Friday, June 15, 8:00 PM
SummerStage
Central Park, New York, NY
FREE!
Iconoclastic singer and genre-bending performance artist Joey Arias teams up with award-winning bassist, composer Ben Allison and his band for a concert that’s sure to ruffle some feathers (or make you sprout new ones). Fresh off their sold-out shows at Carnegie Hall and Town Hall Joey, Ben and the band will perform original songs as well as their irreverent takes on classics by Dylan, Cream, Klaus Nomi, Billie Holiday and more. Don’t miss this unique night of music, comedy and improvisation.
A fixture of downtown New York City nightlife since his start as a backup singer for David Bowie through his 2011 hit show Arias With a Twist, Joey Arias has been awing audiences with his distinctive brand of humor and wit, leading the New York Times to declare, “From one moment to the next, [Joey Arias] is as sweet and naive as a storybook shepherdess, as dirty-mouthed and -minded as a sailor on shore leave, as scatterbrained as Lucy Ricardo, as serene as a Tibetan monk or as no-nonsense as an old Broadway trouper.”
With 6 albums reaching #1 on the US jazz radio charts, bassist Ben Allison has solidified his reputation as a leading voice of his generation. One of a few band leaders working in jazz today who has developed his own instantly identifiable sound, Ben is known for his lyrical melodies, inventive grooves and inspired arrangements. He draws from the jazz tradition and a range of influences from rock and folk to classical and world music, seamlessly blending them into a cinematic, cohesive whole.