-

Feb 2008

2008 Spring Season

Eddie Martinez, Interra/actic Go Fish, 2007

BAM 2008 Sprinl Season is sponsored by: Bloomberg ENCOREThe Performing Arts Magazine 2008 Spring Season

Brooklyn Academy of Music Alan H. Fishman William I. Campbell Chairman of the Board Vice Chairman of the Board

Karen Brooks Hopkins Joseph V. Melillo President Executive Producer

presents Brooklyn Next

Approximate BAM Howard Gilman Opera House running time: two hours, including Soulive one intermission with Noble Society Feb 15, 2008 at 8pm

Citizen Cope with Len Xiang Feb 16, 2008 at 8pm

The National with My Brightest Diamond Feb 22 & 23, 2008 at 8pm

Lighting designer Alban Sardinski Production stage manager Marissa Kaplan

BAM 2008 Spring Season is sponsored by Bloomberg.

JPMorgan Chase is the Title sponsor for Brooklyn Next.

Music Programming at BAM is made possible by a generous grant from The State Music Fund, established by the New York State Attorney General at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. Brooklyn Next

Soulive Eric Krasno, guitar Neal Evans, organ and keyboard bass Alan Evans, drums

Citizen Cope, lead vocals and guitar John Ginty, organ Jay Nichols, drums Steve Vidaic, keys Preston Crump, bass , background vocals

The National , vocals , guitars and bass , guitar Bryan Devendorf, drums Scott Devendorf, guitar and bass Padma Newsome, strings and keyboards

Noble Society Jahdan aka Wayne Henry, lead vox Errol Tony Gooden (“Delie”), second vox Diego “Fuego” Campo, guitar Rory Jackson, bass guitar Manny Laine, drums Nick “Fantastic” Listrani, keyboards

Len Xiang, solo acoustic

My Brightest Diamond Shara Worden, voice and guitar , violin Olivier Manchon, violin Maria Jeffers, cello Hiroko Taguchi, viola Who’s Who Photo: Adriano Fagundes Soulive Signed to the legendary label , Soulive spins a groove-based , weaving elements of hip-hop and rock that have made them one of the most sought- after live acts around. The group features brothers Alan Evans (drums) and Neal Evans (Hammond B-3 organ), as well as Eric Krasno (guitar). Their sixth and latest album No Place Like Soul was released in July 2007. The band has toured with , Band, , and and recorded with artists such as , Robert Randolph, and . The Los Angeles Times has said of the group, “Soulive transforms sounds of the past into a potent modern mix.”

Who’s Who Photo: Danny Clinch Citizen Cope An artist who cut his teeth as a DJ with cult hip-hop group , Citizen Cope (aka Clarence Greenwood) blends punchy rhymes into bluesy, southern reveries and up-tempo urban tableaux. Popmatters.com described his work as “cosmopolitan pop with an urban backdrop.” Born in Memphis, Citizen Cope is a multi-talented artist who, in addition to providing lead vocals and production, plays a variety of instruments including guitar, keyboards, and drum machines. Now based in Brooklyn, he has released four albums including Cope Citizen (1992), Citizen Cope (2002), The Clarence Greenwood Record- ings (2004), and Every Waking Moment (2006) which reached #69 on the Billboard pop charts. His music has been included on the soundtracks for The Sentinel, Alpha Dog, Coach Carter, and on TV shows One Tree Hill and Scrubs.

Who’s Who Photo: Abbey Drucker The National Smart and sophisticated chamber rock ensemble The National’s music has been critically acclaimed for its textured orchestrations, flirtatious wit, and dark beauty. The Brooklyn-based band was formed in 1999 by Ohio friends Aaron Dessner (guitar, bass), Bryce Dessner (guitar), Scott Devendorf (guitar, bass), Bryan Devendorf (drums), and Matt Berninger (vocals). Spin has said of the band’s work, “The National traffic in poignant moments of heartbreak and regret, but pain has rarely sounded so beautiful or necessary.” Their latest album, Boxer, was released in May 2007. Who’s Who Noble Society With their genre-bending electronic-tinged singles “She told me” and “The Swarm” currently rocking international airwaves (BBC Radio, WKCR), Noble Society is a band ready to brand itself as the evolution of dancehall. Noble’s futuristic sound, with a world view, incorporates both their quintessential reggae roots and their need to represent Brooklyn’s vibrant cultural milieu. Creating a sound that is both world and urban, with a vibrant live show to match, Noble members Fuego, MC Delie, and Jahdan craft a sound that is both hip hop and reggae, conscious and beat-driven.

With the release of their second full-length album, Take Photo: Hugo Arturi Charge, Noble is one of the most promising reggae bands on the rise. Their sweet melodies and funky “riddims” take listeners on a journey to a place where great music and greater understanding take charge. Trace magazine said, “To catch a Noble Society show is to be transported to a place teeming with pure adrenaline.”

Len Xiang’s lyricist Tuäc (pronounced tuck) grew up in the prime of New York’s crack era. The son of single mother, Tuäc spent days at home alone with nothing to occupy his time but his mother’s 45s. The burgeoning hip-hop/soul singer and lyricist was forced to move from project housing to project housing during his teenage years until his mother made the decision to move the family to Milwaukee. Tuäc,

whose influences include Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Marvin Photo: Maria Guido Gaye, Rakim, and Black Moon, continued to record and perform in showcases during his teens until he decided to move back to Brooklyn. His upcoming EP will be available early this summer.

My Brightest Diamond is spearheaded by singer/songwriter/arranger Shara Worden. Moving across the country every few years Worden gathered an eclectic musical taste as well as a degree in opera, a penchant for costumes, and a few years under the tutelage of composer Padma Newsome. My Brightest Diamond released their first album,, in August 2006 on Asthmatic Kitty Records, to critical acclaim. Last year, My Brightest Diamond shared stages with artists such as , Devotchka, , Rasputina, St. Vincent, and Tim Fite. Their new album, entitled A Thousand Shark’s Teeth, will be released in June of 2008. Photo: Sarah Small