Choro is a Brazilian popular genre from the late 19th century that became one of the most important and peculiar musical styles in the city of Rio de Janeiro, well known for the beautiful lyricism of it's melodies as well as a virtuosic approach of the musicians. It's importance can be traced back as fundamental to the early development of Samba in Brazil, and consequently of Bossa-Nova later on.

$20.00 includes a drink

  http://www.facebook.com/regionalny ,  http://regionalny.bandcamp.com/

Baisinger will be accompanied by New York musicians Ryan Scott (Marianne Faithful, Christina Courtin) on guitar, Pete Rende (Rebecca Martin, Chiara Civello) on piano, Matt Brewer (Mark Turner, Jeff “Tain” Watts) on bass and Dan Rieser (Norah Jones, Jesse Harris, Marcy Playground, The Bloomdaddies) on drums. “With stunningly smoky vocals reminiscent of Paula Cole, the lilt of Joni Mitchell and the lush, jazzy warmth of Norah Jones, Amanda Baisinger enchants her listeners with a combination of elegance, emotion and sophisticated artistry. Her voice slides gently over languid melodies, the resonance filling in all the little pockets of harmony that dances between pop, jazz and folk. Always, there is a beautiful, exquisite haze that fills the air when her music begins." - CD Baby

$10 cover (plus $10 minimum)

  http://www.myspace.com/amandabaisinger

Two time Grammy award winner Peter Eldridge will perform new compositions for the ensemble this evening, and the group will play selected works from their latest recording, Galactic Diamonds.

Eldridge has recorded and performed with Bobby McFerrin, Kurt Elling, Theo Blackmann, Meredith Monk, Joshua Redman, David Byrne, Michael Brecker, the New York Voices, and many others. Cellist Jody Redhage (Esperanza Spaulding, Tokyo String Quartet, Bang on a Can All-Stars, Neil Diamond) is a rising star on the chamber and new music scene and has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Violinist Sara Caswell has performed and/or recorded with Esperanza Spaulding, Mark O'Connor, Gene Bertoncini, and Fred Hersch. Drummer/Percussionist Martin Urbach has performed with Lee Konitz, Dave Liebman, Ellis Marsalis, and Tony Malaby. Steve Hudson (Steven Bernstein, Claire Daly, James Zollar, Marcus Rojas) is a pianist and composer whose compositions and piano style embrace the history of jazz, blues, folk, and modern classical music, all with a free spirited love of improvisation.

The Steve Hudson Chamber Ensemble's latest album, Galactic Diamonds has been called “a collection of little gems” by All About Jazz; “so disarmingly fun that it’s impossible to resist...a good-naturedly eclectic mix of third stream jazz with a catchy, quirky pop edge” by Lucid Culture; and “consistently engaging” by Christian Carey, Signal To Noise.

$20 Admission (Includes one drink)

  www.steve-hudson.com

CLEVELAND-DETROIT TRIO combines the creative powers of Detroit natives bassist Cameron Brown and drummer Gerald Cleaver, with Cleveland native tenor saxophonist Jason Rigby. Hailed as "a truly lyrical musician" and "New York's rising star of tenor sax" with a "pioneering voice that deftly combines many influences," Rigby has performed with Mark Guiliana's HEERNT, John Scofield, John Patitucci, Eivind Opsvik and Dan Wall. Cameron Brown is one of the greatest living bass veterans, a driving and creative constant and has worked with the likes of Don Cherry, Art Blakey, Joe Lovano, Dewey Redman, as well as with Dannie Richmond as a member of the celebrated Don Pullen/George Adams Quartet. Gerald Cleaver is an unstoppable modern drummer who consistently dazzles with his creative depth, having performed with Roscoe Mitchell, Henry Threadgill, Craig Taborn, Mat Maneri, Hank Jones and Tommy Flanagan, to name a few.

$10 cover (plus $10 minimum)

  www.jasonrigby.net ,  www.geraldcleaver.com

Back for an encore performance! Francesca first performed The Cherry Sisters on this very stage over ten years ago and went on to enjoy runs around the tri-state area. Tonight she’ll be performing excerpts from the play, both funny and poignant, which was written as a tribute to her mother who was a natural raconteur.

The Cherry Sisters is about surviving childhood with a modicum of dignity and how our emotional scars eventually just grow together to form who we are. And how humor and song and telling stories out loud around a kitchen table is sometimes the only real therapy some of us ever get.

"Rizzo plays her mother, Grace, a woman who faces life head-on with wit and bravado ... tackling subjects few would be willing to discuss in public. And she does it with flair and sharp comedic timing." Steven V. Cronin, The Atlantic City Press

"I loved Francesca Rizzo's "The Cherry Sisters." Rizzo, a fine film actress, is mercurial on stage as well ... it seems as both writer and actor she is in touch with life itself ... better than Spalding Gray, in my book." Ray Carney, Moviemaker Magazine

Francesca Rizzo is an award-winning writer, actress and filmmaker. Her latest play, (Never Underestimate) Dames Like Her, was also launched here at the Café. And she can usually be seen here in Tulis McCall’s Monologues & Madness show, every first Monday.

$10 includes a drink   www.francescarizzo.com/Francesca_Rizzo/The_Cherry_Sisters.html

Ravichandra Kulur is considered one of the most exciting and creative flutists in Carnatic music today. A disciple of his father, Sri K Raghavendra Rao, Ravi has carved a niche for himself in a field governed by great maestros and emerged as one of the most sought after flutists from India. Ravi's versatility as a musician was recognized by none other than Pandit Ravi Shankar, calling him a "fantastic, brilliant and very well known flutist from India" Ravichandra has been part of most of Pandit Ravi Shankar and Anoushka's world tours the past few years.

"Kulur played up the contrast with gliding, curling lines teasing against her staccato ones...Set off improvisations and dizzyingly fast unison passages from Ms. Shankar on sitar and Ravichandra Kulur on wooden flute." New York Times – Aug 31, 2007

$10 cover (plus $10 minimum)

  www.arunramamurthy.com

Jed Distler, Host

Doors open at 5:45 PM

An evening with composer Virko Baley

$20.00 includes a drink

Established in 2008, neoLIT ensemble is a New York-based contemporary music group of classically trained musicians who perform and promote modern music and discover masterpieces of the 20th and 21st centuries. neoLIT celebrates the diversity of contemporary music with a vision unrestrained by convention, presents programs representing contemporary compositional styles from around the world, and is especially devoted to presentation of works by women composers. Recent performances include venues such as Le Poisson Rouge, Carnegie Hall, Bargemusic, Bryant Park Festival, and the Tank, among others.

$20.00 includes a drink

Kat Georges, David R. Lincoln, Kofi Fosu Forson, Jane Ormerod, Peter D. Marra,

Puma Perl, Janet Hamill & Peter Carlaftes, and others

Day or night. Rain, heat or snow. The city streets are full of people seeking the path to a better life. Everybody learns the hard way. Some not soon enough. And even dreams must pay their dues. That’s just the nature of The City. That’s New York. Welcome to "Have a NYC" (Three Rooms Press, 2012), the first of a new New York short stories series, edited by Peter Carlaftes and Kat Georges.

In honor of "Have A NYC," Three Rooms Press is throwing a launch party featuring 12 readers from the book. All stories are based in New York, and all have a mood and edge that reveals the still writhing underbelly and energy that refuses to bow down even as technology slowly grips the throngs of people walking the streets here.

Admission is $7, which includes a free drink.

Tonight: The Mind Behind the Theremin: An Evening of Live Theremin Music, Bad Judgement, and Genius Gone Haywire

“Genius” is the category we have peopled with exceptional humans – beings of both genders who have revolutionized every area of endeavor throughout the ages. Our collective fascination with genius has spawned studies, books, workshops, exercises, and “how-tos,” all claiming that we each have a genius inside of us. It is time for a musical cautionary tale, a tale of genius at the dawn of the technological revolution.

In 1919, Lev Sergeivitch Termen, known throughout the world as Leon Theremin, invented the first synthesizer. Originally dubbed the Aetherphone, the Theremin remains the only musical instrument played without being touched. His genius did not stop there. A prodigious inventor and visionary, he went on to revolutionize the fields of communications, surveillance, and even Macy’s window displays. Theremin suffered (and miraculously survived) the pitfalls that brought down many of history’s geniuses, a classic combination of volatile personality traits, poor judgement, and the striking of an almost Faustian bargain with those in a position to help him.

In addition to his own story, we’ll observe how Theremin’s creation has influenced the lives and career trajectories of contemporary electronic music’s geniuses such as synthesizer pioneers Dr. Robert Moog and Don Buchla, theremin virtuoso Clara Rockmore, and legendary composers, Wendy Carlos and Morton Subotnick.

Kip Rosser is considered one of the most accomplished thereminists playing today, performing his solo concerts and collaborating with musicians around the world. For reviews, photos, music samples, and upcoming performances please visit www.performancekr.com. Rosser's CDs of theremin music --Euphonic Verses and Exploration of the Black Exterior -- will be available for purchase. To hear samples from both discs visit: http://www.performancekr.com/order.html

Observatory is an art and events space in the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Founded in February 2009 by a group of seven artists and writers, the space seeks to present programming inspired by the eighteenth-century notion of "rational amusement." Observatory is especially interested in topics residing at the interstices of art and science, history and curiosity, and magic and nature. Part of the Proteus Gowanus arts complex, Observatory hosts frequent screenings, lectures, classes, and exhibitions.

$10.00 includes a drink

$20.00 includes a drink

  www.giancarlatisera.com ,  ajkhaw.com

"He plays straight-ahead jazz with the necessary mixture of scorch and sensitivity to keep it interesting." - The New York Times

"The sound that Eubanks projects is personal, warm, and sonorous." - JazzTimes

$10 cover (plus $10 minimum)

$ 7 includes a drink   www.threeroomspress.com

Petros Klampanis' CONTEXTUAL trio, featuring the extraordinary drummer Ari Hoenig and young luminary pianist Shai Maestro, will allure the audience with powerful compositions and tasteful improvisations.

"A formidable player and composer, bassist Petros Klampanis, now a member of Greg Osby’s stable at Inner Circle, makes his auspicious Stateside debut with Contextual"-Jazztimes Magazine/Bill Milkowski.

$10 cover (plus $10 minimum)

  www.petrosklampanis.com ,  www.youtube.com/petrosklampanisvideo