Reel fun, but whither Fishbones?

The CineFare events of this month are an opportunity to enjoy a great evening on the town. My wife and I had a lovely stroll, even in the light drizzling rain, from a good meal downtown to one of the nicest venues you can find anywhere to see a movie. As commented elsewhere, the movie was a great one to see projected through film on a big screen.

The dinner component of the program was perfect for us to explore a downtown eatery we have not yet tried. Restaurants give a 10% discount, but they in turn get diners sitting down for early dinners. We decided to try Fishbones, having

heard great things about it. Unfortunately, despite appearing in all the promotional literature for the CineFare program (which are all on Tuesdays), they were closed. Their sign says that they are routinely closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

We walked north to Firehouse Steakhouse, and had a great meal with excellent service. The Porterhouse steak was tender and cooked to a rare perfection, and the fried fish platter was overflowing with crispy fresh seafood. Since we had a stroll and a movie coming before we would be getting in the car, we also thoroughly explored their cocktail menu.

What's Goin' On (Part 3) This Weekend 5/01-03

Another very busy weekend around these parts and, trust me, this posting won't cover all the good things happening in Middletown.

If you hemmed and hawed about purchasing tickets to the Greater Middletown Concerts Association's Friday night presentation of "La Traviata", it's too late. GMCA's chief mover & shaker Barbara Arafeh and her devoted minions went out and sold every seat in the house, all 700 or so in the Performing Arts Center inside the new Middletown High School. To join the waiting list, call 346-4887.

The Friends of the Russell Library hold its "Bag Book Sale" this weekend (but not Sunday) during regular Library hours (9 a.m, - 6 p.m. Friday, 9 - 5 Saturday, 9 - 8:30 p.m. on Monday.) Great values abound along with much fine reading. Call 347-2528, ext 135 for more information.

The Buttonwood Tree, 605 Main Street, presents an evening of "Gypsy jazz" when the trio known as Ameranouche plays on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Composed of Richard "Shepp" Sheppard (lead guitar), Ryan Flaherty (rhythm guitar), and Xar Adelberg (double bass), the trio has been charming audiences with its fine acoustic music since 2004. The music is a blend of flamenco, French chanson, American soul music, bop, and more. Their 3rd CD, "La Foule" has just been issued and they'll be playing many of the tracks on this evening. For more information, go to www.ameranouche.com/.

Friday at 12:30 p.m., Buttonwood Tree director Anne-Marie Cannata will be my guest on "Best of the Valley-Shore", heard on both WMRD-AM 1150 and WLIS 1420-AM. We'll chat about plenty of upcoming events but especially the "Tribute to Susan Allison" on Friday May 8.

Wesleyan will be a busy campus on Friday. At 5 p.m., the new exhibition in the Zilkha Gallery opens at 5 p.m. with a reception and Curator Talk. "Global Warning: Artists and Climate Change" is a large scale show that aims to "increase awareness of climate change through challenging content that is laced with poetry and aesthetic power." Included in the show are works in a variety of media from the past three decades by Marion Belanger, Lorraine Berry, Diane Burko, Nancy Cohen, Helen and Newton Harrison (one of their works, "The World Ocean is a Great Draftsman", is pictured above), Chris Jordan, Aviva Rahmani, Lenore Malen, Mierle Laderman Ukeles and Frances Whitehead. The exhibition, part of the University's "Feet to the Fire: Exploring Global Climate from Science to Art" initiative, will be on view through May 24. Gallery hours are 12noon - 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday (12noon - 8 p.m.on Fridays.)

Also part of the "Feet to the Fire" programming, Native American composer Barbara Croall has been commissioned to compose a new work on global climate change that will be performed by the Wesleyan University Orchestra, under the direction of guest conductor Roy Wiseman, at 8 p.m. Friday in Crowell Concert Hall. According to the website, Croall is Odawa and balances her time between work in outdoor education rooted in traditional Anishhinaabe teachings and composing music. She has been actively performing and composing for Anishhinaabe musical instruments and for European classical instruments since 1995. Her music for soloists, small and large chamber ensembles, symphony orchestra, film, dance and theater have been premiered internationally and across Canada." The program will also feature works by the winners of the Wesleyan Orchestra Concerto Competition. The event is free and open to the public.

Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Patricelli '92 Theater, the student choreographers from the Wesleyan Dance Department present the Spring Dance Concert. For ticket information, call 685-3355 or go online to www.wesleyan.edu/cfa.

The Fishbone Cafe, 120 Court Street, presents the "Sweet Sue" Terry Quartet Friday at 8:30 p.m. Joining the fine saxophonist (a graduate of the Hartt School of Music) will be Michael Musillami (guitar), Joe Fonda (bass) and George Schuller (drums.) For more information, call 346-6000.

Saturday events include The Wesleyan Collegium Musicum performing at 7 p.m. in Memorial Chapel, High Street. The WCM is an ensemble "dedicated to exploring and performing the diverse vocal and instrumental repertories of the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods of European music." This fine performance is free and open to all.

The Buttonwood Tree welcomes the trio of Ben Ross (harmonica), Phillip Greene (keyboards) and Shula Weinstein (cello, guitar) for an evening of blues, classical music and more. The Saturday performance begins at 7:30 p.m. For more information, call 347-4957.

Sunday, there will be a "Chamber Music Extravaganza" at 2 p.m. in The Russell House, 350 High Street. Students of Anthea Kreston and Jason Duckles (2/3rds of the wonderful Amelia Piano Trio) will perform and the free event is followed by a reception for all.

At 7 p.m. in the World Music Hall, one can enjoy the Spring Taiko Concert, featuring students of Mark H Rooney of Odaiko New England. If you've not experienced Taiko drumming, it's both brash and subtle, alternately thundering and precise. For ticket information, call 685-3355.

Arts: Reminders & An Addition

Even with Wesleyan on Spring Break, there's much to do, see and hear this weekend. Here's a reminder of the lineup.

Vintage Players presents "The Torch-Bearers" tonight (7:30), Saturday (8 p.m.) and Sunday (3 p.m.) in the main auditorium/Social Hall of Congregation Adath Israel, 8 Broad Street. Refreshments will be served and laughter will be in abundant supply. For reservations, call 632-1067 or 346-1377.

Friday night at 7:30, Connecticut State Troubadour Lara Herscovitch (pictured) performs at The Buttonwood Tree. Joining her willbe pianist Noah Baerman. The 2 met recently at a benefit performance and had such a fun time, she invited the jazz pianist to add his intelligent phrasings to her highly personal music. Sounds like fun. Call 347-4957 for more information.

When Lara and Noah conclude, stroll over to Boney's Music Lounge and catch the fine jazz vocalist Giacomo Gates. His first set begins at 9 p.m.

Saturday: One Book, One Middletown begins its appreciation of Sara Gruen's "Water for Elephants" with a 3 p.m. performance by Oddfellows Playhouse Instant Circus troupe. The free event takes place in the ION Market space inside Main Street Market.

The addition to the list takes place Sunday from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at Brew Bakers, 169 Main Street. Folk singer/guitarist Darrell Gagnon will play 2 sets and chances are good you'll get to sing along. Relax and enjoy the sounds.

Gates on Friday & Guitar on Saturday

Jazz vocalist extraordinaire Giacomo Gates performs Friday night from 9 - 12 midnight in the comfortable confines of Boney's Music Lounge, above Fishbone Cafe,106 Court Street. The Connecticut resident and Private Lessons Instruction at Wesleyan, did not become a professional vocalist until 1990,after years of manual labor jobs, including driving school buses and 3 years on the Alaskan Pipeline. Since 1990, Gates has performed around the world with a repertoire based in the bebop and hard-bop sounds of Dexter Gordon, Lester Young, Chet Baker and others. He can "scat-sing" with the best of them (see below.)

While Boney's is an excellent place to relax and catch some great music, it's also a bar. That means there are times when the noise of the conversations ride over the sound of the band. If you go for the music (and you should), get close. For more information, call 346-6000.

The young Turkish-born guitarist/composer Sinan Bakir performs Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. in intimate performance space of The Buttonwood Tree. Bakir, whose self-released debut CD just hit the streets, has a strong grounding in mainstream jazz and blues. That disk, "On My Way", is a solid start with songs that have good melodies and smart interplay between Bakir and his fine rhythm section (bassist Thomson Kneeland and drummer Mark Ferber.) For more information, go to www.sinanbakir.com. Click here to read my Hartford Courant blog review of Bakir's CD. To reserve a seat for Saturday's show, call 347-4957.

Here's a look at Giacomo Gates in action:

Music & Dance This Weekend

Javapalooza, 330 Main Street, presents The Sawtelles at 7:30 p.m. Friday night. The pride of Plantsville, Julie and Peter Riccio create a mesmerizing blend of guitars, percussion and voices, with songs that have wit and a touch of brashness. Intimate yet rocking, the music really pulls one in. There is no admission charge.


Around the corner at Boney's Music Lounge at Fishbone Cafe, 120 Court Street, bassist Joe Fonda continues his eclectic programming on Friday and Saturday nights. Friday, it's Sweet Daddy Cool Breeze, a blues band that specializes in Chicago-style blues. Saturday, baritone saxophonist Clare Daly brings a group to the performance space. Daly, who is one the finest "bari" players on the creative music scene, makes music that utilizes r'n'b and mainstream jazz influences. For more information, call 346-6000.

Saturday, The Buttonwood Tree presents the Alan Cohen Experience at 7:30 p.m. Composer, vocalist and guitarist Cohen writes quirky tunes with danceable beats. He writes about everyday life with a witty eye for surrealistic subjects and even composed a campaign song for Barack Obama (hear it here or see and hear it here.) He performs with different sized ensembles so there's a chance that this gig is an all-acoustic affair. No matter, the music will be fun. For more information, go to http://alancohenexperience.com.




It's DanceMasters Weekend at Wesleyan with classes and workshops plus a public performance that is always top-notch. This year, the 10th anniversary of the program, the instructors include David Dorfman, Robert Battle of BattleWorks Dance Company, Brian Brooks from Brian Brooks Moving Company, Bill Hastings, Josh Hilberman, Carla Maxwell of Limón Dance Company, Andrea Miller of Gallim Dance, Miki Orihara of the Martha Graham Dance Company as well as Wesleyan world dance instructors Hari Krishnan, Urip Sri Maeny, and Iddi Saaka.

Saturday at 8 p.m. in the CFA Theater, the weekend's Showcase Performance features the Limon Dance Company, BattleWorks Dance Company, and Brian Brooks Moving Company. Any one of these groups is worth seeing; together, on one bill, makes for a great evening of modern dance. For ticket information, call 685-3355 or go online to www.wesleyan.edu/cfa/dancemasters/dancemasters09.html.

Here's a look at the fascinating work of choreographer Brian Brooks:

Week in Preview 2/23 - 2/28 (Part 2)

The halls are alive with "The Sound of Music", the halls of Middletown High School, that is. The final work of the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, the musical tells the story of the Trapp Family Singers and their escape from the Nazi occupation of their native Austria.

The MHS Drama Club, Chris Briggs, director, presents the musical this weekend in the new auditorium of the new High School, 20 LaRosa Lane. The large and talented cast is not only comprised of high school students but also from the middle and elementary levels. Performances are 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday (2/26-28) and 2 p.m.on Sunday March 1. Tickets are $10 for adults, $ 8 for students and senior citizens and $5 for children under 12. You can buy them at the door or go online at www.middletownschools.org/.

Wesleyan University Assistant Professor Yuriy Kordonskiy directs a production of Jean Anouilh's "Eurydice" Thursday through Sunday in the CFA Theater. Anouilh's adaptationn of the Greek myth changes the setting of the story to a provincial train station in France in the 1930s where a traveling musician (Orpheus) becomes enamored of an actress (Eurydice) but they must run away together to continue their relationship. Realism clashes with magic as death and life become intertwined. Performances are 8 p.m. each night with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday. Call the Box Office at 685-3355 or go online at www.wesleyan.edu/cfa for more information.

Pianist Landon Knoblock, born in Miami and now based in Brooklyn, will perform this Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. in The Buttonwood Tree. Knoblock, joined by bassist Joe Rehmer and drummer Austin McMahon, is quite a lyrical pianist but does not shy away from rhythmical adventures. He has worked with vocalist Kevin Mahogany and trumpeter Arturo Sandoval and released 3 CDs as a leader, the latest being "The Heartbeat, the Breath", on the Italian CAM Jazz label. He also leads a quartet featuring New Haven native Ben Allison on bass. For more information about him and his music, go to www.landonknoblock.com.

The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center is the featured ensemble Friday at 8 p.m. in Crowell Concert Hall. The latest concert in 08-09 Crowell Series brings some finest classical musicians in the country to town with a program featuring music by Dvorak and Bartok. Artistic Directors David Finckel (cello) and Wu Han (piano) bring together musicians of all ages to perform and the quality and brilliance of the performances is impressive. Yonatan Malin, Assistant Professor of Music at Wesleyan, will give a Pre-concert Talk at 7:15. For tickets, call 685-3355.

Fishbone Cafe, 120 Court Street, has inaugurated its live music series in the upstairs "Boney's Music Lounge." This week, they welcome pianist Kent Hewitt & Trio on Friday and the duo of Joe Fonda (bass) and Charles Neville (saxophones, and he is a member of the famous Neville Brothers Band from New Orleans) on Saturday. For more start times and more information, call 346-6000.

Saturday night, The Buttonwood Tree welcomes back Terry Dame & Electric Junkyard Gamelan for a 7:30 performance. If you've never seen this ensemble and its plethora of home-made instruments (including the electric rubber band harps, wine glasses and percussion made from saw blades and old farm equipment), it's a real treat. Yes, this is definitely music, certainly inventive and always loads of fun (and occasionally a bit noisy.) Ms. Dame is a fine composer, an excellent saxophonist and a tireless inventor. To find out more, go to www.terrydame.com. To reserve a seat, call 347-4957.

From the Atlantic to the Pacific in Middletown

I thought it was going to be a quiet evening, till Masselli emailed to remind me about our weekly martini get together (a tradition that is only a few weeks old - but it was my turn to buy, and Masselli wasn't about to let me off the hook). Tonight, for starters, we checked out the hot new restaurant and jazz club, Fishbone Café on Court Street. The interior of the bar and restaurant downstairs is low-key impressive, and the owners Ted Tine and Rosie Prue have also put in a cool club room upstairs for jazz and blues performances. I am definitely looking forward to the music scene there. And when the weather warms up, there are also decks upstairs and down for outside lounging. Apparently a 'Tiki Bar' is also in the offing. Should be loads of fun. And the front of the restaurant, facing Court Street, has a retractable garage door that will open the interior onto the sidewalk in pleasant weather. A well-thought-out design.

We had some nice martinis, and to top things off we tried the conch fritters - a recipe that Tine brought up from Key West. Delectable. We looked at the menu too, even though I was soon due at home. The meals look fabulous, and I cannot wait to return. For those of you who prefer land animals or vegetable fare, there are lots of options from above sea level. Here's their website, some of which is still under construction.

By now the place was starting to fill up with the dinner crowd. Just before we left we ran into some friends who had already heard exciting things about the menu (the place has only been open a few days, so news travels fast!). On our way out, Masselli insisted that I see the new interior of Mikado (on Melilli Plaza, between Court and Washington). My protests notwithstanding, in we went. Unbelievable! Hard to believe that we are in a depression (okay okay, recession), what with all these sleek new nightlife options. Mikado's renovation is lovely: new stone work on the walls, tile on the floor, the water streaming down the stone facing in the entrance, and the plant life beneath the floor. So Masselli insisted we try the Sushi bar and some warm sake. Well, I'm a sucker for sake. We also tried the firehouse rolls and the California rolls. Both were excellent, but the firehouse (with Tuna) were, frankly, to die for. Absolutely mouth-watering. You can check out the menu and some images on their current website. And we had a nice chat with Bob, the owner, who regaled us with stories of his three-month renovation. (Believe me Bob, I can relate: we've been renovating our house for ten years now, with no end in sight.)

A great night out from coast to coast in Central Connecticut.