Kelly Sweet...is that you?

First off...has it really been a year since I've written anything? Apologies to those I gave my card to! Heck, even 2014 is almost over. I want my time back! Haha, anyways hope all of you have been doing well and everything is peachy keen! If not...then make it happen!! Peachy!

K, back to music. I just heard a cover of Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight," and it wasn't Mike Tyson. The voice was very ethereal. Not to say Mike's isn't. Thank you, internet. Or Al Gore. Are we still going with that story? Anyways, Kelly Sweet pops up on my search and I know that I KNOW that name and voice (but not the hair!). Lo and behold... Raincoat. Kelly has really grown and moved on from her days since I saw her play Raincoat on a local show. Kelly's discography consisted of jazz-y, Norah Jones/Colbie Caillat, life is full of marshmallows and unicorns type of feel. I love marshmallows.

Raincoat



From Raincoat, to Why. This song is very heart wrenching. It's when you realize that no matter how many times you ask and however loud you make yourself heard, you might never find the answer to the question that changed everything. But remember that it isn't you. It's life. It's quite startling to hear how different Kelly's songs are 4-5 years after Raincoat came out. She's definitely grown. Life happened, I guess.

Why



And here's the song that brought me back. Thanks Kelly!

In the Air Tonight

Jackson Hunt @ The Other Door

If you so happen to be in Los Angeles (and I know some of you are!), make a visit to see our piano man, Jackson Hunt!

Jackson just spent last week in Miami gearing up for his performance at a jazzfest in Wellington, Florida. I'm sure his performance made some new fans before he even returned to his newly adopted home in the City of Angels. Fresh off of this trip, Jackson will be playing at the Open Door in NoHo (who knew there's one outside of NY) this coming Wendesday. It'll be a treat if you get to see him sing, "Dance Dance."

The Other Door @ 8pm on Wedenesday, 2/15
10437 Burbank Blvd
North Hollywood, CA

Hear an update from the man himself =)

Charlie Parker Jazz Festival on Saturday, cancelled Sunday

The annual Charlie Parker Jazz Festival will still be on this Saturday (8/27/11) and is cancelled for Sunday (8/28/11).

FYI: NYC subway system might be shut down starting Saturday afternoon. All outdoor activity permits for Sunday have been revoked by the Mayor's Office.

Take precautions, everyone!

Hudson River Blues and BBQ

This past Sunday was the annual Hudson River Blues and BBQ Festival! I LOVE my Blues and LOVE my BBQ. I still remember last year's Festival like it was yesterday. I lasted a whole 5 minutes in the thundering rains. My rain boots and Totes umbrella were no competition. If I stayed any longer, it would not have been pretty.

This year was way more successful. But still ended the same! Well, I got to listen to a few songs. A few very good vintage blues and jazz songs. Many people were turning and twisting and dancing the Sunday afternoon away in the middle of the aisles. The ladies got excited when Braithwaite & Whiteley sang "Rockit Like a Nubian Queen." Not so excited about what happened afterwards. The sky opened up on us like we just won the Superbowl. Thank goodness no Gatorade was invloved. But most of the crowd, like moi, were prepared with (stronger) boots and umbrellas. Unfortunately the festivities had to shut down around 6 PM because of the pesky rain. We got a good few hours in, though. Here's hoping to a dryer Festival next year? I said this last year, too!

Dinosaur BBQ: pork sandwich. MWAAUM.

Trombone Shorty new single 2011!!!

Finally! The day has come!

Our handsome and talented friend, Trombone Shorty, will be debuting his new single on Facebook on Tuesday at noon. Cheeeck it out! His full album will debut on September 13, 2011. Trombone Shorty's tour list is growing and has been taking him back and forth over the Atlantic.

Shorty and his band are currently performing through France, Scotland and Germany. He will be back in the States to perform at the Newport Jazz Festival on August 6-7, though the Festival runs from the 5th to the 7th. Both performances will be at Fort Hood State Park in Newport, Rhode Island. Grab a chance and make your way there. No regrets!

I absolutely love his song, "Fallin." Guys, listen to him cause this is how you do it ;)
Here's a clip of one of his performances from last summer! Swooon.

Shout out to Louisiana Music Factory down in New Orleans for introducing him to me!

Music Frees All Festival - June 1-3, 2011

From June 1 to June 3, check out the Music Frees All Festival in NYC! This Festival will feature funk, afrobeat, soul, hip hop and reggae tunes. Each night will be held at a different venue with a different line-up. Admission tickets are from $5 to $10. The most important night will be on June 3rd, when all admission proceeds will go to the Scotty Hard Trust. Scotty Hard is a music producer and performer who was hit by a stolen vehicle in 2008. His friends and family made a trust fund to help with Scotty's medical expenses. The making of this Trust shows how influential and how many lives he has touched around him, especially in the music world.

June 1: South Paw (125 5th Ave., Park Slope)
Featuring - Turkuaz, Melanie Charles & the Journey, Top Shotta and Super
Osei & Money Jungle
Admission - $5
Doors @ 7:30PM, Show @ 8PM

June 2: Public Assembly (70 North 6th Street, Williamsburg)
Featuring - Ikebe Shakedown, Gato Loco, Brooklyn Soul Survivors and
Underground System Afrobeat
Admission - $10
Doors @ 7:30PM, Show @ 8PM

June 3: Drom (85 Ave. A, East Village)
Featuring - Mago (John Medeski/Billy Martin), EMEFE, Ben Perowsky's
Moodswing Orchestra, Mokaad, Nyle vs Naysayers, DJ Afro-Marc and more
Admission - $10
Doors @ 7:30PM, Show @ 8PM

Hope y'all come out to see the amazing line-ups!! My personal favorite is Melanie Charles & the Journey. She'll be on the stage on June 1st. Her vivid and brilliant voice earns her an entry into the jazz sphere.

We can all use a little soul in our lives.

Jane Lui & Ramen

Well, Mondays are usually the most boring and most #$&%ed about day of the week. Sometimes you just have to spice it up, with sriracha if you have to, because Mondays will come and smack you in the forehead whether you like it or not.

Lucky for us New Yorkers, this past Monday we had Jane Lui come by and show us her awesome and beautiful music chops. And lucky for me, I had a chance to chat with Jane while we were waiting to eat ramen before her performance at Rockwood Music Hall. I must say that all her answers make me understand more of who she is and why she does what she does. Check out her website and download her songs/CD for FREE here!

CNote: Where was the best place you performed?
JaneLui: Wow, that's a good question. The best place I performed in the past few months was at UC San Diego. It was because of the audience. They made me feel so relaxed and comfortable. I haven't had that in a long time. It was a very interactive crowd. It was like being among friends.
CNote: Where would you like to perform?
JL: Hands down, Europe. I've performed there before and would go back again.
CNote: If you can collaborate with anyone, any singer, from any time, who would it be?
JL: (before I even finished the question) Björk!!! She is an amazing singer and songwriter. She gives me goosebumps. Björk is really fierce in what she does. She knows how to use her ability to create moods and tell stories.
CNote: Who/What inspires you?
JL: It's not music that inspires me. It is the connections I have with people. The conversations and stories we have and share.
CNote: What song is your guilty pleasure of the moment?
JL: Africa by Toto. I couldn't get it out of my head for the last few days.
CNote: Toto?
JL: Yeah from the 80s!
CNote: OOOO. I know, I know. Seriously, I know it! =D Would you perform it?
JL: YEAH!! Not tonight, though, lol. In the future.

Some more friends came to join us on the forever ramen line. Don't worry, we had time to eat and enjoy the food (including a juicy and fatty pork bun app!) before Jane had to make her appearance. The answer I was most surprised to get from Jane, is that music is not her inspiration. This answer actually really shines through her. Jane connects very well with people, her friends and her fans. She's very intuitive of her audience and it's important for her that we are comfortable and in a good mood. I got a kick out of Jane taking a picture of her audience at Rockwood. If I haven't mentioned it enough, her CD is FREE to download on her site at www.JaneLui.com. So no excuses, people! Jane is really a great and original artist and I hope you will get a chance to see and listen to her.

Trombone Shorty and a NYC Summer 2011

Oh, oh my. Last time, I went to see Trombone Shorty in Canada and now he's coming to see me! Aite, so not exactly. Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue are joining the Dave Matthews Band Caravan event on Governors Island from August 26 - 28, 2011. Tickets go on sale for the general public on April 29th! Here's the link for more info.

Trombone Shorty is getting more and more recognition for his talents and contributions to jazz and pop fusions. Here is my first review of him from last summer. Warning, it's quite long, but it has pictures and a video! OoOOo ;)

Jane Lui @ Rockwood Tonight!

We're in for a Monday night treat with Jane Lui! She'll be performing at 10PM at Rockwood Music Hall, NYC. Here's my first post about Jane. Hope all you music fans can drop by!

Listen Honey, to the Hot Sardines

There used to be a time when flapper dresses, feathers and fedoras were a part of casual everyday wear and not just reserved for Halloween. That time is lovingly nicknamed, the Roaring 20s. This decade also gave us such greats as Charlie Chaplin, Louis Armstrong, Josephine Baker, Harry Houdini, Duke Ellington and Babe Ruth! Life was certainly not any simpler back then (it was also prohibition era), but I'm sure it was plenty of fun with these types of talents.

Coincidentally, I've been looking on and off to see where I can enjoy some songs from this jazz age, live! Yes, I know there are speakeasies. But most of them are so secretive and exclusive that I probably can't get in with my ity bity list of credentials. But what d'ya know. My commute home helped me get my answer. I was in my usual mad rush (out of habit) when I stopped short in my tracks. I was stumped and had to stop and listen...amongst the tourists!

Time stopped for a mere few minutes when I saw The Hot Sardines performing in the station. Wow. In my great desire to find out the band's name, I walked back and forth and weaved through a few immobile listeners (can't really blame them, though) to get a mere glimpse of their logo standing upright on the station floor. Love the name. It is especially appropriate for rush hour commuters taking the trains.

This is hot jazz at it's best (at least in NYC). It's very New Orleans a.k.a. Dixieland. All you need is some friends, dancing shoes and whiskey. Even if it's in the subway station. The Hot Sardines are composed of: Evan Palazzo, Elizabeth Bougerol, Jason Prover, Peter Anderson, Justin Hines, and tap dancer, Eddy Francisco. Elizabeth has a strong and crisp voice which is also a match made in heaven for these songs. It will give you chills and make you want to dance...with Eddy! They sing jazz standards such as, "Everybody Loves My Baby," and "Dinah." These Sardines know how to give the originals a run for their money! Let's try to catch them the next time they're in NYC, shall we? Check them out at their website here: www.hotsardines.com/#.

Ruth on Craig

Some time a few nights ago, I spent my late hours with one of my favorite men, Craig Ferguson, hehe. I love his bunny puppet, too. I'm easily amused. Anywho, his musical guest, Ruth Gerson, was absolutely amazing. Stopped me in my tracks! She has to be one of the best vocalists I've ever heard. She has the look of Sheryl Crow and Tori Amos. But she is vocally much stronger and more mellow with her heart tugging lyrics about life that anyone who's "living" can relate to. Her music is alternative, pop rock, indie, jazz...I think that's about it. And then I looked her up. This Princeton grad made her first CD back in 1997. She was once listed as the second best vocalists in the Italian magazine, Buscadero. Ruth has been working on music since she graduated from Princeton and has also taught there. Why is someone like this not more famous...than Justin Bieber for goodness sakes!? Oy. This should be on iTunes. Ruth is now based in California. Her latest CD, "This Can't Be My Life," came out on July 20th, 2010. Check her out here! www.RuthGerson.com

Introducing the Sultry Jane Lui

So, I was browsing on Yelp this past weekend and came across the events page. Then, I saw FREE CONCERT. I like free stuff =D

I looked up Jane Lui's site and it was sooo quaint and cute! Kind of like florals. Jane was born in Hong Kong but raised in sunny California. You can tell by her personality that she's from the West Coast. Very sunny. There's also Youtube clips of her singing covers and her own songs. Anyone who sings a rendition of Ducktales is awesome in my book! I'd compare her voice and style to Sara Bareilles, but more adventurous and sexy. If you have a chance, download her latest CD, Goodnight Company, for FREE at www.JaneLui.com. The physical disc will be available in January. I don't get how that works. But, hey! It's all good.




The free concert was at the right time and place for me to go, too. After a hard day of Monday's work, I ventured down to Rockwood Music Hall in LES. When I walked in, the hostess told me that they were sold out of tickets. "But Jane Lui's site said there was no cover." Hostess says, " Well, maybe it's free to stand by." Um, ok. "There's a free performance in our lounge next door. You can wait there and come back later to see if anyone dropped out." So I go next door to this great looking (but teeny) lounge. And I see Jane Lui getting ready on stage! Apparently the hostess was manning the door for Karen Elson. I mean, how silly of me to not spell out Jane Lui's name for her. Because obviously Karen Elson and Jane Lui sound so much alike.

Anyways, Jane played some of her old and new songs. She has a very strong, deep and sultry voice. Those Youtube clips does her no justice. You HAVE to see her LIVE! She's quite the comedian, too. She can entertain the crowd AND tune her instruments at the same time. Quite the multi-tasker, haha. Her songs are great if you're in a sort of melancholy mood. Just right for the bar lounge. Check her out! Again, her new CD Goodnight Company is FREE to download!

Wipe Out

And this was the scene at last Sunday's annual Blues BBQ on the Hudson...
Lots of wet people and wet food. Oy, soggy pulled pork is just wrong. I didn't last very long there, even though I had my rain boots on. Hopefully next year's event will be sunnier.

Remember NOLA

At the historic Preservation Hall

At the corner of Canal and Bourbon Streets

For this post, I'd like to focus on something else. Five years ago, this week, Hurricane Katrina formed and extended Mother Nature's wrath over Louisiana

and Mississippi, in the middle of the night. Many didn't even have a chance. New Orleans took the worst hit. We all witnessed what happened in the horrendous days afterward, through the major TV networks. The reporters became the representatives of the people when no one came. They became rightfully frustrated and angry(which is against a reporter's job to be objective) when the authorities were on the air with them and demanded answers and actions. I can go on and on about how inefficient, disappointing and disorganized the local and federal government were at this time of our fellow Americans' need, but that would take more than one post.

These are some pictures I took when I went this past May. The city has regained most of its flair back (Bourbon Street is HOPPIN') and will continue to recover. Many have returned but many have also decided to never go back.

While visiting the 9th Ward, I saw a familiar Chinese sign that was tacked onto a huge tree at a random street corner. I saw the big red sign from at least a block away. It's the Chinese character for luck, fu. I was speechless. That sign meant more than 1,000 words. (Pic:www.chinaexpat.com)

A few projects have helped build beautiful eco-friendly houses and gave them to the former residents. But many blocks remained the same/untouched from the day the National Guard came in to search for survivors. The markings are still on the houses. When I saw this, all I could think of was, "How did we let this happen?" Not Katrina, obviously. I mean the scenes from the Superdome, young and old people fainting on the streets from lack of health care, the chaos. The Riverwalk was absolutely unrecognizable from the garbage and people hopelessly and aimlessly wandering. And I thought I had problems. Psh.

Anyways, let the future of this great American city (and the birthplace of JAZZ) be brighter and livelier than ever before.

Bernal/Eckroth/Ennis...needs a shorter name!

Bernal/Eckroth/Ennis performing @ Garage (on 7th and Grove)

How about B/E/E? Eh, I might suggest it next time I see them, ;) This past week, my friend, "Co Co," and I went to see them perform in the West Village. I first saw these guys at a Jazz Fest, with another friend, "Rio Rio," in Long Island City earlier this year. This trio, Natalia Bernal, Mike Eckroth and Jason Ennis, were my favorite performance of the whole festival. B/E/E (I'm using this, simplified) is a Latin jazz trio from New York. They focus mostly on jazz infused folk Brazilian/Chilean music. All you want to do, is sip on wine with some old friends and enjoy their performance. Natalia is an amazing singer. She's not a hip-hop or pop star, but she's a beautiful (physically and vocally) and passionate singer. More in tune for my calm side. Jason Ennis is the guitarist and group leader (I'm assuming here). He has like 5(!) other bands that stays close to Latin roots (samba, choro, hand drums, etc.). I haven't checked those out yet =/
B/E/E plays at Garage about once a month. Check the schedule and drop by if you're around. The place has great happy hours, too ;) Maybe I'll see you there!

Here's their FIRST CD! La Voz De Tres, released in May 2010. Their website also has complete translations. www.BernalEckrothEnnis.com


Oh, yeah. They signed my CD. Woo! I support my beloved awesome local musicians.

Vijay Iyer Goodness

Talk about an over-achiever. Vijay Iyer, a Brooklyn-based Jazz musician, also has a bachelor's from Yale in the studies of physics and mathematics. Oh, and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of California. And some music awards thrown in the mix.

I was browsing through some magazines at Barnes and Noble this past weekend after leaving my friends' new digs around the upper east side. They made me an awesome stew of mussels, diced tomatoes and mushroom rice with a hint of lime. Yum!

It was good to be able to walk it off in a bookstore. There's always some interesting publications that catches your eye. I'm intrigued by the "Paris Review." Goodness knows I have to keep up my reading and writing. Then I came across this magazine about Asian Americans. It was maybe about 30 pages flimsy. I flipped through it and saw Vijay Iyer's picture with "JAZZ" splashed across it. How cool. And he's a physicist.

His CD, Historicity, is making some waves already. Some of his songs are quite Avant-Garde-ish but at the same time, he makes his piano not just take the lead, but also converse with the other instruments. I still haven't listened to all his songs, but he will be performing at the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival on August 29th(more details on the right sidebar).
http://www.vijay-iyer.com/

Fallin' for Trombone Shorty

First off, tell me how handsome this man is!! Ok, back to what I was going to say...whatever that was. So a few months ago, I was sweating like a hot sundae down in New Orleans when I first came across Trombone Shorty's name. The music fan that I am, I checked out the local music stores to see what they had to offer. I went to the Louisiana Music Factory on Decatur Street. The guys behind the counter reminded me of my old orchestra teacher(whom I still keep in touch with!) from junior high, with his buttoned down shirt and slicked back ponytail. I asked the fella, "You got any local contemporary jazz music here?" "Sure do, Miss." The good sir lead me to the listening stations and picked out a few for me. After a couple of tracks, I finally reached Trombone Shorty's. I looked at his CD cover and thought, "Well, ain't he trying to look smooth." I pressed PLAY for his CD, Backatown. Dun dun dun duuuun Hey! Dun dun dun duuuun Hey! That was from the first track, Hurricane Season. As I was reading the CD booklet, Shorty started to sing to me. Well, from his second track, On Your Way Down. Awh, man. He sings great, too! Then we got to Something Beautiful with Lenny Kravitz. Oh, Lenny. Sold. Done deal. For $8.99. The good sir told me I was lucky. I got the last CD in stock, and he spotted someone who also want to get it. I'd like to think I'm lucky, too. For many reasons.

Nope. Not the end of my story with Shorty. Last weekend, I went with my friend, "Yo Yo," to the Festival dete de Quebec a.k.a. the Quebec Music Festival. She's been wanting to go see Rammstein (German metal. We'll get to that review soon. I promise.) since last year! She got the all access pass, which meant that we can go to any concert we want to for the time we're there. I checked out Sunday's schedule and I saw that Trombone Shorty was going to perform about 4 hours before Rammstein at a close-by venue. I was at work so I just went "Oh!" But inside I was screaming like a teenage girl at a Jonas Brothers' concert. Or are they onto Beiber? Eh, teens, haha.

My gosh, Trombone Shorty was non-stop energy and loved the audience as much as we love him. Now he sang to me. He made sure his band got a chance to do their thing, too. Big D on the percussion. Freaky Pete on the guitar. I don't know why he's Freaky...haha. Also, Joey with his Sideshow Bob hair (beautiful and shiny hair) on the drums. Shorty surprised us with a throwback to Louis Armstrong. He did a great imitation of his voice while singing, The Saints Go Marching In. Totally N'awlins. After his performance, we got to meet him while the band was packing up. I am lucky! My friend was smitten by how cute he is. Rammstein what? Ha! I was smitten by how talented he is and how awesome it was that I got to meet him. And yes, his handsomeness was totally the cherry on top. SMITTEN. Sigh, I also forgot to bring my copy of his CD to sign. Maybe next time. He'll be in NYC performing at South Street Seaport on August 26, 2010!! Do come join me if you can! You'll have a great time.

V.V. Brown was in Town

I'm a huge fan of Ugly Betty. How can I not be? Its got glamour, shadiness, love, back-stabbing, out-of-control floral prints, and more than what your fanny-pack can handle! So when it came time for the last season, I made sure I didn't miss a thing. During the episode when everyone (and I mean everyone) hooked up in the Bahamas, I was amused and loved the song that came on for that moment which was "Shark in the Water," by V.V. Brown. It was so fitting. And catchy. Basically it means, "Please come be my hero/heroine, something is trying to get me." Proceed to flutter eyes.

This was my first introduction to V.V. Brown. She's a singer/songwriter and a London native who flares of indie punk/pop/jazz. Not one overcomes the other. Think sundress, pearl earrings and Converses. Her album, Traveling Like the Light, was released in February 2010. Once I heard she was going to perform at the Bowery Ballroom(sometime this past April) I rushed to get my ticket! Online. JUST in case it sold out. And the place got pretty packed. Her and her band were great. I was lucky enough to run into her when she was walking into the Ballroom! She was so nice and took the time to take pictures! Anywho, back to the music. Her other songs, "Crying Blood," and "Game Over," are so original and definitely indie. These would sound great acoustic style as well. One of the best parts of the show was when she sang Drake's "Best I Ever Had." LOVE her version! It was so freaking smooth. Check her out!