Bluegrass Bliss

The four-piece unit Driftwood visits Upstairs at the Dino on Friday

Since they started popping up in the Syracuse scene two years back, Driftwood has risen from a little bluegrass band to a local favorite with a fanatical following. The band, now a quartet, starte

Santa’s Groove Bag

Here’s a gift guide of books, discs and more for music nerds of all ages

Another year means another load of books, DVDs, CDs, vinyl and other irresistible money-suckers for music fans who simply can’t resist another addition to their collection. Luckily, 2012 was

Piano Man

The late Dave Brubeck, a guest at three Syracuse Jazz Fests, made the art form accessible to the masses

During the 2009 Kennedy Center Honors, President Barack Obama recalled seeing honoree Dave Brubeck in concert in 1971 in Honolulu. Obama reflected in his remarks, “You can’t understand A

The Path to Peace

The Syracuse Community Choir celebrates 27 years of peace and social justice songs

Since 1985, the Syracuse Community Choir has been delivering messages of peace and social justice through the power of song. They utilize the voices of the community—young and old with diff

The Symphony Strikes Back

The sound of silence ends as the former Syracuse Symphony Orchestra returns with a new name and structure

When the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra announced plans to file for bankruptcy in April 2011, the bad news shook up all of Central New York. The 79-year-old organization had a rich history, but suddenly no future. Musicians dispersed and SSO patrons were left with non-refundable tickets, sadness, confusion and anger at the collapse of the organization.

Spring Sammys

Although the 17th edition of the Syracuse Area Music Awards (Sammys) had come and gone by December 2011, local artists have been kept on the edge of their seats awaiting the announcement of the next event, now set for Friday, March 8.

Hop on Pop

Jazz pianist Marco Benevento will branch into new musical territory during his Thursday gig at the Westcott

Anyone under the false impression that jazz music is inaccessible or only performed by stuffy players obviously isn’t familiar with Marco Benevento. This 35-year-old keyboard king is technically talented and creatively rich, but in no way personality-deprived. Just as his music is layered and varied, so is the man behind it.

Frisco Foursome

The Stone Foxes will blend old and new musical genres for their upcoming Salt City show

People get it wrong about the music industry today: Beneath that superficial layer of so-called Top 40 “hits” on the radio (Taylor Swift’s songs about her exes, Ke$ha’s garbage about getting wasted at age 17), it’s not all crap. Hundreds of bands are bubbling under the radar, presenting music lovers with new reasons to believe that rock’n’roll will never die.

Techs and Violins

Instrument repairmen Tom Hosmer and Harry Eibert master the art of making strings sing

An instrument is a work of art. When Tom Hosmer holds up a violin and starts explaining the curve, the wood, the seams, the thickness, the weight, the...

Southern Hospitality

Blackberry Smoke proves the band's place on Zac Brown's label and stage

It’s impossible to sit still when the first track of Blackberry Smoke’s latest album Whippoorwill (Southern Ground) comes on. On “Six Days to Sunday,” guitar rips like Billy Gibbons from ZZ Top and keys pound like Adam MacDougall of the Black Crowes, but in this combo it’s Charlie Starr slaying the guitar and vocals, Brandon Still sliding up and down the black and whites, Paul Jackson on guitar, Richard Turner on bass and Brit Turner on drums.