Brooklyn-based bluegrass trio Damn Tall Buildings will bring their fresh bluegrass sound to Caffè Lena on January 20 at 8PM with unmatched energy and enthusiasm that creates a captivating, high-energy sound.
Damn Tall Buildings
Consisting of fiddler/vocalist Avery Ballotta from Bozeman, guitarist/lead vocalist Max Capistran from Bedford, and bassist/lead vocalist Sasha Dubky from Philadelphia, Damn Tall Buildings is a tight, harmonizing, swinging trio that specializes in bluegrass but also expertly ventures through jazz, ragtime, country swing, and contemporary singer-songwriter styles. They have been called “The Carter Family for the millennial generation” by the Boston Globe.
Damn Tall Buildings is a damn fine trio, mixing bluegrass, swing, and foot-stomping old-time music you wouldn’t think possible from a band from Brooklyn.
No Depression, Chris Griffy
Continuing the busk energy in their early days, Damn Tall Buildings still radiates the energy of a ragtag crew of music students playing bluegrass on the street. But anchoring that energy is their instrumental chops, their strong songwriting, and their varied influences that stretch beyond bluegrass. Their latest release was their thrid full length album called Sleeping Dogs including 11 tracks in the summer of 2022.
Holding the mission that “To provide music, connection and learning from a legendary venue”, Caffè Lena presents extraordinary music in Saratoga Springs. It is renowned for its long history on continuously operating folk music venue in the United States. It has been recognized as “An American treasure” by The Library of Congress. The GRAMMY Foundation also recognized for its important contributions to the development of American music. In 2020 they launched a School of Music for the purpose of carrying on the folk tradition of music as a social pastime.
The performance of Damn Tall Buildings will start at 8PM and doors at 7:30PM (EST). Livestream is also available. Tickets for student or child are $10, while $18 for members and $20 for general admissions. For ticket and more information, please visit this link.
French Montana returns with the latest edition of his signature mixtape series. Hosted by DJ Drama, Coke Boys 6: Money Heist Edition, is a combined Gangsta Grillz and Coke Boys presentation, featuring a host of up-and-comers and established names. Bronx native — French Montana — debuted the Coke Boys series in 2010 and followed it with his first national tour. At the time, Montana represented everything authentic coming out of the Bronx, bringing a new sound and wave. In like manner, the “Unforgettable” rapper presents the next generation of trendsetters from the Bronx and the rest of New York.
French Montana’s Coke Boy 6 mixtape features upcoming talent from the Bronx
DJ Drama & French Montana’s Vision
The 29-track LP seems to be a mashup of precocious and established artists from the East and South. While French Montana recruited the best from New York, DJ Drama is no stranger to artist discovery himself. The legendary DJ has hosted projects with some of hip hop’s premier acts and has (despite hailing from Philadelphia) established himself as a major figure in the southern rap scene. Together, the duo bring the essence of the Coke Boys and Gangta Grills era, while showcasing rising stars.
The Grammy-nominated French Montana is one of hip hop’s most recognizable faces
Coke Boys 6: Money Heist Edition sees up-and-comers the likes of Dthang, Bando Gz, King Combs, Rob 49, EST Gee, get to showcase themselves along with more established stars like A$AP Rocky, Kodak Black and French Montana himself.
As always, the Moroccan born Montana will look to provide an authentic street presence to the Coke Boys 6 while bringing a fresh idiosyncratic sound to complement them, the same way he made his name over a decade ago.
I want to accomplish everything off my bucket list. And I’m not talking about like Grammys, because we can’t control that. You can’t control people like you can control the streets. Because, number one, I always wanted to make albums full of all the best music that I love from back in the day.
The latest from Jay Sanford’s project, Sanford, is at once an ending and a beginning. “Anymore” is the third release from an upcoming full-length album under Sanford; though just released it has been a staple of his live show sets, included among a wide range of artists in his diverse set lists — Sam Cooke, Joy Division, Fats Waller. “Anymore” has a positive message of optimism and action. It feels like a goodbye, but maybe it’s a hello.
“Anymore” is a twisty word, especially on its own, cut-off and isolated from the rest of his lyric: “Ain’t gonna walk these streets anymore.” Anymore, repeated thereafter on its own, projects almost a yearning, it asks, demands, “is there any more?” Though in the rest of the lyrics, it seems that Sanford is tired and dejected by his current location — “Walking these streets I’ve been a thousand times / Walking these streets got me out of my mind / Same old footprints I have left before / Ain’t gonna walk these streets anymore.” At the same time, he’s noticing the streets, reveling in his own footprints; it seems he’s savoring these last moments as they are fleeting. This duality is true for anyone moving, leaving and changing, you think you’re ready to stay goodbye, but in that farewell the places you feel you’ve been a million times suddenly look brand new. You see them as you never saw them before.
Anyway, “Anymore.” It has the southern twang of Jay Sanford’s hometown in South Carolina and a brooding, bouncing bass-line that evokes Sanford’s current locale, Brooklyn. The stellar horn section — made up of Wayne and Miles Tucker, on trumpet and tenor saxophone respectively — gently guides these two seemingly opposing forces together. Wayne Tucker is lending some star power to Sanford’s latest release, Tucker has played with many jazz, pop and country stars before Sanford, including Al Foster, Elvis Costello and Taylor Swift. His trumpet is subdued on this track, but still offers nuance to “Anymore.”
On January 28 & 30, the gifted Andrew Barth Feldman will be making a performance at the Midnight Theatre in Manhattan, performing Barth Mitzvah Boy: An Evening Of Original Music.
Special guests will join Feldman for these shows, including including Gaten Matarazzo (Stranger Things, Parade at New York City Center), Shereen Pimentel (West Side Story, Into the Woods at New York City Center), Alex Boniello (Dear Evan Hansen, Spring Awakening), Gian Perez (Sing Street), Heath Saunders (Great Comet, Company) and more.
Feldman is known for his roles in Dear Evan Hansen, Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical, and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
Barth Mitzvah Boy: An Evening Of Original Music was directed by award winning Marc Tumminelli. Marc was awarded for the direction of Andrew Barth Feldman’s Park Map, as well as the club acts for multiple Broadway stars including: Erika Henningsen, Micaela Diamond and Farah Alvin. Additionally, Tumminelli is the founder and director of Broadway Workshop, NYC’s top training program for young actors.
To raise money for autism research, Feldman founded his own musical theater company, Zneefrock Productions. His performances have been glorified by many including The New York Times. After witnessing his role in, Dear Evan Hansen, on Broadway, the times claimed “Andrew Barth Feldman made me forget where I was, who I was, that I was anything other than part of the world onstage. Feldman’s previous cabaret show, Park Map, also won the BroadwayWorld Cabaret Award for Best Show. Next, he’ll be starring alongside Jennifer Lawrence in the movie No Hard Feelings.
During the production, you will find yourself astonished by the magical capabilities of the Midnight Theatre. There will be 270-degree projection-mapped visuals, D&B surround sound and more. Coming up, the dazzling 160-seat theater will also host podcast tapings with Impractical Jokersstars Q, Murr and Sal, Midnight Theatre Football Club, The Moth Storyslam Open-Mic, psychic channeling with Craig Mcmanus, comedy shows and more. Tickets for all events available here.
Midnight Theatre is a new, intimate performance venue in the heart of New York’s West Manhattan at 75 Manhattan West Plaza. As a guest expect to be met with unique experiences of magic, music, comedy, theater, and performance art by the ever-evolving, 160-seat theater. Inside the glamorous Midnight Theatre is an equally elegant and lively restaurant and bar, Hidden Leaf.
Prior to the shows, guests can dine at pan-Asian restaurant and lounge Hidden Leaf, created by chef/restaurateur Josh Cohen (Chez Ma Tante, Lilia, Saint Vitus). In addition to a kitchen helmed by Chef Chai Trivedi (Pranna, Tamarind, Buddakan, Eventi Hotel), guests can expect a romantic and playfully chic dining room that serves polished, table-sharing, pan-Asian cuisine. Aperitivo bar Midnight Cafe is also open. Here you’ll find a high-energy, fun experience, soundtracked to 70’s Italian disco.
You can find tickets for Barth Mitzvah Boy: An Evening Of Original Musichere.
“Barth Mitzvah Boy: An Evening Of Original Music” Guests:
Alex Boniello (Dear Evan Hansen, Spring Awakening) Zack Calderon (The Wilds on Amazon Prime) Amanda Rose Gross Paul Hogan Gaten Matarazzo (Stranger Things, Parade at New York City Center) Gian Perez (Sing Street) Shereen Pimentel (West Side Story, Into the Woods at New York City Center) Sam Primack (Dear Evan Hansen) Will Roland (Dear Evan Hansen, Be More Chill, Billions) Heath Saunders (Great Comet, Company) Sadie Seelert Samantha Williams (Dear Evan Hansen, Caroline or Change)
No one in the world of jazz begat more violent debate and unsubstantiated myths than Albert Ayler. Now the works and life of this fearless musician are being re-told and reassessed in Holy Ghost: The Life & Death of Free Jazz Pioneer Albert Ayler (Jawbone Press), a compact yet comprehensive and impeccably researched biography from Richard Koloda.
A lawyer by trade and jazz musicologist by passion, Koloda spent over two decades researching Holy Ghost. It follows Ayler from his native Cleveland to France, where he received his greatest acclaim, to his mysterious death by drowning in the East River in November 1970.
Ayler synthesized children’s songs, the French national anthem “La Marseillaise,” American march music, funeral dirges and gospel tunes into uniquely powerful, sprawling and squalling free jazz improvisations. His overblown tenor honking and high-register squealing made some critics consider him a charlatan or simply insane. Others considered him a genius. One such man was John Coltrane who tirelessly championed Ayler to other musicians, critics and record label heads. Indeed, ‘Trane thought enough of Ayler to request he play at his funeral, alongside that other titan of free jazz, Ornette Coleman.
It was his aspiring songwriter dad who set Albert on the musical path, forcing him to practice hours a day and attend the Cleveland Academy of Music beginning at age 10. By the early ‘50s, he was gaining experience playing with artists like blues harmonica wizard Little Walter. His time in the Army would bring him to France in the latter ‘50s, where he saw Coltrane and Miles at the Paris Olympia and developed an unexpected love for French military music, including the national anthem “La Marseilles” which he quoted in his classic “Spirits Rejoice,” while playing in the 76th U.S. Army Band in Orleans.
His breakthrough, and perhaps his best times overall, would come in Europe, firstly in Scandinavia. Here he would meet and come to play with likeminded explorers like pianist Cecil Taylor and trumpeter Don Cherry and cut his first albums including My Name in Albert Ayler which contained his freewheeling interpretation of the classic “Summertime.”
By 1963, he was in New York City serving up music that was “playing pyramids and geometric shapes” while attired in a green leather suit, Cossack hat and slippers. His meeting with ESP-Disk head Bernard Stollman would lead to his best documented year of recording in 1964, one capped by “Spiritual Unity,” the classic trio disc with drummer Sunny Murray and bassist Gary Peacock, and the skronk-heavy film soundtrack, “New York Eye and Ear Control.” Even with growing press attention, New York City clubs were hesitant about booking this “New Thing” and Albert would head back to Scandinavia to record albums like The Hilversum Sessions and Ghosts.
In 1965, he returned to New York to lead a fierce quintet now featuring his younger brother Donald on trumpet. Albums like “Bells” and “Spirits Rejoice” continued to divide critics. Albert was labeled “further out than Coltrane” by Time Magazine and “a bizarre artifact, not art” by Downbeat. With Coltrane’s championing, he moved from the tiny ESP-Disk to the larger ABC Impulse! label. He went on to wax even more fierce and outré discs like “Live in Greenwich Village,” one that captured performances at The Village Gate and Village Vanguard. This album contains one of my favorite Ayler pieces, “Angels,” a duet featuring a kind of silent movie-styled accompaniment by pianist/harpsichordist Cal Cobbs to Albert’s balladeering tenor.
The last chapter of Ayler’s recorded life was perplexing, when he was moved to create a sort of accessible rock/R&B with vocals featuring “hippy dippy” lyrics by his new girlfriend Mary Parks. Love Cry and New Grass were albums that made no one happy, least of all Ayler, who blamed the commercial move on his producer at Impulse!, Bob Thiele. Albert would have one final victory when he took a turn back to his freer self in a July 1970 performance at the Maeght Foundation in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France, something captured on a duo of fantastic 1971 albums.
With his return to New York City in fall 1970, his depression deepened as did his tenuous grasp on reality. There was increased talk about UFOs and spiritual visions, something that had been in the mix since his childhood. He would disappear on November 5 and be found 20 days later floating in the East River. Some said it was a hit for messing with a mobster’s woman or a drug deal gone wrong. One stubborn myth said he was found chained to a juke box. But Koloda works to put these long-held fallacies to rest. He concludes that the depressed 34-year-old jazz man most likely jumped from a ferry near the Statue of Liberty. This was in part due to the guilt of firing his brother from his band and the ceaseless financial pressures and criticism caused by a high-profile/low-profit life on the tip of the free jazz spear.
In his 20 years of research, Koloda has become the world’s foremost authority on all things Albert Ayler. He was a contributor to the critically-acclaimed documentary, My Name Is Albert Ayler, and a consultant on Revenant Records’ ten-CD retrospective of Ayler, Holy Ghost: Rare and Unissued Recordings (1962–70), which has been called “the Sistine Chapel of box sets.” His book includes quotes from his and others interviews with many of Albert’s closest collaborators, most notably from the writer’s long friendship with Albert’s brother Donald. There’s also a carefully balanced array of quotes from critics that demonstrate the reaction to Ayler throughout all the chapters of his short but action-packed recording and performing career. the book concludes with a pained portrait of the post-musical years of Donald Ayler, with his frequent hospitalizations for mental problems and fits and starts at reviving his career.
I had a decent knowledge of Ayler before reading Koloda’s Holy Ghost. But like any great touchstone musician biog, it set me off on a few weeks of very deep listening to the many well-trod and obscure corners of Ayler’s discography. In this way, Koloda has done a great service to both Ayler and every music lover with the curiosity to open up a pathway into this uniquely deep and spiritual canon of jazz.
On January 28, The Hold Steady will be making a special appearance, performing for an event at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. The show is occurring exactly 20 years after the band’s first live performance, on the same site (then called North Six). Two Dark Birds will open at Music Hall, bringing the audience back to the January 2003 show where The Hold Steady opened for Two Dark Birds’ Steve Koester at North Six.
The Hold Steady also commemorates the release of their ninth studio album, The Price of Progress. The album will be released March 31, 2023 and found on their Personal Jams record label. This album stands as their most sonically expansive record thus far, while also remaining unmistakably The Hold Steady showcasing narrative rock ‘n’ roll tales of ordinary people struggling and surviving in a modern world.
The following week, the band will travel to the mid-Atlantic for a weekend of shows, from February 2-4. You can see The Hold Steady playing classic venues in Baltimore (Ottobar) and Washington D.C. (Black Cat), before finishing in Philadelphia (Brooklyn Bowl).
The remainder of the year attributes the 2023 edition of The Weekender, the band’s semi-annual multi-night live event for fans in the United Kingdom and Europe, set to take place at London’s Electric Ballroom (March 10-11) and Colours Hoxton (March 12). This will be followed by visits to Portland, New York City (WFUV HighLine Bash), Boston, a two-night stand at Chicago, IL’s The Salt Shed set for June 30 and July 1, joined by special guests The Mountain Goats and Dillinger Four. An additional The Hold Steady show for Chicago at Empty Bottle on July 2 goes on sale this Friday. Tickets for all announced shows are on sale now. For complete details, visit theholdsteady.net.
THE HOLD STEADY – LIVE 2023
JANUARY
28 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg (Official 20th Anniversary Show) #
FEBRUARY
2 – Baltimore, MD – Ottobar ^
3 – Washington, DC – Black Cat ^
4 – Philadelphia, PA – Brooklyn Bowl ^l
MARCH
10 – London, UK – Electric Ballroom *
11 – London, UK – Electric Ballroom *
12 – London, UK – Colours Hoxton * (SOLD OUT)
MAY
12 – New York, NY – WFUV Highline Bash
JUNE
30 – Chicago, IL – The Salt Shed †
JULY
1 – Chicago, IL – The Salt Shed † (SOLD OUT)
2 – Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle
NOVEMBER
29-30 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl **
DECEMBER
1 – 2 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl **
# w/Special Guest Two Dark Birds
^ w/Special Guests Friendship
* The Weekender 2023
† w/ Special Guests The Mountain Goats and Dillinger Four
With one last night of their first Madison Square Garden run since 2019 remaining, Phish left not a single note on the table as they brought fans on a journey through the gags that have rung in the new year, dating back to 1992.
Sticking with a recurring theme of time and time manipulation, Phish would make this night among their most memorable at Madison Square Garden, and not only as they enter into their 40th year, but as they tie Sir Elton John for the second most shows ever played at The Garden, with 72. A post-show tribute of “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” was a fitting nod to The Rocket Man, who performed his last ever show at MSG in February, and his final North American show in November.
Fans who had already been through three nights of Phish this run, and many having been at the April shows – which were rescheduled from December 2021 – were eager and anticipating something special, given that 2023 will bring in the 40th year of Phish and more celebrations to come. But how would they kick the night off, and more importantly, ring in the new year? Patience is a virtue and those who waited were rewarded, and then some.
Kicking off the show was a highly-anticipated “Tweezer,” which set the tone for the night as playing their greatest jam vehicle in the opening slot never fails. A shift into “Halley’s Comet” netted a smooth segue into “Set Your Soul Free” which gave way to “Rift,” all energy-filled songs to start the show, following the trend of the past few nights and no let-up from any of the band, or the audience for that matter. “Cavern” gave way to the second “Tweezer” of the night, followed by the ballad “Shade” and a proper “Mike’s Groove” to close.
Heading into Set 2, the band would begin to hint at a theme they revisit reguarly, time. Each song in the second set would have some nod towards time, even if hidden in the lyrics. The opening “Say It To Me S.A.N.T.OS.” (you will always remember where you are) and never dull second set appearance of “Also Sprach Zarathustra” (aka “2001”) gave fans the start they hoped for, with the “Kill Devil Falls” (who knew a day would turn into a week) following. A throwback to 2018’s New Year’s gag in “Mercury” (your day is longer than your year) would follow, as well as “Light” (memories fall behind; future is less and less there; past vanished in the air), “Waste” (wasting my time with you) and “Drift While You’re Sleeping” (I’ve seen the day go by; one brief moment; the days are few) providing even more direct hints as the set progressed, but mid-set, when you’re tuned into the music, the lyrical connections are up for setbreak discussion. And if a final hint was needed, “Backwards Down The Number Line” gave the clearest indication the band was getting nostalgic, as one does on New Year’s Eve.
Phish sprinkled some musical bread crumbs during the second intermission that helped shed a little light on the traditional New Year’s Eve gag. Attentive fans picked up on music from Parliament Funkadelic (“Tear the Roof Off the Sucka”) and The Breeders (“Cannonball”) being played lightly on the PA, along with aptly titled songs like “Umbrella” (Rihanna), “Steam” (Peter Gabriel), “Mockingbird” (Carly Simon) and “Send In The Clowns” (Grace Jones). It all hinted at a retrospective look back at the band’s career and that’s exactly how the manic yet celebratory third set played out.
In true Phish fashion, the final set started out with a barbershop quartet proclaiming that the stroke of midnight would mark the band’s 40th year together. As a birthday “wish” of sorts, Trey makes one for a time machine, so as to do it all again. In response, a cube-like object then descended from the rigging above the stage, showcasing both audio and video from all of the band’s storied New Year’s Eve showsa and gags such as Halloween shows Wingsuit and Sci-Fi Soldiers. Dancers from all different eras then began to emerge, including a Wombat, sadly not costumed by Abe Vigoda this time, who winds up “breaking” the machine and setting off a wave of more ghosts from Phish New Year’s past.
With the fitting set-opening “Ghost” now in full swing, a full fledged choir emerged from backstage and the band steered into “Bohemian Rhapsody” in a nod to their 12/31/96 show in Boston, MA. The song was also visited by an entire marching band as well as it made its way into “Jungle Boogie,” which had not been played since 12/31/03 in Miami, FL. A “Wilson” castaway merged the 2002 “Tom Hanks” appearance with Trey Anastasio being stuck on a platform in 2019, and was unveiled from atop the stage as the music shifted into the namesake song before a final New Year’s countdown and a confetti-filled “Auld Lang Syne.” The constant set of revolving characters also saw ones like Father Time from 12/31/99, the “Meatstick” dancers from 12/31/10 and the “Petrichor” dancers and umbrellas from 12/31/16 make apperances.
2023 was greeted by “Carini” and a host of “naked dude” dancers reveling in the new year’s energy, even forming a chorus line during “New York, New York,” before eventually, as expected, shifting back to “Tweezer” one last time. An explosive “Crosseyed and Painless” > “Piper” section may have been the pure musical highlight of the set, before “A Life Beyond The Dream” and the always raucous “First Tube” closed out the final set of the run.
In their 14th overall New Year’s Eve performance at Madison Square Garden (and 22nd over the last 40 years), Phish celebrated what has made these shows so unique – the music, the antics, the special guests and the unexpected gags that continue to influence and be emulated throughout the jam band world. The only question left from this New Year’s Eve show is, how are they going to top this? We’ll get an answer to that question later this year.
Phish Madison Square Garden – New York, NY 12/31/22 – setlist via Phish.net
Set 1: Tweezer, Halley’s Comet -> Set Your Soul Free > Rift, Cavern > Tweezer > Shade, Mike’s Song > I Am Hydrogen > Weekapaug Groove
Set 2: Say It To Me S.A.N.T.OS. > Also Sprach Zarathustra > Kill Devil Falls, Mercury > Light > Waste, Drift While You’re Sleeping, Backwards Down The Number Line
Set 3: Ghost > Bohemian Rhapsody > Ghost -> Jungle Boogie > Wilson > Auld Lang Syne > Carini > Theme From New York, New York > Tweezer > Prince Caspian > Crosseyed and Painless > Piper, A Life Beyond The Dream, First Tube
Elliott Murphy is my latest surprise discovery and I am a wealthier man for meeting him and engaging in conversation. His vast career has taken him from Garden City, Long Island to Paris. A Rock-n-Roll, singer/songwriter, poet, performer, author and journalist for Rolling Stone and Spin Magazine, Elliott Murphy has a career worth investigating. I was most fortunate to have him on The Long Island Sound podcast.
Elliott Murphy
Looking at the experiences of this past year, I’m amazed at the various brushes with celebrity, while I lurked in the shadow of creative greatness. Unbeknownst to your humble correspondent, I stood briefly in the shadow of Elliott Murphy. Not shy to request interviews for NYS Music, I had yet to appreciate the unbelievable career of the man, who alongside Bruce Springsteen, was once touted as the next Bob Dylan.
After a brief “How do you like the Grand Opening?” back and forth, I propositioned Elliot for a full interview on The Long Island Sound podcast, which you can find right here.
Elliott Murphy was raised in Garden City and after a sojourn through Europe, returned to New York in 1973, and was promptly signed by Polydor Records and produced his acclaimed debut album, Aquashow. Paul Nelson from Rolling Stone acclaimed:
He’s the Best Dylan since1968
Paul Nelson (Rolling Stone)
Discovering Elliott Murphy
The road to discovery is littered with potholes, twists, turns, gumption and glory. Nevertheless the search for the next great artist or song which we long to cling to and make our own, may very well be around the corner. That’s why we search, because it can appear in the most unlikely places.
My recent job was to experience the Grand Opening of the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame, as luck would have it among the many notable celebrities in the music industry, I came across a humble man, open to my small talk to pass the time with me as the circus of celebrity bandied about.
Paris My New Home
Traveling through Europe on a whim and a prayer seemed to be the right of passage for many twenty something’s over the decades. In 1977, Murphy took his guitar, harmonica and talent on a trip to Italy. Elliott put out a hat for tips and sang his heart out on various street corners throughout Europe, and brought home some new honed songs to New York.
Elliott Murphy performs at the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame Grand Opening
Upon his return to America, he played around Manhattan and scored a record deal with Polydor Records. The birth of his acclaimed album “Aqua Show” took the critics by storm as he was touted as the next Bob Dylan alongside Bruce Springsteen, John Prine, and Louden Wainwright III, but maybe America was just not ready for this soon to be prolific Parisian ex-patriot. You’ll have to tune into The Long Island Sound podcast to get, as I say, “The rest of the story.”
Prolific Singer/Songwriter & Author
Elliott Murphy’s musical journey seems to have been born out of a dream. He must be a dreamer having authored several books, and produced over thirty-five albums. In fact if you follow Elliott Murphy on Facebook, you’ll experience his awesome ability to detail dreams from the evenings slumber with the Rock Dream posts.
My latest project is called Elliot Murphy’s rock dreams. And this is a very bizarre one. I have dreamt about rock stars ever since I can remember. But I never wrote it down. Okay.about a year or so I decided I would start writing down these dreams and putting them up on my Facebook page. And I’m up to number 86 shit.
Elliott Murphy
In October 2012, he was the recipient of the Medaille de Vermeil de la Ville De Paris. On November 4, 2015 he was decorated with the Chevalier Ordre des Ares et des Lettres (Order of Arts & Letters), and in 2018 he was inducted to the Long Island Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame by Billy Joel. He keeps going strong, touring throughout Europe, appearing at over one hundred events per year.
During our interview, I found Elliott to be open, honest and transparent about his career and journey.
It was my privilege to spend over an hour with him as we conducted a virtual interview between New York and Paris. There is much more to unpack about Murphy’s career, and I’m hopeful he will grant me additional interviews in the near future. (No pressure, Elliott, just say’n)
Sometimes we have to appreciate the past, and look at the historical journeys great artists have taken to appreciate their art and their careers.
The Joel/Springsteen Connection
Elliot Murphy counts Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen not only as friends and peers, but as collaborators. Here’s an interesting trailer from the documentary “The Second Act of Elliott Murphy” featuring Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen.
Billy Joel at MSG
In fact the list of collaborations is quite long, as he has worked with Mick Taylor, Phil Collins, Sonny Landreth, David Johansen, The Violent Femmes, Cindy Bullens and Shawn Colvin.* (Wikipedia reference) In 1995 his “Selling the Gold” a duet on the song “Everything I do- Leads Me Back to You” features Bruce Springsteen.
Bruce Springsteen
When talking about “The Boss” Elliott said this:
I’ve had so many marvelous moments with him (Bruce Springsteen) he invited my son and myself to sing Born to Run with him in a venue called the Stade de Frances. The French stadium, minutes. 80,000 people Oh my god. Wow. Imagine what a thrill that was.
Elliott Murphy
The Last of the Rock Stars
The connections, the collaborations and the journey of Elliott Murphy is quite fantastic. There’s a documentary from 2015 called “The Second Act of Elliott Murphy” which explores his storied career. When Elliott Murphy first went to Europe, so many Rock Stars were passing away, Jimmy Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Brian Jones. This is what he had to say about his most requested song:
The last of the rock stars was written on my first trip to Europe. And it is probably the song that I played at literally every concert. I think I’ve done about 2600 concerts in my life and I think I’ve played it literally at every show
Sometimes one has to explore the road less traveled to discover new music as well as time-tested classics. I believe this new year, will be a year of hope which enriches us with great new music, as the discovery of the wellspring of talent continues. A chance brief encounter, led me to Elliott Murphy, and I am richer for it. I look forward to hearing and reading more from him, as his creative desire remains strong along with his connection to Long Island, NY. I leave you with his beautiful song, “Touch of Kindness“.
May this New Year help us build the necessary bridges through kindness and cooperation with the gift of music. Peace!
At the heart of every music town is a guitar shop; Division Street Guitars in Peekskill is no exception. Located right on – you guessed it – North Division Street, the guitar store is a prime attraction in a city bustling with music-goers and artists.
Just a block away from the Paramount Hudson Valley Theater, the small shop, nestled in between a row of restaurants, is a much needed pit stop for traveling musicians looking to add some vintage flair to their collection.
Joe Bonamassa shows off his newly bought ’57 Strat alongside Division Street Guitar employees. From left to right, Paulie Beladino, Joe Bonamassa, owner Paul DeCourcey and Matt Labozza
Over the years, owner Paul DeCourcey has sold his high-end wares to the likes of Joe Bonamassa, Boz Scaggs, Melissa Etheridge, and “that guy who made the coexist bumper sticker,” the shop employees chime in with a humble brag.
An average day is a little less star-studded, but the shop maintains a steady stream of customers from the casual browser to inquisitive sellers and local musicians just stopping by for a chat. No matter the customer, Paul said he brings the same dedication to his craft.
“You’ve got to have a certain knack for it and I’ve had that,” DeCourcey said plain and simple.
DeCourcey’s journey to becoming a luthier (a maker of stringed instruments) started when he was 19 and living in the nearby town of Ossining. There he worked at a local music shop and was mentored by the owner before moving on to become head luthier at Southside Guitars in Brooklyn.
After a few years commuting to the city, DeCourcey decided to settle down a bit closer to home, opening Division Street Guitars in 2014. Initially, he operated the place mainly as a repair shop but gradually transformed the space into a full-fledged guitar store.
Unlike chain guitar stores like Sam Ash or Guitar Center, DeCourcey specializes in buying, refurbishing, and selling vintage guitars. And after 20+ years in the biz, he has a pretty good eye for them
“I just like the older stuff… It’s what I know better,” DeCourcey said. “I think it’s more when you pick it up, you feel right away how it’s made and it kind of speaks to you.”
At any given time the shop is home to 75-100 guitars as well as a colorful array of used pedals, amps and assorted gear. DeCourcey also sells guitars at trade shows as well as online at reverb.com, an online marketplace for musicians.
Currently in stock is a 1979 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe, a 1963 Fender Duo Sonic and a 1947 Martin 00-21, as well as plenty of other models from a range of brands.
Owner Paul DeCourcey keeps Division Street Guitars stocked with anywhere from 75-100 used guitars at any given time
Interestingly enough, DeCourcey said he isn’t a big musician himself, or maybe he’s just being humble. DeCourcey co-wrote Grouplove’s hit song “Colours” when he toured with the band’s frontman Christian Zucconi who also fronted for DeCourcey’s own band Aloke.
Despite the large quantity of guitars in shop, DeCourcey currently only has two bass guitars (his instrument of choice) at home, a shockingly low-number for a musician of any caliber. Still, the modest guitar store owner said he gets more joy working on guitars than from playing them. Indeed, it’s clear by the way his face lights up when he talks about guitar repairs, that being a luthier is where DeCourcey is most at home.
“It’s nice to just get in the zone and work on guitars,” he said.
DeCourcey has also served as an unofficial mentor to aspiring musicians in the community. His shop is currently staffed by two Peekskill locals, who he trained himself. Paulie Beladino, a local musician has worked the front of house at the shop since he was 19, when he asked Paul to take him under his wing. The gig allows Beladino to rehearse and travel with his band while also maintaining a more steady source of income.
“Every part of my day is music related and everything I do to make money has to do with music and that sounds like success to me,” he said. “Just rocking and rolling over here.”
Division Street Guitar’s own Paulie Beladino poses for the shop’s instagram page
While Beladino admits to being more of musician than a repairman, he said he still gets the child-like excitement when a new vintage guitar finds its way to the shop.
“There’s nothing more exciting when you see the case and you know what it could be but you don’t know what it actually is and you open it and it’s like ‘oh my god,’” he said. “Every single one of these guitars has years and years of stories and experiences.”
Another shop employee, Matt Labozza has a similar story to Beladino. He too has been at Division Street since the beginning and learned under the guiding hand of DeCourcey. While audio engineering is his main passion after hours, Division Street Guitars provides a similar safe haven for learning and enjoying music.
“Before I worked here, I brought all of my shit to Paul, even basic restrings,” Labozza says, as he now casually restrings a guitar during the interview. “Pretty much everything you see me doing here is thanks to that man.”
In the eight years the shop has been open, DeCourcey said he hasn’t changed much about the store. From the beginning to now it’s still familiar faces, beautiful guitars and good vibes all around.
Division Street Guitars is located at 36 North Division St, Peekskill, NY 10566 and is open Tuesday-Saturday from 12-6pm and Sundays from 12-4 for the holiday season.
Call them at 914-737-2630 or check out their inventory on Reverb.com
