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icon JUNE 2014
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS
The intersection of art, entertainment, culture, opinion and mad genius
Filling the hunger since 1992 1-800-354-8776 • 215-862-9558
A MASTER, A MUSE, & THE MYTHIC AMERICAN DREAM | 22
fax: 215-862-9845
www.icondv.com
With their new film The Immigrant now in limited release, director James Gray and star Marion Cotillard share their unique, yet linked, experiences of living in America.
COLIN QUINN’S SMALL WORLD | 24
President Assistant to the Publisher
Quinn’s Long Story Short focused on how empires fall from grace and power. With Unconstitutional, the wonky comic targets American history.
2 + 2 = FOURPLAY | 26 Ralston Crawford, Steel Foundry, 1936–37. Oil on canvas. Whitney Museum of American Art.
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For more than 20 years, the world-renowned jazz group, Fourplay, has set the benchmark for contemporary jazz. Here, drummer Harvey Mason and bassist Nathan East reflect on their careers and solo projects.
COLUMNS City Beat | 5 Backstage | 5 Jim Delpino | 41
A THOUSAND WORDS Telecaster | 7
Philip Seymour Hoffman, John Turturro in God’s Pocket.
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EXHIBITIONS | 8 Artsbridge 20th Annual Juried Show Delaware Art Museum Patricia Hutton Galleries
JAZZ LIBRARY | 30 Grant Green KERESMAN ON DISC | 32 Phil Coulter; Woo; Miles Davis Francy Boland Trio; Radney Foster Eliza Gilkyson; Claudia Schmidt The Baseball Project SINGER / SONGWRITER | 33 Neil Young; John Doe; Linda Ronstadt Roy Orbison; Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin
ART
NICK’S PICKS | 34 Sonny Rollins; Clovis Nicolas Margie Baker; Harold Mabern
Spiritual Strivings | 9 American Legends | 10
DINING
FILM CINEMATTERS | 12 Belle
Alma de Cuba | 36 Agricola | 38
ETCETERA L.A. Times Crossword | 42 Agenda | 43
KERESMAN ON FILM | 14 God’s Pocket BAD MOVIE | 16 Godzilla
Colin Quinn.
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FILM ROUNDUP | 18 The Signal; We are the Best! Ida; Neighbors
THE JAZZ SCENE | 28
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ADVERTISING 800-354-8776
EDITORIAL Executive Editor Trina McKenna
DESIGN Designer Lauren Fiori Assistant Designer Kaitlyn Reed-Baker
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Backstage & Jazz Scene Editor Bruce H. Klauber / drumalive@aol.com City Beat Editor Thom Nickels / thomnickels1@aol.com Fine Arts Editors Edward Higgins Burton Wasserman Music Editors Nick Bewsey / nickbewsey@gmail.com Mark Keresman / shemp@hotmail.com Bob Perkins / bjazz5@aol.com Tom Wilk / tomwilk@rocketmail.com Food Editor 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 O.Miller / gomiller@travelsdujour.com R. Kurt Osenlund / rkurtosenlund@gmail.com
ICON is published twelve times per year. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. ICON welcomes letters to the editor, editorial ideas and submissions, but assumes no responsibility for the return of unsolicited material. ICON is not responsible for claims made by advertisers. Subscriptions are available for $40 (shipping & handling).
MUSIC A. D. AMOROSI: THE LIST | 29
Raina Filipiak filipiakr@comcast.net
PO Box 120 • New Hope, PA 18938 (800) 354-8776 Fax (215) 862-9845
REEL NEWS | 20 The Trouble With the Truth The Grand Budapest Hotel The Attorney The Missing Picture
Fourplay. Clockwise from top left: Bob James, Harvey Mason, Chuck Loeb, Nathan East.
Trina McKenna trina@icondv.com
ON THE COVER: Marion Cotillard. Interview on page 22.
Copyright 2014 Prime Time Publishing Co., Inc.
City Beat
THOM NICKELS
Backstage
BRUCE KLAUBER
ThomNickels1@aol.com
drumalive@aol.com
At the 113th PAFA Annual Student Exhibition we noticed an emphasis on “art for art’s sake.” One student had constructed a large open plot of plastic kitchen utensils, a sort of faux Midtown diner for Barbie dolls. The bizarre walk-through display reminded us that one cannot go beyond a certain degree of logic in art. We noticed a preponderance of portraits duplicating the kind of theatrical staging common in photography. “They don’t seem to be well painted enough to be convincing,” our artist friend, Noel G. Miles, suggested. “The larger fact doesn’t change: Expression still counts. What you are trying to convey still counts.” The best student pieces focused on conceptuality, or a tight unity of theme, rather than Gehrylike incongruity. We saw excellent black and white “draftsman” renditions (reminding us of the work of Georges Rouault), and were fascinated by student Lauren Pellerito’s sculpture of two tree roots in a light “embrace.” We spoke with students Matthew Carrieri, Santiago Galeas and former student, Chuck Schultz (who dedicated a painting in our name). The annual student exhibition attracts a diverse, mostly upscale crowd Madeline Peckenpaugh displays her work in PAFA’s 113th (think The Philadelphia Story and Devon Annual Student Exhibition. Horse Show). We heard from Hieke Rass that Chase Utley (Phillies) and his wife were in the building browsing for art for their new home. When we spotted Gerry and Marguerite Lenfest (they get around) shaking hands with people as they waited to board an elevator, we couldn’t help but think how tiring it must be to be Gerry with so many people offering to shake your hand. Does Gerry even remember their names the next morning?
“The best place to celebrate America’s birthday is the place where the country was born,” said Mayor Michael Nutter when announcing the lineup for the 2014 Wawa Welcome America Fourth of July Jam, which will take place on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. “This is Philadelphia. We own this. There is no better place to celebrate the Fourth of July than right here, Philadelphia, the birthplace of freedom, liberty and democracy for the United States.” Performers announced thus far include chart toppers Ed Sheeran, Nicki Minaj, Jennifer Hudson, Aloe Blacc, Ariana Grande, and Vicci Martinez of television’s The Voice. The Roots will again serve as the house band. There had been some talk of Jimmy Fallon hosting The Tonight Show from Philadelphia that week, in that The Roots serve as Fallon’s house band, but those negotiations have reportedly stalled. There are several events leading up to the July 4th finale as well: June 28, The Shops at Liberty Place host the “largest block party of the summer” with food, live entertainment, and fun activities; June 29, Free admission to the Academy of Natural Sciences; and July 2, Wawa Hoagie Day will feature a 5-ton hoagie that will feed Nicki Minaj at 39th Annual American Music Awards in Los Angeles over 17,000 people.
In 2010 we attended groundbreaking ceremonies for architect Frank Gehry’s underground addition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Gehry talked about a new loading dock, gallery and storage area. The audience was charmed by the always informal, quip-happy, 1989 Pritzker Prize-winner who seemed to be at the peak of his architectural celebrity. Yet the launching of the $81,000,000 underground utility space project had an anticlimactic feel: the buried addition would never be visible in the city’s skyline. Since 2010, appreciation for Gehry’s work has taken a nosedive. “When did Frank Gehry become a joke?” many now ask, referring to the architect’s cold, skeletal structures, especially his proposed design for the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial in D.C., which has been compared to everything from a Nazi concentration camp to an unfinished overpass. What’s clear to us is that the Gehry age is over. As a friend remarked, “The best feature of the Gehry project at the Philadelphia Museum of Art is that it is virtually all underground, which means that no one outside of the building really has to see it. If only every city that is afflicted with the latest Gehry monstrosity could be so lucky.” In another bizarre PMA-related story, we received a series of emails from a local writer who told us to be on the lookout for two major (coming) lawsuits charging art critic Edward J. Sozanski (deceased) and former PMA CEO Anne D’Harnoncourt (deceased) with conspiracy. Conspiracy to do what, we asked. How does one sue dead people, unless of course the suit involves the institutions they were once associated with? “This is no joke,” the reporter assured us, “you will read the story when it breaks.”
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Journalist Thom Nickels’ books include Philadelphia Architecture, Tropic of Libra, Out in History and Spore. He is the recipient of the 2005 Philadelphia AIA Lewis Mumford Architecture Journalism Award. thomnickels.blogspot.com
The CEO of casino giant Caesars Entertainment believes that Atlantic City has too many casinos, and that one or more needs to close. Gary Loveman says A.C. has been the biggest problem for his operation in the last several years, and that one option is to reduce capacity. He did not say whether one of Caesars’ four Atlantic City casinos should close, or whether the company might buy someone else’s casino and put it out of business like it did with The Atlantic Club. The Seminole Indian Tribe of Florida, through its Hard Rock Café franchise, evidently does not agree with the “reduced capacity” idea. The company, which has already done some formal filing with Jersey gambling regulators, is reportedly interested in buying the beleaguered Revel Casino Hotel. Price-wise, at least, this would be a good time, as Revel is now valued at a fraction of the $1.2 billion it cost to build, so says A.C.’s local 54. The local, who admittedly has a bone to pick with Revel because it’s a non-union house, values the casino at somewhere between $25 to $73 million. Still, big time showbiz goes on here, especially during the summer. Two of the biggest shows this month, despite their disparity in age, are Lady Gaga at Boardwalk Hall on June 28, and Bob Newhart at Harrah’s on the same night. There must be something to this legalized gambling business. First, there was talk in Philadelphia of legalized slot machines at the airport. Soon to be on the table before Legislative Budget and Finance Committee in Harrisburg is the viability of online gambling in the state of Pennsylvania. Face it, it’s going to happen, whether it serves as more bad news for Atlantic City or not. But don’t worry. People will always need saltwater taffy. It’s tougher and tougher to get away with anything these days, especially when it comes to
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Bruce Klauber is a published author/biographer, producer of DVDs for Warner Bros., CD producer for Fresh Sound Records, and a working jazz drummer. He graduated from Temple University and holds an Honorary Doctorate from Combs College of Music. 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 ■ J U N E 2 0 1 4 ■ I C O N ■ 5
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We braved a crowded Route 38 bus to attend the 7th Annual Centennial Celebration in Fairmount Park’s Horticulture Center to support park conservancy. The long and winding road to the Center is far from the bus stop, so we hiked on foot to the crowded Stephen Starrcatered event. We love Fairmount Park, especially Valley Green, though we wish there was no graffiti on the rocks and trees there. Can an event ever be too large? We were guzzled up by the mass of people, including the mayor and his wife, Gerard H. Sweeney, Patricia Kind, John K. Binswanger, Darrell L. Clarke, and reps from the Phillies, Peco, Bank of America, Robert A.M. Stern Architects, and countless others. At one point we felt carried along, even pushed by the crowds, like someone being lifted and passed over the heads of people at a rave. Serenity returned when we stood face-to-face with Laura Krebes (Cashman and Associates), who got us a dinner spot next to Al Spivey, Jr., Chief of Staff to the Majority Leader (City Council), with whom we discussed the politics of Frank L. Rizzo. The hors d’oeuvres reception and dinner reminded us of a Federico Fellini fashion show: lines of synchronized marching servers, silver trays in hand, crisscrossing the maze of revelers like models on multiple runways. The highly dramatic evening ended with terrific rain and wind storm that unfurled the edges of the massive white dinner canopy, forcing us to ditch Septa and hitch a ride into Center City. From PAFA we headed to Tops bar on 15th Street where the student exhibitors went to hang out after the show. In this smoking den of artistic indignity, we spotted wannabe Guillaume Apollinaire’s aspiring Georgia O’Keeffe’s and even an artist named Kyle, who happened to be a dead ringer for Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange. So many drunken artists made us want to bump into a jock or a vacuous cheerleader-type. The paneled bar called to mind the legendary Tin Angel, where we wound up a week or two later (thanks to an invite by Randy Alexander of Randex Communications) to hear a live concert by Kenny Davin Fine, a super buff physician who sings best when he taps into Kabbalah Jewish (and forgets Dylan). We danced briefly with Blanka Zizka at the Wilma’s Annual Theater Lovers Fête, a fundraising party honoring Virginia and Harvey Kimmel, who have supported the theater in various ways since 1998. The multi-tiered event included a reception, a special stage show for participants, and a fundraiser/auction dinner held in the Doubletree Hotel. We were almost introduced to Harvey and Virginia Kimmel but the couple’s long receiving line prevented that from happening. Our friend Will Jordon arranged a seat for us at his center stage table when his friend—a woman named Rothschild, no less—had to leave early. Look for The Wilma’s production of Tom Stoppard’s The Real Thing, directed by David Kennedy. Opera Philadelphia’s Don Giovanni at the Academy got bad Inquirer reviews, but it made us think of the time we visited Mozart’s home in Vienna, as well as stories of how the composer would travel back and forth from his home to Saint Stephen’s Cathedral, a few blocks away. (The Cathedral is still riddled with bullet holes and shell casings from WWII.) Mozart, a devout Catholic, ended Don Giovanni with a virtual catechism lesson, a fact that doesn’t seem to deter the opera’s secular popularity in 2014. The composer was much abused by his father as a child. The abuse was so great, in fact, that he would drag little Mozart by the hair (or hand) through the streets and public markets. It’s no wonder then that Don Giovanni ends with the anti-hero being dragged to hell. We visited Palmerton, Pennsylvania, and noticed the town’s inactivity and the quiet. It was a Saturday morning, after all, a time when many towns are alive with activity. We saw very few people walking about. If you’re sick of inner city congestion, chronic Septa detours on weekends (thanks to marathons and street festivals), standing room only “seats” on the Frankford Market El, and unrelenting stop-and-go traffic (not to mention angry drivers and honking horns), this peaceful river town will soothe your spirit. The mountains certainly add a dimension of beauty along with the Lehigh River and Aquishicola Creek. The sight of the famous Blue Mountain Tunnel that cuts through the Kittatinny Ridge has a Colorado feel. It also takes you to the turn that goes into Palmerton. We remember the Blue Mountain tunnel from childhood, but that’s another story. Who would not want to escape to a place like this? Of course, for any city sophisticate, the John Boy Walton-beauty of this town doesn’t erase the fact that it is also a cultural wasteland. Forget rock concerts, jazz festivals, theater, opera, art galleries, and museums. You might be able to hang out at the local Subway restaurant with its plastic orange chair Kabuki theater seating area, or hunt out a local Dunkin Donuts, or go bowling, but aside from this your only option is a pastime like rafting. Or staying at home and weeding your garden. There’s Palmerton Hospital in case you break an arm, have an allergic reaction to a bee sting, or come down with food poisoning. If your imagination is rich enough you might be able to fantasize about what goes on in the large gothic Victorian house that sits alone on a mountain top and which seems to be the town’s crowning glory. The sight of this house from a distance is impressive. It reminded us of Hawthorne’s The House of the Seven Gables, or even the house in Hitchcock’s Psycho. ■ 6 ■ I C O N ■ J U N E 2 0 1 4 ■ W W W . I C O N D V. C O M ■ W W W . F A C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V
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things like public fornication and urination. Seems that these activities, among others, took place at an event called Summer Block Party sponsored by alternative rock radio station WRFF/104.5 at the Piazza at Schmidt’s, in the Northern Liberties. Piazza counsel promptly dumped 104.5 from all future promotional partnerships. DVD giant Netflix has expanded into documentary film production. Netflix has announced that four new films will be released in the coming months, and has invited filmmakers to make their works specifically for them or to use Netflix as distributor. Major film studios have always distributed their own products. Why shouldn’t Netflix? The titles are more thought provoking than anyone suspected: Battered Bastards of Baseball tells the story of actor Kurt Russell’s father, Bing, a one-time actor who formed the minor league Portland Mavericks (July 11 release); Mission Blue tells the tale of marine biologist Dr. Sylvia Earle’s quest to save our oceans (August 15); E Team focuses on those hired to document war crimes and report those crimes to the public (release to be announced); and Print the Legend, which has already won some awards, follows the race to bring 3-D printing to the public (no release date announced). The Suzanne Roberts Theatre on South Broad Street, home to the Philadelphia Theatre Company since it opened in 2007 thanks to city and state funding, hasn’t made a mortgage payment in two years. Mortgage holder TD Bank has foreclosed, which often happens when the piper isn’t paid. “We do have cash flow issues,” says Theatre Company Board Chairman Gerald Riesenbach, in what must be the understatement of the decade. However, Riesenbach insists that help is on the way in the form of a “significant donor” who would put the whole operation on its feet. Given that Suzanne Robert’s husband is the founder of Comcast and that her son is Comcast’s current CEO—and both have a combined net worth of over $1 billion, says Forbes—one would think they would be a bit embarrassed about this whole scenario. Embarrassment, of course, takes time, in this case, two years’ worth. It turns out that the significant donor may be Comcast founder Ralph Roberts. Mr. and Mrs. Roberts have hired the outgoing Kennedy Center President, Michael M. Kaiser, to examine the viability of the Philadelphia Theatre Company. Wonder what took them so long? In an interesting piece of timing, the Philadelphia Theatre Company has just announced that Martin Zimmerman is the recipient of the third “Terrence McNally New Play Award” for the development of Let Me Count the Ways. The award is a cash prize and a year of PTC development support given annually to recognize a new play that celebrates the transformative power of art. These generic show titles—Era of Abba, Classic Soul, American Songbook Then and Now, Epic Hollywood Soundtracks, Legends of Rock, and Christmas Spectacular—sound like local dinner theater or junior high school stage productions. Believe it or not, these are the shows the Philly Pops has in store for the 2014-2015 season. The list of guest stars, including singers Tony DeSare and Hugh Panaro, as talented as they are, also represent pretty slim pickings, given the Pops’ long history of booking true star names as guests. In that the Pops clearly doesn’t have the budget for more ambitious programming—or even snappier titles, for heaven’s sakes—nd with the Philadelphia Orchestra performing more and more pops items as a part of its repertoire, this coming year could be a challenging and pivotal one. Rock legend Chuck Berry, still at it at the age of 87, has always had a unique relationship with money. Because of several run-ins with the IRS though the years, Berry has always insisted on being paid in cash—and fees for a legend can be sizeable—to be rendered just before he hits the stage. The feisty pioneer might want to consider making an exception to those fiscal requirements, when he receives the $154,000 2014 Polar Music Prize, one of the world’s most prestigious music awards, at a ceremony in Sweden on August 26. Those who know Berry, however, insist he’ll demand it in cash. Or else, as is his rule, he will not go on. The powers-that-be in Movieland decided to premier Grace of Monaco—the biopic starring Nicole Kidman—at the Cannes Film Festival last month, rather than open it in November as originally planned. But just seeing the trailer was enough for Prince Albert, Monaco monarch, and daughters Princess Caroline and Princess Stephanie to pan it outright. “The trailer appears to be a farce and confirms the totally fictional nature of this film,” the three said in a written statement. But wait. There was more. “The princely family does not in any way wish to be associated with this film, which reflects no reality, and regrets that its history has been misappropriated for purely commercial reasons.” Lesson learned? Don’t mess with Big Al. In the always fun “bookings of big-name relatives” arena for June, look for appearances by Gary Lewis, as a part of an oldies show at The Keswick Theatre on June 25; and daughter of The King himself, Lisa Marie Presley, at Musikfest Café at SteelStacks in Bethlehem on June 22. Congrats to the irreverent ICON contributor, A.D. Amorosi, who has moved his long running and widely read “Icepack” column from the Philadelphia City Paper to the more widely read Metro. ■
A Thousand Words
STORY AND PAINTING BY ROBERT BECK
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WHEN I THINK OF Jamie Rounds I remember three things, all from more than twenty years ago. One was how we would sit on his front steps, or mine, and jam with guitars. He was a very good guitar player, songwriter, performer, and a joy to mess around with. Another memory is our freestyle Frisbee-golf games through the streets of Bristol on Sunday mornings; winner calls the next hole. We bonked parked cars and retrieved discs from backyards while the locals peered through their window blinds. The third recollection is the farewell party we threw when Jamie decided to go all-in on his dream of being a professional songwriter. We held the party at my place, a row house in the Italian section of town, on a Monday night to accommodate all the musicians. Someone made a wood frame the size of a pizza box that we filled with cement and had Jamie press his hands into it. A goldpainted star with his name was added above his prints. Then we adjourned to the front porch for an evening of musical merriment. Sometime after midnight a police car came up the street. The porch party got quiet—or maybe not quite as loud. The car stopped in front of the house. It was Sam, a good cop with a touch of both Norman Rockwell and Wyatt Earp in him. He was also a friend who lived three doors away. We applauded. Sam leaned out the car window and said, “I got a report of a disturbance at this address. Have you seen anything?” We assured Sam we’d keep our eyes out for anything unusual, and shut down the party. The guitars, harmonicas and tambourines were put back in their cases and the guest of honor was on his way, appropriately feted. Jamie went to Los Angeles and then settled in Nashville. Seven or eight years later he was back for a reunion of his high school
Robert Beck maintains the Gallery of Robert Beck in Lambertville, NJ. (215) 982-0074. robertbeck.net
band, The Sonic Falcons, at John & Peters in New Hope. I did a painting of them practicing in someone’s basement. For the next fifteen years the news was spotty. I was supposed to go down to Nashville and paint him performing at the Bluebird but something got in the way. I heard him acknowledged on a Mountain Stage performance of the Jordanairs. I saw clips on YouTube of him playing with other Nashville musicians. Every now and then we would make contact by email or Facebook. Then last summer came the news that Jamie took his own life. It was so out of the blue. So many questions, so much pain. In every picture of him I‘d ever seen he had a guitar in his lap and was leaning forward with a radiant look on his face, sharing the joy of making music with everyone else in the room. He so loved music. It must have been the hours between songs that he couldn’t bear. Plans were made for some of the musicians from his high school and college to get together in a studio not far from where Jamie grew up and record an album of his music. I asked if I could paint it. Nine of us crammed into a very small practice room along with instruments, music stands, microphones, amps, and a French easel.
Four people had to move before you could open the door. If I dropped a brush I’d have to do without it. There were no complaints. All suggestions were seriously evaluated. Everyone worked to make the songs as good as they could be. The musicians talked with familiarity and humor but nobody joked around much, nobody got loud. The gathering—the sessions and the going out afterward at night— was tempered by absence and finality. I don’t duplicate, I describe. I surrender to things that draw my attention, things that resonate, things that make the moment and place personal to me. My subject was more than a too-small room full of musicians. It was that roiling ache that everyone in the room was feeling. For all of us, it wasn’t about the result as much as the doing. I noticed that one of the musicians had stuck a large postcard next to the door. It was a promo piece that showed a smiling Jamie and his guitar leaning against a Corvette. I put the card in the painting, on the back wall, center top of the image. For a moment I thought of the party on the porch, and wondered where the cement panel with Jamie’s handprints and gold-painted star had ended up. ■
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Bradley Hendershot, Tool House and Shed, 20” X 29” Watercolor.
Painting New England Patricia Hutton Galleries 47 West State Street, Doylestown, PA 215-348-1728 PatriciaHuttonGalleries.com June 14 – August 1 Opening Reception 6/14, 5–8
Joyce Danko, Pitcher with Lemons (detail)
Artsbridge 20th Annual Juried Show New Hope Arts Center 2 Stockton St., 2nd Floor, New Hope, PA (corner of Bridge St. and Stockton Ave.) 215-862-9606 www.NewHopeArts.org www.ArtsbridgeOnline.com Friday–Sunday 1-5 June 14–28 Opening Reception 6/14, 6–9 On display will be ninety-three works of art accepted from hundreds of entries: Paintings, watercolors, works on paper, mixed media, photography and sculpture created by local artists. The exhibit jurors were award-winning artist Jill Rupinski of Philadelphia, a graduate of and professor at PAFA, and award-winning landscape and nature photographer Brian Valente of Sherman Oaks, CA. At the opening reception on Saturday, June 14 from 6-9 PM, approximately $3,000 in prizes will be awarded. That evening, Bill Novak will be given the Artsbridge Artist Laurel in recognition of his valuable contribution to the arts community. Don’t miss this special event at New Hope Arts Center.
Rose Marie Strippoli, Lines of Communication (detail)
Delaware Art Museum explores performance art for the first time in its exhibition history. Performance art is a term developed in the mid-1960s to describe live presentations by artists, incorporating dance, music, theater, technology, and audience participation and to address aesthetic, personal, social, economic, and political concerns. Performance art has arguably become one of the most significant forms of artistic expression. Curated by RoseLee Goldberg, Founding Director and Curator of Performa, Performance Now showcases works by 21 artists. In conjunction with the traveling exhibition, Retro•active: Performance Art from 1964–1987 offers a historical view of the artistic movement and was curated by Margaret Winslow, Associate Curator for Contemporary Art at the Delaware Art Museum.
The romance and rugged beauty of New England has drawn artists to its spectacular shores and charming towns for generations. Many of the Bucks County Impressionist painters would visit often to paint the beautiful light found in places like Gloucester and Rockport on the north shore of Massachusetts, Provincetown and Nantucket on Cape Cod, and the cliffs and solitary beaches of Monhegan Island. Like their predecessors, many contemporary Bucks County artists also make these places their destinations. This exhibition features paintings by Bucks County artists such as Bradley Hendershot, known for his magnificently detailed watercolors of Monhegan Island, Katharine Krieg who also paints there in the summertime, Materese Roche who paints exquisite Cape Cod marshes, dunes, and sky, Michael Filipiak, well known for his pastels of Kennebunkport where his mentor advised on the joys of plein air marine painting, and Steve Zazenski who captures the charms of beautiful Rockport. The galleries’ New England artists will also be represented by artist E. Principato who was mentored by legendary Cape Cod colorist Henry Hensche, and whose work is part of the permanent collection of the Cape Cod Museum. Also from New England, the masterful watercolors of Maine artist Gregory Dunham, and coastal works by Copley Master Sam Vokey and Boston painter Melody Phaneuf. Paintings in oil, pastel, and watercolor by award winning, acclaimed artists who share a love for a very special place. Join us for all the beauty that is Painting New England.
Stop, Repair, Prepare: Variations on Ode to Joy, No.1, 2008 Allora & Calzadilla (born 1974 and 1971) Modified Bechstein piano, 40 x 65 x 84 5/8 inches Installation view at Gladstone Gallery, New York, photograph by David Regen Courtesy of Gladstone Gallery, New York and Brussels © Allora & Calzadilla
Sam Vokey, Into the Light, 16” X 20” Oil.
Anthology (Nsenga Knight), 2011 Clifford Owens (born 1971) Two C-prints, 40 x 60 inches each Courtesy of On Stellar Rays, Collection for Sharing and Learning
Performance Now July 12–September 21 Retro•Active: Performance Art from 1964-87 June14–September 21 Delaware Art Museum 2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington 302-571-9590 delart.org
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EDWARD HIGGINS
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Spiritual Strivings
SPIRITUAL STRIVINGS: A CELEBRATION of African American Works on Paper opening later this month is a major enterprise for the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. By reputation the artists and the works displayed will surely reach that goal. The project, named from a W.E.B. DuBois essay urging creativity, is comprised of two exhibitions, in two buildings, by two curators. It is nothing less than a survey of the 20th century work of black American artists into the 21st century. The first exhibit is “The Harmon and Harriet Kelley Collection of African American Art: Works on Paper” curated by Anna O. Marley, it will run through October 12. The second exhibit is “Eldzier Cortor: Theme and Variations” curated by Robert Cozzolino and it will run through August 31. The Kelley Collection, based in San Antonio, Texas, was assembled by the Kelleys in 1987 when they realized they knew far less about their artistic heritage than they should. The size, scope and quality of the collection has been praised as it was assembled in a relatively short period of time, at a time when the market was high, and they were located far from the major art centers. Nonetheless, they managed to collect such artists as William H. Johnson, Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Dox Thrash, Benny Andrews, and Jacob Lawrence. The show also includes two prints by Eldzier Cortor, the subject of the show across the alley. The exhibit has taken part of the collection and shows 70 works of drawings, lithographs, watercolors, pastels, acrylics, gouaches, linoleum, and color screenprints. There are also Philadelphia connections such as the four etchings by Henry O. Tanner, a one-time student at the Academy who spent much of his career in France; and Dox Thrash, a printmaker who spent most of his career in Philadelphia. Other area artists include Horace Pippen, Paul Keener, Samuel J. Brown, Allen Frelon, and Raymond Seth. Most of the work is from the 1930s and 40s, done under the auspice of the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression. Much of the work has a social consciousness and many artists were assigned to teach art, an effort that is reflected today in a society keenly aware of style and taste. The earliest piece in the show is by Grafton Tyler Brown, born in Harrisburg in 1841. He was born a freeman and learned lithography in Philadelphia before moving to the West Coast and he is thought to be one of the first graphic artists working there. Eldzier Cortor is the subject of the second show assembled from a donation he made to the Academy recently. Although born in Richmond, VA, in 1916, Cortor spent muich of his life in Chicago where his family had moved to avoid Southern racism. He now lives in New York and is a active artist in his late 90s. His first name is traditional with his family. Cortor managed (against his father’s wish) to attend the school of the Art Institute of Chicago and later the Institute of Design. His teachers were Lazlo Maholy-Nagy and Kathleen Blackshear who gave him a distinctive compositional style and a feeling for African art, respectively. He spent hours in the Field Museum of Natural History with African sculpture, and as a result much of his later work reflected the elongated nature of the female nude. He worked in the WPA and earned a place in the Chicago Renaissance, a movement which rivaled the better known movement in Harlem. Like William H. Johnson, Cortor also found inspiration in cartoons, and for a time drew cartoons for the Chicago Defender. Cortor, over the course of his career, won several scholarships and grants such as a Guggenheim. He lived among people of the African Dispora including time teaching in Haiti. He also lived and traveled in the Sea Islands of Georgia, Jamaica, Cuba, and during the 50s when McCarthy reigned, he moved to Mexico. His work can be described as a combination of primitive and the geometric with Surrealistic overtones. Although he did work with oil on canvas, he was primarily a printmaker and this exhibition traces his development and working methods. Late in his life his work drew more attention and while he did exhibit earlier, most recently he has had exhibitions at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Studio Museum in Harlem, and Boston’s National Center of Afro-American Artists. ■
Above:Alma Woodsey Thomas (1891-1978), Wind and Flowers, 1973. Watercolor on paper, 14 1/2 x 18 in. The Harmon and Harriet Kelley Collection of African American Art Below: Elizabeth Catlett (1915-2012), Sharecropper, 1952. Two color linoleum cut, 17-5/8 x 16-7/8 in. The Harmon and Harriet Kelley Collection of African American Art ©Catlett Mora Family Trust/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY
Edward Higgins is a member of The Association Internationale Des Critiques d’Art. 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 ■ J U N E 2 0 1 4 ■ I C O N ■ 9
Art
BURTON WASSERMAN
egends L AMERICAN
Above: Edward Hopper ( 1882 1967). New York Interior, (c. 1921). Oil on canvas, 24 5/16 x 29 3/8in. (61.8 x 74.6 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Josephine N. Hopper Bequest 70.1200. © Heirs of Josephine N. Hopper, licensed by the Whitney Museum of American Art Below: Roy Lichtenstein ( 1923 1997). Still Life with Crystal Bowl, 1972. Oil and acrylic on canvas, : 52 x 42in. (132.1 x 106.7 cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; purchase, with funds from Frances and Sydney Lewis 77.64 © Estate of Roy Lichtenstein
THE 20TH CENTURY WAS a period filled with significant breakthroughs in the world of contemporary American art. This remarkable fact of cultural life is superbly documented by the exhibition titled American Legends, currently on view on the fifth floor of the Whitney Museum of American Art at 75th Street and Madison Avenue in New York City. Examples of painting and sculpture by many of the individuals who contributed to this reputation will remain in place through October 19, 2014. As overview shows tend to go, this particular installation has to be one of the best to come down the pike in many and many a day. Without question, the list of talented artists represented, is nothing short of staggering. Two clearly defined aesthetic directions stand out. They are pictorial representation and abstraction. Together, they exemplify approaches that gave expression to both the evolution of modernism in art form and the continuity of traditional pictorial imagery from the past to the present. Among the key figures in the show who dealt daringly with the first group there are exceptional examples by Alexander Calder, Stuart Davis, and Burgoyne Diller. Calder’s path was affected by major European talents whose achievements touched him deeply when he lived and worked in France after the end of World War I. Specifically, the show offers kinetic mobiles he constructed early on, as well as paintings and still-sculpture (stabiles) he put together during the long span of years he spent as a creative pioneer in the use of geometric and biomorphic shapes in space. Perhaps the one interesting reservation some spectators have with Calder’s art is that his vocabulary of form is so playful and easy to enjoy, they find it difficult to attribute a truly serious level of profound significance to his admittedly ingenious accomplishments. Stuart Davis was deeply influenced by American jazz and the cubist paintings he saw while living in France. When he came back home to his native land, his modernist compositions and his dedication to teaching made a considerable impact on the thinking and artistic development of his young and aspiring pupils. Incidentally, it is especially rewarding to see how paintings of his, going back to the 1920s and ‘30s still hold up today, as well as when they were first composed, decades ago. The early modern movements—Constructivism in Russia and De Stijl in The Netherlands—were chiefly concerned with proclaiming a universal need for a utopian sense of equilibrium. In the United States, the first artist to adapt this philosophy as the foundation for his creative aspirations was Burgoyne Diller. His concern for dynamic balance and exquisite aesthetic serenity given shape in pure plastic terms, became a consuming passion. Typically, the selections from his hand, installed at the Whitney, demonstrate the extraordinary range of variation he could bring to a style that was limited to the sole use of horizontal-vertical shape relationships and the most abbreviated possible use of pure, primary colors. His “Third Theme,” of 1946-48 is a superb example of rhythmic complexity combined with a discretely unified, overall sense of accord. Superb selections by such eminent pictorialists of the last century as Edward Hopper, Jacob Lawrence and Alice Neel bring a fine measure of stylistic balance to the overall installation. Their gift for effectively dealing with such subject matter areas as the human figure and appearances of the everday surrounding world is absolutely superb. Beautiful artworks by Georgia O’Keeffe offering a vision frequently labeled as Magic Realism, provide a bridge joining a richly naturalistic idiom with inroads into abstraction. The exotic color and offbeat perspective she brought to interpreting flower forms and out-ofdoors western scenes is especially memorable. High praise for Barbara Haskell of the Museum staff, who organized the exhibition, is certainly well deserved. ■ Dr. Wasserman is a professor emeritus of Art at Rowan University, and a serious artist of long standing.
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Cinematters
Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Sarah Gandon.
PETE CROATTO
R
RECENTLY, I TALKED WITH a local reviewer who was genuinely concerned about movies’ responsibility in portraying history accurately. He figured that with movies a popular activity among teens—and reading presumably ranked somewhere between root canals and genital herpes—that this was an important issue. It is, except movies, with the exception of some particularly stiff documentaries, are an emotional medium. Audiences gravitated toward 12 Years a Slave and Lincoln because characters from stodgy textbooks emerged as people. Accuracy means little if we can’t empathize with the central figures involved in the past. The same principle also applies to books—even the non-fiction ones. Director Amma Asante doesn’t make history the star in her terrific, multi-layered drama, Belle, which takes place on the eve of a landmark slavery ruling. Instead, the timeframe spurs a young woman’s spiritual and intellectual awakening. I can’t vouch for the film’s historical accuracy. All I know is I was enthralled by the characters and their problems. The past becomes relevant. Today, Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Larry Crowne) would be a society page darling: beautiful, cultured, and filthy rich. In circa 1780 England, the mixed race daughter of Admiral Sir John Lindsay (Matthew Goode) is a
Belle social outcast. Raised by her father’s aunt (Emily Watson) and uncle (Tom Wilkinson), Dido’s elevated social standing only complicates matters. She doesn’t dine with her white patrician family or with the help. Dido is at the marrying age, but her complexion reduces her to a social oddity at worst or an exotic treat at best. No wonder that at one point she rubs her skin like she’s trying to rid herself of the color. Dido is imprisoned in a gilded cage, a realization she reaches after meeting aspiring lawyer John Davinier (Sam Reid). Davinier is being mentored by Dido’s great-uncle, the Lord Chief Justice. It’s an arrangement that cannot last. Davinier’s youthful idealism has no room for diplomacy. He can’t abide Dido’s treatment by the family that claims to love her, or the judge’s creaky thinking regarding the case he’s presiding over: whether a slave ship dumping diseased slaves overboard can be reimbursed by insurance. Davinier energizes Dido. He considers her more than a curiosity, a feeling that intensifies as their time together increases. As she reads more about the slave case, Dido sees her life beyond cultivated rules of fancy-pants propriety and courtship. Primarily, getting married—yes, Dido has an offer—means nothing if your partner doesn’t view you as a complete person. Belle hits home because it’s really a modern romance in
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pantaloons. Marriage is still looked upon as a requirement for adults. People rush into it without asking themselves if the person loves them wholly. To get to that point, you have to know yourself, or find someone who welcomes that exploration. What most appalls Dido’s family about her seeking answers is that she refuses to stay in the purgatory society has assigned her. Davinier offers absolution by loving her unconditionally. Asante abstains from flashy cinematography here, except whenever Davinier grabs Dido’s hand. Then, we get a quick cut to a close-up, a jolt of an interruption that is almost erotic. Asante treats us like adults. She pulls back and allows Misan Sagay’s quietly revealing dialogue to do its work. We know Dido struggles to loosen the gloved grasp around her neck, so there’s no need to shoot off fireworks. This is intelligent, personal moviemaking. We don’t need a book to tell us that. [PG] ■
An ICON contributor since 2006, Pete Croatto also writes movie reviews for The Weekender. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Broadway.com, Grantland, Philadelphia, Publishers Weekly, and many other publications. Follow him on Twitter, @PeteCroatto.
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Keresman on Film
John Turturro and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
MARK KERESMAN
God’s Pocket ASIDE FROM BEING A very good movie, God’s Pocket is notable for two particular reasons: It is the directorial debut of John Slattery (Mad Men) and perhaps the last performance by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. It is also a flawed but compelling view of life in a working class Philadelphia neighborhood known by the title. This movie is more of a slice-of-life than a plot-driven story, but there are two major parallel but occasionally intertwining plots: Hoffman (also credited as a co-producer) and John Turturro are Mickey and Arthur, two small businessmen with Mob connections and a shared love of horseracing. They “supplement” their incomes by participating in a few hijackings. Mickey’s stepson—from his marriage to Jeanie (Christina Hendricks, also Mad Men)—Leon is a foul-mouthed, obnoxious, and sadistic creep who makes the mistake of antagonizing the wrong guy at work and ends up dead. Leon’s coworkers cover up the incident. Mickey wants to placate his wife’s grief by giving Leon a nice funeral, but how to afford it? Why, by selling stolen meat and betting on a horserace, as you would. Adding savor to this melodrama is Richard Shell-
burn (the excellent character actor Richard Jenkins) as a Mike Royko-like newspaper columnist, who prowls God’s pocket (the ‘hood) in search of a good story and sex and/or love. God’s Pocket is in the continuum of movies about working class characters seemingly trapped in “situations” of their own making (at least in part, whether they’re aware of it or not)—other movies include Trees Lounge, Last Exit to Brooklyn, The Friends of Eddie Coyle, The Iceman Cometh, and Ben Affleck’s The Town. The film has a grubby, downbeat, claustrophobic feel—one gets the impression that even on sunny days, the Pocket gets less light than other parts of the city. Slattery shot the movie in sepia tones that stop just short of oppressively drab. The tone varies throughout, yet in a natural sort of way—there’s somber drama, scathing humor, and unexpected, (brief) gory violence. Some of the best actors are here: Hoffman, Tuturro, Jenkins, Eddie Marsan as a smarmy, weasel-y funeral director, Peter Gerety as every salt-of-theearth Irish-American bartender you’ve ever seen, plus an almost unrecognizable Joyce Van Patten as Aunt Sophie. Slattery keeps things moving along at a deliberate but brisk pace.
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There were a couple of aspects that were distracting, however. For one, Jenkins’ journalist was something of a babe-magnet—right. A beautiful young female admirer says, “I’d like to see you write your column some time.” Because everybody knows that nothing gets a lady’s love-jones charged like seeing a balding middle-aged gent slaving away on a typewriter. (This one’s old-school.) The part of Jeanie seemed a bit under-written—she (like many moms) was in complete denial about the true character of her son and that’s displayed in abundance but not much else. This writer came away with two conclusions: Slattery may indeed have a bright future as a director as well as actor (if you want to see him excel at comedy, watch him as right-wing loon Steve Austin on 30 Rock), and we are all the poorer for the loss of Hoffman. RIP, big guy. ■
In addition to ICON, Mark Keresman is a contributing writer for SF Weekly, East Bay Express, Pittsburgh City Paper, Paste, Jazz Review, downBeat, and the Manhattan Resident.
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Bad Movie
T
THE KING OF MONSTERS surely deserves a better movie than this. After Frankenstein, the mostly likely best-known and loved movie monster is Godzilla. A gigantic holdover from prehistoric times, this giant, building-dwarfing dragon starred in a series of lovable cheesy Japanese horror/monster films, and like almost every well-worn character, he’s apt to get spruced-up/revamped for Our Times. Godzilla is a chance for the likable lizard to get his own feature with state-of-the-art CGI and established Western-hemisphere actors (that need not be dubbed into English). The lowdown: In the Pacific in the 1950s, the era wherein nuclear bomb-testing was commonplace. An accident—or was it an accident?—at a Japanese nuclear facility claims the life of a scientist’s wife. Scientist: Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad); wife: Juliette Binoche. As movie scientists are wont to do, he becomes obsessed with the accident—something happened, and he’s going to get to the bottom of it, by gum. Flash-forward to our present: Scientist’s son (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and his loving wife (Elizabeth Olson) get
MARK KERESMAN
dragged into the father’s conspiracy hunt…and the “conspiracy” (such as it is) is unveiled…blah, blah, blah. But whereas the original Japanese movies are silly-in-retrospect low-budget fun, much of this new Godzilla is just dumb, especially considering this is supposed to be a “serious” rendering of the Godzilla mythos. Why, for example, is there NO presence by the Japanese military? How does the American military claim jurisdiction within Japan’s borders? Why do U.S. soldiers use both flashlights and night vision goggles during their monster hunt? Why does a soldier EVEN BOTHER to pull a handgun on a gigantic-titanic monster that crushes buildings and rips apart bridges with ease? [slight spoilers] Why does a nuclear bomb explode near a major American city and it’s seemingly no big deal? Why are people working business-as-usual in an office building while monsters literally shred the city two blocks away? Loving families get separated, but find each other in massive, chaotic settings in a few minutes? Why does Concerned Wife turn off her cell phone’s ringer? Why does The U.S. Admiral keep some scientists (played by Ken Watanabe and Sally Hawkins)
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close at hand for Vital Counsel while ignoring everything they say? Even worse, the titular character isn’t even onscreen all that much—he (or is it a she?) is in the movie for maybe 20 minutes. The acting by our loving couple—Taylor-Johnson, Olson—is mostly lame: He looks as if he’s posing for a GQ spread; she is bland and sobs excessively, as if sobbing was her ticket to a Golden Globe. I’ve seen open-faced pastrami sandwiches more expressive than Taylor-Johnson—his acting makes Steven Seagal look like Channing Tatum. The usually excellent Watanabe basically stands around looking concerned and constipated. Cranston was smart—his character got killed off after the first half-hour. Hawkins looks as though she’s thinking, “Jeez, I worked with Woody Allen and look at me now. Pay’s good, though.” I have no problem with a movie being dumb fun—I really hate when a movie is dumb in the guise of being serious. At least the look of our monster is fine—but that’s about all this movie has going for it. ■
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Film Roundup
PETE CROATTO
Zac Efron in Neighbors.
★=SKIP IT; ★★=MEDIOCRE; ★★★=GOOD; ★★★★=EXCELLENT; ★★★★★=CLASSIC
The Signal (Dir: William Eubank). Starring: Brenton Thwaites, Beau Knapp, Olivia Cooke, Laurence Fishburne, Lin Shaye. Here is the apotheosis of a “should have” movie, where the only way to talk about it is to play Monday morning quarterback—or story editor. Three college friends embark on a road trip out West to bring one of them (Cooke) to school. But computer-savvy Nic (Thwaites) and Jonah (Knapp) are obsessed with finding a crafty hacker named Nomad who nearly shattered their college careers. After tracking Nomad to a shack in the desert, things get weird. The trio awakens in a sterile, blindingly white underground bunker, where their stoic liaison (Fishburne) withholds the details of that night and their lengthy stay. The Signal has a perfect parable of an ending, but the proceedings leading up to it are limp and draggy. (Condensed, this would make a perfect Twilight Zone episode.) The conclusion is a highlight rather than the bow that should tie up a twisty and thoughtprovoking work. [PG-13] ★★1/2 We are the Best! (Dir: Lukas Moodysson). Starring: Mira Barkhammar, Mira Grosin, Liv LeMoyne. The joy of Moodysson’s wonderful coming-of-age drama-comedy is that it captures the experiences of a time when your friends could expand your ideals, and a celebration consisted of a junk-food pig out. In 1982 Stockholm, teenage best friends Bobo (Barkhammar) and Klara (Grosin) find salvation in punk
music. So it’s only natural that the girls start a band, even if the instruments to start are a tennis racket and pots and pans. The band rounds into form when the girls recruit a devoutly Christian (i.e., rigid) classmate who is an accomplished classical guitarist (LeMoyne). The three outcasts battle jealousy, crushes, and clueless adults to carve out their own space in a world they don’t understand. Moodysson’s organic approach—there are no eloquent speeches or 25year-old teenagers—ensures that the characters act like girls and possess the problems of girls. Forget the era, the feelings here are timeless. (With subtitles.) [R] ★★★★ Ida (Dir: Pawel Pawlikowski). Starring: Agata Trzebuchowska, Agata Kulesza, Dawid Ogrodnik. Anna (Trzebuchowska, in her screen debut), a young aspiring Polish nun whose life has been confined to a convent, is reunited with her unmarried aunt (Kulesza), a blunt, hard-drinking judge. The young woman’s desire to learn about her past throws Anna and her aunt’s world into different kinds of tumult. Set sometime in the early 1960s, director-writer Pawlikowski’s stark, haunting work is shot in black and white, but Ida’s definitive aesthetic is its framing. Thanks to the array of wideangle shots, the space looks like it’s either going to crush Anna’s future or embolden her to explore it. By not coddling the audience, Pawlikowski (My Summer of Love) makes it clear: Anna has to figure things out on her own, and that
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makes our connection to the character even stronger. Ida’s sad and poetic portrayal of life’s uncertainty will linger in your thoughts weeks after you’ve seen it; I speak from experience, folks. (With subtitles.) [PG-13] ★★★★ And, finally, a dispatch from the summer movie season: Neighbors (Dir: Nicholas Stoller). Starring: Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Rose Byrne, Dave Franco, Lisa Kudrow, Ike Barinholtz, Carla Gallo. When it comes to multiplex fare, comedies regularly offer substantive fare for a grown-ups’ night out. Here’s another example. Mac and Kelly Radner (Rogen, Byrne) are settling into a life of domesticity: baby, big house in the suburbs, interrupted sex life. The landscape changes when a fraternity moves in next door. The couple starts off worried, but after the frat’s president (Efron) invites them to party, a peace is established—for a day. After the Radners call the police with a noise complaint, the gloves come off. What makes Neighbors smarter and sweeter than the average revenge comedy is why both parties keep sparring. The Radners are desperate for excitement while Teddy, the fraternity president and a senior, has nothing else. Both parties are trying to fight the onslaught of time. We don’t root for these people as much as feel for them. Oh, and the movie is funny. Byrne (Bridesmaids, I Give it a Year) is terrific as the new housewife who revels in being devious—when she’s not miserable. [R] ★★★1/2 ■
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Reel News
REVIEWS OF RECENTLY RELEASED DVDS BY GEORGE OXFORD MILLER
Tilda Swinton.
★ =SKIP IT; ★★ =MEDIOCRE; ★★★ =GOOD; ★★★★ =EXCELLENT; ★★★★★ =CLASSIC
The Trouble With The Truth (2012) ★★★★ Cast: Lea Thomson, John Shea Genre: Drama Rated R for vulgar language, adult themes. Forget the formulas about romantic reunions or cosmic conversations. This is not Eat Pray Love, it’s eat, drink too much, say what burdens your heart. It’s finally got to the point where you can speak openly and honestly, without acrimony, to your ex about what went wrong. Robert (Shea), a pianist, and Emily (Thompson), a novelist, were married for 14 years and now divorced for ten. When their daughter gets engaged, they agree to meet for dinner in an intimate restaurant. The memories, expectations, confessions, and even lingering romantic sparks, flow as freely as the wine. The dialogue ranges widely, but always orbits around who the two have become and how they got there. Credit the two actors for keeping us interested in their lives and keeping the energy flowing as they deconstruct and reconstruct themselves and each other. Would that we all could be so honest with ourselves, much less with our significant others. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) ★★★★ Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Jude Law, F. Murray Abraham Genre: Comedy Rated R for brief violence, gore, sexual content, adult themes. Don’t expect a serious movie here, or even a plot. It’s daffy, goofy, but never insipid. Every scene resembles a fever
dream that just keeps astounding us with how clever the human imagination can be. Saturated colors, unpredictable dialogue, grandiose settings, and madcap characters stimulate every sense. Gustave H. (Fiennes) is the concierge in a hotel tucked high in the mountains of Zubrowka. Europe’s aristocrats, especially older women, flock to the retreat to be pampered, and seduced by the flippant but famous Gustave. When the entitled Madam M, a favorite of Gustave, dies, she leaves him a prized painting worth a fortune. The heirs hire a deranged assassin (Willem Dafoe), the ZZs (think Nazis) invade, theft, murder, imprisonment, and jailbreak follow, and a missing will adds complications to the shaggy-dog plot. The Attorney (2014) ★★★ Cast: Song Kang-ho, Kim Young-Ae Genre: Courtroom drama Unrated Korean with English subtitles. Based on a 1980s case involving students falsely charged with treason by the South Korean dictatorship, this melodrama starts out with Mr. Song (Kang-ho), a shyster attorney who got rich by handling tax and real estate, despite having no law degree or license. A friend begs him to help her son who was arrested and charged for being a member of a procommunist espionage group—a social studies book club, no less. Mr. Song discovers the students were jailed, interrogated, tortured, and the case against them fabricated by the se-
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cret police. He takes the case to court and dramatically turns the trial from a showcase of state power into a condemnation of state brutality. The action occasionally lags and some particulars lose a little relevance due to cultural differences, but the acting and the universal theme easily carry the movie. The Missing Picture (2013) ★★★★ Genre: Documentary Unrated
Millions of people died in Cambodia under the Pol Pot dictatorship in mid-1970s. Director Rithy Panh was 13 then and saw his parents, relatives, friends herded to the death camps. Their future was stolen, but Panh is determined that their history and suffering will not be forgotten. With a bizarre collection of artifacts from the present and past, his poignant memoir tells the story of Pol Pot’s reign of terror. Panh uses clay figures to create dioramas that illustrate nightmarish events, and brings them to life with historical and contemporary footage, voiceover narration that’s more poetry than rant, and dreamlike imagery. He creates not only the missing picture, but the powerful emotions that hide beneath the collage of the present. ■ George Miller is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers and believes that travel is a product of the heart, not the itinerary. See his webmagazine at www.travelsdujour.com.
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Exclusive Interview
R. KURT OSENLUND
A Master, a Muse, and the Mythic American Dream With their new film The Immigrant now in limited release, director James Gray and star Marion Cotillard share their unique, yet linked, experiences of living in America.
THE IMMIGRANT, A QUIET, yet commanding, drama about the complex facets of the American Dream, struck different chords for its director, cinephile favorite James Gray, and its lead actress, French superstar Marion Cotillard. Set in 1920s New York, the film assesses the hardships endured by Ewa (Cotillard), a Polish woman who arrives at Ellis Island after escaping her war-ravaged homeland, and who’s greeted by having her ill sister, Magda (Angela Sarafyan), stripped from her and quarantined indefinitely. Pursuing stateside rela-
Dardenne brothers), The Immigrant is, in quite a substantial way, a project that evokes her own cultural shift. She may now be part of Hollywood’s elite, but it wasn’t that long ago that Cotillard was, like Ewa, a perfect stranger in a strange land, her goals of making it in U.S. cinema tied to the baggage of language barriers and feelings of alienation. Cotillard’s first big film on American shores was Tim Burton’s Big Fish (2003). Recounting her experience on the production, the actress remembers feeling like a teenager, even though
you could feel in your own language, in the way you express yourself, because you don’t know all the words. I really felt like I could express myself on any subject in French, but there, I was lost. I couldn’t express myself as a grown-up. And it’s a weird feeling because you know that the way people see you is not exactly the way you are.” Both Cotillard and Gray are speaking to me at New York’s Trump SoHo hotel, and the views out the windows vary. One is of the short stretch that leads up to Midtown, and another
James Gray: “…the problem with the presentation of the American Dream is it’s always either one of two things. One is that there’s no possibility that the American Dream is true—it’s bullshit, garbage. The other is that the American dream is fantastic, and you’re gonna get out there and make a zillion dollars the second you get here. Which is truly bullshit… .”
tives who prove impossible to reach, Ewa has no choice but to accept the helping hand of Bruno (Joaquin Phoenix), a Jazz Age pimp and burlesque impresario, who saves Ewa, but soon humiliates her too. For Gray, though The Immigrant is his first period piece, it’s also one more New York story among many. The filmmaker, a born-and-bred New Yorker to his bones, has never made a movie set or produced outside of the confines of the city. That said, he hasn’t limited himself either. His breakout feature, Little Odessa, which he released at age 25, was a Brooklyn flick about the Russian mafia, while his last film, Two Lovers, depicted a beautifully intimate love triangle, again with Phoenix in a starring role. In between, Gray has made more populist crime fare, like The Yards and We Own the Night, but with The Immigrant, he seems determined to explore a more seminal, but no more forgiving, era of the place he calls home. “It’s tough, New York life,” Gray says. “It always has been. The toughest aspect of New York, I think, is that functioning is very difficult. New York is a crazy experiment, where they basically took an island, which is about 26 miles long and I think three miles wide, and packed a zillion people into it, and built concrete jungles to the sky. And functioning in New York is its own form of heroism. Unless you’re so rich that you have chauffeurs and chefs and all that, but that’s not the way practically anybody lives.” For Cotillard, who boasts one of the best post-Oscar track records of any working actor (she won Best Actress for 2007’s luminous La Vie en Rose, and has since teamed with Christopher Nolan, Woody Allen, Michael Mann, and the
R. Kurt Osenlund is the managing editor of OUT magazine.
Director James Gray.
she was nearing her mid-20s. “Sometimes I didn’t understand what people were saying,” Cotillard says. “When you’re in another country, with another culture, with a language that you don’t speak that well, part of your personality changes, in a way. It’s like you go back to kind of a childhood state. You don’t feel as strong as
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is of the Hudson, and New Jersey just beyond—a framed snapshot of how New York, as Gray observed, is a small, “experimental” island that’s so close, yet so far away, from the world that surrounds it. One of Gray’s greatest triumphs with The Immigrant is that he wades through the concept of the American Dream with curiosity, as opposed to cynicism, which would have surely been the easier route (even F. Scott Fitzgerald, for all his mastery, presents a harsher view of the nation than Gray and his co-writer Ric Menello do). Ewa is never entirely without agency, and her refusal to relinquish it is what helps Cotillard deliver another fervent performance, but she is urged into prostitution, exposed to violence, and demeaned by a man who, evidently, like so many others inhabiting the country, was once an immigrant himself. And yet, Gray never closes the door on possibility. He doesn’t glamorize the American Dream, but he doesn’t snuff it out either. He introduces the character of Emil (Jeremy Renner), better known as Orlando the Magician, who performs at various city venues, including Ellis Island, and has a rocky relationship with Bruno, his cousin. Through Emil— who, as one of my colleagues shrewdly observed, performs impossible tricks with no explanation or questions as to how they work—The Immigrant gives Ewa a symbolic source of wonder to grasp, something that still represents her hampered dreams, and something that can keep her hopeful as she strives to get Magda out of quarantine. “The American Dream is both the truth and a lie,” Gray says. “For [people like Ewa] it was something that was there, and that was present, but they missed the old country a lot. It
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Marion Cotillard and co-star Jeremy Renner at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.
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Exclusive Interview
A. D. AMOROSI
Colin Quinn’s Small World WHEN WE LAST LEFT Colin Quinn, the Park Slope-born stand-up comic and television icon had made a third career for himself as the Doris Kearns Goodwin of Broadway-bound one-man comedy with Long Story Short. That satire-rich program, ripely hilarious as it was with its modern pop cultural
People aren’t used to somebody droning on about the Constitution when they’re trying to get drunk and hear some dick jokes. But forcing people to listen to my boring opinions is why I came to comedy in the first place. references, did yeoman’s work with the entirety of old world history, focusing particularly on how each empire got too big for its britches, lost its footing, and fell from grace and power. Not only was it filled with Quinn’s craggy Brooklynese coursing its way dryly through tales of Napoleon and various Caesars downfalls, Long Story Short, notably directed by his pal Jerry Seinfeld, was filled with projected maps, slides and screens for maximum educational effect. Now, that’s a show, a literal teachable moment rife with the stand-up’s patented asides and caustic witticisms. With that, Quinn, 54, is sallying forth with yet another one-man event, Unconstitutional, this time focusing on the very thing that made the United States great (or at least gave it some direction once drafted), the Constitution. Unconstitutional opens June 13, weeks earlier than expected at the Philadelphia Theater Company’s Suzanne Roberts Theater due to the fact that actor Colman Domingo had to leave the late May-scheduled PTC production A Boy and His Soul after accepting a role in a major motion picture about Martin Luther King filming in Atlanta. Let’s start with the Philly factor and the fact that you are starting your gig early and extending your run because of
If A.D. Amorosi can’t be found writing features for ICON, the Philadelphia Inquirer or doing Icepacks, Icecubes and other stories for Philadelphia’s City Paper, he’s probably hitting restaurants like Stephen Starr’s or running his greyhound
a snafu with a previously running show NOT running because an actor got a part in a film. Your take?
My take is that providence stepped in. My show is meant to be in Philly now, because that’s where it all happened in the first place. Since Unconstitutional delves into the U.S.’ single most important political document—unless you have a better one in mind—I would guess that Philadelphia was a focus of your research, especially considering that what you call “your four-month drunken pub crawl” was here to begin with. Did you delve hard into the differences we made as opposed to Boston or New York City?
I did research on the Constitution and, with that, some descriptions of Philly back then. But, if you think that I deeply read historical documents about Philadelphia life at that time, as opposed to Boston or Manhattan, you must think you’re talking to David McCullough. You’ve been in Philly as a stand-up and as this new-found arbiter of theatricality, what do you think of us?
Philadelphia is the only town you’ll see hipsters put up their hands and fight. It’s a violent place but it’s a beautiful place. “Honest” is the best way to describe it. Brotherly love is the most misleading motto I can think of, however. I was lucky enough to see Long Story Short in NYC before it blew up and hit Broadway. Did you know or was there some sort of concentrated focus at that juncture in your career where you wanted to create a different job description for yourself, in opposition to, say, stand-up comedy?
No, I didn’t consciously set out to do it this way; I still consider it a form of stand-up. I’ve done these types of shows since 1992 when I did An Irish Wake. Lately though, it’s all I feel like doing. Would you say that the notion of bracketing events and ideas thematically is new to what you do?
Don’t ever question Jerry’s presence. Anywhere. OK. What do you want then—require—out of a director anyway, say now, with the one-man Unconstitutional?
I know that a director of a one-man-show takes a lot of abuse, but he honestly does the same structuring as any play director, only instead of bossing around a few people they boss around one. Doing thematic, forward-moving material with a solid finale—an end point—has that made it impossible to do stand-up shows? Have you done stand-ups since staging Long Story Short then Unconstitutional? Have they felt weird?
I do stand up thematically when I’m working these shows out and, yes, it is a little weird. People aren’t used to somebody droning on about the Constitution when they’re trying to get drunk and hear some dick jokes. But forcing people to listen to my boring opinions is why I came to comedy in the first place. What is your take on the critical elite of Broadway and theater—honestly, your milieu at this point for the most part, yes?—versus the cats who wrote about you when you were on SNL, Comedy Central and MTV?
I love it because at least they review me. In other milieus they ignored me. How would you describe the change in the crowds? Theater sorts aren’t your usual two-drink-minimum types.
Crowds are much more enjoyable to deal with when they’re not having checks thrown in their face in the middle of my set. I just thought about this having mentioned Comedy Central—a quick aside about your political show Tough Crowd. What’s your take on that show—it seems that it was a political precursor to what you’re doing now, yes? And what do you think of the network’s political leanings
I like to bracket things, even in my regular stand-up act I always bracketed people by behavior and such. What the hell did Jerry Seinfeld have to do with any of what Long Story Short became, honestly?
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Colin Quinn in performance of Unconstitutional.
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Exclusive Interview
NICK BEWSEY
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IN ADVANCE OF FOURPLAY’S annual appearance in Philadelphia on June 25 at the Keswick Theater in Glenside, PA, I asked two of these world-class musicians, bassist Nathan East and drummer Harvey Mason, to reflect on their careers and their own recently releases solo projects. Nathan East (Yamaha Entertainment Group) is the bassist’s long-awaited debut that delivers on the promise of his many years in the business and work with Fourplay, Phil Collins, Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson as well as his collaboration with Daft Punk. Yep, that’s East playing on the band’s 2013 Grammy-winning Get Lucky. In addition to offering plenty of his sinuous bass playing, the album is an eclectic gem that showcases East as a composer and singer, plus a little help from his friends—Michael McDonald, Sara Bareilles, Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton and Bob James. Drummer Harvey Mason has been a go-to studio musician since the ‘70s, playing on nearly all of Bob James’ early records on the CTI label and collaborations with Earl Klugh. His beats and brushwork can be heard on hundreds of pop hits and jazz recordings, including his own esteemed, but sporadic solo work. With humility, grace and plenty of groove, Mason’s album, Chameleon (Concord Records), is a solid, career-defining effort that combines the drummer’s potent chops and experience leading a band comprised Harvey Mason: “I’m always learning and searchof the hottest young jazz ing. When I get with the guys, each of us is asking, musicians on the scene. For more than 20 ‘Show me this. Show me that. Play it like that.’ years, the world-renowned I’m always brainstorming. With Bob James, man, jazz group, Fourplay, has you’d better be prepared and know your stuff.” set the benchmark for contemporary jazz. From their eponymously titled debut in 1991 to their 2012 Heads Up release, Esprit du Four, pianist Bob James, bassist Nathan East, drummer Harvey Mason and guitarist Chuck Loeb have continued to innovate and charm listeners with their precise, dynamic instrumental jazz/pop sound. On record and on stage, their tasty grooves and virtuosity remain impressive.
Nathan, congratulations on the new album. I love that you kick it off with a re-imagined version of your original tune, “101 Eastbound.”
EAST: Thanks. 101 Eastbound has taken on a new direction in the 20-plus years that we’ve been playing it on the road with Fourplay. I wanted to celebrate Fourplay with this version and acknowledge that it was recorded in the exact studio [Ocean Way Recording Studio] where we gave birth to our first Fourplay album 23 years ago. What were some of the records you grew up with that influenced you?
EAST: My taste in music is pretty eclectic. I grew up listening to everything from West Montgomery to Earth Wind and Fire, The Beatles to Herbie Hancock. Tower Power’s Back to Oakland was one of those albums that got heavy rotation on my record player and Rocco Prestia really influenced me with his brilliant bass work. Weather Report’s Heavy Weather was another one that turned my head around, especially with the genius bass work by Jaco Pastorius. I really loved the sounds of Philadelphia and groups like The Spinners and Stylistics and all those Gamble & Huff productions and classic Thom Bell arrangements. The musical breeding ground was so fertile back in the ‘70s; it’s really amazing how much great music we had access to. 26 ■ I C O N ■ J U N E 2 0 1 4 ■ W W W . I C O N D V . C O M ■ W W W . F A C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V
Nathan East
I’ve enjoyed your music for over 20 years and attended Fourplay performances at the Keswick Theater several times. You have a connection to Philly, don’t you?
EAST: Well, Philadelphia being my birthplace for starters makes for a pretty special connection. I receive so much love and support from my Philly family when we play there it’s amazing—half the Keswick Theater is filled with my cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, extended family. I love it. Harvey, your projects are very diverse, like Ratamacue, which is keyed in to a gentle storm side of jazz and With All My Heart, your straight-ahead trio CD. Chameleon feels like a perfect Harvey Mason gig—it has musical elements that remind me of Fourplay, yet the originals and new arrangement of classic material is edgier. How did your thinking evolve in terms of music selection and what you wanted to play?
Harvey Mason
Nathan, you sound at home whether you’re mixing it up with Fourplay, Eric Clapton or Daft Punk. Listening to your CD, I think all of these artists’ styles inform your record. You called in some favors with the guest musicians and vocalists. How many tunes did you record ultimately and was it tough to pare down those tracks?
EAST: I recorded 26 songs for my new CD, all songs that I love and have an associated story. The most challenging thing about the selection process was figuring out which songs were not going to make the album. It’s almost like [deciding] which children [you’re] going to leave behind. We went with the ones that we felt were a good musical balance of tempos and styles. Many of the remaining songs will be included on my second album, which I’m working on now. I don’t think you ever cut a less than great album. Plus, you get some amazing mainstream pop artists to collaborate with Fourplay.
Who are some of the younger cats on your radar? Jamire Williams?
MASON: I know Jamire. He’s good. I like Brian Blade, Kendrick Scott, Chris Dave. Man, I hate to leave anyone out. Wait—I also want to mention [Seattle drummer] Royce Shorter, Jr. as someone to watch. Harvey, leading your new album with “Black Frost” will surprise a lot of your longtime fans. That tune is a classic written by Bob James and Grover Washington, Jr., but it’s definitely styled for today. Which brings me to tenor saxophonist Kamasi Washington—he shreds that tune to pieces. Did you know him and his sound ahead of the studio date?
MASON: I didn’t know him. He was highly recommended by friends. We weren’t sure at first, but that tune turned out great. He also plays on the title track. What do you guys do outside of music?
MASON: Herbie Hancock formed Headhunters and recorded Chameleon back in 1973 with me, Bennie Maupin, Paul Jackson and Bill Summers, but I never traveled with Herbie to perform the music live. Back in 2010, I went to Japan with my band that I called Chameleon. I took along Patrice Rushen and Jimmy Haslip and we played that Headhunters music and the audience went crazy. So I had an idea to record it and took it to Chris Dunn [A&R producer at Concord] who loved it. Then we got the idea of bringing in a new generation of players [bassist Ben Williams, keyboardist Kris Bowers, trumpeter Christian aTunde Adjuah, guitarist Matthew Stevens] and gave them the music and asked them to do the arrangments—original songs and older music. Took a year and a half to record. Chameleon 2014 is strong and the new arrangement of the title track is killer. You sound positively juiced by the energy of the other players. Their style seems to dovetail well with your own natural groove. What can you say about their creativity?
MASON: Adding the company of the young guys was magical. They’re grabbing the torch and carrying it forward. They’re technically sound, conceptually sound, totally fresh —[with these guys] jazz is in great hands. They’re so respectful of what came before them and they study and learn that music and move it forward by doing their own thing.
EAST: We’ve enjoyed our collaboration from day one. Even prior to the first Fourplay CD the quartet got together and recorded Bob James’ Grand Piano Canyon album which was really the birth of Fourplay. We’re all producers and songwriters and have been in the business for a long time. I have to admit our standards are very high and we do strive to make good music. Which Fourplay albums have a particular meaning for you or that you have a special fondness for?
EAST: I absolutely love spending time with my family, especially since I’m away a lot. I like photography and cameras and capturing images from around the world. I own an airplane and love the freedom that flying gives me. And I enjoy performing magic—I’m a member of the Magic Circle in London and the Academy of Magical Arts in the U.S. MASON: Golf. I’m a big golf guy. Harvey, what’s your go-to chill out record?
EAST: They all have special moments and meaning for me, but I think our first three [Fourplay, Between the Sheets and Elixir) really defined the Fourplay sound. With our most recent albums [Let’s Touch The Sky and Esprit de Four] Chuck Loeb’s contribution compositionally and musically has redefined our sound and brought some fun new energy. MASON: That’s too hard! They’re all good. Harvey, after hundreds of sessions and live gigs, are you still learning?
MASON: Always. I’m always learning and searching. When I get with the guys, each of us is asking, ‘Show me this. Show me that. Play it like that.’ I’m always brainstorming. With Bob James, man, you’d better be prepared and know your stuff.
MASON: Always Miles. And classical music. Nathan, what’s coming up for you and Fourplay?
EAST: Fourplay will tour the U.S. and Japan this year and begin work on our next album. I’ll be working on my next solo album as well as putting a band together to do some touring. I look forward to seeing all my peeps at Keswick! ■
Nick Bewsey has been writing about jazz for ICON since 2004. A member of The Jazz Journalists Assoc., he blogs about jazz and entertainment at www.jazzinspace.blogspot.com. Twitter: @countingbeats
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The Jazz Scene
BRUCE KLAUBER
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Tenor saxophonist Robert “Bootsie” Barnes has been a vital, energetic and constant presence on this area’s jazz scene for almost as long as there has been a jazz scene. On June 14, Bootsie’s impressive career in jazz will be celebrated in a gala presented by Kim Tucker called Bootsie Barnes: 50 Years of Music Celebration. Something like this is long overdue, and Ms. Tucker, jazz promoter and long-time Jazz Bridge volunteer, deserves credit for putting this together. The celebration will take place at LaRose Jazz Club on 5531 Germantown Avenue, from 7 to 10 p.m. and will be highlighted by a performance by maestro himself with an all-star band comprised of saxophonist Pete Chavez, drummer Chris Beck, valve trombonist John Swana, and organist Lucas Brown. Given Bootsie’s association with world-class jazz organists for so many years, it’s appropriate that the evening will feature the music made famous by organists like Jimmy Smith and Don Patterson. There are always plenty of surprises when the main man is on the scene, so, though it’s not likely, don’t count out a surprise appearance by one of Bootsie’s first drummers, who also isn’t a bad comedian, named Bill Cosby. Tickets are $20, $10 for students. For information, contact Kim Tucker directly at 215-280-2254 or email ktucker57@yahoo.com. In its 75 years of existence, the Blue Note record label has been home to an incredible number of players who were born in this region or ultimately called it home. Here are some of them: pianist Kenny Barron, trumpeter Randy Brecker, saxophonist Michael Brecker, drummers Joe Chambers and “Philly” Joe Jones, saxophonists Benny Golson, Archie Shepp and John Coltrane; pianists Bobby Timmons, Herman Foster and McCoy Tyner; organists Trudy Pitts, Jimmy Smith and Jimmy McGriff; bassist Percy Heath and guitarist Pat Martino. A 75th anniversary of anything is cause to celebrate, but the 75th anniversary of a jazz record label is rare. The company will appropriately be partying it up in a big way via the following: The launch of iTunes.com/Blue Note, a dedicated iTunes destination that will eventually be home to over 100 Blue Note albums, an iTunes radio station called Blue Note Radio that will feature a new offering— among many others—by Philadelphia organist Joey DeFranceso in tandem with alto man David Sanborn, a free monthly podcast courtesy of performer/producer Don Was, and other good stuff. Visit bluenote.com. Make Music Philly is an ambitious event set for June 21 that will feature more than 300 musicians—performing in any number of genres and in all kinds of venues—in all-day concerts that are free and open to the public. This is the second year for this non-profit event, sponsored by WXPN radio and a number of others and like last year, Philadelphia will join 500 other Make Music cities around the world that will celebrate the first day of summer on what is the longest day of the year. Jazz plays a big part in this special day, as it should. Like last year’s confab, one strategic venue focused on presenting jazz will be Jacobs Music. Program coordinator Andy Kahn has assembled an impressive group of the city’s finest pianists—and other instrumental guest soloists—who will perform throughout the day in Jacobs Music’s Steinway Recital Hall. The lineup: pianist Dave Postmontier at 11 a.m.; pianist Tim Brey at noon; a trio led by Jacobs chairman and
world-class accordionist Al Rinaldi, with bassist Andy Lalasis and pianist Domenic Chicchetti at 1 p.m.; The All-Star Jazz Trio with pianist Andy Kahn, drummer Bruce Klauber, bassist Bruce Kaminsky and special guest, guitar master Jimmy Bruno at 2 p.m.; pianist Lucas Brown at 3 p.m.; and veteran jazz pianist Bob Cohen at 4 p.m. Make Music Philly is an important event that’s great for the city, great for music of all kinds, and certainly wonderful for jazz. For information: makemusicphilly.org
tions will include Chris’ Jazz Café, the Painted Bride, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Even Union Transfer, normally a rock palace, is getting into the act. The Transfer will host a gigantic closing day gala featuring many of the performers,
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It’s always great news when a new jazz venue opens, and the folks behind Chestnut Hill’s Paris Bistro & Jazz Café— Robert and Benjamin Bynum, who operated Philly’s famed Zanzibar Blue until its 2007 closing—sure as heck know what they’re doing. Like Zanzibar, the menu is a good one—sort of “Paris meets New Orleans”—and the jazz, which runs from Thursday through Sunday, is first-rate. There are three shows nightly, beginning at 7:00 during the week, and three shows Fred Hersch.
crafters, food vendors, and importantly, local jazz players. In a prepared statement, Mayor Michael Nutter said, "Philadelphia has enjoyed a legacy of being a great music city. We’re also a city that affirms the lives of LGBT people. Hosting the first LGBT jazz festival in North America provides an opportunity to showcase the rich and vibrant culture of our city. We’ll be celebrating all of this for four days in September with ‘OutBeat.’ I hope to see you there!” This is big, important and cutting edge stuff. And you will see us there. Visit outbeatjazzfest.com.
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w Paris Bistro & Jazz Café. Photo: James Morrisey.
on Sunday, beginning at 6:00 p.m. Recent visitors have included the swinging City Rhythm Orchestra, jazz vocal diva Paula Johns, and those cooking gypsies known as The Hot Club of Philly. June attractions include saxophonist/flutist Lynn Riley on June 5 to June 8, and singer Michelle Lordi from June 12 to 15. Info: parisbistro.net. The relationship between the city of Philadelphia and the arts, specifically music, continues to surprise and startle. Just when it looks like it’s the same old, same old, something—or someone—comes along to break the mold, break new ground and expand boundaries. In a City Hall press conference a few weeks ago, it was announced that Philadelphia will host what is being called “OutBeat: America’s First Queer Jazz Festival.” Got to hand it to those involved, as the title of the event leaves no question in anyone’s mind just what this is. The festival will take place September 18 to September 23, making this not only the first multi-day/national act jazz festival to play Philadelphia in years, it is the first such confab to focus on gay jazz musicians. Those behind this special festival are The Pew Center for Arts and Heritage, William Way LGBT Community Center, the City of Philadelphia, and sponsors that include Jazz Times magazine. Performers booked thus far, and there will many more announced, include pianist Fred Hersch, a quartet led by singer/pianist Patricia Barber, guitarist Bill Stewart and singer/pianist Andy Bey. The loca-
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Jazz Bridge, the area non-profit devoted to assisting area jazz and blues musicians in need, is fond of giving something back to the community whenever possible. Jazz Bridge and The Friends of Hawthorne Park have done just that for the past several summers with a series of free outdoor jazz concerts, and plans to do it again this year. All shows take place at Hawthorne Park, 12th and Catherine Streets in South Philadelphia. Shows are free and open to the public and begin at 7:00 p.m. Lawn chairs suggested. On July 17, a famous Eubanks family member—this one, trumpeter Duane—makes the scene with his quartet on July 17. And ending the series on August 27, is jazz violinist/composer/educator/bandleader Diane Monroe. Visit jazzbridge.org. Although the Kennett Square-based Longwood Gardens Wine & Jazz Festival of June 7 has sold out as we go to press, it’s important to cite events such as this just to demonstrate to the naysayers—if they still exist—that jazz events can and will sell out if booked and promoted properly. The performers—The Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia, vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater, vibist Tony Miceli, saxophonist Tom Moon, and the Quintet of trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis—represent the perfect blend of national and regional attractions, which make things a bit easier on the pocketbooks of the promoters and the audience. Stylistically, there’s something for everybody. And the Longwood Gardens setting, of course, is breathtaking. This is a great example of how all the elements can be put into place carefully, thoughtfully and intelligently. ■
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The List
Philly Beer Week In actuality, Philly Beer Week 2014 started days before, but my guess is that the city which raised craft beer to an art form will still be pretty focused on this until the last
greatest hits (surely “Chicken Lady” will be performed) and a gay old time in general. 6/8, 8 p.m., Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St., www.kimmelcenter.org Die Antwoord South Africa’s favorite multi-tattooed electro-rap duo take all that the likes of LMFAO and Diplo have to offer and squelch it into a violent, slang-heavy mélange.
Photo by G. Widman for GPTMC)
drop runs dry and the brats cease to wurst. 6/1 – 6/8, www.phillybeerweek.org for locations. Ana Castillo The goddess of Chicana letters, known for her poetry and essays that embrace the spirits of oppression, tradition, and modern feminism, heads into sensualist territory with her newest novel, Give It To Me. 6/2, 7:30 p.m., Free Library, 1901 Vine St., www.freelibrary.org King Khan and the Shrines The Supreme Genius and Idle No More are just the two most recent reasons to love King Khan’s prickly ensemble. Make no mistake, though—Berlin, Germany’s favorite sons of lo-fi garage rock and psychedelic soul have been loud and proud for 15 years. 6/5, 8 p.m., Theater of the Living Arts, 334 South St., www.ticketmaster.com The Fourth Annual Burger Brawl Usually held in an Italian Market parking lot, the annual Brawl pitting Philly’s toniest chefs (and not so tony, which is half the fun at twice the taste) against each other for meaty supremacy moves further south to Broad and Pattison’s sports complex and its recently erected Xfinity Live! 6/8, 3 p.m., 1100 Pattison Ave, www.phillyburgerbrawl.com The Kids in the Hall Canada’s calm, collected sketch comic answer to Monty Python’s Flying Circus reunite the old gang—Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney and recent Colbert Show Russian Olympics contributor Scott Thompson—for their
Die Antwoord. Photo: Interview magazine.
6/8, 8 p.m., Electric Factory, 421 N. 7th St., www.electricfactory.info Rain: The Beatles Experience Not to disagree with The Clash’s Joe Strummer and the sentiment of London’s Calling, but it seems phony Beatlemania has not bitten the dust. Then again, Lansdale’s Steve Landes (he plays John Lennon) and the rest of the Faux Fab Four are dedicated to the cause, constantly update their insistently touring production with new songs, and it is the 50th Anniversary year of the Beatles’ arrival in the US, so koo-koo-ka-choo. 6/11-6/15, 7:30 p.m., Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St. www.kimmelcenter.org. 6/22, Sands Bethlehem Event Center. La Roux Brit-synth-pop singer Elly Jackson has chosen such a simple moniker that you forget
Elly Jackson.
how complex her work with producer/instrumentalist Ben Langmaid is, and how densely it comes across on stage. Along with
A curated look at the month’s arts, entertainment, food and pop cultural events
songs from her glittering, eponymously-titled debut of 2009, look for La Roux to tackle full-blooded songs from their upcoming Trouble In Paradise. 6/7, 8 p.m., The Trocadero, 1004 Arch St.., www.thetroc.com Vetri Foundation’s Great Chefs Event Here’s a food event worth singling: nearly 50 chefs from around the country and Italy, a mountain of sponsors, and over 1,200 eaters working with Philly’s Marc Vetri to benefit Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation and the Vetri Foundation for Children usually to the tune of one million dollars or more. Plus Questlove from The Roots DJs after party. That’s a win-win for everyone. 6/10, 6 p.m. Urban Outfitters HQ at the Navy Yard, 5000 S. Broad Street, www.vetrifoundation.org
Slips Away” (Billy Walker), and “Crazy” (Patsy Cline), hasn’t had an album of predominately new original material since 1996. Band of Brothers is that album, a new one with as many slow and studied ballads of deep introspection (“Send Me a Picture”), as there are hollering C&W rockers (“Wives and Girlfriends”). Yee. And. Hah. 6/13, 7 p.m., Mann Center for the Performing Arts, 5201 Parkside Ave., www.manncenter.org Hank3 The most fascinating thing about the grandson of Hank Williams, Sr. and the son of Hank Williams, Jr. is that you’re never quite sure who you’re going to get when he plays as Hank3. It could be the dirty, dusty road
Damian Jr. Gong Marley & Atmosphere Bob Marley’s most sonically adventurous son and one of hip hop’s most experimental MCs and producers get together for what promises to be a night of testy reggae and weird, but pointed rap. 6/10, 7:30 p.m., Free Library, 1901 Vine St., www.freelibrary.org Dom Irrera Though uncertain why audiences outside of our area flock to see this longtime stand-up comedian, I totally get that South Philadelphians and fans of the Goodfellas/Sopranos axis know Irrera’s humorous connection to the made-up word “fuggedaboudit” and what it conveys, along with all things red gravy and mothballs. 6/12 – 6/14, 8 p.m., Helium Comedy Club, 2031 Sansom St, www.heliumcomedy.com John Waters Waters is best known for his work as independent cinema’s gross-out enfant terrible for early 70s film fare such as Female Trouble and Pink Flamingos. Within the last 20 years, he’s become quite the entertainer with his one-man shows and readings of his various various. The premise of his newest book is simple: John Waters Hitchhikes Across America, gets picked up, and reacted to. Plus, it happens to be Friday the 13th. What could go wrong? 6/13, 7:30 p.m., Free Library, 1901 Vine St., www.freelibrary.org Willie Nelson & Family/Alison Kraus/Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas The Texan who penned hits such as “Hello Walls” (Faron Young), “Funny How Time
Hank3.
mix of lo-fi country and blousy honky tonk that is his recent Brothers Of The 4x4. It could be the raging hi-energy hardcore of his new punk album A Fiendish Threat. Just wait and hear. 6/18, 8 p.m., Trocadero, 1003 Arch St. www.thetroc.com Raphael Tiberino Exhibition The Tiberino family museum (The Ellen) is just around the corner in Powelton Village, but to celebrate the aging process and show off a past-and-present retrospective of his dark, comix-heavy work, Raphael Tiberino hosts both a gallery-wide exhibition and his birthday party at the University City comic book salon. 6/20, 7 p.m., Locust Moon Comics, 34 S. 40th St, www.locustmoon.com Diana Ross You could hurry love if you really wanted to, but with the first-and-only true queen of Motown’s sound around, why would you want to? 6/25, 7 p.m., Mann Center for the Performing Arts, 5201 Parkside Ave., www.manncenter.org. 6/26, Sands Bethlehem Event Center. ■
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Jazz Library
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BOB PERKINS
Grant Green
LIFE CAN THROW SOME totally unexpected twists. One positive twist happened to me in the very early part of my career in broadcasting: While struggling to become at least a fair newsman in Detroit where I broke into radio, I often listened to a station in the city that played jazz. One DJ at the station frequently played the music of a guitarist named Grant Green. The name was lyrical, and I thought Green played a mighty fine guitar. It’s mildly ironic that less than a couple of years later, and after I had moved on and became a DJ at the same station at which I’d heard Grant Green played so frequently…that I, too, was playing the guitarist regularly. A few years later, I lucked out and was hired as a newsman by a radio station in my hometown of Philadelphia, and soon enjoyed the luxury of being allowed to moonlight, and play jazz at another station in the city one night aweek. And, whose music did I get to play a lot of one night a week? Grant Green, of course. Grant Green played a different kind of guitar than the more recognized artists like George Benson, Wes Montgomery, and Kenny Burrell. His artistry was like a smoothie—a blend of jazz, blues, soul, gospel and R&B, but the blues and jazz ingredients were always paramount. It may have been this versatility of sound that made his music different and so enjoyable to his coterie of fans. He was born June 6, 1935, in St. Louis, Missouri. His father bought him a second-hand guitar when he entered elementary school and he learned to play the blues on it. He played drums in his elementary school drum and bugle corps, and sang in the church choir. By age 13, he was playing professionally in churches and with a gospel group. His secular favorites were James Brown, The Beatles, The Jackson Five…and Mozart. Years later, he gravitated to jazz, playing in the bands of Harry “Sweets” Edison, and Jimmy Forrest. So it was natural for him to play in so many genres, because of his early influences, joined by his latter day introduction to jazz. The legendary drummer Elvin Jones first heard Green play in the mid-1950s and was impressed. Years later, and after Green had passed, Jones, commenting on the guitarist’s artistry said, “I never heard anybody play with that much purity. I always thought this was a great artist.” Grant’s parents had cleared the way for him to enter music full time by allowing him to quit school and pursue his craft. But along with this freedom he became acquainted with drugs. Still, in 1961 he managed to gain a contract with Blue Note Records, became a staff guitarist, and for five years recorded mightily as a leader and sideman for the label. His career came to a halt in the late 1960s, when he was arrested and served time for drug possession. Upon his release, he returned with a vengeance, recording with a host of jazz greats, including Yusef Lateef, Stanley Turrentine, Joe Henderson, Hank Mobley, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner and Elvin Jones. By the mid-1970s, Green’s health began to fail, and he recorded his last album in 1978. Several months later, he suffered a stroke. He refused to follow his doctor’s advice and have heart surgery, choosing instead to drive from New York to a gig in California. On the way back he suffered a heart attack and died. He was only 43. Many people with unique talent never get due credit during their lifetimes, for any number of reasons. Those who suffer this blind-eye phenomenon may blame themselves, society, or both. Guitarist George Benson, a jazz great who has made it big time in jazz and other genres of music, had something to say about the oversight. He said, “Guitarists were always trying to learn what [Grant’s] secret was, and there were people who loved his groove. Grant made the guitar come alive and sing…Only he could do that.” Some of Grant Green’s best offerings can be heard on the box set Grant Green Retrospective. ■
Bob Perkins is a writer and host of an all-jazz radio program that airs on WRTI-FM 90.1 Mon-Thurs. 6 to 9pm & Sun., 9am–1pm.
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Keresman on Disc Phil Coulter ★★★1/2 Echoes of Home Shanachie Woo ★★★1/2 When The Past Arrives Drag City/Yoga Q: What do these two seemingly divergent platters have in common, by an Irish folk and pop musician/mega-producer and a pair of idiosyncratic South London brothers? A: It’s a folk-based simplicity. While Phil Coulter has had successes in the pop arena as well as the stage show Celtic Thunder, Echoes finds him going back to basics, playing assorted Irish, Welsh, and Scottish melodies solo on piano and in duets with Billy Connolly (yes, that one), Paul Brady, and legendary piper Finbar Furey. Traditional? While the old 88s are hardly a “traditional folk” instrument, Coulter and company render these melodies in a manner both stately and understated. Some of Echoes is a bit schmaltzy—but overall it’s infused with such dignified warmth, prettiness, and elemental straightforwardness it’s hard to carp. (15 tracks, 49 min.) shanachie.com Woo is a pair of siblings, Mark and Clive Ives, playing assorted guitars, keys, reeds, bass, and percussion, and Past Arrives consists of recordings spanning 1977-2013. These fellows weave short pastoral instrumentals with temperate rhythms—imagine Cluster and/or Brian Eno playing sly, delicately wry variations on Ry Cooder, Aaron Copeland, Henry Mancini, and Hawaiian melodies. It’s easy to imagine a beachfront idyll featuring James Garner and Doris Day with “Life So Far” and baby animals frolicking to “Teddy Bears.” “H2O” evokes a fantasy meeting between Leo Kottke and Benny Goodman, pensive but with a jazz-y lilt. Both/either of these discs are ideal de-stress units. (15 tracks, 44 min.) dragcity.com Miles Davis ★★★★ Miles at the Fillmore - Miles Davis 1970: The Bootleg Series Vol. 3 Columbia/Legacy What can one say about Miles Davis—jazz trumpet wizard, bandleader, caustic personality—that hasn’t been said before? While Davis played some of the best jazz (acoustic/straight-ahead division) of the 1950s and ‘60s, his approach changed drastically circa 1968. Inspired by the electric, high-energy wallop of James Brown, Sly & the Family Stone, and Jimi Hendrix, he embarked on a phase that’s still stirs controversy among fans
shemp@hotmail.com
MARK KERESMAN ★=SKIP IT; ★★=MEDIOCRE; ★★★=GOOD; ★★★★=EXCELLENT; ★★★★★=CLASSIC
sharing the melodious, earthy approaches of Bobby Timmons and Vince Guaraldi. The opener, “Nights in Warsaw,” could’ve been a hit then, and if mainstream radio played instrumentals, could be one now. Clarke dazzles without ever playing a solo and Woode is rock-solid. If you value the gregarious, immediate jazz of Cannonball Adderley and Gene Harris and/or Medeski Martin & Wood in their less-electric moments, this is an absolute must. (9 tracks, 38 min.) ishtar.it
Miles Davis. Photo: Michel Comte.
of jazz in general and Davis in particular. This four-CD set of live recordings from 1970—including over two hours of previously unissued music—features the dizzying heights of electric Miles along with a few lows. Hold the hate mail, pilgrims—there are stretches where the band (saxophonist Steve Grossman, keyboardists Chick Corea and Keith Jarrett, drummer Jack DeJohnette, bassist Dave Holland, and percussionist Airto Moreira) rambles unfocusedly. But more often than not the combo chemistry astounds and crackles like a thunderhead. Miles was not a fan of avant-garde jazz—he was quoted re: Eric Dolphy: “I’d like to step on his foot”—but Fillmore finds him harnessing the elasticity of free/out styles and interlacing it with funk grooves and rock audacity ‘n’ crunch. (Supposedly Miles was impressed by an early Led Zeppelin gig.) Plus, this improves on the slightly murky sound of previous Fillmore editions. For Miles-ophiles, nearly essential; for fans of electric sounds in general, it’s worth brown-bagging some lunches to afford. (31 tracks, 250 min.) legacyrecordings.com Francy Boland Trio ★★★★★ Playing With the Trio Schema/Rearward Belgian pianist Francy Boland, drummer Kenny Clarke, and bassist Jimmy Woode were the nucleus for the Clarke/Boland Big Band, a multinational combo that was one of the steadiest and swingin’-est European big bands 1961-72. Clarke, incidentally, was one of the premier bebop drummers, up there in the pantheon with Max Roach and Art Blakey, and Woods was a member of the Duke Ellington posse. While orchestral pursuits took up most of their time, these fellows made time for extracurricular activities—ergo, this 1967 trio set. Boland was something of an underrated pianist—while classically trained, he swings like a proverbial mofo from the git-go, based in the blitz-ing bop of Bud Powell but
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Radney Foster ★★★★ Everything I Should Have Said Devil’s River Eliza Gilkyson ★★★★1/2 The Nocturne Diaries Red House Claudia Schmidt ★★★★★ New Whirled Order Red House Some singer/songwriters are easy to categorize—but those aren’t our concern today, boys and girls. These three performers could be filed under “folk” if it weren’t for the “country” and/or “rock” in their approaches (or vice versa). While Radney Foster is no stranger to the country charts, both on his own and with the duo Foster & Lloyd, there’s not much Music City/Nash Vegas gloss on
atmospheric production in a set which scrutinizes our world’s troubles (child abuse, guntoting youth) in a manner that doesn’t wallow in the morass or preach but instead seeks to find hope. Diaries is a genuinely comforting listen without being soppy, and that’s a rare and valuable thing. If you like the Americana of Rosanne Cash and Mary Chapin Carpenter and/or the sleek modern folk of Suzanne Vega and Patty Larkin, seek, find, and benefit. (12 tracks, 51 min.) redhouserecords.com Claudia Schmidt is the most eclectic of these three, drawing from assorted folk styles, jazz, blues, and pop, in manner not unlike Joni Mitchell circa 1972-75. In fact, imagine a deeper-voiced Mitchell and you’ve a hint to Schmidt. She’s also got a puckish sense of humor (“whatever doesn’t kill you makes you wish that you were dead,” in “Strong Woman Has a Bad Day Polka”), plus a sense of elegant, slightly baroque-flavored pop (“Sea of Forgiveness”) and swing (the torch-y “Sometime Ago”). She draws from assorted wells of American music and makes it sound like the most natural thing in the world—a gem, this is. (12 tracks, 53 min.) redhouserecords.com The Baseball Project ★★★★ 3rd Yep Roc Take members of The Dream Syndicate, Young Fresh Fellows, and REM and their collective love of the Great American Pastime of Baseball, and what do yez get? The Baseball
Eliza Gilkyson.
Everything (his first new set since circa ’09). Foster’s songs are essentially country, but are charged with crackling Louisiana flavor(s) and wiry, roots-y rock a la The Band. (Foster’s voice has a plainspoken quality akin to that of the late Levon Helm.) Everything is both contemplative and suitable for a night of mod honky tonkin.’ (12 tracks, 45 min.) radneyfoster.com Eliza Gilkyson is not only a fine songwriter but has such an enchanting voice, sort of a cross between Lucinda Williams and Carole King. Nocturne Diaries mixes introspective folk, country waltz ‘n’ twang, and gauzy,
Project, wherein facets of facts and mythology of the game are celebrated in song…and what songs they are! There’s the ramshackle Dylan-ish folk-rock of “They Played Baseball,” the sweet soul of “Extra Inning of Love,” the Bo Diddley-esque big beat of “Hola America,” and the drolly elegiac Paul McCartney-like tribute to “The Babe” (Ruth, natch). TBP gleefully slip into an assortment of gregarious pop/rock styles as need be with equal panache. (18 tracks, 62 min.) yeproc.com ■
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Singer / Songwriter Neil Young ★★★1/2 A Letter Home Reprise Records Neil Young has been an artist who follows his muse, no matter the consequences. Young pays tribute to the songwriters and performers who influenced him with A Letter Home, an acoustic album recorded on a Voice-O-Graph, a 1940s-era recording studio that’s less than 12 square feet in size. The result is a lo-fi, monaural recording that offers a
TOM WILK ★=SKIP IT; ★★=MEDIOCRE; ★★★=GOOD; ★★★★=EXCELLENT; ★★★★★=CLASSIC
of John Doe: This Far offers up a solid survey of his solo output and his musical personalities from full-tilt rocker to acoustic balladeer. Doe selected the songs himself and presents them in non-chronological order to create sonic contrasts for the listener. “Telephone by the Bed” is built around a propulsive riff that recalls classic Rolling Stones. “The Garden State,” a duet with Kathleen Edwards, shows off his pop side with a
with Mystery Girl producer Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty, who both worked with Orbison in the Traveling Wilburys. Bono and guitarist Steve Cropper offer insights into Orbison’s artistry. The DVD also includes a selection of videos from the album. 19 songs, 75 minutes.
Linda Ronstadt.
cappella with Laurie Lewis. “Sisters,” a lively duet with Bette Midler on the Irving Berlin standard, is a successful pairing of two contrasting singers. (15 songs, 51 minutes)
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John Doe.
Neil Young.
feeling of intimacy and rawness. Young starts off the CD with a guileless recitation addressed to his mother who died in 1990 and then launches into a tentative version of Phil Ochs’ “Changes.” He regains his footing with a heartfelt reading of “Girl from the North County” that acknowledges his debt to Bob Dylan. Young’s performance of Willie Nelson’s “Crazy,” a hit for Patsy Cline, cuts to the bone with its depiction of romance. His rendition of Nelson’s “On the Road Again,” performed on piano and harmonica, is a bit discordant but captures the song’s feeling of wanderlust. Gordon Lightfoot’s “If You Could Read My Mind” is a good fit for Young’s voice. On Bert Jansch’s “Needle of Death,” Young’s recording illustrates the tune’s inspiration for his own antidrug song “The Needle and the Damage Done.” On “I Wonder Why I Care as Much,” originally done by the Everly Brothers, Young’s lonesome warble echoes the emotional pain of Don Everly’s lyrics. (12 songs, 39 minutes) John Doe ★★★1/2 The Best of John Doe: This Far Yep Roc Records As a singer, songwriter and bassist for X, John Doe was a guiding force behind one of the influential punk bands of the 1980s. Since 1990, though, Doe has had a parallel career as a solo artists, incorporating elements of rock, country and folk in his music. The Best
tomwilk@rocketmail.com
song that explores the yin/yang of relationships. “Never Enough” is a feisty song about hoarding and other excesses with music that matches the subject matter. Doe is also an effective vocalist in a quieter setting. The country-tinged “Take 52” uses music as a metaphor for love and second chances and incorporates a reference to Ernest Tubb’s classic “Walking the Floor over You.” Doe revisits “Poor Girl” from his days with X, recording the song as a ballad and giving greater prominence to his wistful vocals. (21 songs, 73 minutes) Linda Ronstadt ★★★★ Duets Rhino The onset of Parkinson’s disease has silenced Linda Ronstadt’s singing voice. Duets, a collection of 15 songs performed with a dozen singers, offers a chance to assess her career as a collaborator working in a variety of genres. Ronstadt has been able to adapt her voice to a variety of styles. She’s equally at home on a slowed-down remake of the Left Banke hit “Walk Away, Renee” with Ann Savoy and the romantic pop of “Moonlight in Vermont” with Frank Sinatra. Duets shows her affinity for country music, capturing the regrets of “Never Will I Marry” with Dolly Parton and the heartbreak of “I Can Help It If I’m Still in Love with You” with Emmylou Harris. “Don’t Know Much” and “All My Life,” her hit singles with Aaron Neville, show a more optimistic view of romance. “Pretty Bird,” the one previously unreleased track, is a revelation, demonstrating the purity of her voice as she sings a
Roy Orbison ★★★★ Mystery Girl – Deluxe Legacy Recordings Roy Orbison’s death at age 52 in December 1988 came just weeks before the release of Mystery Girl, the comeback album that restored him to the top of the charts. A quarter century later, the CD has received an upgrade with a deluxe version featuring nine bonus tracks and a companion DVD, Mystery Girl Revealed. Orbison’s voice remained strong and distinctive to the end of his life, effortlessly reaching and holding the high notes on the buoyant “You Got It” and the dramatic “A Love So Beautiful.” “On All I Can Do is Dream You,” Orbison serves up a rousing throwback to his rockabilly days of the 1950s Most of the bonus material offers a workin-progress look at the songs that made the original album. Bono offers tips in the studio on “She’s a Mystery to Me,” the song that he and U2 guitarist The Edge wrote for Orbison.
“The Only One” is a stripped-down version of a song co-written by Orbison’s son, Wesley. “The Way is Love” is a previously unreleased song featuring an Orbison vocal from 1986 with new instrumental backing provided by his three sons. The DVD is a behind-the-scenes look at Orbison in the studio, featuring interviews
Dave Alvin and Phil Alvin ★★★★ Common Ground: Dave Alvin and Phil Alvin Play and Sing the Songs of Big Bill Broonzy Yep Roc Records It took Phil’s Alvin near-death experience in 2012 during a tour of Spain for him and brother Dave to get back in the recording studio to make their first their first album together in 30 years. Phil’s heart stopped twice in a Spanish hospital, a sobering reminder of mortality. The brothers, known for their bickering when they led the roots-rock band the Blasters in the 1980s, have found something to agree on with Common Ground, a collection of a dozen songs by Big Bill Broonzy.
Dave and Phil Alvin.
The Alvins put their own stamp on the songs of the classic bluesman, who died in 1958, for a new generation of listeners. “Trucking Little Woman” is recast as a rockabilly stomp, while “Southern Flood Blues” remains just as relevant today in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy. “Stuff They Call Money” showcases the interplay Dave’s guitar and Phil’s harmonica work. Phil sings lead on a majority of songs, capturing a sense of freedom on “I Feel So Good” and romantic regret on “Big Bill’s Blues.” The jazzy version of “Tomorrow,” featuring former Blaster Gene Taylor on piano, showcases Phil’s vocal versatility. The brothers trade vocals on “All By Myself ” and “Key to the Highway.” In the end Broonzy’s music proves to be the prescription needed to bring the Alvin brothers together again. (12 songs 42 minutes) ■
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Nick’’s Picks Sonny Rollins ★★★★★ Road Shows, Volume 3 Okeh They say Sonny Rollins still practices three hours a day, and I wouldn’t doubt the stamina of this jazz nobleman who at 83 continues to perform at sold out concert halls all over the world. He still plays faster and with more finesse than players half his
Sonny Rollins. Photo: John Abbott
age. If you’ve been fortunate enough to see Rollins in concert, you’ve experienced that charismatic energy radiate from the stage. A live setting puts his legendary reputation in context. For the last decade, he’s been remiss to produce a studio recording for a reason common to all great artists: there’s nothing comparable to playing to an audience. For Sonny Rollins, the rewards that flow from listeners far outweigh the concern that you or your band will hiccup on stage. As fans, we appreciate the 21st century Rollins, ushered in with his This Is What I Do (2000, Milestone) and continuing a golden age with Road Shows, a documentation of collected live performances. RS, Volume 1 (Emarcy, 2008) was a breathtaking selection
Nick Bewsey has been writing about jazz for ICON since 2004. A member of The Jazz Journalists Assoc., he blogs about jazz and entertainment at www.jazzinspace.blogspot.com. Twitter: @countingbeats
spanning shows over a 27-year period, while RS, Volume 2 (Emarcy, 2011) culled astonishing dates just from 2010. Both volumes give us some of the most satisfying recorded music of Rollins’ career and the best music he’s made since the defining, heady days of the late 50s and early 60s with Saxophone Colossus (1956), Bags Groove (1957) and The Bridge (1962). Road Shows, Volume 3 offers revelatory music from Rollins. In addition to being the most important recording released so far on the recently revived Okeh Record label under the Sony Masterworks umbrella, this collection gathers tunes from Rollins’ post2000 concerts, four from various shows in France, another from St. Louis, Missouri, and one from Japan. With each successive volume of Road Shows, there’s a strong argument that every one is good enough for “best of the year” status and Volume 3 achieves that by offering up the most expressive jazz I’ve heard this year. The sheer joy that comes from mixing melody, rhythm, harmonics, of performing—it’s all there on the opening track, “Biji,” recorded in November 2001 in Japan. You’ll recall this is after the events on 9/11, an event that Rollins witnessed from his home in downtown Manhattan. For Rollins, the music seems to represent hope that triumphs over despair. At the outset of the theme, Rollins’ tenor and Clifton Anderson’s trombone sing in unison with an alternating key change that Rollins makes for emphasis. It’s a rollicking tune with a groove and a sharp kick that goes from a stunning turn by pianist Stephen Scott’s solo to something greater as Rollins rolls out his own astonishing solo in a blizzard of notes played as fast as you can hear them. Guitarist Bobby Broom possesses bluesy chops on the 3/4 time swing of Noel Coward’s “Someday I’ll Find You,” a delicious standard that Rollins first recorded in 1958 on Freedom Jazz Suite and here turns it into a tone poem that he fills with rounded notes and unabashed romanticism. His tenor sound is plainly beautiful with an elongated solo that renders every bit of happy emotion from the tune. Bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Victor Lewis hold down the rhythm section with equal passion. At the song’s conclusion, you’re swept along with the audience and their soaring applause as if you were there. The Afro-Caribbean beats and bass that hold down the groove on Rollins’ “Patanjali” lift the saxophonist’s playing to soaring heights with feverish contributions from gui-
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tarist Peter Bernstein, bassist Cranshaw and a ferocious Kobie Watkins on drums with Sammy Figueroa on percussion. The 22 minute-long exploration of “Why Was I Born,” one of the most identifiable tunes in Rollins’ repertoire, is spring loaded with another variation on a pulsating groove, in part supplied by drummer Steve Jordan and percussionist Kimati Dinizulu. Cranshaw’s elastic bass is like a rubber ball that bounces out and richochets off the walls. Combined, the rhythm team’s blissful bounce is contagious and Rollins is in high spirits throughout—it’s a long tune where every minute can be savored. It’s a fact that a Rollins concert is incomplete without a calypso, a song form that Rollins has owned forever and “Don’t Stop The Carnival” serves as a fitting encore for this exemplary recording. Undoubtedly, Sonny Rollins is a jazz master of exceptional fortitude and endless invention and the superior Road Shows, Volume 3 is likely my desert island disc for 2014. (6 tracks; 73 minutes) Clovis Nicolas ★★★1/2 Nine Stories Sunnyside A Provence-raised Frenchman who graduated in philosophy before becoming a jazz musician, bassist Clovis Nicolas reestablished himself as a busy sideman in Paris before moving to New York in 2002. The expat enrolled at Julliard to study with bassists Ron Carter and Ben Wolfe, hit the scene playing gigs with guitarist Peter Bernstein and saxophonist Harry Allen, and later with Brad Mehldau, Branford Marsalis and Dee Dee Bridgewater. That experience pays dividends on Nicolas’ debut recording, Nine Stories, an immensely appealing date with a tight, swinging sextet of up-and-coming players. Nicolas has obviously learned that listening is the most important quality a jazz musician can have. While listening to his five in-the-tradition originals and the reworking of four classic tunes, I hear a leader whose perceptive playing is part of the overall sound of the band rather than a cat overemphasizing his bass above everyone else in the mix. That discipline is Nicolas’ strong suit and his arrangements reveal a thoughtful musician at ease with mixing classic jazz sounds with modern contours. Every tune has its own flavor and story to tell, but the standouts include “Pisces,” a foot-tapping original with a fleet frontline and signature Blue Note style, and Sonny Rollin’s “The Bridge,” a tune tagged with a
wonderfully tuneful bass solo. Clovis makes good use of counterpoint (the horns and guitar on “Tom’s Number,” named for Tom Harrell) and creates a robust melody for his horns on “Mothers and Fathers” and provides trumpeter Riley Mulherkar and pianist Tadataka Unno with their best solos. Of particular merit, Nicolas has found something new to say on the standards “You
Clovis Nicolas. Photo: Vincent Soyez.
And The Night And The Music” and “Sweet Lorraine.” Like his teacher, Ron Carter— who apparently took a shine to his student and contributed the album’s liner notes— Nicolas makes each of these stories his own. The former is built over a fast tempo with a sparkling piano solo and a groove that Nicolas gets tight and right while the closer is a duo piece arranged for bass and guitar featuring guitarist Alex Wintz. It’s an impressive coda for an album that properly introduces Clovis as a powerful new voice on bass. (9 tracks; 53 minutes)
NICK BEWSEY
★=SKIP IT; ★★=MEDIOCRE; ★★★=GOOD; ★★★★=EXCELLENT; ★★★★★=CLASSIC
Margie Baker ★★★1/2 Margie Baker Sings With So Many Stars Consolidated Artists Productions It’s easy to understand why Dr. Margie Baker is a Bay Area institution. She resonates authenticity and sturdy chops with a voice that has a gritty charm, no doubt informed by her 80 years of experience that included mentoring by Dizzy Gillespie. Notably, she didn’t start singing professionally
their live shows. The initial offerings include albums by saxophonists Vincent Herring (The Uptown Shuffle), Javon Jackson (Expression) and pianist David Hazeltine (For All We Know), each of which capture that quintessential New York jazz club experience. Smoke owners and producers Frank Christopher and Paul Stache couldn’t have picked a finer talent than Harold Mabern to include in the launch of their venture. Mabern’s rangy sound is instantly recognizable. It’s big and pronounced and his signature motifs flow throughout his songs. His effusive solos gallop at a swift tempo, bundling notes that he skips down the keyboard. It makes for exhilarating music. Like many post-bop mainstream pianists, he rose up in the late 50s and recorded frequently as
Margie Baker.
until she was 39 while managing a career as a San Francisco educator, administrator and pursuing her PhD. Dr. Baker’s fourth recording, Margie Baker Sings With So Many Stars is a stout two-CD set of jazz and pop standards from back in the day. It’s as fine an introduction to this song stylist as it could be, supported with West Coast musicians and produced by Gillespie’s longtime pianist and jazz recording artist Mike Longo. In terms of style, Baker gets under the skin of tunes like “Deed I Do” and “In A Mellow Tone” much like Etta Jones did. Baker swings where it counts and underscores ballads like “You’ve Changed” with a knowing sensitivity. There’s much to like with her renditions of these twenty songs— “Round Midnight” is a particularly effective track with a sublime reading by Baker and finger-poppin solo by guitarist Rodney Jones. There’s a lot of feeling on this date, obviously from Baker’s warm articulation and empathetic supporting musicians. It’s a bit of a party, too, with a couple of Sergio Mendes tunes on tap. Baker and her musicians outpace the quirky sound of the recording, plus the added strings here and there sound a little dated, but it’s overcome by Baker’s ascendant readings and glorious personality that beams on every track. (Two discs: 10 tracks each; both 49 minutes) Harold Mabern ★★★★ Right on Time Smoke Sessions Pianist Harold Mabern’s Right On Time is an exuberant trio disc recorded live at Smoke Jazz and Supper Club on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, one of four exceptional debut releases from the club’s new label documenting
Harold Mabern and Hank Mobley, 1965. Photo: Francis Wolff.
a solo artist and sideman (Hank Mobley’s 1965 Blue Note album, Dippin’, is a great example of Mabern’s style and artistry), and currently it’s as if he’s been discovered all over again as a member of saxophonist Eric Alexander’s band and his own solo projects, particularly the distinctive Mr. Lucky (High Note, 2012), Mabern’s tribute to Sammy Davis, Jr. Right On Time is the perfect album title. Mabern, bassist John Webber and drummer Joe Farnsworth swing with panache on tracks like “Dance With Me” and “Seven Steps To Heaven,” two tunes that give Mabern plenty of space to play with time signatures and his customary soulful groove. A rollicking, blues-drenched “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” and “To You,” a florid ballad by Thad Jones, show both sides of Mabern’s capacity to communicate his deep love of melody and swing. But the last four tracks, when heard from start to finish, give us the best evidence of Mabern’s gifts as a jazz pianist. “Charade,” “Blues For Frank n’ Paul n’ All,” “The Nearness Of You” and “Cherokee” have wonderfully creative arrangements and their own momentum led by Mabern’s melodic and rhythmic intensity. Of the many solo recordings I have heard, Right On Time could be Mabern’s best and makes it the right time to acquaint yourself with his monster talent. (11 tracks; 67 minutes) ■
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Dining
ROBERT GORDON
ALMA DE CUBA YEARS BACK, WHEN I first visited Alma de Cuba, I admit to being skeptical. The cool vibe and sophisticated air in this sleek tri-level is seductive. In digs like that, food can sometimes be an afterthought. That has never been the case at Alma de Cuba. In fact, I believe the fare is now more consistent and intriguing than ever. Tapas remain the heart and soul of the menu. Some are complicated constructions, some are simple. But all are coherent and beautifully presented. A number are atypical of what you find on the standard Cuban menu.
Service and dining finesse here are topnotch. Gluten-free Columbian Rolls, plumped with queso fresco and yucca flour, greet the diner. Warm and hearty, they’re a typically nice touch, and often followed with an amuse bouche. We raved about a recent amuse bouche of tender octopus that was garnished with micro greens, fired with red pepper and onion, and roused with husky olive tapenade. On the Ceviche menu, Thai Mixto brings a vibrant conglomerate of crab, shrimp, octopus and fluke that’s spruced with coconut leche de tigre and mango. Asian-influenced Long Island Fluke is a gathering of yuzu, soy, ginger, sesame and jasmine pearls. Lenguado Al Fuego is an island-like teaming of habanero, kumquat and sugarcane al carbon, enlivened with sweet potato purée and punctuated with smoked sea salt. A bowl of popcorn accompanies the ceviche and provides a cleansing taste and texture. A full slate of appetizers range from signature Gloria’s Black Bean Soup through a litany of salads, tacos, empanadas, oysters, classic ropa vieja, and other choices. I love almond-stuffed dates wrapped in bacon and buttressed with bracy cabrales bleu cheese. Recently I tried Royal Palm Dates, which brought a couple of dates invitingly cupped in a duo of Belgian endives. Aesthetically, the dish is pleasing, but the dates 36 ■ I C O N ■ J U N E 2 0 1 4 ■ W W W . I C O N D V . C O M ■ W W W . F A C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V
are almost lost in the much larger endives, which don’t have much pizzazz on their own. Absent the bacon wrapping and bleu cheese, the taste of the latter dish fell short of the other date recipe. Smoked Albacore Tacos served on a bed of slivered iceberg lettuce get pop from pickled jalapeños. Fried malanga expands the textural interest. Octopus Escalivada showcases talented Chef Douglas Rodriguez’ skill in bringing out the elegance in a traditional peasant dish. Escalivada, which is essentially a roasted-vegetable dish, originated in Spain where it remains a menu fixture. In Rodriguez’ version, kalamata olives and capers partner brilliantly with the octopus. I recently returned from Spain— this dish surpasses any of the Iberian versions I tasted there. Admittedly, in past visits, I focused on tapas. Why wouldn’t I? The tapas are excellent. Good choices abound. But the main courses merit a visit on their own. Rum-Cured Duck Breast vies for the finest dish I’ve had this year. A huge slab of sliced duck set in a pool of creamy yucca, bolstered with duck vigoron and smoked currants. The duck is rimmed with a delicious pad of fat, and the rum-cured skin lends a scintilla of sweetness that takes the taste over the top. Vaca Frita, a traditional Cuban dish, is also a sumptuous, balanced arrangement. Fork-tender skirt steak is buoyed flavorfully via hearty black beans, and tomato escabeche. Cuban Shrimp and Grits is a well balanced treat. Baby cilantro imbues spicy shrimp with subtle heat while lush cornmeal grits adds creamy lushness. The restaurant’s layout—its high ceilings and white walls punctuated with black and white photos—insinuates a relaxing openness throughout. The second floor is the primary dining space. The first floor is the bar and lounge area but you can dine there as well. Everything is evocative of old Havana that’s undergone a tasteful, noninvasive facelift. I’d be remiss not to mention the desserts and drinks, each a siren call to lateevening center-city denizens and ADC regulars. In such a romantic and festive Latin setting, you’d expect a jam-packed slate of beers, wines, and, especially, irresistible specialty drinks. And you'd be correct. So don’t resist the Havana Old Fashioned. As an inveterate lover of that ageless standard, I find that the addition of pomegranate seeds, orange and house-made “cigar” bitters makes this rendition a joy—just like all my visits to Alma de Cuba continue to be. ■ Alma de Cuba, 1623 Walnut Sreet, Philadelphia (215) 988-1799 www.almadecubarestaurant.com
Email comments and suggestions to r.gordon33@verizon.net
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Dining
ROBERT GORDON
agricola I WASN’T VETTING A candidate for review on my first visit to Agricola. After cheering Lehigh to victory over Princeton one rainy evening last fall, I was simply heeding some enthusiastic advice from Princeton locals and Lehigh friends to eat at Agricola. It was late Saturday evening. We weren’t expecting the kitchen to be on its A Game. But it was. I was impressed. Agricola occupies an attractive niche on Witherspoon Street, a thoroughfare reeling with small-town charm. Agrico-
S WA N
HOTEL Modern Cuisine h Classic Comfort Corner of Swan & Main Lambertville, NJ 609-397-3552
la commands curb appeal thanks to a big window where passersby take in some entertaining performance art watching cooks in blue aprons go about their kitchen chores. Inside are six separate dining areas. Agricola is committed to the farm-to-table supply chain, which fuels not only the food operation, but also a winning, communal atmosphere. Dining here is fun—a vibe some overly-self-indulged food establishments should adopt. The bar area is cheery. Servers whisk about the dining rooms checking in frequently at their tables. A truly eclectic crowd—young, old, locals, visitors, and foodie trekkers— explore an ambitious menu that changes fluidly each season. But Chef Josh Thomsen’s knack for crafting intriguing dishes from a brimming pantry of fresh ingredients abides year-round. Some items bridge all the seasons, like the Pickled & Fermented Vegetable Plate and the Local Artisan Cheeseboard—although the components in each ensembles reflect seasonal harvests. The menu is not overly expansive. The unwavering focus is on fresh, nicely balanced creations. Some notable winter dishes that have been replaced as seasons turned are Crispy Email comments and suggestions to r.gordon33@verizon.net
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Pig Ears and Shibumi Farm’s Mushroom Fritters. In the former, long, lightly-fried curls of meat weave in and out of a vegetable cocktail of julienned carrots, raw spinach, cabbage radish, radicchio and lemon-caper vinaigrette. Mushroom Fritters—oyster mushrooms, lightly breaded and succulently sweet—are lip-smacking good. The kitchen succeeds in infusing rare, subtle delicacy into this traditional belly filler. The spring menu offered Wood Oven Roasted Duck Meatballs and Veal Sweetbreads. Lusciously tender duck in earthy butternut squash purée gets punch from pickled cranberries, while sweetbreads gain character from Meyer lemon. The summer menu has Crispy Duck Rillettes sided with sweet potato purée and pickled red onion. Coach Farm Goat Cheese Potato Terrine spans all seasons. A streak of balsamic vinegar encircles sweet roasted beets with micro arugula and a hefty tile of goat cheese capped with a browned, thin layer of crisped potatoes. Several noteworthy entrées are currently in hibernation. Pappardelle is braised veal on a nest of pasta ribbons with carrots and greens. Kimchee Noodles mate braised pork belly with Udon noodles in a ginger broth stocked with shitake mushrooms. A vegetarian rave is Roasted King Trumpet Mushrooms, which harmonizes parsnips, carrots, braised leeks, and mushrooms in a truffle broth. On summer’s entrée menu, North Slope Farm Stinging Nettle Fettuccine ($19) is a well-priced meld of spring onions, asparagus, mushrooms, carrots, and Swiss chard, with Parmigiano-Reggiano. Asparagus, leeks, and sunchokes add local summer flavors to Cape May Day Boat Scallops. The entrée list is comprised of mostly meat dishes— Lancaster County fried chicken, Creekstone Farms boneless ribeye, and Elysian Fields Farm Leg of Lamb. However, North Carolina Rainbow Trout, with medjool dates and toasted almonds, is a delicious seafood choice, as are the Cape May Scallops. Flatbreads emerge from the woodstove with crunchy texture and smoky undercurrent, an ideal platform for the fresh ingredients on top. The balsamic reduction on last winter’s Duck Confit Flatbread added the perfect accent to duck with ricotta, arugula, and turnip purée. This summer’s Lamb Sausage places a well-balanced dinner atop the bread: red bliss and fingerling potatoes, Jersey fresh tomatoes, feta, and sausage. As for dessert, Warm Terhune Orchards Apple Fritters, covered in cinnamon sugar and slathered in salted caramel sauce is a playful, tasty callback to simpler times, as was last winter’s Gingerbread Ice Cream Sandwich, an eyecatchy tower of gingerbread and butter pecan ice cream. My first dinner at Agricola at 11 PM on a busy Saturday was no fluke. Agricola is consistently good. And not only does Agricola give Princeton the upscale, foodie-friendly eatery it lacked, it also gives me a spot to celebrate all the upcoming Lehigh victories over Princeton. ■ Agricola, 11 Witherspoon Street, Princeton, NJ (609) 9212798 www.agricolaeatery.com
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24 / COLIN QUINN
vis-à-vis Stewart and Colbert?
I do think Tough Crowd was a precursor to what those guys are doing now. Stewart and Colbert are great. That being said, though, is there room for diverse opinions in comedy? Apparently not. …[T]here is a school of thought that’s deemed acceptable as far as the socio-political goes when it comes to comedy or movies or television shows. And when you deviate from that tone on any issue, you’re branded a right winger. So Long Story Short ends. When does the idea for Unconstitutional hit? Was a constitutional issue being discussed at the time that pricked up your ears?
I started writing it because it’s interesting that in a country where no one agrees on anything everybody loves the Constitution. Why do you think that document is so beloved?
I think people love the Constitution because it’s the document that leaves the most wiggle room for individual personalities to emerge. And it takes into account the fact that power corrupts all of us. All the time. I read your Twitter feed where you mentioned Long Story Short and Unconstitutional came to you, in part, in a series of dreams. Were you kidding or is life as such that dreams of government and its bylaws fill your resting hours? It’s like five pages in total, but it’s a boring-ass five pages.
I was kidding. My dreams usually involve rats (in my subconscious) and murder (my conscience). I haven’t dreamed about the Constitution, but I would love a dream where Franklin or Madison came to me and told me some secret about the Constitution. Or Franklin could tell me where the Philly sex clubs he used to go to were. What’s your take on questions of the Constitution and the men who guard it, the Supreme Court? Past and present. Do you like this particular court—Scalia’s ourt— and where they’re going?
I think the Supreme Court is the least developed idea in the Constitution. It needed work when it was first written and they simply never got around to it. Plus the way you get this particular lifetime job is a little strange. Do you feel as if President Obama’s administration has adhered to or run roughshod over the Constitution?
I think that President Obama has been like most other presidents in the sense that he uses whatever interpretation of the Constitution he finds convenient at that moment. Are you improvising the non-constitutional stuff like the Kardashian bit you riff on? A friend of mine who happens to be a Springsteen freak saw your show and told me your take on Bruce’s working class leanings and insensitivity to guys who have to get to a job early was pretty uproarious?
I just do a lot of improvising based on what’s going on at that time. Do you mind if I throw out a few names and topics and get your first reaction? Donald Sterling.
Nobody’s asking who Sterling’s friends were that made fun of him for his girl Instagraming black guys? What does he hang out with, teenage boys? Edward Snowden as Nobel Prize fodder.
Those Norwegian always pick whomever is going to piss people off the most. They’re trolls with that prize. Kim and Kanye’s wedding.
Kim and Kanye’s wedding started as Anthony and Cleopatra and will turn into Ricky and Lucy. Let’s see. The fact that Russia has chosen to pay us no mind at all in the Ukraine stakes.
The fact that Russia pays us no mind was inevitable. We’re the guy that everybody impresses their own citizens by how much they abuse us. It’s a crowd pleaser to trash the U.S. and every great leader knows it. If you had a chance to draft a newer version of the Constitution, what would you change or add?
I’d make the Supreme Court a four-year gig, I’d update the commerce clause to include offshore banking and outsourcing regs, and I’d maybe make the Senate five years and House of Representatives three years. Do people treat you differently because Long Story Short and now Unconstitutional have such educated bents?
People don’t treat me differently, but I think they should. Maybe a little more “Hey, this guy’s a thinker” when you bastards approach me in the street, instead of shoving your iPhones in my face and asking “How’s Bobo!” ■ 40 ■ I C O N ■ J U N E 2 0 1 4 ■ W W W . I C O N D V . C O M ■ W W W . F A C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V
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22 / COTILLARD & GRAY
represented a real emotional pull for them. That was their world, and they got pulled away from it. That had to hurt. Now, they’re in a new place, New York, where their heads are not going to get chopped off by Cossacks, but it’s not all roses. For me, the problem with the presentation of the American Dream is it’s always either one of two things. One is that there’s no possibility that the American Dream is true—it’s bullshit, garbage. The other is that the American dream is fantastic, and you’re gonna get out there and make a zillion dollars the second you get here. Which is truly bullshit—mostly, unless you win the lottery. So, if that’s the case, what is an interesting depiction of the American Dream? I think the answer is it’s both—it’s true and it’s a fiction.” Gray’s perspective seems undeniable, but then again, take a look at Cotillard. If the American Dream, as it’s sold, does exist, then it surely seems as though this international bombshell is living it. In addition to starring in some of the few respected blockbusters Hollywood’s recently churned out (Inception, The Dark Knight Rises), the 38-year-old actress has also continued to offer awards-caliber work in art house films like Rust and Bone, which saw her play a whale trainer who sparks up a romance after losing both her legs. As if channeling Ewa herself, Cotillard spills her mixed feelings on what it meant to come to America, and whether or not that was even a reality at all. “I never thought I’d do American movies,” Cotillard says. “I never thought I would have the amazing experience of exploring different worlds and cultures. Well, actually, the thing is, I didn’t think that I would do that, but I didn’t think that I wouldn’t do it. You know what I mean? I had no boundaries. I didn’t think that I would do movies in America, but I didn’t think it was not possible. I just didn’t think about it. Maybe, if I had put up boundaries like that, it would not have happened. By not putting up boundaries, you don’t have to cross them because they’re not there. I didn’t really imagine anything. I just knew I wanted amazing journeys.” As much as Gray is a New York filmmaker, and Marion Cotillard is a foreign actress who’s come to dominate Hollywood (if nothing else—and there’s a lot of else—she’s now proved efficient in at least four languages), the collaborators have more common links to this material than meets the eye. Long before Cotillard made her way to Tinseltown, and Gray opted to add a lush epic to his ouevre of urban dramas, Gray’s grandparents, a pair of Russian Jewish immigrants, also arrived at Ellis Island in the ‘20s. And, indeed, their detailed experiences directly inspired Gray’s latest achievement, from the uncertainty of how to eat a banana properly to stories of unfavorable voyage conditions, which, according to the director, were lifted verbatim for the movie. “Personal is not the same as autobiographical,” Gray says. “Autobiographical means it adheres to the facts of your life, and a ton of this stuff is taken directly from my grandparents. But the film is personal in that, what you wonder about is what you can feel...it’s not just the mood of the film, it’s what the film, thematically, is trying to express, and how closely and how intimately you feel what the film is trying to express. The last two films I’ve made, this one and Two Lovers, are my favorite films so far, because they’re getting closer to the cinematic expression I want to communicate to the viewer. I wanted to try and say to myself and to others that, no matter what you do in life, there is the possibility of redemption. And forgiveness. And hope. And that nobody is garbage—nobody is beneath us.” ■
About Life
JAMES P. DELPINO, MSS,MLSP,LCSW,BCD
WHEN YOUR BRAIN RACES LIKE A ADD/HD IS A PREVALENT and often misdiagnosed neurological condition. It’s estimated that one in ten children in the United States has ADD/HD. This amounts to 5.4 million children between the ages of 4-17. Statistics reveal that it is about 96% genetic, with the remaining 4% being attributed to head trauma and environmental factors. About 92% of the time it comes through the genetics of the father. ADD/HD is a neurological condition that is defined as a “…reduced neuroelectric activity and reduced blood flow in the frontal lobe.” The frontal lobe is the area of the brain immediately behind the forehead. The job of the frontal lobe is to maintain focus and concentration as well as judgment. Judgment is clinically defined as the ability to project the consequences of words or actions into the future. When the frontal lobe has impaired function it presents as difficulties in paying attention, remembering, following directions, hyperactivity and impulsivity, which are all symptoms of ADD/HD. Of all these symptoms, impulsivity is the key or central symptom and presents many of the greatest concerns associated with ADD/HD. There are subtypes of ADD/HD where certain symptoms present more seriously, such as hyperactivity or inattention. Like all medical conditions, it occurs with three possible levels of severity: mild, moderate and severe. On average, a child with ADD/HD presents as 20-25% less mature than their current age. Imagine a 16-year-old who is functioning at the maturity level of a 12-yearold with an impulse disorder learning to drive. The consequences and risks of undiagnosed ADD/HD can be quite severe. People who work with or are in frequent contact with children are quick to surmise that bad behavior automatically means a child has ADD/HD. There are many reasons why a child might be misbehaving, not paying attention, etc. Because it is so prevalent, ADD/HD can be misdiagnosed or even undiagnosed. Inattentive subtypes are often dismissed and missed because they often do not present with hyperactivity or misbehavior. Whereas hyperactive children are often spotted and diagnosed earlier on because the hyperactivity is so clearly present and therefore easy to observe. The most Jim Delpino is a psychotherapist in private practice for over 33 years. Email: jdelpino@aol.com Phone: (215) 364-0139.
important thing to do in a case where it is suspected that a child might have ADD/HD is to get a correct diagnosis. Correctly diagnosing ADD/HD requires a good family history. Because it is 96% genetic, there should be family members, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles or cousins who have demonstrated some or all of the symptoms of ADD/HD. It’s important that the symptoms were displayed at an early onset. Many times a review of school records and teachers comments on report cards will indicate
early concerns about the child. It’s also important to have the results of a full battery of psychological and educational testing to review. Some conditions may mimic symptoms of ADD/HD but not be the result of this neurological condition. For example, depressed children can exhibit poor concentration and focus. The standard clinical protocol for diagnosis of any mental health disorder is three interviews on three separate occasions to correctly diagnose and formulate a treatment plan. Although some insurance plans may not cover three visits for a diagnosis, it’s more important to have a correct diagnosis than a quick one that could be incomplete or wrong. The human brain matures on average at about 25 years of age. In cases of ADD/HD the brain reaches
full maturity at 30 years of age. As always, early diagnosis and treatment is the best way to treat ADD/HD. The two most common concomitants—diagnoses that frequently appear alongside of ADD/HD—are ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder) and low esteem/depression. Low esteem and depression are often the results of feeling stupid in regards to academics. Not being able to concentrate when reading or having sufficient focus to understand things presented in the classroom often contribute to a lower sense of self. Being oppositional is often viewed as impulsivity but it may also stem from the inner frustrations of not being able to behave within social norms and reacting to the criticism received from such behaviors. Sometimes it’s the defiance that brings a child into treatment and a major underlying cause is found to be ADD/HD. In some cases impulsive behaviors that are high-risk draw the parents’ wish to seek treatment for their child. Sometimes teenagers come to treatment because they have self-diagnosed by taking the medicine of a friend with ADD/HD and being convinced the medicine worked for them. Taking someone else’s medications does reflect the poor judgment associated with ADD/HD, but a good clinician will have to rule out the possibility of the placebo effect and correctly diagnose the child. A treatment plan is most often developed with a physician in concert with the therapist. Many times the physician is either a family doctor/pediatrician, psychiatrist or neurologist. Although some parents feel opposition to their children taking medication, studies indicate that appropriate type and dosage along with psychotherapy provide the best results. Parents often feel responsible for ADD/HD and are frustrated with the kinds of challenges associated with raising a child with the condition. Family therapy with a focus on methods that are effective in helping a child do better at home and school is a good suggestion. Of course, there are many adults who have gone misdiagnosed or not diagnosed with ADD/HD who seek treatment because their functioning has been sufficiently impaired so as to affect their work, relationships, child-rearing and general organization in their lives. With the correct diagnosis and treatment plan most people with ADD/HD can show significant improvement in several areas of their lives. ■
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The Los Angeles Times SUNDAY CROSSWORD PUZZLE
T T p g n d U B 2 2 b
THE SOUND OF VICTORY By Gia Christian Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 6 10 14 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 26
27 30 31 33 34 35 37 39 42 44 46 49 50 52 56 57 59 60 62 63 64 68 70 71 73 74 77 80 81 82 84 85 88 91 92 94 95
Cal. sequence One pulling in pushers They’re grabbed on corners Fashionable fold “__ Ben Jonson”: literary epitaph Similar: Pref. Other, in Oaxaca Paris possessive Traveler’s nightmare due to a road crew strike? Checking aid Glacial lake 1954 Emmy winner for Best Female Star of a Regular Series Wait on a knight? Credit report item “Just like that!” sound Domingo, e.g. Enviable mark List of candidates Stake for Keats?: Abbr. Faux pas Unacceptable They aren’t major players Social worker’s backlog Actress Rowlands Legendary rescue boat Rocky in a serious mood? Pepper’s title: Abbr. Hems, say Dressy accessories Letter-shaped fastener Baseball commissioner before Ueberroth Eighth Avenue subway in New York Joined Wee hr. 2000 Gere title role Chickadee cousin Deli specialty System used in home decor Largest Bay Area county Kind of round Dated Bag on the back __ Park: Queens area Log shaper Make statues of leading reps? Villain Luthor Ancient mountain crossing, say Where keyboard users can get tips Singer McEntire
97 Got on 99 Gooey stuff 100 Small-runway aircraft acronym 103 Pale wine 106 Jewish folklore creature 108 Part of KJV: Abbr. 110 Wine seller 112 Turkish general 113 Computer maintenance tool? 117 Became harder to bear 119 Rajah’s spouse 120 Serious surprise 121 Throw out all your stuff? 123 Revered one 124 Bassoon kin 125 Continental boot? 126 Nearing the hour 127 Personnel office array 128 Curve 129 Substance in the sea’s H2O 130 Element #18
T T 2 f t G h t o g
T A t L T i r
DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 19 23 28 29 32 36 38 40 41 43 45 47 48 50 51 53
Tourists’ rentals Tour Ancient greeting? Buy for, as dinner Trepidation Reagan biographer Peggy Asia’s __ Darya river Rules, briefly Murmured from a cote Oregon State city Exactly, with “to” Two-masted vessel Capital SW of Muscat Mail-order purchase enclosure, often Pac-12 team Really cheap Discovery Doglike scavenger Active campus gp. during the Vietnam War Rebel Hosp. staffer Racing safety vehicle Breakfast food Like old Paris streets High school suffix Story opener Kit __: candy bar Span. lass Newspaper ad meas. Leader after Mao Would like from Meet with the old gang River islet
54 55 58 61 64 65
“Rigoletto” composer Blockhead Stocking mishaps Domingo, e.g. Old porticos Crack up during a jackknife? 66 Dictionary note subject 67 Showy flowers 69 PC time meas. 71 Gertrude Stein confidante Alice B. __ 72 Many newspaper ads 75 Sloppy stack 76 Strip of gear, as a ship 77 Walkout walk-in 78 Year McKinley was reelected 79 1966 A.L. Fireman of the Year Jack 82 Fixed up 83 Event to be played in Pinehurst, N.C., in 2014 85 DOJ enforcer 86 Contest that’s over in seconds 87 Prepare to shoot at 89 Kilmer of “Top Gun” 90 Cornhusker’s st. 93 Temperature units 96 Poppycock 98 Wallace of “E.T.” 101 Sighed line 102 Senseless
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104 Eastern faith 105 “Please hold” equivalent 107 Not usually an opportunity for advancement 109 Amber, for one 111 With 116-Down, shared equitably
113 Plumbing problem 114 Hoop site 115 North Carolina school 116 See 111-Down 118 Jazzy James 122 Little sucker? Answer in next month’s issue.
Answer to May’s puzzle, BODY LANGUAGE
5 F o S s o t S l c e d 5 6 m
6 W H r A 9
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Agenda ART EXHIBITS THRU 6/14 The Bucks County Project Gallery presents “Footprints. Photographs of an Endangered Journey.” Photographs by Miriam Seiden, Robin Davies, Elsbeth Upton. Hours Wed.-Sun. The Bucks County Project Gallery, 252 W. Ashland St., Doylestown. 267-247-6634. buckscountyprojectgallery.com THRU 6/15 The Art of the Miniature, the 22nd invitational exhibition of fine art miniatures from around the world. The Snow Goose Gallery, 470 Main St., Bethlehem, PA. 610-974-9099. View the exhibit online beginning opening weekend. thesnowgoosegallery.com THRU 7/6 After Hours, Claire Seidl. Red Filter Gallery, 74 Bridge Street, Lambertville, NJ 08530. Open Tues.-Sun., 12-5. 347-244-9758. inquire@redfiltergallery..com, redfiltergallery.com 5/31-7/27 Frank Lloyd Wright: Architecture of the Interior and the Art of Seating. In Wright's house designs, structure and ornament are one. The Art of Seating portion of the exhibition (in The Museum's Second Floor Temporary Galleries) presents a survey of exceptional chair design from the early 19th century to the present day. Reading Public Museum, 500 Museum Rd., Reading, PA. 610-371-5850. Readingpublicmuseum.org 6/1-6/15 Watercolors by students of the Hunterdon Art Museum. Opening reception 6/7, 3-5p.m. Hetzel’s Art, 34 Main St., Clinton, NJ. 908-735-8808. Hetzelsart.com 6/8-6/30 Francisco Goya: Los Caprichos. Allentown Art Museum, 31 North Fifth St., Allentown, PA. 610432-4333. Allentownartmuseum.org 6/8-9/7 Of Heaven and Earth: 500 Years of Italian Painting from Glasgow Museums, a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see works by Italian masters like Bellini, Botticelli, and Titian up close at this, the only
East Coast venue. Allentown Art Museum of the Lehigh Valley, 31 North Fifth Street, Allentown, PA. 610-432-4333, AllentownArtMuseum.org 6/13-7/27 “Summertime Exhibit”, Group Show. The Quiet Life Gallery, 17 So. Main St., Lambertville, NJ. 609-397-0880. Quietlifegallery.com 6/14-6/28 Artsbridge 20th Annual Juried Show. Reception 6/14, 6-9 p.m. New Hope Arts Center, 2 Stockton Ave., New Hope, PA. Fri.-Sun. 1-5. 609-773-0881. Artsbridgeonline.com 6/14-8/1 Painting New England includes scenes of the spectacular shores and charming towns of Cape Cod & Rockport, Massachusetts and Monhegan Island & Kennebunkport, Maine. Opening reception 6/14, 5-8 p.m. Patricia Hutton Galleries, 47 West State St., Doylestown, PA. 215-348-1728 www.PatriciaHuttonGalleries.com 6/19-6/28 The Bucks County Project Gallery presents “Alex Damevski. Paired Photographs.” Hours Wed.-Sun. The Bucks County Project Gallery, 252 West Ashland St., Doylestown, Pa. 267-247-6634. buckscountyprojectgallery.com 7/9-8/8 Gabriela Gonzalez Dellosso, Symbolism & Romance. The David E. Rodale Family Galleries. Opening reception, 7/9, 6-8 p.m. The Baum School of Art, 510 West Linden St., Allentown, PA. 610433-0032. Baumschool.org THEATER 6/11-6/29 Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre presents “A Chorus Line”. Muhlenberg College, 2400 Chew St., Allentown, PA. 484-6643693. Muhlenberg.edu/smt 6/11-6/29 Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival 23rd Season presents “Fiddler on the Roof”. A company of industry leading artists, accomplished veterans of Broadway, film, and television. 140+ performances this summer. DeSales University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA. 610-282-9455. Pashakespeare.org
6/18-7/13 Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival’s 23rd Season presents “The Two Gentleman of Verona”. A company of industry leading artists, accomplished veterans of Broadway, film, and television. 140+ performances this summer. DeSales University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA. 610282-9455. Pashakespeare.org 6/18-7/26 Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre presents “Gruff.”, a new family musical with goats. Muhlenberg College, 2400 Chew St., Allentown, PA. 484-664-3693. Muhlenberg.edu/smt 6/25 Under the Streetlamp, former cast members of Jersey Boys. Let the good times roll. As seen on PBS. 7:30 p.m. State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton, PA. 610-252-3132, 1-800-999STATE. Order online Statetheatre.org 7/9-7/27 Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre presents “Monty Python’s Spamalot”. Muhlenberg College, 2400 Chew St., Allentown, PA. 484-664-3693. Muhlenberg.edu/smt 7/9-8/3 Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival 23rd Season presents “Lend Me A Tenor”. A company of industry leading artists, accomplished veterans of Broadway, film, and television. 140+ performances this summer. DeSales University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA. 610-282-WILL (9455). Pashakespeare.org
bertville, NJ. Live music/raw bar. 609-397-8957. deannasrestaurant.com. Every Thurs.-Sat., Dinner and a Show at SteelStacks, Bethlehem, PA. 5-10:00pm. Table service and valet parking. Information, menus and upcoming events visit artsquest.org Every Monday, Live guitar with Barry Peterson, 7-10pm. Karla’s, 5 W. Mechanic St., New Hope. 215862-2612. karlasnewhope.com CONCERTS Some organizations perform in various locations. If no address is listed, check website for location of performance. 6/8 & 6/29 Valley Vivaldi chamber music concert by principal instrumentalists of Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra. Music by Vivaldi, Bach, Telemann and more. 7:30 p.m., Christ Lutheran Church, 1245 W. Hamilton St., Allentown, PA. Tickets $15-$35 in advance/at door. 610-434-7811, PASinfonia.org 7/12 Tribute to Benny Goodman, Ronald Demkee conducting, Dave Bennett, clarinet soloist. Miller Symphony Hall, 23 North 6th St., Allentown, PA. Box Office: 610432-6715. Millersymphonyhall.org 7/20 Valley Vivaldi chamber music concert by principal instrumentalists of Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra. Music by Vivaldi, Bach, Telemann and more, featuring violin, oboe, trumpet, flute, harp. 7:30 p.m., Wesley Church, 2530 Center St., Bethlehem, PA. Tickets $15-$35 in advance/at door. 610-4347811. PASinfonia.org
7/17-8/3 Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival 23rd Season presents “Macbeth”. A company of industry leading artists, accomplished veterans of Broadway, film, and television. 140+ performances this summer. DeSales University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA. 610-282-9455. Pashakespeare.org
6/7
DINNER & MUSIC
6/13
Saturday nights: Sette Luna Restaurant, 219 Ferry St., Easton. 610253-8888. setteluna.com
6/19
Thursday nights: DeAnna’s Restaurant, 54 N. Franklin St., Lam-
6/21 6/24
KESWICK THEATRE Keswick Theatre 291 Keswick Ave., Glenside, PA keswicktheatre.com Off the Record with Kevin & Joe Jonas Kenny Wayne, Shepherd Band and Robert Randolph & The Family Band Taj Mahal & Blind Boys of Alabama West Oak Lane Festival Happy Together
6/25
30th Anniversary Tour FOURPLAY
ARTSQUEST CENTER AT STEELSTACKS Musikfest Café 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, PA 610-332-1300. artsquest.org 6/4 6/4 6/5 6/5 6/8 6/11 6/20 6/23 6/27 6/29
Alice Tan Ridley Robert Creighton & Lynnie Godfrey Fireball and Al Stewart Craig Thatcher Band Los Lobos Howie Day Vanessa Carlton XPN Welcomes Delta Rae Reverend Horton Heat Toad the Wet Sprocket
GODFREY DANIELS Original live music room since 1976
7 E Fourth St, Bethlehem 610-867-2390 godfreydaniels.org 6/1 6/6
6/7 6/8 6/13 6/15 6/20 6/21 6/27
6/28 6/29
Open Mic w/Phil Perhamus Dave Turner, Pete McDonough & Mance Robinson Dave Fry with Ansel Barnum & Kris Kehr John Gorka with guest Not For Coltrane John Beacher & LisaBeth Weber Open Mike Ellis Paul Maidencreek Festival Fundraiser Dave’s Night Out with Wendi Bourne & Lauren Janson Zen For Primates Summer Luau Vintage Open Mic
READINGS & BOOK SIGNINGS 6/7 Panoply Books Reading Series 2014: Poet Jennifer Firestone. Firestone is the author of Flashes and Holiday, and is co-editor of Letters To Poets: Conversations about Poetics, Politics and Community. She is the assistant professor of Literary Studies at the New School’s Eugene Lang College. Book signing, Q & A and refreshments. 6PM. 48 N. Union St., Lambertville, NJ. 609-3971145. panoplybooks.com
EVENTS 6/5-6/8 Art Days, an art extravaganza throughout Doylestown. Over 60 merchants are paired with local artists, students and professional painters, photographers, musicians and the performing arts. discoverdoylestown.org 6/7 Preview Party for Of Heaven and Earth: 500 Years of Italian Painting from Glasgow Museums, a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see works by Italian masters like Bellini, Botticelli, and Titian up close at this, the only East Coast venue, 6-8 p.m. Allentown Art Museum of the Lehigh Valley, 31 North Fifth Street, Allentown, PA. Members free, nonmembers $25. 610-432-4333, ext 110, AllentownArtMuseum.org 6/10 Tinicum Art and Science Highschool Open House Day. 85 Sherman Rd., Ottsville, PA. For more info visit tinicumartandscience.org or call 610-847-6980. 6/21 Stahl’s Pottery Preservation Society’s 27th Annual Summer Pottery Festival. Sales by 30 contemporary potters, tour the pottery site, demonstrations, refreshments and baked goods. 9-4, admission $3/adult, under 18 free. Free parking, held rain or shine. 6826 Corning Rd., Zionsville, PA. 610-965-5019. Stahlspottery.org 6/22-6/28 Historic Bethlehem Restaurant Week. Dine. Shop. Local. Enjoy multi-course breakfast, lunch, and dinners for one fixed price. Dine for a chance to win $2,000 in local restaurant gift certificates. Explore the unique shops in Historic Bethlehem, PA. Visit website for restaurant listings & menus. Bethlehemrestaurantweek.com 6/28 Wine & Ice Cream Social, 2 p.m. Who would have ever thought you could pair Ice Cream & Wine together… Well, we did. Featuring oWowCow Ice Cream. R.S.V.P. 215-794-9655 $25/pp. Space is limited. Peddler’s Village, shop #20 Street Rd., Lahaska, PA. 215-794-9655. Chaddsford.com
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Carol C. Dorey Real Estate, Inc. Specialists in High-Value Property www.doreyrealestate.com (610) 346-8800
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GALLOWS HILL
SAUCON VALLEY VILLA
LUXURY IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY
Set atop a hillside on a quintessential country road, this late 1700s stone farmhouse has wonderful 21st century amenities. With nearly 20 private acres, the Upper Bucks County location is a perfect weekend getaway for city dwellers. Three fireplaces, wide pine plank floors, deep window sills and beamed ceilings accent the charming rooms. An intriguing floor plan boasts formal living and dining rooms, a stunning library, kitchen with adjacent gathering room, and a lower level with two en suite bedrooms, office and private entrance for guests. The detached garage and stone and wood bank barn provide great storage for boats and cars. $1,200,000
With extensive built ins, incredible architectural and trim details, custom appointments & an elevator to access three floors, this condominium invites one to experience perfection. A great room, with 18 foot ceilings, boasts quarter sawn white oak millwork, beamed trusses, and an adjacent music room of stone and glass and the custom kitchen features over the top appliances. 5,400 sq.ft., swim-in-place indoor pool, glass conservatory, four bedrooms… all overlooking 500 acres of Lehigh University’s playing fields. $995,000
An enclave of prestigious residences to be built is anchored by this extraordinary European-style home currently under construction. Steep cedar roofs with turrets, a thick stone façade, and a 2.5 acre lot surrounded by lush meadows and stands of hardwoods distinguish Newport Ridge. A well-conceived floor plan has 10' first floor and 9' second floor ceilings. First and second floor master bedroom suites feature dual walk-in closets and massive retreat/exercise areas. Elegant rooms are accented with walls of windows, detailed moldings and wood-burning fireplaces. The buyer of this home will work with the highly regarded builder in choosing personalized finishes. $1,950,000 completed
7 ACRES ON LITTLE LEHIGH CREEK
CONTEMPORARY FLAIR The contemporary flair of this Saucon Valley home mixes well with the established beauty and mature landscaping of the lovely homes nestled on quiet Merryweather Drive. Captivating angles highlight the timeless design – offering high ceilings and open spaces for today’s family lifestyle. All natural materials on the exterior are mirrored on the inside with distinctive maple floors and a fabulous floor-toceiling, see-through stone fireplace in the 22 foot vaulted great room. $665,000
SUNDANCE
This exceptional property works beautifully as a full-time residence or cherished weekend getaway. The setting is pristine and private with a 1930’s stone and wood home bordered by sparkling creek waters and the lush fairways of a prestigious country club. The home’s interior is filled with sunlight and old home charm. Recently uncovered and brought to their original luster, hardwood floors are found in many of the rooms. An elegant dining room functions beautifully for holiday celebrations and boasts dual corner china cabinets and doors to the sun porch. A profusion of evergreens and mature trees dot the unparalleled acreage at Riverbend. $749,000
BARRINGTON MANOR
JACOB MARCK HOMESTEAD
BEN FRANKLIN SLEPT HERE Much care has been taken with the 2003 restoration of this beautiful, historic residence. The new blends seamlessly with period details and creates a modern functioning floor plan. Of special interest are the Moravian tile floor and the coordinating handmade tiles surrounding a fireplace. Outside there’s a lovely garden and patio with a 1930s water feature. This home is in the National Register of Historic Places and Benjamin Franklin stayed here for about a month in 1755. $899,000
Exceptional opportunity awaits those who appreciate the craftsmanship and sigEvery luxury of an estate property is found at this luxurious full brick home set on 2.6 nificance of a 19th century home, stone bank barn, and guest house on 4+ acres private acres in a convenient Lehigh Valley location. Luxurious bedrooms ensure in Lehigh County. Random width pine floors, high ceilings, deep silled windows, comfortable accommodations for family members and a main level guest suite and Mercer tiles, and wood-burning fireplaces accent the rooms filled with period de1000 sqft apt are ideal for extended family or guests. Entertaining is unparalleled, tails. The original summer kitchen has been converted to a kitchen, breakfast area, with indoor and outdoor pools, a home theatre with state-of-the-art projection sysand family room on the main level and sunny bedrooms and baths on the second tem, and a gourmet kitchen with every conceivable amenity. This one-of-a-kind floor. A refreshing pool, pool house, and guest cottage with kitchenette, bedroom home boasts a 100 yr slate roof, and 8 car capacity garages with recessed lighting and and full bath are a welcome addition when entertaining.$800,000 skylights, and a full house generator. $2,990,000 ■ I C O N ■ J U N E 2 0 1 4 ■ W W W . I C O N D V. C O M ■ W W W . F A C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V
Tranquility and a bit of heaven, this custom-designed and built home is quietly nestled in the hills of Upper Bucks County, yet only minutes from the Lehigh Valley. French Country architecture, married to elements of a classic Pennsylvania fieldstone house, produces the desired effect - old world design and comfort presented artfully and joyfully. Set on two acres, nicely removed from a quiet country road, the property is a treasure. Lush pastureland and neighboring hills and valleys are the pre-eminent views. $695,000
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