FREE (JULY 29-AUGUST 1): ALT-COUNTRY LEGEND GRAM PARSONS TO BE CELEBRATED IN FREE OUTDOOR CONCERT SERIES AT GRACE BUILDING
Marking 40 years since country-rock icon’s death, Arts Brookfield & NewSong Music present rising singer-songwriters
performing covers and Parsons-inspired songs
New York, NY (July 12, 2013) – The legacy of Gram Parsons, the iconic singer-songwriter credited with inventing the pop music genre of alt-country, will be celebrated in a free outdoor concert series at Brookfield Office Properties’ Grace Building from July 29th to August 1st.
From Monday, July 29th through Thursday, August 1st, four rising singer-songwriters will pay tribute to the influential musician, who died 40 years ago this year, by performing covers of their favorite songs from the Gram Parsons catalog as well as original material that reflects his influence. Presented by Arts Brookfield and NewSong Music, the concerts will take place at 12:30pm each afternoon.
In his brief lifetime, Gram Parsons invented a new genre of music by combining the sweet twang of country and western music with the urgency of rock and roll. A cult figure who never sold many records, he influenced countless fellow musicians, from the Rolling Stones to his frequent collaborator Emmylou Harris. Although he died in 1973 at the age of 26, Parsons created a prolific body of work as leader of the International Submarine Band and the Flying Burrito Brothers, a temporary member of the Byrds, and a solo artist, leaving a legacy that continues to influence new generations of musicians and songwriters.
“For forty years, Gram Parsons has inspired countless singer-songwriters to defy boundaries and bend genres,” said Debra Simon, Vice President and Artistic Director of Arts Brookfield. “We’re excited to partner with NewSong Music in showcasing the latest generation to draw on his soulful style while embracing his originality and integrity.”
The four performers in “Grievous Angel: The Songs Of Gram Parsons” include:
- Sarah White (July 29) – Sarah White, who started her career in the late 90s on the renowned Jagjaguwar label, erases the boundaries between indie rock, post-punk, country, and folk. The San Francisco Bay Guardian raved that her 2000 album Bluebird “ensures the singer-songwriter a place in the company of Cat Power’s Chan Marshall and Edith Frost,” while her 2006 album White Light has became a cult favorite for its unique blend of driving folk-rock and country ballads. In 2007, White won “Best Song” in the Mountain Stage New Song Contest for the austere “Sweetheart.” She currently fronts the rock band Josephine.
- Hartwell Littlejohn (July 30) – Raised in South Carolina and based in New York City, Hartwell Littlejohn’s influences range from Gram Parsons and The Band to Dave Brubeck and Guided By Voices. His bands have included The American Tenants and The Ex-Lovers, whose well-received This Might Kill Us was released in 2004. The NY Press described his solo work as “charged with an authenticity so conspicuously lacking in most of the New York ‘anti-folk’ scene.”
- Susan Kane (July 31) – Susan Kane is a New York-based singer-songwriter who released her third CD, A Word Child, late last year. Addressing timeless and universal themes of love, loss, and hope, the record reached high rankings on radio charts all over the world. Kane is a regular fixture at venues and festivals throughout the New York area.
- Keith Everett & the Orange Morris (August 1) – 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.
About Arts Brookfield
Arts Brookfield is a free, year-round, privately funded performing and visual arts program that takes place in Brookfield’s flagship properties around the globe. More than 5 million people have enjoyed over 5,000 dance, music, theater, visual art, and film events presented by Arts Brookfield since 1988.
Brookfield Office Properties owns, develops and manages premier office properties in the United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. Its portfolio is comprised of interests in 109 properties totaling 81 million square feet in the downtown cores of New York, Washington, D.C., Houston, Los Angeles, Toronto, Calgary, Ottawa, London, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, making Brookfield the global leader in the ownership and management of office assets. Landmark properties include Brookfield Places in Manhattan, Toronto and Perth, Bank of America Plaza in Los Angeles, Bankers Hall in Calgary and Darling Park in Sydney.
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.
For information contact:
Patrick Kowalczyk, patrick@pkpr.com
Jason Gordon, jason@pkpr.com
PKPR, 212.627.8098
Event Listing: http://www.artsbrookfield.com/new_york/grace_building/event_422.htm
Download photos at: http://imgur.com/a/G1qI4
