Phoebe Legere's Masterful Art Work on Display at the Bundy Museum, Binghamton, Through August 7

Evanescent Landscapes/Vanishing Women is the name of a beautiful and thoughtful Art Exhibition by The Legendary Phoebe Legere in Binghamton, NY.

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Phoebe Legere (Abenaki/Cajun) is a multidisciplinary artist whose paintings of Binghamton area landscapes and Native American subjects will be on view at the Bundy Museum of Art through August 7.    The Bundy Museum of Art is located at 127-129 Main Street, in Binghamton. Phone: 607- 772-9179. Website: bundymuseum.org   Legere is a versatile painter who works in oils, acrylic, mixed media, resin and egg tempera, creating semi-abstract works inspired by her passion for anatomy and landscape.    “Phoebe Legere is a virtuoso. Legere’s line is meticulous, incisive, sensuous, and vibrant. Her works are politically engaged and inspire conversations about women’s issues, diversity, inclusiveness, cultural equity, Native American issues, respect for the environment, and the volatility of consciousness.” – Linda Nochlin    Legere’s paintings are deeply contemporary; each painting is a comment on the validity of handmade painting in a world where we are increasingly dominated by machines.    “Machine-made, mechanistic art and music have colonized and occupied our minds. The only cure, the only way to restore the health of the Human Soul, is to return to the well spring of all human endeavor: Art and Music,” according to Legere.  Visit phoebelegereart.com to learn more.   Legere’s music has been compared to “Edith Piaf, Jerry Lee Lewis and Maria Callas” (NY Times) and Frank Zappa (Billboard). Studs Terkel, during a radio broadcast profile of Phoebe on National Public Radio said it best: “She is an American Original.” Legere studied music at Juilliard and painting at Vassar College.   Some of Phoebe Legere’s noteworthy milestones include the following:   -Legere is a grant recipient of a New York State Council of the Arts award for her musical about the Native American Holocaust of New England, “Queen of New England”   -Legere received a Pulitzer Prize nomination for her musical epic poem about Water issues,  “The Waterclown”   - She is an Acker Award recipient for her musical “Hello, Madame President” about the first African American female president of the U.S.   -David Bowie chose Phoebe Legere for the support act spot on his National Tour    -Legere has appeared on NBC, CBS, ABC, HBO, NPR, PBS    -The 2022 “Best of Manhattan” Entertainment Award was presented to Legere   -Legere co-starred on Nickelodeon’s “Naked Brothers Band”   -Legere scored and starred in the most popular cult movie of all time- “Toxic Avenger’   -As the Creator, Executive Producer, Featured Performer, Host, Writer, and Set Designer, Legere’s educational children’s TV show, “The Color Wheel” has been viewed by tens of thousands   -Legere can be seen playing & singing in “Ghostbusters 2” and can be seen on the “Golden Anniversary Ghostbusters Collectors” DVD   -Legere has collaborated with friends and colleagues considered to be the most creative people of our time: Joni Mitchell, David Bowie, Johnny Depp, Hunter Thompson, Allen Ginsberg and Billy Joel to name a few…   -Legere has written, produced and performed on 17 albums of original songs.  Proceeds from sales of her paintings & music go to fund the Foundation for the New American Art, a nonprofit that brings free art and music to at-risk children of low-income communities. “After the financial crisis of 2008 they eliminated art & music to children in most NYC public schools. I believe free access to art & music is every child’s birthright. That’s why I founded the Let Every Child Sing Chorus, Paintbrushes Not Guns and Music Teachers Without Borders which offers free art & music lessons to underserved children,” says executive director Legere.   Legere’s charity was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts Grant for their important work bringing cultural equity to communities and recently received a New York Community Trust grant to carry on the Foundation’s work in arts education.  ­ ­

Phoebe Legere Performs on WBAI and the Theater for the New City

WBAI  and Fran Luck’s

“Joy of Resistance Radio”

PRESENTS MODERN DAY FEMINISTS

SHARING TRUTHS OF FREEDOM FIGHTING FOREMOTHERS

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Trailblazing Musician-Artist-Composer Phoebe Legere Featured

In All-Star Line-up of Women Saluting Women To Celebrate 100 Years of Women’s Constitutional Right to Vote. 

On August 26^th, Phoebe and a group of brilliant actresses including Obie winner Crystal Field and Lissa Morra reenact highpoints in women’s battle for equality and elective enfranchisement.

On Wednesday, August 26^th, WBAI Radio 99.5FM NYC (wbai.org) will broadcast a day devoted to the history of the Women’s Suffrage Movement featuring contemporary feminist icons.  The cast will re-enact highlights from 100 years of the campaign for equality.

Transdisciplinary artist and renowned feminist Phoebe Legere will play the part of Chairwoman at the historic first women’s rights convention: the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848.

Legere will also present a stunning rendition of several 100-year-old Suffrage songs including “GLORY.”

Legere’s interpretation on piano, guitar and accordion, and vocals is a formidable anthem for our time. Legere’s powerhouse interpretation of “GLORY” celebrates the past achievements of women fighting for the freedom to vote, while heralding the need to continue the battle for true equality.

ABOUT “GLORY” 

This song, with words by L. May Wheeler sung to the music of “John Brown,” was first performed by Susan B. Anthony and a chorus of women on July 4, 1876 at the Women’s Centennial Celebration of American Independence held at the First Unitarian Church in Philadelphia.

After singing the song, Anthony read the Women’s Declaration of Rights to a cheering crowd.

“Our hearts have felt the glory of the coming of the time,

When Law and Love shall make our land sublime,

When every mountain hill and rock with freedom’s light will shine,

And truth goes marching on.”

Legere says, “The use of ‘John Brown’ as the melody of this song amplifies the strong ties between the Abolitionist Movement and Women’s Suffrage.”

The WBAI program will be broadcast on  August 26^th, Wednesday, from 11 am – 5 pm EST on Fran Luck’s “The Joy of Resistance, Multicultural Feminist Radio”,  99.5 FM and streaming live at http://wbai.org

The show will be presented again on August 27^th at 7 pm by the Theater for the New City. Watch at Theaterforthenewcity.net.

Phoebe Legere is a pioneer female composer and multi-instrumentalist and a well-known activist and community leader championing women’s causes.

Her work as a playwright has chronicled many women’s issues.  In her musical, “Hello, Mrs. President,” Legere’s book presented the first woman of color to become president of the United States. Legere’s play, starring Laverne Baker debuted at Theater for The New City in 1992 and 2004 playing to sold out crowds.

Phoebe Legere’s “Speed Queen,” presented at Dixon Place in 2018 was based on the Life of Joe Carstairs, the World Champion Speedboat Racer and lesbian action hero. 

As a visual artist Legere has created cutting-edge paintings and installations celebrating the beauty and fecundity of the female body. Legere’s art transgresses normative sexuality and gender identity. 

Legere launched Foundation for New American Art, a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit dedicated to bringing arts education programs to underserved children in low-income communities.

Phoebe will make a download of her “GLORY” available at no charge to those who visit her website at www.phoebelegere.com 

PHOEBE LEGERE (Abenaki) is the President of the Foundation for New American Art a nonprofit whose mission is to bring free art and music lessons to the children of low-income communities.  She is a composer, playwright, poet, painter and multi-disciplinary performance artist. Legere has received numerous awards including NYSCA, a Pulitzer nomination and a recent YADDO Fellowship. Legere is the Conductor and Music Director of the Lower East Side Children’s Chorus. She is a lecturer at NYU Gallatin School. Vassar graduate and Juilliard-trained composer. Phoebe Legere has collaborated with some of the most creative personalities of modern times: David Bowie, Joni Mitchell, Steve Martin, Billy Joel, Allen Ginsberg, and Crystal Field. Her epic poem “The Waterclown” about water issues and water rights can be heard in the current issue of the Abenaki anthology Dawnland Voices. Legere’s new play will open at TNC in 2021. Her native name is “Songbundle.”

Phoebe Legere & Rachael Sage in support of the Palisades Parks Conservancy at Mexicali Live, March 5

Singer-songwriters Phoebe Legere and Rachael Sage will be performing in support of the Palisades Conservancy at Mexicali Live, in Teaneck, on Sunday, March 5, 2017, at 7:00 PM.
Mexicali Live is at 1409 Queen Anne Road, in Teaneck, NJ.
Admission is $15.
The venue phone is 201-833-0011.
Website is mexicalilive.com.
Dinner seating begins at 6:00 PM. 
For dinner reservations: Email us at reservation@MexiCaliLive.com or call 201-833-0011.

THE PALISADES CONSERVANCY

A percentage of the door’s proceeds will help support the  Palisades Parks Conservancy, which works throughout the Hudson Valley and Northern NJ to improve, protect, and conserve the 29 parks and historic sites owned and operated by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission which serve more than 6 million annual visitors.

Together Rachael and Phoebe’s teams, and the Palisades are creating an online auction on EBay with contributions from a variety of New Jersey musicians. Already contributing autographed items are Tony Bennett, Richard Barone and the Bongos, Metropolitan Entertainment, Matador Records with special vinyl releases from Yo La Tengo, alternative violinist Joe Deninzon, and Glen Burtnik’s band the Weeklings.

This is the link for the auction: www.ebay.com/usr/palisadesparks?_trksid=p2047675.l2559

Phoebe and Rachael say that one of the first things they notice when entering New Jersey, and driving along the Hudson for work and pleasure are the Palisades.

PHOEBE LEGERE

The New York Post raved: “Phoebe Legere is magnificent!” Her "virtuoso piano playing" her "huge natural voice that moves easily from winsome sweetness to a sultry blues growl” and “brilliant, masterful songwriting” have made Phoebe Legere a legend. She has played with Joni Mitchell, David Bowie, Billy Joel, Steve Martin and John Hartford. Legere has performed thousands of shows from Country Fairs to NPR, from Folk Festivals to the Pow Wow circuit, from Songwriter Circles to a CBS Sunday Morning feature when she won First Runner-Up in “America’s Hottest Accordionist Contest” in Branson, MO.

Legere’s spectacular physical appearance has lead to numerous musical movie and TV shows including her starring role in one of the top 10 cult movies of all time: “Toxic Avenger” 2 and 3 in which Legere plays a blind accordionist married to New Jersey’s most famous environmental superhero. Phoebe Legere’s new  Americana CD “Heart of Love” is out on Valentine’s Day. 

RACHAEL SAGE 

A soulful vocalist and innovative multi-instrumentalist, award-winning singer/songwriter and producer Rachael Sage is one of the busiest touring artists in independent music, performing 100+ dates a year with her band The Sequins throughout the US, UK, & Europe. She has earned a loyal following for her dynamic piano playing, delicate guitar work, soulful vocals and improvisational audience interaction. Sage has shared stages with Sarah McLachlan, A Great Big World, Judy Collins, Shawn Colvin, Marc Cohn, Jamie Cullum, The Animals and Ani DiFranco.  She has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and received numerous songwriting awards including The John Lennon Songwriting Contest (Grand Prize) and several Independent Music Awards. Her songs have appeared on MTV, HBO, the “Fame” soundtrack, and in the last 3 seasons of Lifetime’s controversial reality series,"Dance Moms.”

Ms. Sage co-produced her latest album, CHOREOGRAPHIC (MPress Records) with Grammy winning producer Andy Zulla (Idina Menzel, Rod Stewart).

palisadesparksconservancy.org
www.PhoebeLegere.org
www.RachaelSage.com

LINK FOR AUCTION: www.ebay.com/usr/palisadesparks?_trksid=p2047675.l2559

Acadian Cousins: Phoebe & Ray Legere

Legere: Phoebe and Ray Release ACADIAN MOON

Legere & Legere's album cover, ACADIAN MOON

He’s a two-time BLUEGRASS ARTIST OF THE YEAR East Coast Music Award winner, and has played with great folk acts including The Band.

She’s a downtown NYC, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and singer, who has played with John Hartford, David Bowie, Billy Joel, Joni Mitchell, Don Cherry, Steve Martin, and Boston, New York and Cleveland Orchestras.

He’s one of Canada’s premiere fiddle/mandolin players. She’s an award-winning songwriter, poet and painter.

And they’re cousins! Legere features Phoebe and Ray Legere. Each carved unique careers in the music world. Phoebe and Ray recently united to pay tribute to their Acadian roots and created a new Ep of Acadian-influenced music. entitled, ACADIAN MOON on Phoebe’s Big Moose record label.  

Phoebe and Ray connected because a family member Léo-Paul Léger, from Moncton, N.B., President of the Famille Legere, googled “Legere.” to see if he could locate any long-lost Legeres displaced during The 1700s’ Great Acadian Diaspora. Léo-Paul found www.phoebelegere.com and invited Phoebe to the Congrès Mondial Acadien.

She put her accordion on her back, hopped on a Greyhound Bus, and sang a song at the reunion, “After about 8 bars, four handsome Legere cousins jumped up and started playing the spoons with me! Everybody was clapping and cheering! It was the greatest party of all time!”

Léo-Paul told Phoebe, she had a Canadian cousin named Ray, who was “the best fiddler in Nova Scotia.” “Leo showed me Ray’s photo. ‘Goodness gracious!’ I said. ‘Ray looks just like daddy when he was young’ So I googled Ray and found  www.raylegere.com. Ray is just so nice and brilliantly talented as you can hear for yourself when you listen to our EP ACADIAN MOON!”

Congrés 2014 was in Edmundston, N.B., “I wrote a song for our family. It’s called ‘L’Acadie.’ I played the song at the reunion.”  Then Phoebe sent the song to a friend in France, who sent it to a radio programmer in Germany, “He loved it, and he sent it to a radio lady in Canada, and next thing you know she called me up and said, ‘This is so great, won’t you and Ray please do some more songs?!’” 

“I called up Ray, ‘May I drive up to Memramcook and play with your band? We’ll record a little album that will be down-to-earth and real, with the flavor of an old-time kitchen party!’”

Well, how could he say no to a cousin!

Songs on the ACADIAN MOON EP are in a mixture of French and English: “Cajun Moon,” and French: “L’Acadie,” “Bel Bel Bel,” and in English: “OK Cupid.”

Please watch “OK CUPID” the first video from Legere at bit.ly/1BUvQ0i . The video is a selfie shot on Phoebe's new Iphone 6.  There were also dance scenes from Phoebe's award winning original musical play Shakespeare and Elizabeth - choreographed by Catherine Turocy.

PHOEBE LEGERE is a songwriter and resident of Maine, and of Acadian and Abenaki (First Nations) descent. She sings, and plays piano, accordion, cello, Native American flute, organ, buffalo drum, synthesizer, guitar and cavaquinjo. She has created the Shamancycle, a giant, 15-person, ride-able Eagle sculpture-vehicle, running on alternative energy. Legere will be performing on the solar stage of the Shamancycle at the San Francisco Makers Fair this May 16th and 17th. At age 16, Phoebe made her Carnegie Hall debut and was signed to Epic Records. Her original song “Marilyn Monroe” was a hit on college radio in 1990, and her accordion song “Amazing Love” was in the Top 40 on Adult Contemporary in 1997. She starred in cult films including Mondo New York and Toxic Avenger 2 and 3. She opened for David Bowie, and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in music in 2000. Phoebe has released 15 CDs of original music, and has appeared on National Public Radio, CBS Sunday Morning, PBS City Arts, and Charlie Rose. She has sung at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and at the Congres Mondial Acadien. Recently Phoebe appeared on HBO, singing her original song about the environment, “Hip Hop Frog” (now available on iTunes).

Based in New Brunswick, Canada RAY LEGERE is the 2003 and 1996 ECMA (East Coast Music Award) Winner for "Bluegrass Artist Of The Year.” One of Canada’s premiere fiddle/mandolin players, the Amherst, Nova Scotia native is a five-time winner of the Eastern Division Bluegrass Awards for both Mandolin and Fiddle, plus the Canadian Bluegrass Awards, Woodstock, Ontario’s Open Mandolin Championship, and the Old Time Fiddle Championship in Sackville, New Brunswick. He has shared the stage or played on recordings by many favorites including David Grisman, Sam Bush, Tony Rice, Jerry Douglas, The Band, Tony Trischka, Doc Watson, Bela Fleck. Ray has recorded on hundreds of sessions, TV SHOWS, and has five solo albums to his credit.