Mardi Gras Ball

Jan 11, 2017

Mardi Gras Ball

26th Annual Mardi Gras Ball

Hosted by Rhythm & Roots

Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet

Mardi Gras Info

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Videos: Mixed Media Promo YouTube Channel

Publicity: 2018 –

http://www.providencejournal.com/entertainmentlife/20180207/beausoleil-to-perform-at-rhode-islands-mardi-gras-ball

WJAR TV NBC 10 

2017: Accordion Americana, Motif Magazine,The Providence Journal, New Haven Register, Cranston Herald, The Rhode Show, Southern RI Newspapers,

Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas

EPK

Press Release

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Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet

Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas

Knickerbocker All-Stars

willie laws 2_DSC2576.jpg

Knickerbocker All-Stars

 

 

 

 

 

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BUY TICKETS: http://bit.ly/26thMardiGrasBall

Tickets on Sale for the 26th Mardi Gras Ball at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet

 

Lagniappe Productions, creators of the annual Labor Day weekend Rhythm & Roots Festival in Charlestown, R.I., are bringing their well-loved brand of great music, food, dancing and fun to the 26th annual Louisiana Mardi Gras celebration.

 

Southern New England’s popular Mardi Gras Ball is set for 6:30 p.m. to midnight, Saturday, Feb. 10, at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet in Cranston, R.I. Doors open at 6 p.m. in anticipation of Grammy-winning Cajun band Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet, international performers Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas, and New Orleans blues from Rhode Island’s own Knickerbocker All-Stars.

 

Cajun and Creole cuisine is offered by the renowned Chili Brothers Food Company – arguably the most popular food vendor at the Rhythm & Roots Festival every year, serving up their world-famous, Louisiana-inspired cuisine.

 

The ball also features a costume contest with cash prizes in a variety of categories including best group, best couple, best individual and a grand prize of $250 for best overall costume.

 

Tickets are $30 in advance or $40 at the door. Reserve a table for 10 (in advance only) for $325. Tables sell out fast. Tickets may be purchased at here: http://bit.ly/26thMardiGrasBall or by calling 401.783.3926.

 

Lodging is available at the Rodeway Inn, 1940 Post Road, Warwick. Rooms are $79 per night. Call 401.732.0470 and ask for the Mardi Gras rate.

 

The event will benefit VSA Arts RI, the nonprofit organization that opens the world of art to children and adults with disabilities.

 

About the Bands

Lafayette, La.-based Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet has been one of the most esteemed Cajun groups in music since forming in 1975. BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet take the rich Cajun traditions of Louisiana and artfully blend elements of zydeco, New Orleans jazz, Tex-Mex, country, blues and more. From The Grand Ole Opry to Newport Folk, from concert hall to dance floor, the music of BeauSoleil captivates audiences the world over. Michael Doucet sings and plays violin, guitar, accordion and mandolin.

 

Accordion master Nathan Williams, of Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas, was mentored by one of the greats, Buckwheat Zydeco. He has been inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame and has been honored with the Zydeco Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Formed in 1985, the band has brought its unique take on regional South Louisiana music around the world. Dennis Paul Williams, Nathan’s brother, brings his jazz-influenced guitar to the band.

 

The Knickerbocker All-Stars is made up of legends of the blues community who have found their home at the Knickerbocker, the historic venue in Westerly, R.I., that gave rise to Roomful of Blues, which launched the blues revival in the 1970s. Musicians in the All-Stars have included Jimmie Vaughan, Duke Robillard, Al Copley, Monster Mike Welch, Ricky Russell, Willie J Laws, Brian Templeton, Sugaray Rayford, Rich Lataille and more. For the Mardi Gras Ball, The All-Stars will be showcasing a set of New Orleans music classics with a special tribute to recently passed Fats Domino.

 

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Lagniappe Productions regrets to announce that Corey Ledet and his Zydeco Band will not be performing at the 25th Annual Mardi Gras Ball happening on this coming Saturday, February 25 at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet. Corey has sent us the following announcement:  “Due to an unforeseen personal family issue, I and my band will be unable to perform at the Mardi Gras Ball this year.  I am very sorry to disappoint all of my fans but I need to stick close to home for the time being until matters have been resolved.  I do hope to see you all in the near future though.”  As a result, we have adjusted the schedule accordingly to have a full night of great music.  Both Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys and Roddie Romero & the Hub City All Stars have agreed to each play extended sets with plenty of Zydeco tunes included in their set lists. Be prepared for a lot of interplay between the two bands and an extended jam at the end of the evening.  The Hot Tamale Brass Band will kick off the evening’s festivities with a raucous set of high energy New Orleans Mardi Gras music. The evening’s schedule will be as follows:

6:15 – 7:15         Hot Tamale Brass Band
7:15 – 7:30     Costume Judging Parade
7:30 – 9:30         Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys
9:30 – 9:45     Awarding of Costume Prizes & VSA Raffles
9:45 – 12:00       Roddie Romero & theHub City All Stars

Online ticket sales will end at 5:00pm on Friday, February 24th at www.rhythmandroots.com . Tickets are $30 in advance, $40 at the door and a limited number of reserved tables of ten are still available for $325.  Cajun and Creole food will be for sale from the beloved Chili Brothers and the bars will be serving when the doors open at 6:00pm. This is a costume optional Ball with prizes awarded to the winning singles, couples and groups.  Lodging is still available at the Comfort Inn, 1940 Post Road in Warwick RI for $79 per room per night.  Call today and ask for the Mardi Gras rate at 401-732-0470. See y’all on Saturday night!

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Lagniappe Productions, producers of the annual Labor Day weekend Rhythm & Roots Festival in Charlestown, RI, bring back their authentic Louisiana Mardi Gras celebration held annually in southern New England. The Cajun & Zydeco Mardi Gras Ball returns for its 25th year at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet on Saturday, February 25, 2017 from 6:30 pm to midnight.  Featured bands include Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, Roddie Romero and the Hub City All Stars, and Corey Ledet and His Zydeco Band.

EVENT INFO:
Cajun & Zydeco Mardi Gras Ball, Saturday, February 25, 2017
Rhodes on-the-Pawtuxet, 60 Rhodes Pl, Cranston, RI 02905
6:30 pm – midnight
Info: Mardi Gras Info or (401) 783-3926

Featuring: Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys

Roddie Romero and the Hub City All Stars

Corey Ledet and His Zydeco Band

Hot Tamale Brass Band

Tickets:  $30 Advance/$40 Door; Table of Ten: $325 (Advance only)
May be purchased online here or Call (401) 783-3926

Lodging available at the Comfort Inn, 1940 Old Post Road, Warwick RI  02886
Rooms are $79 per night. Ask for the Mardi Gras rate.

To benefit VSA Arts RI 

The ball features a costume contest with cash prizes in a variety of categories including best group, best couple, best individual and a Grand Prize of $250 for best overall costume.  There will be a cash bar and Cajun & Creole cuisine by Rhode Island’s renowned Chili Brothers Food Company – arguably the most popular food vendor at the Rhythm & Roots Festival every year, serving up their world-famous, Louisiana-Inspired Cuisine.

About the Bands:

Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys

Steve Riley and his Mamou Playboys returns to the Mardi Gras Ball by popular demand to make sweet Cajun music together. For 25 years they have played great Cajun music steeped in the French heritage of southwestern Louisiana and driven by accordion and fiddle. Matching their uncompromising respect for tradition with forward-looking vision Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys have set the standard for modern Cajun music. Their musicianship, songwriting skills, harmony vocals and irresistible grooves mark them as one of the best bands to come out of South Louisiana.

Roddie Romero & the Hub City All Stars

“3x GRAMMY nominated band”

Bio

Roddie Romero & the Hub City All Stars are nominated for 2 Grammy Awards in 2017. They have been performing worldwide at the most prestigious festivals and venues for over 20 years. This premier Louisiana band is celebrated not only for their authenticity when performing or recording traditional Cajun and Creole music indigenous to South Louisiana, but also for their original songwriting which stays true to Louisiana inspirations. They are notorious “Louisiana-Roots-Rockers” who put on an energetic show which is bound to make everyone get up and dance!

Corey Ledet and His Zydeko Band


Grammy- nominated Corey Ledet is a brilliant young accordion player who has learned his craft from studying the Creole Masters like Clifton Chenier, John Delafose, Boozoo Chavis and others. Corey has fused the styles of these masters into creating his own unique style of contemporary Creole & Zydeco music which enables him to please any audience.  Backed by a full band, Corey remains true to his roots and earnestly searches for ways to include them in his music. He keeps one foot firmly in the tradition while exploring surrounding influences in order to create the best of both worlds, and is able to infuse old and new styles of Zydeco into his own unique sound.

Hot Tamale Brass Band

The Hot Tamale Brass Band takes their audience on an exciting excursion into New Orleans jazz, festive Mardi Gras, funky second line parades, traditional Dixieland jazz and reverent New Orleans jazz funeral traditions. The Hot Tamales jam at local Boston MA clubs, perform as a Mardi Gras band at theme parties and as a second line brass band for all types of parades. The Hot Tamale Brass Band plays Dixieland for people of all ages!  The Hot Tamale Brass Band takes their audience on an exciting excursion into New Orleans jazz, festive Mardi Gras, funky second line parades, traditional Dixieland jazz and reverent New Orleans jazz funeral traditions.

Reggie Young/WCS

Jan 3, 2017

Reggie Young/WCS

 

Reggie Young

(1936-2019)

It is one of life’s great blessings to have known, albeit briefly, the wonderful person Reggie Young. You can read about his accomplishments – they were many and significant, particularly to those he helped become stars and chart-toppers – wherever you get your music news. What stood out to me is how humble, considerate and thoughtful he was in person. At a small CD release party for his first CD under his own name, Forever Young, in his home town of Leipers Fork, TN, many of his longtime cohorts and friends paid tribute to a person they respected not just for his unusual musical abilities, but also for the friend they had come to know well and love.

Reggie will be missed by many as one who lived his life as it should be lived, without ego and bluster, with a focused commitment to the musical task at hand and also to respecting and helping those he came to know.

Our condolences go out to Reggie’s family. His warmth and spirit continue to guide us.

Neal Weiss, president

Whaling City Sound

left to right: Tom Evered, Neal Weiss, Jenny Young, Reggie Young
photo credit Ginny Shea, July 18, 2016, Nashville 
Sad to report the passing of legendary session guitarist and Whaling City artist Reggie Young. He was one of the most recorded guitarists in the sixties, seventies and eighties playing on numerous legendary hits by Elvis Presley, Dusty Springfield and more.

Young was a member of the country supergroup The Highwaymen w/ Kris Kristofferson, WillieNelson, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings. He was also a founding member of the Bill Black Combo. In 1964, The Beatles requested the Combo open for them during their first U.S. tour and invited the group over to England for another month-long tour.

“The story of Reggie Young’s career is, in many ways, a miniature version of the story of Southern soul music.” – AllMusic

A compilation of his famous recordings “Session Guitar Star” is due out next week on Ace Records.

Reggie Young “Session Guitar Star” Ace CDHD1537 will be available in the UK and via importers here on January 25, 2019. Last year the UK based reissue label Ace released a 22 track collection of his finest session work here on Amazon.

He is the guitarist on Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds” and “In the Ghetto,” Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man,” Willie Nelson’s “Always On My Mind,” Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” and Dobie Gray’s “Drift Away,” among so many other legendary songs. His name is Reggie Young.

Reggie is now featured on a brand new album by an artist making his debut as a bandleader. That artist is—wait for it—Reggie Young! At 79, after six decades of stellar appearances, backing megastars and superstars alike, and receiving accolades from names like Clapton and George Harrison, Reggie is at last responsible for an album of his own material, the aptly titled Forever Young. 

Recorded primarily at La La Land Studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Forever Young features seven instrumental tracks written and produced by Young. They showcase his unique and supremely soulful six-string sound. Not only that, the rest of the performers on the recording include mainstays of the Memphis, Nashville and Muscle Shoals eras of the ’60s and ’70s. Forever Young is excellent news for fans of tasty southern-style country-soul, and good news for Young, who finally gets to emerge from the shadows cast by some of the greatest performers in rock music history to stand on his own, at long last, in the spotlight.

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Rale Micic/WCS

Jun 8, 2016

Rale Micic/WCS
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“Rale Micic brings a unique voice to jazz guitar with his new album “Only Love Will Stay”. Rale’s great compositions retain some of his Serbian roots and his melodic playing is a joy to listen to along with the great Jared Gold on organ, and drummers, Geoff Clapp and Johnathan Blake. Thanks for the beautiful music Rale!”

Dave Stryker

 

“I’ve known Rale Micic for more than a decade. We’ve had the opportunity to play, and record with artists such as Tom Harrell, and Dayna Stephens, but I feel like I really got to know Rale when I began playing his original music. Rale’s personality shines through in his compositions. You hear the rhythmic, and melodic influences of his home country of Serbia, and you also hear the influences of his time living in the US. It’s been an absolute joy to get inside the mind of Rale and see, and hear his growth as a guitarist, improviser, and composer.”

Johnathan Blake

 

I actually sought after to play with Rale Micic. Since meeting him not only is one of my dearest friends but one of my musical heroes as well to this day. His composition “The World Doesn’t End” caught my ear years ago and I’ve been a fan ever sense. Being able to perform and especially record with Rale has been nothing but an honor and musical journey. One can hear and feel the beautiful spirit in everything he plays.

Geoff Clapp

 

Rale is a unique voice on the guitar. He combines a very melodic approach with an intricate knowledge of harmonies. His original compositions reflect his life experience and tell the listener a story of his heritage. It was a pleasure to be involved in this diverse and groove based project.

Jared Gold

 

 

Rale Micic – Only Love Will Stay
O’s Notes: Serbian guitarist Rale Micic leads most melodies with a relaxing groove that feels just right. Jared Gold complements him on the B3 with drumming duties split between Johnathan Blake and Geoff Clapp. The pandemic forced Micic to slow down, reflect, and try new things, as illustrated on Only Love Will Stay. Highlights are “How Deep Is The Ocean”, “Riverdale”, “Lipe Cvatu” and “Better Days Ahead”.
D. Oscar  Groomes
O’s Place Jazz Magazine
P.O. Box 38430
Charlotte, NC 28278
http://www.OsPlaceJazz.com

Click here for the full review

 

Click here to read the full review!

 

 

 

Rale Micic

Only Love Will Stay

Whaling City Sound

Organ trios generally take the soul-jazz path, to the point where such a configuration is too easily stereotyped.  Guitarist Rale Micic will argue that he still brings plenty of soul in this quartet setting, Slavic soul that is.  As such, it is a refreshingly different sound that most associate with the guitar-organ- drum combo. They lay down a mix of original sounds and those inspired by guitarist John Abercrombie’s recordings with organ. Micic did play and record with Abercrombie before he passed away, citing Abercrombie’s song “Even Steven” which appears here as a tribute to him.

Micic has stellar company. B3 organist Jared Gold, a longtime fixture in Dave Stryker’s bands is aboard along with one of the most in-demand drummers in jazz, Johnathan Blake on five of the eight selections with New Orleans drummer Geoff Clapp on the other three. The accompanists have played together in previous settings and/or recordings but this marks the first time Mimic played with Gold.

The solemn title track opens, setting the tone for the album as Micic claims was mostly inspired by the pandemic in terms of love and loss. Yet this tune gets some spark from Gold who takes dazzling runs across the keys in contrast to the leader’s thoughtful slower paced array of notes. For his part, Clapp delivers a propulsive undercurrent with a few flurries around the traps. Clapp brought the idea of a bossa nova treatment to the standard “How Deep Is the Ocean” as you hear his brushes subtly accompanying Mimic’s archtop guitar’s statement of the melody while Gold comps and delivers the bass lines.  “Savas,” the final Clapp tune, is filled with dynamic changes and some stirring intense interplay between all three members, with both the leader and Gold soaring at times while Clapp maintains his dynamic presence. It is especially meaningful to MIcic as it is the name of both his father and son.

The Abercrombie piece, “Even Steven” is one of the more animated tunes, featuring Blake and some of Micic’s most melodic playing as Gold hits some strong chords and then takes his own inspired flight. “Better Days Ahead” begins calmly and keeps building, propelled largely by Blake’s insistent beats bursts, especially during Gold’s excursion. Micic plays with remarkable tone, precision, and his own unique Slavic feel which typically involves minor keys. “January” slides back down several notches into almost a requiem-like hymn.  “Riverdale,” named for the section in the northern Bronx where Micic and his wife now reside, finds a nice balance between tender and New York style upbeat, complete with some Blake explosiveness on the kit.

The lush closer, “Lipe Cvatu (Linden Trees Are in Bloom) sounds differentiated form the others as it’s in 7/8 time and was not written by Micic but by Sarajevo national icon Goran Bregovic for his rock band, Bijelo Dugme.  Apparently 7/8 time is a Balkan staple but Micic and the trio take what was a popular party song for the leader growing up in the ‘80s and transformed it into a more subdued form in a different arrangement.  Given its Balkan ties, this tune may best represent the notion of “Slavic soul,” as the guitar lines could easily be interpreted as a cousin to the blues.

One listen to Micic’s approach will have you questioning the organ trio stereotype and embracing this project as something refreshingly different and as inspiring, perhaps even more so.

Jim Hynes

Senior Writer – Elmore & Glide
Contributing Writer – Country Standard Time, Making a Scene!, The Daily Ripple

 

RALE MICIC TRIO: ALBUM RELEASE “ONLY LOVE WILL STAY”
Thursday, May 20, 7:00PM

Click here to purchase tickets!

 

Jazz guitarist and composer Rale Micic has followed a path characteristic of many European jazzmen who settled in the United States. A native of Belgrade, Micic (born 1975), having already acquired a good jazz reputation in his native Serbia, went to Boston in 1995 to study at the famous Berklee College. Among his teachers there were such famous personalities as George Garzone and Bob Brookmeyer. In 2000, Micic moved to New York and over the years has become a prominent figure in the jazz scene of the Big Apple. Rale released his first album, Bridges, three years later, offering listeners a mixture of jazz with Balkan music. And already during the recording of the second album ,Serbia, Micic was helped by such a prominent master as the trumpet player Tom Harell. Micic played in his ensemble, worked with Greg Hutchinson, Don Friedman, Eric Alexander.

Today we present his new work Only Love Will Stay, Micic’s second album for Whaling City Sound. To create it, Rale chose the chamber format of a jazz trio, and without a bassist. His guitar voice is assisted only by the Hammond organ, with the famous Jared Gold and drums (Johnathan Blake and Geoff Klapp) sitting at the keys. The album was made up of recordings of two sessions, in the fall of 2019 and in the summer of 2020, hence the line-up and two drummers, each of whom worked in one of the sessions.

Of the eight compositions that made up the album’s program, five are the author’s music by Rale Micic. Covers here are his interpretations of Even Steven by John Abercrombie (symptomatic: many compare Micic’s playing style with Abercrombie, and, as he himself says, John’s organ groups served as a model for this project), Irwin Berlin’s classic “How Deep Is The Ocean” and “Lipe Cvatu (Linden Trees Are In Bloom)” by fellow countryman, Serbian composer Goran Bregovic. This, however, does not limit the connection with the homeland in this project. Micic’s opening and title track “Only Love Will Stay” also contains echoes of Balkan music. It seems to me that it was no coincidence that this piece gave the name to the entire album. Very beautiful, warm, a little sad melody, soulful sound of a guitar, delicate organ reprise – for me it became a personal favorite of the album. A brief and aphoristic assessment of the entire project was given by Micic’s partner Jared Gold: “In playing the guitar, Rale has a unique voice. He combines a very melodic approach with a keen knowledge of harmonies. His original compositions reflect his life experience and tell the listener about his roots …” It’s hard to disagree.

Leonid AUSKERN
4/25/21

Click here for the full review!

 

 5/22 INSPIRED album release featuring Peter Bernstein, Rale Micic, Lage Lund, Vic Juris at BLUE NOTE at 8p & 10:30p

Click here for the full article

RALE MICIC

GUITARIST / COMPOSER

WHALING CITY SOUND RECORDING ARTIST

PRESS QUOTES

“Micic is bringing an intriguing new perspective to the jazz guitar.” – LA TIMES

”Micic is subtle, intelligent player who echoes the likes of Jim Hall.” – DOWNBEAT

“The New York jazz scene, and by extension jazz’s modern mainstream, has Rale Micic to thank for a portion of its continued growth.” – ALL ABOUT JAZZ

MUSICIAN’S QUOTES:

“Rale Micic is one of my favorite guitar players on the scene today. He has a beautiful sound and lyricism that truly set him apart.” – PETER BERNSTEIN

“Rale is a soulful and thoughtful player” – TOM HARRELL

“Rale Micic has firmly established himself as one of the top guitarists in jazz today. I’ve enjoyed his playing both while sharing the bandstand with him and as a fan. He’s got great melodic awareness, a strong rhythmic concept, and a feeling for the blues that show he has studied the greats on his instrument while forging a singular style of his own. I’m excited to hear this new recording! “ – ERIC ALEXANDER

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Background/Bio:

“Micic is bringing an intriguing new perspective to the jazz guitar.”   LA TIMES

Born and raised in Belgrade, Serbia, guitarist and composer Rale Micic (pron. Rah-Leh Mee-chee-ch) skillfully fuses culture with timeless jazz.

Rale Micic is a CTA Records recording artist and has been featured in numerous publications including Downbeat, JazzTimes, LA Times, San Diego Tribune, Boston Globe, etc. He has performed at prominent jazz clubs and music festivals in US and Europe including Catalina Jazz Club, Blues Alley, Village Vanguard, Scullers Jazz Club, Dizzy’s, San Jose Jazz Festival, Hartford International Jazz Festival, etc.

Rale Micic recently signed an endorsement deal with D’Addario strings, joining the likes of guitarists Pat Metheny, John Scofield and Lenny Kravitz.

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Micic012

Photo by Josephine Solimene
Show Dates:

6.10 Rale Micic & Peter Bernstein Duo — Guitar X2 Series, Bar Thalia at Symphony Space, New York, 9pm

6.17 Rale Micic & Lage Lund — Guitar X2 Series, Bar Thalia at Symphony Space, New York, 9pm

6.25 Rale Micic Trio, Bar Next Door, New York, 7:30pm

7.8 Rale Micic & Sheryl Bailey — Guitar X2 Series, Bar Thalia at Symphony Space, New York, 9pm

7.22 Rale Micic & Guilherme Monteiro duo at Bar Thalia, NYC
8.20 Alma & Rale Micic Duo at KC Grad, Serbia, Kc Grad, Belgrade, 9pm

Steven Kirby

Jan 9, 2016

Steven Kirby

Steven Kirby/Illuminations

Whaling City Sound WebsiteScreen Shot 2016-01-09 at 3.20.57 PM

Steven Kirby Website

Facebook

You Tube: Illuminations, Over the Rainbow

Steven Kirby Bio

“Illuminations” Press Release

Publicity: Mountain Times, The Sun Journal, Central Maine, Concert Announcement, Cadence/Papatamus, Modern Jazz (Greece), Wellesley College, Republic of Jazz, Downbeat (April), DownBeat January Editor’s Pick (online), Midwest Book Review, AllAboutJazz, Jazz.com,

Radio promo by New World n Jazz, KCRW

Promo Photos:  #1, #2, #3Trio

CDs: screen-shot-2016-09-21-at-10-16-20-am screen-shot-2016-09-21-at-10-16-06-am

YouTube: Illuminations

YouTube: Over The Rainbow

Mixed Media Client since: 2016

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Steven Kirby Quintet
Tuesday, Jan 10th
7:30pm to 10:30pm
Sahara Jazz Club
Address: 34 Bates St, Methuen, MA 01844
Phone: (978) 683-9200

Steven Kirby (guitar) Aubrey Johnson (voice) Bass (TBA)
Saturday, Dec 10th, 2016
10am to 2:30pm
Beehive
541 Tremont st
Boston, MA

Steven Kirby is Associate Professor, Harmony Dept, Berklee College of Music

Click here to read the full article! 

Live At Wamsutta Club 

NBJazz

Tickets: $20 Advance, $25 Day of Show

Tickets Available From: YWCA, 20 So. Sixth St., NB/(508)999-3255

Whaling City Sound (508)992-6613

Wamsutta Club (508)997-7431

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Friday October 28th 8-10pm

at the Wamsutta Club, 427 County Street New Bedford

Steven Kirby – Guitar

With:

Aubrey Johnson – Vocals

Rick DiMusio – Sax

John Funkhouser – Keyboards

Ed Lucie – Bass

Mike Connors – Drums

 

Reviews:

“deep beauty and spare, folkloric elegance but  also an album that doesn’t lose sight of Kirby’s jazz roots and a penchant for more incendiary playing”

“Kirby expands his palette with a larger group  who collectively lift these deep yet eminently accessible compositions off the page to leap out of the speakers.”

“Illuminations represents Kirby’s biggest leap forward yet -…. as a writer but, equally, as a guitarist who leans towards inimitable lyricism yet also possesses the chops to burn brightly as the music demands it”

John Kelman (All About Jazz)

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 Illuminations

 


Steven Kirby’s “Illuminations” Project has been described as “richly textured, multi-layered, ebullient and lyrical jazz featuring evocative and exciting compositions and stellar musicianship”. It features a mix of original compositions, and some creative arrangements of standard tunes, using varied ensembles but primarily a quintet of instrumentalists and a singer performing both wordless and lyrical vocals.
STEVEN KIRBY
“Illuminations represents Kirby’s biggest leap forward yet – most specifically as a writer but, equally, as a guitarist who leans towards inimitable lyricism yet also possesses the chops to burn brightly as the music demands it.”
ALL ABOUT JAZZ 
          “Steven Kirby, a guitarist of rippling technique and a poetic mind, has developed a modern jazz guitar style that bridges the angular lyricism of Pat Metheny and the painterly asceticism of Jim            Hall.”
          Brian Zimmerman, Editor’s Pick, DOWNBEAT Jan 2017
          “Illuminations—guitarist Steven Kirby’s third album,—is both true to previous form and highly expansive. Kirby uses elements of the sonic palette(s) that helped to color his earlier work,                        referencing the probing lyricism of John Abercrombie and the straight-to-the-heart melodic qualities shot through in classic recordings from Pat Metheny with Lyle Mays, but he doesn’t                        simply extend on what’s come before. In the thirteen years since Kirby’s last album, he’s refined and expanded his own style(s) of performance and composition, living up to the idea of jazz as              an art built on growth and renewal…..gorgeous…an extraordinarily pleasing and diverse album.”
Dan Bilawski, 4 stars…ALL ABOUT JAZZ , 2016
          “This (Illuminations) is a stunningly gorgeous album!…put me into a trance. Had to get it on the air, will continue to do so!”
          Bradley Stone JAZZSOULAND
          “A glistening, beautiful, emotionally moving, and well performed album.”
AMAZON
          “Steven Kirby, a guitarist of exemplary technique and thorough compositional skills…Illuminations is Kirby’s best work so far and lives up to the hype” JAZZ
TRAIL

“NORTH LIGHT” FEAT. CHRIS POTTER

by Steven Kirby

About North Light.  “His prodigious chops and unerring sense of swing are on full display throughout this offering. But it’s his radiant melodies, inherent lyricism and big heart that ultimately elevates Kirby above the hoards of chopmeisters and ax slingers out there today”

Bill Milkowski (Jazz Times)

It+Takes+Two-1

 

“It Takes Two” provides perfect music for any occasion. Guitarist Steven Kirby and bassist Mark Poniatowski (both Berklee College of Music professors and seasoned performers) have a wide and varied repertoire which allows them to provide just the right music for any  event while customizing  their selections to each client’s taste and requirements. Styles include Pop, Rock, Jazz, American songbook, Broadway, Celtic, Brazilian, Classical.

The beautiful and varied sound texture of acoustic nylon string  guitar and acoustic upright bass is perfect for a wide range of events: enchanting background music; atmospheric sound underpinnings, lively upbeat music  at  social events,  holiday parties, cocktail hours; stately and joyous music for weddings,  etc. (please listen to the sound samples)

“Kirby plays and writes from inside the music, putting melody and feeling first.” – Boston Globe

“ Meticulously played, elegantly produced post-bop jazz….Kirby has a serious command of the guitar”– New England Performer

“ Kirby has an intense, darkly melodic sound that’s very much his own”– All About Jazz

“ …beaucoup chops…creative music….beautiful and always well played…personal expression that transcends mere imitation” – Jim Ferguson (Jazz Times)

“Kirby doesn’t just play the notes, he plays the sound ”. — Jazz Hot Magazine

“Compositional depth and brilliant playing” –David Miles (Worcester Magazine)

“….Kirby’s solos unfold with a naturalness unusual on any instrument, but especially guitar.” – James Issacs (Downbeat & MSN Sidewalk Boston)

“Beautiful!” – Mike Stern (world renowned guitarist with Miles Davis and other luminaries)

“With “North Light” Kirby makes another leap in his progress as a player and a composer. His prodigious chops and unerring sense of swing are on full display throughout this second offering . But it’s his radiant melodies, inherent lyricism and big heart that ultimately elevates Kirby above the hoards of chopmeisters and ax slingers out there today”- Bill Mildowski (Jazziz, Jazz Times, Guitar Player”)

Show Dates:

10.27 Riverwalk Cafe, Nashua, NH
10.28 Wamsutta Club, New Bedford, MA

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