Articles

Ashanti at the Kings Theatre photo by Mark Doyle

Ja Rule and Ashanti , Lil’ Mo and Lloyd Concert: A Success in Brooklyn

April 5, 2018 by Dominique M. Carson

Brooklyn natives started their 2018 Spring holiday weekend with a groundbreaking and innovative concert at the Kings Theatre. R&B songstress Ashanti and hip-hop rapper Ja... read article

Degraw Sound's Live Studio photo by Drew Reynolds

Spotlight On….Degraw Sound

February 28, 2018 by B.L. Howard

Editor’s Note: This is the newest installment of our “Spotlight On” feature that focuses on Brooklyn music movers and shakers, with behind-the-scenes glimpses of some... read article

MGMT’s Little Dark Age

February 16, 2018 by Albert Testani

With their first album in over four years, which was partially recorded in Brooklyn, and where one half of the duo now lives, MGMT moves... read article

Latasha’s Hip-Hop Dream Takes Hip-Hop To New Heights

February 14, 2018 by Ray Fontaine

Latasha, once known as L.A. for Latasha Alcindor, recently changed her performance name to just plain Latasha. She sings, she raps, she acts and she... read article

Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit On The Kings Theatre Stage photo by Kyra Kverno

Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit Celebrate a Special Anniversary in Brooklyn

February 11, 2018 by B.L. Howard

The third anniversary of the reopening of Brooklyn’s historic Kings Theatre in the heart of Flatbush was an especially memorable one on the night of... read article

My Isbell Contest Story

February 9, 2018 by Alison Mazer

On Friday afternoon, Brooklyn Roads Magazine reached out to let me know that I had won tickets to Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit show... read article

Mikhal photo by Pamela Hersch /courtesy of Mikhal

Mikhal : No Small Songs From This Daughter of the Sea

February 9, 2018 by Ray Fontaine

Growing up, Mikhal was surrounded by a diverse array of music, pushing and pulling her style in different directions, shaping the way she writes and... read article

Giant Flying Turtles / Ray Fontaine photo

Giant Flying Turtles photo by Ray Fontaine

Giant Flying Turtles – An Epic Musical Carpet Ride

February 6, 2018 by Ray Fontaine

Giant Flying Turtles played a one hour set to a full house at Arlene’s Grocery in the Lower East Side on January 27, 2018. The... read article

Jason Isbell at Celebrate Brooklyn! photo by Al Pereira

February: A Short Month That’s Long on the Music We Love

January 24, 2018 by David K. Moseder

For lovers of great music, every day in February is Valentine’s Day in Brooklyn. The year’s shortest month is long on great sounds from local... read article

Little Steven at The Brooklyn Bowl -photo by HBL

Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul — Holiday Bowl A Go-Go!

January 6, 2018 by B.L. Howard

Steven Van Zandt and his Disciples of Soul staged the First Annual Holiday Bowl A Go-Go! at the Brooklyn Bowl in Williamsburg to a packed... 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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