Nels Cline at Winter Jazz Fest 2011 (more by Andrew Frisicano)

As mentioned, Winter Jazz Fest is returning to NYC and it begins today (1/11) and continues through Saturday (1/12) across multiple NYC venues, including Le Poisson Rouge, Sullivan Hall, Zinc Bar, The Bitter End, Culture Project Theater, and The Bowery Electric with many artists including Colin Stetson, Rafiq Bhatia, Nels Cline, Debo Band, Vijay Iyer, Toshi Reagon, and more. Two day passes and single day tickets are on sale now.

Full schedule below...

Continue reading "Winter Jazz Fest kicks off in NYC"

Colin Stetson

Sax wizard Colin Stetson is working on his new solo album which will be out at some point in 2013, but before that you'll get a chance to see him at an intimate NYC show with many guests at Zebulon on December 6. The show includes Colin doing a solo set, along with sets by Holly Miranda and her band, Sarah Neufeld on solo violin (Arcade Fire, Bell Orchestre), and Lone Wolf (aka Ryan Saywer). Then Colin, Sarah and Ryan will do a collaborative set with Stuart Bogie, Adam Roberts, and Ryan Ferreira. No advance tickets for this show.

Colin Stetson is also part of the lineup for the 2013 Winter Jazz Fest which goes down across multiple venues in NYC on January 11 and 12. Colin will be playing The Bitter End on 1/12. Other artists on this year's tentative lineup include Nels Cline, Rafiq Bhatia, Debo Band, Vijay Iyer, and many many more. The full tentative lineup (with still more TBA) is below.

Continue reading "Colin Stetson playing NYC w/ Holly Miranda, Sarah Neufeld & more before Winter Jazz Fest (lineup)"

Pete Seeger at Clearwater 2009 (more by )

The 2011 edition of the Clearwater Festival boasts some big names over its two days, June 18th and 19th, in Croton Point Park in Croton-on-Hudson, NY. Founder Pete Seeger will be joined by Drive-By Truckers, Martin Sexton, Indigo Girls, Josh Ritter, Arlo Guthrie, Suzanne Vega, Billy Bragg (who plays NYCx3 a month later), and man other artists who are listed elow. Tickets are still available.

In related news, Martin Sexton will play four NYC shows before that Clearwater appearance, as part of a residency at City Winery. Tickets are sold-out for Martin Sexton on June 2nd, 3rd, & 4th at the venue but he just added a fourth late show on 6/4, and tickets are still available.

All Martin Sexton tour dates and the full Clearwater lineup is below.

Continue reading "Clearwater Fest 2011 lineup & other Martin Sexton dates"

"The 2011 Solid Sound lineup thus far: Wilco (Fri. & Sat.), the Levon Helm Band, Thurston Moore, Syl Johnson & the Sweet Divines, Here We Go Magic, Dave Douglas & Brass Ecstasy, Pillow Wand (Nels Cline/Thurston Moore duo), Handsome Family, Liam Finn, Sic Alps, JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound, Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion, Glenn Kotche, Pronto, the Autumn Defense, Comedy Cabaret curated by John Hodgman featuring Wyatt Cenac, Eugene Mirman & Morgan Murphy, plus the return of the Story Pirates -- all at the largest contemporary art museum in the country with the backdrop of the Berkshire Mountains of Western Massachusetts."

by Andrew Frisicano

DOWNLOAD: Opsvik & Jennings - Windswept (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Opsvik & Jennings - Anchor Lane Parade (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Opsvik & Jennings - September and Starry-eyed (MP3)

Dave Douglas...

FONT (Festival of New Trumpet music) hosts Forward Flight, a four-night fest of diverse cross-genre jazz, chamber pop and classical, at Abrons Arts Center from Wednesday, January 13th to Saturday, January 16th. Last night was the opening benefit night which featured brass innovator and composer Dave Douglas, trumpeter and fest honoree Wilmer Wise and "a gathering of special surprise guests."

Tonight (1/14) Wise leads new chamber arrangements of Ornette Coleman works. Then Friday (1/15), the fest hosts an eclectic bill: chamber pop group Opsvik & Jennings pairs with electro-acoustic trumpeters Ignite a Noise Trumpet Trio (who also use iPhones, Wiimotes and more), Thrill Jockey jazz from Chicago Underground Duo (Rob Mazurek and Chad Taylor, whose new album Boca Negra , just came out on the label), and folk group The Low Anthem with special appearance by Dave Douglas. Full fest passes and individual tickets are on sale.

The tracks above are from Opsvik & Jennings's latest, A Dream I Used to Remember, which came out on the Loyal labelin 2009. A stop-motion video of Low Anthem's song "Charlie Darwin" is below.

Drummer Chad Taylor and another of his groups, Circle Down (with pianist Angelica Sanchez and bassist Chris Lightcap), will be at Jazz Gallery for two sets on January 14th. Tickets are on sale. The band plays again at The Stone on January 29th.

A full schedule and videos are below...

Continue reading "FONT Music's Forward Flight Fest is underway (Dave Douglas, Opsvik & Jennings, Low Anthem, & more)"