On October 12 at 7pm, Hudson Hall presents composer, drummer and Guggenheim Fellow Bobby Previte and his all-star Rhapsody Band performing his newest work, RHAPSODY (Terminals Part II: In Transit), for acoustic sextet — the second in a three-part series exploring the experience of travel. Previte’s Rhapsody Band includes legendary keyboardist John Medeski, Wilco guitarist Nels Cline, harpist Zeena Parkins, Fabian Rucker on alto saxophone, and the vocal and erhu fiddle talents of Jen Shyu.

John Medeski's Mad Skillet has announced the November 9 release of its self-titled debut album via Medeski Martin & Wood's record label, Indirecto Records. Led by the hugely influential keyboardist and featuring guitarist Will Bernard and the legendary Dirty Dozen Brass Band rhythm section of sousaphonist Kirk Joseph and drummer Terence Higgins, Mad Skillet is first and foremost a product of New Orleans. The band's inception can be traced back to the late-night sets that go down every year during New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

Chris Lightcap has announced the release of 'Superette' due September 7 on Royal Potato Family. It's the debut album from the revered bassist and composer's electrifying experimental band of the same name featuring guitarists Curtis Hasselbring and Jonathan Goldberger and drummer Dan Rieser, along with special guests Nels Cline and John Medeski.

If James Brown is the Godfather of Soul, The Meters are without a doubt the Forefathers of Funk.

It may seem as if the 40^th anniversary of The Band’s Last Waltz has been going on forever, with various combinations of musicians paying homage to that seminal 1976 concert in a variety of ways.

Phil Lesh & Friends will be playing July 22 & 23 at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY; July 24 at Penn's Peak in Jim Thorpe, PA; and July 26 & 27 at Gathering Of The Vibes in Bridgeport, CT.

Free Magic. Isn’t that what jazz-fusion is? Using a launch pad of some familiar melody, rhythmic riff, or instrumentation, and building it forward and outward until it gets really weird. That’s what Miles Davis realized about jazz music in the late 60s, that it was the root of all American music, and with that in mind any so-called style could be integrated into the so-called genre of jazz.

Summer seems to be coming quickly to a close, and the end of festival season is in sight.  This summer was somewhat special, as I was able to witness the birth of two new music festivals onto the scene.  In July it was the mega-sized Mile High Music Festival, and on August 16th and 17th the smaller, cozier Jackson Hole Music Festival.