Music, Cinema, Art and Books

A busy 3-day weekend awaits one and all in the Middletown area.

On Thursday (March 3), The Buttonwood Tree opens its door at 7 p.m. for the monthly Acoustic Open Mic.  Hosted as always by the talented and friendly Bob Gotta, this is your opportunity to play music or tell stories or do both at the same time. 

The Ring Family Israeli Film Series at Wesleyan continues Thursday at 8 p.m. in the Goldsmith Cinema in the Wesleyan Film Studies Building, Washington Terrace.  "The Beetle" is a 2009 documentary from filmmaker Yishai Orian about his car (pictured left) and the issues surrounding a German automobile in Israel.  Here's a description of the movie from "The Video Librarian": This first-person documentary begins on the eve of Jerusalem filmmaker Yishai Orian’s wedding to Eliraz—the same week during which he buys a used yellow Volkswagen with a red hood. The Beetle picks up the story six years later with a pregnant wife and a worn-out car. While Yishai is a likable slob, Eliraz is a somewhat unsympathetic scold, who’s tired of the 40-year-old Beetle. “This car,” she complains, “is a piece of junk.” But to Yishai the car is more than just a broken-down hunk of metal, and he tracks down the vehicle’s original owners, along the way tracing the history of the “bug” back to Nazi Germany, where it gained popularity as “the people’s car” (eventually the model found its way around the world, including Israel, where prime minister Menachem Begin protested its arrival before relenting). Yishai’s quest to learn his own Beetle’s story leads him to Lionel, whose father had a love/hate relationship with the car; Yoram, who remembers it fondly; Eva, who gave birth in it; and Mara and Karol, who held on to it for the sake of a sick child. Yishai enjoys their stories but worries about safety, the price of baby supplies, and mounting repair costs, wondering whether to sell it or have it overhauled before ultimately making a decision that feels right."  (Go to www.videolibrarian.com/index.html for more reviews.) The screening, introduced by Anne Peters, Wesleyan Asst. Professor in the Government Department, is free and open to the public.  

On Friday (March 4), the MAC 650 Gallery, 650 Main Street, opens "The Art of Speed: Hot Rod and Custom Culture Art Show", a show organized by Hot Rods Revival and **Roads to Ruin**. The Opening is actually a 2-day event, both Friday and Saturday evenings from 6 - 11 p.m. The show runs through March 31. For Gallery hours and more information, call 860-347-0834 or go to http://mac650.blogspot.com/.  
 
The "indie-pop" husband & wife duo known as The Sawtelles comes back to Middletown to perform at 6 p.m. in Typhoon Restaurant, 360 Main Street.    Interesting venue for a guitar/drums duo but the food is good and music quite palatable (and vice versa.)

The Buttonwood Tree presents the George Schuller Trio in concert at 8 p.m.  Drummer/composer Schuller is one of the busiest and accomplished musicians of his generation, working with or producing such notable artists as Joe Lovano, Michael Musillami, Mario Pavone, Fred Hersch, and numerous others.  Joining him will be the impressive young pianist Dan Tepfer and bassist Jeremy Stratton.  In 2008, the Trio recorded "Life's Little Dramas", a CD just issued on the Fresh Sounds New Talent label (my review can be read by clicking here.)  Expect the unexpected and enjoy the ride because these guys work and play well together.  For more information, call 860-347-4957 or go to www.buttonwood.org.  

The Friends of the Russell Library hosts its monthly Book Sale on Saturday from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. in the Children's Activity Room. This is your opportunity to find some real literary bargains and help the Friends, the group that sponsors a number of activities in the Library.  

The Middletown Public Schools Art Exhibit opens on Saturday with a Reception from 5 -  7 p.m. in Zilkha Gallery.  Even if you do not have a child or grandchild with work hanging on the walls, go see this exhibition.  You'll be quite impressed at the quality of the work.  Gallery hours are 1 - 4 p.m. on Saturday & Sunday, 12noon - 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and the show will be "up" through Sunday March 13.

Finnish saxophonist Mikko Innanen comes to The Buttonwood Tree on Saturday to perform in a trio setting with bassist Joe Fonda and drummer Lou Grassi.  Innanen, who has led or co-led 17 CDs, plays all shapes and sizes of saxophones, crossing many stylistic boundaries throughout his career. His compositions blend traditional Finnish folk tunes with jazz improvisations.  His musical partners are well-known in the US and European jazz communities, both as leaders and sideman.  Fonda, who often performs in the area, has a history of fascinating collaborations (from tap dancers to folk singers) while Grassi has spent the better part of the last 3 decades dedicated to improvisational music.  The music starts at 8 p.m. To find out more about the saxophonist and his numerous projects, go to www.mikkoinnanen.com.  

Film & Opera

Thursday February 25:

The Ring Family Israeli Film Series at Wesleyan continues tonight at 8 p.m. with "Eli and Ben", the 2008 debut of director Ori Ravid. The film, describes "the life of the Yassif family turns upside down when the father, Ben, who is the city architect of Herzelya, is charged with taking bribes. At stake is also the relationship between the father, Ben, and his son Eli who adores his father. The film examines their chaotic relations in light of those stormy days."  Starring Lior Ashkenazi as "Ben" and Yuval Shevah as "Eli", the bittersweet comedy has won numerous awards at festivals around the world.  The screening is free and open to the public, taking placed in the Goldsmith Family Cinema, Washington Terrace.  Afterwards, film critic Laura Blum will deliver a talk titled "The End of Innocence: Unmasking Identities in "Eli and Ben." 

Friday February 26:

Wesleyan student Ben Bernstein has created an original opera for his "Senior Recital", an event called "Bad Island."   Based on "The Bad Island", a 1969 book by author/illustrator William Steig, the production uses a chorus of 16 voices, four guitars, a string quartet, a horn section, dance, and colorful costumes, and is stylistically grounded in Baroque, Indonesian, and R&B traditions. The production takes place Friday at 8 p.m. in the Patricelli '92 Theater.  There are 2 shows on Saturday, a 1 p.m. matinee and 8 p.m. benefit for the Matenwa Community Learning Center in Haiti - there is a $5 admission fee for the Saturday evening performance while the other shows are free.  For more information and reservations, call the University Box Office at 860-685-3355.

Arts for This Week, Part 1 (Feb. 16-19)

Tuesday February 16:

The Art & Art History Department at Wesleyan welcomes conceptualist and multi-media artist Glenn Ligon to the CFA Hall (the former CFA Cinema next to Zilkha Gallery) at 5 p.m. where he will deliver a talk that is free and open to the public.  Ligon, who graduated from Wesleyan in 1982, creates works that deal with race, identity, gender and class issues. Ligon has received grants and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts (1982, 1989, and 1991), Art Matters (1990), the Joan Mitchell Foundation (1997), and the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation (2003). In 2006 he was awarded the Skowhegan Medal for Painting. His work has been shown in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, MOMA New York, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, among many others. For more information, email kteneyck@wesleyan.edu. 


Wednesday February 17:
Poet, translator, and art critic John Ashbery is the 2010 Millett Writing Fellow at Wesleyan and he will give a reading at 8 p.m. in Memorial Chapel. Ashbery, born in Rochester, N.Y. in 1927, has won numerous awards for his writing including a MacArthur Fellowship, two Guggenheims, a Pulitzer, a National Book Award, the Bollingen Prize, and the International Griffin Poetry Prize.  His latest collection, "Plainisphere" (Ecco/HarperCollins), was issued late last year.  The reading is free and open to the public.  Here's a poem from the new collection (courtesy of Ecco Press)

NO REASON NOT TO

Parents raising their voices and others
long to join the pilgrim’s downward trek,
if only to see nothing at the end of the gorge.

The mayor too was languid,
some kind of monsieur,
failing to grasp the humor in the kiddies’ spree.

And truth just kind of sails overhead
like a turkey vulture, on parenthetical wing,
empty as a cupboard.

Interrupt me (then)
with semi-elaborate everything,
spores left by a cloud seizure.
The block of flats will find then forget us. 

Thursday February 18:

The Green Street Arts Center holds its annual fundraiser on this day.  Titled "A Feast for the Senses", the event begin at 6 p.m. and features desserts, beverages, live performances and a "super silent auction" to raise funds for the After School Program and Scholarship Fund. Tickets are still available - call 860-685-7871.

The Ring Family Israeli Film Series at Wesleyan continues with "My Father My Lord", directed by David Volach and released in 2008.  Here's the synopsis (courtesy of www.fandango.com): Anchored with his wife and son in an orthodox Haredic community of Jerusalem, Rabbi Edelman leads a disciplined life of worship and faith – one he hopes Mendham will follow. Although polite and respectful, the young Edelman begins to observe life with his own eyes and to question some of his father’s tenets: “Why do animals have no soul?” the boy asks after witnessing a dog follow its sick owner into an ambulance. As Rabbi Edelman becomes increasingly worried about his family’s commitment to the Jewish Law, his unwavering belief system is put to test on a summer outing near the Dead Sea.

Starring Assi Dayan, Sharon Hacochen Bar and Elan Griff, the movie is one of the new wave of features that focuses on the Orthodox community in Israel. Introducing the film will be critic Michael Fox.  The screening takes place at 8 p.m. in the Goldsmith Family Cinema in the Center for Film Studies, Washington Terrace. The event is free and open to the public.  For more information, email dkatz01@wesleyan.edu.

Friday February 19:

The Crowell Concert Series at Wesleyan continues with the Shanghai Quartet at 8 p.m.  Formed at the Shanghai Conservatory in 1983, the Shanghai Quartet has worked with the world’s most distinguished artists and regularly tours the major music centers of Europe, North America and Asia. Recent seasons have included concert tours of Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand, and several countries in Europe. The Quartet has made regular appearances at Carnegie Hall in chamber performances and with orchestra, and in 2006 gave the world premiere of Takuma Itoh’s "Concerto for Quartet and Orchestra" in Carnegie Hall’s Isaac Stern Auditorium. The Quartet's repertoire ranges from Brahms to Bright Sheng, Beethoven to Frank Bridge and much more. Members include violinists Weigang Li and Yi-Wen Liang, violist Honggang Li and cellist Nicholas Tzavaras. Tickets are available at www.wesleyan.edu/cfa/ or by calling 860-685-3355.

The Buttonwood Tree presents a double bill of singer-songwriters at 8 p.m. featuring Abi Tapia (pictured) and Jen Lowe. Ms. Tapia attended college in Iowa (Grinnell), began performing while living in Portland, Maine and now lives in Austin, Texas.  She's released 3 CDs, the latest being 2008's "The Beauty in the Ruin" (MoonHouse Records.)  Ms. Lowe, whose debut CD "From the End of the Hallway" was issued in 2008, is a fine composer who performs throughout on guitar and percussion. For ticket information, call 860-347-4957.

Shakedown returns to Boney's Music Lounge for a 9 p.m. gig, an evening featuring several sets of long jams and Grateful Dead covers.  For more information, call 860-346-6000.

Follow Your Art (2/09-12)

Tuesday February 9:
Lindsay Wright presents her Senior Recital at 7 p.m. in Wesleyan's Memorial Chapel.  Titled "A Violin Recital", the concert will feature works from Baroque to contemporary. The event is free and open to the public.

Wednesday February 10:

The Middlesex County Historical Society presents Diana Ross McCain at 7 p.m. in the Hubbard Room of the Russell Library.  Ms. McCain will talk about her book "It Happened in Connecticut: From Witchtrails to the Invention of Modern Football, Twenty-Five Events That Shaped the Nutmeg State" - in fact, you'll find out why Connecticut is named the "Nutmeg State." The author earned her Master' Degree in History from Wesleyan, has been a regular contributor to The Hartford Courant, Connecticut magazine and others, and currently head of the Research Center at the Connecticut Historical Society.  Her talk is free and open to the public.

Our local Historical Society also has a new website and it's an impressive upgrade. Go to www.middlesexhistory.org and take virtual tours of several exhibits, travel the Heritage Trail, and check the myriad ways to support the many activities of the group.

"The Evening Oasis" is the name of the monthly Belly Dance presentation at The Buttonwood Tree.  The demonstration and performance begins at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday February 11:

The Ring Family Israeli Film Series at Wesleyan continues with 2 episodes of the award-winning Israeli television series "A Touch Away" at 8 p.m. in the Goldsmith Family Cinema.  That's located inside of the Center for Family Studies on Washington Terrace.  The most-watched series in the history of Israeli television, the program is best described as "a contemporary Romeo and Juliet story which centers on two neighboring families in the Orthodox suburb of Bnei Barak: one ultra orthodox and the other secular Russian. Beautiful, religious Rochele is about to enter into an arranged marriage with a wealthy young bridegroom from the right family.  But then she meets handsome Zorik from Russia who moves into the neighbouring apartment while awaiting the arrival of his secular family from Russia. The forbidden love that soon develops between the young neighbors threatens the two families' deeply rooted cultural assumptions and beliefs." Preceding the screening, Professor Olga Gershenson (University of Massachusetts/Amherst)  will talk titled "Aliya to the Movies: Russian-Israelis On and Off Screens." The event is free and open to the public. 

Friday February 12:
This is the weekend for the Young Organ Virtuosi at Wesleyan, 3 concerts featuring both guest artists and students.  The opening concert takes place at 8 p.m. in Memorial Chapel and features Adam Pajan, who will perform works of Tournemire, Franck, Demessieux, Bach and Reger.  Pajan, Director of Music and Organist at Christ Episcopal Church in Guilford, is currently a Master of Music candidate in organ performance at the Institute of Sacred Music at Yale. The event is free and open to the public.  

Singer-songwriter Heather Maloney, whose CD "Cozy Razor's Edge" was issued late last year, brings her original sound to The Buttonwood Tree for an 8 p.m. show.  Trained as a jazz singer, Maloney has a facile voice and is developing into a top-notch songwriter - the tunes on her new release have a "rockish, Americana" feel.  Joining her are guitarist Joe Boyle and bassist Wes Brown (Wesleyan graduate and fine jazz player.)  To find out more, go to www.myspace.com/heathermaloneymusic. To reserve a seat or 2, call 860-347-4957.

Violinist Kersten Stevens (pictured here with President Obama) is the featured performer in the "Haiti Relief Gospel Extravaganza" taking place at 8 p.m. in Crowell Concert Hall.  Joining the fine musician will be the Yale Gospel Choir as well as a company of talented dancers and a variety of performers from Wesleyan University.  Her music blends jazz, funk, r'n'b, hip hop and more into an exciting and inspiring performance.  For ticket information, call the University Box Office at 860-685-3355. To learn more about Ms. Stevens, go to www.kerstenstevens.com. 

Boney's Music Lounge present the Liviu Pop Group featuring Dan Cipriano (saxophone) and Petey Hop (guitar) at 9 p.m.  The word "funky" would best describe the sounds emanating from the bandstand on this night.