BFM Jazz Announces New Release “From The Hip” Featuring Kikoski, Carpenter, Novak & Sheppard
by Caryn Robbins - Jun 25, 2013
Gathering the great musicians of our day to present a 'Standards' program can be a task that does not always garner the respect of critics and fans alike. However, when done well, it can demonstrate the emotion and depth behind these historic melodies, and even more so the power and focus of these brilliant musicians. The essence of the jazz experience is musicians coming together to express their individual voices and blend them together as one. As Bob Sheppard states, 'That is the reason we create music together. It is to share the experience of the music in the moment.' 'From The Hip' (BFM Jazz) is THAT moment.
CABARET LIFE NYC: It's Raining Women -- Reviews of 12 Shows From a Cabaret Fall
by Stephen Hanks - Dec 29, 2012
By the last August, I had fallen so far behind on writing reviews of cabaret shows from the spring and early summer (I guess it's a positive when there are more performers and shows in New York than days in the week) that I decided to play catch up by combining a bunch of critiques into one big column. I hadn't planned on doing that again, but this fall there were so many shows that once again I couldn't keep up. but at least I've beaten my self-imposed deadline New Year's Eve deadline of posting these reviews of 12 shows, all staged between September-December by lovely, attractive women (okay, so one is a gender-bender) of varying talents and levels on the cabaret depth chart, from established stars to MAC and Bistro Award-winners to comeback 'kids' to interesting beginners and occasional performers who are in the game to follow their bliss. Whether their performances were rave-worthy, earning of qualified praise, or not quite up to snuff, they all deserve kudos for taking the plunge.