Press Release | For the Sake of a Song: A Tribute to Townes Van Zandt

June 9,  New York
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For Immediate Release                                 

For information and photos contact:

Patrick Kowalczyk, patrick@pkpr.com

Kait Smith, kait@pkpr.com

PKPR, 212.627.8098

What:  For the Sake of a Song: A Tribute to Townes Van Zandt

When:    July 9, 10, 17, 23, 24, 31

12:30pm

Where:  Grace Plaza, 1114 Avenue of the Americas

One New York Plaza at Water and Broad Streets

Phone:   (212) 417-2414

Link:  www.ArtsBrookfield.com/Townes-Van-Zandt

Cost:  Admission is free, no RSVP required.

Download photos at: http://imgur.com/a/EYToU

FREE (JULY 9-31): LEGENDARY TROUBADOUR TOWNES VAN ZANDT

TO BE CELEBRATED IN FREE OUTDOOR CONCERT SERIES

AT THE GRACE BUILDING & ONE NEW YORK PLAZA  

Six lunchtime concerts to mark 70th birthday of the late singer-songwriter

New York, NY (June 9, 2014) –  Legendary Texas troubadour Townes Van Zandt, who would have turned 70 this year, will be honored with a three-week series of free outdoor concerts at the Grace Building in midtown and One New York Plaza in Lower Manhattan next month.

On six afternoons from Wednesday, July 9th through Thursday, July 31st, “For the Sake of a Song” will showcase rising singer-songwriters as they pay tribute to the influential musician, performing covers of their favorite songs from his catalog as well as original material that reflects his influence. The lunchtime series, which derives its name from Van Zandt’s 1968 debut album, is presented by Arts Brookfield with support from NewSong Music, Red Jacket Orchards, and radio station WFUV.

Townes Van Zandt, who died in 1997 at the age of 52, has been championed as one of the most brilliant songwriters in the country and folk pantheon by critics and fellow musicians alike. Steve Earle, his former protégé, ranked him as a greater songwriting talent than Bob Dylan, while The New York Times declared his best work better even than that of country-music icon Hank Williams. Renowned for marrying dark humor to transcendent beauty, Van Zandt’s songs have been covered by admirers as diverse as Robert Plant, Mudhoney, Norah Jones, Lyle Lovett, and Bob Dylan, and he maintains a cult following among fans of all ages.

Van Zandt songs confirmed to be performed during the series include: “I’ll Be Here in the Morning” performed by Amber Rubarth (July 10); “Tonight I Think I’m Gonna Go Downtown” and “Lover’s Lullaby” performed by Milton (July 31); “If I Needed You” performed by David Berkeley (July 9); and “If I Needed You” performed by The Sea The Sea (July 17th).

“Townes Van Zandt continues to leave his imprint on one generation of singer-songwriters after another,” said Debra Simon, Vice President and Artistic Director of Arts Brookfield. “He’s the ultimate musician’s musician, and we’re excited to partner with NewSong Music to honor him with a celebration showcasing the latest crop of talent to draw inspiration from his sharp wit and raw honesty.”

The six performers in “For the Sake of a Song: A Tribute to Townes Van Zandt” include:

• David Berkeley (July 9) – David Berkeley’s gift as a songwriter and storyteller is that he sees both the tragedy and comedy in life, managing to both reveal the sorrow at the heart of the human condition and the blazing joy and beauty in the same. Berkeley’s songs are at once hard and hopeful.

• Amber Rubarth (July 10) – A subtle and insightful songwriter, Amber Rubarth has toured extensively throughout the US, Europe, and Japan, sharing stages with the likes of Emmylou Harris, Kenny Loggins, Jason Mraz, and Loudon Wainwright III. A grand prize winner in NPR’s Mountain Stage NewSong Contest, she has earned enthusiastic praise from The Huffington Post, BBC Radio, and Acoustic Guitar Magazine. Jacquire King (Tom Waits, Norah Jones) produced her fifth album, “A Common Case of Disappearing,” (NewSong Recordings) which debuted at No. 13 on the iTunes songwriter charts and features a duet with Jason Mraz.

• The Sea The Sea (July 17) – If life is measured by leaps of faith, then singer-songwriter duo Chuck E. Costa and Mira Stanley have found a way to catch up midair as they jump headlong into the infinite abyss. Their debut album Love We Are We Love finds the duo in suspended animation, exploring moments of the unfolding future through storyline lyrics, intimate harmonies, and emotive sonic landscapes.

• Keith Everett & the Orange Morris (July 23) – The music of Keith Everett & the Orange Morris draws on jazz, country, blues, rock, and pop, culminating in solid Americana. Notable accomplishments include: finalist in Starbucks Music Makers Competition; songs licensed to television and film productions; and selection by the John Lennon Songwriting Contest to play NAMM in Austin, TX.

• Jason Myles Goss (July 24) – A native of Hopedale, MA, Jason Myles Goss released his first album, Long Way Down, in 2003, and was selected as a finalist in the Newport Folk Festival Songwriters’ Contest that same year. Since then, he has spent his time touring the country and recording subsequent albums, including his fourth and latest effort, Radio Dial. Over the years he has built a steady following, and is now one of the most buzzed-about artists in both the New York City and Boston music scenes.

• Milton (July 31) – Milton is a New York-based singer/songwriter and the leader of a lively, rootsy six-piece ensemble that plays up and down the East Coast and throughout the U.S. His songs are intimate and honest, trying to catch a good groove and tell you the story with all he’s got. He has written and recorded a lot of songs, played on TV and on radio stations around the country, and composed the score for an HBO movie.

ABOUT ARTS BROOKFIELD:

Arts Brookfield presents exciting, world-class cultural experiences to hundreds of thousands of people for free each year in both indoor and outdoor public spaces at Brookfield’s premier office properties in New York, Los Angeles, Denver, Houston, Toronto, Perth and Sydney. From concerts, theater and dance to film screenings and art exhibitions, Arts Brookfield brings public spaces to life through art.

Through December 2014, Arts Brookfield celebrates its 25th Anniversary through an interactive initiative, Art Set Free. The public is invited to submit original artworks of all kinds for digital display at Brookfield’s office properties around the globe and onwww.ArtsBrookfield25.com.

Americans for the Arts has named Brookfield and Arts Brookfield a BCA 10 2014 honoree, Best Businesses Partnering with the Arts in America.

About NewSong Music

NewSong Music is an independent music organization with the following two-fold mission: to build a supportive community of performers and songwriters across all genres of music and levels of skill, and to identify the truly exceptional artists within this community and to work closely with them to develop their careers and introduce their music to a broader, international audience. You can find out more about NewSong Music at www.newsong-music.com.

# # #

Announcing the finalists in the first annual
NewSong Presents:
LEAF Singer-Songwriter Contest 

Congratulations to the following artists, who will perform and compete in the live showcase finals at the upcoming LEAF Festival (May 8-11).   Tokyo Rosenthal Chapel Hill, NC Mother Explosives Asheville, NC Brown Bag Songwriting Competition Winner    Spencer Scholes Durham, NC Timothy Scott Williams Charlotte, NC Mariana Bell Los Angeles, CA   Sarah Clanton Schaffer Greenville, SC Wyatt Espalin Hiawassee, GA Indigo De Souza Asheville, NC   Oh, Cassius* Stamford, CT Alexa Woodward* Greenville, SC   * Unable to perform in the finals.         And a BIG Thank You to everyone who submitted. Your participation helps support LEAF’s Schools and Streets program.   ———————-   About LEAF LEAF Community Arts is a non-profit organization in which all donations and festival profit goes towards music and arts education programming locally and globally.  Since 2004 it has served over 41,000 youth with programs in over 15 community locations and in 10 countries worldwide. Attendance at LEAF Festival not only provides an amazing weekend experience for your friends and family, and supports those without opportunity to live their dreams through music and arts. www.theleaf.org   About NewSong Music NewSong is an independent music and artist development organization founded in 2001 and based in Asheville, NC. NewSong’s mission is to build and support a community of performers & songwriters across all genres and skill levels, introducing their music to a broader international audience. Its programs include a record label (NewSong Recordings), management services, concert curation and promotion, and the annual NewSong Contest, its international performance and songwriting competition and showcase now in its thirteenth year. NewSong’s partners include New York’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, NPR’s Mountain Stage, Moog Music, the ASCAP Music Café at Sundance, and LEAF. www.newsong-music.com

Red Jacket Announced as 2014 NewSong Music Presenting Sponsor.

“An Independent Farm Supporting Independent Music“

PRESS RELEASE 

Wednesday, March 4. Asheville, NC. LEAF Festival and NewSong Music are proud to announce the first annual NewSong Presents: LEAF Singer-Songwriter Competition!  With a mission to empower singer-songwriters locally, regionally and nationally, LEAF and NewSong have joined forces to find the very best talent. 

The contest begins accepting online mp3 submissions today (March 4), and the final deadline to enter is Monday, April 7. Judges will select 7 finalists from the online submissions, who will then be invited to perform in the live performance finals that the Spring LEAF Festival on Saturday, May 10, 2014. 

Additionally, Asheville Music Hall’s local Brown Bag Singer-Songwriter competition winner will join LEAF as the eighth finalist! The overall winner of the competition will be selected by a panel of judges at the finals, and awarded a performing artist position in Fall LEAF Festival Oct 16-19! 

All eight finalists will each receive two complimentary LEAF Festival day passes for Saturday, May 10 to perform in the live performance finals.

The LEAF Singer-Songwriter contest was created as a platform for Artists who have a wealth of talent, but limited access to the big stage.  The goal is to provide a springboard for Singer-Songwriters everywhere – to share art, shine on stage, and become household names within the LEAF, NewSong, and greater music community.

The cost to enter is $20 for one song, $35 for two songs, and $45 for three songs. Enter safely and securely online at www.newsong-music.com/LEAF. A portion of the contest proceeds will support the LEAF Schools and Streets program. 

“One of the greatest gifts we have to offer is our music and our story.  The NewSong Presents: LEAF Singer Songwriter Competition gives musicians everywhere an opportunity to share their journey within an amazing setting, surrounded by an incredibly supportive community, for an opportunity to elevate their craft to the Big Stage!” ~ Ehren Cruz, LEAF Performing Arts Director

“It’s a great honor to partner with LEAF to co-produce their first singer-songwriter competition. The LEAF experience is so special and unique among music and arts festivals, and an ideal environment to introduce deserving emerging artists to an appreciative and supportive audience.” ~ Gar Ragland, NewSong Director & Co-founder

About LEAF

LEAF Community Arts is a non-profit organization in which all donations and festival profit goes towards music and arts education programming locally and globally.  Since 2004 we have served over 41,000 youth with programs in over 15 community locations and in 10 countries worldwide. Attendance at LEAF Festival not only provides an amazing weekend experience for your friends and family, but supports those without opportunity to live their dreams through music and arts.

About NewSong Music

 NewSong Music is an independent artist development company headquartered at Asheville, NC’s Echo Mountain Recording Studios. 

NewSong’s mission is to build and support a community of performers and songwriters across all genres and levels of skill, and to identify the truly exceptional artists to introduce their music to a broader, international audience. 

Its programs include a record label (NewSong Recordings), management services, concert curation and the annual NewSong performance and songwriting competition. Its presenting partners include Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York, NPR’s Mountain Stage and the ASCAP Music Café at the Sundance Film Festival.

Important Contest Dates

 Tuesday, March 4 – Contest opens for entries online at www.newsong-music.com/LEAF 

Monday, April 7 – Final deadline to submit online 

Monday, April 21 – Finalists announced 

Saturday, May 10 – Live performance finals at the LEAF Festival (May 8-11)* 

• All finalists will receive two LEAF Festival day passes to perform in the finals on Saturday, May 10.

Friday, February 7. Asheville, NC. NewSong Music, producers of the annual, international NewSong performance and songwriting competition, announced today that the 2014 NewSong Contest will  open for entries on Saturday, March 1. Details to follow. 

www.newsong-music.com

Congratulations to last year’s NewSong Contest grand prize winner the Cardinal Sons! It was recently announced that they’re on the bill of the 2014 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. They’ll be performing on May 2nd.  

About the Cardinal Sons: 

Balancing crunchy organ and guitar with steady-cadenced drums, the three brothers of Cardinal Sons cultivate a sound steeped in the musical identity of their upbringing. Made in Mississippi, later moving deeper south — John, Joe, and Dave play loud, folky pop leavened with three-part harmonies and a left hand for a bass player.

In the summer of 2012, Joe and Dave’s shared musical effort went into hibernation. Older brother John, hell-bent on seeing his brothers’ progression, decided to begin writing songs himself, forming a new band of brothers that laid latent all along. Their debut recording Cardinal Sons Make an EP honors the straightforward, whole-souled creative process that took root among them early on. 

With the release of the EP came endearing videos, including  “October Rolls,” Young Guns and Underdressed, an unmistakable dynamic and a quirky, but candid preview of themselves. Content reigns king with Cardinal Sons, as 2013 brings new videos, new recordings, and some memorable performances – inviting audiences into the family.

 For more information about the Cardinal Sons, click here.  

New Orleans based Cardinal Sons will perform at Sundance ASCAP Music Cafe on Thursday, January 23rd, 2014 as a part of their Grand Prize Winning package from the 2013 NewSong Contest.  

As winners, they will also receive recording time at Asheville, NC’s Echo Mountain Recording Studios with producer, musician, and songwriter Charlie Sexton, and will perform on NPR’s Mountain Stage Show.  

Other prizes include a Little Phatty analog synthesizer from Moog Music, and a handcrafted, made-to-fit Sonus Musician’s Chair from Brian Boggs Chairmakers in Asheville, NC.

Sundance ASCAP Music Café

The Sundance Film Festival presents the Sundance ASCAP Music Café, a dynamic showcase dedicated to exceptional live performances of new, emerging and established talent. Stop in during the day to hear a range of exciting songwriters and artists from across the musical spectrum in a program produced by ASCAP.

Back for a second year, check out select evenings of official Festival music programming as the Music Café presents Night Sessions. These special evenings feature a broad range of unique live performances that will provide the chance for music fans to experience their favorite Festival artists in a more intimate and personal setting. 

For more information about Sundance ASCAP Music Cafe, Click Here.

For music, videos, and more info about the Cardinal Sons, Click Here. 

For Immediate Release:

“Berkeley sings in a lustrous melancholy voice with shades of Tim Buckley and Nick Drake … as his melodies ascend to become benedictions and consolations, the music shimmers and peals.” – The New York Times

“Berkeley crafts his songs like watercolor paintings. Intimate and introspective, his gentle yet colorful melodies are graceful and resonate long after the last note fades.”  – Creative Loafing, Atlanta

 New York, NY – December 19, 2013

NewSong Music is proud to announce the December 20^th release of a digital EP from David Berkeley’s concert at Lincoln Center’s David Rubenstein Atrium. The fine folks at Paste have an exclusive premier of the record in its entirety, which can be heard right here:  http://bit.ly/1fpGyDh

Lincoln Center Live, performed at the close of 2012 to a full house, features songs drawn from Berkeley’s five critically acclaimed studio albums. Known for his emotional, intimate and inspiring performances, Berkeley was also at his comic best that night, and several moments of his unique repartee are showcased on Lincoln Center Live.

This is only the second official live release from the veteran songwriter, and for those familiar with the magic of Berkeley’s performances it comes none too soon. NewSong’s executive director Gar Ragland produced and mixed this collection, highlighting Berkeley’s vocals and finger picking guitar style and the ethereal guitar work of Berkeley’s longtime sideman Bill Titus.

As with all of his recordings, Berkeley’s elegiac, insightful lyrics take center stage. His gift as a songwriter and storyteller is that he manages to both reveal the sorrow at the heart of the human condition and the blazing joy and beauty in the same. It’s a duality that audiences experience at all of Berkeley’s shows as he tells uproarious stories between heartbreaking songs. His deft way with words prompted the San Francisco Chronicle to dub him a “musical poet.” 

 Lincoln Center Live is available through the NewSong Recordings site, allowing listeners to pay what they wish for a download. A portion of the proceeds will go to benefit the Robin Hood Foundation and its efforts to combat the effects of poverty in New York City. Included in the download of the EP is a beautiful, seven page digital pdf booklet, complete with song lyrics, photographs of that night’s performance and liner notes by music writer and critic Lee Zimmerman.

 “Nearly one year ago to the day, David performed in the series we curate at Lincoln Center,” said Ragland. “This was not too long after the back-to-back tragedies of Newtown and Sandy. David’s performance that night struck me as a salve of sorts, offering equal doses of comfort, gravity and levity. Our aim with this release is to share that experience with a larger audience, and to help support and promote the inspiring work this holiday season of the Robin Hood Foundation, which provides support to those most in need in the New York City area.”

About David Berkeley:

Recently featured on Public Radio International’s This American Life, The Huffington Post, Mountain Stage, Acoustic Cafe, and Art of the Song, David Berkeley has opened/toured with Adele, Mumford & Sons, Ben Folds, Don McLean, Ray LaMontagne, Nickel Creek, Michelle Shocked, Ollabelle, Dido, Rufus Wainwright and many more. Berkeley is the recipient of ASCAP’s Johnny Mercer Songwriter Award.

In addition to Berkeley’s studio releases, he penned a memoir titled 140 Goats and a Guitar, which accompanied his 2011 album Some Kind of Cure. Both written during the year Berkeley lived in a remote village of only 35 people on the island of Corsica, Goats tells thirteen stories, which led to the writing of the album’s thirteen songs. Within months of arriving in new home Santa Fe – his sixth in as many years – and still overwhelmed by the palette of reds and browns and the endless open sky, Berkeley wrote and recorded The Fire in My Head, his most haunting and personal songs to date. He is currently finishing his second book, and as with Goats, Berkeley is writing a song to accompany each story.

About NewSong Music:

NewSong is an independent music and artist development company founded in 2001 and now based in Asheville, NC. NewSong’s mission is to build and support a community of performers and songwriters across all genres and skill levels, introducing their music to a broader international audience.

newsongrecordings.com
newsong-music.com
davidberkeley.com
robinhoodfoundation.org

For further information, interviews, photos etc., contact Ever Kipp ever@tinyhuman.com