Three days of MusicFest 2009 brought Rock, Hip Hop, Pop and Jazz to Downtown New York. The first day, August, 27th, in City Hall Park Diane Birch, Jemina Pearl, The Smithereens.

The second day, August 28th, rain moved the J&R MusicFest indoors to the J&R Music World stage were a packed house enjoyed powerful performances by
Melinda Watts, J Moss, Clipse, and Mario.

The third day, August 29th, the MusicFest was back to City Hall Park, a fantastic show that moved musically from Hip Hop to Pop to Jazz. Performers were
KRS-One and Buckshot, LeToya,
Nikki Yanofsky, Roberta Gambarini and Roy Hargrove.
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Local New York TV, The CW11 ran this piece on our J&R MusicFest, featuring Friday’s headliner, Mario.

The first day of MusicFest 2009 kicked off the three day free music festival by Rocking Downtown New York’s City Hall Park. Opener, Diane Birch’s delightful feminine beauty did not prepare the audience for the infectious joyful bounce of her country-tinged boogie.

The second act, the tough, bratty rocker, Jemina Pearl and her 4 piece band brought punky, poppy animation that had the audience jumping and herself ending by falling to the stage.

Fulfilling the headlining slot was the strong, power-pop rock of veterans, The Smithereens, Continue Reading »

Thursday, August 27th at 5 pm, in City Hall Park, J&R’s MusicFest 2009 brings to the stage, singer-songwriter Diane Birch took half her lifetime, and traveled across the globe, to get to America, where she literally found her voice and made her remarkable debut, Bible Belt. Though only in her mid-twenties, Birch likes to think of herself as an “old soul,” and indeed there is a startling maturity in her singing and a veteran’s self-assurance in her writing. Hook-driven songs like “Fools” and “Valentino” offer more than just instant gratification: they’re like your new best friends - you’ll want to get together with them as frequently as possible. Birch mixes piano-playing virtuosity with easy-going soul, Continue Reading »

Although our MusicFest 2009 is centered an amazing three day schedule of brilliant artists performing for free outdoors in City Hall Park, Manhattan, if you add in this week’s schedule of free, live performances in J&R Music World across the street on Park Row, it is five days of live music.

This week’s music starts Tuesday, August 25th at 12:30 pm with two simultaneous performances: Jazz wunderkinder pianist, Eldar, upstairs in J&R’s Jazz Store (23 Park Row, 2nd Floor) and the dancehall-tinged, four-part harmonies of T.O.K. downstairs in the Pop Music Store (23 Park Row, 1st Floor). In both cases, the performances will be followed by autograph signings.
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