After the unprecedented success of 2014’s Café Au Go Go Revisited, Greenwich House Music School has unveiled its new community concert series, Uncharted, that features high-caliber artists debuting first-time performances of new work or new collaborations. “This series is designed to offer a safe place for artists to take risks,” says series curator Jennie Wasserman.
“Every evening we are inviting the audience into the ground floor of the artistic process, which is sure to be a revelatory experience” Wasserman continued. “Each performer was asked to take a chance on a project that they feel passionate about. In some cases, performers have chosen to play music in the style of an artist that has inspired them. Some of these concerts present unlikely duets with artists collaborating for the first time. Others will see the premiere of new albums.”
Uncharted artists cover a broad range of genres, from jazz to R&B, folk to pop, performance art to global rock. The impressive lineup features New York locals and international stars, including Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings lead guitarist Binky Griptite exploring the music of the Delta Blues, acclaimed solo artists Marc Ribot and Emeline Michel premiering a piece featuring the music of the great Haitian composer and performer Frantz Casseus, and multi-hyphenate performance artist-actress-composer-musician Cynthia Hopkins’ first look at her new in-progress piece The Alcoholic Movie Musical, among others.
The inaugural season kicks off on March 12 with harpist and Music School faculty Brandee Younger. Classically trained, Younger blurs the line between jazz and hip-hop, having worked with such jazz luminaries as Jack DeJohnette and Ravi Coltrane and well known producers Common and Talib Kweli. At Uncharted, Younger will debut newly composed music from Prophetika: An Oratorio.
Asked about her inclusion in Uncharted, Younger said she is “thrilled that Greenwich House is presenting an entire series dedicated to new works and new projects. It’s so rare, as a professional, to be allowed to step outside the boundaries of what’s expected of you. I can’t wait for this opportunity to try something new.”
As a forum for new music, this year’s Uncharted is also dedicated to the legacy of German Diez, the recently passed chair of Greenwich House Music School’s piano department. For over sixty years, Mr. Diez was a bastion of the piano department at Greenwich House, where he encouraged students to develop their skills and find new mediums for their talents. “With this series of first-time performances, we celebrate Mr. Diez and all the music teachers and artists who seek to find new talent and new skills in previously uncharted worlds,” said Rachel Black, Greenwich House Music School Director.
Uncharted runs Thursdays, March 12 through April 30th. All show times are at 8:00 p.m. Tickets range from $10 to $25 dollars and include complimentary beer and wine before and during performances. For tickets and more information, visit greenwichhouse.org/uncharted.
