Celebrating Jay Hoggard

Saturday April 30, which happens to be International Jazz Day, the Center for The Arts at Wesleyan presents the Jay Hoggard Harlem Hieroglyphs Ensemble. The 8 p.m. concert celebrates the music of the vibraphonist and composer, serving as a "CD Release Party" for his new double-album, "Harlem Hieroglyphs".  Joining him on the stage of Crowell Concert Hall will be pianist James Weidman, drummer Pheroan akLaff, bassist Belden Bullock, and saxophonist René McLean. 

The album , funded in part by Wesleyan GISOS (Grant in Support of Scholarship), brings together the many influences on Hoggard's life, from the gospel music he heard in church (including the sacred music of Duke Ellington) to the sounds of African percussion to mentors like the afore-mentioned Lionel Hampton and Milt Jackson to the popular music on the radio and so much more. Messrs. Weidman and Bullock both play on the album along with Yoron Israel (drums), Gary Bartz (alto and soprano saxophones), and, on 6 of the 18 tracks, Nat Adderley, Jr.(piano, organ). Mr. Bartz, who first came to critical notice in the mid-1960s playing  in the Max Roach/Abbey Lincoln group and then moving on to Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, is a welcome addition to this music. It's not just because he's such an inspired musician;  the album marks the first time the vibraphonist has recorded with a reed player since the early 90s.

courant.com

The first disk opens with "If I Were a Bell", the Frank Loesser classic from "Guys and Dolls", which Miles Davis first recorded in 1956.  The group gives the tune a gentle swing, the clear tones of the vibes meshing well with the soft tones of the alto sax.  Moving on to the blues of Hoggard's "Harlem Jazzbirds Swingin' and Swayin'"; the piece bounces sweetly atop Bullock's bass, Weidman's piano chords and Israel's masterly brush work.  Gospel chords from the piano leads the group into "I Am Free", a funky original that also reflects the influence of South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim. For this listener, the highlight on disk 1 is the emotionally strong performance of Bernard Ingher's "Everything Must Change", an oft-recorded ballad, most notably by Nina Simone and Quincy Jones with James Ingram. Here, it's the expressive alto saxophone that shares the lead with ringing tones of the vibraphone. Nothing is rushed, the musicians pouring their souls into the song creating a beautiful experience.

Wesleyan CFA

CD 2 opens with the fiery "Sonic Hieroglyphs" with great solos by the leader, Bartz (on alto), and pianist Weidman, all powered by Bullock's walking bass and Israel's high-flying cymbals.  There's a rollicking version of Sonny Rollins' "Airegin" - it's one of the shorter tracks (3:33) but the musicians give their all.  "I Live Because I Breathe" is a lovely ballad with a handsome melody, a splendid vibes solo, and fine soprano sax counterpoint.  An African feel permeates "Mystical Cycles of Skin, Wood, and Metal", the hypnotic rhythms and circular melody, the pulsating vibraphone, Adderley, Jr.'s piano working in tandem with the organ work of Weidman, all creating a musical wonderland.  Hoggard and Weidman (on piano) paint a sublime portrait of Duke Ellington's "My Love", a piece the Maestro wrote for his Third Sacred Concert.  Following that track is a impressionistic solo work "Pleasant Memories." It's one of the two pieces on the album that is over 9 minutes long yet the music moves forward easily and melodically, going through several different moods and sonic variations (there are moments where the vibraphone sound like steel drums and marimbas).

Anyone acquainted with Jay Hoggard knows he's one of the most positive persons you'll ever meet. The music on "Harlem Hieroglyphs" is imbued with joy, hope, and wonder.  His story is not only filled with his history but also his accomplishments and dreams.  This is music that breathes, that swings with ease, soothes the soul, and makes one smile.

For more information about the album, go to www.jayhoggard.com.  To get tickets to Saturday's 8 p.m. concert, go to www.wesleyan.edu/cfa or call 860-685-3355.

Here's "Mystical Cycles of Skin, Wood, and Metal" to whet your appetite and the show:



(A edited version of this review also appears at steptempest.blogspot.com/2016/04/take-jay-train.html.)

Last notes...

...at least for this season.

As night fell, Latin band Goza asked for (and got) permission to play one last song in the "Music at the Mansion" series. 

  The Friends of Long Hill again hosted four concerts on four consecutive Wednesdays. 

  Open Air Market there is Sunday, Aug 24, 2014.

Special Free Concert at Middletown Harbor Park

Alika Hope with the Trevor Davis Quintet - Jazz and Rhythm & Blues
at Summer Sounds on the Connecticut River at Middletown’s Harbor Park at 35 Harbor Dr.
Tuesday, August 12 7-9 PM

This concert is in memory of Roger “Sonny” Rubinow, a great supporter of the arts, a great percussionist, and a great sandwich maker, the former owner of Ruby’s.

with Alika Hope, vocals
Steve Donovan, keyboards
Mike Asetta, bass
John Smayda, reeds
Trevor Davis, drums

Intermission guest: Tre Davis & Geoff Lussier

Sponsored by Middletown Commission of the Arts

For additional information, please contact:
Trevor Davis
td.music@trevordavis.biz
Days 860-347-8738

"Music At The Mansion" Kicks Off Wed. Evening

The hugely popular "Music at the Mansion" concert series returns this Wednesday, July 2nd.

The outdoor shows at the Wadsworth Mansion begin with Goza, a Connecticut-based Latin jazz band (www.GozaBand.com). New performers take the stage each Wednesday in July.

The concerts are free and open to the public (but if you like them, throw what you can in the bucket when it comes around).

Picnicking begins at 5:30, music at 6:30.

If you can, budget a little time to explore the unique trails and grounds of the historic Long Hill Estate. 

You can find info about parking, performers, and future events here:
http://wadsworthmansion.com/events.php

Great Live Music at Klekolo

DJ NEB

It's Tuesday at Klekolo World Coffee on Court Street so that means live music. This week it was a pair of DJs: Jay Dun Jin and NEBula.

DJ Jay Dun Jin

Both DJ sets were fun and lively. Beat boxer MD Outta Order hosted the sets and entertained with his beat boxing vocal skills.

The crowd was there to listen in, chat, play chess and of course, drink some coffee.

Klekolo World Coffee has live music on Tuesday nights. It's a fun way to perk up a weeknight. Next week will feature the jazz music of Kevin O'Neil.

Christopher Polack is Middletown resident and blogger. www.thediversion.com

Watch Video: Eric Mintel Quartet at The Buttonwood Tree

Last Saturday night brought the Eric Mintel Jazz Quartet to the Buttonwood Tree at 605 Main Street in Middletown. Hailing from Pennsylvania, the Quartet played lively versions of classic jazz tunes like Dave Brubek's 'Take Five' to an enthousastic audience.

To find out about future events, becoming a member, volunteering and more, visit www.buttonwood.org

The Buttonwood Tree Celebrates Woody Guthrie's 100th Birthday - GREAT weekend events coming your way!

Stop in at The Buttonwood Tree to take part in some (or all!) of the great events going on this weekend.  Visit our website or call at 860-347-4957 for more information.

Woody Sed
Friday October 26th 8-10 pm $15
& Saturday October 27th 4-6 pm  $15   ** SPECIAL MATINEE PERFORMANCE **
Reservations suggested - See "Woody Sed" online at www.buttonwood.org 

Come and enjoy a one-man play performed by Thomas Jones portraying the life, times and music of the great American folk hero, Woody Guthrie.

The play was born out of “the sheer astonishment” actor and musician Thomas Jones experienced learning about Woody Guthrie’s life — and its relevance to the world we live in today.
Woody Sed is loaded with songs, well known and obscure, with each song framed in a theatrical context. Woody Sed is a memory play, drawn in Woody’s own words with 19 songs and 25 colorful characters, interpreted and brought to life by Thomas Jones.

This is a special on the life, politics and music of Woody Guthrie, the “Dust Bowl Troubadour.” Born a hundred years ago on July 14, 1912, in Oklahoma, Guthrie wrote hundreds of folk songs and became a major influence on countless musicians, including Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Seeger and Phil Ochs. While Guthrie is best remembered as a musician, he also had a deeply political side, speaking out for labor and civil rights at the height of McCarthyism.

Community Yoga
Saturday October 27th 8:30-9:45 am FREE

Ideal for Beginner and Intermediate

Guided by Yoga Instructor, Terri Johnson, RYT- Terri brings a deep understanding of the yoga experience to her classes. She will be teaching a unique and varied Vinyasa Flow style as it allows her to unify her appreciation of the benefits of the different types of yoga.

Classes are every Saturday in October

"Aligned with Source" Workshop for Empowerment
Saturday October 27th      10:30 am- 12:00 pm    $5 suggested donation
This week's topic: Your Buttons; Are They Being Pushed?     

In these inter-active workshops, Annaita shares her deep understanding of life, holism and spirituality enabling you to rise above life’s challenges, live a healthy, fulfilled & confident life.
You will explore simple concepts of living in awareness that: open you up to the wonders of life; discover who you are; let go of fear and all that keeps you stuck.

Workshops are every Saturday; no workshop Nov 24th.

Sirius Coyote - Halloween Special

Saturday October 27th   8-10 pm   $10 

Sirius Coyote is a multi-talented group of musicians, storytellers and instrument makers.
They  perform on over thirty different  ancient  and modern  instruments of the Americas
from their  impressive  display,  some of them hand  crafted by the  musicians themselves. Sirius Coyote will take you on a musical  journey to the  realms  of magical  sounds of  the
Americas from the oceans & tropical rainforests to the deserts & villages of the high Sierras.

On this occasion Sirius Coyote invites you to put on your fancy shoes and join in recreating the sights, sounds, smells and spirit of one of Latin America’s most important holiday, DIA DE MUERTOS. Latin America ’s Day of the Dead (November 1st and 2nd) is a festive celebration to honor the dearly departed. Unlike Halloween these spirits do not come back to haunt us, but rather to join us happily for a few hours, and warm their bones with music and friendship.


Food Not Bombs
Sunday October 28th 1 pm

Food Not Bombs shares food about 1 pm in front of the Buttonwood. Anyone is welcome. Consider yourself invited to help us prepare vegetarian food at the First Church on 190 Court Street at 11:30 am.

"Cooking For Peace and Social Justice"
www.foodnotbombs.net
FOOD FOR PEOPLE, NOT FOR PROFIT

Bookstore and Art Gallery open at 10 am  Mondays - Saturdays.  
Oct Art show:  "Who is Janine 2012?" Pastel Paintings. Exhibit runs through Oct 31.
605 Main Street. Middletown, CT            www.buttonwood.org              860-347-4957 




 

Over The River and East on Route 66

I grew up listening to AM radio, a much different aural landscape in the 1960s than it is today. Music permeated my late afternoons and evenings. A large number of my friends were enamored of the British groups and, through them, discovered Blues and folk music.  With the advent of FM radio and "free-form" playlists (another thing of the past, save for college stations), one could hear a set of cuts from artists as diverse as Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, Traffic, Cannonball Adderley, Cream, Spirit and The Mamas & The Papas.

As rock music became "really big business", radio station playlists shrunk to the point were the most "popular" songs and/or groups were heard numerous times during the day because...well, that's what the listeners really want.  So, radio stations found their niche and stayed there until their ratings dropped then the station would find a new niche (the higher the ratings, the more it cost to advertise.) It became harder and harder for local groups to get radio play and many groups started to plays lots of "covers" so that they could still get gigs.

But I must admit that I still like rock music and, even though I write about jazz and have a Jewish Music radio show, every once in a while I just need to hear something with a hard beat, hot guitar or wailing sax and lyrics I need to strain to hear (think "Exiles on Main Street" by The Rolling Stones.) 

Several years ago, I met Kevin Day and Jason Krug who had just released a CD under the monicker "DayDrug."  I liked the "poppy" tunes, the strong rhythms and guitar work, and the irony in the lyrics.  Both played in various bands or did solo gigs and were "DIY-ers" (do it yourself.)  Composer/guitarist Day has a sextet known as Gigglejuice and they have just self-released a new recording, "Driving Around In Circles."  The use of acoustic guitar and saxophone may remind some of the Dave Matthews Band - that influence is there but I hear echoes of 70s British group like Family or the West Coast sound of Arthur Lee & Love.  The agile rhythm section of Brendan Kearney (bass) and Juan Rivera (drums) plus the fine percussion work of Chill-i Tulimieri (who adds didgeridoo to one song)gives the music its heartbeat and solid bottom while the saxophone and flute playing of John Higgins permeates the tunes (he plays behind the vocals and doesn't just wait for his solo.) The blend of the two guitarists (Day on acoustic and Justin Jackson on electric) really fills out the sound - they understand the give-and-take that gives tracks such as "D Minor" and "You Draw Me In" its dynamic tension. The latter track plus "Frozen In Time" are true burners and under the right circumstances, could be hit singles (do they even have those anymore.)

Recorded at home in East Hampton and mastered by Michael Arafeh at The Coffeehouse Recording Studio in Middletown, "Driving Around In Circles" is quite enjoyable and no throwback to earlier eras in rock music (influenced by, yes - imitation, no way.) To find out more, go to www.gigglejuice.com.  Even better, the group is playing this Saturday night (July 24) at The Governor's Tavern, 26 East High Street in East Hampton.  Call 866-578-8508 for the time the band hits the stage. 

An acoustic version of the band will be appearing at the 2010 Heirloom Tomato Fest, held on Sunday August 22 on the grounds of Upper Forty Farm, 86 Nooks Hill Road in Cromwell. For more information, call 860-632-9029. 

Week in Photos: Crew Down at the River, Music up on Foss Hill.

MHS crew boat.



















MHS crew team gets ready to race.














Mark Masselli enjoys wes festivities.

The Buttonwood Offers Treats and Information

The Buttonwood Tree, 605 Main Street, is known for its eclectic programming and this weekend is no exception.

Saturday night, join Julie Riccio and a host of performers for "Uke Night." No, it's not a tribute to the Boston Red Sox's first baseman (third baseman when needed); instead, it's an evening of music featuring the 4-stringed Hawaiian guitar. Some people may think of Do Ho, Tiny Tim or Arthur Godfrey (showing my age there) but the diminutive instrument has never fallen out of favor. George Harrison was an aficionado of the ukulele as is the modern "pop" group Magnetic Field's enigmatic front man Stephen Merrit.

At The Buttonwood, Riccio has enlisted her husband Peter (her musical partner in The Sawtelles) to open and close the show with 2 distinct duos. First up is The Poptelles and the name tells you that the music is bright and..well, "poppy." Also on the bill is singer-songwriter-baritone uke player Brian Skidmore & Trio, actor-singer-satirist Moose Karloff (great name for this weekend), Rich "Amazing Dick" Leufstedt, the duo of "Hot Time" Harv & J-Boy Shyne, and singer-songwriter Eric Paradine. Closing the show will the Riccio's "punk-rock" duo known as School Safety Patrol. The fun starts at 7:30 p.m. For more information, go to www.myspace.com/ukenightct.

Sunday is a very busy day for the performance space. At 12:45 p.m., come meet Keith McHenry, co-founder of the FOOD NOT BOMBS social activist movement. In existence since 1980, the all-volunteer organization has provided vegetarian meals for people around the world. The group has not only been involved with major disasters such as the Asian Tsunami, 9/11, and Hurricane Katrina but also works in war-torn areas in Africa.the Middle East and Eastern Europe. For more information, go to www.foodnotbombs.net.

At 3 p.m., join John Basinger as he enacts another chapter in his ongoing presentation of John Milton's "Paradise Lost." Basinger has memorized every word of Milton's epic and he brings the piece to life, helping one grasp the poet's message. It's a monumental task but, in Basinger's performance, one sees and hears the universal message, the brilliance of the writing and the great emotion encased in the stanzas.

At 7 p.m., the sounds of K.Page & Sleepwalker's Parade will fill the performance space. Based in Brooklyn, the quartet blurs the lines between rock, jazz, classical and avant-garde. Lead singer Page is a dramatic performer,with a voice and style that hearkens back to Grace Slick (Jefferson Airplane), folk chanteuses, blues belters, and punk-rock singers of the late 1970s. The lyrics glide between poetry and declamatory statements, surrealistic imagery and the blunt truth. In person, the band stretches out the material with long, jazz-inflected improvisations. To get a feel for the music, go to www.sleepwalkersparade.com.

To find out more about this weekend and the schedule for the upcoming weeks, go to www.buttonwood.org or call 860-347-4957.

Theater of Religion and A Trio of Strong Voices & Songs

Legendary British director (stage, screen, and opera) Peter Brook has had a long (63 years) career. Over the 6+ decades, he has created alternative worlds for Shakespearean masterpieces, popularized "Marat/Sade", staged and then filmed a 9-hour adaptation of the Indian epic poem "Mahabharata", brought "Lord of the Flies" to the screen and written several well-received books on theater and acting.

Brook is in the midst of a short tour of colleges and universities presenting "The Grand Inquisitor" and he's coming to Wesleyan this weekend. The two-person play is based on Marie-Helene Estienne's adaptation of a long speech from Fyodor Dostoyevsky's "The Brothers Karamazov." In the story, Christ has returned in the midst of the Spanish Inquisition and, when he is recognized by the Cardinal Grand Inquisitor, is thrown into jail. The title character, played by Bruce Myers (pictured above), questions Christ's return, saying he will only create confusion among the believers. The Grand Inquisitor tells him that, over the centuries, his radical teachings have been tempered and his reappearance could the ruin the "good name" the Church has created for him. Over the course of the monologue (the second actor is a passive observer until the end), one hears how a myth is created and how that myth begat the organized religion which begat an infrastructure that became rigid and unbending.

Performances are 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights (10/10 & 11) and take place in the CFA Theater. For ticket information, call 860-685-3355.

If the Peter Brook play sounds a bit too "heavy", one should opt to head for The Buttonwood Tree (at least, on Friday evening) and the 3 fine ladies who make up "Lucky 13" will serenade you. Marci Geller, Susan DeVita and Cathy Kreger sing songs with hummable melodies, sweet harmonies and provocative topics. Folk influences blend with rock rhythms, "pop" sensibilities, a hint of jazz, touches of humor and righteous indignation makes for an evening of great entertainment. The trio's first CD was issued this summer and it's quite enjoyable (pretty rock-ish, too.)

The show starts at 8 p.m. For more information, call 860-347-4957.

Saturday's All Right for the Arts

The dapper Tom Callinan, Middletown native, former CT State Troubador, member of The Morgans, and a treasure trove of musical knowledge, performs at 2 p.m. in the Hubbard Room of The Russell Library, 123 Broad Street.

That's just one classy event in a day featuring many such opportunities.

Veretski Pass, a trio of musicians who perform music from the Carpathian Bow region of Eastern Europe, open this year's Greater Middletown Concert Association Series at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of Woodrow Wilson Middle School, 370 Hunting Hill Avenue. The music is an often raucous blend of Jewish, Gypsy, Hungarian, Russian,and other folk music.

There's also music and dance in the Navaratri Festival at Wesleyan (events start at 11 a.m. with workshops and culminate with a concert at 8 p.m.) "Hamlet" finishes its all-too-brief run at Oddfellows Playhouse with a 7 p.m. show on the OP Main Stage. Jazz drummer Fran Curley leads an ensemble at 8 p.m. in The Buttonwood Tree - get there at 7 p.m. for a reception for artist Brian P. Smith, whose works will grace the wall of the performance space/bookstore through the month of October.

Get out and go to!