Posts Tagged ‘Drums’

Week in Review

Sunday, June 21st, 2015
World Refugee Day, Schiller Park

World Refugee Day, Schiller Park

Welcome Committee

Wednesday, June 10th, 2015



Beats & Rhymes from Syracuse in Focus on Vimeo.

The President has a theme song; Syracuse Football has a fight song,but we think this would be a great welcome to summer song for our city. In fact, maybe Sophistafunk and the 315 Elks Pride Drumline could play the next Hancock Airport musical showcase or open up the Northeast Jazz and Wine Festival.

Bring that Beat Back

Saturday, June 6th, 2015
Jack and Maxwell Brown: Express Mart Erie Blvd Stage, Taste of Syracuse (Friday)

Jack and Maxwell Brown: Express Mart Erie Blvd Stage, Taste of Syracuse (Friday)

We thought it was generous and down right classy for Sophistafunk to yield some of their Taste of Syracuse: Express Mart Erie Blvd Stage performance to the 315 Elks Pride Drumline last night.

The brief musical collaboration caused a pleasant ruckus.

The Beat of 315: Taste of Syracuse: Express Mart Erie Blvd Stage

The Beat of 315: Taste of Syracuse: Express Mart Erie Blvd Stage

Capture the Cuse (XVI)

Monday, April 20th, 2015
Two funky drummers: Cage and Washington (at Empire)

Two funky drummers: Cage and Washington (at Empire)

Direct Flight

Sunday, December 21st, 2014
Sketches of Tokyo-Seoul with Melissa Gardiner (top left)

Sketches of Tokyo-Seoul with Melissa Gardiner (top left)

The Melissa Gardiner Group: Gardiner on trombone and vocals, Byron Cage on drums, Will Gorman on keys, and August Cook on tenor sax, took Christmas music deep into the shed during the inaugural performance for the Tokyo-Seoul music series Saturday night. They added some spice to standards to the delight of a packed dining room that featured musicians, educators and jazz fans.

Guest vocalists for the kick-off included the sassy duo, Angky & Mary Rose, and the sophisticated/sentimental sounds of Gabrielle Gorman (a Nancy Kelly protégé)

Melissa Gardiner Group

Melissa Gardiner Group cooking at the Sushi Bar

The series is scheduled to continue every fourth Thursday thru May.

Creative Lineage

Monday, August 18th, 2014
Houston to Washington

Houston to Washington: From one generation to the next, the Syracuse music scene has  roots that go deep and wide. Guitarist Jeff Houston caught a groove with drummer Emanuel Washington and keyboardist Travis Reed (not pictured) during a recent Art & Soul Cafe event at Munjed’s.

Drum Tight 315

Tuesday, August 12th, 2014
Young drummer Maxwell Brown leads the Syracuse Elks Band in closing out the 12th Annual Mothers Against Gun Violence Vigil on Sunday. His father is drummer Nate Brown from Brownskin Band.

Young drummer Maxwell Brown led the Syracuse Elks Band drumline on stage to close out the 12th Annual Mothers Against Gun Violence Vigil on Sunday. His father is drummer Nate Brown from Brownskin Band.

Drum Tight 315

Drum Tight 315

The Next Movement

Monday, May 19th, 2014
A. Travis Reed, aka Renfro Jenkins does a Stevie Wonder cover during an open mike night at Transitions 658.

A. Travis Reed, aka Renfro Jenkins, performed a Stevie Wonder cover during an open mike night at Transitions 658 on Sunday.

The Sound of Syracuse is alive and well at the new Transitions 658 venue on North Salina Street. We got wind about this joint from one of our friends, and was pleased to see and experience a cadre familiar local musicians letting their hair down and groove everything from Stevie Wonder, D’Angelo, Bob Marley, Erykah Badu, Toni Braxton, and even some H-Town last night.

There was also an open mike segment that included some original poetry that reminded us of the musicology served up at the old OnaJava’s Soul Food Sundays.

Emanual "never miss a beat" Washington

Emanuel “never miss a beat” Washington

Substance with a side of Style

Saturday, April 26th, 2014
Philly Justin Faulkner

Philly Justin Faulkner

Justin Faulkner, who played with the Mimi Jones band last night at CFAC, and who is currently a member of the Branford Marsalis Quartet, is DWA: a drummer with attitude.  This young cat is definitely one to watch.  And don’t let his urbane fashion sense fool you, Faulkner can roll up his sleeves, work those sticks and funk you right out of your chair.

We would love to see him return to Central New York very soon (maybe even with Marsalis, Revis and Calderazzo).

Salute to a Funky Drummer

Thursday, April 10th, 2014

Congratulations to the Syracuse New Times for the redesign, re-org, and also for recognizing the story behind the music of our friend Drummer Byron Cage. We particularly enjoyed the local connections column (Melissa Gardiner, Alex Boatman and Jesse Collins) that accompanied the article.