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#masthead-section-label, #masthead-bar-one { display: none }The Best of 2020Best ComedyBest TV ShowsBest BooksBest MoviesBest AlbumsAdvertisementContinue reading the main storySupported byContinue reading the main storyTwo Friends, Two Continents, Very Different PandemicsSteven LaBrie is a freelance baritone in New York. Jarrett Ott has a full-time job singing in Germany. As the coronavirus spread, that made all the difference.The singers Jarrett Ott (left, in Stuttgart, Germany) and Steven LaBrie (right, in New York City) are friends whose careers were hit very differently by the pandemic.Credit…Roderick Aichinger for The New York Times; Michael George for The New York TimesJan. 13, 2021, 5:00 a.m. ETAs two singers rising through the close-knit world of Philadelphia’s most acclaimed conservatories, Steven LaBrie and Jarrett Ott knew each other in passing. But on one raucous night in 2009, when Mr. Ott joined the celebration of Mr. LaBrie’s 21st birthday — an evening of tequila, dancing and after-hours pizza — their friendship was sealed.Both baritones, Mr. LaBrie, now 32, and Mr. Ott, 33, stayed close as their opera careers began to blossom. They and their partners lived near each other in Astoria, Queens, for a time, and Mr. LaBrie and Mr. Ott worked out at the same gym. In 2018, with fellow baritone Tobias Greenhalgh, they released “Remember,” an album of songs by American composers.That year, their paths split. Mr. Ott started a full-time job in the ensemble at the respected opera house in Stuttgart, Germany. Mr. LaBrie remained based in New York, a freelance artist with a growing reputation.This divergence made all the difference when the coronavirus hit. With performances canceled around the world, Mr. LaBrie’s income fell to nothing; he hasn’t had health insurance for years. But across the Atlantic, support from the German government meant that Mr. Ott’s position was safe, his pay almost unchanged and his benefits secure.In separate interviews, they spoke about the impact of the pandemic — and political responses to it — on their lives and future plans. These are edited excerpts from the conversations.Steven LaBrieA freelance baritone, Mr. LaBrie made his European debut in late 2019 in “Rusalka” at the Erl Festival in Austria. Plans to have him return to the festival were canceled because of the pandemic.Credit…Xiomara BenderI started when I was a teenager as a mariachi singer. My mother is Mexican, and she encouraged it. We would drive around Dallas to all these restaurants, and there were bands you could go up and sing with. And once I became a professional singer, I loved the lifestyle. I loved traveling; I loved being different places with different colleagues.A year ago, in December 2019, I was making my European debut. (I had sung in Paris, but on tour with New York City Ballet, so I’m not counting that.) I had gone on a German audition tour, and the head of the Erl Festival in Austria hired me to sing the Hunter and Innkeeper in “Rusalka” at the end of 2019.At the opening night party, I was immediately rehired for an obscure opera by Offenbach that hadn’t been performed since its premiere in Austria. It was a huge role, a huge thing for me. But since Covid happened, they decided that because of budgetary reasons they were cutting the show. And my hope for my singing career in Europe dwindled away. I was going to make my debut on the main stage at Carnegie Hall, and that flew away, too. A career is built one milestone at a time, so what now? I streamed a video performance, but I found it’s really difficult to get people to commit to watching any self-produced online content.I’ve been a lucky person in some ways. I have a partner, who’s also a musician but has a steady income as a coach at Juilliard, a pianist on the Met’s music staff and a recitalist. And losing my income — most years I probably made about $50,000 before expenses and paying my manager — wasn’t as much of a blow as some people who have a house they own, or children. I qualified for pandemic relief, and got the $1,200 stimulus.I don’t feel like the government has ever supported the arts. I pay high taxes, because I’m a self-employed person. That comes with many expenses and it’s difficult to get ahead financially when there are so many people a singer needs to employ to help him succeed. Since the beginning of my career, I’ve been told that the opera industry has been facing hardships and that fees have gone down, which makes me wonder if opera at some point will just be a hobby for people who already have a safety net.I kept thinking, what can I do with this time? I went straight to the Academy of Vocal Arts after high school; I’ve only ever known singing. What can I do with no degree? What the coronavirus has shown is that we’re not confined to staying put in one location anymore. We can do anything from anywhere in the world. I read a lot about people who made a career transition into tech. And I began looking into software engineering. I started learning a coding language, and did that the entire summer.Now I’m what they call a “resident” at a software engineering immersive program called Codesmith. It’s an intensive program for three months that takes you up to being hired at a high level, mid to senior.I’m not leaving singing. I’m preparing myself for having a skill set in an industry with a lot of opportunities and straddling both worlds. This idea people have, that you’re either a singer or not a singer, it’s just not the truth. And now, more than ever, it can’t be the truth.I really do believe I’m coming out of this feeling so much more empowered. I’m relying on myself to invent my future, as opposed to feeling I’m the victim of a system. I’m not saying I’m always at the computer with glee. I have shed a tear or two for my life and career. But at the same time, you have to keep moving forward. My dream has always been, and will always be, to be a singer. But now I have more than one dream.Jarrett OttMr. Ott, center, as Chou En-lai in John Adams’s “Nixon in China,” part of his full-time job as a member of the ensemble at the State Opera in Stuttgart, where government support has maintained his position, pay and benefits.Credit…Matthias BausThe main thing when you’re in an ensemble is to get so many roles under your belt. You can be singing three at the same time. No matter what training you get in the United States, nothing prepares you to be a full-time singer at a single company. A freelancer can hop among companies, but you’re never rehearsing one show in the afternoon, going into another show at night and in the morning a third. One time, someone got to perform in another house, so I was asked to do two Marcellos in the same day in “La Bohème.” It’s not always ideal circumstances, but it’s such a life-changing experience.It’s a full-time position, salary based. Full health benefits. Singers in Europe can afford to live off this salary, but it’s assumed that you’re also going to have some contracts at other opera houses. But this year, I watched my American engagements go in a dumpster, and I was still able to completely put food on the table and pay my bills. After taxes — about half is taken out — I earn about €2,500 ($3,050) a month.I did my first performance ever of the Count in Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro” on March 8. Our next performance was going to be the 13th, and we were locked down on the 11th. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to be locked down away from my husband and my dog, in New York City, so I flew there on the 13th and did the initial lockdown there.I got the call, I think it was in the middle of May: “Would you want to come back and do a recital?” And at that point I was going crazy in a New York apartment, so it was: “Dear God, yes.” I arrived on June 1 and did a very strict 14-day quarantine. June 15 I could leave that, and the recital was June 19, in front of 100 people. It wasn’t even in the opera house; they didn’t have that figured out yet. It was at the Liederhalle, another performance space which the opera sometimes uses for concerts.Mine was one of the very first recitals. I think three or four other people got to do it, and then they started reducing the audience again slowly. And they did two almost-productions here before another lockdown started in the fall. We thought we might be able to do concert versions of “Madama Butterfly” in December; obviously that went away. We’re hoping to do them in mid-February, but that is also not looking like a possibility right now.But through this uncertainty, we are all paid — by the opera house, but also by the state. None of our benefits have gone away. For two months, we’re on what’s called “Kurzarbeit” — “short work” — when the government pays about 80 percent of our wages and then the opera makes up a various amount for each individual. I’m making 98 percent even during Kurzarbeit. I canceled my American health insurance in June. I’ve been going to the doctors here whenever I’ve needed. And I don’t have to pay extra for that; there are no co-pays or after bills.It’s hard to see my colleagues in the United States not have hope for the spring. Here we luckily still do. And a lot of my friends are doing what Steven is: They haven’t jumped shipped completely, but they’re in the tech world right now, while I haven’t had to really re-evaluate my career.Could I use some extra income? Sure. There was a lot of money lost last year. But I am so incredibly grateful to have this position here. It’s a lot of work, but man, is it worth it.AdvertisementContinue reading the main story More

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The 1975 lead vocalist is ‘very excited’ about his upcoming music project where he teams up with ‘some brilliant artists’ including the ‘Boom Clap’ hitmaker.

Jan 13, 2021
AceShowbiz – Matty Healy has teased his upcoming collaborations with Charli XCX and Beabadoobee.
The 1975 frontman has admitted he’s “very excited” about the new tunes he has with some “brilliant artists” and confirmed they include the “1999” hitmaker and his record label Dirty Hit’s hottest signee.
The “Love Me” hitmaker wrote on Instagram alongside a series of snaps from his home, “Lockdown in the bunker. Keeping sane by cleaning and taking pictures currently. Very excited about new music in the coming months with some brilliant artists (thank you to them!) – new playlist tomorrow, for sanity reasons.”
And when quizzed by a follower if he is teaming up with the singers, he replied, “BOTH!”
Back in August 2019, the “Chocolate” hitmaker revealed to fans that he had sent a “beat” to “Gone” singer Charli and shared it’s a “monster tune.”

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He tweeted at the time, “Sent her a beat at like 5pm yesterday and woke up this morning to a HIT. A MONSTER TUNE!! I’m prolific but she’s on some s***@charli_xcx (sic)”
However, when asked whether his band or himself will feature on the track, Matty said that he didn’t know and added that the band No Rome – who are signed to Dirty Hit – and his bandmate George Daniel worked on the song.
He replied, “Not sure yet but me and Rome and George produced.”
Charli also confirmed a collaboration was in the works.
She said in an interview, “We sent some ideas back and forth, and I’m such a fan of (Matty) and the band. They just get it, and they don’t get it at the same time, which I think is the best way to make music. And I think he’s such a smart lyricist, it’s just very smart and also fun, and I feel like they really love pop music.”
“And I love that, and I’m so inspired by that energy and that uniqueness. So yeah, I don’t know what’s going on. But I really admire their song writing, so hopefully something will come of it.”

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Tyler has once again denied rumors suggesting he and Brian Kelley quit their band due to the opposing political views, insisting they are a ‘package deal.’

Jan 13, 2021
AceShowbiz – Tyler Hubbard has once again slammed rumours he and Florida Georgia Line bandmate Brian Kelley are splitting up, insisting they are a “package deal.”
Reports of trouble within the group began after Democrat Hubbard unfollowed Republican Brian Kelley for a few days around the U.S. presidential election last year (20), which were furthered as the duo pulled out of an appearance at the Country Music Academy Awards due to a COVID-related health scare.
The two stories combined to prompt fans and critics alike to suggest FGL were done, but both Hubbard and Kelley have denied that – instead revealing they are planning to use 2021 as the year they’ll explore solo projects.

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And, in a new interview with Entertainment Tonight, Hubbard insisted he’s still on the best of terms with Kelley – and doesn’t foresee a band break-up anytime soon.
“We’ve stayed in really good communication about it (solo projects) and we both feel a lot of freedom, a lot of creative juices flowing, a lot of inspiration, and so it’s fun,” he said. “We’ve always been a package deal, we’ve always done every single thing together, so it really does feel good to say, ‘BK, go make your solo project and go have fun with it, and I’ll go write songs and see what collaborations happen and we’ll just have our own voice and make our own mark for a little while,’ and then in the meantime, still releasing our fifth album in February, and, you know, continuing the tour.”
“So, you know, we’re still gonna be doing a lot together and playing for the fans and singing the hits, but it’s been fun to venture out and have a little bit of individuality as we go.”

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AdvertisementContinue reading the main storySupported byContinue reading the main storyFrank Kimbrough, Pianist With a Subtle Touch, Is Dead at 64He could hold the spotlight in everything from a trio to Maria Schneider’s 18-piece big band. He was also a passionate educator.The pianist Frank Kimbrough in performance at Jazz Standard in New York in 2014. He had an understated style that fit well in many different settings.Credit…Hiroyuki Ito for The New York TimesJan. 12, 2021, 6:09 p.m. ETFrank Kimbrough, a deft and subtle jazz pianist known for his work in the Maria Schneider Orchestra and other prominent groups, and as the leader of his own small ensembles, died on Dec. 30 at his home in Queens. He was 64.Ann Braithwaite, his publicist, said that the cause was not yet known but that it was believed to be a heart attack.Casual of gesture but deeply focused in demeanor, Mr. Kimbrough had an understated style that could nonetheless hold the spotlight in trio settings, or fit slyly into Ms. Schneider’s 18-piece big band.In many ways, his playing reflected the Romantic, floating manner of his first jazz influence, Bill Evans. But his off-kilter style as both a player and a composer also called back to two of his more rugged bebop-era influences: Herbie Nichols and Thelonious Monk, both of whom he eventually paid tribute to on record.In 2018, Mr. Kimbrough put forth “Monk’s Dreams: The Complete Compositions of Thelonious Sphere Monk,” the most ambitious recording of his career, a six-disc collection on Sunnyside Records spanning Monk’s entire known songbook. Mr. Kimbrough’s loose and generous spirit as a bandleader permeates the record, driving a quartet that features Scott Robinson on saxophones and other horns, Rufus Reid on bass and Billy Drummond on drums.All told, Mr. Kimbrough released well over a dozen albums as a leader, starting with “Star-Crossed Lovers” (1986), a cassette-only release for Mapleshade Records, and including the celebrated recordings “Lullabluebye” (2004), “Play” (2006) and “Live at Kitano” (2012).Since 1993, he had appeared on every album except one by Ms. Schneider, a Grammy winner and National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, including last year’s widely acclaimed double disc “Data Lords.”In a New York Times review of the trumpeter Ron Horton’s sextet in 2000, Ben Ratliff wrote, “Part of Mr. Kimbrough’s originality takes the form of an almost passive or Zenlike approach to an active situation; his solo in an urgent piece called ‘Groveling’ was a sustained rubato rhapsody, and otherwise he plays cloudlike chords where you would normally expect rhythmic stabs.”Frank Marshall Kimbrough Jr. was born on Nov. 2, 1956, in Roxboro, N.C. His mother, Katie Lee (Currin) Kimbrough, was a piano teacher, and he always said that he had been playing since before he could remember. His father was a florist. Frank took piano with a local Baptist minister, then briefly studied at Appalachian State University before dropping out because the school’s curriculum didn’t have a place for jazz.By his mid-20s he was a known bandleader on the Chapel Hill scene, and in 1980 he relocated to Washington, where he gigged with a number of local stalwarts and came under the wing of the pianist and vocalist Shirley Horn. It was through her that he eventually signed with Mapleshade, after moving to New York City in 1981. His mentors there included the pianists Andrew Hill and Paul Bley, as well as the drummer Paul Motian.“They were all very kind to me, and we’ve spent a lot of time together,” he said in a 2019 interview with jazztrail.net. “So their influence was not just musical. I observed how they worked and we spent time talking about music, but other things too.”Mr. Kimbrough himself went on to be an educator known for his commitment to his students. He taught piano at New York University in the 1990s and in 2008 became a music professor at the Juilliard School, where he taught until his death.“I think it’s my responsibility to pass all the information I’ve learned from these great musicians on,” he said in 2019. “This music is not taught in books, it’s taught person to person, and I try to give all that away.”In addition to his wife of 31 years, the vocalist Maryanne de Prophetis, Mr. Kimbrough is survived by his mother and four younger brothers: Conrad, Mark, Edwin and David.In 1985, he won the Great American Jazz Piano Competition, held annually at the Jacksonville Jazz Festival in Florida. In the early 1990s he and the bassist Ben Allison founded the Jazz Composers Collective, whose members often played and recorded together. Their work in that organization led to the Herbie Nichols Project, an effort that was led by Mr. Allison but that featured Mr. Kimbrough prominently.Mr. Kimbrough listened to a wide array of music, in jazz and well beyond, often leaning toward ruminative composers like Morton Feldman or folkloric sources from around the world.His favorite place to compose, he said, was on a park bench by the East River, overlooking Manhattan.“I write things that are sketches, one page long. I like to write simple pieces that are easy to play,” he told DownBeat in 2016. “There is a park across the street from my house, and I go over there at night, maybe around 11:00, and I sit there. And if an idea hits me, I may walk around the park with the idea bouncing around my head for six months, and then I might write 16 bars of music.”A patient, deliberate process suited Mr. Kimbrough, and he was uninterested in any approach that valued physical skill over earnest expression. “Music is not athletics,” he said. “I am tired of hearing clever athletic music.”AdvertisementContinue reading the main story More

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The singer-turned-fashion designer talks about her departure from the Spice Girls and explains why she declined to reunite with her all-female bandmates.

Jan 13, 2021
AceShowbiz – Victoria Beckham was inspired to “step away” from the Spice Girls by Sir Elton John.
The mother-of-four shot to fame as a member of the girl group and though she stayed with them throughout their chart career, their 2007 reunion, and 2012 appearance at the London Olympics, she declined to join in with their later plans – including a 2016 reunion, which was axed after Geri Horner fell pregnant, and a 2019 concert tour. And writing a letter to her future self in Britain’s Vogue magazine, Victoria admitted it was seeing her “dear friend” perform that made her realise she’d never be passionate about music.
“Remember years ago, watching your dear friend Elton John on stage in Las Vegas,” she wrote. “He performed Tiny Dancer, as if it were the first time, and you realised this was like oxygen for him. It was a life-changing moment – while singing and dancing was fun for you, it wasn’t your passion.”

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“That day, you started your quest to uncover your own dreams. It was time to step away from being a Spice Girl. For the first time, you were venturing out on your own, and it was terrifying. It was scary to close a chapter that defined you.”
After launching her own fashion empire and diversifying into beauty, Victoria hinted she also has other projects in the pipeline and will continue to ignore her critics.
She continued in her letter, “I know you are still reinventing yourself, taking on new challenges, and ignoring the naysayers. You always look beyond the conventional wisdom to pave your own path.”
“First, you found this passion in fashion, and most recently, beauty. What comes next? I’m dying to know.”

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The visuals is unveiled one day after the ‘Young and Beautiful’ singer receives backlash over her statement as shares the cover art for the upcoming album on Instagram.

Jan 12, 2021
AceShowbiz – Lana Del Rey has treated her fans to a music video for her new song “Chemtrails Over the Country Club” off her upcoming album of the same title. The visuals was unveiled on Monday, January 11, just one day after she teased the cover art for the album on Instagram.
The vintage ’60s-style video features Lana driving her little red sports car to the country club. She is then joined by her friends who occasionally sport her infamous shimmering mesh mask. Things, however, take an unexpected turn when a twister a la “The Wizard of Oz” appears and takes the singer to her red convertible.
Later in the visuals, Lana and her gal pals reunite as they transform into a pack of werewolves who are howling at the moon in the middle of the night.
“I’m on the run with you, my sweet love/ There’s nothing wrong contemplating God/ Under the chemtrails over the country club,” Lana sings. “We’re in our jewels in the swimming pool/ Me and my sister just playin’ it cool/ Under the chemtrails over the country club.”

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The singer sparked outrage over comments she made after posting the cover art for her upcoming album that featured her posing with a bunch of female friends who are from different races. The 35-year-old wrote in the now-edited caption, “As it happens when it comes to my amazing friends and this cover yes there are people of colour on this records (sic) picture and that’s all I’ll say about that but thank you.” She added, “In 11 years working I have always been extremely inclusive without even trying to. My best friends are rappers my boyfriends have been rappers.”
In response to the backlash, Lana explained on BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac, “Before I even put the album cover up, I knew what people were going to say. So when they actually started saying things, I responded and I just said, ‘I got a lot of issues but inclusivity ain’t one of them.’ It just isn’t. You can’t just make it my problem,” she said.
“My friends, my family, my whatever… They’re not all one way and we’re not the ones storming the Capitol. We voted for Biden. My girlfriends come from all over the world, they have children from all different types of people. And I’m mentioning all this, like, to people who are listening, because people really wanted even more people of color on my album cover. Which you know is, to a point, a photo just is what it is,” she continued.
“I wasn’t being preemptive, I was definitely responding, but… I just feel like if that’s really what people are gonna say, I have an answer for them, which is that if you look closer, you will see people of colour. It’s a black-and-white image, so zoom in, you know. It’s just weird, you know?” she concluded.

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The heavy metal group made the announcement that they had parted ways with their frontman after he was accused of domestic violence by his ex-girlfriend, fitness model Whitney Johns.

Jan 12, 2021
AceShowbiz – Singer Tommy Vext has urged fans to quit “bashing” his former bandmates in heavy metal group Bad Wolves following his ousting from the line-up.
The “Zombie” stars announced they had parted ways with Vext on Saturday, January 9, and although they stopped short of revealing the reason behind the split, the vocalist appears to have blamed his exit on domestic violence allegations made by his ex-girlfriend – claims he has vehemently denied.
In a post on his Instagram Stories timeline, Vext insists he has no hard feelings towards his old pals, even though he believes they acted a little too hastily in firing him.
In a lengthy message, he wrote, “Guys please listen: you can support me without bashing my former band mates in @badwolvesofficial.”

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“I understand emotions are high and there’s a lot of speculation but just chill. I will make a statement when legal documents are finalized. I have no animosity toward the boys, the media once again ran with rumors and forced my ex bandmates to make an ill timed response.”
“I am grateful for your support & reassurance and it’s actually moved me to tears,” he continued. “But we don’t need to spread negativity to the other guys.”
“We have very different political and spiritual beliefs but they are good human beings & the way I see it is we will have a healthy competition to create awesome music. So everyone wins. I Love John (Boecklin), Doc (Coyle), Chris (Cain) & Kyle (Konkiel). Please Don’t bully my homies (friends).”

Tommy Vext pleaded with fans to stop bashing Bad Wolves in the wake of his firing.
Vext’s former girlfriend, fitness model Whitney Johns, was granted a two-year restraining order against the singer following a five-day virtual trial in Los Angeles last month, when she cited four specific instances of domestic violence as the reason for her legal action.

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The former Fifth Harmony singer says she’s ‘not going to f**k it up for anyone’s timeline’ after being repeatedly asked when her new music is coming out.

Jan 12, 2021
AceShowbiz – Lauren Jauregui has slammed fans who repeatedly ask when her new music is coming out.
The former Fifth Harmony band member has told her 4.2 million followers they need to be patient with artists because the wait for new material is more often than not down to the “many intricacies” of their art and stuff going on “behind the scenes” that is out of their control.
The 24-year-old singer is preparing for the release of her debut solo album this year, and fumed that she’s “not going to f**k it up for anyone’s timeline.”
She tweeted, “You will get answers when I have them for you, until then, please stop thinking the reason y’all don’t get music is because of us. There are so many intricacies and things going on behind the scenes you’ll never know, understand, or experience. I’m not a product, I’m an artist … I can’t help if I’m promised things that aren’t delivered and I also am not going to f**k up this actual release for anyone’s timeline. I’m on God’s time & my own time and I know it’ll be beyond worth it. (sic)”

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Lauren’s most recent release was “50ft”, released in April 2020, which came hot off the heels of her Spanish single, “Lento”.
The “Invisible Chains” singer launched a new chapter in her solo career with the uplifting track, which translates to “Slowly”, and said she hoped it could offer some light relief in these uncertain times amid the Covid-19 pandemic, as her aim was to get people up dancing and feeling “joy.”
She said at the time, “I had planned to give you this first taste of what’s coming for some time.”
“There was truly no way any of us could have prepared for what is happening right now, so I hope you receive Lento with as much grace and love as is intended.”
“I hope dancing to it helps your spirit feel joy, as you spend time with your loved ones and continue to cultivate love in the face of fear and uncertainty.”

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Sarah Jessica Parker Rules Out Recasting Kim Cattrall’s Role in ‘Sex and the City’ Reboot

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