NYCROPHONE Presents: An Acoustic Gold Evening with Darren Mastropaolo, Jesse Fischer & Solomon Dorsey, Len Xiang

Darren Mastropaolo is a singer songwriter based out of Brooklyn NY. His debut EP "Salt from a Silver Spoon" paints a soulful acoustic landscape of what it feels like to be a 20-something in NYC and all of the wonderful and horrible change that it takes to learn how to be a person.


Jesse Fischer

For Brooklyn-based pianist/composer/producer Jesse Fischer, the simplest things are best — a catchy melody, a heartfelt lyric, an irresistible groove. Whether hitting airwaves and dancefloors worldwide with his jazzy house remixes of Gregory Porter’s “Liquid Spirit” or Takuya Kuroda’s “Afro Blues”, or headlining the legendary Blue Note Jazz Club with his own group, Jesse maintains his direct, less-is-more approach, with an emphasis on emotion. “Every song begins with a feeling or a story,” Jesse explains. “Once we establish that, then we can get to the more technical aspects of the music.” Jesse’s music easily crosses boundaries between jazz, soul, pop, indie, electronic, and folk. But what draws his eclectic influences together is that Jesse always plays and creates from the heart. It’s his passion for music and the moment, and ability to tap directly into the emotional content of every song that makes him such a sought-after producer, arranger, accompanist, and bandleader. Jesse studied music the old-fashioned way, in churches, barrooms, wedding halls, record stores, and living room jam sessions. A triple threat as musician, engineer, and producer, Jesse has recorded six albums as a bandleader with his own instrumental group, most recently the ObliqSound release Retro Future. His warm, soulful touch, and bold, spacious compositions have earned him three SoulTracks Award nominations and most recently was an Independent Music Award finalist. His music has been played by tastemakers such as the BBC’s Gilles Peterson and KCRW’s Anthony Valadez, as well as appearing on television shows including “Criminal Minds” (CBS), “Franklin & Bash” (TNT), and “Model City” (BET). Jesse's seventh album as a leader, Day Dreamer, will be released in September 2015 via Ropeadope, and his tribute to Herbie Hancock and the Headhunters (produced in collaboration with multi-instrumentalist/producer Sly5thAve) is due out May 2015 on Tru Thoughts.


Solomon Dorsey

Solomon Dorsey is a bassist, singer, songwriter, and producer hailing from Kansas City, Missouri. He studied classical viola and opera at the University of Missouri - Kansas City. While pursuing classical studies, he also played acoustic bass in jazz ensembles, where he was quickly noticed by renowned alto saxophonist Bobby Watson. Solomon spent three years performing in Bobby's band. In 2003, Solomon moved to New York City and completed his studies at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, where his principal teachers included Buster Williams, Sergio Brandao and Buddy Booker. He quickly became one of the most in-demand young players in the city, due to his deep understanding of both electric and acoustic basses, his proficiency in many styles and his strong sense of melody and weighty groove. Solomon currently performs with progressive jazz group The Trio of Oz (Omar Hakim, Rachel Z), jazz/soul singer José James, folk-rock singer/songwriter Krystle Warren, and trumpeter Maurice Brown.


If you know anything about New York, you know about the 1980s. Crack cocaine came in like a sandstorm and kicked some serious ass. Bloodthirsty people shat into fans and let the masses breath it in from the back end. The blind led the blind, buildings went abandoned and bullet holes rattled damn near everything in sight. Hustlers circled the block in expensive cars because they had nowhere to go, while the stick up kids were stealing the kicks right off the feet of one another. Interestingly, all of this wasn’t so much out of desperation, as it was about humiliation.

Fortunately, out of the desperation and rawness of the streets grew an unstoppable force, HIP HOP! This new and innovating form of music marked a new era, and ultimately a turning point. Too many lives had been lost and something had to change. Hip Hop as a culture became the voice of the people. Graffiti artists colored buildings, storefronts and the subway station. B-boys and girls danced their asses off. The impact, on the one hand, was severely damaging. On the other hand, what emerged out of the despair changed viewpoints globally. America began to pay attention and listen.

At the single digit age of 8, Tuac, born Leonard Datious Taylor Xiang, had hope. He spent time with his mother’s 45 record collection listening to the likes of Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Marvin Gaye, Eric B & Rakim as well as a slew of other Hip Hop and soul artists. Young Tuac could already identify with the joy and pain through sheer experience. Folks had hard times at home and took it out on one another in the streets. Reputations had to be maintained. In addition, low self-esteem and pressure led to a lot of men fleeing their own families. As such, women were left to be the heads of households. Hence, as a single mom and head of the household, Tuac’s mom had tolerated enough. She moved the family to Milwaukee, hoping it would be a safer place to raise a growing boy. It was there Tuac honed his vocal and lyrical skills. In a short time, he became very popular as a result of his voice being so powerful. People could not ignore this raw talent, and they started to listen. Once he became ready to take his art to the next level, Tuac headed back to Brooklyn only thinking towards the future. Some might call this forward thinking.

Indeed, forward thinking is definitely apparent in the music of Len Xiang. The emotional and spiritual aspects of his music are mind moving, thought provoking and heart- warming. Fans are drawn like magnets to his high powered voice and lyrical style. Thus far, he has opened for acts and has worked closely with artist such as Citizen Cope, Kenny Nixon, Prodigal Sun, Smooth the Hustler, Kirk Burrows, Black Ice, Trigger the Gambler, Common, Mobb Deep, Little Brother, Black Moon, The Wu Tang Clan and the Roots.

Len Xiang is a local star that shines bright in Brooklyn, however, Brooklyn is now ready to share
him with the rest of the world. Keep your eyes peeled.