Jed Distler News

Seven outstanding vocalists, songwriters, and musicians born in 1915 were honored at Weill Recital Hall on Tuesday, June 9th, at 7:30 p.m., when The Mabel Mercer Foundation presented their  annual concert, "It Was A Very Good Year." Cohosted by the Foundation's artistic director KT Sullivan and the distinguished critic Rex Reed, the one-night-only event celebrated the centennial birthdays of (alphabetically) Alice Faye, Billie Holiday, Bart Howard, Edith Piaf, Frank Sinatra, Billy Strayhorn, and Cy Walter.

Seven outstanding vocalists, songwriters, and musicians born in 1915 will be honored at Weill Recital Hall tonight, June 9th, at 7:30 p.m., when The Mabel Mercer Foundation presents the annual concert, 'It Was A Very Good Year.' Cohosted by the Foundation's artistic director KT Sullivan and the distinguished critic Rex Reed, the one-night-only event celebrates the centennial birthdays of (alphabetically) Alice Faye, Billie Holiday, Bart Howard, Edith Piaf, Frank Sinatra, Billy Strayhorn, and Cy Walter.

ComposersCollaborative, Inc. & The Center at West Park present a free 24-hour marathon performance of SERIOUS IMMOBILITIES, to usher in 2015's Make Music New York.  SERIOUS IMMOBILITIES in its fully-realized form consists of two 'layers' of music performed simultaneously.

Seven outstanding vocalists, songwriters, and musicians born in 1915 will be honored at Weill Recital Hall on Tuesday, June 9th, at 7:30 p.m., when The Mabel Mercer Foundation presents the annual concert, "It Was A Very Good Year." Cohosted by the Foundation's artistic director KT Sullivan and the distinguished critic Rex Reed, the one-night-only event celebrates the centennial birthdays of (alphabetically) Alice Faye, Billie Holiday, Bart Howard, Edith Piaf, Frank Sinatra, Billy Strayhorn, and Cy Walter.

Monday night found me back at Zeb's on the West Side for another of Will Friedwald's iconoclastic 'Clip Joints'--this one in honor of the Billie Holiday Centennial. During a year that is already producing a glut of celebratory events (given that it's also the Frank Sinatra Centennial year), leave it to the intriguing and obsessive writer/journalist/producer to come up with something different. Instead of a roster of vocalists live or on film, performing material we now think of reflexively as belonging to Lady Day, we were offered the singular piano interpretations of Lara Downes, recollections by alto saxophonist Jerry Dodgion (who at age 22 played with Holiday), and eclectic clips from television and film appearances of the artist herself.

Ellen Kaye and Jed Distler and their musical guests will present 'Kiss Me Like a Stranger Once Again' for three upcoming performances. The shows will be held on Friday, March 27th and Friday April 17th at Moscow 57 in New York City. An additional show will be performed on April 9th at Cornelia Street Cafe.

In its continuing mission to bring culture to people who wouldn't necessarily have access, to illuminate, educate, and entertain, public television stations WNET (New York) and WLIW (Long Island) decided the time was ripe to reacquaint people with the art of cabaret. In February, viewers in the New York metro area were able to view new one-hour cabaret shows featuring singers KT Sullivan and Jennifer Sheehan.

VIRGIL THOMSON (1896-1989) COMMEMORATION OF 25th ANNIVERSARY OF HIS DEATH // ACTIVITIES 2013-2015

The Italian Academy hosts the inaugural concert of *The Stefan Wolpe Fund featuring world premieres and works by Charles Wuorinen, Jonathan Dawe, Matthew Greenbaum and William Anderson tonight, October 30th at 8pm. Also on the program, a New York premiere for string sextet by Charles Wuorinen. Featured artists: JACK Quartet, pianist Steven Beck, Vox n Plux, violist Miranda Cuckson and cellist Jay Campbell. This concert was produced by Zaidee Parkinson and Alanna Maharajh Stone with generous support from *The Roger Shapiro Fund for New Music.

The Italian Academy hosts the inaugural concert of *The Stefan Wolpe Fund featuring world premieres and works by Charles Wuorinen, Jonathan Dawe, Matthew Greenbaum and William Anderson on Thursday, October 30th at 8pm. Also on the program, a New York premiere for string sextet by Charles Wuorinen. Featured artists: JACK Quartet, pianist Steven Beck, Vox n Plux, violist Miranda Cuckson and cellist Jay Campbell. This concert was produced by Zaidee Parkinson and Alanna Maharajh Stone with generous support from *The Roger Shapiro Fund for New Music.

The Virgil Thomson Foundation today announced a robust worldwide celebration of Pulitzer Prize winner Virgil Thomson (1896-1989). A champion of American music and arguably America's greatest composer-critic, Thomson is being memorialized throughout 2013-15 by some of today's top opera companies, orchestras, and record labels. See below for a complete schedule.

The Virgil Thomson Foundation today announced a robust worldwide celebration of Pulitzer Prize winner Virgil Thomson (1896-1989). A champion of American music and arguably America's greatest composer-critic, Thomson is being memorialized throughout 2013-15 by some of today's top opera companies, orchestras, and record labels.

The Virgil Thomson Foundation today announced a robust worldwide celebration of Pulitzer Prize winner Virgil Thomson (1896-1989). A champion of American music and arguably America's greatest composer-critic, Thomson is being memorialized throughout 2013-15 by some of today's top opera companies, orchestras, and record labels. See below for a complete schedule.

As a highlight of its 2014 Spring Festival, 'Sleeping Around: the Cultural Lives of New York's Hotels,' Symphony Space presents Virgil Thomson and Friends at the Chelsea Hotel on Thursday, May 8, at 7:30 pm, in the Leonard Nimoy Thalia.

Make Music New York, ComposersCollaborative Inc, Peppergreen Media & Cornelia Street Cafe present 'IN (Key),' an extraordinary 50th anniversary celebration of Terry Riley's minimalist masterpiece 'IN C' today, June 21st featuring eleven new works by leading composer-performers. The event will begin with a special performance of 'IN C' itself, serving as a prelude to all that is to follow.

There are approximately 1,350 diverse concerts in this year's Make Music New York, which takes place (as always) on the first day of summer, today, June 21, from dawn 'til dusk. Below are a few highlights, listed chronologically.

There are approximately 1,350 diverse concerts in this year's Make Music New York, which takes place (as always) on the first day of summer, June 21, from dawn 'til dusk. Below are a few highlights!

Make Music New York, ComposersCollaborative Inc, Peppergreen Media & Cornelia Street Café present 'IN (Key),' an extraordinary 50th anniversary celebration of Terry Riley's minimalist masterpiece 'IN C' on Saturday, June 21st featuring eleven new works by leading composer-performers. The event will begin with a special performance of 'IN C' itself, serving as a prelude to all that is to follow.

As a highlight of its 2014 Spring Festival, 'Sleeping Around: the Cultural Lives of New York's Hotels,' Symphony Space presents Virgil Thomson and Friends at the Chelsea Hotel tonight, May 8 (7:30 pm) in the Leonard Nimoy Thalia.

Everyone looks forward to Symphony Space's annual Spring Festival, highlighted by the Wall to Wall marathon, and this may be the most provocative one yet. Sleeping Around, Symphony Space's 2014 installment, celebrates the culture and notoriety of New York City's hotels and their denizens, from the Algonquin to the Chelsea. It opens today, April 26 with a concert by Barbara Cook, and runs through May 21, with a tasty menu of concerts, readings, and films. Wall to Wall Cabaret takes place on Saturday, May 3 (5 - 11 pm).