Soul of Buffalo

I had the honor of booking Jimmy Cobb and his band for their tribute tour to Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" almost 10 years ago at UB Center for the Arts. Cobb was the last surviving member of the group that worked with Davis in 1959. He was an incredibly tasteful player, and "Kind of Blue" will continue to be regarded (and rightly so) as one of the absolute best jazz recordings of the 20th century. A total breakthrough and game changer. At the time of the Buffalo show in 2011 I... had a good relationship with the Parsons Dance Company in NYC, and had recently booked them for a show at UB. It happened that Parsons had a quartet dance piece which had been choreographed to the song "So What?" from "Kind of Blue." With the approval of Jimmy Cobb we were able to bring four Parsons dancers back to Buffalo for the evening of his show to dance live with the Cobb band. It was awesome. I shot this amateur video from the edge of the stage. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wurjxva9RFI Thank you to Jimmy Cobb and his great band for a cherished memory. Rest in peace. https://celebrityaccess.com//jazz-drummer-jimmy-cobb-dea/

Please help us to support BABEVILLE BUFFALO! Please read the message below regarding Babeville's efforts to get valuable assistance from our local representatives for Buffalo's valuable concert venues. You can easily help! "We have joined the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), a group of more than 1,200 independent music venues and promoters in all 50 states, to collectively urge Congress to help protect our industry by providing the financial support that is nece...ssary for venues and promoters to survive the shutdown and reopen once again. It’s fast and easy! https://www.nivassoc.org/take-action When the crisis began venues like ours were the first to shut down, and it's likely we'll be among the last to come back. It has been difficult but the health and safety of our patrons, crew, and artists are top priority while we take necessary steps to stem the tide. Independent venues and promoters who, together with you, have played a significant role in bringing Buffalo to life and furthering the careers of countless artists from Ani to Zappa, are now in need of help. Please join us and support our cause by calling and writing our Senators and Representatives today. Yell it, scream it, clap your hands, and pound your feet like you’re calling the band back for an encore! Please help us ensure independent shows survive by using your voice now (and tell a friend or 100 friends!). #SaveOurStages Thank you for your help and your continued support of Babeville!"

This information is from the New England Foundation for the Arts and offers guidance on how arts organizations and individual artists can benefit from the federal stimulus package recently passed by Congress: COVID-19: Accessing Federal Relief On March 27, 2020, the $2 trillion CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) was passed by Congress. We want to encourage artists, cultural organizations, and creative businesses to access these benefits during this cha...llenging time. Individuals: As the unemployment rate increases, state unemployment offices may be overwhelmed; find your state's unemployment office website and start the process early. https://www.careeronestop.org//find-unemployment-benefits. Organizations: Support may be accessed through the SBA's Disaster Loan Assistance and the Treasury Department's Paycheck Protection Program. https://covid19relief.sba.gov/#/ https://home.treasury.gov//cares-act/assistance-for-small- Visit NEFA's COVID-19 page for more information and related links. https://www.nefa.org/covid-19 The CARES package includes $300 million in economic relief to support nonprofit cultural organizations like museums, libraries, public broadcasting, and state and local arts and humanities agencies, as well as for nonprofit organizations and small businesses. It also includes $260 billion in enhanced and expanded unemployment insurance (UI) to thousands of creative workers throughout the country who are being furloughed, laid off, or finding themselves without work through no fault of their own. Most of the COVID-19 economic relief funding will be distributed through state UI programs.

Professional touring musicians, their assistants, crews, bus drivers, and other "gig" employees are some of the biggest casualties of the economic disruption of Covid-19. The Music Artists Coalition is attempting to see that these entertainment workers, representing about 180,000 people nationally, are part of any potential government bailout. https://celebrityaccess.com//music-artists-coalition-cal/

Greetings again Morris Day fans in Buffalo NY. We hope all is well with you. It's with great regret that we announce the cancellation of the Morris Day and The Time show at Buffalo State College Rockwell Hall on Sat. May 9, 2020 due to Covid-19. No reschedule is planned at this time. All patrons who purchased tickets online through Buffalo State College's ticket system will receive an automatic refund, including ticketing fees,within 1-2 weeks. Patrons who made in-person or ...phone purchases will receive refunds when the Rockwell Hall Box Office resumes regular hours. We are working closely with the venue and will let you know as soon as this is possible. We thank you for your understanding and patience. Please be assured you will absolutely receive your money back. Sincere thanks to all the Morris fans who took an interest or purchased tickets. We obviously all wish the circumstances were very different, but we appreciate your support of Soul of Buffalo. There will be other great concerts ahead and we will celebrate together on the other side of this storm. Best wishes. Here is a statement from Buffalo State College Performing Arts Center on the cancellation: MORRIS DAY REFUND INFORMATION: ONLINE ORDERS Refunds will automatically be processed in 1-2 weeks. PHONE and IN-PERSON CREDIT CARD ORDERS Once New York State and the Buffalo State College President allow the Rockwell Hall Box Office to return to normal business operations you can contact them to obtain your refund. CASH ORDERS Once New York State and the Buffalo State College President allow the Rockwell Hall Box Office to return to normal business operations you can come to the Rockwell Hall Box Office to obtain your cash refund. Updates on the status of Box Office operations will be posted at https://buffalostatepac.org. If you have any questions or require more information you can contact the Box Office by email at [email protected].

Morris Day fans in Buffalo NY, we hope you and yours are well! Obviously this is a time of great concern here and around the globe. As you may have heard, yesterday Governor Cuomo announced a ban on all gatherings of 500 or more people until April 13, 2002. This obviously includes concerts. As Morris is currently scheduled to play Buffalo on May 9 the hope is that things will be calmer and the show can go on as scheduled, but the truth is really that NOBODY KNOWS yet what wi...ll happen over the next few weeks. So please know that we share your concerns and will keep you updated as things become clearer in time. Hopefully the worst is already over and we can all have a funky good time together on May 9. But if needed, postponement or cancellation will be on the table. Stay safe and be thankful for the simple everyday blessings. Our health is the most precious thing we have. For anyone having a hard time, we wish you speedy recovery, comfort, and well wishes.

We love AMBER MARK. Have you heard her yet? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbzEQsGIE5U Our offer is in. Fingers crossed we get her to BFLO

Soul of Buffalo laminants have arrived Stocking up on cables and gear for Morris Day on May 9!

SPECIAL PROMO ANNOUNCEMENT! FOR ONE WEEK ONLY! ALL MORRIS DAY TICKETS ARE $15 OFF! The special promo prices are now: $60 for front orchestra & $50 for rear orchestra.... GET 'EM WHILE THEY'RE HOT! AND PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD. SALE ENDS AT NOON ON TUE. FEB. 25. (Prior sales excluded.) CLICK TO PURCHASE: https://tix5.centerstageticketing.com//buffal/tickets.php

Soul of Buffalo is a proud sponsor of tonight’s Love Cadenza R&B showcase at the Tralf tonight, organized and hosted by Will Holton. Very few tickets remain. Get yours now for a great evening of Buffalo music. https://www1.ticketmaster.com/event/00005776F847A665

INFORMAL SOUL OF BUFFALO SURVEY! Who would you like to see back in Buffalo more? SHEILA E. or SISTER SLEDGE??

MD & The Time at The Grammys Prince Tribute taping...