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Thrilling Announcement From The Lowell Summer Music Series
The Lowell Summer Music Series has announced its second show of the upcoming 25th season and it’s a doozy!
Trombone Shorty (official photo)
Trombone Shorty, an amazing young (28 years old) musician from New Orleans, will be performing at the Series on Thursday, July 10 at 7:30 p.m. and I’m thrilled beyond belief!
I have been asking for Trombone Shorty (given name, Troy Andrews) to be added to the schedule for the past four years. His style is funky jazz, or jazzy funk, with some soul added for good measure. His shows are very high energy and the quality of the music superb. I saw him perform at the 2013 Newport Folk Festival, the Boston House of Blues last month, and in New York three times.
His press release states, “Andrews has made quite an impression on the critics. ‘Trombone Shorty is so ready for his close-up,’ The New York Times reviewer Nate Chinen wrote, describing the young virtuoso as ‘a native prodigy destined for breakout success.’ The San Francisco Chronicle’s Joel Selvin hailed him as ‘New Orleans’ brightest new star in a generation.’ And the Washington Post’s Mike Joyce described one live performance as ‘a near-deafening, funk-charged blast of percussion, brass, reeds and guitar distortion that might have knocked the crowd sideways had there been any room to move.’
I cannot think of a venue in which I’d rather see Trombone Shorty perform!
Tickets for this show are priced at $31 in advance (fee-free!), $35 on the day of the show, and children 12 and under are always free courtesy of Eastern Bank. There are also premium seats – beach chairs are provided by the series – set in two rows directly in front of the stage for $131. Tickets go on sale on Friday, February 28 through Lowell Summer Music Series.
For those of you who are unaware of the Series, or if you are aware of it but have never attended a show there, it is an outdoor (weather permitting) concert series held on National Park Service grounds in Lowell, Massachusetts. The Series is not-for-profit, which helps keep the ticket prices reasonable.
Surrounding Boarding House Park are old mill buildings which you can tour if you arrive early enough. They provide an unusual setting for an evening of great music and ambiance.
The Series generally runs from late June to early September.
This Series is dear to my heart. I have been a season pass holder since 2007 and it is one of the highlights of the year (and of summer in particular) for me. Many lasting friendships have been made there. I expect this will be an especially excellent year since they are celebrating their 25th season!
I will post additional announcements for the Series as they are made.
Jazz Doesn’t Get Much Better Than This
Stanley Clarke is one of my favorite jazz musicians, and the opportunity to see him at Tupelo Music Hall could not be overlooked.
Stanley Clarke
We had no idea what band Stanley would have with him that night, but it did not matter – Stanley is fabulous in any iteration!
Beka Gochiashvili, Stanley, and Mike Mitchell (l to r)
Blues Legend Johnny Winter Performs
As much as I wanted to see Johnny Winter perform, I was a bit apprehensive about seeing this show; I was worried that his reported health issues would prevent this from being a quality show. I’m pleased to report that my fears went unfounded – Johnny is still very much a master!
Johnny Winter
Johnny is touring to celebrate his 70th birthday, which is February 23rd. He may look his age, but the way his fingers move across the guitar strings proves he is ageless! Read the rest of this entry
Vapors of Morphine – Finally!!!
Vapors of Morphine is an act – formerly known as Members of Morphine and also Ever Expanding Elastic Waste Band- that I’ve wanted to see for several years.
Vapors of Morphine
Morphine was one of my favorite bands of the 90s, but they split up when Mark Sandman died. I’d known for a while that the surviving members have a standing gig at Atwood’s Tavern, and finally made it there. Read the rest of this entry
Each Club d’Elf Show is Unique
There are not a lot of bands that I want to see repeatedly, regardless of how excellent their shows are. Club d’Elf is an exception for me, in great part due to their rotating cast of characters.
Mike Rivard (sintir) and Mat Manieri (viola)
They have a regular bi-weekly gig at Lizard Lounge in Cambridge, and the only constant seems to be Mike Rivard who plays bass and sintir. Read the rest of this entry
Concert Announcement Friday!
I’ve been a bit remiss about posting announcements of concerts – I think I’ve been more focused on the Newport Folk Festival and the Lowell Summer Music Series. I am posting the acts announced for those in separate announcements.
Here are some of the shows announced over the past two weeks:
Sugar Ray and the Bluetones at Johnny D’s – Friday, April 18
Joan Osborne at The Narrows Center for the Arts – Thursday, April 24
Ari Hest at The Sinclair – Wednesday, April 30
Rodney Crowell at The Sinclair – Wednesday, May 7
Jay Farrar at The Narrows Center for the Arts – Friday, May 9
John Sebastian at Tupelo Music Hall – Saturday, May 10
The Old 97’s at The Sinclair – Monday, June 2
Morrissey at the Boston Opera House – Saturday, June 7
Lisa Marie Presley at The Narrows Center for the Arts – Friday, June 20
Pat Benatar at Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom – Wednesday, July 2
One Direction at Gillette Stadium – Sunday, August 9 (3 shows at a stadium with a seating capacity of 68,000+/-??? I don’t get it.)
Tommy Emmanuel at The Narrows Center for the Arts – Thursday, August 14
This Was Indeed Global Jazz!
What an evening of excellent jazz! Danilo Perez was the headliner of several shows at Scullers Jazz Club last weekend, and we were fortunate to be in the audience for one of those shows.
Danilo Perez
Danilo is Panamanian and divides his time these days between Boston and Panama; Boston is very lucky to have him at least part of the time. On his own, Danilo is a global performer! Read the rest of this entry
This Show Did Not Excite Me
Some of you have asked what I would do if I attended I show that I did not like. Now you have your answer!
G. Love and Special Sauce
I was dragged (not quite kicking and screaming) to see G. Love and Special Sauce at House of Blues last week. The person who was supposed to go was stuck in Georgia because of the snow/ice storm and we did not want to waste a ticket. Being extremely open-minded about music, I hoped that this show would surprise me. Read the rest of this entry
The Autumn Defense Heated Up a Winter Night
Seeing The Autumn Defense was a great way to get warm on a chilly, pre-storm evening!
John Stirratt and Pat Sansone
They played to a small (100 people, I’d guess) but enthusiastic crowd at Great Scott last Wednesday night. Read the rest of this entry
There’s No Grumbling About These Gramblers!
Walking into The Sinclair last night, I had bit of an inkling of what to expect from Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers because I’d seen the recording of their set at the Newport Folk Festival. That video, however, did not truly prepare me for the energy and quality of the show.
Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers
From the moment the band took the stage, I was enthralled. Maybe rapt is a better word.
Nicki
suze reviews the blues 