Under Cover Music Fest

SING OUT. SING LOUD. YOU KNOW EVERY SONG. It's South Orange's newest public event, where Sloan Street will be filled with the greatest hits from the greatest bands of all time. Bring your low lawn chair and listen to incredible tribute bands covering tunes from Coldplay, Led Zeppelin, Bob Marley, U2, the Allman Brothers and more. And it's FREE! SCHEDULE 3:00 PM: Coldplay/Led Zeppelin Covered by Mark Murphy's Music Student Bands Coldplay is a British rock band formed in 1996 by lead singer and pianist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London (UCL). They have sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making them one of the world's best-selling music artists. Parachutes, A Rush of Blood to the Head and X&Y are among the best-selling albums in UK chart history. Led Zeppelin was one of the most successful and influential British rock bands of the 1970s. Combining Robert Plant's wailing vocals and sensual stage presence, Jimmy Page's guitar virtuosity and songwriting prowess, John Paul Jones' thick, consistent bottom end, and John Bonham's resounding percussion, Led Zeppelin formed the pinnacle of 1970s hard rock. Best known for their power ballad Stairway to Heaven, Led Zeppelin was a profoundly important bridge between the blues based rock of the 1960s and the heavy metal and modern rock of the last two decades of the 20th century. Rolling Stone magazine described them as "the heaviest band of all time", "the biggest band of the Seventies", and "unquestionably one of the most enduring bands in rock history". They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995. Mark Murphy's Music Student Ensembles. Kicking off the UnderCover festival are two amazing student ensembles. They are going to cover the music of Led Zeppelin and Coldplay. Although these students range in ages from 8th grade through high school they definitely sound like they are adult bands! We know you will be blown away. Definitely get there early to check them out! 4:00 PM: Bob Marley Covered by Ricky Persuad Jr. Bob Marley was a Jamaican singer-songwriter who became an international musical and cultural icon, blending mostly reggae, ska, and rocksteady in his compositions. Hit's include One Love, Three Little Bird, Redemption Song, No Woman No Cry, Is This Love and so much more. Bob Marley passed away from cancer on May 11, 2981. In 2001 he was bestowed The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, an honor given by the Recording Academy to “performers who during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording.” Ricky Persaud, Jr. is a Reggae Rock recording artist, singer songwriter, multi instrumentalist, composer and actor. Ricky play guitar, piano and is a powerful vocalist. He is a commanding performer who fronts the band Ricky Persaud, Jr. & Crossroads. They are not to be missed! Ricky currently attends Berklee College Of Music on a full four year scholarship. 5:00 PM: Ella Fitzerald Covered by Thana Alexa Dubbed "The First Lady of Song," Ella Fitzgerald was the most popular female jazz singer in the United States for more than half a century. In her lifetime, she won 13 Grammy awards and sold over 40 million albums. Her voice was flexible, wide-ranging, accurate and ageless. She could sing sultry ballads, sweet jazz and imitate every instrument in an orchestra. She worked with all the jazz greats, from Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Nat King Cole, to Frank Sinatra, Dizzy Gillespie and Benny Goodman. Thana Alexa, 2016 and 2017 Downbeat Critic’s Poll Rising Female Vocalist, runner up in the 2014 Made in NY Jazz Competition, winner of the 2011 Jazzon Alpe-Adria International Competition and nominee in the category of Best Jazz Composition for the 2011 PORIN Awards - the Croatian Music Academy’s honor equivalent to the Grammy Awards in America. Her upcoming album “ONA” - an album for and about women - is set for release in 2019. Alexa is an active member of Antonio Sanchez' touring ensemble Migration (Grammy winner for the Birdman film score as well as Pat Metheny’s drummer of 16 years) and has recorded two critically acclaimed albums with the group, New Life and The Meridian Suite, (Seamus Blake, John Escreet, Matt Brewer). Thana will be joined at the UnderCover festival by an incredible ensemble including: Carmen Staaf - piano, Inbar Paz - bass, Sanah Kadoura - drums. This is going to be such a special set of timeless music! 6:00 PM: George Harrison Covered by Mark Murphy George Harrison was an English guitarist, singer-songwriter and producer who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian culture and helped broaden the scope of popular music through his incorporation of Indian instrumentation and Hindu-aligned spirituality in the Beatles' work. Although the majority of the band's songs were written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, most Beatles albums from 1965 onwards contained at least two Harrison compositions. His songs for the group included "Taxman", "Within You Without You", "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "Here Comes the Sun" and "Something", the last of which became the Beatles' second-most covered song. Harrison released several best-selling singles and albums as a solo performer. In 1988, he co-founded the platinum-selling supergroup the Traveling Wilburys. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him number 11 in their list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". He is a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee – as a member of the Beatles in 1988, and posthumously for his solo career in 2004. Mark Murphy is a musician and educator and owner of the music school Mark Murphy's Music. The school has been in the heart of South Orange since 2005. He is a huge George Harrison fan. As a performer Mark's music has been written up in many national & international publications. In 2017 Mark Murphy's album "Slip Away" made Downbeat Magazine best of 2017 list. "Fans of intimate, heartfelt jazz and folk music will find themselves returning to Slip Away. It’s an assured debut by a gifted musician with stories to tell." Carlo Wolf/Downbeat Magazine/4 Star Review of "Slip Away". Mark will joined by a band of incredible musicians including: Ray West - Guitar, Ricardo Grilli - Bass and Goh Izawa - Drums. 7:00 PM: U2 Covered by Charlie Pollock U2 is an Irish rock band from Dublin formed in 1976. The group consists of Bono (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), the Edge (lead guitar, keyboards, and backing vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen Jr. (drums and percussion). With 22 Grammy Awards, 14 studio albums and more than 170 million record sales worldwide, U2 is arguably one of the world's best-selling music artists in history. In 2005, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Charlie Pollock and Friends is a side project of: Actor/singer Charlie Pollock and Guitarist/ Producer/Songwriter Jason Laughlin and a combination of their friends who are not currently touring the world, holed up in a studio making Grammy worthy tracks or that can get a night off from their Broadway show!!! For the Under Cover festival the band will feature: Charlie Pollock - Vocals, Jason Laughlin - Guitars, Jeff McErlain - Guitars, Becky Gulsvig - Vocals, Malcolm Gold - Bass Guitar, Campbell Charshee - Keyboards & Gary Seligson - Drums. This is going to be a high energy set that will have you singing all of your favorite U2 classics on Sloan Street! 8:00 PM: Allman Brothers Covered by the Dave Pressel Band The Allman Brothers Band was an American rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman (slide guitar and lead guitar) and Gregg Allman (vocals, keyboards, songwriting), as well as Dickey Betts (lead guitar, vocals, songwriting), Berry Oakley (bass guitar), Butch Trucks (drums), and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe" Johanson (drums). The band incorporated elements of Southern rock, blues, jazz, and country music, and their live shows featured jam band-style improvisation and instrumentals. Their 1971 live release, At Fillmore East, represented an artistic and commercial breakthrough. The album features extended renderings of their songs "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" and "Whipping Post", and is often considered among the best live albums ever made. Group leader Duane Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident later that year, and the band dedicated Eat a Peach (1972) in his memory, a dual studio/live album that cemented the band's popularity. Following the motorcycle death of bassist Berry Oakley later that year, the group recruited keyboardist Chuck Leavell and bassist Lamar Williams for 1973's Brothers and Sisters, which, combined with the hit single "Ramblin' Man", placed the group at the forefront of 1970s rock music. The Dave Pressel Band is fronted by keyboardist Dave Pressel. Dave is a longtime Maplewood resident who has played with multiple artists from Blood Sweat & Tears, The Blues Brothers, Gil Parris, Bernie Williams, and Tower of Power. Joining him at the Under Cover festival will be some incredible musicians from the local area: Cardon Raquet (guitar and vocals), John Rango (guitar), Mike Manuele (bass) & Matt Hauser (drums). This is going to be a powerful closing act to the festival. Not to be missed!