Litchfield Jazz Festival in Litchfield Hills Aug. 9-11 2013

Litchfield Jazz Festival marks its 18^h season August 9 – 11, 2013 at the Goshen Fairgrounds and is strategically timed so die –hard jazz lovers can attend both the Litchfield and Newport Festivals.  The Festival has tent and lawn seating and adjacent, free parking.

The Litchfield Jazz Festival opens Friday evening, August 9, with a Gala for “Friends” ($150) and “Best Friends” ($350 for the Gala and VIP all weekend).  Music at this gala event is provided by some of the most outstanding students of Litchfield Jazz Camp. Tickets to this gala help support the Jazz Camp’s scholarship program. The Gala will be followed by two sets on the Mainstage.  The first at 7:45 is the Emmet Cohen Trio and includes a pianist, who recently took 3^rd place in the prestigious Thelonious Monk Piano competition. The second set includes the multi-Tony Award Winner Christine Ebersole, who teams up with virtuoso jazz violinist Aaron Weinstein and his Trio.  The Festival grounds open 5:00 PM and all festivities and music wrap up at 10:15.  

Ebersole and Weinstein

On Saturday, August 10 at Noon (grounds open at 11 a.m.) the remarkable Flamenco guitarist Val Ramos and his ensemble brings his Rhumba Flamenco - the Spanish jazz-equivalent-- to the Fest for the first time. Next up at 1:45 p.m., the Fest presents its first foray into Gospel with the iconic bassist Avery Sharpe presenting Gospel Explosion & Sacred Songs, a program featuring Sharpe’s Trio with Yoron Israel on drums and Onaje Allen Gumbs, piano, and members of his Extended Family Choir and the Williams College Gospel Choir which Sharpe directs.

The Gospel set will be followed by Gary Smulyan’s Baritone Summit, a six-time Grammy winner and Festival Artist-in-Residence joins forces with Claire Daly, Lauren Sevian and Andrew Hadro for a smashing Bari Quartet backed by a rhythm section with Helen Sung on piano, Matt Wilson on drums, and Jon Michel on bass. The next set stars college linebacker-turned Grammy-nominated vocalist, Gregory Porter who took the festival world by storm last season with his acclaimed performance at the Monterey Jazz Festival. The day ends on an upbeat with the 9-time Grammy Winner and newest NEA Jazz Master, the great Latin bandleader and pianist Eddie Palmieri and his Latin Jazz Band. Palmieri has been a giant on the jazz scene for more than 50 years, and his vigor is undiminished.

On Sunday, August 11, the Fest opens at Noon, with the exciting Orrin Evans Trio. Next up is, vocalist June Bisantz discovered early last year by the Festival’s Founder and Artistic Director, Vita Muir at Hartford’s hippest series, Music @ Japanalia.  June makes her Litchfield debut with Music Director Alex Nachimofsky on piano, Norman Johnson on guitar, Gabor Viragh on trumpet and Matt Dwonszyk on bass in a tribute to the late, great trumpeter/vocalist, Chet Baker.

It has been five years since Litchfield Jazz Camp Music Director, saxophonist Don Braden, has graced the Festival Mainstage as a leader.  So this year, he’s back again with an all-star band. His quartet features special guest Geri Allen on piano, Avery Sharpe on bass, and Alvin Atkinson. 

Eddie Palmieri

At 5:30 just back from a European tour, the Vincent Herring-Eric Alexander Quintet will delight the audience with a set titled “In the Spirit of Coltrane and Cannonball.” The band features Harold Mabern on piano, Joris Dudli on drums and Joris Teepe on bass.

In what seems to be becoming a tradition, Litchfield Jazz Festival 2013 closes with a rousing Latin Dance Party with the great Puerto Rican trombonist and Grammy nominated recording artist Papo Vázquez and the Mighty Pirate Troubadours.

In between Mainstage acts all weekend long, ticketholders can listen to talented Litchfield Jazz Camp students, enjoy and purchase art, craft and photography at an excellent show curated by Heron Gallery’s Ellen Corsell of Kent, CT.  Picnics are welcome and fine wines and excellent lagers from East Hartford’s Olde Burnside Brewing Company may be purchased.  A dozen food vendors provide excellent meals at reasonable prices. Activities designed for families with young children are scheduled for both Saturday and Sunday in the festival’s new Kids Zone. Artist-in- Residence Gary Smulyan will host interviews on both weekend days with Festival stars. On Saturday, August 10^th, an after Party & Jam follows at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Southbury.

Visit www.litchfieldjazzfest.com or call 860-361-6285 for tickets and info. Tickets: Advance: $30 Lawn, $55 Tent, $150 - $500 premium tickets and passes; Multi-Day Discounted JazzPasses available. Handling fees apply. Children 12 and under free on the Lawn with an adult.

For accommodations and lodging information www.litchfieldhills.com. 

Sultans of String Perform at Infinity Hall Dec. 20

Fiery world-jazz string super-group, Sultans of String, whose new revved up CD, MOVE, just garnered the group the prestigious CFMA World Group of the Year, returns to headline Infinity Hall December 20th, after their wildly successful debut opening there for Livingston Taylor!

The band’s 3rd CD can only be thought of as a perfect hat-trick, presenting, once again, an exhilarating celebration of world music styles. “North America is a real meeting place of musical influences from around the world” says bandleader/violinist Chris McKhool. “At the same time, as a band we try to tell uniquely North American stories, putting forth our vision of the world as one family.”

From the east coast’s Sable Island with its breathtaking wild horses, to the west coast calls of Luna the Whale, or from the silk road through Spain & the Middle East to the Gypsy-jazz cafés of Eastern Europe, Sultans of String take audiences on a spell-binding sonic journey.

Seamlessly traversing diverse themes of heart, place and tradition, fiery violin dances with kinetic guitar while a funk bass lays down unstoppable grooves. Throughout, acoustic strings meet electronic wizardry to create layers and depth of sound.

Since their formation only 5 years ago, Sultans of String have been riding a wave of success, from their debut CD, "Luna", and 2nd offering, "Yalla Yalla!", both hitting # 1 on world/international music charts in Canada, to “Yalla Yalla’s!” triple CFMA nomination, winning Instrumental Group of the Year in 2009.

In the past 2 years alone, they've acquired a JUNO nomination, 1st place in the International Songwriting Competition, placed as finalists for two 2011 International Independent Music Awards and won this year’s Festivals & Events Ontario-
Entertainer of The Year Award and the CFMA’s World Group of the Year.

The latest good news is that The Chieftains have invited the Sultans to open for them this coming spring in Connecticut—exciting times for this hardworking indie band!

For more information about this band visit http://www.sultansofstring.com.  For ticket information visit http://www.infinityhall.com. For area information www.litchfieldhills.com

About Infinity Hall

Located in beautiful Norfolk Connecticut,on Rte. 44 Infinity Hall was built in 1883 and offers an intimate venue for music, dining and entertainment. Newly renovated, the historic building features its original proscenium stage and wood, as well as many other notable details.

The music hall seats 300, ensuring each and every seat provides front row entertainment. The hall hosts more than 200 music and entertainment shows by quality national and regional artists annually. Infinity Bistro, the music-themed restaurant and bar, serves gourmet delights and spirits.

20 Years of Chamber Music At Keeler Tavern Museum April 22 and May 20

Keeler Tavern a Colonial Gem

The Mid-Hudson Saxophone Quarter will perform in the Garden House of the Keeler Tavern Museum located on  132 Main Street in Ridgefield Connecticut on Sunday, April 22 at 3:00 PM. This is the first of two spring concerts scheduled as part of the Louise McKeon Chamber Music Concert Series held at the Museum for over 20 years. 

The saxophone musicians are Steven Kieley, soprano and alto, Deborah Tice, soprano and alto, Daniel Teare, tenor, and Charles W. Gray, baritone. They will perform a  variety of musical selections suited to this special instrument. All are performing or teaching in the Hudson Valley area schools and colleges and perform at a variety of conventions and with groups in the Hudson Valley and other areas along the Eastern Seaboard.  

Admission at the door is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and students, and $10 for children under 12. All guests are invited to meet with the musicians after the concert and enjoy light refreshments. 

The final concert of the season will take place Sunday, May 20th with members of the Western Connecticut Youth Orchestras performing in the Garden House at 3 PM For further information call 203-438-5484 or visit www.keelertavernmuseum.org.

About Keeler Tavern 

The Keeler Tavern Preservation Society, Inc. founded the Keeler Tavern Museum in 1966 as a living museum of colonial history within the town of Ridgefield, Connecticut.

It is the Society's mission to preserve and protect the Keeler Tavern, a site listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1982, that embodies the life of the community from the early 19th century through the mid 20th century.

The Society is committed to promoting Ridgefield's history and heritage by providing educational and cultural programs that interpret the past for present and future generations.

The history of the Tavern and the Town of Ridgefield is reflected in the stories of the families who lived here. The archives of the Museum include extensive documentation and records from the Keeler, Resseguie and Gilbert families.

Kent Singers Concert Celebrates Spring

Kent Singers

The Kent Singers return for the Spring Concert of the 39^th season on April 15, 2012, at St. Andrew’s Church in Kent, and on April 22 at St. Mark’s Bridgewater. Both concerts are scheduled for 3 p.m.

The highly acclaimed group features singers from throughout Northwest Connecticut performing mostly four-part classical compositions. They have built a reputation for presenting some of the finest choral music. They are all volunteers, including Music Director, Mark Brooks.

Ride Your Harley, Stay For Charlie Palace Hosts First Ever Motorcycle Ride Fundraiser Oct. 15

Rev up your hog and join the Palace Theater for its first ever motorcycle ride on Saturday, October 15, at 1:00pm. The event will serve as a fundraiser for the theater's Ticket and Travel Subsidy Fund, a program that provides children with access to experience live, educational theater programs at the Palace.

Registration for the ride is from 1:00pm – 2:00pm at the theater, which is located at 100 East Main Street in Waterbury. At 2:00pm, riders will begin a scenic drive that will take them North through the Litchfield Hills, loop through Woodbury and Middlebury, and conclude at the theater where a street festival will be getting under way.

The festival will take place from 4:00pm - 7:30pm, and will feature local vendors, food, drawings and musical entertainment by Crosseyed Cat, Eran Troy Danner and Jimmy Jack. Both sides of East Main Street will be closed for the event, which is open to the public and supported by Main Street Waterbury, Spirit of Waterbury, and the Arts & Culture Collaboration Waterbury Region. Both the motorcycle ride and street festival will take place rain or shine.

For those who wish for the fun to continue, the Palace will end the day with a performance by "Easy Rider" himself, Charlie Daniels, who will perform with his band on the theater's stage at 8:00pm. Tickets for the concert, which is sponsored by Naugatuck Savings Bank, Darter Specialties, and WTNH/MyTV9, are on sale now and can be purchase by phone at 203-346-2000, online at www.palacetheaterct.org, or in person at the box office.

Registration for the motorcycle run is $25 per rider and $15 per passengers. A special package for riders who want to attend the Charlie Daniels Band performance is also available for $55. To pre-register, or for more information, call the box office at 203-346-2000.

Summer Jam LIVE Teen Concert Series Rocks STEPPING STONES July 13- Aug. 17

School's out and Summer Jam LIVE @ Stepping Stones is in!  Beginning on Wednesday, July 13, the hottest, up-and-coming teen-aged musicians in the industry will take the stage for a series of concerts to benefit youth enrichment initiatives at the museum.
Kicking Daisies, the infectious, vibrant, punk-pop teen rock band voted by fans as "the next big thing" will strut their stuff on opening night, followed by  headliners eight-year-old rapper Lil' P'Nut on August 3, acoustic sensation Burnham on August 10 and a Battle of the Bands on August 17th to blow concert goers minds!

Billed as one of the hottest teen events of the summer season and rigged with a state-of-the-art sound and theatrical lighting system, high def monitors, intimate staging and plenty of room for the kids to hang, Summer Jam LIVE is sponsored by JALA, Serendipity Magazine, KC101.3, Bank of America and Venture Photography.  Red carpet photos, Serendipity Magazine's casting call for fashion models, drawings, giveaways, food and dance music round out each night's activities.   And for parents and chaperones, be there without being there in Stepping Stones specially created, exclusive Parent's Lounge.

The four summer shows include:

July 13 - Kicking Daisies and Rose and the Thorns
Kicking Daisies was voted by their fans as the "next big thing in music." Wise beyond their years, Connecticut natives, Duran, Ben, Carly and Caitlin have gained a following for their honest lyrics and precocious musical talent that delights audiences of all ages.
Rose and the Thorns is described as rock-n-roll with a little soul. Hailing from New York City with the spirit of the 60's and 70's, their honest and soulful music is extraordinarily refreshing and raw.

August 3 - DJ Jadin in the Mix with Lil' P-Nut
All the way from London to make this special guest appearance, Jadin will get the crowd jumpin' with his mixing mastery of the latest Hip-Hop tracks.
Benjamin "P-Nut" Jr. was born in 2002 in Memphis. This 8-year-old rapping sensation has been featured on the "The Ellen Degeneres Show" and is about to sign a deal with Cartoon Network.

August 10 - Acoustic Concert featuring Burnham and Stereo Skyline
The three Burnham Brothers are from Long Island and have been playing together for seven years. They opened for Justin Bieber in concert last year.
Stereo Skyline formed while its members were still in high school. The Long Island natives have also shared the stage with the likes of Hanson, Cartel, All Time Low and Boys Like Girls.

August 17 – Battle of the Bands
This night will feature the best up-and-coming local bands of the season and concert-goers will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite.

Summer Jam LIVE tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. The doors open at 6 pm and the concerts start at 7 pm.  For more information and for details on buying tickets, visit www.steppingstonesmuseum.org/summerjam or become a fan on Facebook: Live at Stepping Stones.
Stepping Stones Museum for Children is an award winning, private, non-profit 501 (c)(3) children's museum committed to broadening and enriching the lives of children and families. For more information about Stepping Stones, to book a field trip or schedule a class, workshop or facility rental call 203-899-0606 or visit www.steppingstonesmuseum.org

Danbury CT's Ives Concert Park Gets Ready to Rock, Roll … and Reminisce All Summer Long!

Award-winning artists with decades of influential music-making will perform this summer in the Union Savings Bank Summer Concert Series at Ives Concert Park in Danbury.

Multi-platinum recording artists Michael Franti & Spearhead and Grace Potter & the Nocturnals will perform at 6 p.m. on Monday, June 27, at the outdoor venue on the Westside campus of Western Connecticut State University, 43 Lake Ave. Extension in Danbury. Gates will open at 5 p.m. Tickets, which range from $26 to $37, plus service charges, are on sale at http://www.premierboxoffice.com/events. 

According to his website, “The Sound Of Sunshine” — the inspired and inspiring new album by Michael Franti & Spearhead — is a kind of musical sun shower, a bright, beautiful and often buoyant song cycle created to bring all kinds of listeners a sense of hope during rough and rainy times for so many in our world. Potter’s bio proclaims: Grace Potter and the Nocturnals are like a modern-day version of Tina Turner stroking the microphone in a spangled mini-dress while fronting the Rolling Stones circa Sticky Fingers. The proof is there for all to hear on the band’s third album for Hollywood Records, hitting this spring, and marks an artistic breakthrough for a vital young band caught in the act of fulfilling its immense promise.

At 8 p.m. on Friday, July 1, Grammy Award winner Peter Frampton will take the Ives Concert Park stage to perform “Frampton Comes Alive!” in its entirety for his 35^th Anniversary Tour. Gates will open at 7 p.m. Tickets, which range from $27 to $77, plus service charges, are on sale at http://www.premierboxoffice.com/events. The three-hour show will feature a complete performance of “Frampton Comes Alive!” along with highlights from Frampton’s catalog, including his Grammy Award-winning 2006 instrumental album, “Fingerprints.”

Popular Ives artists Earth,Wind & Fire will perform at 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 2. Gates will open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets, which range from $32 to $97, plus service charges, are on sale at http://www.premierboxoffice.com/events.  The Earth, Wind & Fire 40th Anniversary Tour will launch April 30 and continue to July 3, taking the legendary group to more than 30 cities. A celebrated legacy of four decades has produced 20 Grammy nominations with eight wins, an induction to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and bountiful musical and cultural achievements. 

Legendary duo Steely Dan will perform at 8 p.m. on Monday, July 25. Gates will open at 6 p.m. Tickets are on sale at http://www.premierboxoffice.com/events and range from $37 to $152, plus service charges. Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Steely Dan dazzled both the public and the critics in 2009 with their classic-albums-in-full Rent Party Tour. Responding to overwhelming popular demand, Steely Dan masterminds Walter Becker and Donald Fagen bring on more action with the Shuffle Diplomacy Twenty Eleven summer tour.  The tour, which kicks off in Seattle on July 2 and concludes in Boston on Sept. 30, will showcase greatest hits and deep cuts alike.

Alison Kraus and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas will take the stage at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 27. Gates will open at 6 p.m. Tickets, which range from $30 to $75, plus service charges, are on sale at http://www.premierboxoffice.com/events. According to Krauss’ publicity, her most recent triumph, the certified-platinum “Raising Sand,” a 2007 collaboration with Robert Plant and producer T Bone Burnett, notched a total of six Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Song of the Year, bringing her unsurpassed total to 26. That mesmerizing modern-day masterpiece sets the stage for another stunner: “Paper Airplane,” the artist’s first album of all-new recordings in partnership with her remarkably skillful and renowned band Union Station since 2004’s “Lonely Runs Both Ways.”

Alternative rockers from Boston, Mass., Guster, will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 3. Gates will open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets, which range from $25 to $35, plus service charges, are on sale at http://www.premierboxoffice.com/events. Formed in 1991 at Tufts University, Guster is known for its live performances and humor. Opening will be Ra Ra Riot, an American indie rock band from Syracuse, N.Y.

The J. Geils Band and special guests The Chris Robinson Brotherhood will perform at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 13. Gates will open at 6 p.m. Tickets, which range from $37 to $77, plus service charges, are on sale at http://www.premierboxoffice.com/events. The J. Geils Band is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Worcester, Mass., best known for its 1981 single, “Centerfold,” which charted No. 1 in the U.S. in early 1982. The band played R&B-influenced blues-rock in the 1970s before moving towards a more pop-influenced sound in the 1980s. Since its initial break-up in 1985, the band has reunited several times. Special guest Robinson tells fans on his website, “We'll be playing a bunch of new songs I have been working on and will be digging deep into what is happening at that musical moment. There will be old stuff that I’ve done and a handful of covers that just feel right.”

It wouldn’t be summer without a live performance by The Beach Boys. They will perform at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 14. Gates will open at 6 p.m. Tickets, which range from $27 to $57, plus service charges, are on sale at http://www.premierboxoffice.com/events. You can summarize most pop music acts by reciting how many hits they’ve had and how many millions of albums they’ve sold. But, according to the band’s website, these conventional measurements fall short when you’re assessing the impact of The Beach Boys. To be sure, this band has birthed a torrent of hit singles and sold albums by the tens of millions. But its greater significance lies in the fact that it changed the musical landscape so profoundly ... that every pop act since has been in its debt.

Closing out this summer’s Celebrity Concert Series are Texas rockers ZZ Top, who will perform at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 25. Gates will open at 6 p.m. Tickets, which range from $37 to $67, plus service charges, are on sale at http://www.premierboxoffice.com/events. The band lays undisputed claim to being the longest running major rock band with original personnel intact and in 2004 the Texas trio was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

For more information, visit the Ives Concert Park website at http://www.ivesconcertpark.com,

the Ives Concert Park Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/ivesconcertpark or follow the venue on Twitter at http://twitter.com/IvesConcertPark.