Producer John Nichols is deeply passionate about (at least) three things: live music; raising money for New Day Youth and Family Services; and his dog, Aretha. Clever guy that he is, he’s found a way to combine all three. In February, the four-part series On the Road with Aretha, 10th Annual New Day Benefit will stream video of live performances featuring local artists in five cities—Albuquerque/Tucson, Austin, New Orleans, and Nashville. Music fans can enjoy terrific music and the sterling personality of canine hostess Aretha—voiced by vocalist Hillary Smith, a soulful force of nature—while helping young people in difficult straits.
Beginning on Wednesday, April 8, at noon, the first of five weekly Tiny Census Concerts (TCC) on I Count NM’s Facebook page will take place. Sponsored by the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Complete Count Committee, the concerts will leverage the influence of New Mexico musicians to encourage citizens to complete the census form and will provide generous remuneration for their services. The first concert’s slate includes Joy Harjo, Rosalind Sanders Jones, Lara Manzanares, Larry Mitchell, Hillary Smith/Chris Dracup, and Jackie Zamora. Artists can apply for future concerts in the series by visiting the TCC website.
A singing encounter with theater group Casa Talcahuano, Buenos Aires. Photo by Martin Bertolami.
In the fall of 2018, Alejandro Tomás Rodriguez—actor, musician and member of the internationally recognized trio Engine, and currently a visiting professor at UNM—introduced a series of singing encounters called Coming Alive through Song, which he described this way in an invitation: “Coming Alive through Song is a cycle of singing sessions open to all. . . . In these encounters, we will dive into a fluid interaction of song, movement, and rhythms rooted in Afro–Latin American traditions, as well as spirituals and shouts from the Deep South of the United States. Part of the day will be dedicated to physical work: exercises of synchronization and reaction contained within a structure that unfolds through different rhythms and games.”
These encounters have continued, and with his return to Albuquerque for the spring semester, they are about to begin again. Rodriguez, who will colead the sessions with collaborator Lloyd Bricken, shared his thoughts about the nature of these encounters, their objective, and their provenance in an interview reproduced here in an edited version, along with a promotional video, details about the upcoming sessions, and a brief profile of Rodriguez’s professional background.
Steel House: Scott Colley, Edward Simon, Brian Blade
Steel House, a leaderless trio made up of Edward Simon (piano, keyboards), Scott Colley (bass), and Brian Blade (drums, pump organ), offers expressive original music whose inviting transparency is suffused with intelligence and grace. On Friday, November 15, the trio will grace the stage at the Outpost for what promises to be a highlight of the musical season.
The Miguel Zenón Quartet: Hans Glawischnig, Zenón, Henry Cole, and Luis Perdomo
The latest release from alto saxophonist and Puerto Rico cultural ambassador Miguel Zenón, the stunning Sonero: The Music of Ismael Rivera, pays homage to a Puerto Rican cultural and musical icon, known affectionately as Maelo by his fans, whose originality and improvisational genius enriched and extended the bomba and plena traditions. The album features songs from Rivera’s repertoire, focusing on the Great Latin American Songbook through the lens of jazz. Zenón brings his remarkable quartet—with Luis Perdomo on piano, Matt Penman on bass (subbing for Hans Glawischnig), and Henry Cole on drums—to the Gig Performance Space in Santa Fe on November 13 and the Outpost Performance Space in Albuquerque on November 14. Musically Speaking had the opportunity to speak to Zenón about the project.
