Old School Sunday producer/host Dr. Rick Wright (from North Carolina) meets up with saxophonist Ronnie Laws (from Texas) backstage at the 2013 Syracuse Jazz Festival.
Posts Tagged ‘Music’
Sons of the South: Friends & Strangers
Sunday, July 7th, 2013Extension: Jazz Fest, Day 2
Saturday, July 6th, 2013
Napoleon Murphy Brock of the Grandmothers of Invention and Festival Producer Frank Malfitano hug it out during a lengthy rain delay.
At Day Two of the Syracuse Jazz Festival the weather almost trumped the music. After lightning flashes, a near monsoon, and baseball-length rain delay, however the music continued and the GrandMothers of Invention (formed in 2002 from Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention) gave those remaining a high-impact show.
Earlier in the day, Sophistafunk and the Yellowjackets, as well as Giacomo Gates, were on stage.
William Kennedy, Drummer, Yellowjackets
Adam Gold, Keyboardist, Sophistafunk
Don Preston, who started with Frank Zappa in 1967, is showing no signs of slowing down on this “One Size Fits All” US Tour. He came to the Syracuse show from Chapel Hill, NC. Tomorrow the GrandMothers of Invention play Annapolis, then NYC, before heading back Upstate to Rochester on July 10.
WAEF FM 88’s GM Joe Lee brings on the Yellowjackets.
Sophista-Fan
Piano tuner Kenny Williams has been working festivals and concerts in Syracuse for more than a half century.
Napoleon Murphy Brock (left),who started with Zappa in 1974 and now is the lead vocalist for the GrandMothers of Invention, shows off his Suavenicity during an opening number.
Dimension: Jazz Fest, Day 1
Friday, July 5th, 2013
Ben Jaffe, Creative Director, Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Day One of the 2013 Syracuse Jazz Festival at Jamesville Beach featured The Doobie Brothers, Kat Wright & the Indomitable Soul Band, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and a fireworks display to celebrate July 4th. Preservation dedicated their set to the memory of New Orleans icon Lionel Batiste.
Taking it all in
Mark Braud (PHJB)
Joe Lastie, Jr. (PHJB)
Kat Wright & The Indomitable Soul Band
Pat Simmons (Doobie Brothers)
Charlie Gabriel (PHJB)
Doobie Brothers from some other mothers
Piano Lesson
Wednesday, June 19th, 2013
Singer Frank McComb was the headliner for the 2013 Syracuse Juneteenth Celebration
Although the city celebrated the event on Saturday, the official day for Juneteenth (June 19) is today.
On Saturday the city got it’s first taste of soul vocalist Frank McComb, who was part of the free festival. The concert was held not too far from the Jerry Rescue Freedom Statue in historic Clinton Square.
Physically McComb resembles bassist Chris Walker and radio-personality Doug Banks. He has his roots in gospel and dabbles in jazz, but he has a vocal and playing style most reminiscent of a mid-80s Stevie Wonder (or some at the venue said Donny Hathaway).
McComb further showed his generosity by choosing a few Syracuse-area musicians to share the stage and play during his set (including beast of the beats Stephen Bender and Brownskin Band’s Nate Brown).
Although the show stared a little late, the crowd had no problem following his groove.
Syracuse-area drummer Stephen Bender was invited to play the set with McComb.
According to a promoter at the show, look for McComb to make a return to the area in September.
McComb warms up backstage before his set in Clinton Square.
Live and Let Jam
Monday, June 17th, 2013
Dave Solazzo
Lemon Elefant features a new generation of jazz cats putting in work in-and-around Syracuse. The band is headed by Bill Horrace and Dave Solazzo, who have been fixtures for the past year or so at Connective Corridor music spots (teaming up with various musicians from the area). Last Friday Lemon Elefant was the closing act for Sitrus on the Hill, where they played their original cuts, as well as some pop tunes.
Bill Horrace
Horrace and Solazzo were joined by Josh Dekaney (drums).
Throwback Thursday: Then & Now
Thursday, June 13th, 2013
The Muhammad School of Music visited Syracuse from Buffalo (center Min. Mark Muhammad and Henri L. Muhammad) and held a rehearsal before their performance.
Here are two scenes inside the Merchants Common Building (downtown). The Muhammad School of Music visited the School of the heARTS about a decade ago, and currently the Syracuse Media Group (and Post Standard) has nearly completed their move to the property.
Syracuse Media Group Headquarters (under construction)
Hump Day=WOW
Wednesday, June 12th, 2013Appetizer
Saturday, June 8th, 2013
Illumination of the Goonies: Rhyming in the Rain
Here are some of the musical acts who performed for Day 1 of the Taste of Syracuse.
Goin’ Way Out: Sophistafunk’s Adam Gold on the Keys
Doug Gray, lead vocalist for the Marshall Tucker Band
Searching for Soul: Israel Hagan, bassist for Stroke
Aqua Boogie
Tuesday, June 4th, 2013
SQUID (Noah Kellman, Conor Szymanski & Max Calkin) performed as the headline act at MPH Jazz Fest X on Sunday afternoon. Their experimental/fusion sound is too funky to ignore.
Throwback Thursday: Make My Funk the P-Funk
Thursday, May 23rd, 2013
Uncle Jams, Sir Nose, Mr. P-Funk, the Atomic Dog: George Clinton is a man of many facets, each one funkier than the next. He’s pictured here from a previous concert in the Carrier Dome.
Let the countdown begin…3 months until George Clinton returns to Syracuse for the New York State Fair.