Amelia Randall Meath and Nicholas Sanborn are Sylvan Esso.
You probably know about Mountain Man, the seemingly guileless female trio that I found particularly enchanting at the 2010 edition of Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival. Continue reading
Jen Chapin
You might think that Jen Chapin simply had no choice but to become a musician.
More than most American families, hers was full of musicians.
While her dad, the late Harry Chapin, may today be the best known of the lot, he was just one of many. Harry and his brothers, Tom and Steve, performed as the Chapin Brothers long before Harry found his breakout fame as a singer and writer of songs like the enduring “Cat’s in the Cradle.” Tom Chapin remains a regular performer and the Steve Chapin Band still plays from time to time as well. (Tom’s daughters Abigail and Lily perform as The Chapin Sisters.) And her grandfather, Jim Chapin, was a big-band drummer. Continue reading
Posted in Concerts, Contemporary, Folk, Interview, Jazz, Music, News, Recordings
Tagged Harry Chapin, Jen Chapin, PledgeMusic, Reckoning, Steve Chapin, Steve Chapin Band, The Turning Point, Tom Chapin, WhyHunger
Curtain call for “Jherek Bischoff Composed” at St. Ann’s Warehouse on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014. (© 2014 Steven P. Marsh)
Surrounded by some of the greatest singers and performers at work today, DIY musician Jherek Bischoff managed to remain composed Wednesday night at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn’s Dumbo neighborhood.
Good thing, too, since his two-night stand at the black box arts center is titled “Jherek Bischoff Composed,” which also is the title of Bischoff’s 2012 album whose works anchor the show. Before you read further, let me tell you now that you really should attend this show. Continue reading
Posted in Concerts, Contemporary Classical, Music, Pop and Rock
Tagged David Byrne, Jherek Bischoff, Nika Danilova, St. Ann's Warehouse, Zola Jesus
I wish I could mail this card to every one of you, but I don’t have your addresses. So please enjoy this classic Ardent Records greeting card image and have a very happy holiday, a merry Christmas,and a rockin’ new year!
Yo La Tengo started with a quiet set in front of some tree props. (Photos © 2013, Steven P. Marsh/willyoumissme.com)
In apparent confirmation of the notion that its annual, eight-night Hanukkah concerts died along with Maxwell’s, the Hoboken music club, Yo La Tengo skipped performing during the Festival of Lights this year. But the Hoboken-based band did manage to pull together a four-night, end-of-year run at The Bell House in Brooklyn over the weekend.
Never forget your roots.
Sunday night’s show was all YLT, all the time. It didn’t have the special attraction of guest artists and comedians opening for and playing with YLT’s Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan and James McNew. But it was a splendid way to wrap up the year anyway.
On Sunday, YLT opened with a set of quiet versions of songs, largely from this year’s album, “Fade.” For the second set, they cut loose, rocking out on a huge set of songs.
Joe Puleo on Farfisa.
Oh, and I’m slightly wrong about the “no guest artists” thing. The band’s longtime tour manager and man-about-town Joe Puleo joined them on Farfisa for one number. I guess that counts.
A huge tech and front-of-house sound area kept things running smoothly and quickly.
Enjoy more photos after the jump.
Posted in Concerts, Music, Pop and Rock
Tagged Georgia Hubley, Ira Kaplan, James McNew, Joe Puleo, Maxwell's, The Bell House, Yo La Tengo
Terri Thal and Dave Van Ronk at their home at 190 Waverly Place in Greenwich Village, in August 1963 (Photo by Ann Charters, courtesy Terri Thal)
Moviemakers Joel and Ethan Coen have gone to great lengths to let us know that their new movie, “Inside Llewyn Davis,” is not about Greenwich Village folksinger Dave Van Ronk.
The movie, which has been making the rounds of film festivals throughout the year and started playing in major cities a couple of weeks ago, opens nationwide this Friday.
Terri Thal (© Martus Granirer 2013)
Check out the interview with Terri Thal I wrote for The Journal News. Thal, a Rockland County woman who was married to him during the period covered in the film, and don’t miss her first-person account for the Village Voice. And read Van Ronk’s memoir, “The Mayor of MacDougal Street.”
Yes, Llewyn Davis, as played wonderfully by actor and talented singer Oscar Isaac, affects a Van Ronk look of sorts with his facial hair. And yes, many people, me included, took to calling the flick in early days the “Dave Van Ronk movie.” (That probably was before it had gotten a formal title.) Continue reading
Posted in Blues, Books, Country, Jazz, Movies, Music, News, Recordings, Review
Tagged Dave Van Ronk, Ethan Coen, folk music, Greenwich Village, Inside Llewyn Davis, Joel Coen, Terri Thal
Santa joins Puss ‘n’ Boots and guest for the onstage finale at The Bell House. (All photos © 2013 Steven P. Marsh/willyoumissme.com)
I remember my first time with Puss ‘n’ Boots — the supergroup comprising Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson, and Catherine Popper. It was January 2010, when they were part of a Doveman and Friends show at the Mercury Lounge.
There’s no doubt about it, Norah Jones is pregnant.
They seemed like they were having a lot of fun that night, but they were crazy sloppy, stumbling, playing in different keys, and generally just seeming a little too loose. But it was nice to see Norah, especially, in one of her many side projects where she isn’t the “star,” but just a player.
As always, Puss ‘n’ Boots didn’t spare the vagina jokes, especially when Catherine Popper sat down to play in her very short dress.
I’ve seen them a couple times since then, and my impression was the same: fun but too sloppy.
I expected more of the same from the 2013 Puss ‘n’ Boots Xmas Spectacular at The Bell House in Brooklyn on Wednesday night. I almost skipped it because I wasn’t expecting a particularly good show, but figured that with their special guests it would at least be a festive diversion.
The ladies of Puss ‘n’ Boots know how to throw a holiday party.
Check out more photos after the jump. Continue reading
Posted in Concerts, Music, Pop and Rock
Tagged burlesque, Catherine Popper, Corn Mo, Minnie Tonka, Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson, stripper, Teddy Thompson, The Bell House
I’ll be at the new BRIC House tonight to check out Stew’s Listening Party, a work-in-progress show.
Interestingly, this was originally billed as Stew and Heidi’s Listening Party, and was supposed to be a collaboration with his longtime collaborator Heidi Rodewald. But her name has disappeared from the program.
I haven’t heard reports from last night’s premiere, but I’m sure it was a trip. I’m booked at the7:30 pm show, which originally was scheduled to he the second andfinal gig. However, another show was added at 10 pm.
So if you got shut out before, you may be able to get tickets for tonight’s late
show by tapping here.
I’ll try to get take some photos and post them here later.
There was a lot to celebrate at Symphony Space in Manhattan on Monday night.
First, it was the reason everybody was there: a musical tribute to Kurt Weill’s longest-running Broadway show, One Touch of Venus, with an amazing orchestra and a fabulous array of singers.
First, it was the 70th anniversary of the snappy show — down to the day!
Second, it turned out to be the eve of the release of the decade-delayed Jay Records cast recording of the full show, which features quite a few of the singers from the Symphony Space performance — including a transcendent Melissa Errico (who noted “I’m wearing same dress I word 20 years ago … after three kids,” referring to her star turn in the lead role of the 1996 Encores! revival), the always- welcome Ron Raines, and the smooth-voiced Brent Barrett. (It’s available now on iTunes, with a CD release to follow at an unspecified date.)
Third, the chief dancer from the original production, Sono Osato— whose work we got to see in a wonderful collage of moving and still images at the top of the show — was in the audience and took the spotlight for a hearty round of applause. Continue reading
Posted in Broadway, Concerts, mp3, Music, Theater
Tagged Kurt Weill, Lotte Lenya, One Touch of Venus, Symphony Space
Singer-songwriter Jamie
Block, a longtime Hudson Valley resident,
will be doing his first Hudson Valley concert in ages at The
Turning Point in Piermont on Friday, Sept. 27. It’ll be the first
time he and his band have played the songs from his latest album,
Whitecaps On The Hudson, in a Hudson River venue. He sat down with
me for a candid discussion of his comeback and his music for
lohud.com/The Journal News. Read
the full interview here.
Friday’s show starts at 8:30 p.m., with doors at 7:30, at The
Turning Point Cafe, 468 Piermont Ave., Piermont. Tickets
are $15 and available by clicking or tapping here. Visit
The Turning Point wesbsite or call 845-359-1089 for more
information
Posted in Concerts, Music, News, Pop and Rock, Recordings
Tagged anti-folk, Jamie Block, The Turning Point, Whitecaps on the Hudson
Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone? 