THE DOZEN: February’s Must-See Concerts

By Greg Haymes

You could call it Best Bets, Prime Picks, Top Tips or whatever. We call it The Dozen, whereby we offer a monthly round-up of 12 (or so) of the shows around Greater Nippertown that have got us jazzed the most. Only one entry per venue. Of course, your results may vary, so please feel free to comment below and let us know what you think we missed or overlooked.

Here’s The Dozen for the month of February:

THURSDAY (FEBRUARY 2): The Last Waltz 40th Anniversary Tour @ the Palace Theatre, Albany. An all-star line-up – Warren Haynes, Michael McDonald, Bob Margolin, Don Was, Jamey Johnson, John Medeski and more – delves into the vast songbag of The Band. 8pm. $49.50, $59.50, $69.50, $79.50, $89.50, $125.50.

FRIDAY (FEBRUARY 3): Marco Benevento @ the Hollow Bar + Kitchen, Albany. The psych-jazz piano man returns for another wild, eclectic evening. With Maybird and Band of Ghosts. 9pm. $17 in advance; $20 at the door.

SATURDAY (FEBRUARY 4): Steve Bernstein’s Universal Melody Brass Band @ MASS MoCA’s Hunter Center, North Adams. The slide trumpeter brings his all-star band – Duane Eubanks (trumpet), Arthur Baron (trombone), Curtis Fowlkes (trombone), Oscar Noriega (sax/clarinet), Erik Lawrence (saxophones), Ben Stapp (tuba) and Billy Martin of Medeski Martin & Wood on percussion – to town for a horns a’plenty concert. 8pm. $16 in advance; $22 at the door; $10 students.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8: Hamell on Trial @ the Low Beat, Albany. Always outspoken, frequently controversial, never self-censored. And funny, too. 7pm. $10. Also on Wednesdays, February 15 & 22.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9: The Gibson Brothers Trio @ Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs. International Bluegrass Music Association’s Entertainers of the Year Eric & Leigh Gibson are joined by their longtime bassist Mike Barber for a pair of intimate acoustic concerts. 6:30 & 8:30pm. $37 in advance; $39 at the door.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9: The Matt Flinner Trio @ Wolf Hollow Brewing, Glenville. The mandolin master leads his trio into the sonic landscape beyond Dawg Music. 7pm dinner; 8pm show. $45 (dinner and show). Also at the Cock ‘n Bull, Galway at 7:30pm on Thursday, February 9. $15.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11: Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters @ the Upper Room, Albany. Following back-to-back mainstage appearances at Freihofer’s Saratoga Jazz Festival, the veteran blues guitarslinger brings his band to downtown Albany for a considerably more intimate but no less intense performance. 8pm. $25 & $35.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11: Regina Carter @ The Egg’s Swyer Theatre, Albany. The jazz violin virtuoso and her band pay tribute to the First Lady of Song, commemorating the 100th birthday of Ella Fitzgerald. 8pm. $34.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13: Tim Darcy @ the Half Moon, Hudson. The frontman for Ought – who scored big at last year’s LarkFest – celebrates the release of his debut solo album, Saturday Night. With Emily Ritz. 8pm. $5.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20: Lake Street Dive @ Levon Helm Studios, Woodstock. Charismatic singer Rachael Price leads the eclectic pop band into Woodstock. 8pm. $55 & $75. UPDATE: This show is now officially sold out…

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23: Glen David Andrews @ Parish Public House, Albany. The New Orleans vocalist and trombone titan (and cousin of Trombone Shorty) blows into town to stir up a Mardi Gras second line. 8pm. $20.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23: John Doe @ Club Helsinki, Hudson. Since co-founding the legendary LA punk band X, the singer-songwriter has released 10 solo albums, including his latest psychedelic soul effort, The Westerner. 8pm. $20.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24: Bridge Jazz Festival @ Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy. Night One of the third annual river-crossing fest features Crescent City faves the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and pianist Eldar. 7:30pm. $28, $36 & $42.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26: ZZ Top @ Proctors, Schenectady. Yeah, they’re bad, they’re nationwide… The Texas trio roars into Greater Nippertown’s venerable theater after their concert at the Times Union Center was cancelled last year. 8pm. $50-$325.