Submitted by Nick Balkin

Berklee presents Trouble Man, a play with music and dance that tells the story of American music icon, Marvin Gaye. Scripted by Berklee students, the production features guest songwriting legend Valerie Simpson (Ashford & Simpson), who will sing her anthem “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” as part of the performances on Wednesday, May 1 and Thursday, May 2.

Trouble Man covers roughly two decades of Gaye’s career, from the mid-60s, when he was a member of the Moonglows, to his Motown years with Berry Gordy, Anna Gordy, and Tammi Terrell, culminating in the release of What’s Going On. It also covers his later, more tormented years in which he struggled with marriage, family, and addiction, yet continued to make great albums and touch people’s lives. The show includes some of Gaye’s greatest hits, such as “Hitch Hike,” “Dancing in the Streets,” “Sexual Healing,” and “When Did I Stop Loving You,” as well as the Moonglows hit “If You Go Away” (Jacques Brel) and Bob Marley’s “Them Belly Full (But We Hungry).”

Featuring a large and diverse cast of Berklee students, Trouble Man is produced by associate professor Amy Merrill, directed by associate professor Rebecca Perricone, with Grammy-winning faculty drummer Terri Lyne Carrington serving as ensemble director.

—

Trouble Man takes place both on May 1 and 2, 7:30 pm, at the Berklee Performance Center (BPC). General admission tickets are $8 in advance, $12 day of show, and are available online at berklee.edu. For more information, call 617 747-2261 or visit berkleebpc.com. The BPC is wheelchair accessible. 

Related Posts:

• Berklee’s Musical Theater Ensemble and Orchestra Present Broadway Musical Hair at BPC 4/25 & 4/26
• Snarky Puppy Makes Headline Debut at BPC [Live Show Review]
• Snarky Puppy at Berklee Performance Center on Saturday, March 30 at 8:00 p.m.
• Nona Hendryx and Berklee’s Electronic Production and Design Department Premiere New Works at BPC on 3/26
• SFJAZZ Collective Presents: The Music of Chick Corea This Friday at the Berklee Performance Center

Submitted by Margot Edwards

Berklee’s Musical Theater Ensemble and Musical Theater Orchestra present a fully staged production of the Broadway musical, Hair, on April 25 and 26. The production is part of the Signature Music Series at Berklee. Inspired by the peace movement and the social revolution of the 1960s, Hair‘s songs, including “Aquarius,” “Easy to be Heard,” and “Let the Sunshine In,” became anthems of the anti-Vietnam war movement and opened Broadway theater to rock music.

Hair is directed by voice instructor Rene Pfister with musical director Peter Cokkinias, professor of music education. Pfister has a strong connection to the musical, having performed in the 30^th anniversary European tour of Hair, where he worked directly with James Rado, one of the writers. Pfister chose the musical for its anti-war message and themes of social justice, as well as its hard look at racism and poverty. “The piece, which is still relevant today, helps us think about what we believe and what we want to change in the world,” says Pfister. “The cast has been discussing these concepts amidst the extensive dance and vocal rehearsals.”

Students leading the 22 cast and 11 orchestra members include Carla Martinez, choreographer and president of the Musical Theater Club – the largest club at Berklee with 500 members; Kelton Washington, assistant director; and Cam Moncur, vocal music director; all of whom worked on Berklee’s sold out production of Rent among other musicals.

–

Hair: An American Tribal Love-Rock Musical takes place Thursday, April 25 and Friday, April 26, 7:30 p.m., at the Berklee Performance Center (BPC). Reserved seating tickets are on sale now for $8 and $16 in advance, $12 and $20 day of show at berklee.edu/bpc. The venue is wheelchair accessible. For more information, call the BPC at 617-747-2261. Buy Tickets!

Related Posts:

• Berklee Presents Marvin Gaye Musical Trouble Man May 1-2 Featuring Valerie Simpson (Ashford & Simpson)
• Snarky Puppy Makes Headline Debut at BPC [Live Show Review]
• Snarky Puppy at Berklee Performance Center on Saturday, March 30 at 8:00 p.m.
• Nona Hendryx and Berklee’s Electronic Production and Design Department Premiere New Works at BPC on 3/26
• SFJAZZ Collective Presents: The Music of Chick Corea This Friday at the Berklee Performance Center

Photo and review by Caleb Hsu

Snarky Puppy has been around since 2004, yet they’ve recently received international buzz “with the release of their live, two-disc album/DVD Tell Your Friends, going from an underground secret to one of the most respected names in instrumental music,” as stated in Berklee’s earlier press release. The group made their headline debut in the Berklee Performance Center at the end of March, surpassing expectations and completely reshaping misconceptions about instrumental music.

Speaking of instrumental music, Snarky Puppy is a grand showcase of instruments galore, featuring everything from wacky vintage synths to arguably the most archaic instrument of all – the human voice. The show was split into two sections separated by a brief intermission. The first segment featured songs from Maz – Mike Maher’s (a.k.a. trumpeter and vocalist “Maz”) released album – with prominent soulful vocals and groovy gospel harmonies, ending with Maz singing a lush cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Golden Lady.” The opening set felt like a complete show in and of itself, culminating with the stripped-down cover to contrast the flashy musical dialogue that preceded it. What struck me about the group’s dynamic on stage was how organic their musicality came across; the phrasing and dynamic shaping of lines resembled the natural breathing process of inhalation and exhalation with tension and release. The band maintained an effortless rhythmical unity that enabled intricacies of accents and anticipations to be communicated between members flawlessly.

The second half of the show opened with an impressively down-tempo groove that initially felt timeless, but gradually built into an unparalleled full band production. If I had to describe the performance in two words, they would be “deliberate” and “precise.” Though improvisation may very well play a significant role during their live performances, it’s clear that Snarky Puppy does not unintentionally create sounds by accident. Rather, this band is a collective of highly keen musicians who will redefine your perceptions about music as a language. It goes without saying that language is closely related to communication, yet it is communication that enables languages to be received. Michael League, Snarky Puppy’s bassist, bandleader and composer, revealed that his inspiration comes from being in an isolated place where he knows no one, because it forces him to think of new ways of communication. Whether he’s spent a great deal of time in solitude, or just possesses a naturally innovative mind, Michael most definitely has an affinity for creating uniquely appealing ways of musical communication.

I’d highly recommend further investigation of Snarky Puppy if you want to experience the visual interplay of musical exchange through communication of ideas for yourself. This is a band that makes it virtually impossible to assign a generic label to represent all that it is. Call them instrumental, refer to their sound as progressive, but don’t forget to include “pure genius” in your description of the band.

–

All things social media:
Website
Facebook
YouTube

Check out all of our photos from the night here: The Berklee Groove’s Facebook Photo Album

Related Posts:

• Snarky Puppy at Berklee Performance Center on Saturday, March 30 at 8:00 p.m.
• Berklee Presents Marvin Gaye Musical Trouble Man May 1-2 Featuring Valerie Simpson (Ashford & Simpson)
• Lianne La Havas Makes Headline Debut at The Sinclair [Live Show Review]
• Berklee’s Musical Theater Ensemble and Orchestra Present Broadway Musical Hair at BPC 4/25 & 4/26
• Nona Hendryx and Berklee’s Electronic Production and Design Department Premiere New Works at BPC on 3/26

Submitted by Susan Scotti

With the release of their live, 2-disc album/DVD “Tell Your Friends” (Ropeadope Records), Snarky Puppy has gone from an underground secret to one of the most internationally respected names in instrumental music. The 3-time Dallas Observer Music Award winning group (“Best Jazz Act” 2008, 2009, 2010) has, over the last four years of touring, gained a reputation for putting on a live show unparalleled in energy, virtuosity, and musicianship. They seamlessly fuse a deep knowledge and respect for musical tradition with sonic and conceptual innovation in a way that is able to reach the most critical – or most carefree – audience.

It is, in its physical makeup, a group of musicians from two different cultures and traditions – jazz and rock kids from white America, and gospel/R&B kids from black America. This convergence, which occurred while the band was in its adolescence at the University of North Texas, has naturally established a series of combinations and a system of balance that instantly draws listeners to the music- raw funk and sensitive dynamics, relentless pocket and lyrical melodicism, lush harmony and soulful simplicity, and most importantly, a delicate mixture of composition and improvisation.

Snarky Puppy is somewhere between a garage band and a collective, with over 25 players in regular rotation. The core of the group, which remains consistent, features Grammy Award-winners Robert “Sput” Searight on drums (God’s Property, Snoop Dogg) and Shaun Martin on keys (Kirk Franklin, Erykah Badu), as well as young organ prodigy Cory Henry (Kenny Garrett, Kim Burell) and multi-instrumentalist Louis Cato (Marcus Miller, Q-Tip, George Duke). Its members are mainstays with artists like Erykah Badu, Marcus Miller, P Diddy Dirty Money, The Polyphonic Spree, Snoop Dogg, Roy Hargrove’s RH Factor, Morcheeba, Tower of Power, Ari Hoenig/Adam Rogers, Justin Timberlake, Kenny Garrett, Yo-Yo Ma, Lucy Woodward, and Bilal, among many more.

The group was conceived and is held together by award-winning bassist/guitarist/composer/arranger Michael League, whose creative grass-roots approach to a tougher-than-ever industry has created a unique musical animal. It is a three-headed creature: first, and most obviously- an original music ensemble. Second, a production team and session band for individual artists. Third, and probably most importantly, Snarky Puppy is a group of musicians unanimously and enthusiastically committed to music education and community outreach. Working with groups like ROAM (Roots Of American Music) in inner city Cleveland and the Music Lab at Jefferson Center in Roanoke, as well as giving clinics at over 40 colleges, high schools, and middle schools worldwide (League is faculty at London’s Institute of Contemporary Music Performance), the band has made a strong commitment to spreading a love of music and general positivity to a young generation looking for something real to hold on to.

–

Tickets are $25, reserved seating.
Berklee Performance Center Box Office. Call 617-747-2261 or visit berkleebpc.com for more information & tickets.
Want more Snarky Puppy? Visit snarkypuppy.com/.
Check out the video for “Binky” below: www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQ99OMlI5cg

Related Posts:

• Snarky Puppy Makes Headline Debut at BPC [Live Show Review]
• Nona Hendryx and Berklee’s Electronic Production and Design Department Premiere New Works at BPC on 3/26
• Grammy, Latin Grammy-Winning “Prince of Salsa” Luis Enrique Performs at Berklee November 8
• James Blake Captivated All Ages at House of Blues (Live Show Review)
• Berklee Presents Marvin Gaye Musical Trouble Man May 1-2 Featuring Valerie Simpson (Ashford & Simpson)

Submitted by Margot Edwards

Berklee presents Nona Hendryx Re-Wired, a collaboration between Hendryx and the college’s Electronic Production and Design (EPD) Department, on March 26. The concert features a mix of new/unreleased works and older material composed and performed by Hendryx and 20 EPD students and faculty utilizing the latest music technology equipment, including sensors developed by the students as well as commercially available controllers. A robot will also be a part of the show. The material reflects Hendryx’s broad range of musical ideas and interests, from ambient, atmospheric work to pop.

“All of the pieces are Nona’s but she has given students the opportunity to reinvent them using their own musical language,” said Michael Bierylo, Chair of the Electronic Production and Design Department. “She met with the students working on the project and will be on campus to rehearse with them before the show. We’re in contact via Skype and students are posting work for her to comment on as we go.”

Nona Hendryx has always been on the cutting edge of music, from her beginnings with Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles, to successful trio Labelle (with Patti LaBelle and Sarah Dash), her stunning solo career, and her induction into the Rhythm & Blues Foundation’s Hall of Fame. Her songs are edgy, provocative, political, and empowering. With Labelle, Hendryx racked up three gold albums and a No. 1 worldwide hit with “Lady Marmalade (Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi Ce Soir?).” She toured festivals in Europe with the Daughters of Soul, toured in the U.S. with Cyndi Lauper, and reunited with Labelle for a 2008-2009 tour. Hendryx performed at the 2010 Berklee BeanTown Jazz Festival and was an ambassador of artistry in education at Berklee in 2011. Her latest album, Mutadis, Mutandis, was released in 2012 on Righteous Babe Records.

Electronic production and design (formerly music synthesis) teaches the musical and creative use of electronic production and sound design tools and technologies. Working in professional-level 5.1-equipped studios, classrooms, and labs, students learn electronic composition, synthesizer programming, interactive performance systems, digital signal processing, music with integrated visuals, alternate controllers, and more. The curriculum provides a solid foundation for continued learning and effective performance in a profession that is constantly changing and evolving.

–

Nona Hendryx Re-Wired will take place Tuesday, March 26, 8:15 p.m. at the Berklee Performance Center.
General admission tickets are $8 in advance, $12 day of show, and can be purchased at the BPC Box Office or here.
For more information, call 617-747-2261 or visit berkleebpc.com. Can’t make it to the show? The event will stream live on Concert Window.

Related Posts:

• Snarky Puppy at Berklee Performance Center on Saturday, March 30 at 8:00 p.m.
• Berklee Presents Marvin Gaye Musical Trouble Man May 1-2 Featuring Valerie Simpson (Ashford & Simpson)
• Berklee’s Musical Theater Ensemble and Orchestra Present Broadway Musical Hair at BPC 4/25 & 4/26
• Bonobo on The North Borders [Interview with Simon Green]
• Snarky Puppy Makes Headline Debut at BPC [Live Show Review]

Submitted by Susan Scotti

The SFJAZZ Collective is an all-star jazz ensemble comprising eight of the finest performer/composers at work in jazz today. Launched in 2004 by SFJAZZ — the West Coast’s largest nonprofit jazz institution and the presenter of the annual San Francisco Jazz Festival — the Collective has become one of the most exciting and acclaimed groups on the jazz scene. As the New York Times hailed the Collective upon its debut, “A serious jazz band rises in San Francisco.”

In addition to its outstanding line-up, the SFJAZZ Collective has been praised for its innovative approach to repertoire. Each year, the ensemble performs a new list of compositions by a modern jazz master and new pieces by the Collective members (commissioned by SFJAZZ). Through this pioneering approach, simultaneously honoring jazz’s recent history while championing the music’s up-to-the-minute directions, the Collective embodies SFJAZZ’s commitment to jazz as a living, ever-relevant art form.

To cultivate its distinctive sound, the SFJAZZ Collective convenes in San Francisco each spring for a multi-week residency. Throughout this extended rehearsal period—a rarity in today’s jazz—the octet workshops the season’s new repertoire and interacts with the Bay Area community through SFJAZZ’s education programs for youth and adults. The Collective then takes to the performance stage, including home season concerts under the auspices of the SFJAZZ Spring Season and a national and international tour, with stops in some of the world’s most prominent concert halls.

After exploring the work of Ornette Coleman (2004), John Coltrane (2005), Herbie Hancock (2006), Thelonious Monk (2007), Wayne Shorter (2008), McCoy Tyner (2009), Horace Silver (2010), and Stevie Wonder (2011-2012), the Collective now turns its sights on legendary pianist and composer Chick Corea. The SFJAZZ Collective will present the music of Chick Corea with acclaimed musicians David Sanchez, Miguel Zenon ’98, Avishai Cohen ’99, Robin Eubanks, Stefon Harris, Edward Simon, Matt Penman ’95, and Obed Calvaire this Friday.

—

Read Their Bios: www.sfjazz.org/sfjazz-collective-lineup
Details: 
March 8, 8:30 p.m. at the Berklee Performance Center.
Tickets: $25, $30, *reserved seating. Buy Tickets!
Call 617-747-2261 or visit berkleebpc.com for more information & tickets.

Related Posts:

• This Friday: An Evening with Kirill Gerstein – Rhapsody in Blue
• Berklee’s Laszlo Gardony Kicks Off Fall Tour at the BPC, Debuts Ninth Album
• Just an Octave Away: Sneak Preview of Jazz Revelation Records’ 8th CD, OCTAVE
• Berklee Presents Marvin Gaye Musical Trouble Man May 1-2 Featuring Valerie Simpson (Ashford & Simpson)
• Berklee’s Musical Theater Ensemble and Orchestra Present Broadway Musical Hair at BPC 4/25 & 4/26

Submitted by Allen Bush

Producer, arranger, conductor, film composer, and trumpeter Quincy Jones has been at the forefront of modern American music since his years at Berklee in the 1950s. He arranged for Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Sinatra, and Ella Fitzgerald; produced Michael Jackson, Miles Davis, and Ray Charles; was an Academy Award nominee seven times for original music; and has received 27 Grammy Awards and 79 Grammy nominations. In honor of Jones’ 80^th birthday in March, his alma mater will celebrate this musical visionary with a 30-piece orchestra of faculty and students performing new arrangements of selections from his enduring musical legacy. Special guests and frequent Jones collaborators Siedah Garrett and Patti Austin will also perform.

Under the direction of Rob Rose and Ken Zambello, the concert will highlight music from Jones’ entire career, featuring songs he wrote or produced for Michael Jackson, Tamia, and James Ingram, and for movies like The Wiz, The Color Purple, and In the Heat of the Night. Selections from his Grammy Award-winning albums The Dude and Back on the Block will also be featured. Grammy Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated singer-songwriter Garrett has co-written a number of hit songs with Jones. Five songs credit Garrett as a co-writer on Back on the Block, and the track “The Places You Find Love” highlights her lead vocals. She and Jones wrote the theme song for the opening ceremony of the 2007 Special Olympics, and the opener of the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. Garrett co-wrote the #1 single “Man in the Mirror” and sang the duet “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” on Michael Jackson’s Bad, which Jones produced.

Austin, a Grammy Award-winning vocal stylist, is Jones’ goddaughter. Jones produced many of her biggest hit songs, including “How Do You Keep the Music Playing” and “Baby Come to Me,” both duets with James Ingram. She sang with Michael Jackson on “It’s the Falling in Love” from his Off The Wall album, produced by Jones. She performed on The Dude, and scored two Top 10 Jazz albums, Every Home Should Have One and The Real Me, while signed to his Quest label.

–

Admission: Tickets for reserved seating are on sale now at $8 and $16 in advance (discount applied at checkout), $12 and $20 day of show. Buy tickets!
For more information, call the Berklee Performance Center Box Office at 617-747-2261.

Related Posts:

• Berklee Presents Marvin Gaye Musical Trouble Man May 1-2 Featuring Valerie Simpson (Ashford & Simpson)
• Berklee’s Musical Theater Ensemble and Orchestra Present Broadway Musical Hair at BPC 4/25 & 4/26
• Snarky Puppy Makes Headline Debut at BPC [Live Show Review]
• Snarky Puppy at Berklee Performance Center on Saturday, March 30 at 8:00 p.m.
• Nona Hendryx and Berklee’s Electronic Production and Design Department Premiere New Works at BPC on 3/26

Submitted by Susan Scotti

“Koloro” – a multi-art production paying tribute to the myriad colors in nature, culture, and life.

What happens when you bring 50 female musicians from all over the world onto one stage? A world music extravaganza ensues. Hot on the heels of their Japan tour, Women of the World, the illustrious all-female world music collective, will present their new production “Koloro” on February 25, 2013 at 8:15pm at the Berklee Performance Center.

From Tango dancers to Celtic tunes, and Indian alaaps to Italian folk, audiences are treated to a world sound-scape of rhythms, harmonies and styles from every corner of the globe! With lush choral arrangements, body and mouth percussion, experimental a cappella and dance works, Koloro promises to be an evening of celebration, while subtly reminding us of the beauty of diversity in our world. The concert will also include compositions featured on their latest studio album, Koloro.

Over the years, Women of the World has received accolades and collaborated with many renowned artists including Bobby McFerrin, Angelique Kidjo, Mario Frangoulis, and the Boston Pops Orchestra led by Maestro Keith Lockhart. With tours in Japan and the North American region, including performances at the Blue Note Jazz Club, Carnegie Hall, Boston’s Symphony Hall, and features at the Beantown Jazz Festival, TEDxBoston and United Nations events, Women of the World continues to spread the message of peace and unity through music. To date, Women of the World has united over 200 international women artists in this richly diverse musical collective.

–

For more information on Koloro, visit www.womenoftheworldmusic.com/koloroshow

Admission: $8 in advance (discount applied at checkout), $12 day of show, general admission. Call 617-747-2261 or visit berkleebpc.com for more information & tickets.

Can’t make it to the concert? Watch it live on Concert Window.

Related Posts:

• Berklee Presents Marvin Gaye Musical Trouble Man May 1-2 Featuring Valerie Simpson (Ashford & Simpson)
• Berklee’s Musical Theater Ensemble and Orchestra Present Broadway Musical Hair at BPC 4/25 & 4/26
• Snarky Puppy Makes Headline Debut at BPC [Live Show Review]
• Snarky Puppy at Berklee Performance Center on Saturday, March 30 at 8:00 p.m.
• The Revival Tour to Hit Paradise Rock Club This Friday 3/29