For Those Who Rock, it's Miller Time
 
by Bill Hernandez
Contributing Writer

This year marks the forty-year anniversary for the Steve Miller Band (originating in San Francisco in 1966). During his long career, Steve Miller has gone from being the first white West Coast Blues rocker to one of the most consistently charted artists of the mid seventies to the early eighties.
The Steve Miller Band kicked off a two-night stint at the Hard Rock Live Arena in Hollywood this past week, nearly selling out both dates, and keeping the audience on their feet for most of the show. Those who were still feeling the chill in their bones from the cold snap provided by Mother Nature were quickly heated to the core with the classic blues-influenced pop-rock and infectious guitar riffs that have made Steve Miller a lasting figure in the music world.
At 62 years old, Miller’s music attracts the most age-diverse audience. Looking over the crowd in attendance, it was clear that at least a quarter of them probably weren't even born yet when his music was at its peak.
Every song that you've ever loved from the Steve Miller Band was heard here. "The Joker," "Rock'n Me," "Take the Money and Run," "Jet Airliner," "Jungle Love," and "Abracadabra" were graciously received and mixed well with the great lighting displays.
 
Steve Miller is exactly like fine wine and only gets better with age. He shows no signs of slowing down, and his energy level is infectious. It's easy to see that Steve Miller will continue to bring together the people and the music.
For more information on the Steve Miller Band, visit their web site at www.stevemillerband.com.

PHOTO IDS
1. The Steve Miller Band in concert at the Hard Rock Live Arena
Photo by Bill Hernandez

South Florida Welcomes Bon Jovi

by Bill Hernandez
Contributing Writer

With their good looks, lyrical hooks, toned-down aggression, and pumped-up production, Bon Jovi recently brought their much anticipated ìHave a Nice Dayî tour to South Florida.

Playing to a sold-out BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, frontman Jon Bon Jovi , along with guitarist Richie Sambora , keyboardist David Bryan , and drummer Tico Torres , gave those in attendance over two hours of classic Bon Jovi hits, along with selections from their latest album, Have a Nice Day .

Classic songs such as ìLivin' on a Prayer,î ìYou Give Love a Bad Name,î and a re-worked ìI'll Be There for Youî were mixed in with newer songs including ìLast Man Standing,î ìIt's My Life,î ìHave a Nice Dayî and ìJust Older.î

Although the boys performed strongly, there were evident signs that the tour and Sambora's personal life were taking a toll on the close-knit band. Jon was a bit more laid-back than he normally is and appeared to be quickly exhausted. The band is now in its fourth month of touring and, with so few nights off, even the most experienced band like Bon Jovi, with over twenty years of touring under their belt, will tend to have nights where their expected best just doesn't quite hit the mark.

Sambora recently received news that his wife of eleven years ( Heather Locklear ) has filed for divorce. Although he played exceptionally well at this particular concert, it remains to be seen whether or not he will be able to keep up his energy and his focus in future performances.

To date, Bon Jovi has sold over one million tickets on this tour and many of the venues have added additional dates to accommodate the sell-out crowds. Whether or not they will return to South Florida for additional shows is not known at this time.

For additional information on Bon Jovi, visit their website at www.bonjovi.com .

PHOTO IDS
1. Jon Bon Jovi
2. Bon Jovi

Photos by Bill Hernandez

Listening with Lee Zimmerman

Crosby Stills & Nash: Crosby Stills & Nash and Daylight Again

(Rhino/Atlantic)

The saga of Crosby Stills & Nash (with occasional collaborator Neil Young ) is one of the most storied in the annals of rock ën' roll. It's the tale of three (and sometimes four) amazingly gifted singer/songwriters who managed to transcend their divides and create some of the most spectacular harmonies ever committed to record. Yet, it's also a story of blunders, animosity and near-fatal mishaps, errors and petty differences that nearly squandered repeated opportunities for greater glories.

Still, this is a group whose early triumphs still radiate more than 37 years after their self-titled debut, a paean to the accumulated glories wrought by timeless songs, three-part harmony and the subtle sheen of their acoustic guitars. That record still sounds timeless and it remains every bit the treasure today that it was back in the halcyon days of the late 1960s. Although it's never been long out of the spotlight ñ- the group still performs the bulk of it in their live performances ñ- archivist label Rhino Records has reprised it for the first time with four outtakes that enhance rather than redefine the album's original luster. Three will already seem somewhat familiar -ñ Nash's acoustic demo for   ìTeach Your Children,î performed here as a simple duet with David Crosby , would later turn up in a different form on the first Crosby Stills Nash and Young album; ìEverybody's Talkin',î a harmony-drenched take on the Fred Neil classic also made famous by Harry Nilsson in the film Midnight Cowboy ; and Crosby's beguiling ìSong With No Words,î a track originally intended for the group but later released on his first solo record. Stills' lovely ìDo For Othersî may be the least known of the lot, but it too would find life later on when it was retooled for his own solo debut.  

Fast forward more than a dozen years for what was considered the group's comeback attempt, Daylight Again , the second of Rhino's two CSN re-releases.   Recorded during one of the trio's most fractured periods, a time of infighting and Crosby's nadir in terms of drug dependence (all of which was reflected in one of its best songs, Nash's ìWasted On the Wayî), it was conceived originally as a Stills Nash album until their record company insisted Crosby be included. By the time it was released in mid '82, the group were no longer seen as the highly regarded innovators and idealists they once were, and consequently, the album received little more than a collective ho-hum from fans and critics alike. Nevertheless, it contained some of the best songs of the band's second coming -ñ the aforementioned ìWasted On The Way,î Still's triumphant ìSouthern Crossî and Crosby's lush ìDelta,î a bittersweet reminder that even the ravages of substance abuse couldn't diminish his creative prowess. Four bonus tracks make the album all that more essential now ñ- an alternate, bare-bones version of Crosby's other contribution, ìMight As Well Have A Good Timeî; ìRaise A Voice,î which would turn up in a live version on Allies and two other respectable efforts, ìTomorrow Is Another Dayî and ìFeel Your Love.î

Considering all these two efforts have to offer -- and the additional incentive of the add-ons -- they're certainly well worth the investment to complete your collection.  

Visit www.rhino.com .

Jeff Merchant: Window Rolled Down

(True Classical)

Jeff Merchant's new album provides a dizzying mix of melody, textures and conceptual designÖ such a broad mix, in fact, that even a generous sixteen songs can't seem to contain it all.  

While he's enlisted some impressive collaborators -ñ members of Brian Wilson's amazingly adept back-up band, the irrepressible Stew and up-and-comers Listing Ship lend their talents and expertise -ñ it's Merchant's ability to turn a phrase and take his tunes into unexpected realms that makes Window Rolled Down both a challenge and a triumph. The songs meander along with an easy lilt, buoyed by lush, billowy arrangements thick with atmosphere and effervescence.  

That said, the dense ambiance sometimes tends to obscure the melodies and cloud subject matter that might otherwise tip the proceedings towards weightier terrain. Nevertheless, after soaking up the pretty, wistful sigh of ìAll Of The Timesî or reveling in the stirring strains of ìWounds Will Heal,î it quickly becomes apparent that Merchant's a master when it comes to crafting lofty tunes with instant appeal.

Visit www.trueclassicalcds.com .  

Breaking Laces: Lemonade

(Meeka Salise Music)

Lemonade is the second album from singer/songwriter Willem Hartong and his band Breaking Laces , and after the critical kudos accorded their debut, it indeed proves to be a worthy successor.   The Laces are adept at finding that happy medium between Hartong's shoegazing introspection and the kick and spark of the band's driving delivery. What results is an affable mix of modest proportions, an engaging and accessible set of songs solidly positioned on an approachable middle ground.

Hartong's a rock hero that every parent can love; he started his musical outreach by busking in the New York subways in order to buy his girlfriend an engagement ring, and it's that sense of yearning and desire that fuels every one of these wide-eyed anthems. Some have termed it ìnerd rock,î but it's actually a wholesome and affecting stance that's in evidence here. On songs such as ìStates Away,î ìHold My Head,î ìThis Worldî and ì(The) Ocean (That Lies Between Us),î Hartong's soulful sincerity pervades the proceedings and echoes from every note and nuance. The guy's also got a way with words, even if they sometimes take a downward glance. ìIt's Over Nowî finds him ruminating over a darker debate: ìWhen did I give up/When did I give in/When did I decide that it was good enough/To sink and not to swimÖî

Okay, so the guy does tend to be a bit despondent at times. No matter. Lemonade may well be the sweetest, most satisfying rock album to come down the pike in quite some time.

Visit www.breakinglace s .com .

2006 Music Festival Presents a Portrait of American
Music with ìFrom Carnegie Hall to the Cotton Clubî

Take a walk back in time as FAU's music department presents an eclectic series of performances celebrating 20th century American music in its 2006 music festival. The festival, entitled from ìCarnegie Hall to the Cotton Club,î runs from February 17 through February 26 at the University Theatre on FAU's Boca Raton campus, 777 Glades Road.

Events kick off on Friday, February 17 at 7:30pm with a free screening of the film Porgy and Bess , a George Gershwin opera about the residents of a fishing village in South Carolina in 1912. The film will be introduced by Susan Dorchin of FAU's Department of Music. 

Festivities continue on Friday, February 24 at 7pm when the FAU Jazz Rats , conducted by Tim Walters , will perform the music of Duke Ellington . Then, on Saturday, February 25 at 5:30pm, Dean William A. Covino of FAU's Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters will host a reception at the Performing Arts Center's Lakeside Visual Arts Patio. Following the reception at 7pm, there will be a concert featuring FAU's wind ensemble, conducted by Kyle Prescott , along with guest piano virtuoso Mark Zeltser and renowned clarinetist Paul Green . The program will include Leonard Bernstein's overture from Candide , George Gershwin's ìSecond Preludeî and ìConcerto in F,î as well as other pieces from American composers.

On Sunday, February 26 at 3pm, Laura Joella will conduct FAU's Symphony Orchestra in Leonard Bernstein's three dance episodes from the musical On the Town , Russell Peck's The Thrill Beyond Words and Leroy Anderson's Tribute to Leroy Anderson . Sunday's concert will also include a performance by FAU's choral ensembles under the direction of Patricia Fleitas . The ensembles will perform works from Virgil Thomson , Charles Ives and FAU faculty member Stuart Glazer .

The film screening on Friday, February 17 is free. Tickets for the February 24 through February 26 concerts are $15 for one concert, $25 for two concerts, $45 for a concert and the reception, and $55 for two concerts and the reception. FAU students may receive concert tickets free at the door prior to the concert. FAU faculty, staff and alumni may purchase concert tickets for half price. To purchase concert tickets, call 561-297-2977 or email artstickets@fau.edu . For further information about the concerts, call 561-297-3820 or visit www.fau.edu/musicfestival . 

Listening with Lee Zimmerman

Lanterna: Desert Ocean(Badman)
BJ Cole: Trouble in Paradise (Silverline Records)

On their latest album, new age rockers Lanterna offer up a sensuous mix of undulating, ethereal melodies, shimmering synths and propulsive rhythms, the result of which is one of the most beautiful albums anyone will release this year.   Hypnotic and transfixing, it casts a vivid spell, mesmerizing music with a soothing ambiance.

The fact that Lanterna is, in fact, a band of two makes their output all the more impressive. Henry Frayne provides the sparkle of acoustic and electric guitars and the washes of keyboards, while drummer Eric Gebow underscores this scintillating brew with an irresistible pulse.   On tracks such as ìLuminous,î ìVenture,î ìHopeî and ìMessina,î the duo create lush instrumental outlays that don't depend on vocals or catchy choruses to weave their way into the consciousness.   This is a sound for all seasons and, for that matter, all situations, whether it's blending into the background on a rainy afternoon or soothing the nerves when stuck on a highway in rush hour. Consider it an aphrodisiac for unsettling times.

Visit www.Badmanrecordingco.com.

For his part, BJ Cole has long been considered one of England's foremost practitioners of the steel guitar. Having performed with a lengthy list of musical standard bearers (Pink Floyd, Robert Plant, Sting, Beck, Elton John, REM etc.) over the past thirty years or so, he's already used to being called an anomaly for making his mark on an instrument that was once identified only with the Nashville studio scene.   However, on his latest album, Trouble in Paradise , Cole steps out of his role as sideman and takes the lead alongside such ambient outsiders as Brian Eno, Alabama 3, Trash palace and other electronica artists.  

Those used to hearing steel guitar in the context of country songs will be somewhat shocked by these shifting soundscapes and eerie instrumentals.   This isn't the kind of music that allows for instant accessibility or an easy embrace.   Hypnotic at times, it's frequently and menacingly unsettling. Still, one can't help but be awed by the brilliant mix of acid house and bluegrass on the aptly-titled ìSurf Acid Hoedownî or the insistent magnetic pulse of ìMilkshake Roadmap.î   While it may seem an unlikely encounter, Trouble in Paradise is an effective bid for crossover credence.  

Visit www.immergent.com.

Fred: Sound Awake
(Overdone Music)

Fred ?   Fred who?   Actually, it's the moniker for this San Francisco-based band that takes an obvious cue from the piano pop styles and sensibilities of the ë70s, a time when Elton John and Billy Joel ruled the airwaves and unabashed emotion was unapologetically strewn about in ample measure.   Toss some Paul McCartney and Ben Folds into the mix and you get the idea of Fred's intents. It's a good mix indeed.

On first listen to Sound Awake , the band's debut, there's a feeling of both freshness and familiarity wafting from these effervescent grooves. The music is warm, engaging and easily accessibility, sugar-coated to a large extent, but with enough muscle to keep it angered. On songs such as ìPiscetarrius,î ìSleep,î ìThere's an Oceanî and ìMoonshine,î Fred finds perfect balance between angst and exhilaration, a combination that provides just the right edge.   At other times ñ the tracks ìColored In Snowî and ìTwo Angelsî in particular -- they slip into lush, hushed balladry that's solidly in sync with their keyboard-laden approach.   Main man Freddy Lemke and colleague Matt Cunitz appear to be the musicians chiefly responsible for this broadly textured mélange   ñ between them they play a dazzling array of keyboards, moogs, mellotrons and other instruments to shore up the sound.   Credit too producer Chris Manning ; his efforts with his own band Jellyfish are an obvious inspiration.

Sound Awake is nothing less than a dazzling debut.   At a time when the only ear-friendly music is homogenized and disposable, Fred proves that a patented pop approach still offers opportunity to be both cool and clever.  

Visit www.thebandfred.com.

Ruth Minnikin: Marooned and Blue(MAPL)
Reels (MAPL)

Although she's of a fairly tender age, Ruth Minnikin has already notched up an impressive resume.   A member of two of Canada's most distinctive musical exports, the Heavy Blinkers and the Guthries, she's expanded her reach with appearances alongside Kris Kristofferson, Gold Rush and other artists of varying notoriety. However, it's own abilities, as both a singer/songwriter and a multi-instrumentalist, that make her worthy of attention in her own right, and with a recent album Marooned and Blue added to her portfolio, she's never seemed surer than in the spotlight.

Marooned and Blue finds Minnikin nimbly waltzing from one affable setting to another, a kind of country-folk chanteuse capable of evoking a variety of moods and suggestions.   If one were to grapple with a comparison, it would probably land her somewhere in the suave yet sensitive realms of Natalie Merchant, particularly on such songs as the title track and ìBehind Bars,î two ruminating narratives full of edge and attitude.   Yet, Minnikin doesn't allow herself to get bogged down in the sort of quiet contemplation that Merchant frequently falls prey to; on the sprightly saunter of ìIt's Not Workî and the effortlessly exuberant ìHonky Tonk,î she shows she's adept at creating a most nimble sashay.   Country music seems to be a natural fit; with the steel guitar sway of ìThis Heavy Heartî and ìMy Way With Words,î she evokes a carefree Patsy Cline, confidently opting for an easy embrace.

Minnikin also lends both her skills and openhearted attitude to Reels, yet another of her seemingly endless collaborations.   Although it's only eight songs long, the album revels in a driving, deliberate attitude evoked via a series of freewheeling rambles.   The Canadians have always been adept at reinterpreting roots rock and Americana, and on such entries as ìThe Straw that Broke the Camel's Backî and the hushed shuffle ìReel to Reelî they create an engaging blend of elegiac enticement.

Minnikin may not be as well known as she ought to be, but with entries as winning and winsome as these, one can't help but anticipate where and when she'll turn up next.

Visit www.ruthminnikin.ca.

Sedaka Music Endures and Matures Over 50-Year Career

by Marvin Glassman
Contributing Writer

There is a lot more to 67-year-old singer/songwriter Neil Sedaka than songs about first love when the baby boomers were in their teens. As colleagues Buddy Clarke and Ron Levitt pointed out in their reviews of Actors' Playhouse Breaking Up Is Hard To Do , (running through February 12), one can only go so far in embracing music about innocence. Following the play on opening night, Sedaka performed his many hits at the street party in honor of the play. Yet there is so much more to the man who let the world know "Where the Boys Are" and described teenage girls as "Hey Little Devil" and "Oh, Carol.î Sedaka recorded these songs as part of the Brill Building music experience in the 1950s when he was hired as a songwriter in the same era that produced Carole King and Neil Diamond, among others.

The truth is that Sedaka was always capable of so much more. As a youth, young Neil played classical music on the piano and was awarded a Juilliard scholarship by age 13. "I always had the love of other genres, but back in the late 50s, I was hired for these songs. Together with Howard Greenfield, we wrote wonderful romantic songs that endured," said Sedaka. The duo sold more than 25 million records, but as
the 1960s entered, baby boomers were preferring the protest songs of Peter, Paul and Mary and the rock n roll music of The Beatles to anything that Sedaka wrote.

So, Sedaka and family moved to England and found a reversal of fortune in more mature songwriting. Sedaka expanded the theme of love found to include the themes of love lost and love reclaimed in his songs. The recreation of "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" as a ballad gave more heartfelt feeling to Greenfield's lyrics.

Although Sedaka by the 1970s was scoring success with more heartfelt songs for other artists (such as "Love Will Keep Us Together"- Captain and Tennile; "Puppet Man"- Tom Jones), he was in vogue as the singer in "Laughter In The Rain" as well as the duet with daughter Dara in "Should Have Never Let You Go" in 1980.

The songs felt more mature and sophisticated as the years rolled by, (especially in Sedaka's songs "Solitaire" and "The Hungry Years"), and so were the audiences that went to see Sedaka. Along with nostalgia, Sedaka showed his musical knowledge to a new audience that appreciated his roots in classical music a lot more now than the kids in the 1950s did.

When Sedaka last performed in South Florida, Sedaka performed the last half of his show playing the best of the classical music he knew as a child on the
piano, and audience responded with enthusiasm. Sedaka recently recorded songs from the Yiddish Theatre that drew raves in Chicago and New York among other venues. "I love all these genres and appreciate that people love hearing all this--the Yiddish Theatre, classical music--because it shows such respect for all I grew up with and all I loved from my family," said Sedaka.

Sedaka's legacy includes being selected into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, a feature on the acclaimed A&E Biography series and knowing that his peers--such as singer/songwriters Neil Diamond and Barry Manilow, who created memorable romantic songs of their own--appreciated him along his 60-year career.

Unlike others in show business, Sedaka's marriage and family life never suffered. He and wife Leba found both love and business (Leba is Sedaka's mananger) has kept their marriage together for 42 years and the Sedakas are now proud grandparents of twin girls now aged three.

Despite being an AARP member, Sedaka has no plans to retire and still tours across the country and England. "I have been fortunate to have taken care of my voice for so long. I enjoy my family, so the tours are not every weekend like they used to be."

Folk Music Icon Judy Collins Comes
to the Parker Playhouse

Through more than 40 music releases, filmed concerts, television specials and in her role as a UNICEF Special Representative for the Arts, Judy Collins has become an American music icon: someone that can be recognized by the first few notes she sings and who can instantly transport listeners back in time to when they first heard one of her numerous Top 10 hits.   Collins will perform in concert for one night only at the Parker Playhouse on Friday, February 24 at 8pm.

Although Collins started her stage career at age 13 playing Mozart on the piano, the folk music scene of the '60s quickly made her trade in her Steinway for a guitar.   The about face was a fitting start for the singer who would skyrocket to fame and win a Grammy Award singing a song entitled "Both Sides Now."

Other hits followed including Collins versions of "Send in the Clowns," "Amazing Grace," and "Chelsea Morning," the latter of which so influenced future president and fan Bill Clinton that he named his daughter after it.

Collins maintains a rigorous 60-80-city concert schedule each year. The New York Times summed up her enduring appeal in a concert review noting she, "performs her signature songs in a silvery voice that mingles wistfulness with inspirational uplift."

In the true folk tradition, Collins has been active in reaching out to people on political issues and through books that encourage people to focus on their creativity and enjoyment of life.   She has written a song, "Saints and Angels In New Orleans," to honor the city of New Orleans and the work done by the Red Cross in light of the Hurricane Katrina disaster that is exclusively available through iTunes with a portion of the digital download proceeds going to the Red Cross.

The Parker Playhouse is located at 707 N.E. Eighth Street in Fort Lauderdale. Tickets, $34 and $44, are available by calling 954-462-0222 and live on-line ticketing at www.parkerplayhouse.com. Tickets are also available through Ticketmaster. All dates, programs and artists are subject to change.

PHOTO IDS

1. Folk music icon Judy Collins

New World Symphony's
Symphony with a Twist

by Lawrence Budmen
Music Critic

The joyous sounds of great music and good times lit up Lincoln Road on February 4 when the New World Symphony, the Miami based National Orchestral Academy, presented Symphony with a Twist. South Beach yuppies crowded the lobby of the Lincoln Theater for a Happy Hour and concert. Delicious light bites from Il Bistrot Della Gelateria and cool jazz by the terrific duo of Aaron Lebos (guitar) and Bryan Robertson (keyboards) entertained the lively crowd. Most of the throng was attending a New World Symphony event for the first time and the experience was heady. After the high-spirited party, the concert was a real rouser and, to many of the newcomers to classical music in the audience, a revelation.

With Luis Aguirre of Channel 7's ìDeco Driveî serving as the evening's host, the concert brought together the high energy performances of the New World Symphony fellows with the rhythmic, highly colorful music of Rimsky-Korsakov, Gershwin, and Ravel. Joana Carneiro , Principal Guest Conductor of the Metropolitan Orchestra of Lisbon, provided dynamic leadership on the podium.

The concert opened with a rousing performance of Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio Espagnol. Carneiro captured the music's Spanish rhythms and color with astute mastery and idiomatic authenticity. The orchestra's cello section and horns sounded rich and full in the piece's second movement Variations. The evening's concertmaster Nancy Chang played her solos brilliantly. Chang has the fleet virtuosity and rich, vibrant tone of a violinistic superstar. Julie Smith's harp solos really glistened. The concluding Asturian Fandango sparkled. Carneiro found the Latin fervor beneath Rimsky-Korsakov's opulent orchestral palette.

Between performances (while the stage was reset), the New World's ace Vice President for Marketing and Public Relations Marc Fest interviewed two members of the orchestra ñ flutist Ebonee Thomas and horn player Ryan Gruber . Their comments and anecdotes gave the audience a first hand picture of what makes the New World academy so special.

Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue can sound passé but not in the hands of Terence Wilson . This young pianist has 24-carat virtuosity to burn. Wilson is a real dynamo. His technique dazzles the ear. A striking figure in a black leather suit, Wilson brought jazzy brilliance and lightning speed to this musical evergreen. He made the Rhapsody really swing but did not ignore its grand classical line. His octaves and runs were truly breathtaking ñ so was the finely elegant phrasing of the big romantic theme. Stephanie Wernli was the agile clarinetist whose opening riff (right out of klezmer) was nothing short of astounding! The orchestra sounded lush and rhapsodic under Carneiro's taut direction. Wilson and Carneiro reinvented this thrice familiar score. They put the jazzy modernity back in the music.

Carneiro's imaginative take on Ravel's Bolero brought the evening to a smashing conclusion. She began at a very slow tempo. Ebonee Thomas's flute solo was scintillating. Gradually, almost imperceptively, Carneiro accelerated the tempo. Instead of being monotonous, she brought the music to vibrant life ñ emphasizing myriad orchestral colors and constantly changing instrumental textures. Rick Basehore's evocative English horn solo was beautifully articulated. A clarion trumpet turn by Justin Bartels riveted attention and a jazzy trombone solo by Maciej Pietraszko emphasized the musical relationship to the preceding Gershwin score. (Gershwin and Ravel were friends.)   With the cobwebs dusted off, this Bolero was exciting. Joana Carneiro is a terrifically gifted conductor ñ definitely a young artist to watch. The splendid playing of the New World Symphony was a total delight. For the large and enthusiastic audience, this concert was a real event.

Kudos to the NWS for producing this wonderful South Beach arts happening!

For more information about New World Symphony, visit www.nws.edu .

Joanne Brackeen Trio at February 2006
ìJazz Impressionsî Concert Series

On Saturday, February 18 at 8pm, South Florida JAZZ (SFJ) 2006 concert series, ìJazz Impressions,î resumes with a performance by the Joanne Brackeen Trio . This concert will take place at the Horvitz Auditorium of the MUSEUM of ART ñ Fort Lauderdale auditorium (One East Las Olas Blvd, corner of Andrews Ave.).

Ms Brackeen is regarded as the ìPicasso of the Piano.î She is a noted performer and educator living nearly half-time in Boston to continue her teaching at Berklee College of Music; and residing permanently in New York where she is a much in-demand player and a magnet for a multitude of musicians who adore playing in her bands. She will be making a rare South Florida appearance at the request of SouthFlorida JAZZ with her trio featuring bassist Calvin Hill and drummer E. J. Strickland , a Miami native and product of the New World School of the Arts magnet school, and a current sensation on the New York jazz scene.

Joanne Brackeen is one of jazz's most prized possessions: a virtuoso pianist and master composer who epitomizes the history and evolution of jazz from traditional to free, and everything in between; all with a contemporary edge.   Born in Southern California, she was drawn to the sound of the piano from the age of five, but did not begin formal studies until nine. She was given a conservatory education, but balked at the repertoire and regimentation, because she was hearing something in her head and on the radio that was not taught.

The pull toward jazz was irresistible and she began jamming at an early age. Joanne's unique sound was honed through a period of apprenticeship with some of the world's greatest names on the West Coast - playing with the likes of Dexter Gordon, Harold Land, Bobby Hutcherson and Billy Higgins - before moving to New York after marrying saxophonist Charles Brackeen , where she began to command the attention of the upper echelon of jazz players and played with Woody Shaw and Dave Liebman while raising four children.

She became one of the most lauded pianists of the day, working for several years with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, then with two major saxophonists: Joe Henderson for three years followed by two years with Stan Getz. Joanne has been at the forefront of new music, recording over 20 albums as a leader with some of the most respected musicians in jazz including Jack DeJohnette, Billy Hart, and Eddie Gomez. Her playful and complex sense of time, rhythm and mood permeates her repertoire, which now numbers close to 300 original compositions, 100 of which have been recorded.

With jazz in a retro self-examination these days, what is magical is that Joanne continues to play, compose, exist and evolve with the joy of someone that has just discovered a universe of possibilities at her fingertips. Her music defies easy explanation, refuses to conform to the norm, and in the end, it stands out from the crowd in every way.

Seating for this concert is limited to 256 ticket holders. The performance follows a 7pm informal ìMeet the Musician" question and answer period in the Horvitz Auditorium of the Museum of Art. Tickets may be purchased in advance for $30 by calling Complete Ticket Solutions (CTS) toll-free at 877-877-7677 or online at www.southfloridajazz.org , where additional information can also be obtained.

PHOTO IDS

1. Joanne Brackeen

Listening with Lee Zimmerman

Tony Gilkyson: Goodbye Guitar
(Rolling Sea Records)

Goodbye guitar? HardlyÖ Former X man and session player Tony Gilkyson has made quite a name for himself living by his six-string. Considering the fact that he was one of the pioneers of L.A.'s late ë70s punk scene and a contributor to albums by Bob Dylan, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Dave Alvin and his own sister Eliza, he's carved out quite a career for himself over the past couple of decades. So why give up the guitar now?

Fortunately, all's not evident in the title of this, only his second solo album in eight years. Still, there's more than a hint of the unexpected, cast mainly in the roots rock, down-home approach that characterizes the bulk of this effort. It's an album made up of rockabilly rave-ups (ìMojave Highî), down-home honky-tonk (ìWorthlessî ìWilton Bridgeî ìOld Cracked Looking Glassî) and some rustic, backwoods rambles (ìDonut And A Dreamî ìJuanitaî). Taken in tandem, these songs give the set a rustic, old-fashioned feel, a blend of classic country and seminal rock ën' roll. Gilkyson comes by this conveyance naturally; aside from his musical associations, he's the son of a prominent folk singer/songwriter, Terry Gilkyson . It's clear that he relishes his attachment to American roots music, and it's that heartfelt bond that resonates through every note on this album.

Eight years is a long time to anticipate an artist's next effort, but in this case, it's well worth the wait. Suffice it to say, Goodbye Guitar is a welcome hello.

Visit www.rollingsearecords.com .

Garrison Starr: The Sound of You and Me
(Vanguard)

After a music career that has been bounded by widespread acclaim and deep disappointment, Garrison Starr has regrouped and launched what may well be her best effort yet. Not yet out of her twenties, Starr already boasts an impressive portfolio, beginning with her critically acclaimed Eighteen Over Me , released in 1997 and continually steadily through 2004's Airstreams And Satellites , which marked her debut for her latest label, Vanguard. But since that last album, Starr's like appears to have undergone a series of changes, both personal and professional. For one, she's traded the tumult and frenzy of Los Angeles for the musician-friendly environs of Nashville.  

Nevertheless, it's the romantic ups and downs she's experienced in recent years that are finely detailed in The Sound of You and Me . The percolating ìBeautiful in Los Angeles,î she sings not so much about the place but a person she left back west. A steady, persistent ìNo Man's Landî translates as a song of longing and desire. ìSing it Like a Victim,î with its sprightly rhythms and celebratory chorus seems almost contradictory to the message implied in its title but it too reflects the scars of heartbreak and disillusionment.  

If all this seems somewhat downcast, be assured it's not. Garrison's voice ñ sultry and seductive as always ñ practically glides over a series of arrangements that are at times almost contradictory to the supple sheen her vocals suggest, from the kinetic pulse of ìPendulumî to the relentless drive of ìKansas City, KS.î It's within this vibrant and compelling context that Starr finds the Sound that helps her soar.

Visit www.vanguardrecords.com .

Gus Black: Autumn Days
(Cheap Lullaby)

The artist formerly known as Gus is now reborn with a proper moniker, Gus Black , and ready to take his place among today's legion of hushed, pensive troubadours. Except that Gus was a precursor to the soft, serene style that seems to have dominated the singer/songwriter profession these days. And on his new CD, the serenely titled Autumn Days , he proves he is indeed a master of his craft.  

While others of his ilk mistake melancholia and shoe-gazing for insight and revelation, Black believes that these nocturnal emotions aren't necessarily circumspect. While some songs keep to a pensive perspective ñ ìDon't Go Tellin' the Whole Worldî and ìHelicoptersî among them ñ other tracks turn up the tension and find him moving into more visceral terrain. ìCertain Kind of Light,î for example, displays a kind of kinetic propulsion, while ìLong Beach,î ìRollercoasterî and ìCertain Kind Of Lightî funnel an insistent energy that's far more embracing than the usual twilight introspection. Black may build his music from heartfelt rumination ñ his read of ìYou are My Sunshineî is, ironically, among the album's most downcast offerings ñ but he's not afraid to push the proceedings along with a healthy dose of edginess and exhilaration.

Back in the ë90s when he was known only as Gus, he recorded music that was filled with wistful intrigue and careful deliberation. This welcome return finds him no less incisive, and in many ways, for more compelling. Autumn Days is every bit as sweet and sublime as its title implies. Visit www.cheaplullaby.com .

A unique chamber music concert and series of master classes will light up the Florida International University main campus from February 3-5. The members of renowned Amernet String Quartet, resident ensemble at the FIU School of Music, will be joined by their teachers and mentors. These musicians are all legends of the chamber music world –- violinists Zvi Zeitlin, Shmuel Ashkenazi, and Sergiu Schwartz, violist Toby Appel, and cellist Yehuda Hanani. Many South Floridians will remember Hanani from the innovative Close Encounters with Music series that he presented in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale for many seasons.
 
For the Amernet musicians, this festival will be a reunion. The quartet’s first violinist Misha Vitenson was taught by Schwartz, a distinguished virtuoso and professor at Boca Raton’s Lynn University. Zeitlin was Michael Klotz’s violin teacher at New York’s Julliard School. When he switched to viola, Klotz was taught by Appel. Yehuda Hanani was a mentor to the Amernet foursome when they moved to Cincinnati. Later they joined the Israeli born Hanani on the faculty of the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.
 
The festive weekend will commence on February 3 with a gala concert at the FIU Wertheim Performing Arts Center Concert Hall. The program will open with J.S. Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins with Zeitlin and Vitenson, accompanied by the quartet and assisting musicians. The Amernet players will be joined by Appel and Hanani for Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence sextet. The concert concludes with all of the musicians joining for a one of a kind performance of Mendelssohn’s Octet.
 
Students from the Julliard School, Rochester’s Eastman School of Music, and Indiana University, the Amernet players’ FIU students and other locally gifted young musicians will take part in master classes on February 4 and 5. Joined by concert violinist and FIU faculty member Robert Davidovici, the musicians will teach solo instrumental sessions on February 4; followed by chamber music master classes on February 5.
 
For violist Klotz, this weekend is “a special event – a singular gathering of distinguished artists. The Amernet players all have special personal connections with our guest mentors. Shmuel Ashkenazi is one of the greatest chamber music players and teachers in the business. He is our idol. An event like this does not happen every day.”
 
Speaking from his home in Rochester (where he teaches at the Eastman School), violinist Zvi Zeitlin said he hopes to impart “some of my love and experience in playing great music to the students.” Zeitlin is “proud to see the careers of many of my students. I am looking forward to helping them uphold the tradition.”
 
At age 84, Zeitlin has had a rich, varied career in music. He gave the first New York Philharmonic performance of Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto conducted by Leonard Bernstein and later played it in Israel under the composer’s supervision. At a post performance gathering, Stravinsky toasted Zeitlin and asked him to learn Schoenberg’s Violin Concerto -– a score that few had the courage to tackle. “I learned that difficult score and played it in 1964 in Buenos Aires. I performed that work a record 67 times under such conductors as Bernstein, Rafael Kubelik, Antal Dorati, and James Levine. I tell my students about these performances and urge them not to continually rehash the standard repertoire. I always try to give them an appetite to fan their artistic curiosity to play rarely heard works. That can often bring them attention in the music world.” Today Zeitlin believes young musicians “can not be good soloists without being good chamber music players. Versatility is the sine qua non.”
 
Zeitlin has premiered concertos (written especially for him) by Gunther Schuller, Carlos Surinach, and Israel’s Paul Ben-Haim. With close friendships with such musical greats as Jascha Heifetz and William Primrose, Zeitlin brings nearly six decades of experience and wisdom to teaching and performance. The FIU chamber music weekend should be special indeed.
 
For more information, call the School of Music at FIU at 305-348-2896 or visit www.amernet.us/fiu/index.htm.

Johnny Mathis is 
"Wonderful Wonderful"
 
by Bill Hernandez
Contributing Writer

 
 
With his distinctive nasal tenor and songs of sweet love, entrancing crooner Johnny Mathis seduced the willing into an inescapable trance and offered those in attendance to disregard the now and relive the memories of their past.
 
Mathis performed last Sunday at the Sinatra Theatre in Sunrise to a full house of nearly five thousand people, but the atmosphere that he created gave attendees the feeling of being surrounded by only a few. The intimate setting, along with a full orchestra, was chock-full of classic ballads that have made Mathis one of the most consistently charted album artists in popular music history.
 
Mathis, 69, shows no signs of slowing down as his current tour takes him across America to entertain the masses and to bring back the memories to those who may have shared their first kiss or slow-danced to his music at their senior prom. This evening featured everything and more than any Mathis fan could ever want. Some of the seductive offerings heard on this evening included “It's Not for Me to Say,” “Misty,” “Chances Are,” and “Wonderful Wonderful.”
 
Mathis first started to sing at age thirteen by taking professional opera lessons, though his early goal was to become a physical education teacher. Before hitting it big, Johnny was also invited to the Olympic Track Trials in Berkeley while attending San Francisco State College. His first big hit came just one year later in 1957 with “Wonderful Wonderful.” His Greatest Hits album from 1958 spent 490 weeks (nine and a half years--can you believe it?) on the music charts.
 
Johnny Mathis is an American music legend with worldwide acclaim. Even now, his voice is as pure as the first time you heard it. He is nearing the fifty-year mark of his performing career, and the journey is just beginning.
 
For further information on Johnny Mathis and future tour dates, log onto www.johnnymathis.com.   
 
 
PHOTO IDS
 
1. Johnny Mathis in concert

Listening with Lee Zimmerman

Big Blue Hearts: Here Come Those Dreams Again
(Eagle Eye Records)
 
What better choice for Valentine’s Day than a new effort by a group called Big Blue Hearts? In fact, the band’s new album -- only their second in eight years -- provides an amiable listen no matter what time of the year it may be. Still, with titles like “Lovin’ You,” “Love or Something Like It,” “Dreamin’ of a Woman” and the like, it would seem to provide the perfect ambiance for the kind of romantic encounter this holiday in particular has to offer.
 
Big Blue Hearts emit a sound that you’d swear you’ve heard before, simply by virtue of the fact that their songs sound effortlessly engaging… so pop perfect… it’s clear they’ve got the hit-fit down pat.  With their smooth, supple melodies, the hooks come quicker than a fly-fishing tournament in Big Sky country. Along the way, they conjure up some unavoidable comparisons, from the easy sway of Chris Isaak to the emotional big-voiced balladry of the late Roy Orbison. Nevertheless, the Hearts seem to take pains to emphasize their stance, even when it comes to some curious repetition. Take, for example, the way the one-two punch of “Dreamin’ of a Woman” followed by “Here Come Those Dreams Again” finds them fixated on their surreal subject matter. 
 
Given some sustained promotion, Big Blue Hearts have a radio-ready viability that could someday make them an ongoing presence on the airwaves. Theirs is a sound that’s easy to embrace, an easily accessible outfit that makes music that bubbles over with mass appeal potential. Clearly, it’s just a matter of time before these Big Blue Hearts break wide open.
 
Visit www.bigbluehearts.com.   
 
Dusty Springfield: Live at the Royal Albert Hall (CD and DVD)
(Eagle Rock Entertainment)
 
Every day could be Valentine’s Day as far as Britain’s love affair with Dusty Springfield is concerned. One of England’s preeminent entertainers, from the beginnings of her career in the early ‘60s to her untimely death in 1999, her trail of hits -– “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me,” “Son of a Preacher Man,” “I Only Want to Be With You” and the like –- continue to resonate with airplay and still elicit her fans’ appreciation even today. 
 
Recorded in 1979 before a Royal audience that included Britain’s Princess Margaret, Live at the Royal Albert Hall was both a comeback of sorts and a reaffirmation of her performing prowess. The highlights are what one might expect, specifically when it comes to her hits, although several of those songs are compacted into a sprawling medley that winds its way from a low-key cover of Carole King’s “Goin’ Back” to a powerful read of “Losing You.” And while her takes of “Preacher Man” and “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me” (a Valentine’s Day anthem if ever there was one), full-blown covers of her other chart-toppers might have been preferable to yet another version of “We are Family” and “This Will Be,” two songs that turn up in the repertoires of singers who are obviously strapped for material. Frankly, Dusty isn’t and she deserves better.
 
Even so, both CD and DVD provide a wonderful memento of this legendary singer and the great music that was so much a part of ‘60s and ‘70s. (Hearing her flub a few lines and break in to chuckles makes this an even more intimate encounter!) A great concert and a once in a lifetime event, it offers the opportunity to own a piece of true musical memorabilia.
 
Visit www.eaglerockent.com.
 
The Love Hall Tryst: Songs of Misfortune
(Appleseed)
 
What better offer for Valentine’s Day than to spend some time with The Love Hall Tryst? Not to worry -– that’s not as erotic as it sounds. Actually, it’s a quartet made up of four veteran folkies -– John Wesley Harding, Kelly Hogan, Brian Lohman and Nora O’Connor –- and the music they serve up in this one-off collaboration is a series of traditional English folksongs, albeit some with an occasional lurid twist. Anyone familiar with an old Traffic standard, “John Barleycorn Must Die,” will get a sense of the music’s furtive flavor.
 
Still, you wouldn’t know there were any intriguing underpinnings in these songs if you were to base your assessments solely on the presentation. With the exception of a second version of “Lord Bateman” (a tale of infidelity and intrigue similar to Fairport Convention’s “Maddy Groves”) and a couple of others, the tunes in this set are sung acappela, with these four harmonious voices filling in the supple nuances. These are delightful excursions, a celebration of purity without pretense. Granted, they have a limited audience, but if anyone can make this music palatable for the masses, this quartet has as good a chance as anyone.
 
The bottom line? Consider it good fortune to stumble upon these Songs of Misfortune.
 
Visit www.appleseedrec.com.