IDLE CHATTER

Peace Out

What began as the idea of Le Moyne College student Amber MacDuffie almost a year ago has come full circle. MacDuffie imagined collecting community members’ songs about peace and social justice in an effort to spread those messages. Once she joined forces with the Syracuse Peace Council, the idea took flight as PeaceSongs CNY, profiled in “Hear and Now,” a
Dec. 21, 2011 Syracuse New
Times article.

Musical entries were first submitted to the council, then the songs were winnowed down by New Times readers who voted to determine the final artists to be included in the independent compilation. On Sunday, May 6, the finished project will be available during a CD release party for Turn Up The Volume on Peace, to be held from 5 to 9 p.m. at Metro Lounge & Café, 505 Westcott St. Families are welcome to attend, with admission on a sliding scale of $5 to $10.

Raves for Russell: April’s Jazz Appreciation Month couldn’t have ended on a more positive note as Catherine Russell effortlessly charmed the audience at Eastwood’s Palace Theatre during her April 28 concert. The show, which linked WAER-FM 88.3 and Frank Malfitano’s Jazz Fest Productions with sponsors such as Seneca Federal Savings and the Syracuse New Times, was a class affair from start to finish, especially when Russell (shown with bassist Lee Hudson) offered fresh, modern arrangements of golden jazz chestnuts from the 1930s and 1940s.

MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTO

“The main goal of the Syracuse Peace Council is to include the community,” SPC member and PeaceSongs
CNY organizer Jack Brown says. “We would never want to have someone say, ‘I can’t go because of money,’ so that’s why we always have the sliding scale. Give whatever you can.”

The party will feature music from 15 of the 19 artists from the album; each performer will play the song selected for the CD as well as an additional tune. Performers will include Tamarlee Shutt, Jane Zell, Sophistafunk, Colleen Kattau, Gavan Duffy and more. “There will be everything from rhythm’n’blues to folk to rock to hip-hop,” Brown says.

Artists then re-recorded their tracks at More Sound Recording Studio with the help of Jocko Randall, who gave discounted studio time to the musicians and also donated his own time to mix the album, making it a single cohesive project that flows. “It was a big job and he did a lot, maybe more than he expected,” Brown explains of Randall’s involvement. “It was really above and beyond.”

The album, priced at $10, will also be available for purchase at peace council.net. Sunday’s event also continues the belated celebration of the Syracuse Peace Council’s 75th anniversary, which occurred last year. For more information, visit peacecouncil.net or call 472-5478.

—Jessica Novak