Spring sprung exactly one week ago today. And while the blooming dogwoods and the azaleas in all their hues might prove that fact, it seems Winter has one last word to say. From highs in the 80’s last week to that of the 40’s today, he offers one last curtain call…an encore of cold. It’s a bit fitting because this winter has been one of many curtain calls…curtain calls very rich in the performing arts that I love. As Winter takes a rather unwelcome return to the stage, I’m thinking back on the multiple times throughout February and March when I’ve stood to my feet, warmly welcoming the encore that followed.
Like last month when First Friday had me listening to Angie Aparo at OddFellow’s, a new art gallery downtown. Aparo is a singer/song writer who wrote “Cry”, made famous by Faith Hill. It’s a bit unfortunate that he’s best known for this because everything else that he’s written seems to pale in comparison to that claim to fame. Truth be told, he’s a phenomenal artist…edgy and a bit intense, but good. Really good. And what made the evening all the more intense was the fact that he was flanked by Ziv Koren’s art…war images from the Israeli Palestinian conflict. One image seen by Aparo in the pages of Newsweek magazine seven years ago inspired his song “Revolution.” How great it is when art inspires art and what a privilege to be able to witness it: the artist seated on a stool performing beneath his inspiration. I’m thankful for a friend like Jenn who was there to take it all in with me. Jenn’s the type that you can call up and say something so off-the-wall, like…“Hey, want to come listen to this angry guy sing and play his guitar while flanked by war images?” and the answer is always a resounding “YES!”
A few weeks later, Juilliard in Aiken began. The music festival beckons young musicians from the prestigious school in NYC to the sleepy southern town of Aiken, SC. Declared Juilliard’s winter home, Aiken offers much milder conditions where students find a retreat. During the day the students, dance, write, sing, etc…and in the evenings they perform. After a harsh winter, the once-frozen creative juices thaw and extremely fortunate folks in this area drink in the talent. After the Anderson & Roe performance, my thirst was quenched. The piano duo is hands down, the best I’ve heard. They are repeat performers at the festival and I try to catch them every year. Phenomenal. (photo by Ken Iisaka)
And then a couple of days later Juilliard’s Jazz Artist Ensemble played an evening concert at Aiken’s Second African Baptist Church. Now, a contemporary jazz fan, I am not. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that I don’t know how to interpret all of its intricacies. (I should learn to do so.) Until then, I’ll continue to listen and hear the instruments speaking all at once in run-on sentences that leave me utterly confused. Yet there’s still a branch of jazz that I love…a style in which one instrument speaks as all the others listen. They take turns and they are all cordial and organized, with impeccable sentence structure. I hear it in old jazz standards and in the music that hails from New Orleans. Fortunate for me, that Tuesday evening in Aiken just so happened to be Fat Tuesday. Appropriately, the Jazz Artist Ensemble played nothing but New Orleans jazz. Juilliard’s artist ensemble programs are elite…only the best post-graduate school musicians make it in. One guy was from Australia, another from China. The trumpeter was from Canada and the drummer from Italy. It was almost like watching the UN play jazz. The US had its representation in a guy from New Orleans (how convenient) who played the upright bass. Rarely can you find one guy in a band with such talent. Imagine hearing five of them all at once.
In keeping with a jazz/blues theme the last calendar day of winter had me at Sweet GA Brown’s Juke Joint, a new restaurant in downtown Atlanta. A fabulous find of Kristin’s turned out to be the perfect pre-race dinner spot for Veronica and quite the listening room for some great music. Valerie Hines was on stage. You know you’re in for a great night of music when an older African American lady toting a case of harmonicas approaches the stage and makes herself at home at a keyboard. She opened with “This Little Light of Mine,” blew the harp on Robert Johnson’s “Walkin’ Man Blues” and belted out Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home” at the keyboard almost as good as Sam himself…not quite as good, but oh-so-close.
Like last month when First Friday had me listening to Angie Aparo at OddFellow’s, a new art gallery downtown. Aparo is a singer/song writer who wrote “Cry”, made famous by Faith Hill. It’s a bit unfortunate that he’s best known for this because everything else that he’s written seems to pale in comparison to that claim to fame. Truth be told, he’s a phenomenal artist…edgy and a bit intense, but good. Really good. And what made the evening all the more intense was the fact that he was flanked by Ziv Koren’s art…war images from the Israeli Palestinian conflict. One image seen by Aparo in the pages of Newsweek magazine seven years ago inspired his song “Revolution.” How great it is when art inspires art and what a privilege to be able to witness it: the artist seated on a stool performing beneath his inspiration. I’m thankful for a friend like Jenn who was there to take it all in with me. Jenn’s the type that you can call up and say something so off-the-wall, like…“Hey, want to come listen to this angry guy sing and play his guitar while flanked by war images?” and the answer is always a resounding “YES!” 
On quite the opposite end of the spectrum, I took in one of the Harry Jacobs Chamber Music Society installments. Trio Terzetto was the piano trio slated for the evening. Their music was beautiful. Very kind. Not at all angry. And instead of being flanked by war, they performed in front of an odd sound diverter. Maybe art deco was the aim of Augusta State University’s music department, but it looked much more like a garage door left half-open. Two ladies behind me who had arrived via Brandon Wilde’s bus convened an entertaining forum regarding the wall. I overheard every word. Lady behind me on my right says to lady behind me on my left, “That’s an ugly looking wall.” Lady on the right replies, “I agree. Is it plastic?!?” Lady on the left, “I’m not so sure.” Lady on the right, “They should get the art department on it.” I smiled because when you’re well below the average age at these events it’s a sweet reminder that while the body might age…a love for the arts and a witty sense of humor doesn’t always have to.
A few weeks later, Juilliard in Aiken began. The music festival beckons young musicians from the prestigious school in NYC to the sleepy southern town of Aiken, SC. Declared Juilliard’s winter home, Aiken offers much milder conditions where students find a retreat. During the day the students, dance, write, sing, etc…and in the evenings they perform. After a harsh winter, the once-frozen creative juices thaw and extremely fortunate folks in this area drink in the talent. After the Anderson & Roe performance, my thirst was quenched. The piano duo is hands down, the best I’ve heard. They are repeat performers at the festival and I try to catch them every year. Phenomenal. (photo by Ken Iisaka)
And then a couple of days later Juilliard’s Jazz Artist Ensemble played an evening concert at Aiken’s Second African Baptist Church. Now, a contemporary jazz fan, I am not. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that I don’t know how to interpret all of its intricacies. (I should learn to do so.) Until then, I’ll continue to listen and hear the instruments speaking all at once in run-on sentences that leave me utterly confused. Yet there’s still a branch of jazz that I love…a style in which one instrument speaks as all the others listen. They take turns and they are all cordial and organized, with impeccable sentence structure. I hear it in old jazz standards and in the music that hails from New Orleans. Fortunate for me, that Tuesday evening in Aiken just so happened to be Fat Tuesday. Appropriately, the Jazz Artist Ensemble played nothing but New Orleans jazz. Juilliard’s artist ensemble programs are elite…only the best post-graduate school musicians make it in. One guy was from Australia, another from China. The trumpeter was from Canada and the drummer from Italy. It was almost like watching the UN play jazz. The US had its representation in a guy from New Orleans (how convenient) who played the upright bass. Rarely can you find one guy in a band with such talent. Imagine hearing five of them all at once.
In keeping with a jazz/blues theme the last calendar day of winter had me at Sweet GA Brown’s Juke Joint, a new restaurant in downtown Atlanta. A fabulous find of Kristin’s turned out to be the perfect pre-race dinner spot for Veronica and quite the listening room for some great music. Valerie Hines was on stage. You know you’re in for a great night of music when an older African American lady toting a case of harmonicas approaches the stage and makes herself at home at a keyboard. She opened with “This Little Light of Mine,” blew the harp on Robert Johnson’s “Walkin’ Man Blues” and belted out Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home” at the keyboard almost as good as Sam himself…not quite as good, but oh-so-close.
"The only thing better than singing is more singing."
~Ella Fitzgerald
