Thursday, October 9, 2014

Oct. 17: SJE to Perform at PFD + PFARS Benefit Cocktail Party

Come out Friday, October 17, from 6-9pm to support the Princeton Fire Department and the Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad. McCaffrey's will be laying out a fine spread under a big tent in the Princeton Shopping Center courtyard. We'll play as a trio--Phil Orr (piano), Jerry D'Anna (upright bass) and myself on clarinet and sax--from about 6 to 8:15pm, after which a flamenco group will perform. 100% of ticket sales go to this great cause.

More info from the Arts Council of Princeton website, below:
"Many of us volunteer our time for which we earn thanks, gratitude, and commendation. But there is another kind of volunteer, operating at a completely different level; donating his or her time, but also their very existence. Each and every day countless unnamed individuals put their careers on hold and their lives in danger to help others in times of need. It stands to reason that those among us who have given of themselves for the benefit of others are in fact local heroes.

Come meet, greet and thank Princeton’s local heroes at the Princeton Shopping Center under the Food Tent! This event is co-sponsored by McCaffrey’s and Princeton Merchant’s Association and will feature cocktails, heavy hors d’oeuvres, music featuring the Sustainable Jazz Ensemble and a dance production of “The Fire of Flamenco” with ACP’s Artist-in-Residence Lisa Botalico, plus a chance to win a door prize! Entertainment sponsored by the Arts Council of Princeton.

100% of tickets sales will be donated to the Princeton Fire Department and the Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad. Click here for more info."

SJE Performed at FOPOS Picnic

Mountain Lakes House, as always, made a beautiful setting for a Sept. 28 celebration of those who volunteer their time for the Friends of Princeton Open Space. I worked for FOPOS for six years as a naturalist and natural resource manager, and was asked back to perform as a duo of clarinet/sax and upright bass. It was a great pleasure, playing originals and jazz standards on the patio for all those among us who work to keep open space welcoming to people and wildlife in Princeton, with a vista of Mountain Lakes spread before us.

Sally Curtis videotaped us and posted a medley of three tunes. The first is an original, Greening the Blues, followed by Body and Soul, and All the Things You Are. Thank you, Sally!

Saturday, September 6, 2014

SJE To Perform at DR Greenway's 25th Anniversary Gala

The Sustainable Jazz Ensemble in its duo format, with Phil Orr on keyboard and myself on clarinet and tenor sax, will perform at the DR Greenway's 25th anniversary gala on Saturday, Sept. 13. It's a great honor to play at this celebration of those who have contributed so much to preserving open space in New Jersey. More information here. We'll send our locally sourced original melodies floating across the Johnson Education Center grounds, mixed with some jazz standards.

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Free Concerts: Harlem Quartet and a Blue Curtain Concert

A quick note. Tomorrow evening, July 21, the Harlem Quartet performs for free at Richardson Auditorium in Princeton. They performed a year or two ago with Chick Corea at McCarter Theater, and will be playing some Chick Corea music along with classical repertoire. Should be excellent.

Another free concert is coming up on August 2nd at 7pm at Pettoranello Gardens in Princeton, produced by Blue Curtain. I am so grateful for the infusion of world music they provide Princeton twice each summer. They have a Facebook page, where you can learn more. You may also find a website via internet search.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Two Events--Tonight and Ongoing

TONIGHT: FREE PERFORMANCE BY THE DONALD SINTA SAXOPHONE QUARTET
Richardson Hall on the Princeton University campus, at 7:30pm.

Donald Sinta was professor of saxophone at the University of Michigan when I was living in Ann Arbor. I never studied with him, but remember his gorgeous tone on a solo in a performance of Ravel's Bolero at Hill Auditorium. Music school performances were free at the University of Michigan, which made it easy to hear great music throughout the year. This performance is also free. The quartet is named after Sinta, but he is mentor rather than participant.


ONGOING: DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS

Sustainable Jazz pianist Phil Orr is musical director of a production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels in Hopewell, NJ. An extensive review can be found here, and info Phil sent out is below. Phil tells me that one night during a performance, a bat entered the theater through an open door and began dive-bombing the audience, then got stunned when it flew into an exhaust fan in the ceiling, dropping to the ground just in front of the stage. The show continued, undaunted, soon launching into a song that, as chance would have it, had the word "bat" in its title. Here's some dialogue from the musical that I found on the internet:

"The Corpus Hippocraticum
Like bats out of the attic-come
Like popes out of the Vati-come"

Fridays/Saturdays/Sundays, June 27 - July 26, "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels", the Broadway musical about two vastly different con men maneuvering for turf in the same French Riviera town. Originally a popular film starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine – get the idea? Musical direction par moi. The Off-Broadstreet Theatre ("the original and best New Jersey Dessert Theatre"), 5 S. Greenwood Ave, Hopewell, NJ 08525, (609) 466-2766 www.off-broadstreet.comInfo, Tickets and Directions.