- Published on
Greetings, and welcome to my favorite time of the year! Reservoir Music is moved (to 711 Route 28 in Kingston), so I’m back this week with a full length column. Since I took a short break from writing to move the store, y’all might not know that this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies were held over the past weekend. This year’s inductees in the “Performer” category were Guns n Roses, Small Faces/Faces, Donovan, Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Laura Nyro. The great Freddie King made it in the “Early Influence” category. “Sidemen” inducted this year included Tom Dowd, Cosimo Matassa, Glyn Johns, and Don Kirshner. Also in the “Performer” category, backing bands The Blue Caps, Crickets, Midnighters, Miracles, Famous Flames, and Comets were inducted.
Last year at this time, in my column of March 17th, 2011, I wrote a column called “The Top Ten Bands that should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but Aren’t”. I wrote this particular column in response to last year’s class of inductees, who I felt were particularly weak. Three of those on my list, Guns n Roses, Donovan, and Small Faces/Faces were inducted this year. A fourth, Tom Dowd, is a talent I have championed for many years. So I feel a little bit vindicated, but I’m still looking for the rest of my list, which was Love, T Rex, Gram Parsons, Little Feat, J. Geils Band, Joe Cocker, and Johnny Winter.
In other music news, the classic Bob Dylan album, “Blood on the Tracks”, is being made into a movie. I always thought that album played like a movie, but I’ll bet the movie sucks, unless they put a vampire in it! The subject matter is usually better in song than stage, but, of course, I reserve judgment until seen!
And sadly, Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb is reportedly in a coma and not expected to live more than a couple more days. He’s been fighting cancer.
So I guess we’re up to this week’s live music picks. Here they are.
Wednesday, April 18 – It’s the final night for FURTHER at The Beacon Theater in Manhattan. They’ll be back this Summer though, so, not to worry. A few blocks further downtown, PAUL SIMON is getting together with his two friends from Nawlins, WYNTON MARSALAS and AARON NEVILLE, at Rose Hall in the Time/Warner Center. Should be a real uptown getdown!
Thursday, April 19 – The WOODSTOCK WRITERS FESTIVAL kicks off tonight with a Rock n Roll Story Slam at Oriole 9 in Woodstock. Many more events are planned for the entire weekend. The one I’m interested in is Augusten Burroughs at The Bearsville Theater Saturday night. Full schedule and more info at www.woodstockwritersfestival.com.
Friday, April 20 – This week is really a great week for music, and tonight, if you’re downstate, is a real beaut! Local resident, GRAHAM PARKER, is at City Winery with his current backing band, THE FIGGS, Americana hero, JOHN PRINE, is at the Wellmont Theater in Montclair, NJ, and Texas rockers, LUCERO, are at Webster Hall in Manhattan. Graham Parker with a full band is one of the rockin’est performers you’ll ever see! (And he’s real good solo too!). John Prine is one of our best songwriters. And Lucero just rocks! Catch one of ‘em if you’re in the city!
Saturday, April 21 - The Wellmont is on some kind of roll this weekend! They’re following last night’s John Prine show with SOUTHSIDE JOHNNY tonight and Allison Krause on Sunday! Whatta weekend! The aforementioned AUGUSTEN BURROUGHS, author of “Running with Scissors” and other books, will be holding court at The Bearsville Theater, and PATTI ROTHBERG is at Market Market in Rosendale. I’ve heard mixed reports about Patti’s live shows, but if she does “Dirt”, it’s worth the price of admission.
Sunday, April 22 – The Wellmont continues it’s roll with ALLISON KRAUSE AND UNION STATION featuring JERRY DOUGLAS. Douglas is considered the best Dobro picker around, Allison’s a great singer, and the rest of the band is top notch too! One of the premier Bluegrass/ Newgrass groups around! THE AVETT BROTHERS is a band that I just have been unable to get into. My friends from BR 549 toured with them before they were big and they told me about them back then. Critics love ‘em. Fans love ‘em. So far, I don’t really get it. But everyone says they’re great, so make up your own mind! At The Palace Theater, Albany.
Monday, April 23 – The Incomparable GYPSY KINGS bring their troupe to The Beacon Theater in Manhattan.
Please keep my dear friend, Buddy Cage, in your prayers and meditations. Buddy was just diagnosed with cancer and will be undergoing chemo soon. Buddy was the pedal steel guitarist who for The New Riders of the Purple Sage for most of their career, after taking over from Jerry Garcia early on, and also was a member of my band, The Brooklyn Cowboys, amongst many other impressive credits, not the least of which is Bob Dylan’s “Blood on the Tracks”. Get well soon pal!
Have a great week! It’s good to be back!
Last year at this time, in my column of March 17th, 2011, I wrote a column called “The Top Ten Bands that should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but Aren’t”. I wrote this particular column in response to last year’s class of inductees, who I felt were particularly weak. Three of those on my list, Guns n Roses, Donovan, and Small Faces/Faces were inducted this year. A fourth, Tom Dowd, is a talent I have championed for many years. So I feel a little bit vindicated, but I’m still looking for the rest of my list, which was Love, T Rex, Gram Parsons, Little Feat, J. Geils Band, Joe Cocker, and Johnny Winter.
In other music news, the classic Bob Dylan album, “Blood on the Tracks”, is being made into a movie. I always thought that album played like a movie, but I’ll bet the movie sucks, unless they put a vampire in it! The subject matter is usually better in song than stage, but, of course, I reserve judgment until seen!
And sadly, Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb is reportedly in a coma and not expected to live more than a couple more days. He’s been fighting cancer.
So I guess we’re up to this week’s live music picks. Here they are.
Wednesday, April 18 – It’s the final night for FURTHER at The Beacon Theater in Manhattan. They’ll be back this Summer though, so, not to worry. A few blocks further downtown, PAUL SIMON is getting together with his two friends from Nawlins, WYNTON MARSALAS and AARON NEVILLE, at Rose Hall in the Time/Warner Center. Should be a real uptown getdown!
Thursday, April 19 – The WOODSTOCK WRITERS FESTIVAL kicks off tonight with a Rock n Roll Story Slam at Oriole 9 in Woodstock. Many more events are planned for the entire weekend. The one I’m interested in is Augusten Burroughs at The Bearsville Theater Saturday night. Full schedule and more info at www.woodstockwritersfestival.com.
Friday, April 20 – This week is really a great week for music, and tonight, if you’re downstate, is a real beaut! Local resident, GRAHAM PARKER, is at City Winery with his current backing band, THE FIGGS, Americana hero, JOHN PRINE, is at the Wellmont Theater in Montclair, NJ, and Texas rockers, LUCERO, are at Webster Hall in Manhattan. Graham Parker with a full band is one of the rockin’est performers you’ll ever see! (And he’s real good solo too!). John Prine is one of our best songwriters. And Lucero just rocks! Catch one of ‘em if you’re in the city!
Saturday, April 21 - The Wellmont is on some kind of roll this weekend! They’re following last night’s John Prine show with SOUTHSIDE JOHNNY tonight and Allison Krause on Sunday! Whatta weekend! The aforementioned AUGUSTEN BURROUGHS, author of “Running with Scissors” and other books, will be holding court at The Bearsville Theater, and PATTI ROTHBERG is at Market Market in Rosendale. I’ve heard mixed reports about Patti’s live shows, but if she does “Dirt”, it’s worth the price of admission.
Sunday, April 22 – The Wellmont continues it’s roll with ALLISON KRAUSE AND UNION STATION featuring JERRY DOUGLAS. Douglas is considered the best Dobro picker around, Allison’s a great singer, and the rest of the band is top notch too! One of the premier Bluegrass/ Newgrass groups around! THE AVETT BROTHERS is a band that I just have been unable to get into. My friends from BR 549 toured with them before they were big and they told me about them back then. Critics love ‘em. Fans love ‘em. So far, I don’t really get it. But everyone says they’re great, so make up your own mind! At The Palace Theater, Albany.
Monday, April 23 – The Incomparable GYPSY KINGS bring their troupe to The Beacon Theater in Manhattan.
Please keep my dear friend, Buddy Cage, in your prayers and meditations. Buddy was just diagnosed with cancer and will be undergoing chemo soon. Buddy was the pedal steel guitarist who for The New Riders of the Purple Sage for most of their career, after taking over from Jerry Garcia early on, and also was a member of my band, The Brooklyn Cowboys, amongst many other impressive credits, not the least of which is Bob Dylan’s “Blood on the Tracks”. Get well soon pal!
Have a great week! It’s good to be back!
- Published on
Greetings, and welcome back to Reservoir Music Notes! I haven’t been on Facebook, I haven’t written my column, and I’ve been pulling 18 hour days for the past three weeks while moving my store, Reservoir Music, a few miles down the road! As of this writing, we are fully in our new location, 711 Route 28, Kingston, NY 12401. I kept the phone numbers. Call at 845-657-6127 or email to reservoirmusic@gmail.com.
I am so happy to be in my new location! It’s like night and day, hot and cold, porter and wagoner, the difference between the vibe at my new place versus the old. The old location was good to me, but this one promises to take it to another level! It’s like I got a new lease on life! I can’t wait to get here every morning and I don’t wanna leave at night! I’m really enjoying what I do again! Y’all should stop by and you’ll see what I’m talking about! I look forward to greeting you at my new establishment.
This is gonna be a minimalized blog this week. It’s not that I have nothing to say. It’s that my head just stopped spinning from the last three weeks of moving and getting reorganized, and I still need one more week to return to normal, so there won’t be any live music picks this week. Yer on yer own! I will say, though, that Further, Springsteen, and NRBQ are all gonna be around this week and next, so, maybe it’s time for an arena show! NRBQ, BTW, are not playing an arena!
Enjoy your week, and I’ll see you back here next week with a full length piece of my mind! Thanks for reading!
I am so happy to be in my new location! It’s like night and day, hot and cold, porter and wagoner, the difference between the vibe at my new place versus the old. The old location was good to me, but this one promises to take it to another level! It’s like I got a new lease on life! I can’t wait to get here every morning and I don’t wanna leave at night! I’m really enjoying what I do again! Y’all should stop by and you’ll see what I’m talking about! I look forward to greeting you at my new establishment.
This is gonna be a minimalized blog this week. It’s not that I have nothing to say. It’s that my head just stopped spinning from the last three weeks of moving and getting reorganized, and I still need one more week to return to normal, so there won’t be any live music picks this week. Yer on yer own! I will say, though, that Further, Springsteen, and NRBQ are all gonna be around this week and next, so, maybe it’s time for an arena show! NRBQ, BTW, are not playing an arena!
Enjoy your week, and I’ll see you back here next week with a full length piece of my mind! Thanks for reading!
- Published on
Greetings all and welcome to another week of Reservoir Music Notes.
Boy am I in a frenzy! I mentioned last week that Reservoir Music is moving to 711 Route 28, just east of the Hickory Barbecue, and the preparations have my head spinning! And we haven’t even started to actually move yet! Stop by our original spot at 3179 Route 28 in the next two weeks for great moving sale bargains! I’m lowballing anything I don’t have to move.
As you might have guessed from my live music picks from two weeks ago, and the picture I ran with last week’s column online (at www.reservoirmusiccenter.com and www.hvmusic.com), I went down to the city to see my old friend’s in Bobby Keys and The Sufferin’ Bastards, and they did not disappoint! For those of you who somehow missed my column from two weeks ago, or just plain don’t know who Bobby Keys is, he’s the sax player from a little combo called The Rolling Stones. Never an official member of the group, Bobby has nevertheless played on every Stones’ album since 1969 (except for a brief leave of absence from 1975 to 1979) and has been on every Stones’ tour since 1970! But that’s far from all! Bobby also played the immortal sax part on John Lennon’s “Whatever gets you Through the Night”, George Harrison’s “What is Life”, and the blazing sax solo on Dion’s “The Wanderer”. In his spare time, he also guested on albums by The Who, Delaney and Bonnie, Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs and Englishmen, Harry Nilsson, Leo Sayer, Ringo Starr, Carly Simon, Dr. John, Marvin Gaye, Lynrd Skynrd, Faces, and other albums with members of The Beatles! Plus he played the baritone sax part on Elvis’ “Return to Sender”! And really, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The guy hit the road with Bobby Vee in 1956 at the age of 15, joined Buddy Holly within a year, and never looked back! Bobby Keys has been a touring musician at the highest levels of the music world since 1956! Is there anyone he hasn’t played with?
Well, anyway, we went down there and the opening act seemed pretty good until Bobby and his troupe of top shelf musician’s started their set. The band included members of The Georgia Satellites, John Fogerty Band, Lynrd Sknrd, The Black Crowes, and The Brooklyn Cowboys, and they rocked their way through a selection of Bobby Keys’ greatest hits – “Brown Sugar”, “Whatever gets you Through the Night”, “The Wanderer”, “Can’t you Hear me Knockin’”, “What is Life” and many, many more. A splendid time was had by all!
And speaking of The Rolling Stones, word has it that their 50th anniversary tour will be postponed until 2013. Apparently, Charlie didn’t join up until ’63, so that’s their official birthday! In other Stones’ news, Mick and Keith both stuck their toes in the water last month, Keith performing with Eric Clapton and others for the “Howling for Hubert” benefit at The Apollo Theater, and Mick by playing at The White House for President Obama’s tribute to The Blues. Really Mick, The White House? While Keith was at The Apollo? Well, therein lies the keys to their separate personalities!
Anyway, we’d better get busy with this week’s live music picks, cause it’s a busy week for music! Dear readers, did you know that there are approximately 350 - 400 musical events each week in the New York City area alone? That’s not even counting the Hudson Valley and the Capital Region, all of which I must report on in order to keep my readers informed! That’s a lot of sortin’ just to come up with the dozen or so shows I recommend, but I do it because I care! So, here we go.
Thursday, March 22 – Peaking band THE BLACK KEYS are at Madison Square Garden, and the MARLEY BROTHERS, Stephen, Damian, and Julian are at the Best Buy Theater in Times Square. Up in the Hudson Valley, way up, Pete Jacobs and his band of Berklee students, DIRTY BLIND, open for JEFFERSON STARSHIP at The Oneonta Theater.
Friday, March 23 – Tonight it would be nice to be able to split oneself into two or three people to catch all the great music happening this evening. BERNIE WORRELL, major player in the ParliaFunkadelicment thang and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, brings his BERNIE WORRELL ORCHESTRA with special guest Jimmy Destri from Blondie, into The Brooklyn Bowl. Besides his historic work with Parliament-Funkadelic, Bernie’s played and recorded with Talking Heads, Public Image, Ltd., Keith Richards, and a whole host of A-list others. If you’re nearby, go! FIONA APPLE is at The Music Hall of Williamsburg tonight. I love Fiona Apple! Her song “Criminal” is a desert island disc for me! Frontman RHETT MILLER of Americana group The Old 97’s stops in at the City Winery and CITIZEN COPE, one of the better newer, younger artists of the last decade, makes his first appearance at Carnegie Hall. Moving upstate, we have Woodstock’s own LEVON HELM at the Tarrytown Music Hall for the first of two nights. Continuing up the Hudson, ALEXIS P. SUTER returns to The Falcon in Marlborough, and at The Bearsville Theater the OFFICIAL BLUES BROTHERS REVUE, endorsed by John Belushi’s widow, brings their mix of comedy and RnB to Woodstock. Finally, up in Hudson, AVONDALE AIRFORCE pulls into Club Helsinki. Now, I’ve never heard this band, but Peter Aaron knows his music, so this should be at the very least, pretty good.
Saturday, March 24 – LEVON finishes his weekend at Tarrytown Music Hall, SIMONE FELICE BAND is at The Falcon, and THE FAB FAUX are at The Wellmont Theater in Montclair, NJ. Also, at The Bearsville Theater, the REGGAE SPRING JAM DANCE PARTY, featuring a mix of live bands and DJ’s, will dub the house.
Sunday, March 25 – Legendary reggae group, TOOTS AND THE MAYTALS are at The Brooklyn Bowl for the first of two shows.
Monday, March 26 – The lovely and talented FIONA APPLE brings her show to The Bowery Ballroom in Manhattan. I already told you that I love her!
Tuesday, March 27 – TOOTS AND THE MAYTALS are back at The Brooklyn Bowl for a second night, and BB King’s will be hosting a CELEBRATION OF SUN RECORDS 60th ANNIVERSARY featuring ROBERT GORDON and the band from the Broadway show, MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET.
And of course, THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND is still at The Beacon Theater in Manhattan, finishing up their annual three week run this week.
The weather is beautiful and the nights are rockin, so get out and support live music.
Have a great week!
Boy am I in a frenzy! I mentioned last week that Reservoir Music is moving to 711 Route 28, just east of the Hickory Barbecue, and the preparations have my head spinning! And we haven’t even started to actually move yet! Stop by our original spot at 3179 Route 28 in the next two weeks for great moving sale bargains! I’m lowballing anything I don’t have to move.
As you might have guessed from my live music picks from two weeks ago, and the picture I ran with last week’s column online (at www.reservoirmusiccenter.com and www.hvmusic.com), I went down to the city to see my old friend’s in Bobby Keys and The Sufferin’ Bastards, and they did not disappoint! For those of you who somehow missed my column from two weeks ago, or just plain don’t know who Bobby Keys is, he’s the sax player from a little combo called The Rolling Stones. Never an official member of the group, Bobby has nevertheless played on every Stones’ album since 1969 (except for a brief leave of absence from 1975 to 1979) and has been on every Stones’ tour since 1970! But that’s far from all! Bobby also played the immortal sax part on John Lennon’s “Whatever gets you Through the Night”, George Harrison’s “What is Life”, and the blazing sax solo on Dion’s “The Wanderer”. In his spare time, he also guested on albums by The Who, Delaney and Bonnie, Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs and Englishmen, Harry Nilsson, Leo Sayer, Ringo Starr, Carly Simon, Dr. John, Marvin Gaye, Lynrd Skynrd, Faces, and other albums with members of The Beatles! Plus he played the baritone sax part on Elvis’ “Return to Sender”! And really, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The guy hit the road with Bobby Vee in 1956 at the age of 15, joined Buddy Holly within a year, and never looked back! Bobby Keys has been a touring musician at the highest levels of the music world since 1956! Is there anyone he hasn’t played with?
Well, anyway, we went down there and the opening act seemed pretty good until Bobby and his troupe of top shelf musician’s started their set. The band included members of The Georgia Satellites, John Fogerty Band, Lynrd Sknrd, The Black Crowes, and The Brooklyn Cowboys, and they rocked their way through a selection of Bobby Keys’ greatest hits – “Brown Sugar”, “Whatever gets you Through the Night”, “The Wanderer”, “Can’t you Hear me Knockin’”, “What is Life” and many, many more. A splendid time was had by all!
And speaking of The Rolling Stones, word has it that their 50th anniversary tour will be postponed until 2013. Apparently, Charlie didn’t join up until ’63, so that’s their official birthday! In other Stones’ news, Mick and Keith both stuck their toes in the water last month, Keith performing with Eric Clapton and others for the “Howling for Hubert” benefit at The Apollo Theater, and Mick by playing at The White House for President Obama’s tribute to The Blues. Really Mick, The White House? While Keith was at The Apollo? Well, therein lies the keys to their separate personalities!
Anyway, we’d better get busy with this week’s live music picks, cause it’s a busy week for music! Dear readers, did you know that there are approximately 350 - 400 musical events each week in the New York City area alone? That’s not even counting the Hudson Valley and the Capital Region, all of which I must report on in order to keep my readers informed! That’s a lot of sortin’ just to come up with the dozen or so shows I recommend, but I do it because I care! So, here we go.
Thursday, March 22 – Peaking band THE BLACK KEYS are at Madison Square Garden, and the MARLEY BROTHERS, Stephen, Damian, and Julian are at the Best Buy Theater in Times Square. Up in the Hudson Valley, way up, Pete Jacobs and his band of Berklee students, DIRTY BLIND, open for JEFFERSON STARSHIP at The Oneonta Theater.
Friday, March 23 – Tonight it would be nice to be able to split oneself into two or three people to catch all the great music happening this evening. BERNIE WORRELL, major player in the ParliaFunkadelicment thang and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, brings his BERNIE WORRELL ORCHESTRA with special guest Jimmy Destri from Blondie, into The Brooklyn Bowl. Besides his historic work with Parliament-Funkadelic, Bernie’s played and recorded with Talking Heads, Public Image, Ltd., Keith Richards, and a whole host of A-list others. If you’re nearby, go! FIONA APPLE is at The Music Hall of Williamsburg tonight. I love Fiona Apple! Her song “Criminal” is a desert island disc for me! Frontman RHETT MILLER of Americana group The Old 97’s stops in at the City Winery and CITIZEN COPE, one of the better newer, younger artists of the last decade, makes his first appearance at Carnegie Hall. Moving upstate, we have Woodstock’s own LEVON HELM at the Tarrytown Music Hall for the first of two nights. Continuing up the Hudson, ALEXIS P. SUTER returns to The Falcon in Marlborough, and at The Bearsville Theater the OFFICIAL BLUES BROTHERS REVUE, endorsed by John Belushi’s widow, brings their mix of comedy and RnB to Woodstock. Finally, up in Hudson, AVONDALE AIRFORCE pulls into Club Helsinki. Now, I’ve never heard this band, but Peter Aaron knows his music, so this should be at the very least, pretty good.
Saturday, March 24 – LEVON finishes his weekend at Tarrytown Music Hall, SIMONE FELICE BAND is at The Falcon, and THE FAB FAUX are at The Wellmont Theater in Montclair, NJ. Also, at The Bearsville Theater, the REGGAE SPRING JAM DANCE PARTY, featuring a mix of live bands and DJ’s, will dub the house.
Sunday, March 25 – Legendary reggae group, TOOTS AND THE MAYTALS are at The Brooklyn Bowl for the first of two shows.
Monday, March 26 – The lovely and talented FIONA APPLE brings her show to The Bowery Ballroom in Manhattan. I already told you that I love her!
Tuesday, March 27 – TOOTS AND THE MAYTALS are back at The Brooklyn Bowl for a second night, and BB King’s will be hosting a CELEBRATION OF SUN RECORDS 60th ANNIVERSARY featuring ROBERT GORDON and the band from the Broadway show, MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET.
And of course, THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND is still at The Beacon Theater in Manhattan, finishing up their annual three week run this week.
The weather is beautiful and the nights are rockin, so get out and support live music.
Have a great week!
- Published on
Bobby Keys and The Sufferin' Bastards at The Highline Ballroom, 3-11-12. Band members include Dan Baird (Georgia Satellites), Steve Gorman (Black Crowes), and Michael Webb (John Fogerty, Brooklyn Cowboys).
- Published on
Greetings readers! Welcome to this week’s Reservoir Music Notes. I’ve been holding this back, but now it can be told – Reservoir Music is moving! By April 1st, I hope to be open for business at our new location at 711 Route 28, Town of Kingston. Our phone numbers will remain the same. Stop by before the move for great deals on current inventory, and check back after the move for details of our grand opening, which will probably be in May or June. We’ve been at our current location for 7 years and it’s time for a change! For those of you in Kingston, Red Hook, New Paltz, Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, and Saugerties, we’ll be about ten minutes closer. And for those of you in Delaware County, Phoenicia, Big Indian, Boiceville, and Shokan, your ride just got ten minutes longer. Whatever the case, I sincerely hope all of our loyal and dedicated customers and friends will come along for the ride to our new location. The new building has a real comfy front porch that I’m eager to break in for live music. Stay tuned for some very cool events and visit our website, www.reservoirmusiccenter.com to stay up to date on what we’re doing here at Reservoir Music Center.
There’s a new TV show coming to your local PBS station next month that promises to be very cool and pretty hot both! It’s called “Front Row Center” and the goal of the producers is to recreate the concert experience at home! Filmed in front of a live audience and utilizing the highest quality state of the art equipment, only time will tell if they succeed in their goal. Artists signed for the first season include The Beach Boys (reunited WITH Brian Wilson for their 50th anniversary), Elvis Costello, Jakob Dylan, Train, Cheap Trick, Moby, Ben Harper, T-Bone Burnett, and O.A.R. Long overdue, this promises to be a great show, if they do it right! Friday night at 10 on Channel 13 beginning April 13, Saturday night at the same time beginning April 21 on Channel 21. Interesting. It starts on the 13th on 13 and the 21st on 21. Coincidence? I think not! Hopefully, Front Row Center will last as long as SNL and bring us years of high quality concerts in our living rooms. For my money, Cheap Trick and The Beach Boys look like the best of season one, but as they say, it’s all good!.
Speaking of live concerts, here are my picks for this week’s best live music.
Wednesday, March 14 – JACKIE GREENE, Americana darling and former guitarist with Phil Lesh and Friends, stops by City Winery in Manhattan.
Thursday, March 15 – Former Mick Jagger girlfriend and rock goddess, MARIANNE FAITHFULL begins a two day run at City Winery.
Friday, March 16 – JGB, which is what the former Jerry Garcia Band is called nowadays, will be rockin’ through Jerry’s favorites and new material at The Brooklyn Bowl, and MARIANNE FAITHFULL finishes up at City Winery.
Saturday, March 17 – HANK 3 pulls into The Gramercy Theater in Manhattan for a free show. I think you have to RSVP online to get tickets. If you’re interested in attending, just Google “Hank 3, Gramercy Theater” and nose around until you find the right site to RSVP to, but be warned, I don’t think there will be a Country part of this show. Usually, Hank does a Country set followed by a hard rock or death metal set. Tonight, I’m pretty sure it’s gonna be all rockin’, so if you like Country, (and few do it better than Hank), stay home! Up in Woodstock, PETE AND PEGGY SEEGER will be doing a very special show at The Bearsville Theater. Pete’s in his 90’s, so if you’re nearby, grab this chance to see an iconic legend live!
Monday, March 19 – If you’re upstate, the great JONNY MONSTER BAND is at the great Club Helsinki in Hudson. The young Mister Monster is one of the hottest young guitarists around, and the rest of the band ain’t no slouches either. Check my archived columns from a couple of months ago for a profile of these guys (www.reservoirmusiccenter.com). If you’re downstate, RICH ROBINSON of The Black Crowes is at The Bowery Ballroom.
Thursday, March 22 – The ultra hot BLACK KEYS return to Madison Square Garden. If you dig these guys, NOW is the time to catch them. Every band is at the top of their game the first time they play The Garden.
Also, all this week and into next, THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND continues their annual three week trek through The Beacon Theater. Check the web for exact dates.
Rock on faithful readers!
There’s a new TV show coming to your local PBS station next month that promises to be very cool and pretty hot both! It’s called “Front Row Center” and the goal of the producers is to recreate the concert experience at home! Filmed in front of a live audience and utilizing the highest quality state of the art equipment, only time will tell if they succeed in their goal. Artists signed for the first season include The Beach Boys (reunited WITH Brian Wilson for their 50th anniversary), Elvis Costello, Jakob Dylan, Train, Cheap Trick, Moby, Ben Harper, T-Bone Burnett, and O.A.R. Long overdue, this promises to be a great show, if they do it right! Friday night at 10 on Channel 13 beginning April 13, Saturday night at the same time beginning April 21 on Channel 21. Interesting. It starts on the 13th on 13 and the 21st on 21. Coincidence? I think not! Hopefully, Front Row Center will last as long as SNL and bring us years of high quality concerts in our living rooms. For my money, Cheap Trick and The Beach Boys look like the best of season one, but as they say, it’s all good!.
Speaking of live concerts, here are my picks for this week’s best live music.
Wednesday, March 14 – JACKIE GREENE, Americana darling and former guitarist with Phil Lesh and Friends, stops by City Winery in Manhattan.
Thursday, March 15 – Former Mick Jagger girlfriend and rock goddess, MARIANNE FAITHFULL begins a two day run at City Winery.
Friday, March 16 – JGB, which is what the former Jerry Garcia Band is called nowadays, will be rockin’ through Jerry’s favorites and new material at The Brooklyn Bowl, and MARIANNE FAITHFULL finishes up at City Winery.
Saturday, March 17 – HANK 3 pulls into The Gramercy Theater in Manhattan for a free show. I think you have to RSVP online to get tickets. If you’re interested in attending, just Google “Hank 3, Gramercy Theater” and nose around until you find the right site to RSVP to, but be warned, I don’t think there will be a Country part of this show. Usually, Hank does a Country set followed by a hard rock or death metal set. Tonight, I’m pretty sure it’s gonna be all rockin’, so if you like Country, (and few do it better than Hank), stay home! Up in Woodstock, PETE AND PEGGY SEEGER will be doing a very special show at The Bearsville Theater. Pete’s in his 90’s, so if you’re nearby, grab this chance to see an iconic legend live!
Monday, March 19 – If you’re upstate, the great JONNY MONSTER BAND is at the great Club Helsinki in Hudson. The young Mister Monster is one of the hottest young guitarists around, and the rest of the band ain’t no slouches either. Check my archived columns from a couple of months ago for a profile of these guys (www.reservoirmusiccenter.com). If you’re downstate, RICH ROBINSON of The Black Crowes is at The Bowery Ballroom.
Thursday, March 22 – The ultra hot BLACK KEYS return to Madison Square Garden. If you dig these guys, NOW is the time to catch them. Every band is at the top of their game the first time they play The Garden.
Also, all this week and into next, THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND continues their annual three week trek through The Beacon Theater. Check the web for exact dates.
Rock on faithful readers!
- Published on
Chuck Mead, Joe's Pub, 3/3/12, NYC
- Published on
Greetings and welcome to this week’s edition of Reservoir Music Notes. I missed my deadline for The Townsman this week, so the only place you’re gonna be able to read this week’s column is right here, at www.reservoirmusiccenter.com, and of course, always at www.hvmusic.com. Writing a weekly column like this really seems to make the time fly by! You write the thing in time for your deadline, and by the time it appears in the newspaper, it’s time to write another one! I guess that must mean we’re having fun!
Last Saturday night, I went on an insane adventure to NYC. I probably bit off more than I could chew, but I closed the store early and raced to Manhattan to catch Chuck Mead at Joe’s Pub. Chuck doled out a set of the finest Country Music this side of Tennessee for his adoring fans, many of whom included VIP’s from satellite and terrestrial radio. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Chuck Mead is the real thing, the genuine article, and he’s one of the few who’s carrying the torch for real Country Music! His take on Johnny Cash and June Carter’s classic duet “Jackson” with Laura Cantrell was as good as anyone’s, and that’s some pretty impressive company!
After catching up with Chuck and the boys, and some of his radio fans who I knew from my days with The Brooklyn Cowboys, I tore off into the night to catch Del Fuegos at The Bell House in Brooklyn. It was great to see these guys back together after 21 years and still rockin’! On their last tour, 21 years ago, I played James and Bobby Purify’s “I’m Your Puppet” with them at soundcheck at the Jones Beach Theater. At The Bell House, we didn’t really get a chance to talk, because there was too much craziness, so I said a quick hello and took off into the night again, ending up at an all night diner with a friend that I hadn’t seen in years, and then driving back home, arriving in the Hudson Valley at 5AM! To quote Frankie Valli, “Oh what a night”!
Boy, we’ve got a great week of music here now. I could go out every night this week and twice on Sunday, and every night would be a Pick of the Week! Starting with EILEN JEWELL at The Bell House in Brooklyn on Thursday, March 8. Jewell really is a diamond in the rough, who hopefully, will never get polished! She leads her band through the tragedy of heartbreak to a rockin’ backbeat and some very sweet guitar licks from guitarist Jerry Miller. She’s really, really good! Highly recommended! We also have terrific singer/ songwriter, TODD SNIDER, at Irving Plaza in Manhattan. And I don’t mean that in an acoustic 70’s singer/songwriter kinda way. More like a rockin’ 90’s kinda way. Todd writes some great songs. He’s one of our best.
Now for The Big One! The Boss, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, at The Apollo Theater on Friday night, March 9! Are you effing kidding me? Springsteen, at The Apollo?!!! If you’ve never been there, The Apollo Theater is very, very small. I don’t think Springsteen’s played a venue this small (unannounced surprise appearances in New Jersey excepted) since The Bottom Line in 1975, which I was there for! Forget about Pick of the Week, this is the first ever Pick of the Month! And, it’s not a wimpy solo acoustic gig either. It’s the full on E Street Band, so put your rockin’ shoes on and get on up to Harlem for a night to remember!
Hold onto your hats, cause we ain’t done yet, not by a longshot! One of the few men who could step into the late Clarence ‘The Big Man’ Clemons shoes, the great BOBBY KEYS, longtime sax player with The Rolling Stones, brings his band, The Sufferin’ Bastards, to The Highline Ballroom in Manhattan. Bobby’s been with The Stones since they added horns in the early 1970’s, and has played every immortal Stones’ sax solo ever done! “Live with Me” to “Brown Sugar”, it’s all Bobby! But that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Bobby Keys has been a touring musician since 1956, when he went on the road with Buddy Holly at the age of 16! He played the baritone sax part on Elvis Presley’s “Return to Sender”! He also had a long history with The Beatles, playing on George Harrison’s masterpiece, “All Things Must Pass” and John Lennon’s “Whatever gets you Through the Night”. But here’s the kicker – Bobby played the sax solo on “The Wanderer”!!! I was just listening to that a few days ago and marveling at the power and intensity of the sax playing in the solo. The guy’s a legend! Friday night’s show is already sold out, but there are tickets left for Sunday. Hence, go!
Whoa…there’s rock n roll royalty all over town tonight! The ROYAL SOUTHERN BROTHERHOOD performs at BB King’s tonight! This band sports names like Neville, Allman, and Wooten, so, you know what I mean? The ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND themselves start their annual 3 week run at The Beacon Theater tonight. I’m not gonna give you all the dates, but you can check the theater’s website for more information. And last but not least, in the Hudson Valley, JIM WEIDER’S PROJECT PERCOLATOR showcases Weider’s amazing guitar chops at The Falcon in Marlborough. Jim is the TeleMaster in Levon Helm’s band.
Saturday, March 10 – ROYAL SOUTHERN BROTHERHOOD reprises Friday night’s show at Club Helsinki in Hudson and TODD SNIDER does the same at The Egg in Albany. And for you downstaters, DAVID JOHANSEN, lead singer of the New York Dolls, and in another incarnation, Buster Poindexter, is at The Highline Ballroom in Manhattan.
Sunday, March 11 – BOBBY KEYS is back at The Highline Ballroom for his final show in New York, and, prepare yourselves, the great TONY BENNETT is at The Bardavon Opera House in Poughkeepsie! The Bardavon has the best sound system in the Hudson Valley and one of the best anywhere. A great place to see The Ol’ Crooner.
Monday, March 12 – Up and coming supergroup THE BLACK KEYS pull into Madison Square Garden for a night.
Tuesday, March 13 – A great night of music is planned to CELEBRATE THE MUSIC OF THE ROLLING STONES 1964-1971 at Carnegie Hall. A veritable who’s who of the music world gathers tonight to honor the self proclaimed “World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band”. Scheduled to perform are Roseanne Cash, Steve Earle, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Rich Robinson of The Black Crowes, Jackie Greene, Taj Mahal, Jackson Browne, Marianne Faithfull, Art Garfunkel, Rickie Lee Jones, Marc Cohen, Angelique Kidjo, Ronnie Spector, Gomez, and probably many more unannounced guests. This will be a hot show, and I’m making it my Pick of the Week!
Wednesday, March 14 – The week winds up with JACKIE GREENE at City Winery in Manhattan.
Have a great one!
Last Saturday night, I went on an insane adventure to NYC. I probably bit off more than I could chew, but I closed the store early and raced to Manhattan to catch Chuck Mead at Joe’s Pub. Chuck doled out a set of the finest Country Music this side of Tennessee for his adoring fans, many of whom included VIP’s from satellite and terrestrial radio. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Chuck Mead is the real thing, the genuine article, and he’s one of the few who’s carrying the torch for real Country Music! His take on Johnny Cash and June Carter’s classic duet “Jackson” with Laura Cantrell was as good as anyone’s, and that’s some pretty impressive company!
After catching up with Chuck and the boys, and some of his radio fans who I knew from my days with The Brooklyn Cowboys, I tore off into the night to catch Del Fuegos at The Bell House in Brooklyn. It was great to see these guys back together after 21 years and still rockin’! On their last tour, 21 years ago, I played James and Bobby Purify’s “I’m Your Puppet” with them at soundcheck at the Jones Beach Theater. At The Bell House, we didn’t really get a chance to talk, because there was too much craziness, so I said a quick hello and took off into the night again, ending up at an all night diner with a friend that I hadn’t seen in years, and then driving back home, arriving in the Hudson Valley at 5AM! To quote Frankie Valli, “Oh what a night”!
Boy, we’ve got a great week of music here now. I could go out every night this week and twice on Sunday, and every night would be a Pick of the Week! Starting with EILEN JEWELL at The Bell House in Brooklyn on Thursday, March 8. Jewell really is a diamond in the rough, who hopefully, will never get polished! She leads her band through the tragedy of heartbreak to a rockin’ backbeat and some very sweet guitar licks from guitarist Jerry Miller. She’s really, really good! Highly recommended! We also have terrific singer/ songwriter, TODD SNIDER, at Irving Plaza in Manhattan. And I don’t mean that in an acoustic 70’s singer/songwriter kinda way. More like a rockin’ 90’s kinda way. Todd writes some great songs. He’s one of our best.
Now for The Big One! The Boss, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, at The Apollo Theater on Friday night, March 9! Are you effing kidding me? Springsteen, at The Apollo?!!! If you’ve never been there, The Apollo Theater is very, very small. I don’t think Springsteen’s played a venue this small (unannounced surprise appearances in New Jersey excepted) since The Bottom Line in 1975, which I was there for! Forget about Pick of the Week, this is the first ever Pick of the Month! And, it’s not a wimpy solo acoustic gig either. It’s the full on E Street Band, so put your rockin’ shoes on and get on up to Harlem for a night to remember!
Hold onto your hats, cause we ain’t done yet, not by a longshot! One of the few men who could step into the late Clarence ‘The Big Man’ Clemons shoes, the great BOBBY KEYS, longtime sax player with The Rolling Stones, brings his band, The Sufferin’ Bastards, to The Highline Ballroom in Manhattan. Bobby’s been with The Stones since they added horns in the early 1970’s, and has played every immortal Stones’ sax solo ever done! “Live with Me” to “Brown Sugar”, it’s all Bobby! But that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Bobby Keys has been a touring musician since 1956, when he went on the road with Buddy Holly at the age of 16! He played the baritone sax part on Elvis Presley’s “Return to Sender”! He also had a long history with The Beatles, playing on George Harrison’s masterpiece, “All Things Must Pass” and John Lennon’s “Whatever gets you Through the Night”. But here’s the kicker – Bobby played the sax solo on “The Wanderer”!!! I was just listening to that a few days ago and marveling at the power and intensity of the sax playing in the solo. The guy’s a legend! Friday night’s show is already sold out, but there are tickets left for Sunday. Hence, go!
Whoa…there’s rock n roll royalty all over town tonight! The ROYAL SOUTHERN BROTHERHOOD performs at BB King’s tonight! This band sports names like Neville, Allman, and Wooten, so, you know what I mean? The ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND themselves start their annual 3 week run at The Beacon Theater tonight. I’m not gonna give you all the dates, but you can check the theater’s website for more information. And last but not least, in the Hudson Valley, JIM WEIDER’S PROJECT PERCOLATOR showcases Weider’s amazing guitar chops at The Falcon in Marlborough. Jim is the TeleMaster in Levon Helm’s band.
Saturday, March 10 – ROYAL SOUTHERN BROTHERHOOD reprises Friday night’s show at Club Helsinki in Hudson and TODD SNIDER does the same at The Egg in Albany. And for you downstaters, DAVID JOHANSEN, lead singer of the New York Dolls, and in another incarnation, Buster Poindexter, is at The Highline Ballroom in Manhattan.
Sunday, March 11 – BOBBY KEYS is back at The Highline Ballroom for his final show in New York, and, prepare yourselves, the great TONY BENNETT is at The Bardavon Opera House in Poughkeepsie! The Bardavon has the best sound system in the Hudson Valley and one of the best anywhere. A great place to see The Ol’ Crooner.
Monday, March 12 – Up and coming supergroup THE BLACK KEYS pull into Madison Square Garden for a night.
Tuesday, March 13 – A great night of music is planned to CELEBRATE THE MUSIC OF THE ROLLING STONES 1964-1971 at Carnegie Hall. A veritable who’s who of the music world gathers tonight to honor the self proclaimed “World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band”. Scheduled to perform are Roseanne Cash, Steve Earle, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Rich Robinson of The Black Crowes, Jackie Greene, Taj Mahal, Jackson Browne, Marianne Faithfull, Art Garfunkel, Rickie Lee Jones, Marc Cohen, Angelique Kidjo, Ronnie Spector, Gomez, and probably many more unannounced guests. This will be a hot show, and I’m making it my Pick of the Week!
Wednesday, March 14 – The week winds up with JACKIE GREENE at City Winery in Manhattan.
Have a great one!
- Published on
Greetings and welcome to this week’s Reservoir Music Notes. Well, we lost another one this week. The great blues guitarist, harp player, and vocalist, Louisiana Red, passed away February 25 at the age of 80. Red was a three time W.C. Handy Award winner, and had played and recorded with some of the immortals of the genre. Now he’s immortal. RIP Red.
Strangely enough, almost all of this week’s live music picks are in the city. The only local show I’m recommending this week is The CKS BAND at The Falcon in Marlborough, and they are strongly recommended! So I’m going to take this opportunity to profile the band, who I consider one of the most promising and exciting new bands to come along in a while! They’re not really a brand new band though, as the members have played together in other outfits for a long time. Consisting of drummer Randy Ciarlante, keyboardist Bruce Katz, and guitar player Scott Sharrard, all three are world class players who never fail to put on a great show.
Randy Ciarlante, one of my favorite drummers and an awesome singer, has been a fixture on the Hudson Valley music scene for a long time. A member of The Band in later incarnations, Randy has also played with Jim Weider’s percolator, The Honky Tonk Gurus, The Levon Helm Band, and along with Bruce, was a member of the precursor to CKS, The Organiks.
Bruce Katz, a three time W.C. Handy Award nominee for Piano Player of the Year, is a member of the Gregg Allman Band, and also plays regularly with Delbert McClinton, John Hammond,and leads his own Bruce Katz Band. Bruce is a soulful master of the keyboard!
Scott, also a member of Gregg Allman’s band, has been called “Gregg Allman’s secret weapon”.
Together, these three master musician’s can’t be anything but great, and I think they’ve finally found the right configuration of members to take it to the next level. If these guys aren’t touring nationally and opening shows for artists who are household names by this time next year, I’ll eat your lunch! Well what did you think, I’d eat a hat? Saturday, March 3 at The Falcon in Marlborough with added bonus of David Kraai and Amy Laber as opening act!
And now for the best of the rest. All of these shows are in Manhattan, except where noted.
Wednesday, February 29 – Last week’s pick, LEO KOTTKE, finishes his three night stand at City Winery. Kottke is the leading living proponent of acoustic trance guitar, in the style popularized by the late John Fahey.
Thursday, March 1 – SISTER SPARROW AND THE DIRTY BIRDS are on their way up, and to prove it, they’re making the jump out of the Hudson Valley into Manhattan at The Bowery Ballroom tonight.
Friday, March 2 – In a career spanning five decades, Jamaican born pianist MONTY ALEXANDER has performed with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Quincy Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Clark Terry, Milt Jackson, and now, SLY AND ROBBIE, the best Reggae rhythm section on the planet! At The Blue Note. Also tonight, former Woodstock resident TODD RUNDGREN returns to City Winery.
Saturday, March 3 – Tonight is hoppin’ downstate! One of the great rock n roll bands of the 80’s THE DEL FUEGOS, is back together after a 21 year hiatus and playing at the Bell House in Brooklyn! Also, one of the most authentic Country voices around today, CHUCK MEAD, formerly of BR549, is at Joe’s Pub. And one of the original Stiff Records’ stable of artists that included Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe, WRECKLESS ERIC, is at Maxwell’s in Hoboken with his wife, AMY RIGBY, a fine artist in her own right. The reviews on their albums and live performances are sensational, so this is very intriguing.
Sunday, March 4 – Master of the mandolin and former Jerry Garcia collaborator, DAVID GRISMAN, at City Winery.
Monday, March 5 – Waylon’s son, SHOOTER JENNINGS, is at Hill Country Barbecue. I saw Shooter play at CBGB’s when he first started out. The audience was filled with celebrities and he was pretty damn good! But the really big show tonight is the rehearsal show for ROBERT JOHNSON AT 100 at City Winery. The actual show is tomorrow night at The Apollo and is a benefit for the Blues Hall of Fame, but tonight all the participants, who include The Roots, Living Color, Shemekia Copeland, Taj Mahal, Chuck D, Keb Mo, Todd Rundgren, Sam Moore, and Bettye Levette, will be previewing tomorrow’s show at City Winery. VIP tix at The Apollo are $300, and a barstool at City Winery is $30, so, nuff said!
Tuesday, March 6 – ROBERT JOHNSON AT 100 at The Apollo and JANE’S ADDICTION at The Wellmont Theater in Montclair, NJ.
Wednesday, March 7 – TODD RUNDGREN’s back at City Winery.
Well, that’s a damn fine week of music…IF you’re downstate. In the Hudson Valley, if you wanna rock this week, you better show up at The Falcon.
Have a great week.
Strangely enough, almost all of this week’s live music picks are in the city. The only local show I’m recommending this week is The CKS BAND at The Falcon in Marlborough, and they are strongly recommended! So I’m going to take this opportunity to profile the band, who I consider one of the most promising and exciting new bands to come along in a while! They’re not really a brand new band though, as the members have played together in other outfits for a long time. Consisting of drummer Randy Ciarlante, keyboardist Bruce Katz, and guitar player Scott Sharrard, all three are world class players who never fail to put on a great show.
Randy Ciarlante, one of my favorite drummers and an awesome singer, has been a fixture on the Hudson Valley music scene for a long time. A member of The Band in later incarnations, Randy has also played with Jim Weider’s percolator, The Honky Tonk Gurus, The Levon Helm Band, and along with Bruce, was a member of the precursor to CKS, The Organiks.
Bruce Katz, a three time W.C. Handy Award nominee for Piano Player of the Year, is a member of the Gregg Allman Band, and also plays regularly with Delbert McClinton, John Hammond,and leads his own Bruce Katz Band. Bruce is a soulful master of the keyboard!
Scott, also a member of Gregg Allman’s band, has been called “Gregg Allman’s secret weapon”.
Together, these three master musician’s can’t be anything but great, and I think they’ve finally found the right configuration of members to take it to the next level. If these guys aren’t touring nationally and opening shows for artists who are household names by this time next year, I’ll eat your lunch! Well what did you think, I’d eat a hat? Saturday, March 3 at The Falcon in Marlborough with added bonus of David Kraai and Amy Laber as opening act!
And now for the best of the rest. All of these shows are in Manhattan, except where noted.
Wednesday, February 29 – Last week’s pick, LEO KOTTKE, finishes his three night stand at City Winery. Kottke is the leading living proponent of acoustic trance guitar, in the style popularized by the late John Fahey.
Thursday, March 1 – SISTER SPARROW AND THE DIRTY BIRDS are on their way up, and to prove it, they’re making the jump out of the Hudson Valley into Manhattan at The Bowery Ballroom tonight.
Friday, March 2 – In a career spanning five decades, Jamaican born pianist MONTY ALEXANDER has performed with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Quincy Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Clark Terry, Milt Jackson, and now, SLY AND ROBBIE, the best Reggae rhythm section on the planet! At The Blue Note. Also tonight, former Woodstock resident TODD RUNDGREN returns to City Winery.
Saturday, March 3 – Tonight is hoppin’ downstate! One of the great rock n roll bands of the 80’s THE DEL FUEGOS, is back together after a 21 year hiatus and playing at the Bell House in Brooklyn! Also, one of the most authentic Country voices around today, CHUCK MEAD, formerly of BR549, is at Joe’s Pub. And one of the original Stiff Records’ stable of artists that included Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe, WRECKLESS ERIC, is at Maxwell’s in Hoboken with his wife, AMY RIGBY, a fine artist in her own right. The reviews on their albums and live performances are sensational, so this is very intriguing.
Sunday, March 4 – Master of the mandolin and former Jerry Garcia collaborator, DAVID GRISMAN, at City Winery.
Monday, March 5 – Waylon’s son, SHOOTER JENNINGS, is at Hill Country Barbecue. I saw Shooter play at CBGB’s when he first started out. The audience was filled with celebrities and he was pretty damn good! But the really big show tonight is the rehearsal show for ROBERT JOHNSON AT 100 at City Winery. The actual show is tomorrow night at The Apollo and is a benefit for the Blues Hall of Fame, but tonight all the participants, who include The Roots, Living Color, Shemekia Copeland, Taj Mahal, Chuck D, Keb Mo, Todd Rundgren, Sam Moore, and Bettye Levette, will be previewing tomorrow’s show at City Winery. VIP tix at The Apollo are $300, and a barstool at City Winery is $30, so, nuff said!
Tuesday, March 6 – ROBERT JOHNSON AT 100 at The Apollo and JANE’S ADDICTION at The Wellmont Theater in Montclair, NJ.
Wednesday, March 7 – TODD RUNDGREN’s back at City Winery.
Well, that’s a damn fine week of music…IF you’re downstate. In the Hudson Valley, if you wanna rock this week, you better show up at The Falcon.
Have a great week.
- Published on
Greetings and welcome to this week’s Reservoir Music Notes. Well, we all know by now that Whitney Houston died this week. I actually got the news just before my deadline last week, but I decided not to write anything about it because, well, her music just ain’t my bag! But, she did have an amazing voice and was a force to be reckoned with in music, so I decided not to let her pass without at least a mention. The girl could sing! I only wish her career had been guided by someone other than Clive Davis, so she might’ve had a real music guy in her corner. She could’ve been another Aretha, had her material not been so white bread! RIP Whitney.
“Howlin’ For Hubert,” a celebration of the musical legacy of the late Hubert Sumlin and his influence on every guitar hero of today, has been confirmed for February 24th at New York’s legendary Apollo Theater. The evening will benefit the Jazz Foundation of America. The concert will feature performances by Doyle Bramhall II, Eric Clapton, Gary Clark Jr., James Cotton, Shemekia Copeland, Billy Flynn, Barrelhouse Chuck Goering, Buddy Guy, David Johansen, Steve Jordan, Danny Kortchmar, Dr. John, Keb Mo, Todd Mohr, Ivan Neville, Robert Randolph, Keith Richards, Kenny Wayne Sheperd, Larry Taylor, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, Jimmie Vaughan, Jimmy Vivino, Willie Weeks, Jody Williams, Kim Wilson, and other special surprise guests.
After playing for a lifetime and lifting the world with his blues, it is hard to believe that a legend like Hubert, who influenced so many in the music world, could die penniless. That is why this tribute to Hubert will benefit the Jazz Foundation of America, with 6000 musician emergency cases a year, saving jazz and blues one musician at a time. A fund in his honor will be created from this concert as it was his wish that no musician would ever have to go through this again.
For twenty two years the Jazz Foundation of America (JFA) has been committed to providing jazz and blues musicians with financial, medical, housing, and legal assistance as well as performance opportunities, with a special focus on the elderly and veterans who have paid their dues and find themselves in crisis due to illness, age, and/or circumstance. JFA keeps hundreds of jazz and blues legends in crisis, from eviction and homelessness by paying rents and mortgages, and finding creative dignified solutions to heal their darkest hours, as they have always been there to heal ours.
Quiet and extremely unassuming off the bandstand, Hubert Sumlin played a style of guitar incendiary enough to stand tall beside the immortal Howlin' Wolf. The Wolf was Sumlin's imposing mentor for more than two decades, and it proved a mutually beneficial relationship; Sumlin's twisting, darting, unpredictable lead guitar constantly energized the Wolf's 1960s Chess sides, even when the songs themselves were less than stellar.
A member of The Blues Hall of Fame, Hubert’s singular playing is characterized by "wrenched, shattering bursts of notes, sudden cliff-hanger silences and daring rhythmic suspensions". Listed in Rolling Stone's The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time as well as a four time Grammy nominee he is cited as a major influence by many artists, including Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Robbie Robertson, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix.
Tickets are sold out, if they even were ever offered to the public, but if you can talk, buy, squirm, or otherwise gain admission into this once in a lifetime event, you’ll have a memory that will last a lifetime!
If you can’t get in to the “Howlin’ for Hubert” Concert, here’s the best of the rest for this week.
Wednesday, February 22 – ROBERT CRAY BAND is at Tarrytown Music Hall tonight. As I mentioned last week, Robert was on the bill for Stevie Ray Vaughn’s last concert, and has always been one of Eric Clapton’s, and my, favorite guitarists. He writes good songs and can wail with the best of ‘em! Recommended!
Friday, February 24 – Really good RnB band, complete with horns and chick singer, are at The Colony in Woodstock tonight. I’ve heard a lot about SISTER SPARROW AND THE DIRTY BIRDS, and the clips I checked out on the internet sounded really good. What’s better than old school RnB? Definitely worth checking out. Also tonight up in Hudson at Club Helsinki, the truly formidable ALEXIS P. SUTER will school you in The Blues and more. Veteran of about a hundred Midnight Ramble opening slots, and dozens of shows with Levon on the road, Alexis was nominated this year for a Blues Music Award in the category of Best Soul Blues Female Artist, so you know she’s gonna bring it! And all you gotta do is bring yourself (and a few friends).
Saturday, February 25 – There’re four very interesting shows tonight. HOT TUNA is at The Egg in Albany. Great venue, great band. Hope they’re playing electric. For you downstaters, the great Cajun band, BUCKWHEAT ZYDECO, is at BB King’s in Manhattan. I always liked these guys, ever since I heard their killer cover of the Derek and The Dominoes classic, “Why Does Love Have to be so Sad”. Also in Manhattan, JIMMY DESTRI, keyboard player in Blondie for many years, even into their current incarnation, seems to be out on his own and playing tonight at Joe’s Pub. I would really like to check this out, but I’ll probably wind up at The Bearsville Theater for THE KANE BROS. BLUES BAND. Formed in Woodstock in 1972, these guys broke up in 1977, but not before impressing Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and James Cotton. During their 30 year break, they conquered many worlds in music and got back together in 2002. Their audio clips sound most blueswailing, and I’m gonna make this a Pick of the Week. How d’ya like them apples? More info at www.bearsvilletheater.com.
Sunday, February 26 – Today was George Harrison’s birthday and there are celebrations planned for several clubs in Manhattan. Don’t know any of the bands, so I’m not recommending any of them, just sayin’, if you dug George’s music, you’d probably have fun at any of them. More info at www.villagevoice.com, click on Calendar section and select date. Former Woodstock resident, TODD RUNDGREN pulls into City Winery in Manhattan tonight for the first of two shows.
Monday, February 27 – Todd wraps it up at City Winery and “In Performance at The White House: Red, White, and Blues” airs on PBS tonight at 9PM. This might be a show worth Tivoing, or whatever you use to record TV shows. The show features Mick Jagger, Jeff Beck, BB King, Keb Mo, Gary Clarke, Jr., and Trombone Shorty, with Booker T as musical director. WOW! This is a Pick of the Week, my first ever TV pick! Maybe the President will join them for another round of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together”. LOL.
Tuesday, February 28 – If you missed VAN HALEN at their Café Wha? performance last month, you can catch them tonight at Madison Square Garden. Also, legendary guitarist, LEO KOTTKE, starts a two night run at City Winery in Manhattan. Kottke is the foremost living proponent of acoustic trance guitar in the style popularized (well, at least to his core cult following) by the late great John Fahey. He ain’t gonna rock out, but you will be mesmerized. Leo finishes up tomorrow night, Wednesday, February 28.
Happy Leap Year! See you next week.
“Howlin’ For Hubert,” a celebration of the musical legacy of the late Hubert Sumlin and his influence on every guitar hero of today, has been confirmed for February 24th at New York’s legendary Apollo Theater. The evening will benefit the Jazz Foundation of America. The concert will feature performances by Doyle Bramhall II, Eric Clapton, Gary Clark Jr., James Cotton, Shemekia Copeland, Billy Flynn, Barrelhouse Chuck Goering, Buddy Guy, David Johansen, Steve Jordan, Danny Kortchmar, Dr. John, Keb Mo, Todd Mohr, Ivan Neville, Robert Randolph, Keith Richards, Kenny Wayne Sheperd, Larry Taylor, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, Jimmie Vaughan, Jimmy Vivino, Willie Weeks, Jody Williams, Kim Wilson, and other special surprise guests.
After playing for a lifetime and lifting the world with his blues, it is hard to believe that a legend like Hubert, who influenced so many in the music world, could die penniless. That is why this tribute to Hubert will benefit the Jazz Foundation of America, with 6000 musician emergency cases a year, saving jazz and blues one musician at a time. A fund in his honor will be created from this concert as it was his wish that no musician would ever have to go through this again.
For twenty two years the Jazz Foundation of America (JFA) has been committed to providing jazz and blues musicians with financial, medical, housing, and legal assistance as well as performance opportunities, with a special focus on the elderly and veterans who have paid their dues and find themselves in crisis due to illness, age, and/or circumstance. JFA keeps hundreds of jazz and blues legends in crisis, from eviction and homelessness by paying rents and mortgages, and finding creative dignified solutions to heal their darkest hours, as they have always been there to heal ours.
Quiet and extremely unassuming off the bandstand, Hubert Sumlin played a style of guitar incendiary enough to stand tall beside the immortal Howlin' Wolf. The Wolf was Sumlin's imposing mentor for more than two decades, and it proved a mutually beneficial relationship; Sumlin's twisting, darting, unpredictable lead guitar constantly energized the Wolf's 1960s Chess sides, even when the songs themselves were less than stellar.
A member of The Blues Hall of Fame, Hubert’s singular playing is characterized by "wrenched, shattering bursts of notes, sudden cliff-hanger silences and daring rhythmic suspensions". Listed in Rolling Stone's The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time as well as a four time Grammy nominee he is cited as a major influence by many artists, including Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Robbie Robertson, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix.
Tickets are sold out, if they even were ever offered to the public, but if you can talk, buy, squirm, or otherwise gain admission into this once in a lifetime event, you’ll have a memory that will last a lifetime!
If you can’t get in to the “Howlin’ for Hubert” Concert, here’s the best of the rest for this week.
Wednesday, February 22 – ROBERT CRAY BAND is at Tarrytown Music Hall tonight. As I mentioned last week, Robert was on the bill for Stevie Ray Vaughn’s last concert, and has always been one of Eric Clapton’s, and my, favorite guitarists. He writes good songs and can wail with the best of ‘em! Recommended!
Friday, February 24 – Really good RnB band, complete with horns and chick singer, are at The Colony in Woodstock tonight. I’ve heard a lot about SISTER SPARROW AND THE DIRTY BIRDS, and the clips I checked out on the internet sounded really good. What’s better than old school RnB? Definitely worth checking out. Also tonight up in Hudson at Club Helsinki, the truly formidable ALEXIS P. SUTER will school you in The Blues and more. Veteran of about a hundred Midnight Ramble opening slots, and dozens of shows with Levon on the road, Alexis was nominated this year for a Blues Music Award in the category of Best Soul Blues Female Artist, so you know she’s gonna bring it! And all you gotta do is bring yourself (and a few friends).
Saturday, February 25 – There’re four very interesting shows tonight. HOT TUNA is at The Egg in Albany. Great venue, great band. Hope they’re playing electric. For you downstaters, the great Cajun band, BUCKWHEAT ZYDECO, is at BB King’s in Manhattan. I always liked these guys, ever since I heard their killer cover of the Derek and The Dominoes classic, “Why Does Love Have to be so Sad”. Also in Manhattan, JIMMY DESTRI, keyboard player in Blondie for many years, even into their current incarnation, seems to be out on his own and playing tonight at Joe’s Pub. I would really like to check this out, but I’ll probably wind up at The Bearsville Theater for THE KANE BROS. BLUES BAND. Formed in Woodstock in 1972, these guys broke up in 1977, but not before impressing Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and James Cotton. During their 30 year break, they conquered many worlds in music and got back together in 2002. Their audio clips sound most blueswailing, and I’m gonna make this a Pick of the Week. How d’ya like them apples? More info at www.bearsvilletheater.com.
Sunday, February 26 – Today was George Harrison’s birthday and there are celebrations planned for several clubs in Manhattan. Don’t know any of the bands, so I’m not recommending any of them, just sayin’, if you dug George’s music, you’d probably have fun at any of them. More info at www.villagevoice.com, click on Calendar section and select date. Former Woodstock resident, TODD RUNDGREN pulls into City Winery in Manhattan tonight for the first of two shows.
Monday, February 27 – Todd wraps it up at City Winery and “In Performance at The White House: Red, White, and Blues” airs on PBS tonight at 9PM. This might be a show worth Tivoing, or whatever you use to record TV shows. The show features Mick Jagger, Jeff Beck, BB King, Keb Mo, Gary Clarke, Jr., and Trombone Shorty, with Booker T as musical director. WOW! This is a Pick of the Week, my first ever TV pick! Maybe the President will join them for another round of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together”. LOL.
Tuesday, February 28 – If you missed VAN HALEN at their Café Wha? performance last month, you can catch them tonight at Madison Square Garden. Also, legendary guitarist, LEO KOTTKE, starts a two night run at City Winery in Manhattan. Kottke is the foremost living proponent of acoustic trance guitar in the style popularized (well, at least to his core cult following) by the late great John Fahey. He ain’t gonna rock out, but you will be mesmerized. Leo finishes up tomorrow night, Wednesday, February 28.
Happy Leap Year! See you next week.
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