“The only thing that matters is the song,” says singer-songwriter Madeleine Peyroux. That conviction along with a ‘one of a kind’ voice, has carried the Jazz artist from busking on the streets of Paris, all the way to mainstream recognition. Through intensely distinctive renditions of old classics and modern tunes by the likes of Leonard Cohen and The Beatles, Peyroux has proved to be an uncannily insightful ‘interpreter’ with her consistently impeccable choice of material. Peyroux’s new album, The Blue Room, sees the genre-blending singer reworking some landmark musical gems, in a repeat collaboration with longtime Peyroux producer Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell, Walter Becker, Tracy Chapman, Herbie Hancock). The result is a sophisticated album that rather than just ‘crossing over’, seamlessly fuses musical styles together to create an entirely new sound.

The Blue Room started life as Klein’s re-examination of Ray Charles’s classic, Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music, but soon moved away from being strictly an homage to that album. “Madeleine and I decided to branch out to other songs we love,” explains Klein, so alongside tunes from the original ABC Paramount project such as “Bye Bye Love,” “Born To Lose,” “You Don’t Know Me” and the anthemic “I Can’t Stop Loving You” are Randy Newman’s “Guilty,” Warren Zevon’s “Desperadoes Under The Eaves” and John Hartford’s “Gentle On My Mind.” “Ray’s ‘cultural landmark’ album has always been a part of me,” says Larry Klein, “…the project naturally came to mind with Madeleine as a part of it.”

For The Blue Room Larry Klein has again called upon the talents of award-winning engineer/mixer Helik Hadar as well as stellar musicians Dean Parks, Larry Goldings, Jay Bellerose and David Piltch. To this ensemble however, the celebrated producer has added an inspired orchestral element in the shape of Vince Mendoza’s engaging string arrangements (Joni Mitchell, Robbie Williams, Björk and Elvis Costello). Mendoza’s masterful string orchestrations perfectly complement Madeleine’s quest for open musical exploration. The sometimes eerie, often sparse arrangements prove the perfect canvas for Peyroux’s musical palette and seem to effortlessly blend with her voice.

Peyroux has come a long way from the streets of Paris to the word’s grandest concert halls and collaborating with the some of the world’s finest musicians. Still, where other artists might rest on their laurels and bask in the glory of countless gushing reviews, Peyroux continues to fearlessly explore new territories. The charmingly humble artist who ‘didn’t have any expectation of becoming someone that could make a dent in the outside world.’ has done just that.

For more information visit: www.madeleinepeyroux.com

Video: https://vimeo.com/59662338

Continuing a deeply successful six-year collaboration inspired by ceremonies dedicated to the Sun, ETHEL and Robert Mirabal, Native American musician, instrument builder and three time GRAMMY® Award winner present their next evolution of the cross-cultural concert experience. The inspiration this time is Water as the embodiment of Spirit, and its essential role in Life on Earth. The audience is immersed in a flow of music, narrative, and ritual, that evokes timeless Native American traditions through contemporary musical artistry. As delivered by these master performers, the effect is breathtaking, even ecstatic. To complement the music created by ETHEL and Mirabal exclusively for this program, ETHEL will also perform part of Gabriela Lena Frank’s epic Andean Walkabout and Phil Kline’s gorgeous The River. 

“Indefatigable and eclectic” (The New York Times), “vital and brilliant” (The New Yorker), at the heart of ETHEL is a collaborative ethos—a quest for a common creative expression forged in the celebration of community. 

A Native American “Renaissance man”—musician, composer, painter, master craftsman, poet, actor, screenwriter, horseman and farmer—Mirabal travels extensively throughout the world, offering “exquisitely nuanced flute playing” (The New York Times) and creating music that honors the spirits of the earth.

More information at: http://www.ethelcentral.org/

“It is simply impossible to imagine an audience that wouldn’t enjoy what they do,” says the Boston Globe speaking of Cherish the Ladies, the long-running, Grammy-nominated, Irish-American super group that formed in New York City in 1985 to celebrate the rise of extraordinary women in what had been a male-dominated Irish music scene and has
since toured the world, played the White House and the Olympics, recorded 15 outstanding albums including their latest, An Irish Homecoming which was also videotaped for an Emmy-winning Public Television Special that is airing across America.

Under the leadership of the dynamic and irrepressible flute and whistle champion Joanie Madden, these ladies create an evening that includes a spectacular blend of virtuoso instrumental talents, beautiful vocals, captivating arrangements, and stunning
step dancing. Their continued success as one of the top Celtic groups in the world is due to the ensembles ability to take the best of Irish traditional music and dance and put it forth in an immensely entertaining show.

The
Borealis Wind Quintet, like the Spectacular Aurora Borealis, displays a
brilliant array of sparkling color and magic in the music they perform.
Nominated for a Grammy in 2006, they are without question the major wind
quintet of our time.

Their warm yet commanding stage presence, combined with great music, always
captivates the audience. Engaging and delightful, the Borealis brings a fresh
sound and an exciting program to each performance. They are recognized for
their fundamental contributions to the wind quintet literature with their many
commissions, recordings, and editions of rare and traditional music.

Their tours have taken them to major halls throughout the U.S. including Weill
Hall (Carnegie) in New York, the Frick Museum, Princeton, Notre Dame, Wolf
Trap, Four Seasons in Berkeley, Strathmore in Maryland and the Corning Museum
in New York, just to name a few. The Borealis recordings number five with one
Grammy nomination. The latest, Borealis En Salon, is both lush and elegant.

The Monmouth Winds, formed in 2009, features five
musicians from the Garden State: Jenny Cline, flute; Nicholas Gatto, oboe;
Richard Grossman, clarinet; Richard Sachs, horn; and Linda Balavram, bassoon.
They have been steadily building a following, delighting audiences in the
tri-state area with their entertaining performances of eclectic
repertoire.  Lately they have been busy commissioning new works for their
ensemble, including works by Jeffrey Scott, Gary Schocker, Daniel Dorff, David
Evan Thomas and Laurence Dresner.  They have performed at the 2013 (New
Orleans) and 2015 (Washington, D.C.) National Flute Association conventions,
and they will be premiering their next commission, a work by Eric Ewazen, at
the Juilliard School this fall.