Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, fresh from his interview with Democratic Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton, spoke at SUNY Oswego on Wednesday. Afterwards, he checked out the smooth, yet potent sounds of Dr. Alphonso Sanders (right) at AL’s on South Clinton Street. Sanders will be playing gigs in Oswego this week as well. More on his performance and the plethora of guests coming soon.
Curtis Watson played some good lovin’ blues for Buckwheat Zydeco.
Pulitzer Prize and multi-Grammy Award winner Wynton Marsalis returned to Syracuse and was featured with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra on Friday.
Scott Allen & 3rd Scenario met up with Joe Lee (center) after their set at the Northeast Jazz & Wine Festival (Day 2).
We found out that WAER-FM 88’s GM Joe Lee was instrumental (no pun intended) in bringing Scott Allen & 3rd Scenario to the Northeast Jazz & Wine Festival. Lee and Allen were former classmates and have roots in B’more.
Allen keeps it moving and grooving on stage while singing, playing bass and several brass instruments.
During a spectacular musical medley that included covers of Candi Dulfer (“Mr. Lee”) and Sade (‘Nothing Can Come Between Us”), our favorite was the Quincy Jones cut “If I Ever Lose This Heaven.”
Allen & Scenario’s fiery collaboration of “If I Ever Lose This Heaven,” along with singer Wendy McIntyre, created a salty magic similar to the vibe on the Jonathan Butler and Maysa Leak version, and it left you thirsting for more.
Did we mention that Maysa is from Baltimore as well?
The Lady SoulSinger and Bugs collaborate in the ‘Cuse
Scott “Bugs” Allen, The Musical Multi-tasker
Trombone Shorty: Blow Me Down
Trombone Shorty and his band Orleans Avenue were the perfect crescendo to a night of jazz and swing for the 2014 Syracuse Jazz Fest (Day 1). After seeing the energetic show, we’d describe the former child prodigy from Treme as a combination drum major and sanctified Baptist preacher, accented with a taste of Rahsaan Patterson, Lee Morgan and Fred Wesley.
Shorty (aka Troy Andrews) is a tropical storm of resounding brass that shook the hills at Onondaga Community College.
Brash in Brass
Tambourine Shorty
Asking the band to take it higher
BBVD trumpet player Glen “The Kid” Marhevka: The Sartorialist
Fashion and music seem to go hand-in-hand.
Glen Marhevka said many of his suits he wears are styled from the 1930s and 40s (similar to his band mates), but during the Big Bad Voodoo Daddy set on Friday he wore a hand-me-down (but re-tailored) ensemble from the 1960s. He said his personal tailor is a guy named Javi in Los Angeles.
Marhevka has that certain sprezzatura historically poured onto horn players (think Chet Baker), but don’t let the cool vines fool you, he can flat out blow that horn.