Month: September 2020

Litchfield Jazz Festival is a stickler for doing whatever we do first-rate. With 25 years of Festivals showcasing the talents of people like Wayne Shorter, Tito Puente, Ray Charles, Dave Brubeck, Christian McBride, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Gregory Porter, Hubert Laws, Roy Haynes, Ahmad Jamal, and hundreds of others, allowing a pandemic to cancel their 25th anniversary was not an option. Ditto for Litchfield Jazz Camp. So, we determined to put together the best virtual programs they could with just three months lead time and no excuses for anything less than the best a virtual platform could support.

So, by July we were ready and able to run a virtual version of the acclaimed Litchfield Jazz Camp, complete with free live-streamed concert each evening. Additionally, there was the 25th Anniversary Festival featuring top artists from a soundstage with the best microphones money can buy, ten cameras to cover the action from every possible angle, and a live stream with extraordinary production values thanks to a solid relationship with Telefunken Elecktroakustik in South Windsor Ct.

Both programs were so successful that literally minutes after they wrapped, we began planning how to extend virtual offerings across the calendar year. Litchfield Jazz is proud to present, beginning October 23rd, Litchfield Jazz Fest Presents, a live stream concert series from the Telefunken Soundstage, and beginning Oct 24 and continuing for 8 Saturdays, Litchfield Jazz Camp – Fall Semester.

The concert series Litchfield Jazz Fest Presents – currently has 3 scheduled performances. Each show will be streamed live from Telefunken Soundstage in South Windsor, CT — the concerts will be offered free, thanks to the generous support of several members of our Litchfield Jazz community. You can tune into the shows on the Litchfield Performing Arts YouTube page, Litchfield Jazz Camp or Festival Facebook pages, or you can use the links on the Litchfieldjazzfest.com homepage.

Mario Pavone & his Dialect Trio – OCTOBER 23, 2020 @ 7:30pm
The first of these presents Mario Pavone and his Dialect Trio. The program will mark the 80th birthday of the iconic avant garde bassist whose career spans 60 years with collaborators like Wadada Leo Smith, Anthony Braxton, Bill Dixon, Paul Bley, Dewey Redman, and Thomas Chapin. For this performance, he will be paired with Matt Mitchell on piano and Tyshawn Sorey on drums. Pavone is in great company here with two top players half age— he is an inveterate mentor and always has been—whose laurels include a MacArthur (Sorey) and a Pew Fellowship (Mitchell). To date, the Trio has three critically acclaimed CDs to their credit.

Pavone used the lockdown created by the pandemic to compose some exciting new work he will introduce here which he says “reflects the sheer joy of playing and the importance of this political moment.”

Emmet Cohen Trio – DECEMBER 17, 2020 @ 7:30pm
On December 17, Emmet Cohen, the extraordinarily gifted 30-year-old jazz pianist and winner of the 2019 American Pianists Awards and Monk Competition finalist at just 21, will present the Emmet Cohen Trio. As it is smack dab in the middle of the holiday season he is looking forward to arranging jazzy renditions of some treasured tunes. Emmet, who as a 16-year-old attended Litchfield Jazz Camp where he says he decided to become a professional has, since earning his Master’s at Manhattan School of Music, appeared on just about every important Jazz Festival from Monterey to North Sea and played every concert hall from Kennedy to Lincoln Center and every iconic jazz club worldwide.

Now an artist on the Max Jazz label, his magnum opus so far is arguably his self-produced series, the “Masters Legacy Series.” This project had as its purpose to bring together talented young musicians like himself and others like alto player Godwin Louis (another one-time Litchfield Camper) with jazz masters at the pinnacle of their careers late in their lives. Emmet wasted no time laying down tracks, and for that we are grateful. Destined to become classics, the first was with drummer Jimmy Cobb of Kind of Blue fame. Later he recorded with saxophonist Jimmy Heath, and both have recently passed away. Emmet has also recorded with saxophonist George Coleman, another Miles Davis alum, and Ron Carter, who according to the Guinness Book of World Records is the “most recorded jazz bassist” in the history (2221X).

While his trio is a bit of a moveable feast including outstanding players like drummer Joe Saylor of the Tonight Show’s Stay Human Band and renowned bassist Yasushi Nakamura, his principal working group has Kyle Poole on drums and Russell Hall on bass. Their latest enterprise begun when touring was no longer an option, is “Live from Emmet’s Place,” a Monday evening series that has run for more than half a year already. Cohen’s brainchild, the program is supported by 430 members and counting with up to … listening in.

Chad LB Quartet – FEBRUARY 26, 2021 @ 7:30pm
On February 26, Litchfield Jazz Fest Presents will host the ChadLB Quartet. The New York Daily News called Chad Lefkowitz-Brown (Chad LB these days) a “sax phenom.” At 31, he has already toured globally as a soloist and with jazz stars and pop icons like Arturo O’Farrill, Chris Botti, and Taylor Swift. Litchfield is proud to claim Chad as one of its own. Like Emmet Cohen, he, too, was a Litchfield Jazz Camper back in the day. He went on to be selected for the prestigious scholarship program by the Dave Brubeck Institute at the University of the Pacific. Then he set out to conquer the world and did a pretty fine job of it. In addition to his performance career, Chad continues to be a visiting artist at the renowned San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

A native of Elmira, New York, Chad established himself as a jazz prodigy at age 11, performing across New York State under the mentorship of local jazz hero, George Reed, who was known for backing legends like Teddy Wilson, Buddy Tate, and Marian McPartland.

Chad will appear on the Litchfield Jazz live stream, offered for free to the public, with Manuel Valera on piano, Dan Chmielinski, bass, and Bryan Carter, drums.

Chad LB, concert, Emmet Cohen, jazz music, mario pavone, Virtual concert

Apple picking and fall foliage go together. It is the time of year when the nights are cool and the days are warm, making it the perfect season for apples. The Litchfield Hills has so many beautiful apple orchards where folks can get out in the fresh air and pick their own apples. Orchards are quite large making social distancing easy. Here are four of the most scenic apple orchards to be found anywhere.

Averill Farm located on 250 Calhoun Street in Washington Connecticut is a scenic hilltop farm that has been farmed by the same family for ten generations. Here you can pick your own apples – Macintosh, Macoun, Spartan, Liberty, Redcort, and Cortland. There are also pies, apple cider, apple cider donuts, and a farm stand that offers produce, gourds, pumpkins, honey, homemade jam, garlic, and much more.

March Farm is located on 160 Munger Lane in Bethlehem and is offering pyo apples and pumpkins in their orchard. There are hiking trails, a picnic area, corn maze, and a hayloft playscape, and pony rides for the kids. This year the theme of the corn maze is the Wizard of Oz. PYO apple varieties in the Farm Store Orchard include Cortland, Gala, Honey Crisp, and Macintosh. The Hill Top Orchard PYO offers Cortland, Empire, Fuji, Gala, Golden Delicious, Honey Crisp, Jonagold, Macintosh, Macoun, Mutsu, Red Delicious & Rome. The farm store sells pies and seasonal produce.

Ellsworth Hill Orchard and Berry Farm located in Sharon offers eight acres and 11 varieties of PYO apples. They have heirlooms apples that include Cortlands, Northern Spys, McIntosh, Macouns, Gala, Empire, Ida Reds, Crispin (Mutsu), Red Delicious, and Yellow Delicious. The property also has a giant corn maze. This year the theme is Dinosaurs. A large Lionel Interactive train display is a highlight for kids of all ages. The farm store sells a variety of seasonal fruit and baked goods.

Blue Jay Orchards located on 125 Plumtrees Road in Bethel offers PYO Macintosh, Cortland, and Macoun apples. Blue Jay also has an amazing pumpkin patch where kids can go and choose their own pumpkins! The farm market offers seasonal produce, pies, apple cider, apple cider donuts, jam, honey, cookies, and much more.

Wampum has been treasured for its’ beauty, spiritual and social bonds by Native peoples of New England and beyond for centuries. On, Saturday, September 19 visitors to The Institute for American Indian Studies in Washington, Connecticut will find out why wampum has been revered for so long and what it means to Native people.

Today, Native artists continue to craft wampum jewelry and belts to record tribal history. To learn about the significance of wampum and how it continues to provide social and spiritual bonds among Native peoples, visitors are invited to join Allen Hazard, of the Narragansett tribe and one of the most well-known wampum artists in the country for an outdoor presentation about wampum from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Hazard is a renowned jewelry sculptor and wampum artist that will share both the traditional way wampum was made and how he uses modern tools and techniques to create handcrafted bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and medallions. Hazard’s designs are inspired by his Narragansett heritage and from the generations of his family members that have passed this art form down.

A highlight of this demonstration is to watch the remarkable processes of how wampum is made from two different shells. The white pieces of wampum are made from the whelk, a sea snail, and the purple pieces are made from a quahog. These shells are found in the ocean water south of Cape Cod to New York, with an abundance of them in Long Island Sound. Another interesting aspect is how Hazard uses modern tools such as wet saws and dremels to show how he makes modern wampum jewelry based on his cultural traditions.

The color of the beads had meaning for the Algonquians that lived in the Eastern Woodlands. The white beads represented purity and light and were used as gifts to mark important events like births and marriages. The purple beads represented serious events like war or death. The combination of these beads represent the duality of the world, light, and darkness, man, and woman, life, and death.

This program is included in the price of admission: IAIS members are free, Adults are $10, seniors are $8, and children are $6. Please call 860-868-0518 or email general@iaismuseum.org to reserve your spot. In accordance with health protocols, when attending this event, masks are required inside the museum and outside the museum when you are within six feet of other visitors, museum staff, or visiting presenters.
This program is partially funded through a grant from the Connecticut Community Foundation.

About the Institute for American Indian Studies
Located on 15 acres of woodland acres the Institute For American Indian Studies preserves and educates through archeology, research, exhibitions, and programs. They have the 16th c. Algonquian Village, Award-Winning Wigwam Escape, and a museum with temporary and permanent displays of authentic artifacts from prehistory to the present that allows visitors to foster a new understanding of the world and the history and culture of Native Americans. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road, Washington, CT.

A cruise with the Seaport Association through the Norwalk River into Long Island Sound is blissful on an autumn day. This cruise is just long enough, about two hours, to feel refreshed and recharged when you are back on land. There are 25 islands that stretch about six miles from Norwalk to Westport located about a mile off the coast.

Geologically, the islands are considered to be terminal moraines that consist of materials left by the last glacier. Some islands are rather large and others are mounds of boulders, silt, clay, sand, and vegetation from trees and beach roses to tall seagrass that sways in the breeze. These islands act as a barrier to rough seas and are one of the things that boaters like about Norwalk Harbor. This area is designated as a federal navigation channel of recreational and small harbor variety.

The cruise begins just past the Metro-North Rail Bridge and goes under the Stroffolino Bridge, a bascule bridge spanning the Norwalk River that swings upward to provide clearance for boat traffic. Mr. Stroffolino was active in the passage of a bill in the 1949 General Assembly that gave the bridge and Rte. 136 to Connecticut.

As the vessel makes its’ way through Norwalk Harbor and into Long Island Sound, passengers will see Isochoda Yacht Club, one of the oldest in America founded in 1886, and Calf Pasture Beach that was used for disembarkation and encampment during the Tryon raid of the American Revolutionary War in 1779. Passengers will also glide by many of Norwalk’s Islands, many with large homes on them including “Tavern Island” that was the home of Billy Rose in the 1920s, a famous entertainer and bootlegger that used this island for rum-running.

The Islands of Norwalk are surrounded by oyster beds that are marked by stakes with red flags on them. At one time oystering was one of the lynchpins of Norwalk’s economy and the city’s primary industry. Oystering declined for many reasons in the 19th century, but today in the 21st century it has made a strong comeback. Part of the thrill of a cruise to Sheffield Island is to watch the oyster boats hard at work. Watching oystermen hauling up their catch of the day is an activity that has embodied the history of Norwalk for centuries and is still a commodity that the city is known for.

A highlight any time of year on this cruise is to get a water view of the three historic lighthouses that lie off Norwalk’s coast, two spark plug lighthouses, Greens Ledge and Peck Ledge and, the iconic Sheffield Island Lighthouse, the crown jewel of Connecticut’s maritime heritage. Located on the 57 acre Sheffield Island the Lighthouse is on the National Historic Register and is owned, maintained, and preserved by the Seaport Association. In addition to the Lighthouse, there are many wading birds that make the island their home including the roseate tern, Brant, scouter, black duck, and other waterfowl. Nesting birds on the island include ospreys and herons. Always keep an eye peeled for harbor seals that frequent the southwest end of the island.

The Seaport Association is offering sunset cruises Wednesdays – Sundays as well as two daily cruises on Saturdays and Sundays. Please purchase your tickets in advance https://www.seaport.org/sunset-cruises The comfort and safety of all passengers and staff are important to the Seaport Association, for a complete list of safety protocols https://www.seaport.org/covid-protocol. The vessel is limited to twenty-five passengers and masks must be worn throughout the entire cruise. The vessel is also available for charter, for additional information call 203-838-9444. To help preserve and maintain Sheffield Island Lighthouse please visit the gofundme page https://www.gofundme.com/f/preserve-the-sheffield-island-lighthouse