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february
ICON
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EDITORIAL Executive Editor / Trina McKenna Robert Frank, Political Rally, Chicago, 1956
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ART 5 | A THOUSAND WORDS 6 | The Altering Eye/National Gallery of Art 8 | Linden Frederick/Michener Art Museum 10 | ART SHORTS Philadelphia Art Alliance Jim’s of Lambertville Payne Gallery 12 | EXHIBITIONS Delaware Art Museum Bethlehem House Gallery Williams Center Gallery
THEATER Linden Frederick (b. 1953), T. Rex, 2014, oil on linen, 34 x 34 inches. © Linden Frederick, Courtesy of Forum Gallery, New York
14 | CITY THEATER 14 | VALLEY THEATER
ENTERTAINMENT
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16 | THE LIST
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32 | KERESMAN ON DISC Françoise Hardy Sonny Sharrock Peter Astor Mike Olson Freakwater 34 | SINGER / SONGWRITER Al Basile King Curtis The Chapin Sisters JD and the Straight Shot Lisa Said 36 | JAZZ LIBRARY Bobby Troup
DINING 37 | Something’s Fishy - 26 North 38 | Townsend
THE BEAT 40 | CITY BEAT
VALLEY BEAT
FILM 18 | KERESMAN ON FILM The Big Short
Brad Pitt in The Big Short
MUSIC
ABOUT LIFE 41 | Who’s Pulling Your Strings
20 | CINEMATTERS Brooklyn
ETCETERA
26 | BAD MOVIE Sisters
42 | L. A. TIMES CROSSWORD 43 | AGENDA
28 | FILM ROUNDUP 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi Eisenstein in Guanajuato Where to Invade Next The Witch
MUSIC FEATURE Saoirse Ronan in Brooklyn
PRODUCTION Designer / Richard DeCosta Assistant Designer / Kaitlyn Reed-Baker CITY BEAT Thom Nickels / thomnickels1@aol.com VALLEY BEAT Geoff Gehman / geoffgehman@verizon.net FINE ARTS Edward Higgins Burton Wasserman MUSIC Nick Bewsey / nickbewsey@gmail.com Mark Keresman / shemp@hotmail.com Bob Perkins / bjazz5@aol.com Tom Wilk / tomwilk@rocketmail.com FOOD Robert Gordon / rgordon33@verizon.net CONTRIBUTING WRITERS A. D. Amorosi / divaland@aol.com Robert Beck / robert@robertbeck.net Jack Byer / jackbyer@verizon.net Peter Croatto / petecroatto@yahoo.com James P. Delpino / JDelpino@aol.com Sally Friedman / pinegander@aol.com Geoff Gehman / geoffgehman@verizon.net George Miller / gomiller@travelsdujour.com R. Kurt Osenlund / rkurtosenlund@gmail.com Keith Uhlich / KeithUhlich@gmail.com
PO Box 120 • New Hope 18938 (800) 354-8776 Fax (215) 862-9845
30 | REEL NEWS Bridge of Spies Truth Suffragette Grandma
33 | REPORT FROM THE FIELD: 2016 NYC Winter Jazz Fest
Raina Filipiak / Advertising filipiakr@comcast.net
ON THE COVER: Nelson Shanks (American, 19372015), Nancy, 1974, oil on canvas. Allentown Art Museum, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Franklin D. Crawford, 1975
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ART A THOUSAND WORDS STORY AND PAINTING BY ROBERT BECK
Hauling Out I HEARD A BEEPING sound, which meant the boat hauler was backing across the yard. Looking out the window I saw a lobster boat motionless near the end of the dock, and some guys getting lines ready. There are a number of ways to get a boat out of the water. Some yards have a crane that drives over a boat and lifts it up on straps that have been looped under its hull. Jonesport Shipyard uses a large, U-shaped trailer— like a big horizontal tuning fork on wheels, the two long sides open in the back—that gets detached from the truck and rolled down the ramp into the water under the boat. Hydraulic arms on the sides of the trailer are then raised to cradle the vessel. When all is set, the trailer and boat are pulled out of the water and up the ramp by a winch and reconnected to the truck. The boat can then be carried someplace in the yard for repairs or transported by road as far as needed. Hauling out a boat is an everyday occurrence on the coast, but it’s not approached casually. Positioning the boat over the trailer and getting the hydraulic arms to make contact in the right spot are crucial. The arms have swiveling pads at the top to conform to the angle of the hull, but they need to lift the boat in unison, and have to be located in a position that distributes the weight without destructive stress on the hull. You can break a boat if you get it wrong. The men have to work deliberately, and only move to the next step when the prior step has been done and checked. Meanwhile, there is a clock running in everyone’s head. The old adage, “Time and tide wait for no man,” comes into practical focus at a working harbor. At Jonesport, the water level changes twelve feet in six hours (fifteen feet if the moon is right). There is a chart on the wall in every building and on every dashboard that lists to the minute the time of the two high and low tides for each day, for each harbor in the area. It’s going to happen at that time and there is nothing anybody can do to stop it, so it’s good to have the information handy in case you have plans. In this case, the water where they were working was on its way out and there wasn’t a lot of time to spare. I ran over to the yard as soon as I saw what was going on. I like to watch other people work as much as anybody, and jobs that require coordination are particularly fascinating. The boat had developed a bad vibration while out in the bay, requiring the owner to shut down the engine. A friend towed it to the shipyard dock, exe-
Robert Beck’s work can be seen at www.robertbeck.net.
cuting a drive-by maneuver much like discharging a water skier off to the side, placing the boat in a good position. Two guys were using a line and a boat hook to get the stern around while a third pulled it forward over the trailer. A man stood behind the truck at the top of the ramp where he had a good view and gave signals to the others. It was that wordless communication between the men that I wanted to describe in the painting. The entire composition is built around that. One of the first things you see is the signal hand silhouetted in the rectangular window. Even though there are no discernible faces on the men at the end of the dock you can tell their eyes are fixed on that hand. The direction of the ropes and hook reinforces that invisible connection. The image was created in my studio using a painting I did of the shipyard dock the year before, a good memory, and an active imagination. Unlike when I paint from life, I can take time to consider what elements suit the content and how to arrange them to best tell the story. Instead of describing what is in front of me, I’m refining what caught my attention, and what left its mark on my memory. One method has the voice of a play-by-play announcer, the other that of a storyteller. The painting depicts men hauling out a boat, but it is also part of the larger story of life on the coast. Take it as it comes, work hard, work together, and figure out a way. Pitch in, because someday you will see that person on the other end of your rope. ■ W W W. FA C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V ■ W W W. I C O N D V . C O M ■ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 6 ■ I C O N ■ 5
Art BY BURTON WASSERMAN
The Altering Eye
S Dorothea Lange, General Strike, San Francisco, 1934. Gelatin silver print. Image: 24.4 19.1 cm (9 5/8 7 1/2 in.) National Gallery of Art, Washington, Diana and Mallory Walker Fund, Robert Menschel and the Vital Projects Fund, in Honor of the 25th Anniversary of Photography at the National Gallery of Art
SERIOUS ART PHOTOGRAPHY IS the term given to a category of contemporary art that joined together several different creative practices. They came into being in the middle of the 19th century and were based on the use of a camera and certain chemical procedures carried out in a laboratory dark room. The outcome of these efforts were positive representational images related to such different areas of concern as scientific documentation, product marketing and many varieties of aesthetic expression. Initially, regardless of intention, these photographic forms were not generally treated as serious art in the same way that such traditional graphic procedures as drawing, painting, intaglio and relief, printmaking, lithography and screenprints were accepted as examples of significant art creation. With the passage of time and the emergence of increasingly sophisticated visual images, thoughtful observers came to regard these accomplishments on a par with more familiar art modalities from yesteryear. As events moved on, various art museums charged with collecting, studying and showing distinguished, original works of art added the outcome of their professional efforts to their approach to photography. At the same time, the technology and creative attitudes toward the making of significant photographs underwent change. Of course, another critical consideration in the process of recognizing serious art photography was the sheer growth of expertise in the field by such gifted figures as David O. Hill, Julia M. Cameron, Alfred Steiglitz, Edward Steichen, Man Ray, Henry Cartier-Bresson. Paul Strand, Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Moholy-Nagy, Walker Evans, Diane Arbus, and Dorothea Lang. Adding to these developments, the prestigious National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. is currently holding a superb exhibition of eminent examples from its permanent holdings titled Celebrating Photography at the National Gallery of Art: Recent Gifts. The show is scheduled to run until March 27, 2016. The works on view demonstrate why they are significant works of art in their own language of vision. Certainly, the installation also shows why many other museums would gladly give their eye teeth to be able to mount such an offering for the delectation of their visitors. Incidentally, the exhibition is accompanied by an excellent publication of distinguished examples in the Gallery’s collection and in addition, it is also set to present a series of lectures pertinent to the exhibition. These will also be offered free of charge to the general public. Besides the merit of the photographs for their own sake, a visit to the Natonal Gallery is also always a rewarding experience for the range of joyful encounters with art it has to offer. Typically, it has the only original painting by Leonardo da Vinci, always on view, in an American art museum. ■ National Gallery of Art, 6th & Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC 20565. 202-737-4215. nga.gov
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Henri Cartier-Bresson Alicante, Spain, 1933 Gelatin silver print Image: 15.5 23.1 cm (6 1/8 9 1/8 in.) Promised Gift of Stephen G. Stein Employee Benefit Trust, in Honor of the 25th Anniversary of Photography at the National Gallery of Art
Robert Frank Parade—Hoboken, New Jersey, 1955 Gelatin silver print Image: 31.3 47.5 cm (12 5/16 18 11/16 in.) National Gallery of Art, Washington, Gift of Dr. J. Patrick and Patricia A. Kennedy, in Honor of the 25th Anniversary of Photography at the National Gallery of Art © Robert Frank from The Americans
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Art BY ED HIGGINS
Summer House, 2009, oil on linen, 40 x 40 inches. © Linden Frederick, Courtesy of Forum Gallery, New York, Collection of Luanne Rice
Study for Wedding Night, 2004, oil on linen, 10 ½ x 10 ½ inches. © Linden Frederick, Courtesy of Forum Gallery, New York, Collection of Jonas and Jackie Havens
LindenFrederick LINDEN FREDERICK IS A dyed-in-the-wool American artist, trained in Canada and Italy, with a deep sense of people and their surroundings. He captures those environments with realism and feeling. Frederick is currently the subject of an exhibition at the Michener Art Museum, Roadside Tales, which runs through March 13. Frederick paints scenes in deep rich colors that depict mostly small towns and rural areas—in the absence of people, results might seem lonely or even desperate. Museum Director Lisa Tremper Hanover, who curated the show, says “The images roll by—if we blink we might miss them—like frames in a movie, familiar somehow, vividly calling to mind images from other drives, other places.” This feeling of familiarity saves the paintings from being gloomy. One gets the idea that there is hope, comfort and safety in the buildings he paints. Born and raised in Perth in upstate New York (a town of about 1,500 residents), Frederick went to the Ontario College of Art in Toronto, studied at Houghton College, and attended the Academia de Belle Arte in Florence, Italy. He moved to Belfast, Maine, in 1989 and has paint-
ed and exhibited widely since. He’s shown at a number of museums around the country including the Farnsworth Museum, the Portland Museum of Art, the Arnot Art Museum, has had numerous exhibitions at private galleries on both coasts and throughout New England. His art is in a many private and public collections, as well as the corporate collections of Sprint, MBNA, Putnam Investments, and Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts. Frederick crossed the country on a bicycle in 2007, stopping along the way to sketch what he observed. Since most of his work is at dusk, one might think that when he finished a day’s ride, he was ready to make art. Before starting to paint he takes “lots of photographs” and prepares sketches. When he’s not bicycling or painting, he builds cellos, a hobby he started a few years ago. An interesting aspect of Frederick’s career is that he has traveled all over the United States searching out the same genre of scene. Perhaps that’s why much of his work does seem familiar. It’s familiar as it reflects both our own histories and that vague American myth/dream of the innate goodness of the countryside.
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Hanover: “These are places that evoke within us a palpable but indescribable sense of longing...they’re gone in an instant, flashing by. Frederick stops the car, and fixes our attention for a moment on the places he wants us to see, giving us access to otherwise intimate spaces and private worlds. But there is no voyeurism at work here, Frederick has a way of tapping into our subconscious, merging imagination with memory.” “What drives me,” said Frederick, “is having a certain mood and that implies a human element, which a lot of landscape painting forgets. My work is not about place. It really is about people. I think inadvertently I’m setting some kind of stage so the drama can play out within the viewer. And that’s why people react.” It’s as if Frederick wants us to see the people he doesn’t paint. The figures that are not there, thus the viewer must fill in what the painter leaves out. ■ James A. Michener Art Museum, 138 S. Pine St., Doylestown, PA. 215-340-9800. michenermuseum.org
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Art Shorts CURATED BY ED HIGGINS
HUSH at The Philadelphia Art Alliance This exhibition brings together the work of artists Megan Biddle, Amber Cowan, Jessica Jane Julius and Sharyn O’Mara. Working over the course of a year, the artists, who are also colleagues on the glass faculty at Tyler School of Art, Temple University, created visually and conceptually diverse works that include site-specific installations as well as individual sculptures and drawings. The exhibition ruins through April 24. Megan Biddle’s mixed media sculptures and images
ic, a quite homage to the history and demise of American glass manufacturing and a sad epigraph to its disappearance from our culture. Influenced by the complexity of our visually overloaded society, Jessica Jane Julius’ objects, installations, and drawings reflect on the intangible environment - the multitude of surrounding elements in our environments that cannot be perceived through touch. Sharyn O’Mara’s images, installations, and drawings explore the relationship between the mapping of the land with roads that create lines, intersections, and gridsand the mapping of experience using written language through grammar and composition.
journey, and the purchase of hundreds of signs. Flash forward to today and in support of Moravian College’s thematic programming for the academic year, Poverty & Inequality, the signs he collected comprise the show, Poverty - We are all Homeless. The show runs through March 6 at the school’s Payne Gallery. A in a documen-
Thrilla in Lambertvilla at Jim’s of Lambertville A huge exhibition and sale featuring more than 60 Impressionists and Modernists. In addition to the Pennsylvania Impressionists, the show includes Mercedes Carles Matter, Charles Searles, Val Bertoia, Peter Sculthorpe, and Vaclav Vytlacil. Matter is the daughter of Philadelphia modernist Arthur Carles; Searles is a Philadelphia painter, sculptor, and teacher;
By Amber Cowan, Untitled (detail)
Bertoia is the son of sculptor Henry Bertoia, Scuthorpe is a painter in the Brandywine school tradition; and Vytlacil is an abstract painter. Other artists in the show include Edward Redfield, Daniel Graber, Fern Coppedge, Jim Spencer, John Folinsbee, M. Elizabeth Price, Walter Baum, Martha Walter, and William Lathrop. By Sharyn O’Mara (detail)
draw upon themes relating to the earth: rocks, erosion, time, cycles, and scale shifts. At first glance, Amber Cowan’s works appear lavish; densely packed, intensely detailed, viral in accrual. Working with discarded and unwanted pressed glassware produced by some of the best known but now sadly defunct glass factories in America, Cowan’s reforming of these materials can be considered both subversive and patriot-
Willie Baronet at Payne Gallery For Willie Baronet, it all began back in 1993 with a feeling of awkwardness when stopping at an intersection and being approached by a person holding a sign and asking for help. He struggled weather or not to give them money or not to contribute. Ultimately he ended up buying their signs. It ended up with a cross country
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Willie Baronet
tary based on the road trip is now in production. A graduate of Southwestern Louisiana, Baronet got his MFA in Arts and Technology at the University of Texas Dallas. He had his own advertising agency and won many state and national awards for his work. Baronet recently said, “I see these signs as signposts of my own journey, inward and outward, experiencing of reconciling my early home life with my judgments about those homelessness…as a graphics designer for much of my professional career, I also marvel at the typography, texture, and patina of the signs themselves.” He currently teaches at Southern Methodist University. ■
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EXHIBITIONS
Anthony Smith, Pilot, Or How Do You Stop a Flying Dreadnaught #1. Mixed Media, 32”x48"
Plane Trees of Céret, France, #4, 2013. Carol Tippit Woolworth (born 1955). Oil on linen, 60 × 48 in. Courtesy of the artist
Inside Out: Carol Tippit Woolworth, Catherine Drabkin, Pahl Alexander Hluchan, Colleen Randall, Daniel Jackson Delaware Art Museum 2301 Kentmere Pkwy, Wilmington, DE 19806 302-571-9590 delart.org Through April 24 Five regional painters explore the concept of “place”— physical, emotional, and spiritual. Carol Tippit Woolworth’s paintings capture landscapes of France. Catherine Drabkin creates interior and still-life scenes in oil and gouache. Pahl Alexander Hluchan explores forms and shadows. Colleen Randall’s abstract paintings evoke a spiritual essence. Daniel Jackson brings observed objects and locales to life on canvas.
Ward Van Haute, Nephele, Mixed Media, 12”x16" Rat-A-Tat
The Winter Show Bethlehem House Contemporary Art Gallery 459 Main Street, Bethlehem, PA Through April 9, 2016 Gallery: 610-419-6262, Cell: 610-390-4324 BethlehemHouseGallery.com The Winter Show features the artwork of Francis Beaty, Joe Billera, Egidio Galgano, Katelyn Lau, Anthony Smith, and Ward Van Haute.
Catherine Drabkin, Found Object Garden (Randyland) no. 5, 2015 Oil on linen, 28 × 22 in. Courtesy of Kraushaar Galleries, New York
Katelyn Lau, Metamorphosis, Oil/Canvas, 60”x39"
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In Time, Out of Time: Woven Photo Collages by Gail Skudera Williams Center Gallery at Lafayette College 317 Hamilton St., Easton, PA 610-330-5361/5010 Galleries.lafayette.edu Through February 21 “There is something beautiful about the movement of tones between black and white in an old photograph that can evoke in the viewer an inexpressive sensation.” —Gail Skudera Skudera’s work is based on traditional textile processes combined with a painting background and love for vintage black-and-white photographs. Her collaged works combine pattern weave structures with photo-transferred images using both on- and off-loom weaving methods. With paint, washes and glazes, thread and collected objects, as well as non-traditional printing processes, she creates complex images that focus on portraits or the human figure in various environments. The juxtaposition of time past—the photographs—with the present, references the passage of time. Woven Collage Workshop: February 7, 2–4 p.m. Artist’s Talk: February 8, noon, Williams 108
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THEATER VALLEY
CITY
On Golden Pond Barry Glassman has been one of the Valley’s steadiest, most surprising actors for a good solid 40 years. You can count on him to be intimate and expansive whether he’s playing a fox-crazy asylum leader in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, a dying guru in Tuesdays with Morrie or a reformed grinch in A Christmas Carol. Extracting emotions seems natural for a dentist who helps other dentists treat chronic pain. Glassman’s latest panoramic character is Norman Thayer, the octogenarian patriarch of On Golden Pond, , which Glassman has helped transform into a vital cultural center. As Thayer, he gets to be cranky, witty, angry, loving, curious, scared and reborn with a feisty, devoted wife; a feisty, troubled daughter, and a foul-mouthed, fun-loving grandson-in-law. The compellingly choreographed part won James Earl Jones a 2005 Tony Award and Henry Fonda a 1981 Academy Award, his only Oscar. Civic Theatre of Allentown, 527 N 19th St. Feb. 12–28
Harvey One could play the charmingly rakish, drunky Elwood P. Dowd—the gangly human centerpiece of Mary Chase’s (then Ken Ludwig in update) Harvey script—strictly for laughs. That would, however, remove some of that character’s wild-eyed innocence, his “open heart in a world of protected cynicism,” says Ben Dibble, the Walnut Street Theatre’s Dowd. Dibble is Philly acting’s rubberband man, a lean, elastic actor who can add twitchiness to mainstream fare, a deceptive smile to darkly progressive works and an undeniable urgency to all. Walnut Street Theatre through March 6
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike What happens when three anxious, action-challenged Chekhovian siblings unsettle each other while settling old scores in a Bucks County farmhouse? Watch the comic fireworks explode in Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike by Christopher Durang, who dreamed up the play in his own Bucks County farmhouse. He won a 2013 newplay Tony for a deft circus of jealousy and vanity, real estate and coffee. Goran Zdravkovic plays Spike, Masha’s athletic actor-wannabe beau, for the second time in three months. Mike Febbo, Zdravkovic’s comrade in a Cedar Crest College production, reprises Vanya, who grows from perplexed wallflower to perceptive philosopher. He researched the role by watching Durang play Vanya in a production at the Bucks County Playhouse. Febbo felt the old familiar chill when the author forgot his lines during Vanya’s long tribute to the simpler, happier era of Davy Crockett, Perry Como and lickable stamps. Directing is veteran steward George B. Miller, who last year shepherded a box-office-breaking Playhouse production of To Kill a Mockingbird. His history with Durang goes back to 1985, when he decided to direct Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You after Civic Theatre decided not to court religious controversy by not presenting a black comedy about a nun with bizarre methods of discipline. Pennsylvania Playhouse, 390 Illick’s Mill Rd, Bethlehem. Feb. 5–21,
Karen Finley For the twenty-fifth anniversary expanded edition of Shock Treatment, a book discussing her time as performance art’s most notorious doyenne, Karen Finley raps about the roots of the art form, the time when Jesse Helms and other conservatives in the Senate yanked her NEA grants because they thought she was obscene. And more. Feb 11 at the Free Library of Philadelphia, 1901 Vine.
Elektra The Valley gets a rare dose of ancient Greek tragedy in Sophocles’ Elektra, where the title character kills her unfaithful mother for killing her unfaithful father. Director/adaptor Wayne S. Turney teaches theater at DeSales and performs with the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival. A former Air Force pilot, he founded a new-play festival, a theater company and a solo play about St. Mark and his gospel. DeSales University, 2755 Station Ave., Center Valley Feb. 24–28 and March 2-6. desales.edu/home/arts-events/act-1-productions Mae Swe Mary Wright ends her solo play about reclaiming her Burmese childhood by weaving around the stage while carrying a paper bird on a pole, gazing up with respectful wonder. The bird symbolizes the freedom of knowing that Burma’s colors, voices and foods flourish in her a half century after leaving her birthplace. That feeling radiates through this evocative, provocative piece. Mae Swe [My Friend] pivots on Wright’s memories of her first four years in Burma with her missionary parents, her trip back to Burma/Myanmar and Thailand ten years ago, and interviews with Burmese refugees in the Valley. She glides beautifully between a child’s glee while watching headless chickens run in circles, a father’s sad gladness while saying goodbye to a son leaving for America, the evil banality of a soldier waiting to prey on democracy-seeking protesters. Director Jennie Gilrain, a former Touchstone ensemble member, helps Wright create a gently glowing ballet. It reminds me of their 2004 Touchstone version of The Glass Menagerie, where Wright played Laura Wingfield, the crippled, timid caretaker of glass animals, with the delicacy of a paper doll. ■ —Geoff Gehman
The 11th Hour Theatre Company The Next Step Concert Series work-in-progress reading/singing events—parties, concerts—are as intense as any staged play. Factory Girls (Jan 30-Feb 1) is an Industrial Revolution rock musical by Creighton Irons and Sean Mahoney with Big Red Sun (Feb 27), book and lyrics by John Jiler, music by Georgia Stitt and lots of klezmer sounds. Christ Church Neighborhood House, 20 N. American Street. Varying dates, check website: 11thhourtheatrecompany.org/shows/next-step Spine Inis Nua Theater presents Claire Brennan’s civic minded dramedy rails against library closures—how very PHILLY!—and the modern Irish-ly influenced theater company won a Barrymore for it collective efforts. Sounds like a dream pairing. Louis Bluver Theatre at the Drake, 1512 Spruce Street. Feb 17–March 6. Lobby Hero Kenneth Lonergan’s work is sheer street poetry; a fact that is sadly often forgotten when considering his screenplays for Scorsese’s You Can Count on Me (2000) and Gangs of New York (2002) along with Lonergan’s own Margaret, a film that ate up much of the last decade with final cut issues. This is Our Youth (1996), the arts-centric The Waverley Gallery (1999) and the Hollywood-lite Lobby Hero are epic theater works. Theatre Horizon, 401 DeKalb St, Norristown. Feb 18–March 13 Pippin The 1972 Tony Award-winning musical, Pippin, featured direction by Bob Fosse, music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Roger O. Hirson. It couldn’t fail. Now, add in a story culled from a medieval fable and an actor who dances a little like its original thespian, Ben Vereen, and this revival can’t fail. Win win. John Rubinstein who played in the 1973 Pippin on Broadway, now plays Charles in the current production. Wow. Academy of Music, Broad Street. Feb 23–29 Smoke Theatre Exile is getting a rep for plays that touch upon the smartly lurid and the politically empowered while keeping each element blackly and edgily comic. Director Deborah Bloch and playwright Kim Davies find the right balance of sense, sensibility and sensuality in an intimate space. Theatre Exile, 1340 South 13th Street. Feb 24–March 13 ■
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—A. D. Amorosi
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The List FEBRUARY CURATED BY A. D. AMOROSI
3 Stanley Clarke Philly’s fusion bass playing time lord plays Delaware hot on the heels of his 2015 release D-Stringz. (World Café Live / Queen) 4-6 Disco Biscuits The toast of University of Pennsylvania’s jam band-elec-
Laura Nyro with respect and love. (Zoellner Arts Center)
quartet lets loose alone. Surely, he’ll sing about whales and climate change. (World Café Live)
11 Fetty Wap The one-eyed hip hop toast of Patterson, New Jersey raps his way through Fishtown. (Fillmore Philadelphia) 12 Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band Touring for The Ties That Bind, a box set re-consideration of 1980’s The River, places Bruce & Co. in the role of oldies practitioners alone, a place that Springsteen has never been before. I'm sure the shows will be epic, but I’m not fond of this move. (Wells Fargo Center) 13 Jacqui Naylor This subtly inventive, deeply emotive interpretive vocalist defies categorization. (Puck Live, Doylestown)
Disco Biscuits.
tronic scene unite for a mad Dead weekend of spacedout Phishiness. (Fillmore Philadelphia)
13 Larry Harlow and the Legends of Fania All Stars Throughout the late 60s and 70s, the Fania label was to heavily percussive Latin music what Motown and Stax was to African American soul: a haven of hits. (Zoellner Arts Center)
19 Meshell Ndegeocello, Christopher Tignor, Rich Medina If Nina Simone was alive today, she would be Ndegeocello. (Ardmore Music Hall)
4-7 Jamie Leonhart/ESTUARY: an artist/mother story Downtown NYC avant-pop diva debuts a song cycle about her life in the arts downstairs at the Kimmel. (SEI)
19-20 Simple Gifts The Center for Contemporary Mysticism at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. A weekend of Folk and World Music led by the wonky ensemble Simple Gifts head into the mystic. (Chestnut Hill)
5 Noura Mint Seymali If you ever wanted to know what music in Mauritania sounds like, here is your chance. (Johnny Brenda’s) 5-8 Opera Philadelphia’s Cold Mountain Pulitzer Prize winning composer Jennifer Higdon gives the late Anthony Minghella's cinematic tale of the Civil War’s end a shot at grand modern opera. (Kimmel) 6 Billy Childs: Map to the Treasure Muscular pianist and suave singer does a number on the
Bebel Gilberto. Photo: Henrique Gendre.
14 Bebel Gilberto The goddess of Brazilian electronic lounge music has a father in João Gilberto, a mother in Miúcha, and an uncle in Chico Buarque de Hollanda. This can’t help but be romantic. (Kimmel) 15 Trump vs. Bernie: The Debate! James Adomian and Anthony Atamanuik as the Republican and Democratic candidates is as unlikely as if either ever won the Presidential election. (World Café Live) 17 Bill Frisell Jazz guitar’s most adventurous friend makes a rare area appearance with a new band. (Ardmore Music Hall)
Billy Childs. Photo: Javiera Estrada.
Meshell Ndegeocello
18-19 Graham Nash One quarter of America’s least harmonious harmony
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21 Uri Caine/John Zorn’s Masada Philadelphia avant-classicist Caine makes merry and mournful the music of Zorn’s Masada. (Johnny Brenda’s) 22 Carrie Underwood The young queen of American Idol’s country division plays the big room. (Wells Fargo Center) 26 Melvin Seals/Mason Porter Jerry Garcia’s organist lets loose. (Ardmore Music Hall) 26 Ramsey Lewis and John Pizzarelli The first family of Philly jazz guitar (Bucky Pizzarelli’s son, John) returns home for a gig with cool jazz keyboard’s coolest practitioner, Ramsey Lewis. Bucky just turned 90 and is still recording with his son. He’s also played with Clark Terry, Michael Feinstein, Miles Davis, Little Jimmy Scott, Anita Baker, Ella Fitzgerald. John is no slouch in terms of sessions, having played with Paul McCartney, Kristin Chenoweth, James Taylor and several records with Ramsey Lewis. (Merriam) ■
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FILM KERESMAN ON FILM REVIEW BY MARK KERESMAN
T Christian Bale.
The Big Short
THE BIG SHORT, DIRECTED by Adam McKay, is a movie version of the non-fiction book by Michael Lewis, author of The Blind Side and Moneyball. It’s based on the fact that ten years ago, only a small group of Wall Street insiders knew that the housing bubble, created by arcane mortgage-backed “credit-default swaps” and “collateralized debt obligations”—that no one but they understood—would soon burst. And burst big. How do you make all that interesting to the average moviegoer? Adam McKay figured it out. By using celebrity cameos, he puts the financial nuances in layperson terms. Selena Gomez, for instance, is at a blackjack table in a casino. She speaks to the viewer and uses common language to analogize “collateralized debt obligations.” I paraphrase: “I’m rolling dice. I’ve been winning, lots. Many people in this casino are betting that I’m going to keep winning because I’ve been winning for some time tonight. What happens when I lose? Lots of people lose, too.” Ryan Gosling, Steve Carell, Christian Bale, John Magaro, Finn Wittrock, and Brad Pitt play investment wizards who are based on real people that worked for such bulwark financial institutions as Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. What happened to the money their customers invested with these brokerages? Why, they lost their money, of course. Billions of dollars in highly-rated bonds became worthless overnight. People lost their jobs, their investments, their savings—and in too many cases, their homes—while the
banks and investment firms, having been dubbed Too Big To Fail, got bailed out by your tax money. Most of the men in The Big Short are cocky, avaricious, prideful, smart—in essence, the Goodfellas of the financial world minus the physical violence. Carell gives an amazing performance as a complex character with moral ambiguity who made a fortune betting against collateralized mortgages ahead of the housing crisis. Bale’s character, whom Michael Lewis dubbed “borderline creepy,” plays Dr. Michael Burry, an out-of-control man-child, who blasts heavy metal rock in his office, and sees the writing on the wall before anyone else. The Big Short is powerful and completely entertaining. It combines a rat-a-tat pace, caustic irreverence, and a documentary approach, frequently breaking that fourth wall and addressing the audience directly. The performances are sharp and vibrant, with shades of gray that allow them to remain compelling throughout. Unlike most movies, it doesn’t have the comfort of a happy ending…and none of us deserves one. We voted in the politicians, ruled by lobbyists, who allowed all this to happen. ■ Mark Keresman is a freelance writer and regular contributor to ICON, downBeat, Paste, SF Weekly, and Jazz Review, and has written liner notes to over a dozen albums of varied genres. He lives in Chicago.
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FILM CINEMATTERS REVIEW BY PETE CROATTO
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ITH ITS WARM, autumnal colors and lingering shots, Brooklyn, an Oscar nominee for Best Picture, invites you to pay attention to the characters’ glances, their words, and how they say them. It wants you to care about these people. We do. Director John Crowley and writer Nick Hornsby, working from Colm Tóibín’s novel, celebrate the little things with constrained yet resounding poignancy. Brooklyn is about us. It’s easy to love this movie. And it’s easy to love Saiorse Ronan, who plays Eilis, a young woman who moves from her small Ireland town to Brooklyn. The beauty of Tóibín’s book, which is replicated here, is its refusal to bask in the obvious. Eilis’ prospects in Ireland are summarized by her older sister, Rose, after she’s helped her pack. “Is that really everything you own?” The scenes in Ireland look as if they have been shot through a coffee filter. A murky haze exists in every scene. Early 1950s Brooklyn, with its diners and street-lit parks and boldly attired lady professionals, resembles a carnival. When Eilis comes to America, she enters through a door that floods the screen with white light.
Brooklyn America is tough, even with a support system featuring a job, a room at a boarding house, and the support of a kindly Irish priest (Jim Broadbent). Homesickness cripples Eilis. Letters from home destroy her. The priest preaches patience. Homesickness will pass, he says, and it does. Eilis starts taking bookkeeping classes at Brooklyn College. She grows comfortable as a sales clerk. And she meets Tony (Emory Cohen), a nice Italian boy, at a church dance. He soon loves her with an enthusiasm that would put puppies to shame. Tragedy forces Eilis back to Ireland, where she gets pulled into the rhythms of her old life and draws the attention of Jim Farrell, a young man with prospects (played to hangdog perfection by Domhnall Gleeson). This is when Brooklyn achieves its quiet beauty. Crowley and Hornsby don’t condone or celebrate Eilis’ actions. She’s a young woman who is faced with a daunting decision: have faith in the life she has made so far or follow the path countless generations have trudged. Eilis isn’t choosing between two men. In one life, she’s beholden only to herself. In the other, she’s beholden to everyone. We know Eilis doesn’t belong in Ireland. It’s clear the mopey Jim is beneath her, especially when he says she
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must think everyone back home is now backward. She pops. One scene she wears a blue dress that explodes against the dreary village backdrop. On the beach, her green bathing suit ridicules her friends’ lump attire, which resembles designer garbage bags. But Eilis doesn’t have the benefit of our bird’s-eye view. There’s a reason why Crowley has the camera focus on Ronan’s soft, open face, which looks like it’s carved from softening soap. She is overwhelmed by everything: her options, the expectations of others, her growing confidence. And Ronan, in a beautiful performance, captures all of it effortlessly, even going from happy to annoyed to wistful as she surveys the last town dance before her voyage to America. We know Eilis is imprisoned by her own emotions. We’ve been there. Brooklyn reminds us that the small things in life can take on a big weight, and that our main obstacle is our own crippling inability to make decisions that later seem obvious. On its surface, Brooklyn looks like fodder for nostalgia-craved romantics, but it’s about becoming our own person, not our family’s representative. This jewel of a film shows us why it’s worth the struggle. [PG-13] ■
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FEATURE R. KURT OSENLUND
My Breakup With
OSCAR
Like many, I thought this golden god ruled over the cinematic landscape, but then we had a little...falling out. This is my manifesto, my au-revoir to Oscar, my take on his influence, and a few predictions to boot.
THIS YEAR, JANUARY 14 CAME and went like a weird fog. I was consumed by my work, and it wasn’t until about midafternoon that talk of Oscar nominations trickled toward my desk. I nearly gripped the edge. It had finally happened. After mostly surrendering to the rift that had formed between me and Oscar, he’d finally left my mind completely. For the first time in nearly 15 years, I’d forgotten to watch his nominations announcement, and furthermore, never even bothered to make note of the day. If my apathy toward Oscar’s mishaps last year marked the start of a breakup, my blissful ignorance this year made it clear: The divorce was final. To some, this will sound insignificant, navel-gazey, or even silly. But for a movie lover like me, the morning of the Oscar nominations has been like a second Christmas—for half my life. When I was about 17, I got caught up in the same lie that all of Oscar’s lovers do: That his choices somehow hold some bearing on what was worth watching that year, and that his so-called taste level should be some cinematic beacon to follow. Of course, as I grew older THE MORE YOU LEARN ABOUT THE SHALLOW FRIVOLITIES OF and less impressionable, I develOSCAR’S POLITICS, THE MORE YOU REALIZE THAT WHAT HE OFFERS oped my own tastes and favorites, but Oscar’s barometer always linIS A TOXIC RELATIONSHIP…HE OFFERS, FOR TWO YEARS RUNgered in the air, and every year, on NING, A LINEUP OF ACTING NODS ENTIRELY STOCKED WITH some mid-January morning, I’d wait WHITE PEOPLE, A FAUX PAS THAT SHOULDN’T HAVE PEOPLE RAISING to watch his unveilings with unPITCHFORKS, BUT RATHER LAUGHING AT HIM IN PITY. SIMPLY PUT, wrap-the-present suspense. OSCAR IS NOT THAT IMPORTANT, AND IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO STAND There is something healthy BY HIM WITHOUT YOUR CYNICISM TAKING HOLD. about this, especially for someone who writes about film. While we may not like the reflection, Oscar’s roster is the closest thing we have to a communal rearview mirror, giving a glimpse at many of the movies we’ve written about and discussed for months. It arrives after countless other awards have been announced or bestowed, supposedly providing some sort of balance and finality. And we watch. We take it in. We see that grain of salt that is our tolerance for Oscar’s small-mindedness grow larger and larger. Eventually, for me, this became more burden than fun. The healthiness started to dissipate. Indeed, my writing about film did, too, as I went through a career shift, but in theory that shouldn’t affect my overall acknowledgment of Oscar. Something did, though. Some drama-free gravitational pull began to yank me away from what Oscar annually wreaks: Petty spats among peers. Presumptions. Fiery disputes over two films that, ultimately, probably don’t fall among the year’s finest anyway. Accusations. Upheaval regarding racism and sexism that doesn’t so much reflect society at large, but rather the feeble activities of Oscar’s minions, who aren’t exactly representing the female and non-white people of our culture. The more you learn about the shallow frivolities of Oscar’s politics, the more you realize that what he offers is a toxic relationship. He offers a display in which people are handed trophies for reasons that have nothing to do with their work at hand. He offers the decree that Birdman, an epically beautiful vomitorium of misogyny, is the best film of its year (a decision that should have had everyone lining up behind me at couples therapy). He offers, for two years running, a lineup of acting nods entirely stocked with white people, a faux pas that shouldn’t have people raising pitchforks, R. Kurt Osenlund is the managing editor of OUT magazine.
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but rather laughing at him in pity. Simply put, Oscar is not that important, and it’s impossible to stand by him without your cynicism taking hold. Well, not entirely impossible. One of the reasons my marriage to Oscar has died a slow death is that, for years, I thought I wanted the job of Dave Karger, a full-time Oscar pundit who once worked for Entertainment Weekly and now reports for Fandango. Like Karger, I wanted Oscar coverage to be my job—my life—until I saw the cracks in the ceiling. I interviewed Karger a little more than a year ago, and asked him, with the utmost sincerity, how someone can cover this beat so long and still remain so enthusiastic. Surely he’s seen the cracks, too. Is he not dismayed? He said that despite all the nonsense and politics and disappointments, he sticks around for moments like Lupita Nyong’o’s win for 12 Years a Slave—a moment, he says, in which Oscar got it right. Genuinely lovely, Karger’s a stronger man than I, and perhaps there’s hope for him and Oscar yet. As I mull over my divorce, though, I can’t stop soaking in what can only be described as freedom. No longer a self-identifying Oscar obsessive, I’m free to peruse his annual brouhaha at my leisure—free to miss his announcements if they skip past my radar, and maybe even free to (gasp!) miss his show! Who knows? I might have other plans. This is the way to deal with Oscar—passively, from a distance, at a glance. And it’s the only way I’m willing to consider his latest decrees.
like he’s climbing Philly’s Art Museum steps, but that doesn’t mean he deserves it. Seems like this Mark Rylance fella in the new Spielberg actually earned the trophy. Best Actress in a Leading Role Cate Blanchett, Carol Brie Larson, Room Jennifer Lawrence, Joy Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years Saorsie Ronan, Brooklyn WILL WIN: Brie Larson, Room COULD WIN: Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years THE DIVORCEE’S TAKE: It’s hard to imagine that two women stand in the way of Cate Blanchett’s glorious scenery-chewing in Carol, but Larson seems like the favorite here as a mom in distress. Never underestimate the power of a pretty lass who de-glams for the camera (she even yanks out a tooth), and never underestimate a veteran in the bunch. It’s anyone’s guess how Oscar got his posse to watch a sweet litCate Blanchett in Carol. tle gem like 45 Years. It was obvious, however, that since Jennifer Lawrence made a movie this year, she’d be present and accounted for. Best Actor in a Leading Role Bryan Cranston, Trumbo Matt Damon, The Martian Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl WILL WIN: Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant COULD WIN: Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl THE DIVORCEE’S TAKE: It’s not entirely Oscar’s fault that DiCaprio is “finally” gonna win this year, despite giving the performance of his life two years back in The Wolf of Wall Street. Cheers for this victory have assumed a life of their own, and the only thing that could stop him now is—you guessed it—bad politics. Can DiCaprio avoid doing anything wildly off-color between now and Oscar night? Probably. If not, Eddie Redmayne is ready to snatch a second statuette for taking on a role that fired up the trans community. As for Cranston, if Oscar was so desperate to fill the old-man category, couldn’t he have looked to Ian McKellan in Mr. Holmes?
Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander in The Danish Girl.
Best Actress in a Supporting Role Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight Rooney Mara, Carol Rachel McAdams, Spotlight Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs WILL WIN: Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl COULD WIN: Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs THE DIVORCEE’S TAKE: Putting aside the fact that Oscar opted to nominate an underrated actress (Leigh) for a “performance” in which her character is senselessly beaten to a pulp ad nauseum, I’ll throw him a bone for recognizing Mara, who isn’t so much revelatory in Carol as she is perfectly cast. Has anyone ever looked more the deer in a deer-in-the-headlights role? A true ingenue, Vikander should be one of the few entertaining wins, unless Oscar just gets bored and gives Winslet another one. Best Actor in a Supporting Role Christian Bale, The Big Short Tom Hardy, The Revenant Mark Ruffalo, Spotlight Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies Sylvester Stallone, Creed WILL WIN: Sylvester Stallone, Creed COULD WIN: Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies THE DIVORCEE’S TAKE: Otherwise known as the category in which Oscar perennially drools over Mark Ruffalo (but never gives him the gold), Best Supporting Actor is a Sylvester Stallone in Creed. bit of a joke this year. Everyone’s going to toss their votes to Stallone, who revived one of cinema’s favorite characters (Rocky Balboa) for a spinoff directed by that guy who did Fruitvale Station. Sure, it’s gonna be fun to watch Stallone run to the podium
Best Picture The Big Short Bridge of Spies Brooklyn Mad Max: Fury Road The Martian The Revenant Room Spotlight WILL WIN: Spotlight COULD WIN: The Revenant THE DIVORCEE’S TAKE: If Oscar deserves an ounce of kudos this year, it’s for nominating the hell out of an action mind-fuck like Mad Max: Fury Road. Oscar’s list is heavily influenced by the baseline consensus of critics, and often sticks to safer fare like...everything else on this ballot. But Mad Max, even though it stars a bunch of white people, is that Dave Karger-y gem that gives you a glint of hope. It’s not gonna win, though. Spotlight, a journalism film about pervert priests, stands to emerge victorious over The Revenant, which is bloody good news since the director of the latter also whipped up Birdman. At the end of the day, some or all of these people might see their professional lives change, and I don’t want to stomp on the joy of those who get to take a little Oscar home. I’d strongly advise, though, that they don’t stick him on a mantle too high. Too many of us have already made that mistake. ■
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Laura Jane Grace.
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interview
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A. D. AMOROSI
SAY GRACE
WHEN LAURA JANE GRACE performs at Philadelphia’s First Unitarian Church (February 13) and Wilmington, Delaware’s World Café Live at the Queen (February 21), she doesn’t just bring with her the rigorous tales of hard luck, rotted social politics and ruined romance that fill the albums of her raging punk band, Against Me!, or her spare, soulful solo EP, Heart Burns. Grace always brings with her spirited inspiration and blunt honesty. In 2012, Grace bravely revealed that she was a transgender woman, and that she was still the same punk who had fronted Against Me! when it was just an acoustic solo project from a 17-year-old in Gainesville, Florida. The concept of trans was not an easily or readily accepted concept to some, but to those who appreciate Grace’s approach to life and poetry know that acceptance in the face of struggle is part of her dynamic. Listen to “Trans Soul Rebel” and its should-have-beens and your heart will break. I caught up with Grace recording the next Against Me! album—due for release in 2016—at a studio outside Flint, Michigan. I only hope that she didn’t drink the water. It’s been about four years since you first opened up about your transitioning… Wait. How long has it been? Four years? Wow. Honestly, I have not thought… That’s wild. We spoke around the first time you were comfortable talking about the process. And it does seem like it was so much longer. Crazy.
You struggled with elements of the process after you made the announcement. I know the world seemed like a lonelier place for a time. Not to sound too corny, but how, why, and when did the clouds part to let the light in? I think it’s about perspective, change. Part of the transitioning process for me was—and I think it’s for everybody who does it—that you go through this drastic change, and while you’re rearranging, it’s hard when people leave your life during that re-organization. It forces you to be aware of how valuable friendships are to you, how lucky you are to have people around you. You can see this urgency once you truly reach bottom, when you’re on the razor’s edge. You can’t lean to one side or another so you have to find a balance. Looking back, would you have done anything different with regard to the process or even discussing the process? It’s hard to, say, look back. I’m trying to reach a point of acceptance and to find the good. It is what it was. I do, however, wish that some of the old pictures
that exist of me on the Internet would go away. Some of those photos during the transition… . [laughs] Well, that’s everybody with a high school yearbook photo. Do you feel that it’s opened you up as an artist now that you’re the woman you were always meant to be? I ask because the art of Against Me!—that theirs, yours—was the art of tension, of kicking against the pricks. Being open then might not have been the best thing. At this point, existing within the confines of a band, I’ve gotten used to being in a state of stressed out. There are just various highs and lows there…at 25…being courted by major labels. Those were crazy situations… who knows if you handled them well or not. My ability to handle tension has grown exponentially as I’ve gotten older. Life is there. That’s there. You have to channel art to battle that tension—that’s the perspective change I was talking about earlier; really be in the moment to create something. That figures into the book I’m working on and funneling those passages into songs during this tour. What I’m doing during the show—and I’m making it up as we go along—is working in both modes, writing the book and songs and presenting it live as it’s happening. It’s fun. How are the songs that you’re doing now different from Heart Burns and how is the book developing—because you’ve been writing this damned thing for some time. While preparing this tour and figuring on using songs from that EP, I realized that the record came out right when President Obama took office. I was in a creative mode directly inspired by the energy of that election. To be here now, going into his last term, there’s a certain poignancy that I am aware of m though I don’t quite know what to make of it yet. The book? Working on records while writing it, full transcribing these journals—over a million words so far, where your average book, is what, 100,000 words?!—is tough. Endless editing. Now, it, the book, is almost there, and has shape. I’ve been working out chapters of the book in a live setting and watching the crowd’s reactions. And what is that reaction? It’s hard to explain, as it’s all still in its infancy. The venue has a lot to do with how I present things. Doing it in a Hollywood cemetery is way different than doing it in a bar. I want this to be living and changing, not just some VH-1 storyteller’s thing. It evolves. Getting up on stage and bearing my heart is really direct, just a little more connective than the reading a book. I’m lucky to have that emotional connection with those who love my band. ■ W W W . F A C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V ■ W W W . I C O N D V . C O M ■ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 6 ■ I C O N ■ 25
bad movie REVIEW BY MARK KERESMAN
Sisters GOLLY-GOSH, CINEMA CERTAINLY has come a long way—women nowadays can behave as doltish, irresponsible, and goofy as men. Sisters stars Saturday Night Live veterans Tina Fey and Amy Poehler as two siblings, different as night and day. Cast somewhat against type, Fey plays Kate, a partygirl with a teenage daughter; Poehler is Maura, ultra-responsible, divorced and feeling low. They learn that their parents (James Brolin and Dianne Wiest) are planning to sell the family home, so Kate and Maura, with a mere few days before the sale is finalized, resolve to have a big party. You know what happens next—things go horribly wrong in an allegedly funny fashion. Note the key-word “allegedly.” Sisters is for the most part painfully unfunny, a laugh-riot for eighth-graders of all ages. The characters, who are all cliché, don’t seem like real people: The parents are horny old retirees; one of the party guests is the terminally unfunny fat guy; Maya Rudolph is an uptight yuppie bitch. This is popcorn
comedy, but it would have been funnier if there were a bit of depth to the characters, if there was someone to root for. Oh, the comedy—if you think hearing the word “balls” and seeing large simple drawings of a penis is funny, well, you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll kiss 12 bucks goodbye. A fellow falls onto a wind-up musical ballerina toy—guess where “it” gets stuck. Guess what happens when someone tries to, uh, dislodge it by turning it slowly whilst it’s stuck. A party guest drunkenly pours a bottle of detergent into a washing machine—even though modern detergent doesn’t get foamy, well, by golly, that’s exactly what happens—foam everywhere and the partygoers go wild. An ex-con type (John Cena) brings a suitcase full of drugs to the party—if you think that at least one character is going to accidentally ingest too much of a drug and act all nutty and out of control, then you, too, may have what it takes to be a Hollywood screenwriter. Do you giggle when Asian names are mispronounced?
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You came to the right place. Think people falling through ceilings is hilarious? Check. Lesbian stereotypes? Here. The sisters doing a too-exact dance routine spontaneously to crappy ‘80s music? Yup. This film has it all. Wait a darn minute! Doesn’t this critic love the Three Stooges and the Marx Brothers? Aren’t their films full of silly slapstick? Yup, and there’s the rub—the Stooges did comedy better without cheesy, try-too-hard “R”-rated dialogue. Animal House, a similar over-the-top, slapstick film, possessed clever sarcasm, wry wit, memorable characters, and a root-for-the-misfits motif, which Sisters does not. In Sisters, we have no one to root for—we only have unlikable suburban types who think getting drunk and doing ridiculous, destructive things is the high point of their year. Even the Stooges (whether fronted by Moe or Iggy) didn’t just break things. Sisters is marred by drunken frat boy humor, where the very act of getting loaded and falling over is hilarious. ■
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Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian
Abba Mania
Fri., Feb. 19 - 7:30 PM - $30 Sponsored by weathertrends360.com and 69 WFMZ-TV
Home of the FREDDY© AWARDS
453 Northampton St., Easton, PA 610-252-3132 1-800-999-STATE www.statetheatre.org
Fall In Love With Easton! Historic Downtown Easton, PA, the restaurant, arts, and shopping center of the Lehigh Valley. The many concerts, community events & activities will bring you downtown, but you’ll stay for the charming stores, galleries, theater and performing arts, and dining experiences. From the historic landmarks like the Bachmann Publick House and Centre Square to the growing and ever-trendy nightlife, there are always things to do in Downtown Easton. Enjoy your time at the Easton Farmers’ Market, Crayola Experience, Nurture Nature Center, or the Sigal Museum before shopping at the many unique shops. End your day with a show at State Theatre and dinner at one of the many fine restaurants. Stop by, visit, and see Easton like you never have before. For a calendar of events visit EastonMainStreet.org or download Easton, PA smartphone app.
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FILM FILM ROUNDUP CURRENT FILMS REVIEWED BY KEITH UHLICH
Where to Invade Next.
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (Dir. Michael Bay). Starring: John Krasinski, Pablo Schreiber, James Badge Dale. It’s a match made in hell: The filmmaker behind the Transformers series tackling the 2012 attack on a U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya. But if you’re already familiar with the senses-assaulting work of Michael Bay, the good news is that there’s nothing especially new here to get offended by. An early line of dialogue (“Payback’s a bitch and her stripper name is ‘karma’”) sets the tone for this ode to the might and right of the U.S. of A, and the near-total demonization of Middle Easterners, pretty much all of whom worship in mosques with guns by their side. There’s also some don’t-touchme-bro! homophobia and shut-yourmouth-bitch! misogyny thrown in for good measure. At least ace cinematographer Dion Beebe lends Bay’s bellicose aesthetic a few fleeting poetic flourishes, such as the image of a mortar shell shooting past the rising sun. [R] ★
Eisenstein in Guanajuato (Dir. Peter Greenaway). Starring: Elmer Bäck, Luis Alberti, Lisa Owen. The story of the influential Russian filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein’s 1930 journey to Mexico to shoot his abortive project Que Viva Mexico! gets an iconoclastic and irritating retelling via British-born experimentalist Peter Greenaway. Eisenstein (Elmer Bäck) is portrayed as a kind of hyperactive child who’d rather hang around with, and take erotic lessons from, his bisexual guide Palomeno Cañedo (Luis Alberti) than attend to the business of directing. The movie lurches around as wildly as its subject, careening from broad comedy to eye-glazing philosophical discourse, and occasionally combining the two into a poisonously dull mixture. Greenaway certainly has an eye; the movie is strikingly shot in expressive widescreen by Reinier van Brummelen. But this seems less a probing analysis of a great filmmaker’s life and work than it does a juvenile lark by a faux-aesthete. [N/R] ★1/2
Where to Invade Next (Dir. Michael Moore). Documentary. Michael Moore’s satirical, ugly-American persona still grates, but he makes plenty of excellent individual points in his latest bit of left-leaning agitprop. The conceit is that Moore will invade a number of (primarily European) countries—not to take them over, but to steal ideas for America to use back home as a way of improving its political and social fabric. Why not incorporate healthy school lunches like France, or shorter work hours and longer vacations like Italy? Perhaps it would make sense to legalize drugs as in Portugal (where illicit substance use is very much under control) or adopt Germany’s approach to teaching history, where the horrors of the past are in no way whitewashed. It’s all very convincing and inspiring in the moment, though Moore’s approach is so knowingly selective—he even says at one point, “My job is to pick the flowers, not the weeds”—that the film can’t help but feel, in the big-picture view, undernourished. [R] ★★★
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The Witch (Dir. Robert Eggers). Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie. A marvelously unsettling debut feature from Robert Eggers, The Witch follows a 17th-century New England family as they leave their settlement and build a homestead on the edge of a dense forest. Among the trees lives an enchantress who steals one of the family’s children (bathing in its blood), then tries to corrupt the others and drive them mad. The cast, which includes Game of Thrones alumni Ralph Ineson and Kate Dickie as the puritanical parents and newcomer Anya Taylor-Joy as the eldest, most rebellious child, is uniformly excellent, speaking in a period-specific patois that lends an alien affect to the proceedings. (The horrors we witness feel almost anthropological.) Eggers maintains a creepy atmosphere throughout and gets much scary mileage out of the family goat, nicknamed Black Philip, which may be a beastly manifestation of the devil himself. [R] ★★★★1/2 ■
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FILM REEL NEWS RECENTLY RELEASED DVDS REVIEWED BY GEORGE OXFORD MILLER
Truth
Bridge of Spies (2015) ★★★★★ Cast: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Genre: Thriller, drama Director: Steven Spielberg Rated PG-13 Awards: Golden Globe nominee Best Supporting Actor; Oscar Nominee Best Picture, Supporting Actor In classic storytelling style, Steven Spielberg transports us back to the Cold War era when world relations boiled on the surface and approached nuclear meltdown behind the scenes. When the CIA hauls in Soviet spy Rudolf Abel (Rylance), headlines and higher-ups demand a summary trial and death penalty. Insurance attorney James Donovan (Hanks) is appointed to represent Abel, but instead of a proxy defense, he takes the case seriously. Confounding the naysayers of Constitutional guarantees, he simultaneously defends the enemy and validates the American standards of life, liberty, and justice. After the for-certain guilty verdict, he argues for a life sentence, since U. S. spies could well be similarly charged and convicted. Fortunately, his logic prevails. When the Soviets shoot down a U2 spy plane, the U. S. has a bargaining chip for the captured pilot, Gary Powers. Donovan is sent to unofficially negotiate the prisoner swap. Donovan, epitomizing the reluctant hero, always follows his moral compass and the Constitution, despite pressure from his superiors, CIA backroom tactics, and bitter public
opinion. Spielberg crafts a spine-tingling spy thriller with Hanks as the beacon that shines in the night without ever blinking. Truth (2016) ★★★★★ Cast: Cate Blanchett, Robert Redford Genre: Drama Based on the Mary Mapes memoir, Truth and Duty: The Press, the President, and the Privilege of Power. Rated R In the presidential campaign of 2004, two similar exposés aired about the candidates: The Swift Boat commercials attacked John Kerry’s Vietnam record and a CBS 60 Minutes II program, airing weeks before the election, reported that George W. Bush had falsified his Texas National Guard service records. The 60 Minutes program created a firestorm that reverberated from the White House to the CBS corporate offices and their commercial sponsors. This journalistic thriller focuses on the news producer Mary Mapes (Blanchett) as she methodically chases down and verifies sources, and veteran news anchor Dan Rather (Redford) as the public face of the story. Since they were investigating a standing president, their evidence had to be impeccable, totally bulletproof. The pressure builds with each newly discovered document and supporting interview. With the clock ticking until the election, the team frantically tries to verify the evidence. Turns out the saying “Haste
makes waste” is just as valid as “The truth will set you free.” Blanchett and Redford’s performances capture the passion, commitment, and frenetic energy of the news team as they break the biggest story, and biggest flop, in recent history. Suffragette (2015) ★★★★ Cast: Carey Mulligan Genre: Historical drama Rated PG-13 It’s 1912 England and women have no rights. Maud Watts (Mulligan) works long days in a laundry for a boss who abused her as a child laborer, then goes home to a husband who expects her “to keep in her place.” By happenstance, she gets swept up in the suffrage movement and testifies before a parliamentary committee on women’s working conditions. But since women lack a “calmness of temperament and balance of mind,” nothing changed. After fifty years of peaceful protests for the right to vote, the women of England finally take to the streets. Passive resistance be damned. They throw bricks, break windows, became uppity and unruly—so their bosses fired them from their sweatshop jobs, their husbands beat them, and the authorities took away their children and imprisoned them. Portraying Maud, Mulligan convincingly shows how unexpected heroes can change society. The cast, including cameos by Meryl Streep, powerfully dramatizes an epoch-changing move-
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ment by the most marginalized segment of society… and one-hundred years later, the fight goes on. Grandma (2015) ★★★★ Cast: Lily Tomlin, Julia Garner, Sam Elliot Genre: Comedy, drama Rated R Awards: Golden Globe nominee Best Actress–Comedy Elle (Tomlin), in her 70s, is ready to retire from life. Her long-term and shortterm lovers are history, her glory as a poet and professor has faded, and she’s fed up with the state of feminist affairs. She cancels her credit cards and retreats into a shell of sarcasm and cynicism. But life has yet another penalty card to play. Her knocked-up teenaged granddaughter Sage (Garner) comes knocking in need of cash for an abortion. The trajectory of the quest for funds rockets Elle back into the orbits of forgotten family, old flames, and memories and feelings long since sequestered in deep space. With a superb supporting cast, Tomlin and Garner explore the inner space that both drives and limits them as they struggle to realign themselves with the new realities of life. Tomlin’s signature acerbic comedy perfectly matches the calamity of Elle and Sage’s increasingly desperate situation. Whether you’ve been a fan of Lily Tomlin since Laugh In days or not, you will be after this insightful and cutting comedy. ■
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MUSIC AN ECLECTIC ASSORTMENT REVIEWED BY MARK KERESMAN
Françoise Hardy Mon Amie Le Rose ★★★★★ L’amitie ★★★★★ La Maison Ou J’ai Grandi ★★★★ Light in the Attic In her 1962-68 heyday, French singer Françoise Hardy was one of THE singers on the European continent. She was the definition of a “cult artist” in the USA (and still is) but hey, that’s our loss…until now. This batch completes her first five albums, never previously released on CD in
America. (The first two volumes were covered here last month.) Her songs were used in the film Moonrise Kingdom and Bob Dylan was a fan of hers. Hardy had a willowy, pure voice that sounds both (smart) girlish and (forlornly) wise, and her delivery drips with Gallic cool…and unlike many solo female singers from that era, Hardy wrote many of her songs. Mon Amie… and L’amitie are gems, where Hardy combined chanson (French cabaret song—think Edith Piaf, Jacques Brel) with the pop music emanating from the US and UK at the time—think Bacharach/David (especially those sung by Dionne Warwick), Phil Spector’s girl-group productions as well as those of Bob Crewe (The Four Seasons—the group, not the hotel), and touches of doo-wop and folk-rock, even covering a Patsy Cline tune en francais. La Maison… has less of the rock/pop/soul crackle of the time and closer to the introspective, baroque-flavored pop of The Beatles (“Eleanor Rigby”) and The Rolling Stones’ ballads (“As Tears Go By,” “Blue Turns To Grey”). If you’re a Francophile and/or love classy pop from the 1960s, obtain one or all of these. (12 tracks, 30 min./12 tracks, 27 min./12 tracks, 30 min.) lightintheattic.net Sonny Sharrock ★★★★★ Ask the Ages M.O.D. Technologies One of the most crucial albums of the ‘90s is available again, digitally remastered and with a new cover. The late Sonny Sharrock was perhaps the first guitarist to apply
John Coltrane’s fiery approach (modal/ecstatic) to his instrument. (Sharrock played/recorded with Herbie Mann, Miles Davis, and Wayne Shorter.) Originally released in 1991, Ask the Ages is Sharrock’s shinning hour, an amazing distillation of his abilities and one of the great electric guitar platters EVER. Sharrock and saxophonist Pharaoh Sanders play with such riveting ferocity that it’s almost intimidating—the former sounds like a genetic splice of Coltrane and Metallica, the latter giving his most inspired performances since the ’70s. Yet Ask the Ages is not (quite) a free-for-all—bassist Charnett Moffett and Coltrane’s drummer Elvin Jones lay down a potent grooves, such as on “Promises Kept.” The tunes mix Miles/Trane modality (think the latter’s “My Favorite Things”/”Afro-Blue”) with blistering, scorching free improvisation (think Trane, Albert Ayler, and Jimi Hendrix at his most unfettered), and Bill Laswell gives the production depth and warmth. Jazz to chill with? Not at all. For those that treasure the dizzying heights of the original classic Coltrane Quartet, The Mahavishnu Orchestra and Tony Williams’ Lifetime, the exhilaration of Coltrane and Ayler, and the brazen don’t-givea-duck audacity of Sonic Youth and their noisy ilk, it does not get better than this—make book on it. (6 tracks, 46 minutes) mod-technologies.com Peter Astor ★★★★1/2 Split Milk Slumberland Brit Pete Astor was in The Weather Prophets and Ellis Island Sound bands, but here is Astor solo, his seventh disc under his leadership. This fellow touches some of the holiest of bases for certain generations of rock music fans—without being imitative he sings a bit like Ray Davies; crafts lean, strum-y, insinuating melodies as Lou Reed did with The Velvet Underground (think VU’s third self-titled and Loaded), and pens lyrics with the droll detail and acumen of Elvis Costello, Difford/Tilbrook (Squeeze), Forster/McLennan (Go-Betweens), Ron Sexsmith, and Elliott Smith. He sings fetching tunes about not sharing emotions (“Very Good Lock”) and that rare person that forgives no matter what (“My Right Hand”), the latter having that so-simple-it’s-crazy melodic hook that made the VU’s “Waiting For the Man” so iconic, and someone’s destructive charm (“Perfect Life”). Perhaps this writer is showing his age, but anyone valuing the first three platters by both The Feelies (one of NJ’s greatest and most prescient bands) and Luna will go batty over the crisp, rainy-day ambience of this gem. (10 tracks, 40 min.) slumberlandrecords.com Mike Olson ★★★★ Six Projects Innova Mike Olson is a Minneapolis-based composer that entered music (rock and jazz) as self-taught, then got that higher education (degrees in composition, etc.). Olson combines vocal, acoustic, and electronic (both digital and analogue) generation of sound(s) for his panoramas, and the results are mesmerizing and often beautiful. These six pieces involved sustained and overlapping tones and motifs, rich textures and eerie silences, evoking such
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touchstones as Ligeti (who composed some of the haunting choral works heard in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey), Fripp & Eno, Tangerine Dream (in their presoundtrack daze) and their Krautrock brethren, Arvo Pärt, Robert Rich, and the voyage-to-the-bottom-of-bass ambient music of Bill Laswell. This is not so much an album to “listen” to as it is an album to get “lost” within; contemplative yet not placating—when you may least expect it there’s rhythm and some foreboding, even jolting undercurrents. Let Olson take you into the twilight zone of his night gallery. (six tracks, 55 min.) innova.mu Freakwater ★★★1/2 Scheherazade Bloodshot Freakwater is a band fronted by Janet Beveridge Bean and Catharine Irwin, whose version of country music is somewhat unique. Inspired by traditional mountain music sounds rather than anything that emerged from Nashville
since 1959, Bean and Irwin’s distinctive harmony singing is descended from country duos such as the Monroe Brothers and the Louvin Brothers, and folk duo Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerard, and traces of Southern gospel can be heard, too. Their voices have hard, Southern-style inflections (without seeming exaggerated or phony) as does the music—in the rock vein the closest similarity would be the early albums by The Band and almost anything by Bonnie Prince Billy (aka Palace Brothers/Music). Yet other influences can be heard—the cowboy noir/spaghetti western twang (think Lee Hazlewood, Ennio Morricone) of the haunting “Falls of Sleep” with a refrain that’s hard to forget: “Deliver us mercy until dawn,” as the ladies’ voices strive be heard at the gates of Heaven and Hell. “Velveteen Matador” would sound at home on Dylan & The Band’s The Basement Tapes. The music is similarly powerfully spare—guitars (including pedal steel), mandolin, fiddle, banjo, bass, and drums. The only downside to this mostly fine set is the overall downcast tone—but in small doses this platter will warm your insides as surely as a shot of fine bourbon on a frosty February day. (12 tracks, 45 min.) bloodshotrecords.com ■
MUSIC Report From The Field: 2016 NYC Winter Jazz Fest REVIEWS OF STRAIGHT AHEAD & MODERN JAZZ BY NICK BEWSEY
NOW AN ANNUAL TRADITION in its 12th year, the NYC Winter Jazz Fest rallies with progressive programming, overseen by producers Brice Rosenbloom and Adam Schatz, who set the festival apart by keeping its focus and music modern and forward looking while giving its audience a quintessential New York jazz experience—it’s easily the coolest, hippest and most authentic music fest out there. You have to hoof it to a dozen venues surrounding Washington Square Park to catch as many gigs as you can starting at 6 pm and continuing until early morning. Expertly curated to appeal to tastes across the jazz spectrum, I darted here and there and left most performances happy and satisfied. These were a few of my favorite experiences.
body feeble and eyesight weakened, was led to and sat on the edge of the stage while his band set up. The lighting guy flashed a spotlight on him as Coleman picked up his horn to play a solo rendition of “But Beautiful.” His sonorous tone was majestic and hushed the room, and in that unexpected, improvised moment, the darkened hall felt alive with a magic realism. ECM Records at New School’s Tishman Auditorium For more than 40 years, the ECM label has fashioned a brand and identifiable sound as vivid and recognizable than any label other than Blue Note of the 50s and 60s. Under the direction of founder and producer Manfred Eicher, the European label’s more recent artist signings
Jazz Legends Concert for Disability Pride at Quaker Friends Meeting Hall The Meetinghouse served as swing-central for a traditionally-minded but exuberant three hours of music led
Mike LeDonne.
by top-tier talent. Concert organizer and pianist Mike LeDonne kicked off with “On Green Dolphin Street.” A rare and intimate set by Wynton Marsalis, Christian McBride, Joe Farnsworth and pianist Dan Nimmer sparkled from the trumpeter’s easy charisma on a smooth, laid back version of “Embraceable You.” From Bill Charlap’s trio and sets from Monty Alexander and Harold Mabern to saxophonist Vincent Herring, drummer Jimmy Cobb, and tenor titan Joe Lovano, filling in for an ailing Benny Golson, this mini festival flowed straightahead post-bop and quick cast changes. There was a time constraint —the hall had to be emptied and converted to a homeless shelter at 9:30 pm—but LeDonne pushed for the finale. Legendary saxophonist George Coleman, his Nick Bewsey is a member of the Jazz Journalist’s Association and votes in the annual NPR Jazz Critics Poll and Downbeat’s Critics Poll. www.countingbeats.com
Mark Turner Quartet: Avishai Cohen, Mark Turner, Marcus Gilmore, Joe Martin. Photo: John Rogers/ECM Records
have a distinctively American flair—saxophonists Chris Potter, Mark Turner and trumpeter Ralph Alessi are among those representing the current vanguard. In the state-of-the-art Tishman Auditorium, more than 800 WJF attendees filled seats for two evenings of hour-log sets by fourteen of ECM’s artists and musicians. Out of those, the Mark Turner Quartet, with trumpeter Avishai Cohen, bassist Joe Martin and drummer Marcus Gilmore, dazzled with a fresh and contemporary set list, playing new tunes and tracks off his current album, Lathe Of Heaven. Spirited improvisers all, the group benefitted from a superlative sound mix so you could easily follow precise, individual lines, themes and solos. Gilmore, the grandson of Roy Haynes, is preternatural in his agility and creativity, careening through imaginative time signatures, underscoring the band with dramatic yet subtle rhythms. The tunes remained at once, exploratory, cohesive and gleefully thrilling.
Pianist Craig Taborn delivered an improvised solo that began with a series of delicate measures and evolved into a series of sturdy percussive motifs. Taborn was a driver of ideas and his masterful set twisted and swerved before ending in chordal fireworks. Jose James / Takuya Kuroda / GoGo Penguin at Le Poisson Rouge Blue Note Records hosted singer/songwriter Jose James at LPR on Bleecker Street with James trying out new tunes and firing up the sold out crowd with soulstirring faves. The set was all about the message —the band launched into a cover of Dead Prez’s “Police State,” a pitched protest song with a seething, provocative rap verse. James was at his best in this setting, which was confirmed from the adoring, vocal sold-out crowd,—this version of James was a welcome return to form.The gig wrapped with GoGo Penguin, a youthful British outfit about to release their first US record, an electrifying trio that fuses The Bad Plus, E.S.T. and Radiohead as the leaping off point for modern jazz tunes with big beats, buzzing bass lines and percussive, deeply rhythmic piano excursions. Kris Bowers at Judson Church Pianist Kris Bowers, who had a strong debut on Concord Records a couple of years ago, has worked with Kanye West and Jay Z, scored the soundtrack to a new documentary on Norman Lear and has recorded with Jose James and various hip artists. The cacophonous set he brought to Judson Church was a rapid-fire, electrified presentation that mixed churning, sampled keyboards over live bass and drums with a music-triggered video screen display. It wasn’t perfect—the space is grand and acoustically appropriate, but the techs did their best to keep up with the electronics and video requirements. Dodgy or not, listening to Bowers you felt like you were watching a trendsetter in action. Dave King with Adam Schatz at The New School Fifth Floor Theater Perhaps my favorite moment was the smallest event—an interview by NY musician Adam Schatz with The Bad Plus and Happy Apple drummer Dave King. A natural raconteur and storyteller, King was utterly uninhibited and candid about his musical career. In a small music room with a dozen of us gathered, King combined intimate accounts about his highly successful YouTube channel (Rational Funk, where he lectures about music and proselytizes about life, playing an alternate version of himself), with whimsical stories of his family, growing up in Minneapolis, Prince and Husker Du. Better than being a fly on the wall, King conversed without a filter and despite being enthralling, hilarious and entertaining, it was as fitting and musically-minded as the rest of 2016 Winter Jazz Fest. ■
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MUSIC SINGER / SONGWRITER REVIEWS BY TOM WILK
Al Basile ★★★1/2 B’s Expression Sweetspot Records Al Basile is not your standard blues performer. He’s a singer whose chosen instrument is the cornet, not the guitar or piano. As a songwriter, he draws inspiration from such sources as Duke Ellington and the New Testament on B’s Expression. A published poet, Basile writes songs that span the spectrum of emotions from the rueful good humor of “Don’t You Ever Get Tired of Being Right?” to “That Ain’t
Bad,” a tale about the pitfalls of champagne living on a beer budget that lyrically recalls the work of Mose Allison. With “Have I Given My Best” and “Even Jesus Fell,” Basile utilizes biblical stories to illustrate a point. The former, based on the parable of the Workers in the Vineyard from the book of Matthew, urges listeners to give their fullest effort. The latter, taken from the Stations of the Cross, is a reminder that setbacks can be overcome. Vocally, Basile draws inspiration from a cross-section of vocalists, including Frank Sinatra and Sam Cooke, particularly on “Somethin’s Missing,” inspired by Ellington’s “It Don’t Mean a Thing if It Ain’t Got That Swing” and the world-weary lyricism of “Not Like I Do.” Producer/guitarist Duke Robillard provides a strong blues/jazz backing that suits Basile’s songs and vocals. 13 songs, 52 minutes King Curtis ★★★★ The Complete Atco Singles Real Gone Music King Curtis used his tenor saxophone in the studio and on stage to bring a distinctive sound to the music of such artists as Aretha Franklin, Buddy Holly, Sam Cooke and John Lennon. His sax work on the Coasters’ “Yakety Yak” is one of the most famous in rock ‘n’ roll history and helped to expand the possibilities of the instrument. His prolific session work has tended to overshadow
his prolific solo output. That’s been rectified with The Complete Atco Singles, a 3-CD anthology that collects 33 of his singles recorded between 1958 and 1971 and show the breadth of his talent. King Curtis, whose real name was Curtis Ousley, effectively reworked the hits of the day, ranging from a jazzy reading of “Dancing in the Street” that recalls the work of the Ramsey Lewis Trio to a dynamic interpretation of Stevie Wonder’s “I Was Made to Love Her” full of horn interplay. Most of his singles were instrumentals, but King Curtis also used the spoken word to strong effect. He introduces the instruments on “Memphis Soul Stew,” a Top 40 hit in 1967, to heighten the excitement of the song. On “This is Soul,” he adopts the voice of a preacher to help define the genre. “Ridin’ Thumb” shows he could be an effective singer. With the help of Duane Allman’s electric sitar, King Curtis put his own stamp on Joe South’s “Games People Play” and won his only Grammy Award for Best R&B Instrumental Performance of 1969. A live version of “Changes,” recorded in March 1971 five months before he was stabbed to death, shows the power King Curtis and his band the Kingpins could generate in concert. “Blue Nocturne,” a soulful instrumental featuring King Curtis on guitar rather than sax, shows another side of his considerable talent as an instrumentalist. 66 songs, 171 minutes The Chapin Sisters ★★★1/2 Today’s Not Yesterday Lake Bottom Records The daughters of Tom Chapin and the nieces of Harry Chapin, Abigail and Lily Chapin are carrying on the family’s musical tradition as The Chapin Sisters. Today’s Not Yesterday shows the siblings following their own artistic path. “Autumn,” the CD’s opening track creates a dreamy soundscape that aurally captures the wistful feelings of fall. Dan Horne’s pedal steel guitar sets the mood for the bittersweet “Angeleno,” a song inspired by their time in Southern California. Lily’s vocals take center stage on “The World is All” supported by Lee Pardini’s work on keyboards. “Child” spotlights Abigail’s soulful singing on a tune about the acceptance of love that enlivened by the bluesy guitar of Omar Velasco. The sisters’ harmonies are featured on the riveting “There Will Be a Time for Us” and “We Will Not Stop Singing,” the album’s finale. The latter could have come from the Pete Seeger songbook with its vow to keep on pushing for change and contains echoes of “We Shall Overcome.” 12 songs, 48 minutes JD and the Straight Shot ★★★1/2 Ballyhoo! Self-released Ballyhoo!, the latest studio album from JD & The Straight Shot, comes with a straightforward declaration on the cover—100% acoustic. That decision gives the music a straightforward, intimate flavor and demonstrates the sturdiness of the songs. With lead singer Jim Dolan and four musicians who contribute backing vocals, the sound re-
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calls the early albums of The Band if that group had ever recorded an unplugged album. The bluesy “Empty” gets the album off to a strong start with a reminder to take life one day at a time. With violinist Erin Staver’s strong playing, “Perdition” has echoes of Bob Dylan’s “Desire” album featuring Scarlet Rivera.
The band’s songs cover a diverse range. “Glide” is a celebration of childhood and a reminder to remember to freedom of that stage of life. “Under That Hood” serves as a sobering commentary on the shooting of Trayvon Martin. “Who’s that walking down that street/Looks like trouble from my judgment seat,” Dolan sings. “Here He Comes” finds the band celebrating the life and legacy of Johnny Cash. “Nature’s Way,” a version of the environmental anthem from Spirit, remains as relevant today as it was when first introduced in 1970. 11 songs, 40 minutes Lisa Said ★★★ First Time, Long Time Self-released Lisa Said makes an impressive debut with First Time, Long Time, her first recording as a solo artist. On the fivesong, extended play, she serves up a smorgasbord of styles. “Been Around,” a song about life experiences, opens with a splash of propulsive piano that gives way to the energetic piano work of Jon Carroll and also features a touch of Arabic rhythms that is reflective of her EgyptianAmerican background. “Hard to Brake” offers an injection of power pop as Said and co-producer Don Zientara push Andrew Joy’s drums to the forefront to give the song a sonic kick. “Somebody Someday” finds Said in a pensive mood as she declares, “I’m searching for somebody” and the firm tone of her voice indicates she won’t give up. “One Too Many,” which clocks in at just over six minutes, features Said stretching herself vocally sounding both authoritative and laid-back in getting on with her life. Seth Kauffman’s expressive guitar lines lend a power and lift to her vocals. First Time, Long Time serves as a musical appetizer with a full-length album to come for the Tennessee native. 5 songs, 19 minutes ■
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MUSIC JAZZ LIBRARY BY BOB PERKINS
BobbyTROUP
I’VE LONG ADMIRED THE songwriting skill of pianist/singer/songwriter, Bobby Troup. Troup didn’t write a lot of song that became standards, like Ellington, Cole Porter, Gershwin and other great tunesmiths, but several of those he authored, really caught my ear. His major contribution to the standards was “Route 66,” which did much for Nat King Cole in the early part of his budding career. I’d heard troupe’s name mentioned here and there over the years, knew he wrote “Route 66,” and I’d seen him on TV in acting roles, especially in the early 1970’s series, Emergency, in which he played a doctor. Also in the series was his wife in real life, singer/actress, Julie London, who portrayed a nurse. Some years later, when fate got me out of radio news and editorial work, I began to host jazz programs on a full time basis, and one evening I played a Bobby Troup gem, titled “The Meaning of the Blues.” The song knocked me over, and I became a fan. I looked up some of his other compositions and discovered he’d also written “Daddy,” a tune in which a young woman informs an older gent of the expensive items she wants him to supply. In 1941, the song held first place for eight weeks on the Billboard best seller chart. That same year, Troup, born and raised in Harrisburg, Pa., graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s prestigious Wharton School with a degree in economics, and followed that up by enlisted in the Marine Corps. He was commissioned a second lieutenant and helped oversee recruitment training at Montford Point, North Carolina, a recruit depot for the first black marines. He was promoted to captain in 1944. Some years ago, local drummer/bandleader Bill Carney and I were talking about jazz music and musicians, and the name Bobby Troup came up, and Carney—a former marine—informed me that during one part of his stay in the marines, Bobby Troup had been his company commander. Troup’s first marriage in 1942, ended in divorce a few years later. The union produced two children. He met singer/actress Julie London in 1955, and they married in 1959. It was he who encouraged her to vigorously pursue her singing career, and helped out by producing her hit recording, “Cry me a River.” Ironically, London had previously been married to Jack Webb, who produced and starred in the popular TV police series, Dragnet. He also produced Emergency, and sought out his former wife and Troup for roles in the series. Emergency ran for about six years, and when it ended, Troup began to lean more toward acting than working the clubs, and he and London remained together for close to 45 years, surviving separate careers, and limited time at home, while trying to raise seven children—six from previous unions, and one from their own. Troup seemed to thrive on work, and loved the exposure. He once confided in an interview that London was very introverted and shy, and had really never been a performer, and was glad when her appearances were over. But through this difference, they remained very close. Troup often referred to London as his best friend. Troup turned out quite a number of tunes in his time, some of the novelty variety and others of a more serious nature. On the serious side, he wrote another song Nat King Cole had success with, titled “Baby, Baby All the Time,” He also wrote the words to “Girl Talk” (Neal Hefti penned the melody). Little Richard also thanked him for writing “The Girl Can’t Help It.” One of Bobby Troup’s best compositions, done by a magnificent band, is Stan Kenton’s CD, Standards in Silhouette, with a killer rendition of “The Meaning of the Blues.” Bobby Troup died February 7, 1999 at age 80. Julie London passed one year later. ■
Julie London and Bobby Troup.
Bob Perkins is a writer and host of an all-jazz radio program that airs on WRTI-FM 90.1, Mon-Thurs. 6–9 & Sun., 9–1..
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foodie feature BY A. D. AMOROSI
Something’s Fishy Chef Mike Stollenwerk heads to the briny deep—again—at 26 North
Pan-seared Diver Scallops with beet puree, baby beets, pickled mustard seed, pistachio. Photo ©Reese Amorosi 2015
Striped Bass with celery root puree, little neck clams, chorizo sausage, piperade.Photo ©Reese Amorosi 2015
NO ONE DOES FISH in Philly like Chef Mike Stollenwerk. That’s pretty much a city-wide mandate, a fact of locality, something that should get its own proclamation either before Nutter leaves office or Kenney takes over. Stollenwerk owned Bella Vista’s still-loved Little Fish (which has new owners since he left) and Fish (which had several Center City locations) before he wound up working for other area restaurants such as Branzino and Headhouse Crab And Oyster Co. as late as 2013. “The vibe was quaint and homey—cramped too,” said Stollenwerk about Little Fish, “but that added to the charm of the place. Everyone was on a first name basis there.” Whether on his own or for someone else, Stollenwerk always had and always kept the knack for keeping fresh fish fresh, meaty and uniquely flavored while allowing each cut to stand on its own. “Keep the food simple. I never turned vegetables into foam or make weird things into paste. The ingredient was what it was. I just brought the natural flavor out.” That’s what Stollenwerk is doing at his new Old City restaurant—the 26 North BYOB at 26 N. Third Street—going backward to head forward by creating a vibe that’s intimate enough for area locals, old and new (that first name basis thing of which he spoke). “I used to live around the corner, and it had a lot of the gallery owners and the artists then,” said Stollenwerk. “Along with those crowds, there are several new condos in Old City. The area is happening again.” The environment at 26 N—exposed brick walls, shiny white tile behind the chef ’s station, newsprint posters, low light—is simple, homey and spare. The better to concentrate on the food. Stollenwerk is cooking and serving fine fish and oceanic treats whose natural tastes simply burst. There are several old favorites from his Little Fish days like the peasant Portuguese Fish Soup and the “long marinated” Char-Grilled Octopus appetizer with pickled peppers Morcilla, and crispy potato, the latter being the meatiest, tastiest cephalopod mollusk I’ve ever eaten. Sticking with appetizers, the Pan Seared Diver Scallops with pistachios, tangy pickled mustard seed, beet puree and baby beets is hearty, buttery and tangy. Though thoroughly un-fishy, the Baby Kale Salad with Lancaster blue cheese and slivered apple was delightful. As far as dinner items go, the Pastrami Spiced Mahi Mahi with Brussel leaves and rye berries seems to be an early favorite. Yet, it’s the two old Little Fish classics that also made their way into 26 North’s menu that will catch your attention: a sweet, dense Striped Bass, done here like a surprisingly spicy Basque piperade with Cerery root puree, little neck clams and chorizo sausage. Then there’s Stollenwerk’s generously portioned Skate Wing with Truffled spaetzle, melted leeks and Parmesan broth. It’s legendary from Little Fish days, and you can easily taste why. “People would call or email and ask if I was serving it,” says Stollenwerk with a laugh. “If I couldn’t get it that day they’d tell me to call them when I got it back in.” Yes, the skate was that great at 26 North this time around. Trust me though, there’s plenty to feast upon just in case. ■
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food BY ROBERT GORDON
TOWNSEND A MONTH BEFORE OUR third visit to Townsend, I emailed the restaurant and requested that they include a few vegan alternatives on the menu the night of our next visit. That very evening, the Chef responded personally, assuring me he would accommodate. Given a Chef ’s frenzied 24/7 commitment to his craft, it’s rare for a chef to respond personally—and rarer still that he remember the promise a month afterward. However, one month later, the hostess greeted us and immediately related that the Chef had prepared three “surprise” vegan courses expressly for my wife. “I tried them myself, “ she added. “You’ll love them.” Chef Townsend Wentz’s bio brings Chef Craig Shelton to mind. Shelton, the former doyen of the once-legendary Ryland Inn, held both a molecular biophysics and a biochemical degree from Yale before the gastronomy bug lured him away from the lab. Similarly, Wentz was an analytical chemist angling toward genomics research before redirecting his career path. That decision came after a stint at Philly’s fabled Four Seasons under the tutelage of Jean-Marie Lacroix. Thus, when both Shelton and Wentz came to a fork in the road, they chose the fork, as Yogi Berra once advocated. Still, each brings a profound level of understanding to their métier that contributes to their cuisine. The Townsend menu changes frequently. Although French technique and, to a certain extent, style prevails, but is not a confining box. A deftly seared cod, wetted with sorrel-vermouth sauce and accompanied with brandade recalls similar dishes I’ve enjoyed near Carcassonne. But filet of striped bass dressed with peperonata ignited with pimento and smoldering with anchovy in sherry vinegar is done in Basque style. As for the special vegan dishes, Stuffed Artichoke Hearts were exceptionally tender. The heart of the artichoke was stuffed with wild mushrooms and spinach, then baked to unleash a symphony of complementary flavors. Ditto for a cassoulet of carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, fingerling potatoes, and onions topped with chopped scallions and parsley. Asparagus Risotto—a plate of parsley-flecked al dente risotto topped with the most generous heap of truffles I’ve seen in our region— was earthy yet delicate. Not everything is perfect. On one visit, one oyster in a quartet of Broiled East Coast Oysters with Fennel was missing, and the dish—an Oysters Rockefeller-esque topping of spinach and bacon in pernod cream—albeit satisfying, lacked the inspiration that fires Townsend’s better efforts. The bacon-sherry crème fraiche that bathed Escargot and Brussels Sprouts “Mange Tout,” was a departure from the familiar garlic-butter accompaniment. But I found that it lacked the swirly oomph of the classic. Suc-
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culent Venison en Crepinette was cooked exactly to my specification. But the accompanying parsnip purée and black truffle bordelaise failed to coax the ultimate potential out of the meat. As for dessert, Carmelized Baked Apple with mint and berries is fruity perfection. And Valrhona Chocolate Soufflé with Pernod Chantilly keeps my longtime maxim intact: If Valrhona chocolate is an ingredient, go for it. The soufflé was deep, rich, and delightful. Townsend’s interior is minimalist to the max. In the second-floor dining room, a few chrome-framed photos suffice for décor. That doesn’t diminish what’s more essential: the warmth generated by a cheery, committed, friendly wait staff that connects with customers. I love the chemistry. ■ Townsend, 1623 East Passyunk Ave., Philadelphia. 267-639-3203. townsendrestaurant.com
S WA N
HOTEL Modern Cuisine h Classic Comfort Corner of Swan & Main Lambertville, NJ 609-397-3552
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the beat VALLEY BEAT
CITY BEAT
BY GEOFF GEHMAN
BY THOM NICKELS
Godfrey Daniels became Graceland during a January concert for peace organized by Bakithi Kumalo, the bassist for Paul Simon’s Graceland album and tour. The South Africa native, who lives in the Valley, put on a zesty show featuring saxophonist/pennywhistler Morris Goldberg, another Graceland alumnus from South Africa, and American singersongwriter David Newman, who delivered the evening’s best statement: “Light is beyond a shadow of a doubt more powerful than darkness.” Seven musicians performed a luminous blend of pop-rock, jazz-folk, rockabilly zydeco and American-African jive. Wearing a black fedora and a shiny silver shirt, Kumalo played marinating chords, steeplechasing lines and sonar-like sounds produced by a sliding palm. He brought his homeland alive with clucking, huffing chants and a sly piedpiper take on “Wimoweh.” Spectators wriggled like cats on a hot tin roof during Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al,” a showcase for Kumalo’s scampering solo. The percolating interlude, he explained, has made him a famous stranger. “I can’t say your name,” a supermarket shopper once told him, “so I have to call you Al.”
This year’s Mummers controversy had to do with a parody of Caitlyn Jenner and the so-called stereotyping of Mexicans with brown face and dancing tacos. The protests did not come from diehard Mummers fans lining Broad Street, but from a few City Hall power brokers, the new mayor, a couple of suits and ties, and the Executive Director of LGBT Affairs, Nellie Fitzpatrick. The Sammar Strutters who adopted the Mexican theme with brown face probably assumed they were safe because they weren’t doing black face. And why shouldn’t they have assumed that? Mummers comics have been dressing up as wenches, colonialists, British soldiers, Frenchmen in white powder puff wigs, nuns, Arabs, Turkish sultans, Hawaiian princesses, former presidents, Lithuanian dancers and cops, so why not put on the Mexican? A street comic’s usual role is to dress up and get noticed, not deliver nuanced comedy. Mummers comics, after all, are really the raw belly laughter of a working class city. Those City Hall nannies want to sanitize next year’s parade by creating a reform school for the hooligan performers, most of whom are not Union League members or Harvard grads but raw Philly types who guzzle beer and (yes) cuss. This will ensure a 2017 parade as coma-inducing as the Rose Bowl Parade.
Joe Bonamassa hosted an international musical caravan at the State Theatre days before he debuted at Carnegie Hall. He played guitar and sang his original songs in the middle of eight musicians, including an Egyptian percussionist and a Chinese cellist, surrounded by floor and table lamps. The octet performed a luminous blend of locomotive rock, pile-driving marches, bedouin blues and fireside fables. Bonamassa animated his cinematic lyrics with bucking, barbed guitar leads and a cutting, arcing voice with shades of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Stevie Wonder. He was aided by three gusty backup vocalists, one in an elegant Indian outfit, and cellist Tina Guo’s demonic dances. At one point she and Bonamassa engaged in a galloping, bumble-beeing competition where they invented heavy-metal flamenco.
Mayor Kenney’s emergence as the #1 Pooh Bear pawn for Philly’s left wing community has received national attention. One of the Mayor’s first executive orders was to reinstate the city’s sanctuary city status, which shields illegal immigrants from deportation. It also bars cops and prison officials from ratting to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) about an illegal alien’s release from prison. This news was ecstasy to new City Council member Helen Gym, who raised her fist in a “power to the people” salute as Kenney signed the order. Nicole Kligerman of the New Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia, said, “We are thrilled…!” Are we really? Kenney’s executive order means that Philadelphia is breaking federal law, as are a number of other scofflaw cities like San Francisco (where a woman was killed by an illegal immigrant deported five times), Detroit, Portland, Miami, Baltimore and Seattle. But hey, what about the thrilling, lawless role model the city is offering to its residents? If Philly can ignore federal laws, why should ordinary Philadelphians pay attention to laws against insurance fraud, mail fraud, counterfeiting, child support, arson, embezzlement and motor vehicle crimes? Will Kenney go as far as the Republican governor of Nevada, who approved the issuing of drivers’ licenses to illegals? How did we forget that immigration laws are there to protect the public safety? Unfortunately, politicians like Mayor Kenney are the reason why a candidate like Trump has a fighting chance to win the White House.
It’s been a banner winter for honoring the Valley’s flesh-and-blood institutions. The City of Easton dedicated a statue of Larry Holmes, former heavyweight champion boxer, prominent business owner and Bonamassa hero. The Two Rivers Brewing Company named a stout after Easton hero Karl Stirner—sculptor, arts landlord, cultural shepherd. The Lehigh Valley Music Awards announced lifetime-achievement tributes to Dave Fry, who co-founded Godfrey Daniels in 1976, and the late Jolly Joe Timmer, king of a polka empire. Timmer and Fry will be celebrated during the LVMA’s 17th ceremony on March 6 in the Musikfest Café, an easy walk from their musical headquarters.
Philly’s artistic communities—theater, visual arts, poetry and literature—are separate worlds where the members of each group rarely interact with one another: Actors hang with actors; artists cultivate other artists; poets form their own social circles; and journalists hide out at the Pen and Pencil Club. Actors probably have it best because almost everyone loves a good play, but Philly actors rarely show up at poetry readings or author talks. A Pulitzer Prize-winning city writer could walk into any actor-filled Wilma theater reception and not be noticed at all. Fish bowls of isolation like this tend to keep Philly in a parochial orbit. What’s to be done? Look to New York, says Philly poet Jim Cory, “Where this kind of thing does not exist.” Cory says that New York artists of all types mingle at parties and other gatherings, so it’s not just painters with painters or actors with actors. Intent on bringing a little New York to Philly, Cory threw a holiday party and invited a wide range of artists: painter Bill Scott, poet Janet Mason, a TV writer, some poets and a playwright. New York, New York had finally come to a cozy apartment on South 21st St.
Downtown Allentown’s renaissance began with the Sept. 2014 opening of the PPL Center, a hockey/concert arena built as a commercial magnet. Seventeen months later, the new Center City seesaws between significant growth and significant growing pains. A half-dozen hip restaurants opened last year. Newcomers include Bell Hall, which serves craft beers and gourmet burgers in a sleek, lofty space next door to the Liberty Bell Museum. Three popular stores launched second branches. A new office building houses a rather austere satellite of the Moravian Book Shop, founded in Bethlehem in 1745, three decades before the founding of Allentown. The newly expanded Arts Walk hosts Popmart, where patrons try on funky clothes and jewelry in a silver-sheathed dressing room seemingly designed by Andy Warhol. On the bottom floor of the city’s first new apartment complex in half a century is RE:find, a sassy, smart home-goods emporium that specializes in such recycled furnishings as a chair made from a collaged oil drum. On the negative side, Shula’s Steak House closed after six months, depriving customers of the $89 48-ounce porterhouse and an open-air bar along the Arts Walk. The PPL Center has presented a disappointingly low number of popular-music performers and a disappointingly high number of fantasy family shows. A large shadow has been cast on potential development by the FBI’s probe of City Hall leaders who allegedly favored donors to an elected official’s planned political campaign. My wish list for Center City? More rock concerts. Fewer cookie-cutter buildings. More homes for arts companies. Fewer parking garages. More affordable, less fashionable eateries. More free parking. Less theme park. ■
What’s not to admire about playwright Tom Stoppard? The author of Arcadia, Travesties, Jumpers and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead was in town at the Wilma to celebrate the opening of The Hard Problem, his latest play of ideas. The play received sketchy reviews in England but at the Wilma, Stoppard received a standing ovation. Wilma audiences are generous to a fault, but The Hard Problem was a problematic mishmash of vignettes dealing with questions about consciousness and God. It was almost as if Stoppard had written the play stoned and then never got around to serious editing when he sobered up. ■
Geoff Gehman is the author of the memoir The Kingdom of the Kid: Growing Up in the Long-Lost Hamptons (SUNY Press). geoffgehman@verizon.net.
Thom Nickels is the author of Philadelphia Architecture, Tropic of Libra, Out in History, Spore, and recipient of the 2005 Philadelphia AIA Lewis Mumford Architecture Journalism Award. thomnickels1@aol.com
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about life BY JAMES P. DELPINO, MSS,MLSP,LCSW,BCD
and moves to the direction of manipulation, is control. While manipulation focuses on the inner reality of people, control emphasizes outward behavior—submission to the demands of another person. Compliance of the persona of one person to the persona of another person is viewed as control. Low esteem, self-hatred and insecurity make a person vulnerable. Masochists are the easiest targets, because they confuse pain with love. A person with a masochistic complex seeks, often unconsciously, those who will manipulate and control to gratify the masochistic complex. This is obvious where there is a pattern of relationships that indicate signs of manipulation and control. When a person feels unlovable, unlikeable and deeply lacking they’re prone to accept unhealthy attempts to manipulate and control them because they don’t feel deserving of love and acceptance. In extreme cases, sheer terror of consequences —abuse, threats, harm to children, and financial devastation—underlie the willingness to comply. ■
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Who’s Pulling Your Strings? Everyone wants to be liked, accepted and feel a sense of belonging. As a result of this profound desire, people try to influence others. By using influence we attempt to organize the perceptions of others to see us in a certain light. This requires showing or emphasizing certain qualities while simultaneously hiding others. Carl Jung coined showing certain qualities the persona—what we show to the world—and the shadow—what we hide. The persona is motivated by an inherent need to be accepted and liked. In some cases, approval-seeking behavior can go to the extreme, and then the personality changes to the extent that it misrepresents who a person really is. Surrendering aspects of the self to gain approval starts early in life. To please parents, siblings, and teachers we learn to sculpt our speech and behaviors to gain acceptance. The aspects that we feel are undesirable, unlikeable or shameful are pushed into the shadow. In a dynamic interplay between the persona and the shadow, people see what helps you to negotiate life. People who cross the line and don’t respect certain rules of social functioning are often isolated or ostracized. Because these rules and expectations change as we grow and de-
velop, some people do well early on and then slip away into isolation. Late bloomers may seem awkward and stumble early, yet achieve acceptance and belonging in other stages of development. Because the need for approval and acceptance is so strong and the penalty for not complying to certain norms is so great, the attempts to influence another’s perceptions and their experience of us can take on countless forms. When healthy attempts to influence others fail, some will resort to emotional manipulation. This is influence on steroids. The goal of manipulation is to create certain thoughts and feelings. This is achieved through intimidation, accusations and threats, and can create all sorts of internal states in others. Guilt and shame can have deep consequences for the person who succumbs to the tactic. When we see someone kowtowing to the will of others we’re witnessing the manifestation of this process. An insecure person will try to manipulate someone else in order to meet their own needs. Those lacking in the ability to trust often make demanding requests for proof of love. Sales or seduction, for example, illustrate the tactics used to manipulate feelings and perceptions. Further along the continuum that starts with influence
Jim Delpino is a psychotherapist in private practice for over 33 years. jdelpino@aol.com Phone: (215) 364-0139.
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The Los Angeles Times SUNDAY CROSSWORD PUZZLE
PRESIDENTIAL FIRSTS By Alan Olschwang Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Got a four, probably 8 Undermines 14 With one’s back against the wall 20 Unsettle 21 Ridicule 22 Retiring 23 Austria’s Railjet, for one (#33) 25 Has a life 26 Fatuous 27 “The Lion King” baddie 28 French connections? 30 Derisive shout 32 Source of twigs called withies 34 __ nouveau 35 Take the high way? 36 Vietnam’s __ Dinh Diem 38 MLB scorecard entry 40 Most massive known dwarf planet 42 Word on mail from Madrid 45 Changes the play at the line of scrimmage (#21) 50 NutraSweet developer 53 Fatty acid type 54 Sea-Tac abbr. 55 Some oscilloscope users: Abbr. 56 Invited 57 Actor with a mohawk 59 “Football Night in America” network 62 “Avatar” extras 64 Telling tales 65 Like many an infielder’s throw 69 Missoula home 72 Spotty affliction? 73 Latin trio word 74 Words from a returning traveler (#43) 78 White wine aperitif 79 “M” director Fritz 81 1988 NFL MVP 82 Sentence sections 84 Bits in a byte, e.g. 86 Vague number 87 One who might be given the business 89 Ages and ages 90 Acknowledge tacitly 91 Prophet’s claim 93 Yet, to Yeats 96 Put a handle on 100 Cuddles 102 D.C. trip highlight (#27) 106 Author Madeleine L’__ 108 Holly genus
109 110 111 113 115 117 120 124 126 129 130 133 134 135 136 137 138
Sports __ Valuable deposit Former Saturn model Max. Drained of color Alibi problems Critical point Lotion additive Agricultural pioneer Call on the carpet Drinking song popularized by the Glenn Miller Orchestra (#36) ’90s veep Bumpy Andalusian city Snickered Roma road Tossed about
DOWN 1 When doubled, a common dolphinfish 2 Back-country “contrary to” 3 Do spadework 4 Centric start 5 ’90s Toyota 6 Netmen’s gp. 7 “Cheers” actor Roger 8 Icelandic literary works 9 Gave it another go 10 Skating legend 11 Venomous venting 12 Nicollette’s “Desperate Housewives” role 13 Words with letter or fax 14 Conceptualizes 15 To follow 16 Sweetie along the Seine 17 On a lark (#35) 18 Soviet cooperative 19 Unkempt 24 Green wheels 29 One may be named for a president 31 Screening org. 33 NW Penn. airport 36 Base fig. 37 __ pal 39 Santa __ winds 41 Rains hard? 43 Like Pinocchio, eventually 44 Cinch course 46 Bar fruit 47 Beanpole 48 Immortalized vessel of rhyme 49 Abbr. before a year 51 “Law & Order” detective
52 58 60 61 63 65 66 67 68 70 71 75 76 77 80 83 85 88 92 94 95 97 98 99 101 103 104 105 107
Briscoe Trimming tools “No argument” Mercedes rivals Pacific salmon Walk in the park Drawing rooms End of the ’50s TV intro that began “This is the city” Could be more productive (#34) Badlands formation Verboten thing Aleve can alleviate one Toughness Greets, with “to” Danish capital Board Structural subj. Half a patio pair High degree Columnlike architectural piece Hang out “__ Gang” Saskatchewan city Asian lead-in “The Chronic” Dr. Downed noisily French possessive Blew out Give a little Gp. that hired an orchestra for its “Eldorado” album
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111 Phased-out Apple messaging tool 112 Papal garment 114 Anklebone 116 Barack’s 2010 High Court appointee 118 Exchange of nasty spots 119 Shells alternative
121 122 123 125 127 128 131 132
Astringent fruit Foolproof By __ of: due to Joule components Snippy, say “Great Scott!” Power agcy. created in 1933 Fido’s find
Answer to January’s puzzle, ONLINE CHAT
Agenda CALL FOR ENTRIES Philadelphia Sketch Club 2016 Art of the Flower Juried Exhibition Entry Deadline: Feb. 14, 12AM. Exhibition: Mar. 4–26. May submit 2- or 3-dimensional work in any medium inc. photography and Digital Art and must have a theme of Flowers as its subject. Submit up to 10 works. Max. Accepted Works p/Artist is 2. Maxi. framed size: 44” wide. All work must be wired, ready for hanging, and under 30lbs. All 3D work should be hangable. No llarge, freestanding sculpture. Entry Fee: PSC Members: $1 1st piece, $10 add’l works. Non-Members: $20 1st piece, $10 add’l works. Reception: 3/13, 2-4 PM. Prospectus: http://sketchclub.org/wpcontent/uploads/2012/10/AOF-prospectus-2016.v1.pdf. Entry on-line: http://sketchclub.org/psc-official-onlinesubmission-site Philadelphia Water Color Society 116th International Anniversary Exhibition of Works on Paper, at West Chester University, John H. Baker Art Gallery, Rosedale Ave. and High St., West Chester, Pa. Entry Deadline: June 10. Show Dates: September 6–October 14, 2016. Prospectus download from pwcsociety.org website in April, 2016 or send SASE to PWCS Entries, 13 Brandywine Dr., Elwyn, Pa. 19063. Two Entries, Includes pastel, water media, drawings, hand-pulled prints. Members $15.00, Non-Members $45.00. Juror of Selection: Mary Whyte, AWS; Juror of Awards: Stewart White, AWS, NWS. Prizes over $6,000.
610-330-5361. Galleries.lafayette.edu. THRU 3/20 Abbas: Children of Abraham. Children of Abraham presents 66 photographs of the monotheistic religions: Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, by renowned Magnum photographer Abbas. Arthur Ross Gallery at UPenn, 220 South 34th Street, Philadelphia. 215-8982083. arthurrossgallery.org THRU 4/9 2016 Winter Show, featuring Anthony Smith, Francis Beaty, Joe Billera, Edigio Galgano, Katelyn Lau, and Ward Van Haute. Bethlehem House Contemporary Art Gallery, 459 Main Street, Bethlehem, PA. 610-419-6262/Cell: 610390-4324. BethlehemHouseGallery.com THRU 4/24 Inside Out: Carol Tippit Woolworth, Catherine Drabkin, Pahl Alexander Hluchan, Colleen Randall, Daniel Jackson. Regional artists explore the concept of “place”—physical, emotional, and spiritual. Delaware Art Museum, 2301 Kentmere Pkwy, Wilmington, DE. 302-571-9590. delart.org THRU 5/15 This Light of Ours, Activist Photographers of the Civil Rights Movement. Free entry Sundays, see website. Allentown Art Museum, 31 N. 5th St., Allentown, PA. AllentownArtMuseum.org
ART EXHIBITS 2/1-28 2016 Annual Philadelphia School District High School Student Art Exhibition: This is a juried exhibition open to Philadelphia High School Students. Reception 2/28, 2–4. Philadelphia Sketch Club, Main Gallery, 235 South Camac Street, Philadelphia. 215-5459298. sketchclub.org 2/3-7 Art Show 2016. More than 100 juried artists and 2,000 fine art pieces, including glass art, jewelry, painting and photography. WedSat. 10-7; Sun. 10-4. Wine & cheese reception 2/4, 5-8. Malvern Retreat House, McShainHorstmann Family Life Center, 315 S. Warren Ave., Malvern. 610-6440400, malvernretreat.com/artshow THRU 2/21 Gail Skudera, In Time, Out of Time: Woven Photo Collages. Lafayette Art Galleries, Easton, PA.
3/1-30 PSC Member Exhibit: Priscilla Bell, WestSide; Ellen LoCicero, Eastside. Reception 3/13, 2–4. Philadelphia Sketch Club, Stewart Gallery, 235 South Camac Street, Philadelphia. 215-545-9298. sketchclub.org 3/2 Guided tour by Roberta Meek, director of Africana Studies at Muhlenberg College, noon. Free entry Sundays, see website. Allentown Art Museum, 31 N. 5th St., Allentown, PA. AllentownArtMuseum.org 3/4–26 2016 Art of the Flower. Exhibition of flowers in all mediums. Reception 3/13, 2–4. Philadelphia Sketch Club, Main Gallery, 235 South Camac Street, Philadelphia. 215545-9298. sketchclub.org 3/5-5/29 Our America: The Latino Presence in American Art. Organized by the
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Our America presents the rich and varied contributions of Latino artists in the United States since the mid-20th century, when the concept of a collective Latino identity began to emerge. Delaware Art Museum, 2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington, Delaware. 302-571-9590. delart.org
with John Beacher, 8-midnight. Karla’s, 5 W. Mechanic St., New Hope. 215-862-2612. Karlasnewhope. Thurs.-Sat., Dinner and show at SteelStacks, Bethlehem. 5-10, table service and valet parking. artsquest.org
DANCE
CONCERTS
2/11-2/13 Master Choreographers, spectacular works of dance by acclaimed guest artists and faculty. Muhlenberg College Theatre & Dance, 2400 Chew St., Allentown, PA. 484-664-3333. Muhlenberg.edu/dance
2/12 Vox Luminis. Williams Center for the Arts, Lafayette College, 317 Hamilton St., Easton, PA. 610-3305009. AtTheWilliams.org
2/24 BodyTraffic. Williams Center for the Arts, Lafayette College, 317 Hamilton St., Easton, PA. 610-3305009. AtTheWilliams.org
THEATER 2/14 Moon Mouse A Space Odyssey, Lightwire Theater. A cosmic tale that is great for kids. 1:00 & 4:00 PM, Zoellner Arts Center, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA. Free event parking attached to center. ZoellnerArtsCenter.org 2/19 Abba Mania, The Original from London’s West End. 7:30 PM, State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton, PA. 610-252-3132 or 1-800-999-STATE. Statetheatre.org 2/24-3/6 Elektra, by Sophokles. Adapted and directed by Wayne S. Turney. Act 1 Performing Arts DeSales University. Main Stage, Labuda Center for the Performing Arts, 2755 Station Ave., Center Valley, PA. 610-282-3192. Desales.edu/Act1 2/26 Annie, The Tony Award-Winning Production. 7:00 PM, State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton, PA. 610-252-3132 or 1-800999-STATE. Statetheatre.org 2/27 The Pigeoning. Williams Center for the Arts, Lafayette College, 317 Hamilton St., Easton, PA. 610-3305009. AtTheWilliams.org
DINNER & MUSIC Thursday nights, Community Stage
2/13 Larry Harlow and the Latin Legends of Fania, a high-octane salsa concert. 8:00 PM, Zoellner Arts Center, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA. Free event parking attached to center. ZoellnerArtsCenter.org 2/14 Evensong on the Day of St. Valentine, 5:00 PM. Cathedral Arts, Cathedral Church of the Nativity, 321 Wyandotte St., Bethlehem, PA. 610-865-0727. Nativitycathedral.org 2/20 The Bill Goodwin Experience. Williams Center for the Arts, Lafayette College, 317 Hamilton St., Easton, PA. 610-330-5009. AtTheWilliams.org 2/21 Polish Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra, Tchaikovsky and more. 3:00 PM, Zoellner Arts Center, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA. Free event parking attached to center. ZoellnerArtsCenter.org 2/21 Evelyn Stewart, soprano, sings Songs Sacred and Spiritual, 4:00 PM. Cathedral Arts, Cathedral Church of the Nativity, 321 Wyandotte St., Bethlehem, PA. 610865-0727. Nativitycathedral.org 2/28 The Bach Choir of Bethlehem Family Concert, Youth Choirs Festival, 3pm. Encourage the young singers who will be the choral artists of the future. Zoellner Arts Center, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA. Tickets at BACH.org. 3/5 Danú. Williams Center for the Arts, Lafayette College, 317 Hamilton St., Easton, PA. 610-3305009. AtTheWilliams.org
3/6 Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra, “An Afternoon with Mozart." Sinfonia Virtuosi and soloist Terry Guidetti, clarinet. Three works by Mozart: a Divertimento, Clarinet Concerto in A and Symphony No. 33. 4:00 p.m., Christ Lutheran Church, 1245 W. Hamilton St., Allentown, PA. 610 434-7811. PASinfonia.org
MUSIKFEST CAFÉ 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem 610-332-1300. Artsquest.org 2/4 The Cowsills 2/5 Strawberry Fields: The Ultimate Beatles Tribute 2/12-14 Tony ‘N Tina’s Wedding 2/19-20 Tony ‘N Tina’s Wedding 2/27 The Blues Brotherhood with special guest Bones Malone 2/28 Girl Scout Cookie Crunch 3/5 Beth Hart 3/5 Eric Hutchinson 3/11-13 Blast Furnace Blues
KESWICK THEATRE 291 N Keswick Ave, Glenside 215-572-7650 keswicktheatre.com 2/5 Paul Reiser 2/11 Masters of Illusion 2/12 Tommy Emmanuel 2/13 Renaissance Winter Tour 2/14 Jeffrey Osborne 2/18–20 Tedeschi Trucks Band 2/27 John Caparulo 3/6 Rachelle Ferrell 3/11 Tina Karol
EVENTS THRU 2/20 Sweethearts Share the Love Food Drive and Contest. Stop by any participating Clinton, NJ business and drop off a non-perishable food donation and enter to win one of ten+ prizes from Clinton businesses. All food received will be donated to the Open Cupboard Food Pantry in Clinton. Participating businesses will have a heart in their window that reads “Share the Love.” For more information, Clintonguild.com 3/12 Lehigh Valley Arts Council, Young at Art, an expo of creative camps & classes for kids & their families. Free. Penn State Lehigh Valley, Center Valley, PA. Lvartscouncil.org/young-at-art.
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