Rock music is a universe with no shortage of tragic stories. There are the overnight leaps up the ladder of fame followed by Icarus-like flameouts. There are the legendary overdoses and suicides of Jimi, Janis, Kurt and the rest of the “27 Club.” Add to this stars like Eddie Cochrane, Marc Bolan and Duane Allman who met their ends behind the wheel. And, of course, there’s no shortage of luminaries like Buddy Holly, Otis Redding, Jim Croce, Randy Rhodes and Lynyrd Skynyrd who spun off the mortal coil when their planes fell out of the sky.
But none may be as horrifying and seemingly inevitable as that Jim Gordon. Gordon was perhaps the most recorded hitmaking drummer during the Sixties and Seventies. He was a legend whose career ended with the unthinkable, when the voices in his head triggered by his life-long battle with schizophrenia led him to stab his mother to death.
Drums & Demons
Since that tragedy in June 1983, Gordon has been largely written out of the rock’s history books – the devil whose name shall never be spoken. But now comes publication of Drums & Demons: The Tragic Journey of Jim Gordon (Diversion Books). With it, one of rock’s greatest journalists, the inimitable Joel Selvin, provides the first comprehensive view of Gordon’s vast musical achievements and a harrowing yet empathetic appraisal of the most treacherous of mental illnesses which brought him down.
Gordon was a Southern California-born golden child, one whose outsized talent earned him a spot amongst the legendary Wrecking Crew, the super talented corps of studio musicians who played on pretty much every hit to come out of Los Angeles studios in the Sixties and Seventies. It’s Gordon who keeps the beat and/or adds memorable percussive hooks to The Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows” and “Heroes and Villains,” The Monkees’ “Mary, Mary,” Sonny & Cher’s “The Beat Goes On,” Glen Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman” and “Gentle On My Mind,” Linda Ronstadt and the Stone Poney’s “Different Drum,” Nilsson’s “Everybody’s Talkin’,” Buffalo Springfield’s “Expecting to Fly,” “Mason Williams’ “Classical Gas,” CSN’s “Marrakesh Express,” Tiny Tim’s “Tiptoe Thru the Tulips” and dozens more. The barely out of his teen’s drummer would play three sessions a day, six days a week for about five years running before tiring of the studio grind and grasping a share of the spotlight as a part of some of most high-profile ensembles of the day.
Through his association with another Wrecking Crew alum, pianist/bandleader Leon Russell, Gordon would jump into the spotlight as a part of Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs & Englishmen, touring and recording with both the British singer and then Delaney & Bonnie and Friends. Through his work with D&B, Gordon would come into the orbit of their guesting guitarists, George Harrison and Eric Clapton. Gordon would soon find himself recording with the former Beatle on his monumental solo debut, All Things Must Pass, and as a part of Clapton’s new band, Derek & The Dominoes.
It is with the wild and wooly short history of Derek & The Dominoes that Gordon experienced his greatest highs and disappointments. By this time, Gordon is self-medicating, as is the whole band, with mighty doses of heroin, cocaine and alcohol. The compositional high point of his career comes with the use of “his” gorgeous piano piece as the instrumental coda to the title tune of the band’s only album, “Layla.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c06AKXysKQY
Though Gordon would claim sole writing credit, the piano piece was actually composed with his onetime girlfriend from the Mad Dogs days, singer Rita Coolidge. It is with Coolidge where the demon in Gordon makes its first appearance before the rock glitterati, when the six-foot-four-inch drummer punches her out without warning, causing her to get a restraining order. Later while living in Clapton’s mansion during the Dominoes days, Gordon’s behavior would echo that of his ultimate undoing. In this incident, he would chase his then girlfriend, onetime Beatles’ “Gal Friday” Chris O’Dell, with a butcher knife before being interrupted (and saved?) by the arrival of Clapton’s manager Robert Stigwood. After the Dominoes’ debut album and tour, Clapton would have a falling out with Gordon, seeking to replace him with his original choice for drummer, Jim Keltner. Interestingly, he was also considering adding another guitarist to the lineup, the then 16-year-old Santana/Journey axe man-to-be Neil Schon. With the breakup of Derek and the Dominoes, Gordon would briefly join Traffic during their “Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys” era before returning to Los Angeles and more session work.
Back in the comfort of the studios, Gordon would continue to be the first choice session drummer for a host of A-list producers and artists. It’s Gordon who is driving disparate hits like Helen Reddy’s “I Am Woman,” Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain,” Seals & Crofts’ “Summer Breeze,” Tom Waits’ “Looking for the Heart of Saturday Night,” Halls & Oates’ “Rich Girl” and Steely Dan’s “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number.” With the Hues Corporation’s “Rock the Boat,” he sets the template for the disco beat that would seemingly be on every record a few years later. And with “Apache” by The Incredible Bongo Band, Gordon created one of the foundational beats in hip hop, a break sampled by everyone from DJ Herc and The Sugarhill Gang to Jay-Z, Nas and Kayne West. Gordon’s musicianship would even earn high-praise from rock’s toughest taskmaster, Frank Zappa. FZ raved over his playing with his big band touring ensemble, The Grand Wazoo, and on “Apostrophe,” a heavy rock jam which paired Gordon with ex-Cream bassist Jack Bruce.
The most difficult and eye-opening part of Selvin’s book is his recounting of Jim Gordon’s long struggle with schizophrenia. As time went on, Gordon was increasingly tormented by a “Greek chorus” of voices in his head. The voices, led by his mother Osa, would criticize his weight, tell him when and when not to eat, to exercise, to drink water etc. Ultimately they would tell him what sessions to take and which to blow off. For years, Gordon kept this struggle to himself and would seek to silence the voices with drugs and alcohol. He would look for help, check in and out of hospitals, begin to take and then throw away his medication, all in an increasingly vicious cycle.
By the end, Jim Gordon is reduced to playing in a dive bar in Santa Monica. The voices in his head tell him his mother is evil and that she may even have been involved with the deaths of singer Karen Carpenter and Hollywood Squares’ star Paul Lynde (!!). The voices would make him gather up and throw his massive collection of gold records in the trash, then immediately retrieve them. This is something that would transpire ten times a day. When his mother decides to move away from Los Angeles, tragedy strikes. To Gordon, it is not about killing her; it’s about silencing the loudest and more persistent voice taunting him. Denied the right to an insanity defense, Gordon would remain incarcerated until his death in March 2023.
Selvin makes you feel this horrible descent, step-by-step down the staircase of madness. The slow grind helps us to understand the unthinkable patterns in his mind and his actions. In the end, Selvin makes us hate the disease more than the man and his actions which is a mighty accomplishment.
518 retro-electronica artist Wes Seneca, having unleashed the full-length album While Rome Burns in March 2023, has given a sneak peek into his upcoming project with the single and video for “Sam.”
EPSON MFP image
“Sam” is based on a voice sample from Jim Gallagher of the late 1980s Albany-based band E Plemnista. Gallagher, the front man and trumpeter, was cautioning a fan standing too close to the band during a performance. Gallagher and then bandmates Josh Vincent, Frank Cristafaro, Nick Nealon and Michael Eck were known for their physically aggressive performances and concert-related injuries.
Wes Seneca resides in the Capital Region and calls on musical influences that stretch from Germany’s Kraftwerk to DEVO and Wolf Alice. A veteran Capital Region acoustic performer, John Wesley “Wes” Seneca trades in what he calls “retro-electronica,” music created with decades-old electronic gear and recorded not with software on a laptop, but on a hardware digital workstation.
Wes is in many ways a creation of the global pandemic. When his acoustic group could not perform in front of live audiences, he took to the basement and conjured up a wide-ranging collection of audio tracks which took shape several years later, as the album While Rome Burns.
Even now that his acoustic group has found its way back to the stage, “Wes” continues create more electronic music and the single and video “Sam” are simply a sneak peek at a forthcoming 2024 release.
Prior to the release of the upcoming and currently untitled EP, “Sam” is available only as a free download at wessenecamusic.com.
Rochester-based alternative rock/indie Americana act Public Water Supply has announced the release of their new record General Strike, to be showcased at Sun Festival, the band’s pre-eclipse event.
Sun Festival takes place at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 29, 2024, at Essex, a music hall located at 1048 University Avenue which can hold 700 concert-goers. Public Water Supply will play their new record General Strike, plus some fan favorites. It started on Nazareth University’s campus when all five band members were enrolled for undergraduate studies. They have played on and off together since graduation in 2019 and the core group remains intact with Iggy Marino and Karis Gregory, Jr. on guitars, plus Alex Brophy on bass, and Spencer Kronrich on drums. Last summer, Tanner Kartes returned to the stage to flash his harmonica skills and rejoined as the fifth member. Public Water Supply has sold out Rochester venues such as Iron Smoke Distillery, Three Heads Brewery, and the Jackrabbit in Buffalo.
“We are calling it SUN FESTIVAL in observance of the cosmos and we will assemble in celebration of the moon, the sun, and our musical surroundings,” exclaimed Iggy Marino, the band’s frontman. “It feels like the universe is truly coming together for us and we can’t wait for our babies to hear our creation!”
The band released their first self-titled record last year, growing their fanbase dubbed the “babies,” with General Strike on its way. Billed as music written for the working class, “This album showcases the daily struggle of living, loving, and wanting to ‘stick it to the man’”, added Marino. “We’ve been re-defining our music and experimenting with our sound all year long. I think our babies are really going to notice more of a rock n’ roll feel in these songs.”
The first single, “Leila” will drop on Friday, January 12. Lead guitarist Karis Gregory, Jr. wrote the music and lyrics. “Leila is loosely inspired by the story of famed criminals, Bonnie and Clyde, two lovers on a cross-country crime spree, burning rubber and living an intense but exhilarating life,” claimed Karis. The rest of the songs on the album, including the title piece, “General Strike”, were written by lead singer and guitarist, Iggy Marino.
Tickets for Sun Festival will go on sale Friday, January 12, priced at $25 each.
Cool Cool Cool has announced a winter/spring “Never Noticed Tour” that will find them hitting the Southeast, Northeast and Colorado, with shows in Syracuse, Buffalo and Saratoga Springs this March.
This first-ever headlining run for Cool Cool Cool features many former members of Turkuaz, building off the success of their debut single “Never Noticed,” Cool Cool Cool is bursting at the seams to bring their show to fans both new and old. The set will include new and original Cool Cool Cool material, songs from individual members’ solo projects, the band’s favorite hard-hitting covers, and many more surprises.
Cool Cool Cool blends the best of funk, house and R&B to create a truly unique sound. With dynamic female-led vocals, a tight horn section, swirling synths and a rhythm section that lays down a wicked groove, this band knows how to deliver an electrifying performance. When you see Cool Cool Cool in person, you’ll be swept up by the energy of their music and unforgettable live show.
We are thrilled about our very first headlining tour, and so excited to share our original music with all of our friends, fans and family in all of these cities and venues we love. It feels awesome and I’m so proud of us and what we’ve created together.
Sammi Garett
Cool Cool Cool showed what they are truly capable of in 2023, including sprawling tours with Rock & Roll Hall of Fame legends Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew on their ‘Remain In Light’ tour, as well as support for Andy Frasco’s ‘L’Optimist’ tour. In addition to traveling throughout the year on these endeavors, the band was able to headline festivals, perform Evening With concerts, play late-night dance parties, and collaborate for numerous writing and studio recording sessions.
Cool Cool Cool’s Never Noticed Tour will kick off the next chapter for the band with new shows and new music just waiting to be heard and grooved with.
This tour is special for us. Over the years we’ve all put our hearts, countless hours, and full dedication into our crafts. Coming together as a band to be creative and adventurous has been an amazing experience. All of the cities on this run are locations we love, places we have made friends and fans, and honestly, it feels like a coming home tour in many ways. From Turkuaz shows, solo projects, sit ins, and now Cool Cool Cool, these are venues I know we all can’t wait to reconnect with, and build new families from.
Greg Sanderson
Tickets for Cool Cool Cool’s “Never Noticed” Winter/Spring Tour are available here.
Cool Cool Cool “Never Noticed” Winter/Spring 2024 Tour Dates
2.23- Brooksville, FL- Whippersnap Festival 2.24- Miami, FL- Jam Cruise Pre-party 2.25- Miami, FL- Jam Cruise 20 3.05- Charleston, SC- Pour House 3.06- Raleigh, NC- Lincoln Theatre 3.07- Baltimore, MD- The 8×10 3.08- Ardmore, PA- Ardmore Music Hall 3.09- Hamden, CT- Space Ballroom 3.12- Portsmouth, NH- The Press Room 3.13- Brattleboro, VT- The Stone Church 3.15- Saratoga Springs, NY- Putnam Place 3.16- Syracuse, NY- Middle Ages Beer Hall 3.17- Buffalo, NY- Buffalo Iron Works 4.05- Steamboat Springs, CO- Old Town Pub 4.06- Denver, CO- Cervantes
The Matt Steckler Quartet featuring John Esposito, Otto Gardner, and Joe Barna has announced it is coming to Alias Coffee in Troy on January 14, from 6-7:30 p.m.
Saxophonist Matt Steckler is teaming with John Esposito (piano), Otto Gardner (bass), and Joe Barna (drums), for an evening of fresh takes on original works for jazz quartet. The Roman God Janus represents “beginnings, transitions, looking back and forward,” the impetus behind this adventurous and versatile lineup.
Matthew Steckler, aka Matty Stecks, performs primarily on woodwinds and composes in several musical settings internationally. As an artist, he has appeared at The Blue Note and Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Winnipeg Art Gallery, Operetta Teatrul (Bucharest), House of Blues & Jazz (Shanghai), and more. He has received commissions from Chamber Music America, Meet the Composer, and American Composers Forum, has recordings on Ropeadope, Cuneiform, and Innova labels, and has made Best CD lists in Downbeat and JazzTimes.
John Esposito is an American pianist/composer/drummer/producer who works on a wide array of creative music projects, extending across the stylistic boundaries of the Stride Piano, Swing, Bebop, Modal, and Free Music movements. He has performed and recorded with artists including Nick Brignola, Dave Douglas, Dave Holland, Carter Jefferson, and more.
Joe Barna is a drummer/composer/bandleader originally from Troy whose passion and dedication to music have taken him around the world. He studied at SUNY Purchase with Jon Faddis, Hal Galper, Adam Nussbaum, John Riley and Todd Coolman, and has had the honor of playing with GRAMMY recipients Gary Smulyan and Ralph Lalama. He has taken his passion and talent abroad to Canada, Australia, Russia, France, Italy, Spain, Mexico, New Zealand, Dubai UAE, Turkey, Egypt, and many other destinations, and recorded on over ten albums as a sideman and has six albums as a bandleader.
Otto Gardner is an American bass player and teacher, playing music for 40 years throughout the Northeast, California, and Canada. he is a founding member of Schenectady’s Empire Jazz Orchestra, in which he has played for more than 22 years, along with such Jazz Master guests as Jimmy Heath, Lou Soloff, Curtis Fuller, Rufus Reid, and Benny Golson. In addition to performance and recording, Otto’s teaching experience spans three decades, and since 2010, he has been a member of the Bard College community as an adjunct professor in the Jazz Department.
The Matt Steckler Quartet is playing at Alias Coffee on Jan. 14 from 6-7:30 p.m. Attendees must pay a $20 minimum donation at the door. For more information, visit here.
NYC Winter JazzFest has announced the complete list of artists to be featured at the 20th annual event, held January 10-18, 2024.
Founded by New York concert impresario Brice Rosenbloom, NYCWJF has become the definitive all-inclusive jazz event that offers a “state of the union” of jazz and its many stylistic camps from avant-garde to post-bop, jazz-funk, fusion, hypermodern through-composed music and jazz-inflected world music.
From party bands to ambient electronic groups to the most advanced compositional approaches – audiences sample everything the jazz world has to offer. As a destination event, attendees regularly travel from other states and countries to attend the festival. Many in the industry see it as jazz’s answer to SXSW.
It is our 20th season. We began in 2005 at the Knitting Factory on Leonard Street with the mission of highlighting music that deserved wider attention while the APAP conference was in town, and that mission remains. Over the years that mission has expanded to focus on artists with meaningful messages, in the desire to serve as a beacon for racial and gender justice, community building and wellness. Especially in these times of divisiveness,, we understand the importance of nurturing community through music.
founder and producer Brice Rosenbloom.
The NYCWJF has become a creative home for pathbreaking artists from the local NYC scene and globally, and a pivotal destination for arts leaders and cultural cognoscenti, hardcore fans and new listeners alike. The festival has grown at a rapid pace, from the original one-day single-location program to annual schedules putting as many as 150 groups (over 600 artists) on 20 stages throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn.
A number artists who have gone on to wide industry acclaim including GRAMMYs, MacArthurs and or other major platforms for their work are among past performers: Jon Batiste, Kamasi Washington, Gregory Porter, Jason Moran, Vijay Iyer, esperanza spalding, Robert Glasper, Gretchen Parlato and more. These artists look back to their early WJF appearances as pivotal in terms of artistic growth and audience growth as well. Participants from our very earliest WJF days performing at this year’s festival include Marc Ribot and Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber.
Likewise, NYC Winter Jazz Fest will find unique ways to celebrate artists lost who will always be at the root of this music community: Max Roach, Alice Coltrane, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Curtis Fowlkes, Pharoah Sanders, Sun Ra, J Dilla, and Amp Fiddler.
Our artist-in-residence this year, saxophonist and multi-reedist Shabaka, will perform in six different configurations over the course of the festival. Shabaka’s work transcends conventional notions of genre and draws from a vast palette of cultural influences. While he’s undeniably a pioneering voice in the renaissance of British jazz, his remit is much broader: he has also performed classical concertos with world-leading orchestras; led several hugely influential bands (Sons of Kemet, The Comet is Coming, Shabaka and the Ancestors) and has recently released a critically lauded solo album, Afrikan Culture, a work of exceptional beauty and urgency, focused around the shakuhachi, an east Asian instrument of which Shabaka is a major exponent.
In addition to what is sure to be a revelatory (NOW SOLD OUT) January 11 duo set at Dizzy’s Club with the great Joe Lovano (preceded by an intimate chat at Jazz Congress on the “Universality of Jazz”), Shabaka will take part in both of our Marathon nights in ensembles including Jason Moran, Saul Williams, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and more. He will perform at the January 14 tribute to Black cultural center, The East, (see below) and our Impulse! Records showcase at Le Poisson Rouge (LPR) on January 15 (NOW SOLD OUT).
Schedule of NYC Winter Jazz Fest Events
January 10
Take Two: Tyshawn Sorey x Max Roach — Members, Don’t Git Weary + Gilles Peterson (SOLD OUT)
On what would have been the late Max Roach’s 100th birthday, Pique-nique and NYC Winter Jazzfest along with BMI, present composer and MacArthur Fellow Dr. Tyshawn Sorey, who continues the innovative “Take Two” deep listening series. An ongoing series in Brooklyn and elsewhere, Take Two debuted at last year’s festival with an event in memory of Pharoah Sanders. This year Sorey devotes his attention to Max Roach’s 1968 Atlantic Records classic Members, Don’t Git Weary, which featured a new generation of future heavyweights: Gary Bartz, Charles Tolliver, Stanley Cowell, Jymie Merritt and Andy Bey. Tolliver and Cowell would go on to form the seminal Strata-East label and in many ways this record embodies the template of that sound.
The evening will consist of an uninterrupted playback of the 1968 album followed by Sorey and his ensemble making it their own, reacting to what they heard, feeding off audience energy and a shared listening experience. His ensemble includes highly acclaimed young musicians including trumpeter Adam O’Farrill, saxophonist Mark Shim, pianist Sullivan Fortner and bassist Matt Brewer, plus guest vocalist Fay Victor. The artists will connect the dots between record culture and live music culture. BBC Host and musical impresario Gilles Peterson will serve as master of ceremonies and also DJ a late-night set after the performance.
January 11
Winter Jazzfest x Jazz Congress
Jazz at Lincoln Center produces Jazz Congress, an annual conference designed to bring together artists, media and industry leaders in the global jazz community to exchange ideas in order to nurture and grow the jazz community and the underlying business and organizations that promote, produce, present, market and support the music. The conference was co-produced in association with JazzTimes from 2018 to 2021. After a hiatus in 2022 and 2023, Jazz Congress returns as a one-day event on January 11, 2024. In 2024, Jazz Congress will collaborate with Winter Jazzfest in honor of its 20th anniversary. This will include a NYC Winter Jazzfest 20th Anniversary Panel titled “Universality of Jazz” featuring British multi-instrumentalist and 2024 WJF Artist-in-Residence Shabaka, bassist, composer and vocalist esperanza spalding, and South African pianist and composer Nduduzo Makhatini. The evening concert by Joe Lovano and Shabaka is now SOLD OUT.
January 12 & 13
Winter Jazzfest Manhattan & Brooklyn Marathons
Our epic WJF Marathons will once again unfold across two nights (January 12 & 13), at eight Manhattan venues followed by eight more in Brooklyn the following night. Manhattan Marathon highlights include The Jazz Passengers Remember Curtis Fowlkes (Jan. 12), Marc Ribot’s 70th Birthday celebration (Jan. 12),and a Candid Records showcase (Jan. 12) that will include Terri Lyne Carrington +Social Science plus new label signings Zaccha’eus Paul, Morgan Guerin and Milena Casado, hosted by Carrington.
January 12 & 13
Winter Jazzfest Manhattan & Brooklyn Marathons
Our epic WJF Marathons will once again unfold across two nights (January 12 & 13), at eight Manhattan venues followed by eight more in Brooklyn the following night. Manhattan Marathon highlights include The Jazz Passengers Remember Curtis Fowlkes (Jan. 12), Marc Ribot’s 70th Birthday celebration (Jan. 12),and a Candid Records showcase (Jan. 12) that will include Terri Lyne Carrington +Social Science plus new label signings Zaccha’eus Paul, Morgan Guerin and Milena Casado, hosted by Carrington.
For the first time, NYC Winter Jazzfest will partner withPhiladelphia-based presenter Ars Nova Workshop for a showcase of Philadelphia artists at Nublu (Jan. 12); TSFJAZZ/Paris Jazz Club host their annual French jazz artists showcase (Jan. 12),a sunset performance with Laraaji (Jan. 13), Next Jazz Legacy ensemble performs to open the night at City Winery (Jan. 12), keyboardist and producer Ray Angry hosts a stage curated by Future X Sounds (Jan. 13); Joshua Abrams and Tisziji Muñoz Curate “The Harvest Time Project,” a series of ever-evolving live iterations of Pharoah Sanders’ 1977 record Pharoah with a rotating cast of special guests each night (both marathon nights) with different guests including James Brandon Lewis, Chad Taylor, Surya Botofasina, Carlos Niño, Nate Mercereau, Irreversible Entanglements and special guests; a Jazz Passengers tribute to late trombone great Curtis Fowlkes; Ray Angry and J.Period host a 50th Birthday tribute to J. DIlla and remembering Amp Fiddler; three 70th birthday sets from Marc Ribot and much more.
January 14
A Night at The East (Crown Hill Theatre)
Curated by author and music journalist Marcus J. Moore and NYCWJF’s Brice Rosenbloom, an all-star lineup including Billy Hart and Gary Bartz alongside David Murray, Ahmed Abdullah, Charles Burnham, Nicole Mitchell, Moor Mother, Shabaka, Luke Stewart, Julius Rodriguez, Elucid and Kweku Sumbry will pay tribute to this all-but-forgotten Brooklyn landmark, where hundreds of shows self-produced by Black artists took place in Central Brooklyn from 1969-1975.
January 15
Impulse! Records Showcase at LPR (SOLD OUT)
Impulse! Records is proud to present today’s most groundbreaking jazz stars with an evening headlined by Shabaka, debuting material from his upcoming solo album with guests esperanza spalding and more. Trailblazing jazz harpist Brandee Younger will honor the music of Alice Coltrane. Liberation-oriented free jazz collective Irreversible Entanglements will perform; plus instrumental power-trio The Messthetics (former Fugazi members Joe Lally and Brendan Canty with unclassifiable guitar wonder Anthony Pirog) with keeper of the avant flame James Brandon Lewis and harpist Brandee Younger.
January 16
My Words Are Music: A Celebration of Sun Ra’s Poetry (Nublu)
Sun Ra is better known to most as a musician than a poet, but he identified equally as both. This evening provides direct access to the sentiments of a poet who never called Earth home. Featuring recitations of Sun Ra’s poems and original works by the participating artists, this spoken word event will immerse the listener in the rhythms of celestial verses, hosted by poet, activist and educator Mahogany L. Browne with music by poet and educator Jive Poetic. Special guests include Carl Hancock Rux, Moor Mother and Abiodun Oyewole.
January 17
Celebrating Ryuichi Sakamoto (Roulette)
Join us in celebration of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s musical legacy as New York’s finest musicians come together for a tribute concert on January 17, marking what would have been his 72nd birthday. From the revolutionary Thousand Knives to the iconic sounds of the Yellow Magic Orchestra and the Oscar-winning film scores, the Sakamoto Tribute Ensemble (led by violinist Meg Okura and cellist Rubin Kodheli) will interpret his enduring compositions with the utmost reverence. The special guests, Sakamoto’s friends and collaborators including DJ Spooky, Yuka C. Honda and others will share their words and music in a heartfelt tribute.
January 18
MONONEON & Friends (Brooklyn Steel)
Closing out NYCWJF 2024 will be Mononeon and Friends at Brooklyn Steel. The outrageously clad master of the electric bass will have on hand Knower, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Hannibal Buress, Tivon Pennicott, David Fiuczynski and more for a night to remember. This event is supported by Memphis Tourism.
Danish musician Mikkel Hess brings his roving global collective Hess Is More to National Sawdust, in the groundbreaking experiential program Apollonian Blackout.
JAZZ TALKS AFTERNOON SERIES
As in past years, NYCWJF 2024 will program a series of Jazz Talks. These panel discussions spark intellectual reflection and provide the public with a wider context for understanding all that goes on in the artistic lives of our performers.
Thursday, January 11, 2:30 PM
The Universality of Jazz
With panelists Shabaka, Nduduzo Makhathini, esperanza spalding and moderator Mike Bindraban
After over 100 years, the music we call jazz is still thriving, expanding, and influencing music and culture globally. In a dynamic conversation with three artists from around the world and across the diaspora of Black American Music—Shabaka who hails from Barbados and London, esperanza spalding from the United States, Nduduzo Makhathini from South Africa, along with moderator Mike Bindraban from The Netherlands—we will explore the universality of this music, examining past perspectives and imagining broader paths forward.
Jazz At Lincoln Center, The Appel Room
This conversation is included as part of Jazz Congress, registration required
Saturday, January 13, 2:00 PM
Power to the Artists! Reimagining the Music Industry with Blockchain Tech
With panelists Mark de Clive-Lowe, Pozibelle and Gavin Wong, and moderator Simon Rentner
The music industry is broken and needs immediate resuscitation, and this is especially true for independent artists. Web3—the next, decentralized iteration of the Internet—has the potential to ease these pains by creating low-effort revenue streams for artists. Pianist and live electronics wizard Mark de Clive-Lowe (Everwave.xyz), DJ and Producer Pozibelle, and content creator and entrepreneur Gavin Wong (Sidechainme.com) will share case examples of Web3 working for the artists, such as perpetual royalties and revenue sharing. They’ll also share some of the pitfalls of Web3 and answer your questions. This is a conversation geared toward fans, consumers, and industry-folk alike who all dream of a better world for artists, especially the ones navigating niche cultures like jazz. As Bird might say, “Now’s The Time” for the artist to control their own brands and take action.
Moxy Williamsburg, The Garden Room
Saturday, January 13, 4:00 PM
Live At The East: The Meaningful Music of a Brooklyn Community
With panelists Basir Mchawi, Ahmed Abdullah and Fela Barclift
Beginning in the late 1960s, The East served as a Pan-African cultural organization founded by teenagers and young adults in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. The East taught lessons to Black children that they wouldn’t get in public schools: a full and robust education that centered Africa and the Caribbean. The East was also a hotbed of a thriving Brooklyn jazz scene that hosted the likes of Pharoah Sanders, Max Roach, Betty Carter, Sonny Rollins, Juju, Gil Scott-Heron and many more. Fortunately, some of those sessions are captured on Juju’s 1973 album Live at the East, which has come to mean something special. It means the work on said album is vigorous, a rightful celebration of Black Classical Music. In a special panel discussion, held in conjunction with a one-time-only performance of the music of The East the following night, we delve into the venue’s musical impact on Bed-Stuy and Brooklyn as a whole.
Moxy Williamsburg, The Garden Room
In addition, on January 4, prior to the official start of NYC Winter Jazzfest, we are proud to present a screening of The Sun Rises in the East at Nitehawk Cinema Williamsburg — the first feature-length documentary to explore the inspiring story of The East and the people behind it. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion.
Saturday, January 13, 6:00 PM
The Art Of Being A Multi-Hyphenate
With panelists Jashima Wadehra, Shelly Hartman, Trishes and Queen Esther
Presented with Keychange U.S
Confirmed performers:
Abiodun Oyewole (The Last Poets)
Alex Zhang Hungtai, Che Chen, Leo Chang
Alexis Lombre
Alissia
Allysha Joy
Angelika Niescier, Tomeka Reid, Savannah Harris
Anna Webber “Shimmer Wince”
Anthony Tidd’s Sanity with Ursula Rucker
Bark Culture
Billy Hart
Black Buttafly
Brandee Younger Trio
Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber
Carl Hancock Rux
Carlos Niño
Caroline Davis’ Alula
Charles Burnham
Christie Dashiell
Cisco Swank
Cyro Baptista
Elsa Nilssen
Elucid
esperanza spalding
Gary Bartz
Genevieve Artadi Trio ft. Louis, Cole, Pedro Martins, Isis Geraldo
Georgia Anne Muldrow
Ghost-Note
Gilles Peterson
Guy Mintus
Hannibal Buress
Hess Is More
Immanuel Wilkins
Irreversible Entanglements
Jason Lindner
Jason Moran
Joe Lovano
Joel Ross
José James Presents 1978
Joshua Abrams
Julius Rodriguez
Kalia Vandever
Karl Denson Project
Knower
Kweku Sumbry
Laraaji
Little Big w/ Aaron Parks, Greg Tuohey, DJ Ginyard & JK Kim
Luke Stewart
Mahogany L. Browne & Jive Poetic
Marc Ribot Celebration (3 groups)
Marshall Allen’s Ghost Horizons
Mary Halvorson & Thomas Fujiwara
Matana Roberts
Melanie Charles Trio w/ Endea Owens and Savannah Harris
Micah Thomas Trio
Miguel Atwood Ferguson
Milena Casado
MonoNeon
Moor Mother
Morgan Guerin
Natalie Greffel
Natural Information Society
Nduduzo Makhathini
Next Jazz Legacy
Nicole Mitchell
Oran Etkin
Queen Esther
Rafiq Bhatia with Chris Pattishall
Ray Angry
Rich Medina
Rogê
Roy Nathanson’s “82 Days”
Samora Pinderhughes
Saul Williams
Shabaka (Artist-in-Residence)
Simon Moullier
Terri Lyne Carrington + Social Science
The Harvest Time Project: A Tribute to Pharoah Sanders w/ Tisziji Muñoz, Joshua Abrams
Despite being rumored that Dead & Company are in talks to play a residency at the Las Vegas Sphere, a recent survey reveals they are not the artists most people want to see headline at the futuristic venue.
As the U2’s Sphere residency is coming to an end, there have been numerous rumors regarding the next performer to set up shop the Sphere. A recent survey asked 3,000 U.S residents who they’d most like to see and it turns out Dead & Company aren’t the artists most people would like to see headline at the arena.
The survey revealed Lady Gaga to be the top pick for the most wanted artist to perform at the residency. This could come as a no surprise for many given her past performances in Vegas residencies and also her many hits that top the charts.
Other artists coming ahead of Dead & Company include the band Kiss at nine, British singer Harry Styles coming at eight, Bon Jovi at seven, The Eagles at six, The Beatles’ Paul McCartney at four, Coldplay at three, and Beyonce coming at two.
The survey also revealed other prominent top artists to consider for future performances at the Sphere’s residency.
Coming in first place was Taylor Swift as she was Spotify’s top artist of 2023, followed by Lady Gaga who finished in second place. This overwhelming lead suggests that Americans want to see the pop singer return to the stage in Vegas, but this time in the Sphere which has a more alluring environment.
Silk Sonic member Bruno Mars took third place, with his top-charting albums and his current Vegas residency this could be seen as a no-brainer to many. Other top streamed artists of 2023 that made it to the wishlist are Eminem in fourth place, Paul McCartney in fifth, Beyoncé sixth, Eagles in seventh, Bon Jovi in eighth, Coldplay in ninth, and Billie Eilish in tenth.
The survey also revealed the top genre for the Sphere to feature in the next residency and with no brainer Pop took the lead in the top-ranked genre.
Rock followed closely in second, hip hop came in third, metal/punk rock came in fourth, and R&B swayed into fifth place overall.
To finish off the genres, “Other” came in sixth, EDM in seventh, country in eighth, K-pop in ninth, jazz in tenth, and last but not least rap in eleventh.
Currently, U2 is still performing at Sphere in Las Vegas until March 2 for the U2: UV Achtung Baby Live. Then, Phish will follow from April 18–21.
The fifth annual Dead of Summer Music Festival is coming to Hunter Park from July 12-14, nestled on 25 acres in the Green Mountains of Manchester, Vermont.
Dead of Summer features three days of live music on two stages, with over 20 food and craft beer vendors. It is family/kid-friendly, with various activities including yoga, a kids set with Andy The Music Man, tie-dying, disc golf, and RV and tent camping opportunities. The event is rain or shine.
The lineup includes a variety of well-known jam bands, including Pink Talking Fish performing the Grateful Dead’s album Terrapin Station and a fusion of Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, and Phish. The Ensemble includes THE WOLFPACK string & brass quintet along with members of Twiddle, Remain In Light/Cool Cool Cool, and Dead Set.
Special guests include Neighbor, Max Creek, Bearly Dead, Dead Man’s Waltz, Deadgrass, Bar Maids, Lizards: A Phish Tribute, Annie in The Water, Misty Blues Roadhouse Revival, Mystic Dead, Harvest & Rust: A Neil Young Tribute, Rev Tor’s KlusterFunk, Saints and Liars, Organ Fairchild, The Rejuvenators w/ Wanda Houston, Woody and Rebel Alliance, and The Morning Dudes.
Gates open at 9 am on Friday, July 12. For more information about the Dead of Summer Music Festival and to purchase tickets, visit here.
The two-time GRAMMY Award-winning Albany Symphony will showcase two of Mozart’s greatest works, Haydn’s Symphony No. 80, and a world premiere by Harriet Steinke, on Saturday, January 13th at 7:30pm and Sunday, January 14 at 3:00pm at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.
Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 19 and selections from Marriage of Figaro will feature renowned fortepianist Yi-heng Yang and singers from The Juilliard School.
The Albany Symphony celebrates our living musical heritage through its adventurous programming, commissioning and recording of new work, and broad community engagement beyond the concert hall.
Performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 19, soloist Yi-heng Yang has been described as an “exquisite collaborator” (Opera News) and is noted for her “remarkable expressivity and technique” (Early Music Magazine). Audience members will have the rare opportunity to experience the work performed on the fortepiano – a precursor of the modern piano — as it was by Mozart himself. “We are so fortunate to have an artist as deeply steeped in Mozart’s style as Yi-heng is, joining us to perform this amazing work very much the way Mozart himself would have performed it,” said Music Director and Conductor, David Alan Miller. Yang is on faculty at The Juilliard School where she teaches piano, fortepiano, chamber music and improvisation. She is a director of The Academy for Fortepiano Performance in Hunter, NY, and the creator of their international Fortepiano Salon Series
Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 19premiered in 1784 and was one of six in the genre he composed that year and was written for the composer to perform himself. Described as “athletic,” combining grace with vigor, the work concludes with perhaps the most complex concerto finale that Mozart composed.
The concert will also feature a world premiere by Harriet Steinke, The Slow Movement. Hailing from Michigan, Steinke captivated Albany Symphony audiences last season with her work Harrietlehre. During the 2023-2024 season she will have new works premiered by the Voyager Reed Quintet, the Civic Orchestra of New Haven and saxophonist Zach Arthur and cellist Kellen Degnan. She completed graduate studies in music composition at Yale School of Music and has received a Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. “We are very happy to welcome Harriet back to the Albany Symphony,” said Miller. “She is an exciting new voice in the composition world.”
The January program also includes selections from The Marriage of Figaro, considered one of the great operas. In addition to favorite arias featuring talented Juilliard vocalists, the Albany Symphony will perform the well-known and much beloved overture to the opera.
The evening concludes with Franz Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 80. Though No. 80 lacks a nickname as sometimes grace Haydn’s symphonic works, it is nonetheless full of character, drama, and surprises. Not for nothing is the prolific Haydn called by some the “Father of the Symphony.”
Recognized as one of the American’s most innovative and creative orchestras, the two-time GRAMMY® Award-winning Albany Symphony Orchestra is renowned for virtuosic performances featuring classic orchestral favorites, lesser-heard masterworks, and a diverse array of new music from leading and emerging voices of today. The Symphony has received more ASCAP Awards than any other orchestra in America, as well as several GRAMMY® nominations, including the orchestra’s most recent win in 2021.
From the soothing melodies of outdoor concerts along the St. Lawrence River to the vibrant tunes resonating in cozy venues offering craft beers and fine wines in the Adirondacks, the North Country of New York has a music scene that caters to a diverse audience. Here’s where you can immerse yourself in live music, ranging from concerts and karaoke to performances by touring artists.
Discover the historical charm of this theater, welcoming audiences since 1903. Following a $3.2 million renovation in 2007, Clayton Opera House offers a year-round calendar featuring nationally and internationally recognized artists, spanning genres from bluegrass to classical concerts.
Step into the Paddock Club’s inviting ambiance, adorned with Tiffany lamps, leather sofas, and tin ceilings. Situated in the country’s oldest indoor mall, the Paddock Club offers a diverse entertainment calendar featuring karaoke, jam sessions, DJs, and live performances.
Originally built in 1939, the Kallet Theater has transformed into a venue hosting concerts and community events. Catch upcoming performances featuring national recording artists like Marc Cohn, Selwyn Birchwood, The Grascals, and Enter the Haggis.
Run by students on the St. Lawrence University campus, The Java Barn hosts free weekly concerts, open mic nights, and larger events. Past performances include renowned artists like Dave Matthews, Grace Potter, Guster, and more.
Boasting a 97,000-square-foot facility, this venue is a hub for performances from the acclaimed Crane School of Music, the Department of Theater and Dance, and the Orchestra of Northern New York. The annual Community Performing Arts series brings touring artists to Potsdam.
Find entertainment at Cascades Lounge with country karaoke and DJ dance parties, while the events center hosts performances by national recording artists.
The Lake Placid Center for the Arts presents music, dance, and theatre performances year-round. Each season, the music series offers performances in a wide variety of genres: pop, jazz, indie folk, classical, Broadway hits, and more.
Retro Live is a dance club, hot spot, and live music venue with a great bar. Live bands perform every Saturday, and the open space makes for great acoustics and a fantastic dance floor with good views of the stage. If you’re looking for a live music venue with a mechanical bull, this is the place for you.
The Midnight Revival Band, Retro Live. Photo by Frankie Cavone
This North Country theatre is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Strand Center Theatre was built as a vaudeville theatre in 1924. The beautiful space has seating for 950 people and regularly hosts performances by touring musicians, from duets to orchestras.
This community art center offers musical performances year-round in a hip and funky atmosphere. Also offered: theatre, poetry, comedy, community meetings, art shows, art classes, and more!
This building is over 100 years old, and regularly hosts regionally and nationally known musicians for concerts and shows. Visitors love the vibe and acoustics of the historic, open space. The Whallonsburg Grange is a great place to hear folk, bluegrass, and Celtic music, although you’ll find other genres as well!
Smoke Signals is a popular BBQ restaurant and bar in Lake Placid with a fun atmosphere, breathtaking views of the lake, AND two spaces for musical performances. You’ll find regional and North Country local bands playing here almost every weekend.
A beloved spot among both locals and tourists, The Waterhole invites you to experience its dynamic music scene. Whether you choose the indoor setting or the outdoor areas, this live music venue promises a diverse lineup of musicians. With its Party On The Patio series, The Waterhole comes alive, especially during the vibrant summer months.
Voted among the Adirondacks’ Top 5 Best Wineries, Breweries & Distilleries, Raquette River Brewing offers more than just exceptional local beer and delectable food. Revel in live music both outside in the pavilion and inside the cozy tasting room. Perfect for enthusiasts of both craft beer and soulful tunes, this venue creates a harmonious blend.
Elevate your date night with live music at barVino, a family-owned wine bar and restaurant in North Creek in North Country. With an impressive beer menu and an intimate setting, this venue provides the perfect backdrop for an evening of good food and captivating local artists.
Delight in the free summer music series, Songs At Mirror Lake, hosted at Mids Park every Tuesday at 7 PM. Immerse yourself in the melodies performed on a beautiful stage, creating a captivating atmosphere in this popular waterfront park on Main Street in Lake Placid.
A hometown restaurant in Plattsburgh, Olive Ridley’s is well known for weekly entertainment, delicious food and great drinks. Check their calendar for up to date shows you can catch after dinner or watching the big game.
P-2’s Irish Pub has the slogan, “The Place to Be in the Adirondacks!” and following being closed during the pandemic for 13 months, a new slogan – “The Place You Leave Smiling Bigger Than You Arrived!” – is fitting for the vibe of the crowd in this underrated Adirondack town. With a love of live music and talent from around the U.S. and Canada, a new bandshell provides a home venue for talented musicians.
Whether youâre looking for a night of family fun in the bowling alley, or catching a game and enjoying a tasty burger at the bar, Big Zâs Hangout is a go-to destination. A newly renovated space offers a fun, comfortable and engaging environment for visitors and members of the community to enjoy themselves. From live music in the bar to concerts in the parking lot, Big Zâs is where the partyâs at in Lake Placid.
Beck’s Tavern, bar and yurts are located right next to the Gore Mountain Lodge, serving German inspired fare and American favorites, with live music Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.
Located in the “Biggest Little Town in New York State” in downtown Stony Creek, the Inn is nestled in the hub of the Southern Adirondack mountains within a half hour of Lake George, Queensbury, Glens Falls, Saratoga or the Gore Mountain Region. For 35 years, the owners have provided a unique establishment with simple roots; good food & music, reasonable prices & a comfortable friendly setting to relax and enjoy family and friends.
Daikers is a restaurant and bar located in the heart of the Central Adirondack Mountains. Enjoy live music, great food and drinks while overlooking Fourth Lake.
The Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts produces professional theatre, concerts as part of our Weekend Series, artist exhibits in three galleries, youth and adult arts-education workshops, and grant opportunities for art and cultural organizations and teaching artists. The Arts Center is coordinator for the Statewide Community Regrants (SCR) program of the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) for the four-county region of Hamilton, Franklin, Clinton, and Essex counties.
The mission of the View Arts Center in Old Forge is to create a dynamic center for arts and culture based in the Adirondack Region, with a focus on enrich, educate, entertain, and inspire.
Rudy’s Scar Bar and Grille is a spin-off of Flagship Rudyâs Lakeside Drive-In, located on the shore of the Great Lake Ontario, in Oswego. The mountain pub version stays true to core concepts and menu favorites, with great live music on a regular basis. Fun fact: Scar Bar is named in homage to Scarface Mountain, one of the Saranac 6er peaks in the Adirondacks.
Within the walls of this legendary bar & grill lies a fifteen foot oak bar, oak-paneled walls/cabinets and even an old-school bracketed television. Notoriously, decadent tales of grandeur continue to swirl atop the Monopole. Those incredibly potent folktales attracted original visitors and turned them into repeat customers, along with regular live music upstairs from rising acts in the Northeast, and some big names who have passed through the famous venue.
The Edwards Town Hall Opera House is an architecturally unique theater seating about 275 people, with superb acoustics, raked auditorium and raised stage floor, with its original painted front curtain well preserved and still in place. This venue is an unusually intact example of a type of facility no longer surviving in most small towns in Northern New York.
The Upper Jay Art Center was founded by Scott and Byron Renderer in 2005 as a place to enjoy music, theater, and visual art. In 2008, it incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and, with a wink and a nod the brothers, upholsterers by trade, named the performance space the Recovery Lounge. Over the past decade, the Lounge has become an essential gathering place in the Ausable River Valley, featuring plays by classic and contemporary playwrights, acted by an ever expanding troupe of local talent, play and poetry readings, performance art, dance, and art exhibits. All events are affordable and many are free.
Located in the heart of the Champlain Valley, Ausable Brewing Company is a small farm based nanobrewery, brewing a variety of small batch artisan ales and sodas, and hosting local food trucks and live music all summer long.
Tannery Pond Center in North Creek is dedicated to enriching lives with quality arts programming and a welcoming community center. TPC presents a full schedule of arts programming, including exhibits of original art, musical concerts and performances, as well as workshops and childrenâs programs. Other groups presenting arts programs at the center include Our Town Theatre Group, North Country Singers, and Adirondack Lakes Center for the Arts.
Paradox Brewery is a certified veteran owned, independent craft brewery founded in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains brewing innovative beer of the highest quality. You can find live music in their taproom on weekends, as well as open mic nights, especially in the summer months.
20 Main has long been a staple of the Au Sable Forks and surrounding communities. Welcoming townspeople, visitors from all over the globe, bikers and a range of musicians and other entertainment, 20 Main Bar as well as host community fundraisers for Christmas in the Forks and other local charities. With a new outdoor space behind the main bar with sound stage, garden area, and a light, friendly atmosphere, its a great place for live music every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Located near Gore Mountain, Basil and Wick’s has recently reopened, offering traditional American comfort fare, classic cocktails in a warm, homey location. Plenty of music is on tap – open mics, karaoke, or local musicians performing après ski.
Just north of Saranac Lake in the small town of Bloomingdale is Hex and Hop, creating delicious craft beers and meads in the hear of the Adirondack Park. In the summer, outdoor live music can be enjoyed at Hex and Hop, as you take in the crisp Adirondack mountain air with a side of craft beer & good tunes from bands and solo artists all summer long.
A newly opened venue in Saranac Lake, The Garagery is holds the Saranac Lake Hootenanny each Monday night, hosted by Charlie Reinersten, offering a vibrant musical experience in collaboration with Twolined Studio. Musicians are welcome every Monday from 6:30-10:00 pm for a night of featured artists, and open mic performances.
The Mill, as suggested by the name, was originally built in 1952 as a grain mill for the Champlain Valley Seed Cooperative. In 2021, the abandoned building was repurchased and in a collaborative effort between creative director Taylor Haskins and local contractors, they rebuilt the building up as a new cultural hub. For visitors looking for a drink and a bite to eat, The Knock is a speakeasy inside the venue that has a sultry 1920âs prohibition aesthetic. The menu of small plates made in house are all created from locally sourced ingredients.
The Hub is a cafe, restaurant, lounge, bar, and bike repair shop focused on serving Lake George, Brant Lake, Loon Lake, Friends Lake, and Schroon Lake.
