Just about every Thursday night, the David Rubenstein Atrium on Broadway between 62nd and 63rd Streets hosts free concerts sponsored by Target and some other organizations. On a few Saturdays, the Atrium also hosts Meet the Artist Saturdays, which tend to be family-friendly. Below, we’ve posted the schedule for the next two months, starting with tonight’s very multicultural event. The events are extremely popular, so try to get there early if you can. For more info on the Atrium, click here.
Photo of Atrium by joevare via flickr.
Thursday, February 2 at 8:30 p.m.
Ezequiel Viñao: Sonetos de Amor (World Premiere)
Argentinian-American composer, Ezequiel Viñao’s Sonetos de Amor brings the raw emotional power of Neruda’s love poems together with a group of musicians from diverse backgrounds who blend the sound worlds of Tango, North African and Western classical music. The band includes the adventurous tango-jazz pianist Emilio Solla; Grammy nominee Pablo Aslan on bass; the up-and-coming young Argentinean bandoneón virtuoso Juan Pablo Romarion; the wonderful genre-bending Syrian clarinetist Kinan Azmeh; Silk Road Ensemble hand-drum master Shane Shanahan, Ezequiel Viñao on laptop/synths, and the riveting and multitalented vocalist Sofia Rei from Argentina and visual projections by artist Kevork Mourad.
Saturday, February 4 at 11 a.m.
Lincoln Center Celebrates Black History Month
HARLEM GOSPEL CHOIR
The world-famous Harlem Gospel Choir will have audiences on their feet, clapping and singing to their universal message of peace, hope, and joy. The choir joins Lincoln Center in marking Black History Month by offering a rare interactive concert experience. These amazing vocalists have performed for (and with) Pope John Paul II, Nelson Mandela, U2, and Sir Elton John. Deeply rooted in American history and African tribal song, gospel music is the heart and soul of the African American church, an expression of faith, and a merging of cultures and musical styles.
For more information about the artists visit: https://www.harlemgospelchoir.com/
Tuesday, February 7 at 7:30 p.m.*
Lincoln Center Celebrates Black History Month
DROP ME OFF IN HARLEM: AN EVENING OF ELLINGTONIA
Loren Schoenberg and The National Jazz Museum All Stars
Explore the music of “The Duke” and the roots of the diverse and universal language called Jazz. Musicians and audiences of all backgrounds gather around this vibrant and poetic genre which sprung from African-American roots and first attracted widespread, international attention during the great Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s. Led by Grammy winner, incomparable Jazz Historian and Saxophonist, Loren Schoenberg, The National Jazz Museum All Stars ensemble brings Jazz legend Duke Ellington’s world and music to life in a vibrant display of musical zing, improvisational gusto, and loving respect of historic compositions. Film footage from the Museum’s renowned collection will be screened. For more information visit: www.jazzmuseuminharlem and www.lorenschoenberg.com.
*Note special, earlier time and Tuesday night instead of Thursday night
Thursday, February 16 at 8:30 p.m.
The Nick Rolfe Project
Imani Uzuri’s The Gypsy Diaries
The Nick Rolfe Project – featuring Gene Lake, drums; Daniel Sadownick, percussion; Chulo Gatewood, bass; additional artists tba
Paying homage to some of his musical influences—think Herbie Hancock meets Sting meets Stevie Wonder meets Jamiroquai—singer/songwriter/keyboardist Nick Rolfe has developed a unique hybrid Jazz, Soul, Rock and Funk sound that defies confining him to a single category. Both as a leader and a sideman, Rolfe has toured extensively and worked with a range of outstanding artists such as Lizz Wright, Amel Larrieux, T.S. Monk, Omar, Russell Gunn, Benny Golson and many others. In addition to his musical work, Rolfe is an accomplished actor appearing on-screen with Academy Award winners Susan Sarandon and Ralph Fiennes in the Emmy Nominated, Golden Globe nominated HBO Film Doris and Bernard directed by Bob Balaban, and with Brooke Shields in the NBC series Lipstick Jungle. For more artist information, visit: www.nickrolfe.com
Imani Uzuri’s The Gypsy Diaries – with Marika Hughes, cello; Christian Ver Halen, acoustic guitar; and Kaoru Watanabe, Japanese flute
Vocalist/composer Imani Uzuri offer selections from her forthcoming new album The Gypsy Diaries, a lyrical spiritual soundscape, featuring vocals, violin, cello, acoustic guitar, Japanese flute, sitar and daf. Recently featured in The New York Times, Uzuri is an eclectic artist who creates and performs across various genres, including concerts, experimental theater, recordings, visual/ performance art and sound installations. Uzuri’s nomadic world travels to places from Morocco to Moscow and her interest in sacred music and experimentation is reflected in her various projects including her critically acclaimed debut album Her Holy Water: A Black Girl’s Rock Opera and in her collaborations with diverse artists such as Herbie Hancock, John Legend, Vijay Iyer, Wangechi Mutu, Sanford Biggers and Robert Ashley. Television appearances include David Letterman, BET and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and The Roots. New York Magazine has called her work “stunning.” For more information on the artist, visit: www.imaniuzuri.com
Thursday, February 23 at 8:30 p.m.
Ruth Moody
“Her seductive soprano is pure joy, an irresistible force of nature that comes so effortlessly that it must be a gift from the gods.” –Huffington Post. The Ruth Moody Band is the latest solo project for The Wailin’ Jennys’ co-founder and celebrated soprano Ruth Moody. Ms. Moody’s songs are filled with hope, longing, and love, delivered with a country/bluegrass flavor that perfectly suits her pure, high-arcing voice. Born in Australia and raised in Manitoba, Canada, Ruth Moody may be most-widely known to American audiences for her many appearances on NPR radio’s long-running A Prairie Home Companion. Critics have lauded her ethereal vocals, impressive instrumental performances (guitar, banjo, keyboard), and her talent as a songwriter. Ms. Moody was a finalist in the USA Songwriting Competition and was recognized by the International Songwriting Competition for her song “One Voice,” which has gone on to be a signature song for The Wailin’ Jennys and has been covered by numerous artists. Her first full-length, solo recording The Garden was released in 2010. Reviewing the album, The Independent (London) wrote, “Moody’s voice is a pure and rich intoxicant.” She travels with an outstanding band that includes Adam Dobres (electric guitar), Adrian Dolan (violin, accordion) and Sam Howard (bass, vocals). For more information on the artist, visit: www.ruthmoody.com
Thursday, March 1 at 8:30 p.m.
Any World I’m Welcome To
Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber Mashes the Steely Dan Songbook (World Premiere)
Curated by Vernon Reid
With Any World I’m Welcome To, Burnt Sugar subverts and lays claim to the Steely Dan songbook with the curatorial guidance of guitar hero and conceptualist Vernon Reid. Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber is a sprawling band of musicians whose prodigious personnel list allows it to freely juggle a wide swath of the experimental soul-jazz-hip hop spectrum. In the words of Arkestra Conductor Greg Tate, “Burnt Sugar got the nerve to claim Sly Stone, Morton Feldman, Billie Holiday, Jimi Hendrix and Jean Luc Ponty as progenitors. Our player ranks include well-known Irish fiddlers, AACM refugees, Afro-punk rejects, unrepentant beboppers, feminist rappers, jitterbugging doowoppers, frankly loud funk-a-teers and rodeo stars of the digital divide.” And New York Music Daily said, “Burnt Sugar can be many things: lush, hypnotically psychedelic…avant garde orchestra, blazing funk band, and also a combination of the two.” For more information visit: burntsugarindex.com
Saturday, March 3 at 11 a.m.
Lincoln Center and Children’s Museum of Manhattan Celebrate Literacy Awareness Month present
THE STORY PIRATES
One of New York’s favorite storytelling troupes will be weaving rip-roaring tales with help from young audience members at the Atrium this March. With dashing theatrical flair, the Pirates will spark kids’ imaginations and get them involved in shaping their stories. Expect lots of participation and lots of laughs, too. The program begins at 11 with a book making workshop offered by staff of the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, CMOM, who will provide all of the arts and crafts materials. The Story Pirates set sail at 11:30. There will be a Q&A following the program and the audience will have an opportunity to meet and mingle with the cast members. Suggested for ages 5-8. For more information about the Museum, visit: www.cmom.org
Thursday, March 8 at 8:30 p.m.
KATE MCGARRY
One of today’s most versatile modern jazz singers, Kate McGarry has recorded and performed with Fred Hersch, Kurt Elling, Hank Jones, Clark Terry, Jason Robert Brown, and Luciana Souza, among others. Her career kicked into high gear in 2003 when she was signed as the first female vocalist by Palmetto Records. Her critically-acclaimed CD Show Me (2003) was followed by Mercy Streets (2005), dubbed “one of the most important vocal albums of the year” (All About Jazz). Her 2007 release, The Target, went to #1 on the Nationwide Jazz Charts, and was featured on NPR’s All Things Considered. In 2008, Sunnyside released the debut CD of the vocal group MOSS (McGarry with singers Peter Eldridge, Theo Bleckmann, Lauren Kinhan, and Luciana Souza) which garnered a rare 4-1/2 stars from Downbeat Magazine and became a cult favorite in New York City. McGarry’s 2009 Palmetto release, If Less Is More, Nothing Is Everything, was nominated for a Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal. Kate is currently working on her 5th Palmetto project GIRL TALK, a standards tribute to some of her favorite jazz women. GIRL TALK will be released this February. “A bold, brave adventurer, McGarry has, by opting for the musical road less traveled, placed herself firmly on the road to ever-widening critical and popular success.” For more information about the artist, visit: www.katemcgarry.com
Thursday, March 15 at 8:30 p.m.
SPOKFREVO ORQUESTRA (U.S. Debut)
Imagine Duke Ellington’s big band blasting through Carnival in Brazil’s Northeast. The thrilling SpokFrevo Orquestra draws inspiration from frevo, an infectious century-old music of elaborate arrangements and indisputable deep roots, taking it from the alleys of Pernambuco and bringing it into the concert hall with blistering, jazz-influenced arrangements, virtuoso playing, and all the fire and frenzy of a street party. Fronted by musical director/saxophonist Maestro Spok, this 17-musician outfit—saxophone, trumpet, trombone, rhythm sections, bass, and guitar—reinvents tradition without subverting it.
For more information about the artists visit: www.vo-music.com/artiste.php?id=47&lang=en and https://www.myspace.com/spokfrevo.
Thursday, March 29 at 8:30 p.m.
Lincoln Center Celebrates Women’s History Month
ASKING FOR IT
Written and Performed by Joanna Rush
Directed by Lynne Taylor-Corbett
Produced by Jana Robbins
Asking For It follows one woman’s hysterical and heartbreaking journey from “Outstanding Catholic Youth of the Year” to the stage of Radio City Music Hall to the cast of A Chorus Line. She experiences repression and redemption, faith and femininity, and finds humor and humility on a journey to create her own life. With song and dance, and deeply-felt words, Joanna Rush portrays that woman, as well as a colorful cast of characters ranging from uptight clerics to sexy chorines, to growing boys. Hilarious, irreverent and deeply moving, Asking For It leaves audiences—male and female, of all ages—inspired and renewed, and saying, “This is my story.” A trio of outstanding woman of the theater has given life to Asking For It. The one-woman show was conceived, written by, and stars, award-winning actress and writer Joanna Rush. It is directed by acclaimed choreographer and Tony- and Drama Desk- nominated director and choreographer (for Swing!) Lynne Taylor-Corbett, and produced by Tony Award-nominee Jana Robbins. Excerpts from the show were chosen by the United Nations Council for the Empowerment of Women and The Hunger Project for performance at the International Women’s Day (NYC) in 2008. Now, in time to mark Women’s History Month, this “brave work” (WBAI radio), that succeeds in “Finding the truth of one’s life in a culture of lies” (BBC Radio 4) comes to Lincoln Center. For more information visit: www.askingforitonline.com
