Co-founder and CEO of Giant Step Maurice Bernstein made the news today for his music passion cum successful business venture - the very website you're reading and community you're proud to be a member of. From Amy Winehouse to our Hudson Series, Giant Step continues to capitalize on the one thing we love and love to share: great music. Read more at the New York Daily...

Recently, I went to Italy for the first time. For all the glossy Gucci, fierce Fendi and vampy Versace the country pumps into the world, I expected bronzed, hollow-cheeked glamazons marching through the streets day and night. So much for stereotypes. Milan, one of the glamour meccas of the world, struck me more as a quaint old-world city, with the modernity of a metropolis sprouting up between epic castles and canals. One thing that was painfully too modern, however, was the soul-crushing...

Gnarls Barkley finally dropped new material today in the form of a video entitled, "Run" featuring Justin Timberlake. It's a psychedelic dance jam, previewing what's to come on the to-be-released follow up to 2006's St. Elsewhere, The Odd Couple . "Run" Video

Rich Medina tore up our first Hudson party of the year. DJ Spinna dropped some serious jams at our last event. Any idea what our third one will be like with King Britt? You got it: another afterwork bodyrocker. Known for recording under his own name and monikers Sylk 130 and Scuba, King Britt cut his teeth back in the day on a two year tour with Digable Planets. One of our favorites from the Private Park series in 2007, the Philly producer/DJ returns for an exclusive NY throwdown...

Lord, please do! Duffy's "Mercy" - off of her debut Rockferry out May 13th - is a pure blast of Northern Soul. Many predicted her and Adele to be the UK's next Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen, and "Mercy" is just the beginning for Duffy, who just topped the UK charts for the second week. The video seems to reflect what she's all about: setting men on fire and making them dance. Check it out. "Mercy" Video

Photo of Janelle Monáe at Spotlight Live © Sian-Pierre Regis A while ago, the R&B Live series at Times Square venue Spotlight, hosted an evening featuring “Diddy and Friends.” Now, he of all-blinding bling and refined cheesecake tastes is fun to watch on the TV but was not who I necessarily felt like spending an evening with. Apparently, I have poor taste in mogul-hosted events as Janelle Monáe was one of the “friends” who performed and wrecked it. Janelle's space age, cartoony...

Born Attilio Joseph Macero, Teo was Miles Davis' record producer for Davis's most notable works in the 60s and 70s, including In a Silent Way, Get Up With It , and Bitches Brew . He died on Tuesday at age 82 in Quogue, N.Y. after years of battling illnesses. Teo's experimental approach to recording has had cross-genre repercussions on artists as varied as Radiohead, Can, and Brian Eno. Born in Glens Falls, New York, he attended the Juilliard School of Music before...

NYC resident and alto saxophonist Andrew D'Angelo discovered last month he had a large brain tumor. The shocking news brought the jazz community together, rallying support for the beloved musician - who immediately had an operation to remove the malignant growth. Despite recovering from the surgery, doctors have given 41 year old D'Angelo 5 years to live without further treatment, and on his website he openly admitted to not having health insurance. D'Angelo's fame has been his saving...

Photo © Phillip Angert If you could sum up Sharon Jones in word it might be "sequins." Big shimmery sequins like the ones that dangled from her chocolate brown dress when she took the stage at The Beacon last Friday night. She and The Dap Kings took over the theater and sweated out everyone's hairstyle. The crowd had the energy and sizzle...

Giant Step's first Hudson event of 2008 with Rich Medina was a spectacle to behold. Possibly the best Monday evening party yet, our series resumed with energy and style - the cold wintry weather sure couldn't quell our desire to dance! On Feb. 25th, we welcome back DJ Spinna to the Hudson. Having previously played to a jam-packed floor for 2007's Private Park #8, Spinna's sure to turn out the funk, soul, jazz, hip-hop and dance grooves for the full four hours (6-10 PM). Click