People to See, Places to Go (Part 2)

Thursday February 4:

The second movie in the Ring Family Wesleyan University Israeli Film Festival in the 2009 comedy, "A Matter of Size."  Directed by Sharon Maymon and Erez Tadmor, the movie tells the story of a pack of highly insecure, obese working-class Israeli men who decide to stop dieting and become sumo wrestlers.  The screening takes place at 8 p.m. in the Goldsmith Family Cinema, Washington Terrace. The directors will introduce the film and take questions afterward. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, email Dalit Katz at dkatz01@wesleyan.edu.

Saturday February 6:

Pianist/composer Landon Knoblock (pictured left) returns to The Buttonwood Tree in a different trio setting than his last visit (about 12 months ago.) With Chicago-based saxophonist Phil Doyle and the energetic creative drumming of Jeff Davis, Creatures with Striking Features, as the combo is lovingly named, plays completely improvised music. Knoblock eschews the acoustic piano for an electric Fender-Rhodes, which affords him different colors and volume levels.  Add Doyle's hard-edged tenor sax and Davis's responsive and propulsive drumming, the music can be quite challenging and rewarding.  They'll start the first set at 7:30 p.m.  To find out more, go to www.landonknoblock.com.

It's Swing Dance Night at Vinnie's Jump & Jive, 424 Main Street.  Lessons start at 7:30 p.m. and the dance (with a DJ providing the music) commences at 8:30.  Registration is a must and you can do that by calling 860-347-6971, extension 3777.

'Tis the season for Graduate Recitals at Wesleyan.  Head up to Crowell Concert Hall where, at 8 p.m., "Ensemble Pamplemousse Plays Andrew Greenwald."  Mr. Greenwald is a composer/percussionist who has been studying at Wesleyan with composer Alvin Lucier and is also a member of the Ensemble, a sextet founded in 2002 and based in New York City. The concert is free and open to the public.  To find out more about the composer and his cohorts, go to www.ensemblepamplemousse.org/. 

Boney's Music Lounge presents The Michael Cleary Band for an evening of rock, funk, swinging jams and more.  The sextet hits the stage at 9 p.m. 

Sunday is a busy day around town and I'll get to listing those events tomorrow.