Hullo friends. How blessed are we? While a Category 3 hurricane threatens the East coast, we bask in the sun and warmth of the Niagara Frontier. I even got a sunburn on my balding pate while cruising Center Street at the 10th Annual Lewiston Jazz Festival. How do they ever pull that off? Ronnie Corsaro, Carol Calato (Regal Tip sticks & brushes), Sandy Hays, County Legislator Richard Soluri, and all of the board members who so unselfishly pour their collective energies into making this music and friendship festival a reality are owed a serious debt of thanks. While our "leaders" in Washington sabotage the very stability that our fiscal policy balances on with their irresponsible debt-ceiling gamesmanship, the Niagara County policy makers come together in the interest of the common good. To paraphrase the late Tip O'Neill, all politics is indeed local. And lucky are we that this local is where we reside...
Tonight - Sunday, 8/28 at the Niagara Arts & Cultural Center 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Ron Corsaro & the Upstate Express
As the jazz festival concluded last night, the Sunday performances at the NACC conclude today, fittingly with the man who organized and booked all of the performing artists for Lewiston. After appearing every Thursday this (and every) summer at the gazebo in Lewiston, Ronnie's Upstate Express plays its final concert of the season on the steps of the former Niagara Falls High School. One last time for 2011, we're going out swinging.
Tuesday, 8/30 at the Iris Restaurant 7:30 - 10:30
Mike Kelly, guitar Danny Vitale, bass your host, drum set
I'm especially grateful to the above mentioned presenters of the Lewiston Jazz Fest for reasons both musical and personal. Their skill at organizing the whole event allowed me to bring my friend Mike Kelly home. His performance last night, along with that of Pete Malinverni and the incomparable Danny Vitale, was truly inspiring. Mike was a world-class guitarist when he moved from Rochester to New York in the 80's, and from New York to Atlanta in the 90's. For those of you who heard it last night from the Frontier House porch, you know this to be true: He's simply brilliant. And he hasn't lost a step. After all these years I am still knocked out by his musical vocabulary, his feel, his swing, his knowledge of tunes, his artistic temperament, and his fundamental musicality. To this day, he sounds like he was born with a guitar in his lap. And thanks to our continuing embarrassment of riches, we get to reprise the moments musical again this Tuesday. Pete will have headed back to New York, but Mike's lifelong friend Danny Vitale will return, and this time you can hear all of the nuance that is sometimes lost in an outdoor performance. Please join us as we extend the Jazz Festival one more evening, in the intimate environs of the Iris Restaurant. We're still at Maple & Sweet Home Roads in the Maple-Ridge Plaza. Good music, good food, good people, chilled spirits, and a great hang...
next Tuesday, 9/6 at the Iris Restaurant 7:30 - 10:30
George Caldwell, piano Miles Tucker, saxophone Sabu Adeyola, bass your host, drum set
upcoming at the Iris Restaurant...
Tuesday, 9/13 Tim Clarke & George Kane
Tuesday, 9/20 Bruce Johnstone & the Carousel Strings
Tuesday, 9/27 Matt Michaud
Tuesday, 10/4 Phil DiRe
Tuesday, 10/11 Jeff Hackworth
Tuesday, 10/18 Mike Kaupa
Tuesday, 11/1 Karl Stabnau
Tuesday, 11/15 Clay Jenkins
links...
Have a good one...
A day is Eternity's seed, and we are its Gardeners.
- Erika Harris
Health,
Hope,
Dialogue,
Respect,
Tolerance,
and Peace.
dan
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