Connecticut Travel

Ever wonder what goes into learning an instrument, composing the music, or choosing to become a professional player? Each summer, Litchfield Jazz Festival offers audience members the chance to meet festival stars up close to hear their personal stories and learn what shaped their lives in music.

The Festival’s Artist Talks are led by Frank Alkyer, Publisher of Down Beat Magazine, the world’s largest-distribution jazz magazine. DownBeat is a long- time sponsor of Litchfield Jazz Festival and Frank a well-informed, personable and witty interviewer. The talks take place in the intimate Student Stage Tent, and ticketholders are invited free of charge.

This year’s guest artists are clarinetist Ken Peplowski and saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa. Ken headlines the Saturday August 5th lineup with his Benny Goodman Tribute, featuring Bucky Pizzarelli on guitar, Joe Locke, vibes, Nicki Parrott, bass, Euhud Aherie, piano, and Matt Wilson, drums. His Artist Talk is scheduled for Saturday at 6:30 immediately before his set at 7:45.

The festival’s founder Vita Muir first met Ken on The Jazz Cruise, a popular straight-ahead music voyage in which he plays a key role when he is not touring the world. Muir applauds Ken’s teaching philosophy “My goal,” he says, is to get students to learn how to teach themselves and to learn how to bring out their own best qualities. After all, jazz is about individuality—first you learn the rules, and then you break them. I would like to think of myself as a lifelong student!”

On Sunday afternoon at 3:30 Frank Alkyer will be talking with Rudresh Mahanthappa. Rudresh is appearing on the fest at 4:45 with his Indo-Pac Coalition. A renowned saxophonist/composer and second-generation Tamil-American, his music blends progressive jazz and South Indian classical music in a fluid, forward-looking form. He has won many awards and polls, including the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award and numerous first places for alto sax performance from Down Beat and the Jazz Journalists. He was appointed last year as the first Director of Jazz at Princeton University.

Litchfield Jazz Festival is sponsored in part by DownBeat Magazine, National Endowment for the Arts, Les Paul Foundation, NEFA, Republican American, Crystal Rock, Steinway, Telefunken, and the Wyndham Southbury. For a full list of sponsors, please visit www.litchfieldjazzfest.com.

No holds barred! Fun for all is the watchword in Norfolk, Conn., this coming August 4, 5 and 6 during the town’s three-day, town-wide festival, A Weekend in Norfolk. Everyone’s invited to come with family and friends to enjoy the more than 75 events—mostly free—listed on its website, http://weekendinnorfolk.org.

On Friday, boat builder Schuyler Thomson will be demonstrating the art of the wooden canoe, two churches will be offering afternoon tours of their magnificent stained glass windows and the town’s first selectman will be performing weddings and vow renewals on the village green (by appointment). Then there are artisan demos, a guided wildflower walk and a show by Sandglass Puppet Theater, opening receptions for three weekend-long art events and a quilt show, plus concerts at Infinity Hall and the Yale Music Shed.

The pace picks up on Saturday, with continuing art events and more concerts, including an open rehearsal at the Music Shed and live outdoor performances by Emily Victoria and Soul Case. The Norfolk farmers market is celebrating Kids’ Day with a variety of special events, a pie sale to benefit the Congregational church and a special surprise event starting at 11:00 a.m. Also for kids, there will be games on the green, a painting workshop, nature weaving and tie-dyeing, and water polo with fire hoses. The evening will be crowned with family games and an outdoor movie at Bottelle School, in addition to concerts at Infinity Hall and the Music Shed.

Sunday is no time to go home—there are historic house tours, garden tours, more stained glass window tours, another concert, the curling club open house, three farm tours, an art workshop for adults, more demos and art shows, fly tying and casting on the green, outdoor music by Ben Waller and others, a photo show opening and a discussion with author Karin Roffman about her new book on poet John Ashbery.
We didn’t mention everything—the World War I exhibition at the historical society museum, the Hike-the-Peaks challenge, all the artisan demos, the Alfredo Taylor lecture and more—or that many events are multi-day affairs.

Visit the Weekend in Norfolk website, weekendinnorfolk.org, for details by special interest or by day and time, and be sure to come the first weekend in August (August 4, 5 and 6). You’ll have all the fun you imagined and more

The Mattatuck Museum located on the Green (144 West Main Street) in Waterbury has announced the opening of two new exhibitions. Winslow Homer: American Life 1857-1875 and Passing By: Laure Dunne will be celebrated with an opening reception on Sunday, July 30 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public. Docent-led tours of both exhibits will be available beginning at noon.

About Winslow Homer

Winslow Homer: American Life 1857-1875 features approximately 100 prints from illustrated weeklies and journals by American Master, Winslow Homer. The works were selected from a gift of engravings recently donated to the Mattatuck Museum by Fairfield collector David Jones and his wife Ann. This group of engravings will be complemented by several paintings on loan from Connecticut institutions including Yale University Art Gallery, Wadsworth Atheneum and New Britain Museum of American Art. This overview of Homer’s rich career as an illustrator will be presented thematically. It will reflect the concerns of a nation during a period of significant social and political change. Subjects addressed include the Civil War, domestic and daily life in the 19th century, the changing role of women, popular entertainments and the outdoors.

Winslow Homer will be complemented by several public programs during the run of the exhibition, including a Lunch & Learn – “An American Icon: Winslow Homer – A Personal Interpretation” – with Professor Dorothy Keller and an evening reception entitled “Homer in Nature” with David Davison.

About Laure Dunne

MIXMASTER winner Laure Dunne will also open her new exhibition of photography, Passing By, on July 30. This exhibition of 25 photos includes shots from Oregon, Maine, New York and Connecticut. Thematically organized between two subjects, trains and trees, Dunne’s clear, clean aesthetic is evident in these compositionally strong and dramatic images.

About the Mattatuck Museum of Art
Located in the heart of downtown Waterbury’s architectural district, the Mattatuck Museum is a vibrant destination, known locally and regionally as a community-centered institution of American art and history. For more information on all of the Museum’s programs, events, and exhibits visit the website at mattmuseum.org or call (203) 753-0381.

This summer marks the 20th anniversary of Tea for Two Hundred held in Washington Connecticut on 63 River Road on August 12. This garden party benefit is held in the beautiful gardens of the Washington home of Mr. Gael Hammer and Mr. Gary Goodwin. Revel in an afternoon of delicious food, wine and dancing to the music of the legendary “Beehive Queen” Christine Ohlman.

Shop the fabled Silent Auction and bid on fabulous trips, dining experiences and spa packages. Participate in the beloved hat contest featuring guest judge Laura Daly, world renowned milliner.

Honorary Chair is Sheila Nevins, an American television producer and the President of HBO Documentary Films. She also has a new book that made it to the New York Times best-seller list. “You Don’t Look Your Age… and Other Fairy Tales,” (Flatiron Books).
Dress code is summer white attire. This garden party benefit will be held in the beautiful gardens of the Washington home of Mr. Gael Hammer and Mr. Gary Goodwin.

This year the Gunn Historical Museum and Interfaith Aids Ministry will benefit from this event. To register: https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07ee0s0tdifa37512f&oseq=&c=&ch=

About the Gunn Historical Museum
Founded in 1899, the Gunn Historical Museum is a non-profit organization with a mission to educate the public about the history of Washington, Connecticut and to preserve the town’s history and culture. The Museum is located in a 1781 colonial home situated on the Washington Green. The museum has received national awards for its exhibits, conducts original research and creates educational programs for children, adults and seniors.

About Tea for Two Hundred
In 1998 Gael Hammer, along with Ted Hine and John Trainor, instituted Tea for Two Hundred as a memorial to Gael’s partner Timothy Mawason and as a way to raise funds for AIDS awareness and other charities in western Connecticut. This year the proceeds will benefit the Gunn Historical Museum and Interfaith AIDS Ministry of Greater Danbury.
Now in its 20th year, the event held at the beautiful gardens of Mr. Hammer and Mr. Goodwin is widely considered one of Litchfield County’s major social events of the season and draws hundreds of participants. Tea for Two Hundred has generated net proceeds approaching $1 Million for area organizations.
Photo: Rural Intelligence

On Saturday July 29th from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., the Torrington Historical Society will host a jazz concert and fundraiser with the Litchfield Jazz Camp Faculty All Stars on the grounds of the Hotchkiss-Fyler House Museum located on 192 Main Street. The tickets are $20 and can be purchased in advance at the Torrington Historical Society, 192 Main Street or on-line at http://www.torringtonhistoricalsociety.org

In the event of inclement weather the concert will move indoors to the Carriage House gallery behind the Hotchkiss-Fyler House Museum. Although outdoor seating will be available, concert attendees are encouraged to bring a comfortable lawn chair and a picnic basket.

The Concert

The jazz performed will be rhythmic, forward leaning and exciting. The musicians have shared the stage with many of the important figures of the jazz idiom in their long careers and this is an opportunity to hear these players performing some new compositions as well as some of their previous work.

This ensemble of well-known jazz artists includes: Mario Pavone, bass; Peter McEachern, trombone; Dave Ballou, trumpet and Mike Sarin, drums will include special guest Oscar Noriega, on saxophone. Noriega has just won the rising star category in the 2017 Down Beat critics poll. Oscar Noriega is also on Mario Pavone’s recent CD “Vertical” along with Dave Ballou, Peter McEachern and Mike Sarin.

The concert will feature music from Mario Pavone’s recent CD Vertical on Clean Feed Records and Peter McEachern’s upcoming CD Double Helix. The concert will be held in the garden of the Hotchkiss-Fyler House Museum 192 Main Street, Torrington. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased in advance at the Torrington Historical Society, 192 Main Street or on-line at www.torringtonhistoricalsociety.org

Musician’s Bios

Mario Pavone: Bass

Bassist/composer Mario Pavone has collaborated with both legendary innovators and today’s most respected young musicians to consistently define the cutting edge of jazz for the past 40 years. He has anchored the trios of Paul Bley (1968-72), Bill Dixon (1980’s), and the late Thomas Chapin (1990-97), and co-led a variety of notable ensembles with Anthony Braxton, Wadada Leo Smith, and Marty Ehrlich. Unlike most artists whose careers span five decades, his most recent recordings are his most widely acclaimed, appearing on best-of-the-year lists from Slate.com, AllAboutJazz.com, All AboutJazz-New York, Coda, the Village Voice , and the New York Times among others.

Dave Ballou: Trumpet

Trumpeter/Composer Dave Ballou has released nine internationally recognized CD’s as a leader or co-leader. He has performed or recorded with ensembles led by Rabih Abou-Kahlil, Steely Dan, Michael Formanek, Woody Herman, Andrew Hill, John Hollenbeck’s Large Ensemble, Sheila Jordan, Oliver Lake, Dave Liebman, Joe Lovano, Dewey Redman, and Maria Schneider . Ballou has performed Bach’s Brandenberg Concerto #2 with the Bella Musica Orchestra of New York, Larry Austin’s Improvisations with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, and Gunther Schuller’s Journey into Jazz with the Spokane Symphony and Boston Modern Orchestra Project.

Mike Sarin: Drums

Since moving to New York in 1989, Mike Sarin’s unique style and approach to the drum set has been highly sought after by NYC and European musicians looking to expand the definitions of jazz and improvised music. He has contributed to recordings of Thomas Chapin, Frank Carlberg, Anthony Coleman, Mark Dresser, Marty Ehrlich, Mark Helias, Denman Maroney, Simon Nabatov, Mario Pavone, Ned Rothenberg, and Fred Wesley–recordings found on numerous music critics’ Top Ten CD year-end lists. Sarin performs all over the world–in major and minor festivals. He is currently on staff of the Count Basie Theatre Performing Arts Academy and is a member of the teaching faculty of the New York Jazz Workshop.

Peter McEachern: Trombone

Peter McEachern, has toured and recorded three CDs for Polygram with Blues legend Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown; has worked and recorded with minimalist composer Lamonte Young, and is featured on several important CDs: “Insomnia” with the Thomas Chapin Trio on Knitting Factory Works and “Song for Septet” with the Mario Pavone Septet on the New World Countercurrents label. Peter has been a teaching artist at the Litchfield Jazz Camp since 1998. He has released 3 CD’s in the past year “No Chordtet” featuring Dave Santoro, George Sovak and Hamir Atwal,”Shockwave” featuring the late Thomas Chapin, Steve Johns, Mario Pavone and Jamie Finegan, and No Chordet’s 2nd CD “Subconscious Love” on Truth Revolution Records.

Oscar Noriega: Saxophone

Multi-instrumentalist and composer, Oscar Noriega has lived in Brooklyn since 1992.
He has worked with Lee Konitz, Anthony Braxton, Gerry Hemingway, Dewey Redman and Paul Motion. He is currently performing with Tim Berne’s Snakeoil, Endangered Blood (Chris Speed, Jim Black, Trevor Dunn) and is co-leader of the Mexico-inspired Banda De Los Muertos. He plays alto saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet and drums.

Get inspired and celebrate the arts at the 3rd Annual Stamford Art Festival at Harbor Point, taking place on Saturday, July 29 and Sunday, July 30 from 10 am to 5 pm, rain or shine. Admission to the Festival is free.

A juried event featuring more than 125 artisans selected locally and from across the country and Canada, the Stamford Art Festival offers a selection of paintings, photography, drawings, prints, sculptures, mixed media, jewelry, ceramics, fiber, metal and glass pieces that are original works and available for purchase in every price range.

Held at the beautiful Harbor Point waterfront in Stamford, exhibitors will display their work on the gorgeous boardwalk overlooking Stamford Harbor – an extraordinary backdrop for this visual feast. Visitors will be able to browse and buy from a wide variety of artisans, all of whom will be present to showcase their work and, with demonstrations and text, inform patrons about their creative process.

The Festival includes live musical performances on both days, as well as free arts activities and demonstrations for children and adults, plus a variety of food temptations ranging from gourmet food to homemade desserts. There will be a “Poet’s Corner” coordinated by Connecticut poet and spoken word artist Jerry T. Johnson. On Sunday, July 30 the Farmers Market will be open. And it all happens under tents, rain or shine.

The event is held on Pacific Street and Harbor Point Road, which is easy to reach via Connecticut Exit 7 on I-95 northbound and southbound. There is ample free parking. It is also a short ride from the Stamford Train Station.