Music Under New York Auditions – 2010

About 300 people who wish to perform in the NYC subway with a permit submitted an application to audition for Music Under New York. 69 of them passed the first stage of the audition and were chosen to audition live at Grand Sentral Station last week:

The Doc Scanlon Trio played swing music on bass, clarinet and guitar.
Frank Christian played guitar.

Mitu busuioc from Rumania played accordion.
Andy Suzuki & the Method were a Conscious acoustic pop group of drumms, electyric violin and keyboard.
Pete Wagula played bottle-neck guitar.
Dual Life played originals on guitar and drums.
The Hot Sardines are a 6 piece band who played jazz/ragtime/dixieland on piano, trombone, washboard, snair drum, clarinet, trumpet and a guy tap-danced, too.
The Park Project were an acoustic trio of a guitar, tamburine and all three people also sang.
Thalys Peterson from Astoria played brazilian guitar.
The Select Blendz were a 5 member acapella R&B/doo-wop group.
Donald Malloy & Sight played jazz on bass, drums and guitar.
Leonel Lorador played Spanish classical guitar.
Robert Ross played bluesy guitar and sang.

Javier Moreno NY Ensemble were a jass group from Spain, with 3 people playing sax, bass and drums.
Willie Trombonita & F.B. Band were a Latin duo of flute and trombone, who played to recorded tracks.
June Moris sang and played guitar.
Sax & Friend were a husband and wife team who have been playing together casually since they were married 38 years ago. She plays cello and he plays sax. they played baroke pieces by lesser known composers.
Erica Sanchez were a Contemporary Christian music duo of guitar & vocals.
U Bred Raptors were a guy on drum and little xylophone (glockenspiel) and a guy on guitar who played Experimental folk/jazz. the guitar player also played a little bit on a Jaymar toy-piano which had its top panel removed for better micing.
Brother Han played guitar & harmonica and sang.
V. da’Nessa Monk Intergize was a 4 piece jazz/world beat/R&B band which includes guitar, bass, a lady on trumpet and her cousin who had all sorts of musical toys which he took out from a bag hanging on his shoulder.

Renard Harris was a blues story-teller.
Hopkins entertainment Group were a classical quartet.
Egmen Sanli played sitar, followed by Breman Bhumi – a duo of sitar & tabla who sat on a blanket they laid on the floor. Like Bob, the MC of the day said: “only in New York one can see two sitar players auditioning one after the other – except in India”.
Gabriel Aldor played New Orleans blues piano.
3rd Band were a 4 piece group who played jazz & world music on sax, bass clarinet, accordion and percussion (a guy who had a bass drum on his back and little drums on his belt).
Pat Hull was a guitarist, singer – songwriter.
Karlus Trapp was a singer – songwriter who also does rock & roll.
Myrth were five people dressed in old-timy costumed (shipped to them especially from LA) who do Christmas carolling.
Hiromi Suda Trio played Brazillian music on guitar and pandera (Brazilian hand drum) with a lady singing.
The NY Tenor was an opera singer who is partially blind (he can see shadows).
Sistermonk is a gypsy funk trio.

Jeanne Boes played keyboard and sang.
Kelly Lekule sang rockin’ soul.
Prester John were two guys from CT who played “scientist folk” on guitar and mandolin and sang. In mid song the madolin played an excerpt of a JS Bach piece. “Scientist fol” basically means pop with contemporary classical music influences.
The Pink Cowgirl sang, dressed all in pink. No relation to the Naked Cowboy 🙂
The Naya Records Allstars were a four piece band from Boston playing world music fusion on bass, guitar, melodica and percussion.
Grace Love sang acapella soul.
The Bill Murray Experience were four people playing old jazz on bass, guitar, banjo and the singer played washboard.
Jennifer Vazquez sang pop, folk and rock with guitar accompaniment.
Yoham Ortiz played world music guitar.
Roosevelt Dime were 5 musicians playing trumpet, clarinet, banjo, bucket bass and snair drum.
Natalie Gelman is a singer-songwriter.

Blessing Offor was a blind gentleman with a dog. He sang and accompanied himself on keyboard.
The Rooster Kings were a country, blues & New Orleans duo playing piano and a singer who also played harmonica.
Lay’sea Bakoo was a jazz vocalist.
J. Reid was an R&B vocalist.
Go Takeuchi was a singer – songwriter.
The Ashkenazy collective was a bass, drums and clarinet trio playing East European jazz.
Lyle Divinsky was a singer – songwriter.
Astoria Boulevard were an accoustic folk trio dressed in matchng suits.

Elizabeth Rogers is a folk singer – songwriter who accompanies herself on guitar.
James Ramsey is a singer.
Blurboxer in an electro-acoustic folk duo of a guy on sitar and a lady on bass.
Jcisco is a pop, R&B singer.
Cesar Cabrera y Su Mariachi is a Mexican singer from Ecuador… He wore the traditional Mexican pants with silver embroydery, and a big sombrero.
Allison Tartaglia from Astoria sang while accompanying herself on keyboard.
the Lomeo Bros. Trio did a medly of originals and familiar covers of old Americana on bass, guitar and a singer.
Cheri LaFever played harp.
Eric Smith played guitar and sang.
Kokoro Vocal Arts were a Japanese duo – singer and keyboard player.
And last – Malang Jobarteh played an African Kora.

The judges had to choose 28 people out of this talented group. I don’t envy them their job!