When & if "Acoustic Guitar Hero" is created, Leo Kottke will be on the cover

Leo Kottke

Saturday, May 14 - 8pm. $35

Box Office: 410.822.7299

www.avalontheatre.com

www.leokottke.com

21 solo album releases, beginning with 1969's 12-String Blues. 2 albums with Phish bassist Mike Gordon. 4 live albums and numerous compilations. This is the recorded work of innovative acoustic guitarist Leo Kottke, who appears at the Avalon this Saturday evening for a highly anticipated return to Easton.

Kottke almost immediately became an acoustic guitar hero with the release of his second album, 6- & 12-String Guitar (commonly referred to as the "Armadillo album", due to its cover artwork). His finger picking style and syncopated, polyphonic melodies sounded unlike almost anything else on the current music scene, which won the guitarist legions of crossover fans from the folk, blues, jazz, and rock genres.

Kottke's playing technique was so painstakingly original that he had to overcome a nearly career-ending bout with tendon damage in his right hand. By the early 1980s, his vigorous and aggressive picking style (particularly on the 12-string) forced him to change his picking style to a classical style, using the flesh of his fingertips and increasingly small amounts of fingernail rather than finger picks. It's also interesting to note that the guitar virtuoso has permanent hearing damage in both ears, due to unrelated incidents.

Still, despite physical setbacks and battles with label heads at Capitol who insisted he sing (he famously described his own voice in liner notes as "geese farts on a muggy day"), Kottke flourished during the 70's - the decade where he dominated on acoustic guitar and released a slew of solid albums that almost any vinyl-head from that decade will still have in his or her collection.

While his rigorous touring schedule and album output have slowed to a more humanly-capable pace, the 65-yr old is still keeping things fresh. His collaborations with Phish bassist Mike Gordon, Clone and Sixty Six Steps, caught audiences' attention in 2002 and 2005, respectively.

And now he's touring solo again, mixing highly entertaining and comical tales from his years of travel and experience, into an acoustic guitar showdown that continues to leave audiences dazed. Whether you cherish your old Kottke vinyl, are primarily a fan of his post 90's work, or are just a fan of the artistry of a musician who has mastered his instrument, Leo Kottke's concert Saturday evening is as close to a musical "sure thing" as one can get.

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-D.E. Ferraris

The Many Faces of Chick Corea

Chick Corea (solo)
Saturday, May 28th - 8pm.  $60
Avalon Theatre - Easton, MD  21601
Box Office: 410.822.7299
avalontheatre.com
chickcorea.com

If you’re a jazz-head, or even a fair weather fan of jazz, then you know the name Chick Corea; a masterful pianist who, along with Herbie Hancock and Keith Jarrett, was one of the top stylists to emerge after Bill Evans and McCoy Tyner. You probably know he’s played with Miles Davis and that he fronted the definitive jazz-fusion ‘superband’ Return To Forever. You might even know about his more recent genre-hopping classical composer credentials that have earned him accolades galore.

Chick - early 1960's

But for those who are not aware of the fact that the musician/composer is quite literally the definitive jazz pianist of his generation, and is coming to Easton, MD this May – I have attempted in the following paragraphs to justify why the serious music fan should absolutely and most seriously consider catching Chick during his upcoming Avalon gig.

Now He Sings, Now He Sobs - released March, 1968

One of the most significant jazzmen since the late '60s and never content at any time to rest on his laurels, Chick Corea began life in the Boston area as the son of his musician father Armando Corea. Known for its vibrant arts scene and hotbed of jazz musicians at the time, Boston turned out to be the perfect environment for a young Chick (tee-hee) to develop and hone piano and music composition skills that would soon catapult him into jazz’s most sought after brains. By 1968 he had recorded and released Now He Sings, Now He Sobs – an album that critics, fans, but even more importantly, his musical peers, considered the finest jazz/piano trio album ever released. It still holds this status today, which would be enough for many to hang there hat on; cruising into middle age on a plateau of similarly sounding records and projects, earning jazz royalty status and a respectable paycheck while never going out on any musical limbs.

But this is Chick Corea were talking about. This was simply the beginning of the man’s career. A career that has painted many pictures, wearing many, many faces.

Bitches Brew - released April, 1970

His musical curiosity has never dimmed. Early proof of this came when, after a short stint with "Sassy" Sarah Vaughan, Corea was asked and subsequently joined Miles Davis as Herbie Hancock's gradual replacement, staying with Davis during a very important transitional period (1968-1970). He was a player and major contributor on significant albums, such as Filles de Kilimanjaro and Bitches Brew...which also showcased his transition to the Fender Rhodes electric piano - suggested by none other than Miles himself. 

It would also mark the beginning of a lengthy process of hopping back & forth between acoustic and electric sounds, a key to the player’s uniqueness and growing legendary status.

By the end of 1971 Corea had changed directions again, forming and leaving the quartet Circle, playing briefly with Stan Getz, then forming a latin-tinged, melodic outfit called Return To Forever. Within a year, Corea (with Stanley Clarke, Al DiMeola and Lenny White) had redirected RTF into a pacesetting, high-powered fusion band. While the music was rock-oriented – a first for Corea - it still retained the improvisations of jazz and the keyboardist remained quite recognizable, even under the barrage of electronics.

RTF has reared its sonically ambitious face on several occasions since the band first broke up in the late '70s – the most recent of which is happening right now, as Return To Forever IV embarks on a world tour. (Corea’s solo Avalon stop is his last before heading to Australia in June with Clarke, White, Frank Gambale (replacing DiMeola on guitar) and jazz violinist extraordinaire Jean Luc Ponty.)

Return To Forever

Of course, having appeared on more than 100 recordings (most of which are his projects and compositions), there’s a lot more to the ever-evolving history of Mr. Corea. Like the Duo tour with Herbie Hancock where both pianists played acoustically, facing one another. Quartets with Michael Brecker; trios with John Patitucci & Roy Haynes; and countless, substantive collaborations (some recorded, some touring, some both) with Bobby McFerrin, Wayne Shorter, Keith Jarrett, Kenny Garrett, Dave Holland, Gary Burton, John McLaughlin, Pat Metheny...and the list goes on. 

Chick & Herbie Hancock

1985’s Chick Corea Elektric Band and 89’s Akoustic Trio are stand out discs, as are 1999’s Concerto Corea with the London Philharmonic Orchestra (Corea’s seamless foray into the world of classical), 2003’s Rendezvous in New York, 2006’s The Ultimate Adventure (an exploration of North African sounds), and 2007’s The Enchantment with banjoist and world music royalty Bela Fleck.

Fun Fact: All of Corea's 8 Grammy awards (from 25 nominations) have come during his last 15 years of work.

In anticipation of the new tour, Return to Forever IV recently graced the cover of DownBeat magazine, further reminding us why Chick is as hot as ever and prompting the musician to say, “I can’t wait to see what happens (on tour). So many people—and that includes the members of the band—have waited so long for this. Playing the music again with the guys in rehearsals has been so much fun, but doing this for our fans is almost too good to be true.”

What's almost too good to be true is that Chick Corea is performing in our own backyard. It’s definitely as monumental as Wynton Marsalis’ two-night stand in January of 2009. If you’re a classic rock fan, it’s like The Stones were coming to the Avalon and tickets were still available. Yup.

Chick Corea IS jazz. And jazz is alive. So do yourself a favor: Add a very impressive and worthwhile ticket stub to your collection by witnessing an artist who embodies an entire genre of music.

How often can you say you’ve seen that act...in a 400-seat venue, no less?


-D.E. Ferraris

Puppets never grow old - The Cashore Marionettes, 4.15.11 (7pm)

Remember when you were a kid and puppets were cool? Your introduction was most likely that of the Disney classic Pinnochio, who while making bad choice after worse, taught us not to lie and be mindful of those closest to our heart. 


Or perhaps it was the western cowboy marionette known as Howdy Doody. Heck, even the talking-est horse that ever was, Mr. Ed, probably falls in this category since the poor guy's lips were attached to strings that were (inhumanely) pulled from above.


But then, as you surpassed puberty and subconsciously assumed that puppets and the like were a novelty of the past, along came Jim Henson and his brilliant, age-defying creations known as The Muppets. And HBO's half-hour series, Fraggle Rock. (Bonus points to those of you who remember his holiday treat, Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas.) Why, Henson's rod-puppet paraphernalia even made it to the big screen with the semi-dark and magical, The Dark Crystal (which, btw, was Japan's highest grossing film for 14 years, only finally surpassed by Titanic). Of course by this time the Muppets were already big time stars, having starred in gems The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper.

These are shows and films that were not only fun to watch with our families and friends during our adolescence, but continue to be appealing viewing choices today with our own children and grandchildren. That makes these handmade characters even more special; simply because they remain in an impressive minority of artistic mediums that are still able to entertain and educate us as adults - just as they did when we were children.


Fact is, puppeteers work to develop an uncanny ability to mirror our changing cultural, social, and political landscapes. They seem to travel the globe like roving reporters, delivering the news that affects many to the few, and bringing the opinions of the few to the many. Their creations, whether puppet (hand, rod, etc.), marionette, or claymation act as their spokesperson and communicator, attracting and engaging their audiences.

To me, this is what makes the upcoming April 15th performance by The Cashore Marionettes, very, very intriguing.


Like many who will read this, I, too, glanced over the names and descriptions of upcoming shows in the new Avalon Spring calendar. I did what a lot of us do: Look for names I know - brand names, names that strike a chord of familiarity, or names of acts that may border the genres that bring comfort and joy. 


But after reading a little about Cashore's exquisite marionette creations, it became evident to me that these things; these intensely intricate characters that are so extremely capable of delivering a story and demanding our emotions - are both familiar and comfortable. 


They're simply packaged differently.

"Life in Motion", the hour-long performance that creator and performer Joseph Cashore will present at his upcoming Avalon Theatre tour stop, contains characters of depth, integrity, and humanity, performing and producing a product unlike anything else in theater today. "Motion" is a series of scenes taken from everyday life and set to the lush and beautiful classical music of composers such as Beethoven, Vivaldi, and Strauss. 


Through a combination of virtuoso manipulation, humor, pathos, classic music, and poetic insight, The Cashore Marionettes take the audience on a journey celebrating the richness of life. It's a powerful, entertaining, surprising, theatrically satisfying, one-of-a-kind event for adults, young adults, and children.


Which is why I think I will enjoy it. As will my 3 year-old. And my 53 year-old friend. And my 21 year-old niece. And so forth.


Turns out they all liked puppets as kids, too :)

From Joseph Cashore (Henson Foundation Grantee; UNIMA Citation of Excellence recipient; Pew Fellowship for Performance Art): "When I was ten or eleven years old, my parents took me into a large gift shop at the New Jersey shore while we were on vacation. This is where I first saw a marionette in person. It was hanging from the ceiling - a pirate, colorfully dressed. I remember looking at this marionette for a long time, imagining the possibilities. It was hanging high out of my reach. I was naturally shy, and my family had moved on to somewhere else in the store, so I had to work up all my courage to ask the saleswoman if I could try moving the marionette. She turned me down."


-D.E. Ferraris

Enter The Haggis: More than just "the other white meat"

I have always theorized that the next great wave of music to explode in America would come from a country other than ours.  There are too many great musicians playing today not to be affected by the originality of the harmonics in foreign sounds. The theory gets tested when

Enter The Haggis hits the Avalon on Friday, March 18^th at 8pm. Tickets are still available. 

 

The Avalon hosts a great Irish band the day after St. Patrick’s Day because the band is just too successful for the theater to afford them at any other time. They have been packing clubs around the world and will start on a tour of Germany in 2011. After capitalizing on St. Patrick’s Day in America. 

Irish for sure, but of a different nature, the band’s early music earned the descriptor “modern/high energy interpretations of traditional celtic & Irish songs”. They have since morphed into the much more unique and interesting moniker "Drop Kick Murphy's meets Green Day meets Freddy Mercury”. Personally I hear a lot of The Clash, R.E.M. and Paul Simon. 

Which may mean a lot to anyone looking for a “high energy rock and roll experience” on Friday.  The bagpipes, pan flute and fiddle are all here, but with ETH they are accompanied by powerful guitar work and musical segues that suggest any number of the great bands that came to national fame when the alternative music scene took over. And the alternative sounds fresh because of the Irish influence. They still sing about familiar Irish traditions, only the members are younger. One thing is for sure: the Irish are still having a blast at life, as in the days of yore, and we Americans are better for it.

-Tim Weigand

Upcoming Stoltz shows display diversity & musicianship: The hard-hitting indie rock of Philly's Zelazowa...and the groove of jazz guitarist Rob Levit

ZELAZOWA (w. The Gentlemen): Friday, March 4 – 8pm. $15

ROB LEVIT TRIO: Thursday, March 10 – 8pm. $20

Stoltz Listening Room

Box Office: 410.822.7299

www.avalontheatre.com

www.zelazowa.com

www.roblevit.com

Zelazowa means something like “steel will” and is the birthplace of Chopin in Poland. Not sure what this indie rock outfit from Philly has in common with the famous composer, but the steel will bit seems fitting. The guys in Zelazowa, who have been at it for the better part of a decade, rock hard, without borders, and with a good deal of passion. From the sounds of their 3rd DIY recording, Elephants on a Mouse Hunt, it seems obvious that the members love what they do, and, rather refreshingly, don’t lose any sleep when a song doesn’t end up in a catchy chorus like the listener might assume it’s working towards. Songs bounce around from something Pavement-sounding to what could be a Strokes b-side.

And nothing says rock n' roll quite like the kind of over-the-top attitude with which the band’s lead singer spits out lyrics. It’s the voice of a rock star to be, completely capable of hitting the high note with some vibrato to spare. Solid rock quartet from Towson The Gentlemen open the show, which makes Friday evening’s Stoltz affair the destination of choice for those about to rock. 

So Zelazowa, we salute you.

Guitarist Rob Levit currently resides in Annapolis, MD and splits time between the life of a recording jazz musician and cofounder of an arts-based nonprofit. With some 15 commercially available compact discs, though, it becomes clear just how hard it is (and how much luck one sometimes needs) to just play jazz music for a living.

Levit comes from the NYC jazz scene where in 1994 he released Singularity - part Pat Metheny, part Ornette Coleman, part Sam Rivers, nonetheless a 100% original jazz recording that trail blazed Levit's rise on the national jazz scene. Still, the closest he’s come to stardom was with his 2005 CD Touch the Spirit, a solo instrumental guitar album that received critical acclaim and climbed to #11 on the national New Age/World Music charts.

For a leader and co-leader of bands that have played gigs such as the Montreal International Jazz Festival, Boston Globe Jazz Festival, and Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, it’s truly a treat for jazz fans to be able to sit 10 feet from a musician of Levit’s stature in a 60-seat Easton venue.

This makes the March 10^th edition of the Avalon’s Stoltz Jazz Series a must-see for fans of jazz guitar and/or the likes of Mike Stern, Bill Frisell, and the aforementioned Metheny.

-D.E. Ferraris

REGISTER

Make No Miss-take: MISSTALLICA Will Rock

MISSTALLICA - An All Chick Metallica Tribute

Friday, February 18 - 8pm.  $15

Box Office: 410.822.7299

http://www.avalontheatre.com/

www.vimeo.com/misstallica

There's a very intriguing and in demand trend currently happening in the world of touring rock music: Tribute bands. To be even more specific, all-female tribute bands with ever-so-clever twists on the names of the original bands they are emulating. Take Lez Zeppelin, for instance. These four women sell out 500-1500 seat venues all across the nation, accurately and passionately reproducing the Led Zeppelin songbook to hoards of rock and metal fans, most of whom never got to witness the legends in person. The Iron Maidens are another hot commodity at the moment, making the music of Iron Maiden accessible to those who want to see women playing electric guitar in a way they once thought not possible.

The Avalon Theatre has taken note of this demand and answered in the form of Misstallica - "an all chick Metallica tribute" (as worded on the band's myspace page). The female versions of Hetfield, Ulrich, Hammett, and Burton/Newsted come highly heralded - online videos and reviews prove they are not just a catchy name trying to cash in the chick tribute thing. The Avalon, who incidentally hosted Lez Zeppelin several years ago for a sold-out affair, has received many calls and expects a big turnout for this Friday night's rockfest.

If watching 20-something women shredding old school Metallica covers, note for note, with ear-piercing guitar riffs and screaming lead runs sounds appealing to you even in the slightest, this Friday night's $15 concert seems like a no-brainer. Misstallica is no miss-take; these chicks rock, putting on a show perfect for metal heads, the metal-curious, and anyone who loves loud, raucous rock.

-D.E. Ferraris

Richard Marx & Matt Scannell: the not-so-Odd Couple

DUO - RICHARD MARX & MATT SCANNELL (of VERTICAL HORIZON)

Saturday, February 12 – 8pm.  $40

Box Office: 410.822.7299

http://www.richardmarx.com

http://www.verticalhorizon.com

What do you have when a late 80’s/early 90’s VH-1 staple teams up with a Gen X’er who’s also sold millions of albums? Why, you’ve got Duo – or more commonly known as musicians Richard Marx and Matt Scannell (of Vertical Horizon).

Richard Marx, you say? Yes, that Richard Marx. Writer of 13 #1 songs. MTV pretty boy. Let’s face it – if you’re a guy, you probably respected the man’s picture-perfect mullet, genuinely liked some of his more rocking tunes (i.e. “Don’t Mean Nothing”), and had a girlfriend that made you a mix tape with “Right Here Waiting” or “Endless Summer Nights” on it.  As for the ladies, well, he wrote the songs that made the whole world sing. The man was literally on top of the popular music world for a solid five or six years – a feat very few artists achieve.

Matt Scannell, lead singer and guitarist for Vertical Horizon, worked his way up from Georgetown University where he formed the band with classmate Keith Kane. After relocating and developing a cult following in the Boston area, the band was eventually signed to Sony Records, helping them to release the polished, radio-ready and multi-platinum Everything You Want, which included the hugely popular title track, as well as hits "You're a God" and "Best I Ever Had (Grey Sky Morning)". The band remains active and although they’ve yet to tap back into the commercial success achieved at the turn of the century, Vertical Horizon is still brought up in the same conversation as peers Tonic, Goo Goo Dolls, Third Eye Blind, and Live.

Turns out the two singer-songwriters are best buds. They crossed paths somewhere along the way and realized they were big fans of each other’s catalog. The result of the partnership is Duo - beginning as an album only available for purchase on Marx’s web site, before the friends decided to take the jam session on the road in between each others’ schedules.

The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Critics and concert-goers have praised Duo in unison for their tight harmonies, onstage chemistry, and completely refreshed versions of the songs that made them famous (as well as some very well-received originals). And maybe it should have been expected, with two savvy hit makers writing and performing together. But to some, the pairing may seem more of a musical ‘Odd Couple’. And while many will empathize with that line of thinking, those same doubters continue to leave Duo shows with a completely different picture, and thoroughly impressed.

So, in actuality, it’s a perfect pairing that continues to get better as the two fit in Duo shows whenever they can. The formula seems to work, too. You see, Duo is never ‘on tour’. Marx and Scannell simply book shows whenever and wherever it works into their own busy schedules. So when the two friends get together, it’s not just a tired, road-weary act that’s playing the same songs to yet another crowd in yet another town. They’ve most likely just arrived that day, separately, catching each other up on their lives, families, music, only to then continue the conversation on stage while poignantly performing a dozen or so songs of whatever they feel like playing that night.

In a nutshell, this show just may have everything you want. And wait – what’s that? Valentine’s Day is just two days later? Hmm…


-D.E. Ferraris

Punk legend John Doe (X, Knitters) is also that guy in Road House!

JOHN DOE

Saturday, January 29 – 8pm.  $30

Stoltz Listening Room

Box Office: 410.822.7299

www.avalontheatre.com

www.theejohndoe.com

Infinitely cool, John Doe, the front man for LA bands, X and The Knitters, launched the west coast punk scene even while rejecting its dependence on power chords. Music fans, particularly of the punk rock variety, love Doe for this.

And they should. The man took a subset of a musical genre, and altered it to his liking. That's so punk!

And while we also admire the man's contributions to rock history, we also love the fact that he had a role in what was perhaps the best bad movie the planet has ever seen.

John Doe was in Road House.

The musician and actor performs in what should be a sold-out performance in the SLR on Saturday evening, January 29^th at 8pm. Call the Box Office asap if you're intrigued. 410.822.7299 will get you there...or go online at avalontheatre.com and pay the obligatory ticketmaster handling fees.

Doe writes lyrics with a message that would make Woody Guthrie proud and songs with meaty melodies that would make Johnny Cash want to sing along. His solo work has pleased fans and critics alike, especially with his most recent album, A Year in the Wilderness -  a resonate, more mature collection of songs with a biting broodiness that updates, but never dilutes, his legendary early work.

Says Doe about Wilderness, “Sometimes it sounded like a Replacements', then a Velvet Underground record, then Blonde On Blonde...twelve-strings, six-strings, electrics, upright bass, big kick drums, pianos, organs, slides, floating & screaming voices. These may be the darkest moments recounted but you have to look inside to hear that, and in there is some of what happens during a year in the wilderness.”

Expect a little bit of wild in the Stoltz this Saturday evening, as fans of this co-founding father of west coast punk will surely be cheering and swaying in their seats to some both heated and cerebral acoustic sincerity.

And, if we're really lucky, Doe will try to skim the bar and make off with an extra $150. As big fans of the man, it would be an honor. Just as long as he doesn't bring Brad Wesley into the mix;)

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