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Concert to Benefit Asylum Seekers

by Not Signed In | Entertainment

WEST BRATTLEBORO, Vt. – The duo Emma’s Revolution will present a concert to benefit the Community Asylum Seekers Project Friday, Oct. 25 at All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church at 7:30 p.m.

   Emma’s Revolution is the dynamic, award-winning activist duo of Pat Humphries and Sandy O, whose songs have been sung for the Dalai Lama, covered for Holly Near and praised by Pete Seeger.

   With beautiful harmonies and genre-defying eclecticism, the performance will include tributes to Seeger, a friend and mentor to the duo.

Local Artist Cynthia Parker-Houghton Chosen to Design Brattleboro Words Trail Maps

by Desmond Peeples | Arts

BRATTLEBORO, Vermont, October 4, 2019: In the fall of 2020, lovers of literature and local history will be able to experience the Brattleboro Words Trail — self-guided walking, biking, and driving tours exploring the peoples, places, and history of words in our region. The Words Trail will be available digitally, on mobile devices, as well as on beautifully rendered, physical maps.

Vermont Jazz Center Presents: Nicholas Payton + Cyrille Aimée Duo

by vtjazz | Music

 The Vermont Jazz Center welcomes Grammy-winning trumpeter Nicholas Payton and vocalist Cyrille Aimée to the stage in a duo performance on Saturday, October 12th. Payton will perform on trumpet, acoustic bass, piano and Fender Rhodes; Aimée will sing and, at times, use a looping device to layer her vocals. Individually Payton and Aimée are two of the most creative musicians on the scene today, but as a duo their collaboration synergistically expands the perimeters of improvisational music. They spontaneously interact or push each other, sometimes delving into material from the American Songbook, other times exploring new sonic textures or hypnotic grooves.

Goldilocks Galaxy

by tomaidh | Sci-Tech

Monday, November 4, 2013 was Islamic New Year. It was also the day the journal “Proceedings of the National Academy of Science” published the results of calculations based on sun-like stars in our galaxy.

The estimate of the number of planets similar in size and temperature to Earth (what astronomers have dubbed the ‘Goldilocks Zone’ – not too hot, not too cold, but just right for life to evolve) was 8.8 Billion!

The Akwaaba Ensemble and U-Meleni Mhlaba-Adebo at Next Stage on Friday, October 4

by stobro | Entertainment

Next Stage Arts Project presents The Akwaaba Ensemble, traditional African drumming and dance, at Next Stage on Friday, October 4 at 7:30 pm.  Opening for Akwaaba Ensemble will be award-winning performance artist, singer, musician and author U-Meleni Mhlaba-Adebo. Tickets are $20 advance available online, at the Putney General Store and at Turn It Up! in Brattleboro, and $24 at the door. Next Stage is located at 15 Kimball Hill, Putney, VT, and features a recently-renovated state of the art performance space with a great dance floor, sound system, and beer and wine cash bar.

New Historic Marker Unveiling to Celebrate Acclaimed Local Author Mary E. Wilkins Freeman Kicks Off the 2019 Brattleboro Literary Festival Events

by Desmond Peeples | History

On Thursday, October 17th, at 11 a.m., the West Brattleboro Association, in conjunction with the Brattleboro Words Project and Brattleboro Literary Festival, are unveiling a Historic Marker commemorating four historic schools that stood near the current site of today’s Academy School, and acclaimed local author Mary E. Wilkins Freeman.

Mary E. Wilkins Freeman was repeatedly voted the most popular female author during the 19th century. Best known for her short stories, she published over 250 in her lifetime. Freeman spent a significant part of her life in Brattleboro, and credited Brattleboro for its influence on her writing and success. During her time here, Mary attended the Glenwood Ladies Seminary, one of the four schools being commemorated with the historic marker.

BCTV Schedules – Week of 9/30/19

by BCTVProg | Media

BCTV Channel 8 schedule for the week of 9/30/19

Monday, September 30, 2019

4:00 am Osher Lifelong Learning Institute – White People and Racial Justice
5:00 am Education and Enrichment for Everyone – The US Supreme Court in a Time of Political Chaos
6:05 am New England Cooks – Chef Todd Cassell
7:00 am The Drawing Studio – Color Mixing Part 4

Amazing Animal Balloons

by tomaidh | Arts

A Japanese artist creates amazing animal sculptures out of balloons.

Masayoshi Matsumoto, 29, has created a wide range of intricate figures from the animal kingdom, including a monkey, an ostrich, a parrot, an octopus, a hermit crab, a deer, an ant and a buffalo.

Autumn Crickets — Singing Their Way Back Home

by Lise | Books, Nature
Mr Cricket In Cup

At first, I thought our cat was bringing them in.  There seemed to be a cricket in every corner — crickets behind the bookcase, crickets in the sink, crickets behind the refrigerator, all chirping away.  As fast as we could catch them and put them back outside, more would arrive.  One cricket even had the temerity to hop back in the moment his feet hit the welcome mat on the other side of the door.  What was up with the crickets?

Shine Your Light on Changing the Race Dance

by Not Signed In | Arts

Join InterPlay and special guest, Oakland dancer and activist Sonyika Rahim, for “Changing the Race Dance,” a night of racial justice work through singing, dancing, drumming, and storytelling.

Soyinka Rahim, GSP, is a Grassroots Spiritual Practitioner, and the founder of BIBOLOVE, which stands for breathe in, breathe out love. She is a performing artist, a Conference Weaver, and an InterPlay Leader from Oakland, California.

FLOW at Next Stage on Wednesday, September 25

by stobro | Music

Forty years after Windham Hill became a catalyst for a global musical phenomenon, its bountiful legacy of best-selling instrumental artists and Grammy-winning musicians extends into a new age with FLOW — a new four-piece ensemble comprised of Windham Hill Records Founder Will Ackerman and three of today’s most acclaimed independent artists.  FLOW is an anagram of the group’s names Fiona Joy Hawkins (Australian Pianist), Lawrence Blatt (acoustic guitarist), Jeff Oster (Flugelhorn master) and Grammy winning guitarist and producer Will Ackerman.

BCTV Schedules – Week of 9/23/19

by BCTVProg | Media

Monday, September 23, 2019

4:30 am RAD-TV Presents – Working Towards a Zero Waste Society
5:00 am Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce – The Growing Business of Cannabis 9/5/19
6:39 am Doing Life – 167 – Is God Your Handler?
8:00 am Democracy Now! – Democracy Now! Daily Broadcast
9:00 am Community Forum – With VT Commerce Secretary Michael Schirling

Richard Davis Leaves Reformer

by RDavis | Media

After 25 years of writing a weekly column for the Brattleboro Reformer I am severing my relationship with the newspaper. Over the past two years I have had to fight a constant battle to receive timely payment for the meager forty dollars per column. It has been common for them to pay me up to six to eight weeks after submission of invoices and then after constant reminders for payment.

Blues & BBQ with Danny Brooks and Li’l Miss Debi plus Sunny Lowdown at Next Stage on Saturday, September 21

by stobro | Music

Next Stage Arts Project presents Blues & BBQ with Texassippi Soul Man Danny Brooks and Li’l Miss Debi and Blues Blast Music Award nominee Sunny Lowdown at the Next Stage Café, on Saturday, September 21. BBQ by Top of the Hill Grill will be for sale starting at 6 pm, with music starting at 7 pm. Admission is $10 in advance available online at nextstagearts.org or at the door. Next Stage offers a beer and wine cash bar, and there will be a dance floor.  Next Stage is located at 15 Kimball Hill, Putney, VT. For more information, visitinfo@nextstagearts.org.

Sept. 29: The Classical Guitar’s the Star!

by fomag | Music

West Brattleboro, Vt. — As a musical treat for local residents and foliage visitors alike, Friends of Music at Guilford (FOMAG) is presenting “A Celebration of the Classical Guitar” at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 29, at All Souls UU Church in West Brattleboro. Featured performers include David William Ross and the Procter/Hale duo of Steve Procter, guitar, and Alison Hale, flute.

Vocalist Jessica Gelter introduced FOMAG to Keene-based guitarist Ross in February 2018, when he was a member of the instrumental trio for her performance of David Lang’s “Death Speaks,” the centerpiece of FOMAG’s musicale “The Last Dance.” Soon afterward, Ross queried whether FOMAG would host a solo guitar concert connected with his next recording project. This expanded celebration of the guitar evolved from that proposal.

Vermont Jazz Septet On Stage at Main Street Arts

by Not Signed In | Entertainment

SAXTONS RIVER, Vt. – The Vermont Jazz Center Sextet makes a return visit to Main Street Arts in a performance Friday, Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. featuring the music of some of the greats of jazz.

Works by Duke Ellington, Miles Davis and Art Blakey, mixed in with some original music and arrangements written by members of the ensemble, promise an up tempo experience for lovers of jazz.

Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens at Next Stage on Saturday, September 14

by stobro | Music

Next Stage Arts Project is thrilled to present Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens on Saturday, September 14 at 7:30 pm, returning to Next Stage after rocking the house for sold out crowds at their two previous appearances.

Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens are an American gospel and soul music group led by front woman Naomi Shelton. The group was formed in 1999. They have released two albums with Daptone Records, What Have You Done, My Brother? (2009) and Cold World (2014).

Vermont Jazz Center Presents: Steve Turre Quintet

by vtjazz | Music

The Vermont Jazz Center is thrilled to kick off its 2019-20 concert season with a very special concert on Saturday, September 14th at 8:00 PM featuring the Steve Turre Quintet. Come hear Turre perform on trombone and conch shells with Bruce Williams on saxophone and flute, Oscar Perez on piano, Corcoran Holt on bass and Orion Turre on drums. Steve Turre is regarded as one of the finest jazz trombonists in the world. His on-going recording and performing career has included fertile tenures with Ray Charles, Woody Shaw, Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers to name a few. This year he is celebrating 36 years as trombonist in the Saturday Night Live band. Turre has made records with a highly diverse group of artists ranging from Dizzy Gillespie, Celia Cruz, Etta Jones, McCoy Tyner, Max Roach and John Scofield, to Carlos Santana and Mariah Carey.