SPACE

Called one of the most gifted singer-songwriters of his generation, by The New York TimesTeddys glorious tenor is bracing but warm and never showy. The Associated PressBuoyant, soulful BillboardBeloved London-born, Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Teddy Thompson has returned with the exquisitely crafted Never Be The Same, his first collection of original material since 2020. Across ten tracks, Thompson refines his craft via an exploration of musics enduring preoccupations love, longing, and the uneasy passage of time.This album wasnt built upon a grand narrative. There was no self-imposed exile, no forced reinvention. Instead, it is centered around an exhortation that is threaded through the songs like a refrain: Never Be The Same, its title only revealing itself to Thompson after hed completed the recording.Its a phrase that, unconsciously, I used twice. And when I saw it on the page, I realized, this is the message of this album, says Thompson. Dont ever be the same. Change. Grow! Even when the sentiment is, woe is me, Ill never recover after that love or loss. The message is still, change. Dont get too comfortable. Everything is temporary, so evolve or perish!

After thirty-five years of being at the forefront of the ever-evolving musical landscape of New Orleans, Grammy Award winner Jon Cleary decided to bring that sound back home, both figuratively and literally. He assembled his Absolute Monster Gentlemen (his acclaimed all-star big band) in his home studio in the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans, drew up a setlist of some of his most beloved songs and some new favorites and rolled tape.We set out to capture that sound in the old-fashioned way: everybody in the room, playing together, Cleary explains.The result is The Bywater Sessions, a musical tour-de-force that showcases the grit, funk and joy thats packed concert halls from New Orleans to Tokyo and beyond. Co-produced by Cleary and John Porter (Roxy Music, The Smiths, Taj Mahal), its a stunning collection of performances that affirms Clearys place in the New Orleans musical vanguard.Theres a lot to be said for the lean and mean sound of a piano trio, stripped down to basics, simple and direct, Cleary says. But recently, Ive been experimenting with different combinations; adding horns, guitar, percussion and even another keyboard player. This expanded line-up has allowed the arrangements to blossom in new directions.As for the musicians, its the best of the best. Long time Monster Gentlemen Cornell Williams and A.J. Hall anchor the band on bass and drums, respectively. They are joined by Nigel Hall (Lettuce) on Hammond organ, Pedro Segundo (Ronnie Scotts All Stars) on percussion, Xavier Lynn (MonoNeon, Ledisi) on guitar, and an all-star horn section of Aaron Narcisse (Delfeayo Marsalis & the Uptown Jazz Orchestra), Charlie Halloran (Squirrel Nut Zippers, Preservation Hall All Stars) and Jason Mingledorff (Galactic).Sophisticated, nasty, good-time, low-down funk is the folk music of New Orleans, Cleary says. Everyone playing on this recording is a New Orleanian by birth or by choice, having learned their craft at the feet of the masters who in turn were taught by the old lions in their day - its a tradition stretching back over two hundred years. The roots go deep, but each generation, growing up with street parades and second-lines, absorbs the old and introduces the new, gently coaxing the essential essence into and out of each succeeding decade.

Join us for another Space cocktail building class curated and hosted by long-time Space bartender Lisa Zielke. This year, our cocktail classes will take place in Space's new lobby! Please note, by purchasing tickets for this event you consent to having your photograph taken.