Surprise!
I’ll be writing “thank you”s until Thanksgiving. “Thank you for adding a few days onto your visit from Atlanta to be in town for this.” “Thank you for driving from Nazareth, PA with your wife and year-old baby.” “Thank you for smoke-screening/distracting me with a road trip to a terrific photo show at the Center…
Precocious, Then Polished, Powerful and Original
Preview: The Cribtet Plays Originals Thursday at Jazz on Jay The Cribtet didn’t form a band when they were still in their cribs, but they did start making music as teenagers. The son of area music teachers, drummer-leader Dan Jantson studied voice and cello in Bethlehem schools and didn’t play drums until freshman year. He…
Cool Universe, on a “Lovely Day” to Play Indoors
Review: Cool Universe at Jazz on (or Near…) Jay Like a smooth-jazz radio station in the room, Cool Universe charmed a good deal and awed some on Thursday at Jazz on Jay. An audience that has learned to be mobile followed them from the usual outdoor stage at Jay Square into the dry air-conditioned Proctors…
Cool Universe; Where Jazz, Classic Jazz and Modern Song Meet
Preview: Cool Universe Plays Thursday, July 30 at Jazz on Jay Bassist-singer Ben Odom leads Cool Universe, with keyboardist-singer Azzaam Hameed, drummer Jack Kelle and saxophonist Eric Walentowicz. “Our music is a mix of jazz and classic jazz and modern inflections of jazz on modern song,” says Odom. Ben Odom, bassist-singer with Cool Universe. Robyn…
Cape Verdean Creole, Afro-Dominican Guitar Fireworks: Elida Almeida; Yasser Tejeda Spin the Globe
Review: Elida Almeida, and Yasser Tejeda at Music Haven on Sunday, July 26, 2026 “This is…how people dance, in the U.S.?” asked Elida Almeida, mock-skeptical, glancing in feigned confusion at too many fans seated at Music Haven Sunday night behind too few dancers up front. Elida Almeida, above; with band, below She soon changed things,…
First the Words; then the Melody
Preview: Nancy Donnelly Thursday at Jazz on Jay The words take singer Nancy Donnelly into a song, then she explores its melody, with imagination. “I take a look at the lyrics – the song has to speak to me,” she says. Then she studies the melody and the harmonic structure. “I learn the song exactly…
North Country to the Whole Country
Review: The Gibson Brothers, and Sara Milonovich and Daisycutter at Music Haven on Sunday, July 19, 2026 “Creativity has no address,” said former ad man and current North Country TV chief Jesse Jackson on winning a national TV commercial award. Neither has bluegrass, as North Country creatives the Gibson Brothers and Sara Milonovich proved at…
Hometown ‘Bone
Review: The Alex Slomka Trio at the Van Dyck; Saturday, July 18, 2026 “The trouble with a hometown show is that you all know I don’t really sound like that,” said Alex Slomka in his regular voice, after first rasping in “jazz voice” imitating Miles Davis’s fierce whisper. That seemed the only trouble in sight…
Blue Skies Indoors at Jazz Near Jay
Review: The Ragtime Windjammers at Jazz On Jay on Thursday, July 16, 2026 Heavy with irony, the opening number – “Blue Skies” – soared anyway. Skies gray with Wednesday’s wildfire smoke drove Jazz on Jay into Proctors GE Theatre Thursday, the Ragtime Windjammers used two subs on the gig, and longtime drummer Tim Coakley died earlier in…
Ragtime Windjammers to Bring Traditional Jazz to Jazz on Jay Thursday
Traditional jazz charms easily with its happy upbeat energy. But playing this antique style takes dedication and skill. The Ragtime Windjammers bring plenty of both: Dave Lambert, clarinet; Woody Strobeck, trombone; Steve Lambert, trumpet; Mike Lawrence, bass; and Ron Bill, banjo and guitar. Dave Lambert started playing clarinet in fifth grade, learning from Mel Schiff,…
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