With live music on lock down (like everything else currently in New York City) live streams and old concerts have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. While this current state of pandemic separation is in order we will highlight various shows/streams/virtual events for your viewing and listening pleasure and you can always check out or weekly Full Show Friday series for concerts from the past. Please support the artists any which way you can.
Today we highlight: Shemekia Copeland - Uncivil War Debut Concert
Shemekia Copeland is debuting your newest release live tonight from Dizzy's in NYC:
With live music on lock down (like everything else currently in New York City) live streams and old concerts have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. While this current state of pandemic separation is in order we will highlight various shows/streams/virtual events for your viewing and listening pleasure and you can always check out or weekly Full Show Friday series for concerts from the past. Please support the artists any which way you can.
Today we highlight: Mephiskapheles - The Seance
RtBE's favorite ska band of all-time Mephiskapheles will be holding The Seance tonight at 9pm EST:
Rob Mazurek has been doing his thing on the Chicago jazz scene for almost twenty five years and his newest album Dimensional Stardust is a definite high point during that time. His Exploding Star Orchestra has been going strong since 2005 and their approach to avant-garde and free jazz hits a few magical moments throughout the new album.
The orchestra is a large collective with with Mazurek leading the way as director/composer as well as contributing on piccolo trumpet, electronic renderings, modular synth. Other players are Damon Locks - voice, electronics, texts Nicole Mitchell - flutes Macie Stewart - violins Tomeka Reid - cellos Joel Ross - vibraphone Jeff Parker - guitar Jaimie Branch - trumpet Angelica Sanchez - acoustic piano, electric piano Ingebrigt Håker Flaten - bass Chad Taylor - drums, percussion Mikel Patrick Avery - drums, percussion John Herndon - drum machines.
Opener "Sun Core Tet (Parable 99)" begins the record brightly with tense violins, a moving flute and bass rolls. The ending of the track features a cool rhythmic breakdown while the following "A Wrinkle In Time Sets Concentric Circles Reeling" makes for an excellent one-two opening punch with it's killer interlocking finale. While Locks lyrics add a different feel to the straight jazz they aren't very enlightening but the bass thumping and synths/strings propel "Galaxy 1000".
"The Careening Prism Within (Parable 43)" is at the heart of this release as avant-garde dance music and it would be great if it stretched out even further. The album dips with the less engaging "Abstract Dark Energy (Parable 9)" and repetitive flute work of "Parable of Inclusion" but picks back up with the percussive title track that uses fiery xylophone and drums as trumpet notes hold strong among the swirling beats.
The record wraps up on the gorgeous hypnotic closer "Autumn Pleiades" which is a dynamite collaboration between all involved. Mazurek has written and arraigned a challenging yet rewarding full length with Dimensional Stardust as his Exploding Star Orchestra deliver the outer space sounds and shapes which are incredibly accessible this go round.
With live music on lock down (like everything else currently in New York City) live streams and old concerts have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. While this current state of pandemic separation is in order we will highlight various shows/streams/virtual events for your viewing and listening pleasure and you can always check out or weekly Full Show Friday series for concerts from the past. Please support the artists any which way you can.
Today we highlight: Earthless - Live From The Casbah 1/16
2020 brought with it many surprises, a pleasant one was the return of the excellent New Orleans Nightcrawlers who released their first album in 11 years titled Atmosphere. The brass band get down with comfortable ease on the free flowing album, proving they haven't lost a step.
Founded in the tradition of The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, the Nightcrawlers play bras band with a mix of high arraignments and party atmosphere funk.The band pay tribute to the legends via a sousaphone led rendition of Eric Traub's "Glasshouse" where The Dirty Dozen held court for years.
The Nightcrawlers have changed since their first dynamite release twenty five years ago but for 2020 they still put out a strong lineup that is a of a whose who of New Orleans music with Kevin Clark, trumpet, Barney Floyd, trumpet, Caytanio Hingle, bass drum, Kerry “Fatman” Hunter, snare drum, Craig Klein, trombone, vocals, Miles Lyons, trombone, Jason Mingledorff, tenor sax, clarinet, Matt Perrine, sousaphone, producer and Brent Rose, tenor sax. The players all are prominent in other famous bands and some are professors of music making for Nightcrawler sessions to be a special coming together of players.
The opening "Gentilly Groove" takes the shape of long lost friends catching up in a relaxing environment before the bands interpretation of "Great Googa Mooga" amps up the fun levels riffing on the Lee Dorsey track.
Another upbeat winner is the bands tribute to their drummer as "Fat Man" is a good time stroll with a drum break for Hunter to shine while "Big Bottom" takes the Spinal Tap ode to tushy and inserts three sousaphones where basses originally went. "The Lick" brings in an overt cinematic flavor while closer "Fiasco on Frenchman" flirts with the avant-garde before delving into an excellent gallop with brilliant trumpet work.
The center of the album is anchored by New Orleans tradition with the Nightcrawlers spin as the dirge "Tomb Tune" walks the dead to the final resting place before the excellently exuberant "Ursuline Second Line" parade the living back to a party. Perfectly paired and place they elevate this collection of brass tunes from modern day masters of the craft.
The all-stars who came together for this go around of the New Orleans Nightcrawlers have lived up to the lofty standards on Atmosphere, a record that breezes by and makes you want to start all over again.
With live music on lock down (like everything else currently in New York City) live streams and old concerts have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. While this current state of pandemic separation is in order we will highlight various shows/streams/virtual events for your viewing and listening pleasure and you can always check out or weekly Full Show Friday series for concerts from the past. Please support the artists any which way you can.
Today we highlight: Tiny Desk/NPRglobalFEST - Night 1 of 4
NPR is delivering globalFEST over the next four nights starting at 8pm. Lots of good acts in the mix and it will be hosted by Angelique Kiddo:
In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a live cover by the Ron Miles of the Dylan tune "Senor (Tales of Yankee Power)"
Jazzy January has invade Mondays! All this month we will check out various artists covering Dylan with a jazz vibe.
Thoughts on Original: From the first time we talked about this tune: A layered and moving song, the real highlight on a mixed up Dylan album (Street Legal), "Senor (Tales of Yankee Power)" is musically riveting and lyrically haunting. Acoustic plucking, rolling drums and a forlorn trumpet color the tune musically while some straight ahead lyrics mix with the surreal and backup singers add "Oooh and Aaaah" behind the nasal delivery of the Bard. Looking at the "Painted Wagon" and smelling the "Tail of the Dragon" are just two examples of bizarre lyrics that could pertain to nuclear war or something else entirely making it all even more enchanting. A gorgeous music background with perplexing lyrics and a strong vocal performance...yup, I dig this one a ton. Cover:
Thoughts on Cover Artist: RtBE is new to Ron Miles who has played with legends in the genre and beyond. Thoughts on Cover:
Like last week, not the best video but a cool, unique jazz take on a Dylan tune, in this case one of our favorites.
With live music on lock down (like everything else currently in New York City) live streams and old concerts have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. While this current state of pandemic separation is in order we will highlight various shows/streams/virtual events for your viewing and listening pleasure and you can always check out or weekly Full Show Friday series for concerts from the past. Please support the artists any which way you can.
Today we highlight: Otter House Studios Virtual Music Festival - The Krays, Drunken Rampage etc.
Some punk rock to end the week as Otter House Studios in Long Island City is holding a Virtual Music Festival. It is kicking off today with bands like The Krays, Drunken Rampage and more:
We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...This week...Donald Byrd Tribute!
It's Jazzy January again here at RtBE, so get ready to kick off 2021 with some different styled shows every Friday. For this series we skew into new (or more recent) jazz lands. Keeping it current proves there is amazing live jazz still being performed no matter what Ken Burns says.
Over the last year or so we have really dug on on Donald Byrd's music so this one is a great find. The Donald Byrd Acoustic Electric Sessions Concert from April 28th, 2019 is a doozy. Here is the description of the show from Youtube:
The Donald Byrd Acoustic & Electric Sessions is a tribute to the late Jazz trumpet legend and educator’s acoustic mainstream jazz and electric music. This extraordinary ensemble brings together two important innovative music legends and two young rising stars to bring life to the jazz icon’s music. 2 X Grammy nominated, award - winning Pianist, Kevin Toney attended Howard University and became the leader of "The Blackbyrds", which was founded by Donald Byrd, Saxophonist Azar Lawrence performed with Miles Davis, McCoy Tyner and Freddie Hubbard, Trumpeter Johnny Britt - Trumpet, and Songstress, Dominique Toney.
Dr. Donald Byrd is an icon and one of the leading jazz trumpeters of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. In addition to over 43 solo albums, Byrd worked with some of the most prominent jazz musicians of that period, including John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins and Art Blakey. Just as Miles Davis was seminal to the impactful creation of the Jazz Rock Fusion genre in the late 1960’s - 1970’s, Donald Byrd's recordings on Blue Note in the 70’s were equality impactful in the explosive emergence of the Jazz Soul/R&B Fusion genre.
With live music on lock down (like everything else currently in New York City) live streams and old concerts have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. While this current state of pandemic separation is in order we will highlight various shows/streams/virtual events for your viewing and listening pleasure and you can always check out or weekly Full Show Friday series for concerts from the past. Please support the artists any which way you can.
Today we highlight: Benevento Russo Duo - Best Reason to Buy the Sun with Commentary
The @freaksactionnetwork is hosting a live streaming of the Benevento Russo Duo album Best Reason to Buy the Sun with the Duo chiming in between songs with conversations and commentary regarding each track.
It has been fun writing about music on various websites and publications over the last fifteen plus years, but nothing beats the act of creating music, playing it live and recording it. Our first EP was an excellent experience, a huge learning process for me personally, and the whole band are still very proud of the final result.
From the cover photo that stayed exactly as Bruno_Pek_ shot it, to the great production from our good friend Glen, to the contributions of everyone involved The A&V EP is a joy to remember. More importantly, we still like listening to it and you can do that now.
You can download from our bandcamp site, you can buy it from iTunes, stream it on Spotify or below. As always, thanks for reading, and on this day I can say thanks for listening to my music.
With live music on lock down (like everything else currently in New York City) live streams and old concerts have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. While this current state of pandemic separation is in order we will highlight various shows/streams/virtual events for your viewing and listening pleasure and you can always check out or weekly Full Show Friday series for concerts from the past. Please support the artists any which way you can.
Today we highlight: 12th Night with George Porter Jr. Trio
Covid19 has changed everything and New Orleans have completely changed it's carnival season to try to flatten the infections curve. What would normally be a month of gatherings, parties and parades will have to be done virtually or not at all as safety is the focus this year. Mardi Gras (and all leading up to it) will still happen, but hopefully infections won't balloon like they did last year.
Along those lines the celebration of 12th night will be virtual as The George Porter Triowill perform from the Maple Leaf Bar and be live streaming the show tonight:
With live music on lock down (like everything else currently in New York City) live streams and old concerts have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. While this current state of pandemic separation is in order we will highlight various shows/streams/virtual events for your viewing and listening pleasure and you can always check out or weekly Full Show Friday series for concerts from the past. Please support the artists any which way you can.
Today we highlight: Meschiya Lake Jazz Trio
Today from 3-4 PM CT you have an amazing old timey jazz trio fronted by the fantastic Meschiya Lake.
It is of Vintage League Music sampler release titled, Family Album Vol 1.
It is a mix of funky players delivering the smooth 70's inspired soul goods. Support the artists, buy the album, read the review and peep some video below:
The excellent full length debut from Nubya Garcia is a mix of styles with polish and flair. Source mixes genres with ease, vividly shows off Garcia's chops and is accessible to the non-jazz fans in the room. Produced by Garcia and Kwes (Bobby Womack, Solange, Nerija) the album displays a modern feel and tone.
Garcia has been working on the London jazz scene for a few years now and Source displays her talents in full, starting with the excellent opener "Pace". The intoxicating bass thump and sax lead the way over the almost eight minute jaunt; while there are multiple solos from all involved there is still a structure as the band move forward. In this vein another standout track "Before Us: In Demerara & Caura (featuring Ms MAURICE)" follows the same vein mix styles and substance with solos creating a greater whole.
Source leans on a chill vibe as "The Message Continues" showcases her smooth sax work with upbeat drums and cooled out electro keys while the title track develops a reggae/dub rhythmic vibe while soloists float along the melody. The record dips in the middle as the lounge based "Together Is A Beautiful Place To Be" runs on too long while "Stand With Each Other (featuring Ms MAURICE, Cassie Kinoshi, Richie Seivwright)" never fully coalesces.
However things pick back up on "Inner Game" as the bright groove kicks into gear and Garcia shines as the focal point with her nuanced sax work.Vocals also get added later in the album with flair as the Latin influenced "La cumbia me está llamando (featuring La Perla)" shines while closer "Boundless Beings (featuring Akenya)" injects a modern R&B vibe to wrap up the strong debut full length.
Garcia is already established in London jazz circles and with Source aims much higher in the wake of Kamasi Washington, Christian Scott Atunde Adjuah and other modern jazz emerging legends.
