Black Lives Matter

Black Lives Matter

Leon Bridges – Good Thing


With his debut album Coming Home, Leon Bridges took us back in time to the beloved sounds of 60’s soul in the vein of Sam Cooke & Otis Redding. A few years on and his new album Good Thing is a reflection and expression of a broader range of musical influences from subsequent decades, most notably 90’s R&B, 70’s jazz and funk and pop.

Leon Bridges - Good Thing

Some songs from Good Thing mightn’t go into your forever-after memories. But at least one or two can justifiably be played on ‘repeat’ (eg. “Shy” and “Lions”). A few could wisely be selected by party and club DJs to get crowds moving – most notably the first single “Bad Bad News”. And all in all the album Good Thing is a decent, wholesome dose of contemporary R&B.

Check out two sample tracks below. If you like what you hear you can support Leon Bridges by buying the entire album in hard copy – as well as your local independent music store by buying it from there.

Bad Bad News by Leon Bridges

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Shy by Leon Bridges

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Leon Bridges live concert - Citadel Festival 2015

Leon Bridges live at Citadel Festival 2015

 

Chris Dave and The Drumhedz


Any of you hip hop, funk, soul, jazz, rock and pop music fans who pay attention to the musicians playing alongside your beloved bandleaders, will know and appreciate the drumming skills and style of Chris Dave. D’Angelo, Robert Glasper, Thundercat, Adele, Mint Condition, John Legend, Maxwell, Mos Def and Erykah Badu are just some of the artists Chris Dave has played with during his 25+ year music career. His drumming credentials are undoubtedly beyond reproach.

With the release of his own debut album Chris Dave and The Drumhedz, he’s now brilliantly demonstrated his skills as a writer, arranger, producer and bandleader too.

Chris Dave and The Drumhedz

Combining forces with around 50 of today’s most accomplished and innovative musicians and vocalists, Chris Dave and his contemporaries have created 15 dreamy, other-wordly tracks seamlessly blending the sounds of hip hop, jazz, funk, soul, rock and Afrobeat.

They include a sexy, ethereal ode to the power of rhythm in “Atlanta, Texas” featuring Goapele and Shafiq Husayn; and a more upbeat celebration of the “Universal Language” of music from “The Drumhedz as a whole”; a dark, rocked-out form of story-telling by Anderson Paak and SiR in “Clear View”; and a lighter, loved-up journey into another world with Mint Condition’s Stokley Williams in “Cosmic Intercourse”; a funky hip hop number featuring rappers Elzhi and Phonte Coleman; and the ballad “Spread Her Wings” sublimely sung by Bilal and Tweet.

Each song on the album is a dreamy gift of musical goodness to love and behold. And make no mistake. Throughout all of them, Chris Dave’s skills as writer, producer and bandleader may shine, but so too do his unique style and diverse drumming skills.

Hear a few sample tracks from Chris Dave and The Drumhedz below, remembering these are mere compressed mp3 versions. To hear and appreciate the many instrumental layers and subtleties of these and other songs from the album, and fundamentally to support the work of Chris Dave and his cohorts, buy the entire album in hard copy  (including on sweet vinyl) from your local independent music store or online via Chris Dave’s website .

Universal Language by Chris Dave and The Drumhedz

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Black Hole by Chris Dave and The Drumhedz featuring Anderson Paak

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Cosmic Intercourse by Chris Dave and The Drumhedz featuring Stokley Williams

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WOMADelaide 2018 – Worth The Distance


Most artists that perform at WOMADelaide travel a long way to get there. As Cuba’s young jazz sensation Daymé Arocena told the crowd during one of her festival sets, it was a 36 hour journey for her and her band.

Despite those gruelling travel distances performing artists are inevitably seen on WOMADelaide stages smiling and speaking genuinely of how blessed they feel to be there. And for good reasons.

Daymé Arocena live concert - WOMADelaide 2018

Daymé Arocena at WOMADelaide 2018

They are programmed to perform amongst hundreds of incredibly diverse and phenomenally-talented music, arts and dance artists from all corners of the world. Those performances are to crowds who are warm, friendly, welcoming, open-eared and super appreciative of the chance to experience them. And they happen under sunny blue skies amongst the magical trees of Adelaide’s Botanic Park.

WOMADelaide 2018

Like each festival past, WOMADelaide 2018 was a delightful 4 day feast of non-stop live music, dance, theatre, food, art installations, workshops, environmental speakers and more. Punters could take their pick of genres ranging from classical Indian, electronica, Australian hip hop, Latin fusion, contemporary psychedelic jazz, highlife from Ghana, Icelandic/Swedish folk to Malian desert blues – and lots more in between.

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LA’s tenor saxophonist Kamasi Washington and his band The Next Step brought the refreshing flavours of progressive jazz to WOMADelaide.

Kamasi Washington live concert - WOMADelaide 2018

Kamasi Washington

Every single note played in this set was a joy to hear. And the obvious display of humility, respect and appreciation each musician on stage has for one another, was a pleasure to watch. Every player had their turn to shine while the others listened. And Kamasi Washington was happy to use 15 minutes of his 75 minute set to play one of his “favourite songs in the world”, written by “one of his favourite musicians in the world”, The Next Step’s keyboardist Brandon Coleman. The remaining set time was given to songs from The Epic and Washington’s more recent EP Harmony of Difference. And all of it was simply sublime.

Brandon Coleman live - WOMADelaide 2018

Brandon Coleman

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Humility by Kamasi Washington – Harmony of Difference

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In stark contrast to Kamasi Washington’s set was the main stage closing performance that followed from Havana Meets Kingston– led by Melbourne’s Jake “Mista” Savona.

With 14 or so very talented and experienced musicians in the group including long-established legends like Jamaica’s Sly Dunbar, Robbie Shakespeare and Winston “Bopee” Bowen; and Cuba’s Barbarito Torres, Rolando Luna and Julito Padron, this show could have been spectacular. What it was in fact, was underwhelming.

Julito Padron - Havana Meets Kingston - WOMADelaide 2018

Julito Padron

Rolando Luna - Havana Meets Kingston - WOMADelaide 2018

Rolando Luna

 

 

 

 

 

 

The group progressively lost the crowd to other stages or home as loose, seemingly unrehearsed songs from the Havana Meets Kingston album were played; and, as Jake Savona gave directions to musicians over the microphone and delivered long-winded, narcissistic commentary in between songs about how he came up with and put the project together.

Thundercat, aka bass virtuosic, singer, songwriter and producer Stephen Bruner, was another refreshing and welcome inclusion in the WOMADelaide 2018 program. Most songs in his set were from his latest album Drunk, which he asked the crowd if they had before stating with a laugh “Isn’t it messed up?”. Thundercat fans would get why he’d say that – but I’d say kooky, humorous, musically complex and innovative, awesome and utterly unique are better descriptives.

Thundercat live concert - WOMADelaide 2018

Thundercat

Hearing Stephen Bruner, Dennis Hamm (keys) and Justin Brown (drums) play their instruments live, especially jamming out within songs, each with insane levels of musicianship and skill, was simply one of those crazy-amazing music experiences we’re all looking for.

Dennis Hamm with Thundercat - WOMADelaide 2018

Dennis Hamm

Justin Brown with Thundercat - WOMADelaide 2018

Justin Brown

Hear a sample of Thundercat’s awesomely “messed up” Drunk tracks here:

Them Changes by Thundercat Featuring Flying Lotus – Drunk

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WOMADelaide did another wonderful thing in bringing one-of-a-kind New Orleans group Tank and the Bangas to Australia for the first time. Despite the tough gig they landed in facing the burning afternoon sun they gave a stunning and energetic performance. The band played flawlessly but it was hard to take your eyes and ears off beautiful lead vocalist and poet Tarriona “Tank” Ball as she sung her heart out and bounced around the stage poking her tongue out, dancing, smiling and otherwise sharing her delightful personality and artistry.

Tank and the Bangas concert - WOMADelaide 2018

Tank and the Bangas

Having spent the past 6 months recording a new album, not playing live shows, Mexican duo Rodrigo y Gabriela admitted to being a little nervous to start. Not surprisingly it only took them a few minutes on stage to settle back in and “remember what to do”. Individually as musicians and together as a duo, they proceeded to create that indescribable guitar magic they’re known and loved for worldwide.

Rodrigo y Gabriela live concert - WOMADelaide 2018

Rodrigo y Gabriela

Rodrigo y Gabriela live concert- WOMADelaide 2018

Rodrigo y Gabriela

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nai Palm (Hiatus Kaiyote) was also a 2018 festival highlight. She performed this show on the heels of her recent solo album release Needle Paw – showcasing those songs in mesmerizing harmony with the the album’s three back-up singers as well as the Adelaide bats.

Nai Palm live concert - WOMADelaide 2018

Nai Palm

Good vibes of the musical and other sorts were created by all WOMADelaide 2018 participants. There’s no doubt they should (and do) appreciate that WOMADelaide exists in Australia to bring everyone the distance and make them smile.

Thievery Corporation concert - WOMADelaide 2018

Thievery Corporation

You can check out video footage of WOMADelaide 2018 live performances by Nai Palm, Thundercat, Kamasi Washington & The Next Step, Havana Meets Kingston, Pat Thomas and Daymé Arocena here. And find more photos from those and other WOMADelaide shows on Facebook.

Anderson Paak Living His Greatness Down Under


If Anderson Paak “spent years…living under his greatness” like he tells us in ‘The Season/Carry Me’, then he’s definitely made up for it tenfold in recent times. New testament to that is the fact that he & The Free Nationals just achieved something I’ve rarely seen done by any performing artists in Australia.

Without even really trying they had the usually laid back, hard to motivate Aussie crowds at their Laneway Festival and sold-out sideshows singing the lyrics to every song, even down to Paak’s characteristic “uhs” between lines in ‘The Bird’. At the end of the opening song ‘Come Down’, and all others that followed in the set, the Sydney Metro Theatre crowd clapped and screamed almost endlessly, like they usually might do only at the very end of a killer show when desperately wanting an encore.

That wild, welcoming, appreciative response by Australian audiences on the bands first visit was undoubtedly well deserved. But it still surprised me. And seemed to also spin out Anderson Paak with him shaking his head, smiling widely and promising “we’ll be back soon”.

Anderson Paak live concert - Sydney 2018

Anderson Paak & The Free Nationals live at the Sydney Metro Theatre

Before these Laneway shows I had no doubt that Anderson Paak has delivered three of this decades greatest, most innovative and unique albums in Venice, Malibu and Yes Lawd!. Not to mention the long list of songs on which he’s collaborated with equally-incredible artists like A Tribe Called Quest, Kendrick Lamar, Kaytranada, Dr. Dre and ScHoolboy Q (to name just a few).

Paak has an astonishing level of musicality; songwriting, production and drumming skills beyond reproach; a vocal style like no other; lyrical honesty and wit, and the ability to seamlessly fuse the sublime sounds of funk, R&B and hip hop. Those things and more make him pretty damn special amongst even the world’s dopest contemporary artists. It’s no wonder so many of them have jumped at the chance to collaborate with him or seem to be lining up to do so in the future.

After experiencing Anderson Paak and The Free Nationals (Jose Rios, Ron Tnava Avant, Kelsey Gonzales & Callum Connor) deliver flawless live performances and bring his songs to life in full, magnificent force (with more swagger than any one man should be allowed to have btw), my faith in and gratitude to Anderson Paak are even stronger. And my hopes are higher for the future of music too (they were pretty low, and getting lower). Paak turned only 32 while in Australia and it’s exciting that he has so many years ahead to keep creating and sharing music – including this year when we can expect the release of another solo album plus one with The Free Nationals.

Surely by now everyone out there is onto the greatness of Anderson Paak and his music, right? Seems that Australians are. If not, do yourself a big favour and check out these sample tracks (mp3 versions only) from Venice, Malibu and Yes Lawd! (available on sweet vinyl) as well as the video snippets below from his Sydney Metro Theatre and Brisbane Laneway Festival shows.

Anderson Paak - Venice (2014)

Miss Right by Anderson Paak – Venice

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Anderson Paak - Malibu (2016)

The Waters by Anderson Paak – Malibu

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NxWorries - Yes Lawd! (2016)

Suede by NxWorries – Yes Lawd!

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Here’s hoping Anderson Paak continues on his path of musical greatness for a very long time to come. And that his music inspires new artists to achieve the same on their own path. Thanks be to Paak and The Free Nationals for their first crazy-amazing Australian performances and to St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival 2018 for making them happen.

Thanks Be To Keyon Harrold & All The Mugicians of the World


Since the tick-over of the calendar year is when people stop to reflect on the year gone and the one ahead, it seems like a good time to talk about Keyon Harrold’s album The Mugician: undoubtedly one of the greatest music offerings of 2017 with timely, important messages to take forward into 2018 and beyond.

Keyon Harrold - The Mugician

The Mugician (2017)

The album’s 12 eclectic tracks are the fruits of years of labour by the trumpeter, vocalist, composer and producer who’s spent decades creating music with the creme de la creme of contemporary jazz, hip hop and soul artists, touring with Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson Immortal World Tour and more recently playing trumpet for the Miles Davis character in the Don Cheadle film Miles Ahead.

The Mugician is but one of Keyon Harrold’s countless musical accomplishments. But this one he himself has sown, nurtured and led to its fruition – with contributions from a long list of equally-superb contemporary musicians and vocalists who delivered, in their own respective projects, some of the other great music offerings of 2017 – and probably will this coming year too. Georgia Anne Muldrow, Robert Glasper, Gary Clark Jr, Pharoahe Monch, Bilal, Josh David Barrett, Terrace Martin, Marcus Strickland, Chris “Daddy” Dave, Pino Palladino, Jermaine Holmes, Andrea Pizziconi, Brandon Owens and Big K.R.I.T. are amongst them.

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On The Mugician Keyon Harrold and those artists deliver musical and lyrical themes that are a necessary reflection on,  and questioning of, the unjust and seemingly-insane times in which we live. Songs like ‘Broken News’ and ‘Circus Show’ highlight last year’s U.S. news headlines about the plight of refugees, climate change, inadequate health care, police violence and poverty – and ask the question everyone around the world is or should be asking: “What the hell’s goin’ on?”. ‘When Will It Stop?’ is another fundamental question asked in reference to “sexism, bigotry, xenophobia, homophobia, homelessness, classism and the granddaddy of them all: racism”. ‘MB Lament’ also, is a beautiful instrumental ode to Michael Brown, one of the many African-American victims of unjustified police shootings in recent years.

Thankfully there are artists like Keyon Harrold and his collaborators bringing attention to these issues through music’s wide reach; and doing so in a way that conveys the necessary feeling of urgency.

Keyon Harrold - The Mugician

Thankfully also and equally important, is that the rest of the songs on The Mugician deliver strong messages of love and hope. And when reflecting on both the past and future years, it’s clear that we all need lots more love and hope. Just like we all desperately need the healing power of music and the “mugicians” making it – something the album’s title track is a beautiful reminder of.

Reflecting on matters beyond the album’s themes, on music more generally, this Keyon Harrold creation is a refreshing reminder of other things: that there are still musicians in the world today continuously working hard at their craft no matter how long they’ve been doing it for; that fresh, innovative, original sounding music can still be created; that it’s a beautiful thing to hold and hear a body of art in the form of an album; that artists don’t need to fit their music inside any one genre box. It’s ok to incorporate elements of jazz, hip hop, classical, R&B, reggae and Afro Beat like Keyon Harrold has on The Mugician, as long as it’s composed well, played well and makes the listener feel; and, that it’s a rare and delightful thing to see a trumpeter take the lead in directing, composing and producing music projects with the voice of the trumpet as an integral focus of the music.

Finally and fundamentally, this album reminds us that in spite of and because of the challenging, unjust world humans have created, music (and love too) are the greatest and most-needed healing forces.

Listen here to 2 tracks from the The Mugician, remembering these are mere super-compressed mp3 versions. If you like what you hear you know what to do: support Keyon Harrold and his collaborators working their healing magic on us, by buying  the album on sweet vinyl, cd, or digitally if you must.Keyon Harrold - The Mugician

Wayfaring Traveler by Keyon Harrold featuring Georgia Anne Muldrow, Jermaine Holmes and Robert Glasper – The Mugician

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Circus Show by Keyon Harrold featuring Gary Clark Jr – The Mugician

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Catch Keyon Harrold performing live wherever you can. The experience of hearing him play the trumpet and where he’s guaranteed to surround himself on stage with the highest calibre of musicians, is truly sublime.  You can check out videos of Keyon Harrold performing live in New York and Melbourne, and an interview with him here.

Keyon Harrold live concert 2016

Water Seed Got That Funk


In their song ‘Arithmetic’ Water Seed proclaim they “got that funk”. And they most definitely do. That delightful, glorious funk, created with killer musicianship, so rare to find in new music being made around the world these days.

We Are Stars, Water Seed’s most recent studio album, is a body of work made up of 14 sublime tracks which somehow simultaneously sound like they’re from musical eras long gone and eras yet to come. Their sound is incredibly unique in 2017. And each song has been composed and performed by its creators into a living, breathing thing bursting with personality, energy and emotion – all of which has a consistent feel-good effect on the listener.

Water Seed - We Are Stars

We Are Stars (2017)

So too does the fact that this album is full of positive, inspiring lyrical messages for all to hear and heed about the life and world we can create for ourselves and others on the planet, if we just choose to do so. In the words of founding band member Lou Reed:

We Are Stars is much bigger than us. It’s about that dreamer that believing they can make a difference. It’s about that artist that needs encouragement. It’s about that person that goes to work everyday and needs a life line to feel needed and important again. It’s about a new generation of people that understand that we are more alike than different. We are all connected. We are all important to the human experience. We are greater than what the world may tell us we are. We are intergalactic and eternal. We are stardust. We are stars.

It seems a travesty we don’t hear Water Seed songs blasting from all radios and music listening devices around the world. I’m sure we’d live in happier times if we did.

Go ahead and let Water Seed’s music move you. Let it groove you, inspire you and heal you – like good music medicine does.  Remember these versions here are just lowly mp3s.

“Open Sesame” by Water Seed – We Are Stars

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“Arithmetic” by Water Seed – We Are Stars

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You can support the future of funk and the fruits of Water Seed’s labours by buying We Are Stars in its uncompressed hard-copy glory to add to your Forever-After Music Collection. Also check out previous Water Seed releases here.

The next step is to find yourself what I’m sure is the ultimate Water Seed experience: a live show. Check out concert dates in their home town of New Orleans or elsewhere around the world here.

Water Seed’s core members are Lou Hill, J. Sharp, Cinese Love, Shaleyah and Berkley the Artist with additional contributions by musicians Willie Martin, Harry Morter Jr, Grant Hudson and Jean-Paul Brion.

George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic Live at Caloundra Music Festival 2017


George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic or Xavier Rudd: whose show would you have chosen at Caloundra Music Festival 2017? It’s a no-brainer right? We want the funk! Gotta have that funk.

Unfortunately for most festival goers they didn’t choose the funk. Why, is beyond my comprehension. But it made for a special, intimate and mind-blowing experience for those of us who wisely joined George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic for the 50th anniversary show of their first hit single “(I Wanna) Testify”.

George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic live concert 2017

George Clinton live at Caloundra Music Festival 2017

Those two precious hours spent listening to George Clinton and three generations of P Funk family members passed in a glorious flash. Even after their long haul flight to Australia with two preceding shows in different cities and despite a very average sound mix at the stage, the group still performed an extraordinary show which brilliantly showcased five decades of music created by and profoundly influenced by Parliament Funkadelic in its many incarnations.

This was a refreshingly different set to Parliament Funkadelic shows I’ve seen in recent years. Yes we got the always awe-inspiring experience of hearing Blackbyrd McKnight’s wailing guitar in “Maggot Brain” and saw the usual acrobatic dance appearance from Mr Nose (aka Carlos McMurray) in “Flashlight”. And we most definitely got the funk and more funk with other classics like “Atomic Dog”, “One Nation Under a Groove”, “Give Up The Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)” and “Not Just Knee Deep”. But some songs were changed up with slower tempos than the original versions. Plus we got an unexpected heavy metal hard-on when Trafel Lewis (God’s Weapon) led the group in “Dirty Queen”.

Dirty Queen by Funkadelic featuring God’s Weapon – first ya gotta Shake the Gate

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We also “jumped our hip hop-happy asses” ’round more than usual as they performed over a sample of Kendrick Lamar’s “Wesley’s Theory” (which features George Clinton) and while Tra’zae Lewis-Clinton spat vocals on “Baby Like Fonkin’ It Up”. And we heard other songs from Funkadelic’s latest release first ya gotta Shake The Gate in longer, chunkier forms than more condensed medleys of them – including “Meow Meow” led by the delightful and super-talented kitty cat Brandi Scott.


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We also admirably witnessed George Clinton still jumping up and down on stage in his intergalactic get-up at the youthful age of 76. And heard him sing on the mic more so than in recent shows, including for a performance of the autobiographical tune “Ain’t That Funkin’ Kinda Hard On You?”.

Xavier Rudd punters and others in this world may not truly appreciate it yet. But all of us on this earth are so much richer now and forever after, to have, hear and get down to all of the music created by George Clinton, Parliament, Funkadelic and P Funk in its various incarnations during the past 50 years. Blessed beyond measure is anyone who gets to experience hearing that music it in its most sublime form, live.

Thanks be to George Clinton and the Australian touring members of Parliament Funkadelic for another unforgettable performance at Caloundra Music Festival 2017: Blackbyrd McKnight (guitar), Danny Bedrosian (keys), Benjamin “Benzel” Cowan (drums) Lige Curry (bass), Greg Thomas (saxophone/vocals), Garrett Shider (guitar/vocals), Trafel Lewis (guitar/vocals), Thurteen, Brandi Scott, Patavian Lewis, Tonysha Nelson (vocals) and Carlos McMurray (Mr Nose).George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic live concert 2017

Miles Mosley Uprising


When L.A. artist Miles Mosley sings “mediocrity is everywhere, but not here” on his album Uprising, I have to agree. In 2017 jazz and funk music lovers will be hard-pressed trying to find the type and quality of sounds offered up on this album.

Miles Mosley - Uprising (2017)

Uprising (2017)

Its 11 tracks were among 190 recorded by a collective of some of today’s most innovative artists and killer musicians during the one-month long West Coast Get Down sessions in L.A. Both Uprising and Kamasi Washington’s double album The Epic were amongst the fruits of those studio labours.

Miles Mosley is responsible for playing bass, composing, producing and arranging on most of Uprising‘s tracks. And as well as Kamasi Washington contributional credits go to West Coast Get Down members Zane Musa (tenor saxophone) – Christopher Gray, James Ford and Dontae Winslow (trumpet) – Tony Austin (drums/production/engineering), Brandon Coleman (keys) – Patrice Quinn (vocals/production) – Ryan Porter (trombone) – Cameron Graves (piano) – Barbara Sealy (production/lyrics) – Leah Zener and Ray Suen (violin) – Tom Lea and Mike Whitson (viola) – Peter Jacobson and Chris Votek (cello) and Allakoi Pete (percussion).

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Uprising’s song lyrics and their delivery by Miles Mosley exude strength, determination, confidence and passion. And when you hear them you can’t help but feel the contagiousness of those qualities.

Hear the absence of mediocrity for yourself in these two sample tracks from Uprising. The usual ‘mp3-only’ warning applies.  So does the recommendation to support Miles Mosley and his collaborators by buying a hard copy of the full album in its uncompressed sonic glory.

Young Lion – Miles Mosley

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Fire – Miles Mosley

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Also check out this video snippet of Miles Mosley performing the album’s first single “Abraham” with Kamasi Washington & The Next Step live at Byron Bay Bluesfest 2016.

New York City Music Delights


How do people living in New York City find the time to work when the music and dance experiences on offer seem endless? That’s what I asked myself daily as I struggled to fit in the bare necessities of sleeping and eating while fulfilling my one and only New York commitment: soaking up as much live music and dance as possible. 

I rose to the challenge, managing to fit 50 music and dance events into four happy weeks. Some I wouldn’t choose again if I had my time over. But any disappointments at the time didn’t matter. Knowing that the next day in New York and every one after would bring many more, is a blessed thing and a heavenly feeling for any beaver on the beats.

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Choices Choices Choices

Getting on top of the live gigs and parties on offer and selectively choosing between them is key to finding yourself the most sublime of musical experiences in whatever time you have there. Of course if you’re actually living in New York City it’s a different story. Missing out on one act because you’ve chosen another on the same night, or because you have to work, isn’t a big deal ‘cause the one that got away this time will play another show soon enough.

In The Summer Time

If you are music-holidaying then it’s best to pick a Summer-time visit. Festivals, concerts, parties, dance comps and other music events happen all year round in New York City. But like most places in the world the warmer months bring a whole lot more. And lots are free. Checking out the programs for Summerstage, BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn, Northside Festival and Blue Note Jazz Festival is a great start.

Kamasi Washington live concert - Northside Festival 2017

Kamasi Washington & The Next Step at Northside Festival 2017

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Plan To Be Gluttonous

So many shows you want to get to, some of them the same night and only 24 hours in a day. Yep, it’s tough. But you can fit more into one day than you think. Lots of venues have early and late shows to choose from in a night. The same artist is often playing both. Short and long term artist residencies are common so you might have multiple nights to catch them. Parties and dance comps happen at all different times of the afternoon and evening. 

Know what’s on when, be organised and you can move from one event to the next with gluttonous ease.

Cross Its Boroughs

Geographically speaking New York City isn’t actually that big. But the cultural diversity found between and within its different neighbourhoods is incredibly rich and beautiful. Getting a feel for its many flavours and discovering your favourites by checking out music events all over the city is super-rewarding.

Higher end clubs might be your thing. You’ll find plenty in hoods like the Meatpacking District. Jazz heads will find lots of choices in West Village and Greenwich Village. You can place yourself in a more uptight environment at venues like Blue Note or the Village Vanguard; or go for a friendlier, freer, less pretentious vibe at venues like Smalls or its nearly sister club Mezzrow.

Happier in outdoor music spaces? Then head to a joyous weekend party on Coney Island Boardwalk. Or hang out in Central Park and wander between African drummers and dancers, Summerstage concerts, a men’s doo wop group and dance skaters.

Robert Glasper Experiment - SummerStage 2017

Robert Glasper Experiment at SummerStage 2017

To check out hip hop’s birth place get to The Bronx for a dance competition. Party an afternoon away with Puerto Ricans in a Spanish Harlem park. And get your skanking fix at a reggae gig in Jamaica, Queens. Dress up and cross city lines for a concert at New Jersey Performing Arts Centre. Or maybe you’re brave enough to make your way through the freaky of Times Square for a live show at BB King.

If you’re comfortable amongst a privileged, hipster crowd then choose gigs in the super-gentrified Williamsburg. To experience a broader reflection of Brooklyn’s diversity get to a family friendly, good vibes concert at BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn Festival.

Bilal live concert - New York 2017

Bilal at Celebrate Brooklyn 2017

Venues Matter

Consider venues when you make your event choices. A venue and the people it brings, no matter what the band sounds like, can make the difference between a good and a bad music experience.

If you don’t want to be in a crowd of people talking so much it’s hard to hear the performance; or trying to dance on a sticky floor with alcohol spilled across it, you’ll need to give some venues a miss. I went to three frustrating gigs like that at Brooklyn Bowl before I reluctantly had to cross it off my options list despite its great program of acts.

Son Little live concert - New York 2017

Son Little with Soulive at Brooklyn Bowl

If you’d rather be in a space where people around you are there to actually listen and appreciate the music; where it’s simply understood or you’re expressly asked not to use your phone, you’ll find joy at venues like Smalls, the Village Vanguard and Blue Note.  For a totally unique experience of that kind, check out regular open mic nights like All That Hip Hop Poetry & Jazz at Nuyorican Poets Cafe.


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The Seasoned and The Fresh

Long-beloved artists who’ve been making and performing music for many decades won’t be around to do so much longer. You might want to prioritise their shows over those of younger acts while you still can. Sometimes those choices will pay off. Sometimes not.

Making the mission to Only In Queens Summer Festival to be amongst all corners of the world hearing George Clinton and the all-ages members of Parliament Funkadelic kill it on stage again, was the perfect choice.

George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic live concert

Paying dearly to sit through the tackiness and cheese of tassled, sparkly, bikini-clad dancers fawning over Ronald and Ernie Isley as they performed at The Isley Brothers concert was not.

The Isley Brothers live concert New York 

It’s Your Thing by The Isley Brothers

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Turns out after all that my most rewarding New York event choices were to check out the fresh sounds, many of them improvised, being created by more contemporary acts – especially the ones playing in more informal, laid-back venues. Kris BowersJoel Ross Good VibesKeyon Harrold, Robert Glasper Experiment, Taylor McFerrin with Marcus Gilmore and revered Tiny Desk winners Tank and the Bangas were amongst them.

 

4 Am by Taylor McFerrinEarly Riser

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Tank and the Bangas live concert - New York

Tank and the Bangas at Blue Note

Party Picks

Parties put on in bars and clubs. Neighbourhood block parties. Rooftop parties. Parties on Coney Island Boardwalk. Parties in city parks. Vinyl Parties amongst the neon lights of Times Square. New York City is a music and dance lovers’ delight for its choices of dope parties. One of your best chances for finding them is to regularly check events posted on DanceDeets. And of course when you find a DJ you’re into, follow him or her to their next gig.

Visual arts lovers could wisely choose to start their Tuesday night at the Delancey for Collage NYC. There you can dance to killer DJs as New York City artists create musically-themed artworks before your eyes.

Collage NYC Live Art Tribute to 2Pac 2017

Inbox Full

Discover all your choices by keeping a check on social media sites for upcoming shows by your beloved artists; and subscribing to venue and event mailing lists until your inbox can’t take no more. 

These here sites will give music-holidayers a heap of choices to start filling their New York City Summer days and nights: Governors Ball FestivalNorthside FestivalSummerStageBlue Note Jazz FestivalBRIC Celebrate BrooklynHot 97 Summer JamBrooklyn Academy of MusicAfroPunkBrooklyn BasedNew York Live ArtsBrooklyn Bazaar –  Do NYCThe Joyce TheatreJazz at Lincoln Centre92yLe Poisson RougeSmoke Jazz ClubSmalls LiveMezzrowRed RoosterZinc BarThe McKittrick Hotel –  Fat Cat – 55 BarArlene’s GroceryBowery ElectricNuyorican Poets CafeThe KitchenBB King BluesMinton’sNational SawdustBirdland Jazz ClubSymphony Space –  Brooklyn Bowl Blue Note Jazz ClubHighline BallroomCielo – DanceDeets.

“The Music Capital of the World”

One time in Colombia a musicologist told me that Bogota is the music capital of the world. Now for sure Bogota has a rich and thriving music scene. But I had to doubt his statement in light of what New York City is famous for offering.

I’ve now been music-holidaying in both cities and am sure he was wrong. Even if there is such a thing as “the music capital of the world” New York City must trump Bogota and most, if not all world cities as being It, surely? Every scene, every music genres and every type of event is available for the taking in New York – seven days and nights. So I’ll never figure out how its music loving residents find the time to work. But I know it’s a heavenly-sublime city for any beaver on the beats to live in or visit.  

Breakdance battles - Brooklyn, New York 2017

 

Get your glimpse here of a tiny handful of the countless New York City music events that went down in Summer 2017.


Check out more videos by clicking on the artist/event name:

George Clinton & Parliament FunkadelicThe WhispersKamasi Washington – Keyon HarroldBen Williams bass soloTalib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch & The Soul Rebels  – Alice SmithBilalKris BowersSon Little with SouliveGriz with SouliveCover Story Doo WopThe Isley Brothers  – Taylor McFerrin & Marcus GilmoreRobert Glasper ExperimentKarl Denson with SouliveTank and the Bangas  – Joel Ross Good Vibes – Lesedi Ntsane  – Break 4 Justice Dance BattlesFinal Dance Battle – LGNDS: The Return