wild Belle, and *repeat repeat. They released their first album Table Butter in 2019, an apt title given they have been compared to Table Butter: soft enough to spread yet hard enough to keep its shape.

As COVID-19 led to a music industry shutdown in 2020 and most of 2021, the band took the time to refine their second album, HANZOLO. In September 2021, the group won the EQX Battle of the Bands and opened Albanyâs annual Pearlpalooza music festival.

They have played regularly in NYC at The Delancy and Rockwood Music Hall, and look to expand their audience in coming months with festival appearances that are soon to be announced.

Closer to home, HANZOLO play regularly in Albany at Lost and Found, as well as Ommegang Fire Pit Fridays in the summer, Black Oak Tavern and Foothills PAC in Oneonta.

The self-titled second album was released on Christmas Day 2021, the result of a Kickstarter campaign that netted over $14,000. With COVID sidelining the band from touring, they used the time to put more focus on the quality control of the album and launch the band into their next phase in a well-timed manner.

They’ve also got a selection of HANZOLO merch you can pick up here.

HANZOLO 2022 Tour Dates

April 8 – Arts Gala at The Madison Theater, Albany

April 14 – Pauly’s Hotel, Albany (with JDolla)

April 24 – The Range, Ithaca (with Q-Tip Bandits)

April 27 – Lark Hall, Albany (with Q-Tip Bandits & E-Block)

June 11 – Cooperstown Blues Express, Cooperstown

Congratulations HANZOLO, NYS Music’s 2022 March Madness Winner!

Since 2015, NYS Music has crafted a friendly March Madness competition that spans all musical harbors of the Empire State. As fans and musicians, the NYS Music team aims to spotlight the great talent found across New York in a friendly contest, bringing broader attention to the next generation of artists and bands on the rise. March Madness 2022 highlighted 64 bands and artists you might not know, but should know, as these homegrown talents are making waves through the New York State. Review each round below.

Round One

Round Two

Sweet 16

Elite 8

Final 4

Finals – HANZOLO vs. Fine Grain

HANZOLO joins previous NYS Music March Madness winners include Organ Fairchild (2021), Black Mountain Symphony (2018), Root SHOCK (2017), Sprocket (2016) and Lucid (2014).

Our sincere thanks to the sponsors of NYS Music March Madness 2022 – Bearsville Theater, Funk n Waffles, DSP Shows, The Helping Friendly Hemp Company, The XPerience Monthly and Mirth Films.

March 29, 2022
Newport Jazz Festival Announces 2022 Lineup

Newport Jazz Festival is making its summer return with a packed 2022 lineup. From July 29th-31st, fans will be able to see performers like Norah Jones, PJ Morten, BADBADNOTGOOD, and more in Fort Adams State Park.

This year’s festival will celebrate the life of George Wein, founder of the Newport Jazz and Newport Folk festivals. Surprise special guests will join the tribute. Artist Director Christian McBride’s annual Jawn Jam will include performances from ensembles like Makaya McCraven, Chris Potter, Vijay Iyer, Brandee Younger & Mike Stern; the Jack DeJohnette Quartet with Don Byron, Matt Garrison, and Luisito Quintero; Pino Palladino, Blake Mills and Sam Gendel & Abe Rounds.

Alongside big names and ensembles, the festival will also feature Cory Wong, Sons of Kemet, Nubya Garcia, Jazzmeia Horn, Nate Smith + KINFOLK, Sampha the Great, Lady Blackbird, The Soul Rebels, Theon Cross, Samara Joy, The Nth Power and Jazzmeia Horn. More artists will be announced at a later date.

Newport Jazz Fest 2021

The Newport Jazz Fest works closely with the Newport Festivals Foundation to provide musicians with the support they need during tough times. The non-profit helps maintain music programs in Rhode Island and around the country.

Since 2018, the Artist Gives initiative has provided over 100 grants to music education programs in over 30 states, including instruments for public schools, funding for music instruction workshops for Veterans and after school music lessons for children with learning disabilities.

Newport Jazz Fest 2021

Tickets are on sale now. Student discounts are available. COVID-19 safety guidelines will be announced at a later date.

March 29, 2022
Disco Biscuits Set To Continue Spring Tour With Three Nights At The Capitol Theatre

This weekend, The Disco Biscuits return to Port Chester and The Capitol Theatre with a trifecta of performances that will also feature pre-shows each evening at the adjacent Garcia’s. With signs of spring finally starting to emerge in the Northeast, one of the more iconic jam bands of the region will help turn the calendar from March to April with three nights of electronica-infused music.

This weekend will see The Disco Biscuits reach the “Double Digit” Club for shows at The Capitol Theatre with the last one on Saturday, April 2 being their eleventh show overall at this fabled venue. The band first played here in March of 2016 on a two-night run, with a rendition of “Helicopters” started on the first night and finished the next evening. The first show also featured the lone (to date) cover of Carl Carlton’s “She’s A Bad Mama Jama.”

The Disco Biscuits followed this up the next year with a three-night run at the Capitol Theatre from April 27 to 29. This time, it was “Shem-Rah-Boo” that was spread across the first two nights, with the first night also featuring a monstrous “House Dog Party Favor” to close out the second set. The following night sees one of the earlier versions of “The Champions” played and the last night’s first set gets capped off in grand fashion with a particularly spirited “Confrontation” > “Rock Candy (unfinished)” > “Confrontation” sequence of events.

The last time the Disco Biscuits graced the stage of The Capitol Theatre was in 2019 with yet another three-night run spanning January 31 – February 2. This run is probably best known for the last night as the Biscuits paid homage to their jam fore fathers The Grateful Dead who played plenty a memorable show here and started the show with a completely unexpected bust out of “Help On The Way” > “Slipknot!” > “Franklin’s Tower.” The last night also featured an inverted “Shelby Rose” and a sublime jam emerging from a first set “Shem” that seamlessly flowed into the beginning of “Cyclone.”

The band is surely guaranteed to only add to their own legacy at The Cap and it all starts each night with thee free pre-shows that start as soon as doors open. PEAK kicks off the weekend on Thursday, March 31, Microcave jams on Friday, April 1, and Sweeping Views spins some far out dance tracks on Saturday, April 2.

Attendees need a ticket to The Disco Biscuits shows to attend the pre-shows! Tickets are still available for purchase here.

March 28, 2022
Sad Summer Fest 2022 Presented by Journeys

Sad Summer Fest presented by Journeys features a variety of artists and local bands including Neck Deep, MayDay Parade, and more. This unforgettable event will make stops in New York City at Pier 17 on July 22^nd, and at the Stone Pony Summer Stage July 29^th.

When asked what message he has for fans ahead of the summer tour, vocalist of Waterparks Awsten Knight writes, “I am ready to step around in the mud and get huge. If you see me doing push-ups in the parking lot do not approach me Lucas will tackle you OUT! Saddie summer will be my baddie summer better watch out because I get MOODY in the summer!! See you soon.”

“We’re stoked to be on Sad Summer this year!” says Neck Deep lead singer Ben Barlow. “We really can’t wait for another American summer, ripping a few heavy gigs, making the most of the sunshine and closing your night out with a show you’ll never forget.”

Mayday Parade will co-headline Sad Summer Fest for the second time, coming back this time with their latest music in the setlist. The band released their most recent album “What It Means to Fall Apart” in November and has spent the start of 2022 taking those new songs on the road, as well as performing songs from their self-titled album in celebration of its eleventh anniversary. Speaking on the band’s return to the Sad Summer Fest stage, lead singer Derek Sanders says, “We’re happy to have the opportunity to play such a great tour with so many wonderful bands. We look forward to seeing so many of you out there, it’s gonna be a wild summer.”

Journeys is excited to partner with Sad Summer Fest again this year. Connecting with our consumers and employees through live music events has always been a huge part of our identity as a brand. The ongoing partnership between Sad Summer Fest and Journeys has allowed us to come together to create a memorable and safe experience for fans that were missing live music and the face to face connection with their favorite artists.
Kari Irons, Journeys, Senior Vice President of Marketing

Tickets will officially go on sale March 24th at 10am local time, for purchase here.

SAD SUMMER FEST 2022 PRESENTED BY JOURNEYS

July 8 – Sacramento, CA – Heart Health Park @ Cal Expo

July 9 – Anaheim, CA – City National Grove Outdoors

July 12 – Dallas, TX – Gilley’s

July 13 – Houston, TX – Lawn @ White Oak Music Hall

July 15 – Orlando, FL – Orlando Amphitheater at the Central Florida Fair

July 16 – Atlanta, GA – Coca Cola Roxy

July 19 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE Outdoors

July 20 – Pontiac, MI – Crofoot Outdoors

July 22 – New York, NY – The Rooftop @ Pier 17

July 23 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium Outdoors

July 24 – Baltimore, MD – MECU Pavilion

July 26 – Columbus, OH – KEMBA Live Outdoors

July 27 – Newport, KY – Ovation

July 29 – Asbury Park, NJ – Stone Pony Summer Stage

July 30 – Philadelphia, PA – Skyline Stage @ the Mann

August 2 – Cleveland, OH – Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica

August 3 – Lewiston, NY – ArtPark Amphitheater

August 5 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave/Eagles Ballroom

March 28, 2022
Happy Birthday, Lady Gaga!

Happy Birthday, Lady Gaga! Born on March 28, 1986, in Yonkers, Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta aka Lady Gaga is one of the most successful pop stars in the world. She grew up in the city with her parents Cynthia and Joseph Germanotta, with her younger sister Natali. Taking her name from the song Radio Ga-Ga by Queen, Gaga has shown her versatility from being in the film and music industries, with multiple number one hits and nominations to show for it.

Lady Gaga at the SAG Awards for film House of Gucci.

Gaga learned how to play the piano at the age of four, and At the age of 11, she was accepted to the Juilliard School in Manhattan but she instead attended a private Catholic school in the city. She wrote her first piano ballad at 13, and at age 14 she had her first performance at a New York nightclub.

Her debut album The Fame and single “Just Dance” received both popular and commercial acclaim, and “Just Dance” was nominated for a Grammy Award. Although it didn’t win, it reached number one on the charts. The second single off of the album “Poker Face” went to the top of the charts in every category and country in 2009.

In 2010, she released her album Fame Monster, then in 2011 released yet another critically acclaimed album Born This Way. In 2013, she released another album titled Artpop. One of the highlights of her career thus far was working with Tony Bennett on the jazz album Cheek To Cheek. The album won a Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album. She performed at Super Bowl 50 in 2016. Also in 2016, Gaga released her fifth studio album, Joanne, her fourth number one album in the United States.

In 2017, she announced she had signed for a Las Vegas residency. She performed two separate shows over 27 dates: Lady Gaga Enigma, a collection of her most popular songs, and Lady Gaga Jazz & Piano, which had stripped-down versions of her greatest hits. In 2020, she released her sixth studio album Chromatica, which hit high on the charts, and had the number one single “Rain On Me” with Ariana Grande.

Lady Gaga at her residency, photo by Getty Images.

For films and TV shows, she has done a lot. In 2016, she earned a Golden Globe for her portrayal of The Countess in American Horror Story: Hotel. Also in 2016, she was cast to play Ally in A Star Is Born, which grossed an impressive $400 million globally. She and her co-star Bradley Cooper received Golden Globe, Grammy and Oscar win for their duet song “Shallow.” In 2021, she played Patrizia Reggiani in House of Gucci and has won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress.

Lady Gaga proves she is not done yet in her outstanding career, and she continues to deliver number one hits and be who she truly is, a star.

March 28, 2022