ARTBREAK JAM @ The Carlton Arms Hotel

In the hotel’s long history we have witnessed many unscheduled, surprise performances. Somewhere along the way the idea to film them surfaced. First unofficial Artbreak Jam was recorded in 2010 and in next three years about 20 more short sessions took place. Today, Artbreak Jam is being rebooted and we’re looking forward to more live shows in the near future.

The latest jam took place on March 20, 2016 with our art residency alumni artist Hope London taking to a stage hotel lobby.

Hope London (aka M Contraband Esq) started writing and performing songs after too many whisky-fueled jam sessions in pubs in rural Scotland where she moved 11 years ago, and recently recorded her first album ‘Aim Low’. She took part in this year hotel’s art residency program transforming room 1D into a story “If These Walls Could Talk”.

You can catch her playing at the Eden Festival in Scotland in June, at Rabbie’s Tavern (naturally).

MICHAEL ‘MURCH’ POWERS

Legendary New York bluesman Michael Powers was once a permanent resident at the Carlton Arms Hotel. He was reintroduced in 2009 and performed at the opening of the new rooms the same year. He came back since then to play during other events and performed acoustic solo set for Artbreak Jam in 2011. Every time it is our enormous pleasure to have him play and tell us some old music tales about Bayonne and NY.

Micheal was born and raised in Bayonne, NJ. He was shown the first guitar chord by non other then electric blues master Jimmy Reed. He was mentored by a family of southern porch-bluesman and influenced by James Cotton, while touring with him as a teenager.

These days he regularly performs with his band Michael Powers Frequency at Terra Blues in the heart of NY’s Greenwich Village.

If you’d like to take part in Artbreak JAM email us at artbreakhotel@aol.com subject: ARTBREAK JAM
More videos at Artbreak Jam YouTube channel.

‘MHOO’ is a Norwegian band founded in 2007 by Oda Dahl and Miriam Kjølen, they’re greatly inspired by country music, folk, bluegrass and gypsy music. Mhoo performed at the Carlton Arms Hotel in 2012 while touring North America.

Brad Barr is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter, best known for his work with the The Slip, The Barr Brothers and Surprise Me Mr. Davis. Barr Brothers were a musical guest on Late Show with David Letterman in January of 2012 and where kind enough to play for us despite having a busy schedule.