Tag Archives: Steve Coleman

Sunday Thought Series: We’ve Had Ourselves a Month

May has been so busy and exciting that it’s hard to believe that we were in the middle of our first media partnership with Allentown JazzFest only a few weeks ago. We started the month with Scott Tixier in Emmaus, and the festival would continue during the month’s opening week with performances from Steve Coleman and Five Elements, Lucy Woodward and many more.

The fun continued all month long. We’ve seen debuts, international rising stars, industry veterans, and long-time local favorites. We successfully closed the return season – and first on LVU – of our official podcast, The Quinn Spinn, with great hope for the future. And, of course, we met more great people and had insightful conversations that will surely help us all work toward the betterment of our original music community in the months and years ahead.

Through it all, there’s a sense of satisfaction in knowing that so many people in our music community have been positively impacted by Lehigh Valley Underground, both throughout this month and dating back to January. The fact that people are hearing about us on their own – and not just from my incessant, daily social media posts – means that we’ve strengthened the music scene, and that we can only get better from here together.

It should be an amazing summer. A lot of big things are beginning to take shape. Although I can’t talk about them yet, please know that May was just the tip of the iceberg. There’s a lot more #BuildingBetter where this came from.

Sunday Thought Series (Saturday Edition): Totally Jazzed

Tomorrow is going to be busy, so I want to make sure I get this out of the way now.

008For more than a week, we’ve been dutifully bringing you the latest from Allentown JazzFest. We’ve seen some top-notch performances, re-connected with old friends, and met some great new people along the way.

I just wanted to take some time today to mention how grateful Lehigh Valley Underground is for the opportunity to participate in such a great, growing local festival. We’ve been welcomed with open arms into another very important, lively part of the Lehigh Valley’s music scene this week, and it has been a phenomenal experience from top to bottom.

003I also hope that the passion behind this blog’s mission has come through in a new way over the past week or so. We want to reach into every corner of our scene and support the many people – not just musicians, but volunteers and industry folks – who strive to make it a better place. It is my hope that our coverage of JazzFest this week opens new doors for all involved, and that we can all continue to work together to strengthen our offerings and make the Lehigh Valley a music destination, based foremost on the efforts of the people who call our region home.

It’s not over yet. Tonight at 5 p.m., we’ll be at West Park to catch Hector Rosado and Orq Hache. Tomorrow at 5 p.m., we’ll wrap things up with The Bryan Tuk Complex at Billy’s Downtown Diner on Hamilton St. Photos and reactions from those shows, of course, will be made available here.

PHOTOS: Steve Coleman and Five Elements at Miller Symphony Hall (AJF2016)

Wednesday night of Allentown JazzFest was a night not to be missed.

Saxophone legend Steve Coleman brought his band to the Lehigh Valley for the first time ever, and it was a show that proved to be well worth the wait. Coleman and his band put on an unforgettable performance before a sold-out crowd in Miller Symphony Hall’s Rodale Room — one with masterful improvisation and frantic, yet structured, rhythms that kept the audience engaged for the duration of the band’s hour-and-35-minute set. At the end, Coleman and company received a standing ovation from the folks in attendance, who hung onto every lively note that they played.

Words are failing to describe this awesome night of music… so here are some photos instead!

Can’t-Miss Shows of the Week: May 2-8

JazzFest continues, while local favorites make their presence felt.

Allentown JazzFest is just getting warmed up! Expect plenty more coverage here on Lehigh Valley Underground throughout the week as we take you to different venues with an array of different artists.

Naturally, a few of those shows are listed below. We also have others for folks of different tastes. To us, they’re all, without a doubt, the…

Can’t-Miss Shows of the Week!

Mon., May 2 | 7:30 p.m.
Adam Niewood Quartet (AJF 2016)
Venue: Allentown BrewWorks, 812 W. Hamilton St., Allentown
Admission: $20
Description: Niewood and his band will play selections from his latest effort, “Homage: Niewood Plays Niewood,” in honor of his late father, Gerry.

Wed., May 4 | 7:30 p.m.
Steve Coleman and Five Elements (AJF 2016)
Venue: Miller Symphony Hall, 23 N. 6th St., Allentown
Admission: $30 general; $50 VIP
Description: World-renowned saxophonist and MacArthur Fellow Steve Coleman performs at JazzFest.

Thurs., May 5 | 8 p.m.
Lucy Woodward (AJF 2016)
Venue: The Renaissance Ballroom, 12 N. 7th St., Allentown
Admission: $30 general; $47 VIP
Description: Acclaimed London-born singer-songwriter Lucy Woodward makes her Lehigh Valley debut.

Fri., May 6 | 5:30 p.m.
The Bastard Sons Ride Again
Venue: Weyerbacher Brewery, 905 Line St., Easton
Admission: FREE
Description: Come to Easton after work for songs and musings from Carter Lansing, Bryson Kay, Werner Sommer, and Mike Roi.

Fri., May 6 | 9 p.m.
The Groove Merchants
Venue: The Hamilton Kitchen, 645 W. Hamilton St., Allentown
Admission: FREE
Description: Shoot over to Allentown later on for a great night of excellent food, drinks, and Groove.

Sat., May 7 | 5 p.m.
JazzFest at Noches de Ritmo (AJF 2016)
Venue: West Park, 15th and Linden Sts., Allentown
Admission: FREE
Description: Hector Rosado’s Orq HACHE kicks things off, and the Jeff “Tain” Watts Quartet keeps it going.

Sat., May 8 | 5 p.m.
Jazz at Billy’s: The Bryan Tuk Complex (AJF 2016)
Venue: Billy’s Downtown Diner, 840 W. Hamilton St., Allentown
Admission: FREE
Description: Allentown JazzFest 2016 concludes with a show from the festival’s Executive Director and his ensemble, plus special guests.