All Over Albany

Upbeat on the Roof 2015

Rosary Beard will be one of the acts up on the roof this summer.

The Upbeat on the Roof Friday evening music series returns to the Tang Museum at Skidmore this summer. And there's a strong lineup this year -- the schedule is post jump. It starts up in July this year.

The concerts are all on the roof of the Tang (thus the name). And they're free.

Show start at 7 pm. All blurbage via the Tang.

July 3: Skidmore Jazz Institute
A performance by participants in Skidmore College's Jazz Institute. The Institute, active since 1987, has become one of the premier summer programs for intermediate and advanced young musicians to learn, rehearse, and perform with world-class jazz musicians.
Also: Free curator's tour with museum director Ian Berry at 5:30 pm.

July 10: Bryan Thomas
Albany-based soul rock singer-songwriter Bryan Thomas "writes smart, and he writes from the heart, balancing intellect, passion and politics."

July 17: Decoda: Skidmore Chamber Music Institute
Participants in Skidmore College's Chamber Music Institute perform with artists from Decoda. Decoda is a New York City-based chamber ensemble comprised of virtuoso musicians, entrepreneurs, and passionate advocates of the arts. Their summer intensive at Skidmore, now in its second year, offers young musicians multiple performance opportunities and occasions for meaningful community engagement.
Also: Free inside-out tour with assistant director for engagement Michael Janairo at 5:30 pm.

July 24: Rosary Beard
Rosary Beard, comprised of Hunter Sagehorn and Matthew Loiacono, create intricately intertwined music on acoustic guitar. Each known in the Northeast for abundantly different music - Sagehorn's angular, rhythmically-cryptic guitar work in rock band Alta Mira and Loiacono's solo experimental mandolin and voice music as Matthew Carefully - the duo found new synergy in composing quiet, thoughtful music together.

July 31: Alex Torres & His Latin Orchestra
Formed in 1980 in Amsterdam, New York, this twelve-piece orchestra led by Bronx-born bassist Alex Torres performs their original blend of Afro-Caribbean rhythms such as Salsa, Merengue, Cha-cha, Bomba, Plena, and Latin jazz.
Also: Free curator's tour with curatorial assistant Sarah G. Miller at 5:30 pm.

August 7: Holly & Evan Band
Amsterdam-based blues musicians Holly Taormina and Evan Conway have joined with drummer Bob Morris and saxophonist Josh Greenberg to update the traditions of the Barrelhouse, with their unique and electric style. In their four years together, Holly & Evan have actively pushed the boundaries of traditional blues music, mixing in a touch of jazz and soul.

August 14: Jocamo
Founded in 1993, Jocamo is a group of veteran musicians who create their own old school brew of funk, R&B, soul, and rock. Inspired by the music of the Meters, Neville Brothers, Parliament/Funkadelic, James Brown and Marvin Gaye, Jocamo provides heavy groove with covers and original music.
Also: Free curator's tour with assistant director for curatorial affairs Rachel Seligman at 5:30 pm.

August 21: Bear Grass
Bear Grass attracts listeners with the quirky songs of Katie Hammon. Featuring Hammon with Ian White, August Sagehorn, and Tommy Krebs, Bear Grass draws on influences like Laura Veirs and Wye Oak, creating melodic, captivating, and, at times, subtly dark music.
Also: Free curator's tour with Imaan Riaz '15, 2014-15 Eleanor Linder Winter '43 Intern.

August 28: Annie and the Hedonists
Annie and the Hedonists interprets the songs of the great female blues artists of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, such as Bessie Smith, Memphis Minnie, and Billie Holiday, among many others. Featuring musicians Annie Rosen, Jonny Rosen, Peter Davis, and Don Young, their styles include western swing, bluesy country, and roots Americana.

photo: Laura Harris