Rhode Island’s long list of jazz musicians began with George M. Cohan. George was born in Providence during 1878. He was to grow up to become a leader in Broadway musicals. His credits include, being a giant entertainer, actor, composer, lyricist, jazz singer, dancer, producer and playwright. George was considered among the most important music […]
To help shine a light on the lives of working musicians, I’ve been interviewing my peers about performing and balancing their lives to make the music happen, and asking if they see a difference between playing for art’s sake or as a job. For this final article I talked to percussionist Ryan Kowal, a fantastic […]
Courtney Swain – Between Blood and Ocean Courtney Swain, the singer and keyboardist for Boston’s experimental rock group Bent Knee, has taken the next step in an impressive solo career with her latest full-length, Between Blood and Ocean. For the type of genre pigeonholing journalists love, Between Blood and Ocean is a formidable task. Citing […]
Okee dokee folks… The other night I went to see the film Rocketman, a pseudo-biopic about Elton John — I think it’s being advertised as a “rock ‘n’ roll fantasy.” I was a huge fan of Elton back in the ’70s, have seen him in concert a couple of times and even shook his pudgy […]
The warmer months are always prime music time around Rhode Island, and jazz is no exception. To make your life easier, here is a list of a few performances to help you get that calendar filled up. Over the past couple years, the music scene has been blessed with a growing number of regular sessions. Check […]
Okee dokee folks… As the temperatures rise so will my annual annoyance with the heat. By the way, climate change is a real thing. We are screwed, but enjoy this summer — have fun, go see shows. By next summer we will be fully into election season and regime change should be the priority of […]
J Kelley Band are releasing their debut album Burning Season. Burning Season reminds me of high-energy ’90s rock. “Ransom” sounds like the Gin Blossoms with an added thump. I like the backing vocals on “Drying Out,” which gives a soulful texture to the driving pop that sounds like The Rembrandts meets Black Crowes. The title track […]
Madcap Mondays aren’t the dreary open mics you see in the movies, though there are similarities. Folks full of beer do shout from the audience, some performers tiptoe onto the stage one stiff breeze away from emotional collapse, not everybody knows all the words to the songs they’re singing. But the shouts from around the […]
For classical music lovers, there are some great events to look forward to over the next few months. Here’s what’s coming up for summer 2019: The 2018 Music On The Hill festival presents seven concerts of chamber music from June 2-12 at various locations throughout the state, including Cranston, Warwick and Westerly. For more information: […]
Dip, drip, drop! Why ease your way into summer this year when you can make a splash by riding out the best electronic dance music events Lil Rhody has in store? These three shows provide the rare and much-needed opportunity to get down and dirty (musically speaking!) on the beach, in the pool and in […]