Finding the Uptown Sound

Tonight, anyone walking up the colorfully painted stairs leading to the main space of El Taller Latino Americano at 103rd Street and Broadway will witness what some claim is an infrequent occurrence on the Upper West Side: live contemporary music.

“Newer Sounds,” a newly established concert series, will begin staging eclectic live performances mere blocks from Columbia’s campus every other Friday night, with the inaugural performance tonight.

With the tagline “Bringing the downtown music uptown,” the series aims to build a music community among the sonic dearth of Manhattan’s northern neighborhood.

The man behind the music? Aleksi Glick, a professional guitarist and composer who grew up in Morningside Heights.

“It’s definitely something that’s been in my mind for a while but it’s finally taking form,” he said. “To have a place in my neighborhood where I could go out and hear some great music was something I felt was missing, and that most fellow musicians that I grew up with here felt was missing.”

The concerts will bring in both locally and nationally recognized acts in an effort to provide the community with a place that features accessible music at a reasonable price: Admission is $10 and discounted to $5 for those with a student ID.

In part, the program hopes to reach out to students, who may find it discouraging to have to travel to find music. Sophia Melon, Glick’s co-curator, is a Barnard sophomore and musician herself.

However, when she first arrived in the city, the Los Angeles native felt the lack of a music scene around campus.

“I got here and it was hard for me. I didn’t really know the city very well and I didn’t really know where the music scene was. I mean, I heard it was downtown, but I lived uptown so it took me a while to even find the downtown,” she said. “There should be a place for music to be a hub and music to be accessible to us [students] ... When Aleksi came to me I was like, ‘Yeah, let’s do it.’”

“There’s not many real music venues up here,” said musician Jake Snider, CC ’13, whose band has primarily frequented downtown spots because of the lack of space uptown. “It makes sense to me that there’s this urge to have a space for musicians to play that’s affordable but also nice.”

Snider is playing at tonight’s edition of Newer Sounds. He’ll be joined by Glick’s band, BAM, and Llama!, an eight-piece psychedelic salsa band.

Joy Hanson, the lead singer of Llama! thinks that her group, a “hybrid,” will fit right in. “I feel like it really exemplifies the concept of New Sounds because it’s a new type of style. We mix psychedelic rock ... with authentic Latin sounds.”

“We’re trying to feature people who are doing something different and have somewhat of a unique sound,” Glick said. “You’re probably not going to hear any heavy metal bands or Britney Spears there, but you will hear many kinds of music with many kinds of musicians who are very good at what they do.”

Next week, Newer Sounds will feature pop musician Devyn Rush of “American Idol” fame and upbeat folk-rockers the Bailen Brothers.

For Glick though, it’s more important to stay committed to the local Morningside community than to attract big names.

For instance, as a Hispanic cultural center, El Taller Latino Americano may seem like an odd establishment to house a concert series. But Glick chose the venue because his father has been friends with the owner for 35 years and Glick often played sporadic shows there in his youth.

The emphasis on community is found even in the grittiest of details, right down to the very real necessity of sponsorship. “I didn’t approach Chase. I approached places that have been in this neighborhood and share the values of this neighborhood,” Glick said.

With this neighborhood tie in mind, several local businesses have decided to back the project. Glick has collected support from such local stalwarts as Westside Market, the Hungarian Pastry Shop, and local record label Vibe Records.

“We’ve known Aleksi since he was a little kid. That’s what being a neighborhood establishment is all about, watching customers grow and develop, and so it’s supporting Aleksi as a young man who’s trying to establish his music,” said Wendy Binioris, one of the proprietors of the Hungarian Pastry Shop. “It’s about him. The pastry shop likes to support people in the neighborhood.”

Ultimately, it boils down to a community pitching in to form a local experience.

“I’ve actually known Aleksi since high school,” said musician Jeremy Exelbert, who’s performing in next week’s Newer Sounds concert. “He approached me about this, which was something we’ve always been discussing since we live uptown ... and it’s like we always need to go down to the Village if we want to play or see accessible music. I was really happy to be involved and bring the downtown sounds uptown. Or you know, bring the uptown sounds uptown. Keep them uptown.”