Articles

The Beehive Queen Promises to Create a Buzz in Brooklyn

June 14, 2016 by Mandy Pichler

Editor’s note: On Saturday, June 25, at 9:30 p.m., Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez will be at Hank’s Saloon, 46 Third Avenue at the corner... read article

Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings Celebrate Brooklyn! 2016

June 14, 2016 by Ray Fontaine

Despite the rain and a bit of a chill, the summer finally arrived in time for the kick off of the 2016 Celebrate Brooklyn! season.... read article

Polly A Shines Under the “Brooklyn Sun”

May 26, 2016 by Mandy Pichler

Polly A is Milwaukee-born and Harlem-based. So what, Brooklyn Roads wondered, was her inspiration for “The Brooklyn Sun”, the first release from her soon-to-be-released EP... read article

Garland Jeffreys Reflects on Brooklyn’s “Power and Resonance”

May 26, 2016 by David K. Moseder

Garland Jeffreys’ music has always been a blend of genres, which he says is “both a blessing and a curse because people don’t always know... read article

So So Glos_photo by 40boro_courtesy of Wikipedia

BROOKLYN VOICES — JUNE 2016

May 26, 2016 by David K. Moseder

Kudos to the Flatbush Zombies, whose first full-length studio album, 3001: A Laced Odyssey, topped Billboard’s Independent Albums chart and debuted at number 10 in... read article

BACK IN THE DAY: BROOKLYN MUSIC MILESTONES – JUNE 2016

May 26, 2016 by David K. Moseder

June 1, 2010: Treats, noise pop duo Sleigh Bells’ first studio album, is released in the U.S. The 11 tracks were produced at the Treefort... read article

BROOKLYN VOICES – MAY 2016

May 4, 2016 by David K. Moseder

If you haven’t yet been introduced to New York Blues Hall of Famer Bette Stuy, check out her new EP, Introducing Bette Stuy: This Is Neo-Blues.... read article

BACK IN THE DAY: BROOKLYN MUSIC MILESTONES – MAY 2016

May 3, 2016 by David K. Moseder

May 7, 1996: Twenty-three years after his only other album as a performer, songwriter Gerry Goffin releases Back Room Blood. Helping the Brooklyn Tech grad out is Bob... read article

Darlene Love Finds Love in Brooklyn

April 21, 2016 by The Brooklyn Roads Team

On a recent spring night, as concert-goers filed into their seats in Brooklyn Center’s Walt Whitman Theatre, they glanced at the stage and saw a movie... read article

Dawn Drake & ZapOte: Brooklyn’s Global Mixologists

April 20, 2016 by Mandy Pichler

What do you call a female Slovenian-American bassist, conguera and singer-songwriter who studied and played congas and sacred Batá drums in Cuba, as well as... 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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