Friday, November 13, 2009

More Music (11/13-11/15)

Besides the premiere of Noah Baerman's "Know Thyself" at Crowell Concert Hall tonight at 8 p.m., (nice writeup in today's Channel 61/Hartford Courant by Chuck Obuchowski - read here) it's a busy and varied weeked of musical offerings in Middletown.

Tonight (Friday the 13th):
They call their band Amalgamated Muck (great name) and they're coming to The Buttonwood Tree for a 7:30 p.m. show. Muck members include vocalist Lauren Agnelli, Brian Wolfe (stringed instruments), Rodney Maxwell (more stringed instruments) Rose Bengston (vocals, bass) and Matthew Male (percussion.) The music is a sweet hybrid of folk and acoustic country, pretty harmonies and a healthy dose of "pickin' and pluckin'." For more information, call 860-347-4957.

Boney's Music Lounge welcomes The Scissormen, a hard-hitting blues band that'll raise a ruckus starting at 8:30 p.m. For more information, call 860-346-6000.

Saturday November 14:
The Buttonwood Tree presents jazz guitarist/composer Sean Clapis in concert at 8 p.m. Clapis, a graduate of the Hartt School of Music, is slowly and steadily getting out into the jazz world. In his return trip to The Buttonwood, he bring his new trio, the rhythm section of Steve Porter on bass and Jonathan Barber on drums. To find out more about this fine young musician, go to www.seanclapis.com.

The East Coast Blues Band comes to Boney's Music Lounge to play classic "Chicago-style Blues", meaning heavy shuffle rhythms, wailing guitar and hard-edged vocals. They'll begin the first set at 8:30 p.m.

Sunday November 15:
The 3rd Sunday of the month means it's Dave Downs performing his soft and sweet folk/pop at Brew Bakers, 169 Main Street. Downs is on the verge of releasing his first recording of children's songs and he might throw a few into the mix. He begins at 11 a.m.

The Buttonwood Tree has a busy day, starting at 2 p.m. with an Opening Reception for artist Faith McCann, whose mixed-media acrylics will grace the walls of the performance space through the month of November.

At 7 p.m., bassist-composer Joe Fonda comes "home" to The Buttonwood to play his rousing brand of creative contemporary music. Joining him will be the effervescent guitarist (and long-time associate) Michael Musillami, Tom Monaghan (drums), Alvin "Abu" Carter (percussion) and veteran Hartford-area musician Ricky Alfanso (trumpet.) Call 860-347-4957 for more information.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi Richard -

Another Middletown music event this Sunday the 15th is an album release party at Public (www.publicct.com) from 6 to 9pm for Two Virgins. Two Virgins is a recording project by veteran CT songwriter / musicians Tom Mooney and Tom Wrann. This project has been a number of years in the making, and we are very happy to finally be releasing it. The record is on my imprint, Coffeehouse Records, recorded right here in Middletown at The Coffeehouse Recording Studio, and features a number of Middletown-based guest musicians, such as Clarinetist Kunle Mwanga, Pianist Terry Woolard, bluesman Ben Ross, and the House Of Moses adding backing vocals.

Readers can view a Facebook page detailing the event at: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=181682125971&ref=nf

Thanks, Mike Arafeh at The Coffeehouse