Saratoga Performing Arts

Ray LaMontagne the Pariah Dogs at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, 6/3/11

And it turned out that even with some sort of respiratory handicap, LaMontagne is still one damn good singer. With a velvet sandpaper rasp that’s part Van Morrison, part Sam Cooke and part Rick Danko, LaMontagne wrapped his wounded, soulful voice around a grand collection of his seemingly timeless songs. A relaxed and yet intense presence, LaMontagne made no attempt to craft his 100 minutes on stage into a “show.” The stage lighting was intentionally low to the point of near-darkness and LaMontagne’s cap was pulled low over his eyes, making it nearly impossible to see his face more of the night. Unlike nearly every other band that’s graced SPAC’s stage over the years, LaMontagne was not standing centerstage, either. Rather he was off to the stage left, near the wings, further away from centerstage than any of the other members of his band, the Pariah Dogs, who were situated in a semi-circle. And that was apparently the whole point – there was nothing on stage to distract the crowd from focusing on what was really important – the music. LaMontagne’s latest album, “God Willin’ and the Creek Don’t Rise,” earned him the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album, and he played all but one of the album’s songs during his SPAC concert. But his sound isn’t really folk music. It’s a grand amalgam of musical styles, most notably a hybrid of soul and country that taps into the same vein as the classic Big Pink-era of the Band. While LaMontagne’s songwriting skills and rough-edged voice were the focal points, he was aided and abetted immeasurably by the Pariah Dogs, as tasteful (and tasty) a band as there ever was. Manning a variety of pedal steel, lap steel, dobro and acoustic and electric guitars, Eric Heywood and Greg Leisz proved why they’re such in-demand musicians. Jennifer Condos’ bass playing was mostly slinky and sensuous, but she dug in and tore it up when needed. And the whole band was driven by the unorthodox clattering percussion groove of Jay Bellerose at centerstage, who only rarely utilized the usual two drumsticks, and instead mixed it all up with an arsenal of maracas, shakers, tambourines and an assortment of other noisemakers.

Freihofer's Saratoga Jazz Festival - SPAC–Saratoga Performing Arts ...

The Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival, one of the most celebrated and longest-running jazz events in the world, marks its 34th year at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, June 25 and 26, with a dynamic lineup of more than 20 acclaimed artists and ensembles on two stages. Highlights include festival debuts by Michael McDonald, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Tia Fuller, Lionel Loueke Trio, Hilary Kole and Pedrito Martinez among others. Ticket sales for the Festival begin with an online pre-sale for SPAC members on February 24; online sales to the public begin March 24. Tickets and information are available at  www.spac.org

Special features of this year’s Festival include:

Dedication of a star in SPAC’s Walk of Fame for iconic jazz producer and festival founder George Wein world-famous impresario and founder of numerous jazz and music festivals across the U.S. founded the Newport Jazz Festival – Saratoga, in 1978. Modeled after his highly successful Newport Jazz Festival, Wein, in his 2002 memoir, Myself Among Others: A Life in Music, credited his decision to start a Festival in Saratoga as “one of the smartest moves I ever made” remarking that the event, “captured the spirit of the old Newport.” Through his company, Festival Productions, Wein eventually produced hundreds of musical events including The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and the Newport Jazz and Folk Festivals.

Saturday, June 25, Starting at Noon

Making his festival debut, will be five-time Grammy® winning vocalist MICHAEL MCDONALD, the brilliant American R&B/soul singer and songwriter whose husky, soulful baritone voice propelled him to the top as one of the most recognizable artists of the past 25 years. McDonald comes to SPAC fresh from the major success of his “Dukes of September” tour with Donald Fagen and Boz Scaggs. A December 2010 New York Times review praised McDonald as “pure fury, still a blowtorch of a singer…”

Considered one of the greatest jazz singers of her generation, DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER returns for her fifth festival appearance, bringing her powerful vocals to a Billie Holiday tribute, “To Billie With Love.” Christopher Loudon in JazzTimes noted that Bridgewater’s performances “…are astounding. We’d expect nothing less.” Bridgewater, the winner of two Grammy® Awards and a Tony® Award, performed at the very first Saratoga festival in 1978.

For his 85th Birthday Celebration, he gets back to his roots, performing with the NEWPORT ALL STARS, the cream of the jazz scene:Howard Alden (guitar), Lew Tabackin(tenor saxophone/flute), Anat Cohen(clarinet/tenor saxophone), Randy Brecker(trumpet) Peter Washington (bass) andLewis Nash (drums). Wein’s last performance at the festival was in 1997.

RT : Hey friends, check out an a cappella version of Swords, recorded @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Have a great day!

RT : Hey friends, check out an a cappella version of Swords, recorded @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Have a great day!

Hey friends, check out an a cappella version of Swords, recorded @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Have a great day!

"Grey Street" from Saratoga Performing Arts Center (Jun 21, 2008) via

One of the most fun shows ever! dmb :: 2008-06-21 :: Saratoga Performing Arts Center - - history

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