At Cornelia Street Café....

Wed Sep 23

8:30PM SOUL OF THE BLUES
(Willie McBlind; Jeff Norwood; The Freeloaders)
8:30 - Willie McBlind The band Willie McBlind plays "an unorthodox style of psychedelic blues-rock that is surprisingly artsy and quirky but still shows plenty of blues grit. Drawing on influences ranging from Robert Johnson to John Lee Hooker to Jimi Hendrix, they have no problem being both rootsy and artsy...well worth exploring if one is seeking something fresh and unconventional from blues-rock." ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
9:15 - Jeff Norwood This young South Carolina solo artist plays in the authentic Mississippi Delta blues style, singing about the Devil and everyone else interesting.
10 - The Freeloaders Raw Zeppelin power mixed with cool Motown swagger.
Jon Sobel, host. Cover $10 http://www.souloftheblues.com

Thu Sep 24
8:30PM GNU VOX: MIKE & RUTHY
(Mike Merenda, vocals, guitar; Ruth Ungar Merenda, vocals, fiddle, ukulele)
An americana songwriting duo with a growing following on the acoustic folk scene, Mike & Ruthy are focused on recording and touring clubs and festivals. With a repertoire of old-timey twang, topical folk, and just plain love songs, their heartfelt vocal duets intertwine with lively fiddle & banjo.
When Mike met Ruthy he'd already written a hundred songs - some of which he no longer remembers. When Ruthy met Mike she'd already decided against being a musician like her parents - a rebellious stance that quickly faded in the musical excitement.
A mutual friend had the bright idea that they should sing together, and one very late evening, down in the tiniest factory/apartment building in New York City's looming financial district, they first combined their talents over cheap beer and not much else. The results were magic. Since that first night in 1998, their writing, singing, and musicianship have grown to match their enthusiasm. And some of Mike's very old songs are working their way back into the setlist - along side Ruth's sparkling versions of soul and folk classics, and their new and original creations that hint at love, pain, and beauty.
David Devoe, host. Cover $10 http://www.mikeandruthy.com

Fri & Sat Sep 25-26

9:00PM & 10:30PM JOHN HÉBERT'S BYZANTINE MONKEY: CD RELEASE
(John Hébert, bass; Tony Malaby, soprano & tenor saxophone; Michäel Attias, alto & barrytone saxophone; Adam Kolker, flute & bass clarinet; Satoshi Takeishi, percussion; Mike Sarin, drums)
Byzantine Monkey, bassist/composer John Hébert’s long-awaited debut recording as a bandleader, documents his New York-based sextet of the same name featuring frequent collaborators Michaël Attias, Tony Malaby, Adam Kolker, Nasheet Waits and Satoshi Takeishi. Hébert’s original compositions for the group take their inspiration from a variety of sources, including his interest in Cajun music, his travels to different parts of the world and his gratitude and respect New Orleans native John Hébert is one of the busiest bassists in New York and a regular in the Rising Star Acoustic Bass category of DownBeat’s annual Critics Poll for the past three years. His discography features more than 45 recordings since 2000, including titles by Dave Ballou, Uri Caine, Steve Lehman, Andrew Rathbun, Dave Scott and Gebhard Ullmann. He’s also the bassist on Andrew Hill’s final recording for Blue Note, 2006’s Time Lines.

Learn more at www.johnhebert.com for his mentor, legendary pianist/composer Andrew Hill, with whom Hébert worked from 2001 until his death in 2007. The musicians bringing that music to life in Byzantine Monkey have all worked extensively with Hébert in other ensembles, including Attias, Kolker and Malaby’s own groups and Hill’s trio and quintet. “Byzantine Monkey is me, and Byzantine Monkey is the band,” writes Hébert in the liner notes. “All of our voices together, telling one story.” Firehouse 12 Records FH12-04-01-010
Cover $10 http://www.johnhebert.com/

Sun Sep 27
8:30PM KAREN BACH TRIO FEAT. IAN FROMAN
(Karen Bach (DK), piano; Erik Olevik (S), bass; Ian Froman (US), drums)
Last summer this special trio went on a Scandinavian tour, which was a result of many years of cooperation over seas, and the first time for the three musicians to meet on stage in Europe. And so began a Nordic journey through open musical landscapes, with Karen Bach’s original compositions, and formed on stage as intense dialogue between piano, bass and drums. And now, it is time for them to meet again – this time in the heart of New York. Since 2001, pianist Karen Bach has visited the US several times each year to play and develop her music with one of New York’s busiest drummers, Ian Froman. Bach is known as one of the new promising pianists in Danish Jazz. She has played the scenes and festivals of Scandinavia and Germany with her Danish Karen Bach Trio, and received grants and prices from various Jazz and Composer’s Unions. Since the beginning, Swedish bassplayer Olevik has been her musical companion. Karen Bach met Froman in 2001, where she was the first piano student to attend classes at The Collective School of Music in New York. Over the years they went from teacher-student to equal professional companions, as they continued to play and develop new music together.

Finally in 2008, the three met on the Scandinavian summer stages to play a tour of concerts, based on the musical conversation between three nationalities, and with the purpose of opening the traditional jazz format, and make it more attractive to a wider audience, no matter age or cultural background. And so, the trio is now moving on to the rest of the world. All music is based on compositions by Karen Bach. Inspired by her annual trips to New York as well as a natural relation to the Scandinavia where she grew up, she has developed a music that combines elements from: the traditional European classical music, the energetic and freely improvised modern jazz, the melodic and singable pop, and the steady beats and forms of rock. This is a colourful extension and a bold interpretation of the European jazz tradition, combined with Fromans well-known New York intensity, and with roots burried deep in the Nordic ground.
http://www.myspace.com/karenbachtrio
 
CORNELIA STREET CAFÉ

29 Cornelia Street, NYC, New York 212-989-9319
http://www.corneliastreetcafe.com/