The incredible singer Jon Spencer is back with the explosive band the HITmakers, and they’re releasing their hottest record yet. Starting off their tour, they will be playing at the Rec Room in Buffalo (April 11) and tickets go on sale this Friday at 10am.
Photo By Michael Lavine
Using otherworldly sounds, “Spencer Gets It Lit” by Jon Spencer and The HITmakers is described as, “electro-boogie, constructivist art pop, a psychedelic swamp of industrial sleaze and futurist elegance.” “Spencer Gets It Lit” delivers all the friction, excitement, and post-modern depravity one in one song.
Jon Spencer states, “This is the most uncompromising album I’ve ever made!”
Photo By Bob Coscarelli
The upcoming spring tour will feature many unique, amazing artists like Janet Weiss of Sleater Kinney, Quasi, Wild Flag, The Jicks, Slang, and more.
Jon Spencer is an American singer, composer and guitarist. Throughout his career, he has been involved in various bands such as Pussy Galore, Boss Hog, Heavy Trash and The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.
The National Jazz Museum in Harlem proudly introduces their new exhibition to the public, “The Soul of Jazz: An American Adventure,” opening on Friday, Feb. 11th, coinciding with Black History Month. Additionally, the exhibition features the new Disney movie, SOUL.
The Soul of Jazz: An American Adventure
American pianist, band leader, and jazz musician, Jon Batiste, provides the original jazz compositions and arrangements for “Soul,” and shares his excitement for “The Soul of Jazz: An American Adventure.”
National Jazz Museum emphasizes a vision “to make jazz accessible to everyone on the planet,” one echoed by Carmen Smith:
Like the film that inspired this exhibit, ‘The Soul of Jazz: An American Adventure’ is a tribute to the human experience. It was here in Harlem that jazz not only became an international sensation, but a vehicle for social change. The genre’s enduring influence is a palpable example of the barriers that can be broken when ambition and artistry meet passion and purpose. We’re proud to partner with the National Jazz Museum to preserve and celebrate that special kind of magic.
Carmen Smith, Senior Vice President, Creative Development – Product/Content & Inclusive Strategies.
In the Harlem Museum, the exhibit will include a unique collection of artifacts including items highlighting the career of pianist and jazz icon, Dr. Billy Taylor. Additionally, appearances of characters Joe Gardner and Dorothea Williams, and virtual experiences on the Play Disney Parks app.
The National Jazz Museum
The overall mission of National Jazz Museum in Harlem’s is to “preserve, promote and present Jazz by inspiring knowledge, appreciation and the celebration of jazz locally, nationally and internationally.” To further promote the educational purposes of jazz music and history, the museum offers four Core Programs: Education; Exhibits & Collections; and Partnerships & Collaborations.
The National Jazz Museum
Free reserve-time ticketing is required, no walk-ins allowed. However, you can reserve tickets up to one month in advance. As well, The National Jazz Museum in Harlem is open Thursday to Saturday from 12PM to 5PM, and proof of vaccination is required for all visitors 5 years of age and older. To reserve tickets, times are available at Eventbrite.
Jazz at Lincoln Center will head out on a “Songs We Love” tour featuring rising stars in New York City jazz.The tourfeatures Riley Mulherkar as Musical Director, with Vuyo Sotashe, Brianna Thomas and Shenel Johns on vocals with Julian Lee, Mariel Bildsten, Mathis Picard, Barry Stephenson and TJ Reddick.
Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents “Songs We Love”
Today’s rising stars in jazz music are to preform “Songs We Love,” from March 3-19. The tour will feature a journey through the first 50 years of jazz music under the musical direction of Riley Mulherkar, along with three guest vocalists who will join the band of New York’s rising stars. By combining their unique talents, the group will perform their way through decades of music, beginning with the early blues, the jazz of the 1920s, and then ending in the early 1950s. With this, Iconic singers included such as Ma Rainey, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland.
Riley Mulherkar “Songs We Love” Musical Director
The “Songs We Love” tour will kick off in March with nine shows throughout the north, east and south coasts. The tour was first presented as the 2016 Season opener at Lincoln Center in New York City. For over three decades, Jazz at Lincoln Center has been a huge advocate for genres such as jazz, culture, and arts education globally. With the help of Wynton Marsalis, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and many guest artists throughout the generations, this venue produces thousands of performances, education, and broadcast events for people around the world.
By providing new opportunities to present great jazz programming, the Jazz at Lincon Center can feature up and coming musicians who are rising in fame. This allows for their mission ““to entertain, enrich and expand a global community for jazz through performance, education, and advocacy.”
Riley Mulherkar “Songs We Love” Musical Director
Musician Riley Mulherkar has been recognized as a “smart young trumpet player” by The New York Times, along with being praised by The Wall Street Journal as a “youngster to keep an eye on.” By being a founding member of the band, The Westerlies, Riley helps create a hybrid genre of music that can be both “folk-like, lovely and intellectually rigorous” (NPR Music). Riley works with many leading and up-and-coming artists today, he was born and raised in Seattle, but later moved to New York to study at The Juilliard School, later receiving the Knowles Prize for Jazz and the Peter Mennin Prize for “outstanding achievement and leadership in music.”
In 2011, Riley was named a “rising jazz artist” by Wynton Marsalis in JET magazine, and in 2014 was the first recipient of the Laurie Frink Career Grant at the Festival of New Trumpet Music. He is serving as an ambassador for Jazz at Lincoln Center’s “Jazz for Young People” program in both New York and St. Louis. All of this experience and accolades position him as the perfect musical director for Songs We Love.
Riley Mulherkar Musical Director
Vocalists on tour include South African jazz vocalist Vuyo Sotashe, who moved to NYC in 2013 after being awarded the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship to pursue Master of Music at William Paterson University. Since then, he has gone to win numerous awards including first prize at the very first Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival Vocal Competition in 2014, and more recently, he won the Audience prize award and placed second over-all at the Shure Montreux Jazz Voice Competition in 2015.
Brianna Thomas is another vocalist who has described by The NY Times stating, “Ms. Thomas has a strong voice and a big range, descended from Sarah Vaughan and Betty Carter and routed through Dianne Reeves, with clarity and confidence and a little dirt.”
Paring with these vocalists with a voice that embodies passion and a personal style that sways effortlessly from jazz, to R&B, to gospel is Shenel Johns, who has emerged as one of the shining stars of her generation.
Accompanying Riley Mulherkar and the three guest vocalists is Julian Lee, who quickly established himself as one of the most versatile saxophonists of his generation. Lee is the beneficiary of the 2017 Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award from Jazz at Lincoln Center and has performed both internationally and nationally with a wide array of critically acclaimed artists.
Along with these well-astounded artists, Mariel bildsten will also join on the trombone. She is known as the lead trombonist in Arturo O’Farrill’s Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra and tours internationally with the rock band, Brass Against. Mariel has performed at Carnegie Hall, Radio City, O2 Arena, Birdland Jazz Club, the Apollo Theater, the Chicago Jazz Festival, Perth International Arts Festival, Caramoor Jazz Festival, Smalls Jazz Club, and Smoke Jazz Club, and many more.
On piano is French-Malagasy pianist Mathis Picard, who has recently released his new album Live at the Museum, showcasing his diverse talent. Considered one of the most sought-after bassists on the scene today, Barry Stephenson also joins the tour with his raw talent. On drums is TJ Reddick, already a world traveler, who has performed in many countries including France, Brazil and Belize. TJ is an energetic musician ready to light up any stage.
Together, these musicians are bringing a young dynamic vibe to each performance that you won’t want to miss.
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Tour dates, tickets and showtimes can be found on their website.
On Saturday, February 19 at 8 PM, Flushing Town Hall is hosting Alicia Olatuja, an amazing singer who came into the national spotlight as the featured soloist of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir at President Barack Obama’s Second Inauguration in 2013.
“We are overjoyed to welcome Alicia Olatuja to Flushing Town Hall and excited to hear her lush vocals,” says Executive & Artistic Director Ellen Kodadek. “Audiences are in for a real treat, be they fans of jazz, folk, rock, or pop. Olatuja crosses genres seamlessly and is known for her regal presence and stunning voice.”
Photo By Harrison Weinstein
Olatuja’s show, Intuition: From the Minds of Women, will celebrate esteemed, female composers and draws from her 2019 sophomore album. Along with this, includes her interpretations of the music of Sade, Tracy Chapman, Kate Bush, Linda Creed, Angela Bofill, and Brenda Russell. This event is an in-person event but is also streaming for free on Flushing Town Hall’s YouTube channel.
Along with Olatuja’s performance, Flushing Town Hall hosts a Black History Trilogy for the celebration of Black History month. The trilogy will feature award-winning performers paying tribute to influential African-American artists, entertainers, and musical traditions.
Though she is originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Olatuja grew up immersed in a wide range of musical styles, including gospel, soul, jazz and classical. Shortly after, she assembled her own jazz-based ensemble and recorded her first solo album, Timeless (2014).
Praised by DownBeat for her “full-bodied tone, precise pitch, and personal engagement at the lowest whisper or highest wail,” Olatuja’s first came into the national spotlight in 2013 when performing as the featured soloist with the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir at President Barack Obama’s Second Inauguration.
This in-person performance will take place on Saturday, February 19 at 8 PM. Tickets can be purchased here ($15/$12 members). Lastly, all visitors, performers and staff are required to show proof of vaccination, masks will be required at all times as well.
This concert will stream live for FREE on Flushing Town Hall’s YouTube Channel
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.
The Mike Block Trio is back again for their first tour of 2022 and they plan to play at Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs, on February 11th. This American Roots group recorded an album last month and have lots of new tunes to share.
Mike Block Trio Press Photo
The trio consists of Joe K. Walsh (mandolin/vocals), Zachariah Hickman (bass/vocals), and led by Mike Block (cello/vocals), they are a supergroup of unique and virtuosic players. Using their American roots music with contemporary and international influences, they bring a personal perspective to their acoustic music. For example, all members of the band are heavily experienced in music and have brought an equally professional perspective their songs. Their music is artfully compoed and pleasant to listen to.
Mike Block Trio Press Photos
Mike Block is a pioneering cello player, singer, composer, and educator. He is committed to inspiring individuals and connecting with individuals across communities. Using his patented design, The Block Strap, Mike was the first standing cellist to perform at Carnegie Hall. Touring extensively throughout the world, he has been featured in shows as a cellist and vocal soloist. Likewise, he has contributed arrangements and compositions, and even earned a Grammy Award in 2017 for the album, “Sing Me Home.” The NY Times characterized the performance as, “Breathless … Half dance, half dare.”
Joe K. Walsh is a Bluegrass mandolin player and singer known for his work with the legendary Gibson Brothers band. Furthermore, the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) has named The Gibson Brothers Band winner of awards for Entertainer of the Year, Album of the Year, Vocal Group of the Year, and Song of the Year. After being the first mandolinist to graduate from the Berklee College of Music on the mandolin, Joe returned to Berklee in 2011 as both a mandolin instructor and as a Managing Director of the “American Roots Music Program.”
Mike Block Trio Press Photos
Zachariah Hickman is a double bassist, singer, multi-instrumentalist and producer based out of Boston, MA. In addition, he received his formal training in jazz performance and composition from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Similarly, as a producer, Zachariah as made records with many talented singers including Rose Cousins (for which he won a Canadian JUNO award), Mark Erelli, Laura Cortese, Miss Tess, and his own bluegrass band Barnstar. He has even made Television appearances including five David Letterman appearances, Conan O’brien, Ellen Degeneres, and Late Night with Jools Holland for the BBC.
The Mike Block Trio has also collaborated with musicians such as Yo-Yo Ma, a popular American cellist. Mike is a member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble (SRE), having joined in 2005 while a student at The Juilliard School.
Mike Block Trio are working alongside the finest venues to do everything they can to make sure it’s safe for their fans to go out to their upcoming shows. As a result of these safety precautions, all shows will require masks and proof of vaccination. Tour dates and more info can be found on their website. Tickets to the Caffe Lena show can be found here.
Laurel Canyon released their debut EP, Victim, on January 14, featuring two brand new singles “Shove” and “Sade.” The album was produced by Bryce Goggin (Pavement, Hello Mary) at Trout Recording in Brooklyn. Along with this, the artist Savage Pencil, who has worked with Big Black and Sonic Youth, created the artwork for the EP.
Cover artwork by Savage Pencil (Big Black, Sonic Youth).
Laurel Canyon is a grunge band originally from Pennsylvania, however, they record their music and perform in Brooklyn. Nicholas Gillespie and Serg Cereja are the creators of this iconic band. To sum up, they met two years ago through a mutual friend in their hometown of Allentown. After that, through shared interests and collaboration, the two began writing and recording songs. Above all, creating the punk-rock band known today as Laurel Canyon.
Victim embodies the sounds of original 90s grunge/pun music. Likewise, along with its melodic vocals, the album creates a unique tone. In songs like “Daddy’s Honey,” the two yell repeatedly “off her broken plates” together. Similarly, the song’s lyrics are said to be inspired by the band’s “real-life experiences in a troubled home” (Thomas Gallo).
Photo by Alex Hall
There’s no denying that this album has gained popularity online for its 90s-sound, with “Eczema” and “Daddy’s Honey” are featured in the Spotify playlists “All New Rock” and “Smells Like Stream Spirit.”
In October of 2020, Nick and Serg shared the song, “Two Times Emptiness,” released on May 1st, 2021. Both artists said they contributed equally to the music and the lyrics, thus creating a song neither could have written alone.
Photo by Nikola Burnett
The band quickly found themselves with a lot of material to work with and established a relationship with producer, Bryce Goggin (Pavement, Hello Mary). With the help of bassist Dylan Loccarini and Chip Williams, in July and November of 2021 the group recorded the 5-track EP Victim.
