American Idol fans know that when a judge says “you’re going to Hollywood”, that’s very good news. These words were spoken by former Aerosmith rocker Steven Tyler to UC Berkeley undergraduate Kyle Crews recently when he auditioned for the show in San Diego, which also happens to be his hometown.

Crews, who dedicated his rendition of Monica’s “Angel of Mine” to Tyler’s fellow judge Jennifer Lopez (telling host Ryan Seacrest beforehand that he couldn’t stop thinking of her … Continue reading »]]>

American Idol fans know that when a judge says “you’re going to Hollywood”, that’s very good news. These words were spoken by former Aerosmith rocker Steven Tyler to UC Berkeley undergraduate Kyle Crews recently when he auditioned for the show in San Diego, which also happens to be his hometown.

Crews, who dedicated his rendition of Monica’s “Angel of Mine” to Tyler’s fellow judge Jennifer Lopez (telling host Ryan Seacrest beforehand that he couldn’t stop thinking of her “voluptuous lips”), made an impression despite his loud plaid shirt (“you’re going to have to lose that shirt,” said Tyler). Third judge Randy Jackson simply whooped and declared: “That’s crazy. You sound nothing like you look.”

The 19-year-old, whois an enthusiastic member of Cal’s Kappa Alpha fraternity, will now go through to the next rounds in Hollywood.(...)

Read the rest of Cal frat boy Kyle Crews a hit with Jennifer Lopez & co (46 words)

By Tracey Taylor. | Permalink | One comment |
Post tags: American Idol, Jennifer Lopez, Kyle Crews, Randy Jackson, Steven Tyler, UC Berkeley, UC Berkeley Alpha Kappa

“Knowing that Gonzalo had gone there, it’s a very big deal,” says Rodríguez, 26, from his home in Los Angeles. “In the school, they just teach classical music. It’s on the street … Continue reading »]]>

Alfredo Rodriguez makes his Berkeley debut on Sunday at Hertz Hall

As Cuba’s latest piano sensation, Alfredo Rodríguez knows he’s walking in exalted company. A graduate of the Manuel Saumell Conservatory, the same Havana institution that launched Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Manuel Valera, Rodriguez found out early on that prodigious talent could be a passport to an illustrious musical career.

“Knowing that Gonzalo had gone there, it’s a very big deal,” says Rodríguez, 26, from his home in Los Angeles. “In the school, they just teach classical music. It’s on the street that you play popular music and discover jazz. In my case, I love classical music and jazz too. Improvisation is the most important thing to me in the music. It’s my passion.”

Rodríguez makes his Berkeley debut Sunday when Cal Performances presents his solo recital at Hertz Hall. While he often tours with a trio the pianist is completely at home alone at the keyboard, a setting that allows him to fully explore his virtuosic technique and boundless imagination.(...)

Read the rest of In Berkeley: Cuban pianist sensation Alfredo Rodríguez (469 words)

By andrew. | Permalink | 2 comments |
Post tags: Alfredo Rodriguez, Avotcja, Cal Performances, La Pena, Todd Sickafoose

Continue reading »]]>

Edessa will be playing at Ashkenaz on New Year's Eve

Even on a slow night you can find a generous array of live music in Berkeley, but on New Year’s Eve the People’s Republic offers a particularly enticing selection, especially if you’re looking for the chance to dance. Every venue seems to play to its comfort zone, with La Pena delivering Cuban, Ashkenaz offering Balkan, Freight & Salvage bearing bluegrass, and Jupiter getting groovy. Why brave the Bay Bridge when you can dance the night away close to home?

Orquesta La Moderna Tradición @ La Pena
Even in Cuba, bands focusing on the gracious 19th century style known as danzon are rare, but Orquesta La Moderna Tradición breathes new life into this elegant form, which combines Afro-Cuban percussion with flute and violins. Violinist/arranger Tregar Otton, who’s also a key member of the Mexican music ensemble Los Cenzontles, co-directs the band with conguero Michael Spiro, a percussion master who’s been at the center of the Bay Area Latin music scene for more than 25 years. Cuban-born Felix Samuel and Caracas-raised Eduardo Herrera share lead vocals, while flutist Jesus “Chus” Alonso, violinist Sandy Poindexter, pianist Robert Karty, clarinetist Don Gardner, timbalero Carlos Caro, bassist Steve Senft-Herrera and percussionist Sage Baggott (guiro and bongos) round out the ensemble. With a family friendly vibe, this might be the most welcoming New Year’s event in the region.(...)

Read the rest of Out in Berkeley to enjoy live music on New Year’s (361 words)

By andrew. | Permalink | No comment |
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One of the more joyous street gatherings on Christmas Day happens in front of Saul’s, the Jewish deli on Shattuck Avenue near Vine.

For the last three years, Klezmer musicians have gathered to play outside the deli, their lively, upbeat music serenading the long line of people waiting to go inside the restaurant or those just wanting to hear a tune.

This year, the annual Christmas Day concert coincided with Hanukkah, and Saul’s owners’, Peter Levitt and Karen Adelman, … Continue reading »]]>

One of the more joyous street gatherings on Christmas Day happens in front of Saul’s, the Jewish deli on Shattuck Avenue near Vine.

For the last three years, Klezmer musicians have gathered to play outside the deli, their lively, upbeat music serenading the long line of people waiting to go inside the restaurant or those just wanting to hear a tune.

People wait to buy latkes on Christmas Day. Photo: Emanuah Hauser

This year, the annual Christmas Day concert coincided with Hanukkah, and Saul’s owners’, Peter Levitt and Karen Adelman, sold their famous latkes from a food truck for the first time. Inside, dozens of people gathered around large tables to eat communally.

Mike Perlmutter, a biologist, and Emunah Hauser, a food publicist and host at Saul’s, came up with the idea of the Christmas Day music jam while talking outside the restaurant a few years ago, said Hauser. Since then, Perlmutter, who books klezmer and Jewish folk acts at the Subterranean Arthouse on Bancroft Way, has organized the musicians. (He plays the sax and clarinet.)

“Saul’s is slammed on Dec 25 with a captive audience enjoying the ubiquitous day off together, and it is always fun as a musician to give people the unexpected,” said Hauser. “The beauty of street performance is exposing people to an experience they didn’t plan on, who didn’t buy a ticket to the show – who don’t know they are going to get this raucous treat as they walked the desolate streets towards Saul’s, but are grateful and happy it is there. This is especially true of heritage and traditional music, I think – we forget to listen and recollect in our busy modern lives these shared histories.”

Ira Serkes made the video.

Musicians outside Saul's Deli. Photo: Emunah Hauser

By Frances Dinkelspiel. | Permalink | 7 comments |
Post tags: Emunah Hauser, Ira Serkes, Karen Adelman, Miker Perlmutter, Peter Levitt, Saul's Delicatessen, Subterranean Arthouse

DJ Dave, aka Dave Wittman, has all the Berkeley bona fides: he played at Adventure Playground as a kid, loves the Edible Schoolyard, and graduated from Berkeley High in 1992.

But after living in Los Angeles for 20 years, can he really still claim he is from Berkeley?

The question is even more relevant after DJ Dave’s video, “Whole Foods Parking Lot,” went viral. It has now been viewed more than 3.2 million times on You Tube.

Presented by the Berkeley Arts Festival, an … Continue reading »]]>

ROVA Saxophone Quartet playing at the Old Friends Festival in Berkeley. Photo: Myles Boisen

In these belt-tightening times, it’s edifying to recall just how little gold it takes to create a golden age. On Friday and Saturday the Old Friends Festival brings together more than two-dozen musicians active on the Bay Area creative music scene in the 1990s. While high tech was booming, the scene thrived on a shoestring, with a handful of venues serving as sonic petrie dishes for some truly inspired musical experiments.

Presented by the Berkeley Arts Festival, an ongoing concert series produced by Bonnie Hughes at a downtown Berkeley storefront at 2133 University Avenue, OFF is curated by bassist/composer Steve Horowitz, who recently returned to the Bay Area after years in the Netherlands and New York City. Recalling the roiling creative energy of the Bay Area scene at the time of his departure, Horowitz decided to round up as many of his former comrads as possible.

Friday’s show features three sets. The Ralph Carney/Randy Odell Duo brings together the irrepressibly brilliant multi-instrumentalist Carney, a regular contributor to Tom Waits projects, and drummer Odell, whose resume includes the bands The Impalers, The GG Amos Band, and the recently convened Ralph Carney Serious Jass Project.(...)

Read the rest of Get off: Old Friends at the Berkeley Arts Festival (315 words)

By andrew. | Permalink | One comment |
Post tags: Beanbender's, Berkeley Arts Festival, Improvcore Orchestra 3000, Old Friends Festival, Pamela Z, ROVA Saxophone Quartet, Steve Horowitz, The Lost Planet, The Ralph Carney/Randy Odell Duo

David Wittman, aka DJ Dave, had a viral hit in June with his rap about the Whole Foods parking lot (although many Berkeleyans preferred the localized version by Lae Charles). Innocean, the ad agency for Korean car manufacturer Hyundai seems to have taken note, because Wittman and his creative collective, Fog and Smog, are the stars of the latest commercial for the Hyundai Elantra (shown above).(...)Read the rest of Berkeley-raised rapper goes commercial with … Continue reading »]]>

David Wittman, aka DJ Dave, had a viral hit in June with his rap about the Whole Foods parking lot (although many Berkeleyans preferred the localized version by Lae Charles). Innocean, the ad agency for Korean car manufacturer Hyundai seems to have taken note, because Wittman and his creative collective, Fog and Smog, are the stars of the latest commercial for the Hyundai Elantra (shown above).(...)

Read the rest of Berkeley-raised rapper goes commercial with Hyundai (70 words)

By lance. | Permalink | 9 comments |
Post tags: David Wittman, DJDave, Fog and Smog, Hyundai, Lae Charles

Creatively ambitious and utterly unpretentious, steeped in tradition but doggedly progressive, Lewis is a gifted fiddler, deft guitarist, inspired songwriter and powerfully evocative singer. A creative force on the Bay Area bluegrass scene for decades, the long-time Berkeley resident has mentored several generations of brilliant young string players, while also honing an impressive body of evocative original songs (projects that … Continue reading »]]>

Laurie Lewis: "gifted fiddler, deft guitarist, inspired songwriter and powerfully evocative singer"

Berkeley’s musical blessings are bountiful, but I’m going to start this holiday season by giving thanks for Laurie Lewis.

Creatively ambitious and utterly unpretentious, steeped in tradition but doggedly progressive, Lewis is a gifted fiddler, deft guitarist, inspired songwriter and powerfully evocative singer. A creative force on the Bay Area bluegrass scene for decades, the long-time Berkeley resident has mentored several generations of brilliant young string players, while also honing an impressive body of evocative original songs (projects that she releases on her own label, Spruce and Maple Music).

Lewis showcases both sides of her musical life on her new album “Skippin’ and Flyin’,” a loving tribute to bluegrass patriarch Bill Monroe on the 100th anniversary of his birth. She celebrates the album’s release Saturday at Freight & Salvage, where she’ll be joined by most of the album’s cast, including her long-time musical partner Tom Rozum on mandolin and vocals, fiddler Chad Manning, bassist Todd Phillips and Patrick Sauber on banjo. (...)

Read the rest of Skippin’ and flyin’ with Berkeley fiddler Laurie Lewis (345 words)

By andrew. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse, Laurie Lewis