Michael Wolff is a jack of all trades, and an undeniable master of one. Over the past three decades he’s played many different roles in the entertainment world: actor, conductor, singer, producer, even standup comedian. But he always returns to his one true love — jazz piano. “I think that…
Two fans can be as affirming as two million, if they happen to be Steve Van Zandt and Bruce Springsteen. The E Streeters paid tribute to their hero, Gary U.S. Bonds, by making his classic pounder, “Quarter to Three,” an encore staple for years. They also ended up writing and…
New World Symphony Michael Tilson Thomas directed the creation of the New World Symphony in 1987, and during its two decades the organization has earned a reputation for bold programming. From attracting guest artists such as cello superstar Yo-Yo Ma, to presenting progressive, twentieth-century works such as Igor Stravinsky’s Firebird…
Harry Connick, Jr. Connick is one of those guys you’d love to hate: a fantastically talented singer, composer, and actor who also happens to be rich, famous, and handsome. Problem is, Connick is also a mensch. When Hurricane Katrina tore through New Orleans, Connick was one of the first celebs…
“I hope you crash your momma’s car,” Rhett Miller sang back in 1994. “I hope you pass out in some bar/I hope you catch some kinda flu/Let’s say I wish the worst for you.” The lyrics to “Wish the Worst” — a highlight from Hitchhike to Rhome, the debut album…
It doesn’t take much to get DJ Affect, a.k.a Ari Kalimi, to hold forth on the ills of the FM dial. “Regular mainstream radio sucks,” he says flatly. “I don’t know what FM radio is anymore. It’s like programmed radio, or a very small MP3 player stuck on repeat. That’s…
International Noise Conference From Thursday through Saturday, Churchill’s Pub hosts this year’s International Noise Conference, spotlighting bands that specialize in experimental musical forms. Beyond the cacophony of no wave is noise, a no man’s land of anything-goes art. To most ears it sounds like random, amateurish banging and clanging, but…
Allen Toussaint New Orleans-based singer/producer Allen Toussaint is a walking encyclopedia when it comes to the Big Easy’s musical history. He’s worked as a session player with most of New Orleans’ major heavyweights (the Meters, Patti LaBelle, the Neville Brothers, and Dr. John) and got his start playing backup for…
Mr. Entertainment and the Pookiesmackers Those who can’t make the Toussaint gig should consider a jaunt north to catch the tenth appearance of Mr. Entertainment and the Pookiesmackers at the Tropicale. Only this year, the band would like fans to pay for what has always been a free show. No,…
Despite putting out nine albums and having a knack for writing songs that would make Paul McCartney and Brian Wilson wince with envy, Ron Sexsmith has somehow managed to fly below the radar with the music-buying masses. Just exactly why remains an unfathomable mystery. Yet to his credit, this baby-faced…
In 2003, trombonist Conrad Herwig performed a weeklong engagement at New York’s Blue Note with a nine-piece ensemble that featured pianist Edsel Gomez and legendary reedsman Paquito D’Rivera for a show billed as “The Latin Side of Miles Davis.” Three nights were recorded, including the Grammy-nominated Another Kind of Blue,…
Although flamenco is the main source of inspiration for this world-renowned Spanish band, the eight members of Ojos de Brujo tend to incorporate various musical influences into their compositions. What else can you expect from a band of gypsies who hail from Barcelona, a literal crossroads for the best musical…
When one thinks of significant “duo” performers in American pop culture, who comes to mind? Sam and Dave, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Simon and Garfunkel … um, ahem. Add to that list the Bird and the Bee, a California twosome of Greg Kurstin (all instruments except horns) and Inara…
Stevie B. The past is bound to repeat itself, and the return of signature Eighties trends means there may be hope yet for freestyle artist Stevie B. The South Floridian rose to fame in the late Eighties with local-turned-national hit “Party Your Body.” His song “Because I Love You (The…
Huey Lewis It’s hip to be square again. Or maybe it’s not. We have trouble keeping it straight. Either way, Huey Lewis and the News are very fucking rich. So rich, in fact, that we can’t quite figure out why they’re playing the casino circuit. But what the hell! Lewis…
When Puerto Rican reggaeton duo Wisin and Yandel got together with R&B superstar R. Kelly to lay down the vocals for 2005’s hard-hitting single “Burn It Up,” there was only one problem: Wisin and Yandel didn’t speak English, and Kelly, well, no habló español. “We just improvised and used sign…
Back in February 1996, Robert Perez was just another plebeian clubgoer waiting in line at Paragon in South Beach. It was early in the evening, well before the late-night bustle. Suddenly a ripple stirred the crowd, and the sea of fellow plebes parted to make way for a stylishly dressed…
Although her body of work covers several genres, Angie Stone insists her feet have always been planted firmly in gospel. “I sang in church all my life,” she says. “Basically all my life I’ve been a product of my church, and I love it.” For the next few months, Stone…
The son of the recently departed Malian singer and guitarist Ali Farka Touré continues his father’s legacy with style and grace. Thankfully he is also able to live up to his famous surname when it comes to Malian blues. Almost predictably Vieux’s self-titled debut album is drenched in musical influences…
Poor Tommy Castro was born 40 years too late. He really should have been going to elementary school with folks like John Lee Hooker and Wilson Pickett. That way he could have donated to the golden era of blues, when monsters like B.B. King and Buddy Guy were seemingly in…
After four albums of exceptional, introspective folk-pop musings, it’s something of a shock to find Erin McKeown turning her attention to jazz gems of the Thirties, Forties, and Fifties. Still, she does a credible job of capturing the spirit of those songs with a wink and a nudge of irreverence…
After its first single, “Don’t Let Go,” was featured on last year’s soundtrack to the film La Mujer de Mi Hermano, this Bronx-based duo formed by Dominican-born singer Nova (keys, guitar, vocals) and Colombian-born instrumentalist Maya (bass) finally emerges with its debut album. This is one of the most intriguing…
