If on you're way out of the subway in late July you happen to notice a busker that looks a helluva lot like Billy Bragg surrounded by an army of other guitar-weilding maniacs, don't be alarmed. The spectacle is just the opening act for the two+ week Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival, which will feature shows with Mavis Staples (as discussed), "Laurie Anderson and Friends", Bettye LaVette, a girl-group heavy Ponderosa Stomp, the 28th Annual Roots of American Music Festival, The Bar-Kays, and many, many others at the Damrosch Park Bandshell and other Manhattan locations from July 27th until its close on August 14th. The full schedule is below.

Billy Bragg leading The Big Busk in the UK

The Big Busk is the first performance scheduled (and it happens twice on July 27th), and will see Bragg leading a play-along concert flanked by an army of cue-cards detailing what chords he is playing. Check out a video from a 2008 'Big Busk' that took place in England, below.

Billy Bragg will also make up his cancelled dates from earlier this year around that 7/27 appearance. He'll play City Winery in NYC on 7/26 (tickets), 7/28 (tickets) and 7/29 (tickets).

All Lincoln Center festival dates and lineups, and all Billy Bragg tour dates are below.

Continue reading "Lincoln Center Out of Doors 2011 schedule announced, rescheduled Billy Bragg dates too"

Eli "Paperboy" Reed at Governor's Island (more by Tracy Allison)

For the curious, J & R Musicfest & Tech Expo won't be just demos of the latest wi-fi enabled equipment. Over four days, the annual "fest" will dedicate two days to free shows across from its downtown location (at City Hall Park) featuring performances by J Cole, Alexis Jordan, Marsha Ambrosius, and Eli "Paperboy" Reed between August 27th and August 28th. Full lineup is below.

For those in need of urgent sweet soul crooning, you can get your fix TONIGHT (8/25), as Eli "Paperboy" Reed will also sit in as a special guest at Rockwood Music Hall with The Sweet Divines. Mr. Reed won't be the only guest sitting in with the band, as Dap Kings guitarist Binky Griptite, soul songstress Maxine Brown, and Inyang Bassey (backing vocalist for Moby) will all get the assist (in addition to an opening set from Bassey and Griptite).

Tonight isn't his only appearance with The Sweet Divines either, as both will ALSO appear at the 2010 edition of the Brooklyn Soul Festival held at the Bell House on 10/8 and 10/9 (though on different days). The two day festival will feature appearances from Barbara Lynn, Vernon Garrett, Don Gardner, and Reed on day one (10/8), as well as Betty Harris, Harvey Scales, Renaldo Domino, and The Sweet Divines on day two (10/9). Tickets are on sale for day 1, day 2, and a two day pass.

The Rockwood show flyer, J&R Fest lineup and times, and all Eli dates, below....

Continue reading "soul @ Rockwood tonight, J&R Musicfest this weekend, Brooklyn Soul Festival in October (all w/ Eli Reed)"

words & photos by Jacob Blickenstaff

Maxine Brown & The Sweet Divines

The 1st Brooklyn Soul Festival was a great success. Sell out crowd on the 1st night and nearly so on the second. The crowd was a nice mix of the soul intelligentsia, older music fans and twenty-somethings out to hear some good music. Both backing bands, Eli Reed and the True Loves and the Sweet Divines/Divine Soul Rhythm Band did a phenomenal job bringing the groove and nuance out of a large range of material with obvious love and attention. That set the stage for the artists - Hermon Hitson, Roscoe Robinson and Barbara Lynn on the first night and Maxine Brown and Otis Clay on the second - to shine brightly and deliver stunning performances.

"The Sweet Divines seem to be taking a tip from the Sweet Inspirations, a sixties soul quartet that included Cissy Houston, who was Whitney's mother and Dionne Warwick's aunt. In addition to recording their own songs the Sweet Inspirations sang back up for Aretha Franklin and Elvis. Similarly, the Sweet Divines have sung back up for soul singers such as Sharon Jones (see Purplish Rain). In a move that seemed to bring everything full circle, old school soul meets retro soul, on Saturday the Sweet Divines sang back up for Maxine Brown, who was backed up by the Sweet Inspirations in the 1960's." [The Strongest Women I Know]

Continue reading "The Brooklyn Soul Festival @ the Bell House - night 2 in pics (The Sweet Divines, Maxine Brown, Otis Clay & friends)"

words & photos by Jacob Blickenstaff

Eli 'Paperboy' Reed and Barbara Lynn @ The Bell House

The 1st Brooklyn Soul Festival was a great success. Sell out crowd on the 1st night and nearly so on the second. The crowd was a nice mix of the soul intelligentsia, older music fans and twenty-somethings out to hear some good music. Both backing bands, Eli Reed and the True Loves and the Sweet Divines/Divine Soul Rhythm Band did a phenomenal job bringing the groove and nuance out of a large range of material with obvious love and attention. That set the stage for the artists - Hermon Hitson, Roscoe Robinson and Barbara Lynn on the first night and Maxine Brown and Otis Clay on the second - to shine brightly and deliver stunning performances.

One of the great highlights for me (among many) was Maxine Brown performing a gorgeous take on "Piece of My Heart" - the song originally performed by Erma Franklin, then Janis Joplin, and then interpreted again by Ms. Brown around the same time. If felt as if the whole room was singing along.

The music at the festival was able to connect the different groups and ages in attendance as well as the artists themselves. Many musicians who had played previous nights at the monthly series Dig Deeper were in attendance. Dean Parrish, Lenis Guess, Otis Clay (on the night before he performed) and Baby Washington were all enjoying themselves, watching each other perform with respect and reverence.

The music of the festival spanned blues, gritty funk, Brill Building craft, Hi Rhythm grit, gospel raves and plaintive ballads - and most importantly connected with the audience as great music of the here and now.

More pictures from the first night, below...

Continue reading "Brooklyn Soul Festival - night 1 in pics (Eli Reed & The True Loves, Hermon Hitson, Roscoe Robinson, Barbara Lynn)"

Eli "Paperboy" Reed @ Madison Square Park in June '08 (more by Chris La Putt)

The Brooklyn Soul Festival will take place at the Bell House on August 28th and 29th. Acts on the bill include Otis Clay, Barbara Lynn, Maxine Brown, Roscoe Robinson, and Hermon Hitson.

Two nights of full sets from legends of soul music from around the country, rarely seen individually, never before on the same bill together - backed by two of the most in-demand bands in soul music today. Before and after the live performances, top soul DJs from around the world (Germany, UK, Georgia, LA, and NYC confirmed so far) will spin the finest 45s for the dancefloor. Vintage clothing and record fair the afternoon of day 2! On the first night, Eli "Paperboy" Reed & the True Loves will be the backing band (as well as playing some new songs from their forthcoming Capitol Records album), and on the second night, the Sweet Divines will be the backing band (as well as doing their own set).

Continue reading "2009 Brooklyn Soul Festival - 2 nights in August (Eli 'Paperboy' Reed & the Sweet Divines are the house bands)"