Get ready for the second Sunday of great music as part of the Red Hook Jazz Festival at the Urban Meadow. It will be a day on the Columbia Street Waterfront, right under the cranes in a beautiful outdoor spot. Many of the musicians who'll be playing the RHJF live in Brooklyn - from Carroll Gardens to Park Slope to Ditmas Park, Brooklyn is represented (and there will even be a few guests from Manhattan!)
Suggested admission at the door is $5 for adults, kids are free. (All proceeds go to support the Urban Meadow Garden and activities.)
Red Hook Jazz Festival
Part II
Sunday, June 20th
1:00pm – 5:00pm
1:00pm
James Carneywith Tony Malaby, Chris Lightcap, Dan Weiss
Had you walked into Carroll Gardens' St. Paul's Episcopal Church at 199 Carroll Street on Sunday, you would have witnessed something pretty special. A few very talented neighborhood children were playing their violins, violas, cellos and the piano at their yearly recital. Most of the virtuosi were students of P.S.58, The Carroll School and have been exposed to string instruments early on through the school's incredible music program. (For those P.S.58 old-timers, do you remember Mr. Frank Leviton?)
This recital though, was hosted by their private music teachers Kalin and Krasi Ivanov to showcase their students. This prominent musical couple, originally from Bulgaria, has been giving lessons to neighborhood children for the last ten years, many having come from P.S.58.Kalin and Krasi perform regularly themselves and have won many musical awards. Hearing them in concert is quite a treat.
If you would like to contact them for lessons, here is their contact information:
Moody Teen and I don't always see eye to eye on things. However, strangely enough, my son has a pretty eclectic compilation on his mp3 player. If I discount the occasional techno that creeps up once in a while and his newfound interest in country music, I could even say that we share the same taste in music. And I consider it a rare honor when he puts on something for me to listen to. So when he put on "The Answer" by Blue October, the Texas band fronted by the charismatic Justin Furstenfeld, I melted. Haunting lyrics, the most beautiful violin solo, it was a song that stuck in my head. There were other songs, equally dark and disturbing such as "Into The Ocean" and " Hate Me" songs far too morose for my son to listen to. But yet, I understood his draw to Furstenfeld's voice. It transmitted the inner turmoil of a man who knows what it is like to sink deep into despair, someone who had gone too close to the edge. In essence, a man who still remembers what teen angst feels like. No wonder M. related.
So, in an incredibly inspired moment, if I may say so myself, I had an amazing idea. Get tickets to Blue October's show as a way to celebrate M's upcoming October birthday. And not tell him! So last night, with the element of surprise firmly on our side, Mr. Pardon Me, College Daughter and I took him to the show at the Nokia Theatre at 44th and Broadway. And what a show it was. May I just say that Furstenfeld may be one of the best performers I have ever seen? He is mesmerizing. He is the kind of performer who demands your attention and does not let go until he is done with you. His presence is menacing and vulnerable at the same time. He is a man who sings as though his life depends on it. Dark, yes, but so honest that it made me want to cry at times. And just when you thought you can not take your eye off him, you catch from the corner of your eyes, another performance. Off to the side, violinist, guitarist, pianist, vocalist Ryan Delahoussaye's presence is equally transfixing. Switching constantly from one instrument to the other, Delahoussaye's notes add a softer, more human aspect to the songs. Truly. He is an amazing musician, a joy to watch. Have I gushed enough about the group? You can tell that I enjoyed the concert. And Moody Teen, you ask? I think it was an evening he will never forget. And I hope that when he thinks back on this experience many years from now, he will remember that I was standing right beside him, cheering both him and Furstenberg.
Who is French, what is France and where is France going? French immigrant rapper Diam takes a brutal look at what it means to be an immigrant in the France of Sarkozy. I thought it may be interesting to see for my American readers since the discussion is going on right now in the States. The video is pretty powerful
This is Ted Leo and the Pharmacists from their 2007 album Living with the Living
I am sitting on my stoop, enjoying a nice balmy evening after a particularly stressing week. What better way of relaxing than with some good new music. Here is my internet music find of the evening. Do you like it?
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"Does This Mean You're Moving On" by The Airborne Toxic Event. A California band that took its name from a reference in Don DeLillo's novel "White Noise." This is probably the sad song sung by the poor schmoh who put a Post-it note on his girlfriend's forehead to remember her name. See yesterday's blog entry for explanation
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Another great find for your listening pleasures. What can I say...I am trying to keep you in the know here in Brooklyn. There is such good music out there. This is the Belgian (yes, Belgian) indie group Deus from their album "Pocket Revolution." Great song and hey, they are cute too.
Respect! You remember those one-man-band acts sitting in the subway, those musicians who played guitar, operated a drumset with their feet and blew into a harmonica? Yes, those guys. A few days ago, I posted a video of a guitarist who added a musical element with a spoon. Todays clip is of Alex Depue, who makes his violin sound like a whole band. Really cool.
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This guy is amazing. Another great find on the internet. Before you say that I have too much time on my hands, let me tell you that I have a killer cold. On this, the first really warm, incredibly beautiful spring day here in New York, I woke up feeling like sh-t. Hardly seems fair. I am hoping to feel better tomorrow so that I can start working in my front yard. I am itching to get out there and get my hands dirty and to play with the earthworms. ( Yes, even here in Brooklyn we have wildlife)
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I must be getting older! That realization comes to me everytime I come across the offspring of musicians and actors who were famous when I was young. That next generation is ready to leave its mark on my children. Has so much time really elapsed? Below is a video by Charlotte Gainsbourg, grown-up daughter of French chanteur Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin. Not bad! She has a better voice than her father and mother ever had.
( forget about the blabber at the beginning and wait for the actual song) I just discovered this guy today and fell in love with this song. His other music is not bad either so check him out.
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Pardon Me For Asking now has its own music podcast. Yup! Brooklyn is a melting pot, so the music we listen to is pretty international. So go ahead. Take a listen to my compilation. You know you want to. Just click on the little hot pink symbol on the right hand side and press play under the picture of the Carroll Street Subway Station. Its pretty cool stuff.....
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