Back In The Day: Brooklyn Music Milestones – February 2016

February 3, 2016 by David K. Moseder

February 10, 2004: Collectors’ Choice Music reissues American Flyer’s two late-1970s albums in one CD. The folk-rock “super group” features Brooklynites Steve Katz (Blue Project, Blood, Sweat & Tears) and Eric Kaz (Blues Magoos), Long Islander Doug Yule (Velvet Underground) and Ohioan Craig Fuller (Pure Prairie League). Highlights include the Kaz-Libby Titus classic “Love Has No Pride,” and the Billboard Top 100 Kaz-Fuller single “Lay Me Down Easy.”

Feb.16, 1978: Although neither his then-current album, Mirage, nor latest single, “We All Wanna Boogie,” cracked the Billboard Top 200, Richie Havens fills The Bottom Line without benefit of an opening act. The Bedford-Stuyvesant native’s two-hour-plus show includes his iconic Woodstock opener, “Freedom,” other originals such as “Nobody Left to Crown,” and several covers, most notably “Just Like a Woman,” “Fire and Rain,” “I’m Not in Love,” “Easy (Like Sunday Morning)” and “Long Train Running.”

Richie Havens_4_-circa 1980-photo by Howard B. Leibowitz

Richie Havens -photo by Howard B. Leibowitz / B.L.Howard Productions

February 18, 1974: Casablanca Records, a new label launched by Flatlands-born music mogul Neil Bogart, releases its first album, Kiss, by the band of the same name. Kiss features Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley and Williamsburg native Peter Criss.

Lou Reed– photo by Howard B. Leibowitz / B.L.Howard Productions

Feb. 20, 1996: After a four-year hiatus from recording, the longest of his career, Lou Reed releases his 17th solo album, Set the Twilight Reeling. It charts reasonably well, peaking at 110 in the U.S. and 26 in the UK, and gets four (out of five) stars from Rolling Stone. The opening track, which taps Reed’s Brooklyn roots, is devoted to his favorite childhood concoction, “Egg Cream.”

February 21, 1968: The brainchild of former Blues Project band mates (and Brooklyn natives) Al Kooper and Steve Katz, Blood, Sweat & Tears issues their first album, Child Is Father to the Man. Among the 12 tracks are seven Kooper originals and one each by Katz and fellow Brooklyn songwriters Harry Nilsson and the team of Gerry Goffin and Carole King.

Feb. 25, 1981: Janis Siegel’s vocal arrangement of “Birdland” wins two Grammy Award for her group, Manhattan Transfer: one for Best Arrangement for Voices and another for Best Jazz Fusion Performance.

Artists on our Radar

Ricky Stein: Texas Roots in Brooklyn

Ricky Stein/ photo courtesy of the artist

If you’re looking for music inspired by New York City with a Texan flare, look no further than Ricky Stein, a Brooklyn-based artist originally from Austin, Texas. Stein is a singer-songwriter whose music is grounded by a combination of his upbringing in Texas and his present life in the bustling streets of New York City and Downtown Brooklyn. Stein has an impressive discography of singles and albums, and since moving to New York City in August 2016, he has released a full album, “Long Summer” and many singles. Stein’s music is best defined as Americana and roots, with folk-infused acoustic and electric guitars, and his lyrics paint vivid images of nature and life. The listener feels connected to Stein, as his musical stylings resemble talent from the likes of John Prine and Bonnie Raitt. His most recent single, “Passenger,” highlights Stein’s talents with a strong harmonica section. The song’s instrumentation and structure is built on one verse, which compliments the song’s message about the uncertainty and ominousness of being a passenger on a long journey. Another standout, “Street Lights,” is a lighthearted commentary on the comfort of hope, the street lights representing persistent light even in the dead of night. Stein’s live performances are carefully tailored, his sets performed at local venues in Brooklyn like Pete’s Candy Store and many other venues known to support live roots and country music. His talents are always showcased, whether performing a solo show with a guitar and harmonica or being supported by a full band. Stein’s upcoming months are packed with performances at many venues, including Saturday, January 11th at Skinny Dennis Bar in Williamsburg and Friday, March 7th at Sunny’s Bar in Red Hook. You won’t want to miss it!

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