Music

Music section

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series Presents an Evening of Pan-African Roots Music with Ugandan Musician, Educator and Creative Arts Producer Chinobay

by hahrenholz | Music

The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents an evening of pan-African roots music with Ugandan musician, educator and creative arts producer Chinobay , on Sunday, September 11th at 4:00 p.m. at Cooper Field, 41 Sand Hill Road, in Putney, VT

Chinobay’s work has been described as “some of the most exquisite music coming out of Africa today”. Since his youth, he has captivated audiences with world-roots rhythms and melodies that emanate from the diversity of the many traditional instruments he customized to develop his unique sound. The diverse textures of Chinobay’s music make it soothing, pulsing, meditative, invigorating, and intimate —much of it a mix of original and traditional with global influences—but the sounds are uniquely his.

Next Stage “Bandwagon Summer Series” – Cantrip and É.T.É.

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts Project and Twilight Music present an evening of Celtic and Québecois music from Scotland, Canada, and the US by two trios – Cantrip and E.T.E. – as part of the 2022 Next Stage “Bandwagon Summer Series” on Monday, September 5 at 3:00 pm at West River Park in Brattleboro, VT.

From the strong base of its Celtic roots, Cantrip branches out into the music of other European cultures. With swirling border pipes, raging fiddle, thunderous guitar, and three rich voices, Dan Houghton, Jon Bews, and Eric McDonald take audiences on a cultural journey, putting their own spin on each musical style. Known for their innovative arrangements, high-energy songs and tunes, and dry wit, Cantrip has toured throughout Scotland and the US, expanding the boundaries of Celtic music along the way.

Guilford Chamber Singers Seeking Singers for Christmas Concert

by BusyMom | Music

The Guilford Chamber Singers, under the auspices of Friends of Music at Guilford (FOMAG), is seeking to reconstitute for their traditional concert of Christmas music the second weekend of December. Covid 19 has prevented us from performing since 2019.

All voices are welcome for singers with choral experience. Repertoire will be quite varied, from traditional to modern settings. Rehearsals will be weekly starting in September, masked, on an evening convenient to the singers; in the past, it has been on Monday evenings, but we will explore other possibilities as we recruit.

Shakers n’ Bakers Celebrate Mother Ann’s Day in Southern VT Aug 6: Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series Little (i) Music Festival

by hahrenholz | Music

The iconic Christian Rock/Free Jazz band “Shakers n’ Bakers” will be spending the most sacred day on the Shaker calendar in the Brattleboro/Putney area Aug 6. “Mother Ann’s Day” is the date which recognizes the arrival of Mother Ann Lee, founder of the Shaker community, to the United States in 1774. The Shakers were a utopian community with progressive social and artistic values that thrived during the mid-1800’s. This celibate Christian group lifted up the values of humility, simplicity and an ecstatic sense of spirituality through their music, visual arts, architecture, and vision of “Heaven on Earth” in many Shaker communities throughout New England and the Midwest.

“Ecstatic Shaker music infused with jazz, soul, and funk doesn’t happen every day. Shakers-N-Bakers is something truly original and unique,” says Keith Marks, Executive Director of Next Stage Arts. “The lineup of the group is jaw dropping, pulling from masters in numerous genres. The show is going to be something memorable.”

Next Stage’s Bandwagon Summer Series presents Underground System on Friday, July 22 at 6 p.m. at the Putney Inn

by hahrenholz | Music

You don’t forget an Underground System show, as anyone who’s ever witnessed their larger-than-life live presence will attest.

One of New York City’s most dynamic recent acts, Underground System continues to reinvent their brand of global dance music. From an initial purist interpretive approach to Fela Kuti style afrobeat, to drawing on a legacy of NYC indie dance inspirations, the band has crafted a peerless and incendiary sound.

Springboarding off the production and release of their internationally acclaimed 2018 debut LP ‘What Are You’ (Soul Clap Records), the band brought their special brand of re-contextualized afrobeat, dance punk, disco and electronic music to audiences worldwide.

Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series – Ali McGuirk and Michael Roberts

by hahrenholz | Music

PUTNEY – Next Stage Arts Project and Twilight Music present Vermont-based singer/songwriters Ali McGuirk and Michael Roberts with their bands, as part of the 2022 Next Stage “Bandwagon Summer Series,” on Friday, July 8 at the Retreat Farm in Brattleboro, VT.

With a total of seven Boston Music Award nominations, Ali McGuirk is recognized as one of New England’s most compelling artists.  Blending classic soul power with a folk music lyricism, she captivates audiences with her powerful, sultry voice, heartfelt songwriting, and a style rooted in improvisation.  In 2016, Ali was named by the Boston Globe as an “artist to hear,” along with Lake Street Dive and Haim, and, a year later, her debut album “Slow Burn” made rock critic Steve Morse’s “Top Ten albums of 2017.”  In 2018, she won Boston Music Awards’ “Blues Artist of the Year” and “Live Residency of the Year” for her monthly First Fridays at Bull McCabe’s Pub, and was nominated for New England Music Award’s “R&B Act of the Year.”  Ali’s latest album, penned from her home in Burlington, VT during the pandemic, is scheduled to be released on Signature Sounds Recordings this summer.

Brattleboro Women’s Chorus Outdoor Concerts!

by bwchorus | Music

The Brattleboro Women’s Chorus presents their 26th annual spring concerts entitled “Why Not Sing?” on Saturday June 4 and Sunday June 5 at 4:00 pm outdoors at the Retreat Farm. These will be the first in-person concerts the BWC has presented since 2019.

The concerts will feature songs the chorus has been working on this spring and includes some favorites from earlier sessions. Local musician Lisa McCormick will join the chorus on several songs, including “Tiny Lights” by Coco Love Alcorn and “Can You Catch the Moon” by Lisa Loeb and Elizabeth Mitchell. The chorus will also sing Velma Frye’s “Take Heart” and Terry Garthwaite’s “Shine On.” McCormick and the chorus will be joined by the ukulele orchestra on a premiere of Barbara McAfee’s song (and the concert title), “Why Not Sing?”

Join the Brattleboro Women’s Chorus!

by bwchorus | Music

The Brattleboro Women’s Chorus welcomes new members to sing with us either virtually or in-person. We will be singing on Thursdays this spring starting with a Zoom “Open Rehearsal” on Thursday, March 17 from 6:30 – 8:00 pm, after which singers may register to continue singing via Zoom or join one of our in-person rehearsals. 

In-person rehearsals begin on March 24th and will be held either Thursday mornings at the Brattleboro Music Center from 10 – 11:30 am or Thursday evenings at All Souls Church from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. Proof of vaccination and singers masks with a filter or N95/KN95 masks are required for in-person rehearsals this spring. Zoom rehearsals will take place weekly on Fridays from 10 – 11:30 am. We hope to conclude our season with an outdoor concert in June, but you do not have to participate in the concert to sing in chorus.

Vermont Jazz Center Presents: George Cables Trio

by vtjazz | Music

The Vermont Jazz Center will present the George Cables Trio in concert on March 12th at 8:00 PM. Cables will perform with his longstanding trio of Essiet Essiet on bass and Jerome Jennings on drums. The concert will be held in front of a full-capacity audience (proof of vaccination, photo ID, and masks required) and will also be live streamed on Facebook and the VJC’s website.

George Cables is a living legend of jazz piano. He is one of the few masters alive today who toured the world and recorded with many of the musicians who are currently hailed as the top artists of the post-bop movement. His live recordings with Dexter Gordon, Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, Art Pepper, Woody Shaw, and Freddie Hubbard are testaments to the era of burning-hot solos, where groups would stretch out on a jazz standard for 15-plus minutes.

The Other Vaccine

by RDavis | Music

We need all the help we can get in these difficult and crazy times. It’s worth reinforcing a piece of real news that tells us that music, whether performed or listened to, has the potential to provide the calm and respite from the storms of daily life.

Making music is not only fun, but it allows the performer to transcend the pettiness of daily life and move into a different world. The same is true for listeners. Of all the arts, music and painting provide a glimpse of immortality. We can listen to music and look at paintings that were created hundreds of years ago and they are as much alive now as when they were first offered to the public.

Maine Singer Songwriter Worth Checking Out

by RDavis | Music

Once you listen to the CD “All They Know” by guitarist and singer Stan Davis of Wayne, Maine it becomes clear that not all the great musicians are rich and famous. Davis has been playing guitar and singing for almost as many years as he has been alive and since he has retired from his day job he has put his energy into becoming a more polished and more publicly active musician.

Davis plays at many local venues and he has a web site: www.standavismusic.com to share his music with people in as many ways possible. His recent CD is a compilation of original songs that he said, “…grew out of my careening journey through music and life. Some are rooted in my own history and experience; some come from an overheard sentence or a persistent memory.”

Vermont Jazz Center Presents: Joel Ross “Good Vibes”

by vtjazz | Music

Don Was, president of Blue Note records) claims that “Joel is not only one of the preeminent instrumentalists of this era, but he is one of the greatest musical visionaries of his generation.” The concert will be held in front of a reduced-capacity, live audience and will also be live streamed on the Jazz Center’s website (www.vtjazz.org) and Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/VermontJazzCenter/live/). Ross will be performing with his working quintet called Good Vibes. The group includes Godwin Louis on alto saxophone, Jeremy Corren on piano, Kanoa Mendenhall on upright bass and Jeremy Dutton on drums. This is Ross’ touring and recording ensemble (with Louis replacing Immanuel Wilkins on alto) and is featured on Ross’ two highly respected Blue Note releases: KingMaker and Where are You.

For listeners familiar with the impact of the vibes in bebop and swing, Ross’ dynamic sound recalls jazz legends Red Norvo, Lionel Hampton, Bobby Hutcherson, Milt Jackson and Gary Burton. His approach is steeped in the tradition. In fact, he uses an old-school, two mallet technique similar to Milt Jackson rather than the four-mallet technique used by most contemporary vibes players. He does this because he prefers the clarity of sound he is able to achieve. Ross has evolved to become one of the most visible jazz musicians of his generation, joining forces with such titans as Ambrose Akinmusire, James Francies, Jason Palmer, Mckaya McCraven, Marquis Hill, Jonathan Blake, Walter Smith and Matt Stevens. His respect for the past combined with his transcendent ability to enter the “zone” of becoming one with the music have given him a unique voice that is simultaneously modern and timeless. JazzTimes Magazine claims “Not since Stefon Harris’ arrival 20 years ago has the jazz world heard a young vibraphonist intent on exploring so many dimensions.”

Antje Duvekot and Mark Erelli at Next Stage Friday, February 11th 7:30pm

by hahrenholz | Music

Next Stage Arts Project and Twilight Music present a contemporary folk singer/songwriter twin bill with Antje Duvekot and Mark Erelli at Next Stage on Friday, February 11 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $20 advance / $24 door / $5 livestream.

“Antje and Mark have been central figures in the New England, contemporary folk music scene for the last 20 years,” says Twilight’s Barry Stockwell. “They’ve headlined so many memorable Twilight Music shows in that time that I jumped at the chance to bring them together for a twin bill – two of the finest singers and songwriters that I know on our stage for one night only.”

FOMAG Has Cancelled the 2021 Messiah Sing

by BusyMom | Music

For those who may not have heard the news already through other media, Friends of Music at Guilford tried to plan a Messiah Sing for this December but with rising COVID statistics, we decided it wasn’t worth the gamble, even with protocols in place. To quote from the FOMAG Facebook post…

Well, we hoped and we tried. We had the venue reserved, we had a conductor and keyboard and soloists. We felt optimistic as things were opening up late summer / early fall. We worked on protocols for preregistration, contact tracing, proof of vaccine, limited seating, even debated about proof of negative COVID tests. We held off on making any go / no-go decisions as long as possible. But those accursed COVID statistics have just been getting worse and worse.

Brattleboro Women’s Chorus Hosts Fall (virtual) Singalong Concert

by bwchorus | Music

The Brattleboro Women’s Chorus will perform their fall “HeartSong Singalong” via Zoom on Sunday, November 21 at 4 pm.

The chorus will be singing songs led by Director Becky Graber. Some of the songs are very easy to join along with, and Becky will teach a song or two to all. Singalong-goers can register online via Zoom and pay for a ticket using the links on our website.

After over a year of exclusively singing on Zoom, this fall the chorus was able to sing in-person as well and recorded song tracks that we will sing with during the Singalong. Singers will be muted during the event, so feel free to sing along in the comfort of your homes, if you wish. Lyrics will be posted in the chat.

Vermont Jazz Center Presents: Val Jeanty & the Berklee Institute of Jazz & Gender Justice

by vtjazz | Music

The Vermont Jazz Center will present its fourth annual Emerging Artist Festival on Saturday, November 13th. The event promotes new ideas and individuals affecting the future of jazz, a music that encourages creativity and lauds game-changing artists. This year the Jazz Center will partner with the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice and will feature one of their instructors, Haitian turntablist Val Jeanty (Val-Inc).

Performances will begin at 1:00 PM on Saturday: student groups from around the region will be coached by members of the institute throughout the day and will attend a 4:15 masterclass. The Festival will culminate in an 8:00 PM performance by Jeanty and members of the Institute.

The entire event is open to vaccinated individuals (please bring proof and ID) and is free to students and members of the LGBTQ community. Tickets for the 8:00 PM concert cost $20. Outright Vermont will be tabling throughout the afternoon events.

BrattRock Seeks Youth Bands and Youth Musicians for Sept. 25 Festival

by Nanci Leitch | Music

BrattRock, a youth rock festival organized by Youth Services, is seeking bands and solo musical artists from around New England to take the stage at 118 Elliot in downtown Brattleboro on Saturday, Sept. 25. This is BrattRock 2021, the sixth annual Brattleboro Youth Rock Festival and the first live festival since before the pandemic.

Performances will take place on a outdoor stage, with indoor stage available for inclement weather, between approximately 5 and 10 p.m. Gates open to the public at 4:30 pm. In addition to up to five continuous hours of live music, the festival will feature food vendors, arts and crafts activities, and games.  All are invited to attend this fun-for-all-ages community event.

Brattleboro Women’s Chorus’ 25th Anniversary Finale!

by bwchorus | Music

This 2020-21 year, the Brattleboro Women’s Chorus celebrates 25 years of singing with online musical events on the 25th day of the month. All singers (not just women!) are welcome to join us on Zoom.

Our final (and biggest) online singing finale celebrating 25 years of the BWC will take place on Tuesday, May 25 at 7:00 pm via Zoom.

Director Becky Graber welcomes a number of guest conductors connected to the BWC in some way to come lead a song in honor of our 25th anniversary year. Artists include Peggo Horstmann Hodes, Peter and MaryAlice Amidon, Kristen Carmichael-Bowers, Andy Davis, Jane Lowey, Lisa McCormick and Julian McBrowne.

Brattleboro Women’s Chorus Hosts Mother’s Day Singalong

by bwchorus | Music

The Brattleboro Women’s Chorus will perform their spring “Singalong Finale” via Zoom on Mother’s Day: Sunday, May 9 at 4 pm.

As we finish our 25th anniversary year, the chorus will be singing songs led by Director Becky Graber and some guests as well! Some of the songs are very easy to join along with, and Becky will teach a song or two to all. Singalong-goers can register online via Zoom and pay for a ticket using the links on our website.

Singers will be muted, though we will hear harmonized vocal tracks, so feel free to sing along in the comfort of your homes, if you wish.