Wayne Shorter

The 2013 Blue Note Jazz Festival starts today in NYC and runs the entire month of June at various venues around the city. Now in its third year, the fest includes a wide range of music, not just strictly jazz. Tonight's kickoff (6/1) events include The Dizzie Gilespie All-Star Big Band at the festival's namesake club (tickets).

Other events at the fest: Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars on Sunday (6/2) at Brooklyn Bowl (tickets); Saul Williams at Highline Ballroom on June 11 (tickets); WyClef Jean at B.B. King Blues Club on June 19 (tickets); a free show with Yasiin Bey (FKA Mos Def) at Central Park Summerstage on June 24; and Wayne Shorter's 80th Birthday Celebration at Town Hall on June 28 (tickets).

For full schedule, visit the Blue Note Jazz Festival's website.

As discussed, Erykah Badu and Yasiin Bey have joined forces for a fascinating show called "YOU'RE CAUSING QUITE A DISTURBANCE":

A collaboration with four-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and 2012-2013 Brooklyn Phil Artist-in-Residence ERYKAH BADU and 2011-2012 Brooklyn Phil Artist-in-Residence YASIIN BEY (Mos Def) Featuring new arrangements from Badu's 2008 album New Amerykah Part One: 4th World War by Brooklyn composer TED HEARNE (plus original music by Hearne) as well as the legendary arrangements of Yasiin Bey's songs by composer DEREK BERMEL (plus original music by Bermel)

The June 8 show at BAM Howard Gilman Opera House have sold out, but a second show has been added the next night (6/9). Tickets go on sale on May 20.

In related news, Brothers Hypnotic, a film about the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble will screen for free on Friday (5/17) as part of the Rooftop Films series, and will feature a live appearance from the group who have worked with both Badu and Bey.

Badu is also playing Governors Ball, and Yasiin Bey will also play a FREE show on June 24th at Central Park Summerstage.

Erykah Badu at Afropunk 2012 (more by Gretchen Robinette)

"Queen of Neo-Soul" Erykah Badu has some scattered live dates scheduled for this year and she'll be making a trip to NYC for a pretty busy weekend here in June. For one, she was added to NYC festival Governors Ball, which goes down on Randall's Island from June 7 - 9. Tickets for that festival are still available.

While she's here, she'll be performing her 2008 album, New Amerykah Part One (4th World War), live at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House on June 8 with the Brooklyn Philharmonic and the Brooklyn Philharmonic's 2011-2012 Artist-in-Residence Yasiin Bey (aka Mos Def), who will also be performing a "reprise of selected works" from his 2012 Brooklyn Philharmonic installment, with Lena Horne and the Bed-Stuy Tradition. This show will be taking place right next door to the Barclays Center, a venue Mos Def has some issues with. Mos Def previously performed with Erykah Badu at Afropunk Fest 2012. Tickets for the BAM show are on sale now.

A list of all Erykah Badu dates and the video for "Honey" off of New Amerykah Part One (4th World War) below...

Continue reading "Erykah Badu playing BAM w/ Brooklyn Philharmonic & Mos Def, and Governors Ball (other shows too)"

Mos Def w/ Black Star at Rock the Bells 2011 (more by Dana (distortion) Yavin)

Like many, Mos Def, I mean Yasiin Bey, is none too happy with all this Barclays Center business taking over his hometown. Last week, he slammed the arena in a poem called "On center.stadium.status," which you can read in full below. Now, in an interview with Vulture, he explains the poem and his stance on the venue:

Where'd you write "On.center.stadium.status."?

Yasiin Bey: I wrote that in New Orleans, on the day they were having the opening for Barclays. People were calling me and asking, "Are you gonna be there, are you gonna be there?" And it just kind of came to me, rather quickly. I have been what some people might call an opponent to the stadium. I think the word opponent has many meanings. I was concerned about what the stadium's presence in the community might do. I was concerned.

About what, exactly?

Yasiin Bey: I saw one thing that was kind of a telling sign. I was on DeKalb Avenue and Flatbush, probably two months ago, and at the intersection I saw these not-quite-so-young men, in standing traffic, trying to sell bootleg Rolling Stones T-shirts. [Laughs] I thought, "This is the trickle-down economic effect of Barclays in the neighborhood?" I didn't think of it as a positive.

In the interview, the emcee also made it clear that he didn't mean any of this as an attack on Jay-Z:

In the world of hip-hop and certain parts of the media, you take a statement and you turn it into Wrestlemania, you make the Himalayas out of molehills. I wasn't interested in that. I respect Jay. I have great respect for him. I'm a fan. I'm not a fan of everything [he does] but I don't think you have to be a fan of everything that someone does to have respect for them. And you know, I'm from the town too. I'm from the same neighborhood, the same projects. My grandmothers, my moms, my uncles -- my first five years in life were at Marcy Projects. If I can't have an opinion, who can? So to quote Jay: "I'm bigging up my borough. I'm big enough to do it."

Grammy Award winners Mumford and Sons just played the Brooklyn arena earlier this month (2/6) and will again tonight (2/12) (sold out). Jay-Z's (also Grammy Award winning) wife Beyonce recently sold out her upcoming show (8/3) at the venue, and added a second one (8/4). Tickets for the 8/4 show go on MasterCard presale Wednesday (2/13) at 10 AM, Live Nation presale Thursday (2/14) at 10 AM, and general on-sale Friday (2/15) at 10 AM.

Mos Def will be next door to Barclays Center in June for his show at BAM with Erykah Badu. Read his poem below...

Continue reading "Mos Def voices issues with Barclays Center (no offense Jay-Z)"

UPDATE: This post was mostly about Sunday. Monday's cancellations HERE.

We'll keep you posted, but at the moment, Swans @ Bowery, Sic Alps @ Knitting Factory, and the show at Cake Shop are still listed as happening. Most other Sunday night shows (and a bunch of Monday shows) we would have listed are cancelled or postponed due to Frankenstorm (Hurricane Sandy). Subways and buses stop running at 7pm which is also when people living in "Zone A" are supposed to be evacuated by.

UPDATE: The Juan Maclean's DJ set at Le Bain is also still on (as of this post) CANCELLED too.

UPDATE: The Men are playing Don Pedro.

Union Pool doesn't have a show tonight, but is open.

ASPCA reminds you: All pets are accepted on the subway, taxi and trains during evacuation.

Fontana's says, "Hey everyone - we're going to be open this evening till we can. At least 2am. All Manhattanites workin the shifts - come keep us company."

Pianos is closed.

The Living Room is closed.

Cake Shop's show is now cancelled, but they "might still be open upstairs for fun and the bored-at-home-with-only-comic-books-you-haven't-read-yet-from-the-early-2000's. Stay tuned."

Spectre Folk, who were set to open for Sic Alps, at Knitting Factory tonight "have cancelled due to weather related travel issues. The show will go on with Sic Alps and PC Worship but will end early (10pm)." Tickets are still available.

Hannibal Buress is stuck in Houston. Not sure if his Knitting Factory show is going on without him.

UCB: "Due to MTA shutdown, both ASSSSCAT 3000 shows are cancelled tonight. Refunds will be issued to ticket holders."

All shows past 5:30pm at UCB East are also cancelled.

Pretty Good Friends is cancelled at Union Hall which will also be closed Monday.

The Bell House postponed an event tonight, and sadly cancelled Monday's Pat Kiernan Halloween trivia night.

Grimes, who has been in NYC the past few nights for her sold out four-night run, was set to play her last of those shows at Music Hall of Williamsburg tonight with Elite Gymnastics and Majical Cloudz, but due to the incoming Frankenstorm, tonight's show has been cancelled. Refunds are available at the point of purchase.

Mercury Lounge is also cancelled/closed.

Brooklyn Bowl is closing at 6pm.

The Molly Nilsson show at Glasslands tonight has been cancelled.

The xx were scheduled to play their second of two shows at the Paradise Theater tonight. They write...

Due to safety concerns related to Hurricane Sandy and the MTA shutdown in New York, we have been forced to postpone our remaining shows in New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore, including tonight's show at the Paradise in the Bronx. We are working with our partners to reschedule as soon as possible, so please hang on to your tickets and we'll advise as soon as we can. We'll have another announcement coming later in the week, including information on these shows and a new run of US dates in early 2013. In the meantime, please be safe. We'll be back to see you all soon.

Tonight's Ghostface Killah and Sheek Louch Wu-Block party at Highline Ballroom has been cancelled. Refunds available at point of purchase.

Villains is cancelled at Saint Vitus who write "We are closed this evening due to mandatory evacuation of "zone A". Obviously Mayor Bloomberg is not a Metal Head. We will reopen as soon as we can. In the meantime, enjoy this!"

Child Abuse at The Paper Box is cancelled.

Cat Power's Philly show at the Electric Factory has been postponed to January 2.

Brandie Carlile and Blitzen Trapper were set to play their first of two Beacon Theater shows tonight, but both tonight's show and Monday's show have been postponed.

Drom has cancelled multiple Sunday & Monday shows.

Sunday & Monday shows at Joe's Pub are cancelled.

"Due to impending hurricane, S.O.B's will be closed Monday and Tuesday. Shows will be rescheduled at a later date."

The Trey Anastasio Band show at Capitol Theater has been postponed to Monday, November 5. All tickets for tonight's show will be honored.

Louis CK was set to wrap up his run at the New York City Center tonight but has postponed the shows until March 2. Read his letter about postponing HERE.

"Pace Presents at The Schimmel Center for the Arts is disappointed to announce that, due to the effects of Hurricane Sandy on the city, our 2012 Banjo Summit with BELA FLECK tonight, Sunday October 28, has been CANCELLED. We are currently in discussions with the artists regarding rescheduling this show. More information will be released as we have it. Again, our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause. Stay safe and dry in the storm!"

Irving Plaza says, "Tonight's Xavier Rudd show is postponed. We're working on a rescheduled date, will send out info asap. Refunds avail at point of purchase."

The Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def) show at Apollo Theater, which was initially postponed to tonight from June 14, has now been cancelled.

"BAM Rose Cinemas will close today following the 4:40 screening of Argo. The cinemas will remain closed tomorrow and possibly Tuesday."

Blue Oyster Cult at Best Buy Theater is postponed.

Maxwell's says, "tonight's show with Ours has been postponed to Sunday, December 2nd. all tickets will be honored and refunds are available as well."

Carnegie Hall's Sunday & Monday shows are cancelled or postponed.

City Winery says, "Due to the inclimate weather in the New York area and the suspension of all major travel services tonight's (10/28/12) Shawn Colvin concert has been cancelled. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. The show has been rescheduled for February 3, 2013. In addition the Eric Hutchinson show scheduled for Monday, 10/29/12 has also been cancelled and will be rescheduled for a later date."

If you had been planning on celebrating Halloween with Rusko at Pacha tonight, you'll have to settle for spending New Year's with him. Tonight's show has been postponed until December 30.

UPDATE: This post was mostly about Sunday. Monday's cancellations HERE.

Jazz/hip hop/soul/etc artist Robert Glasper released the impressive Black Radio LP earlier this year and he'll follow that with an EP of remixes from the album, Black Radio Recovered - The Remix EP, this Tuesday (10/9) via Blue Note Records. The EP features remixes by 9th Wonder, Pete Rock, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Questlove, and one by Robert Glasper himself, along with Jewels. Starting this week, he's been revealing the remixes at his facebook and twitter as they premiere around the web.

Okayplayer has the 9th Wonder (featuring Phonte) remix of "Afro Blue" (ft. Erykah Badu), Complex has Pete Rock remix of "Black Radio" (ft. Yasiin Bey fka Mos Def), and Afropunk just posted the Georgia Anne Muldrow remix of "The Consequences of Jealousy." You can stream all three of those remixes below and stay tuned for the rest.

Robert Glasper is also on tour now and he'll hit NYC this month for a CMJ show, which happens on October 16 at SOB's. Tickets for that show are on sale now. He'll also return to NYC a couple months later to play Harlem Stage on December 13 and 14. He'll do two shows each night (one at 7:30 and one at 10:00). Tickets for all four of those shows are on sale now.

Speaking of 9th Wonder, he plays a Rapsody party at SOB's TONIGHT (10/3) with Josh Baze, Peter Rose, and host Peter Rosenberg (of Hot 97). Tickets for tonight's show are available.

A list of all dates and those remix streams are below.

Continue reading "Robert Glasper on tour, gradually leaking remix EP (listen)"

photos by Amanda Hatfield

Das Racist / Spank Rock / skaters

The first day of Afro-Punk 2012 descended upon Commodore Barry Park on Saturday (8/25), bringing with it a day of live musical performance, skateboarding and dancing crowds as far as the eye could see. In addition to this second set of pictures from the Navy Yard in Brooklyn (below), check out the first set of previously posted pictures from Afro-Punk HERE.

More pics of Afro-Punk day 1, including Erykah Badu, Yasiin Bey, Das Racist, Spank Rock, Cerebral Ballzy, Oxymorrons, The Joe Jordan Experiment and more are below.

Continue reading "Afro-Punk 2012 day 1: a second set of pictures"

photos by Gretchen Robinette

Yasiin Bey & Erykah Badu / Cerebral Ballzy at Afropunk Fest 8/25/2012

Yasiin Bey joined headliner Erykah Badu on the first day of the 2012 edition of the Afropunk Festival, going down at Commodore Barry Park near the Navy Yard in Brooklyn on Saturday (8/25). The pair were joined on stage when Bey performed Common's verses from their hit collaboration "Love of My Life" on that Saturday evening. Video from that is below.

But of course Badu wasn't the only artist to bless the stages on Saturday, with the festival loaded with appearances from names like Das Racist, Spankrock, Cerebral Ballzy, Oxymorrons and many, many more during the nine hours of stage time. Pictures from the first day at Afropunk 2012 are below along with video of that Badu/Bey collaboration.

Continue reading "Afropunk Festival 2012 in pictures: day 1 with Erykah Badu, Das Racist. Spankrock, Cerbral Ballzy and more "

by Andrew Sacher

Jazz pianist/producer Robert Glasper released his fifth studio album, Black Radio, earlier this year on Blue Note Records. Recorded with his new band, Robert Glasper Experiment, it features an impressive array of guests, including Erykah Badu, Yasiin Bey (aka Mos Def), Lupe Fiasco, Bilal, Musiq Soulchild, Chrisette Michele, and more.

In addition to a number of originals, the album includes some heavily re-arranged covers including Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," David Bowie's "Letter to Hermoine," Sade's "Cherish the Day," and Afro-Cuban standard "Afro Blue." The album effortlessly brings together jazz, hip hop, soul and R&B, more so than most others that attempt similar feats. Check out some videos from the album and a live video of the Robert Glasper Experiment playing John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" below, along with a spotify stream of Black Radio.

As mentioned, Robert Glasper will be in NYC tonight (6/21) for an in-store at Apple Store West 14th Street. He'll return with the full Robert Glasper Experiment in tow along with some special guests for a free Summerstage show at Marcus Garvey Park on August 7, where Sidi Toure plays one day earlier (8/6).

UPDATE: Robert Glasper Experiment also play a "secret" show in Brooklyn on Friday (6/22) with Alan Hampton which, as a commenter points out, is at Littlefield. Tickets for that show are available.

A list of all dates, videos and album stream below...

Continue reading "Robert Glasper released guest-filled LP, touring (dates & video)"

Ultramagnetic MCs at ATP NJ 2011 (more by Dana (distortion) Yavin)

As mentioned in What's going on? last night, Prodigy's upcoming "Queens Day" show at Irving Plaza, which was supposed to happen next week (6/19) has been cancelled. Though he did play a private Rock the Bells kickoff show at Santos Party House last night (6/13) with (according to the flyer) Ghostface Killah, DMX, Jadakiss, and Hit Squad

Q-Tip's "Offline" party (a DJ gig), also scheduled at Irving Plaza, is still set to happen this Friday (6/15) at the Manhattan venue.

Ghostface Killah's other upcoming shows include the free Prospect Park show on 6/23, a Wu-Block party at Highline Ballroom (8/8) (tickets on sale 6/15), and Rock the Bells with Wu-Block. The Highline show is only with Ghostface and Sheek Louch, but for Rock the Bells, the whole crew will be there (Ghostface, Raekwon, Sheek Louch, Jadakiss, and Styles P).

Meanwhile, Raekwon will be in NYC for the previously discussed Best Buy Theater show (7/26) with Tyler, the Creator, and Earl Sweatshirt. Tickets for that show go on sale Friday (6/15) at noon.

Ghostface and Raekwon play a free show together, and much sooner, in Toronto as part of NXNE on Sunday (6/17). Action Bronson, who plays a free show in Red Hook Park (6/19), will be at the Toronto fest too. The entire music portion of NXNE kicked off yesterday (6/13) and runs through the weekend.

Killer Mike will be at NXNE too, and his tour with El-P, Despot, and Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire kicks off on Tuesday (6/19) in Atlanta. It hits NYC on July 13 at Irving Plaza. Ticketsplayed SOB's with Spaceghostpurrp in celebration of Purrp's new album, Mysterious Phonk. Purrp's also got a couple Shortcuts parties under his belt. Speaking of, one of those (sans Purrp) goes down at Santos TONIGHT (6/14) with Fat Tony and Fat Trel (tickets).

While NXNE is going on in Toronto, Brooklyn will be getting its own multi-venue music festival with Northside Festival, which also happens this weekend.

As mentioned, Kool Keith plays a Northside show at Brooklyn Bowl TONIGHT (6/14) with Lushlife. Lushlife recently dropped a remix of "She's a Buddhist, I'm a Cubist" with Angel Deradoorian, Cities Aviv, G-Side, Big Baby Gandhi, Deniro Farrar, and KDz Kenny Dennis. You can stream that below Tickets are still available for the Brooklyn Bowl show and we're also giving away a pair. Contest details are below.

As usual, Questlove will DJ the Brooklyn venue after that show (tickets).

Kool Keith also plays as part of Ultramagnetic MCs at a Northside show at MHOW on Sunday (6/17) with Phony PPL. Tickets for that show are still available. Phony PPL also play SOB's on July 24 with Blackbear. Tickets for that show are on sale.

GZA & Grupo Fantasma @ Bonnaroo 2012 (more by Dana (distortion) Yavin)

And speaking of hip hop Northside shows at MHOW, GZA (backed by Grupo Fantasmo like he was a Bonnaroo) plays two (early and late) shows at the venue TONIGHT (6/14). Both are sold out, but you can try and get in with your Northside badge.

Aside from Kid Sister at Sugarland on Saturday (6/16), not much more hip hop is happening at Northside, but there are other good hip hop shows tonight and this weekend.

Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def) plays the previously discussed show at the Apollo Theater TONIGHT (6/14) as part of Blue Note Jazz Festival. Tickets for that show are still available FOR THE SHOW THAT HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 28th.

Blue Note Jazz Fest also gives us a free Central Park Summerstage show on Sunday (6/17) with Groove Theory, Soulive, Riq and Rah with Strings (Black Thought + Rahzel), and DJ Questlove.

EPMD and DJ Scratch play a free show at Herbert Von King Park TONIGHT (6/14). They also team up for a NYC show at BB King's on July 18 with Marley Mari and Big Daddy Kane. (tickets)

Hip hop producer RJD2 DJs a party for the ongoing 'One Step Beyond' series at the American Museum of Natural History on Friday (6/15) with Cosmo Baker, Import/Export, and visuals by Glowing Pictures with special guest Shantell Martin. Tickets for that are available.

You can also catch Tech N9ne and Machine Gun Kelly on the Hostile Takeover Tour which takes over the NYC area on Saturday (6/16) at Starland Ballroom in NJ (tickets) and Sunday (6/17) at HIghline Ballroom (tickets). Be careful during Machine Gun Kelly's set though; TMZ reports that he was just sued $15,000 for slicing open a bouncer's finger. Ouch.

Apple Stores are hosting hip hop in-stores all month.

Once all the Northside craziness ends, you can catch Ab-Soul at his previously discussed NYC show on Thursday, June 21 at SOB's. Tickets for that show are still available.

In other hip hop news, you can stream Black Milk's Live at Third Man Records in its entirety and J-Dilla's posthumous Rebirth of Detroit in its entirety below, along with other song streams and contest details for tonight's Kool Keith show.

Continue reading "this week in Hip Hop (Northside, NXNE, Kool Keith, EPMD, Yasiin Bey, RJD2, Tech N9ne, Black Thought + Rahzel, GZA & more)"