DANCE - FINE ARTS - MUSIC - THEATER - WRITING

ARTBITS by Richard B. Harper


VOLUME 16 * * All Arts News On the Web * * July 12, 2012

STUFF YOU SHOULDN'T MISS

      ArtBits always features a calendar of the goings on of Franklin County artists. Check out these events around Franklin County. Each issue includes the entire text of our weekly newspaper column.


      Stop in for live music and more at the Fairfax Music Sessions at the Foothills Bakery in Fairfax most Saturday afternoons at 1 p.m., at various restaurants around Franklin County throughout the week, at the Bayside in St Albans Town most Sunday afternoons, and the Cambridge CoffeeHouses at 7 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday of every month.
     These gatherings bring new opportunities, gossip, "show-and-tell" and occasional workshops. The booked performances and acoustic Open Mike Nights feature music, readings, and more from the best new artists in Vermont.

      Find links to these events and more in our Spotlight!

... FROM THE ARTBITS DESK ...
E-Mail Delivery
Sign up to receive the free weekly ArtBits
newsletter by e-mail
or by RSS feed.


      The Summer of Music continues with three major concerts this weekend.

JAZZING UP HIGHGATE

      Jazz will mesmerize Highgate Municipal Park as Chevalier Drilling presents Jenni Johnson and the Jazz Junketeers in the free Summer Sounds concert on Sunday evening at 7 p.m. With Caleb Bronz on drums, Kathleen Dolan on flute, Glendon Ingalls on bass and sousaphone, Bob Levinson on guitar and vocals, Mark Van Gulden on keys, Ms. Johnson is jazzy, bluesy, funky, and nearly perfect.
      "We'll definitely do the standards," Ms. Johnson said, "the Billie [Holiday], the Nat King Cole, the Ella [Fitzgerald]."
      Singing jazz, blues and funk has been a central part of Ms. Johnson's life since her teen days in New York City. In the 1980s she pursued musical projects in Houston, Texas and Boston including unique work she titled "The Billie Holiday Story." She launched Jenni Johnson and the Jazz Junketeers in 1989 to sing the jazz and blues standards by her favorite African-American artists. The active touring artist is a regular performer in Summer Sounds, Discover Jazz, First Night, and at Chow!Bella
      The international entertainer now lives in Burlington. She has performed with numerous local and national musicians from New Orleans, as well as international jazz musicians from Yaroslavl and Rostav, Russia and Paris. She runs workshops in vocal-performance coaching for all levels and continues to Moonlight in Vermont as she keeps clients fit, counseled and musically entertained.
      Her albums include a Tour Down Memory Lane, recorded during her Vermont opera house tour, Black Pearls, and JENNI takes 1 & 2.
      Drummer Caleb Bronz of Burlington plays and records with Mighty Sam McClain, Johnny A, Barika, The Gordon Stone Band, Prydein, The Ray Vega Latin Jazz Ensemble, The Patricia Julien Project and others. He brings reggae, hip-hop, big-band and small-combo jazz, rock, pop, latin-jazz, bluegrass, free-jazz and more. He teaches privately and with such programs as Rock Camp Vermont and Vermont Jazz Camp.
      Kathleen Dolan Kathleen works with children as an art therapist and in visual arts and music as a registered Music Together teacher. She founded Purple Crayon Productions with art and music programs for infants to children in early elementary grades, a program that has expanded community-wide with offerings for seniors and special needs populations.
      Glendon Ingalls is Director of Instrumental Music at Rutland Town School and string bass, electric bass, and trumpet instructor at Middlebury College. He appeared with Jenni Johnson at the Yaroslavl International Jazz Festival in Russia.
      Bob Levinson plays Jazz, Pop, and Rock in his own trio, the Myra Flynn Band, Moving Music Studio, Panton Flats, and more.
      Mark Van Gulden of Monkton interprets the sounds of India, Eastern and Western Europe, Spain, Brazil, and American Jazz and blues. He also plays percussion including drums and conga; has taught mallet percussion at Burlington College, as well as in music workshops with Jenni around the state.
      Just before the concert, stop by for the Highgate Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary-Summer Sounds Social in the Park starting at 6 p.m. The social hour is a chance to visit with friends and eat some delicious desserts.
      The Summer Sounds concerts are sponsored by the Town of Highgate and the All Arts Council, and underwritten by Chevalier Drilling, Desorcie's Market, Drummac Septic Service, O. C. McCuin and Sons, and Ray's Extrusion Dies and Tubing.
      The community based All Arts Council brings the performing arts to northwestern Vermont. The concerts are always on Sunday evenings, always at 7 p.m., always in Highgate Municipal Park, and always free. Bring a blanket or a lawn chair for the outdoor family music and festivities. The rain site is the Highgate United Methodist Church.


ON STAGE LIVE

ST. ALBANS--Shooters Saloon presents Friction Band tomorrow evening at 1 p.m.


ENOSBURG FALLS--The 2012 Christian Music Concert on the Park series continues with the Moore Family Gospel Singers on the Lincoln Park Bandstand on Saturday evening at 7 p.m.
      The Moore Family travels from Bristol, New Hampshire to sing a blend of country, bluegrass, contemporary, R&B and traditional styles of gospel music at churches across New England. A freewill love offering will be taken the night of the concert to help support the Moore Family tour. In case of rain the concert will be moved to New Life Christian Church, 27 Cross Road in West Berkshire, Vermont.
      Call Pastor Tim Stetson (802.933.2513) or email for more info.


MONTGOMERY VILLAGE--Montgomery Historical Society presents the Gordon Stone Band with funkabilly jamgrass from Vermont in the Concerts by the Common series in Pratt Hall on Saturday at 8 p.m.
      Emmy-award winner and Jeezum Crow recording artist Gordon Stone has written and played genre-crossing music on banjo and pedal steel guitar for more than 30 years. He has recorded six studio albums of original material.
      Admission is $15 for Montgomery Historical Society members or $18 for non-members. Call Lutz Automotive (802.326.4528) for tickets and click here for more info about the band.


ESSEX JUNCTION--Justice keeps their rock rolling with Scott Belisle on bass and backup vocals; Todd Dunn, lead and rhythm guitar; Gary Greeno, lead vocals; Mike Fredette, drums; and Scott Guptill, rhythm guitar and backup vocals at On Tap at the Lincoln Inn on Saturday night at 9 p.m.
      Call 802.878.3309 or email for more info.


BURLINGTON--The UVM Folk Music Club hosts a Shape Note Sing in Ira Allen Chapel at UVM every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Mason Gohl holds pitching/leading/sight-reading lessons before the Sing at 6 p.m. Check for occasional changes in time, date and location. Email for more info.


MORRISVILLE--River Arts holds a Farmers and Artisans Market at the River Arts Center every Wednesday from 3 - 7 p.m. Click here for more info.


ST. ALBANS--J & L Guitars hosts Singer/Songwriter Night every Thursday evening.
      Call 802.527.9951 for more info.


ST. ALBANS--Chow Bella offers Music to Dine By with relaxed music and the arts. They may have live piano, violin, or light guitar any day of the week. The Chow! Cabaret offers live performances by musicians, visual artists, poets, and more. The regular Chow Open Mic Night has expanded to the first and third Wednesday of every month. Their Open Comedy Night for comics 18 and older will be held on the third Tuesday of every month and the new charity event series will take place on the third Saturday each month.
      Call 802.524.1405, email, or click here for more info or booking requests.


JOHNSON--Live at Dibden hosts weekly performances by the Burklyn Ballet at Johnson State every Saturday during the summer at 8 p.m. as part of its summer program for pre-professional dancers ages 12-25. Email or click here for more info.


FRANKLIN COUNTY BOOKSHELF

ST. ALBANS--Tonight is Classic Movie Night at the St. Albans Free Library at 6 p.m. as the library screens 1927's Wings, their first silent movie. Set during the World War I, the story of two men, both in love with the same woman, chronicles their adventures as they become fighter pilots. The film won what would become the first Best Picture Oscar and is widely praised for its aerial battles.
      The library shows a newsreel, cartoon, and trailer of coming attractions before each weekly movie. All films are shown on the 4' by 6' screen in the upstairs conference room "cinema." Admission is free, along with popcorn and a beverage.


RICHFORD--The A. A. Brown Public Library Richford Summer Camp continues a series of musical guests (mostly) on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. This week is the exception: on Monday July 16, Summer Camp offers the Summer Encore theatrical presentation.


CLICK HERE: ART SITE OF THE WEEK

     Painter and art teacher Jean Cherouny of Ripton has shown her paintings in galleries in Vermont and Connecticut, Texas and the Czech Republic. Her site includes her teaching philosophy, studio paintings including new work at Johnson State College through July 30, residency info, her bio, contact info, and a gallery of student work.


FRANKLIN COUNTY BOOKSHELF

      ArtBits features a quick weekly peek at the bookshelf or night stand of the folks you know in and around Franklin County. That popular feature has a page of its own at the Franklin County Bookshelf here on the AAC site.


SUPPORT LIVE ARTS IN YOUR TOWN!


AAC dancing logo

All Arts Council of Franklin County

Support Free Speech on the Internet
Dick Harper, Chair
P.O. Box 1
Highgate Springs, VT 05460
email us

Go to [ Dick Harper | All Arts Index | ArtBits Archive ]

      This article was originally published in the St Albans Messenger and other traditional print media. It is Copyright © 2012 by Richard B. Harper. All rights reserved. Archival material is provided as-is. Links are not necessarily maintained (if a link in this article fails, try Google.com or your favorite search engine).
      Thanks to recent misuse of copyright material on the Internet by individuals and archival firms alike, we emphasize that your rights to this article are limited to viewing it and printing it for personal use only. You must receive explicit permission from the All Arts Council and the author before reprinting or redistributing this article in any medium.