Paul Reiser

with special guest Vance Gilbert

Sunday, October 9, 2022 at 7:30pm at South Orange PAC

omedian, actor, television writer, author and musician Paul Reiser is one of Hollywood’s most prolific creatives—and he shows no signs of slowing down.

Reiser is starring in two hit shows for Netflix: Stranger Things as Dr. Sam Owens, in a role created by the Duffer Brothers specifically for Reiser, and Chuck Lorre’s The Kominsky Method, for which he received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Reiser received rave reviews for the latter, where he delivered a moving soliloquy on life and loss in a scene that MediaPost says “will stand… as one of the finest moments seen anywhere on television.” Reiser returned for the third and final season of The Kominsky Method, streaming now on Netflix. The multi-faceted actor also revived one of his most iconic roles in the highly-anticipated return of Mad About You, the long-running hit 90s comedy Reiser co-created and starred in with Helen Hunt. The Emmy, Peabody and Golden Globe-winning comedy ended in May 1999 and premiered 20 years later as a limited series on Spectrum Originals. All seven seasons of the original Mad About You and the reboot are available for streaming on Amazon Prime.

Reiser was also seen on Amazon’s Red Oaks for three seasons in a role singled out as “one of his absolute finest, not just of late, but of ever”—and in Mad Men creator Matt Weiner’s limited Amazon series The Romanoffs alongside Christina Hendricks and Isabelle Huppert. Additionally, Reiser joined Sam Rockwell, Michelle Williams and producers Lin-Manuel Miranda and Tommy Kale in FX’s Emmy-nominated Fosse/Verdon.

Throughout his prolific career, Reiser has worked with both independent and mainstream filmmakers. Reiser earned acclaim for his supporting roles in the Academy Award-winning film Whiplash, John McDonagh’s War on Everyone and frequent collaborator Jeff Baena’s The Little Hours and Horse Girl, which premiered at Sundance 2020 and is the fourth film the pair has worked on together. The veteran actor has garnered praise for notable performances in films such as Diner, Bye Bye Love, Aliens, One Night At McCool’s, Beverly Hills Cop I/II and The Thing About My Folks, which Reiser wrote for his co-star Peter Falk. Recently, Reiser starred alongside Kevin Hart in the touching comedy Fatherhood, out now on Netflix.

Reiser is a fixture behind the camera as well. He co-created and co-produced There’s Johnny!, a seven-episode series which originally streamed on Hulu and now streams on Peacock. The show, co-created with filmmaker David Steven Simon and co-produced with David Gordon Green in conjunction with The Carson Company, premiered to critical praise, with Decider saying There’s Johnny! is “a television experience unlike any I’ve seen on TV in recent years” and “unfolds like a dream, a memory fondly recalled.”

Reiser’s first book, Couplehood, sold over two million copies and reached the number one spot on The New York Times best sellers list. His subsequent books, Babyhood and Familyhood, were best sellers as well. Reiser regularly performs standup at sold-out venues nationwide and was voted one of the “Top 100 Comedians of All Time” by Comedy Central.

Reiser, a SUNY Binghamton graduate in the prestigious music program, co-wrote the theme song from Mad About You, “The Final Frontier,” with Grammy-winning producer Don Was. He released an album of original songs with British singer-songwriter Julia Fordham called Unusual Suspects. Over the course of his career, Reiser has received multiple Emmy, Golden Globe, American Comedy Award and Screen Actors Guild nominations.

Reiser and his family reside in Los Angeles.

Special Guest Vance Gilbert

Can something be wry, aching, hysterical, evocative, provocative, fun, beautifully sung, and consummately played all at once? That would be Vance Gilbert. With the generous assistance from a varied list of super-respected guests—including Celtic harpist/singer Aine Minogue, bluegrass boys Darol Anger and Joe Walsh Jr., jazz sax player Grace Kelly, country rock hero Roy Sludge, and guitar mainstay Kevin Barry—this talented man’s musical truth plays out shamelessly on BaD Dog Buffet.

Like all great artists, Vance truly happens live. In fact he developed his reputation with his jawdropping, diverse, funny, devastating, and gorgeous live performances. Arlo Guthrie, Anita Baker, the late George Carlin have all requested Vance to be added to their bills.

Vance exploded onto the scene in the early 90’s, with buzz spreading quickly. Who was this multicultural arts teacher knocking them dead at open mics? After opening Shawn Colvin’s 1992 Fat City tour, he took much of America by storm and by surprise. “With the voice of an angel, the wit of a devil, and the guitar playing of a god, it was enough to earn him that rarity: an encore for an opener,” wrote the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in its review of a show from the Colvin tour.

Chris Smither and Tim O’Brien

with Jan Fabricius

Saturday, October 8, 2022 at 8pm at South Orange PAC

A master of acoustic Folk/Blues, Chris Smither creates a singular guitar sound – a beat-driven finger-picking, layered over his ever-present rhythmic, tapping feet (always mic’d in performance). A lifelong devotee of Bluegrass, Tim O’Brien is skilled on guitar, mandolin, fiddle and banjo. He often performs with his wife, vocalist Jan Fabricius.

Betty LaVette & Raul Midon

Friday, October 7, 2022 at 8pm at South Orange PAC

Soul singer-songwriter Bettye LaVette has been called the High Priestess of R&B. Her “pure Blues growl” and commanding presence have earned this Grammy-nominated performer comparisons to Aretha Franklin and Tina Turner. Blind since birth, Raul Midón lives in a world of sound. His easy tropical groove, lyrical sophistication, silky voice and flowing electric guitar are his signature.

Kevin Nealon

Sunday, October 2, 2022 at 7:30pm at SOPAC

Emmy and SAG-nominated actor, comedian and author Kevin Nealon is best known for his nine-year stint as a cast member of NBC’s Saturday Night Live, and has received critical acclaim for his role in the Showtime series Weeds.

Nealon’s self-produced, edited and hosted web series Hiking with Kevin is exclusively available on his YouTube channel of the same name. In the series, Nealon interviews his A-list celebrity friends on hikes throughout the country.

Most recently, Nealon starred in CBS’s Man With a Plan during all four seasons. Nealon’s extensive television credits include Globen Globe and SAG-nominated Weeds, the titular voice role of Glenn Martin, DDS, two critically acclaimed stand-up specials for Showtime, and a number of appearances on Monk, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Still Standing and more. His extensive film career includes projects such as Anger Management, Eight Crazy Nights, The Wedding Singer, Happy Gilmore, Just Go With It, You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, Joe Dirt, Daddy Day Care, Roxanne, and Grandma’s Boy.

As one of the longest running cast members on NBC’s Saturday Night Live (1986-1995), Nealon created some of the show’s most memorable characters; his recurring role as an anchor on ‘Weekend Update’ helped make the sketch a show staple. In 1988, he earned an Emmy nomination as part of the SNL writing team.

Currently, Nealon resides in Los Angeles with his wife and son.

David Broza and Trio Havana

Saturday September 17, 2022 at 8pm at South Orange PAC

David Broza

Israeli superstar Broza is considered one of the world’s most dynamic and vibrant performers. From his whirlwind finger picking to Flamenco percussion and rhythms, to a signature Rock and Roll sound, David Broza’s charismatic and energetic performances have delighted audiences throughout the world.

Raised in Israel, Spain and England Broza has been giving his charismatic and energetic performances worldwide since 1977, when his hit song “Yihye Tov” first hit the airwaves, promoting a message of peace. Broza is also known for his commitment and dedication to several humanitarian projects, especially a resolution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict through dialogue, culture, music and mutual respect. Now, with a string of multi-platinum albums—in Hebrew, English and Spanish—he continues to hone his message. Broza was awarded a Spanish medal of honor by the King of Spain, Juan Carlos I, for his longtime contribution to Israel-Spain relations and his promotion of tolerance. A passionate peace advocate, he has also been named a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

Broza garnered widespread acclaim for his 2013 album East Jerusalem West Jerusalem, produced by GRAMMY Award-winner Steve Earle and Steve Greenberg and recorded  it entirely in the Palestinian Sabreen Studio in East Jerusalem. The work, featuring a band of both Israeli and Palestinian musicians, resulted in a beautiful, intimate documentary of the same name. Vanity Fair called the documentary “extraordinary” and added “if no one else is going to try and heal the world, he will.” East Jerusalem West Jerusalem is currently streaming on Netflix. Broza’s 2016 album, The Set List, captures his best-loved songs culled from studio recordings and live performances over the years. His latest release, Taba’at ZaHav (The Golden Ring), is a collection of 13 new songs about love and separation co-written with lyricist/poet Tzruya Lahav and sung entirely in Hebrew. A powerful entertainer and industry innovator, Broza awes and inspires audiences with his sincere message, energetic performances and musical allure.

Trio Havana

Born in 1977 in Havana, Cuba, Jorge Bringas began his music studies at the age of 11 in “La Paulita Concepcion.” He moved on to study with master Cuban bassist, Carlos del Puerto and began playing and touring with Omara Portuondo of Buena Vista Social Club fame. In the late ’90s he settled in Miami, where he became Albita Rodriguez’s bassist and musical director. He recorded on the Grammy Award-winning album, Albita Llegó and then in Miami, he had the great opportunity to perform and tour with the late great Celia Cruz. He also performed with Nachito Herrera and was one of the founding members of the Timba band Tiempo Libre.

Grammy Award nominee Manuel Alejandro Carro, a.k.a. “MannyA,” is a New York based Cuban artist of many talents: a singer, songwriter and a master percussionist who is at home in many musical genres. From his Ballads to Latin songs, music aficionados are uniting around his exceptional lyrics and tunes. In his debut album Ser Grande Por Dentro, MannyA explores a series of reflections, or “inspiraciones,” on universal themes of love, artistic passion and the search for higher meaning. His debut created an awakening in the Latin Pop world and firmly established him as a powerful presence. The world eagerly awaits the release of his upcoming EP.

Yuniel Jimenez ,”El Guajiro” (The Country Boy), is a singer-songwriter and a master tres player who came from Santa Clara, Cuba to New York City. He brought with him not only his tres-guitar, but also a piece of the country side of Cuba to the Big Apple.

Dee Dee Bridgewater & Bill Charlap

Sunday, March 13, 2022 at 7:30pm at South Orange Performing Arts Center

Dee Dee Bridgewater & Bill Charlap

Effortless… spontaneous… inimitable… join us for the convergence of two of Jazz’s most legendary forces of nature on the intimate SOPAC stage.

When Dee Dee Bridgewater and Bill Charlap take the stage, an incomparable experience awaits. With a vast repertoire spanning the greatest periods and genres in music, the duo craft masterful performances and deliver captivating storytelling.

Drawing on the canons of luminary composers… Ellington, Porter, Sondheim, Lengrand, Simon and others, their virtuosic interpretations traverse the musical spectrum… from the intimate ballads to soulful grooves, delivered with daring expression borne of their musical chemistry.

“Bill Charlap is masterful. His stylistic range encompasses rollicking stride piano, bebop virtuosity and harmonically opulent modernism.” -The New York Times

“[Dee Dee Bridgewater] has a technique and musicality that bests most performers of her generation.” -The Guardian (UK)

The Bad Plus

Sunday, March 12, 2022 at 8:00pm at South Orange Performing Arts Center

The Bad Plus

“By any standard, Jazz or otherwise, it is moving, mighty music…bad to the bone, hot players with hard-rock hearts” (Rolling Stone)

“The Bad Plus are the Coen brothers of Jazz: Midwesterners, both ironic and dead earnest, technically brilliant, beyond versatile, a little chilly sometimes, but funny, surprising, and pretty hard to pin down” (The New Yorker)

“One of the great, true groups in Jazz of the past 25 years” (Joshua Redman, an American Jazz saxophonist and composer)

The Bad Plus are the ultimate originals. A democratic unit with a clear vision and a refusal to conform to convention. For the past two decades they have played with spirit and adventure, made their own rules and done so with a bold sense of creativity and intent. Avoiding easy categorization, The Bad Plus has won critical acclaim and a legion of fans worldwide with their unique sound and flair for live performance.

Now in their 21st year, The Bad Plus continues to push boundaries as founding members Reid Anderson (bass) and Dave King (drums) embark on a new piano-less incarnation of the band with Ben Monder (guitar) and Chris Speed (tenor saxophone) – instigating a new wave of excitement and anticipation within the band that is re-energizing their sound and inspiration. The Bad Plus have constantly searched to bridge genres and techniques while exploring the infinite possibilities of exceptional musicians working in perfect sync.

Resistance Revival Chorus

Thursday, March 9, 2022 at 8:00pm at South Orange Performing Arts Center

Resistance Revival Chorus

The Resistance Revival Chorus (RRC) is a collective of more than 60 womxn, and non-binary singers, who join together to breathe joy and song into the resistance, and to uplift and center womxn’s voices. Chorus members are touring musicians, film and television actors, Broadway performers, solo recording artists, Gospel singers, political activists, educators, filmmakers, artists, and more, representing a multitude of identities, professions, creative backgrounds, and activist causes. RRC centers womxn in music, and address how historically marginalized womxn have been in the music industry.

The great artist and activist Harry Belafonte once said, “when the movement is strong, the music is strong” and the RCC attempts to live up to that call. The RRC calls for justice and equity for womxn across racial, ethnic, economic, sexual identity and religious lines. They aim to be intersectional in their feminism and reveal that all social justice issues overlap heavily with womxn’s issues; to harness the collective power of womxn to help change the world; to celebrate each other through song; to embrace Toi Dericotte’s idea of “joy as an act of resistance.”

Son Volt

Wednesday, March 9, 2022 at 8:00pm at South Orange Performing Arts Center

Son Volt

2020 was not quite what Jay Farrar was expecting for the 25th anniversary of Son Volt, the band he started in 1995 after leaving the seminal group Uncle Tupelo, whose No Depression album helped define the Alt-Country and Americana genre. The group had just finished an Outlaw Country Cruise when the pandemic hit and sent them into their homes on lockdown.

Instead of a triumphant tour marking the illustrious milestone, Farrar was forced indoors by the pandemic, and his “Reverie” during that time helped define Electro Melodier, Son Volt’s 10th studio album – and third for influential Nashville indie Thirty Tigers. The title, taken from the names of two vintage amplifiers from the late ‘40s and early ‘50s, also describes the disc’s unique blend of Folk, Country, Blues, Soul and Rock – an electric troubadour with melodies that hit and stick. Social protest songs like “Living in the U.S.A.” and “The Globe,” the former about the promises of this nation gone wrong, the latter referencing the street protests accompanying the Black Lives Matter movement, exist side by side with odes to long-term relationships (specifically his 25-year marriage) in “Diamonds and Cigarettes” and “Lucky Ones.”

Once again accompanied by the current Son Volt line up – keyboardist/steel guitarist Mark Spencer, bassist Andrew Duplantis, guitarist Chris Frame and drummer Mark Patterson – Farrar takes a slight turn from 2019’s politically pointed Union to a series of songs that asks questions rather than demanding answers – think of “Living in the U.S.A.” as Farrar’s version of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.,” Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” or Patti Smith’s “People Have the Power,” an anthem to unite the populace.

“I had more time to devote to and concentrate on the writing,” says Farrar about his enforced quarantine. “We were fortunate in that we had just released Union and toured the country, so we were off cycle. It was still a rough year, but as a songwriter, I was able to make the most of it.”

One listen to Electro Melodier, which opens with “Reverie,” describing Farrar’s contemplative state gazing out his window, enlivened with Mark Spencer’s “Wichita Lineman” guitar riffs and the lush Big Star melodies, and you wonder why no other rock ‘n’ roll bands or singer/songwriters are making albums like this about what we’re all going through.

“I wanted to concentrate on the melodies which got me into music in the first place,” says Farrar. “I wanted politics to take a back seat this time, but it always seems to find a way back in there.”

Listen to the Moog line from The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again” channeled in “The Globe,” or the Led Zeppelin homage in “Someday Is Now,” the nod to gut-bucket Mississippi delta blues in the Lightnin’ Hopkins low-tuned guitar stylings of “War on Misery” or Spencer’s haunting slide on the funereal dirge of “The Levee On Down,” which takes Andrew Jackson to task for everything from the “Trail of Tears” massacre of the Cherokees to his face on the $20 bill instead of Harriet Tubman. The environmentally conscious “Arkey Blue” nods to a honky-tonk in Bandera, TX, Arkey Blue’s Silver Dollar, where Hank Williams, Sr. allegedly carved his name into one of the wood tables, and even quotes Pope Francis on “turbulent rains never before seen.”

“I’m just asking the same question, how can so much go wrong in a country that is held up as an example to the world of something righteous,” explains Farrar about songs like “Living in the U.S.A.,” in which you can hear doomsaying prophecies like Barry McGuire’s “Eve of Destruction” set to the guitar riffs of Lou Reed’s “Sweet Jane.”

Still based in St. Louis (“It kinda makes sense as a central location for touring because all the interstates connect through here”), Farrar was born in Belleville, IL, where he formed Uncle Tupelo with his high school classmate Jeff Tweedy. “We had similar musical interests and took it from there,” says Jay modestly about the groundbreaking group.

Farrar is grateful to his wife of 25 years, a sentiment which he expresses lovingly on “Diamonds and Cigarettes” – featuring vocals by country singer Laura Cantrell, along with songs like the soulful “Lucky Ones” and “Sweet Refrain,” a song that captures the spirit of Bentonia, Mississippi, home of Skip James along with name checks for local legends Jimmy “Duck” Holmes and the Bluefront Cafe. “These are the Times” was recorded entirely remotely by Zoom, signaling one of the new methods of making music ushered in by Covid.

With tour dates scheduled before the end of 2021, Son Volt is ready to return to what they know best after a welcome period of introspection.

“It’s a good time to take stock of what’s lost and what’s gained,” said Farrar. “At this point, we’re not even sure what we’re going to get back.”

The songs of Electro Melodier help remind us to be thankful of what we still have – new music from Jay Farrar and Son Volt.

“Daylight brings the clues to the world to life/Make or break gotta do what it takes to survive.” “Sweet Refrain”

Marc Cohn

Saturday, March 5, 2022 at 8:00pm at South Orange Performing Arts Center

Marc Cohn

After winning a Grammy for his soulful ballad “Walking in Memphis,” Marc Cohn solidified his place as one of this generation’s most compelling singer-songwriters, combining the precision of a brilliant tunesmith with the passion of a great Soul man. Rooted in the rich ground of American Rhythm & Blues, Soul and Gospel and possessed of a deft storyteller’s pen, he weaves vivid, detailed, often drawn-from-life tales that evoke some of our most universal human feelings: love, hope, faith, joy, heartbreak.

In 2019, Marc released a collaborative record with Gospel legends Blind Boys of Alabama titled Work To Do which was released on BMG.

Work To Do is comprised of three studio tracks plus seven intimate live performances recorded at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook, CT, during a taping of the PBS series The Kate. Original plans were to release an EP containing the studio tracks, but the excitement and magic captured during the taping inspired the decision to create this unique hybrid album.

2019 was a busy year for Marc, consisting of 75 shows in about 65 cities. Moving forward, Marc continues to do what he does best: infuse American music with both a fresh perspective and a reverence for its deep roots.

Billie & Blue Eyes presented by

John Pizzarelli & Catherine Russell

The Songs of Frank Sinatra & Billie Holiday

Saturday, September 2, 2021 at 8:00 PM EST at South Orange Performing Arts Center

Grammy Award-winning vocalist Catherine Russell teams up with Jazz guitarist, vocalist and bandleader John Pizzarelli in a stunning tribute to Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra.

Dubbed “the essential duo,” Russell and Pizzarelli transport audiences to the glory days of Jazz with masterful ease, capturing Holiday’s effortless grace and Sinatra’s cool swagger. World-renowned guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli has been hailed by The Boston Globe for “reinvigorating the Great American Songbook and re-popularizing Jazz,” while All Music Guide says, “Russell emerged as a retro old school vocalist for the ages.”

John Pizzarelli

The world-renowned guitarist and singer, John Pizzarelli, has established himself as a prime contemporary interpreter of the Great American Songbook and beyond, with a repertoire that includes Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Tom Waits, Antônio Carlos Jobim, and The Beatles. He has been hailed by The Boston Globe for “reinvigorating the Great American Songbook and re-popularizing Jazz.” The Toronto Star pegged him as “the genial genius of the guitar.” And The Seattle Times saluted him as “a rare entertainer of the old school.”

Following high-profile collaborations with Sir Paul McCartney and Michael McDonald, Pizzarelli returns to his roots in 2019 to honor his hero, the legendary Jazz/Pop vocalist and pianist Nat King Cole. For Centennial Reasons… completed an epic trio of Pizzarelli albums saluting Cole, starting with Dear Mr. Cole, which helped put Pizzarelli on the map as an influential Jazz guitarist and singer in 1994, and continuing with P.S. Mr. Cole, which cemented his legacy five years later.

Catherine Russell

With universal acclaim, vocalist Catherine Russell has performed on four continents. She’s been a hit at major Jazz Festivals including Monterey, Newport, North Sea, JazzAscona, Montreal, Bern, Rochester International, Panama, Tanglewood, and at sold-out venues like The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Scullers in Boston, The Dakota in Minneapolis, Jazz at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall in NYC, SFJazz in San Francisco, and Pasadena Pops in Los Angeles. All Music Guide says, “Russell emerged as a retro old school vocalist for the ages.”

Her repertoire features a selection of gems from the 1920s through the present; vital interpretations, bursting with soul and humor. With an off-the-beaten-path song selection, sparkling acoustic swing, and a stunning vocal approach, Catherine Russell has joined the ranks of the greatest interpreters and performers of American Popular Song.

Russell is a native New Yorker, born into musical royalty. Her father, the late Luis Russell, was a legendary pianist/composer/bandleader, and Louis Armstrong’s long-time musical director. Her mother, Carline Ray, was a pioneering vocalist/guitarist/bassist who performed with International Sweethearts of Rhythm, Mary Lou Williams, and Sy Oliver. Catherine’s professional life began early. After graduating with honors from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, she toured and recorded with Carrie Smith, Steely Dan, David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Simon, Jackson Browne, Michael Feinstein, Levon Helm, and Rosanne Cash, among others, appearing on over 200 albums.