New York Jazz-Rock Hotspot Iridium Reopens to Full Houses

Wilson Chapman editorJudge Judy Sheindlin is heading back to her alma mater next month for a commencement ceremony that will feature three generations of Sheindlin women in law.Judy Sheindlin, a household name from her long tenure on daytime court show “Judge Judy” and IMDB TV’s new “Judy Justice,” will serve as commencement speaker for New York Law School at its May 26 ceremony at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.Sheindlin graduated from the school in 1965; her daughter Nicole earned her J.D. from NYLS in 1993.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorBlue Note New York has announced the 11th Annual Sony Presents Blue Note Jazz Festival. The festival kicks off on June 1 with a free show in Washington Square Park headlined by Robert Glasper — who performed on the Oscars Sunday night — in association with Washington Square Park Conservancy.Taking place at major venues across New York City, including Blue Note New York, Sony Hall, The Town Hall, and SummerStage in Central Park, this year’s festival features performances from George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic, Chris Botti, Charles Lloyd, Macy Gray, Kenny G, Al Di Meola, Madeleine Peyroux, Dave Holland & Kenny Barron, Robert Cray, Kenny Garrett, José James, Chief Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott), Bilal, DOMi & JD Beck, Dizzy Gillespie Big Band, Theo Croker and so many more legends, with a major headliner announcement on April 26.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorOn the heels of Elton John’s 75th birthday, the singer and AEG Presents have unveiled the final North American dates of his “Farewell Yellow Brick Road The Final Tour.” The announcement promises that the 11 new dates “mark the final shows added to his North American tour.”The new dates include additional performances in East Rutherford, NJ; Foxborough, MA; Toronto,; Vancouver, BC; and Phoenix,  along with a third show added at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Concerts in San Diego, Santa Clara, CA, and Tacoma, WA, have also been added.Elton John’s final North American show – a return to the site of what is arguably his most iconic performance, Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium – on November 20 will be his 2,000th  U.S.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorFlorence + the Machine are set to play an extended run of headline dates later this year, kicking off September 2 in Montreal with further stops including New York’s Madison Square Garden, Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl and many more. One dollar from every ticket sold will benefit Choose Love to aid refugees worldwide.The group has assembled a formidable array of up-and-coming support acts at select dates on the tour: Arlo Parks, Sam Fender, King Princess, Yves Tumor, Japanese Breakfast and Wet Leg will join as support on select dates throughout the tour.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorRoxy Music, the legendary and influential British group who launched during the glam-rock era of the early 1970s but evolved into a suave and romantic brand of pop that influenced everyone from Chic to Duran Duran and Maxwell, will tour for the first time in 11 years to mark the 50th year since their groundbreaking self-titled debut album.Singer-songwriter Bryan Ferry, saxophonist Andy Mackay, guitarist Phil Manzanera and drummer Paul Thompson will perform 13 arena shows across North America and the UK, beginning September 7 in Toronto at the Scotiabank Arena.The tour will take the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members across the U.S., including New York’s Madison Square Garden and The Forum in Los Angeles, before culminating with a performance at the O2 Arena in London. Tickets for the Live Nation produced North American shows will go on sale Monday, April 4 (10 a.m.

Arcade Fire have announced a last minute concert in New York tonight (March 18) to help victims in Ukraine.The band took to Instagram today to confirm they are playing a benefit show at the Bowery Ballroom – watch the announcement clip below.In the post, frontman Win Butler and band member Richard Reed Parry can be seen stapling posters for the show on a message board.“Hey New York, we’re gonna play a show tonight, if you guys wanna come,” says frontman Win Butler. “It’s a benefit gig for Ukraine at the Bowery Ballroom.”A post shared by Arcade Fire (@arcadefire)A caption on the clip also says “pay what u can” but no further information on how to purchase the tickets has been posted.It comes after the band played a benefit concert for Ukraine in New Orleans earlier this week.That show saw Arcade Fire play a number of new tracks including their single ‘The Lightning, I, II’, ‘Age of Anxiety’, and ‘Rabbit Hole’.All proceeds from that “pay-what-you-can” gig went to benefit the Plus1 Ukraine relief fund, which is supporting Ukrainian people through non-profits providing humanitarian aid as Russia’s invasion of the country continues.Meanwhile, the band unveiled details of their new album ‘WE’ yesterday (March 17).Speaking about their sixth studio LP, Butler said creating it was “the longest we’ve ever spent writing, uninterrupted, probably ever.”Described as a “concise 40 minute epic” in a statement, it contains seven songs and is “as much about the forces that threaten to pull us away from the people we love, as it is inspired by the urgent need to overcome them”, according to a press release.

Chris Willman Music WriterAlthough it appeared to the public that there might be a bit of beefing going on between the Rolling Stones and Beatles — shades of 1967 — Keith Richards says in a new interview that the matter was quickly resolved, with Paul McCartney reaching out to him to assure him no contemporary slight was intended.The continuation of their alleged friendly feud came up in a discussion the Stones’ guitarist had with writer Brian Hiatt for an episode of “Rolling Stone Music Now,” in which Richards also discussed what it was like to hit the road without their late drummer Charlie Watts, and whether they’ll be able to complete the studio album he started with them.Asked about 2021’s minor Stones/Beatles controversy, Richards said, “I got a note from Paul about that, saying ‘I was taken totally out of context,’” Richards says. The possible tiff came up with McCartney was profiled in a lengthy New Yorker piece and was quoted by the magazine’s famous editor as saying, “I’m not sure I should say it, but they’re a blues cover band, that’s sort of what the Stones are.

Keith Richards and Paul McCartney are all good.

Keith Richards has said that Paul McCartney sent The Rolling Stones a note following the publication of an interview in The New Yorker, in which McCartney labelled them “a blues cover band”.The musician was reflecting on The Beatles’ legacy when he made the remark about the Stones. He said: “I’m not sure I should say it, but they’re a blues cover band, that’s sort of what the Stones are.

Keith Richards has confirmed that The Rolling Stones’ touring drummer Steve Jordan will be on hand to help the long-running band finish their forthcoming new album.Jordan has been filling in on drums for the Stones following the death of their longtime drummer Charlie Watts, who passed away in August last year.Speaking on the latest episode of the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast, Richards clarified reports which previously claimed that Watts had finished work on the Stones’ next studio album before his death.“We do have a lot of stuff of Charlie Watts still in the can,” he said. “We were half-way through making an album when he died…”The guitarist added: “Of course, if we want to carry on recording, we’re gonna need drums, and it’s gonna be Steve Jordan.” You can listen to the full podcast with Richards below.Richards also revealed on the podcast that he was initially reluctant to tour without Watts when the late drummer fell ill last year.“I was in, ‘Oh, I cannot do this without Charlie’,” he recalled.

New York Post declared that dressing like a lesbian is fashion’s newest trend. Attached to the tweet was a recent article published by the news outlet, in which it declared that womenswear is “leaning toward the stereotypical lesbian look”. The article published by The Post referenced an essay written by queer author Jill Gutowitz for Harper’s Bazaar.

Keith Richards has revealed that he’s been “playing a lot of bass” on The Rolling Stones‘ upcoming new material.Speaking to the Daily Star newspaper’s ‘Wired’ column (via Music-News.com), the musician spoke about spending a week in Jamaica to work on music with Stones frontman Mick Jagger.Richards told the newspaper that him picking up the bass guitar provided “another angle” to the legendary band’s sound. “It’s quite interesting – at the same time it’s Stones man,” he said.Asked how many new tracks emerged from the sessions, the guitarist replied: “More than I can count – it was a very productive week.”Richards went on to say that he and Jagger “got a very good sound going”, adding: “Jamaica is good for sound.”Elsewhere, he told the Daily Star that the Rolling Stones are currently “gearing up” for their recently-announced UK and European 60th anniversary tour, which takes place this summer.“Once a year I like to keep my hand in – there’s nothing like playing on stage,” Richards said of his desire to head back out on the road.The forthcoming tracks will serve as the first new music from the Stones since the death of their drummer Charlie Watts last summer.

Keith Richards reunited with his old band the X-Pensive Winos at a show in New York last week – check out the footage below.The Rolling Stones guitarist assembled the group back in 1986 for his performance in the Chuck Berry concert film Hail! Hail! Rock ‘N’ Roll, which came out the following year.They contributed to Richards’ debut solo album ‘Talk Is Cheap’ (1988) and its follow-up ‘Main Offender’ (1992), as well as touring with the musician. The X-Pensive Winos also appear on his 2015 third LP, ‘Crosseyed Heart’, and played one live show that year.The original X-Pensive Winos line-up consisted of guitarist Waddy Wachtel, keyboardist Ivan Neville, bassist Charlie Drayton, saxophonist Bobby Keys and drummer Steve Jordan – the latter of whom is now a permanent touring member of The Rolling Stones’ following the death of Charlie Watts last summer.As Stereogum reports, Richards and the X-Pensive Winos played a three-track set together at the Love Rocks benefit show at NYC’s Beacon Theatre last Thursday (March 10).

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorThe Rolling Stones have announced dates for their 60th anniversary tour, their second jaunt since the death of founding drummer Charlie Watts last August. The European summer tour will take in fourteen shows in ten countries across the contintent and will present the premiere of “a brand new ‘Sixty’ production,” starting in Madrid on June 1.The announcement notes that the group will be playing its first concert in Liverpool in more than 50 years, followed by two shows in London’s Hyde Park.

NEW YORK -- Melissa Etheridge says the star-studded Love Rocks NYC benefit, the annual concert for the nonprofit God’s Love We Deliver, is exactly the kind of fundraiser she wanted to join.“I’ve wanted to be involved in this wonderful, wonderful project that has just done so much for so many for so many years,” the Grammy-winning “I’m the Only One” rocker said.This year’s Love Rocks, which takes place at The Beacon Theatre in Manhattan on Thursday night, boasts enormous star power – including headliners Etheridge, Keith Richards, with his “other” band The X-Pensive Winos, Mavis Staples, and others, as well as hosts including Kiefer Sutherland and Mario Cantone. But for Karen Pearl, God’s Love We Deliver’s president and CEO, what this one night generates for her group year-round is what makes it even more special.After two years of audiences limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s event is back at full force.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIt’s been a long time coming — two years, in fact — but the Songwriters Hall of Fame has confirmed that its twice-pandemic delayed 51 Annual Induction & Awards Gala will take place on Thursday, June 16, 2022, at its longtime location, the Marriott Marquis New York’s Times Square.The 2022 date, originally set for June 10, 2020, will induct previously announced songwriters, Mariah Carey, Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), Ernie Isley / Marvin Isley / O’Kelly Isley / Ronald Isley / Rudolph Isley / Chris Jasper (the Isley Brothers), Steve Miller, Pharrell Williams / Chad Hugo (the Neptunes), Rick Nowels and William “Mickey” Stevenson. Master songwriter Paul Williams will be receiving the prestigious Johnny Mercer Award and Universal Music Publishing Chairman-CEO Jody Gerson will receive the Abe Olman Publisher Award.

The New York Times said that it was moving its staffers out of Russia “for now” after the passage of a censorship law that threatens prison sentences for those whose reporting on the invasion of Ukraine is deemed “fake news.”

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorIt’s almost become a model in recent years: If a song’s a hit, the copyright-infringement lawsuits follow, and Dua Lipa was clobbered with two of them in four days last week. Her global hit “Levitating,” which has spent 68 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, has drawn two lawsuits from songwriters claiming the song infringes on their compositions, according to multiple media reports.The first was filed March 1 by a Florida reggae group called Artikal Sound System, claiming that Lipa’s song lifts from their relatively obscure 2017 track, “Live Your Life.” That complaint includes little specific detail beyond claiming that the two tracks are so similar that it was “highly unlikely that ‘Levitating’ was created independently.” In the second, more-detailed legal complaint, filed on March 4 in New York, songwriters L.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorRepublic Records has appointed David Wolter executive vice president of A&R,label  co-president Wendy Goldstein announced today (March 7). He is based in Republic Records’ New York headquarters.Throughout his career,  Wolter has signed or worked closely with artists ranging from Gorillaz to Jack Antonoff’s Bleachers. At Republic, he will oversee upcoming releases for Benee, Greta Van Fleet, Jimmy Fallon and others, in addition to signing new talent.Prior to joining Republic Records, Wolter had been an executive VP of Virgin Records at Capitol Music Group since 2017.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorHipgnosis Song Management has acquired the song catalog of Leonard Cohen, poet, novelist, performer and one of the most influential songwriters of the past 50 years. The Canadian-born artist, who died in 2016 at the age of 82, is an inductee of both the Songwriters Hall Of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame.Hipgnosis has acquired rights in all 278 songs and derivatives written by Leonard Cohen, including “Hallelujah,” which has been covered more than 300 times.