Music
• Buckwheat Zydeco coming to BF: WOOL Radio presents a Mardi Gras benefit concert for the nonprofit community station with music legend and 2010 Grammy Award winner Buckwheat Zydeco on Feb. 1o at the Bellows Falls Opera House.
The son of a Louisiana farmer, Stanley “Buckwheat” Dural was born in 1947 and, while still a boy, began performing as an organist with American originals like Joe Tex and Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown. In 1976, he joined Clifton Chenier's band, found his love for zydeco and took up the accordion, eventually forming his own zydeco band in 1979. In the past three decades, he's shared stages with U2, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Willie Nelson, Paul Simon, The Boston Pops, Ry Cooder, and a Who's Who list of luminaries.
The Lil' Orphans Cajun Express will open the show. Based in Alstead, N.H., and a full eight-piece band, they add a dimension to the show in the age-old pull and tug between cajun music - historically from New Orleans - and zydeco music, based hours to the west of the big easy near Lafayette, Mr. Dural's home town. The stylistic differences are as culturally dissimilar as bluegrass and rock, but all of it feeds into what's become known as Creole music.
Doors open at 7 p.m., and there will be a full Mardi Gras cash bar downstairs at the Opera House, featuring Louisiana-inspired drinks. Tickets and information are available at www.wool.fm and Village Square Books in Bellows Falls, Brattleboro Books in Brattleboro, Turn It Up! in Keene N.H.,and Brattleboro, The Vault in Springfield, Misty Valley Books in Chester and online at www.bfoperahouse.com.
• Larkin, Smither coming to Latchis: Annapurna Concerts presents Patty Larkin and Chris Smither at 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 9, at the Latchis Theatre in Brattleboro. The event is co-sponsored by WRSI.
Larkin and Smither are two of the most talented and creative guitarists and singer/songwriters in the American folk music scene today. Larkin has been described as “riveting” by the Chicago Tribune, “hypnotic” by Entertainment Weekly and a “drop dead brilliant performer” by Performing Songwriter. Smither, according to The Associated Press is “an American original, a product of the musical melting pot, and one of the absolute best singer-songwriters in the world.”
Tickets are $20 in advance, or $22 at the door, general admission. They are available at Brattleboro Tix at 802-246-6000 or brattleborotix.com, at the Latchis Theatre Hotel, Turn it Up Music in Brattleboro, and Turn it Up in Northampton, Mass. For more information, contact AnnapurnaConcerts@gmail.com or call 802-387-2456.
• Open Music Collective classes: Beginning on Jan. 22 at 9 a.m., the Open Music Collective will begin a non-traditional chamber ensemble. In this ensemble, classic works like Bach's Art of the Fugue will be played, in addition to a piece by John Cage and one by Haydn.
The focus will be on rhythm and musicality and to see a new assortment of instruments in a classical context. As a result, all instruments - including electric guitar, electric bass, mandolins, ukelele, all strings, saxophones, clarinets, all woodwinds (very savvy chromatic harmonica players will be considered) - are welcome. A basic ability to read music (or desire to improve) is the only prerequisite.
Also, on Jan. 24, the collective will offer new courses focused on the voice. Finding Your Voice is a course designed for adults who love to sing but maybe never have. This class will focus on basic vocal mechanics, basic music fundamentals, and will offer the opportunity to sing a whole lot in a fun and relaxed environment. Jenna Rae, a graduate of Northwestern who studied at NEC and Longy, will teach the course. Classes will be held on Tuesday nights at 5:30.
And, on the week of Jan. 22, OMC is offering a course geared towards adults who are new to jazz. The class will focus on jam session tunes in a very relaxed and fun atmosphere Tuesday nights at 7 p.m.
OMC's growing jazz ensemble program will continue with a Joe Henderson Ensemble on Wednesdays and a group devoted to the Music of Bobby Bradford and Ornette Coleman on Thursdays. By listening to specific pieces, sharing historical information, and playing classic arrangements and compositions, these courses are in depth studies of jazz masters. Basic musicianship and jazz knowledge are suggested; course times are flexible.
On Saturdays, the Youth Ensemble will study classics with a focus on high energy music and the ins and outs of working in an ensemble. All levels and ages under 18 are welcome. All classes will be coached by Jamie MacDonald, an upright and electric bassist who is currently performing as part of the Jazz Demolition Project with David Goodrich on guitar and Doug Raneri on drums.
Limited scholarships are available for both classes. Open Music Collective is located in the Cotton Mill in Brattleboro. Contact them at 802-275-5054 or info@openmusiccollective.org.
• Children's chorus concert and Celtic family dance: On Saturday, Jan. 22, at 6:30 p.m., at the Stone Church in Brattleboro, two exciting Brattleboro Music Center programs combine for an evening of music and dance for the whole family.
The Brattleboro Children's Chorus, directed by Susan Dedell, gets the evening off to a lively start with songs from the folk tradition of Africa, story songs from the British Isles and Israel, and songs from the film classics Peter Pan and The Jungle Book. The children will be joined by the students from the traditional music program for some of the program, and will also lead the audience in singing a couple of rounds.
The dance program will feature the playing of students from the Traditional Music Program on fiddles, flutes, mandolins, guitars and more, led by Keith Murphy and Becky Tracy. Traditional jigs, reels and waltzes will be the music for a fun family dance program led by dancing master Peter Amidon. While the music will make for delightful listening, everyone will be invited to participate in the dancing. All dances will be taught and no experience is necessary.
Everyone is welcome, with a $5 suggested donation at the door.
• Brazilian music in Guilford: Enjoy the warmth of good friends, good food, a toasty fireplace, and great local jazz featuring the music of Brazil as Wendy Redlinger's Soiree Musicals hosts the Bob Stabach 4tet with special guest Derrik Jordan on violin and conga on Sunday, Jan. 23 at 4:30 p.m., with a potluck intermission.
The 4tet includes Eugene Uman, piano; George Kaye, bass; Tim Gilmore, drums; and Bob Stabach on sax. The program will include Brasillian composers Jobim, Dalto and a song from Jordan's album Brazilliance, as well as originals and standards.
Admission is $10 by donation, Redlinger's home is on 2596 Tater Lane in Guilford, off Guilford Center Road. Call 802-254-6189 for directions and more information.
• Chorale seeks singers: The Blanche Moyse Chorale, a program of the Brattleboro Music Center, is now holding auditions for experienced choral singers in all vocal sections, especially altos and tenors.
The Chorale, founded in 1978, is a chamber chorus of about 30 voices, who strive to attain the high level of musical artistry exemplified by its original director, Blanche Moyse. Although based in the Brattleboro area, the Chorale includes singers from the wider tri-state region and beyond. Weekly rehearsals are held on Sunday evenings at The Putney School.
In recent years, the Chorale has performed Handel's Messiah (complete), Copeland's In the Beginning, Mendelssohn's Die Erste Walpurgisnacht, Britten's Ceremony of Carols, Palestrina's Missa: Hodie Christus Natus Est, as well as numerous shorter works. The Chorale is currently preparing a program of works by Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672) for May performances in Bellows Falls and Brattleboro.
Interested singers should call either Chorale representative Calvin Farwell (802-257-0496) for further information, or Chorale director Mary Westbrook-Geha (617-216-2818) to schedule an audition.
Poetry
• The Puzzle Master at Marlboro College: Marlboro College will host a staged reading of F.D. Reeve's epic poem, The Puzzle Master, on Friday, Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. in the Whittemore Theater.
The Puzzle Master is a dramatic verse retelling of the Daedalus-Icarus story. Mark Genzsler and Lucas Rosenthal will voice the father-son pair of Delling and Ingram, adapted from the title characters of the Greek myth.
Other roles include Emily Cox as Arabella (Ariadne), Laura Stevenson as Queen Prue (Pasiphae), Edmund Brelsford as the leader of the Caribe chorus and Reeve himself as a chorus member. Visual images used in the performance were created by Stuart Nudelman, director of the Ogunquit Art Gallery.
Reeve published the poem as part of the 2010 collection, The Puzzle Master and other Poems (NYQ Books). Reeve has published three dozen books of poetry, fiction, criticism and translation, and is a recipient of the New England Poetry Club's ''Golden Rose'' award and an Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. In 2002, he retired from teaching English and Russian literature, having held posts at Columbia, Wesleyan, Yale, and Oxford University during his 40 year career.
The performance is free and open to the public. In the event of inclement weather, call 802-451-7151 for cancellation information.
Visual arts
• Brattleboro Sketchcrawl: Winter Edition: On Saturday, Jan., 22, from noon-3 p.m., the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, River Gallery School and Post Oil Solutions will present another edition of Sketchcrawl, a community-oriented drawing event for artists of all ages and abilities.
Between noon and 1 p.m., drop by the Winter Farmers' Market at Brattleboro's River Garden to pick up simple sketching supplies and find out where the artists showcased in Paper Trails are located. Then take an hour or two to crawl about town, perhaps join the Paper Trails artists, and sketch an impression or two.
At about 2:30 or 3, gather at BMAC with your fellow sketchers for appreciation and refreshments.
• Guilford Movie Night series debuts: The first of three Guilford Movie Nights will take place on Saturday, Jan. 22, at 7:30 pm, at the Guilford Central School cafeteria. These events are part of the yearlong celebration of the town's 250th anniversary, and each movie night will feature Guilford filmmakers and subjects.
All these events are admission-free, with donations to the 250th fund welcome.
This first movie night will be devoted to the work of VermontTv.net, an on-demand video website. Videos shot by Kris Cain, including Sugar on Snow, The Guilford Fair, John Wolcott Phelps, and The Boys and Girls Club of Brattleboro will be screened. These feature videos are professionally produced, fun and informative. Come join the fun and chat with the producers, Bill Heyman and Rick Garren, who reside in Guilford.
VermontTv.net creates, produces and hosts informational and entertaining HD documentaries focused on Vermont's people, places and events. VermontTv.net supplies complete video production, on-demand video hosting and advertising production.
In keeping with the medium, popcorn and drinks will be on sale, further benefitting the Guilford 250th fund. Further events in the series will be home movies from the early 1970s, shown in February, and a screening of The Stuff of Dreams: The Making of the Tempest, in March. At all three evenings, the filmmakers will be on hand to introduce the movies and meet the audience.
Books
• Write Action reading at Putney Public Library: There will be short readings by a group of contributors to the Write Action Tenth Anniversary Anthology at the Putney Library on Friday, January 21st at 7:00. The anthology, a collection of poetry and prose by Write Action members includes some of the finest writers in the region.
Readers at the Putney Library event will be: Jan Frazier, Fred Lawrence, Paul Kaufman, Dave Ritchie, Vidda Crochetta, Bill Pearson, and Arlene Distler reading the anthologized poems of Laura Sperazi, who died this past year.
Ritchie, relatively new to the art and craft of poetry is quoted in this review of the anthology from noted poet Chard DiNiord, author of Night Mowing: “Dave Ritchie in his poem 'Why Locovore Writers?' conjures an apt metaphor for the local appetite for verbal sustenance: What about 'fresh'?/That's how we want our vegetables./ As recently harvested as possible./ I would like that with my neighboring author./Let her revelations start with us! And so they do.”
Many authors in the collection have published books of their own. The anthology is a great way to discover the work of the writers in the area whose prose or poetry you may want to read more of. Since contributors' prose pieces are all under 1,500 words, the stories, memoirs, and essays are perfect reading for a single sitting. The book includes the work of seventy-one writers living in the Brattleboro area, including the tri-state region of Keene and northwestern Massachusetts.
The Best of Write Action No. 2: The Tenth Anniversary Anthology will be for sale at the reading. It is also available at local bookstores and online at www.writeaction.org