Bowery Poetry Club,
308 Bowery, Manhattan
May 15th, 2009
10pm
Gaida and her ensemble: Levantine Indulgence
“[Gaida] improvised incantatory lines as an accomplished jazz vocalist might have done… [her] plaintive, gauzy vocals effectively disarmed listeners” - Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune
Gaida is a vocalist and composer working at the intersection of the New York Arab and improvised music scenes. Her songs draw at once on classical Arabic music, Syrian folk traditions, and free improvisations that expand on traditional Arabic maqams (modes) to produce an original and highly personal style marked by great emotional intensity. An acclaimed singer from an early age, Gaida was born in Germany and raised in Damascus. Later she lived in Kuwait, Paris, and Detroit, where she received classical voice training at Wayne State University. Now settled in New York, Gaida works with leading music artists such as Amir ElSaffar, Brahim Fribgane, Arturo Martinez, Zafer Tawil, and Rufus Cappadocia. She appeared on Jonathan Demme's latest film, Rachel Getting Married, which featured one of her compositions and a performance with Robyn Hitchcock. She has subsequently performed with Hitchcock on several occasions in New York. She also recorded with Gillian Welsh and Alejandro Escovedo on Demme's previous film, Jimmy Carter: Man from Plains. Gaida composed and performed an original song for the documentary film, The First Saturday in May.
http://www.myspace.com/gaidamusic
Liz Longley
Longley's songs swell with honesty and genuine emotion that most of us are unable to admit to but recognize all the same.", declared "The Telegraph" of New Hampshire. Even music icon John Mayer, who surprised Liz and fellow Berklee music students when he broke into an impromptu rendition of Liz's song "Queen", has described her music as
"Gorgeous-just gorgeous!"
The internet has been equally effusive about Longley's music. Liz was voted the No. 1 all-time female vocalist on Garageband.com in both acoustic & folk categories. As a songwriter, she and Handy Blues award winner Jim Tullio, teamed-up to write the internet smash, "Naked Trees". The song became the No. 1 all-time song (amid 3,400 songs) in Garageband.com's acoustic S/S category in '06.
This past spring, Longley earned the Berklee College of Music Songwriting Division Achievement Award. Moreover, her song "Whatever Goes Up" was ranked the No. 2 song overall in the well-regarded competition. The song also garnered the all-time No. 1 spot on Garageband.com's folk chart for best melody and best lyrics.
Liz is often accompanied by guitar talent Sarah Zimmermann. The two team-up for engaging vocal harmonies and a rapport with audiences that is filling coffeehouses and venues throughout the region. Liz has performed at the Philly Folkfest, Club Passim's in Boston, Tupelo Hall in New Hampshire, and Philly's World Cafe. She has shared the stage with Nanci Griffith, Kenny Rankin, Lucy Kaplanski, Livingston Taylor, and Jonathan Edwards.
http://www.myspace.com/lizlongley
Craig Greenberg
Recently Hoboken Music Award nominated Craig Greenberg started his musical journey in the streets and bars of Barcelona and Chile. His music transmits a youthful spirit that doesn't seem to steady down for a while, he strikes a zippy energy that reminds you of one of the reasons why you love music: to jazz you up. Craig has performed in various stages around the world, just a few to mention Costa Rica and Spain, and has played around the US with artists like songwriter Jerry Joseph (Jackmormons, Stockholm Syndrome), Jackson Browne and Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Gos. He's also been part of the New York Songwriters Circle shows which have hosted artists like Gavin De Graw, Vanessa Carlton, Jesse Harris and Marc Cohn.
In September of '06, Craig's politically charged song "No Evasion" got selected as one of the top "Songs of the Times" on Neil Young's website (www.neilyoung.com), reaching as high as 87 out of 500 on a popularity ranking, alongside songs from artists such as Ben Harper, Kris Kristofferson, Crosby & Nash, Steve Earle, Son Volt, Todd Snider, and Bright Eyes.
In November of '07, Craig co-produced and released his first EP, entitled "The World and Back".
http://www.myspace.com/craiggreenberg
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