MIDTOWN MUSIC Series to Bring Free Live Performances to the Street

It's music to the ears of commuters, shoppers, office workers, tourists, residents, and passers-by in midtown. "Terry Waldo's Gotham City Band," which specializes in ragtime, jazz, and blues, plays for 10 performances per week at various locations in the 34th Street area, including Herald and Greeley Square Parks.

The program is produced by the 34th Street Partnership, a business improvement district, whose president, Dan Biederman, said, "Midtown Music provides a respite from the hustle and bustle, as well as free high-quality culture accessible to everyone."

Performances take place Monday through Friday from 12:30 to 2 PM and from 4:30 to 6 PM at various locations in the district.

The schedule is available on the 34th Street Partnership's website. The

rotating locations include Herald and Greeley Square Parks, PENN 1, PENN11, Penn Station entrances, and outside the Moynihan Train Hall.

The band's leader, Terry Waldo, is considered one of America's premier performers and presenters of ragtime and early jazz. Known for his virtuoso ragtime and stride piano playing, charming vocals, and disarming wit, he is the protégé‚ of the legendary Eubie Blake, who called Waldo "an extension of my own musical self." His band includes musicians on trumpet, trombone, clarinet, banjo, and percussion.

Known to faithful audiences at Bryant Park, Waldo has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Supreme Court, The Kennedy Center, The Smithsonian Institute, The Library of Congress, The National Gallery of Art, The Museum of Modern Art, and The Museum of Natural History.

His New York club appearances include Michael's Pub, Carnegie Tavern, Birdland, Iridium, The Bottom Line, Feinstein's, The Cookery, The Blue Note, Caroline's Comedy Club, Cajun, Chez Josephine's, Mezzrow, The Village Gate, Smalls, Hanratty's, The Rum House, The Red Blazer, and Dizzy's Club in Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Founded in 1992, the 34th Street Partnership is a not-for-profit, private management company organized as a business improvement district (BID) stretching from Park Ave. to 10th Ave. along 34th St. and abutting streets to the north and south. It is funded by assessments on property within its boundaries, fees from Herald and Greeley Squares' concessions, and revenue generated by events in the squares. One of the most ambitious BIDs in the United States, 34SP receives no tax dollars, nor does it solicit funds from philanthropic donors. The Partnership provides an array of services including private security and sanitation, and streetscapes and design enhancements, all aimed at improving the quality of life for landlords, tenants, workers, shoppers, and tourists in one of the nation's busiest urban corridors.