Friday, February 12 2010

Note: Welcome Reception – Friday 5:00pm

The Boston Bluegrass Union (BBU) is proud to present the 25th annual Joe Val Bluegrass Festival. This beloved winter tradition boasts a full weekend of top-notch bluegrass entertainment, including performances by some of the best national and regional bands, over forty master classes and workshops, the BBU’s acclaimed Academy for Kids, directed slow jams, a thriving vendor floor with a great array of bluegrass-related merchandise, round-the-clock picking, and more.

This year also marks the 40th anniversary of the founding of venerable Boston-based roots music record label Rounder Records – a milestone that will be celebrated on Saturday night with a special evening program featuring Rounder artists. All this without having to brave the elements or leave the cozy confines of the Sheraton Framingham!

Full details on the festival, including late breaking news and links to online ticket purchase at www.bbu.org/jvhome.htm

In the aftermath of the earthquake, the Haitian people face unthinkable hardship, devastation, and destruction. The Harvard for Haiti Benefit Concert brings members of Harvard's talented arts community together to raise funds for the relief of our neighbors in Haiti.

The concert will feature over a dozen performances, including many of Harvard's vibrant dance companies and choral ensembles, including the Kuumba Singers, Harvard Modern Dance Company, Glee Club, Radcliffe Choral Society, and much more. The list of performers also includes award winning instrumentalists such as internationally acclaimed violinist Ryu Goto '10, Charlie Albright '11, winner of the National Young Concert Artists Piano Competition, and jazz favorite Malcolm Campbell '10.

Tickets can be purchased at a cost of $10 for students and $25 for adults through the Harvard Box Office or online at: http://ofa.fas.harvard.edu/cal/details.php?ID=40879. All proceeds of the concert and related events go to Partners in Health; a Harvard affiliated organization which has worked to bring modern medical care to Haiti since 1987.

The Ben Geyer Sextet celebrates the release of The Narrative, their debut album. The Sextet plays modern compositions focusing on large-scale melodic development and carefully integrated improvisation. Dana Unger of The Hippo Press writes, “Geyer has been able to find his own unique composing style.”

With John Funkhouser/ bass and Steve Silverstein/ drums.

Now 17 years old, Matt Savage began his piano career here at The Acton Jazz Cafe several years ago as a soloist, and soon as a bandleader. He is now internationally known.

Please visit his website for lots of interesting info! www.savagerecords.com

In celebration of creative music, the Northampton Center for the Arts presents A World of Piano, a series of solo piano concerts by three modern masters of the jazz keyboard. Joanne Brackeen, Wayne Horvitz and Burton Greene have established international careers and represent a broad range of approaches to the piano.

Tickets are $15 for the general public, $10 for students, and are available at State Street Fruit Store and the Northampton Center for the Arts. The Center invites music lovers to support the Series by buying a "Piece of the Piano" in advance (two tickets per performance for $60) at their website: www.nohoarts.org.

2nd Show 10:00pm

Nellie McKay’s release, Normal As Blueberry Pie – A Tribute to Doris Day, features the iconic New York singer/songwriter interpreting a colorful selection of songs from Day’s extensive recordings—with the smart arrangements and crackerjack instrumentalists listeners have come to expect. “We were trying to connect with the many time periods in Doris’ life,” McKay explains, “from the big bands to the post– McCarthy era.” Joan Anderman of The Boston Globe says, “Thanks to (McKay), the Great American Songbook has a living, breathing present as well as a glorious past.”

Always a fun show! Monthly series dedicated to the craft of songwriting. In the round performances, hosted by Lisa Martin. Audience chooses the songwriting themes!

2nd Show 10:00pm

Brazil-born vocalist/pianist Eliane Elias lovingly pays tribute to the music of her homeland with Bossa Nova Stories, the 21st recording of her career, a sublime 14-tune collection that captures the cool and alluring spirit of bossa nova.

ICA/Boston’s Experiment, an irresistible mix of art, drinks, beats and eats presents Reggie Watts. Known for mashing together comedy, rap, beatboxing, and anything else you can think of, New York performance artist Watts and collaborator/playwright Tommy Smith present Occurrence, a cabaret of alternative performers. Special guests will be invited to play short sets of energetic, offbeat material, culminating with Watts’s own incomparable, genre-warping implosion of music and comedy. “Expect your mind to be blown,” says Time Out New York. But that’s just the start— we’ve got local DJs BREK.ONE and The Bladerunners with 7L, Razor, and Beyonder, who collectively bring nearly five decades of live freestyle edits of hip hop, electro, house, and more.

Tickets: In advance: $15 members and students; $20 general admission; Week of Feb. 8 : $20 members and students; $25 general admission.

Tickets for all programs will be available to ICA members at Associate Level and above on Jan. 5 and to the general public on Jan.19. Tickets can be purchased at www.icaboston.org or by calling (617) 478-3103. For information about membership, visit the web site or call (617) 478-3102.

Heather began her career writing songs and performing as a jazz singer with Grammy nominee Hui Cox in New York City. Just as her career started to take off she booked it up to the woods of Massachusetts to delve deeper into her growing interest in meditation. While living and working at a meditation retreat center the songs from her debut album Cozy Razor's Edge slowly brewed in her solitude; a compilation of Folk, Rock, World and Americana songs directly inspired by her experiences and her desire to awaken and live life alive. Cozy Razor's Edge was released in November has been receiving rave reviews from the press.

She will be joined by guitarist Joe Boyle who has played with Peter Tork and Frank Manzi and is one of the most sought after session players around. On the upright bass will be Wes Brown who is part of the seminal band the Black Rebels and has played with some of the biggest names in jazz and folk!

www.myspace.com/heathermaloneymusicwww.myspace.com/heathermaloneymusic

A not-to-be-missed chance to hear four of the world's preeminent guitarists on one stage, on one night. Performers include Lulo Reinhardt, a descendant of the legendary Django Reinhardt who blends his family's trademark gypsy jazz with forays into Latin music; Israel’s Itamar Erez, whose symphonic compositions echo his Middle Eastern roots; renowned Virginian harp guitarist Stephen Bennett; and Brian Gore, who is helping foster "the next generation" of fingerstyle guitar virtuosos.

Insightful lyrics, smooth sounds, and guaranteed to get your body moving; Jah Spirit is for all people of the world.

An American singer-songwriter in the Boston folk music scene, Kris Delmhorst has recorded five full-length solo albums and two EPs. She treats her work like an oil painting, allowing the canvas to breathe and change over the course of many months until the picture emerged.

"Frequently waltzes through the shadowy realm where light and dark meet...Delmhorst has become a favorite among music fans who like to be challenged as well as entertained." - Music Box Online

http://www.krisdelmhorst.com/

Featuring the exciting Sax Gordon. CD release celebration for Charlie Musselwhite's lead guitarist the fabulous Matt Stubbs 'Medford to Main'

The Kenny Barron Trio, Regina Carter, Kurt Elling, Russell Malone

The Monterey Jazz Festival is back on the road. This year’s talent tour features The Kenny Barron Trio, playing sensitive melodies with infectious rhythms; violinist Regina Carter, who TIME magazine says “creates music that is wonderfully listenable, probingly intelligent and, at times, breathtakingly daring”; the rich, flamboyantly creative, four-octave baritone of Kurt Elling; and critically acclaimed guitarist Russell Malone.

More info/tickets at: http://www.fairfield.edu/arts/qc_concerts.html#Jazz

Doors 7:30pm

Benefit for the New England Folk Music Archives. Sam met Grammy® nominee and world music artist SONiA of disappear fear on the FODfest (Friends of Danny Pearl) tour in 2008, along with many other talented musicians who donate their time. After just a few shows, Sam and SONiA bonded musically and personally. Sam wanted to record a CD to raise money for charity, and was thrilled to have SONiA help translate the diverse genres of music he hears in his head into reality. Sam signed with disappear records, and his debut CD, 'Sam I Am', will be released Feb 16, 2010. Guest artists on the CD include Phoebe Hunt of Belleville Outfit, Sara Caswell of The Caswell Sisters, Mike Block of the Mike Block Band/ Appalachia Waltz Trio, Lulo Reinhardt of the Lulo Reinhardt Project (Django Reinhardt's great-nephew), and Dennis Chambers of Santana and SONiA of disappear fear. All profits will go to the Daniel Pearl Foundation and FODfest.

General Admission $15.00 For this concert only, reservations will not be accepted via the usual address, instead please click here: http://www.newenglandfolkmusic.org/EVTSamWeiser.html If the link does not work, copy and paste http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/95538 into your browser.

Never Say Never, the New England based dream team band will be hosting an evening of rhythm & blues, funk and smooth jazz, as well as cutting edge original music. Featuring Tracy Rose - vocalist and Bobby Tynes - saxophonist, this band will move you, entice you and make you beg for more. The music is completely captivating! If you like smooth jazz, funk, R&B, and adult contemporary music, you will love this band.

This band covers it all - folk, funk, rock ‘n blues

Booty Vortex's knack for performing vibrant high energy funk, soul and disco precedes their reputation as the craziest party people you can cram on a stage. Lots of fun with this retro disco funk band tonight- they nail the stuff, and do it with great good humor and gusto.

http://www.bootyvortex.com/ http://www.myspace.com/bootyvortex