If you want to rave to a collection of saxophones and woodwinds, then Moon Hooch is the band for you. Yes it’s weird, yes it’s wild, and yes it’s a fun show to dance to.
Moon Hooch at Bowery Ballroom 12.7, Photo Credit: Aidan Lukomnik
On Saturday, December 7, Moon Hooch brought their energetic mix of Jazz and Electronic music to Bowery Ballroom in downtown Manhattan.
A truly New York sound, Moon Hooch was born when Michael Wilbur (Horns, woodwind, vocals), Wenzl Mcgowen (Horns, woodwind, synth), and James Muschler (original drummer) met at The New School. The band, now with Cyzon Griffin on drums, started playing together as buskers across the city. Often playing in the subway, Moon Hooch was banned from the Bedford Ave L station for bringing in crowds that were dangerously large.
Audience Member; Photo Credit: Aidan Lukomnik
That history of busking can be heard in their music, as the trio at times evokes the guttural sounds of an oncoming train paired with high-pitched notes reminiscent of a closing subway door. They even use found objects, like a traffic cone, on stage as a mute to alter their sound.
Photo Credit: Aidan Lukomnik
On December 7, COFRESI opened for Moon Hooch. The drummer and beatmaker brought together modern techniques (looping, drops, Trap and Dancehall melodies) with samples from hits like, “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Stand By Me,” “Mr Sandman,” and “It’s Tricky” to create a sound all his own.
COFRESI Photo Credit: Aidan Lukomik
As Moon Hooch took the stage, audience members head banged, grinded, and jumped up and down – emphasizing how many different musical sub-cultures came out to see the band.
The band’s physicality is impressive, as Michael Wilbur and Wenzl Mcgowen dance throughout a set that’s over an hour while Cyzon Griffin’s rapid drumming holds down the beat. Throughout the set there wasn’t an idle monument with high energy songs one after another, only rarely bringing in classical music phrases to give the audience a breather before the beat drop.
Photo Credit: Aidan Lukomnik
At the same time, that lack of idleness has its own drawbacks. After a while, songs in the set started to run together with limited ability to determine where one song stops and the other begins. This run-on of songs was exacerbated by similar musical motifs and almost identical lighting cues that could cause a listener Deja Vu. While the band sometimes threw their hands up to engage the audience, they never stopped to talk to the crowd. Better performance pacing, verbal engagement with the crowd, and breaks between songs would do the band well.
Photo Credit: Aidan Lukomnik
On this tour the band isn’t just bringing their relentless energy, they’re also trying to do good. At each city, the band is auctioning off a (small) tree and giving away all of the proceeds to replant trees across the country. In NYC they also worked with Support and Feed – a food equity organization that works to address challenges in food desserts and provide information on plant-based food.
For their final East Coast shows of 1971, The Grateful Dead played a four-night run at the Felt Forum in New York City. December 7 marks the fourth and final one of these shows during a still transitional era for the band. Drummer Mickey Hart left the group earlier in the year and the Dead were still in the process of integrating new keyboardist Keith Godchaux who joined them in September.
Original keys player and founding member Pigpen had also recently rejoined the group after a stint in the hospital. With the band now at full strength, they unleashed a chock full two sets of music on this evening that showcased their full potential, paving the way for their legendary Europe ’72 Tour that would follow a few months later. This show in particular was deemed so good that it would later go on to become an official Dave’s Picks release, serving as Volume #22 in the series. It sees the band at their finest, mixing up a healthy blend of rock, rhythm, and blues along with a little holiday cheer.
Grateful Dead Felt Forum 1971 Dave’s Picks
The last show of the Felt Forum run of ’71 begins with “Cold Rain and Snow,” a song that had established itself as a common opener in this era of Grateful Dead. Garcia delivers a couple of pristine guitar licks with new keyboardist Keith Godchaux providing timely fills on organ. The newest member of the band then moves over to piano as Bob Weir takes over on vocals for a quick yet feisty “Beat It On Down The Line.” With the band seemingly warmed up on a couple of classic numbers, Pigpen then takes over on lead vocals for the first time with the fairly new “Mister Charlie,” a song that debuted just a few months ago at the Yale Bowl which would be played every night of this run and for good reason. His sultry singing combined with some more vintage Garcia guitar play make for a soulful combination that, alas, doesn’t stray too far.
The first extended play of the evening is another fairly new song that actually debuted at the same show, “Sugaree.” Garcia and Godchaux exhibit more great chemistry early on with each taking a nominal solo and bassist Phil Lesh locking down the bottom line in style throughout. An even newer song that would remain a staple of live Dead shows for their entire career then follows in “Jack Straw,” another one that made an appearance at all four shows of the run. Godchaux’s work on piano compliments Weir’s vocals perfectly and the band eases through this classic number that seems to pick up speed from start to finish. After a quick introduction from Lesh, Pigpen then returns to center stage for his typical rambunctious take on “Next Time You See Me” that includes a couple of ripping solos on harmonica. The joy that the Grateful Dead get in playing this blues cover is nearly palpable.
This carries right over into another one of the new batch of songs, “Tennessee Jed,” which has Weir and Garcia harmonizing nicely on the choruses. Another song that would remain on set lists for years, this one is peppered with an extra bluesy guitar solo from Garcia that’s dripping with flavor. After Weir leads the Dead through a lively “El Paso,” things slow down considerably with the “Brokedown Palace” that follows which gets a considerable round of applause from the Felt Forum crowd at the onset. It’s a true group effort with Lesh joining in on some vocal harmonies and another typically tender, yet brief, solo from Garcia.
With the Dead no strangers to a Chuck Berry cover, afterwards they get in the holiday spirit and bust out a cover of “Run Rudolph Run,” a song they would only play a handful of times ever this month. It’s classic 12-bar blues with Pigpen, naturally, on lead vocals for a quick song that’s melodically similar to Berry’s “Little Queenie.” The band then stays in blues cover mode with a rare take of “You Win Again,” a ballad first sung in 1952 by Hank Williams which made its live debut just last month and would never be played again after 1972. The first set then wraps up with a couple of Grateful Dead classic originals starting with a fiery “Cumberland Blues” that sees Lesh leading the way with spirited bass play and Godchaux delivering a flurry of chords on piano. That troublesome train conductor “Casey Jones” then caps off a jam packed first set that seems to cover all the bases.
With the bar set high from a rollicking first set, the momentum carries right over into the second set with a powerful opening 1-2 combination of “Sugar Magnolia” and “Ramble On Rose” that sees Weir and Garcia passionately belting out the vocals on each, respectively. The torch is then passed back over to Pigpen who leads the band through yet another classic cover, this time it’s Jimmy Reed’s “Big Boss Man.” Another soulful harmonica solo serves as the bridge to some more bluesy guitar licks delivered by Garcia on this one. A lightning quick take on the new “Mexicali Blues,” another song that found its way onto the set list all four nights, then precedes a silky smooth rendition of “Brown Eyed Women.”
This sets the stage for the last Pigpen-centered song of the evening and the most extended “jam” of the show – a 12-minute enthralling cover of Howlin’ Wolf’s “Smokestack Lightning.” Pigpen’s iconic singing and harp play mesh perfectly with Garcia’s blues-driven guitar stylings and the band takes their time on this one, stretching it out nicely. Sadly, this is the second to last version the Dead would ever play with Pigpen, a founding member of the band. The “I been gone so long” lyrics sang in repetition towards the end of the song hit especially hard knowing that.
This is followed up by a rather mellow take, compared to later standards of “Deal” another fairly new song in the band’s catalog that made its debut at Port Chester’s Capitol Theatre earlier that year. This is succeeded by “Truckin’,” a song the Dead played at every show of that vaunted Capitol Theater run earlier in the year and one that finally sounds like it’s starting to develop an identity and jam capabilities thanks to the addition of Keith Godchaux who shines on the organ on this rendition.
The second set then comes to a triumphant finish with the classic closing sequence of “Not Fade Away” > “Goin’ Down The Road Feeing Bad” > “Not Fade Away.” Bill Kreutzmann on drums makes his presence felt early and often on “Not Fade Away” which elicits a truly blissful jam of sorts that flows effortlessly into the beginning of “GDTRFB.” For an encore, the band breaks out one last song from the new batch, “One More Saturday Night.” It would only be the second time ever used in this spot, one that it would soon become commonplace for the rest of their storied career, closing out the fourth and final show Dead show at Felt Forum in grand fashion.
Grateful Dead – Felt Forum, New York, NY – December 7, 1971
Set 1: Cold Rain and Snow, Beat It On Down The Line, Mister Charlie, Sugaree, Jack Straw, Next Time You See Me, Tennessee Jed, El Paso, Brokedown Palace, Run Rudolph Run, You Win Again, Cumberland Blues, Casey Jones
Set 2: Sugar Magnolia, Ramble On Rose, Big Boss Man, Mexicali Blues, Brown Eyed Women, Me and My Uncle, Smokestack Lightning, Deal, Truckin’, Not Fade Away > Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad > Not Fade Away
Encore: One More Saturday Night
View this and more Grateful Dead shows from across the years in New York State with our interactive map below
In 1986, Bob Mugge, the foremost documentarian of music giants, decided to make a film about jazz’s greatest living improviser, the “Saxophone Colossus” himself, Sonny Rollins.
Prior to tackling the mighty Rollins, Mugge had created acclaimed documentaries profiling Latin pop star/political activist Ruben Blades, proto-rapper Gil Scott-Heron, soul/gospel legend Al Green, intergalactic jazz visionary Sun Ra and a bevy of reggae’s biggest stars at 1983’s Sunsplash Festival.
To capture Rollins, Mugge would first travel to Tokyo for the world premiere of his “Concerto for Tenor Saxophone and Orchestra” with the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony. The director then sought to contrast the pageantry of the symphony hall by documenting Rollins at what he called a “bread and butter gig,” a typical performance by Sonny and his four-man touring band of the time.
In search of a suitably dramatic background, Mugge first attempted to get approval to film Rollins and band on a Circle Line Jazz Cruise on the Hudson River in Manhattan. When this fell through, Mugge lucked into something that proved even more unique. It was a concert already on Rollins’ schedule that would take place upon a rock stage at one of America’s most impressive earthworks, the sculpted rock quarry Opus 40 in Saugerties, New York.
Created by pioneering artist Harvey Fite between 1939 and his death in 1976, Opus 40 is a world-famous sculpture park and museum with 50 acres of meadows, forested paths and bluestone quarries — including 6.5 acres of earthwork sculpture — in the heart of the Hudson Valley in Saugerties, NY. Called “the Stonehenge of North America,” Opus 40 welcomes more than 20,000 visitors yearly. It has also been the site of scores of concerts by artists like Richie Havens, Pete Seeger and Jimmy Cliff, theater stagings ranging from Macbeth to Hair and numerous films and music videos, including Amanda Palmer’s version of Pink Floyd’s “Mother.”
But no event would have the lasting impact of the performance by Rollins on August 16, 1986, one which is cemented forever as the centerpiece of Mugge’s recently re-released and expanded documentary, SAXOPHONE COLOSSUS.
“When it came to planning my next film, I thought what would be more interesting than doing a film on the greatest living jazz improviser,” recalls Mugge. “Sonny’s wife and manager Lucille also wanted to show that Sonny was still playing great, the best of his career perhaps. As a nice coincidence, they were then preparing for the world premiere of Rollins’ concerto taking place in Japan, so we filmed that then the Opus 40 show.
“Opus 40 is a sculpture rock quarry made by another lone genius” Mugge continues. “The monument coming out of it (the 9 ton, 14-foot tall bluestone monolith called “Flame”) proved to be the perfect opening image for the film. It embodied the ‘Saxophone Colossus’ which I knew would be the title of the film, which is also the title of one of Sonny’s most heralded albums.”
“I can’t remember how we originally booked Sonny, but a week before the concert I got a call from Mugge,” says Tad Richards, a writer, visual artist and Fite’s stepson who has run the Opus 40 non-profit with his wife Pat since 1986. “He said they were making a film and that the Circle Line gig fell through and needed to set something up quickly. He had seen us on Sonny’s itinerary and wondered if they could film it. I said we’d be honored.
“Neither of us really knew what we were getting into as holding concerts was still relatively new here and we had no idea what filming would entail,” continues Richards. “To say we were pleasantly surprised, that doesn’t do it justice.”
The film kicks off with the jaw-dropping “G-Man,” a 15-minute plus excursion where Rollins proves he is indeed the world’s greatest jazz improviser.
As the camera pans down from the monolith, we come up from behind to see Sonny Rollins and his band on the rocky stage with a huge audience in the foreground. After the simple four-bar head is repeated a couple of times, Rollins is galloping off, digging deeper and deeper, with rapid-fire chromatic licks and arpeggios alternating with long held notes and basso growls, often powered by cheeks puffed out from circular breathing. Every so often, he returns to the head and you think he is winding down, just to go off again for another few minutes of profoundly melodic and deeply emotional improvisation. With every new chapter and return, Sonny ups the energy and excitement, seeming to spiritually levitate the large and intensely focused crowd seated on Opus 40’s spacious lawn.
“’G-Man’ proved as much as anything else that he was at the peak of his powers,” adds Mugge. “It became the centerpiece of the soundtrack CD and the film.”
The real drama came later, when in the midst of a long solo improvisation in which he prowled the stone stage like a panther, Sonny Rollins decided to leap off it onto another stone outcropping six feet below.
Tad Richards recalls: “I was sitting with Lucille Rollins on the lawn, stage right, when Sonny suddenly disappeared, stage left. The audience gasped, Lucille especially, and everything stopped. And then, still out of sight, Sonny started playing again, so powerfully and beautifully that everyone in the place assumed it was part of the show, even the musicians. You can see them in the movie; first shocked, then laughing as he starts playing again.
“After a few minutes, Sonny is still playing, still out of sight and Lucille says – ‘I’m a little worried, can you go and check on him?’ So I did and I found Sonny lying on his back, playing with the cameraman standing over him. We waited until he finished his solo and then helped him to his feet.
“Sonny asked how long we wanted him to play and I said I would stop the concert right then, if he needed medical attention. ‘No man,’ he growled, “I’m going to finish the gig’ which he did standing, propped up on one foot. Afterwards, two of our volunteers who were EMTs took him over to Northern Dutchess Hospital where they confirmed he had broken his heel.”
Another witness that day was local saxophonist Gus Mancini.
“What happened was that Sonny was doing one of his long solos, quoting every song there is between these incredible improvised riffs,” remembers Mancini. “Suddenly, he leaps from the flat stone stage to one below and disappears. After a slight pause, he starts playing again, for a long time, still out of sight. Everyone kept wondering where he was. Turns out he broke his heel and was taken off in a golf cart. I actually saw him the next day on TV in a cast and was amazed at how much longer he played at the concert, with his foot in that condition.”
Mugge concludes: “It was a very surreal moment that became famous in the jazz community even before the film was finished.”
The film soundtrack CD, “G-Man,” includes other remarkable performances from that day at Opus 40. These include lengthy outings on two Rollins’ classics, “Don’t Stop the Carnival” and “Tenor Madness,” but none as fiery as the concert and film opener.
I have had the pleasure of seeing Rollins a half dozen times over the years. These included shows at NYC’s The Bottom Line, the Village Gate and his legendary 80th birthday show at Carnegie Hall, where he played for the first time on stage with Ornette Coleman. I also saw the discussed Circle Line Cruise show, a week after his outing at Opus 40.
The Circle Line concert was, with little doubt, one of the three best shows I’ve ever seen. At it, Rollins played with his casted foot elevated, laying back in a Lazy Boy Lounger! It was typical of the Sonny shows I saw. He started off with an equally exciting and lengthy version of “G-Man,” building and digging deeper with each passing minute, without ever being boring or repetitious. He did an even more amazing and lengthy exploration on Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely,” the encore of this boat show. I saw him do the same thing on his opening number shortly thereafter at The Bottom Line show.
After these first numbers, I always asked myself if I should just leave. What more could he possibly do to impress, entertain, enlighten? I had certainly gotten my money’s worth. It was always pure musical gladiator stuff – creativity, craft and soulsmanship of the highest order from a lone genius. A performance checkmate in one move.
Today, 90-year old Sonny Rollins lives the quiet life in Woodstock, N.Y., retired from playing due to respiratory issues linked to his being in downtown NYC on 9/11. You can enjoy him speaking about his life and craft, and at the height of his improvisational powers with his Opus 40 performance and footage from his never-released concerto with Mugge’s new expanded Blu-Ray version of the documentary.
For more jazz goodness, check out Tad Richards’ Listening to Prestige, a multipart book series and blog that is chronicling all the releases from this great independent jazz label of 50s and 60s (530 and counting to date). For the past 22 years, Gus Mancini has been performing live every Sunday morning on WDST/Radio Woodstock’s “Woodstock Roundtable with Doug Grunther,” as well as gigging with numerous outfits including his rotating cast of improv warriors, The Sonic Soul Band. And for another spirited but definitely less awe-inspiring musical chapter from Opus 40 past, catch this writer performing “Divine Nonchalance” with his Spaghetti Eastern Music under the monolith at a show on Labor Day 2018.
Fast Tony Productions has announced the Sunday Blues Festival at The Parting Glass in Saratoga Springs for February 2, 2025.
Featured Guitarist – Toronzo Cannon
Headlining the festival is world-renowned blues guitarist and vocalist Toronzo Cannon. This isn’t just another night of great live music—it’s a celebration of the blues in a venue that captures the magic of intimate live performances.
If you’re a fan of blues, live music, or just good times, this is shaping up to be a night you won’t want to miss. Cannon has become a force to be reckoned with in the world of electric blues. His unique blend of modern Chicago blues, soulful vocals, and electrifying guitar work has earned him rave reviews from all over. Whether he’s ripping through an emotionally-charged guitar solo or delivering a poignant social commentary through his lyrics, Cannon’s performances leave audiences spellbound.
Fast Tony Productions may be new to Saratoga, but Anthony Mangano-Delaney has already shown his ability to pull off big events. His first show in November 2024, featuring Bywater Call, was a resounding success, drawing a crowd of 150 and setting the stage for continued exciting performances to come. Tony is also eager to see how Fast Tony Productions can carve out its space within the vibrant Saratoga music scene with venues like Caffe Lena, Putnam Place, and SPAC.
Known for its cozy atmosphere, The Parting Glass is the perfect backdrop for one of Chicago’s brightest blues stars. The festival kicks off at 5:00 PM with non-stop music leading into Toronzo Cannon’s headlining set at 7:30 PM.
For ticket information on the February 2, 2025, Sunday Blues Festival at The Parting Glass in Saratoga Springs, click here.
On December 2, 2012, the King of Blues, B.B. King played Westbury Music Fair, which is now know as NYCB Theatre in Westbury, New York. At the time he was 87 years but still enjoyed playing for his adoring fans.
King started his music career in 1949 on Beale Street in Downtown Memphis, Tennessee. He named his first guitar Lucille when he ran into a burning building to save it, and later learned that the fire was caused by two men knocking over a barrel of kerosene while fighting over a girl named Lucille. His guitars were usually black Gibson guitars and in 1980, Gibson introduced a B.B. King custom model.
King recorded some of the greatest rock n’ roll hits of all time like “3 O’Clock Blues,” “You Know I Love You,” “Woke Up This Morning,” “Please Love Me,” “Every Day I Have the Blues,” “You Upset Me Baby” and of course his signature hit single “Lucille,” just to name a few. He also found commercial success through a series of all-star collaborations.
On his 1997 album Deuces Wild, he enlisted artists such as Van Morrison, Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker, The Rolling Stones and Willie Nelson. In 2000, he collaborated again with Eric Clapton for the Grammy winning album Riding with the King. He has released 43 studio albums and 16 live albums and a number of compilations.
AllMusic recognized B.B as “the single most important electric guitarist of the last half of the 20th century.” He was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. He is one of he most influential blues musicians of all time. He is also ranked at No. 6 in Rolling Stone magazine’s 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. Over the course of his 60 year-plus career, he has received 18 Grammy awards, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Kennedy Center Honors, among many other awards.
King died in May of 2015 at the age of 89. His body was flown to Memphis and a funeral procession went down Beale Street with thousands of people watching and a brass marching band playing “When the Saints Go Marching In.” His body was then driven down Route 61 to his hometown of Indianola, Mississippi where he was laid to rest.
Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs has announced four-piece jazz project, “Old Friends Beckoned, New Sounds Reckoned,” slated to hit the stage on January 11, 2025.
Matt Steckler, Yayoi Ikawa, Lonnie Plaxico & Tony Lewis present an evening of original jazz that draws upon collective inspiration, touching the heart with one cohesive brushstroke. The names Steckler, Ikawa, Plaxico and Lewis suggest four musicians who have intersected at different points on a jazz timeline. With the project Old Friends Beckoned, New Sounds Reckoned, their shared histories converge as singular new ideas emerge. Using original scores as a canvas, the quartet strives for a deeper vibe rooted in shared sacrifice.
Matthew Steckler, aka Matty Stecks, performs and composes in several musical settings internationally. Primarily as a saxophonist, he brings a dynamic, holistic approach to the live musical experience. As a composer and bandleader, Matthew has been recognized for his seminal work with the projects Pretzil Stex, Dead Cat Bounce, Persiflage & Musical Tramps, and been featured at festivals and major concert series in North America and Europe.
Born in Tokyo, Japan, but raised musically in New York, pianist/composer Yayoi Ikawa is an experience of ingenuity and compassion. After recording a straight-ahead jazz piano trio on Nippon Crown release “Angel Eyes” in 2004, she self-produced “Color of Dreams” displaying her original compositions. Since then, her group has featured in various music festivals and concerts in the U.S., Italy, Japan, Costa Rica, Guadeloupe and Martinique. Yayoi believes that Jazz is a social activity, and strives to learn from elders, collaborate with peers and pass it on to future generations.
Bassist Lonnie Plaxico’s musicianship is probably best expressed in his masterful integration of different forms combining the rigorous technique of classical, the improvisation of jazz, and the rawness of funk into one exhilarating musical experience. Plaxico’s recording and performance catalog is equally impressive for its caliber, depth and diversity. He has appeared with such luminaries as Sonny Sitt, Junior Cook, David Murray, Alice Coltrane, Stanley Turrentine, Joe Sample, Abbey Lincoln, and Dizzy Gillespie. He has also recorded five critically acclaimed albums as leader.
Tony Lewis is a drummer/songwriter from the South Bronx, New York who has worked with a variety of stellar artists including Little Richard, Sting, B.B. King, Dizzy Gillespie, Vernon Reid, Cyndi Lauper, Me’Shell N’degeocello, Rakim, Sam Moore (Sam & Dave), Michael Hill’s Blues Mob, and Craig Harris. As a child growing up in the Bronx, Tony’s early influences being around family and friends would prove to be a launching pad that led him to attend New York’s prestigious LaGuardia High School of the Arts.
Together, this 4-piece union of ultra-talented jazz musicians are sure to light up Caffe Lena with an amazing display of their capabilities. Tickets are available online and are currently at $30.37. The exciting new show takes place on January 11 from 8:00-9:00PM. Caffe Lena is located at 47 Phila Street in Saratoga Springs.
For more information on “Old Friends Beckoned, New Sounds Reckoned” and to purchase tickets, click here.
Warren Haynes will hit the road this winter on the “Million Voices Whisper” tour in support of the album of the same name. Haynes and his band will hit the Town Ballroom in Buffalo to close out the tour on Feb. 22.
On Nov. 1, Grammy Award-winning Gov’t Mulefront man, Warren Haynes, released Million Voices Whisper, Warren’s first solo album in almost a decade. The album debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Blues Albums Chart. Haynes will go on a 9-date run that will kickoff Feb. 7 in Knoxville and see the Warren Haynes Band travel throughout the Midwest and Northeast, stopping in such cities as Huntsville, Toledo, Des Moines, and Burlington, before finishing off in Buffalo on Feb. 22.
Ahead of the “Million Voices Tour,” Hayes will perform with his band, Gov’t Mule in their annual New Year’s residence in NYC at the Beacon Theater. Learn more about those shows here.
Performing alongside Haynes (vocals, guitar) will be the current, all-star lineup of the Warren Haynes Band: longtime drummer Terence Higgins (of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band), Gov’t Mule bassist Kevin Scott, Matt Slocum on keys, and Greg Osby on sax.
$1 from every ticket sold for the winter tour will be donated to assist with hurricane relief.
General on-sale begins Nov. 22. Learn more and purchase tickets here.
New Year’s Performances w/ Gov’t Mule:
December 28 – New Haven, CT @ College Street Music Hall
December 30 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
December 31 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
Million Voices Whisper Tour 2025:
Feb. 7 – Knoxville, TN @ Bijou Theatre
Feb. 8 – Huntsville, AL @ Mars Music Hall
Feb. 11 – Toledo, OH @ Stranahan Theater
Feb. 13 – Northfield, OH @ MGM Northfield Park – Center Stage
Park Avenue Armory in NYC has announced its 2025 season that features bold, transformative artistic experiences from various notable names – Yoko Ono, Jamie xx, and Anne Imhof – among the many.
Comprised predominantly of world and North American premieres, the 2025 season builds on the Armory’s history of presenting masterpieces in spatial music, site-specific concert experiences, genre-defying theatrical works, and elevating singular artistic perspectives from across the world. In the expansive Wade Thompson Drill Hall, these productions will engage with the Armory’s iconic architecture in unexpected ways, offering unique settings for audiences to experience music, photography, and performance.
The historic period rooms will host intimate Recital Series performances and Artists Studio programs curated by Jason Moran, showcasing the talents of visionary artists across genres. These programs will be complemented by Making Space at the Armory, a series of talks and symposia.
Jamie xx
The Armory’s 2025 Wade Thompson Drill Hall programming begins in January with Jamie xx’s In Waves, a co-presentation with Bowery Presents that launches the North American tour for the artist’s first solo album in 10 years. Returning to the Armory following his sold-out residency with The xx in 2014, Jamie xx will perform a career-spanning set with an emphasis on his newest album, In Waves, which captures the bliss, volatility, and introspection of a night out.
Revolutionary artist and activist Yoko Ono will bring the largest installation to date in North America of her ongoing work Wish Tree to the Armory in February. Featuring a grove of 92 trees installed in the Wade Thompson Drill Hall to mark the artist’s 92nd birthday, the work will invite visitors to write and attach wishes to the branches, creating a large-scale yet personal activation. Ono’s work will be the topic of a two-day symposium as part of the Armory’s Making Space series, which will emphasize her legacy of advancing female empowerment, creativity, and peace.
Yoko Ono
Multifaceted contemporary artist Anne Imhof will transform the Armory with her new performance piece DOOM. Working across painting, drawing, video, music, and sculpture, Imhof is best known for creating large scale installations that meld various media, including endurance performance, to create singular compositions— one of which, Faust, received the Golden Lion at the 2017 Venice Biennale. Commissioned specifically for the Armory and curated by Klaus Biesenbach, DOOM marks Imhof’s largest performative work to date and will take over the Drill Hall. This sequential, durational performance punctuated by dramatic tableaux vivants of performers, sound, and scenography, will invite audiences into a shared experience that juxtaposes apathy and anxiety with resistance and optimism.
One of the most original and influential photographers of the twentieth century, Diane Arbus captured the wide breadth of humanity in postwar America with iconic documentary-style photographs that continue to resonate with artists and viewers today. Following Arbus’ death in 1971, a photographer and student of hers Neil Selkirk began printing for the Arbus Estate and remains the only person authorized to create prints from her negatives. Presented at the Armory in its North American premiere, Constellation brings together all prints from the set of more than 450 that Selkirk produced—the largest and most complete assemblage of Arbus’s work to date. Presented as an unconventional “constellation” of photographs, the exhibition invites visitors to wander freely among the works, revealing new connections between the images and highlighting the imperceptible architecture of chance, chaos, and exploration that underlies all creations.
Tickets for each show are sold on the Park Avenue Armory website – for more information on the upcoming 2025 season and to purchase tickets, click here.
Flushing Town Hall has shared a unique and interactive Queens Jazz Trail Map, an illustration come to life that teaches the A-Z of Jazz History in Queens.
A cornerstone cultural and creative hub for the people of Queens, the Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts housed within Flushing Town Hall is a thriving multi-disciplinary arts center that boasts a theater, gallery, garden, classroom, and rehearsal space.
In membership with the New York City Cultural Institutions Group and in affiliation with the Smithsonian, the FCCA gave Flushing Town a major renovation to accommodate their versatile programming that has brought the Queens community together for over thirty years.
Originally written by Marc. H Miller, illustrated by Tony Millionaire, and designed by Cindy Ho, The Queens Jazz Trail was an endeavor pursued by the FCCA in the hopes of shedding light on Queens’ neglected history as a key part of the jazz scene from the 1920s onwards.
The map received a major update in 2023 by jazz historian Ben Young and was brought into the digital world, expanding the map’s informational content tenfold. With icons that denominate musicians by their instrument type and a search function that accounts for instrument, name, or neighborhood, The Queens Jazz Trail Map is a treasure trove of information for jazz lovers and genre newcomers alike.
Make sure to check out the online Queens Jazz Trail Map here, and be sure to visit the Flushing Town Hall’s Gift Shop to pick up the physical version too.
For more information on the Flushing Town Hall, Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts, and other similar and future ventures from their team, visit the official website here.
Ari Joshua is on a mission to release 24 songs in 2024. Over the course of the last ten months, the South African-born, now American-based songwriter has been consistently releasing these singles, some of which contain multiple tracks and several stand-alone remixes. Each release features a unique line-up of all star musicians, including members of Trey Anastasio Band, Medeski Martin & Wood, and Joe Russo’s Almost Dead.
Photo by Joshua Hitchens – Bolt of Sunshine Photography
I had the wonderful opportunity to chat with Ari who shined a light into his musical process, spoke on his luminary collaborators and opened up about navigating the music industry and the world he has dedicated his life to.
“I’m super honored to be at the point in my career where I can share all the art I’ve been making. When I think about my art and the message that I want to give with it – something from the soul – it reminds me of creating an organic garden, planting seeds, and harvesting foods. If you scale it out one can imagine being an artist today is like sending a rocket ship or a satellite into orbit. I feel like once you’re in orbit as an artist, or once your seeds are harvesting fruits, you can feel like you are achieving your job – each note, each song, has the potential to propel things further. In a way all the legends are in orbit. In order to get up there, to resonate with listeners, you need a tremendous amount of fuel, and it’s a full time pursuit to manifest that.”
That need to resonate through the music inspired Ari to found The Music Factory, a Seattle-based music school giving lessons to hundreds of kids each week. He is a huge proponent of music education and has continued to grow the school since its inception. Ari has found himself at a point where he is able to take a step back and shift focus on his career being an artist and performer. “After years of juggling duties and taking continuous small steps forward I’ve found myself at a balancing point investing more time into creating meaningful and soul-fulfilling art.”
Left to Right: Medeski, Martin & Joshua – Photo by Chris Bittner
Ari’s first three releases of the year, “Dragon’s Layer”, “Country Stroll” and “Elephant Walk,” feature John Medeski and Billy Martin. These Woodstock, NY recorded country and jazz influenced instrumentals are defined by their laid back grooves and catchy melodies. Ari has spent his life studying diverse artists across all genres and setting the foundation for himself so that he can be both over prepared yet able to let go of everything in the moment. When asked about his process of going into the studio with the high caliber collaborators he shares his body of work with, he makes it clear that he wants to allow the space for them to shine and be who they are. It’s their unique voice that he wants captured in the studio. “There’s a certain kind of magic that comes from not knowing what’s going to happen and knowing that the musicians you’re working with are at a certain point. You’re free to trust the process and provide the space for them to do what feels right, and speaks for them.” These songs feel like an extension of the MMW universe – Medeski, Martin & Joshua. “Country Stroll” and “Elephant Walk” showcase tasteful soloing by all three musical juggernauts.
Ari holds the artists he has worked with to the highest regard. No collaboration is the same. No circumstance is the same. Improvisation usually takes the wheel. When working with artists on complete ends of the spectrum, you have to be able to adapt. Some of his collaborators prefer being sent audio and charts prior, while others only care about the moment once they’re all together. “Each person and each group of people that I get to work with is a totally different situation.” He compares this to making a child. “We’re going to go in there [the studio] and we’re gonna mix up our DNA, ideally with good intentions and love, and ideally a good level of pleasure [laughs]. And we’re going to come out with something that’s its own thing – a new creation.”
Ari’s songwriting knows no bounds. There is truly something for everyone. This is evident with the release of “Elon’s Musk”, his psychedelic, Tipper-inspired electronic single released under the moniker Guitari with ill.gates and Cory Cavazos. Ari’s follow up, “Rare Groove” once again shifts genre and lineup entirely. This funk, R and B-inspired instrumental features Skerik, Grant Schroff and Delvon Lamarr. A recurring theme in Ari’s song writing is his ear-worm melodies, his focus on improvisation and the prominence of organ players. “I am obsessed with really great organ players. There’s just this match made in heaven for me. I really studied that stuff so heavily and I just have this natural gravitation towards it.” “The Clinic” and “Audio Bicycle Day” were also released with the same ensemble. These singles can be categorized by their funky, yet more sinister progressions and feature fantastic improvised solos by all. “Audio Bicycle Day (Suncatchers Version)” is a unique take on the same song but recorded with Joe Doria and Brad Gibson. The Suncatchers Version has a more whimsical, airy quality. He continues this onward trend of eclecticism with his release of “One Dub”, a reggae-inspired instrumental groove that features John Kimock, Andy Hess, and Eden Ladin. There are four remixes of “One Dub” currently available on streaming services.
Ari has also worked and recorded alongside Russ Lawton and Ray Paczkowski of Trey Anastasio Band. When talking about his unique songwriting approach when working with different artists, he spoke about how Russ would send drum recordings to Trey over the phone, and then Trey would write parts based on Russ’ recordings. This is the approach that Ari wanted to take in the studio, and he had Russ send him a bunch of demo ideas prior to their session in that spirit. These sessions, which originally took place during the pandemic, resulted in over 25 songs, many of which have yet to be released. “Starlight Mountain” is the first release of the year that features Ari on lead vocals. These emotionally delivered vocals, along with his well-crafted distorted guitar solo are extremely powerful and moving. “The TriCeraphClops” was released with the same all star lineup – dubbed the RAAR Trio. This funky and crunchy instrumental showcases the band’s virtuosity and their chemistry as a unit.
Left to Right: Paczkowski, Joshua & Lawton – Photo by Ben Collette
What you see of Ari’s art is just the tip of the iceberg – “almost 90% of it is underwater.” He relates each piece of music to a blank canvas that he’s constantly revisiting, which could take years, if not decades to complete. “Tagine,” recorded with Marco Benevento and Joe Russo over 15 years ago, is just now seeing the light of day. This psychedelic soundscape takes the listener on a sonic journey through the unknown. It exudes imagery of exploring a distant alien planet.
With no slowing down in sight, Ari has recently announced a brand new supergroup, The All’s Eye, consisting of Ben Atkind (Elephant Proof) and Kris Yunker (Bearly Dead) formerly of Goose. The trio fuse boogaloo funk, soulful organ grooves, Afrobeat, bluegrass, and alternative rock. Fresh off a recording session at Carriage House Studios, the trio is set to release a series of singles over the coming months. They just announced their first official run, four dates on the East Coast and will be sharing their latest single “West Hill Road” on November 20th. When taking the deep dive into Ari’s catalog, you may find yourself pleasantly lost in a rabbit hole of musical and auditory goodness – a yellow brick road of art and sound.
Left to Right: Atkind, Joshua & Yunker – Photo by Mclee Mathias
