The latest, most updated version of this calendar has moved to New York Music Daily.
As always, weekly events are listed at the bottom of the page, after the last of the daily listings: scroll down and you’ll find them. If you didn’t see anything that struck you as fun this time around, check back later because we update this daily.
A few things you should know about this calendar: acts are listed here in order of appearance, NOT headliner first and supporting acts after; showtimes listed here are actual set times, not the time doors open. If a listing here says something like ”9 PM-ish,” chances are it’ll run late. Cover charges are those listed on bands’ and venues’ sites: always best to click on the band link provided or go to the venues page for confirmation since we get much of this info weeks in advance. This is not a list of every band playing every club in NYC; this is a list of good shows, many of which we will go see ourselves. We focus on edgy, entertaining stuff: if you’re looking for Grizzly Bear or Justin Bieber, you’re in the wrong place.
8/1, 8:30 PM alto sax powerhouse Jon Irabagon and brilliant free jazz drummer Barry Altschul, probably revisiting Irabagon’s recent Pharaoh Sanders homage at Cornelia St. Cafe $10 followed at 10 by his much funnier, satirical band Mostly Other People Do the Killing (separate admission, $10).
8/1 midnight-ish the Kottonmouth Kings – yeah, they’re sort of the reggae version of Cypress Hill, but they’re still fun – at Highline Ballroom, $22 adv tix highly rec.
8/2 the classic concert film Chronicling the Zaire ’74 concert wit hJames Brown, Miriam Makeba, Bill Withers, Celia Cruz, and others from the team behind When We Were Kings at the IFC Center (the former Waverly at 6th Ave/W 3rd St), click for showtimes.
8/2 the CCB Reggae Allstars in the parking lot out behind City Winery, 5:30 PM, free.
8/2 gamelan orchestra Yowana Sari play 7 PM at Gantry Plaza State Park in Long Island City.
8/2, 7:30/9:30 PM veteran bassist Rufus Reid leads a killer quartet including Bobby Watson and JD Allen playing the cd release show for his new one at Dizzy’s Club, $30 seats avail., this will sell out
8/2, 8 PM the Mingus Orchestra plays Washington Square Park, free.
8/2, 9 PM eerie theatrical noir gypsy/Americana band Not Waving But Drowning at Branded Saloon in Ft. Greene
8/2, 10 PM smart guitar-driven Sephardic-tinged rock with Sway Machinery at the 92YTribeca, $10 adv tix rec.
8/2 country siren Michaela Anne and her band at Rodeo Bar, 10ish
8/3 Ethiopian groove unit Budos Band at Tappen Park in Staten Island, Staten Island train to Stapleton.
8/3, 7 PM Luminescent Orchestrii multi-multi-instrumentalist Sxip Shirey and Raya Brass Band at the Cooper Square Hotel Penthouse, $15; 8/10 Raya Brass Band is at Radegast Hall at 9.
8/3, 8 PM quietly torchy, cleverly lyrical, sometimes oldtimey chanteuse Miwa Gemini and band at Bruar Falls, free.
8/3, 8 PM intense, ferocious Americana/paisley underground rockers the Newton Gang at Union Hall, $10.
8/3, 8 PM Balkan trumpeter Ben Holmes leads a quartet at Barbes.
8/3, 8:30 PM subtle, eclectic, sophisticated Americana chanteuse Hope DeBates & North Forty at Hill Country
8/3, 10 PM Cambodian psychedelic pop revivalists Dengue Fever at Southpaw $15 gen adm.; 8/4 they’re at Damrosch Park out back of Lincoln Center for free.
8/4 Chilean cumbia sensation Chico Trujillo at MOMA’s Summergarden, 5:30 PM, free w/$20 museum adm.; they’re at le Poisson Rouge at 11ish the same night for $8 less if you get advance tix.
8/4, 6:30 PM Balkan powerhouse Raya Brass Band on the Broadway plaza at Lincoln Center, free.
8/4-7, 7:30/9:30 PM the Dr.Lonnie Smith Nonet at the Jazz Standard, $30 tix highly rec.
8/4, 7:30 PM Aretha Franklin at Coney Island, free, Surf Ave/W 21st St. next to Cyclones Stadium. Get there early – it will be pandemonium.
8/4, 8 PM one of the year’s best triplebills with charismatic, allusive, frequently haunting multi-keyboardist/chanteuse Rachelle Garniez followed by eclectic, gypsy-tinged, darkly rustic multi-instrumentalist band Kotorino at 10 and then sharply lyrical, playfully clever art-rockers the Snow at 11 at Barbes
8/4, 8 PM charming yet badass Americana harmony sirens the Sweetback Sisters at the big room at the Rockwood.
8/4-6 Nicholas Payton’s XXX Band plays tunes from the trumpeter’s new album Bitches at Iridium, $27.50
8/4, a twangy guitar summit with the eclectic Bill Kirchen and surf rockers Los Straitjackets at Maxwell’s, 9ish, $15.
8/4, 9:30 PM at Smalls check out this awesome lineup: Brian Charette – organ , Joel Frahm – tenor sax , Brian Landrus – clarinet , Mike DiRubbo – alto sax , Itai Kriss – flute , Jochen Rueckert – drums
8/4, 9:30 PM Canadian darkwave siren NLX at Caffe Vivaldi. She’s also at LIC Bar at 9 on 8/29.
8/5, 6:30 PM, free, Chepe & Su Conjunto Tipico play oldschool Dominican merengue followed at 8 by a screening of the minor league baseball documentary film Sugar at the Queens Museum of Art in Corona Park, Flushing, past the old Globosphere, 7 train to Shea Stadium, early arrival advised .
8/5, 7 PM Tom Waits-ish Nashville gothic singer Mark Growden at the small room at the Rockwood.
8/5, 7 PM Curtis MacDonald, alto sax leads a quintet featuring Jeremy Viner, tenor sax; Bobby Avey, piano, Chris Tordini, bass; Adam Jackson, drums at the Rubin Museum of Art, 150 W 17th St, $17 adv tix rec.
8/5, 7:30 PM one of the western world’s premier Middle Eastern ensembles, Bassam Saba and the NY Arabic Orchestra at Damrosch Park out back of Lincoln Center, free.
8/5, 8 PM a roots reggae triplebill with the Rootsetters, Tronika and the Hard Times at Shrine.
8/5, 9 PM a “monster jam” kicking off with Americana songstress the Tara Lynne Band, then the hauntingly intense, smartly lyrical Sometime Boys with special guest singer Heidi Weyhmueller at 10 at the Branded Saloon in Ft. Greene.
8/5, 9 PM Timbre play eclectic atmospheric harp-based chamber pop at Pete’s
8/5, 9:30 PM noir Americana pop band Little Embers followed by exhilarating Radiohead-influenced art-rockers My Pet Dragon playing their cd release show at the Mercury, $10 gen adm.
8/5 kick ass Americana rockers Tom Clark & the High Action Boys at Lakeside, 11 PM.
8/6, 7 PM supersonic yet soulful electric blues guitarist Bobby Radcliff at Terra Blues
8/6, 8 PM Trio con Brio Copenhagen play Sorensen, Beethoven and Schubert at Bargemusic, $35/$30 srs./$15 stud.
8/6, 8 PM Charisa the Violin Diva at Cin-M-Art Space on Murray St.
8/6, 8:30 PM excellent, tuneful, fearlessly funny Philly punk band Emily Pukis & the Vagrants play Union Hall, $12. They cover Zombie by the Cranberries (remember that top 40 song with all the hiccupping?) and renamed it Sodomy.
8/6 jazz trumpeter Leron Thomas – a fearless, charismatic, frequently hilarious performer – plays the cd release show for his characteristically eclectic new cd Dirty Draws Volume Three at the 92YTribeca, 9 PM, $10 adv tix highly rec.
8/6, 9 PM ska-punks King Django followed by the satirical, entertaining Yiddish Princess at Fontana’s
8/6, 9 PM satirical Chinese-American hip-hop crew the Notorious MSG play the cd release show for their new one at the Mercury, $10 gen adm.
8/6 Ellery Eskelin, tenor saxophone; Gary Versace, organ; Gerald Cleaver, drums at Cornelia St. Cafe, 9/10:30 PM, $15.
8/6, 10 PM Unsteady Freddie’s reliably awesome monthly surf rock shindig at Otto’s starts with the aptly named, percussive Bongo Surf, the ferociously tuneful North Shore Troubadours and then the eclectically fun Tarantinos NYC a little after midnight.
8/6, 10 PM hilarious hip-hop satirist Schaffer the Darklord at the Gutter bowling alley in Williamsburg
8/6 punk/rockabilly/surf guitar monster Simon & the Bar Sinisters at Lakeside, 10:15ish.
8/6 and 8/12, 11 PM Pogues cover band Streams of Whiskey at Paddy Reilly’s
8/7, 2 (two) PM pianist Daniel Kelly (Bang on a Can All-Stars, Duets with Ghosts) plays the first in a series of special Brooklyn house concerts booked by art-pop goddess Greta Gertler, who knows a thing or two about good piano. Space is limited, email for details/directions.
8/7, 3 PM the Amernet String Quartet play Haydn, Janacek and Schubert’s Death & the Maiden at Bargemusic, $35/$30 srs./$15 stud
8/7, 7 PM haunting hypnotic Sephardic soundscapes and rock songs with Galeet Dardashti and Divahn at Pier One on the upper west.
8/7 innovative Greek-American electric blues guitarist Spiros Soukis at Lucille’s, 8 PM
8/7, 9:30 PM hip-hop/Afrobeat innovator/bandleader Blitz the Ambassador at Damrosch Park out back of Lincoln Center, free.
8/7, 10 PM the Duke of Uke and His Novelty Orchestra do their charmingly tongue-in-cheek oldtimey/swing stuff at Bruar Falls
8/7, 10ish excellent Boston honkytonk rockers Girls Guns & Glory play songs off their highly anticipated forthcoming album Sweet Nothings at Rodeo Bar
8/8, 8:30 PM bassist Chris Tordini’s Tiger Blood with Jeremy Viner , tenor sax, clarinet; Sasha Brown, guitar; Kris Davis, piano; Jim Black, drums at Cornelia St. Cafe, $10.
8/8, 9 PM trombonist Pete McGuinness’ Jazz Orchestra at Tea Lounge in Park Slope.
8/8, 9:30 PM bizarre segues, good doublebill: gypsy punk with Yula Beeri and the Extended Family at the big room at the Rockwood followed at 10:30 by the lush, oldtimey sounds of the Parkington Sisters
8/8, 11 PM haunting intense southwestern gothic band And the Wiremen upstairs at the Delancey, free.
8/8, midnight, hellraising retro 60s country crew the Jack Grace Band at the Ear Inn
8/9 noir retro rock bandleader Nicole Atkins in the parking lot out behind City Winery, 5:30 PM, free.
8/9, 7 PM the reliably charming, oldtimey Moonlighters at Washington Park, 5th Ave & 4th St., Park Slope
8/9, 7 PM vibraphone/harp/percussion new music ensemble Percussia at Gantry Plaza State Park in Long Island City.
8/9, 7 PM accordionist Uri Sharlin leads a Balkan band at Barbes followed by Slavic Soul Party.
8/9, 7:30 PM a free screening of the classic early 70s soul music concert film Wattstax at the Lincoln Center Atrium, early arrival advised
8/9-13, 7:30/9:30 PM guitarist Ed Cherry leads an intriguing trio with killer B3 organist Pat Bianchi at Dizzy’s Club, $30 seats avail.
8/9, 7:30 PM members of the Jupiter Symphony play Schubert, Mozart and Dvorak at the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park, early arrival advised if you want a seat.
8/9, 8 PM classic-style roots reggae with Taj Weekes and then Black Uhuru’s Mykal Rose at Highline Ballroom, $18 adv tix rec.
8/9, 8 PM Elisa Flynn and Jose Delhart play songs from her auspicious, haunted new historical song cd at the Way Station, 683 Washington Avenue, Broooklyn
8/9, 8 PM purist new jazz with saxophonist Marcus Strickland with drummer Eric Harland at the 92YTribeca, $12 adv tix rec.
8/9 the NYCSlickers play bluegrass at Rodeo Bar, 10ish.
8/10 psychedelic Afrobeat/funk band Mamarazzi on the terrace at the Museum of the City of NY, 6 PM, $15 incl. museum adm. plus a drink!
8/10, 7 PM pianist Moonhee Hwang plays Debussy, Beethoven, Chopin and Schumann at WMP Concert Hall, $10
8/10, 7 PM oldschool latin soul stars Johnny Colon and Joe Bataan at Central Park Summerstage
8/10, 7:30 PM violinist/composer Todd Reynolds, beatboxer Adam Matta and vaudevillian Luminescent Orchestrii bandleader Sxip Shirey with Caleb Burhans, Conrad Harris, Pauline Kim Harris, Yuki Numata, Courtney Orlando, and Ben Russell followed by Laurie Anderson at Damrosch Park out back of Lincoln Center, free.
8/10, 7:30 PM legendary nylon-string jazz guitarist Gene Bertoncini plays solo at Smalls
8/10, 8:30 PM alto saxophonist Sarah Manning – whose 2010 album Dandelion Clock is one of the most transcendent and intense jazz releases of recent years – leads her combo at Caffe Vivaldi, early arrival highly recommended.
8/10 8:30 PM Mamie Minch and Jolie Holland’s cool oldtime Americana project Midnight Hours at Hill Country
8/10-11 darkly amusing Nashville gothic band Maynard & the Musties at Lakeside, 9 PM; 8/24 they’re at Rodeo Bar, 10ish.
8/10 tongue-in-cheek, period-perfect early 50s style country from Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. at Rodeo Bar, 10ish
8/10, 11 PM eclectic, completely original psychedelic funk/Afrobeat band the Peoples Champs at the big room at the Rockwood.
8/11, 5:30 PM highly regarded Americana songwriter James Maddock on the plaza at the World Financial Center.
8/11, 7 PM two generations, two continents of Ethiopian grooves with Fendika and Debo Band at Damrosch Park out back of Lincoln Center, free.
8/11, 8 PM oudist Rachid Halihal’s absolutely brilliant, hypnotic, hauntingly slinky pan-Arabic ensemble Layali El Andalus at Barbes.
8/11, 8 PM oldschool soul duo Dwight & Nicole at the big room at the Rockwood. He plays purist Steve Cropper-style guitar; she works the ethereal sultry tip for an classic wee-hours vibe.
8/11, 9 PM sly funk siren Shayna Zaid and the Catch at the small room at the Rockwood followed eventually at 11 by Cuddle Magic - who purportedly play lush, intriguing chamber pop despite their twee-sounding name – and then at midnight by the aptly titled Kickin Grass who play sizzling modern bluegrass at the small room at the Rockwood.
8/11, 9 PM the funniest guy in oldschool funk and soul, Melvin Van Peebles wid Laxative at Zebulon
8/11, 9 PM jazz trombonist Rick Parker leads a quintet at Tea Lounge in Park Slope.
8/11, 9:30ish theatrical, amusing, satirical Americana harmonists the Reformed Whores at Union Hall, $8.
8/11, 10 PM funk extravaganza the MK Groove Orchestra at Spike Hill.
8/11 newschool garage rock with the Detroit Cobras at Maxwell’s, 10 PM.
8/11, 10:30ish Buckcherry at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, $25 gen adm. Would you spend $25 on a band that does a song called Too Drunk to Fuck that’s not by the Dead Kennedys? If so, their so-garish-it’s-funny metal is for you.
8/11 careening southwestern gothic/C&W band the Newton Gang at Rodeo Bar, 11ish.
8/11, 11 PM Habibi play thoughtful, pensive cinematic instrumentals at Bruar Falls, $7
8/12, 6:30 PM, free, Zikrayat play a set of classic Egyptian film music from the 50s and 60s followed by a screening of Ahmed Abdalla’s 2009 film Heliopolis at the Queens Museum of Art in Corona Park, Flushing, past the old Globosphere, 7 train to Shea Stadium, early arrival advised.
8/12, 7ish Tito Puente alums the NJMH Afro-Cuban All Stars play several sets of blazing latin jazz at the Leather Lounge, 454 W 128th St, $20 adv tix avail., call for info 917-559-1779
8/12, 7 PM country chanteuse Drina Seay at Lakeside.
8/12, 7:15 PM SisterMonk play gypsy funk at Caffe Vivaldi.
8/12, 7:30 PM austere but fun chamber pop band Pearl & the Beard at at the Cooper Square Hotel Penthouse, 25 Cooper Square (3rd Avenue between 5th and 6th streets), $15.
8/12, 8 PM lyrical rocker and velvety singer Randi Russo – whose new album Fragile Animal is at the top of our Best of 2011 list – at the newly renovated, reopened Sidewalk
8/12, 8 PM fiery, sardonic Jesus & Mary Chain style garage-punk band Des Roar followed eventually around 10:30 by the Detroit Cobras at the Bell House, $15 gen adm.
8/12, 8 PM jazz bass legend Henry Grimes leads his Now Quartet through the cd release show for his new one featuring Dave Burrell on piano, Tyshawn Sorey on drums and Roberto Pettinato on saxes at Black River Cultural Center, 345 Lenox Ave (127/128), $15
8/12, 9 PM Tris McCall at Littlefield. By day, he chronicles boring corporate pop music for a suburban New Jersey newspaper; at night, he sheds his skin, plugs in his keyboard and becomes one of the most acerbic, tuneful songwriters out there.
8/12, 9 PM Satabdi Express play Indian-inspired guitar jazz followed at 10:30 by Balkan brass behemoth Veveritse Brass Band at the Jalopy.
8/12, 9 PM Korean vocalese chanteuse Seung-Hee with Adam Kolker, tenor sax, bass clarinet; Ike Sturm, bass; George Schuller, drums; Seung-Hee, voice, compositions; Toru Dodo, piano followed at 10:30 PM by jazz chanteuse Nina Moffitt and her quartet, $15 at Cornelia St. Cafe, $15.
8/12, 9 PM sea shanty band the Mercantillers at Brooklyn Rod & Gun Club
8/12, 10 PM the reliably charming, harmony-driven oldtimey Moonlighters play Halyards Bar, 406 3rd Avenue, Sunset Park, Brooklyn, free.
8/12, 10 PM clever, funny hip-hop/Americana band Under the Elephant at the small downstairs studio space at Webster Hall
8/13, 1 and 3 PM pioneering new-music string quartet Ethel play a free show on Governors Island, free ferries leave from the old Staten Island ferry terminal every hour on the half hour
8/13 clawhammer banjo player/songwriter Abigail Washburn at 4 PM at the plaza on the northwest side of Lincoln Center, free. Followed at 5 PM by the Ebony Hillbillies, who charmingly and rustically remind how important black musicians and groups were in the development of oldtime country music.
8/13, 7 PM Brooklyn’s best band, tuneful anti-gentrification punk rockers the Brooklyn What – sort of the teens equivalent of what the Dead Boys were in the 70s – at Europa, dirt cheap, $8.
8/13, 7 PM amazingly period-perfect retro 60s Bakersfield country band the Dixons at the big room at the Rockwood.
8/13 smart, terse, tuneful Americana songwriter Kelley Swindall at the soon-to-be-closed Banjo Jim’s, 7 PM.
8/13, 7 PM cleverly choreographed, irresistible retro rock parody band Witches in Bikinis back at Coney Island after some trials, playing in front of the Wonder Wheel on the boardwalk.
8/13, 7 PM 1950s rockabilly legend Sonny Burgess followed by Marty Stuart at Damrosch Park out back of Lincoln Center, free.
8/13, 9 PM a monster triplebill at Freddy’s: Americana chanteuse Rebecca Turner, Brooklyn’s own man in black, John Pinamonti and charismatic noir rocker Tom Warnick & World’s Fair at Freddy’s.
8/13, 9 PM high-energy indie guitar/drums duo Eleanor, the fiery shoegaze/noiserock Highway Gimps and Let Me Crazy at Tommy’s Tavern in Greenpoint
8/13, 9 PM soundtrack mini-orchestra Morricone Youth at the big room at the Rockwood.
8/13, 9 PM Songs of the Weimar Era by somebody who knows them – Sanda Weigl on vocals, with her longtime collaborator Anthony Coleman on piano at Cornelia St. Cafe, $15.
8/13, 9 PM Bliss Blood and Al Street’s torchy, luridly menacing duo project Evanescent at the Way Station, 683 Washington Avenue at Prospect Place, Ft. Greene; 8/14 they’re at Red Hook Bait & Tackle, 320 Van Brunt St at Clinton Wharf in Red Hook.
8/13 lyrically dazzling, charmingly intense acoustic songwriter Linda Draper at Brooklyn Rod & Gun Club, Kent Ave. betw. N 10/11, Williamsburg, 9 PM
8/13, 9:10 (that’s right: ten past nine PM) casually smart lo-fi garage rock girl duo the Fools followed eventually at 10:30 PM by haunting yet jaunty songwriter Erin Regan along with some longtime Sidewalk hanger-on types on a daylong bill at Goodbye Blue Monday.
8/13, 9:30 PM trombonist Samuel Blaser – whose 2010 album Pieces of Old Sky is one of the most quietly riveting of recent years – leads a trio with Michael Bates on bass and Jeff Davis on drums at I-Beam.
8/13, 10 PM Vic Ruggiero of the Slackers returns to his roots doing his excellent lyrical soul/blues thing at Two Boots Brooklyn.
8/13, 10 PM New Orleans brass band Shake the Devil Off play Halyards Bar, 406 3rd Avenue, Sunset Park, Brooklyn, free
8/14, 4:45 PM Michael Bower plays an organ recital at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
8/14, 6 (six) PM pianist Jeremy Mage (Elysian Fields, Wunmi) plays a special Brooklyn house concert booked by art-pop goddess Greta Gertler, who knows a thing or two about good piano. Space is limited, email for details/directions.
8/14, 7 PM the Bar-Kays plus Steve Cropper with Bettye LaVette, Ellis Hooks and Dylan Leblanc at Damrosch Park out back of Lincoln Center, free.
8/14, 7 PM Cuban son montuno powerhouse Los Soneros de Oriente at Pier One on the upper west.
8/14, 8 PM tango/jazz bassist Pedro Giraudo leads his sextet at Barbes followed by gypsy jazz guitarist Stephane Wrembel.
8/14, 9 PM roots reggae/rocksteady legend Delroy Williams with his band at Shrine
8/15 Queen Latifah at Wingate Field in Crown Heights, early arrival 6:30 PM highly advised.
8/15, 8 PM torchy jazz-pop songwriter Abby Payne at the small room at the Rockwood
8/15 and 8/17,8:30 PM Sameer Gupta’s Namaskar trio play hypnotic Indian jazz at Cornelia St. Cafe, $10.
8/15, 9 PM trombonist Mike Fahie leads his Jazz Orchestra at Tea Lounge in Park Slope.
8/15, 10 PM a killer dark, thoughtful rock night upstairs at the Delancey: intensely lyrical, charismatic, sometimes hilarious keyboardist/retro songwriter Rachelle Garniez followed by the unhinged grand guignol ferocity of Vera Beren’s Gothic Chamber Blues Ensemble and then pensive, glimmering, psychedelic soundscape mastermind Thomas Simon. It’s like it’s Small Beast and it’s 2009 again.
8/16, 6 PM the Tickled Pinks play charming three-part harmony oldtimey swing and other styles on the terrace at the Museum of the City of NY, 6 PM, $15 incl. museum adm. plus a drink
8/16, 7ish Bachata Heightz at Highbridge Park in Harlem, 171st and Amsterdam, A/C to 168th St.
8/16, 9 PM imaginative tuneful intense bass/piano jazz with Satoshi Takeishi and Shoko Nagai at Korzo.
8/16-21 eclectic jazz violinist Jenny Scheinman’s Mischief & Mayhem with Nels Cline on guitar, Todd Sickafoose on bass and Jim Black on drums at the Vanguard, sets 9/11 PM.
8/16, 10:30 PM diverse, anthemic Americana rockers the Minerva Lions at the big room at the Rockwood
8/16, 11 PM Afuche play Afrobeat at Bruar Falls, $6
8/17, 7 PM legendary 70s psychedelic art-rock band Nektar – who were sort of a cross between Pink Floyd and the Grateful Dead – with original members Roye Albrighton and Ron Howden at B.B. King’s, $25.
8/17, 8/10 PM pianist Vijay Iyer leads a trio at the Stone, $10, get there early, this will sell out.
8/17 Austin’s irresistible oldschool soul groove machine Mingo Fishtrap at the Bell House, 8:30 PM, grab a free mp3 at their site.
8/17, 8:30 PM innovative Indian classical chamber ensemble Karivaka (FKA Tiger Lilies) with violinist Trina Basu and cellist Amali Premawardhana at Cornelia St. Cafe, $15.
8/17, 9 PM the members of slinky sly funksters Chin Chin do their side projects all on one stage: keyboardist Wilder Zoby’s own band, drummer Torbitt Schwarz’s Lil Shalimar, and trombonist Dave Smith’s sexy Smoota at the 92YTribeca, $10 gen adm.
8/17, 9 PM Khaled – not the Algerian rai star but the edgy NYC worldbeat multi-instrumentalist – at Shrine
8/18, 8 PM one of the year’s best triplebills with Bakersfield-style country twanglers Alana Amram & the Rough Gems, the Texas honkytonk and zydeco of the Doc Marshalls and haunting intense original acoustic Nashville gothic/bluegrass of Frankenpine at Union Hall, $7.
8/18, 8 PM deviously fun, virtuoso art-rock piano chanteuse Greta Gertler solo at Waltz-Astoria, 24th and Ditmars Blvd., Astoria, N to Ditmars Blvd. and a six block walk.
8/18, 8:30/10:30 PM cutting-edge, soulful jazz guitarist Mike Baggetta with Camron Brown on bass and Jeff Hirschfield on drums at the Bar Next Door.
8/18, 9 PM the jangly, Big Star-ish Nu-Sonics followed by the legendary, unstoppable psychedelic Band of Outsiders at Trash Bar, $7.
8/18, 10 PM fiery female-fronted punk/pop trio Hunter Valentine at the Knitting Factory, $8 adv tix rec.; they’re at Maxwell’s on 8/19 at 8 for $10
8/19, 7 PM torchy oldtime Americana quartet the Dirty Urchins at the small room at the Rockwood.
8/19 literate, funny songwriter Jonathan Coulton - who doesn’t get enough props for his more serious songs – plays the Rocks Off Concert Cruise aboard the Jewel, boarding at 7 PM at the heliport at the FDR and the East River, departing at 8, adv tix $30 avail. at the Highline Ballroom box ofc.
8/19, 7:30 PM indie powerpop sensation New Atlantic Youth at Spike Hill, note that there’s a $7 cover
8/19, 7:30/9:30 PM Jon Irabagon, alto saxophone; Yasushi Nakamura,bass; Rudy Royston, drums at the Bar Next Door.
8/19, 8 PM plaintive, haunting yet soaring Americana chanteuse Jan Bell at Pete’s
8/19, 8 PM Bliss Blood and Al Street’s luridly menacing duo project Evanescent at Barbes.
8/19, 8 PM Mamie Minch and Jolie Holland’s exciting new oldtime project Midnight Hours followed at 10:30 by the Two Man Gentlemen Band at the Jalopy.
8/19, 8 PM pianist Julien Quentin plays improvisations, Beethoven’s Pathetique Sonata, Liszt’s Mephisto Waltz and works by Part and Auerbach at Bargemusic, $35/$30 srs./$15 stud
8/19, 9 PM wild crazy female-fronted gypsy band Fishtank Ensemble at Union Hall, $10.
8/19 torchy intense theatrical oldtimey chanteuse April Smith & the Great Picture Show at Bowery Ballroom, 9 PM, $15 gen adm.
8/19, 9 PM Tali Ratzon and band play her Middle Eastern and reggae-tinged worldbeat songs at Tea Lounge in Park Slope.
8/19, 9 PM oldschool country harmonies with the Calamity Janes at Brooklyn Rod & Gun Club.
8/19 tuneful, atmospheric Britpop/shoegaze band Caveman plays the cd release show for their new one at the Cameo Gallery, time TBA
8/19, 9:30 PM a rare free show by oldtime Americana siren Jolie Holland – whose new album rocks surprisingly hard – at Hill Country – can she get the tourists there to shut up for once?
8/19 cleverly amusing New Orleans pianist Bill Malchow and the Go Cup All Stars at Rodeo Bar, 10ish
8/19, midnight, African roots reggae legend Tiken Jah Fakoly at SOB’s $25 adv tix highly rec., this will probably sell out. He’s also headlining Central Park Summerstage on 8/20 around 5:30, early arrival around 3 PM a must.
8/20 African reggae with Meta & the Cornerstones and Ivoirien star/freedom fighter Tiken Jah Fakoly at Central Park Summerstage, 3 PM early arrival a must.
8/20, 6 (six) PM bassist Mimi Jones leads a quartet with Camille Thurman, sax; Luis Perdomo, keys; Justin Faulkner, drums at Cornelia St. Cafe, $15
8/20 ageless ska/rock/soul party machine the Slackers play a Rocks Off Concert Cruise aboard the Star of Palm Beach, boarding at 7, leaving at 8 from Pier 40, Houston St. and the westside highway, $30 adv tix avail. at the Highline Ballroom box ofc.
8/20, 7 PM Trini jazz trumpeter Etienne Charles leads his group at Jackie Robinson Park, W 148th and Bradhurst Ave., free
8/20, 8 PM an intense gypsy/stringband doublebill with Fishtank Ensemble and Copal at Drom, $14 adv tix highly rec. Dunno who’s playing first, but it doesn’t matter, they’re equally good.
8/20, 8 PM Brother Num and his band play roots reggae at Shrine followed eventually at 11 by Ivoirian star Sekouba and his reggae massive
8/20, 8 PM a killer oldtimey/Americana acoustic night at the Bell House with the Resurrectionists, Woodpecker and satirical faux-country girls Menage a Twang.
8/20 Plastic Beast feat. members of Admiral Porkbrain, Magpie and Plastic Beef play worldbeat jamband music with special guest singers Kirsten Williams, Liza Garelik of the Larch and others at Freddy’s, 8 PM
8/20, 8 PM Liberty Ellman (guitar) Vijay Iyer (piano) Matt Maneri (violin) Stephan Crump (bass) Damion Reid (drums) at the Stone, $10; followed at 10 by trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson with David Virelles (piano) Joe Sanders (bass).
8/20, 8 PM pensive female-fronted Americana band Little Embers at Spike Hill.
8/20, 9 PM Staten Island’s one and only jug band, the Wahoo Skiffle Crazies play Tea Lounge in Park Slope.
8/20, 10 PM dark tuneful intense drummer-fronted rock en Espanol band New Madrid at Fontana’s
8/21, two ambitious solo piano house concerts booked by another excellent keyboardist, Greta Gertler. At 2 PM Deidre Rodman and then at 6 Jordan Shapiro (Project/Object, Astrograss). Space is limited, email for details/directions.
8/21 oldschool hip-hop stars EPMD at Central Park Summerstage, 3 PM early arrival highly advised.
8/21 country chanteuse Karen Hudson and band at Rodeo Bar, 10ish
8/22 really oldschool soca with Mighty Sparrow and oldschool 80s dancehall reggae with Shaggy at Wingate Field in Crown Heights, early arrival 6:30 PM highly advised
8/22, 7:30 PM symphony orchestra the Knights play Schubert and Liszt at the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park, early arrival advised if you want a seat.
8/22, 8ish funny ukelele tunes with Julia Nunes at the small downstairs studio space at Webster Hall, $TBA.
8/22, 9 PM Travis Sullivan’s Bjorkestra – who do pretty amazing big band covers of Bjork songs – at Tea Lounge in Park Slope
8/22 creepy indie band Deerhunter at Webster Hall, 10ish. If you’re going to miss the Eels, these guys are very similar.
8/22 bluegrass fiddler Vincent Cross and Good Companyat Rodeo Bar, 10ish. They’re also at the small room at the Rockwood on 8/23 at six PM.
8/23, 7 PM Yeti Camp featuring the compositions and violin playing of Dana Lyn plus Mike McGinnis (clarinet), Clara Kennedy (cello), Dan Lippel (guitar) and Vinnie Sperrazza (drums) followed at 9 by Slavic Soul Party at Barbes
8/23, 7ish salsa legend Tito Rojas at East River Park, Grand St. and the river, F to East Broadway or J/M to Delancey.
8/23-28 the JD Allen Trio at the Vanguard, 7:30/9:30 PM. This is a good year for good artists and composers winning awards: tenor sax powerhouse Allen has been long, long overdue for his Downbeat #1 Rising Star award this year. His trio with Gregg August on bass and Rudy Royston on drums hit a lot of transcendent notes back in May at le Poisson Rouge.
8/23-24, 7:30/9:30 PM sensational Colombian jazz harp virtuoso Edmar Castaneda leads his trio with Andrea Tierra on vocals at the Jazz Standard, $20 – they absolutely slayed at Madison Square Park earlier this year.
8/23, 8 PM cleverly lyrical, tuneful Americana rocker Marcellus Hall & the Hostages at Union Hall, $8 adv tix rec
8/24, 7ish early hip-hop stars the Cold Crush Brothers at East River Park, Grand St. and the river, F to East Broadway or J/M to Delancey.
8/25, 5:30 PM NYC’s own hypnotic Balinese gamelan orchestra, Gamelan Dharma Swara at MOMA’s Summergarden, 5:30 PM, free w/$20 museum adm.
8/25 terse, soulful expat Chicago blues guitarist Irving Louis Lattin at Terra Blues, 7 PM; he’s at Lucille’s at 8 the following night.
8/25 Raya Brass Band at sundown at Tompkins Square Park followed by a screening of the film The Godfather.
8/25, 8 PM clever chamber-pop bandleader/cellist Serena Jost at Barbes followed at 10 by funk Afrobeat-flavored band the People’s Champs, who absolutely kicked ass at the Mafrika Festival last month.
8/25, 8:30 PM theatrical noirish songwriter Anais Mitchell at Cornelia St. Cafe, $15.
8/25, 9:30 PM electric blues guitar sensation Ana Popovic - who definitely can get the tourists here to shut up because she’ll blast them out – at Hill Country, $17 adv tix rec.
8/25, 9:30 PM Moshav play Israeli roots reggae at the Canal Room, $12 adv tix. avail.
8/26, 6:30 PM, free, Los Crema Paraiso play their original update on Venezuelan vallenato followed by Big Mandrake’s hard-hitting ska-en-Espanol at at the Queens Museum of Art in Corona Park, Flushing, past the old Globosphere, 7 train to Shea Stadium, early arrival advised
8/26 smart, lyrical Irish-American rock legends Black 47 play a Rocks Off Concert Cruise aboard the Half Moon, boarding at 7, leaving at 8 from the heliport at 23rd St.and the FDR, $25 adv tix avail. at the Highline Ballroom box ofc.
8/26, 7 PM cellist Marika Hughes at the small room at the Rockwood.
8/26, 8 PM extraordinary Middle Eastern jazz with Amir ElSaffar (trumpet, maqam vocals, santour) Ole Mathisen (tenor and soprano saxophone) Zafer Tawil (oud) Nasheet Waits (drums) at the Stone, $10. ElSaffar is also there on 8/28 at 10 with his Within/Between group: Jen Shyu (voice) Liberty Ellman (guitar) Tomas Fujiwara (drums)
8/26, 9 PM garage punk guitar genius Deniz Tek of Radio Birdman in a rare trio show with Art and Steve Godoy, at the Bell House, $10 adv tix rec., this will sell out. He’s at Maxwell’s the next night and that will sell out as well.
8/26 torchy captivating original Americana siren Julia Haltigan at the small room at the Rockwood, 9 PM
8/26, 10 PM deviously fun, virtuoso art-rock piano chanteuse Greta Gertler followed at 11 by lush “historical orchestrette” Pinataland playing the cd release show for their long-anticipated new one Hymns for the Dreadful Night at Barbes.
8/26 dark intense minimalist occasionally Middle Eastern-inflected indie rockers the Mast at Pete’s, 10 PM
8/26 western swing with baritone crooner Sean Kershaw & the New Jack Ramblers at Rodeo Bar, 10ish.
8/26 ecstatically funky punk/free jazz brass band Moon Hooch play the Knitting Factory, midnight – one of the most original bands in town, a lot of fun.
8/27 because NYC public transit will shut down at noon, ostensibly because of the “hurricane,” it’s safe to say that everything happening this weekend is cancelled. What a scam.
8/29, 8:30 PM pianist Melody Fader (that’s her real name) plus Emily Popham Gillins, violin and Hamilton Berry, cello play Brahms, Chopin and Berio at Cornelia St. Cafe, $20 incl. a drink.
8/29, 9 PM the Carlberg/Urie City Band play tunes from Nicholas Urie’s excellent new album of big band jazz interpretations of classic Bukowski poems at Tea Lounge in Park Slope
8/29, 10 PM oldtimey chanteuse/uke player Daria Grace and the Pre-War Ponies at Rodeo Bar.
8/30, 7:30/9:30 PM the Ron Carter Big Band playing original compositions from the iconic bassist’s new Great Big Band album at the Jazz Standard, $30 tix avail., reserve now, this will sell out every night.
8/30-31 fascinating tuneful piano-based free jazz with Pilc/Moutin/Hoenig at the Blue Note, 8/10:30 PM, $10 seats avail.
8/30 a reggae vocal doublebill: Bankie Banx followed by popular 90s reggae crooner Barrington Levy at B.B. King’s, 8 PM, $25 adv tix rec.
8/30, 11 PM sultry chanteuse Marilyn Carino - Paula’s big sister – does her Little Genius project at the small room at the Rockwood
8/31 cutting edge melodic jazz with the John Farnsworth Quintet at Bryant Park, 6 PM, free.
8/31-9/1, 7:30/10 PM Mikarimba feat. Mika Yoshida, marimba; Steve Gadd, drums; Eddie Gomez, bass; Stefan Karlsson, keys play imaginative marimba jazz at Drom, $30 adv tix rec
8/31, 8 PM graceful but often chilling and intense jazz vocalist/composer Jen Shyu solo at the Stone followed by jazz drum genius Tyshawn Sorey at 10, even if he’s playing solo too he’s worth hearing.
8/31, 8:30 PM jazz chanteuse Natalie John followed by Chilean-American tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana leading a quartet at Caffe Vivaldi.
9/1-3, 8 PM and 9/4, 3 PM a sort of chamber music Bang on a Can style marathon at Bargemusic with Phyllis Chen and her toy piano, the intense Balkan flavored Grneta Duo+, American Modern Ensemble, cello rockers Deoro and others playing music by Chen, Bob Marley, Messiaen, a Robert Paterson world premiere and more, $25/$20 srs./$15 stud.
9/1, 8 PM charismatic, intensely funny, eclectic accordionist/chanteuse and Jack White collaborator Rachelle Garniez at Barbes followed at 10 by jazz from Litvakus & the Svetlana Shmulyian Band, straight from Lithuania.
9/1-4 McCoy Tyner leads a trio at the Blue Note, sets 8/10:30 PM, $20 standing room avail.
9/1, 8:30 PM ubiquitously good jazz bassist John Hebert leads a quartet with eclectic pan-Asian chanteuse Jen Shyu; Andy Milne, piano; Billy Drummond, drums at Cornelia St. Cafe, $10.
9/1, 8:30 PM jangly, tuneful, socially aware Americana rocker Amy Speace at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 81 Christopher St, $15
9/1, 9 PM Hazmat Modine’s oldtime blues guitar powerhouse Michael Gomez leads his band at Brooklyn Rod & Gun Club.
9/1 the Alien Surfer Babes - three silver-suited women backed by ferocious surf band the Octomen – at Williamsburg gay bar Sugarland on N 9th St. (Driggs/Roebling), 10 PM
9/2 a Microscopic smaller-than-septet evening at Barbes starting at 7 with the Spokes (Andy Biskin – clarinet, Curtis Hasselbring – trombone, Phillip Johnston – soprano sax) and at 8:30 the Joel Forrester/Phillip Johnston duo celebrating their new live duo album at Barbes, $10 cover.
9/2, 7:30 PM “fabulous and flamboyant pianist Kathleen Supové, and renegade guitar maestro James Moore” at First Presbyterian Church (Brooklyn Heights) 124 Henry St., 2/3 to Clark St., F/R to Jay St. or 4 to Borough Hall, $10.
9/2 pyrotechnic Australian jazz guitarist JC Stylles plays the cd release show for his new one Exhilaration & Other States with an organ trio at Smalls, 7:30/10 PM.
9/2 and 9/20, 8 PM terse thoughtful Chicago blues guitarist Irving Louis Lattin at Terra Blues. He’s also at Lucille’s on 9/9 and 9/23 at 8 PM
9/2 a killer female-fronted gypsy-flavored rock doublebill with Hudost and Raquy & the Cavemen at Bowery Electric, 9ish.
9/2, 9 PM Gunsling Birds play brooding, cinematic instrumentals at Pete’s followed at 10 by the austere chamber sounds of Horse’s Mouth
9/2, 9 PM eclectic, artsy, hauntingly lyrical acoustic Americana band the Sometime Boys at Branded Saloon followed by a country/bluegrass jam.
9/2, 10ish “Brooklyn’s #1 regressive rock act,” stoner metal parody band Mighty High at Lit, $6.
9/2 darkly funny yet poignant Nashville gothic band Maynard & the Musties at Lakeside, 11 PM.
9/2, 11 PM Finotee play roots reggae and rocksteady at Shrine
9/3, 3 PM long-running Nashville gothic legends Ninth House play what might be their farewell show on the boardwalk at Coney Island near Cha Cha’s and the WonderWheel – follow the sound!
9/3, free slinky downtempo/shoegaze band El Jezel at Cake Shop, 8 PM
9/3, 8 PM Unlimited Force Band play roots reggae and rocksteady at Shrine.
9/3, 8:30 PM lyrical jazz pianist Eri Yamamoto leads a trio at Cornelia St. Cafe, $10.
9/3, 9 PM Unsteady Freddie’s monthly surf rock extravaganza this month at Otto’s is a characteristically good one with the Rebel Surfers at 9, Strange But Surf at 10, Thee Icepicks at 11 and the Isotopes sometime around midnight.
9/3, 9 PM Bad Buka’s “gypsy punk meltdown” at Mehanata. They’re also at Spike Hill at 9 on 9/15.
9/3, 10 PM popular, eclectic retro C&W hellraisers M Shanghai String Band at the Jalopy, $10.
9/3, 11 PM darkly rustic, eclectic, Eastern European flavored chamber-rock band Kotorino at Pete’s.
9/3, 11 PM the K-Holes play ferocious guitar-fueled dreampop/noiserock followed by the campy, comedic Hunx & His Punx at the Mercury, $10
9/4, 1 and 3 PM pianists Blair McMillen and Pam Goldberg play Bach, John Adams and others with a string ensemble on Governors Island, free ferries leave from the old Staten Island ferry terminal every hour on the half hour.
9/4-5 Manu Chao at Terminal 5 is sold out.
9/4, 9ish Senegalese-flavored roots reggae band Meta & the Cornerstones – who absolutely slayed opening for Tiken Jah Fakoly last month in Central Park – at Sullivan Hall, $10.
9/4, 9 PM surf rockers Thee Icepicks return to Otto’s followed by Venice Beach Muscle Club playing surf music jams.
9/4, 10ish charismaric African roots reggae bandleader Sekouba at Zebulon.
9/5, 6 PM the irrepressible oldtime jazz trombonist/ukulelist J. Walter Hawkes at LIC Bar
9/5-6, 8/10 PM oldschool style Cuban jazz pianist Elio Villafranca & the Jass Syncopators plus dancers at Dizzy’s Club, $30 seating avail.
9/5, 9 PM the Asuka Kakitani Jazz Orchestra at Tea Lounge in Park Slope
9/6 the Microscopic Septet play their devious originals as well as Monk tunes from their excellent new all-Monk cd Friday the 13th at the Gershwin Hotel, 3 sets starting at 7, $20 gen adm.
9/6, 8 PM the queen of Coney Island phantasmagoria, Carol Lipnik and Spookarama at the small room at the Rockwood.
9/6, 8 PM blues guitar powerhouse Bobby Radcliff at Terra Blues
9/6-10 jazz sax legend Dave Liebman celebrates his 65th birthday at Birdland, sets 8:30/11 PM; 9/6-7 with a smaller combo and 9/8-10 his big band, $30 seats avail.
9/7, 8:30 PM catchy, lyrical, edgy, socially conscious folk-pop duo Left on Red at Southpaw, $10
9/7 dark lyrical, sometimes minimalist third-stream jazz pianist/composer Michel Reis at Caffe Vivaldi, 8:30 PM.
9/7, 8:30 PM Francophile jazz bassist Dan Loomis leads a quartet with Shane Endsley, trumpet; Robin Verheyen , tenor saxophone; Jared Schonig, drums at Cornelia St. Cafe, $10.
9/7, 9 PM fiery Balkan jams with Raya Brass Band at Radegast Hall; they’re also here on 9/24 from 4 to 7.
9/7, 9 PM psychedelic soul songwriter Nick Howard at the Canal Room, $12
9/7, 10 PM avant garde violinist/vocalist C. Spencer Yeh at the Manhattan Inn piano bar, 632 Manhattan Ave. at Nassau Ave., Greenpoint.
9/7, 11 PM edgy, fearless soul/folk songwriter Jo Williamson at the small room at the Rockwood
9/8 Earth Wind & Fire at South St. Seaport, 6 PMish, free.
9/8, 6:30 PM a screening of Konrad Aderer’s new documentary Enemy Alien about “the fight to free Farouk Abdel-Muhti, a gentle but indomitable Palestinian-born human rights activist detained in a post-9/11 sweep of Muslim immigrants” which goes completely meta when the filmmaker himself becomes a target of the gestapo, because of this film. At Alwan for the Arts, 16 Beaver St. in the financial district, sugg. don. but “no one turned away.”
9/8, 7:30 PM Will Frampton plays György Kurtág and György Ligeti works for solo viola at the Tank, $10
9/8, 8 PM the Chiara String Quartet plays Robert Sirota’s riveting, intense 9/11 Triptych plus Richard Danielpour’s String Quartet No. 6 (Addio), free, at Trinity Church, 8 PM, early arrival advised.
9/8, 8 PM theatrical, historically aware oldtimey songwriter Poor Baby Bree at Bowery Poetry Club
9/8, 8:30ish stampeding outlaw country/paisle.y underground rockers the Newton Gang followed by jangly country siren Alana Amram & the Rough Gems’ cd release show at Southpaw, $8.
9/8, 9 PM dark, fiery bluegrass innovators Frankenpine – whose debut album is one of the year’s best – at Lakeside.
9/8-9, 9 PM ex-Sex Pistol Glen Matlock does his powerpop thing opening for literate glamrock legend Ian Hunter at City Winery, $35 tix avail. Hunter is also playing there at 10 on 9/15-16.
9/8, 10ish bluegrass harmony band the NYCity Slickers play the cd release show for their new one at Rodeo Bar, 10ish.
9/8, 10:30 PM searing, improvisational Balkan crew Veveritse Brass Band plus special guest Balkan vocal quartet Black Sea Hotel at the Jalopy, $5.
9/8, 11 PM gypsy punk/psychedelic rockers Yula Beeri & the Extended Family at the big room at the Rockwood
9/9-29 it’s the 2011 NY Gypsy Festival at Drom. The best deal is the ridiculously cheap $45 festival pass which gives you admission to 8 concerts. Individual tix are also available and highly recommended because these concerts routinely sell out.
9/9, 5:30 PM “”Crimes and Passion: Love and the Criminal Underworld in Spanish 17th Century Song” performed by New York Continuo Collective – a semi-staged performance of Spanish baroque music, interweaving popular tunes with courtly songs and featuring reconstructions of jácaras and folias” at Carriage House Center for the Arts, 149 E 38th St., rsvp req. – please put “September concert” in the title of your email.
9/9, 7 PM Kent Tritle leads the choir of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine singing a cappella and accompanied works by Bach, Mendelssohn and Tallis, as well as The Best Beloved by Chris DeBlasio, at the Greene Space, $20 incl. a glass of wine!
9/9 avant garde pioneers Pauline Oliveros, Joan La Barbara, and Rhys Chatham, who got their start in the 70s at the Kitchen, celebrate the venue’s 40th anniversary there, 8 PM, $10. The 9/10, 8 PM program is Tony Conrad, Laurie Spiegel, and Rhys Chatham.
9/9, 8 PM eclectic chamber ensemble Either/Or play new works by Richard Carrick, Hans Thomalla and Keeril Makan at Issue Project Room, $10
9/9, 8 PM UK gypsy punk chanteuse Gabby Young & Other Animals play the cd release show for their new one at Drom, $10 adv tix or $45 festival pass highly rec.
9/9, 8 PM anthemic, hard-rocking, intensely lyrical rockers Wormburner at the Mercury $10 gen adm.
9/9, 8ish the Brooklyn What at Bowery Electric followed by the Happy Problem at 9ish
9/9 the Calamity Janes at Brooklyn Rod & Gun Club 8ish
9/9, 8 PM Afrobeat jams with Afuche at Rock Shop in Gowanus, $10
9/9, 8 PM baroque chamber ensemble Repast play Buxtehude, Bach, Schmelzer and Erlebach at Bargemusic, $35/$30 srs/$15 stud.
9/9, 9ish haunting atmospheric goth/Americana siren Marissa Nadler plays stuff from her excellent new album at Bowery Ballroom
9/9, 9/10:30 PM pianist Kris Davis leads a group including Tony Malaby, tenor saxophone; Paul Motian, drums at Cornelia St. Cafe, $15.
9/9, 9 PM Lichtman’s Brain Cloud play western swing followed at 10:30 by Brian Carpenter’s Ghost Train Orchestra – whose latest album of rare 1920s New York and Chicago jazz is kick-ass – at the Jalopy, $10.
9/9, 9ish, Legendary Shack Shakers side project the Dirt Daubers – who do a kick-ass acoustic hillbilly/gospel/bluegrass thing – at Union Hall, $10.
9/9, 9 PM artsy female-fronted acoustic Americana band Armistead at Tea Lounge in Park Slope
9/9, 10 PM psychedelic funk and Afrobeat with the Peoples Champs at Barbes
9/9 Chinese-American hip-hop sensations the Notorious MSG at Southpaw, 10 PM, $10.
9/9, 10:30 PM blazing Indian brass band Red Baraat at the Mercury, $15 adv tix avail.
9/9, 11 PM bluesy oldschool soul frontwoman Bethany St. Smith & the Gun Show at Lakeside.
9/9 the NY Ska Jazz Ensemble play the cd release show for their new one at Drom, 11:30 PM, $10 adv tix rec.
9/9 torchy jazz/pop songwriter Abby Payne plays the video release show for her new one at Brooklyn Fire Proof, time TBA.
9/10, 4 PM the Classical Fusion Chamber Ensemble and choir play a 9/11 memorial concert at Broadway Presbyterian Church, 114th/Bwy., free
9/10, a genuinely classy move by the NY Phil: for their 7:30 PM performance of Mahler’s Symphony #2, the NY Philharmonic is offering priority ticket access to the families of 9/11 victims, first responders and survivors. Those individuals may request a pair of free tickets in advance by e-mailing concertfornewyork@nyphil.org by September 1, so hurry if you qualify and you like Mahler. If there are any remaining tickets, they’ll be distributed for free, first-come, first-serve, one pair per person at 4 PM on the plaza at Lincoln Center the day of the show. Limited seating on the plaza is also available for those who prefer to watch a live projection outdoors. The concert will be telecast in the U.S. on PBS’s Great Performances at 9 PM on 9/11 and webcast at nyphil.org at 9 PM EDT on 9/11 as well.
9/10, 7 PM old reliable free jazz luminaries Matana Roberts’ COIN COIN and Dave Burrell, Michael Formanek & Steve Swell at le Poisson Rouge, $20.
9/10, 8 PM the inaugural concert by NYC’s newest orchestra, the West Side Chamber Orchestra, led by oboeist Kathy Halvorson, features an intriguing Germanic pre-Romantic bill with Beethoven’s 1st Symphony, Mozart’s Piano Concerto #20 K.466 with pianist Francine Kay as soloist, and a Symphony, Op.3 No. 1, of the “little-known but refreshing Franz Beck, a contemporary of Mozart” at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 346 W 20th St. (8/9), $20/$15 stud/srs.
9/10, 8 PM ridiculously eclectic Montreal klezmer accordionist/multi-instrumentalist Socalled at Drom, $10 adv tix rec
9/10, 8:30 PM fiery improvisational oldtime Americana guitarist/songwriter Will Scott at 68 Jay St. Bar; he’s also there on 9/24 at 8.
9/10, 9ish clever, entertaining funk-rockers Shayna Zaid & The Catch at Tammany Hall (the former Annex space), $10
9/10, 9:30 PM hypnotic, danceable Afrobeat with Washington, DC’s Funk Ark and then Zongo Junction at Southpaw, $10.
9/10, 10 PM well-liked, reliably tuneful, fun, female-fronted janglerock/powerpop veterans Palomar at Spike Hill, $7.
9/10, 10 PM Brooklyn Qawwali Party – a 14-piece brass-driven band who get into funk and dub as much as they do qawwali – at Barbes
9/10, 9 PM fearless, cynical punk/garage rockers Des Roar open for the luridly menacing Kid Congo Powers & the Pink Monkey Birds at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, $15.
9/10, 9 PM charismatic New Orleans funk/soul big band Brother Joscephus & the Love Revival Revolution Orchestra at Hiro Ballroom, $20 adv tix avail. at the Highline Ballroom box ofc.
9/10, 10 PM Thunda Vida play dub reggae at Shrine.
9/10, 10 PM the crazy guy who invented dub, Lee Scratch Perry at B.B. King’s, $22 adv tix highly rec.
9/10 LES surf/punk/soul guitar legend Simon & the Bar Sinisters at Lakeside 10:15ish. They’re also at Rodeo Bar on 9/29 at 10ish.
9/10, 10:30 PM high-energy, smart oldtimey country band the Calamity Janes at the Jalopy, $10
9/10, midnight the Hsu-Nami at Arlene’s. Perfect choice of midnight Saturday night band – sizzling Taiwanese-flavored art-metal instrumentals with rustic, eerie erhu fiddle as the lead instrument.
9/10, midnight Alana Amram & the Rough Gems at the Parkside. They play Hank Williams covers at Otto’s on 9/14, 11PM. The 15th they’re doing their own stuff opening for Jimmie Dale Gilmore at Maxwell’s for $20.
9/11, 11 AM (that’s an hour before noon) pianist Eric Blanchard plays a 9/11 memorial concert at the French Consulate, 934 5th Ave.
9/11, 3 PM pianist Gila Ducat-Lipton plays a 9/11 memorial concert of American composers at the Church of the Ascension, 221 West 107th (Columbus/Amsterdam), free
9/11, 3:30 PM Wordless Music Orchestra conducted by Ryan McAdams play a memorial concert including William Basinski’s ambient “The Disintegration Loops, dpl 1.1,” Ingram Marshall’s “Fog Tropes II” for strings and tape, Osvaldo Golijov’s “Tenebrae” for string quartet, and Alfred Schnittke’s “Collected Songs Where Every Verse is Filled With Grief.” The line forms at 3 at the Temple of Dendur in the Sackler Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, free w/museum adm.
9/11, 5 PM eclectic, Balkan-tinged guitarist/composer Jay Vilnai plays the cd release show his new Shakespeare Songs cycle at Barbes
9/11, 7 PM the annual Musicians for Peace concert at Merkin Concert Hall with the Juilliard String Quartet, Kinan Azmeh, shakuhachi virtuoso Kojiro Umezaki, Bassam Saba and the NY Arabic Orchestra, $35 seats avail.
9/11 members of the NY Phil perform music by David Amram, Brahms, Samuel Barber, Chopin, Lera Auerbach, Liszt, Schumann, Laura Kaminsky (New York Premiere), Astor Piazzolla, Jon Deak (World Premiere), Wagner, Drew Hemenger (World Premiere), Sean Hickey, Simon Mulligan (New York Premiere), Justin Tokke, Franco Alfano (American Premiere) at Symphony Space, 7 PM, free, early arrival advised.
9/11, 7 PM jazz pianist Amina Figarova and band play the NYC premiere of her 9/11-themed September Suite at the Metropolitan Room, 34 W 22nd St, $20
9/11 Tyshawn Sorey’s combo, Taylor Ho Bynum and Defunkt Millennium (THE Defunkt?!?) at 7 PM at le Poisson Rouge, $20.
9/11, 8 PM oudist Scott Wilson plus bellydancers play a 9/11 memorial show at Ciao Stella, 206 Sullivan (Bleecker/W 3rd)
9/11, 8ish an appropriately assaultive cauldron of noisy outsider jazz at Death by Audio with trumpeter Peter Evans, Toucher, the Library Is On Fire, the Weasel Walter/Marc Edwards Group and Talibam, dirt cheap at $7.
9/11, 9:30 PM dark, rustic female-fronted soul group MotherMoon at Pete’s
9/11, 11 PM Washington DC Afrobeat band the Funk Ark - whose new album is amazing – at Shrine.
9/12, 1 PM the Bordeaux String Quartet play a free show at 211 E 70th St. betw 2nd/3rd Aves.
9/12, 2 and 7:30 PM the Jupiter Symphony players perform Beethoven – String Quartet in F Major Op. 14 No. 1; von Herzogenberg – Piano Quartet No. 2 ; Brahms – Clarinet Quintet in B minor at Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church, 152 W 66th St. out back of Lincoln Center, $10 tix avail
9/12, 5:30 PM pianist Octavio Brunetti and violinist Elmira Darvarova play Piazzolla at Symphony Space, $20
9/13, 8 PM Steve Earle at the Town Hall, $35 tix avail. at the Irving Plaza box ofc.
9/13, 8PMish bassist Peter Hook of Joy Division and his band at Irving Plaza, $26.50.
9/12 a free show by Swingadelic at Maxwell’s, 9 PM.
9/13, 8:30 PM trombonist Samuel Blaser – whose 2010 album Pieces of Old Sky is one of the most quietly intriguing efforts of previous years – leads a trio at I-Beam, $10 sug. don.
9/13, 9 PM pensive piano jazz with the Jacob Garchik Trio with Jacob Sacks and Dan Weiss at Korzo
9/13, 10 PM creepy retro garage rockers X-Ray Eyeballs at Death by Audio, $7
9/14, 5:30 PM violinist Elmira Darvarova and pianist Tomoko Kanamaru play works by Clara Schumann, Lera Auerbach, Amy Beach, Lili Boulanger, Rebecca Clarke, Yui Kitamura and more at Symphony Space, $20.
9/14, 7 PM Eugene Marlow’s Heritage Ensemble – who blend classic Jewish and Afro-Cuban themes seamlessly and imaginatively – at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, $10.
9/14, 7 PM the Afiara Quartet, pianist Michael Brown, harpist Bridget Kibbey, violinist Hye-Jin Kim, soprano Sarah Wolfson and baritone Thomas Meglioranza perform a program TBA at the Greene Space, $15 incl. a glass of wine!
9/14, 7:30 PM violinist Gil Morgenstern’s reliably interesting Reflections Series kicks off its Fall 2011 season at WMP Concert Hall with a program that ponders heavy spiritual concerns with music by Auerbach, Messiaen, Beethoven and Copland, $35 adv tix rec.
9/14, 7:30 PM innovative Indian guitarist Susmit Sen (of prog rockers Indian Ocean) at Drom, $20 adv tix rec.
9/14, 8 PM haunting acoustic gothic Americana/bluegrass band Bobtown at 68 Jay St. Bar
9/14 punk klezmer legends the Klezmatics, 8 PM Highline Ballroom, $16 adv tix rec
9/14, 8 PM smart,tuneful saxophonist Patrick Cornelius and A.D.D – Miles Okazaki – guitar , John Chin – piano , Jason Stewart – bass , Luca Santaniello – drums – at Smalls.
9/14, 8:30 PM an especially good, eclectic acoustic Americana triplebill with Frankenpine, Mason Porter and Wissahickon Chicken Shack at Southpaw, $10.
9/14, 9 PM smart, lyrically-driven, Aimee Mann-esque rockeres Elizabeth & the Catapult at Littlefield
9/14, 11ish hilariously x-rated punked-out girl group Cudzoo & the Fagettes at Don Pedro’s
9/15, 6 PM pianist Simon Mulligan plays Mendelssohn, Schumann, Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Ricky Ian Gordon (New York premiere), Steven Rydberg (New York premiere), and his own own arrangement of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue at Symphony Space, $20.
9/15 atmospheric anthemic Radiohead-influenced rockers My Pet Dragon play the Rocks Off Concert Cruise aboard the Half Moon, boarding at 7 PM, leaving at 8 from the heliport at the FDR and 23rd St., $20 adv tix. avail. at the Highline Ballroom box ofc.
9/15, 7 PM Tahani Rached’s new documentary These Girls, about young homeless women in Cairo, screening for free at AAFSC, 150 Court St., downtown Brooklyn, any train to Borough Hall
9/15, 8 PM wild Italian/gypsy string band madness with Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino at Drom, $15 adv tix rec.
9/15, 8 PM legendary Middle Eastern-flavored noiserock instrumentalists Savage Republic at Rock Shop in Gowanus, $15 gen adm.
9/15, 8 PM jazz guitar genius Matt Munisteri at Barbes followed at 10 by another eclectic jazz-inclined picker, Georgian Ilusha Tsinadze and his band.
9/15, 8:30 PM original Afrobeat party band Ikebe Shakedown at the Lincoln Center Atrium, free but early arrival advised.
9/15, 8:30 PM catchy intense rock en Espanol trio New Madrid followed by funky groove unit L’il Shalimar at Bowery Electric
9/15, 9 PM Al Duvall – whose oldtimey, innuendo-packed, pun-infused ragtime songs are as smart as they are hilarious – and the sultry, eclectic oldtimey/swing/blues quartet the Roulette Sisters plus a circus sideshow at the Jalopy, $10.
9/15-16 Ian Hunter at City Winery, 9 PM, $35 standing room avail.
9/15, 9 PM innovative jazz drummer/composer Nathaniel Smith leads a quartet with Jake Saslow – saxophones; Linda Oh – bass; Kerong Chok – piano at Tea Lounge in Park Slope
9/15, 9:30 PM janglemeister guitar rocker/crooner Sam Sherwin at Sullivan Hall, $10
9/15, 10 PM Bad Buka play gypsy punk (emphasis on the punk) at Spike Hill.
9/16, 6 PM psychedelic dub latin reggae band El Pueblo at the small room at the Rockwood; 9/24 they’re at Shrine at 8.
9/16, 7 PM tuneful jazz alto saxophonist Alexander McCabe with his group at Miles Cafe, $20 incl. drink and snacks
9/16, 7:30 PM clarinetist Eileen Mack leads a new-music ensemble at First Presbyterian Church (Brooklyn Heights) 124 Henry St., 2/3 to Clark St., F/R to Jay St. or 4 to Borough Hall, $10.
9/16, 8 PM absurdly eclectic, smart Russian/tango/Balkan/jazz string band Ljova & the Kontraband at Barbes.
9/16 sultry Moonlighters frontwoman Bliss Blood at Brooklyn Rod & Gun Club 8ish
9/16, 8 PM Roulette’s grand reopening party at their new digs in Brooklyn with Shelley Hirsch and Fred Frith, Marc Ribot’s noir soundtrack project (who slayed this past spring at the New School), and adventurous string quartet Ethel, $35, this may sell out.
9/16, 8 PM a killer oldtime Americana triplebill with the Plunk Bros. (Boo Reiners and Bob Jones) followed at 9 by the cosmopolitan, jazz-inclined Matt Munisteri and then the rustic Weal and Woe at 10 at the Jalopy, $10
9/16, 8 PM flamenco funk band Carmelo & Freak Fandango Orchestra at Drom $10 adv tix rec.
9/16, 8:30 PM Canadian darkwave chanteuse NLX at Caffe Vivaldi
9/16, 9/10:30 PM eclectic pan-Asian jazz chanteuse/composer Jen Shyu plays the cd release show for her new one at the Jazz Gallery, $20.
9/16, 9ish a cool, diverse Brazilian doublebill with MaracatuNY and Nation Beat at the 92YTribeca, $10 gen adm.
9/16-17, 10/11:30PM majestic yet funk jazz piano titan Marc Cary’s Focus Trio at Smoke uptown,$30 plus drink minimum.
9/16, 10ish eerie bluespunk with the Five Points Band at Rodeo Bar.
9/16, 10 PM dark 80s-style goth/pop pianist/singer Kristin Hoffmann at Caffe Vivaldi.
9/16, 11 PM Mr. Action & the Boss Guitars play surf classics, rarities and surfed-up 60s pop covers at Lakeside
9/16, midnight the NY Gypsy All-Stars play the cd release show for their new one at Drom, $10 adv tix rec.
9/16, 1 AM (actually wee hours of 9/17) psychedelic latin reggae groove band El Pueblo at the small room at the Rockwood
9/17 starting at half past noon, bluegrass in Madison Square Park with Della Mae, the Donna Hughes Band at 1:30, the Cherryholmes Brothers at 2:30, Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike at 3:30 and at 4:45 the Nashville Bluegrass Band (it’s tempting to ask, which one?).
9/17, 8 PM high energy acoustic Americana with the Strung Out String Band followed by the Calamity Janes and then Alex Battles at 68 Jay St. Bar
9/17, 8 PM eclectic pianist Roger Davidson with Frank London’s Klezmer Brass All-Stars at Drom, $15 adv tix rec.
9/17, 8 PM the Chelsea Symphony kicks off its 2011-12 season with a typically eclectic program: Gershwin: Lullaby; Barber: Violin Concerto, Op. 14; Barber: Adagio; Strayhorn: Take the A Train; Shefi: Golden Sky; Menotti: Sebastian Suite; Dai: TBA (World Premiere) at St. Paul’s Church, 315 W 22nd St., $20 sugg. don.
9/17, 9ish hellraising, politically astute Americana rockers the Hangdogs reunite for a benefit for bassist/guitarist Mick Hargreaves. A longtime valuable presence on the NYC Americana and surf music scene, Hargreaves was critically injured in an assault this past summer – here’s wishing you a full recovery, Mick. To help you can visit Crossroads Music in Amagansett, Long Island and leave a check made out to Michael Hargreaves or cash in the jar by the register, donate online using John Hanford’s website or mail a check to Hargreaves’ parents’ home: Bob & Peggy Hargreaves, 10 Braddock Court, Coram, NY 11727
9/17, 9/10:30 PM plaintive, atmospheric, worldbeat jazz grooves from trumpeter Pam Fleming & Fearless Dreamer at Parlor Jazz in Brooklyn, $30 includes both sets plus open wine bar.
9/17, 9ish two legendary/obscure NYC garage rock institutions: Johnny Chan & the New Dynasty 6 followed by les Sans Culottes at Rock Shop in Gowanus, $10.
9/17, 10 PM multi-instrumentalist and latin rock maven Ani Cordero at Pete’s
9/17 punk energy, Americana tunefulness – Spanking Charlene play the single release for their new one Canarsie (just out on Little Steven Van Zandt’s label) at Lakeside, 11 PM.
9/18, noon, classical orchestra the Knights play Schubert’s Octet, Ginastera’s Impressiones de la Puña and works by Osvaldo Golijov and Russell Platt at the Greene Space, $20 tix includes “light snacks and beverages,” one assumes that means no wine.
9/18, 3 PM cellist Winona Zelenka plays works for solo cello by Bach, Britten and Cassado at Symphony Space, $20.
9/18, 4 PM Canadian darkwave singer NLX followed by Kiri Jewell’s fiery retro 80s pop/rock band AwShocKiss at LIC Bar
9/18, 6:30 PM Daniel Brondel plays an organ concert at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
9/18, 8 PM Pauline Oliveros on accordion and Ione on vocals playing Improvisations on Njinga, the Queen King and St. George and the Dragon at the Stone, $10, early arrival a must.
9/18, 8 PM imaginative, unpredictable guitarist Nick Demopoulos’ project Exegesis with Gretchen Parlato, Danton Boller and Tomas Fujiwara plays the cd release show for their new one at Drom, $10.
9/18, 8:30 PM warmly soaring country chanteuse Drina Seay with Homeboy Steve Antonakos on guitar followed at 9:30 by Boo Reiners and Elena Skye from Demolition String Band upstairs at 2A
9/19, 5:30 PM Samuel Magill (cello), Linda Hall (piano) and Elmira Darvarova (violin) play a program of obscure works by French early Romantic composer Pierre de Breville at Symphony Space, $20.
9/19, 7:30 PM composer Xavier LeRoy leads an octet playing his minutely textured music/dance piece More Mouvements für Lachenmann at the Alliance Francaise, 55 East 59th St., $20
9/19, 8 PM the Amerigo Trio (with Inbal Segev on cello) play Beethoven – Serenade Op. 8, Bohuslav Martinu – Three Madrigals and Erno von Dohnanyi – Serenade Op.10 at Symphony Space, $20.
9/19, 9 PM the Noriko Ueda Jazz Orchestra at Tea Lounge in Park Slope
9/19, 10 PM oldschool hip-hop persona Big Daddy Kane with a live band (?!?) at B.B. King’s, $18 adv tix. rec
9/20, 7 PM Americana/jazz violin virtuoso/composer/chanteuse Jenny Scheinman at Barbes. She’s also here on 9/27.
9/20, 8 PM retro 90s Jamaican reggae-pop crooner Barrington Levy’s show has been moved from B.B. King’s to Highline Ballroom, all tix honored.
9/20, 9ish eclectic vintage sounds with the Dysfunctional Family Jazz Band at Rodeo Bar.
9/20 interestingly weird avant/indie/pop band Deerhoof at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, 11 PM, $17 gen adm.
9/21, 8 PM lyrical country crooner Jesse Lenat at 68 Jay St. Bar.
9/21, 8:30 PM drummer Mike Pride’s From Bacteria to Boys feat. Jon Irabagon, alto sax; Alexis Marcelo, piano; Peter Bitenc, bass; at Cornelia St. Cafe, $10.
9/21, 9 PM the Reefer Round Jazz Orchestra at Radegast Hall
9/21-22 Beirut at Terminal 5, 9 PM, $27 adv tix onsale now.
9/21, 10 PM the Woes and Alex Battles & the Whisky Rebellion at Union Hall, $8.
9/22, 6 PM Carol Lipnik & Spookarama plus the Neerdowells at Cornelia St. Cafe, $7 includes a drink, not bad!
9/22 Michael Gomez of Hazmat Modine leads his own band at Brooklyn Rod & Gun Club 8ish.
9/22, 8 PM multistylistic accordionist Alex Meixner at Barbes.
9/22, 9 PM pensive, intense but sometimes fun and jaunty lyrical songwriter Erin Regan at Sidewalk followed eventually at 11 by the equally intense and even more surreal Daniel Bernstein.
9/22, 9 PM psychedelic jazz vibraphonist Tyler Blanton leads a quartet with Matt Clohesy- bass; Obed Calvaire- drums; Donny McCaslin- saxophone at Tea Lounge in Park Slope.
9/23, 6 (six) PM intense alto saxophonist/composer Sarah Manning leads a small combo at Caffe Vivaldi
9/23 four killer lyrically-charged performers at Sidewalk: the quietly edgy, catchy Linda Draper at 7, oldtime guitar genius Lenny Molotov at 8:20, intense outsider anthem siren Randi Russo at 9 and the quirky punkish Sprinkle Genies at 10:20.
9/23, 8 PM atmospheric, haunting soundscapes by Spooky Ghost at the small room at the Rockwood
9/23, 8 PM longtime downtown star multi-reedman (and guitarist) Doug Wieselman leads a quartet with Gina Leishman – reeds; Jim Pugliese – drums and Don Falzone – bass at Barbes followed at 10 by Spanglish Fly, who put a new spin on classic 60s latin soul and are probably the funnest Friday night band in town right now.
9/23 Sameer Gupta’s amazing, hypnotic Indian-flavored jazz group with Marc Cary on piano at Baruch College Auditorium, 23rd St. and Lex., time/price TBA.
9/23, 9 PM poignant, soaring Americana songwriter Jan Bell & the Maybelles followed by the jazzier but equally edgy Miss Tess at 68 Jay St. Bar
9/23 Taiwan’s atmospheric pan-Asian worldbeat ensemble A Moving Sound at Drom, 9:30 PM, $12 adv tix rec.
9/23, 10ish snide oldschool Williamsburg punk rock band the Live Ones at the Gutter bowling alley in Williamsburg
9/23, 10 PM the Jack Grace Band at Rodeo Bar. “He’s like that Cash boy, but good.” – Jerry Lee Lewis.
9/23, 10 PM Canadian big band jazz composer Daniel Jamieson’s DanJam Orchestra at Miles Cafe, $15 plus $10 min.
9/23, 10 PM psychedelic funk/soul with Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds at Sullivan Hall, $10.
9/24 Renaissance at NJPAC in Newark is sold out. Good for them.
9/24, 3 PM at Madison Square Park, bluegrass with 3 Penny Acre followed at 4 by the rustic oldtimey/Appalachian folk sounds of Jay Ungar & Molly Mason.
9/24 clarinet virtuoso and tango connoisseur Thomas Piercy plays Caffe Vivaldi with his group, 6 PM.
9/24, 7 PM alto saxophonist Marc McDonald and his small group at Miles Cafe, $20.
9/24 intense, hilarious anti-gentrification rockers the Brooklyn What pay tribute to their late, great guitarist Billy Cohen at Trash Bar with King Cake and New Atlantic Youth opening at 8.
9/24, 8 PM the original NYC gypsy brass punks, Zlatne Uste followed by legendary Macedonian chanteuse Esma Redzepova – the “Queen of the Gypsies” – and her band at Drom, $30 adv tix rec., this will sell out fast.
9/24, 8 PM sultry 1930s/1940s French chanson revivalists Les Chauds Lapins followed at 10 by ageless acoustic party band the Jug Addicts at Barbes
9/24, 8 PM Disappear Fear play imaginative, socially conscious electric worldbeat including songs from their new Phil Ochs covers album at the People’s Voice Cafe.
9/24, 9 PM country, blues and a little countrypolitan/pop on a diverse triplebill with Hilary Hawke & the Flipsides, brilliant guitarist Will Scott and then Megan Palmer & the Top Flights at 68 Jay St. Bar
9/24, 9/10:30 PM Middle Eastern-flavored jazz pianist Armen Donelian leads a group with Marc Mommaas, tenor saxophone; Mike Moreno, guitar; Dean Johnson, bass; Tyshawn Sorey, drums at Cornelia St. Cafe, $15.
9/24, 9:30ish charismatic, intense, danceable cumbia/skaragga monsters Escarioka at Mehanata
9/24, 10ish charismatic, intense, often very funny, inimitable punk rockers the Brooklyn What return to their monthly residency at Trash with a vengeance. Watch this space for other good bands who will be on the bill.
9/24, 10:30 PM reliably amusing oldtimey Canadian family band the Ukuladies at the Jalopy, $10.
9/25, 4:45 PM Toronto organist Ian Sadler plays a recital at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
9/25 ferocious Polish Balkan/gypsy band Dikanda at le Poisson Rouge, 8 PM, $20
9/25, 8 PM the New School Afro-Cuban Jazz Band at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, $10
9/25, 8 PM Hungarian Balkan/jazz/funk guitarist Csaba Toth Bagi at Drom, $10 adv tix rec.
9/26-27, 7:30/9:30 PM Grace Kelly and Phil Woods join forces to represent two generations of jazz sax at Dizzy’s Club, early arrival/res rec., this will probably sell out.
9/26-27, 8ish dark dreampop instrumentalists Mogwai at Webster Hall rescheduled from this spring, $34 adv tix still available at the Irving Plaza box ofc.
9/26, 9ish oldtime swing revivalists Daria Grace & the Pre-War Ponies – maybe the most unselfconsciously romantic, charming band in town right now – at Rodeo Bar.
9/26, 9 PM the Delphian Jazz Orchestra at Tea Lounge in Park Slope
9/27, 8 PM Afrobeat band Zongo Junction followed by Malian guitar legend Boubacar Traore at the Bell House, $17 adv tix very highly rec.
9/27, 8 PM dark Middle Eastern-tinged instrumentalist Sir Richard Bishop opens for the Swans at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, $30 adv tix avail. at the Mercury weekdays til 7 PM, this may sell out.
9/27-10/2, sets 8/10:30 PM, a copy of latin jazz pianist Michel Camilo’s new album Mano a Mano just arrived here and it is one elegant, smartly tuneful record. He’s at the Blue Note leading a trio, $25 standing room avail.
9/27-10/2 lyrical jazz pianist Bill Charlap leads a trio with Peter Washington on bass and Kenny Washington on drums at the Vanguard, sets 9/11 PM.
9/27, 9:30 PM Ed Cherry – guitar , Pat Bianchi – organ , McClenty Hunter – drums at Smalls.
9/28-10/2, 7:30/9:30 PM Gerald Wilson leads the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra playing his Legacy Suite at Dizzy’s Club, $30 seats avail.
9/28, 8:30ish a killer eclectic triplebill with desert blues-influenced Chicago band Pillars and Tongues, Bay area gypsy/balkan supernova A Hawk & a Hacksaw and gypsy punk band Dark Dark Dark at the Bell House, $13 adv tix very highly rec. They’re at Drom on 9/29 at 8 for the same price.
9/28, 9 PM intense and funny grasscore band Larry & His Flask at Union Hall, $10.
9/29, 8 PM haunting, torchy oldtimey duo Evanescent at 68 Jay St. Bar
9/29, 8 PM the Minerva Lions open for Giant Panda Guerrilla Dub Squad at Brooklyn Bowl, tix absurdly cheap at $7. Remember how the Nokia Theatre was charging $30 for the same kind of bill earlier in the year?
9/29, 8 PM violinist Jessica Pavone’s haunting Hope Dawson Is Missing project followed by clavinet player Magda Mayas with Tony Buck at Roulette, $15/$10 stud/srs.
9/29, time TBA, well-liked Americana rockers the Felice Bros. at Webster Hall, $20.
9/29, 8:30 PM pianist Jacob Sacks leads a quintet with Jacob Garchik, trombone; Ben Gerstein, trombone; Thomas Morgan, bass; Dan Weiss, drums at Cornelia St. Cafe, $10
9/29, 10 PM the funky, aggressively entertaining Underground Horns at Barbes
9/30 and 10/1 at 8 PM, and 10/4 at 7:30 PM Alan Gilbert conducts the NY Phil playing Dvorak’s Symphony #7 plus a Corigliano choral work at Avery Fisher Hall, $33 tix avail.
9/30, 8 PM oldschool Fania style salsa with the Spanish Harlem Orchestra at SOB’s $15
9/30, 8:30 PM the Violent Femmes’ Gordon Gano followed by high-energy oldtimey Americana band the Wiyos at Southpaw, $10.
9/30 sizzling electrified bluegrass and original country with Demolition String Band at Rodeo Bar, 9:30ish
9/30, 9:30 PM noirish French songwriter Louis-Ronan Choisy at Drom, $15 gen adm.
9/30, 10 PM Nation Beat drummer/bandleader Scott Kettner’s Forro Brass Band at Barbes.
10/1, 8 PM the Four Bags - who blend jazz, classical and the Beatles with deadpan wit – at Barbes followed at 10 by crazy rustic Mexican banda Banda Sinaloense de los Muertos.
10/1, 9/10:30 PM Dave Liebman and Sam Newsome play Steve Lacy and Thelonious Monk with Gregg August, bass; Otis Brown III, drums at Cornelia St. Cafe, $15.
10/1, 9:30 PM legendary jazz drummer Chico Hamilton celebrates his 90th birthday and new album with a show at Drom leading a sextet with Nick Demopoulos (guitar), Paul Ramsey (fender bass), Evan Schwam (saxophone, flute, piccolo), Mayu Saeki (flute, alto flute, piccolo), Jeremy Carlstedt (percussion, drums), $12 adv tix highly rec.
10/1, 10ish long-runnning original punk-pop band the Vibrators at Union Hall – the venues keep getting smaller, they keep playing the nostalgia angle – $13 adv tix rec.
10/2 noon-6 PM the Atlantic Antic outdoor festival with bands TBA, Atlantic Ave. from 4th Ave. to Hicks St
10/2, 3 PM the Ariel String Quartet play Mozart, Brahms and Janacek at Bargemusic, $35/$30 srs/$15 stud.
10/2-3, 9 PM multi-instrumentalist and longtime Aimee Mann collaborator Jon Brion makes songs out of loops,live, at le Poisson Rouge, $20 gen adm.
10/2 midnight-ish all-female noise-punk legends Erase Errata at Glasslands
10/3, Shellac at the Bell House is sold out, but $17 adv tix are still avail. for the 10/4 show.
10/4, noon-4 PM pianists Adonis Gonzalez, Jed Distler, and Axel Tosca play Thelonious Monk at the World Financial Center, free.
10/5-6, 7:30 PM and 10/7 at 11 AM (yikes!) Alan Gilbert conducts the NY Phil playing Bach: Concerto for 2 violins; Berg: Violin Concerto; Brahms: Symphony #3 at Avery Fisher Hall, $31 tix avail.
10/5, 8 PM Afrobeat with Zongo Junction and Toubab Crewe at le Poisson Rouge, $14 adv tix rec.
10/5, 9 PM two irrepressible, fearlessly funny tunesmiths: Susan Hwang & the Relastics at Sidewalk followed eventually at 11 by Nan Turner & the One Night Stands at Sidewalk
10/6, 7:30 PM Portland, Maine banjoist/songwriter Putnam Smith followed by bouzouki-led oldtime Americana band Spuyten Duyvil at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 81 Christopher St, $15.
10/6, 8 PM if there’s any conductor alive who GETS the towering angst of the Russian Romantics, it’s Valery Giergiev. He conducts the Mariinsky Orchestra playing Tschaikovsky’s Symphonies #1 and #6 at Carnegie Hall, $24 tix supposedly available. They do the rustic, intense 2nd and 5th Symphonies at 2 PM on 10/9, the playful, animated 3rd and 5th at 8 on 10/10 and on 10/11 at 8 they’ll have pianist Danil Trifonov playing Prokofiev: Three Selections from Romeo and Juliet; the completely angst-driven Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 and the ambitious and totally enjoyable Shostakovich Symphony No. 1 written when the composer was 19.
10/6, 8ish an excellent, high-energy eclectic bill with bluegrass monsters Thy Burden, followed by ska from the Rudie Crew & the Times at Union Hall, $8
10/7, 7 PM country chanteuse Drina & the Deep Blue Sea at Lakeside
10/7, 9 PM ageless British country punks the Mekons at the Bell House, $18 adv tix. rec.
10/8, 8 PM, free, Mos Def with the Brooklyn Phil Chamber Players conducted by Alan Pierson at 1368 Fulton St., Brooklyn: compositions include Mos Def arr. Derek Bermel, “Life in Marvelous Times” (2008) and other songs incl. Frederick Rzewski’s Coming Together.
10/8, 8 PM sensational eclectic Luminescent Orchestrii violinist Sarah Alden with her band at 68 Jay St. Bar.
10/8, 9/10:30 PM the Alan Ferber Big Band at the Jazz Gallery, $20
10/8, 9:30 PM the Woes and O’Death at the Bell House, $12.
10/8, 9/10:30 PM bassist Petros Klampanis leads a group with Gilad Hekselman, guitar; Lefteris Kordis, piano; John Hadfield, percussion; Greg Osby, alto saxophoe; Sara Serpa, voice; Andre Matos, guitar at Cornelia St. Cafe, $15.
10/9, 4:45 PM organist Benjamin Kolodziej plays a recital at St. Patrick’s Cathedral
10/9, 8:30 PM Ilusha Tsinadze, guitar, vocals; Rob Hecht, fiddle; Liam Robinson, accordion; Chris Tordini, bass; Richie Barshay, drums; Jean Rohe, vocals at Cornelia St. Cafe, $15
10/9, 9 PM Al Stewart plays an acoustic duo show at City Winery, $30 tix avail. Reputedly his chops (pretty sensational back in the 60s when he was an acoustic folk guitarist) are better than ever – and he reputedly plays a lot of the oldschool stuff along with Year of the Cat and Time Passages, ad infinitum. Wonder what he thinks of City Winery’s hideous homemade wine.
10/10, 7 PM Jake Schepps’ Expedition Quartet plays Bartok at Barbes.
10/11, 8:30 PM reedwoman/composer Jessica Valiente’s Las Mas Valiente feat. Rick Faulkner, trombone; Anna Milat-Meyer,, bass; Yasuyo Kimura, congas; Victor Rendón, drums; Chiemi Nakai, piano at at Cornelia St. Cafe, $10
10/12, 7 PM, free at the World Financial Center, Mos Def with the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, dynamically eclectic chanteuse Mellissa Hughes and other special guests joining members of the Brooklyn Philharmonic for an adventurous bill including Derek Bermel’s arrangements of Mos Def’s original songs, 19th century shape note singing and works by David T. Little, Frederick Rzewski, and Ljova Zhurbin.
10/12, 8 PM Americana chanteuse Jan Bell at 68 Jay St. Bar
10/12, 8 PM a solid oldtimey Americana doublebill: the Calamity Janes followed by Crooked Still at the Bell House, $16 gen. adm.
10/13, 7:30 PM cellist Madeleine Shapiro plays recent works for cello and electronics including several premieres at the Tank, $10
10/13, 8:30 PM singer/composer Sara Serpa leads her potent third stream-ish quintet feat. André Matos, guitar; Kris Davis, piano; Ben Street, bass; Ted Poor, drums playing the cd release show for her terrific, innovative new album Mobile at Cornelia St. Cafe, $10.
10/13 10ish Jon Spencer Blues Explosion at Maxwell’s, $15
10/14, 7:30 PM the Mivos String Quartet with Nathan Koci on accordion play at First Presbyterian Church (Brooklyn Heights) 124 Henry St., 2/3 to Clark St., F/R to Jay St. or 4 to Borough Hall, $10
10/14, 8:30 PM imaginative garage rock/country/psychedelic band Those Darlins at the Bell House, $13 adv tix rec.
10/14, 9 PM, the Pricks, Smoke DZA, Big KRIT, Curren$y and Method Man at the Nokia Theatre, $32.50 adv tix rec. They call this the “smokers tour.”
10/14, 9 PM trumpeter Steven Bernstein’s Millennial Territory Orchestra plays the cd release show for MTO Plays Sly Stone at the 92YTribeca, $TBA.
10/14 high-energy Americana rock vets Tom Clark & the High Action Boys at Lakeside, 11 PM
10/15, 8 PM Aurora Flores y Zon Del Barrio with special guest Yomo Toro at Flushing Town Hall, $25
10/15, 8 PM Eighth Blackbird plays new works by Timo Andres, Bruno Mantovani, Amy Beth Kirsten, Mayke Nas, Fabien Svensson, Dan Visconti and Caleb Burhans at the Miller Theatre, 116th St/Bwy., $25.
10/15, 8 PM the NYU Symphony Orchestra at the Loewe Theatre, 35 W 4th St., program TBA.
10/15, 9 PM funny, lyrically driven oldschool country music with the Jack Grace Band at 68 Jay St. Bar.
10/15, 11 PM Afrobeat crew Ikebe Shakedown followed by funk orchestraTurkuaz playing the cd release show for their new one at the Mercury, $10
10/16, noon, a marathon concert hosted by the JACK quartet and featuring performances by Dither Electric Guitar Quartet, New York Virtuoso Singers, Imani Winds, Talea Ensemble, Prism Saxophone Quartet, and many others at the Miller Theatre, 116th St/Bwy., $25.
10/16 pianist Peter Hill plays Bach, Messiaen and Takemitsu at le Poisson Rouge, 6:30 PM, $20 adv tix rec.
10/17, 2 and 7:30 PM, the Jupiter Symphony players perform Smetana – From My Homeland; Gyrowetz – Divertissement in A Major; Suk – Piano Quartet in A Minor; Brahms – String Sextet in B Flat at Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church, 152 W 66th St. out back of Lincoln Center, $10 tix avail.
10/17, 7:30 PM new music ensemble Either/Or plays new works by Raphaël Cendo, Hans Thomalla, Richard Carrick, Erin Gee, Keeril Makan and Jonny Greenwood at the Miller Theatre, 116th St/Bwy., $25.
10/18, 8 PM composer/pianist Michael Hersch plays the NY premiere of his piece From The Vanishing Pavilions – which confronts vanishing living space in New York – with Miranda Cuckson, viola and Julia Bruskin, cello at Merkin Concert Hall, $20.
10/19, 9 PM dark pensive goth-tinged songwriter Nina Nastasia at the Mercury $12.
10/19, midnight-ish hypnotic dreampop/shoegaze instrumentalists the Big Sleep play Party Xpo in Bushwick as part of a good idea – the Un-CMJ.
10/21, 8 PM, the NYU Philharmonia at the Loewe Theatre, 35 W 4th St., program TBA. They’re also here on 12/5.
10/22, 7 PM the American Composers Orchestra plays New York premieres of music by Ruby Fulton, Paul Yeon Lee, Ryan Gallagher, Andrew Norman, and Suzanne Farrin at the World Financial Ctr., free
10/22, 8 PM popular Americana chanteuse Gillian Welch at the Beacon Theatre, $35 tix avail.
10/22, 8 PM the Chelsea Symphony play Kiah: TBA (World Premiere); Elgar: Cello Concerto in E minor, Op. 85; Hanson: Symphony No. 2 “Romantic” at St. Paul’s Church, 315 W 22nd St., $20 sugg. don.
10/22, 9 PM big anthemic new oldschool country band Yarn at Hiro Ballroom, $15, tix avail. at the Highline Ballroom box ofc.
10/23, 4:45 PM organist Douglas Kostner plays a recital at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
10/23 ride the waves with surf rock legend Dick Dale aboard the Jewel, boarding at the heliport at 23rd St. and the FDR at 6, leaving at 7, adv tix $30 avail. at the Highline Ballroom box ofc.
10/23, 8 PM Bulgarian folk flute virtuoso Theodosii Spassov and Vlada Tomova’s Balkan Tales at Symphony Space, $30
10/24, 8:30/10:30 PM the Manhattan School of Music Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra conducted by Bobby Sanabria at Dizzy’s Club, $20
10/27, 7:30 PM innovative improvisationally inclined jazz guitarist Soren Raaschou leads his Trio with guest Travis Laplante on tenor sax at Drom, $10 adv tix rec.
10/27, 8:30 PM dark Americana-tinged lyrical songwriter Jessi Robertson at Southpaw, $10.
10/27, 11 PM guitarist Steve Schiltz’ atmospheric, plaintive shoegaze/anthem band Hurricane Bells at the Mercury $10.
10/28, 9 PM twangy noir guitar soundscapes with Jim Campilongo followed by alt-country siren Alana Amram at the Gutter bowling alley in Williamsburg, $5.
10/29, 8:30 PM Simon Shaheen, who may be this era’s greatest oud player, plays Middle Eastern classics by Mohammed Abdel Wahab, the Rahbani Bros. and Farid Al-Atrache with special guest vocalist Nidal Ibourk and the Near Eastern Music Ensemble at Roulette, $25, early arrival advised.
10/29, 9 PM fiery paisley underground/country band the Newton Gang at 68 Jay St. Bar
10/29-30, 9 PM kick-ass new garage/psychedelic rock with Spindrift and the Black Angels at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. 10/31 the Black Angels play there at 11 PM, $20 adv tix. avail. at the Mercury box office 5-7 PM M-F.
10/29, 9 PM the Infamous Stringdusters and Yonder Mountain String Band at the Nokia Theatre, $25 adv tix rec.
10/29 sardonic dark garage/punk rockers Obits at Glasslands.
10/29 the Midnight band play roots reggae at SOB’s at…guess…midnight! $TBA
10/30, 7:30 PM the Brooklyn Phil Chamber Players play songs of freedom by Schnittke, Pärt, Shostakovich, and Gubaidulina at the Shorefront Y, 3300 Coney Island Ave, Coney Island, $15.
10/31, 2 and 7:30 PM, the Jupiter Symphony players perform a killer (ha ha) program including Stravinsky’s playful Histoire du Soldat; Saint-Saens – Danse Macabre; Moussorgsky – Songs & Dances of Death; Rimsky-Korsakov – Piano Trio in C Minor at Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church, 152 W 66th St. out back of Lincoln Center, $10 tix avail.
10/31, midnight creepy minor-key harmonica blues with Stringbean & the Stalkers at the Ear Inn
11/2-3, 7:30 PM the NY Phil and Philip Glass Ensemble play Glass’s live soundtrack for the 1982 Godfrey Reggio film Koyaanisqatsi along with a screening of the movie at Avery Fisher Hall, $35 tix avail.
11/3, 7:30 PM, the Brooklyn Philharmonic plays racy cartoon scores by Shostakovich and Vyacheslav Artyomov accompanying those cartoons (with live Russian voiceovers) at the Millennium Theater, 1029 Brighton Beach Ave., Brooklyn, $10 tix avail.
11/3, 8:30 PM ecstatic, intense gypsy/Balkan/Mediterranean brass band Mucca Pazza at the Lincoln Center Atrium, free but early arrival advised.
11/3 ferociously intense, politically aware, tuneful female-fronted noiserock/punk band Bugs in the Dark play the cd release show for their new one at Bruar Falls.
11/4, 8 PM two generations of free jazz: Marty Ehrlich and his group plus the Peter Evans Quintet at Roulette, $15
11/5 Boston’s eclectic powerpop/punk-pop/ska crew the Have Nots at the Knitting Factory.
11/6, 4 PM ambitious classical sextet An Die Musik play Mendelssohn, Mozart, and Schubert plus Aesop fables musicalized by Jerzy Sapaiyevski (but not by Rachelle Garniez?!?) at Merkin Concert Hall, $13
11/7, 2 and 7:30 PM, the Jupiter Symphony players perform Mendelssohn – Konzertstück No. 1 in F Minor; Schumann – String Quartet No. 2; Chopin – Piano Concerto No. 1 at Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church, 152 W 66th St. out back of Lincoln Center, $10 tix avail.
11/8 grasscore pioneers Slim Cessna’s Auto Club at the Mercury, 10 PM, $10.
11/10, 9 PM British retro soul sensations Fitz & the Tantrums at Terminal 5, $35, all ages, adv tix available at the Mercury box ofc 5-7 PM weekdays.
11/12, 10ish the Cryptkeeper 5 followed by noir ska/punk/swing band Tri-State Conspiracy’s cd release show at Webster Hall, $15 adv tix avail. at the Irving Plaza box ofc.
11/17 well-loved harmony-driven Americana trio Red Molly – whose new lineup is just as captivating as the previous one – at the big room at the Rockwood, 7:30 PM.
11/18, 7:30 PM the Ekmeles vocal ensemble with Katelyn Clark on harpsichord play at First Presbyterian Church (Brooklyn Heights) 124 Henry St., 2/3 to Clark St., F/R to Jay St. or 4 to Borough Hall, $10
11/18, 9:30 PM punkish rockers the Hard Nips open for lovable Japanese lo-fi legends Shonen Knife at the Bell House, $12
11/19, 8 PM guitarishly and harmonically sizzling urban Americana duo the Kennedys at First Acoustics Coffeehouse in downtown Brooklyn, $25 adv tix rec.
11/21, 2 and 7:30 PM, the Jupiter Symphony players perform Frohlich – Serenade in D Major; Clara Schumann – 3 Romances; Kirchner – Piano Quartet in C minor; Brahms – - String Quintet No. 1 at Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church, 152 W 66th St. out back of Lincoln Center, $10 tix avail.
11/22, 8 PM, free, the Mannes Orchestra plays Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, Ben Ringer conducting, and Prokofiev’s Suite No. 1 from Romeo and Juliet, Ester Yoon conducting, at Symphony Space, free.
12/1, 7:30 PM brilliantly tuneful and lyrical acoustic songwriter Carolann Solebello (ex-Red Molly) at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 81 Christopher St, $15.
12/5, 2 and 7:30 PM, the Jupiter Symphony players perform a program of obscure French Romantic treats: Reicha – Wind Quintet in E minor; Farrenc – Quintet No. 1 in A minor; Saint-Saens – Piano Quartet in Bb Major at Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church, 152 W 66th St. out back of Lincoln Center, $10 tix avail.
12/8, 7:30 PM Nicole Atkins and band at Symphony Space, $30 includes a glass of wine
12/9, 7:30 PM composers Molly Thompson and Lukas Ligeti and supporting cast TBA at First Presbyterian Church (Brooklyn Heights) 124 Henry St., 2/3 to Clark St., F/R to Jay St. or 4 to Borough Hall, $10.
12/9, 8 PM John Zorn gets one of those Miller Theatre “composer portraits,” with an absurdly good cast of classical and Stone types – cellist Fred Sherry, violinist Jennifer Koh, drummer Kenny Wollesen, pianist Stephen Gosling, the Talea Ensemble and others playing a bill of world premieres, 116th St/Bwy., $25
12/16, 7 PM Alan Gilbert conducts the NY Philharmonic playing Alexandre Lunsqui: Fibres, Yarn, and Fabric (world premiere); Magnus Lindberg: Gran Duo; HK Gruber: Frankenstein! at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, $35 adv tix rec. The program repeats on 12/17 at 8 at Symphony Space, $21 adv tix rec.
12/21 it’s Make Music Winter. Inspired by Phil Kline’s famous Gulf War-era interactive antiwar composition Unsilent Night, the Make Music NY organizers are working to schedule another citywide day/night of interesting, free live music. Pure genius. Watch this space for updates.
12/22, 8:30 PM eclectic composer/viola virtuoso Ljova Zhurbin plays on a cinematic bill featuring amazing gypsy band Romashka and guests at the Lincoln Center Atrium, free but early arrival a must.
WEEKLY EVENTS
Mondays at the Fat Cat the Choi Fairbanks String Quartet play a wide repertoire of chamber music from Bach to Shostakovich starting at 7.
Mondays starting a little after 7 PM Howard Williams leads his Jazz Orchestra from the piano at the Garage, 99 7th Ave. S at Grove St. There are also big bands here most every Tuesday at 7.
Mondays in August the Quavers – who mix trippy downtempo art-rock with indie pop – play Barbes early at 7 PM, sometimes with special guests. 8/8 they have Ben Kaufman and members of haunting, gypsy/klezmer-tinged Barbez. In September Chicha Libre returns to their regular residency here starting at around 9:30.
Mondays at the Jazz Standard it’s all Mingus, whether with the Mingus Orchestra, Big Band or Mingus Dynasty: you know the material and the players are all first rate. Sets 7:30/9:30 PM, $25 and worth it.
Also Monday nights Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks, a boisterous horn-driven 11-piece 1920s/early 30’s band play Sofia’s Restaurant, downstairs at the Edison Hotel, 221 West 46th Street between Broadway & 8th Ave., 3 sets from 8 to 11, surprisingly cheap $15 cover plus $15 minimum considering what you’re getting. Even before the Flying Neutrinos or the Moonlighters, multi-instrumentalist Giordano was pioneering the oldtimey sound in New York; his long-running residency at the old Cajun on lower 8th Ave. is legendary. He also gets a ton of film work (Giordano wrote the satirical number that Willie Nelson famously sang in Wag the Dog).
Mondays at Tea Lounge in Park Slope at 9 PM trombonist/composer JC Sanford books big band jazz, an exciting, global mix of some of the edgiest large-ensemble sounds around. If you’re anybody in the world of big band jazz and you make it to New York, you end up playing here: what CBGB was to punk, this unlikely spot promises to be to the jazz world. No cover.
Mondays at the Vanguard the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra – composer Jim McNeely’s reliably good big band vehicle – plays 9/11 PM, $30 per set plus drink minimum.
Also Mondays in September Rev. Vince Anderson and his band play Union Pool in Williamsburg, two sets starting around 11 PM. The Rev. is one of the great keyboardists around, equally thrilling on organ or electric piano, an expert at Billy Preston style funk, honkytonk, gospel and blues. He writes very funny, very politically astute, sexy original songs and is one of the most charismatic, intense live performers of our time. It’s a crazy dance party til past three in the morning. Paula Henderson from Burnt Sugar is the lead soloist on baritone sax, with Dave Smith from Smoota and the Fela pit band on trombone, with frequent special guests.
Tuesdays in September clever, fiery, eclectic Balkan/hip-hop/funk brass maniacs Slavic Soul Party play Barbes at 9. Get here as soon as you can as they’re very popular.
Tuesdays at Caffe Vivaldi the Five Deadly Venoms play bluegrass at 9 PM.
Tuesdays in September the Dred Scott Trio play astonishingly smart, dark piano jazz at the smaller room at the Rockwood at midnight.
9/7 and following Wednesdays in September, free organ concerts resume at 1:10 PM sharp on at St. Ann’s Church on Montague St. in downtown Brooklyn.
Wednesdays in August Meah Pace, Rev. Vince Anderson’s slinky, poignant harmony vocalist, does her own set of soul music with the Rev’s longtime baritone sax star Paula Henderson upstairs at the National Underground, 9 PM
Wednesdays at 9 PM Feral Foster’s Roots & Ruckus takes over the Jalopy, a reliably excellent weekly mix of oldtimey acts: blues, bluegrass, country and swing.
8/10 and subsequent Wednesdays in August multi-instrumentalist Thad Debrock plays the small room at the Rockwood at midnight. He’s played brilliantly on so many Americana and singer-songwriter albums it’s not funny; it’ll be interesting to hear him do his own stuff.
Every Thursday the Michael Arenella Quartet play 1920s hot jazz 8-11 PM at Nios, 130 W 46th St.
Thursdays 8/11, 18 and 25, 9ish, oldschool Williamsburg legends the Old Rugged Sauce play classic vocal and guitar jazz from the 30s and 40s at Brooklyn Rod & Gun Club. They’re literally a trip back to a better, more relaxed century.
Thursdays 9/15, 9/22 and 9/29, 9:30ish well-liked eight-string guitar improviser Charlie Hunter plays Sycamore Bar in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn, $10
Thursdays and Fridays in August at Mehanata it’s Bulgarian sax powerhouse Yuri Yukanov and the Grand Masters of Gypsy Music, 10 PM, $10.
Fridays and frequently throughout the week starting at 8:30 PM adventurous cellist/composer Valerie Kuehne books an intriguing avant garde/classical/unclassifiable “weekly experimental cabaret” at Cafe Orwell in Bushwick, 247 Varet St. (White/Bogart), L to Morgan Ave. It’s sort of a more outside version of Small Beast, a lot of cutting-edge performers working out new ideas in casual, unstuffy surroundings. Kuehne promises “never a dull moment.”
Fridays in August at 9 Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens play oldschool 1960s style gospel at the Fat Cat.
Fridays 9/2 and 9/9, 9/16, half past midnight soulful saxophonist Ken Fowser – who really knows how to create a late-night vibe - leads a quintet at Smoke uptown. 9/23 and 9/30 they’re here at half past eleven.
Saturdays in September at 3 PM there are free concerts at Bargemusic. Usually it’s solo classical piano, with the occasional string ensemble. Note that these are billed as “family concerts” – it’s not known how the staff deal with screaming little brats. Early arrival is highly advised; doors are at 2:30.
Saturdays eclectic compelling Brazilian jazz chanteuse Marianni and her excellent band at Zinc Bar, three sets starting at 10 PM.
Sundays there’s a klezmer brunch at City Winery, show starts around 11:30 AM – 2 PM, $10 cover, no minimum, lots of good bands.
Sundays from half past noon to 3:30 PM, bluegrass cats Freshly Baked (f.k.a. Graveyard Shift), featuring excellent, incisive fiddle player Diane Stockwell play Nolita House (upstairs over Botanica at 47 E Houston). Free drink with your entree.
Sundays at 5 PM starting on September 17 through November 20 there are free organ concerts on the recently restored organ at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, 110th St./Broadway by an A-list of international performers.
Sundays in September, starting 9/26 there are free organ concerts at 5:15 PM at St. Thomas Church, 5th Ave. and 53rd St. The big Skinner organ’s days are numbered: it’s a mighty beast, so see it before it’s gone. The weekly series (with breaks for holidays) features an extraordinary, global cast of performers.
Sundays at 7:30 at Theatre 80 St. Marks the world’s most socially aware “reverend” and activist, Rev. Billy and his wild, ecstatic 30-piece gospel Church of Earthalujah Choir, $10 cover but “no one turned away.”
Every Sunday the Ear-Regulars, led by trumpeter Jon Kellso and (frequently) guitarist Matt Munisteri play NYC’s only weekly hot jazz session starting around 8 PM at the Ear Inn on Spring St. Hard to believe, in the city that springboarded the careers of thousands of jazz legends, but true. This is by far the best value in town for marquee-caliber jazz: for the price of a drink and a tip for the band, you can see world-famous players (and brilliant obscure ones) you’d usually have to drop $100 for at some big-ticket room. The material is mostly old-time stuff from the 30s and 40s, but the players (especially Kellso and Munisteri, who have a chemistry that goes back several years) push it into some deliciously unexpected places.
Sundays in September at 9 gypsy guitar genius Stephane Wrembel plays Barbes. He’s holding on to the edgy, danceable spirit of Django Reinhardt while taking the style to new and unexpected places. He’s also very popular: get there early.
Every Sunday, hip-hop MC Big Zoo hosts the long-running End of the Weak rap showcase at the Pyramid, 9 PM, admission $5 before 10, $7 afterward. This is one of the best places to discover some of the hottest under-the-radar hip-hop talent, both short cameos as well as longer sets from both newcomers and established vets.
