New York Guitar Festival: Pedro Cortes Flamenco, Big Lazy, Marel Hidalgo
WNYC's John Schaefer hosts a two-day celebration of global guitar culture, with guests ranging from the well-known like Louis Cato, leader of The Late Show Band, to the emerging, like the 16-year old phenomenon Marel Hidalgo, who will perform a tribute to Ernest Ranglin & The Jamaican Jazz Songbook. The festival culminates on July 4, celebrating American blues traditions in a special concert for America's birthday.
Day One Lineup
Marel Hidalgo may not be old enough to shave, but he is a grizzled veteran as a guitarist. He formed his first band and gigged widely in his native New Jersey when he was six years old, creating his won blend of jazz and Latin/Caribbean music. His current project is a tribute to the legendary Jamaican guitarist and bassist Ernest Ranglin, who helped define the sounds of Jamaican ska and reggae in the 1960s.
Big Lazy plays a kind of “Downtown Manhattan noir” that blends the spacious, cinematic sounds of spaghetti western soundtracks with the smoky vibes of cramped New York City clubs. Comprised of Stephen Ulrich on guitar, Yuval Lion on drums, and Andrew Hall on bass, Big Lazy’s music has been a favorite of music supervisors for both TV and film.
Pedro Cortes is a third generation flamenco guitarist from a Spanish gypsy family. He leads his own flamenco group, but for his NYGF performance he will partner with two veteran artists now based in New York: singer Ismael Fernandez and dancer Sonia Olla, who have together brought the flamenco tradition to venues and audiences around the city. Percussionist Jose Moreno will round out the ensemble dedicated to bringing the fiery, passionate sounds of flamenco to Bryant Park.
Pedro Cortes comes from a family of Spanish Gypsy guitarists and began his studies with his father and the esteemed Flamenco guitarist Sabicas. Having toured professionally since the age of 17, he is gaining international recognition as a soloist and composer. He premiered his work, En la Oscuridad de las Minas, at the Teatro Albeniz in Madrid and has had works premiered by the Carlota Santana Spanish Dance Company at the Joyce Theater in New York. He has two books on Flamenco, El Dron del Faraon and Cruzando el Charco, published by the American Institute of Guitar.
Cortes, was commissioned by the Cohen Brothers to compose music for the film Paris Je T'Aime. He also wrote music for a children’s program on HBO called Fairy tale for Every Child.
He has toured with Jose Greco and Maria Benitez, La Conja and has performed with artists including Farruqita, La Tati, Merche Esmeralda, Manolete and the late Lola Flores. He has been guest artist with the St. Louis Opera and the New York Grand Opera, and has been commissioned by and performed as Musical Director with the Guthrie Theater In Garcia Lorcas BODAS DE SANGRE.
Pedro Cortes also starred in a documentary alongside Diego Amador and La Susi that won first place in the Madrid International Film Festival. The film is called Flamenco Pasion en Peligro and was produced by WakeUp Music in 2023.
Big Lazy, New York City’s gritty instrumental trio has flourished for over 25 years, playing its singular brand of Guitar Noir from the Whitney Museum of American Art to the Opéra National de Lyon. The band is known for its cinematic music and legendary live performances. With Stephen Ulrich – guitar, Yuval Lion – drums, Andrew Hall – bass.
"Big Lazy, the elegantly gritty instrumental trio led by the extraordinary guitarist Stephen Ulrich, plays stunningly beautiful music that evokes everything from truckers' romps to the haunting film scores of Bernard Herrmann." The New Yorker
Marel Hidalgo is a sixteen-year-old guitarist, and bandleader from Bradley Beach, New Jersey, and was the leader and founder of "The Marel Hidalgo Band". He began studying music at the age of four, under the instruction of guitar teacher Jerry Franklin at Big Beat Music Studio in Neptune City and within a few months, he had his first presentation working with renowned reggae artist Tim P-Dub.
Two years later, at the age of six, Marel formed his first band "Marel Hidalgo & Friends," a multicultural and multi-generational project that explored a wide variety of music genres, including reggae, classic rock, soul, blues, funk, country, bluegrass and Latin jazz. After his band’s debut in a jam-packed local venue, Marel started building a name in the Jersey Shore music scene. During this period in his career, he performed in numerous festivals such as the South Orange Blues Festival, South Mountain International Blues Festival, and The Denver Day Of Rock just to name a few, other venues in the Tri-state area and The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music in New York and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, and was featured on National TV on the Harry Connick Jr. Show.
During his 11 year career as a musician, Marel has had the honor to be on stage with many talented, legendary, and renowned musicians, such as jazz legends such as drummer Roger Humphries, bassist Dwayne Dolphin, Don Aliquo Sr, bassist Mike Griot and many other jazz greats, as well as performing at the Exit Zero Jazz Festival, The Atrium at the Lincoln Center, the City Winery in Pittsburgh, the Count Basie Vogel Theater, just to name a few.
Exploring virtually every aspect of the guitar’s personality, the New York Guitar Festival, since 1999, has presented many of the world’s most influential guitarists at Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 92nd Street Y and other iconic venues, large and small. From multi Grammy-winners to emerging artists, NYGF performers have included masters of the classical repertoire (Pepe Romero, Christopher Parkening, Ana Vidović, Nigel North) as well as blues & jazz (Taj Mahal, Bucky Pizzarelli, Bill Frisell, Sonny Landreth), pop & indie rock (Vernon Reid, Bruce Springsteen, Bon Iver, Andy Summers, Thurston Moore), and folk & Americana (Levon Helm, Emmylou Harris, Cindy Cashdollar, Leo Kottke) as well as sounds of Central & South America (Badi Assad, Yamandu Costa, Vinicius Cantuária) and genre-defying innovators (Kaki King, David Torn, Daniel Lanois, Bryce Dessner). The New York Guitar Festival: music from across the centuries. . . and music yet to be. Made possible by generous support from the Augustine Foundation.
Bryant Park lends out hundreds of free blankets on a first-come, first-served basis, or bring your own cotton or fleece blanket. To protect the lawn, please do not sit on waterproof materials such as plastic tarps, yoga mats, or inflatable chairs.
Take a seat in one of the pre-set chairs on the lawn or grab a chair from the gravel. You can use a chair anywhere in the park except for the center lawn "blanket zone".
Bring your own picnic or purchase food and drinks from tents on the east side of the lawn. Attendees can enjoy cuisine from the five boroughs with a rotating line-up of artisanal vendors curated by Hester Street Fair.
Stout NYC also offers giant pretzels, gourmet popcorn and other light bites as well as a selection of beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages for purchase.
Visit the Bryant Park Shop tent for exclusive Picnic Performances merchandise and more!
Find a parachute, hula hoops, and more fun on the east side of the lawn at select events.
Dogs are welcome on the gravel and bluestone, but not on the lawn.
Performances are cancelled when it is unsafe to be outdoors. In some cases, the lawn may be too wet to open but the performance may continue. Follow @bryantparknyc on Twitter and Instagram for day-of event updates. You can also check the lawn status on the bryantpark.org homepage.
Bryant Park Picnic Performances presented by Bank of America is a free outdoor festival that welcomes all New Yorkers to experience the city’s vibrant arts and culture. The series provides a platform for extraordinary artists and serves as a vital outdoor venue for a wide array of New York’s cultural institutions.
