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Robillard’s deep blues cred on display

Robillard’s deep blues cred on display

Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013
Duke Robillard has loosened up a lot since his natty area debut with Roomful of Blues at J.B. Scott’s, and that’s not a bad thing. He brings his band to the Van Dyck on Friday.
 
Crenshaw plays solo at Van Dyck

Crenshaw plays solo at Van Dyck

Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013
Marshall Crenshaw seems so comprehensively capable I wouldn’t have been surprised to see him solve the fiscal cliff mess all by himself, step in for RG3 and win Sunday’s NFC wild card game for the Redskins and stop global warming.
 
Fontella Bass one of music giants who left us

Fontella Bass one of music giants who left us

Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013
The newly launched A Place for Folk series resumes on Friday with Everest Rising.
 
Brubeck helped make jazz music of the world

Brubeck helped make jazz music of the world

Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012
Who knew jazz could do that, before Dave Brubeck did it?
 
Cray brings dose of blues to The Egg

Cray brings dose of blues to The Egg

Thursday, Dec. 6, 2012
Soulful bluesman Robert Cray stands out, performing at The Egg tonight.
 

Union College has played host to great music

Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012
Intellectually, culturally, even scenically, Union College helps make Schenectady far from the worst college towns.
 
Blue Notes, King, Delfonics to evoke disco era

Blue Notes, King, Delfonics to evoke disco era

Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012
Nostalgia rules at Thanksgiving, so it’s perfect that artists from decades past parade across our stages.
 
Pratt, Scanlon, Jordan to jazz up the Van Dyck

Pratt, Scanlon, Jordan to jazz up the Van Dyck

Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012
Here comes a big weekend for jazz at the Van Dyck in Schenectady. On Saturday, guitarist Stanley Jordan returns after too long an absence, to play two shows.
 
David Bromberg bringing a BIG band to town

David Bromberg bringing a BIG band to town

Thursday, Nov. 8, 2012
When David Bromberg brings a big band, he means it.
 
Eighth Step to celebrate with weekend concerts

Eighth Step to celebrate with weekend concerts

Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012
Hats off to The Eighth Step for presenting fine folk music for 45 seasons — and celebrating its durability and range with a weekend full of shows.
 
Series of veteran performers to evoke the past

Series of veteran performers to evoke the past

Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012
Going to see Dick Hyman at A Place for Jazz last Friday as a civilian — a paying customer with no deadline, notebook or laptop — was great fun; especially watching piano players sit behind him, to watch his hands, over his shoulders.
 
Jukebox: Cavaliere, Keating among stellar acts at Egg

Jukebox: Cavaliere, Keating among stellar acts at Egg

Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012
The Egg has hatched an unprecedented string of shows this week; astounding even for this place, one of our top venues for quality and quantity. Cellist Zoe Keating plays on Saturday The Egg.
 
Grads of ’62 sought music that defined them

Grads of ’62 sought music that defined them

Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012
“Turning Pages” is a 90-minute documentary that premiered at Proctors on Saturday during the 50th reunion of the Niskayuna High School Class of 1962.
 
Notable bands play unexpected venues

Notable bands play unexpected venues

Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012
Performers popping up in unexpected places, that’s the story this week.
 

Jukebox: Road trip provides chance to dig new albums

Thursday, Sept. 20, 2012
While I’ve been urging many musical road trips on you, my own latest highway run was to see my daughter last Saturday near Bard, while she visited her pianist/drummer boyfriend from her new home in Boston. So, my road trip wasn’t necessarily for music. But it was perfect for listening, for catching up on CDs.
 
Harrell a stellar opening act for Place for Jazz

Harrell a stellar opening act for Place for Jazz

Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012
Versatility, power and lyricism: Tom Harrell has the whole package, and a cool band. Saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, pianist Danny Grissett, bassist Ugonna Okegwo and drummer Johnathan Blake will be with him at A Place for Jazz on Friday; and they play on his new album “Number Five.”
 

Bonanza of festivals makes it hard to choose

Thursday, Sept. 6, 2012
How do you choose among three music festivals in Albany: the Restoration Festival all weekend at St. Joseph’s Church, Local Legends Live at the Empire State Plaza and the Riverfront Jazz Festival?
 
Fair is perfect setting for Bucky Covington, Diamond Rio

Fair is perfect setting for Bucky Covington, Diamond Rio

Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012
Country acts Bucky Covington and Diamond Rio should be right at home when they appear this weekend at the Columbia County Fair in Chatham.
 

Belew, King Crimson revue set at Bearsville

Thursday, Aug. 23, 2012
Hearing OK after seeing Def Leppard and Poison? I SAID, “HEARING OK?” OK, good — here comes some more major guitar noise, and I mean that in a good way.
 

Irish band McPeake to wrap up Music Haven

Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012
’Tis prime time for rocking road trips; and you’ll see why my Irish is up in a minute.
 
 

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