Articles

Megan Palmer and the Healing Power of Music

November 14, 2019 by David K. Moseder

Megan Palmer, one of the standout performers at the 2019 Brooklyn Americana Music Festival, grew up with a musical grandfather who played jazz piano and... read article

Rise Up With Fists /photo by Adela Laconte

Jenny Lewis : "Rise Up With Fists !" photo by Aedla Loconte

Jenny Lewis and The Watson Twins Roll In Brooklyn

October 30, 2019 by B.L. Howard

The hallowed Art Deco lobby of the Kings Theatre in the heart of Brooklyn was buzzing, as the overflowing crowd of Jenny Lewis fans anticipated... read article

Pauline Jean photo by Joey Rosado

Pauline Jean: Music From a Strongly Rooted Core

October 9, 2019 by David K. Moseder

Pauline Jean had been working as a paralegal in New York City for several years when she reached a verdict about herself: guilty of not... read article

The Maybelles_BKAMF19_Jalopy Opening Night_Photo by Quincie Hydock

The Maybelles On Opening Night photo by Quincie Hydock

Fifth Brooklyn Americana Fest: One Crowd-Pleaser After Another

September 29, 2019 by David K. Moseder

The fifth annual Brooklyn Americana Music Festival presented 50 free shows on nine stages from Dumbo to Red Hook on Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 19... read article

Jesse -Guitar In Hand/ photo by Candy Cohen

Jesse Malin -Guitar In Hand photo by Candy Cohen

Jesse Malin’s “Sunset Kids” — A Musical Sunrise

September 18, 2019 by Howard B. Leibowitz

If you’re not familiar with New York City rocker Jesse Malin, or thought that he was in danger of becoming a musical memory, he was... read article

Eddie Money On Stage at Aviator / photo © 2010 by B.L. Howard Productions

Eddie Money On Stage at Aviator photo © by Howard B. Leibowitz /B.L.Howard Productions

In Memoriam: Eddie Money

September 14, 2019 by David K. Moseder

Brooklyn-born Edward Joseph Mahoney, known to the music world as Eddie Money, died on September 13, 2019, at age 70, after a battle with esophageal... read article

Afropunk BK Fashion / photo by Kyra Kverno

Afropunk Brooklyn 2019: Fun, Raunchy, Eclectic

September 7, 2019 by Azriel Wallace

2019’s Afropunk Festival Brooklyn, held on August 24 and 25 at Commodore Barry Park, was an abundance of pure vibes. One word to describe this... read article

Third World On Stage at Metrotech - photo by Arnie Goodman

The Photo Pit-Captures From BAM’s R& B Festival at Metrotech-Third World

September 3, 2019 by Arnie Goodman

Brooklyn Roads Magazine’s Contributing Photographer Arnie Goodman shares his thoughts and some masterful images of Third World’s performance at BAM’s R & B Festival at... read article

Courtney Barnett at Celebrate Brooklyn! photo by Kyra Kverno

Brooklyn’s Best: The Year So Far

August 26, 2019 by David K. Moseder

The first eight months of 2019 have proven to be a microcosm of the music renaissance that has swept Brooklyn over the last two decades.... read article

ESS SEE photo by Jonathan Frey

ESS SEE: A SINGER-SONGWRITER GROWS IN BROOKLYN

August 7, 2019 by David K. Moseder

Arkansas native Sarah Cobb, known professionally as ESS SEE, tells Brooklyn Roads that, “The first music I can remember truly loving was on our local... 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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