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Join us at The Green Room for a special concert of Chris Stamey’s New Songs for the 20th Century (Omnivore Recordings), new original compositions inspired by the canon of the Great American Songbook.
With a full acoustic band — including Memphis luminaries Jack Cooper, winds, & Carl Casperson, ac. bass, along with NC’s Charles Cleaver, piano — and guest singers Skylar Gudasz, Brett Harris, Django Haskins, and more.
Tickets: $10
Doors at 7 pm | Show at 7:30 pm
‘Musicians from Rod Stewart to Bob Dylan have turned to the Great American Songbook to revive their creative juices. But Chris Stamey has taken a different approach. Instead of singing other people’s compositions, he’s rearranged a handful of old songs and written a raft of new ones that are akin to material for a 1958 recording session by Frank Sinatra or Ella Fitzgerald.’— Geoffrey Himes review, Downbeat Magazine, September, 2019
‘This is a prodigious project that asks for real attention. Fortunately, the gift of this music pays off in timeless beauty and unlimited inspiration. It’s like the past has been reinvigorated by the present, with nothing lost and everything gained.’ — Bill Bentley review, Americana Highways, July 10, 2019
New Songs for the 20th Century is an amazing album. The songs astound, as if lifted out of a time machine . . . Those familiar with the Great American Songbook will likely be enthralled by this rich collection. Backed by the Mod Rec Orchestra, many great musicians bring Stamey’s new songs to life. The beautiful and luxurious “I Don’t Believe in Romance” features singer Caitlin Cary and has the magic of a Burt Bacharach classic; the wistful “What is This Music that I Hear?” and “On an Evening Such as This” are both bolstered by singer Kirsten Lambert’s affecting vocals. The jazzy “There’s Not a Cloud in the Sky” and more contemporary “I Am Yours” are among the memorable tracks on disc one. The jazzy “Beneath the Underdog” (featuring Marshall Crenshaw, Don Dixon and Django Haskins), the beautiful “In Spanish Harlem,” and nuanced “Lover, Can You Hear Me?” bring equal power to the second disc.’ — Robert Kinsler, Rock ‘N’ Roll Truth (blog)
‘This is a sprawling, brilliant piece of work: 26 songs across two CDs, and each one is a masterpiece. And, even better, there are unmistakable Chris Stamey footprints throughout . . . I’m not sure how old someone has to get before you can’t call him a “Boy Genius” anymore, but at least I know now that it’s post-60.’ — Mike Fornatale, Shindig, July 8, 2019.
‘JazzTimes is honored to present the premiere of the video for “Manhattan Melody (That’s My New York)” by Chris Stamey and the ModRec Orchestra. . . . [B]oth the song and the album aren’t quite what you’d expect based on his résumé’ — the influence of the Great American Songbook is strong, and the overall sound is much closer to jazz than rock. It doesn’t hurt that Stamey brought in some ringers here: Branford Marsalis on tenor sax, Matt Douglas on clarinet, Jim Crew (along with Stamey himself) on piano, Jason Foureman on bass, and Dan Davis on drums. Django Haskins is the vocalist, one of more than a dozen singers who alternate tracks throughout the album, including Nnenna Freelon, Ariel Pocock, and power-pop maestro Marshall Crenshaw.’ — Jazz Times, June 28, 2019
