Sunday, February 7 2010

Live the first Sunday in each month, Patricia Adams [vocals], Ray Santisi [piano], Greg Loughman [bass] and Gary Johnson [drums] play to standing room only, singing and swinging jazz and blues standards from Tin Pan Alley and Harlem renaissance.

Organist William Ness will be performing Louis Vierne's Symphony III. Mr. Ness is the Minister of Music & Arts at First Baptist Church of Worcester and a member of the Worcester Chamber Music Society.

The concert is free and open to the public. Donations to fund the Music Alive! program will be accepted.

Birdsong plays what Daniel Gewertz of the Boston Herald describes as "art music both unpretentious and ravishing." The core trio of Alan Williams, Darleen Wilson and Greg Porter will be joined by drummer Billy MacGillivray playing songs from their two recordings, Bound and Heavens, as well as material from their forthcoming March release, Vigil. A very pleasant way to spend a wintery Sunday afternoon.

Shen Yun Performing Arts offers an exhilarating world-class production that celebrates the excellence and grandeur of classical Chinese dance and music. It draws inspiration from the legends, values, and spirit that defined traditional Chinese culture for centuries.

Bezanson Recital Hall

FACULTY RECITAL: Laura Klock, natural horn

OTHER PERFORMERS: UMass Amherst Professor William Hite, tenor, & guest artists Monica Jakuc Leverett, fortepiano & Jean Jeffries, natural horn

INSTRUMENTS: The recital will all be performed on natural horn, the forerunner of our modern French horn, with a fortepiano (the forerunner of the modern piano) from the same period.

REPERTOIRE: Beethoven's Sonata for Horn & Piano, Op. 17 (written for hand horn virtuoso Giovanni Punto & premiered with Beethoven at the fortepiano), a transcription of Schubert’s Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel by the famous French hand horn virtuoso J.F. Gallay, Handel's Hornpipe from his Concerto for 2 Horns, an Andante by Mozart transcribed by Michael Haydn, and songs for tenor voice & natural horn by Ignaz & Franz Lachner

Tickets are available on line www.umasstix.com or at the Fine Arts Center Box Office, 413-545-2511.

Tickets are $3 for UMass Amherst students; $5 for other students, senior citizens, and children under 18 years of age; $10 for the general public.

With rotating hosts:

1st Sunday guitarist Steve Berke

2nd Sunday pianist Molly Flannery

3rd Sunday guitarist Michael Chasse

4th Sunday vocalist Wendy Nottonson

Format: The house band plays from 4-5 while guests arrive and participants sign up. Full menu available! From 5-7 is the jam. The host is in charge of personnel on stage. The first 15 people to sign up are guaranteed a spot, so it's good to arrive early. Participants are welcome & encouraged to bring charts! Newcomers and listeners are always welcome!

6pm notrio nat mugavero and gill aharon

7pm TBA

8pm The Gill Aharon Trio - The band is: Randy Wooten - drums, Gill Aharon - piano and compositions, Jef Charland - bass, Blake Newman - bass, Andrew Stern - guitar, Alec Spiegelman - winds/horns, Rick Stone- Alto, Kelly Roberge - tenor, Eric Hofbauer - guitar

9:30pm Red Shepherd - In an era where green is now the contagious buzz word, Red is clearly the new green...Red Shepherd, that is; and this break-out band is anything but green. With a resonating blend of harmonies and hook-laden lyrics, this band takes no prisoners with their sophomore release, Blue Skies. Vocalist and acoustic guitarist Aaron Johnston’s layering, edgy voice, lead guitarist Matt Fox’s luminous riffs, percussionist Taylor Burgess’s smashing rhythm and bassist Rett Wood’s popping licks combine for an intelligent song collection that is noticeably energetic, intense and thought-provoking. www.redshepherd.net/ http://www.redshepherd.net/ < http://twitter.com/redshepmusic http://www.blackroomrecords.com/

This week we'll our have usual rockin' poetry open mic followed by an Open Slam. This will be a just-for-fun two round slam with all the usual rules in play. There will be a small cash prize for the winner. Simply put, poetry slam is the competitive art of performance poetry. It puts a dual emphasis on writing and performance, encouraging poets to focus on what they're saying and how they're saying it. Slam poetry can be moving, funny and deadly serious, sometimes all in the same poem. If that sounds like a good time then join us for some great words.

Both known as previous members of the band Solas based in New York, Karan and John are legends that have played essential roles in the ongoing renaissance of Irish traditional music. Karan Casey has long been one of the most innovative, provocative and imitated voices in Irish music leading into her blossoming solo career where she’s sold over half a million albums. As a highly sought-after session player, John Doyle pioneered a rhythmic, sophisticated approach to Irish guitar accompaniment, setting a new standard for the instrument. www.karancasey.com  www.johndoylemusic.com

In the Starlight Jams, participants can play on any tune at any time after the opening house band set. The host band will call tunes, keys or tempos. Players: be prepared to read and solo on an unfamiliar jazz chart with facility.

With rotating host bandleaders: John Funkhouser, Joe Simon, Phill Argyris, Joe Raia.