Weekend Concert Series: Frank & Bing

Seems like time to feature some Frank and Bing singing Christmas songs, in glorious “something-color.”

Classic haircuts, suits, and decorations are part of what makes this a fun holiday special that, for some reason, never made it to classic status. Maybe we can give it a boost 60 + years later.


Weekend Concert Series: James Brown, April 1971, Bologna, Italy

This is a truly funky line-up, and perhaps my favorite era for James Brown. Everyone in the band was great.

We have Bobby Byrd, backing up James on vocals. We have the horn section that included Fred Wesley, Darryl Jamison, Chicken Gunnells. We have young Bootsy and Catfish Collins, Cheese Martin, and two drummers Jabo Starks and Tiger Martin.

This film isn’t great quality, but it has it all: funky suits, dances, and breaks, plus crazed Italian fans, and what seems to be Sophia Loren’s sister acting as a narrator in parts. My Italian isn’t so good, but she was talking about Sonny and Cher for a moment. If any of you can translate, please share/Cher…


Larry Bloch and Wetlands Preserve Remembered

If you missed the Sunday Keene Sentinel, here is a. At Larry’s request, his first wife and “dream companion,” Laura Bloch Bourque, gathered together the many boxes of carefully saved calendars and photos of their nightclub into one amazing book which must be seen to be appreciated. Bands such as the Dave Mathews Band, Phish, Hootie and the Blowfish and so many others played at Wetlands Preserve in the 1990s.

The Sentinel article tells about the love that went into the writing and publishing of the book. The book itself is for sale at Everyone’s Books on Elliot Street in Brattleboro and Toadstool’s in Keene and Peterborough, NH


Weekend Concert Series: Bruno Mars

A new king of pop? New hardest workin’ man in show business? Bruno Mars might be that person.

Mr. Mars hails from Hawaii and in his earlier years spent some time doing Elvis, Michael Jackson, and Little Richard impersonations. You’ll see it in the way he moves today.


Researchers Determine There Will Be A Visitation From The Stars On The Saturday Nearest The Solstice

According to prominent scientists at the University of Brattleboro, there will be a “visitation” to Brattleboro on the Saturday closest to the solstice. With realtive pinpoint accuracy, they predict that it will be seen some near Elliot Street or Flat Street, sometime after Sunset, probably close to 6 O’clock.


Weekend Concert Series: Jamiroquai in Glasgow

So, I’m in Boston and my friends want to go to a Holiday Inn to listen to a DJ. I’m not looking forward to it, but we get there and the music was really good. At one point, a song comes on that sounds like an old funk number… maybe something by a James Brown spin-off? Some female soul singer? I had to find out who it was.

It was Jamiroquai, said the DJ. I asked if it was from the 70’s or 80’s. He said it was current, in the late 90’s and the female singing wasn’t female. I was musically disoriented, and went to the record store to get the CD at my next opportunity.


Dinner and Hot Latin Jazz at Compass School Dec. 13th

WESTMINSTER, VT- On Saturday, December 13th, Compass School will host a Caribbean dinner and a musical performance by Eugene and Julian’s Latin Party Band featuring renowned musicians Eugene Uman and Julian Gerstin.

Eugene Uman is a pianist and composer who has performed with Sheila Jordan, Jay Clayton, George Mraz, Jimmy Heath, Donald Byrd, and many others. Uman has written over 120 wide ranging jazz compositions; three of his original compositions were recorded by Latin Jazz star Sammy Figueroa on his 2005 Grammy Nominated CD. Uman appears in numerous ensembles including The Convergence Project, the As Yet Quintet, and Zabap, and he is the director of the Vermont Jazz Center and serves as an adjunct professor of music at Amherst College and Marlboro College.


Dayna Martin on WVEW

This tuesday, November 25th, join DJ Pockets on “buttahmilk” as he speakes to Dayna Martin about radical unschooling.

Radical Unschooling: A Revolution Has Begun focuses on the evolutionary aspect of parenting and human consciousness. We are parenting and educating our children today to succeed in a joyful, productive life by following their passions, not someone else’s agenda.

Some excerpts from Dayna’s book…


Weekend Concert Series: The Time

To compliment the show with Prince last week, let’s take a look at one of my favorite Prince side projects, The Time. We’ll begin with the 30 minute “opening band” performance they did just prior to Prince’s show last week.

Yes, this is video from the same night, at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, NJ, in January of 1982.


Marx in Soho, Plus More!

The Commons, Windham County’s local independent weekly, is proud to host Jerry Levy and Acting on Impulse Productions presenting Levy’s 10th Anniversary Celebration of Howard Zinn’s one-man play about the life of Karl Marx, MARX IN SOHO, at the Hooker-Dunham Theater, 139 Main St, Brattleboro VT.

These benefit performances will be on the evenings of Thursday, November 20th and Saturday, November 22nd at7:30 p.m.


Weekend Concert Series: Controversy-Era Prince

Prince has been in the music news lately, having released two rather good albums simultaneously, rejoined Warner Bros., got control of his back catalog, and appeared on SNL.

He’s notoriously hard to find on the internet, but somehow we are (for the moment, at least) able to peer back to 1982, just as he was ascending. Note that this linked file may vanish.

This is from the Controversy tour, just before 1999 and Purple Rain, when many were still just finding out about him and trying to figure out what exactly they had found. Punk? Funk? New Wave? What was this? A controversy.


Screwball Comedies at Brooks Library

Come in out of the gray and add a little sunshine and laughter to your day with a screwball comedy film! Free! At Brooks Library at 2 pm today, November 12th

Sponsored by the Brattleboro Film Festival and Brooks Memorial Library, this is the last film in the free film series of nine Hollywood classic screwball comedies from Tinseltown’s Golden Era. Brattleboro Film Festival Advisory Board member Tim Metcalfe and journalist Tom Bedell will host post-screening discussions in the library’s Meeting Room.  


Weekend Concert Series: The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl

Hi, Hullabalooers. Someone did a great job assembling home movie footage from numerous sources to recreate the Beatles performance at the Hollywood Bowl in 1964. What we end up with is a rather full look at the show

I’ve heard the album of this performance, but had never heard the complete introduction, in which we learn that Bob “Newlywed Game” Eubanks was one of the people who helped pay to bring the Beatles to the bowl.


Gross Bliss by the Dolly Wagglers at Sandglass Theater This Weekend

PUTNEY- On November 7th and 8th at 7:30pm, Sandglass welcomes the Dolly Wagglers from Northern Vermont, with their brand new Work in Progress, Gross Bliss. This new piece of puppet theater is a hilarious look at the terror of modern life and the wisdom of swamp plants.

Two aspiring and clumsy artists are in search of examples of true happiness. The quest brings them far and wide to visit “happy” events. One of which is the blooming of a swamp flower. They realize that pure bliss is somewhat gross. The more “happy” things they see and experience the more exasperated they become, eventually declaring happiness to be, among other things, a rainbow that you can’t even see when you are actually in it.


Kabbalah Kirtan Concert with Yofiyah at the Vermont Jazz Center!

On Saturday night, November 8th Sounds True recording artist Yofiyah brings her Kabbalah Kirtan ensemble to the Vermont Jazz Center in Brattleboro, Vermont. Kabbalah Kirtan is a unique fusion of Jewish, Middle Eastern and Indian melodies with audience participation via call-and-response singing, along with musical accompaniment.

 “Kabbalah Kirtan brings a musical experience that joyously celebrates ´da ´at d´vekut´, union with the oneness of all.”, explains Yofiyah. Revered Rabbi Zalman M. Schachter-Shalomi called Yofiyah and her style of Kabbalah Kirtan “A marvelous gateway to the spirit, a true energizer of the soul.”


Weekend Concert Series: Art Ensemble of Chicago

Great jazz show from 1970 at the Festival de jazz de Chateauvallon featuring the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Prepare to go on a sonic journey.

Not sure why Europe reveres jazz from America seemingly more than Americans themselves, but I’m thankful for all of the Italian recordings, and here, French film of groups like this at that time.


Brattleboro Retreat Celebrates Fifth Anniversary of LGBT Program w/Benefit Boston Gay Men’s Chorus Benefit Concert Live at The Latchis

Boston Gay Men’s Chorus Performs Live at the Latchis -Fundraiser for Brattleboro Retreat’s LGBT Program – Draws Attention to Celebrating Our Differences

BRATTLEBORO, VT—The Brattleboro Retreat presents the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus Live at the Latchis (Brattleboro) on Saturday, November 1 at 7:30 pm. In this first-ever performance in Brattleboro and rare performance in Vermont, the event will raise funds for the Retreat’s program serving Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Transgender (LGBT) individuals.


Weekend Concert Series: Bernie Worrell Orchestra

Time for some magical keyboard playing by master funkateer Bernie Worrell. This show has him playing in Minneapolis with the Bernie Worrell Orchestra, touring after a release of an album of jazz standards.

This show mixes his classics with these new interpretations, and is quite the hour and half of musicianship.

In addition to seeing him with P-Funk many times, I had the pleasure of seeing Bernie play in Boston at the Middle East as a solo artist. It was an embarrassingly small crowd for someone of his musical stature, but he played as if his life depended on it and we were treated to an excellent small show.


Hungrytown Duo Coming to Brattleboro

The Friends of Brooks Memorial Library will host a fundraising concert on Friday, November 7, 7:30 PM in the Library, with Hungrytown, a Vermont folk-based duo. Hungrytown is the musical and married team of Rebecca Hall and Ken Anderson.  They have released two highly acclaimed CDs, Hungrytown (2008) and Any Forgotten Thing (2011), both of which continue to receive much airplay on folk and Americana stations worldwide. 

Rebecca and Ken tour full time; their adventures have taken them throughout the US, Canada, Europe and New Zealand.  Their songs have been performed by many other artists, including Nashville songwriting legend David Olney, and bluegrass veterans the Virginia Ramblers. Hungrytown’s music has also appeared on several television shows, including the Independent Film Channel’s hit series, Portlandia.