Singer-Songwriter Lucinda Williams has announced her newest single “New York Comeback” off her upcoming album Stories From A Rock N’ Roll Heart.
The last couple years have been challenging for Williams to say the least. In 2020, a tornado damaged her new home in Nashville, followed two weeks later by the beginning of the COVID lockdown. Later that November, Williams suffered a stroke that partially impaired some of her motor skills on the left side of her body, forcing her to learn to walk again and taking away her ability to play the guitar.
This new single however marks a triumphant return from Lucinda. “New York Comeback,” written by Williams, Tom Overby and Jesse Malin, also includes guest vocalists – Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa. A Lucinda Williams fan, Springsteen joined her onstage in London a few years back, and he and Scialfa had wanted to contribute to a Williams album for some time.
With Wynans on B3 and the Pettibone-Mathis guitar attack, the musical setting perfectly matches the theme of “Comeback”. Says Williams, “Having Bruce and Patti on these songs feels really great. It’s just so cool!”
Lucinda’s newest album Stories From A Rock N’ Roll Heart will be released June 30th.
For more information, please visit Lucinda Williams website.
The Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra has announced that it will conclude its 67th Season with “May the Fourth Be With You” at the Anderson Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday, May 4 at 7:30pm.
Live narration by Joshua Sedelmeyer will weave together the epic story of Star Wars while Maestro Daniel Hege leads the Philharmonic in performing the music of John Williams, including themes from The Force Awakens, Revenge of the Sith, A New Hope, and of course, the original Star Wars Suite.
Founded by Fritz and Marianne Wallenberg in 1955 at the Binghamton Symphony and Choral Society and later merging with the B.C. Pops, an orchestra founded by David Agard and Russell Hawkes, the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra presents an annual series of classical, pops, and chamber music concerts in Downtown Binghamton and throughout Broome County. The professional musicians of the Philharmonic, represented by Local 380 of the American Federation of Musicians, hail from the Southern Tier, New York City, and surrounding states.
Narrator Josh Sedelmeyer has developed an ease at creating rapport with audiences during interactive performances. Fans of the Philharmonic will recognize Josh from many lectures and events, including previous concerts with the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra such as The Magical Music of Harry Potter, A Night at the Ballet’s Romeo & Juliet, and now Star Wars, May the Fourth.
For tickets and more information, contact the Binghamton Philharmonic box office at 607-723-3931 or visit www.binghamtonphilharmonic.org.
To mark the 50th Anniversary milestone of The World is a Ghetto, American Funk band WAR have announced a brand new collection called WAR: The Remixes featuring Mix Master Mike.
Out May 12th, the EP expands the influence of WAR’s music on the worlds of contemporary hip-hop, as esteemed DJs, producers and musicians including Beastie Boys turntablist Mix Master Mike, and DJ Logic, reimagine eternal hits that spans several of the band’s years.
Named as “the world’s greatest DJ” by USA Today, Mix Master Mike’s status as a premier, award-winning DJ and producer has allowed him to maintain his rank as an influential musician, and become a household name. After being inducted into the Rock ’n Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 with the Beastie Boys, His skillful, hard-hitting scratch work has rightfully earned him the status of a pioneer in the hip-hop and DJ communities.
Recently, Mike has been found opening for the Vancouver Winter Olympics, joining the official Emmy’s orchestra with the legendary Michael Bearden , creating music that has been featured on major television networks, producing the theme music for the FIFA World Cup, and more. In 2016, he was invited to the White House by former President Barack Obama to perform at the Kennedy Center Honors 36th Gala honoring Herbie Hancock.
Across WAR’s six decades and counting, the band spread its messages of harmony and inclusion through songs that have soundtracked the anti-Vietnam movement, Watergate, and multiple Barack Obama summer playlists. Bolstered by the gold-selling success of the title track and the boundary-breaking power of “The Cisco Kid,” The World is a Ghetto topped Billboard’s pop and R&B charts, launching WAR’s legacy not only of creative and commercial triumph, but of timely and timeless relevance.
Led by Lonnie Jordan, WAR remains one of the busiest bands on the road today, and throughout 2023 they will headline dozens of shows, in addition to appearing at festivals like BottleRock Napa Valley and more to be announced soon.
Musician and teaching artist Dave Ruch, along with Brant Lake singer Colleen Cleveland, will present a series of free and open-to-the-public workshopscelebrating traditional Adirondack Music the Capital Region in May.
The “New Audiences for Old Songs” project aims to expand awareness for and enjoyment of this rare and important collection of folk songs and traditional ballads from the Adirondack region of New York State; the kind of “self-made” music sung by everyday people and passed down through the generations in earlier days.
Traditional Adirondack music is typically anonymous, passed down orally and serves as an expression of the life of people in that given community.
These songs have been kept alive in one family – the Clevelands of Hudson Falls and Brant Lake, NY – and the music is little-known today outside a small circle of enthusiasts. The goal of the project is to introduce this material to musicians working in more mainstream genres so that they in turn can bring the music to their audiences.
These workshops will provide the opportunity to learn about the collection and hear Colleen sing some of her favorites as learned from her grandmother. Immediately after the session, a wide selection of the Cleveland family repertoire will be posted on the project’s webpage for all to access, and participating musicians are then free to work up one or more songs in their own style to be presented in their future performances.
The workshop is open to singers and musicians of all genres, and the general public is welcome to attend as well. Registration is not required though interested parties can RSVP to the Facebook events linked below.
Adirondack Music Workshops with Dave Ruch and Colleen Cleveland
Thursday May 4, 7-8:30pm View, Old Forge, NY event
Friday May 5, 7-8:30pm TAUNY Center, Canton, NY event
Saturday May 6, 10:30am-NoonBluSeed Studios, Saranac Lake, NY event
Saturday May 6, 3:30-5pmFolklife Center at Crandall Public Library, Glens Falls, NY event
Brooklyn’s The National Reserve have announced their newest tour, taking place across the East Coast this spring and summer, including a residency at Skinny Dennis in their native Brooklyn.
Founded and fronted by singer-guitarist Sean Walsh, The National Reserve mines an archetypal musical seam, pulling together from countless influences to form their own timeless brand of American music.
For the past decade, The National Reserve have spent Friday nights lighting it up at Brooklyn bars, winning over fans with epic sets and a remarkable breadth of song-craft and showmanship. Since the release of their debut album in 2018, they brought that same energy across the US, Europe and Canada, sharing stages with Tedeschi Trucks Band, Margo Price, Jason Isbell, John Moreland and others along the way.
After their most successful year in 2019, playing nearly 200 shows, the pandemic brought everything to a screeching halt. However, frontman Sean Walsh wasn’t one to sit and wait it out. The National Reserve released four recordings in 2020, including an unreleased live recording from Norway and three EPs recorded live in studio. The band is currently working on their second full length release in 2023.
The National Reserve Tour Dates
April 7 – Skinny Dennis – Brooklyn, NY
April 14 – Skinny Dennis – Brooklyn, NY
April 21 – Skinny Dennis – Brooklyn, NY
April 28 – Skinny Dennis – Brooklyn, NY
April 29 – Askew – Providence, RI
May 5 – Skinny Dennis – Brooklyn, NY
May 6 – The Barn – South Egremont, MA
May 13 – Albino Skunk Music Festival – Greer, SC
May 19 – Dominion River Rock – Richmond, VA
May 20 – Dürty Nelly’s Pub – Charlottesville, VA
May 21 – River Road Fam – Franklin, VA
May 26 – Stephen Talkhouse – Amagansett, NY
June 2 – Skinny Dennis – Brooklyn, NY
June 9 – Skinny Dennis – Brooklyn, NY
June 16 – Skinny Dennis – Brooklyn, NY
June 23 – Skinny Dennis – Brooklyn, NY
July 1 – Peach Music Festival – Scranton, PA
For More Information, and to purchase tickets, please visit the bands website.
Singer/Songwriter A..J. Croce has announced he is hitting the road again in celebration of two more of his father Jim Croce’s legendary albums, 1973’s Life and Times and his final release, I Got A Name.
Jim Croce is best known for his five studio albums and numerous singles between 1966 and 1973. Croce’s breakthrough came in 1972 with his third album, You Don’t Mess Around with Jim, which produced three charting singles. The follow-up album, Life and Times, included the song “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown”, which was the only No. 1 hit he had during his lifetime.
On September 20, 1973, after performing at Northwestern State University and the day before the lead single to his fifth album I Got a Name was released, Croce and five others, died in a plane crash on their way to Jim’s next show at Austin College.
The Croce Plays Croce 50th Anniversary show will feature a legendary band (including drummer Gary Mallaber, bassist David Barard, guitar/violin James Pennebaker) and a moving multi-media presentation accompanying Jim’s songs. A.J. Croce says besides the two albums Life and Times and I Got A Name, tracks from the popular You Don’t Mess Around With Jim – which fueled last year’s run – will also be part of the new show.
It was fan-demand for more, and the camaraderie that A.J. felt with the audience, the players, and the connection to his father’s timeless music that inspired A.J. to embark on the Croce Plays Croce 50th Anniversary tour for 2023. “The audience reaction has been so great,” says A.J. “The shows we did last year were not only met with a huge response, but I learned so much about what works and what resonates, we knew we had to keep going.”
During last year’s raved-about performances, A.J. shared intimate aspects of his dad’s career. He also drew praise for his own style and musicianship as well as his sensitive insight into Jim Croce’s enduring musical canon. While Jim Croce’s indelible music catalog still resonates on classic radio, streaming platforms, and more recently on hit films and TV shows like Django Unchained and Stranger Things, it is A.J.s unique showmanship that has helped enliven Jim’s amazing legacy.
A.J. says the upcoming Life and Times and I Got A Name shows will continue to be fresh and spontaneous. “People were surprised when they came that the show wasn’t just Jim Croce’s ballads,” he says. “I think one of the things the audience will appreciate if they haven’t seen us yet, is how alive these songs sound. All the musicians have a level of improvisation that makes it a lot of fun.”
The shows have renewed interest in Jim Croce and garnered praise for A.J: “I think they come as a Jim Croce fan but also leave as fans of mine. That’s something that has also made this whole experience really amazing.”
Croce Plays Croce 50th Anniversary Tour Dates
Oct 27 / Aria Ballroom @MGM Springfield / Springfield, MA
Oct 28 /The Wilbur / Boston, MA
Oct 30 / Count Basie Center for the Arts / Red Bank, NJ
Nov 1 / Santander Performing Arts Center / Reading, PA
Nov 2 / Sandler Center for the Performing Arts / Virginia Beach, VA
Nov 4 / The Town Hall / New York City, NY
Nov 5 / Keswick Theatre / Glenside, PA
Nov 7 / Kodak Center / Rochester, NY
Nov 8 / Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall / Munhall, PA
Nov 9 / Taft Theatre / Cincinnati, OH
Nov 12 / Royal Oak Music Theatre / Royal Oak, MI
Nov 15 / Hoyt Sherman Place / Des Moines, IA
Nov 17 / Pantages Theatre / Minneapolis, MN
Nov 25 / Florida Theatre / Jacksonville, FL
Nov 26 / Parker Playhouse / Fort Lauderdale, FL
Nov 28 / Capitol Theatre / Clearwater, FL
Nov 29 / King Center for the Performing Arts / Melbourne, FL
For more information, and to purchase tickets, please visit A.J.’s website.
DJ duo ODESZA have just announced the much-anticipated follow-up to 2022’s The Last Goodbye Tour.
This second leg of The Last Goodbye Tour will follow headlining performances at Governors Ball, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Outside Lands and Electric Forest. The GRAMMY-nominated duo will make a stop at Darien Lake Amphitheater in Darien Center on September 1, with special guests Bob Moses, TOKiMONSTA, and QRTR & Plan.
ODESZA consists of Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight, known individually as Catacombkid and BeachesBeaches. They formed in 2012, shortly before Mills and Knight graduated from Western Washington University.
ODESZA and their live performances have become a modern legendary wonder, mixing stunning visuals, expert musicianship, pyrotechnics and an immersive environment to transform whatever venue they are at into an otherworldly experience. Last year’s tour included numerous sold-out, multi-night runs including in their hometown of Seattle at Climate Pledge Arena, LA’s Kia Forum, and New York’s Forest Hills Stadium.
ODESZA also recently attended the 65th Annual GRAMMY Awards in support of their nomination for Best Dance/Electronic Album for The Last Goodbye and released their new single “To Be Yours (feat. Claud)”. The duo are also schedule to headline the final day of Life Is Beautiful Festival.
The Last Goodbye Tour 2023 Dates
June 14 – Montreal, QC – Place Bell
June 30 – Milwaukee, WI – American Family Insurance Amphitheatre
Aug 30 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center
Sept 1 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater
Sept 2 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake
Sept 3 – Indianapolis, IN – Ruoff Music Center
Sept 8 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sept 9 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
Sept 12 – Bristol, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
Sept 14 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
Sept 16 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center
Sept 20 – Palms Springs, CA – Acrisure Arena
Sept 29 – San Diego, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sept 30 – Santa Barbara, CA – Santa Barbara Bowl
Oct 4 – Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center
Oct 6 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP
Oct 12 – Oklahoma City, OK – Paycom Center
Oct 13 – Kansas City, MO – T Mobile Center
Oct 19 – Mexico City, MX – Sports Palace
For more information, please visit ODESZA’s website.
The tour, with their special guest Charlie Sexton, includes a stop at the Beacon Theatre in New York, NY, and the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse.
The “We’re All Going On A Summer Holiday” dates will follow two headlining appearances at the Byron Bay Bluesfest in Australia, three nights at the Sydney Opera House and a show at the Palais Theatre in Melbourne. In May, Costello and Steve Nieve will return to the concert hall stage together for the first time in twenty years, in Reykjavik, Iceland.
Last summer, Elvis Costello and the Imposters performed a number of concerts with Nick Lowe and Los Straightjackets opening the show, and who will open again this year. That tour followed the release of Costello’s album The Boy Named If.
More recently, Costello shared the deluxe edition of The Songs of Bacharach and Costello, a celebratory collaborative album created with Burt Bacharach, who died earlier this year.
“We’re All Going On A Summer Holiday” Tour Dates
Wed Jun 07 – Vancouver, BC – Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Fri Jun 09 – Woodinville, WA – Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery
Sat Jun 10 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater
Sun Jun 11 – Reno, NV – Silver Legacy Casino Reno
Tue Jun 13 – San Francisco, CA – Golden Gate Theatre
Wed Jun 14 – Ventura, CA – Ventura Theatre
Fri Jun 16 – Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre
Sat Jun 17 – Las Vegas, NV – Pearl Concert Theater at Palms Casino Resort
Sun Jun 18 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre
Tue Jun 20 – Oklahoma City, OK – The Criterion
Wed Jun 21 – Omaha, NE – Steelhouse Omaha
Fri Jun 23 – Hammond, IN – The Venue at Horseshoe Casino
Sat Jun 24 – Milwaukee, WI – Summerfest*
Sun Jun 25 – Nashville, IN – Brown County Music Center
Wed Jun 28 – Rochester Hills, MI – Meadow Brook Amphitheatre
Sat Jul 01 – Lenox, MA – Tanglewood*
Sun Jul 02 – Hampton Beach, NH – Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
The Stig Anderson Music Award Foundation has announced its 2023 Polar Music Prize Winners, including a Beninese singer, the founder of a UK record label and a remarkable composer.
This years recipients are Angélique Kidjo, five-time Grammy Award winning Beninese artist and songwriter; Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records, one of the UK’s greatest independent record labels, and Estonian Arvo Pärt, the world’s most performed living composer.
Since the inaugural ceremony in 1992, the Polar Music Prize has been renowned as music’s most prestigious honour. The Polar Music Prize (often called the Nobel Prize of Music) is a Swedish international award founded in 1989 by Stig Anderson, best known as the manager of the Swedish band ABBA, with a donation to the Royal Swedish Academy Of Music.
The prize will be presented in Stockholm on May 23rd in the presence of the Swedish Royal Family.
“We are delighted to honor these three Laureates who have all made such a global impact with their music.”
Marie Ledin, Polar Music Prize Director
Previous recipients of the Polar Music Prize include Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Peter Gabriel, Chuck Berry, Ennio Morricone, Led Zeppelin, Patti Smith, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Kronos Quartet, Joni Mitchell, Elton John, Metallica, Iggy Pop, Ravi Shankar, Renée Fleming, Miriam Makeba, Wayne Shorter, Sofia Gubaidulina and many more.
Angélique Kidjo
Angélique Kidjo is a five-time Grammy Award winner, a creative force with 16 albums to her name, and was named “Africa’s premier diva” by Time Magazine. Furthermore, the BBC included Kidjo in its list of ‘The Continent’s 50 Most Iconic Figures’. She was included in The Guardian’s ‘Top 100 Most Inspiring Women in the World’, and was the first woman on Forbes’ list of ‘The Most Powerful Celebrities in Africa’.
Angélique travels the world advocating on behalf of children in her capacity as a UNICEF and OXFAM goodwill Ambassador. She has created her own charitable foundation, Batonga, dedicated to supporting the education of young girls in Africa.
Chris Blackwell
Chris Blackwell founded Island Records – the wildly innovative, legendary music label now regarded among the most admired of all time. Island Records is also known for finding exquisite talent from around the world. Chris introduced the most daring and definitive music of our era, with acts like Cat Stevens, Roxy Music, Steve Winwood, Robert Palmer, Nick Drake, Melissa Etheridge, Tom Waits, Grace Jones and Marianne Faithful.
Arvo Pärt
Arvo Pärt’s creative output has played a significant role in the soundscapes of contemporary music since the 1960s. With his unique compositional technique, tintinnabuli, which Pärt invented in 1976, he has deeply affected the course of music over several decades. His works have reached a vast number of listeners, not only via concerts and recordings but also through films and theatrical productions.
You can watch the live broadcast globally via the Polar Music Prize YouTube, from 6pm (CET) on May 23rd.
The Northwest Jazz Festival in Lewiston, NY has announced its Main Stage of headliners, groups, and musicians who will appear throughout the two day festival in August 2023.
The festival is scheduled for Friday, August, 25th, and Saturday, August 26th. Visiting for the festival’s twenty-first year will be such jazz luminaries as Randy Brecker, Vincent Herring, James Carter, Benny Benack, III, and more. The festival will also include the tandem performance of vocalist Alex McArthur (JazzBuffalo winner for Jazz Female Vocalist of the Year) and saxophonist John Troy.
The Northwest Jazz Festival lineup, curated by Music Director Tony Zambito, will welcome a lineup of all-stars to the main stage, with two special projects highlighting each day. The festival’s main stage will open with the United States Air Force Rhythm in Blue Jazz Ensemble, and close with Jazz supergroup SOMETHING ELSE! performing a powerhouse Soul Jazz Revue. The super group will celebrate and perform classic soul jazz and hard bop songs by Cannonball Adderley, Horace Silver, Herbie Hancock, and more by an all-star septet ensemble.
Continuing an initiative started in 2017, the Northwest Jazz Festival will once again provide a stage for local youth to shine with performances by Matt’s Vocal Performance Team on the Center Street Stage on Friday, August 25.
For more information on Northwest Jazz Festival 2023 and to purchase tickets, please visit the festival’s website.
