BAM R&B Festival at Metrotech Kicks Off a Summer of Free Live
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BAM R&B Festival at MetroTech kicks off a summer of free live concerts June 4—Aug 6 June 4: Bobby Rush June 11: Andra Day with special guest Kate Davis June 18: Erica Campbell June 25: Al B. Sure! July 2: King Sunny Adé & His African Beats July 9: Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba July 16: George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic July 23: The Jones Family Singers July 30: Theo Croker Aug 6: Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen First New York Partners is the Presenting Sponsor of the 2015 R&B Festival at MetroTech. BAM R&B Festival at MetroTech Thursdays, 12noon—2 pm, June 4—August 6 Free admission, MetroTech Commons at MetroTech Center Produced by Danny Kapilian Brooklyn, NY/May 7, 2015—BAM announces the 2015 BAM R&B Festival at MetroTech, now in its 21st year. The festival continues to feature R&B legends alongside groundbreaking emerging artists with 10 free outdoor concerts from June 4 through August 6. This year’s line-up is a mix of returning artists George Clinton and Bobby Rush as well as new artists such as Grammy winner Erica Campbell and Andra Day with special guest Kate Davis. Event producer Danny Kapilian says, “The 21st annual BAM R&B Festival returns once more thanks to BAM, First New York Partners, and the constituents of Metrotech Commons, and brings a fantastic season of incredible live music performance to the Downtown Brooklyn communities. Shifting the R&B focus slightly towards gospel and Africa, the season opens with the fabulous Erica Campbell—recent Grammy award winner for Best Gospel Album (and longtime co-star of the multi-platinum gospel group Mary Mary). Next we will present the Jones Family Singers—a powerhouse gospel family from Houston, TX starring five sisters sharing lead vocals. We will have two successive weeks of virtuoso stars from West Africa, the legendary King Sunny Adé, whose 1982 US album Juju Music was an international sensation, and the incredible Malian virtuoso musician Bassekou Kouyaté, whose US debut sold out Carnegie’s Zankel Hall. Returning to our stage we have the ageless Chicago soul and blues star Bobby Rush, and the one-and-only George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic. The season rounds out with new soul pop diva Andra Day, 90s hip-hop star Al B. Sure!, the jazz funk trumpeter/bandleader Theo Croker, and one New Orlean’s greatest legends of piano soul, deep blues, ragtime, and boogie—Jon Cleary and his band the Awesome Monster Gentlemen.” This year's BAM R&B Festival is part of the inaugural Summer@MetroTech, a summer-long festival presented by First New York City Partners that will fill MetroTech Commons with culture, sports, and innovation. The free lunchtime performances will be held Thursdays at noon at MetroTech Commons, located at the corner of Flatbush and Myrtle Avenues, rain or shine. For more information, call BAM Ticket Services at 718.636.4100 or visit BAM.org. For press information on the MetroTech R&B Festival, please contact Baha Ebrahimzadeh at [email protected] or 718.636.4129 x8. About the artists: Bobby Rush Thu, Jun 4, 12noon—2pm Bobby Rush embodies R&B at its unfiltered best. He began as a bluesman on Chicago’s West Side before transitioning to clubs that better accommodated his increasingly bawdy style, captured in songs like “Bowlegged Woman, Knock-Kneed Man” and “Chicken Heads.” These days, Rush continues to turn heads and ears, having released the funky Look at What You Gettin’ in 2008 and headlining the New Orleans Jazz Fest in 2011. Andra Day with special guest Kate Davis Thu, Jun 11, 12noon—2pm An emergent vocalist, Andra Day’s presence onstage is as arresting as her brassy, bluesy, doo-wop vocals. After a rush of praise for her earliest performances, she has found early champions in Stevie Wonder and Ellen DeGeneres. Now signed to Warner Brothers Records, she is touring in preparation for the release of her debut album. Multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Kate Davis joins Andra Day with her rootsy ballads and plucking bright riffs from her bass. This gutsy songstress is from Portland, OR, and puts a fresh spin on the standards and brings a canonical sensibility to her own lush tracks. Lauded by MTV as one of 2014’s 15 Fresh Females Who Will Rule Pop, Davis grew up with an instrument in her arms and a head full of inventive lyrics. Recently, she has shared the stage with such diverse artists as Alison Krauss, Josh Groban, and Renee Fleming. Erica Campbell Thu, Jun 18, 12noon—2pm Fresh of a Grammy win for Best Gospel Album this year, Campbell delivers powerful vocals that incorporate soul, blues, rock, and R&B. While working alongside her sister Tina as the co-founder and co-lead vocalist of the multi-platinum gospel duo Mary Mary has been instrumental in extending the reach of urban contemporary gospel, she will perform her raw compositions for her debut on the MetroTech stage. Al B. Sure! Thu, Jun 25, 12noon—2pm Al B. Sure! took the R&B scene by storm with his1988 multi-platinum album In Effect Mode and his hit single “Nite and Day”. Through collaborations with Diana Ross, Slick Rick, Jodeci, Quincy Jones, and others, he is acclaimed as a songwriter as well as a singer. In this MetroTech performance, Sure! will spice up the daytime with his bedroom lyricism and signature falsetto. King Sunny Adé & His African Beat Thu, Jul 2, 12noon—2pm King Sunny Adé brings a hybrid of Western pop and traditional African music with roots in the guitar tradition of Nigeria. A superstar within Nigeria and an enormous influence internationally, Adé has collaborated with a diverse and impressive roster including Youssou N’Dour and Stevie Wonder, and has influenced the Talking Heads, David Bowie, and others. His MetroTech performance is a part of his first North American tour in seven years. Bassekou Kouyaté & Ngoni Ba Thu, Jul 9, 12noon—2pm Malian powerhouse Bassekou Kouyaté and his Ngoni Ba band revitalize the ancient ngoni lute tradition with rock-inflected energy. One of the foremost ngoni masters, Kouyaté has collaborated with international visionaries including Ali Farka Touré, Toumani Diabate, Taj Mahal, Youssou N’Dour and Dee Dee Bridgewater. Comprising four ngonis, two percussionists, and vocals from Kouyate’s wife, Amy Sacko, Ngoni Ba brings its electrifying Malian fusion to Brooklyn. George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic Thu, Jul 16, 12noon—2pm The legendary George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic make their highly anticipated MetroTech return with their endless supply of psych-funk swagger. Having reached widespread recognition in the 70s and 80s with tracks like “atomic dog,” the legendary collective has been extensively sampled by hip-hop artists, most famously by Snoop Dogg in “What’s My Name?” The Jones Family Singers Thu, Jul 23, 12noon—2pm The 11-member family collective—including five sisters, two brothers and their father—has been unleashing its jubilant songs of praise on churches and festivals alike for over two decades. With a hip- shaking sound that draws from vintage soul and R&B, this performance comes on the heels of its knockout performance at January’s Globalfest at Webster Hall, which propelled the family onto the global scene. Theo Croker Thu, Jul 30, 12noon—2pm Grandson of the jazz legend Doc Cheatham, trumpeter and composer Theo Croker is a rising star in his own right, having performed with greats such as Benny Powell, Billy Hart and Marcus Belgrave. Merging genres and idioms, Croker pushes traditional compositional elements into new forms. After the 2014 release of his celebrated album AfroPhysicist, Croker is seen as one of the most promising and talented trumpeters working today. Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen Thu, Aug 6, 12noon-2pm Considered one of the true innovators of New Orleans-style piano blues, English singer and pianist Jon Cleary has been steeped in the musical culture of the city since he arrived at age 17. In addition to his sessions with the Absolute Monster Gentleman, Clearly has composed for or performed with luminaries including Taj Mahal, B.B. King, John Scofield, and recorded/toured with Bonnie Raitt and her band for over a decade. A favorite within New Orleans and on the blues circuit, their MetroTech performance will draw from funk, soul, and R&B, laying on heavy bayou funk to close out the festival. Credits First New York Partners is the Presenting Sponsor of the 2015 R&B Festival at MetroTech. BAM 2015 Winter/Spring Season supporters: Bank of America; Frances Bermanzohn & Alan Roseman; Booth Ferris Foundation; Brooklyn Community Foundation; Jessica E. Smith & Kevin R. Brine; William I. Campbell & Christine Wächter-Campbell; Betsy and Ed Cohen/Areté Foundation; Doris Duke Charitable Foundation; Estate of Richard B. Fisher; Judith R. & Alan H. Fishman; Ford Foundation; The Howard Gilman Foundation; The Harkness Foundation for Dance; Stephanie & Timothy Ingrassia; Frederick Iseman; Suzie & Bruce Kovner; Leon Levy Foundation; Diane & Adam E. Max; James I. McLaren & Lawton W. Fitt; MetLife Foundation; Donald R. Mullen Jr.; Stavros Niarchos Foundation; The Jerome Robbins Foundation, Inc.; Rolex SA; The Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Inc.; Target; Viacom; and The Winston Foundation, Inc. Delta is the Official Airline of BAM. Pepsi is the official beverage of BAM. Santander is the BAM Marquee sponsor. Yamaha is the official piano for BAM. New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge is the official hotel for BAM. Your tax dollars make BAM programs possible through funding from the City of New York Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York State Council on the Arts. The BAM facilities are owned by the City of New York and benefit from public funds provided through the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs with support from Mayor Bill de Blasio; Cultural Affairs Commissioner Tom Finkelpearl; the New York City Council including Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Finance Committee Chair Julissa Ferreras, Cultural Affairs Committee Chair Jimmy Van Bramer, the Brooklyn Delegation of the Council, and Council Member Laurie Cumbo; and Brooklyn Borough President Eric L.