The last time we saw Aliyah Stevens on stage at Arts in the Park was a year and a month ago. He was a guest artist in a performance by Brothers of Brass. I believe he played the trombone.
Then he played a free series again this past Friday night, this time with his band, the Flint Hills Band. And he played electric bass. The talented Manhattanite had gone from decorator to foundation provider.
Stevens certainly played well. And he wasn’t the only reason listeners were drawn to this local outfit’s two 21-song shows. The six members of the Flint Hills Band gave us funk, blues and garage band rock, often blurring the lines of the genres.
The band consists of two guitars, a harmonica-playing male singer, vocalist Alex Cosco, and drummer/singer/cheerleader Robert Rodriquez. I only got one guitarist’s name – Tony Scalora. I believe the harpist is Water Dodds.
In a way, it was a show of two halves. Intermission dealt with (and in some ways improved) the combination of reproduced volumes of the instruments. In the second set, Cosco and Dodds both seemed to have fully warmed up. His best songs were among the band’s last.
Although I suspect much of the material was written by the band members, it was all in a format familiar to most of the show goers. Many of the tracks come from the blues tradition – “stop” Blues, the “Not Fade Away” pattern, jammers, pretty straight 12 bars, etc.
The guitarists had suitable solos ready (Scalora used a fuzz box for sustained distortion) and the harmonica provided variation or was used to add depth to the guitar solos. Stevens had a nice bass solo.
But here’s the upset in the instrumental solo category: Rodriquez played two important instrumental intros to the songs and had a couple of less distinctive drum solos. Drum solos. I kept thinking about the rise and eventual slow decline of this element in rock music.
All band members demonstrated technical skills. But it was hard to hear one of the guitarist’s occasional solos, the harmonica was mixed too low and all the vocal lines could have been brought forward in the mix. We liked what we heard.
The easiest way to get an idea of how a band plays is not to listen to their original material, but to listen to material you know from other sources. Louis Armstrong’s “Wonderful World,” which was initially a surprising choice for the band, gave us a good chance to see what these musicians are up to. And they did the song pretty well.
There were a few more familiar songs in the show. But was it “Suzy Q” without the first verse or was it something else? Was that really Batman walking through the audience?
Underneath it all, there was something about the Flint Hills Band about the old-fashioned, gun-toting, touring “show band.” Nowhere was this more apparent than in the instrumental funk number the band opened the second set with, complete with call-and-response and almost begging for the sound of a Hammond organ to be added.
And Aliyah could have played it B3. Maybe he’ll show us the next time he takes the Arts in the Park stage.
They are the older brothers of Danny Romero.
Who is the concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera?
American-Canadian violinist Benjamin Bowman was recently appointed Concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera by Maestro Nézét-Seguin. He is also concertmaster of the American Ballet Theater and is a St. Luke’s Orchestra member.
Who is the concertmaster in the orchestra? The orchestra’s first principal violinist – known as the concertmaster – is the all-important musical director with wide-ranging responsibilities, from tuning the orchestra to working closely with the conductor. See the article : Which Music Band Would You Like to See Reunited? Vote!.
Who runs the Met Opera?
Peter Gelb’s career has followed a special arc, starting with his teenage years as an usher at the Metropolitan Opera and leading to his appointment in August 2006 as the company’s 16th general director. Read also : Overview All percussion at the Music Academy Festival in Santa Barbara. Now entering his 16th year at the helm of the Met, Mr.
Does the concertmaster bow?
In America and/or when performing with American or British orchestras, the concertmaster usually takes the stage after the rest of the orchestra is seated and bows and receives applause before the conductor appears. See the article : The 2022 Bobstock Music Festival will be held in Fort Morgan on Friday and Saturday.
Does the soloist shake hands with the concertmaster? When the conductor steps out, the concertmaster is the only one who can shake his hand.
Does the concertmaster lead the orchestra?
The concertmaster is the highest leadership position among all musicians in an orchestra, second in authority to the conductor and music director (who may be the same person).
Is concertmaster always violin?
What are his responsibilities? The concertmaster is the lead violinist. As the highest “ranking” violinist, he sits in the first chair, next to the conductor’s podium. The concertmaster leads the orchestra in the pre-concert tuning and usually plays all the violin solos within the pieces.
Do musicians actually look at the conductor?
One of the visual pleasures of a live orchestral concert is watching the conductor and seeing what gestures he makes and what difference, if any, they make to what the orchestra hears. Some conductors put on a great show on the podium, but with little impact; every movement of the others is reflected in the music.
Do the musicians actually follow the conductor? Do orchestras really need conductors? : Deceptive cadence A computer science study shows that when musicians in an orchestra follow the conductor’s lead, rather than each other, they produce better music.
Can musicians play without conductor?
Because most orchestras in the world can play together without any conductor. You are there to help them play better musically and create a more cohesive sound that makes more sense from a composer’s point of view.
How do musicians understand the conductor?
Conductors communicate with their musicians primarily through hand gestures, usually with a baton, and may also use other gestures or signals, such as eye contact.
Are Isabelle and Doomguy married?
Ultimate is pleased to announce the long awaited marriage of Mr. Doom Slayer Ripandtearington III and Ms. Isabelle née Shizue. The wedding ceremony took place during the latest content update for Smash Ultimate.
