Culver City’s Boulevard Music Summer Festival
Culver City’s Boulevard Music Summer Festival
Summer breezes. . . an intimate courtyard. . .
free parking. . . and great music
6 free concerts July 7—August 11
Summer breezes… an intimate courtyard… free parking… and great music. Escape to Culver City for the 2016 Culver City’s Boulevard Music Summer Festival. Boulevard Music presents 6 free concerts on Thursday evenings at 7 pm from July 7 through August 11 in the palm-lined courtyard of Culver City City Hall.
Curated by producer Gary Mandell of Culver City’s Boulevard Music, Culver City’s Boulevard Music Summer Festival offers something for everyone: Country/Bluegrass music from 2015 Grammy nominated Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley (July 7); The sounds of World Music from Africa by Peter Mawanga and the Amaravi Movement (July 14); High energy Latin/Salsa rhythms great for dancing from Orquesta Tabaco Y Ron (July 21); Pop and Rock Classics done in the sounds of golden age 50’s songs by Big Daddy (July 28); Internationally renowned Irish vocalist and flutist Nuala Kennedy and her ensemble (Aug 4); and Soul/R&B with spirit going straight to the heart from Missy Andersen and her band (Aug 11).
Avoid the crowds and parking hassles of other areas on the Westside. Parking is free for two hours in designated structures in downtown Culver City, and dozens of dining options are available within walking distance. Culver City’s downtown area is Southern California’s best-kept secret, featuring a wonderful mix of historic buildings, boutiques, theaters, galleries, and unique restaurants opening onto tree-lined streets.
Culver City’s Boulevard Music Festival is sponsored by The City of Culver City, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Boulevard Music, Culver Studios, John Riordan Plumbing, Culver City Volvo & Mazda, Hooman Chevrolet, Palm Court, Swiss Motors, Combined Properties, D & E Associates, Hillside Memorial Park, Gates Kingsley Gates, Bella Vista Pizza, Crave Desserts, Cavanaugh Realty, PS 310, Tower Insurance, Marriott Hotel, Michael Kayem Remax, Dolce Realtors, Sorrento Market, Southern California Hospital, Maxam Properties, Music Munchers, Culver Hotel, Dynagraphics, Culver City News, Culver City Observer, Steeldeck Inc, Eastman Guitars, Kremona USA, Ohana Ukuleles, and Ernie Ball.
Culver City’s Boulevard Music Summer Festival takes place on Thursday evenings at 7 pm from July 7–August 11. The Culver City City Hall Courtyard is located at 9770 Culver Blvd. in Downtown Culver City (corner Culver Blvd. and Duquesne Ave.). Parking is free for the first two hours (with festival validation) in designated structures in the Downtown area. The courtyard opens at 4:30 pm. No glass containers or alcoholic beverages may be brought into City Hall Courtyard. For more information, call Boulevard Music 310-398-2583 or go to http://www.boulevardmusic.com.
2016 Culver City’s Boulevard Music Summer Festival
WHAT:
Culver City’s Boulevard Music Summer Festival – Six free concerts under the stars in the intimate courtyard of Culver City City Hall. The 2016 summer series offers something for everyone including Cajun/Zydeco, classic rock, Celtic, Jazz/Blues, Motown/Soul, Latin & Flamenco/Salsa, Western Swing and more types of music. Enjoy dozens of dining options within walking distance. Even the parking is free (with festival validation) for two hours in designated structures.
WHEN:
July 7 – August 11, Thursdays @ 7 pm (City Hall Courtyard opens @ 4:30 pm)
• Thursday, July 7 @ 7 pm: Country/Bluegrass music from 2015 Grammy nominated Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley
• Thursday, July 14 @ 7 pm: The sounds of World Music from Africa by Peter Mawanga and the Amaravi Movement
• Thursday, July 21 @ 7 pm: High energy Latin/Salsa rhythms great for dancing from Orquesta Tabaco Y Ron
• Thursday, July 28 @ 7 pm: Pop and Rock Classics done in the sounds of golden age 50’s songs by Big Daddy
• Thursday, August 4 @ 7 pm: Internationally renowned Irish vocalist and flutist Nuala Kennedy and her ensemble
• Thursday, August 11 @ 7 pm: Soul/R&B with spirit going straight to the heart from Missy Andersen and her band (Aug 11
WHERE:
Culver City City Hall Courtyard
9770 Culver Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
(corner Culver Blvd. and Duquesne Ave.)
ADMISSION:
Free
Also become an entry level sponsor by purchasing one of the 100 premium reserved seats at $10 each per show available at Boulevard Music.
Tickets may be purchased at Boulevard Music in person or over the phone.
PARKING:
Free underneath City Hall in the City Hall Garage.
Additional parking is free (with festival validation) for the first two hours in designated structures in the Downtown area.
INFORMATION:
310-398-2583
OTHER:
Dozens of restaurants, as well as galleries and boutiques, are located within walking distance. No glass containers or alcoholic beverages may be brought into City Hall Courtyard.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
July 7:
Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley were honored in 2015 by receiving a Grammy nomination for Best Bluegrass Album. The legendary dobro player Rob Ickes (cover of Guitar Player Magazine in August, 2011) is a founding member of acclaimed Bluegrass group Blue Highway and also regularly performs with Three Ring Circle and his own jazz trio. In 2010, he was named Dobro Player of the Year for the 12th time by the International Bluegrass Music Association. IBMA notes that he is the most awarded instrumentalist in the history of their awards. He was also named the USA Peter Cummings Fellow in 2010 by United States Artists, an organization that annually honors 50 of America’s finest artists across eight disciplines with individual fellowships of $50,000.
Ickes was the youngest dobro player on "The Great Dobro Sessions", produced by Jerry Douglas and Tut Taylor, which won the 1994 GRAMMY Award for Best Bluegrass Album. He was also on the Alison Krauss & The Cox Family album, "I Know Who Holds Tomorrow", which won the 1994 GRAMMY Award for Best Southern Gospel. He has collaborated with Merle Haggard, Earl Scruggs, Tony Rice, Charlie Haden, David Grisman, Alison Krauss, Willie Nelson, David Lee Roth, Dolly Parton, Patty Loveless, Peter Rowan, Claire Lynch, and Mary Chapin Carpenter. Notable collaborations include Merle Haggard's "The Bluegrass Sessions", 2009 GRAMMY nominated "Earl Scruggs with Family & Friends, The Ultimate Collection: Live at the Ryman"; and "Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, Ricky Skaggs, The Three Pickers", which appeared on the Billboard Bluegrass Chart for 138 weeks.
Keeping true to the roots of country music is not only a lovely sentiment of nostalgia, but a necessity for the growth of an artist…and staying true to the roots just comes naturally for Trey Hensley. After picking up a guitar at the age of 10, he quickly took the bluegrass world by storm —even performing on the Grand Ole Opry when he was 11. Through the years, Trey has had the opportunity to perform with the likes of Marty Stuart, Earl Scruggs, Johnny and June Carter Cash, Charlie Daniels, Steve Wariner, The Oak Ridge Boys, Ricky Skaggs, Blue Highway, J.D. Crowe and many others and Trey has opened shows for Marty Stuart, President George W. Bush, Former First Lady Laura Bush, Dick Cheney, Charlie Daniels, Peter Frampton, Alabama front-man Randy Owen, Sara Evans and others.
In the Summer of 2013, Trey relocated to Nashville, TN and started playing on a regular basis with IBMA’s 15-time “Dobro Player of the Year”, Rob Ickes. In the Fall of 2013, Trey and Rob decided to go work on an a duo album together. The outcomes of those recording sessions have turned into the 2015 Grammy nominated “Before the Sun Goes Down”.
July 14:
Peter Mawanga and the Amaravi Movement got it’s start when Peter recorded a playful album In Malawi in 2002 while studying mechanical engineering that set him on the path to his musical destiny. Recorded under the name Peter Pine ‘Citylife’, was a sensation across Malawi. The R n’B album’s controversial hit single ‘Amakhala ku Blantyre’ discussed the realities of urban vs rural living. Shedding the persona of Peter Pine he reverted to his own name Peter Mawanga and began creating definitive music; globally recognized yet intrinsically Malawian. In 2005 he recorded Zanga Zo Zama, produced by reknown poet and music producer Q Malewezi . The critically acclaimed album presented Mawanga’s truer sound; Afrovibes – a fusion of traditional African rhythms, composition, vocal arrangements with modern instrumentation; inspirational, introspective, spiritual and socially conscious. In 2007 Peter’s third incarnation was born; Peter Mawanga and The Amaravi Movement. Incorporating Malawian instrumentation, Nylon jazz guitar, Mangolongondo rhythms and singing in Chichewa (Malawian national language), Peter is able to communicate both musically and lyrically to the world on behalf of his country.
Performing at live music venues such as Cargo, London, festivals such as Lake of Stars (Malawi) LEAF Festival in Ashville USA and with international artists such as Oliver Mtukudzi, Wambali Mkandawire and Grammy award winner Earl Klugh Peter Mawanga has garnered respect in the music industry at large. The synergy of Peter Mawanga and The Amaravi Movement impressed Rhythm of Life to sign Peter as the first artist on their new record label in Malawi in 2008, together they recorded and released Peter Mawanga & The Amaravi Movement’ live debut studio album Paphiri ndi Padambo.
July 21:
Orquesta Tabaco Y Ron is a 12 piece “Big-Band” orchestra, composed of musicians from all over Latin America including Puerto Rico, Cuba, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Peru, Colombia and Mexico. OTR’s high-energy, hard-edged brand of salsa music has appealed to devoted salsa dancers and Latin music DJ’s worldwide. OTR’s contagious rhythms produce an energy that revives the almost extinct salsa sound of generations past.
Orquesta Tabaco Y Ron has recorded five studio albums, a remix production, and multiple compilations exclusively for Dimelo! Records. Their arsenal of hard salsa tracks has gained OTR recognition and respect by tropical music aficionados and musicians worldwide! The 10 piece ensemble features
originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico band leader pianist/arranger Hector Manuel Rivera doing their authentic arrangements. Plus Martin Padilla, the distinct lead vocalist of Orquesta Tabaco Y Ron, whio possesses the power to captivate audiences with his authentic tone. Referred to as “El Sonero del Barrio”, Martin was born in Yaucco, the coffee growing zone of Puerto Rico.
July 28:
BIG DADDY IS BACK! On the heels of “Smashing Songs of Stage & Screen,” their first album in nearly 15 years, “Big Daddy, The Band of ‘59” is back. This show will be one of the band’s first live performances since the mid- 90’s! From 1983 to 1994, Big Daddy roamed the Rock & Roll landscape foraging for the hit songs of the day, plucking them from the charts, chewing them up, digesting them and then spitting them back out, never to sound the same. Though the lyrics and melodies were virtually unchanged, the songs sounded as if they had been written and recorded in the golden age of Rock & Roll…the 1950’s. Today, this type of song reworking is called a “Mash Up” and Big Daddy is now credited as The Mash Up Kings of Rockabilly, DooWop, R & B, & Pop…if it’s from the 50’s, Big Daddy is all over it. Randy Lewis said it best in his 2012 L.A. Times article on the band: “More than a gimmick, Big Daddy created new takes on Pop and Rock songs that were consistently inspired, illuminating and often hilarious.” - Randy Lewis, L.A. Times, 10-4-12. The band his released six studio albums and countless other recordings, including their 1985 top 20 UK hit, “Dancing In The Dark”…a send up of the Bruce Springsteen classic. Their 1992 “Sgt. Pepper’s” tribute album continues to receive consistent radio airplay on SiriusXM’s “Little Steven’s Underground Garage.” From London’s Wembley Arena (with Gary Glitter) to Germany and Australia, Big Daddy has preached… “50’s music is still cool.” Their US shows at The Universal Amphitheatre (with Jay Leno), New York’s The Bottom Line, The Palomino, The Groundlings Theatre and Pasadena’s own Ice House have all seen Big Daddy spread their joyful irreverence. Don’t miss it!
August 4:
Nuala Kennedy is an internationally renowned traditional Irish singer and flute player, recently gracing the cover of Irish Music Magazine, Sing Out! and headlining with her band at international festivals around the world. Also known for her songs and collaborations, she has performed and recorded with American songwriter Will Oldham (an album that received 5 stars from MOJO magazine) as well as cutting-edge Canadian composer the late Oliver Schroer (an album nominated for a 2012 Canadian Folk Award).
Nuala released her third solo record 'Noble Stranger' (Compass Records) in 2012 to critical acclaim. (Visit http://snd.sc/ZvkfpK to hear this music) The Nuala Kennedy Band are at the forefront of the worldwide Celtic music scene, have a driving contemporary sound and were nominees in the 2013 BBC Alba Scottish Traditional Folk Awards.
Nuala Kennedy and her band, which itself comprises four outstanding soloists in their respective fields, have received global plaudits for their fresh and singular take on traditional music:
Nuala Kennedy Band Features:
Nuala Kennedy (IRL) – flute/vocals/whistles
Eamon O Leary (IRL) – guitar/bouzouki (The Alt, Murphy Beds)
Johnny Connolly (IRL) – button accordions (Solas)
Mathias Kunzli – (NYC) drums/percussion (Regina Spektor, Yoyo Ma, Lauren Hill, Moby)
Nuala Kennedy
“Expressive vocal character... virtuosic flute and whistle playing" ****Scotland on Sunday 2014
"frisky, excitingly vital and wonderfully original" ****Songlines 2013
“a flute player and composer of remarkable finesse, fearless of the unknown” THE IRISH TIMES 2013
“brimming with infectious enthusiasm and fearless imagination.” Penguin Eggs 2013
August 11:
Missy Andersen’s music has been described as blues going straight to the spirit and body. With her band leader/guitarist/husband Heine Andersen, she has created a sound for good times and the pain and joys of love. From Chicago blues to New Orleans second-line beats, slow blues and soul ballads, Memphis soul to funky Meters-like rhythm Andersen has applied what she learned from her influences such as Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughn, Billie Holiday, O.V. Wright, Bobby Bland, Little Milton, James Carr, Ray Charles, Ann Peebles, and Irma Thomas. She began fronting bands in her teens and has since toured Europe for several years. Her recent CD In the Moment ended the year by being named one of Living Blues Radio Charts Top 50 Albums of 2014.
"One of the truly great voices of our time"—PBS Australia
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