Saturday, Jan. 13: The people at Levon Helm Studios know when a hard sell is not required. Their promotional copy in advance of Dar William’s performance there declares simply, “named one of America’s very best songwriters by The New Yorker.” Enough said.
Friday, Jan. 12: Regional Cajun aficionados lead a Cajun Dance at the White Eagle Benevolent Society in Kingston. Laissez les bons temps rouler. Beginners are welcome, and there will be a lesson before the show.
Friday, Jan. 19: Club Helsinki in Hudson was early in as a forecaster of the impending breakout fame of Lake Street Dive, the jazz/roots/pop hitmakers who have carved themselves a unique place in the Americana musical landscape. Now Club Helsinki gets some back-end payback when Lake Street Dive vocalist Rachael Price revives an especially fine project from her past.
‘We are also considering its future home if the need comes for that. We want it available to the Town’s people…’
Sunday, January 7: The Levin Brothers have been involved in some of the most daring and experimental music of the last 50 years: Tony cutting a striking figure as bassist and Chapman-stick player with Peter Gabriel, King Crimson and many more; Pete working more behind-the-scenes as an ace keyboardist on the legendary New York session scene.
Saturday, January 6: Masse is the classically trained singer/songwriter and member of the popular and critically lauded roots group the Wailin’ Jennys.
Monday, January 8: That mop of gray hair you see standing between McCartney and Clapton at all the royal tribute concerts would be none other Albert Lee, the British chicken-pickin’ country and rockabilly guitar ace whose credit list is a rather gaudy plume of Hall of Fame associations.
Sunday, January 7: Salon lecture at Catskill’s Cedar Grove. A traveling exhibition of works by the Hudson River School founder will open on January 30 at the Met, then get packed up and shipped off to London in June.
Creative Music Studio (CMS), the ground-breaking Woodstock-based improvisation lab, turns over a new leaf in 2018, as co-founder Karl Berger hands over the presidency to jazz drummer and educator Billy Martin.
Metal artist Desirea Carr of Saugerties says she was always drawn to the underbelly of art, finding or creating works with busted or discarded everyday items like broken shovels, defunct Christmas tree lights and even animal skulls.