Michael Hochanadel

Mar 26, 2024 | nippertown.com | Michael Hochanadel

SARATOGA SPRINGS — And then, there were 40: Eight area musical or media heroes joined the Eddies Hall of Fame Monday at Universal Preservation Hall where plaques in a downstairs corridor show their faces and feats; so did an often emotional public gathering in the upstairs performance space.

Feb 19, 2024 | nippertown.com | Michael Hochanadel

When Bassekou Kouyate asked “Are you happy?” at Universal Preservation Hall Friday, he knew the answer. Everybody was, both in the audience and onstage. The intricate, uplifting African-bluesy music Malian griot Kouyate made with his quintet amazed and charmed the audience; a mid-winter throng that arrived all bundled-up then listened, attentive but not dancing as in past shows here when Kouyate led bigger bands.

Feb 14, 2024 | nippertown.com | Michael Hochanadel

Hubby Jenkins might be best known as a member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, but he’ll play solo at Caffe Lena on Sunday. The Carolina Chocolate Drops made a giant splash as a leading roots music band that revived Black string-band traditions and famously launched Rhiannon Giddens on her superstar trajectory. The groundbreaking, old-timey band was a key stop on the Brooklyn-born Jenkins’ pilgrimage into half-forgotten antique musical styles in projects and achievements of his own.

Feb 9, 2024 | nippertown.com | Michael Hochanadel

After releasing his highly-lauded “where are we” album last year, saxophonist Joshua Redman built a new band to play live the place-specific tunes on the album, which he made with A-list jazz stars. Wednesday at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, he led three younger gents onstage, all four players in suits; plus a slim singer in a past-the-knee cocktail dress and how-does-she-walk-in-THOSE? red stilettos, a loose up-do piled taller than anyone else onstage.

Jan 31, 2024 | nippertown.com | Michael Hochanadel

“The Galahad Blues,” title of Rees Shad’s new album, may suggest Muddy Waters waving “Tales of King Arthur & The Knights of the Round Table” at his band and saying, “Let’s play this.”Fans who turn out to see Shad introduce the new album Friday at Unihog will find a far more complex reality – an ambitious genre-jumping effort. Shad and his band the Conversations (drummer Rob Kovacs and bassist Jeff Link) headline an Americana triple-bill with Andrew Dunn, and the Quixote Project.