This is the place to announce upcoming performances by Grex folks.53 responses total.
A new ragtime ensemble consisting of me on piano and a couple of friends on banjo and cello will make our public debut this Wednesday, October 12. Time: 7pm. Place: Lighthouse Coffee Company, 9 W. Main St., Milan, Michigan. This is part of the Lighthouse's weekly open mike session, so various other folks will be performing as well. Admission is free, but the restaurant management would probably appreciate it if you bought some coffee or food or whatever.
I'll be performing in the annual Ann Arbor Unitarian Church Ragtime Bash on December 11, 7:30pm. More details (other performers, ticket price) when I have them.
Gee, I wonder who will be playing cello? ;-) I'm curious how the a cello is employed in a ragtiem ensemble. I know - I should just come and see. :-)
i've heard a cello used in an old time band...do-able.
(( Fall Agora #31 <---> Music #200 ))
On the cello will be the wife of the guy on the banjo. So there, smarty pants! ;-) I think she mostly picks out a baseline and hopes to keep up with the pianist, who moves right along.
Cello is fairly common in ragtime ensembles, particularly larger groups.
Cello can do a pretty convincing bassline, if used correctly. The old recordings from The Ink Spots used a low-tuned cello, and more recently Vienna Teng (at the Ark Oct 31 and Nov 1) has a cellist who sometimes does jazz-style bass parts.
I never realized that cello played a part in old Scottish music - until my mother inundated me with Alasdair Fraser playing with Natalie Haas. It's really lovely.
There will be a piano and cello duo performing at the Ragtime Bash. I suspect they'll be playing one of my favorite ragtime pieces, Bethena. The cellist carries the melody for a good part of it. But mostly, it simply works well with that instrumentation. I've heard it said that the cello is the instrument that most closely mimics the human voice in both tenor and articulation. Not sure I agree with that, but it can be a beautiful, expressive sound, all by itself.
I don't love Yo-Yo Ma for nothing.
As opposed to Yo Ma-Ma. ;-)
unlucky
I will be singing duets with Don White at the Ark on Nov 19, and with Matt Watroba at the Ark on Nov 25. On Dec 9 I headline at Green Wood Coffee House, accompnaied by turns with The Usual Suspects, Matt Watroba's Jukebox Folk Quartet and my vocal harmony trio, All About Eve.
Here's an incredibly late concert notice: On Sunday, Oct. 23 (later today), the Vocal Arts Ensemble (which includes me) will present a concert at the First Congregational Church, at First and William Sts. Time, 4 PM, admission, $10. All of the works on the program are settings of texts by English poets, including John Donne, Shakespeare, W.H. Auden, the Beatles... It promises to be a very cool show, which will last about an hour.
(I'm happy to report that the Vocal Arts Ensemble concert was indeed very cool.)
It's after the fact, but I didn't know beforehand that it would happen: This evening I made a brief appearance onstage at the Power Center during Al Gore's address on Global Climate Change. Yes, _that_ Al Gore.
This Wednesday, November 2, my impromptu ragtime ensemble (piano, banjo, cello) will descend on The Ark in Ann Arbor for Open Stage Night in hopes of doing a 10-minute set. Performers' names are selected at random, so if more aspiring performers show up that there are slots available, we might not get to play. Entertainment starts at 8pm. Tickets are sold at the door. The Ark is located at 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor. See http://www.theark.org for further details.
conflicts, damn conflicts.... i want to see this but aacs meeting is the 1st wednesday obligation. dammit. hope it goes well.
Carol and I will be having dinner at 6:45 at Middle Kingdom, and then going over to the Ark to hear the Remmers Trio. You're all welcome to join us.
We're currently trying to decide on a name for the trio...
I suppose "Remmersmania" is already taken..
R^3, pronounced "ar cubed" or "Ark Ubed" (two syllables) comes to mind.
Remstein.
"Snord"
We're still looking for a permanent name, but for purposes of putting something into the hat we chose "Apex Ragtime Trio" (banjoist Erik's suggestion). Ragtime ensembles often name themselves after particular ragtime pieces -- for instance, Scott Joplin wrote "Paragon Rag", and there's a Paragon Ragtime Orchestra. We may go that route. There were more names in the hat than slots on the program, but our ticket was drawn and we got to perform - late in the evening, act #14 out of a total of 16. We did Charles Johnson's "Fun on the Levee" (1917)and Joseph Lamb's "Bohemia Rag" (1919). Two fun pieces, and the audience appeared to enjoy them. I'm happy to report that The Ark has an eminently playable Yamaha grand piano and a fine sound man. Known Grexers in the audience were mary, aruba, and krj. I'd not been to an Open Stage Night at the Ark before and thought the overall quality was pretty good. As expected, there were a number of singer-songwriters of varying quality sporting guitars or playing the piano (wish I could remember the names of the ones I especially liked). The highlight for me was an amazing mandolin/guitar/percussion trio from Portland, Oregon called "Sneakin' Out" who did a hilarious medley of the Stones' "Paint It Black" and Beethoven's 5th Symphony. They're in Michigan for a few days doing gigs in Flint, Detroit, and elsewhere. Schedule is on their website, http://www.sneakinout.com . You should catch their act if you can.
They were definitely ringers. And a lot of fun.
I also enjoyed the young woman who was up early on, singing her own stuff. What a voice. And the blonde woman near the very end of the evening with the song she'd written over twenty some years. Mostly, I was very amazed at the talent and variety, for free. Joni would be pleased.
chuck's wife? from canada?
While the Macedonians were conquering the Knowne Worlde, their leader realised he needed a way to coordinate attacks of dispersed forces. Earlier in his life, he'd stumbled across a combination of liquids that, when dried, would change colours consitently as the hours passed. He soaked some cloths in this mixture and gave them to his commanders to wear during the battle. Perhaps you could name your trio for this invention, John?
John and Mary already covered most of what I was going to say about the open-stage night at the Ark. Mary: the first woman you described in resp:28 had a last name of Eaves, or something like that, and the second woman was Lynn Sawicki. I did some googling when I got home from the Ark and found that the folk music shoppe in Lansing carried the CD by Sneakin' Out, called TRAIN WRECK. I picked my copy up the next afternoon. The short album (just 33 minutes) contains both of the tunes which the band played at the Ark. The rest of the album is close to that level, though nothing hits the inspired lunatic references of the "Paint It, Black/Beethoven's 5th" medley. Leslie says that the medley demonstrates that someone in the band was a music student. One of the other tracks on the album is a Satie composition, and most of the rest are original tunes. I debated going to see Sneakin' Out a second time in either Flint or Detroit, and I finally decided I wasn't willing to drive 50-60 miles for what would presumably be a smoke-filled bar show. The band has family ties to Michigan, according to their web site, so I'm going to hope that they'll make a return visit and maybe even get a booking at the Ark. Sneakin' Out reminds me of a Czeck band called Jablikon, which I'm sure means nothing to anyone reading this...
jablko is Czech for apple.
Sneakin Out reminds me of Fredo in "The Godfather Returns" where he keeps finding himself in bed with travelling salesmen.
Mary McCaslin has joined the lineup of the "Katie Geddes and Friends"
show at Green Wood Coffee House on Dec 9. She will do two duets with me
("Canaan's Land" and "Hello Stranger") and a short set of her own.
What time does that show start, Katie?
I'm not on the official performers list, but I've been scheduled for some piano playing at the West Coast Ragtime Festival in Sacramento, CA this coming week, November 18-21. http://www.westcoastragtime.com/05wcrf-home.htm
Wow, that's really cool, John! Are you playing anywhere else in the near future?
8 pm, jep. Looks like Mustard's Retreat (or half of it) may also join the Dec. 9 show.
I'm back from the West Coast Ragtime Festival and managed to get in more playing time than I expected. A very fun weekend featuring many fine musicians. I only wish I could have brought the California weather (sunny, temperatures in the 70s during the day) back to Michigan with me. Re #37: I'm playing in the annual Unitarian Church Ragtime Bash in Ann Arbor on Sunday, December 11. I'll post more details, including the full performer list, when I receive them.
Some details on the December 11 Ragtime Bash, excerpted from the Ann Arbor Observer: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 32nd Annual Holiday Ragtime Bash: First Unitarian-Universalist Church. "Smiling sellout crowds," according to the organizers, turn out every year for this feast of piano ragtime and traditional jazz, with boogie-woogie and blues thrown in for good measure. Tonight's line-up of top-notch performers include the veteran husband-and-wife duo of pianist Bill Bolcom (also a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer) and mezzo-soprano Joan Morris, a duo of the River Raisin Ragtime Revue pianist Edward Wyman and cellist Emily Stoops, veteran Detroit blues pianist Bob Seely, local ragtime pianist John Remmers, acclaimed ragtime historian Mike Montgomery, recent U-M grad Kent "Cannonball" Eschelman, and others. 7:30 p.m., First Unitarian Universalist Church, 4001 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd. at Ellsworth. Tickets $15 in advance at Nicola's Books and at the door. 665-6158 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- I think of Bob Seely as more a boogie-woogie pianist than blues. In any case, he's a dynamo. They're not mentioned by name, but two other performers that I know will be appearing are 13-year-old ragtime wunderkind Adam Swanson and Detroit-area classical ragtime performer Rich Berry.
My ragtime banjo/cello/piano trio (now tentatively named the Sunburst Ragtime Trio) will be showing up again for open mike at the Lighthouse Coffee Co. in Milan, Michigan this Wednesday, December 7. In addition, the banjoist and cellist (Erik and Elizabeth Hildinger, respectively) will perform some pop songs from the 1920s in various ukelele/banjo/guitar combinations. The Lighthouse Coffee Company is located at 9 West Main Street in Milan. Start time is 7:00 p.m. Admission is free, but since it's a restaurant, purchasing some food and/or drink would be considerate.
Please come to the Katie and Friends show at Green Wood this Friday! The bill includes The Usual Suspects, Matt Watroba's Jukebox Folk Quartet, All About Eve and Mary McCaslin. I am part of the first three groups and will duet with Mary.
The Lighthouse Coffee Co. gig went well. My cohorts Erik and Elizabeth did some really nice vocal + dual guitar & guitar/ukelele work on some pop tunes from the 1920s. Highlight was their rendition of "Tiptoe Through the Tulips", done with more class than Tiny Tim managed when he revived the song in the 1960s.
It's probably a bit late for this, but if anyone is in Grand Rapids tonight, the Calvin College Meistersingers (of which I am a member) and Lyric Singers will be giving a concert at Thornapple Evangelical Covenant Church, which is (I believe) on the corner of Burton and Cascade Streets SE at 7:00 PM.
What will you be singing? I am giving a 'recital' (along with probably 5-10 other students, including a 6 year old) on the 17th but I won't tell you where or when because I am only doing this so my teacher will have someone more than a beginner to represent her. Another teacher (both of them are music school students) asked her to help with a joint recital. She has only 4 students and the other 3 are beginners. One is learning to play a scale and sing along. I am doing a Prelude from WTKII. With phrasing and dynamics.
Much too "modern" pieces for my taste, all with sacred texts -- two spirituals, settings of two psalms, a setting of the Kyrie text, a Christmas piece, etc.
Are you singing Psalms in Hebrew, kingjon? Mazel Tov!
No. One's a festival-style (if I understand what that means) setting of Psalm 150 entitled "Praise Him!", and the other is a versification of Psalm 126. Everything except the Kyrie, which is in the Greek (but everyone except me seems to think it's in Latin), and one piece in some African language and English both, is in English.
Opa!
Jim and I sang in the choir at St. Thomas for a few years, and I think I know what you mean about 'modern' pieces. We had some extremely boring ones (about 2-3 notes per part) where they stressed the text and the music was an afterthought. My piano teacher now has 3 students, one of whom is not going to play at the recital, and the other teacher probably has 2-3, and my teacher is bringing cookies and I might bring my young neighbors, one of whom is 6 and wants to learn flute. She decided I should play my piece slower so I would get the notes right. Bach did not specify tempo. I am supposed to wear dry shoes. I once sang Khachaturian with the Boston Symphony. None of us understood a word of it. Any idea what African language it might be - Swahili?
No, unfortunately, by "modern" I often mean music that sounds like the composer said "I'll make it ugly just because I can." The African piece might be in Swahili, but I'm not sure. The title of the piece is "O Sifuni Mungu," if that helps.
Viumbe vyote vya mungu wetu Na mfalme wetu Viumbe vyote vya mungu wetu Na mfalme wetu Pazeni sauti ili nasi mwimbe Pazeni sauti ili nasi mwimbe... -- First Call, "O Sifuni Mungu" Heh. You're probably wondering what the above means in English. Good question, 'cuz I don't know. I do know that the language is Swahili, and I also know that it's a brilliant song. I'm even beginning to be able to sing it. :) I'm going to stick my neck out, though, and attempt to translate it based on stuff I can find. First, here are [42]the full lyrics to the song. I'm also going to search for some pages that are relevant... for example, [43]Bonn fra Uganda, which helps me get off to a good start. It tells me a number of things: * "Mungu" is Swahili for "God". * "Imbeni" is Swahili for "sing". * "Bwana" is Swahili for "Lord" (although it's not used in this song) So at least I know that the "Imbeni, imbeni!" bit means. :D I'll let you know how I get on with translating it... Another site gave all the words, and says it means 'All creatures of our God and King' (in three words, don't know how). I got over 300 hits on this song from Google.
Yes, that's it (says right on the quarto -- or is it octavo? -- "as recorded by First Call"). The music has a translation inside, but I don't have it to hand at the moment. The non-Swahili words are the English hymn "All Creatures of Our God and King."
You have several choices: