Features

Brooklyn & Beyond

September 16, 2015 by Howard B. Leibowitz

Asbury Park, NJ icon and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Vini “Mad Dog” Lopez told Brooklyn Roads that his visit t o the Barclays... read article

Willie Nile Digs the Brooklyn Scene, Rough Trade…and a Slice of “Pie”

September 14, 2015 by Howard B. Leibowitz

Willie Nile has been one of rock-and-roll music’s best kept secrets for more than three decades. This iconic and talented steward of power guitar chords... read article

Summer In Brooklyn – Warm Nights and Hot Sounds

August 11, 2015 by B.L. Howard

To paraphrase Brooklyn native Walt Whitman, we began the summer in a bellow to our fellow Brooklynites. To many of us, that term may have... read article

Lesley’s Gore Is Gone — and We’ll Cry If We Want To

May 16, 2015 by David K. Moseder

For many boomers, Brooklyn-born, Lesley Gore, who passed away on February 16 at the too-young age of 68, holds a firm place in the soundtrack... read article

Ashes to Hot Dogs: Woody Guthrie’s Final Repose

May 16, 2015 by David K. Moseder

After Woody Guthrie passed away in 1967, his family committed his ashes to the ocean at the beach in Coney Island. Nora Guthrie shared her... read article

Nora Gutrhrie -photo by Tina Tschirch -courtesy of Woody Guthrie Publications

Nora Guthrie photo by Tina Tschirch / courtesy of Woody Guthrie Publications

Brooklyn Background Helps Nora Guthrie Keep Her Father’s Legacy Alive

May 16, 2015 by The Brooklyn Roads Team

Woody Guthrie once said, “All you can write is what you see.” Now folks can experience what the folk music legend wrote about with... read article

Marching into a Musical Month

May 16, 2015 by B.L. Howard

Cold weather got you down? Can’t feel your nose, toes, and everything in between? Well grab your fish oils and a glass of milk to... read article

Q-104’s Ken Dashow: Keeping It Real After All These Years

December 5, 2014 by Howard B. Leibowitz

Growing up in a music-loving household in Sheepshead Bay helped set the stage for Ken Dashow’s future as one of New York radio’s most enduring... read article

Are You Listening? Brooklyn Is a Winter Wonderland!

December 5, 2014 by B.L. Howard

The temperatures have plummeted, the carolers are practicing their tunes, and the scarves on every Brooklyn hipster actually serve a purpose. While the cry of... read article

Vince Giordano: Brooklyn, Victrolas, Scorcese and All That Jazz

September 5, 2014 by David K. Moseder

When he’s not pursuing his mission to help restore the smokestack at the site of former Vitagraph Film Studios in Midwood, Brooklyn-bred musician and arranger Vince... read article

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Artists on our Radar

Eric Stern: Brooklyn Born, Jazz Driven

Eric Stern/photo by Hoyeon Choi/ courtesy of the artist

Brooklyn has long been home to innovative artists, and pianist-composer Eric Stern is no exception. Born and raised in the borough, Stern’s sound is a fusion of jazz, Latin, and classical influences shaped by his upbringing and New York City’s diverse musical landscape. Stern’s love for music began at home, where classical compositions played daily on WQXR alongside Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. His exploration led him to jazz and salsa, drawn to artists like Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and Miles Davis. His participation in Belongo’s Fat Cats program, a youth music initiative, deepened his passion for Afro-Latin music, exposing him to icons like Chico O’Farrill and Tito Puente. Though he played in school jazz bands and youth programs, it was at Fat Cats—rehearsing every Sunday at the former Fat Cat jazz club (now Cellar Dog)—that his passion crystallized. “It was sheer joy,” Stern recalls. The experience drove him to practice for hours daily, solidifying his decision to pursue music professionally. Stern studied at the University of Miami, where he formed a quartet with trumpet, piano, bass, and drums, performing across Miami until 2022. Adding saxophonist Dylan McHann that fall elevated the group into its current quintet form. Since returning to Brooklyn, the lineup has shifted, now featuring Chris Ferrari (tenor sax/flute), Joey Curreri (trumpet), Cookie Stephenson (bass), and Peru Eizagirre (drums), with Stern leading on piano and compositions. Brooklyn’s underground jazz scene remains central to Stern’s creative evolution. While Manhattan is home to institutions like the Village Vanguard and the Blue Note, he finds Brooklyn’s avant-garde spaces—Ornithology Jazz Club, Bar Bayeux, and ShapeShifter Lab more experimental and inspiring. At the heart of Stern’s music is a simple mission: joy. “That’s the only thing I really care about. If selling a million records and being super famous is able to do that, great. If not, I don’t really mind. I just want to give other people who listen and hear the music the same joy I have in playing and creating it.” Eric Stern is one to watch for those seeking a fresh, dynamic voice in Brooklyn’s jazz scene. “Why not perform in Brooklyn?” he says. “There are so many great spaces to play—why not make it happen?”

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