Lincoln Center OUT OF DOORS Concert Series Begins

The 41st edition of one of the longest-running, free, outdoor festivals in the U.S.-Lincoln Center Out of Doors-opens on Wednesday, July 27 with two premieres that are a study in contrasts. England's folk singer and activist Billy Bragg kicks things off at Damrosch Park with the U.S. debut of The Big Busk, in which he leads a boisterous community musical happening, following an opening set by The Black Earth Boys (Ben Mandelson and Justin Adams) featuring Juldeh Camara. Later that night, acclaimed choreographer/dancers Eiko & Koma perform the world premiere of Water to the sounds of music composed by Native-American flutist Robert Mirabal. The exquisite and meditative, site-specific work, commissioned by Lincoln Center, takes place in the serene reflecting pool on Hearst Plaza. Ten premieres and debuts highlight the three weeks of Lincoln Center Out of Doors (July 27-August 14) which have a strong streak of soul, funk and R&B running through them, along with generous helpings of jazz, gospel, world, American roots and new music, star turns by giants of their genres-Mavis Staples, Malkit Singh, Laurie Anderson, Tan Dun, Steve Cropper-a celebration of the girl groups of the 1960s, and great contemporary dance. 

ALL EVENTS ARE FREE and take place on the Lincoln Center campus-Hearst Plaza/Barclays Capital Grove, Damrosch Park, Josie Robertson Plaza, and Broadway Plaza and the David Rubenstein Atrium-located between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenues, West 65th Street to West 62nd Street.

Among the scheduled performances are:

Wednesday, July 27
7:30 Damrosch Park Bandshell
BILLY BRAGG: THE BIG BUSK (U.S. premiere)
THE BLACK EARTH BOYS featuring JULDEH CAMARA (worldwide debut)
British folk singer-songwriter Billy Bragg has fashioned himself as a people's troubadour for decades, but this interactive community sing-and play-along allows members of the audience to bring their own acoustic guitars and get in on his have-guitar-will-travel ethos, covering modern classics all together, including some selected by the audience through advance online voting. Billy Bragg will lead an afternoon group rehearsal on the Hearst Plaza from 4:00-5:30 pm for anyone who brings an acoustic guitar to practIce That evening's songs. Between the rehearsal and the show, buskers who sign up at rehearsal can perform their own material at locations throughout Lincoln Center's plazas. See the Big Busk tab on our Facebook page or visit youtube.com/user/LCBigBusk for additional information including a video introduction of The Big Busk by Billy Bragg, featuring an exclusive cover of his perfect busking song example "Me & Bobby McGee."

Gambian griot and fiddler Juldeh Camara, along with Les Triaboliques' Justin Adams (Robert Plant, Tinariwen) and Ben Mandelson (3 Mustaphas 3, Billy Bragg & the Blokes) are the Black Earth Boys, an amalgam of plectrists who specialize in erasing the spaces between genres, much like the mouthful that describes their music: "Afroduskcorebluesstringfolk."
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Wednesday, July 27
9:30 Paul Milstein Pool, Hearst Plaza
EIKO & KOMA: WATER (world premiere)
Conceived and performed by Eiko & Koma
Music composed and performed by Robert Mirabal
Uniquely inter-disciplinary choreographer/dancers Eiko & Koma perform the world premiere of Water with two-time Grammy Award-winning Native American flutist-composer Robert Mirabal. Inspired by their 1995 piece River, this site-specific work commissioned by Lincoln Center takes place in the iconic Paul Milstein Pool and is a significant part of Eiko & Koma's Retrospective Project, a multiyear, multifaceted examination of the duo's 40 years of artistic collaboration.
Performances of Water coincide with the July 19 opening of Residue: An Installation by Eiko & Koma, a major exhibition at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts that features artifacts collected during the Retrospective Project.
Water was commissioned by Lincoln Center for Lincoln Center Out of Doors 2011. It is also a National Performance Network (NPN) Creation Fund Project co-commissioned by the Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles, in partnership with Lincoln Center and NPN. Robert Mirabal's participation was made possible by a grant from Meet The Composer through its Commissioning Music/USA program. Additional funding was provided to Eiko & Koma by the New York State Council on the Arts Dance Program and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

Thursday, July 28
6:30 Josie Robertson Plaza
Maurice chESTNUT'S ABOVE GROUND PROJECT
Seamlessly weaving complex dance steps and musical notes, Chestnut, rising star on the tap scene, skillfully leads a powerful jazz-funk trio of dancers in his signature style of "playing tap" as the lead instrument.

Thursday, July 28
7:30 Damrosch Park Bandshell
3 PIANOS / TAYLOR MADE: A JAZZMOBILE TRIBUTE TO DR. Billy Taylor
featuring BARRY HARRIS, ERIC REED, and CHRISTIAN SANDS
The late Dr. Billy Taylor, that pianist of rare gifts who made a personal mission out of bringing jazz to the masses, is celebrated in this intimate yet expansive evening of piano wizardry arranged with Jazzmobile, Dr. Taylor's bastion of musical outreach. As the number of pianos onstage multiply, so do the magnificent array of piano soloists and side-musicians, resulting in a marvelous show of nimble hands. The all-star lineup includes three generations of piano greats playing alone, together, and with Dr. Taylor's rhythm section-Chip Jackson and Winard Harper-plus musical director and trumpeter Cecil Bridgewater along with saxophonist Tia Fuller, trombonist Craig Harris, and vocalist Melba Joyce.

Thursday, July 28
9:30 Paul Milstein Pool, Hearst Plaza
EIKO & KOMA: WATER
See July 27 for information

Friday, July 29
6:30 Josie Robertson Plaza
THE INVADERS
New York's leading "shout" gospel brass band, The Invaders, led by Harold Taylor, are known in the streets and in House of Prayer churches throughout the country for their high-spirited and joyful noise.

Friday, July 29
7:30 Damrosch Park Bandshell
DON BYRON NEW GOSPEL QUINTET
BURNT SUGAR / DANZ: CONDUCTION #6: THE TROJAN RUMBA SUITE
Creative direction by Gabri Christa, Greg Tate and Germaul Barnes
The Trojan Rumbas / The Fata Morgana Suite / Revelations Glitch (world premiere)
Eclectic clarinetist Don Byron visits the hall of American spiritual icons when his New Gospel Quintet interprets the work of Thomas A. Dorsey, the father of black gospel music. Burnt Sugar/Danz conjures up spirits from other dimensions; Gabri Christa's all-star company of dancer/choreographers form a freewheeling improvisational bond with theorist-conductor Greg Tate's funky hoodoo orchestra. As a finale, an expanded version of Byron's group joins forces with the dancers to re-imagine an Alvin Ailey choreographic classic in the world premiere of Revelations Glitch.

Friday, July 29
9:30 Paul Milstein Pool, Hearst Plaza
EIKO & KOMA: WATER
See July 27 for information

Saturday, July 30
NOON-4:00 David Rubenstein Atrium
THE PONDEROSA STOMP: GIRL TALK
A symposium moderated by Sheryl Farber, Alison Fensterstock, and Lauren Onkey, including panel featuring The Angels®, and The Exciters, an interview with Lesley Gore, and a segment celebrating Ellie Greenwich's life and legacy. Film archivist Joe Lauro will screen vintage footage of the girl group era in action.
Presented in collaboration with The Ponderosa Stomp Foundation and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
Archival films courtesy of Joe Lauro, Historic Films Archive, LLC

Saturday, July 30
4:30 Josie Robertson Plaza
DOUBLE DUTCH DIVAS
The women of the Double Dutch Divas have twirled, turned, and twisted for the past two decades, showing off amazing moves that prove jump rope is more than mere child's play.

Saturday, July 30
5:00-10:00 Damrosch Park Bandshell
THE PONDEROSA STOMP: SHE'S GOT THE POWER!
featuring LALA BROOKS (formerly of The Crystals) and Lesley Gore
with Arlene Smith (formerly of The Chantels), Baby Washington, Barbara Harris (of The Toys), Beverly Warren,
Brenda Reid and Lillian Walker (of The Exciters), Louise Murray (of The Jaynetts), Margaret Ross (of The Cookies), Maxine Brown, Nanette Licari (of Reparata and the Delrons), Peggy Santiglia Davison and Jiggs Sirico (of The Angels®)
Backed by The Boyfriends, Jeremy Chatzky, musical director
The vocalists from the chart-ruling girl groups of the '60s aren't necessarily known by name, but their classic, New York-steeped songs are an indelible, trailblazing part of our culture. This all-star extravaganza, featuring the original supporting vocalists (the genre's "secret weapons")-Toni Wine (vocal arrangements), Jean Thomas Fox, Lesley Miller, Mikie Harris, Susan Collins, and Ula Hedwig-will be filled with the anthems of teenage love and angst that defined a rock-and-roll era. The evening culminates in a tribute to the legendary Brill Building songwriter Ellie Greenwich ("Da Doo Ron Ron," "Be My Baby," "River Deep, Mountain High").
Presented in association with The Ponderosa Stomp Foundation
Archival films courtesy of Joe Lauro, Historic Films Archive, LLC

Saturday, July 30
9:30 Milstein Pool, Hearst Plaza
EIKO & KOMA: WATER
See July 27 for information

Sunday, July 31
2:00 Hearst Plaza
Family Day
RHYTHM AND ROOTS 360:
DJONIBA DANCE & DRUM CENTRE, ABADÁ-CAPOEIRA, KR3T'S, and FULL CIRCLE SOULJAHS
Four of New York's most vibrant dance troupes-representing West African, Afro-Brazilian, salsa, and hip-hop styles-link the rich and diverse movement styles of the African diaspora in a program for all ages.
Presented in association with Full Circle Productions
Family Day is sponsored by Disney

Sunday, July 31
3:30 Hearst Plaza
Family Day
STAX MUSIC ACADEMY
Memphis soul becomes a thing of the future at Stax Music Academy, where inner-city youth who have learned the moves of the record label's show-stopping pioneers bring their talents to NYC.
Presented in association with the Stax Museum of American Soul Music

Sunday, July 31
5:00 Hearst Plaza
Family Day
Vy Higginsen'S GOSPEL FOR TEENS
Harlem-based producer Vy Higginsen leads an award winning group, recently featured on 60 Minutes, of wonderfully talented teenagers from all over New York, filling them with songs of praise.

Sunday, July 31
7:00 Damrosch Park Bandshell (note time)
Mavis Staples
THE RELATIVES (New York debut)
A pinnacle of gospel, rhythm and blues and soul for decades, Mavis Staples has built a stupendously varied career from the roots of her chart-topping family band, the Staples Singers. Beginning her rise as the voice of the civil rights movement, she continues to take that much-needed message to the masses.
The Relatives hail from Dallas, Texas, where lead gospel shouter Rev. Gean West walked the redemptive path to stirringly psychedelic righteousness. They resurrect their singular brand of gutbucket gospel funk for their first-ever New York performance.

Sunday, July 31
9:30 Milstein Pool, Hearst Plaza
EIKO & KOMA: WATER
See July 27 for information

For a complete, chronological schedule of performances, please visit LCOutofDoors.org