Vocalist Marika Hughes to Release New Project “New York Nostalgia” on March 15th, 2016

Marika Hughes is set to release anticipated new album, “New York Nostalgia” on March 15th, 2016

New York Nostalgia is Marika Hughes’ love letter to the city and the love that made her what she is today. “Fiercely authentic” this native New Yorker grew up with music in every corner of her life, starting from the legacy of her Grandfather, the acclaimed cellist Emanuel Feuermann, to the upper west side jazz club her parents ran around the corner from their home. On March 15th, Hughes will release New York Nostalgia (DD Records), beginning the celebration at NYC’s iconic Joe’s Pub at the Public Theatre on Monday, March 14th at 7:30pm with her band, Bottom Heavy: Marika Hughes – cello/voice; Charlie Burnham – violin; Kyle Sanna – guitar; Fred Cash Jr – bass; Tony Mason – drums and special guests including Jon Cowherd on piano and more. John Cowherd – piano, Mike McGinnis – tenor sax, Jordan McLean – trumpet, Morley – vocals and Imani Uzuri – vocals.

Highly sought after as a collaborator and soloist, Hughes has recorded and shared the stage with artists as diverse as D’Angelo, Tom Waits, Harry Bellafonte, Yo-Yo Ma, Lou Reed, Metallica, Santana, Tin Hat, Mr. Bungle, Jolie Holland, Jenny Scheinman, Anais Mitchell and Xiu Xiu. Hughes was a member of 2 Foot Yard with violinist Carla Kihlstedt and bassist Shahzad Ismaily; together, they have released two albums on John Zorn’s Tzadik label. Hughes has appeared on The David Letterman Show, The Jimmy Fallon Late Night Show and Saturday Night Live.

“New York Nostalgia is an album about almost-love,” says Hughes. “Stumbling, loving, sexy, flirty, sad, warm, dirty, loose love — fleeting, and true. These songs are love letters; love letters to old flames, and to a New York that is no more; a broken city of cook-outs, Sesame Street, late-night stoop hangs, bad blocks, 106th Street, bebop, post-bop, playing tag in the hallway. It’s also a documentation of a moment in time for this band. It’s the sound we’ve been making and developing over the last few years. We made the record I wanted to make.”

With Bottom Heavy, Hughes has established herself as one of the most distinctive and instantly recognizable bandleaders in New York. They play the soul-rock that swings, funky soul that’s lush and majestic, chamber pop with edge and bite, love songs that are equal parts joyous and bittersweet. Her narratives and tunesmithing on this album mirror her cosmopolitan background, equally informed by classical, rock, jazz, blues old-school soul, funk, Americana, free improvisation, Jewish music and the avant garde. Her strong, uncluttered alto voice moves seamlessly between styles, as does her playing: as a cellist, her low end is just as much about groove as it is about elegantly ambered washes of sound and lively, dancing melody.

ABOUT MARIKA HUGHES

A child born in the 1970s to a German-Jewish mother and a Black American father from upstate NY, it was music that was the constant in this family’s life and that soundtrack is the reason that a widely diverse range of artists call upon Hughes to lend her unique voice to their artistry. Those artists include D’Angelo, Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, Sean Lennon, Valerie June, David Byrne, Lou Reed, Ani DiFranco, Toshi Reagon, Aruan Ortiz, Nasheet Waits and Henry Threadgill. Marika knew she had to play the cello when after nine years of rigorous violin study, she held a cello for the first time and played the C-string; the lowest string. She was 12 and in the NYC shop of Mosa Havivi, a former student of her grandfather, the great cellist Emanuel Feuermann. In that decisive moment, Marika was seduced once and for all by the low end.

Marika grew up on New York’s Upper West Side, where her parents owned a jazz club. As a child, she was a regular on Sesame Street, a member of the New York Youth Symphony, played student festivals in Europe and busked with her high-school string quartet. After completing her studies at Barnard College in political science and cello performance at the Juilliard School, Marika moved to San Francisco, where she became cellist for the Grammy-nominated Quartet San Francisco and played with symphony orchestras as well as a wide variety of artists including Tom Waits, Santana, Mr. Bungle and indie rock band Xiu Xiu. Expanding her musical vision, Marika joined Carla Kihlstedt and Shahzad Ismaily in 2 Foot Yard, and appears on the each of the group’s albums on John Zorn’s Tzadik label. With singer Jewlia Eisenberg, Hughes founded the band Red Pocket, and appears on that group’s Tzadik release as well. Hughes is also a member of the a cappella trio Charming Hostess, with whom she has also recorded and toured.

After returning to New York, Hughes released her debut album Afterlife Music Radio – 11 New Pieces for Solo Cello (DD Records), which features commissioned works by colleagues including Nasheet Waits, Jenny Scheinman and Carla Kihlstedt. Her follow-up release, The Simplest Thing (DD Records) celebrates Marika’s debut leading her own band and singing her own songs. She’s been a host on WQXR radio, a featured storyteller on NPR’s The Moth and performed in an Oregon Shakespeare Festival production by Stew (creator of the Tony-winning Broadway musical Passing Strange) and most recent play, Family Album produced by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Active in music education, Marika has worked with endangered youth in South Africa and Haiti in conjunction with the nonprofit TRIAD Trust.

West Coast Tour Dates:

Saturday, March 26, 8pm
at Stareline Social Club, Oakland, CA
Marika Hughes Quartet
with Julie Wolf (piano), Dave Ewell (bass), Hamir Atwal (drums)
A night of bands from Oakland/Brooklyn

Friday, April 1, 8pm
Red Poppy Art House, San Francisco, CA
SOLO: HER :: an evening of music from three women
Marika Hughes cello/voice, Fay Victor voice, Mazz Swift violin/voice
each playing solo and together. From thru composed contemporary pieces, to arrangements of the familiar to fully improvised events
HER celebrates the individual voice of each woman while encouraging the surprises inherent to group improvisation

Saturday, April 2, 8pm
California Jazz Conservatory, Berklee, CA
Appearing with The Fay Victor Blues Project

Please always visit www.marikahughes.com.

Kim Smith PR