Professor Louie’s Century will present Blues legends like Joe Louis Walker, Guy Davis, Professor Louie & The Crowmatix, and more. Music will be accompanied by a photographic retrospective Keeping the Blues Alive by JosephA. Rosen. Hudson Valley Blues Society has partnered with these amazing artists to put on a show that will be the first of its kind.
Professor Louie and The CrowMatix
Joe Louis Walker is a Blues Hall of Fame member and four-time Blues Music Award winner. Throughout his life, he has toured all around the world, preforming at mist renowned music festivals throughout the United States, Canada, Glastonbury, Notodden and Montreux. Along with this, he has toured for festivals in Japan, Australia, Taiwan, Ireland, Turkey, European festivals including The North Sea Jazz Festival, and Brazil.
Guy Davis has spent his musical life carrying his message of the blues around the world. He even holds the title of, “An Ambassador of the Blues,” because of his extensive travels from the Equator to the Arctic Circle. His work as an actor, author, and music teacher earmark him as a renaissance man of the blues. Davis often talks about how music and acting have similarities by saying, “…I don’t like people to see the challenging work and the sweat that goes in what I do. I want them to hear me and be uplifted.”
Professor Louie and The CrowMatix emerged from the music industry as the torchbearer of the true spirit of American Roots Music. As a live performer, prolific recording artist and versatile multi-instrumentalist, Professor Louie has the award-winning recording Producer and Engineer, capturing the talents of some of the world’s most highly acclaimed musicians.
The Concert will take place on March 26th, 2022, at 8:00 PM. All adult guests must be fully vaccinated or show proof of a negative COVID-19 test to enter the theatre. Tickets will range from $25 to $40 dollars. To purchase tickets or for more information visit paramounthudsonvalley.com.
Black history month can be a frustrating time of the year. The opportunity to celebrate the numerous Black vanguards is a great honor. Yet, having to encapsulate so much greatness in only 28 short days is a task in itself. How do you prioritize one Black success story over another? The truth is you can’t, but that doesn’t mean you don’t try.
While limiting the importance of Black people to just entertainment can be negligent to the immense contributions made to math, science, architecture and communication that laid the foundation for the modern world… this is a music website.
And while the likes of Malcolm X and Marcus Garvey’s roles as revolutionaries are to be studied and admired, it is the arts that continues to push pop culture forward. There is no greater form of pop culture now than hip hop, having overtaken rock & roll as the world’s most popular genre. Yet, hip hop would not exist without those that paved the way during the Harlem Renaissance.
Black history is everywhere, and New York State occupies some of the most important landmarks, where countless fabled musicians have inhabited. From The Cotton Club — where entertainers during the Harlem renaissance helped bring Black music to the mainstream — to the Marcy Projects that once housed Jay – Z.
Cab Calloway.
Our Black History Maps give readers a chance to view the boroughs, neighborhoods and exact addresses where many a Black history that has shaped the world originated from within New York State, and the accompanying stories deriving from such landmarks. A fun interactive feature, the BHM will also serve music aficionados who may want to see just how close they are to where their favorite artist once frequented.
As the early 1990s progressed, Phish would continue to make their mark in and throughout the Northeast. A major hub for this was obviously New York City. After years of playing The Wetlands, Phish had finally progressed to the Roseland Ballroom, starting with a gig there in March of 1992. The tour that began 1993 would add two more shows here and today marks the anniversary of the second one. Amazingly, this would somehow be their only shows in the city this year as tours began to stretch nationwide. They certainly made the most of their stay though, ending their brief Roseland residency with a show that features a healthy helping of new songs, classic favorites, and a remarkable pair of special guests to help them close it out.
An enthusiastic Roseland crowd seems to recognize “Golgi Apparatus” right away and the show is off and running with the venerable Phish classic. This is followed up with “Foam,” another hit off the band’s seminal Junta release. Despite some brief feedback issues, it’s a quick yet crisp version with a seemingly extra peppy bass line provided by Mike Gordon.
“Wilson” then has a bit of an extended intro with a different feel, with only the band singing the name of the fictional Gamehendge ruler as this pre-dates the now customary crowd chants. In an extended break before the “blap boom” ending portion, Trey Anastasio throws in both “Simpsons” and “Random Note” guitar signals that a good portion of the crowd seems to recognize. Then Phish steers into “My Friend, My Friend,” a track from their album Rift that was officially released just days earlier. As soon as “Friend” finishes, Phish wastes no time in doubling down on first set Rift tunes with Jon Fishman starting up the iconic drum intro to “Maze.” A rousing McConnell organ solo is supplanted with one from Anastasio and the first set at Roseland this evening is officially firing on all cylinders now.
After a standard run through of “Horn,” another first set staple, Phish launches into a flawless “Divided Sky” that features some more wonderful interplay between McConnell and Anastasio, with the latter spitting pure “fire” by song’s end in a potential nod of what was still to come. The now raucous Roseland crowd makes their feelings known after this one before Phish slows things down a tad with McConnell taking lead crooning duties on “Lawn Boy.”
Afterwards, the band breaks out a fairly new song (at the time) with only the third “The Wedge” ever performed live, after debuting three nights prior. It’s got a real jazzy, piano-fueled intro that makes it stand out when compared to its modern day version and McConnell follows this up with a dazzling solo mid-song that seems to have Trey yelling along in approval. A fairly standard “Bouncing Around The Room” follows this before the first set comes to a screaming halt in the form of a rabid “Run Like An Antelope” that has the whole band working together as one to bring the jam to a proper peak.
Tonight’s second set picks up right where the first one left off in the form of “Chalkdust Torture.” While this classic Phish number produces its typical high octane guitar and bass riffs, it doesn’t yield much of a jam. Instead, after a quick wrap up of “Torture,” the band dives back into the Rift chest and pulls out the Mike Gordon-penned “Mound.” But exploratory-wise, the second set doesn’t really take off until the “Stash” that follows, with Anastasio throwing out probing guitar fills atop some intense rhythms generated by Gordon and Fishman.
The call is then made for some mid second-set a cappella and Phish goes with the first “Sweet Adeline” of 1993 before an especially attentive Roseland crowd. Then, after Phish’s instrumental ode to NPR with “All Things Reconsidered,” the heavy hitters come back into play, starting with a “Mike’s Song” with a fun little verse added to the intro. Gordon has a little fun with the standard lyrics as well before the song takes a turn into its typical dark and foreboding ambiance. It’s a standard “Mike’s Groove” with the bliss-filled “I Am Hydrogen” dropped in the middle before “Weekapaug Groove” whips the Roseland crowd back into a collective frenzy. After this classical trifecta, Phish brings it back to the new school with the second ever “Lifeboy” performed live.
After this insightful newcomer, Phish decides to integrate some bluegrass into the show and breaks out an extremely tight “Uncle Pen” before a “Big Ball Jam” breaks out, the short-lived Phish gag in the early ’90s where giant inflatable balls were thrown out into the crowd with each band member “playing” along to a respective ball and its bouncing trajectory. Not much of a jam ensues though so Anastasio jumps behind the drum kit and Fishman then emerges for “a sad song” called “Lengthwise,” despite being prodded by the crowd to recite “The Prison Joke” again. After urging the crowd to break out lighters for the song, he adds an extra verse about burning his finger for holding one too long.
With the Big Ball and Fishman theatrics now out of the way, the show comes to a legendary finish, starting with “Buried Alive” where none other than Blues Traveler’s John Popper emerges to sit in and adds an absolutely ferocious harmonica solo that takes this song to another level. He then stays on for a set-closing “Possum,” adding a lovely touch to the intro before leading one of the more explosive jams of the evening.
As if one special guest weren’t enough tonight, Phish once again doubles down and brings out another one for the encore. With Popper still on stage, Phish do two “fake” botched intros to Jimi Hendrix’s “Fire,” seemingly blaming Gordon for the errors. So instead, Mike moves over to keys and they nonchalantly bring out none other than Noel Redding himself, the original bassist for the Jimi Hendrix Experience, to come out and do the honors. It caps off an incredible finishing sequence to, amazingly, the last New York City show of the year for Phish.
The whole show can be streamed here at PhishTracks with many audio clips found on YouTube as well.
Phish Roseland Ballroom – New York, NY 2/6/93
Set 1: Golgi Apparatus, Foam, Wilson, My Friend My Friend, Maze, Horn, Divided Sky, Lawn Boy, The Wedge, Bouncing Around The Room > Run Like An Antelope
Set 2: Chalkdust Torture, Mound, Stash, Sweet Adeline, All Things Reconsidered, Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove, Lifeboy, Uncle Pen, Big Ball Jam, Hold Your Head Up > Lengthwise > Buried Alive, Possum
The Egg has started their search for a new executive director as long time head, Peter Lesser, steps away. Since starting in August 2000, Lesser has brought together a wide variety of entertainment, from musical performances to comedy shows.
Peter Lesser in front of The Egg, October 2000. Photo by Paul Buckowski for Times Union.
Over the span of almost 22 years, Lesser has worked tirelessly to provide the Capital Region with culture and entertainment from around the world. Before the pandemic caused theaters to close, the venue hosted over 200 events each year. He has helped The Egg overcome a number of challenges, including security issues after 9/11, reductions in state funding and competition from other venues.
Prior to taking over at The Egg, Lesser served as executive director of Troy Savings Bank Music Hall in Troy from 1992 to 2000.
In addition to expanding the music, dance and family programming, Lesser has also been instrumental in creating special projects that focus on developing a statewide performing arts presenter network, commissioning new work and community outreach.
These initiatives have elevated The Egg’s stature as an invaluable cultural asset for the Capital Region and the State of New York, and I am appreciative of the Board’s support as we have worked to enhance our mission and achieve our goals.
Peter Lesser
Lesser’s love for The Egg is evident as he leaves behind not only a legacy, but the tools necessary for the continuation of programming at the venue. The strong foundation he helped to build will spur future administrations on for decades.
In a letter to the Board of Directors, Lesser explains that he is relocating to spend more time with his family, but he will continue to work with The Egg remotely until a candidate has been chosen and transitioned in. Applications for the position are being accepted through February. The job description and information on the application process can be found here.
As the XXIV Olympic Winter Games take place in Beijing, China, we look back 42 years to the XIII Olympic Winter Games held in Lake Placid from February 13, 1980 to February 24, 1980. Home of the Miracle on Ice and speedskater Eric Heiden winning five gold medals, the Lake Placid Winter Olympics brought together 1,072 athletes from 37 countries to take part in 38 official events in February 1980.
Opening ceremony photo courtesy Lake Placid Olympic Sites
The games also featured a theme song, in the form of Rochester Jazz legend Chuck Mangione’s “Give it All You Got,” a tune released a week before the games, that would chart as high as #1 on the Adult Contemporary, #18 on the Billboard 100 and #32 on the R&B chart, and recently named by Billboard as the #1 Olympics theme song of all time. ”Give it All You Got” was Mangione’s second single to reach #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart, after “Feels So Good” achieved that feat in 1978.
Mangione was asked by Roone Arledge, then ABC Sports president, to craft a song for the Winter Olympiad. ABC had used Mangione’s recordings, including “Chase The Clouds Away,” four years earlier during their coverage of the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. Featuring a lineup of Charles Meks (bass), James Bradley Jr. (drums), Grant Geissman (guitar), and Chris Vadalla (saxophone), Mangione, America’s most famous flugelhorn player wrote the Grammy-nominated song for his 1979 album Fun and Games.
This is fusion jazz at its most peppy and pristine, the network TV version of “gritty.” Mangione and saxophonist Chris Vadala volley the theme back and forth for nearly half the track’s six-minute runtime, content to let that breezy melody do most of the work. There’s some inspired composition going on beneath the surface: the way the chord structure keeps dancing between major and minor, the spots where flugelhorn and sax each converge in twin harmony. Throw in Charles Meeks’ slippery bassline and some Nile-Rodgers-style rhythm work from Geissman, and you’ve got the perfect soundtrack for cruising L.A. in a ’74 Stingray convertible.
Mangione told Wesley Hyatt for his 1999 book The Billboard Book of No. 1 Adult Contemporary Hits about the process of composing the music for the instrumental, saying:
(my) vision was to think about the athletes and their efforts to do their best now. They’re giving it all they’ve got. And we almost got to be like the athletes because we also got to perform the song at the ceremonies.
“Give It All You Got” was nominated for best instrumental composition at the 1981 Grammy Awards, losing out to John Williams’ score for The Empire Strikes Back.
Mangione would perform “Give it All You Got” live at the Winter Olympics closing ceremony (as well as the song “Pina Colada”) on Sunday, February 24, 1980, just hours after the conclusion of the gold medal hockey victory for Team USA over Finland along with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra from Ontario, Canada.
In addition to Mangione, the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam contributed to the Lake Placid Winter Olympics as well. A 600-member Olympic chorus and orchestra, a 50 member wind ensemble and three Olympic bands of 50 members each, who were bused in daily and wore weather appropriate parkas and boots, instead of the typical tuxedos and gowns. Brass performers tested their instruments in the meat freezer of the local supermarket in Potsdam as they prepared for the Games.
photo by Christopher Lenney
Feb. 9, 1980 featured the Collegiate Singers, directed by Brock McElheran, as they performed for the International Olympic Committee, along with visiting dignitaries from participating nations.
photo via the Crane School of Music
Four Crane School of Music faculty members composed original works for the Olympic Games, including Elliot Del Borgo, Arthur Frackenpohl, William Maul and Robert Washburn. When American gold medal winners, including speedskater Eric Heiden, received their medals, they were accompanied by an arrangement of the “Star Spangled Banner” by Frackenpohl, who also arranged the Greek and Yugoslavian national anthems. Washburn composed “Parade of Nations” for the opening ceremonies, while Del Borgo wrote the piece played during the closing, “When Dreams Are Dreamed and Dreams Are Won,” and Maul composed “March of the Athletes,” used for the closing ceremonies.
photo via the Crane School of Music
Crane School bands would provide music for the award ceremonies each evening, with Professor Emerita Rebekah Covell leading the Crane Symphonic Band for 14 performances over 14 days. With an added degree of difficulty, Covell and the musicians would often have less than an hour to rehearse national anthems needed for the medal award ceremonies, prior to playing the songs outdoors, often in freezing temperatures. Notably, Robert Mero, a former technical assistant at Crane, came out of retirement to assist musicians with technical services during the Games, per Robert Gibbs, a professor and emeritus member of the Crane School alumni board.
Between Chuck Mangione and students and faculty at the Crane School of Music, all music for the 1980 Winter Olympics can be credited to talented born and/or raised New Yorkers. Here’s to the Winter Olympics returning to Lake Placid in the coming years, perhaps split with Montreal.
While the Allman Betts Band tour has been postponed amid a hiatus, there is now a co-headlining tour with The Devon Allman Project and Samantha Fish Band in its place, with stops in Utica, Albany, Buffalo, Chester, New York City and Westhampton Beach.
Devon Allman.
The Devon Allman Project is a six-piece world-class band that has previously toured almost 20 countries. The band is led by Devon Allman, son of The Allman Brothers guitarist Gregg Allman. The band is known for gracefully blending genres and jam in the same way that the Allman family is known for.
photo by Brian Cornish
Samantha Fish is one of the most inventive artists in the blues scene, with her being placed in Guitar World Magazine’s list of “Top 10 Best Blues Guitarists in the World.”
Speaking of the tour, Devon Allman had this to say:
I can’t wait to get back out and spread some music around with my friends. I’ve known Samantha forever now and she’s such a phenomenal talent, her voice and guitar playing are smokin’ and her new band are world class…we’re gonna have some fun out there
The Devon Allman Project tour with Samantha Fish will be heading to multiple NY cities, and tickets can be found here.
THE DEVON ALLMAN PROJECT + THE SAMANTHA FISH BAND ON TOUR
Mar 3 @ The Kent Stage | Kent, OH Mar 4 @ Riverfront Live | Cincinnati, OH Mar 5 @ Robins Theatre | Warren, OH Mar 6 @ Kemba Live | Columbus, OH Mar 8 @ Jergel’s | Warrendale, PA Mar 9 @ Town Ballroom | Buffalo, NY Mar 10 @ Stanley Theater | Utica, NY Mar 11 @ HMAC | Harrisburg, PA Mar 12 @ Palladium | New York, NY Mar 13 @ Sugar Loaf Performing Arts Center | Chester, NY Mar 16 @ Musikfest Cafe | Bethleham, PA Mar 17 @ Palace Theater | Manchester, NH Mar 18 @ Loos Center for the Arts | Woodstock, CT Mar 19 @ Cabot Theater | Beverly, MA Mar 20 @ Westhampton Beach PAC | Westhampton Beach, NY Mar 23 @ Academy of Music | Northampton, MA Mar 24 @ The Egg | Albany, NY Mar 25 @ Mayo Performing Arts Center | Morristown, NJ Mar 26 @ The Beacon Theatre | Hopewell, VA
THE DEVON ALLMAN PROJECT
Apr 1 @ Hawaii Theatre Center | Honolulu, HI Apr 2 @ Castle Theater | Maui, HA
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.”
Each Sunday evening from 7-9pm you’ll find EQXposure on WEQX, featuring two hours of local music from up and coming artists. Tune into WEQX.com this Sunday night to hear new music from Glass Pony, Victory Soul Orchestra,W.Y. Huang and many more!
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.
Glass Pony from Albany released “Day Dream” this past fall. Don’t miss their show with Organ Fairchild at Lark Hall on February 19.
Watch “Northbound” from Glass Pony at Cohoes Music Hall in December, 2021.
Victory Soul Orchestra “Shoot Your Shot” can be heard on EQXposure. The band along with JB threw a party in Foster House Studios and recorded some songs, “Shoot Your Shot” being the first in a series of live recordings.
From Singaporean singer-songwriter W. Y. Huang is his latest, ‘Living With Ghosts.” Writing on Instagram, Huang said “It’s about growing older, dealing with pain, regret and letting go of the past, of fear. “I’ve not written something so personal in a long time… maybe ever. When I wasn’t in a good place, writing this song helped me [through] it.”
Christian Parker, a country artist from Canton, NY, marks his return with the new album, Every Passing Mile, a 13 track record inspired by Parker’s vision for the future.
The country record is packed with soothing songs, with themes ranging from fear of the unknown to hope for a pleasant future. Originally inspired by the effects of the pandemic, the attention grabbing opener, ‘Cast a Line’ showcases the full potential of this album and draws listeners in. Parker created this track with help from longtime friend and mentor, Peter Pendras.
The final line of the song, “Cast a line when a star falls in the sky, there’s no need to cry, cause it’s falling,” represents finding hope in a desperate situation.
Christian Parker
Other stand out tracks include ‘Fire With Fire’ and ‘This Time’. Both songs feature a consistent guitar as their foundations, along with Parker’s signature airy vocals. The sentimental ideas of peace and learning from past mistakes leaves listeners feeling energized and hopeful for their own futures.
A majority of the album was written by Parker, but he still had the chance to collaborate with other seasoned performers like Phil Hurley, founding member of Gigolo Aunts, Lisa Loeb and even Fountains of Wayne. Hurley contributed backing vocals, as well as guitar tracks. All of these contributions led to the creation of a unique country-pop experience.
While working on the creation of his unreleased album Best Kept Secret, Parker came to realize that he had more than enough material to make a separate album. Best Kept Secret is scheduled for release in June 2022.
Every Passing Mile was co-produced by Ron Keck and mastered by Larry Lachman of Kevorkian Mastering in NYC. The album is available on all streaming platforms and can be purchased here.
Key Tracks: Cast a Line, Fire with Fire, This Time
In honor of Black History Month, Bardavon Presents in Poughkeepsie has announced several events. Two of these events are announced as a way to educate and promote conversation surrounding race for kids and teens K-12, with other events celebrating Black history also scheduled.
The first of these events is Virtual Step Afrika! The event is a 5-part series designed to educate the youth on stepping and its history. Stepping is a form of dancing that originated in African American colleges in the early 20th century. Steppers use their bodies as an instrument and often follow polyrhythmic time signatures. By doing so, the dance form created a way for people to musically express themselves through their bodies. Schools and teachers can register for Virtual Step Afrika! from now until Friday, February 18th.
Step Afrika!
Bardavon Presents will also host Virtual Rhapsody in Black. The event is a one-man show written and performed by LeLand Gantt and developed at NYC’s Actors Studio by Estelle Parsons. The show follows Gantt’s personal journey to understand and eventually transcend racism in America. Teachers It seeks to stimulate deep and uncomfortable, yet necessary conversations about race. A free stream of the performance will be available starting Monday, February 7th til Friday, February 18th.
Rhapsody in Black
On Friday, February 25th, a dual screening of Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing, will be shown at both the Bardavon and Ulster Performing Arts Center. The classic 1989 film featuring Spike Lee, Martin Lawrence, Samuel L. Jackson, and Giancarlo Esposito, explores the racial tension in a Brooklyn neighborhood between African Americans and Italian-Americans. The movie has received unanimous positive reception in the way that it explores its themes, so much so that it has been admitted to the National Film Registry. Tickets for the screening start at just $6.
Do the Right Thing
On February 18th at 8 PM, BardavonPresents will host a free stream on their YouTube page. This stream will be a part of their HVP: Behind the Music series. The episode will focus on the Hudson Valley Philharmonic’s March 5th concert, which shines a spotlight on female composers. Notably, Composer Nkeiru Okoye will discuss her piece “Songs of Harriet Tubman,” dedicated to the abolitionist woman who helped free an estimated 70 slaves. The steam will also explore the broader title theme, Underground Figures. More information is available here.
