A Blues BBQ Festival at Hudson River Park’s Pier 76 (34th Street) this summer will kick off on August 13th from 12PM to 9PM, with performances scheduled to take place throughout the day. The riverfront performances will be hosted by Binky Griptite and featuring performances from Walter “Wolfman” Washington, Don Bryant, Bette Smith, Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers, and Jackie Venson.
Bule BBQ Festival at Hudson River Park
Hudson River Park, which extends from Chambers Street to 59th Street along Manhattan’s West Side, is the longest riverfront park in the United States. It facilitates skate parks, playgrounds, sports fields, gardens and nature exhibits, boating and maritime activities, art installations, and myriad year-round events that celebrate the diverse cultures and neighborhoods along its shores.
The Blues BBQ Festival is the longest-running free blues festival in the New York City metro-region since 1999. It runs four miles along the West Side, attracting over 17 million visits each year. Over the last two decades, over 100 musicians have entertained performances happened here.
During this incredible festival, various restaurants include blue Blue Smoke, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, Jase’s BBQ, Kimchi Smoke, and Big Papa Smokem. They will provide incredible BBQs with different flavours to support the festival. Beverage companies participating will be Allagash, Bronx Brewery, Sunday Beer Lager, Archer Roose Rose and Sparkling White Wine and Two Robbers Hard Seltzer.
The musical lineup is designed to showcase the many interpretations and influences of the blues genre. The event will be hosted by Binky Griptite of The Dap-kings and will feature Brooklyn native Bette Smith, acclaimed Memphis-born singer-songwriter Don Bryant, “America’s Hottest Accordion” winner, Dwayne Dopsie, and his band, The Zydeco Hellraisers, recording artist Walter “Wolfman” Washington, and multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter Jackie Venson.
The Troy Music Hall has announced the return of their free outdoor concert series Summer Square. The series will kick off on July 8th and continue every Friday and Saturnday until August 27th.
Located in the Music Hall courtyard on 2nd Street, the series will be showcasing some of the Capital Region’s top talents.
The Summer Square series will host 16 musical acts, opening with Arch Stanton Quartet and ending with Troy native Ryan Leddick. Other performances include jazz band Heard and blues duo Mark & Jill, among others.
Arch Stanton Quartet experiments with original jazz music, with influences in bop and post-bop traditions. They are planning their third album, inspired partly by the book “Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison.
The closing performer for the series, Ryan Leddick, released an album “Up, Up, & Away” in 2020. Leddick grew his love of music in the Adirondacks, and his current music blends together folk and rock.
The Summer Square music series also welcomes back musicians from previous years among the lineup. Acts such as Julia Alsarraf, Bossamba, Jordan Taylor Hill, and Triskele all took a part in 2021 and will come back this summer.
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall has a long history of drawing top talent to the area. Opening its doors in 1875, world-renowned artists such as Lillian Nordica, Henri Vieuxtemps, Ignace Jan Paderewski, Albert Spaulding, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Myra Hess, and Jose Iturbi have performed within the historic Hall’s walls.
Built in 19th century, the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall was supported by the Troy Savings Bank to appreciate the citizens. With several intervention, the narrow shoebox form promotes early sidewall reflections that are important for a sense of envelopment, and the tall ceiling and ideal seat count of 1180 to provide intimacy and sustain an optimal reverberation. It also owned the nation’s largest nineteenth-century concert organ in original condition.
Summer Square is a free outdoor concert series every Friday and Saturday evening at 6pm. Lawn chairs are allowed to enjoy this event.
The Batavia Ramble Explore Art and Music Festival has been announced for July 2nd, including 25 bands, an Explore Art tent for kids, street performances, and much more.
For the past two years, the Ramble has been put on hold due to the pandemic. However, it is coming back this year, bigger and better than ever. The event will take place in Jackson Square and on Jackson Street in Batavia on July 2nd from 10am – 9pm.
We are so excited that the Ramble will be happening again this year! We wanted to make it the best one yet, so we partnered with our friends at GO ART! to help us not only grow the entire event but also bring more of a presence to the ‘arts’ side of the festival. It really is shaping up to be an incredible event. And I think everyone is going to love it!
-Paul Draper III
Batavia Ramble is an annual reunion of musicians, who have a connection to Batavia and the surrounding areas, which features a variety of musical genres. This year’s Ramble will consist of two stages; The Main Stage sponsored by Eli Fish in Jackson Square, and the Jackson Street Stage sponsored by Center Street Smoke House.
The tentative lineup is as follows:
Eli Fish Stage:
The Ghost Riders Groove Warren Skye and Friends Kissin’ Whiskey DriVen The Trolls 2.0 Lonesome Road Marnie Kay and the Nonblondes Beethoven’s Dream Group Sierra Noah Gokey Jostepa Trio The Bluesway Band Zackstreet Boys
Jackson Street Stage
Steve Krupper Tom Ryan and Friends PD3 Knaudt and Chua Vette Midnight Cruisers Brick Spare Parts High Pines The Remediators Bad Sign
In addition to all the music and activities, there will be vendors including artists, food, and beer. Guests are reminded to bring a chair or a blanket.
On July 30, Hudson Festival Orchestra (HFO) will hold the first-ever “Hudson in Concert: A Community Celebration” in the scenic Henry Hudson Riverfront Park.
The free event will begin at 4pm, with a range of opening ensemble performances. The opening acts feature traditional Latin music, songs from Bangladesh, and a new ragtime performance.
At 7pm, Hudson Festival Orchestra will kick off their performance with a rousing community drum circle to introduce the first piece, Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man. Hudson Festival Orchestra invites all community members to bring along a drum or hand instrument to join right in.
The 57-piece orchestra will play other cultural favorites spanning many different backgrounds in celebration of community. Some of these include Gospel, Latin music, Cuban danzon, Argentine tango, Ragtime, Indian classical music, and more.
I believe that music and culture can bridge divides and build community. I envision this as an annual musical event bringing area residents together through a live musical celebration of our shared American and diverse cultural heritages in a glorious natural setting on the Hudson River!
-HFO Founder and Artistic Director Gwen Gould
The concert will be performed in a beautiful setting. Under a tent set-up overlooking the river and the mountains, attendees can enjoy the scenery as they take in the performances.
The Hudson Festival Orchestra also invites attendees of all ages to partake in the event. During intermission, children may join “The Teddy Bears’ Picnic” parade (behind an actual life-size teddy bear) to a picnic with treats and snacks for all.
To start the second half of the performance and express solidarity with Ukraine, the Hudson Festival Orchestra will perform the Ukrainian National Anthem. After more music and performances, the concert will conclude at 9 pm.
Although this is the first “Hudson in Concert: A Community Celebration,” Hudson Festival Orchestra hopes to make the series an annual free event for all in the future.
Madison Square Garden Entertainment announced today due to overwhelming demand that Billy Joel has added to his monthly residency at Madison Square Garden with a show on November 23. The concert will mark the musician’s 131st at The World’s Most Famous Arena.
Back in 2013, Joel was named Madison Square Garden’s first-ever franchise musician and began his record-breaking residency in January 2014. Since then, he has played one show every month at The Garden. The added November show will be the legendary musician’s 85th.
Having sold 150 million records over the past 25 years with 33 Top 40 hits, it is no wonder Joel continues to rank as one of the most popular entertainers around the world. With six Grammy awards, a Tony award, and many more honors, Joel is known for his accomplishments as a musician and humanitarian.
Tickets for the Billy Joel November show at MSG will be available for purchase by the general public beginning at 10:00 AM (ET) on Friday, June 24 via Ticketmaster. Tickets will also be available at the Madison Square Garden box office on Saturday, June 25. Prices range from $69.50 to $165.50.
Read more about the Piano Man’s classic “New York State of Mind” with a look at the song’s history and origins.
The Chelsea Music Festival 2022 in NYC has announced its 13 season and the theme is “Not Without You,” which explores the deep bond between Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn on the 175th anniversary of their passing. It will run from June 23-26. then finally on the 28.
The Chelsea Music Festival celebrates the creativity of one of New York City’s most dynamic neighborhoods and brings together world-renowned performers to celebrate great music. Since 2010, festival has established itself as a critically-acclaimed, accessible and interactive gateway to chamber music in non-traditional concert spaces like art galleries, churches, and more.
The 2022 festival theme reflects on the need to be with and encourage one another, especially due to the forced distance after the pandemic.
Chelsea Music Festival 2022 Lineup
June 23- Exhibition Reception- How To Operate in a Blue Room
Resident artist Jonathan VanDyke created the exhibition How to Operate in a Blue Room, which features the artist’s sewn paintings, a selection of the amaryllis flowers that the artist raises in his studio, sculptures, and scraps from his studio projects.
June 24- Festival Opening Night: Not Without You
The festival’s opening night concert includes music by J.S. Bach, V. Silvestrov, and a New York Premiere of a new work by Misato Mochizuki, as well as music by the people being celebrated in the theme, Fanny & Felix Mendelssohn.
June 25- Das Jahr: Twelve Months Personified at 7 P.M.
The evening features pianists playing “Das Jahr” by Fanny Mendelssohn. It is one of her most sparkling compositions, as it is a twelve-part piano suite based on the months of the year.
Later in the evening, award-winning string duo ARKAI Music will be performing a mix of original and classic songs, as well as a special premiere of their latest single release, “Patchwork.” They are known for their infusion of classical and rock music.
Pianist & composer Carmen Staaf joins the Festival for a matinee jazz performance and will be joined by the Ensemble-in-Residence Ulysses Quartet as they play Staaf’s own compositions and Mary Lou Williams’ Zodiac Suite.
The Ensemble-in-Residence Ulysses Quartet have been described by The Guardian as “emotively and dynamically astounding,” as they perform music that ties into the theme “Not Without You,” and to the artwork of Jonathan VanDyke.
Ulysses Quartet.
June 28- Festival Finale— Siblings & Soulmates
For the final day of the festival, the concert will tie together the Mendelssohn siblings lives through song, as well as through poetry and chamber music.
For more information and to buy tickets to the Chelsea Music Festival, go here.
Singer-songwriter Brandy Clark, who is a 10-time Grammy nominee and CMA “Song of the Year” recipient, is set to perform an intimate night of stories and music Monday at the Center for the Arts in Homer.
Brandy Clark, photo credit: Chris Phelps
Every songwriter has stories to tell. The Art of the Storyteller Tour will feature new unreleased music from Clark’s upcoming album she is currently working on. Recently performing on “CMT Crossroads: Leann Rimes & Friends,” there is no doubt she is one of the most respected artists of our time. As well as being on her own musical journey, Brandy has written hits for many of todays top artists like Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves, Alicia Keys, and more.
“I hope people listening find themselves in me finding myself.”
Brandy Clark
Each stop features different special guests giving local singer-songwriters a chance to share their story. Central New York’s own groovy indie-folk group, The Rollin’ Rust, will be joining her on Monday evening.
The Rollin’ Rust. Photo provided by website, www.therollinrust.com
Brandy Clark–“The Art of the Storyteller Tour” June 17 – Montgomery, NY – City Winery June 18 – Holyoke, MA – Race Street Live June 20 – Homer, NY – Center For the Arts June 21 – Toronto, ON – Great Hall June 23 – Ann Arbor, MI – The Ark June 24 – Gary, IN – Hard Rock Casino June 25 – Minneapolis, MN – Dakota
General Admission tickets are available for $25, here.
St. Ann’s Warehouse announced its upcoming Fandango At The Wall concert in Brooklyn Bridge Park on July 9th. Arturo O’Farrill and 30 musicians from the U.S., Mexico and beyond reunite to celebrate the 300-year old son Jarocho sound of Mexico. Based in the Brooklyn Bridge Park, St. Ann’s Warehouse plays a vital role on the global cultural landscape as an American artistic home for international companies of distinction, American avant-garde masters and talented emerging artists ready to work on a grand scale.
Fandango At The Wall Concert
Based on the original 1860’s Tobacco Warehouse, St. Ann’s Warehouse is a waterfront theater that opened in October 2015 in the heart of Brooklyn Bridge Park. The building includes a Studio, a welcoming foyer/exhibit space, and The Max Family Garden. It has reconfigured its facade and rooftop balconies for public art presentations during the pandemic.
The Fandango at the Wall concert is rooted in the Fandango Fronterizo Festival, a cross-border fandango, or jam session, that has taken place annually since 2008 and features son jarocho music from Veracruz, Mexico, performed on both sides of the Tijuana/San Diego border wall.
The musicians participating in this upcoming concert include Arturo O’Farrill, the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Conga Patria Son Jarocho Collective (featuring Patricio Hidalgo, Ramon Guitierrez, Tacho Utrera, Wendy Cao Romero, Fernando Guadarrama, and Jorge Francisco Castillo); Mexican trio The Villalobos Brothers; American jazz violinist Regina Carter; American cellist and composer Akua Dixon; Iraqi-American oud virtuoso Rahim AlHaj; and the Iranian-born tar and setar player Sahba Motalebbi.
Former BAM President Karen Brooks Hopkins has joined St. Ann’s Warehouse and the Afro-Latin Jazz Alliance as Executive Producer of the concert.
Fandango at the Wall is especially important now, when so many things are going wrong and such horrible violence is wreaking havoc on our nation. It’s more important than ever to state that borders don’t exist—they’re manmade. Brooklyn Bridge Park is the perfect place to express that, because of the diversity and the wonderful way that New Yorkers come together. We look forward to celebrating humanity, celebrating togetherness, celebrating peace with you through the music of son jarocho.
Arturo O’Farrill
The Fandango at the Wall concert will be presented July 9 at 7pm at Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 1, which is located at 2 Furman St, Brooklyn, NY 11201. In case of rain, the concert will be held inside St. Ann’s Warehouse (45 Water St, Brooklyn, NY 11201).
Fandango at the Wall is free to the public. RSVPs are encouraged, but not required. Learn more and RSVP at stannswarehouse.org.
Artists appearing at Fandango at the Wall include:
Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
Arturo O’Farrill
Arturo O’Farrill is son of composer Chico O’Farrill, was born in Mexico and grew up in New York City. He is a pianist who has been nominated by Grammy for multiple times, and meanwhile a Professor at UCLA.
Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
In 2002, he established Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (ALJO) to introduce musical traditions of Afro Latin jazz to a wider general audience, and to greatly expand the contemporary Latin jazz big band repertoire. In March 2021, O’Farrill and the ALJO won their 7th Grammy for Four Questions. In September 2018, O’Farrill and ALJO released the album, Fandango at the Wall: A Soundtrack for the United States, Mexico, and Beyond, and participated in the documentary for HBO MAX.
Rahim AlHaj
Rahim AlHaj
Rahim AlHaj began playing oud at the age of nine, and has composed pieces for solo oud, trio, string quintet, symphony, etc. Delicately combining traditional Iraqi maqams with contemporary styling/influence, his pieces establish new concepts without altering the foundations of the traditional “Iraqi School of Oud.” Rahim has released 13 albums, receiving two Grammy nominations.
Wendy Cao Romero
Wendy Cao Romero
Wendy Cao Romero has become a fandango dancer since 1987. She is a key member of the Utrera family, and has produced numerous field recordings of older son jarocho musicians. Wendy is also a radio producer and an educator, she teaches textile arts in El Hato “Mujeres Tejedoras,” an organization of thirty women.
Regina Carter
Regina Carter
Grammy-nominated violinist Regina Carter is passionate about performing, recording, teaching, and mentoring bringing music into nursing homes and hospice settings. She explores a wide range of genres—including jazz, R&B, Latin, classical, blues, country, pop, and African music. Her music has been recognized by the MacArthur “Genius” award and a Doris Duke Artist Award.
Jorge Castillo
Jorge Franscico Castillo (credit to Fandago at the Wall)
Jorge Castillo is a professional classical guitar player grew up in Mexico, having received his first training at home at age nine. He graduated from the University of Texas El Paso. In 2006, Jorge was introduced to the fandango culture and the group Quemayama drove him to become the founder of the Fandango Fronterizo in 2008.
Akua Dixon
Akua Dixon
Akua Dixon is a cellist, composer, conductor, and educator. Akua Dixon has been at the forefront of improvising string players since 1973. Akua is a native New Yorker and attended High School of Performing Arts and studied cello with Benar Heifetz. She is the first cellist to win the Downbeat Critics Poll.
Fernando Guadarrama Olivera
Hailing from Cordoba, Veracruz, Fernando is an expert at performing ten-line verses known as “Decimas in Son Jarocho.” Fernando has lived in Oaxaca for nearly thirty years and has played the jaraba for twenty-eight years. He has also taught poetry for son jarocho music for some twenty years. He also is the director of a poetry and son workshop in Tapacamino, Oaxaca, since 2005.
Ramon Gutiérrez Hernández
Ramon Gutiérrez Hernández (credit to Muziekpublique)
Raised in Tres Zapotes, Veracruz, Ramon was introduced to the requinto at a young age. He has played it for over 30 years. In his music, he channels the great spirits of son jarocho veterans and masters while also forging ahead and cultivating a modern sound. As an educator, he has taught workshops on jarana, requinto, and zapateado.
Patricio Hidalgo Belli
Patricio Hidalgo Belli (credit to José Elías Némer)
Patricio, a son jarocho musician, was born in Apixita, Veracruz, and is the grandson of Arcadio Hidalgo, one of the most iconic son jarocho musicians of the twentieth century. Patricio started playing the guitar young and became a songwriter and master soloist.
Sahba Motallebi
Sahba Motallebi
Sahba Motallebi, a modern virtuoso of the tar and setar, studyed music as a young girl in Sari, Northern Iran. Her talent garnered an invitation to study at the Tehran Conservatory of Music when she was 14. After graduating from Conservatory in 1997, she co-founded the groundbreaking women’s music ensemble Chakaveh.
Tacho Utrera
Tacho Utrera (credit to Fandago at the Wall)
Born in El Hato, Veracruz, Tacho is a talented musician, carpenter, and luthier who learned to make instruments from his father and grandfather. He plays the leona, requinto, and jarana and has enjoyed a thirty-year career as a son jarocho musician.
The Villalobos Brothers
From left: Alberto Villalobos, Humberto Flores, Luis Villalobos and Ernesto Villalobos of the Villalobos Brothers. Their latest album, Somos, is out now.
The Villalobos Brothers have been acclaimed as one of today’s leading Contemporary Mexican ensembles. Their original compositions and arrangements masterfully blend Mexican folk music with the intricate harmonies of jazz and classical music. Ernesto, Alberto, and Luis Villalobos use their violins and voices to redefine contemporary Mexican music.
Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra began its 2nd annual Summer Chamber Music series on Saturday, June 11, featuring music from popular TV shows and talented composers. On June 18 at 7:30 pm, Binghamton Philharmonic Percussion Trio will have a diverse performance at St. Patrick’s Church as part of the series.
Parlor City Celli opened up the two-weekend event on Saturday, June 11, performing music from Game of Thrones, Succession, and Power of the Dog among others. Parlor City Celli includes the talents of Cellists Ruth Berry, Laura Cricco-Lizza, Michael Newman, and Hakan Tayga.
As the second performance of the series, Binghamton Philharmonic Percussion Trio will perform pieces such as “Memories of Alhambra” by Francisco Tárrega, “The Last Game” by Daiki Kato, and “Variations on a Ghanian Theme” by Daniel Levitan. The Percussionists in the trio include Daniel Fabricius, Steve Mathiesen, and Joel Smales.
Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra currently serves over 10,000 people annually. Originally founded in 1955 by musicians Fritz and Marrianne Wallenberg, the organization aims to provide the Southern Tier with full orchestra performances.
Since 2018, Maestro Daniel Hege has led the Orchestra as Music Director. With multiple concerts, events, and even summer camps, Binghamton Philharmonic continues to connect professional musicians with engaging audiences. The organization’s mission is to expand music’s reach to a broader regional audience, and the Binghamton Philharmonic Summer Chamber Music series does just that.
The tickets for the June 18 concert are $25, but children 17 or younger are free, courtesy of Visions Federal Credit Union. For tickets and for more information, click here.
Ithaca Reggae Fest returns to Stewart Park on June 17th and 18th, 2022, with full day of reggae, yoga, water education, skateboarding, art, food, dance and more. Dedicated to the protection of Cayuga Lake through a conscious celebration of Ithaca’s legendary reggae community and its history, this festival returns after three years of being apart.
This year’s festival is culminating with headlining performances from internationally renowned Ithaca-based roots reggae & dub masters. Featuring revolutionary artists like 10 Ft. Ganja Plant mixed by legendary Jamaican producer Scientist and Kabaka Pyramid, both making their Ithaca debuts. Saturday’s lineup includes some of the best reggae bands from throughout New York State.
Dedicated to protecting Cayuga Lake, throughout the day Ithaca Reggae Fest features Education Village, which will showcase numerous water protectors from throughout New York and the United States including the Audubon Society, Community Science Institute, Cayuga Nature Center, and many others with interactive exhibits for all.
Youth Village presented by the Childhood Development Council will feature youth programming throughout Saturday from family yoga and storytelling to drum circles and a special performance by Hangar Theatre’s “Three Little Birds.”
And focusing on art, Ithaca Reggae Fest is excited to partner with the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC) and famous artist Jay Stooks to host its Art Village featuring numerous local, regional and national artists creating art throughout the day Saturday raising proceeds to benefit the 50th Anniversary of GIAC.
Throughout all of this, in collaboration with USA Skateboarding and Etnies shoes, Ithaca Reggae Fest presents Skateboard Village hosting the 1st Annual Flat Attack US Pro/Am Championships of Flatland Freestyle Skateboarding. Free to attend and open to all to register, Qualifying Rounds take place on Friday, June 17 from 11 AM to 5 PM before the Championships on Saturday, June 18 from 2pm to 7pm at the Tennis Courts in Stewart Park.
Bringing the community together, tickets to the triumphant return of the 4th Annual Ithaca Reggae Fest is on sale now with children under 16 admitted free of charge with a parent or guardian. Tickets and more information linked here.
