Erika Lovette: A holiday treat at Sitrus
Singer/songwriter Erika Lovette was a great choice to close the Jazz @ Sitrus series along the Connective Corridor on Friday evening. We’ve seen Lovette perform for what seems like decades, though she is quite young. For this audience, she showed her range and versatility by belting out some old school classics such as Aretha, George Benson and Otis Redding.
Kirsten Tegtmeyer and Bill Horrace (Lemon Elefant) played a gig at the Community Folk Art Center on Thursday.
Lemon Elefant (Bill Horrace and Dave Solazzo) have become the de facto band for the Connective Corridor. They’ve played in nearly every venue and even on the street and aboard buses once or twice.
No matter who sits in with them lately, the sound and the fury of their interaction creates combustible tones. It’s like watching a modern version of Mingus and Monk.
For their latest gig, they welcomed in drummer Kinyatta King (the drummer an MBA) and singer Kirsten Tegtmeyer. The audible aroma they stirred up got caught in the coffered ceiling of the gallery and then slowly descended like a morning fog.
Lemon moved the crowd with cuts by Michael Jackson (Human Nature, Smooth Criminal) and some of their own compositions during the one hour show, but the audience was equally impressed by the strong vocal display of Tegtmeyer on Maroon5’s This Love.
The collective did an encore Friday night for Jazz @ Sitrus (Sheraton Hotel).
Thanks to Kofi Jacque, aka One Black Voice (at the former OnaJava), who was an early supporter of the SIF venture.
Here is a short video re-mix from the Blowin’ In The Wind show at the area’s newest concert venue, DestiNY USA’s Canyon.
To the delight of thousands of students, Macklemore brought his tour to the Carrier Dome last night. The opening acts were Talib Kweli and Big K.R.I.T. Kweli recently launched the radio station Radionomy. The next stop for Macklemore, best-known for his hit “Thrift Shop,” will be Madison Square Garden in NYC.
Blowin in the Wind from the upper deck of the Canyon, DestiNY USA
Great acts are hard to follow, especially a well-loved band like Blowin’ in the Wind. The band played a Concert in the Canyon (DestiNY USA) last week to the delight of hundreds of their fans, shoppers and visitors to the area who poured into the mall. The acoustics weren’t the best, but everyone seemed to have a blast. Highlights of the show included a salute to military personnel and Charity for Children, Inc., a magical Michael Jackson montage (led by Eric Blackwell) and a public performance of the new DestiNY USA theme song.
Blowin’ was also joined for this gig by ultra-talented Dequan Bowens (aka Killer Keys),who we’ve seen jam with many local bands over the past few years.
It’s great to see a hard-working band get some more exposure and build their fan base. We’re not sure who the next schedule group to play the canyon will be, but Blowin’ has set a high standard.
Packed house.
Nino Albino, co-founder of Charity for Children, introduced the band.
Percussionist Frank Spaights.
Billy Harrison keeping the beat on drums
Kathy Blackwell and Al Cutri: Killin’ it at the Concert in the Canyon.
The band conducted a television interview after the show.
Eric Blackwell during the MJ montage.
Kathy Blackwell invited Children for Charity ambassador Abbey Kessler on stage.
Singer Gregory Porter returned to Syracuse last week.
A Gregory Porter concert is a little like the Matrix: We could tell you what it’s like, but you really have to experience it for yourself.
We wrote in a previous post that it’s difficult to classify Porter, but in his vocals one can hear Nat Cole, Ray Charles, Joe Williams and even Donny Hathaway. He effortlessly blends ballads, shout blues and the sacred sounds of the church.
The superstar jazz singer returned to Central New York Friday for the first time since his appearance at the 2012 Syracuse Jazz Festival. Earlier in the day he did a clinic for students and also talked about his life’s story.
But the real treat was the show.
From the time they hit the stage at about 7:30 p.m. Porter and his band (Chip Crawford, Emmanuel Harrold, Aaron James and Yosuke Sato) nearly blew the doors off Storer Auditorium.
Porter kicked things off with the ballad Be Good, and from the first note, a wave of goosebumps washed over the theater. He sprinkled in Liquid Spirit and No Love Dying from his new album, as well as the crowd favorite On My Way to Harlem.
For an encore they poured it on with the bass-driven cut, 1960 What? which featured Aaron James slapping and literally dancing with his upright instrument.
The music created by the band was spicy like Cajun catfish and Porter’s strong, spiritually connected vocals were smooth like banana pudding.
At the end, most people lingered to soak in the experience, and everyone left satisfied.
WAER-FM 88’s Eric Cohen and Jazz Fest Producer Frank Malfitano welcome Gregory Porter to the stage.
WAER FM-88’s Program Director Eric Cohen said it best when he said that for one night, Syracuse became the center of the Jazz Universe.
A great starting five: Crawford, James, Porter, Harrold and Sato
Melissa Gardiner, Live at Phoebes
Composer Daniel Bernard Roumain, is part of a new collective of musicians (think DJ Spooky and Dr. Dre) who push the envelope and explore uncharted territory, forge historic collaborations, and basically are re-writing the rules of what it means to be a performer/producer and artist.
Roumain talked to us before his performance at the Community Folk Art Center’s series exploring music from the African Diaspora.
Composer and violinist Daniel Bernard Roumain at CFAC
You didn’t have to be a fan of classical music or chamber music to enjoy the performance by Haitian-American composer violinist and composer Daniel Bernard Roumain last night. His goal since age 5 has been to make the violin cool so it can be real; make it real so it can be relevant; and be relevant so he can build relationships.
Last night he made some new fans (from elementary school age to the upper decades) by interpreting everything from classic pieces, hip hop music, the national anthem of two countries and even the paintings on the gallery walls.
Roumain has worked with Luther Campbell, Bill T. Jones, Paul Miller (DJ Spooky) and many more.
His performance was part of the on-going series at the Community Folk Art Center (CFAC) exploring the music of the African Diaspora.
Stay tuned for an interview with Roumain, which will be published soon.
Yayoi Ikawa, Anthony McGriff, Dr. Kheli Willetts, Daniel Bernard Roumain and Eric McGriff after last night’s performance.