Hudson Valley-based group The Jed Luckless Band released their newest album Second Lives, their first official release since 2013.
The Jed Luckless Band recorded the record live on their 2018 tour of virtual venues in Second Life and gives the listener the experience of one of their shows. The group is made up of Jed Luckless on guitar and vocals, Kenny Kaufman on bass and vocals, Mark Gutenplan on keys, guitar, and vocals, and Pete Marine on drums. The group usually live streams online or in the metaverse, but has done in-person performances as well.
JLB follows the jam band tradition, with extended improvisation and overall good vibes. The first track is quite lengthy, sitting at about 14 minutes. The title is “Give It Back > Valley Of The Saints” and prominently featured in the song are improvisation techniques, with extended guitar solos, and keyboard jam sesh. The song makes the listener want to get up and groove to the melodies.
The second track, “Road Trip > Sugar Pop” is also a lengthy track, sitting at just over 21 minutes. It is reminiscent of the Grateful Dead, with groovy guitars and stellar vocals. The group repeats the line “Going on a road trip” several times during the song, and it is a great song to listen to driving across the country as it elapses time in such a way that the listener gets so entrapped in the melodies.
Following that track comes “2,000 Pikes > Smile Forever,” featuring more vocals than the past tracks. It features pauses of silence and more of the classic improvisation style. This type of music would be great to have on in the background while you’re cleaning your house, or even studying. They are a group of very talented musicians, and they play together well, following each other’s instruments in a manner that flows very nicely.
The last track “FM Rock > By And Bye” starts out much softer than the other previous songs, with soft keyboard notes and guitar strums. The song speaks about the radio, then goes into a long jam sesh that keeps the listener on their toes.
The Jed Luckless Band’s new record Second Lives is overall a solid album featuring the classic jam band improvisation seshes, with electrifying guitar and keyboard solos, as well as drum beats that keep you swaying and dancing to the music for the whole record.
Producer, keyboardist, lyricist, composer and performer Idan Raichel is a global music icon who has brought his inspiring example and soul-stirring music to some of the planet’s biggest stages. As the leader of The Idan Raichel Project, Idan acts as a musical ambassador representing a hopeful world where artistic collaboration breaks down barriers between people of different backgrounds and beliefs.
The global music superstar appears with his full Idan Raichel Project band in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, NYC and Boston this November. For the very first time, audiences in the US will get to experience the full 15-piece Idan Raichel Project band, which has never performed in the US in this complete configuration before.
The Idan Raichel Project’s spectacular live show has enchanted audiences worldwide. They have headlined in some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including New York’s Central Park Summer Stage, Apollo Theater, Town Hall and Radio City Music Hall, Los Angeles’ Kodak Theater, the Sydney Opera House, Zenith in Paris, London’s Royal Albert Hall and many international festivals. They have also performed across Europe, South & Central America, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, Ethiopia, South Africa, Ghana, Japan and dozens of other countries for enraptured audiences of all backgrounds.
Over the past 19 years, Idan has collaborated with American pop stars India.Arie, Dave Matthews and Alicia Keys, not to mention a wide range of artists who are household names in their native countries: Portugal’s Ana Moura, France’s Patrick Bruel, Italy’s Ornella Vanoni, Germany’s Andreas Scholl, and Mali’s Vieux Farka Touré to name but a few. The Tour presented by Teev Events
WEQX has long been the preeminent independent station in the Capital Region of New York, broadcasting from Southern VT to an ever-expanding listening audience. NYS Music brings you a preview of artists to discover each week, just a taste of the talent waiting to be discovered by fans like you.
This week there will be two songs from each artist played, instead of the usual one.
Jade Relics: “Leave us Alone” and “Mandarine”
Jade Relics is a collective of Vermont Musicians featuring, Elder Orange, Rico James, IamE. Their music is danceable and infectious, with excellent production and instrumentation. Their songs “Leave us Alone” and “Mandarine” will be played on EQXposure.
Blur Beside You: “Stumble more than anything” and “Nothing Feels Real”
Blur Beside You is a shoegaze indie rock trio from New York and Florida. It features 3 founding members of the South Florida band, Mindlikewater, Jim Wells, Joseph Butera & Joseph Beaty. Their songs “Stumble more than anything” and “Nothing Feels Real” will be played on EQXposure.
Fine Grain: “Missing Adult” and “Calculate”
Fine Grain floats in between shoegaze haze and punk posturing. They are from Albany and stitch old punk with new to create their unique sound. Their songs “Missing Adult” and “Calculate” will be played on EQXposure.
Binghamton University’s Anderson Center for the Performing Arts will host “HOPE – It’s Been a Long Time Coming,” an all new concert by three-time Grammy-winners Soweto Gospel Choir, commemorating South Africa’s Freedom Movement and the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. The performance will be held on November 20 at 3 p.m. at the Osterhout Concert Theater.
Bringing joy to all, “HOPE” opens with a rousing program of South African freedom songs that inspired the Rainbow Nation. The choir’s uplifting performance then moves to the United States, with beautiful renditions of the music of the Civil Rights Movement, including works by legendary artists Billie Holiday, James Brown, Otis Redding, Curtis Mayfield and the one and only Aretha Franklin.
Hailing from Soweto (South West Township), a township outside of Johannesburg and home of Nelson Mandela and South Africa’s democratic movement, Soweto Gospel Choir continues to inspire audiences around the world with their powerful blend of African gospel, freedom songs and international classics.
Comprising a line-up of some of South Africa’s best vocalists, these uplifting performers have shared the stage and collaborated with the biggest names in contemporary music including Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Beyonce, U2, Diana Ross, Peter Gabriel, Chris Martin, John Legend, Pharrell Williams, Jimmy Cliff, Ben Harper, Angelique Kidjo, Robert Plant, Celine Dion, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Hugh Masekela and Josh Groban.
Soweto Gospel Choir was formed in 2003 at the end of the apartheid era and during South Africa’s inspiring return to Democracy. Taking part in some of the major historical events in the new democratic South Africa, Soweto Gospel Choir are proud to have performed on many occasions for the Father of their Nation, former President Nelson Mandela, as well as at his State Funeral in South Africa and at the subsequent commemorative service at Westminster Abbey in London. They were similarly invited to perform at the funeral service for the late President’s first wife, Winnie Mandela. The Choir act as Ambassadors for the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
The Cayuga Chamber Orchestra will hold its second Orchestral Series Concert of the 2022-23 season on November 19 at Ford Hall at Ithaca College, under the direction of Interim Music Director, Grant Cooper. The program will open with Rameau’s Overture from Zaïs and will feature the world premiere of local composer Sally Lamb McCune’s Spiral, a piece commissioned by the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra to honor the resilience of the orchestra, its patrons and wider community for continuing to come together in celebration of live music.
Cayuga Chamber Orchestra Special Guest Artists: Harris Andersen and Muse Ye, Piano
The second half of the program will showcase two works of Camille Saint-Saëns: the whimsical Carnival of the Animals and the powerful Symphony No. 2. Carnival of the Animals will include newly composed verses by Interim Music Director Grant Cooper and an appearance by the delightful piano duo, Muse Ye and Harris Anderson.
The CCO was founded in 1976 and is officially designated “Ithaca’s Orchestra.” Each season includes an Orchestral Series, Chamber Music Series, a Holiday concert, free Family Concerts, and the long-standing Willard Daetsch Youth Outreach Program, which earned the 2015 Yale Distinguished Music Educator award. In 2017, the CCO added a Youth Orchestra program for advanced students. In 2019, a new Diversity Career Fellowship program was established to provide opportunities for college students from communities that have been historically
Interim Music Director Grant Cooper and composer Sally Lamb McCune
The CCO will hold its Holiday Celebration concert on Saturday, December 17 at 7:30 pm, also in Ford Hall at Ithaca College.
For more information and subscriptions / single tickets visit CCOithaca.org
Dave Chappelle hosted his third post-election Saturday Night Live show on November 12, with musical guest Black Star, who has worked with and performed alongside Chappelle over the years.
Mary Ellen Matthews/NBC
The cold open started with a spoof on Fox News with Fox & Friends, featuring news anchors played by Heidi Gardner, Mikey Day, and Bowen Yang. They interviewed Republican candidate Kari Lake (Cecily Strong) about the election fraud, and how when Lake was winning, she was happy, and when she was losing, she was saying it was fraudulent, much like a lot of Republican candidates. The cold open also had an interview with Trump (James Austin Johnson) about his endorsements of candidates that lost.
In his opening monologue, Dave Chappelle spoke against Kanye West’s antisemitic tweets and West’s hatred of Jewish people. He joked about Jewish culture as well but did it in a tasteful and non-offensive matter. Chappelle also spoke about the midterm elections, and how “ominous” they were and called Herschel Walker “observably stupid.” He also spoke about the ongoing Russia and Ukraine conflict.
https://youtu.be/_m-gO0HSCYk
The next sketch featured the show “P.M. in the Afternoon” with Dave Chapelle as Willy T. Hawkins, talking about his new album My Potato Hole. The rest of the anchors made cringy jokes about the potato hole, and the meaning of the word was revealed as a food hole slaves had, making it very awkward.
Chappelle came back out to talk about House of the Dragon and the black characters on the show, and also showed a parody video of the show, with Chappelle featured in the sketch as characters from Chappelle Show. The next sketch featured Chappelle in a barber shop, with Kenan Thompson, Ego Nwodim, Punkie Johnson, Michael Longfellow, and Devon Walker, poking fun at Kanye West, and the election, featuring the awkwardness of a white barber (Longfellow) trying to comment on race issues.
New York-based hip-hop duo Black Star (Talib Kweli and Yasiin Bey) were the musical guest tonight, making their SNL debut. They just released their highly-anticipated album No Fear of Time – their first in nearly 24 years. Chappelle introduced them as “Brooklyn’s finest.” The group was confident, rapping about the issues facing the black community today in the song “So be it.” Behind the group was a photo with lyrics so people can understand what they are rapping about. Madlib, who produced all the beats on the new record, was DJing behind the group.
https://youtu.be/rCIJrpcpWdg
Weekend Update with Colin Jost and Michael Che focused on the midterm elections. Jost joked about how polling places are run by old people. Che joked about Biden running for President in the 2024 election despite his old age and also joked about the new female governors. Candidate Jose Suarez (Marcello Hernández) spoke about his campaign and that “everything is basically fine.” He also joked about how people complain about too much today despite the hard issues in other countries. Cast member Sarah Sherman was featured on the show as well, joking about herself in a sketch called “Sarah News.”
Dave Chappelle came back out to introduce the next sketch, saying he was too old to do it and needed to rest. The sketch was called “Black Heaven” and the God figure, who was supposed to be Chappelle, is comedically played by a white actor. Chappelle was off-screen smoking, and laughing with other people. The sketch focused on stereotypes in the black community.
The second performance by Black Star was much chiller, with a different photo in the background and no lyrics. The song, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing,” speaks about white supremacy and guns. The group will be playing a special show at Sony Hall in NYC on Nov. 15, with tickets on sale here.
https://youtu.be/UKY8J8z0mlo
There was another sketch about Election Night, with newcomer Molly Kearney becoming Ohio’s Attorney General after a drunk tweet. Chappelle ended the show by mentioning Migos rapper Takeoff (Kirshnik Khari Ball), who had performed on SNL in 2018 and was tragically shot and killed on Nov. 1.
During the episode, it was announced that Keke Palmer will be hosting the Dec. 3 show, with musical guest SZA.
The recipe for success in the music business starts with honing your craft. Add the right ingredients rooted in passion and persistence, rightaway top it off with a consistent social media presence and you’ve got a winning combination. To put it mildly, the Como Brothers Band is cook’n.
It’s Kismet
It was Kismet that I discovered the Como Brothers when they performed in Bay Shore. While at Fire Island Vines, a relatively new wine and craft beer bar that profiles original music, I was approached by the owner. This particular evening I came to hear Gene Casey, another one of the fantastic guests on The Long Island Sound podcast. I was greeted by Antonio, who said if you like Gene Casey, you’re gonna love the Como Brothers!
Harken the Harmonies
What caught my ear were brothers Andrew and Matt’s vocal harmonies. The music had a familiar rock/pop sound. When they were four to five songs into the set, I realized these guys were pumping out some great original music. As fate would have it, I “checked in” on Facebook, and soon, my daughter Fatih recognized the brothers as the sons of her math teacher, Mr. Como in High School. Como the senior would play his son’s music on occasion in class a decade earlier.
Curiosity Clinches
Curious about the artists behind the music and this kismet connection with my daughter, this had to be some sort of sign to investigate. A quick Google search of the Como Brothers, increased my curiosity as a plethora of songs and collaborative music videos appeared.
After a short conversation the Brothers Como agreed to be on The Long Island Sound podcast. The famous broadcaster Paul Harvey would opine, “And now the rest of the story” can be found in the latest episode of the podcast.
Content is King Backed up by a Queen
Fascinated by the wellspring of music that comes from Long Island, I am intrigued by the exposure artists receive or lack in the marketplace. The Como Brothers seem to have the success recipe nailed down. Maybe it is the Social Media generational divide that is the disadvantage for many artists. For the Como Brothers Band, Social Media is their superpower.
If you take a look at their website, you’d be amazed at the exposure they’ve gained in the marketplace surprisingly in a relatively short period of time. Whether it was being featured in a Canon trade show commercial, or having their music featured on Keeping up with the Kardashian’s, and MTV”s Real World, these guys seem unstoppable.
Secret Ingredient
When I asked about their social media presence, both Matt and Andrew heaped praise on Matt’s fiance Tatiana.
Tatiana is super, she’s actually super involved in what we do not from a songwriting perspective, but she films all of our music videos, helped set up on our website, our online shop. So she has type A, and she’s a band member’s dream. She’s like the Anti Yoko Ono!
Andrew Como
In promoting any artist or creative on the web, I’m intrigued at what seems to be successful. Whether it is deciphering the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) or understanding what a particular platform’s algorithm likes to see, I’m happy to integrate and learn something new.
Collaboration is Key
The common denominator with the video on the band’s site seems to be like-minded collaboration. Sam Woolf, one of the contestants on American Idol, joins the Como Brothers in several videos. Sam’s pop sound blends well with the band, accentuated by Andrew’s creative guitar licks. The humility of the brothers is by their willingness to explore and share their talent with other artists. The collaborators behind the scenes read as a Who’s Who of industry professionals backing up the production of the band’s endeavors. Industry legends grace various tracks. There’s drummer Steve Jordan (John Mayer, Saturday Night Live band, Late Night with David Letterman), keyboardist Andy Burton (Little Stephen & the Disciples of Soul), Aaron Sterling (Taylor Swift), and many others.
How can two young brothers make the industry connections that lead to collaborative projects? I asked them how do you do it? How were you able to connect with Sam Woolf or Kayla Stokert or the many other notables on your tracks? The simple answer I surmise, is that they’ve worked hard traveling and gigging around and they just seem to be nice guys. Artists willing to take the collaborative leap and say, “let’s give it a go”.
The two words that came to my mind when I encountered the Como’s was passion and persistence. As full time musicians with a creative need, they pump out content with Tatiana’s helping hand. Together they package it up into video and social media posts, ever increasing their growing list of fans. I can see their consistent creative content calling me back to discover what they’ve been up to each week.
You can find more on their YouTube Channel, Instagram site and Spotify playlist. Call it Kismet, by looking into my crystal ball, I can see the day when I’ll recount, “you know I knew them way back when.”
Manhattan’s Blue Note Jazz Club is partnering with Newark jazz radio station WBGO 88.3 FM for “WBGO Presents Brunch at The Blue Note,” a Sunday concert series running from November to March.
The World Famous Harlem Gospel Choir will open the series with performances on November 13 & 20 and wrap it up with shows on February 12 & March 19.
The partnership, which will run 13 concerts total, also has features performances from Svetlana & The New York Collective, as well as Terry Waldo’s Gotham City Band, the NYU Wayne Shorter Ensemble, JJ Sansaverino, the Aubrey Johnson Group, the Anderson Brothers with Vince Giordano, and Jason Prover & The Sneak Thievery Orchestra.
Information regarding reservations and more can be found here.
Upcoming WBGO Presents Brunch at The Blue Note shows:
The World Famous Harlem Gospel Choir – Sunday, November 13, 1:30 PM (Doors 12:00 PM)
The World Famous Harlem Gospel Choir – Sunday, November 20, 1:30 PM (Doors 12:00 PM)
Terry Waldo’s Gotham City Band – Sunday, November 27, 12:30 PM (Doors 12:00 PM) & 2:30 PM (Doors 2 PM)
NYU Wayne Shorter Ensemble – Sunday, December 4, 12:30 PM (Doors 11:30 PM) & 2:30 PM (Doors 2 PM)
Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (MSG Entertainment) and Live Nation announced that Grammy Award winning rap legend, Nas, will perform at Madison Square Garden on Friday, February 24, 2023, marking the icon’s first headline show at The World’s Most Famous Arena.
Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, November 18 at 10:00 a.m. Chase cardholders will have advance access to tickets from Tuesday, November 15 through Thursday, November 17. Tickets will also be available in person beginning on Saturday, November 19 at the Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and Beacon Theatre box offices.
Fresh off the success of the NY State of Mind Tour, with Wu-Tang Clan and special guest Busta Rhymes, Nas will once again hit the road on the heels of his latest release, King’s Disease III. The first two-installments of the series both earned him grammy nominations, with the former earning Nas his first-ever win. As such, the fabled rapper has once again recruited Hit-boy to complete the trilogy. The duo has worked together extensively the past few years, producing three King’s Disease albums and their Christmas EP, Magic.
A headlining performance at MSG will culminate the career of one of New York Cities most devoted sons. Nas’ career was made off of his incredible storytelling in which he depicted inner-city New York living. One of his more renowned records “NY State of Mind” has become a hip hop staple, with Nas becoming an embodiment of the city. Having influenced so many, Nas will finally get to take his rightful place as an MSG headliner.
Nas’ Other Ventures
Recently, Nas executive produced the limited three-part SHOWTIME docuseries, Supreme Team with Peter J. Scalettar. The documentary recalled the notorious New York drug syndicate and its long-standing cultural influence. Moreover, the film made its debut at this year’s Tribeca Festival this past summer. Furthermore, Nas also narrated and executive produced The Invaders documentary, following the rise and fall of a militant black power group based in Memphis, Tennessee in the late 1960’s.
Fans can access exclusive King’s Disease III content, merchandise, and experiences here, while a limited deluxe version of the vinyl is exclusively available on Mass Appeal’s website.
Hip-hop duo Black Star (Talib Kweli and Yasiin Bey) announced a last-minute show at Sony Hall on Nov. 15, coming off the heels of their SNL debut on Nov. 12.
Black Star is a rap group from NYC, that changed music forever in 1998 with their album Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star. yasiin bey and Talib Kweli first united to form what they penned “the best alliance in hip-hop,” and continue to make history with their highly-anticipated album No Fear of Time – their first in nearly 24 years.
Madlib produced all of the beats for the album’s nine songs and according to Pitchfork “the people need Black Star now more than ever,” saying the songs “So be it,” “Sweetheart. Sweethard. Sweetodd.,” and “Supreme alchemy” are the “best performances across the album.”
Earlier this year, they performed alongside Robert Glasper, Dave Chapelle, Thundercat, Flying, and Lotus, at the debut Blue Note Napa Festival.
The group will be going to Sony Hall, an NYC venue that opened its doors in 2018. It presents world-renowned performing artists across all music genres at capacities of 1,000 standing and 500 seated, with a full-service restaurant and bar. Sony Hall is equipped with Sony’s technologies which provide enhanced experiences for the audience.
Tickets to see their performance at Sony Hall on Nov. 15 are on sale here. Black Star will also be performing on SNL on Nov. 12, with host Dave Chapelle.
