Contact Us
Amy Regan Rocks The Rockwood!
Reviewed by Gabe Alonso
Just
like clockwork, three minutes before it was 9 pm, the audience started
pouring into the small confines of the great Rockwood Music Hall, but do not
let the size of the venue fool you, because this is one of the best indie
music venues in the city (New York Magazine voted it # 1 last year).
Tonight’s artist, Amy Regan is no stranger to the Rockwood Music Hall, as
she has performed here on numerous occasions, and she is quickly becoming a
staple of the East Village music scene. With her strong online presence, it
does not come as a surprise that she was bale to pack the Hall. On this
night, Regan was marking the release of two new singles, both of which she
would perform in her set. Backed by her bassist and drummer, she took to the
stage with her guitar and she was greeted by rousing applause from the
audience.
Regan opened her set with “Everybody Needs Somewhere To Go,” the first track from her 2007 EP And Then There’s This. One undeniable aspect of Regan’s performance is her glowing stage presence, as her bright smile illuminates the
Diane Birch at the City Winery
Reviewed by Bill McGuire
There
may have been wine at the tables but there was electricity in the air at the
City Winery on November 29th and 30th, as Diane Birch, a mid-twenties singer
- songwriter, who refers to herself as an "old soul," served up music that
is reminiscent of ‘70's singer/ songwriters such as Laura Nyro, Carole
King and Carly Simon. But make no mistake about it Diane Birch has excellent
vocals of her own and possesses a contemporary and unique style.
An eclectic musical venue, City Winery, the brainchild of Michael Dorf who also founded the iconic Knitting Factory, was the perfect venue for Birch whose music draws from a range of genres including; Soul, R&B, Pop and Gospel.
Ms. Birch, dressed in black, sat down at the organ before a welcoming and packed house, Opened with the soulful, up-tempo “Fools,” which featured an extended trumpet solo and was one of many songs which she performed from her critically acclaimed debut album, Blue Belt.
Stanley Jordan at the Iridium Jazz Club
Reviewed by Jon Ostrow
In
a small basement, tucked away in mid-town Manhattan lies the Iridium Jazz Club,
which had been home base for the father of the modern guitar, Les Paul, and his
trio for more than two decades, but that changed when Les Paul passed away in
August of 2009 and since that time the Les Paul Trio has been filling the void
with various players including; metal guitarist (Zack Wilde) and iconic jazz
guitarist Stanley Jordan who appeared on stage March 1st.
Opening the night was Les Paul’s longtime friend and the current Iridium sound engineer T.W. Doyle who served up a brief, but fierce four-song set, which combined walking bass and lead guitar with one smooth pluck of his right hand. The sound of T.W. Doyle's overactive playing acted as foreshadowing for the spider-handed chaos that was to come later in the evening.
The Les Paul Trio entered from stage right and the music of rhythm guitar player Lou Pallo, Nicki Parrott (upright bass) and pianist John Colianni was reminiscent of a 1950’s jazz band, as they made abundant use of the now famous Les Paul like guitar tones. The band however, also employed
Dynamite Walls In Hollywood
Reviewed by Susan Ferrari
The San Diego-based band Dynamite Walls ventured
north to Hollywood on Thursday night, playing after local favorites Dead
Country at Three Clubs, a hip and intimate venue for live music. The band
consists of Tom Pritchard (lead vocals and guitar), Alex Blundell
(lead guitar), Allan Bates (bass), Paul Kimmel (keys), and Eric Pritchard
(drums). Picked by MTV in 2007 as a “Band on the Rise,” they have had their
ups and downs over the five years they have been together, including near
deals with record labels, but with new management and new material they
could once again be on the rise. They are working on their second album
with manager/producer Paul Fox at his Coldwater Canyon recording studio.
Front man Tom Pritchard names surf rock and blues among his early influences, and his Dad was a member of the Surfaris, but he admits that one might be hard-pressed to those influences in his music. The more obvious comparisons would be to Augustana and Kings of Leon. Pritchard's voice is reminiscent of The Fray’s Isaac Slade, as with eyes half-closed, he leans back and delivers his songs filled with heartache and yearning, while power chords emanate from his guitar.
Marie Digby concert at the Triple Door in Seattle. All photos by Kirk Stauffer, a photographer based in Seattle, Washington. Please visit Kirk's website by clicking here. Photos protected by copyright. ©
Reviewed by Gabe Alonso
On
the border of Greenwich and West Village is the timeless Caffe (not a
spelling error) Vivaldi, a mecca for creative people and New Yorkers alike.
With live music seven days a week, on the evening of December 17th,
we were introduced to Maud in Cahoots. Maud who first arrived in New York,
two years ago, recently opened to great reviews at Lucky Jack's in New
York's Lower East Side. Tonight would be her last show in the United States,
before heading back to Ireland for the holidays. With a fireplace roaring in
the background, the audience was transported to a Prohibition era back room,
complete with wood floors and faux candle chandeliers. The feeling of
nostalgia is in the air, more because it feels like this has happened before
in some other lifetime, and then Maud in Cahoots takes to the stage.
The band began with "Make Me Right," and employed the great two-part harmony of Maud and her sister, Zoe, the cellist /occasional glockenspiel player.
Cyrus Chestnut at the Jazz Standard
Reviewed by Jazz Editor Mike Barbara
Completing
a five night run at the Jazz Standard in
New York City,
the Cyrus Chestnut Trio (with Dezron Douglas - acoustic bass; Neal Smith -
drums) provided a superb set of music, filled with dynamics, complex
harmonies and rhythms. Owing to his prolific composing skills, jazz pianist
Cyrus Chestnut arrived with his familiar backpack, likely filled with
various new charts, and he did not disappoint, as he cautioned the audience
that anyone hoping to hear some of his familiar melodies might have to “wait
until later!”
Opening with “Youze Blues,” Chestnut quickly settled into his unique blend of gospel and jazz, and allowed Douglas and Smith ample solo time to showcase their chops. Chestnut’s masterful control of time and dynamics held the audience’s rapt attention, and each solo was afforded sincere appreciation from the full house. In his introduction of the trio, the always affable Chestnut praised the solid contributions of Douglas and Smith, and sincerely thanked the audience for being there, noting that he appreciated they “could have found other things to do that evening!”
