Music Out of Doors This Week

Looks like tonight (Tuesday, August 6) will be a glorious night on Middletown's South Green and the City of Middletown Summer Sounds series.  The Phil Rosenthal 4 will perform at 7 p.m.  Phil Rosenthal, a native of Guilford, has been a fixture on the New England Folk (and international) scene since the 1970s when he worked The Seldom Scene.  For the past quarter-century, he has dedicated himself to running the American Melody recording label, writing songs and performing (most often) with his family. In fact, for tonight's 7 p.m. concert on the Green, he'll be joined by his son Daniel, a trumpeter who lives and works in Boston, performing with his own Quartet and in the horn section of the Either/Orchestra.  Also onstage tonight will be Phil Zimmerman (mandolin, banjo, autoharp) and Pete Kelly (acoustic bass).  For more information go to arts2go.org.

The final concert in the Music at The Mansion series, held on the spacious back lawn of the Long Hill Estate, features the blues-rock sounds of Jeff Pitchell & Texas Flood with The Jeffettes.  Pitchell, a Connecticut native, has played in venues around the US, gigging with B.B King, Bo Diddley, J Geils, NRBQ, James Cotton and many more.  His guitar playing blends the fire of Otis Rush and Stevie Ray Vaughan with the rhythmic subtleties of Steve Cropper.  His top-notch band also plays with great fire and style and, when you add the soulful sounds of the 4 Jeffettes, the Mansion grounds will rock!  The music is set to start at 6:30 p.m. - for more information, go to www.wadsworthmansion.com.  To get a taste of Jeff Pitchell's music, go to www.jeffpitchell.com.

That's the front of the Middlesex County Historical Society, 151 Main Street in Middletown, looking all proper and upstanding. Saturday evening (August 10), the lovely backyard garden will resound with music, thanks to Middletown native and drummer Mike Augeri. He's presenting the Mike Augeri Jazz Project at 6 p.m. as a fundraiser for the MCHS - he's bringing quite a group, including Sinan Bakir (guitar), Paul Fuller (bass), Orice Jenkins (keyboards), Rich Tortorigi (percussion), Jim Bosco (saxophone) plus special guests Paul Brown (bass) and vocalist Kitty Kathryn.  Mr. Brown has been a fixture on the Hartford jazz scene as both a musician and educator - he created the Monday Night Jazz in Bushnell Park series in 1967 and helped to found the Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz in 1992.  Ms. Kathryn, a native of North Carolina, has been performing for over 5 decades, working with Count Basie, Lena Horne, Paul Brown, Jay Hoggard and was a founding member of the Hartford Jazz Society.

For more information, go to www.middlesexhistory.org or call 860-346-0746.

Middletown Commission on the Arts Summer Concert Series

Free for all who wish to attend! Pack a picnic!- Please note that that dates posted on the business district website are last years dates, and are incorrect-

If you attend any of these concerts and wish to send me a photo I will be happy to post and share here-

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.)

Music Outdoors and In

Tuesday July 27:
The MCA-sponsored "Summer Sounds" series presents The Ken Morr Band at 7 p.m. on South Green.  Expect to hear folk and folk/rock, sweet sounds for a Summer evening.  In case of rain, the show moves indoors to South Church. The event is free and open to the public.

Wednesday July 28:

The United States Coast Guard Band (9 of whom are pictured here on a Japanese tour) are this week's musical offering in the "Music at the Mansion" series at Long Hill Estate, 421 Wadsworth Street. If you've never heard the USCGB, what a treat - these fine musician can and do play just about any kind of music you could imagine, from Broadway to folk music to classics to flag wavers. The event is free and open to the public.  The grounds open at 5:30 and the band begins to play at 6:30 p.m.  If you want a taste of the ensemble's music, go to www.uscg.mil/band/.  For more information about the Mansion, go to www.wadswortthansion.com. 

Thursday July 29:

This is the poster for "Guys and Dolls", the Middletown Teen Theater production opening on this night and running through Sunday August 1 at the Performing Arts Center in Middletown High School, 200 LaRosa Lane.  Performances are 7 p.m. through Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday.  The youthful cast is working hard and the show should be loads of fun.  For ticket information, go to www.middletownteentheater.com.

"Writers Out Loud!: Cream of the Crop" features a number of writers from the Middletown area who have been in a workshop, submitted their best work and will be presenting these pieces at 7 p.m. in the Green Street Arts Center. Cocomo Rock and Al Bowers have been working with the writers and I have the honor of presenting the best pieces to come from their efforts.  For more information, call 860-685-7871.

The Russell Library continues its "Courtyard Concerts" series with the Indra Jazz Trio at 7 p.m. Originally from New York City, vocalist Indra Rios-Moore began working with bassist Thomas Sejthen and saxophonist/clarinetist Benjamin Traerup in 2006 and moved to Denmark the following year. The trio's eclectic repertoire ranges from jazz standards to classic blues tunes to folk and "r'n'b." Indra has a rich voice, husky, dark, with a fine range and dramatic presence.  Joining them on several tunes will be vocalist/fiddler/Middletown resident Rani Arbo.  To find out more about Indra and her music, go to http://indra.dk.  The concert is free and open to the public.

Running, Jumping or Standing Still

Another week in July with plenty to do, outside and in.

Today July 20:

"Why Theater Today?" is the provocative title of a talk to be delivered at 12:10 p.m. by Eric Ting as the final program in the Summer 2010 "CFA Days" series. Ting, Associate Artistic Director at the Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, has directed several of the LWT's most successful productions including "Underneath the Lintel", "The Old Man and the Sea" and "Sylvia."  He's also directed works at Hartford Stage, in Boston and and on the West Coast. Recently named as one of American Theater Magazine's "25 to Watch" (along with HartBeat Ensemble's Steven Ginsburg and Hartford-area native Anika Noni Rose), Ting will discuss the future of live theater in the 21st Century.  The talk takes place in CFA Hall and is free and open to the public.

The Summer Sounds Series continues this evening on Middletown's South Green with the music of the John Valerio Band.  Valerio's ensemble plays music that spans the decades from Duke Ellington to the Rolling Stones to Willie Nelson. The free performance begins at 7 p.m.  In case of rain, the show moves indoors to South Church, on the corner of Main & Pleasant Streets.  

Wednesday July 21:

Scroll down the page a bit and you'll read about the 6th Annual Citizens Band 5K Summer Fun Run.  If you would rather pack a picnic and hear some funky rock music, the "Music at the Mansion" Series (on the expansive back lawn of the Wadsworth Mansion on the Long Hill Estate) presents the Michael Cleary Band at 6:30 p.m.  The MCB, led by vocalist/guitarist Cleary (pictured left, courtesy of Seeing Spots Photography), is a dynamic sextet also featuring Lee Sylvestre (guitar), Vince Delaria (keyboards), Jedd Chlebowski (bass), Edmund Peart (drums) and Frank Bauer (percussion). Cleary assembled the band nearly 20 years ago and they are one of the busiest and most popular ensembles in the state. Check out the MCB and its music at www.michaelclearyband.com. 
The grounds open at 5:30 p.m. for those wishing to enjoy an early supper and stake out a shady spot. To learn more, go to www.wadsworthmansion.com. 

Thursday July 22:

The Luis Lopez Herb Garden Series continues with the New Haven-based Downshift Blues Band.  The quintet plays a saucy blend of Chicago blues, Southern Rock and classic Soul Music.  Composed of Steve Plaziak (guitar), Tom Knapp (saxophone, flute, harmonica), Dan Rausch (keyboards, vocals), Ed DuBose (bass, vocals) and Russell Tolson (drums), Downshift is fun to listen to.  The event takes place at 6:30 p.m. in the Herb Garden, located on the corner of Main & Green Streets, and is free.  The rain date is July 29.


Don't forget about the numerous events at the Green Street Arts Center (go to www.greenstreetartscenter.org to see the list) and the Oddfellows Playhouse Summer Shakespeare production of "Twelfth Night" (read it about here) running Thursday through Saturday.


Friday July 23:

The duo of Eiko & Koma present "Raven" at 8 p.m. in the World Music Hall of Wesleyan University, Wyllys Avenue. The work, part of the duo's 3-year retrospective, is described on their website thusly: "The earth is precious in part because it can be unyielding. The landscape does not squander its riches on us; we have to negotiate our survival. Thinking this way, and remembering the pungent street smells from their childhood in post-war Japan, Eiko & Koma add this dimension by scorching the set. The odor of burnt material becomes an aspect of the work and reminds us that it is not only we humans who are hungry; the animals and spirits and the earth itself are hungry for nourishment and for intimacy." The front page of the website - eikoandkoma.org - features an excerpt from the work.  For ticket information, go to www.wesleyan.edu/cfa or call the Box Office at 860-685-3355. 

Mid-July Goings-On (Part 1)

Tuesday July 13:

The Wesleyan Center for the Arts "CFA Days" series presents Bill Sherman (class of '02) at 12:10 p.m. in the CFA Hall (formerly the CFA Cinema.)  Sherman, a composer who created the orchestrations for classmate Lin Miranda's award-winning "In The Heights", also serves as music director for "Sesame Street."  His latest work, "Barrio Grrrl", was commissioned by the Kennedy Center and has been nominated for a Helen Hayes Award. The title of his talk is "From Vine Street to Sesame Street - A Musical Journey."  The event is free and open to the public. 

The Summer Sounds series, sponsored by the Middletown Commission on the Arts, continues this week on the South Green with Bange's Jazz Jents, a local musical ensemble that plays music from the classic "Big Band" era. The small yet powerful aggregation commences playing at 7 p.m.  In case of rain, the free event moves into South Church. 

The "Cary Grant & His Leading Ladies" film series continues at the Goldsmith Family Cinema inside the Center for Film Studies, Washington Terrace, with the 1938 screwball comedy classic "Bringing Up Baby."  Grant's co-star is Katharine Hepburn and they share the screen with "Baby", a leopard.  The movie, free and open to the public, is free and open to the public.  If you're one of the few people who have never seen this Howard Hawks production (or you have only seen it once), this is a very comfortable atmosphere to watch a movie.




Wednesday July 14:

The Music at The Mansion Concerts Series presents Ed Fast & Conga-Bop at 6:30 p.m.  The event, free and open to the public, takes place on the back lawn of the Wadsworth Mansion at the Long Hill Estate, Wadsworth Street.  Ed Fast (pictured left), based in Hartford, is a very busy musician.  A list of his gigs include that he was the drummer on the national tour of "Chicago", working with Chita Rivera on the national tour of "A Dancer's Life, in New York City, on Broadway as drummer for  "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", Radio City Music Hall and a sub for "Chicago". He also performed with Broadway touring shows in Moscow, China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan and was Music Director of the Hartford-based youth group, Latin Flavor, at the Havana International Festival of Jazz (Cuba).  Conga-Bop, an ensemble with as many as 8 musicians, lives up to its name with an infectious blend of many different Latin rhythms, not to forget different genres of jazz. 
The grounds open at 5:30 p.m. for those who wish to picnic. In case of rain (we need it but not this week with all the different outdoor arts events), the concert is canceled.  For more information, go to www.wadsworthmansion.com.