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Motown in Central Park
The New York Pops Presents Motown Meets NYC
The New York Pops Orchestra along with a premiere group of up-and-coming and legendary Motown musicians will bring their rendition of timeless Motown classics to Central Park for one special night this summer. With confirmed artists such as Martha Reeves of Martha and the Vandellas, Ashford & Simpson, and Dennis Edwards of the Temptations, Motown Meets NYC will showcase star-studded artists and high-quality symphony orchestra music all on one stage.
Motown Meets NYC, part of annual SummerStage Gala presented by City Parks Foundation, will be led by musical director Steven Reineke of The New York Pops, which is the largest independent pop orchestra in the United States. Performing year-round at Carnegie Hall and other venues around the world, the orchestra was founded in 1983 to create greater awareness and appreciation of America’s rich musical heritage. In connection with SummerStage, a free city-wide festival showcasing experienced and emerging musicians from around the world to NYC, Motown Meets NYC should dazzle its audience by combing a pleasant Central Park environment with Motown’s most classic artists and songs.
The list of guests to accompany The New York Pops is extensive in number, but exclusive in quality. Including lead singer in the Temptations, Dennis Edwards; Percy Sledge, singer of the #1 worldwide Motown classic When a Man Loves a Woman; and two-time Grammy-nominated soul singer, Ryan Shaw. Other artists include Joan Osborne, Bettye LaVette, Jose James, Amel Larrieux, and Colman Domingo.
Representing an age of soul music, these Motown artists should have no problem bringing that authentic Motown sound to Central Park. This distinctive sound is undoubtedly what helped Motown achieve crossover success while still playing a legitimate role in African American-made music to the popular music stage. Motown music not only pushed the boundaries of music in general, but also helped build power behind the civil rights movement.
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