Wine & Wars (Civil and Otherwise)

"Joe's Cafe" is the newest project from singer-songwriter Rupert Wates and he's bringing the program to The Buttonwood Tree this Friday for an 8 p.m. show.  The British-born resident of Brooklyn, NY, describes the project thusly: "Fifteen original songs based on true stories, each interpreted by a different vocalist, retell the stories of ordinary American people, and through them trace the story of America itself. Recorded live in the studio in a single weekend, the album's warm sound evokes the welcoming atmosphere of an all-night cafe, where friends gather to share their stories."

Joining Wates for this show will be local vocalists Jon Doll, Jen Lowe, Alli Millstein, Jim Paradise and Arlene Wow.  Local singer-songwriter Andy Buzzi opens the evening with a set of original tunes.

Before the music begins, I will be conducting a Wine Tasting/Fund Raiser for The Buttonwood at 6 p.m. in the bookstore space.  The focus of the tasting will be wines made in the biodynamic fashion or from organic vineyards and we'll talk about "sustainability" and "sustainable efforts" in the winemaking industry.  In the last few years, winemakers around the world are viewing sustainable winegrowing as growing and winemaking practices that are sensitive to the environment (environmentally sound), responsive to the needs and interests of society-at-large (socially equitable), and are economically feasible to implement and maintain (economically feasible).
"Biodynamic" wines are an interesting and often mysterious outgrowth of the organic "movement."

We will taste and talk about wines from California, Chile, France, Portugal (from whence the Vinho Verde in the picture comes from) and South Africa.  Seating is limited and the cost of your ticket also includes admission to the concert.  For more information, call 860-347-4957 or go to www.buttonwood.org.


Saturday evening, The Buttonwood welcomes Hartford area-based trumpeter Ricky Alfonso and his Quartet for an 8 p.m. performance.  Joining him will be Chris Casey (piano), Steve Porter (bass) and Tito Holtkamp (drums).  Alfonso is a delightful musical "chameleon" whose music reflects myriad influences, from classic "swing" to blues to beyond.  Call the number above for more information.  Go to www.rickyalfonso.com to get a taste of his music.

Also on Saturday night, Middletown resident Noah Baerman (piano) joins Wallingford native Amanda Monaco (guitar) for an augmented version of their Playdate quintet.They'll be playing at 8:30 p.m. in Szechuan Tokyo, 1245 New Britain Avenue, West Hartford (a neat place to eat and hear jazz.)

Formed several years ago with fellow "childhood musical friend" Wayne Escoffery (saxophones), Playdate entered the studio with Baerman's trio mates Henry Lugo (bass) and Vinnie Sperazza (drums) and recorded the CD pictured on the left, released earlier this year on the Posi-Tone Records label.  Escoffery is on tour and preparing for his upcoming debut at The Village Vanguard in New York City (June 8 -13) so alto saxophonist Kris Allen will join the band for the gig.  For reservations (they are a must!), call 860-561-0180.