Tag: soul

Live At The Gantries Lineup Announced

Presented by the Kupferberg Center for the Arts, Live at the Gantries brings free music to the banks of the East River. The concert series runs every Tuesday from July 11 through August 15. Performances are set to take place at Gantry Plaza State Park in Queens.

Each concert is scheduled to start at 7:00 PM. The series looks to support and foster some of the most talented local artists and bands in NYC. This year’s lineup features music from several different genres, including R&B, Afrobeat, Soul, Dance, and Jazz.

The beauty of Live at the Gantries is that it brings together the vibrant Queens community and showcases the incredible musical talent. It’s a celebration of diversity, culture, and the power of music to bring people together
Jon Yanofsky, Director of Kupferberg Center for the Arts

Gantry Plaza State Park sits on 12 acres of land and gives attendees a pristine view of the Manhattan skyline. The park provides the perfect venue to enjoy the sounds of live music as the sun sets over the Big Apple.

Live at the Gantries Lineup

TUE, JUL 11, 7 PM: AJOYO

AJOYO is a groovy mixture of jazz, electronic, and pop all grounded in strong West African rhythms. Spearheaded by Sarah Elizabeth Charles, Yacine Boulares, and Jesse Fischer, their unique sound is perfect for summer.

TUE, JUL 18, 7 PM: Bartlett Contemporaries

Bartlett Contemporaries with the Uptown Funk Sound is a dynamic band influenced by the diverse sounds of Queens, NY. Their music often lies somewhere in the realm of hip-hop. Blending bebop, hip hop, dance and more to create a sound that is both timeless and fresh.

TUE, JUL 25, 7 PM: Afro Dominicano

Afro Dominicano infuses their songs with a captivating Afro-Caribbean soul. Incorporating Dominican styles with African elements, Afro Domincano produces music that encapsulates both the diversity and collectivity of NYC.

TUE, AUG 1, 7 PM: Linda EPO’s Ensemble New Yorkino

Growing up in Queens, New York City and Puebla City, Mexico Linda EPO’s voice has been greatly shaped by her cultural surroundings. As part of her career, Linda has been on a worldwide tour with the Grammy nominated Heritage Blues Orchestra.

TUE, AUG 8, 7 PM: Michael Olatuja & Lagos Pepper Soup

New York-based composer and bassist Michael Olatuja combines the sounds of Lagos, London, and New York City to create “cinematic Afrobeat”. One of the most innovative artists today, Olatuja has worked with the likes of Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Shakira, and Angelique Kidjo.

TUE, AUG 15, 7 PM: Slavo Rican Assembly

The Slavo Rican Assembly was founded by Jan Kus, a saxophonist and composer hailing from Slovenia and based in New York City. This seven-piece band combines Latin jazz scene with South Slavic musical heritage.

Here for more details and information.

June 26, 2023
Natalie Merchant Debuts Singles/Videos for “Tower Of Babel” & “Big Girls”

Jamestown, NY’s Natalie Merchant debuted her new single “Tower of Babel” recently, alongside a soul-infecting indie video to paired alongside. The single anticipates Merchant’s forthcoming album Keep Your Courage, set for an April 14^th release. Merchant stated, “For the most part, this is an album about the human heart.”

“Tower of Babel” is soul-inflecting, featuring horn arrangements by trombone player Steve Davis, and follows the first single and video, “Come On, Aphrodite.”

As much as I had wanted to not let events in the world intrude, I couldn’t disregard the prevailing atmosphere of fear and confusion that we have been living in as a result of the pandemic, climate crisis, economic instability, insane politics, violent insurrection and the shocking fallout from the conservative-stacked reactionary Supreme Court.
Natalie Merchant

Keep Your Courage is the Natalie’s ninth solo studio album, and the latest new material since 2014’s self-titled record. In the words of Uncut, “‘Keep Your Courage,’ almost a decade in the making, finds Merchant as witty and welcoming as always, turning her gaze to what helps us endure life’s ups and downs.”

The eclectic album features contributions from Celtic folk group Lúnasa, Syrian virtuoso clarinetist Kinan Azmeh and jazz trombonist Steve Davis. There are lush orchestrations by seven composers throughout, including: Gabriel Kahane, Stephen Barber, Colin Jacobsen and Megan Gould. The new record is comprised of nine original songs by Merchant as well as an interpretation of “Hunting the Wren” by Ian Lynch of the Irish band Lankum.

In celebration of the new music, Merchant will embark upon an extensive tour this spring, going into the fall of 2023.

NATALIE MERCHANT TOUR—U.S.

April 14—Poughkeepsie, NY—Bardavon, 1869 Opera House‡

April 15—Poughkeepsie, NY—Bardavon, 1869 Opera House‡

April 18—Pittsburgh, PA—Byham Theater

April 19—Charlottesville, VA—The Paramount Theater‡

April 21—Philadelphia, PA—Kimmel Cultural Campus

April 22—Hershey, PA—The Hershey Theatre

April 24—Greenville, SC—Peace Center Concert Hall

April 26—Clearwater, FL—Ruth Eckerd Hall

April 27—Fort Lauderdale, FL—with The South Florida Symphony Orchestra

Au-Rene Theater – Broward Center for the Performing Arts†

April 28—St. Augustine, FL—The Saint Augustine Amphitheatre

April 30—Atlanta, GA—with The Atlanta Symphony at Atlanta Symphony Hall†‡

May 9—Portland, ME—Merrill Auditorium

May 10—Boston, MA—Emerson Colonial Theatre‡

May 11—Boston, MA—Emerson Colonial Theatre

May 13—Cleveland, OH—Keybank State Theatre

May 14—Cincinnati, OH—Taft Theatre

May 16—Carmel, IN—The Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts

May 17—Ann Arbor, MI—Michigan Theater

May 19—Chicago, IL—Chicago Theatre

May 20—Milwaukee, WI—The Pabst Theater

June 2–3—New York, NY—Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts—Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center†

June 25—Newark, NJ—New Jersey Performing Arts Center†

June 28—Providence, RI—Veterans Memorial Auditorium†

June 30—Washington, DC—John F. Kennedy Center for The Performing Arts†

July 1—Washington, DC—John F. Kennedy Center for The Performing Arts†

July 8—Chautauqua, NY—Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater†

September 20—Spokane, WA—Martin Woldson Theatre at The Fox

September 22—Seattle, WA— Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery

September 23—Portland, OR—Keller Auditorium

September 26—San Francisco, CA—The Masonic

September 27—Saratoga, CA—The Mountain Winery*

September 29—San Diego, CA—Humphrey’s‡

September 30—Los Angeles, CA—Walt Disney Concert Hall

NATALIE MERCHANT TOUR—EUROPE

November 2—London, UK—London Palladium

November 3—London, UK—London Palladium

November 5—Glasgow, UK—Glasgow Royal Concert Hall

November 6—Manchester, UK—O2 Apollo Manchester

November 8—Dublin, IE—Olympia

November 11—Bath, UK—The Forum

November 13—Amsterdam, NL—Carré Theatre

November 14—Brussels, BE—Cirque Royal

*On-sale timing TBA

†With symphony orchestra

‡Sold Out

To listen and watch “Tower Of Babel,” click the link here.

Pre-save/pre-order the forthcoming album here.

April 4, 2023
Araya Announces “POISON” from ‘ARENA’ EP out in April

Araya, a Thai-Chilean NYC native and multi-hyphenate artist announced the release of a track from his forthcoming ARENA EP, “Poison”.

If you have recently experienced a gruesome heartbreak, “POISON” is the song for you. Araya’s new track brings life to the feelings you cycle through while healing from challenging breakups. This is especially for instances where although someone isn’t right for you, they still have a strong hold on your heart. The drop in bass along with Araya’s voice symbolizes a sinking heart along with the remembrance of the relationships’ highs and lows.

Araya’s music video of “POISON” is an introduction into the world he’s created with this new music. It warns listeners of the deeply felt emotions that the lyrics replicate.

“Poison is one of the most honest songs on ARENA as it acts as a sort of confessional for me, acknowledging my part in toxic cycles that I felt like we’re bigger than me. I’m realizing both in my writing & in this song specifically that I always leave myself a trail of hope for a better me, even if in that moment I can’t project that into my actual life. Poison is my submission to a cruel love; accepting that & my previous choices, in hopes of eventually growing from it all.”
-Araya

Born and raised in Long Island, Araya attended the Fashion Institute of Technology and trained to become a graphic designer while dreaming of a career in music. Araya’s struggle with purpose, identity, and spirituality are visible through his music in how he mixes vintage and futuristic sounds into a mesmerizing blend of R&B, soul, hip-hop, and electronic music. The young star uses music as an outlet to comprehend and channel life experiences into reflective tales of self-acceptance and understanding.

In the February of 2022 Araya released his sophomore LP, Ethos. Following the release of Ethos, Araya has collaborated with a myriad of producers & artists such as CLIP, Y2K, Yeek, Monte Booker, Junior Varsity and Cautious Clay. “POISON” can be bought or streamed here.

March 4, 2023
Robert Walter Releases “White Lines” from Aquarium Drunkard Session (Vol. 3)

Robert Walter interprets infamous soul and jazz artists on his third session for the music journal, Aquarium Drunkard. The EP’s opening track, a reimagination of Melle Mel’s “White Lines,” which itself was a reinvention of Liquid Liquid’s track “Cavern,” has just released on February 17^th.

A founding member of The Greyboy Allstars, Walter splits his time between The Greyboy Allstars, his own 20th Congress, playing organ and keys in Mike Gordon Band and on tour with Roger Waters, in addition to a robust film soundtrack career in Los Angeles.

“These tracks were all recorded for Aquarium Drunkard’s Lagniappe series. This was my 3rd installment,” explains Walter. “I always try to find some interesting tunes that have inspired me in some way over the years. It’s also a fun challenge to record the music all by myself. I played all the instruments here and arranged, recorded and mixed at home.”

Robert Walter said of the session, “I have always loved ‘White Lines (Don’t Do It).’ I remember hearing this when I was first discovering rap music as a kid. I learned later that the music is based on Liquid Liquid’s ‘Cavern.’ I love how the interactions between the NYC art scene, punk rock, and emerging hip-hop were happening so naturally and quickly during the late ’70s,” continued Walter. “This tune manages to be a message song, embrace some avant-garde musical ideas and still work as dance music even to this day. I have been playing it off and on in bands my entire life. I started doing it a lot as an organ vehicle during late night Jazzfest gigs as a comment on the wild party atmosphere. This version references both the original Liquid Liquid track and the brilliant Melle Mel interpolation.”

The keyboardist, who co-founded The Greyboy Allstars and is currently on tour as a member of Roger Waters’ band, plays all of the instruments. Some of the artists being featured on Aquarium Drunkard are Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel, Liquid Liquid, Jackie Mittoo, Eddie Harris, Rammellzee & K-Rob and Les Baxter & Martin Denny.

Pre-order/save Aquarium Drunkard sessions featuring Robert Walter’s cover of “White Lines” by clicking the link here. For more on Robert Walter, click the link here.

February 18, 2023
Raegan Sealy Drops Soulful Pop Hit “Make ’em Jealous”

Brooklyn soulful pop artist Raegan Sealy’s newest single “Make ‘em Jealous” just dropped on January 12^th, an upbeat, indie soul piece set out to reframe the cliché of being stuck in a toxic relationship, with a satirical spin.

“Make ‘em Jealous,” featuring The Gang of Angels, an all-female choir from Nottingham, UK led by Honey Williams. Taking her inspiration from a diverse range of artists like the Arctic Monkeys, Lana Del Rey, Marina, and more, Sealy fuses her soul-pop vocals with an infectiously recurring beat.

Sealy’s new single shines optimism on the self-delusion that so often keeps us from moving on. “Make ‘em Jealous” reclaims the hope of strength and courage in the healing part of a breakup. With lyrics such as, “Everyone wants a sip of my love, but they just get a taste,” Sealy shows off her undeniable confidence and spunk.

“What is it that we tell ourselves in order to ‘stay?’ How does our ego react to accommodate disrespect? And how hilarious is that, when you think about it? This emotional push and pull in these dynamics is truly often like a Laurel and Hardy sketch,”
Raegan Sealy, on her new single.

Outside of music, Sealy is an advocate and teaching artist, and received a Fulbright Scholarship in 2015, one of the most prestigious academic scholarships in the world, along with her MFA from The New School. Continuing to sing and perform her own poetry, she has opened for Shane Koyczan, Kae Tempest, and Ice T. She even gave the first official TED Talk entirely in rhyming verse in 2019 which you can watch down below.

Now officially based in Brooklyn, Sealy has beautifully fused her musical and writing talents to tell her story as a soul-pop singer-songwriter. “Make ‘em Jealous” is the first in a series of singles Sealy will be releasing throughout 2023. But this new soulful single is sure to leave her listeners feeling more confident than ever.

To listen to Reagan Sealy’s new single “Make ’em Jealous,” click the link here.

To find more information on upcoming releases from Reagan Sealy, click the link here to access her website.

January 16, 2023