StreetcredMusic: "The Best Song Since The Blog"

Regina from Jersey City asks: "Since you started the blog what's the best song you have heard from all the indie artists"?
I have to make full disclosure here, for a question like that I eliminate my immediate family, cause it would not be fair because I love everything they write~ (Family being Yula Beeri and the Diva, Greta Panettieri)

There are three songs that I say are the best, WHY?? Because I love them all for many reasons. First thing, they all paint a picture in my mind as I listen to them, and BTW, I have listened to them hundreds of times. Secondly, they all are a perfect match... lyrics and melody.

 Here they are in alphabetical order:and BTW, the albums these great tunes come from are wonderful also:
'Changing Spaces' by MaryC  
An R&B tune that speaks to a break up, and sung as only a NYC songstress can.
"One mistake is all it takes, you could hear the sound of my heart break" 

'Landing Gear'..by Abby Ahmad
One of the best protest songs ever written.
 "Hold your breath kids, cause greed in airborne"

 'Rabid Girl'...by Kalen
....literally creates a 'snap shot' of New York's lower east side, with the tempo of the metropolis.
 "Delancey liquor store refused to serve her more, cops are on the way, she's a regular they say"

Kalen

There UGO, my favs. But guess what, I have some of the new music that will be released soon from some of NYC's finest...AND I may be adding some new favs to this list!! Stay tuned!!
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 Listen here::: Abby Ahmad
Listen here::: Kalen

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StreetcredMusic: 2015, 'It Was A Very Good Year'

2015, it was 'all good'. I attended many wonderful events at TheHiveNYC. Live stage, art, and live music.TheHive is totally non profit, like this blog, and they rely on the talented young artists who share in all the projects, and the donations of people like me who enjoy their work.

'Peer Gynt' at TheHive

Performances by Yula and the eXtended Family

 This blog maintains a continuing relationship with everyone at TheHive, and the wonderful events they produce...looking forward to 2016!
Here is a Video recorded and filmed at TheHive~~ 'Dot X' by Yula &TheXFM

Speaking of TheHive it was there I got to see the wonderful Tessa Lena 
perform for the first time in 2015. She is an experimental musician, creative as hell, a great vocalist and performance artist..AND she fights for independent thinking as well as indie music. Tessa has a new album that will be coming in early 2016. I have heard a sample, GREAT!

Tessa Lena

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Putting people together and meeting new artists is what this blog is all about. Let me re~introduce you to another... I met Keren Botaro this year, and went to several of her gigs for the first time in 2015. She's a monster vocalist, with a marvelous stage presence, and a fun person.

Keren and her band

Keren Botaro

Video:: Keren: 'The Only One'
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"Amazing women" How many times have you heard that on this blog?? Well here is one I met this summer, a friend of "the amazing" Lara Bello. 

Get to know and enjoy an exciting, vibrant all around great performer/actress/dancer, Vanessa Calderon

Vanessa, With Lara Bello

Vanessa Calderon

Vanessa Calderon

 Video:: Vanessa, 3'30" DK
 The short film directed by Daniel Diosdado is a sharp and furious critic to hypocrisy and praise to vulnerability; those things that scare us and force us to make many mistakes.
So pleased to meet her in 2015.
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>>2015, is the year I got most of my Documentary Film edited. A bit more to go!

Working with Emilly Ben Ami & Sam Teichman 'StreetcredMusic'
 

Here's a clip:: 'The Diva' NYC
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2015: I was contacted by RKC Radio, Paris. 
They asked me if I would like to play 2 hrs of my Indie Music family each week on their airwaves that reach 144 countries!! So of course I said yes! ...and they are the real deal when it comes to supporting indie music of ALL genre. So please listen in and go and follow their efforts on the link above...Thanks!

 >>2015, I lost some of my favorite 'hang out' ladies this year.>>>

Kayce Laine Moved to Nashville, good for her!!

Video:: Kayce Laine, 'Better Than Okay'
Here's more about her move:: 'Kayce to Nashville'
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Sonia Montez moved to Seattle, a great move for her family! Gonna miss our brunches :(

Video Sonia & The Henry Street Players::'AveryJane'
Gonna miss both, fun people!!!

And, Clara Lofaro ..went on "TILT"

'My2cents'....I would just like to express how much joy and trust you all have given to me, as we enter the new year I wish for you all, joy and happiness in return.


Follow me: Pete Carma

StreetcredMusic: Kayce Laine, 're-booting' her career.

Music aside, one of the nicest, sweetest, and intelligent young women I have ever met, is leaving New York City.

Kayce Laine

 Kayce Laine is the third songstress from my 'inner circle' to leave NYC in the last year. She will be moving to Nashville, that's Tennessee y'all. Part of the reason for her departure is a common event in NYC now, the absolute price gouging in the cost of renting an apartment. (Williamsburg, Bklyn)

However the career change will be great for Kayce though...I think she will have more breathing room. She is planning to release a song and possibly a video each month, after getting settle in.
She will be working with producer, Tim Brennan.

Not to worry me and Kayce will be in touch forever and you will get all her great new creations here....and NYC will always be a destination for her in the future, and maybe we can do some gigs together.
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Some great memories, Erin Pellnat, Kayce and Greta Panettieri, at The Bitter End..

Me and Kayce at TheHiveNYC

Video:: Kayce: '5 AM Light'

....and just last week she was one half of this blogs 'Photo of the Year' for 2015, with Erin.

Photo of the Year 2015.

 Gonna miss you Mamacita!! Knock em dead down there!!! xo Love!  Much Love.

You can follow Kayce's  Facebook page here
             ..her bandcamp:  HERE!


Follow me:: Pete Carma

StreetcredMusic: 1 Diva + 1 Lara = 2 Euros.

 Music: There are no barriers. As long as love and beauty and talent are present, language is no obstacle.

The Diva: Greta Panettieri 

 An Italian Jazz Classic::Video: 'Brava' 
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Lara:: Lara Bello 

A classic beauty from, Granada, Spain: Video: 'A Mais Bonita' 


Follow: them on FB: Greta Panettieri   
                           FB: Lara Bello


Follow me:: Pete Carma 

StreetcredMusic: Svetlana Shmulyian & The Delancey Five, New Release

A new release will be available mid January, from one of New York City's most popular bands.
Svetlana and The Delancey Five

Here is a look at the production:: Video: Night At The Speakeasy

Svetlana::
 "No other band on the hot jazz and swing scene would do a song in Russian, I'm interested in songs in any genre. I wanted to write and record songs that you could dance to but that you could also listen to on the radio, in the car, or wherever. It's music that makes you smile."
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I have seen Svetlana and her 'Five' live, and they put on a great 'swingin' show, they are the real deal.

Here is where you can catch them next:: 

Upcoming Svetlana & The Delancey Five Performances:

Jan. 15 / BBKings / New York, NY 

Dec. 15 / MTA Subway Swing Party / New York, NY

Dec. 25 / Zinc Bar / New York, NY 

Jan. 11 / Mezzrow Jazz Club / New York, NY

Jan 13. / Urbo Gotham Club / New York, NY

 

Svetlana & The Delancey Five Weekly Residences:

Monday / Back Room / New York, NY

Wednesday / Bedford Hall / Brooklyn, NY

 
 Follow their FB page:: HERE!

Follow me::Pete Carma

StreetcredMusic: 2015 Photo of the Year Winner!

It's that time of year again. Time for me to pick the StreetcredMusic 'Photo of the Year' for 2015.

Remember it's not the quality of the photo that is most important, it's what the picture captures.
The time and place, events and the emotion it provokes with me, that matter most.

There were 21 photos in all. here is the winner::

Kayce Laine   and   Erin Pellnat

 It was a snowy night in New York City, in January. We were at The Garage for a Champian Fulton gig, and the 'deep dark' secrets were filling the air, and some 'good' gossip too, fun night!

I lifted my phone aimed and clicked, it took all of 2 seconds to capture this Gem!!

Thanks Sistas!!  

Follow me:: Pete Carma

StreetcredMusic: Choosing 2015 Photo of the Year. (Getting down to the final few)

It's that time of year again. Time for me to pick the StreetcredMusic 'Photo of the Year' for 2015.

Remember it's not the quality of the photo that is most important, it's what the picture captures.
The time and place, events and the emotion it provokes with me, that matter most.

There are 21 pics in all, see the previous selections here::
'Others in the running'
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Here I am with Kayce Laine, and Erin Pellnat ~in a snowstorm in NYC, watching Champian Fulton
.....a really fun night!!

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This one, Ha, I saw the hat and I asked her to send me a photo of her wearing it, within minutes this popped up on my Twitter!!! The totally amazing, Lara Bello

This is after her show at TheHive, me and Yuli, I gave my cell phone to a photog extrodinaire, 

Haim Bargig and he gave us this wonderful photo!!

There UGO, a few more, nine I think, and we'll have a winner!!




Follow me:: Pete Carma

StreetcredMusic: SheSaid~HeSaid, Sinatra Centennial, With Keren Botaro.

Just a few days away from the one hundredth anniversary of Frank Sinatra's birth, December 15th, 1915, in New Jersey.
Here is another tune, one of my favorites, done by Sinatra many times...and now I bring in one of my favorite women on the New York City music scene, to join him..."The Way You Look Tonight"

Keren Botaro

 SheSaid, VIDEO::Keren, The Way You Look Tonight 

Keren takes time from her original tunes, (Rock/Pop) career to play a few gigs with the New York Big Band of Joe Battaglia, at events in The Big Apple. She will be releasing her latest album soon. As soon as it drops we will have it for you!!
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Here's the man of the century with HeSaid::
Video: Sinatra, The Way You Look Tonight

 "The Way You Look Tonight" is a song featured in the film Swing Time, originally performed by Fred Astaire. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1936.                                               
The song was sung to Ginger Rogers as Penelope "Penny" Carroll by Astaire in character as John "Lucky" Garnett, while Penny was busy washing her hair in an adjacent room, and feeling anything but beautiful at the time. The song was written by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Dorothy Fields,and has become a standard. Fields later remarked, "The first time Jerry played that melody for me I went out and started to cry. The release absolutely killed me. I couldn't stop, it was so beautiful."

 Keren Botaro, Follow, Facebook page

Follow me:: Pete Carma

StreetcredMusic: Choosing 2015's Photo of the Year.

It's that time of year again. Time for me to pick the StreetcredMusic 'Photo of the Year' for 2015.

Remember it's not the quality of the photo that is most important, it's what the picture captures.
The time and place, events and the emotion it provokes with me, that matter most.

There are 21 pics in all, see the previous selections here::
Other pics in the running for 2015

Erin Pellnat returns from Paris:

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Tessa Lena... 'Tessa Makes Love' is the band. first performance at TheHiveNYC

Tessa Lena

MetroNomads and Seasonal Beast 
...Performing together at The Living Room.

Adam Halfi, Naaran Barzilay, and Yula Beeri

There UGO, 15 more coming!!

follow me:: Pete Carma

StreetcredMusic: Choosing 2015's Photo of the Year.

It's that time of year again. Time for me to pick the StreetcredMusic 'Photo of the Year' for 2015.
Remember it's not the quality of the photo that is most important, it's what the picture captures.
The time and place, events and the emotion it provokes with me, that matter most.

This is the 2014 winner, me and the Diva, who got me started doing this blog, in NYC.

In NYC with Greta Panettieri

Soooooo, here are the first three I chose to be in the running::::

This one is me saving Sonia Montez from being attacked by a Dragon on Fifth Ave, NYC

Jan, 2015.

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This is from the wonderful performance given by Lara Bello in Chicago, at the Old Town School of Folk Music.

The third photo to show you of the 21 choices I have made is...
Yuli Beeri, singing 'Goodnight' at the end of one of the performances of Yula & 'The eXtended Family'

At TheHiveNYC

There UGO, 18 more coming!!!!

Follow me:: Pete Carma

StreetcredMusic: A 3Way, My Way: Bassey, Pavarotti, Sinatra. Sinatra Centennial 2015

 Ladies first, the incomparable Dame Shirley Bassey.  From Tiger Bay, Cardiff Wales.

 Enjoy: video, Shirley, her way

Dame Shirley Bassey

 (My2cents: I saw her at the Copa, in NYC, like, Oh, 1977??
The walls shook, the power in her voice is really scary)
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Then came these guys:: The Three Tenors: I saw them at the Meadowlands, there were no walls.
Enjoy:: "My Way" The Three Tenors

My Way::
"My Way" is a song popularized by Frank Sinatra. Its lyrics were written by Paul Anka and set to music based on the French song "Comme d'habitude" co-composed, co-written and performed in 1967 by Claude François. Anka's English lyrics are unrelated to the original French song.
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Frank Sinatra at 17

 I saw Sinatra so many times I can't remember. Living in Vegas, I got to see one of his final gigs there, at The Desert Inn, and in the lounge that night with him, were Keely Smith and Sam Butera

Enjoy the video:: Sinatra sings "My Way"

Released	1969, Sinatra, the album 'My Way'

Follow me:: Pete Carma

StreetcredMusic: 'My2cents' Playing Gigs For Free? Why?

Here is a video I did this summer, and the responses that have come to my Facebook, Twitter and my email... I will continue to add more as they come in::

Enjoy the video, 'My2cents'

Emilly Ben Ami made this happen.

Got it, OK here are the responses...

This one came from Rich M, he calls it 'Promoters that don't promote'~~

"In New York, I often see homeless people opening the door for people outside of Dunkin’ Donuts and asking for change. These are people that have no job, so they create their own, without really asking permission.
Similarly, there are people who have created the job of scheduling bands to play 45 minute sets at various clubs, do nothing until the night of the show, where they show up and take money from you and your fans."
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Alternative??

Linda, NYC Subway musician

  From Cameron, NYC...

The supply of bands out weighs the demand, and so clubs can find plenty of free entertainment. I suppose there could someday be a Musician Revolution where we all unify and refuse to participate in this system for free. Enough is enough! But musicians as a group aren’t cut out for that sort of confrontational attitude, and there will always be the younger guys or weekend warriors that don’t care about money willing to play for free.  This is kind of unfortunate, but it’s reality.

From, Maya, NYC...

"The truth is, musicians have got to love performing their own music this much because everything else surrounding playing a show is a nightmare, and New York City just magnifies the problems. Everything from booking shows to hauling your gear on the subway to tiny stages, this town is not for the faint of heart. Of course, the thing that will suck the soul right out of you is booking your own gigs. The truth is, booking your own shows takes thick skin, patience, networking, confidence, and organization. Then when you get nothing for all that, well it sucks. So you have a point on both ends, it drains your finances, but there will always be people playing for FREE!"

From, Jan, NY
  Amen! About time someone spoke the truth. Thank you, Pete!


follow me:: Pete Carma

StreetcredMusic: New Album from Itaiguara, 'Awakening'

For many years when I mention Brazilian Jazz to my friends, the comments I get are...
"too complicated, the rhythms, the language"...I usually stop there.

Itaiguara with his new and his first album, has now given me ammunition, to attack again in this battle, to awaken more readers to this genre.

Itaiguara FB page

'Awakening' is a wonderful, smooth flowing collection of original compositions. With, as always with Itaiguara, the finest musicians in jazz.

Eleven tunes in all, but, the first one that caught my eye and ear was,...
 'Chorinho pro Cidinho', a tribute to the maestro Cidinho Teixeira    
 
Video: Chorinho pro Cidinho 

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Itaiguara: 
Hi, Pete,  Hello readers...
" I'm a Brazilian bassist, guitarist, composer arranger living in New York. "Awakening" is my first solo album released in 2015. Its songs, 10 of which are original compositions, are an exploration of various styles of Brazilian music and beyond. These range from samba, bossa nova, baião, choro, and modifications of traditional Brazilian styles (afoxé in 3/4 and samba in 7/4), to chamber music, jazz waltz, funk, and Afro-Peruvian. The album features 20 musicians playing a variety of instruments including flutes, clarinet, bassoon, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, accordion, trumpet, guitar, drums, percussion, piano, violin, cello, bass, and vocals. The title track is a composition with a slow build, reminiscent of each day's dawn, and also represents the figurative awakening in an artist's career. For me, it signifies the journey from gaining experience as a sideman to articulating my vision through music."

 ....this album flows, as described above, many diverse styles, and rhythms....
........vocals on the album, by Greta Panettieri ~ Nana Brandao and Itaiguara.
..........for a first time work, this is a group of compositions, and music makers unmatched!!

The release show/party for 'Awakening'  will be in NYC, November 18th, 2015 at Subrosa
...there will be 2 sets, 8PM & 10PM

'Awakening' is available here, now, and see a complete list of the musicians::Awakenings, HERE

Follow me:: Pete Carma 
 

StreetcredMusic, How Did It Get Started? Part 1, Pete Carma

Sometime in the Fall of 2010, I think??

I took this the night I met Greta Panettieri

Here is how this blog came about:: My Video Answer!

Kalen, & & The Sky Thieves

Yula Beeri & The eXtended Family

Follow these and all the other amazing women, who give their all to careers in Indie Music ....
....and bring us all that joy, and love.

Follow me:: Pete Carma

StreetcredMusic: Artists in New York, Part XVl, Chelsea Rodriguez

I first met Chelsea Rodriguez where all creative people in New York City 'hang' TheHiveNYC.
Chelsea was dancing and acting in a live stage production of 'Yulix, A Rock Opera'.

(one of my fav photos) Chelsea, by Ethan Baldwin

 Chelsea:  
"I am a dancer and choreographer, hailing from Miami, FL. I was actually born in Palm Springs, CA but Miami would be considered the closest to a home base growing up. I have been in New York for about 7 years, and the city has taken my artistic career to places I never dreamed.

Between working with Streb Extreme Action Company, performing as a faux queen/performance artist in NYC nightlife, dancing in a rock opera (Yulix ) with the amazingly talented Yula Beeri and performing my own work, my art and dancing has consistently grown to encompass a distinct and unique style.
 

Chelsea, photo by Allison Stock

I am currently working on a new solo as well as several projects with friends. I am also in the midst of co-producing my first nightlife party. Dance-wise I am continuing to explore my movement style and hone in on specific qualities. I feel it may start to take on a physical theater sense".
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 I asked Chelsea the one question I ask everyone...If you could work with anyone, who would it be?
Chelsea:
"It is a toss up but I would love to work with either Matthew Bourne or Doug Jones. I always admired how Bourne could take classic ballets, deconstruct them and re-create such unique twists on the stories. I am fascinated by how Jones has been able to create a niche for himself in the film industry as both an actor and a physical performer. I would love to work with him and further learn how to blend different artistic aspects into one solid form".


....."Pete, thank you so much for providing this opportunity. I look forward to seeing the continued developments on the StreetcredMusic documentary."
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My thanks to Chelsea Rodriguez for taking time and adding 'dance' to my Artists in New York series!

Follow me:: Pete Carma