Weekend at The Buttonwood

This looks to be a good weekend to get outdoors, breath fresh air and, in the evenings, take a stroll downtown.  Every month, there's seems to be a new place to dine; however, after your repast, head over to 605 Main Street, the location for The Buttonwood Tree, and take in some fine live music.

Tonight (June 3), it's vocalist Don Minott and the High Voltage Reggae Band. Minott, born in Kingston, Jamaica, moved to Hartford in the mid-1980s and, within a few years, was singing in area Reggae bands.   Among the groups he has fronted are Rough Neck Massive, Lightning Reggae, and Positive Vibrations.  For the past decade, he's been touring the country and world with the High Voltage Band, playing a heady mix of original tunes, cover songs and poetry.For the Buttonwood "hit', Minott will have a number of special guests including Don C., Barney Rebel & Sista, Linford "Brown Eyes" Nugent and more.  The music starts at 8 p.m. 

Saturday evening at the same time, it's the return of the John Funkhouser Trio. Pianist/composer Funkhouser, a native of Boston, MA, is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music and now teaches at the Berklee School of Music (in his hometown.)  He has worked with such artists as Wesleyan graduate Tierney Sutton, the MIT Wind Ensemble, and jazz legend Herb Pomeroy.  Joining him will be bassist Greg Loughman and drummer Mike Connors, both musicians with great talent and impressive resumes.  When all 3 get together, musical sparks fly, poly-rhythmic adventures are the "norm" and handsome melodies pave the way for exciting solos.  And, they do like to play, weaving influences from blues, folk music, Broadway, the Great American Songbook, contemporary Classical music and whatever else enters their collective consciousness.  In November 2009, I wrote in The Hartford Courant " the Funkhouser 3 blends many different styles into its repertoire, moving easily and, often, gracefully, from richly melodic pieces to Latin flavored romps to more abstract moments to funky rumpshakers". They played The Buttonwood last year and absolutely (and musically) tore the house down. To find out more about the Funkhouser Trio, go to johnfunkhouser.com. 

To reserve seats for either or both shows, call 860-347-4957. To check out the Buttonwood offerings, go to www.buttonwood.org. 

Arts in Town as August Rolls Around

Before I get to the events listings, today's Middletown Press (8/03/10) includes 2 fine editorials. One comes from the pen from EYE-ditor Ed McKeon on the lack of locally produced campaign commercials (especially from candidates bemoaning the lack of jobs in the state (read it here) and the other from Chris Powell of the Manchester (CT) Journal-Inquirer on the Connecticut gubernatorial candidates and their "baggage" (read that one here.) Those articles made me think and I appreciate seeing such insightful writing in our local "print" paper.

Then I turned the page and saw this headline - "Obama: The End is Near." I laughed quite heartedly. The prophetic statement was atop a national news article about President Obama's speech on the United States withdrawal from the war in Iraq. Think if pundits such as Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck or Andrew Breitbart or any of those who choose to misinterpret many of the Administration's actions to feed the maw of the 24-hour news cycle got ahold of that headline. Well, they just might stop calling the President a Socialist and tar him with the tag of "Mayan Prophet" (those who believe the world will end on December 21, 2012.)

Enough of that.

Today August 3:
The Summer Sounds Series on the South Green welcomes the Sam Vinci Band for a 7 p.m. concert.  The long-time bandleader plays a delightful variety of musical selections so grab your beach chair and head for the Green.  In case of rain, the fun moves indoors to South Church.

Wednesday August 4:
It's "Kids Arts Creative Arts Reveal!" day in Middletown.  The Buttonwood Tree hosts this event at 5:30 p.m., an opportunity to see what many of the children did on their summer vacation.  Anne-Marie Cannatta is your guide and the kids are the stars. For more information,  call 860-343-6620, ext. 201.

The Cypress Grill & Restaurant, 1265 South Main Street, presents a "Wednesday Night Blues Jam" at 7:30 p.m.  Providing the musical refreshments will be Steve Hatch and The Redliners - bring your guitar, your "harp" or voice and join the fun.  For more information, go to www.cypressgrill.com.

Thursday August 5:
Bob Gotta hosts the monthly Acoustic Open Mike at 7 p.m. at The Buttonwood Tree.  Sing a song, play guitar, be part of the action.

Friday August 6:
It's time for the 22nd Kids Arts' Children's Circus Performance - "Eats All Good" takes place at 5 p.m. on the grounds of Macdonough School, located on Pease Avenue, Stack and Spring Streets in Middletown.  Acrobats, jugglers, tumblers, clowns, unicyclists and more, all under the supervision of the Oddfellows Playhouse Circus crew, will dazzle and delight you.  In case of rain, the program will take place on Saturday, same time and place.

This week also features the Podunk Bluegrass Music Festival in East Hartford (go to www.podunkbluegrass.net/ for more information) as well as the Litchfield Jazz Festival in Kent (go to www.litchfieldjazzfest.com/ for more information.)

Saturday, Sunday & Monday (4/17-19)

Saturday:
One of the nicer events on the Wesleyan campus each Spring semester is the Elizabeth Verveer Tishler Piano Recital.  It takes place on this day at 2 p.m. in the Russell House, 350 High Street. The concert features the finalist and the winner, each playing a piece or short set and what's so nice is that many of the finalists are not music students but scholars who also play.  A reception follows the concert which is free and open to the public.

The Buttonwood Tree has an exciting double bill of music that combines salsa, rock, Afro-Cuban, jazz and more when singer/songwriter/guitarist Giovanni Almonte comes to town to celebrate the release of his new CD, "High and Low." Almonte's band includes, among others, the Hartford natives Luques and Zaccai Curtis (bass and piano respectively.) Opening the show at 8 p.m. is guitarist/vocalist Fernandito Ferrer, an exciting performer who has graced the performance space several times in the pats few years. For more information, go to www.buttonwood.org. 

Sunday:
Here's a welcome missive from CG&SS (Connecticut Gilbert & Sullivan: From 4 - 7 p.m. on Sunday April 18, the historic Middletown Almshouse, 53 Warwick Street, hosts a Benefit Reception for CG&SS's fall 2010 production of "The Mikado", taking place October 22-24 in the MHS Performing Arts Center.  Music Director Dr. John Dreslin will sit at the piano and lead the assembled singers through many of the British duo's greatest songs.  For more information, call 1-800-866-1606 or go to www.ctgilbertandsullivan.org. 

Monday:
In honor of Arts Advocacy Day, the Middletown Commission of the Art will celebrate by honoring the work of Middletown High Band Director Marco Gaylord and the Greater Middletown Chorale from 5 - 6:30 p.m. in First & Last Tavern, Main Street.  Gaylord, who also serves as the music director of the Middletown Symphonic Band, has worked extremely hard over the past 10 years + on "Middletown High Goes to the Symphony", the program that brings the Band, choir and selected soloists to the Bushnell Auditorium to perform alongside the Hartford Symphony Orchestra.  The GMC, in existence since 1977, has grown into one of the area's premiere vocal ensembles. Under the guidance of Joseph D'Eugenio (named 2009 Choir Director of the Year by the Connecticut chapter of the American Choral Directors), the group has created many memorable concerts and soon will present "Elijah", Mendelssohn's famed oratorio (Sunday May 2 in the MHS Performing Arts Center.)  The Arts Advocacy Award presentation is free and open to the public.  

Summer is just around the corner and registration for Kids Art 2010 is in full swing. There are still openings in the morning and afternoon Children's Circus programs as well as a few openings for 10-14 years old children in the afternoon Troubadour Program.  The Circus, now in its 22nd year, is run by Oddfellows Playhouse and is a 5-week program that culminates in a gala production on Friday August 6.  Rehearsals take place at McDonough School.  The Troubadour Program, also running for 5 weeks, not only includes working to create songs built from the experiences of the participants but also the production of a newspaper.  For more information, call the City Arts Office at 860-343-6620, ext. 201 or find the Registration packet online at www.cityofmiddletown.com/arts.