Anya M. Wassenberg's Blog: Art & Culture Maven, page 127

2nd Annual New Music Season Bryant Park, New York City - Fridays July 11 to August 8 2014

From a release:

2nd Annual New Music Season
Bryant Park, New York City
Award-winning classical and jazz ensembles perform back-to-back each week.
July 11 to August 8, 2014

• Check the schedule here

NEW YORK CITY New Music in Bryant Park, presented by Bryant Park Corporation and Chamber Music America, returns to Bryant Park this Friday for its second season. The series brings an extraordinarily talented jazz and classical ensemble to the park’s Upper Terrace for five consecutive Friday evenings, each performing exciting new work commissioned by Chamber Music America.

The series kicks off with performances by the all-star groups World Time Zone and SYBARITE5. World Time Zone plays a mix of straight-ahead jazz with a cool bluster and far-reaching curiosity, influenced by soul, funk, R&B, and folk. The concert features Michael Blake’s commissioned work Contrasts In Individualism, an homage to the legacies of saxophonists Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young.

The award-winning string ensemble SYBARITE5, which has caught the attention of the music world with its dynamic performances and range of influences, presents the commissioned work Revolve by composer Andy Akiho.  

New Music in Bryant Park continues each Friday, 6:00-8:30pm, through August 8. We’ve arranged for an audience in the round. The stage is setup on the gravel facing the steps to the Upper Terrace, and chairs are placed on the Upper Terrace, the sides of the stage, and the lawn.

Hopestreet Recordings Present: The Bombay Royale - The Island of Dr. Electrico (US release July 8 2014)

From a media release:

CD Release - HOPESTREET RECORDINGS PRESENT:
THE BOMBAY ROYALE – THE ISLAND OF DR ELECTRICO
US RELEASE DATE: JULY 8, 2014

• Buy the CD

Melbourne-based, world-conquering originators of vintage Bollywood-inspired surf, spy, disco and funk, The Bombay Royale, have unveiled a new single with a bold new video. Henna Henna is the first glimpse of their latest album, The Island of Dr Electrico (out July 8 on HopeStreet Recordings via Kudos).

A sweeping, exhilarating romp sung in Bengali with raunchy wild-west flourishes, Henna Henna is The Bombay Royale’s first single from their much-anticipated second album. The “high concept” (pun intended) film clip for Henna Henna, directed by Kess Broekman-Dattner (The Bamboos / Hermitude/ Clare Bowditch), depicts The Mysterious Lady and her crack team’s efforts to rid the dastardly Skipper of the key to his secret lair and rescue the Tiger, on a private jet somewhere above the Pacific Ocean.

Cast
The Skipper - The Mysterious Lady - The Tiger - The Bandit Priest - Doctor Electrico - The Railways - Mogul - The Kungfu Dentist - The Leaping Shaman - The Jewel Thief - Chip Chase



It’s a mischievous introduction to The Island of Dr Electrico, the extraordinary new musical safari and second album from The Bombay Royale. The Island of Dr Electrico is a varied musical landscape, at times lush and tropical, at other times an impenetrable swamp teeming with all manner of surprises. Migrating seabirds have long flown thousands of extra miles avoid Dr Electrico’s blighted isle, leaving him alone to experiment with dark beats, primitive synthesizers and the raw emotion of kidnapped souls. The resulting sounds are a rich palette of classic cinema, from lonesome spaghetti to surf-rock, from psychedelia to spine-bending space disco, overlaid with the voices of our protagonists The Tiger and The Mysterious Lady.

From their unlikely beginnings in the suburban wilds of Melbourne Australia, The Bombay Royale have taken their unique sound to audiences throughout Europe, UK and the USA, where their performances have been met with astonishment and critical acclaim. The band has announced a Melbourne album launch party over two nights at Howler on Friday June 20 and Saturday June 21, with announcements to follow of a national album tour and building on the band’s immense overseas achievements since their breakthrough debut, You Me Bullets Love (HopeStreet Recordings, 2012).

The Bombay Royale’s music featured in new Far Cry 4 game. The latest in the Far Cry series from Ubisoft is set in the Himalayas and features some music from The Bombay Royale.  Watch the trailer below which features the title track from the band’s first album You Me Bullets Love  (warning: strong violence)

Recently Released: Juliette Jules EP - Black Crow (iAMCORP - May 23, 2014)

Recently Released:
Juliette Jules
EP - Black Crow
(iAMCORP - May 23, 2014)

• Get the CD

Reputedly a performer on the streets of Paris since the age of fourteen and discovered by music producer and manager Peter Karroll singing in a Parisian park just a year ago, Juliette Jules released her debut EP Black Crow on her sixteenth birthday this May.

The 5-song EP showcases her expressive voice in swingy, easy to like roots/pop compositions held down by acoustic guitar and tinkly piano with a vintage sound to it. While grounded in the whole contemporary singer/songwriter mode, Juliette's music has the melodic depth of the classic artists of the late 1960's and early 1970's like Joni Mitchell and Patti Smith - artists she discovered attending concerts with her mother. The songs have a satisfying, singalong kind of vibe that will appeal to older listeners as well as her contemporaries.

The material is lit up by a fluid vocal style that's capable of both richness and subtlety. There's a nice variety in her approach from a pure, clean high range to a softly musky lower end. Her voice has an edge that sweetens the raspiness and works well on the rhythmic first track, Johnny Was.



Juliette's voice is perhaps put to best effect on the sadly haunting title track, Black Crow, where it fills in all the moody, melancholy spaces, accompanied by string sounds along with guitar and piano. In The Game, the vocals are fluid and reminiscent of the kind of idiosyncratic style of early Jewel tracks.

Trained in both classical music and literature, she's a fan of writers like André Breton and Marcel Proust. Her love of good words shows up in clever lyrics; storytelling with a literary flair.

She does a cover of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah and Juliette does try - with a spidery, tremulous and minimalist rendition, and odd phrasings that pause halfway through the lines - but it's hard to do anything that's truly striking with the well-worn song.

The last track is perhaps the weakest, relying too much on her vocal stylings in another minimalist arrangement. Still, it's a very listenable collection of songs from an artist with a long career ahead of her.

Members/Instruments:  Juliette Jules - Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Synths
Producer: Peter Karroll
Engineers: Peter Karroll/Doug Fury
Mixing engineers: Peter Karroll/Doug Fury
Recorded at: Fortissimo Sound, Vancouver, Canada & Grenelle Studio,
Paris, France
Mastered by: Doug Fury - Fortissimo Sound, Vancouver

Tracklisting:
Johnny Was: lyrics & music: Juliette Jules/Peter Karroll
Black Crow: lyrics: Juliette Jules/music: Juliette Jules/Peter Karroll
The Game: lyrics & music: Juliette Jules/Peter Karroll
Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen
To The Mountains: lyrics & music: Juliette Jules

Websites
Official: www.JulietteJules.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juliettejulesmusic

Black Crow EP by Juliette Jules

Scotiabank Buskerfest Returns to Downtown Toronto August 21-24 2014

From a media release:

15th Annual
Scotiabank BuskerFest
in support of Epilepsy Toronto
Announces New and Returning Acts from around the Globe!
AUGUST 21-24, 2014 throughout the Downtown Yonge Neighbourhood

Toronto - Epilepsy Toronto is pleased to present their signature fundraising event, Scotiabank BuskerFest.  In partnership with the Downtown Yonge BIA, they are proud to announce an outstanding roster of international and Canadian acts, both new and returning, for the 15th edition of Toronto's international street performers festival. Scotiabank BuskerFest runs Thursday, August 21 to Sunday, August 24 throughout the Downtown Yonge Neighbourhood, from Queen to College Streets and surrounding areas (including Trinity Square Park and Yonge-Dundas Square).

An estimated one-and-a-half million spectators attended the festival last year - an astounding success for its first year along the downtown Yonge Street corridor. Organizers are anticipating at least as many this year, as more buskers than ever before - over 120 of the  best street performers in over 50 acts from across the country and around the globe -bring their world-class talents to Canada's most populous city.

Buskers retain proceeds from “the hat� passed after their performances except for shows on the Scotiabank Stage in Yonge-Dundas Square: for the first time ever, each performing act will be doing one performance on this stage over the course of the weekend, and all proceeds will go to Epilepsy Toronto!

Joining the previously announced FlameOz (returning) and Reuben DotDotDot (new) from Australia, and NoMaD Cirquel (new) from Austria and Les Frères Taquin (new) from Belgium, are several outstanding international acts, including:

From Australia
Bendy Em (returning), a pint-sized former gymnast with a wicked wit who bends and contorts her body into freakily mind-boggling positions.

From Ireland
Jack Wise (returning), a Molotov cocktail of comedy and magic - including swallowing a real 24" steel sword!

From Japan
Ikeda Yosuke (new), a unique style of performance blending mime with graphic and acoustic arts - the lyrics of a song appear in many different ways with the music.

From Spain
Ale Risorio (new), an eccentric, absurd clown with a bag full of unusual and unexpected props.

From the United Kingdom
Billy Kidd (returning), one of the few female magicians in the world  who hosts Discovery Channel's Breaking Magic: the Magic of Science. She reads people's minds, turns paper to money and produces the most unsuspecting things out of nowhere; and Mat Ricardo (returning), an award-winning performer with incredible showmanship, razor-sharp wit, tricks nobody else in the world can do and unsurpassed sartorial elegance.

From the United States
Kamikaze Fireflies (returning), a triple Guinness World Record holding two-person vaudeville smack-down from Los Angeles that juggles, cracks whips and climbs on people, stacking chairs, German Wheels, and even shopping carts! Just last week they received four "Yeses" from the judges of America's Got Talent!

Among the great, returning local performers from the GTA:
Art $ Fortune, a one-of-a-kind fortune-telling, 'robotic' statue who stilt walks! Drop a coin into the booth and watch Art come to life!
Chalk Chick brings the streets of Toronto colourful sidewalks, love, and joy.
Fireguy, ever-popular with his sophisticated fire-breathing and world-class devil sticks.
Hercinia Arts Collective entertain with their hilarious act "Money Fish"� - synchronized swimmers out of water and looking for audiences everywhere.
Mental Floss Side Show, a vaudevillian duo that brings exhibits from the five corners of the globe - all with a little dash of snake oil.
Oparty twists balloons into incredible creations - from one balloon dog to a 400+ balloon motorcycle!
The Silent Violinist combines balloons and mime dressed in her visually stunning balloon dress with a gigantic wing spread.
Stilt Guys, with their HIGH energy, HIGH stamina, HIGHLY interactive roaming stilt performances.
Stiltdancer & Friends, a team of dynamic stilt artists who dance and play on their gravity-defying stilts.
The Twisted Ones share their crazy gigantic balloon creatures with audiences - a giant spider hat, or a beautiful butterfly costume anyone?
Internationally acclaimed living statue Kate Mior.
Max T. Oz, a sleight-of-hand magic favourite who has been at each and every festival since its inception;
And, of course, the festival would not be complete without veteran festival busker Silver Elvis, a mechanical metal man who moves for money, honey

And new from Quebec:
Chasseurs de rêves: a tribe of larger-than-life stilt puppets shines in colours and movements, with an elegant bird and majestic elephant.
CiRcO LoCo: Argentine tango dancers, circus artists, knife thrower and tribal belly dancing make for an awesome concoction of circus, stunts & mystery!
Les Vitamines: a colourful, high-energy duo that dazzles with acrobatic feats punctuated by improvised acts during which the public is invited to join in the fun.

And more!

Admission to Scotiabank BuskerFest is by voluntary donation to Epilepsy Toronto, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping more  than 40,000 Torontonians with epilepsy, and their families, through counselling, employment support, advocacy and education.

15th Annual Scotiabank BuskerFest
in support of Epilepsy Toronto
Thursday, August 21 - Sunday, August 24, 2014
throughout the Downtown Yonge Neighbourhood:
Yonge Street all the way from Queen to College and surrounding areas (including Trinity Square Park and Yonge-Dundas Square).

Thursday noon - 11 pm; Friday noon - 11pm; Saturday 11am - 11pm; Sunday 11am - 8pm
Admission is by voluntary donation to Epilepsy Toronto

CD Review: Andrew Remondini - Non Sequitur (Independent - May 29, 2014)

CD Review:
Andrew Remondini - Non Sequitur
(Independent - May 29, 2014)

• Buy the CD

Tuneful and layered, Non Sequitur, the debut album by Italian composer Andre Remondini, ably spans the gap between contemporary classical and electronic pop music.

He's been on the radar since his single Ocean Whispers (co-written with DJ Mauro Picotto) reached #3 in the Italian sales charts in 1996, followed by a slew of other dance singles that charted in the U.K. and elsewhere in Europe.

Andrea has actually been making music since the age of 12. Self-taught at the piano, his first experiments in electronic music featured old school computer and keyboard technology. A decade later, at 22, he worked as a staff songwriter/studio musician/sound engineer at an indie dance label in Italy. He left that gig to pursue his own music and Non Sequitor is the result. Andrea plays all the keyboards and produced the album himself.

His transition from dance to progressive synth-pop comes in the form of a single, title track that clocks in at 44'12". Along the way, Andrea weaves in and out of melodies and themes seamlessly.

Non Sequitur (extract) by Andrea Remondini

It comes as no surprise to learn Andrea cites the early works of Mike Oldfield and Jean-Michel Jarre as inspiration. He builds the track in layers of keyboard and synth for melodic and rhythmic effects, throwing in percussive sounds, echoes of a churchy organ, carillon-like bell tones, choral notes and more to create a lush, orchestral feel. A single track of 44+ minutes may seem indigestible but he changes moods and modes seamlessly. A melody and theme are established, developed and then effortlessly morph into another and then another over the course of the long track.

The music is atmospheric and ranges from spacey, spooky, moody themes to contemplative to heroic to upbeat. Some sections have an almost whimsical feel while others feature wordless choral tones. Just when you think you hear a theme coming to a close, it transforms into another. The constant change and variety that veers from pop to new music contemporary classical avoid monotony. A favourite section comes about halfway in - minimalist, rhythmic and mesmerizing.

A good instrumental album reminds you that you don't need words to express emotion. Like a long, meandering story, Non Sequitur is the soundtrack to a movie that runs through your head as you listen.

Recently Released: Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca - La Rumba SoYo (June 24 2014 - Cumbancha)

From a media release:

RICARDO LEMVO & MAKINA LOCA
New Album La Rumba SoYo
(June 24, 2014 - Cumbancha)

• Buy the CD

La Rumba SoYo, the new album from Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca, is a multinational undertaking that was recorded on three continents and in four countries (US, Canada, France and Angola). It took Lemvo three years to complete and sees him diving even deeper into his Angolan roots for inspiration. Cumbancha will release the album in North America on June 24, 2014 and in Europe and the rest of the world this fall.

Check out the song and free download:

La Rumba SoYo by Ricardo Lemvo

With his band Makina Loca, the Los Angeles-based singer produces an appealing blend of African and Cuban music that has earned him a worldwide following. Lemvo's early recordings drew mainly from Congolese rumba and soukous mixed with Cuban son and salsa. His 1998 hit "Mambo Yo Yo," which appeared on the first of two albums he released on Putumayo, can be heard to this day pouring out of taxicabs and on salsa club dance floors in Cartagena, New York, Tokyo, Paris and beyond.

Lemvo hails from M’Banza-Kongo, Zaire in Northern Angola. He grew up in Congo-Kinshasa where he was introduced to Cuban music by a cousin who owned a large collection of vintage Cuban LPs. Lemvo came to the US more than 30 years ago to pursue a law degree but ended up devoting his life to music. Since forming his band Makina Loca in 1990, Lemvo has toured extensively in Europe, Australia, Latin America, and Africa and released six previous albums.

While Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca made their name with a blend of Cuban and Congolese music, Lemvo eventually decided to explore the Angolan styles and languages he also heard while growing up in the Congo. He began singing in Portuguese and indigenous Angolan languages, and adding Angolan rhythms such as semba and kizomba to his mix. With a number of successful albums to his name, and having performed on some of the world's greatest stages, his musical career took an unexpected turn about a decade ago when he suddenly became a household name in Angola. What began as a personal artistic journey led him to be embraced by the Angolan public and his life in music began a surprising new chapter.

Today Angola has become one of the world's fastest-growing economies.  Music is an essential part of the country's cultural life.  Interestingly, Angola’s recording industry still has thriving record stores and is one of the few African countries where legal CDs are still prevalent in spite of the rampant piracy. Local musicians have developed a unique sales strategy to beat piracy; every weekend, musicians en masse bring their CDs to a series of outdoor markets, where they perform to backing tracks nonstop from morning until evening. Some artists can sell up to 2,000 CDs a day to the throngs of music fans that show up to the many such markets. Lemvo's music is now in high demand in Angola, and he is invited there to perform numerous times a year.

Three songs from the new album, “Dikulusu,” “Padre George,” and “Simone CM,” were written in collaboration with Angolan songwriters. With his increasing fame, Lemvo has built strong relationships with revered Angolan musicians and composers. Songwriter Adão Filipe is the director of the National Radio of Angola. A fan of Filipe's work, Lemvo asked him for some lyrics and the result was “Dikulusu” (A Heavy Cross). Fellow Angolan Ndulo Kituxi, who is well known in local music circles, composed the music.  It is a humorous song in three languages (Portuguese, Kikongo and Kimbundu) about a man who complains to his ex-wife about the alimony he pays her ending up in her new husband's pocket, “Dikulusu” begins with an accordion-led Angolan semba rhythm then shifts effortlessly into a Congolese rumba.

With La Rumba SoYo, Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca have created an exciting new album that retains their appealing salsa meets soukous grooves and blends them with the Angolan rhythms and styles that have been such an inspiration to Lemvo in recent years.

Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca will be bringing their infectious music to stages across North America and Europe this summer and fall.
                                                    
RICARDO LEMVO & MAKINA LOCA TOUR DATES
July 11 @ Blackbird Tavern, San Jose, CA
July 12 @ The Seahorse, Sausalito, CA
July 13 @ Music in the Park, Los Gatos, CA
July 18 @ Chicago Summerdance, Chicago, IL
July 19 @ Evanston Ethnic Art Festival, Evanston, IL
July 20 @ Celebrate Clark St. Festival, Chicago, IL
Aug. 15 @ Music in the Park, Carlsbad, CA
Aug. 16 @ Levitt Pavilion, Pasadena, CA
Aug. 21 @ Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, Jessie Square, San Francisco, CA
Aug. 30 @ Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA

Call for Submissions: Interactive Haiku - NFB and ARTE commission 12 one-minute works (Deadline August 19 2014)

From a media release:

NFB and ARTE commission 12 one-minute works
Call for Submissions
Got an idea for an innovative short interactive project?

• The call for projects is open until August 19, 2014, at noon (Eastern Standard Time). 
• Winners will be announced this fall
• Applicants can register online at interactivehaiku.com

Toronto – The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) and ARTE are issuing an international call for submissions for short online interactive experiences, in a new collaboration called Interactive Haiku.

Memes, Vines and Buzzfeed are all formatted for the digital age, where users tend to consume things quickly.

Yet brief experiences aren’t synonymous with an absence of quality or depth: the short format of haiku poetry offers a perfect example. Interactive Haiku aims to bring the brevity and richness of the haiku to the online realm, through projects that explore the possibilities of the short interactive format.

To help guide applicants, organizers have offered these 10 rules:

1. The experience should be 60 seconds long.
2. It should inspire us to see the world we live in differently.
3. Only one interactive concept should be used.
4. It should employ a full browser design with common “NFB/ARTE” header.
5. No navigation menu should be used.
6. Project must include sound.
7. It should be understandable and accessible to an international audience.
8. Project creators must own or have released all rights.
9. Must be computer, tablet and mobile friendly (iOS, Android and Windows).
10. And because there’s always an exception to the rule: break one of the creative rules 1 through 7
and explain why.

Twelve proposals will be selected. Applicants can register online at interactivehaiku.com.
The call for projects is open until August 19, 2014, at noon (Eastern Standard Time). Winners will be announced this fall.

Proposals will be selected by an international jury consisting of Caspar Sonnen, founder and curator, IDFA DocLab; Héctor Ayuso, founder and programmer, OFFF Festival; David Carzon, bi-media editor-in-chief, Telerama; Ciel Hunter, creative director, the Creators Project; Jonathan Harris, artist and computer scientist; Marie-Pier Gauthier, head of production at the NFB’s Digital Studio; and Alexander Knetig, web commissioning editor at ARTE. William Uricchio, professor of Comparative Media Studies and Principal Investigator of the MIT Open Documentary Lab and the MIT Game Lab, will serve as jury president.

EP Release: The Soles - Anonodos Kathodos (May 20, 2014)

From a media release:

The Soles - Anonodos Kathodos EP (May 20, 2014)
Written by The Soles
Produced by Marc Merilainen
Din Yalonen - Vocals, lyrics; Adam Gomori - Guitar; Marc Merilainen - Bass, guitar, beats

• Buy the EP

'I’ve long bemoaned that few current bands say anything about surrounding sociopolitical issues. Broken Ghost makes old punks say "yea!” plus Ghost is a catchy ditty with a hooky chorus. Bravo!' THE BIG TAKEOVER, USA
‘The Soles are a little bit of everything, The Ep (Broken Ghost) is a pleasant listen as lead singer Din has a pretty distinctive voice.’ LA BEAT, ALBERTA
‘Since forming in 2001, Toronto-based trio The Soles has been earning praise from fans, critics, and fellow musicians.’ ALAN CROSS’ EXPLOREMUSIC.COM

(TORONTO) With hundreds of live shows under their belt, from Seattle to Ottawa, The Soles are steadily making a name for themselves. They just released a new CD - Anonodos Kathodos (May 20, 2014) - and the lead single, Rebel Force Radio.

In 2008 the Soles released their first official full length record You Burst into Fire Again, the single Sky (In The Name Of You), received years of steady play on a network of radio stations across the USA.

After years of slugging it out, playing in hometown Toronto and touring in Eastern Canada, the band got its first break showcasing in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, shortly after that, they played their first big international show at the Northwest Folklife Festival in Seattle, USA. Since then the band has been gaining traction with more notable bookings, including: 4 consecutive shows at the Grace Hartman Amphitheatre in Sudbury late June 2013 for the FinnFun 2013 festival as well as their first festival headline spot at Music for the Masses, Thunder Bay - at The Foundry venue.

In 2011, The Soles released their second effort the Broken Ghost EP with was played heavily on College radio stations across Canada and charted in the top-30 on five of them. The Soles are currently recording a new full-length album to be released by the Heading North label and have already secured notable gigs across Canada for their 2014 summer tour. The Soles are a great live band, passionate about a good performance and they are the kind of band where people say “You have to see them live.”



HIGHLIGHTS
• 2014 summer tour dates including: The Foundry – Thunder Bay, July 25 & Loplop Lounge – Sault St Marie July 26
• Headlined Music for the Masses festival in Thunder Bay at The Foundry venue (Sept 20 2013)
• Appeared at Finnfun2013 festival in Sudbury ON (June 27 – July 1 2013) Selected to play 3 shows at FinnThunder 2012 Festival (July 27 – 29 2012) in Thunder Bay Ontario
• Song Broken Ghost - ‘Feature Track of the Day’ at Exploremusic.com April 7 2001 – Alan Cross’ website
• Broken Ghost EP released Feb 16 2011 generating radio play on Canadian university stations across the country; Charted in the Top-30 on five stations
• Recipient of FACTOR Showcase grant for Northwest Folklife Festival performance, 2010
• Performed two The Soles songs at 2010 Winter Olympics Vancouver (‘Ontario Pavilion’ venue)
• Solid US National radio play from 2008 to present on Undercurrents Network (50 plus stations).
• Hundreds of performances including tour dates across Canada and in the US

DISCOGRAPHY
• Bird on a Ladder (single), 2013 – Digital only
• All The Destroyed Songs (Remixes, Rarities & Unreleased), 2012 – Digital only
• Broken Ghost (Ep), 2011
• You Burst Into Fire Again, 2008

Porch View Dances Returns to Toronto's Seaton Village July 16 -20 2014

From a media release:

Kaeja d'Dance Announces Choreographers for
PORCH VIEW DANCES
JULY 16-20, 2014
Seaton Village - Toronto

• Performances run Wed-Sat at 7pm, Sun at 4pm
• Audiences will be led to four different dwellings (starting location 92 London St), culminating in a celebratory Flock Landing finale in Vermont Square Park.
• PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN

Toronto, June 26, 2014 - Kaeja d'Dance is pleased to announce the choreographers for the return of the award-winning Porch View Dances (PVD) dance project, conceived by Karen Kaeja and developed with Allen Kaeja. Peter Chin, Lauren Cook, Allen Kaeja, Karen Kaeja, Louis Laberge-Côté and Brandy Leary are all creating works for Porch View Dances which runs July 16-20 in Seaton Village in downtown Toronto.

An artistic and community initiative that shares the stories of everyday families' lives through dance on the porches and in the gardens of their own homes, Porch View Dance's inaugural 2012 presentation was named Best Site Specific Work by the Globe and Mail, and was bestowed the I love dance/J'aime la danse Community Award by the Canadian Dance Assembly.

Four award-winning choreographers - Peter Chin, Lauren Cook, Allen Kaeja and Louis Laberge-Côté (who this week just won the 2014 Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Choreography) - are partnering with four families (most of whom have never danced or performed in public before) residing in Seaton Village (West Annex) to create dance works that will animate the neighbourhood. (One of the four families participating in Porch View Dances is that of celebrated playwright Judith Thompson, recipient of two Governor General's Literary Awards, Officer in the Order of Canada and Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal recipient.)

The evening begins at 7pm (except 4pm on Sunday, July 20) and continues through the neighbourhood, stopping at the four families' houses and ending at Vermont Square Park/St. Alban's Boys and Girls Club. Brandy Leary choreographs the vignette, 'pop up' dances along the route.

A unique and inclusive endeavour, Porch View Dances garners audiences of 300+ per evening, and turns the area's front porches, streets, alleyways and park into a stage, culminating in Karen Kaeja's celebratory, all-inclusive Flock Landing finale where members of the audience are invited to become active participants.
.
Engaging real people, in real time, in real spaces, Porch View Dances celebrates diversity, enhances community spirit and bridges the gap between youth, the elderly, and their communities - offering a vital model for future partnerships between public space and the arts.

"There is community outreach - and then there is Porch View Dances [Š] the poster child of how to do everything right." - Paula Citron, The Globe and Mail, 2012

"Rarely has such ordinary public property been so wonderfully converted to artistic use. City sidewalks became seats for kids to watch, back alleys were opened up and became cultural corridors, and the local neighbourhood park was transformed into a performing arts centre. The boundary between what was public and what was private, what was ordinary and what was special, was danced into a beautiful blur." - Adam Vaughan, Former City Councillor, 2012

And Kaeja d'Dance has launched its first crowd-funding campaign to help with Porch with Projexity - a new local crowd-sourcing platform that focuses on improving our urban environments. Previous successful projects from Projexity have been a new public patio for the shipping container market at Scadding Court Community Centre and information kiosks for the Artscape Wychwood Barns. Kaeja d'Dance's Projexity campaign can be found at: https://projexity.com/porchviewdances#/ . All contributions are welcome and there is an exciting range of benefits and perks for investments over $10.

Kaeja d'Dance gratefully acknowledges the supporters of PVD: TD Bank Group, The Rotary Club of Toronto, Havergal College, The Department of Canadian Heritage, and our continued support from the Bulmash-Seigel Fund, the Canada Council for the Arts, The Ontario Arts Council, and the Toronto Arts Council.

Kaeja d'Dance presents Porch View Dances
conceived by Karen Kaeja and developed with Allen Kaeja
choreographed by Peter Chin, Lauren Cook, Allen Kaeja, Louis Laberge-Côté, Karen Kaeja and Brandy Leary
July 16-20, 2014 - Performances run Wed-Sat at 7pm, Sun at 4pm
Audiences will be led to four different dwellings (starting location 92 London St), culminating in a celebratory Flock Landing finale in Vermont Square Park. PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN.  Info: www.kaeja.org

Summer Organ Concert Series July 1 to August 5 2014 at the Riverside Church New York City

From a media release:

THE RIVERSIDE CHURCH HOSTS ACCOMPLISHED GROUP OF ORGANISTS FOR ITS
ANNUAL SUMMER ORGAN SERIES
every Tuesday, July 1 to August 5, 2014 from 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. in the Church’s majestic Nave, 91 Claremont Ave. (bet. 120th & 122nd Sts.), Morningside Heights

• July 1, 2014
• Check the Calendar for other dates

Concert Series Highlight to Include Live Organ Improvisation Accompaniment to 1926 Silent Film Comedy Classic, The General

NEW YORK CITY - Spotlighting one of the largest and most acclaimed organs in the world and continuing a decades old tradition of summer concerts featuring outstanding organists, The Riverside Church is presenting its Annual Summer Organ Series—featuring six concerts throughout the summer—every Tuesday, July 1 to August 5 from 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. in the Church’s majestic Nave, 91 Claremont Ave. (bet. 120th & 122nd Sts.), Morningside Heights.

Pulling out all the stops, the concert series will feature performances by talented organists playing a mixed repertoire ranging from traditional music to orchestral transcriptions on the Church’s 206-rank Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ, the second largest instrument in New York City, with over 12,000 pipes.  A highlight of the series will be a live organ improvisation accompaniment to the 1926 silent film comedy classic, The General, starring Buster Keaton.  The full schedule follows:

· July 1 – Gordon Turk, Auditorium Organist, Ocean Grove, NJ. A program of American composers in honor of the July 4th holiday includes works by Francis Hopkinson, Philip Phile, Charles Ives, Horatio Parker, Hugh McAmis and McNeil Robinson.

· July 8 – Joyce Jones, International Concert Organist, Waco, TX.  A legendary American virtuoso plays works by Bach, Van Hulse, Dupré and Boulnois.

· July 15 – Christopher Creaghan, Associate Organist, The Riverside Church, NYC.  Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky.

· July 22 – Robert McCormick, Director of Music and Organist, St. Paul’s Parish, K Street, Washington D.C. Renowned organist and improviser plays Elgar’s monumental Sonata in G, improvisation on submitted themes.

· July 29 – Jelani Eddington, Concert Organist, Racine, WI. A special concert of live organ improvisation accompanying the 1926 silent film comedy classic, The General, starring Buster Keaton.

· August 5 – Christopher Johnson, Director of Music, The Riverside Church, NYC. Works by Saint-Saëns, Whitlock, Borodin, Cocker. With “Terra Voce:” Elizabeth Brightbill (flute) and Andrew Caggert (cello).

Prior to each concert at 6:30 p.m., audiences will also have the chance to enjoy an incredible recital performed on one of the most famous carillons in the world—the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial Carillon.  The carillon’s centerpiece, the Bourdon Bell—weighing 20 tons—is the world’s largest and heaviest tuned bell ever cast. Its smallest bell weighs ten pounds.  Featuring 74 bells in total, in terms of physical size and weight (over 100 tons), the Riverside carillon has never been surpassed.

Tickets are available at the door and are $20 for adults and $15 for senior citizens/students.  For additional information the public can call 212-870-6722 or email music@theriversidechurchny.org.

ANNUAL SUMMER ORGAN SERIES
TUESDAYS, JULY 1 – AUGUST 5
7:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M.
6:30 P.M. – (PRE-CONCERT CARILLON RECITAL)
THE RIVERSIDE CHURCH, NAVE
91 CLAREMONT AVE. (BET. 120TH & 122ND STS.)
MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS

COST: $20 FOR ADULTS; $15 FOR SENIORS/STUDENTS

Directions: To get to The Riverside Church by subway take the 1 to 116th St. and walk to 91 Claremont Ave. (bet. 120th & 122nd St.) one block west of Broadway.