BLUE NOTE ENTERTAINMENT GROUP UNVEILS NEW TALENT BUYING TEAM AT SONY HALL

May 23, 2024—The Blue Note Entertainment Group unveils a new talent buying staff at Sony Hall, the iconic midtown Manhattan concert hall, today. Senior Talent Buyer Jack McFadden, Talent Buyer Alli Vega and Junior Talent Buyer Niko Murray will spearhead a revitalized booking process aimed at bringing the next generation of boundary-pushing, progressive artists to this historic space.

“I’m both personally and professionally grateful to welcome Jack McFadden, Alli Vega and Niko Murray as our three new core talent buyers for Sony Hall,” notes Blue Note Entertainment Group President Steven Bensusan. “This is an exciting moment for Sony Hall and Blue Note Entertainment Group as we strengthen and bolster our booking program, further introducing this iconic New York City venue to the live music industry. Jack, Alli and Niko each have different and diverse backgrounds within the industry to complement and enrich our talent buying team.”

New Senior Talent Buyer Jack McFadden has played a significant part in the success of three influential music scenes, starting out in Chicago in the 1990s, then moving on to Brooklyn in the 2000s and Austin, TX in the 2010s. Starting out in A&R in Chicago in the ’90s, McFadden was responsible for releasing music by the Smashing Pumpkins, Luna, Lloyd Cole, The Ocean Blue, Ladytron, The Delgados and many more. In the 2000s, he moved to Brooklyn where he established two new venues, Union Hall and The Bell House, as magnets for new artists, booking early shows for The National, The Walkmen, Charlotte Gainsbourg, the Cold War Kids, St. Vincent, Fleet Foxes, Sharon Van Etten, Vampire Weekend and many more, as well as presenting Peter Bjorn & John’s first ever U.S. show. In 2011, McFadden turned his sights to Austin City Limits, where he was responsible for Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell and Charley Crockett’s first Austin headlining gigs, as well as a week-long residency by The National and shows with Neutral Milk Hotel, Pavement, Slowdive, Echo & the Bunnymen, Robert Plant, Wilco and others.

Talent Buyer Alli Vega’s eight years of experience include buying for D.C. venues Songbyrd and DC9, where she has been responsible for shows including Wet Leg, Ravyn Lenae, Lauv, Teddy Swims and many more. Most recently she joined the Bowery Presents in New York, where she garnered experience on larger clubs, theatres and stadiums.

Junior Talent Buyer Niko Murray hails from NYU’s acclaimed Music Business program. He boasts diverse industry experience, including stints with the Cara Lewis Group and Sony Music Entertainment.

With the new talent buying team in place, former Sony Hall Senior Talent Buyer Peter Abraham is now taking over bookings for the Blue Note Hawaii, the premiere 350-capacity live music venue in the heart of Waikiki.

Sony Hall opened in 1938 as the Diamond Horseshoe and quickly became one of the most iconic venues of the vaudeville era, eventually becoming the home for the Avant Garde off-Broadway hit Queen of the Night. In March 2018, Sony Hall officially opened its doors with much of its original history and dynamic design and décor elements still intact. By retaining its original design and incorporating the latest Sony technology, Sony Hall respects the venue’s history and legacy while making it a truly special place where both creativity and technology seamlessly come to life.

The venue is set to host a series of performances as part of the much-anticipated 13th annual Blue Note Jazz Festival, including evenings with Yo La Tengo and the Sun Ra Arkestra, Antibalas and Hailu Mergia, Lisa Fischer, Victor Wooten, Mulatu Astatke and many more. The festival kicks off June 1 and runs through early July, with dates at major venues across NYC in addition to Sony Hall including SummerStage in Central Park, Town Hall, Brooklyn Bowl and the Blue Note Jazz Club.

ABOUT THE BLUE NOTE JAZZ CLUB

A cultural institution since 1981, the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City has become one of the premiere venues in the world. While jazz is at its core, the Blue Note continues to broaden its offerings with a mission to spotlight contemporary artists across all musical styles, backgrounds and cultures. The club and its sister institutions worldwide continue to draw massive household names with frequent surprise appearances from superstars like Stevie Wonder, Tony Bennett, Quincy Jones, Dave Chapelle, Chris Rock and more.

ABOUT BLUE NOTE ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

Blue Note Entertainment Group owns and operates New York’s Blue Note Jazz Club, Sony Hall and Arthur’s Tavern; D.C.’s The Howard Theatre; and Blue Note Jazz Clubs Worldwide, which includes venues in Milan, Italy; Honolulu, HI; Beijing and Shanghai, China; Tokyo and Nagoya, Japan; Napa, CA; and Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, Brazil. Blue Note Entertainment Group is proud to present Blue Note Jazz Festivals in New York City and Napa, CA. For more information, please contact

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