THE A**HOLE IN MY HEAD is Kate Dawson’s fresh reinvention of cabaret, and makes her worst enemy (herself), into a hilarious, unseen, other character. Kate and the A**hole In Her Head battle it out through song and banter in a hilarious show filled with Broadway songs and witty dialogue. This is a one night only encore performance of a show that was listed by David Noh in the Gay City News as one of the Top Ten best live performances of 2009.

Monday, August 30th @ 7PM, Birdland, 315 W. 44th, New York City

Kate Dawson played Emily for three seasons in A Christmas Carol (at Madison Square Garden), sharing the stage with several Scrooge’s over the years, including Roddy McDowall, Hal Linden, Frank Langella and Tim Curry. The production was directed by Mike Ockrent, and choreographed by Susan Stroman. Other favorite credits include “Eileen” in Wonderful Town (opposite Lucie Arnaz & Cliff Bemis, directed by Don Amendolia), “Lili” in Carnival!, “Lydia” in The Rivals and “The Wardrobe Mistress” in Enter The Guardsmen. She has worked regionally at the 7 Angels Theatre, the Coconut Grove Playhouse, the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Stages St. Louis, readings at the Manhattan Theatre Club and the Public Theatre among others. The A**HOLE IN MY HEAD is the first play Kate has written.

Kathleen Supove announces the release of her new CD THE EXPLODING PIANO on the MAJOR WHO MEDIA label. The CD release concert will be held on Tuesday, August 17, at Le Poisson Rouge at 158 Bleecker Street in New York City.

The concert starts at 7:30, with doors opening at 6:30.

In addition to performing music from the CD, there will be :

-Video by Joshue Ott to go with Anna Clyne’s piece ON TRACK.

-New video created live by Jennifer Stock for ISABELLE EBERHARDT DREAMS OF PIANOS by Missy Mazzoli.

-In addition, there will be a special guest, media/video artist Peter Schmideg “performing” a work he created and revised for this event, based on the performance artist Marge Cameron, and inspired by SUTRA SUTRA by Randall Woolf.

-REVOLUTION by Dan Becker will have a video specially designed for it by Safy Etiel (V.J. name: Sniper), an Israeli artist living in Berlin.

-Rounding out the show will be A SHAKING OF THE PUMPKIN by Michael Gatonska, which features his custom-designed accessories and is a video in itself.

Also: a fake fashion show, auction, contests, and…a discount on the new CD.

Innovative Song Cycle Explores Spirituality, Nature, and Gardening

New York City based cellist, vocalist and composer Jody Redhage and her band Fire in July will perform at Boston’s Kaji Aso Studio on Friday, July 23, 2010 at 8 pm. Admission is $10. Kaji Aso Studio is located at 40 Saint Stephen Street in Boston, MA. Phone is (617) 247-1719.

Fire in July is comprised of Jody Redhage, voice & cello; Daisy Press, voice; Alan Ferber, trombone; and Tom Beckham, vibraphone. At this concert, the band will premiere Redhage’s new song cycle “The Spirit of the Garden,” using poetry that explores the nexus of spirituality and nature. The lyrics are from poets from all over the world: French, Japanese, American, and middle eastern–all different traditions that celebrate gardens as an artistic medium and a source for spiritual reflection and inspiration. Kaji Aso Studio itself has been a large source of inspiration behind the song cycle, as Fire in July performed at the Studio in July 2009 and became familiarized with the art institute’s philosophy and worldview. The Studio’s mission statement includes the statement, “The value of nature is stressed as an inspirational and endless source of material” and “Art does not come from art…art comes from life.” The evening offers audience members a chance to experience nature’s inspiration as expressed through music, poetry, the visual arts (painting and watercolor) and through gardening. Before and after the concert the audience is invited to visit Kaji Aso’s own Japanese garden behind the studio and view the paintings and watercolors in the studio’s galleries. Several of the studio’s experts on Haiku will be in attendance and available to discuss their creative processes with the audience.

Called an “adventurous cello songstress” by Time Out NY, cellist, composer, and vocalist Jody Redhage is “a new music dynamo…Redhage is cultivating a repertoire of indie art song that breaches genre boundaries and makes for stirring listening” (MusicWorks Magazine). Redhage has spent the past eight years developing the ability to simultaneously sing and play rhythmically complex and intricate lines. Her passion is setting 20th and 21st century American poetry into art song, and she principally composes for her ensemble Fire in July. Redhage’s compositions meld the detail and finesse of chamber music with the energy and drive of jazz improvisation and more popular genres. With tinges of Medieval chanson and hints of Kurt Weill, Redhage creates a captivating blend of genres that simply comes across as her own unique voice.

Fire in July released their debut album Ancient Star on Sept. 15, 2009. Ancient Star has been called “a real accomplishment, refreshing and enjoyable, music that is exploring and pioneering a new style and doing so with real thought and skill” – George Grella, The Big City. Having begun composing at age 19, Jody studied composition at the University of California Berkeley and cello performance at the Manhattan School of Music. In New York, Jody continued her composition studies with Bang on a Can founder Julia Wolfe. Redhage has performed at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Radio City Music Hall, and on NBC, CBS, and ABC. Redhage’s original compositions have also been featured on several NPR stations across the country, including a recent feature of songs from “Ancient Star” on WNYC’s Spinning on Air.

Dylan Rice celebrates the release of his new full-length album, ELECTRIC GRIDS & CONCRETE TOWERS.

Saturday, July 17, 2010, Chicago, IL, Martyrs’ – CD RELEASE SHOW.

Come join Dylan Rice Band at Martyrs’ in Chicago on Saturday, July 17th as they celebrate the release of the long-awaited new album and support programs at the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE). Jazz chanteuse Grazyna Auguscik will be joining onstage as a special guest.

9:30pm sharp
$10 cover

Dylan Rice Band =
Dylan – vox, gtr
Dave Mendez – lead gtr, backing vox
Matt Ulery – bass
Larry Brown – drums
Grazyna Auguscik – guest vocals

Also on the bill: Milhous and The Greenwoods

Proceeds from the door will go to support programs at the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE).

Album out now on iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby, and major digital services.

The New York City based Steve Hudson Chamber Ensemble, a genre bending ensemble that performs original music rooted in jazz, classical, folk, and pop, will kick off its east coast tour with a performance at The Stone Church in Brattleboro, Vermont on Thursday, June 10, 2010 at 7:30 pm. The Ensemble’s tour continues with performances at Kaji Aso in Boston on Friday, June 11 and at Baltimore’s An Die Musik on Saturday, June 12.

Poised to release their first CD, The Steve Hudson Chamber Ensemble has received enthusiastic praise from music fans and critics alike. The group features Jody Redhage on cello and vocals, violinist Zach Brock, percussionist Martin Urbach, and pianist Steve Hudson.

Praised by Keyboard Magazine for his “exquisite compositions” and for the “quest for beauty in his lines that evoke the masters,” Steve Hudson maintains a busy performance schedule with performances in the US, Canada, and Europe with his chamber ensemble and other projects. Steve is cofounder of Outer Bridge Ensemble (OBE), a collective of musicians whose experimental yet groove oriented works are featured in three recordings. In 2004 and 2009 the group received funding from the Canada Council to tour Canada. Hudson was a finalist in the International Song Writing Competition for his composition “Mingus Moon.” Several of his original works for OBE were recently recorded and featured on CBC radio’s web site. He is presently composing an extended suite with saxophonist Claire Daly to be premiered in 2011 at the Juneau Jazz Classics in Alaska. For the summer of 2010, Steve will be touring Canada with OBE, opening for Cedar Walton and Roy Hargrove at the Calgary Jazz Festival, and Saskatchewan Jazz Festival. In addition to performance work, Hudson teaches music at Raritan Valley Community College, the Arts Council of Princeton, and performs outreach concerts in NYC for Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Violinist Zach Brock has collaborated with artists such as bassist Stanley Clarke, Alice Coltrane, Jack DeJohnette, Mose Allison, Kurt Elling, Chris Potter, and The Mahavishnu Project. Cellist Jody Redhage is a rising star on the chamber and new music scene and has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. She has collaborated with members of the Tokyo String Quartet, Bang on a Can All-Stars, Jay-Z, Beyonce, and Neil Diamond. Drummer/percussionist. Martin Urbach is from Bolivia and settled in New Orleans before coming to New York City where he is a sought after drummer and percussionist.

This year’s winners are: Garrett Chou, cello; Jonathan Cruz, piano; Amanda Fan, piano; Yoan Ganev, piano; Kevin Hu, violin; Thomas Huang, piano; Ryan Jannak-Huang, piano; Adele Lee, violin; Chloe Lee, violin; Claire Lee, cello; Tabitha Oh, violin; Frank Wu, piano; Josiah Yoo, cello: Joshua Zhu, piano

The Virginia G. Behrendt Scholarship this year goes to the “Eastern Sea Quartet” - Ari Barack Fisher, violin, James Gan Stinehart, cello, Mengsha Gong, viola, Mimi Liu, piano.

The concert also features a guest performance from the Chinese Instrument Category: Angelina Cheng, guzheng.

Program:

• Fighting the Typhoon by Wang Chan Yuan, performed by Angelina Cheng, guzheng
• Embroidering a Silk Banner, Arr. by Jiang Chong Wang, performed by Thomas Huang, piano
• The Cat and the Mouse, by Aaron Copland, Joshua Zhu, piano
• Peony Lullaby by Frank K. Leung, performed by Claire Lee, cello
• Shepherdess, by Kuo Chuen Lee, performed by Adele Lee, violin
• Dance of the Gnomes, by Franz Liszt, performed by Amanda Fan, piano
• The Spring of Sharaba, Chinese Folk Song, performed by Jonathan Cruz, piano
• Hungarian Rhapsody, Op. 68, by David Popper, performed by Josiah Yoo, cello
• Blissful Night by Tien Hwa Liu, performed Chloe Lee, violin
• Sonata No. 3, A minor, Op. 28, by Sergei Prokofiev, performed by Ryan Jannak-Huang, piano
• Reeds in the Wind, by Chu Chiang Wu, performed by Yoan Ganev, piano
• Tzigane by Maurice Ravel, performed by Tabitha Oh, violin
• Field by Ba Hai Tu, performed by Garrett Chou, cello
• Gaspard de la Nuit (selection) by Maurice Ravel, performed by Frank Wu, piano
• Violin Concerto No. 1 (selections) by Dmitri Shostakovich, performed by Kevin Hu, violin
• To the Eastern Sea Quartet by Michael Djupstrom, performed by the Eastern Sea Quartet

Held every year in late October, at the time of the birthday of the legendary Chinese philosopher, hundreds of young musicians compete in the annual Music Festival in Honor of Confucius, where they perform selected Chinese music, as well as a western piece of their choosing, for a panel of judges. In celebration of our 25th Anniversary, the Chinese Fine Arts Society was pleased this year to introduce a new Chinese Instruments Category within the Festival.

Founded by the late Barbara Tiao in 1984, the Music Festival in Honor of Confucius introduces participants to the rich heritage of Chinese music through competitions and scholarships. An exciting required repertoire reflects the beauty and breadth of the Chinese musical tradition and proves to be challenging and inspiring for the contestants. It exposes students and their teachers to a wider world of music and styles. Participants perform selected pieces divided by instrument and age.

According to Chinese Fine Arts Society Board President Julie Tiao Ma, daughter of late founder Barbara Tiao, “The Music Festival is an event that reflects some of the best and most admirable desires that we all share: peace, harmony and a mutual appreciation for beauty and art. The diverse ethnicities of the participants from our past years shows that despite being from different cultural backgrounds, we are by no means separated by those differences.”

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Chinese Fine Arts Society is a not-for-profit organization based in Chicago.  In Chicago’s culturally diverse society, CFAS provides programs and activities that promote the understanding of Chinese culture through music and other fine arts. In addition to the annual Music Festival in Honor of Confucius (MFHC), twice a decade CFAS also sponsors an International Music Composition Competition. For these competitions, they solicit new music compositions, inspired by a Chinese cultural theme, from composers worldwide. The winning compositions are premiered in a Chicago-area venue, performed by top-notch professional musicians. Through their Outreach program, CFAS presents cultural programming in nursing homes, schools, libraries, and underserved communities, as well as large scale events for locals and tourists in highly visible locations throughout the greater Chicago area, often engaging young participants from the Music Festival in Honor of Confucius to perform at these events.   In July 2009 CFAS was engaged by the City of Chicago to create several highly acclaimed special events held throughout Millennium Park and Navy Pier as part of Chinese Cultural Week in Chicago.

For further information about the Chinese Fine Arts Society or the Music Festival in Honor of Confucius, contact 312-369-3197 or info@chinesefinearts.org.

Frank Carlberg Quintet featuring Christine Correa-voice, John O’Gallagher-alto sax, Matt Pavolka-bass, Michael Sarin-drums, and Frank Carlberg-piano.

The FCQ performs settings to a wide variety of texts including poems by 20th (and 21st) century writers (Robert Creeley, Kenneth Rexroth, Anna Akhmatova, Jack Kerouac etc) as well as various other sources. Their latest release is “The American Dream” on the Red Piano Records label. The FCQ is preparing to record their next CD entitled “Uncivilized Ruminations” in the near future. CD is available at CDBaby.com, www.redpianorecords.com, iTunes as well as at the show

Cornelia Street Cafe, Sets at 9 & 10:30pm
29 Cornelia Street, NYC
(212)989-9319
www.corneliastreetcafe.com

Uruguayan vocalist Sabrina Lastman will be performing a free concert with guitar player Tali Roth Saturday, October 10, 6 pm at Paul Hall, Juilliard, 155 W 65 St., New York. This concert will be a celebration of Classical, Spanish and Tango Nuevo guitar music. Other guests include Silvia Durán and the Juilliard Pre-College Guitar Ensemble.

A Canadian currently residing in New York City, award winning composer and performer Rob Mosher plays oboe, English horn and soprano sax.

On October 4, from 5-7pm, Storytime will be the featured band at St. Peter’s Church Jazz Vespers. Read more about this unique church and their jazz ministry here.

St. Peter’s Church is at 619 Lexington Ave at 54th street in New York City. Admission is free.

Jody will be playing a solo set of new compositions she’s commissioned for voice, cello & electronics, including:

• Christian Carey- “Song” and “Otherwise” (words Jane Kenyon)
• Lainie Fefferman- “Slash Plus” for voice, cello, & clarinet
• Daniel Felsenfeld- “From Sleepless Nights” (words Elizabeth Hardwick)
• Missy Mazzoli- “A Thousand Tongues” (words Stephen Crane)
• Molly Thompson- “Rhapsody’ (words Cynthia Huntington)

Also on the program is a set of original duo compositions by Daisy Press & Jody (duos for voices, cello & electronics), sets by Molly Thompson and Kamala Sankaram, and a guest appearance by clarinetist Eileen Mack.

Saturday, Aug. 29, 2009
8:00 pm
First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn
124 Henry Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
www.fpcbrooklyn.org
2/3 to Clark St. is the closest train

$10

With performers Jody Redhage, Daisy Press, Molly Thompson, Kamala Sankaram & Eileen Mack

Music by Redhage, Press, Thompson, Sankaram, Christian Carey, Lainie Fefferman, Daniel Felsenfeld, & Missy Mazzoli.