Culture

On Friday, March 14, at 8:00 p.m. in the Vermont Jazz Center performance space at the Cotton Mill Hill complex, Friends of Music at Guilford presents a “World Music & Jazz Roots” concert benefiting its annual Music Enrichment Program at Guilford Central School.

The Friday concert features two ensembles drawing on jazz and classical foundations as well as traditional instrumental and vocal music from around the world. They blend those roots and rhythms into World Music and jazz forms, often original and sometimes skillfully improvised, but always a masterful, creative fusion carrying their audience along on a joyful, soulful journey.

Sometime last year, it broke into my consciousness that there was a new arts group in town called the Future Collective and they were doing interesting things. But it wasn’t until this year, when suddenly they held a fundraiser and rented a space on Elliott Street, that I finally got around to figuring out who they were. What they are is very cool – a loosely affiliated group of artists, musicians, visionaries, and creative types who want to create a supportive scene around a free interpretation of the arts. I’m making that up. I have no idea what their actual mission is but it seems related to joy, freedom, beauty, and awesomeness for all. Mission aside, they’ve already given me one thing I’d been missing for a while – loud, live rock and roll music.

Think book club for music lovers!

On Monday, the Brattleboro Music Center’s new monthly gatherings for music and discussion begin. Monday’s session will be led by accomplished pianist and Windham Orchestra director Hugh Keelan.  The Music Appreciation gathers will be held from 1:30 to 3 pm at the BMC, 38 Walnut Street in Brattleboro.  All are invited to attend, no previoius knowledge or experience needed to enjoy.  $5 suggested fee.

Electric Fence returns to Pleasant Valley Brewing in Saxtons River for a night of rocking-acoustic-swing and rock and roll. Steve Carmichael, Howard Weiss-Tisman, Jonny Sheehan and Jeremy Holch have been playing in the area for five years.

They have developed a sound that incorporates folk, rock, swing, blues and country, bringing an original spin to covers, as well as to their original tunes. Come out and welcome mud season. Pleasant Valley Brewing is in Saxtons River. The music starts at 8.

Grammy Award-winning Jazz and Funk Powerhouse, SNARKY PUPPY Comes to Brattleboro, Vermont

The Vermont Jazz Center will present the Grammy Award winning band, Snarky Puppy at the Latchis Theater on March 15th at 8:00 PM. Snarky Puppy is a collective of about 30 interchangeable musicians supplementing a core group under the direction of electric bassist, Michael League. Nine of the members will be performing at the Latchis. They represent a new wave of young, smart musicians who have successfully united the trifurcated worlds of jazz, R & B and funk.

Next Stage Arts Project and Twilight Music present an evening of swing, honky-tonk and fiddle music by The Sweetback Sisters and Elixir at Next Stage on Friday, March 7 at 7:30 pm.

The Sweetback Sisters forge their own sound by delivering arrangements that combine the soul of classic ‘40s and ‘50s-era country music with an undeniably contemporary edge. The rollicking country, swing, honky-tonk and old-time music of Emily Miller (vocals, fiddle, guitar), Zara Bode (vocals, guitar), Stefan Amidon (drums, vocals), Jesse Milnes (fiddle, guitar, vocals), Ryan Hommel (electric guitar) and Peter Bitenc (acoustic bass) is as infectious as it is heartbreaking.  Their charismatic charm harkens back to the golden era of both the silver screen cowgirl and the ersatz cowboy stars of local UHF TV kiddie shows.  That whimsical exterior is wrapped around a core of deeply felt love for traditional country music styles and a palpable joy in playing and singing together.