By Michael P. Curry It was the Summer of 1968. The very first Hampton Jazz Festival was presented (after the idea had been gestating for about a year) on Armstrong Field at (then) Hampton Institute. That first Festival included performances by Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Mann, Theolonius Monk, Nina Simone, Dionne Warwick, Muddy Waters…
Mountaintide Rising
By Tom Robotham If you’ve lived in this area for any length of time, chances are you’ve seen Jim Newsom perform. Over the last three decades he has been a mainstay at local festivals, while also playing frequently at countless smaller events, in both jazz ensembles and pop-rock cover bands. While playing covers can get…
MUSIC: Bring on the Sunrise
By Tom Robotham If you listen to NPR, you’re familiar with BJ Leiderman’s work. For nearly 40 years, his theme music has introduced the public-radio network’s signature program, Morning Edition. Subsequently, the longtime Virginia Beach resident—who now lives in Asheville, NC—composed the musical intros to several other popular NPR shows, including Car Talk, Marketplace and…
Meet the Monbacks
Norfolk band makes national debut on Yep Roc Records on June 17 By Jim Morrison “It started as a half joke,” Neal Friedman says. Major and the Monbacks, the Norfolk-based band of high school buddies, were starting to think about recording their second album. They were listening to an album by Virginia Beach’s Natalie Prass…
Todd Rundgren: The Studio Wizard Returns with White Knight
By Jeff Maisey Todd Rundgren continues to push the envelope with a sense of experimentation on his new album titled “White Knight,” featuring something unique for this wizard of the recording studio – collaborations. Rundgren (performing Tuesday, May 16 at Sandler Center) has had an interesting career as both recording artist and record producer/engineer. After…
Lincoln Center Orchestra Puts Jazz in Virginia Arts Festival
By Jerome Langston It’s been just a few hours since severe weather brought a tornado or two to southeastern Virginia, when I finally catch up with the acclaimed trombonist, Vincent Gardner, who grew up in a noted musical family in Hampton, and is now teaching at Northwestern University in Chicago where he was born. He’s…
Seán Heely: A Violinist with Beer Spilled on Him
By Jim Roberts What’s the difference between a fiddle and a violin? Seán Heely has a lot of witty answers at the ready, but one of his favorites is: “A fiddle is a violin with beer spilled on it.” It’s appropriate, given the Chesapeake native’s upcoming performances in the Virginia International Tattoo, which derives…
Top Spring Classical Music Performances
Compiled by Staff tenThing Presented by Virginia Arts Festival March 23 Attucks Theatre Norwegian trumpeter Tine Thing Helseth has won rave reviews in recital and headlining orchestra concerts from the BBC Proms to Carnegie Hall. She also leads a unique all-female, ten-member ensemble of brass players in transcriptions of the classics that reveal new…
Britain’s Vinny Peculiar to Play Colley Cantina This Saturday
By Jeff Maisey Britain’s Vinny Peculiar will perform an intimate gig Saturday, March 18 at Colley Cantina. He’ll be joined by a backing group of Norfolk musicians tasked with learning a variety of his works, including tracks from his critically acclaimed concept album, “Silver Meadows (Fables from the Institution).” In 2014, Uncut Magazine called Peculiar…
Veer Music Awards Results
By Jeff Maisey Indie-pop group Feral Conservatives took home three trophies in Veer Magazine’s annual Music Awards program held at the Naro Expanded Cinema in Norfolk. The band’s “Here’s to Almost” was named Album of the Year, while their hooky, melodic “Last Light” earned “Song of the Year” honors. They were also top choice in…