by Andrew Frisicano

William Parker Quartet

New York Guitar Festival, with shows between January 8th and February 4th, has already been mentioned here in a few different contexts. The "Silent Film/Live Guitars" portion is certainly a big highlight, with one-off performances by Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and Steve Kimock, David Bromberg and Marc Ribot, Alex de Grassi and James Blackshaw, and the fest closers Chicha Libre and Gyan Riley. Tickets are still available for all but the Vernon/Kimock show.

There's more on the schedule too. World Financial Center Winter Garden hosts a free opening show on Friday, January 8th with Hindustani slide guitarist Debashish Bhattacharya. There are also theme nights, with Barbes holding Django [Reinhardt] A Go Go (1/24) and 92nd Street Y hosting a Bach Guitar Marathon (1/31).

And LPR has two shows for the fest as well - a night headlined by James Blackshaw (with Max Ochs, Ben Hall, and Nick Jonah Davis too) on January 26th (tickets) and a previously mentioned show with the stellar pairing of Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog and Skeleton$ (possibly in Big Band form). A video of the Skeletons Big band from their December show at the Stone is below. Tickets for Marc Ribot/Skeletons show are on sale.

(Le) Poisson Rouge is also one of the main spots for the NYC Winter Jazz Festival this Friday and Saturday, when it hosts Jenny Scheinman & Jason Moran, Vijay Iyer Trio, Darcy James Argue's Secret Society and others. Other Village venues are well-stocked with talent too (and getting better - Saturday's Sullivan Hall lineup just added William Parker Quartet). Tickets to day one and two (or a two-day pass to both) are still on sale.

Iyer is also at the Stone this weekend, on Sunday (1/10), as is Tyshawn Sorey, who plays there Friday (1/8) (and plays the Winter Jazz Fest on Saturday).

While on the topic of Iyer, a few other excellent, top-of-their-game, consistently original pianists have shows in the same week (could be called the 'inadvertent piano fest'). McCoy Tyner Trio with special guest Gary Bartz are at Highline Ballroom on Friday, January 8th on a latin-tinged bill with Francisco Mela's Cuban Safari, Jon Batiste Band and Alfredo Rodriguez. Tickets are still on sale.

Ethan Iverson of the Bad Plus has a show at LPR, where he'll open with a solo "cocktail" piano set, with The Respect Sextet on Tuesday, January 12th. Tickets are on sale.

Pianist Brad Mehldau, whose new Jon Brion-produced album is due February 23rd, plays two solo sets at Highline Ballroom on January 14th, as a benefit for JazzReach. Tickets are on sale.

The full schedule for the NY Guitar Fest and videos are below...

Continue reading "NY Guitar Fest, Winter Jazz Fest & a bunch of great piano shows kick off Friday - updated schedules, venues & dates"

Chicha Libre

Jim Campilongo

today in NYC
* Whiplash @ UCB
* Chicha Libre @ Barbes
* Jim Campilongo @ Living Room
* Sam Amidon @ Rockwood Music Hall
* Rev. Vince Anderson @ Union Pool
* Johnny Butler, Peter Evans Sextet @ Zebulon
* Les Paul Guitar Trio w/ José Feliciano @ Iridium
* Emilyn Brodsky, Noah Britton, PAPS, Sing with Voices @ Silent Barn
* Julian Lynch, Pop. 1280, Big Troubles, Queening, Henry Hynes @ Bruar Falls
* Babies, German Measles, Nude Beach, Neato Fleets, Sandworms @ Death By Audio

Jim Campilongo plays the Living Room every Monday night.

Chicha Libre plays Barbes every Monday night.

Reverend Vince Anderson is at Union Pool every Monday night.

Les Paul used to play Iridium Jazz Club every Monday night. Now his slot is filled by the Les Paul Guitar Trio and tribute shows in his honor.

Whiplash is at UCB every Monday night. Tonight's free show has Jim Norton (The Tonight Show), Amy Schumer (Last Comic Standing), Anthony Jeselnick (Late Night w/Jimmy Fallon), Dave Hill (The Dave Hill Explosion), Tom McCaffrey, & Jesse Popp.

Check out Dave Hill's End of 2009 Interview.

Pianos usually has comedy every Monday too ("This is It"), but they are currently closed for renovation.

Vivian Girls/Woods side-project the Babies play three shows in three days. The first is tonight with German Measles, Nude Beach, Neato Fleets and Sandworms at Death By Audio.

The Death By Audio show is a Nude Beach LP release party.

The show at Silent Barn tonight is both free and an features a set by a band called ACLU Benefit.

Follow @BVticketsONsale for even more notice of show tickets going on sale.

My Brightest Diamond has a show coming up at Bowery Ballroom which is on sale.

Charlotte Gainsbourg and Beth Orton have shows coming up at The Bell House.

Aziz Ansari has live shows, a CD, and a DVD in his future.

ALL has live shows in their future, but not this month anymore.

Handsome Furs have just one show scheduled at the moment, and it's here in the NYC-area.

Ed Banger is throwing a big party at Terminal 5 in February.

A Storm of Light played the show with Coalesce and Coliseum at Europa on 12/30. Pictures HERE. A video below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Monday?"

Bon Iver @ Sasquatch Fest (more by Chris Graham)

Tickets are now on sale for all of Merkin Hall's upcoming 2009/10 concerts. Those shows include the NY Guitar Festival's Silent Films/Live Guitars series (previously mentioned here), which features David Bromberg and Marc Ribot playing alongside Charlie Chaplin films on January 14th, Bon Iver's Justin Vernon (Charlie Chaplin's The Gold Rush) with Steve Kimock (Buster Keaton's Cops) on January 21st, and more. The full lineup, with details, is below.

The venue is also hosting the New Sounds series, which includes performances by ETHEL and the Bang on a Can All-Stars. Details on those are below. Check out a video of the BoaC All-Stars rehearsing a Steve Reich piece from a few years back below too. You'll notice Bryce Dessner of the National is in the ensemble in that video. He's currently working on his own new piece with brother Aaron and Matthew Ritchie to debut at BAM this fall.

Also, as part of their trio of "Contemporary Contexts" concerts, Merkin Hall will be bringing Signal, who will premiere a new work from Nico Muhly and UK composer Harrison Birtwistle, in May.

The full schedule is below...

Continue reading "Bon Iver, Marc Ribot & other NY Guitar Fest tickets on sale ++ full upcomng Merkin Hall schedule (New Sounds, etc)"

by Andrew Frisicano

Free show series Roosevelt Live will happen this summer on Roosevelt Island's Riverwalk Commons. The shows, scheduled for Saturdays at 4pm, will feature mostly local acts. Scheduled performers include piano-fronted band Wakey Wakey, indie-rockers Frances, Brooklyn country dude Alex Battles (of The Whiskey Rebellion) and local comedy/stunt troupe Improv Everywhere.

Improv Everywhere is the group responsible for the No Pants! subway rides. It most recently pulled off an April Fool's Day stunt where the group showed up en masse to a random, underattended funeral to make it "The Best Funeral Ever." It turns out the whole thing was staged, a fact the CW11 piece on the stunt failed to note (videos below).

Another recent-news tidbit from the Roosevelt Live performers, Frances frontman Paul Hogan scored indie-doc Must Read After My Death, which played at Manhattan's Quad Cinema in February and is now available for download at Gigantic Digital. Frances also plays the 92YTribeca on Saturday, April 4th with The Subjects and Glass Ghost. (Tickets for that show are on sale.)

Frances' Roosevelt Live performance takes place on June 20th, the same day that music blogger collective "After The Jump" is planning a festival on the same island. No more details on that one yet.

Full schedule (and flyer) with videos from the above-mentioned acts (plus a Coldplay tracked video of Roosevelt Island) below...

Continue reading "concerts on Roosevelt Island in 2009 - Improv Everywhere, Alex Battles, After the Jump, Frances & more "

On the eve the release of his first studio album in seven years, Femi Kuti has confirmed a U.S. tour that will see the Afrobeat legend play venues from coast to coast in January 2009.

Femi's forthcoming album, Day By Day, is set for release November 18 and will be the first release from the new Downtown Records imprint Mercer Street Records. Femi launched back onto the public stage this fall when he was featured on emerging artist and label mate, Brett Dennen's hit, "Make You Crazy."

Not content to merely follow in the footsteps of his famous father, Fela Kuti, Femi continues to expand his musical palette with his latest studio release, Day By Day, a hybrid of Afro-pop, jazz and urban influences. Femi is world renowned as a gifted songwriter and performer who continues to push the boundaries of Afrobeat rather than resting on his legacy. He has toured America with alt-rock band Jane's Addiction, sang on Rachid Taha's Made In Medina album and reached out to the American hip-hop community connecting with artists such as Mos Def, D'Angelo, Nile Rodgers, Erykah Badu and the Roots.

Femi Kuti is headlining Webster Hall in NYC on January 8th. Tickets for that show go on sale Friday at noon (with the Am Ex presale starting 2 days earlier). THEN, just three days later, Femi will be back in NYC to play Webster Hall again, but that time as part of the 13-band bill packaged together as GlobalFEST 2009.

For the sixth year, this leading showcase for international sounds keeps a foot in the door of cultural exchange, giving dozens of musicians access to the national stage. The event takes place on January 11, 2009 on three stages at the newly remodeled Webster Hall in New York City. With just one ticket, festival-goers can see thirteen acts in one night, representing diverse global styles, from groundbreaking hybrids to little-known traditions, and in three unique settings under the same roof.

Line-up to feature Calypso Rose, Chicha Libre, Femi Kuti & the Positive Force, Hot 8 Brass Band, Kailash Kher's Kailasa, L&O, La Troba Kung-fú, Marcio Local, Occidental Brothers Dance Band International, Shanbehzadeh Ensemble, Tanya Tagaq, and Watcha Clan.

Tickets for that are already on sale. Any recommendations on that bill? All Femi tour dates below...

Continue reading "Femi Kuti - 2009 Tour Dates (Webster Hallx2, GlobalFEST)"