01/28 - Saturday :: Robert Glasper Trio

Robert Glasper (piano)

Alan Hampton (bass)

Marcus Gilmore (drums)

One artist, two distinct but interwoven concepts: this is the captivating logic behind Double-Booked, pianist Robert Glasper’s third album for Blue Note, following up Canvas (2005) and In My Element (2007). An artist who “unfailingly gets the feeling right” (New York Magazine), Glasper has made waves throughout the music world as leader of both the acoustic Robert Glasper Trio and the electric, hip-hop-oriented Robert Glasper Experiment. With Double-Booked the 32-year-old Houston native puts his enviable versatility front and center, emphasizing these different hemispheres of his musical brain at the same time.

Career-wise, this creates a constant balancing act, and on occasion literally being double-booked, appearing with the Trio and the Experiment on the same night. Such is the storyline that emerges on Double-Booked, with conflicting voicemail messages from Terence Blanchard and Roots drummer Ahmir ?uestlove Thompson, each pulling for a different Glasper band.

“Most people, if they have different bands, they do separate albums,” says Glasper. “But I felt I’d be making more of a statement if I put it all on one joint.” The result, in essence, is a snapshot of Glasper’s life. “This is what I’m dealing with,” he continues. “It’s not like I play jazz but I also play hip-hop now and then. I’m in it, for real, both sides of the spectrum. That’s my life. A lot of people go in stages—they might focus on trio for a long time, then they change or whatever. My thing is both, all the time.”

Hailed by listeners and critics, Glasper has also garnered the respect of the toughest audience of all: musicians from across the jazz spectrum. In a May 2008 Blindfold Test for Down Beat magazine, a fellow pianist instantly identified Glasper and praised him as “a fantastic musician,” pinpointing characteristics of his unique style: “a harmonic maze, but also an insistent rhythm, certain turns and filigrees and ornaments, some of them sort of gospelish.” With Double-Booked, Glasper further develops all these elements and pulls them together in a new synthesis, continuing his ascent to the top ranks of modern jazz artistry.

01/29 - Sunday Brunch ::10-2pm :: Akie Bermiss

Website: www.AkieBermiss.com

Mr. Bermiss is a Brooklyn native reared by former-activists in a musical household full of jazz and politics. He began singing in church, moved it to school for a while, and then took it up as a career. He flirted with going professional in high school but gave it up in the hopes of becoming a better musician. It was at bard, in 2001, that he began to seriously study piano. Under the auspices of John Esposito, Erica Lindsay, and the composers George Tsontakis and Kyle Gann, Mr. Bermiss began experimenting with form and function in music. He works as a jazz pianist and singer, teacher, and freelance journalist. Aside from singing and playing, Mr. Bermiss is a composer (with pieces played by the American Symphony Orchestra and the Colorado String Quartet) and children’s book author (”I Hate to Be Sick” — out on Scholastic). He is a shameless blogger, a lover of science fiction, a huge fan of criollo cigars and takes his bourbon: neat. Photo by Chris Owyoung

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02/02 - Thursday :: Big Joe Fitz & the Lo-Fi's

Website :: www.BigJoeFitz.com

Big Joe Fitz is a warm and engaging performer. "My goal is to connect with the audience... that's what I'm thinking about every time I step on the stage." He is a singer of uncommon sensitivity whose roots are deep in the Blues but whose music also combines elements of jazz, swing, funk, and soul.

As a performer Big Joe has opened for or shared the stage with such notable names in the Blues as The Holmes Brothers, Marcia Ball, Mighty Sam McClain, Eddie Kirkland, Little Sammy Davis, Madeleine Peyroux, Tad Robinson, Bruce Katz, Janiva Magness and more.

For 25 years Big Joe Fitz has been one of the leading personalities on The Hudson Valley Music Scene. His long running radio program THE BLUES BREAK broadcast over legendary independent radio station WDST in Woodstock New York has become a Sunday night institution for those in the musical know.

At the Falcon Big Joe Fitz & the Lo-Fi's will consist of Mark Dziuba (Guitar), Robert Bard (Bass) & Tim Whalen (Drums).

02/03 - Friday :: Chris Bergson Band

Website :: www.ChrisBergson.com

His newest album, Imitate the Sun was named MOJO Magazine's #2 Blues Album of 2011!

"Chris Bergson writes memorable songs, sings them with passion, and plays such a mean guitar that the great Hubert Sumlin has been known to sit in at his gigs." Blues Revue

"Upon first hearing guitar man Chris Bergson and his gravely southern drawl, which is a combination of Levon Helm and Gregg Allman, you can hardly believe this guy is from New York City. Imitate the Sun displays an artist dedicated to bringing blues and classic R&B into the future while honoring the past." No Depression.com

"The ambience of Chris Bergson's music is an Edward Hopper world of suspicion and solitude, dusk-time avenues and dimly lit bars...This is the terrain of Tom Waits and Lou Reed, and Bergson has something of each in his gruff, laconic delivery, but his sound is intransigently his own." MOJO

"Smoky flavors wafting from New York City up to the Catskill Mountains infiltrate the unfussy music of the Chris Bergson Band. Bergson's a spry, supple guitarist with an earthy singing voice and a blues-grounded heart...Keep a sharp eye on this guy." Hittin’ the Note

The Chris Bergson Band will be performing music from their new CD Imitate the Sun (2 Shirts Records). This show will feature tenor saxophonist Jay Collins (Gregg Allman), bassist Matt Clohesy (Kurt Rosenwinkel) and drummer Tony Leone (Ollabelle). Born in New York City but raised in Somerville, Massachusetts, Chris Bergson returned to Manhattan in 1995. While backing jazz singers Annie Ross, Dena DeRose, Sasha Dobson and Norah Jones, he released Blues for Some Friends of Mine and Wait for Spring on Juniper Records in 1997 and 2000, respectively. In 2002 Bergson was appointed a Jazz Ambassador of the USA by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and he toured Africa with his trio. Evolving to further embrace the blues while also adding pop influences, he followed up with Blues (2003), Another Day (2005) and his triumphant artistic breakthrough, the widely acclaimed Fall Changes (2007) -- MOJO’s #1 Blues Album of 2008 -- that established him as an eloquent, evocative and lyrical songwriter with a sharp urban vision. Recorded at Levon Helm’s Woodstock studio, it led to Bergson being personally invited to perform at the famed drummer’s Midnight Rambles while opening the way for more stateside festivals and subsequent tours of Europe. Bergson has performed and/or shared the stage with Levon Helm, Hubert Sumlin, Little Sammy Davis, Etta James, John Hammond, and Bettye LaVette, to name just a few.

Website: www.AndyStack.net

Andy Stack has been a staple of the NYC singer/songwriter scene lending guitar and vocals to the likes of Suzanne Vega, Duncan Sheik, Jonah Smith Band, Les Nubians, and many others.

In addition to work as a sideman Andy released a solo collection of songs in 2009 entitled "Like a Light", which expresses his own take on the singer/songwriter genre.

Andy's new trio endeavor, however, draws influence and repertoire from a wider range of great american artists including Duke Ellington, Thelonius Monk, Gram Parsons, and Townes Van Zandt. He filters their material as well as his own through a unique guitar and vocal style in the school of Bill Frisell or Marc Ribot, rendering songs with dynamic and evocative tones.

Andy Stack- Guitar/vocals, Zach Jones- Drums/ vocals & Brian Killeen- Upright Bass.

02/04 - Saturday :: Ryan Keberle

Website: www.RyanKeberle.com

In-demand and multi-faceted jazz trombonist and composer, Ryan Keberle, will unveil his newest project, Ryan Keberle and Catharsis, in a series of performances around the tri-state area this February. Ryan Keberle and Catharsis, a “piano-less” quartet highlighting Keberle’s tuneful compositions and emotive arrangements in a bluesy, groove based, latin-jazz influenced atmosphere features three of the jazz world’s most notable up-and-coming voices, Mike Rodriguez on trumpet, Jorge Roeder on bass, and Eric Doob on drums.

Fresh off one of his busiest years to date, 2011 saw Keberle tour the world with Indie-Rock legend Sufjan Stevens, play some of the world’s great concert halls with Maria Schneider, perform for the next Woody Allen film’s soundtrack, and once again perform on NBC with the Saturday Night Live House band, among other notable performances; a year indicative of Keberle’s musically diverse career. Mr. Keberle looks to bring together these musically disparate worlds in the formation of Ryan Keberle and Catharsis performing original compositions and arrangements influenced by the infectious songwriting of Sufjan Stevens, the emotional power and beauty of Maria Schneider, the rhythm and blues of Lenny Picket and the SNL band, and even the sounds of New York’s Latin jazz scene, of which Mr. Keberle also actively participates in. The band members of Catharsis bring an impressive wealth of experience playing an integral role in many renown jazz and Latin jazz ensembles including the bands of Charlie Haden, Gary Burton, Julian Lage, Christian Scott, Paquito D’Rivera, and Gonzalo Rubulcaba.

02/05 - Sunday Brunch :: 10-2pm :: The Saints of Swing

Website :: www.SaintsofSwing.com

The Saints of Swing are an extraordinary collective of some of the tri-state area's finest performers. Providing a fresh and exciting experience in art and entertainment, the Saints of Swing specialize in eclectic and electric selections of foot-tappin' Swing classics... Hot N' Cool Jazz served up however you like it - from spicy New Orleans Dixieland style (complete with a dancin' tuba player!) to elegant New York City sizzlers... Motown, R&B... Ballroom favorites... and even 1,000,000-watt Gospel, Latin, and Klezmer classics!

02/08 (Wednesday) & 02/09 (Thursday)

Too Big To Advertise!

Two very special nights with a legendary jazz musician! Join our email to find out more information on these exclusive events.

Join the mailing list here!

02/10 - Friday :: Jon Herington Group

Veteran touring and recording guitarist for Steely Dan

Website: www.JonHerington.com

Jon Herington is the veteran touring and recording guitarist for Steely Dan, a position he continues to hold after 11 years. You can find his guitar work with Steely Dan on “Two Against Nature”(both the CD and the live DVD), “Everything Must Go” as well as the Steely Dan VH1 Storytellers and the "Making of Aja" DVD from the brilliant Classic Albums series.

The JON HERINGTON BAND is currently the hard-hitting, stripped-down guitar, bass, drums power trio version of the band which is specifically designed for the club and theatre concert scene, with a blues/rock/pop vibe and an emphasis on the songs and the guitar playing. There is plenty of killer guitar for fans of Jon's playing, and the lyrics are often funny in addition to being clever and compelling. Great support is supplied by a no-nonsense, take-care-of-business band featuring Dennis Espantman on bass and Frank Pagano on drums. All three band members sing, providing a much bigger sound than a typical trio. After years of playing the supporting (though highlighted) role, Jon has stepped out on his own in a major way as a singer/songwriter that should not be missed.

Website: www.AbeOvadia.com

Abe Ovadia is a guitarist & composer within the straight-ahead and modern jazz idioms. Originally from New Jersey, Abe studied at the Berklee College of Music earning a BM in Guitar Performance. While in Boston, he performed in a variety of musical styles as both a leader and a sideman at venues such as the Chianti's Jazz Lounge, Les Zygomates, & The Lily Pad. He earned his Masters Degree in Jazz Performance at New York University studying under musicians such as Peter Bernstein & Chris Potter. Abe was also on NYU's adjunct faculty as a private guitar instructor for two years. Since arriving in New York, Abe has had the honor of performing at venues including Smalls Jazz Club, The Blue Note, & Trumpets Jazz Club. In 2010, Abe was selected by Half Notes Records Producer Jeff Levenson to tour Costa Rica as part of the "Promising Artists of the 21st Century" Jazz Festival. Ovadia recently recorded his first album "The Jem" which features pianist Benito Gonzalez.

"I have worked with Abe in professional performing situations multiple times. It has been very enjoyable to play with him, as well as to perform his original music. He is obviously to me an already experienced and professional Jazz player, playing at a world-class level. " - Brian Lynch, Grammy-award winning trumpeter

"Abe is a musician with heart and soul, who puts his beautiful sound at the service of emotion." - Jean-Michel Pilc, world renowned pianist

02/11 - Saturday :: Adam Levy and the Mint Imperials & Bill Sims Blues

Bill Sims Jr.

"So much of blues today is about having a good time, dancing, and drinking beer," says Sims. "But I like to present a broader spectrum of the blues because I grew up hearing all of it, and I think it's important for people to be aware of the more complete history of the music. 'I've Got My Mojo Working' and 'Everyday I Have the Blues' are great songs, but they're not he whole story. Many different artists were affected by the blues, and I like to show the relationship between, say, Charlie Patton and Miles Davis, or between Lead Belly and Bob Dylan."

Adam Levy

Adam Levy's former "day job" was playing guitar in Norah Jones' band. Not surprisingly, his own music holds some similarities to his ex-boss'. They share certain laid-back musical qualities that swirl jazz, blues and country colorings into the singer/songwriter palette. In fact, Jones covered Levy's "In the Morning" on her Feels Like Home album. One main difference between the two, however, comes from the fact that Levy is a guitarist so his music naturally features a much more prominent guitar sound than Jones' piano-based music does. Not strictly a subtle strummer, Levy is not averse to attacking his guitar with enough ferocity to rattle the coffee cups at Starbucks. His penultimate CD, Washing Day drew this praise in Offbeat magazine: "Even the thorniest jazzbo snobs can recognize Levy’s potential to pen material for the next Great American Songbook." Levy's brand-new release, The Heart Collector, is an all-acoustic suite featuring Levy's most deft songwriting to date.

Photo by Jim Rice

02/14 - Tuesday :: Valentines Day with The Alexis P. Suter Band!

Photo by Jim Rice

Website: www.AlexisPSuter.com

Alexis P. Suter is a rising star on the roots, blues and soul scene. Her powerful bass/baritone voice, seasoned with raw emotion and a wide streak of attitude, has won the praise of the greats!

"She is one of those wonderful spirits, she's got her arms around you, you can feel that." - Levon Helm

"It's a rare thing to share the stage with great talent like that young lady." - B.B. King

"America’s number one contender for the new Queen of the Blues Alexis P. Suter!" - Dan Aykroyd

A true vocal phenomenon, Suter has been astounding audiences up and down the east coast for the past few years, backed by her tight, soul-rocking ensemble. The band is anchored by Ray Grappone’s solid, funky beats and Peter Bennett on bass. Guitarist Jimmy Bennett plays stinging guitar, Benny Harrison adds his passionate keyboard wizardry and soulful singers Vicki Bell, Glenn Turner and Linda Pino ramp up the intensity that has captured the attention of some of the best players around.

The Alexis P. Suter Band have had the honor of opening the show at the acclaimed Levon Helm Midnight Ramble Sessions in Woodstock, NY over 80 times. The APS band have also performed at festivals including the Pocono Blues Fest, The Mississippi Valley Blues Fest, The WC Handy Blues BBQ, Virginia Blues and Jazz Fest and the New York State Blues Fest among many others. Along with The Levon Helm Band, they played sold-out shows at the Beacon Theater in New York City, Bethel Woods Center For The Arts, The Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park, NJ and Central Park’s Summerstage.

Recently, Alexis and the band were the guest musical performers on the Imus In The Morning show, aired nationally on WABC Radio and RFD TV. Their song “Ride Ride” is currently being featured on a national commercial for howstuffworks.com. In February, they headlined at BB King’s in New York to a sold out crowd. The APSB had the honor and pleasure of touring the Piedmont region of Italy as part of “Blues Al Femminile”. At the 2009 New York State Blues Fest, the APSB were honored to perform with Mr. Dan Aykroyd.

02/17 - Friday :: Meg Hutchinson

www.MegHutchinson.com

Lyric-based, contemporary acoustic songwriter. Influences include poet Mary Oliver, songwriter Shawn Colvin, and mood maker David Gray. Originally from rural western-most Massachusetts, Hutchinson is now based in the Boston area. She has won numerous songwriting awards in the US, Ireland and UK, including recognition from John Lennon Songwriting Competition, Billboard Song Contest and prestigious competitions at Merlefest, NewSong, Kerrville, Falcon Ridge, Telluride and Rocky Mountain Folks Festivals. She released "Come Up Full" on Red House Records in 2008, and is now celebrating the release of her new album "The Living Side" February 9th, 2010.

The Knox Sisters are ten and twelve year old sisters from Putnam County who perform all over Putnam/West/Ct at benefits and small venues mostly to help out at charity events. Hailey Knox has been playing the guitar since she was eight years old has been featured on a small cable tv show and at Chris Bros' (107.1 The Peak's) Happy Hour in Portchester., NY. Samantha has just joined Hailey in the past year and is mastering percussion, guitar and harmonizing with her sister. They just recorded their first cd of well known covers together and Hailey will be releasing her own single this summer. The Knox Sisters can be seen on youtube under Haileyknox11 and are also on facebook.

02/18 - Saturday :: Marta Topferova

www.MartaTopferova.com

Marta Topferova (vocals)

Ben Monder (guitar)

Ugonna Okegwe (bass)

Adam Cruz (drums)

Marta Topferova is a multi-lingual singer/songwriter with a unique background. Growing up, Marta sang classical and folk music in two choruses. After immigrating to the US from her native Czech republic, she developed a deep affinity with Latin American music, and became one of the most graceful interpreters and composers working in the Spanish language today. However, after producing four albums in Spanish and one in Czech, Marta felt a calling to express herself in English, and began writing a new batch of songs that rapidly developed into a highly personal sound, exploring elements such as electric guitar, backbeats, together with the Venezuelan cuatro, keys, and various woodwinds. Marta has polished her craft over the last fifteen years of living in New York City, working with a diverse pool of musicians, and touring internationally. Her style is both poetic and uplifting, and “The Other Shore” marks a significant achievement in the singer's creative output. Marta will be joined by guitarist Ben Monder, bassist Ugonna Okegwo, drummer Adam Cruz, and a special guest.

02/19 - Sunday :: Lucky Peterson

Photo by Jim Rice

Website: www.Myspace.com/LuckyPetersonMusic

WINNER – BLUES ALBUM OF THE YEAR – 2010 Grand Prix du Disque (FRANCE)

NOMINEE – BEST ACOUSTUC BLUES ALBUM – 2011 Blues Music Awards (USA)

Lucky Peterson was discovered by blues legend Willie Dixon when he was three years old, released his first record at five and soon after appeared on The Tonight Show. Trained by keyboardists Bill Doggett and Jimmy Smith, Peterson went on to play behind Little Milton, Bobby “Blue” Bland and Kenny Neal. On return from the “Young Blues Giants” tour of Europe, he signed first with Alligator, then Verve, Blue Thumb and Birdology/Dreyfus, where he recorded what Amazon.com called “his finest album,” Black Midnight Sun, in 2003. The New Yorker called him “a master of the guitar, organ and microphone.

His journey was not a smooth one, and Peterson spent the next few years in transition. In 2010, Lucky came back stronger than ever, releasing the aptly titled You Can Always Turn Around. An acoustic album recorded in New York’s Hudson Valley, it soared to the top of the Blues and Americana charts with radio hits (now concert favorites) “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free,” “Trouble” and “Statesboro Blues.” Downbeat gave the album Four Stars (★ ★ ★ ★), and Chicago’s Illinois Entertainer called it “"Perhaps the most moving and innovative blues CD of the year.” Lucinda Williams raved that "Lucky Peterson's version of my song, "Atonement" just blew me away! It is just spectacular!!!”

Lucky has since gone on to receive major awards, nominations and high praise around the globe for the recording, and for his re-vamped live show, now featuring his lovely and immensely talented wife Tamara Peterson on vocals. Lucky and Tamara could very well be the hardest working couple in show business – their show is a high energy blues & soul revival; concert goers should expect to be sanctified and satisfied!

02/23 - Thursday :: Jim Campilongo Electric Trio

Website: www.JimCampilongo.com

Billboard Magazine calls Jim Campilongo, “an American treasure”, an accolade this guitarist’s artistry and influential career has richly earned him.

With nine albums of original material and guest appearances on dozens of recordings; from the Bammie-winner’s contribution on Cake’s million-selling “Prolonging the Magic” to (most recently) doing lead guitar duties with Martha Wainwright, Teddy Thompson and The Little Willies, his band with Norah Jones, He’s also had repeat appearances on David Letterman, Conan O'Brien and been interviewed on many major radio shows. Campilongo is also a published guitar teacher and contributing editor for Guitar Player Magazine. Campilongo’s virtuosity and originality has inspired a generation of guitar players. His songwriting uses a palette of the best in Blues, Country, Jazz and Rock with a sensitivity and wit that has also earned him the broad fan base most instrumental guitarist never enjoy.

In 2010 Fender Guitars bestowed Jim the honor of the Campilongo Signature Telecaster, a high quality instrument made by Fender’s elite Custom Shop.

Since 2005 the Jim Campilongo Electric Trio have performed every Monday at NYC’s Living Room. Time Out NYC recommended as “one of the city’s strongest” and “...Monday night means Jim Campilongo..."

02/24 - Friday :: Tigran Hamasyan Quintet

www.TigranHamasyan.com

He’s barely into his twenties, but this exceptional jazz pianist is racking up the prizes. His compositions reveal an original and utterly free musical mind, with Hamasyan fearlessly integrating elements of Armenian folklore and even hard rock. The virtuoso returns by popular demand after his two sold-out concerts solo at last summer’s Festival and a spectacular success in L’Astral this past winter. This time out, he appears in a quintet, with the young talented musicians of Arrata Rebirth, to illustrate why his music is the most exciting jazz on the scene right now.

02/25 - Saturday :: KJ Denhert & The New York Unit

Photo by Jim Rice

Website :: www.KJDenhert.com

KJ Denhert is a unique artist, singer, guitarist and songwriter who calls her music Urban Folk and Jazz. Her voice is powerful, her lyrics full of intelligent insight, and her musicianship is impeccable. Her eclectic yet unified performances reach out to many different types of audiences without compromising her music and beliefs. She is heard at her best on her most recent recording, Lucky 7 and is known to be especially good live. She performs the unusual feat of being both highly individual and quite accessible.

KJ remembers, “I picked up a guitar when I was ten and immediately I started writing music. I loved Sergio Mendes’ songs, liked John Hartford on the Glenn Campbell Show and really got into James Taylor and Joni Mitchell who I still consider my two main influences. I also loved the singer-songwriters of the time including Carole King and Laura Nyro and later fell in love with Steely Dan’s music, and just wore out my copy of Hubert Laws’ Rite Of Spring. I was completely self-taught, by llistening to records and playing them over and over, teaching myself tablature from a great James Taylor book and modal tunings from Joni Mitchell’s For The Roses song book. I didn’t really do anything but play guitar through my teenage years.”

Website: www.TheTresAmigos.BandCamp.com

Fresh off a 14-state, cross-country tour, The Tres Amigos are one of New York City's hottest folk acts, presenting high-energy original music and forgotten gems in bold, acrobatic performances. Behind those matching mariachi shirts are virtuosic musicians and songwriters, delivering the goods in sunny three-part harmony, with all the vibe of your uncle’s old ‘45’s. The average Tres Amigos performance careens effortlessly from bluegrass, to country, to early jazz, with a tinge of latin influence thrown in— a testament to the diverse and interconnected origins of American music.

Recent performances include a 3-night run at The Blue Note in NYC, the 1st annual Rockabilly Mountain Meltdown festival in Olean New York, the Blue Plate Special Radio Show in Knoxville TN, Ashkenaz in Berkeley CA and all sorts of festivals, BBQ joints, radio stations, dive bars, and retirement communities in between. The Tres Amigos are promoting their first CD, entitled "The Tres Amigos Sampler Platter."

Hailing from the rolling hills of North Carolina, vocalist/guitarist Justin Poindexter is the descendent of a long line of country singers. His songs and guitar pickin’ have been featured in award-winning films and albums, and in hundreds of venues from Georgia roadhouses to Lincoln Center in New York City. Justin is the recipient of numerous grants for his music research and composition, including grants from the Semans’ Art Fund and the Howard Hanson Institute for American Music.

Vocalist/accordionist Sam Reider is to The Tres Amigos what the green chili is to the tamale. His wild and constantly surprising playing has been lighting up stages all across the country. Raised in the musical hotbed of San Francisco, Sam's voice and keyboard stylings have been featured on Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz on National Public Radio and in a variety of touring bands and orchestras.

An alumni of the North Carolina School of the Arts and the Juilliard School, vocalist/saxophonist/percussionist Eddie Ray Barbash is the virtuosic fuel of The Tres Amigos machine. Winner of many awards for saxophone performance, Eddie Ray has performed in festivals all over the world including New Orleans’ Jazz Fest and the Monterey Jazz Festival. In his duel role as percussionist, Eddie wields the stradivarius of washboards, the Zinc King.

02/26 - Sunday :: 5 o'clock :: Gustafer Yellowgold

Web Site: www.GustaferYellowgold.com

Gustafer Yellowgold concerts are a unique blend of live music and moving image. The minimally animated illustrations are accompanied by illustrator/songwriter Morgan Taylor’s catchy and original story-songs for a truly different multimedia experience that is entrancing children, teens and adults alike.

Gustafer is a friendly creature who came to Earth from the sun and has an unusual magnetism for making friends with some of Earth's odder creatures. His best friend is Forrest Applecrumbie the flightless Pterodactyl. Gustafer and Forrest built a small cottage-style home on the edge of an uncharted wooded area in Minnesota. He has a pet Eel named Slim (short for Slimothy) and a pet Dragon named Asparagus who lives in his fireplace and loves corn on the cob. Gustafer's pals, the Mustard Slugs practice their math under the shrubbery.

Since his creation in 2005, Gustafer Yellowgold has become an international phenomenon, acclaimed by the New York Times, which said, “The show is a cross between ‘Yellow Submarine’ and Dr. Seuss.” Entertainment Weekly praised “…The most infectious original songs. It’s like tapping into some pleasure center in the brain- both adult and kid…absurdly appealing. Grade: A.” New York Magazine named Morgan Taylor “Best Kids’ Performer” in its 2008 Best of New York Awards. Take a look at Gustafer’s MySpace page to see what his fans think!

The Gustafer Yellowgold Show, with its unique crossover appeal, has performed as the wild-card opening act for Wilco and The Polyphonic Spree. Gustafer recently made his off-Broadway debut at the DR2 Theatre in a new show, Gustafer Yellowgold’s Mellow Sensation. Tours to arts centers, children’s museums, schools, libraries, cinemas and theaters have taken the show all across the United States, the U.K and even Korea! Taylor's other projects include playing bass for The Autumn Defense (featuring John and Pat from Wilco), as well as a recording project with Tony Award winning songwriter Duncan Sheik.

The award-winning DVD/CD sets Gustafer Yellowgold’s ‘Have You Never Been Yellow?’ and Gustafer Yellowgold's ‘Wide Wild World’ were released by Apple-Eye Productions in 2007.

02/26 - Sunday Brunch :: 10-2pm :: Rachel Loshak

Web Site: www.RachelLoshak.com

What makes Singer/Bassist, Rachel Loshak’s music and sound so special is her sophisticated, orchestral approach to traditional pop music. Imagine a string quartet stripped of its native instruments and handed electric guitars and amplifiers. Melodic bass figures move like a boogied cello weaving with her pure and bell-toned voice, all forming an accessible foundation to the wide-eyed wonderment of her lyrics, which Loshak paints in broad strokes with a graceful sadness.

Rachel moved to New York City in the late Nineties from Suffolk, England and honed her songwriting craft with her unique ‘bass and voice’ style. Rachel has created four full-length LP’s: Firefly (2001), Mint (2003), Peach Pony (2005) (including a duet with Norah Jones) and Colors (2010). Peach Pony has been released in several international territories to critical acclaim. Rachel sang onstage with Norah Jones at the Grammy Awards in 2003 and is featured alongside her (and with Jesse Harris) on the Best of the Living Room compilation released in 2002. Rachel has recorded vocals with Moby, as well as Chris Ballew of Presidents Of The United States' family music project, Caspar Babypants on his album Sing Along (2011). Rachel has toured in The United States as well as internationally to Ireland, the UK, France, Germany, Scandinavia and South Korea.

After gaining extensive experience in the music industry as a touring musician, business administrator and creative graphic production designer, Rachel co-founded Apple-eye Productions with husband Morgan Taylor to create an outlet for their creative projects, including Gustafer Yellowgold. They now live in the Catskills with their two sons, Harvey and Ridley.

03/01 - Thursday :: John Raymond Project

John Raymond (Trumpet)

Nir Felder (Guitar)

Fabian Almazan (Piano)

Kendrick Scott (Drums)

Linda Oh (Bass)

“A dynamic and soulful musician, both as a trumpet player and a composer. John Raymond uses his knowledge of the jazz tradition to forge a style that honors the masters of our music as well as being creative, unpredictable and compelling. John has a unique voice, and he is definitely saying something that is worth listening to.” Jon Faddis, World-Renown Trumpeter & Educator

03/02 - Friday :: John Abercrombie Project

www.JohnAbercrombie.com

Over a career spanning more than 40 years and nearly 50 albums, John Abercrombie has established himself as one the masters of jazz guitar. Favoring unusual sounds and nontraditional ensembles, Abercrombie is a restless experimenter, working firmly in the jazz tradition while pushing the boundaries of meter and harmony.

03/02 :: Sunday Brunch :: 10-2pm :: Jeremy Baum Trio

Website: www.JeremyBaum.com

Featuring:: Connor Kennedy on guitar & Lee Falco on drums.

Over the years Jeremy has been a successful side-man, doing freelance work for MANY different artists, performing and/or recording with Shemekia Copeland (6+yrs), Joe Louis Walker, the North Mississippi Allstars, John Hammond Jr., Jim Weider, Melvin Sparks, Andy Aledort, Bill Perry, Sue Foley, Debbie Davies, Gil Paris, Chris O'Leary, Vance Gilbert, and many more (including the Bruce Springsteen approved tribute band 'Bruce in the USA'!)

For over 10 years Jeremy was a member of the Hudson Valley based Latin band Soñando. Jeremy also leads his own organ trio, which is rooted in the blues and features Chris Vitarello on guitar. Jeremy's first album 'Lost River Jams' was recorded in Feb 2002 and is available on Flying Yak Records. Jeremy's band was also featured on 'Boogaloo to McDuff', a tribute to Jack McDuff which is available on Scufflin' Records.

03/03 - Saturday :: Ciarlante / Katz / Sharrard

The CKS Band is a powerhouse organ trio and a Blues/Soul & Rock supergroup. The group features Randy Ciarlante (of The Band) on Drums & Vocals, Bruce Katz (of The Gregg Allman Band) on B-3 Organ and Scott Sharrard (of The Gregg Allman Band) on Guitar & Vocals. The band was formed in Sept. of 2011 and has since played the Bearsville Theater, Levon Helm's Midnight Ramble and many other venues to spectacular revues. An official live album is set for release in the spring of 2012 along with many more live dates in the hudson valley, NYC and beyond...

Randy Ciarlante (Drums)

Randy joined The Band in 1990, singing harmony vocals and playing drums. He played and sang on The Band's albums from the 1990s, including Jubilation and High on the Hog. After The Band dissolved, he joined the Jim Weider Band from 1998–2006 and continues to play with Jim Weider's Percolator band. Randy Ciarlante has also been a mainstay of the Woodstock NY music scene since 1981 and has played with many of that area's leading musicians over the years.

Bruce Katz (B-3 Organ)

Bruce Katz, a Hammond Artist Endorsee, is a legendary keyboardist who has played and recorded with Duke Robillard, Jimmy Witherspoon, John Hammond, Levon Helm, Ronnie Earl, Little Milton and many others in his career. He also has five CDs out as the leader of the Bruce Katz Band.

"This man is as good as it gets. One of the greatest keyboardists I've ever heard." John Hammond

“Katz is a killer on the B-3!” -Bill Milkowski, Jazz Times

Scott Sharrard (Guitar)

Scott is currently best known for his work as a member of The Gregg Allman Band. He has also performed with such artists as: The Allman Brothers, Levon Helm, Amy Helm, Jaimoe's Jasssz Band, Marshall Crenshaw, Kelley Hunt and Jay Collins & The Kings County Band. He is releasing his newest solo album (and follow up to his 2009 release, "Ante Up") in the Spring of 2012.

"Gregg Allmans secret weapon"- Glide Magazine 2011

"His guitar playing, much like his voice, is fluid and soulful, encompassing Cropper, Hendrix, and BB King. " -Brandon Findlay, Jambands.com

"An incredible guitarist"- Jerry Shriver, U.S.A. Today

Website: www.DavidAndAmyMusic.com

David Kraai and Amy Laber have each been performing their original material over many a mile and storied year. Now, these songs and stories take on a new shape as the musical charms of each accentuate the other. Country harmonies, sweet banjo, tasty mandolin, twangy guitars and soulful harmonica carry this duo from The Carter Family to Neil Young straight into their own right as a patch on the tapestry of American music. With positive press, radio play and several albums behind them, the future is truly wide open.

03/08 - Thursday :: Stephan Crump's Rosetta Trio

Stephan Crump (bass)

Jamie Fox (guitar)

Liberty Ellman (guitar)

Check out: New York Times article on the Rosetta Trio

Rosetta Trio is a uniquely colorful and hard-grooving all-string chamber jazz ensemble led by Memphis-bred Brooklynite bassist/composer Stephan Crump with guitarists Liberty Ellman and Jamie Fox. Hailed as “a string ensemble for the new century” by All About Jazz, the group formed in 2005 to record an album of pieces written in the aftermath of 9/11. That album, Rosetta, was greeted with inclusion on multiple top ten lists and ecstatic reviews for its narrative depth and outstanding performances. With an ever-deepening rapport from years of touring and recording together in different contexts, in 2010 the trio released its second album, Reclamation (“a low-key marvel”, JazzTimes) on Sunnyside Records, including an extended work commissioned by 92nd St. Y and New York Guitar Festival. The freshness of the compositions is matched by the dynamic, intimate synergy of the ensemble (“bareness in emotion”, NPR), which was hailed as “ingenious originals” by The New Yorker and featured in the New York Times weekend Arts section. Rosetta Trio, whose members have for years collaborated with many of the leading lights in the New York creative music scene, has developed into a formidable unit, sensitively and powerfully rendering Crump’s often profound, sometimes playful and always honest music. For their Live at the Falcon performance, the trio will feature pieces from the first two albums in addition to newer works in development for their next recording.

03/09 - Friday :: Blue Chicken featuring: Jim Weider / Brian Mitchell / Byron Isaacs / Clark Gayton / Randy Ciarlante

Blue Chicken is a Roots Rock Gumbo of all star musicians. Featuring ::

Jim Weider on guitar and vocals is a former member of the legendary group "THE BAND" and current member of The Levon Helm Band is a Master of classic Telecaster Guitar & renowned for his rock and blues-based signature sound. He is among a select group of musicians with an endorsement from Fender. For the past three decades, he's earned enormous respect from fellow musicians and music fans throughout the world.

Brian Mitchell on Keyboards and vocals is current member of The Levon Helm Band and well know in music industry circles and beyond for both his solo career and his high-profile collaborations. He has recorded and performed with some of music's most respected artists, Levon Helm ,Bob Dylan, Al Green, B.B. King, and many others .

Byron Isaacs on Bass and vocals is current member of The Levon Helm Band and also Ollabelle.

Clark Gayton on Trombone is current member of The Levon Helm Band and has recorded or performed with Prince, Rhianna, Brazilian Girls, Steel Pulse, Wyclef Jean, Queen Latifah, Quincy Jones, Sting, Whitney Houston, Stevie Wonder, Santana, Maxwell, The Skatalites, and Bad Brains, to name a few. In addition

Randy Ciarlante on Drums and vocals is former member of The Band. He played and sang on The Band's albums from the 1990s, including Jubilation and High on the Hog.

03/10 - Saturday :: Stryker / Slagle Band

Steve Slagle (saxophone)

Dave Stryker (guitar)

Jay Anderson (bass)

Clarence Penn (drums)

"One of today's most inspired two-man teams…" – David Adler/ JazzTimes Magazine

The Stryker / Slagle Band is a rarity in the jazz world. Guitarist Dave Stryker and Saxophonist Steve Slagle have stuck together and have been developing a group sound since the eighties. The Stryker / Slagle Band has released 5 CD's including 2008's "The Scene" which received 4 Stars in Downbeat, calling it “A superior snapshot of the contemporary center of jazz”. Their most recent CD "Keeper" is their strongest work yet, and continues to get great reviews. Dave and Steve consider this band their main focus after years as sidemen with many of the greats.

Guitarist Dave Stryker has spent over 13 years with Stanley Turrentine, and also worked with Jack McDuff and Kevin Mahogany. He has 20 CD’s out as a leader, (many featuring Slagle), and has been a sideman on over 50 others. Stryker was voted a Rising Star the last several years in the Downbeat Critics Poll. Gary Giddins in the Village Voice calls Dave “one of the most distinctive guitarists to come along in recent years.”

Saxophonist Steve Slagle has released 10 CD’s as a leader, and performed as a sideman on countless others. He has played with Machito, Charlie Haden, Milton Nascimento, Carla Bley, and Joe Lovano's Nonet, to name a few. Steve was musical director of the Mingus Big Band for many years. Jazz Times says, “Slagle ranks in the upper echelon of alto sax players on the scene today.”

03/11 - Sunday :: Kristin Diable

Website: www.KristinDiable.com

  When Kristin Diable says she plays "roots music," she is as much describing an approach as a genre.

Not long after successfully establishing herself in her hometown music scene, Baton Rouge, Louisiana native Kristin Diable dropped her life in the swamps to test out fresher waters in New York City. After selling most of her possessions to put down deposit on a 150 square foot rooming house apartment in Manhattan's East Village, she began making the rounds in the bustling Lower East Side music scene.

After a chance introduction, George Stein (Paul Simon, Jeff Buckley, Lou Reed) signed on to represent and later manage the developing artist. During her tenure in the big city, she quickly established a loyal following and regular sold out performance dates at revered venues such as The Living Room, The Knitting Factory, and Mercury Lounge. During this time she produced two records and signed to BMI. These records provide a glimpse into the diversity and depth of this 25-year-old songwriter, who often draws comparisons as diverse as Norah Jones to Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan to Rickie Lee Jones.

"There’s a young woman out of south Louisiana who has got some serious chops, a peroxide, leggy crooner with a soul like Lucinda Williams, the confidence of Grace Slick and the voice of a decades-ago Bonnie Raitt..... It was Kristin Diable. Devil in a white dress. Biggest thing out of Baton Rouge since rush hour." – April 2010 JAZZFEST review from Pulitzer Prize winning columnist Chris Rose.

03/16 - Friday :: JC Hopkins Bigish Band

Website: www.JCHopkins.com

Strolling into an East Village coffee shop, JC Hopkins looks just a little out of place. And not just because the Fort Greene, Brooklyn resident is beyond his home borough. Tall and coolly confident, immaculate in a three-piece suit topped by a tweed applejack cap, JC stands out in the neighborhood crowd of part-time punks, baggy-pants NYU undergrads, and graying bohemians.

Following in the footsteps of Hoagy Carmichael and Irving Berlin, Hopkins writes deceptively simple words and melodies that speak to something deeper, and more emotionally complex, with the potential to add a page to the great American Songbook. "It's the best of American Song from every era which most interests me," says Hopkins. He is a playwright, poet, filmmaker, painter, piano bar entertainer, Grammy nominated composer of wry, inventive tunes and front man for one of the hippest little big bands in the country, the JC Hopkins Biggish Band.

n 2001, JC formed the JC Hopkins Biggish Band. The band performed weekly at the burlesque venue, The Slipper Room, with a core group of players that included Norah Jones on vocals. JC and the band’s bassist Lee Alexander co-wrote "Painter Song" for her 2002 multi-platinum debut Come Away With Me.

JC's Biggish Band continued to germinate, attracting a variety of top New York players, and drawing sell-out crowds on both coasts. Singers as diverse as Norah Jones, Victoria Williams, Martha Wainwright, Justin Bond, Jolie Holland, Queen Esther and Madeleine Peyroux have performed with the band. Most recently the band has enlisted the talents of vocalist Champian Fulton and tap dancer extraordinaire DeWitt Fleming Jr.

03/17 - Saturday :: St. Patty's Day Blast :: Split bill w/ Aisling and Mojo Myles Band

Web Site: www.MylesMancuso.com

At around the age of nine he was affectionately referred to as "Mojo" in a newspaper article about him. Now 15 year old Myles Mancuso is a nationally recognized prodigy who fronts his own band - singing and playing Guitar and Keyboards. He's been billed in New York City as "New York's Youngest Working Bandleader".

Myles recently received an endorsement from Babicz guitars and opened for Blues Guitar Great Buddy Guy.... In the past Myles opened for the legendary drummer of The Band, Levon Helm, as well as Allman Brothers and Little Feat. In 2010 Myles also played at one of the largest Festivals in the country (Mountain Jam), Recorded a CD in a Woodstock NY Studio, made a number of guest appearances at BB Kings in New York City and continued to perform steadily at establishments where he's been performing for a number of years.

Along with his Guitar playing, his organ and keyboard work have earned him an award at the Berklee College of Music along with a number of guest appearances with Grammy nominated artists such as Slam Allen (James Cotton's Guitar Player and Lead Vocalist on the 2010 Nominated CD “Giant”). Slam and Myles have joined for special performances on a number of occasions; Myles plays organ and Slam on guitar and vocals... “This is a young man with some gifted hands” Slam says of Myles' abilities..

Myles has performed on some of the best stages in New York City… BB Kings in Times Square, The Cutting Room, Tera Blues, The Iridium Jazz Club in Time Square, Arlene's Grocery, Kenny's Castaways and others. His band has opened for major National acts and performs at Corporate Functions, Gala Events, Festivals and many other venues.

His show transcends age and musical preferences, referred to as "Inspiring, Educational and Emphatically Entertaining". His sound has been referred to as “Rockin’ Rhythm & Soul”…an updated Funk/Rock twist on a traditional American sound.

Website: Myspace/Aisling

Aisling (Aisling is Gaelic for "dream vision") is a Celtic band playing pan-Celtic music including traditional and contemporary Irish and Scottish music. Aisling is a group of inspired musicians from upstate New York who have been performing Celtic music in the Hudson Valley for the past 10 years. Aisling creates a "dream vision" at every performance! Aisling combines vocals, guitar, Scottish pipes, fiddle, harp, bass and percussion in their music. Aisling takes pan-Celtic music and rhythm to another level.

03/18 - Sunday :: Club d'Elf with John Medeski

Website: www.ClubdElf.com

Based in Boston (and recipient of the 2007 Boston Music Award for Outstanding Jazz Act) & lead by bassist Mike Rivard, the group features a rotating ensemble with special guests, which over the years have included John Medeski & Billy Martin (MMW), DJ Logic, Skerik, Marc Ribot, and many others. Each performance is unique, with a different set of players and different "mixes" of the tunes, with an emphasis on spontaneous improvisation.

A residency at Cambridge's Lizard Lounge has been ongoing since '98, and while performing primarily in the Northeast US D'Elf has managed to tour Japan five times, most recently in December 2010 w/ Medeski. The group has broadened its scope from the jazz and jam band and rave scenes in which it began, to also include more cross-cultural events such as the Mimouna festival (a North African-Jewish tradition). D'Elf is comfortable playing in wildly varying settings, with audiences ranging from fire-juggling Burners, to the predominantly Muslim audience which embraced the band's take on Moroccan folk music at the 2007 edition of the Festvial Du Monde de Arabe in Montreal, where they performed songs by beloved Moroccan band Nass El Ghiwane and Berber musician Hadj Belaid.

Having developed a unique sound over the 13 years of its existence, the band's music is nonetheless sometimes compared to On The Corner-era Miles Davis meets Moroccan Berber music with a heaping dose of Squarepusher. The band just released it's tenth CD entitled Electric Moroccoland/So Below, which garnered the band rave reviews from Relix magazine (where it also rose to #1 on their chart) amongst other press, and were featured on PRI's The World and Voice Of America. The 2-CD set represents two distinct sides of the groups sound: Moroccan trance and funky electronica/DJ-driven beats, and features over 26 musicians including Hassan Hakmoun, the late Mark Sandman (Morphine), Medeski, DJ Logic and many more.

John Medeski (organ)

Since 1991, John Medeski has been part of the genre-defying trio Medeski Martin & Wood. Building upon their jazz roots with the addition of different rhythmic styles, electronics and various forms of rhythmic grooves MMW have broken out of the traditional jazz sphere, garnering them fans from across the musical spectrum. MMW have shared the bill with groups such as The Roots, Beck, A Tribe Called Quest, Ray Charles, Hermento Pascoal, and Phish, frequently appearing in venues unavailable to most jazz artists. Medeski’s recording credits include John Zorn, Iggy Pop, T Bone Burnett, Ray Lamontagne, Dan The Automator, k.d. Lang and more. Medeski has also produced The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, pedal steel guitar group The Campbell Brothers, and two records from The Wood Brothers.

03/23 - Friday :: Alexis P. Suter Band

Photo by Jim Rice

Website: www.AlexisPSuter.com

Alexis P. Suter is a rising star on the roots, blues and soul scene. Her powerful bass/baritone voice, seasoned with raw emotion and a wide streak of attitude, has won the praise of the greats!

"She is one of those wonderful spirits, she's got her arms around you, you can feel that." - Levon Helm

"It's a rare thing to share the stage with great talent like that young lady." - B.B. King

"America’s number one contender for the new Queen of the Blues Alexis P. Suter!" - Dan Aykroyd

A true vocal phenomenon, Suter has been astounding audiences up and down the east coast for the past few years, backed by her tight, soul-rocking ensemble. The band is anchored by Ray Grappone’s solid, funky beats and Peter Bennett on bass. Guitarist Jimmy Bennett plays stinging guitar, Benny Harrison adds his passionate keyboard wizardry and soulful singers Vicki Bell, Glenn Turner and Linda Pino ramp up the intensity that has captured the attention of some of the best players around.

The Alexis P. Suter Band have had the honor of opening the show at the acclaimed Levon Helm Midnight Ramble Sessions in Woodstock, NY over 80 times. The APS band have also performed at festivals including the Pocono Blues Fest, The Mississippi Valley Blues Fest, The WC Handy Blues BBQ, Virginia Blues and Jazz Fest and the New York State Blues Fest among many others. Along with The Levon Helm Band, they played sold-out shows at the Beacon Theater in New York City, Bethel Woods Center For The Arts, The Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park, NJ and Central Park’s Summerstage.

Recently, Alexis and the band were the guest musical performers on the Imus In The Morning show, aired nationally on WABC Radio and RFD TV. Their song “Ride Ride” is currently being featured on a national commercial for howstuffworks.com. In February, they headlined at BB King’s in New York to a sold out crowd. The APSB had the honor and pleasure of touring the Piedmont region of Italy as part of “Blues Al Femminile”. At the 2009 New York State Blues Fest, the APSB were honored to perform with Mr. Dan Aykroyd.

03/25 - Sunday :: The Saints' Swing Dance Night!

Website :: www.SaintsofSwing.com

Dance Instruction by Chester & Linda Freedmen :: www.Got2Lindy.com

The Saints of Swing are an extraordinary collective of some of the tri-state area's finest performers. Providing a fresh and exciting experience in art and entertainment, the Saints of Swing specialize in eclectic and electric selections of foot-tappin' Swing classics... Hot N' Cool Jazz served up however you like it - from spicy New Orleans Dixieland style (complete with a dancin' tuba player!) to elegant New York City sizzlers... Motown, R&B... Ballroom favorites... and even 1,000,000-watt Gospel, Latin, and Klezmer classics!

04/06 - Friday :: Spottiswoode & His Enemies

Website: www.SpottisWoode.com

It has been a long and remarkably winding road for the English singer-songwriter Spottiswoode and his six Enemies. WILD GOOSECHASE EXPEDITION, the new CD from Spottiswoode & His Enemies, is the band’s most shamelessly eclectic recording since their debut eponymous release over a decade ago. It tracks the journey of a rock band on a doomed tour.

Produced for Old Soul Records by Kenny Siegal (Chris Whitley, Joseph Arthur, Johnny Society), the CD careens from balls-out rock, novelty blues and haunting balladry to acerbic sometimes tongue-in cheek social commentary.

WILD GOOSECHASE EXPEDITION is the band’s fifth release. Since their 1998 debut, Spottiswoode has somehow been able to hold together seven of New York’s finest musicians, put out a string of acclaimed records, perform residencies at the city’s best clubs, play Lincoln Center, tour the country, cross the ocean…all with a band that doesn’t even like him. He composes songs of all genres, and His Enemies are ready and willing to switch instruments and gears in the blink of an eye.

Spottiswoode also wrote ABOVE HELL’S KITCHEN, a rock opera based on Mozart’s Don Giovanni, which he, his Enemies, and an all-Equity cast performed to sold-out crowds in the 2010 New York Musical Theatre Festival, the world’s premier venue for new musical-theater works.

Spottiswoode’s songs have been covered by many musicians and featured in numerous films. He wrote and directed THE GENTLEMAN, a semi-autobiographical short film, which played for several years on The Independent Film Channel. More recently, three Enemies songs were included in Matthew Chapman’s THE LEDGE, starring Liv Tyler and Terrence Howard, which premiered in competition at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.

04/14 - Saturday :: Sheila Jordan Duo featuring Cameron Brown

Sheila Jordan (vocals)

One of the most consistently creative of all jazz singers, Sheila Jordan has a relatively small voice, but has done the maximum with her instrument. She is one of the few vocalists who can improvise logical lyrics (which often rhyme), she is a superb scat singer, and is also an emotional interpreter of ballads. Yet despite her talents, Jordan spent much of the 1960s and '70s working at a conventional day job. She studied piano when she was 11 and early on, sang vocalese in a vocal group. Jordan moved to New York in the 1950s, was married to Duke Jordan (1952-62), studied with Lennie Tristano, and worked in New York clubs. George Russell used her on an unusual recording of "You Are My Sunshine" and she became one of the few singers to lead her own Blue Note album (1962). However, it would be a decade before she appeared on records again, working with Carla Bley, Roswell Rudd, and co-leading a group with Steve Kuhn in the late '70s. Jordan recorded a memorable duet album with bassist Arild Andersen for SteepleChase in 1977, and has since teamed up with bassist Harvie Swartz on many occasions. By the 1980s, Sheila Jordan was finally performing jazz on a full-time basis and gaining the recognition she deserved 20 years earlier. She recorded as a leader (in addition to the Blue Note session) for East Wind, Grapevine, SteepleChase, Palo Alto, Blackhawk, and Muse, resurfacing in 1999 with Jazz Child. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

Cameron Brown (bass)

Jazz bassist, composer and educator Cameron Brown began his career in the mid-sixties, recording in Europe with George Russell and Don Cherry. These two wonderful musicians remain life-long influences and inspirations. Mr. Brown anchored some of the most important groups of the seventies, eighties and nineties, beginning in 1975. Sheila Jordan, Roswell Rudd, Archie Shepp and Beaver Harris were his mentors and bandleaders then. He has enjoyed special relationships with master drummers: Art Blakey, Dannie Richmond, Philly Joe Jones, Edward Blackwell, Idris Muhammad and Joe Chambers, as well as Mr. Harris.

04/20 - Friday :: Ben Van Gelder Quintet

Ben Van Gelder (Alto Sax)

Aaron Parks (Piano)

Peter Schlamb (Vibraphone)

Rick Rosato (Bass)

Craig Weinrib (Drums)

Consisting of some of the most talented young musicians from North America and Europe, the BEN VAN GELDER QUINTET ushers in a new aesthetic with international allure. Rooted in the jazz tradition, this group creates music that is informed by the spirit of the time. As the band shapes its original compositions, it projects a robust, yet shimmering wall of sound without abandoning the folk music origins of the blues. e quintet is transparently invested in community building--in creating a strong feeling in the room for members of the audience--and their music speaks to listeners of any age and background. e incandescent glow of vibraphone and piano, backed by an energetic, textured rhythm section, o ers a platform for improvisation and experimentation.

04/22 - Thursday :: The Funk Junkies

www.TheFunkJunkies.net

Not all FUNK is created equal some times you'll find something missing. A beat with no syncopation, bass with no grooooooooove, vocals with no soul. Therefor leaving the musical listener with a severe case of Honky-Pox. To guard against this we recommend you receive a soul vaccination administered painlessly by the "Funk Junkies".

After spending 3 years putting the "Funk Junkies" band together with some of New York's best musical talent we can assure you they are specialists when it comes to performing Funk music. This 14 piece band which includes a 5 piece horn section can lay down the funk! Check them out to cure what ails you and a "Funky Good Time" will show up on your test results!

04/24 - Saturday :: Donny McCaslin Group

Donny McCaslin (Saxophone)

Uri Caine (Keys)

Scott Colley (Bass)

Antonio Sanchez (Drums)

Born August 11, 1966, Donny McCaslin grew up in Santa Cruz, CA. After attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston, he joined legendary vibraphonist Gary Burton’s quintet with whom he toured internationally for four years. As a current member of the Maria Schneider Orchestra, McCaslin's performance on the 2004 album "Concert In The Garden" garnered a Grammy Nomination for “Best Jazz Instrumental Solo.”

In 2008 and 2009, McCaslin won the Downbeat Critics Poll Award for ‘Rising Star on the Tenor Saxophone.’ His 2008 release on Greenleaf Music, "Recommended Tools", appeared on many critic's top 10 lists for Jazz Record Of The Year. McCaslin's current recording project, "Perpetual Motion," will be released on Greenleaf Music on January 25, 2011.

04/28 - Saturday :: Pedro Giraudo Jazz Orchestra

www.PedroGiraudo.com

The Pedro Giraudo Jazz Orchestra is being hailed as one of the most daring and creative ensembles on the scene today. In the latest issue of Downbeat, John Murph calls their latest album ("El Viaje") “an opulent listening experience of modern, orchestral jazz, brimming with passionate improvisations, deliberate contrapuntal melodies and plush harmonies.” They've been performing regularly at the Jazz Standard, Birdland, jazz Gallery, Joe's Pub.. Pedro Giraudo, in the tradition of such composers as Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus, highlights the unique talents of each band member, masterfully weaving together pre-composed and improvised elements.

Originally from Cordoba Argentina, Pedro Giraudo moved to New York City in 1996. Since then he has become an in-demand bass player and arranger working in a great variety of musical projects. He has performed professionally with Pablo Ziegler, Kenny Garret, Marco Granados, William Cepeda, Chris Washburn, and Eternal Tango;, and recorded with Fernando Oteros X-Tango, Marta Topferova, Lucia Pulido, Mo'Guajiro & Jess Jurkovic. Pedro is seen regularly at the Jazz Standard, Birdland, Jazz Gallery and Joe's Pub, this is their first appearance at The Falcon, performing two sets, at 7:15 and 8:45 pm.

04/29 - Sunday :: The Saints' Swing Dance Night!

Website :: www.SaintsofSwing.com

Dance Instruction by Chester & Linda Freedmen :: www.Got2Lindy.com

The Saints of Swing are an extraordinary collective of some of the tri-state area's finest performers. Providing a fresh and exciting experience in art and entertainment, the Saints of Swing specialize in eclectic and electric selections of foot-tappin' Swing classics... Hot N' Cool Jazz served up however you like it - from spicy New Orleans Dixieland style (complete with a dancin' tuba player!) to elegant New York City sizzlers... Motown, R&B... Ballroom favorites... and even 1,000,000-watt Gospel, Latin, and Klezmer classics!

05/24 - Thursday :: Tillery with Rebecca Martin, Gretchen Parlato and Becca Stevens.

Website: www.TilleryGals.com

Individually, Rebecca Martin, Gretchen Parlato and Becca Stevens are three of New York’s most acclaimed and respected vocalist/songwriters. Together, as Tillery, they’re a potent collective force that’s more than the sum of its already formidable parts.

The threesome’s seamless creative chemistry and organic personal rapport makes for a powerful collaboration that’s been wowing live audiences since the trio first joined forces in 2010. United equally by an abiding friendship and a mutual admiration for one another’s talents, Tillery finds these three unmistakable individuals converging into a distinctive and deeply compelling whole.

05/25 - Thursday :: Jim Campilongo Electric Trio

Website: www.JimCampilongo.com

Billboard Magazine calls Jim Campilongo, “an American treasure”, an accolade this guitarist’s artistry and influential career has richly earned him.

With nine albums of original material and guest appearances on dozens of recordings; from the Bammie-winner’s contribution on Cake’s million-selling “Prolonging the Magic” to (most recently) doing lead guitar duties with Martha Wainwright, Teddy Thompson and The Little Willies, his band with Norah Jones, He’s also had repeat appearances on David Letterman, Conan O'Brien and been interviewed on many major radio shows. Campilongo is also a published guitar teacher and contributing editor for Guitar Player Magazine. Campilongo’s virtuosity and originality has inspired a generation of guitar players. His songwriting uses a palette of the best in Blues, Country, Jazz and Rock with a sensitivity and wit that has also earned him the broad fan base most instrumental guitarist never enjoy.

In 2010 Fender Guitars bestowed Jim the honor of the Campilongo Signature Telecaster, a high quality instrument made by Fender’s elite Custom Shop.

Since 2005 the Jim Campilongo Electric Trio have performed every Monday at NYC’s Living Room. Time Out NYC recommended as “one of the city’s strongest” and “...Monday night means Jim Campilongo..."

05/27 - Sunday :: The Saints' Swing Dance Night!

Website :: www.SaintsofSwing.com

Dance Instruction by Chester & Linda Freedmen :: www.Got2Lindy.com

The Saints of Swing are an extraordinary collective of some of the tri-state area's finest performers. Providing a fresh and exciting experience in art and entertainment, the Saints of Swing specialize in eclectic and electric selections of foot-tappin' Swing classics... Hot N' Cool Jazz served up however you like it - from spicy New Orleans Dixieland style (complete with a dancin' tuba player!) to elegant New York City sizzlers... Motown, R&B... Ballroom favorites... and even 1,000,000-watt Gospel, Latin, and Klezmer classics!

05/30 - Friday :: Adam Cruz Project

Website: www.AdamCruz.net

Born in New York in 1970, Adam Cruz was introduced to music at an early age by his father Ray Cruz, a well-known percussionist. Later, he studied with Keith Copeland at Rutgers University in New Jersey and Kenny Washington at the New School in New York City.

At the age of 20, he worked with Charlie Sepulveda, the Willie Colon Orchestra, quickly gaining recognition in New York Latin and Jazz circles. Since then, Cruz has gone on to record and tour with such noted groups as the Mingus Dynasty Big Band, David Sanchez Band, Leon Parker Band, Tom Harrell and Chick Corea's Origin Sextet. He's also performed with Mongo Santamaria, Airto Moreira, Herbie Mann and McCoy Tyner, Paquito D'Rivera and Eddie Palmieri.

He recently debuted his own working band in New York to enthusiastic response. Featuring Cruz's compositions and a combination of instrumental and vocal talent, the group engages listeners with material of surprising range and maturity that reflect his eclectic sensibilities.

06/22 - Friday :: Indo Jazz-Fusion featuring :: Aashish Khan, Ray Spiegel & Tani Tabbal

Aashish Khan (Sarode)

Aashish Khan is considered to be one of India’s greatest living Sarode players. He is from an illustrious family of great musicians and is the eldest son of maestro Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. Aashish was initiated into North Indian Classical music at the age of 5 by his grandfather, the legendary Allauddin Khansahib.

By the time he reached his early twenties, he was known as a master of sarode, and had gained worldwide respect as a busy concert and recording artist in his own right, a regimen he continues to this day with numerous concert engagements and recordings. Aashish was a pioneer in the establishment of the world music genre and has collaborated with such diverse musicians as George Harrison, Ringo Star, Eric Clapton, Alice Coltrain, Ravi Shankar, and the Philadelphia String Quartet, to mention a few.

Ray Spiegel (Tabla)

Ray Spiegel is one of the leading foreign born tabla players having studied for many years under the famous masters of percussion Ustad Alla Rakha and his son Ustad Zakir Hussain. He has performed and recorded with many of India’s greatest artists. Ray also studied vibraphone with jazz master Bobby Hutcherson in the early seventies and is an accomplished vibist in his own right. The melding of Indian classical and folk music with jazz, Latin, blues and funk is the focus of The Ray Spiegel Ensemble. The ensemble has two releases on the Simlahouse label, “Sum and Kali”, and “Raga Jazz” ( HYPERLINK "http://www.simlahouse.com" www.simlahouse.com). In the U.S. and India as both accompanist and soloist, Ray has appeared with musicians and vocalists such as: Ustad Alla Rakha, Sultan Khan, Zakir Hussain, Tejendra Majumdar, Vidyadhar Vyas, and Subhra Guha among others. Ray’s performance and recording credits include: The Grateful Dead, Patty Smyth, Diga Rhythm Band, Zakir Hussain and the Rhythm Experience, Gabrielle Roth, Bhagavan Das, Ravi Shankar, Bon Jovi, Danilo Perez, Najma, and Bill Cosby Television Productions.

Tani Tabbal (Drums)

Originally from Chicago, Tabbal was playing professionally at the age of fourteen. Since then he has developed into a master of percussion and has played and recorded with numerous jazz and world music artists. His vast knowledge of drumming styles and techniques combined with a wide dynamic range make Tani the perfect drummer for Indo-jazz fusion. He and Ray have developed a unique rapport from the experience of many concerts, recordings and practicing together.

~ And More Great Music Coming! ~

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