SCREEN: Honkytonk Man tonight (7/14)

Tonight at Lincoln Center (as part of their Clint Eastwood retrospective):

In the middle of the Depression, alcoholic country singer Red Stovall (Clint Eastwood) moves in with his sister's family on their western farm. Red's young nephew, Whit (played by Clint's son, Kyle Eastwood), becomes his dissolute uncle's protector, accompanying him to Nashville for a Grand Ole Opry audition. Joining the duo on their trouble-fraught journey are Whit's grandpa (John McIntire) and another aspiring singer, Marlene (Alexa Kenin). (source)

SONG: The Blind Boys of Alabama 7/12, 14, 16 @ Lincoln Center

The Blind Boys of Alabama curate, host, and perform in three distinct programs developed specially for Festival audiences. Each night features a different musical journey with special artists from many walks of life, joining The Blind Boys in a celebration of what it means to perform music, in any genre, that is not only entertaining but moving. These concerts are inspired in part by the group's latest collaborative release Duets, which showcases the band's unique ability to blend with a wide variety of musical styles and artists. (source)

Head here for more info on what each night has to offer.

SWING: New Orleans Moonshiners NYC Debut!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010 at 6:30

Dance Lesson at 6:30, Live Music at 7:30

“They are the type of group that takes away any worry about the future of traditional jazz in the city that created it.” — AllAboutJazz.com

The jaunty swing of N'awlins has become so iconic that even those who've never visited the Crescent City can get wistful about what it has to offer. Fittingly, the New Orleans Moonshiners are a septet you won't soon forget once you've danced to their bouncy, reverent music. It's the sound and spirit of Louis Armstrong shot through with the subtlest contemporary harmonies, just one reason that the Moonshiners are poised to develop a national following with their first show beyond their Louisiana home base.

Traditional Jazz, Swing
Lesson: Paolo Pasta Lanna teaches Lindy Hop and Charleston
DJ: Tomo Tanaka

Damrosch Park
62nd Street between Columbus and Amsterdam

source

SONG: James Cotton @ Lincoln Center 6/24

Blues Summit: James Cotton & Friends

Thu, Jun 24, 8:00pm - Rose Theater

Blues are the true facts of life expressed in words and song,” according to the late great blues icon Willie Dixon. Find out for yourself what the blues are all about in this special concert showcasing the greatest living blues harmonica master, James Cotton, and an all-star line-up of contemporary giants including the 96-year-old legend Pinetop Perkins and the always innovative Taj Mahal. In two distinct sets, one electric and the other unplugged, Cotton will be joined by reigning blues diva Shemekia Copeland, guitarist and Howlin’ Wolf alumnus Hubert Sumlin, plus Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Darrell Nulisch, David Maxwell, and others. (source)

SYMPOSIUM: Albert Murray @ Lincoln Center 6/17

A SYMPOSIUM
June 17, 2010 - 7 to 9 p.m.
Jazz at Lincoln Center - Agnes Varis and Karl Leichtman Studio at Frederick P. Rose Hall

Panel Discussion to Celebrate Publication of Albert Murray and the Aesthetic Imagination of a Nation

Jazz at Lincoln Center will be hosting a symposium on Albert Murray, the subject of the upcoming book Albert Murray and the Aesthetic Imagination of a Nation. This is the first book of scholarly and personal essays on the work of a writer who was instrumental in the founding of Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Born in Nokomis, Alabama, in 1916, and raised in Mobile, Albert Murray graduated from Tuskegee Institute (now University) in 1939. He later taught there and at many other colleges. He retired as a Major from the U.S. Air Force in 1962 and moved to New York City, where he resides with his wife, Mozelle, and his daughter, Michele. He is the author of many critically acclaimed books, including The Omni-Americans (essay collection, 1970), South to a Very Old Place (memoir, 1971), The Hero and the Blues (comparative critical essay, 1973), Train Whistle Guitar (highly acclaimed novel, 1974), Good Morning Blues: The Autobiography of Count Basie as told to Albert Murray (1986), and Trading Twelves: The Selected Letters of Albert Murray and Ralph Ellison (2000), among others. Murray is also the author of the hugely influential Stomping the Blues (1976), a history and aesthetics of jazz. Murray has served on the board of Jazz at Lincoln Center for many years. Albert Murray and the Aesthetic Imagination of a Nation is the first book of scholarly and personal essays on his work. (source)

SOUNDS: The Derek Trucks Band @ Lincoln Center (tomorrow)

FREE - Thursday, August 13 @ 6PM - Damrosch Park Bandshell

Snehasish Mozumder & Som
Jake Shimabukuro
and The Derek Trucks Band

"Three exploratory string virtuosos expand the boundaries of their instruments. Classical and jazz fusion’s Snehasish Mozumder’s double-neck mandolin is at the center of a band that swings it North Indian style. Hawaiian ukelele maverick Jake Shimabukuro’s extraordinary facility is mesmerizing at any speed. The Derek Trucks Band’s namesake slide guitarist, a member of The Allman Brothers’ extended clan, rocks the blues the modern way, blending jazz, Latin, East Indian, and other global influences." (source)

SCREEN: Ride With The Devil + Ang Lee live @ Lincoln Center 8/10

Tonight (8/10) @ Lincoln Center: Following the 7:30 p.m. screening of Ang Lee's Civil War epic Ride With The Devil, will be director Ang Lee, longtime collaborator James Schamus, actor Jeffrey Wright, producer Ted Hope and novelist Daniel Woodrell. Tickets: $15 public, $13 senior (62+), $12 member/student/child. Limited ticket availability.

Lee’s Western sensibilities flourish in this vibrant and underappreciated look at a small corner of Civil War history: the brutal guerilla fighting between pro-Union Jayhawkers and pro-slavery Bushwhackers along the Kansas/Missouri border. Despite family objections, friends Jack Bull Chiles (Skeet Ulrich) and Jake Roedel (The Ice Storm-veteran Tobey Maguire) join a group of Southern renegades, only to be overcome by the chaos of battle, a surprising romance, and the deadly range of personalities within their ranks. Geoff Andrews of Time Out London described the film as "truly epic in scale yet full of beautifully observed details. [It] benefits hugely from sturdy yet exquisite performances."

Tobey Maguire headlines a cast of future stars that includes Skeet Ulrich, James Caviezel, Jonathan Rhys Myers, Simon Baker, Jeffrey Wright, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Wilkinson, and Jewel, in her film debut. (source)

Drop Me Off In New Orleans

Tonight (7/7) @ Midsummer Night Swing in Damrosch Park:

Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers

“With his shimmering tone, street-honed chops and over-the-top personality, Ruffins is a throwback to the days when entertainment and art were fast companions.” —The Star Tribune

With a knowing grin on his face and a smile in his voice, Kermit Ruffins kicks off the season with New Orleans flair. The trumpeter/vocalist and his band are sure to thrill with their unique sense of smokin’ swing. (source)

When:
Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 6:30
Dance Lesson at 6:30, Live Music at 7:30

Where:
Damrosch Park
62nd Street between Columbus and Amsterdam

Program:
New Orleans Jazz, Swing
Lesson: Paolo "P Lindy" Lanna teaching the Lindy Hop, Lindy Hop All-Stars, SavoyCentral.org
DJ: Ryan Swift, Yehoodi.com

SOUNDS: Midsummer Night Swing '09 Line-Up Announced

Kermit Ruffins Photo by David Rae Morris

“Midsummer Night Swing heats up Damrosch Park with the rhythms that keep New York dancing. This year brings out the very best of swing, salsa, soul, tango, rockabilly, and much more, showcasing some of the finest musicians and DJs from this country and abroad. For dance fanatics, enthusiastic beginners, and everyone in between, Midsummer Night Swing is the city’s hot spot for three weeks in July.” Bill Bragin

Southern-tinged highlights include:

Tuesday, July 7
Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers
New Orleans Jazz, Small Band Swing

Kermit Ruffins plays New Orleans jazz with all the swing and swagger of the late, great Louis Armstrong. His sweet horn blows jazz, funk, and standards that reflect the big brass tradition of his beloved city. Charismatic and confident, Kermit Ruffins and his band really cook - in every sense of the word - as he serves up hot barbecue as well as cool music at his restaurant & club in The Big Easy.

Thursday, July 16
Ponderosa Stomp: The Get Down
Feat. William Bell, Harvey Scales, and The Bobbettes with The Bo-Keys
Soul/R&B Soul, R&B, Funk

New Orleans’ renowned music revue, the Ponderosa Stomp, decamps to New York for several nights of great live music. The first night will showcase Stax/Volt recording artist and songwriter William Bell, whose strong yet smooth voice sang “You Don’t Miss Your Water,” among other R&B classics. Harvey (“Disco Lady”) Scales, also on the bill, has been active since the 60s. He credits James Brown’s funk as being a major influence on his music. The third headliner will be The Bobbettes, the first all-female R&B group to have a major pop hit record with "Mr. Lee." All three acts will perform with those champions of the Memphis soul sound, The Bo-Keys.

Friday, July 17
Ponderosa Stomp: The Best Dance in Town
Featuring Joe Clay, Carl Mann, and The Collins Kids
with Deke Dickerson & The Eccofonics
Rockabilly

Night two of Ponderosa Stomp will celebrate with a night of rockabilly starting with singer Joe Clay. Clay, a contemporary of Elvis Presley’s who mined the same rock, R&B, and blues roots, had some early hits before being rediscovered in the 1980s by British audiences. Carl Mann, singer and pianist, is an alum of Sun Records (as was Presley) who recorded a rockabilly version of Nat King Cole’s “Mona Lisa”, among other songs, that have fanatic fans to this day. The Collins Kids were juvenile rockabilly stars in the 1950s, singing hits aimed at a young audience. Larry Collins was a lightning-fingered double-neck guitar whiz from the age of 10, and the brother and sister (Lorrie) still perform together. All three acts will perform with Deke Dickerson & The Eccofonics, one of America’s foremost purveyors of roots music.

Sunday, July 19

Ponderosa Stomp Part 3: Lincoln Center Festival presents a Tribute to Wardell Quezergue, the composer/arranger responsible for shaping southern music and the soulful sounds of the Mississippi delta and New Orleans into giant hits.

Tickets are on sale now...

SCREEN: Moving Midway

Godfrey Cheshire's richly observed film about his family's Southern plantation - and the colossal feat of moving it to escape urban sprawl - is a thoughtful and witty look at the lingering remnants and still-powerful mythology of plantation culture and the antebellum South. An award-winning film critic turned film maker, Cheshire uses the relocation of his family's North Carolina plantation house to embark on a surprising and multi-layered journey. While observing the elaborate, arcane preparations for moving a centuries-old house over fields and a rock quarry, unexpected human drama - from both the living and the dead - emerges. And a chance encounter leads Cheshire and his cousins to discover a previously unknown African American branch of the family (who have their own take on Midway and its legacy).

Through the use of movies and music, and by turning the camera on himself and his family, Cheshire examines the Southern plantation in American history and culture, and how the racial legacy from the past continues into the present. (Source: First Run Features)

Moving Midway is playing now in NYC @ IFC and Lincoln Center. Watch the trailer here.