About the Album: The Clef Club of New York City, Inc. was a fraternal and professional organization for the advancement of African-American musicians and entertainers; all of the composers on this recording were members or closely affiliated with the Club. The "Clef Club" was founded toward the end of 1909 in New York by James Reese Europe and his associates. Their mission to highlight the value, dignity, and professionalism of African-American performers was a great success and did much to change racial attitudes at all levels of white society. It quickly became a "whoÕs who" of early twentieth-century black music and show business. With its reputation for reliability, gentility, and quality performances, the Clef Club soon gained the favor of the loftiest of New YorkÕs white society; it became the very height of fashion to announce that one had secured a genuine "Clef Club Orchestra" for an upcoming social event. The composers featured on this revelatory recording represent the cream of Black BohemiaÕs musical lifeÑthe movers and shakers who paved the way for the music of the better remembered "Harlem Renaissance" of the 1920s. And while their names are obscure today, all once enjoyed national reputations in white America as well, feeding its burgeoning interest in black music, theater, and dance. Taken altogether, the talent, persistence, cooperation, and courage of these pioneers is an amazing American story that deserves to be better known. The recording features nineteen works by ten composers and is accompanied by a 40-page booklet. In addition to those by Europe and Cook, highlights include works by Will Vodery, an acknowledged influence on Ellington, and the first instrumental rag ever published, Sambo: A Characteristic Two Step March (1896), by Will Tyers.
Label: New World Records
Photos: SUFFS Cast Album CD Release Event
by Chloe Rabinowitz
- October 02, 2024
On Monday, September 30 Suffs hosted a special cast album CD release event at the Public Theater, featuring Tony Award winner Shaina Taub and members of the Broadway company of Suffs. See photos from the event here!
Listen: IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT, TYLER PRICE! Concept Album Out Now
by Chloe Rabinowitz
- October 01, 2024
An original musical concept album, inspired by Ben Decter and Kristin Hanggi's production It’s All Your Fault, Tyler Price! is now available on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon, and other music streaming platforms. Listen now!
Interview: Grover Dale Reflects on a Life in the Theater
by Team BWW
- October 03, 2024
Grover Dale’s life story reads like the ultimate show bio. After all, there are few performers who can count the original Broadway production of West Side Story among their credits. Or say that Sir Noel Coward hand picked them to appear in one of his musicals.
Dua Lipa Reveals October Service95 Book Club Monthly Read
by Josh Sharpe
- October 01, 2024
Dua Lipa’s Service95 Book Club reveals details about October’s Monthly Read: Lincoln In The Bardo by George Saunders. The Service95 Book Club will offer exclusive content from Dua and George throughout the month.
Playwright Erika Kathryn to Join Next Stage Press
by Chloe Rabinowitz
- October 01, 2024
Playwright Erika Kathryn has signed a deal with Next Stage Press to publish her stage play THE CHEATER EATER. Kathryn, an award-winning screenwriter and author, has five novels and multiple screenplays to her name. Learn more!
Gitte Tamar Releases New Psychological Horror Novel SINEW AND BONE
by Blair Ingenthron
- September 28, 2024
BTW LLC has announced the release of Sinew and Bone, the newest psychological horror novel by author Gitte Tamar. Available in paperback, hardback, and ebook formats, this haunting tale is set to captivate fans of horror, psychological thrillers, historical fiction, and more.
Listen: CelloVoci Releases First Single 'The Prayer'
by Chloe Rabinowitz
- September 27, 2024
CelloVoci – the newly formed classical-crossover group starring internationally renowned cello and vocal duo BRANDEN & JAMES, along with powerhouse singer/songwriter EFFIE PASSERO from “American Idol” and Postmodern Jukebox – has released their first single, an epic version of the chart-topper 'The Prayer'. Listen now.
Linedy Genao & More to be Featured in CAFE CON LECHE Concept EP
by Chloe Rabinowitz
- September 27, 2024
In honor of Hispanic Heritage month and as part of Theatre Barn Records, New York Theatre Barn will release a concept EP of the original musical Café Con Leche. The album features Linedy Genao. Learn more about the album.
Adrienne Warren to Make Cafe Carlyle Debut in December
by Chloe Rabinowitz
- September 27, 2024
Tony Award winner Adrienne Warren, known for her performances in Tina - The Tina Turner Musical and much more, is set to make her debut at Cafe Carlyle in December. Learn more about what to expect from the performances and see how to purchase tickets.
Watch: THE FITZGERALDS OF ST. PAUL Music Video
by Chloe Rabinowitz
- September 25, 2024
Brainstorm Live Entertainment has released the first music video from their new musical, The Fitzgeralds of St. Paul. The two-actor chamber musical dramatizes the tumultuous marriage of Jazz Age literary legends F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. Watch now!
EMPIRE: THE MUSICAL to Release Original Cast Album
by Chloe Rabinowitz
- September 18, 2024
EMPIRE: The Musical Original Off-Broadway Cast album will be released this winter. The story is told through the lens of three generations of dreamers and doers spanning New York City in the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, and the Bicentennial Year of 1976. Learn more about the show and about the album.
32 Theater Books for Your Fall 2024 Reading List
by Nicole Rosky
- September 22, 2024
We're falling into fall with a great Broadway read! This season, Broadway's best have put pen to paper to turn out theatre page-turners of every kind. From theatre biographies to theatre fiction; theatre books for kids to theatre history; check out our collection of 32 new Broadway books for every theatre lover's Fall 2024 reading list.
OZ: A NEW MUSICAL Original Cast Recording to be Released This Month
by Chloe Rabinowitz
- September 17, 2024
The original cast recording of OZ: A NEW MUSICAL will be released. OZ: A New Musical explores the genius of L. Frank Baum and his complicated relationship with his most famous creation, the Land of Oz. Learn more bout the musical!
Wolfgang Muthspiel Releases New Album 'ETUDES/QUIETUDES'
by Blair Ingenthron
- September 15, 2024
Austrian guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel's new solo program, ETUDES/QUIETUDES, celebrates the acoustic guitar with 11 concert etudes and pieces honoring Bill Evans, Johann Sebastian Bach, and Paul Motian.
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