ICON June 2013 by ICON Magazine

■

ICON

■

JUNE 2013

■

W W W . I C O N D V. C O M

■

W W W. FA C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V

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

■

JUNE 2013

■

ICON

■

contents

JUNE ~ 2013

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WILD ABOUT HARRY | 24 Now 46, Harry Connick Jr. is again tackling new territory—and a sensitive territory it is, with the making of his new CD, “Every Man Should Know.” This stands as the first album of all-original Connick songs, and the first ever he has written that tell of the real man, his emotions and his vulnerabilities. He does it with a stellar group of songs that explore almost every style of music there is, including jazz, Latin, country, gospel and funk. It is impossible not to hear how deeply he is feeling about what he is singing. Why is he opening up now?

DAVID IVES | 26 A play about an audition for a play in which the text comes from a book that came from another book, each with increasingly twisted takes on sexuality and sensuality: that’s the darkly comic and keenly beguiling “Venus in Fur” from playwright David Ives. Ives’ works are dexterous in their language, quirky in their invention, as well as furiously and caustically humorous. So where then, in his opinion, does caustic humor

Everett Shinn, 1907. Gertrude Käsebier, 1852–1934 Platinum print, 8 x 6 1/2 in. Delaware Art Museum, Gift of Helen Farr Sloan, 1978

stand in 2013? Can writers of humor only really get away with political incorrectness in the theater? Was his move toward the theater as a full-time career one of prescience?

10 COLUMNS City Beat | 5

Bad Movie | 18 Greenberg

Backstage | 5

Reel News | 20

Sally Friedman | 30

Starlet; The Last Ride; Side Effects;

About Life | 31

Brooklyn Castle

Jazz Library | 41 Stephane Grappelli

FOOD Jake’s | 42 The National Hotel | 44

Film Roundup | 22

OPINION A Mission on Climate Change | 6

A THOUSAND WORDS Mindset | 7

Shadow Dancer; Triumph of the Wall;

ETCETERA

Frances Ha; The English Teacher

L.A. Times Crossword | 46

MUSIC

Agenda | 47

The Jazz Scene | 34

EXHIBITIONS | 8

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864–1901), Eldorado: Aristide Bruant, 1892, color lithograph. From the collection of Herakleidon Museum, Athens, Greece.

Fifty Shades of Grey: The Classical

Atelier Dualis

Album; Eternal Echoes: Songs and

James A. Michener Art Museum

Dances for the Soul Nick’s Picks | 36

ART Gertrude Kasebier and The Eight | 9 Toulouse-Lautrec | 10

Classical Notebook | 35

The Quiet Life Gallery

Noah Haidu; Keith Jarrett; Pascal Le Boeuf; Le Boeuf Brothers; Joe Locke; Stan Killian; Bob James & David Sanborn

STAGE Regional Theater & Dance | 14 Crazy for You; Oklahoma!; 39 Steps; Venus in Fur; The Addams Family

Keresman on Disc | 38 Bobby Whitlock; Chris Darrow; “The Best of Ripsaw Records Vol. 3; The Breakup Society; Frank Wess

FILM

Scene from The Iceman.

■

ICON

■

JUNE 2013

■

Singer / Songwriter | 40

Cinematters | 15 The Kings of Summer

The McCrary Sisters; Shuggie Otis;

Keresman on Film | 16 The Iceman

The Duke Robillard Band;

W W W. I C O N D V. C O M

■

Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes; John Mellencamp & Assorted Artists

W W W. FA C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V

ON THE COVER: Harry Connick Jr. Page 24.

city beat

THOM NIICKELS

ThomNickels1@aol.com

We live in a hairy age, when stubble or hair on a man’s face is thought to be a good thing. Proof of this is all around: full beards on the pasty white faces of 22-year-olds, Ho Chi Minh goatees on the chins of drug dealers, the homeless, karate kids, bankers, supermarket clerks and bicycle messengers. And in that other hairy world, or the world of facial stubble, the famous five o’clock shadow has become the nearly permanent ten o’clock shadow, proving—as if you needed proof at this point—that this is the Season of Facial Hair. A recent article on philly.com cited a survey of 351 women in which they were asked to rate a man’s appearance in terms of facial hair. Are bearded men more attractive than cleanshaven or stubble-faced men? By a slim margin, the women found that men with at least a ten-day growth of stubble were the most attractive, and that overall hair on a man’s face conveyed “masculinity and maturity.” In addition, most of the women thought that bearded men, or even those with thick ten o’clock shadows, had potential “good parenting skills.” (Yes, you read that right.) While fully-bearded Moses-style men and clean-shaven guys also scored high on the list, men with a ten-day growth of stubble won hands down every time. Stubble, of course, is really just a beard-in-progress, and has a shelf-life of about ten minutes. Maintaining stubble means shaving it off before it reaches the Moses stage. Stubbled men, therefore, are also clean-shaven men, at least for a while. One common criticism of the full Moses beard is what can happen when you try to plant a kiss on the lips of the man hidden inside all that hair: Might those hair follicles contain remnants of yesterday’s food? Some men grow beards because they want to hide a weak chin or mandible. Not so long ago a strong chin used to be an emblem of masculinity. While there’s little talk of strong chins anymore, a man with a pointed or weak chin can always camouflage it behind a beard. You can also hide acne scars and wrinkles behind a beard. Double chins can be hidden with neck hair. Other men grow beards because they believe their clean-shaven faces are too feminine or pretty. Some people call this the Justin Bieber effect: “No pretty boy look for me!” When you’re 22 it is not uncommon to want to make yourself look as old as possible. A beard will put on five years, maybe ten. Beard-wearing hipsters have become a signpost of everything ironic and cool, even while a beard is hardly a sign of rebellion, or originality, especially when nearly everybody has one. City Beat celebrated the Rite of Spring with a visit to Germantown’s Cliveden for a wine tasting with Dr. Patrick E. McGovern, Scientific Director of Biomolecular Archaeology (that’s cuisine and fermented beverages) at the Penn Museum. Dr. Pat, who looks good in a beard, explained the origins of our favorite beverage. We learned about the royal winemaking industry along the Nile Delta (2700 B.C.), and about the large jars filled with wine buried in the tombs of the Pharaohs. As Dr. Pat talked, we sipped authentic replica wines like Domaine Vassiliou Retsina and Hermes Muscat of Patras and learned that in ancient Rome white wine with a touch of resin was for the upper classes, while Lora and Posca (both reds) were for plebeians and slaves. Conversely, we were sent spiraling back to Mesopotamia and even dipped our palate into a Neolithic-like wine (Iran’s Chateau hajji firuz). Wine, for some ancients, was an exclusive club. Roman women, for instance, were thought unfit for the grape, while in the Islamic world the Bacchic poet and astronomer, Omar Khayyam, advised teatotalers to “Drink wine. This is life eternal. This is all that youth will give you. It is the season for wine, roses and drunken friends. Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.” Our Cliveden departure was bittersweet, although once outside the falling rain mixed with the aromatic smell of wet leaves put us in an altered state so that we almost mistook the local Septa bus on Germantown Avenue for a Pharaoh in a Chariot. The Committee to Abolish the Broad Street Run (CABSR) doesn’t exist yet, but after last month’s marathon—which caused city-wide traffic jams, Septa detour fiascos and the transformation of I-95 into a parking lot—it’s a given that many have cooled on the idea of 38,000

backstage

BRUCE H. KLAUBER

drumalive@aol.com

Dean? Still on the Scene There was once a performer who played the part of a drunken, leering, singing, gambling, cheating, politically incorrect womanizer. In the years before he actually became many of those things, he proved to be a fine serious actor, a comedian of great ability, a betterthan-average singer, million-selling recording artist, and one-half of the most successful comedy team in show business history. Men wanted to be him. Woman just wanted him. The record books will show that he conquered every performing medium, with the exception of the legitimate stage. But 18 years after his death, Dean Martin has finally made it to the theater in the form of a show called Dino! An Evening with Dean Martin at the Latin Casino. Nat Chandler, who has an extensive background in musical theater, portrays Martin in this charming and well-thought-out little gem of a production, running at the Independence Studio on 3 space within the Walnut Street Theatre until June 30. Adler has many of Martin’s mannerisms and speech patterns down and some aspects of the Martin crooning style, but Nat Chandler is not an impressionist. He’s an actor, and he plays the part nicely, helped by authentic dialogue from South Philadelphia’s Armen Pandola. The thread of the story has to do with Martin’s band getting caught in a snowstorm one night during a stand at Jersey’s late and lamented Latin Casino nightclub. The show goes on sans band with just Martin—in an autobiographical mood—and his pianist, Ken Lane, played literally and figuratively by pianist David Jenkins. What a great excuse for not hiring an orchestra! It would have been nice to have a hipper-sounding pianist, but Broadway has never been known for its swinging instrumentalists. Dean Martin, dead or alive, always did good business. The run has already been extended. For schedules and show times, visit WalnutStreetTheatre.org. Boardwalk Beat The struggling Atlantic Club hotel/casino, which was first Steven Wynn’s Golden Nugget and then Bally’s Grand, is among the least profitable of Atlantic City’s dozen casinos. The Atlantic Club had hoped that the purchase agreement they had with an outfit called Rational Group US Holdings, an English company that specializes in online gaming, would be their savior. It’s not happening, as the deal is a no-go. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Suzette Parmley tells us, “Atlantic Club employees and CEO Michael Frawley pitched the deal as perhaps the last chance to save the casino.” The new Golden Nugget, once the Trump Marina, is trying to cash in on the dance club bonanza pioneered by the Borgata, then copied by Revel. Indeed, Revel’s HQ club is, reports say, about the only successful operation in the near-dead behemoth. The Nugget’s club, just opened, is called “Haven Nightclub” and among their first attractions was popster and rapper Ke$ha—real name, Kesha Rose Sebert—who was “hosting.” At the Revel, the latest news is that Interim Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Hartmann has blamed their rotten business on customers who have not returned to the shore since Hurricane Sandy hit on October 29. He left out the fact that no one went there before the hurricane. In a last-ditch effort to survive, Revel promises, among other things, more affordable restaurants. “We have a couple of locations identified that need to be finalized,” he says. “But we will have great value and great concept.” But evidently, the powers-that-be still don’t get it. In what everyone knows is a 25-cent town, Revel has opened a high-end, semi-private, exclusive slots salon—machines take $5 to $100 a piece—complete with private bathrooms, ATM, and flat-screen televisions. And the crack houses still stand just yards away from Revel’s entrance. If Bert Parks were alive, he would turn over in his grave. Parks, who hosted the just-returned-to-the-Boardwalk Miss America Pageant from 1955 to 1979, was best known for his heartfelt but slightly off-key annual rendition of the song, There She Goes, Miss America, which he introduced in 1955. This year, says pageant VP Sharon Pearce, the song is out. Now there is absolutely no reason to tune in. For All You Folks A musicologist who should have known better once asked Louis Prima if his music could

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

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

■

JUNE 2013

■

ICON

■

icon opinion

EUGENE ROBINSON

The intersection of art, entertainment, culture, opinion and mad genius

Filling the hunger since 1992 1-800-354-8776 • 215-862-9558 fax: 215-862-9845

A mission on climate change

www.icondv.com Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

PRESIDENT OBAMA SHOULD SPEND his remaining years in office making the United States part of the solution to climate change, not part of the problem. If Congress sticks to its policy of obstruction and willful ignorance, Obama should use his executive powers to the fullest extent. We are out of time. With each breath, every person alive today experiences something unique in human history: an atmosphere containing more than 400 parts per million of carbon dioxide. This makes us special, I suppose, but not in a good way. The truth is that 400 is just one of those round-number milestones that can be useful for grabbing people’s attention. What’s really important is that atmospheric carbon dioxide has increased by a stunning 43 percent since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. The only plausible cause of this rapid rise, from the scientific viewpoint, is the burning of fossil fuels to fill the energy needs of industrialized society. The only logical impact, according to those same scientists, is climate change. The only remaining question—depending on what humankind does right now—is whether the change ends up being manageable or catastrophic. Only someone who was ignorant of basic science—or deliberately being obtuse—could write a sentence like this one: “Contrary to the claims of those who want to strictly regulate carbon dioxide emissions and increase the cost of energy for all Americans, there is a great amount of uncertainty associated with climate science.” Oh, wait, that’s a quote from an op-ed in The Washington Post by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Tex.), chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. Yes, this is the officially designated science expert in the House of Representatives. See what I mean about Obama likely having to go it alone? For the record, and for the umpteenth time, there is no “great amount of uncertainty” about whether the planet is warming or why. A new study looked at nearly 12,000 recently published papers by climate scientists and found that, of those taking a position on the question, 97 percent agreed that humans are causing atmospheric warming by burning fossil fuels, which releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

■

ICON

■

JUNE 2013

■

W W W. I C O N D V. C O M

■

The mechanism by which carbon dioxide traps heat is well understood and can be observed in a laboratory setting. If Smith and other deniers wish to create the impression that there is an “on the other hand” argument to be made, they’ll need to come up with a radical new theory of physics. Last I looked, there was no member of Congress named Einstein. The greenhouse gases that we have already spewed into the air will linger for centuries; if we stopped all carbon emissions tomorrow, we’d still have to deal with the effects of climate change. The question is how bad it gets. The United States no longer holds the distinction of being the biggest carbon emitter; we’ve been outstripped by China. Unilateral action in Washington to reduce emissions will have no significant impact on climate change unless there is similar action in Beijing. And if the world’s two biggest economies were to act, it would be much easier to persuade the rest of the world to come along. There are signs that China, for its own reasons, may be ready. The activity responsible for most of China’s emissions—the burning of coal in power plants— shrouds Chinese cities in noxious pollution that the increasingly vocal middle class finds unacceptable. The government is talking for the first time about at least slowing emissions and perhaps capping them. Such a move would be huge. While Congress was covering its ears and going “na-na-na,” Obama took a big and important step by raising fuel economy standards for automobiles. Now the president should direct the Environmental Protection Agency to complete work on a rule governing emissions from new power plants—and, more importantly, begin work on a rule limiting emissions at existing plants, including those fired by coal. Obama can direct government agencies, including the military, to use more renewable energy. He can direct the EPA to regulate emissions of methane, an even more powerful greenhouse gas. He can continue to fund research into solar energy, despite criticism from Congress. Obama will have to go it alone. Addressing climate change cannot be just a duty. It has to be his mission. ■

W W W. FA C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V

Assistant Editor

Trina McKenna trina@icondv.com Raina Filipiak

ADVERTISING 800-354-8776

City Beat Editor Thom Nickels Backstage & Bruce H. Klauber Jazz Scene Editor Fine Arts Editors Edward Higgins Burton Wasserman Classical Music Editor Peter H. Gistelinck Music Editors Nick Bewsey Mark Keresman Bob Perkins Tom Wilk Food Editor Robert Gordon Wine Editor Patricia Savoie Contributing Writers A. D. Amorosi

Robert Beck Jack Byer Peter Croatto James P. Delpino Sally Friedman Geoff Gehman Mark Keresman George Oxford Miller Thom Nickels R. Kurt Osenlund T. J. Reese

PO Box 120 • New Hope, PA 18938 (800) 354-8776 Fax (215) 862-9845 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). Copyright 2013 Prime Time Publishing Co., Inc.

a thousand words

STORY AND PAINTING BY ROBERT BECK

MINDSET WHAT YOU FOCUS ON is where you go. Anyone who practices visualization understands the power of projection. It is common to see athletes mentally going through the course before an event, eyes closed and trance-like, body reacting to curves and jumps. When I painted in an operating room, the surgeon placed his hands on the sedated patient before starting the procedure and imagined all the motions he would go through when removing the man’s kidney. Part of it is rehearsal. Part of it is pointing your mind in the right direction. It is a way to influence destiny. Artists employ a version of projection even though their path is uncharted and the goal shifts shape. They allow themselves to be directed by their personal temperament and inspiration, skirting outside distractions. They respond to the cues of opportunities and take chances as they present themselves. It’s where discoveries are made. That process is not something you can rehearse, but you can cultivate a focused mindset that moves you forward in the search no matter what curve balls and dead ends you encounter. Visualization, positive thinking and other fostering disciplines are methods of managing energy and keeping your head in a progressive place. So is our habit of naming things. What you label something invokes related thoughts and emotions whenever the words are spoken or heard. When we give names to things we care about we are reinforcing the bond. There is a lot of our personal psyche behind it. We do it to please ourselves (unless we are doing it specifically to appeal to others) with ideas that sound good to us, ideas we don’t mind putting out there as ours. Ideas we celebrate. I see signs in front of residential properties with restful titles like Golden Hills or Thistle Dew; suggestions that put your mind at ease. Occasionally you’ll find a tongue-in-

cheek moniker (Sycamowin) but nothing deflating like Diphtheria Mews. Don’t want to come home to that. Bad energy. A lot of pleasure boats are named after women (which might reflect an early negotiation tactic) but many of the other boat names can be a telling glimpse into the owner’s mindset. Aggressive, peaceful, arrogant, wistful—you’ve seen them. I used to name my pets after artists. No surprise there, eh? I’m not alone in using that as a passive form of reinforcement. What better thing to be reminded of than your aspirations, passions and loves. My friend raises sheep with champion fleece bloodlines. The girls are all named after flowers and the boys get traditional guy names. She has a pair of rams with wooly forelocks that she called Don and Phil because they look like the Everly Brothers. I smile every time I think about that. I’ve painted a number of sheep from her flock over the years, and last month I was suffi-

ciently taken by a ewe and her new lambs to do a formal portrait of them. Giving a painting its title is an extension of the creation process. Sometimes the name emerges while working, but often it’s determined at the end to sharpen a point or add a layer of consideration. It reflects the artist as well as the image. While I was working on the portrait I referred to it as “the sheep painting” but I needed a better title than that. I called my friend and asked what the sheep’s names were. “Rose is the mother,” she said, “and the twins are Daisy and Colt.” Rose and Daisy I understood (flowers, right?), but not Colt. “The twins are sold,” she explained. “They were named by the lady who bought them. She names her sheep after guns.” Daisy and Colt. I attempted to say something but my brain was buffering. “She also bought the Everly Brothers,” said my friend, “and is changing their names to Smith and Wesson.”

W W W. FA C E B O O K .C O M / I C O N D V

I thought about it for a while. I’ve seen paintings with obscure titles that taunt viewers with their seeming intellectual depth. Go ahead—figure it out. Did I want to make a statement no one would get? No, I wanted something that echoed what I felt when I saw Rose and her twins. That’s what I named it: Rose and Her Twins. It’s a suitable title and it doesn’t slip into a tiresome sidetrack. Viewers can look at the ewe’s face and see her as the mother of two charming, identical lambs without thinking about weapons. Her gaze invites us to reflect on our own place and responsibilities in a broader world. It is a small thought but it moves us forward. What you focus on is where you go. ■

Robert Beck maintains a studio and academy in Lambertville, New Jersey. Email: robertbeck@robertbeck.net.

■ W W W. I C O N D V .C O M

■

JUNE 2013

■

ICON

■

Cold Storage Beach, Truro, by Denise Dumont.

Summer Exhibit The Quiet Life Gallery 17 So. Main Street Lambertville, NJ 609-397-0880 quietlifegallery.com Open Wednesday – Sunday June 7 – July 21

Emanation #2, 36 X 30. Oil on copper.

New Works by Erin Andserson Atelier Dualis 91 W. Broad St., Bethlehem, PA 419-304-9000 www.atelierdualis.com

This exhibit is showcasing a wonderful array of contemporary paintings. Some of the artists might be familiar to you, and others are completely new to the gallery. The very fine livestock portraits by Terri Amig, the plein-air streetscapes of John Schmidtberger, the urban grit of Eric Fowler, the expressive faces of amateur boxers by Elise Dodeles, the tactile surfaces and sparkle of landscapes by Andre Paradis, the conceptual series based on the Delaware River by John Petach, the evocative paintings of Daniel Watts, the breezy barns of Richard Gombar, the lovely skies of Louis Pontone, and the simple elegance of Daniel Christmas, will be familiar to regular visitors to The Quiet Life Gallery. New to us will be: the delightful Atlantic seashores of Denise Dumont, the graphically bold paintings of Marion Di Quinzio, the whimsical and colourful works by Barbara Mayfield, and the sheer mastery of local rural landscapes by Susan M. Blubaugh.

These latest pieces explore the idea of portraits and energy through the use of abstract patterns and realist portraiture. The portraits, painted on copper panel with patterns and designs deliberately etched in the paint, allow the metal to shine through. Copper is a conductive material, making it an ideal medium for the expression of her theme. Erin’s work has been featured in national magazines and resides in the homes of collectors throughout the U.S. In addition to her personal studio work, Erin is also the founder and Head Instructor at Atelier Dualis, an independent art school for those seeking to pursue a serious art career. Those interested may visit www.atelierdualis.com or www.erinandersonstudio.com.

Gold, by Marion Di Quinzio.

■

ICON

■

JUNE 2013

Life Lines, 6 X 9. Oil on copper.

■

W W W. I C O N D V. C O M

■

W W W. FA C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V

Nelson Shanks (b. 1937), Portrait of Margaret, The Lady Thatcher, 1999, oil on canvas, 40 x 30 inches, Muscarelle Museum of Art at the College of William & Mary in Virginia, Gift of J. Bruce Bredin, W&M '36

Nelson Shanks: A Brush with Reality James A. Michener Art Museum 138 So. Pine St., Doylestown, PA 215-340-9800 www.michenerartmuseum.org June 8–September 8 Nelson Shanks’ focus on and dedication to classical painting is rooted in the studied excellence of the European masters. His portrait compositions are narratives that speak to the scope and scale of a personality. His studies of human nature, most often in the form of the female nude, are rich with references—a floral headpiece, delicate compote, gilded frame remnants, a peacock feather, and soft textiles. Shanks has lived, taught and painted in Bucks County since the 1960s and is recognized for his eloquent portraits of notable figures in the world of politics, science, the arts, and religion. Yet there is enormous range in his oeuvre which includes still lifes, landscapes, and human tableaus filled with dramatic colors and textures. Nelson Shanks is a maestro, orchestrating colors, spaces and elements like a conductor. And just as a conductor teases nuances from his musicians, Shanks infuses his paintings with this same passion and energy.

Nelson Shanks, Salomé, 2007, oil on canvas, 28 x 44 inches, Collection of the Artist.

art Gertrude Kasebier and

The EIGHT

Photograph of Sunday Rotogravure Section of The New York Times, February 16, 1908 John Sloan Manuscript Collection, Delaware Art Museum, Gift of Helen Farr Sloan

EDWARD HIGGINS

ON THE CUTTING EDGE of modernism in the United States, a middle-aged Brooklyn housewife with three children, Gertrude Kasebier, was called upon to use her skills in photography to promote other artists in their rebellion against the art establishment of the day. The time was the turn of the 19th into the 20th century and the artists were known as The Eight. Kasebier, her remarkable contributions to photography and to its practice as a fine art by women, is being celebrated in Delaware this month by two exhibitions, one at the Delaware Art Museum and the other at the Old College Main Gallery of the University of Delaware. Photographs of the Eight: Portraits for Promotion at Museum runs through July 7 and The Complexity of Light and Shade at the University runs through June 28. The show at the University is a selection of work from the collection with formal family and individual portraits and landscapes. As befits the title of the exhibition, the work is concerned mostly with the evocation of emotion through the marvelous shading Kasebier brought to her work. The Museum show is also comprised of holdings from the collection which includes a complete set of all eight members of The Eight. These were an odd group to come together. The leader, if there was one, was Robert Henri, a charismatic teacher at Philadelphia’s Academy of the Fine Arts who urged the depiction of a rougher side of life. Four of The Eight— John Sloan, Everett Shinn, George Luks, and William Glackens—were newspaper artists who eventually followed Henri to New York. Ernest Lawson was a Canadian Impressionist, Arthur Davies was a conservative painter, and Maurice Prendergast, a Boston mystic whose study in Europe showed in his work. The group as a whole was a diverse colorful lot: Henri was a fake name; Glackens helped his Philadelphia High School classmate, Albert Barnes, build his art collection; Shinn became a muralist and set decorator on Broadway; Davies maintained two families unknown to each other for 25 years and also led the group which organized the Armory Show in 1913; Luks, an alcoholic, was beaten to death in a barroom brawl; Sloan was highly political (the Delaware Art Museum has a huge Sloan collection). The only thing they had in common was rejection. Their work had been rejected by the art establishment from annual exhibitions that were common in the day and without which an artist would find it difficult to succeed. The press dubbed them The Eight after the 1908 show in New York’s Macbeth Gallery and called them the “Ashcan School of American Art.” Their 63 works toured for two years. It was a scandalous success. The exhibition, however, was not a movement but an overt political action taken by dissatisfied artists. They knew they would have to promote the show heavily and for a year prior to the opening they hired Gertrude Kasebier to take photographs of them. The resulting pictures were widely displayed in the press across the country and carried the caché of the forefront of American art in the figure of the 56-year-old Kasebier. Kasebier attended what is now known as Moravian College in Bethlehem in the mid-1800s and later the Pratt Institute of Art in Brooklyn. She then travelled to Europe where she studied the chemistry of photography. Upon her return in 1895 she launched her own career and was soon exhibiting in major shows. She was unique in that she did not require elaborate props to give insight into the person being photographed. One of her first successes was portraits of the Lakota Sioux from Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. They would show up performance-ready and she would insist on regular clothing. In 1899, Alfred Stieglitz published five of her photographs in Camera Notes. She was a founding member of Photo-Secession and her work was regularly published in avant garde periodicals. Kasebier and Stieglitz would later split over the issue of her turning commercial. He was all for art and she needed to make a living. It was in this role that Kasebier was commissioned by The Eight. She took each artist separately and, using only her own talent and a minimum of props, created their portraits. The shading of the photographs is so extraordinary that it comes as a shock that they are not in color, but black and white. Each of the men is posed differently with most being full-length. The question then was: could photography be fine art? These eight pictures were clearly commercial objects. They were meant to promote an art show and, judging from their circulation, they did. Could they then be art? The answer is debated even today, but the answer lies in the eternal question: Do the objects enhance life or diminish life? They are absolutely art. n

Edward Higgins is a member of The Association Internationale Des Critiques d’Art.

V W W W. FA C E B O O K .C O M / I C O N D V

n W W W. I C O N D V .C O M

JUNE 2013

ICON

art

BURTON WASSERMAN

Toulouse-Lautrec YOU NEVER GET TIRED of seeing familiar graphics by certain exceptional talents. They are endlessly alive with vibrating energy, emotional depth and magnetic attraction. No mechanical instrument can ever be expected to accurately measure the force field of their aesthetic electricity. Typically, all of these characteristics ring with riveting credibility in examples by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec. In the wake of that gifted French genius from the latter part of the 19th century, the efforts of lesser talents simply roll over and fall by the wayside. This becomes immediately evident when you see an exceptional exhibition of his work, like the one currently on view at the Allentown Art Museum. Titled Toulouse-Lautrec and His World, the installation is scheduled to stay on public view, from June 2 until September 1, 2013. After the show closes in Allentown, it will go on to Flint, Michigan. To miss seeing the installation while it‘s on view in our midst, will probably mean not seeing it at all. Lautrec jammed a whole lot of living into 37 short years. By the same token, he crammed a huge quantity of creative accomplishment and social interaction into a very miniature physique. Standing four-and-a-half feet tall, it was a physical body made small by serious accidents sustained early in life and a genetic endowment that precluded growth into a lanky, Lincoln-like figure. In particular, he had his share of problems with moving about from here to there, but he refused to let them stop him. His work as an artist often led him to take trips that went almost anywhere he chose to wander. Nevertheless, with or without someone to help him get around, he went hither and yon, always making sketch notes. He used them constantly for future reference as long as his hand was still able to hold a brush, pen or stick of crayon. We are told he could also count on a prodigious memory. Apparently, it stayed with him as long as he was able to still draw breath and discern what he was looking at, even when his eyesight had to see beyond a drugged or drunken haze that may have otherwise clouded his vision. Perhaps it was in order to become part of the Parisian Montmartre vanguard scene, and, possibly, to also steel himself against the unkind ridicule of nasty people toward his deformed appearance, Lautrec began to consume alcoholic refreshment in rather excessive quantities. Nevertheless, until the effects of acute alcoholism finally caught up with him, he was generally in such sound control of his artistic resources he could make lines and colors behave with a degree of precision and vitality that many of his contemporaries could rarely equal. In 1891, Lautrec was commissioned to prepare an advertising poster for the Moulin Rouge Café. With its publication and placement all over Paris, both the artist and the café became stars. During the rest of his brief but prolific career as both a fine and commercial artist, Lautrec went on to produce many artworks. They included hundreds of paintings, thousands of drawings and a little over 360 lithographic prints and posters. On a conceptual level, his debt to the great Impressionists for their determination to break away from traditional academic formulas is abundantly evident. His unusual style was also considerably influenced by the famous classical Japanese multicolor woodcuts that arrived from Asia in the 19th century. Lautrec’s posters are at their best in remarkable treatments of such celebrated cabaret performers as Jane Avril, Yvette Guilbert and Aristede Bruant, a male entertainer who went around town in a trademark-like costume of a black broad-brimmed hat, red scarf and black This page: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864–1901), La Revue Blanche, 1895, color lithograph. From the collection of Herakleidon Museum, Athens, Greece, www.herakleidon-art.gr Opposite page: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864–1901), Babylone d’Allemagne, 1894, color lithograph. From the collection of Herakleidon Museum, Athens, Greece, www.herakleidon-art.gr

■

ICON

■

JUNE 2013

■

W W W. I C O N D V. C O M

■

Dr. Burton Wasserman is a professor emeritus of Art at Rowan University, and a serious artist of long standing. Dr. Wasserman’s program Art From Near and Far is on WWFM in Central and Northern New Jersey and Bucks County and WGLS in S. Jersey.

W W W. FA C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V

cloak. With the exercise of bold strokes and vivid color, the exceptionally perceptive artist in him brought distinctive qualities of visual representation, sincere concern and thoughtful objectivity to his subjects whether they were human beings, animals or even architectural interiors. Lautrec died in 1901, the same year as Queen Victoria. She gave the period when they were both alive a name that still survives. On the other hand, his art also provides that era with a spirit of life no verbal label can convey. Without doubt, his language of vision brings the lively epoch, also called le fin de siecle (end of the century), into being with uncanny accuracy. Using flourishes of line and patches of color, his pictures and posters give definition to a collective state of mind that simultaneously included stretches of warfare in various locales, extraordinary creative ferment and staggering scientific and industrial progress. Lautrec, in his multiple roles as a highborn aristocrat and a phenomenally gifted artist, managed to live like the proverbial candle that burns at both ends. From time spent in his surrounding society to the corners of his art studio, he explored everything he could see and touch and then gave them all voice in a vocabulary of vital visual expression. Typically, his images illuminate the racetrack, nightclub activity, the circus, the world of entertainment, the bordello and the earthy reality of many other everyday proceedings. Working at the summit of the art community, the content of his art is situated at the very center of a line connecting mature Degas with early Picasso. Just as his heritage in the area of French nobility is located on the top shelf, so too is the sheer excellence of his touch in the history of Western art. The sad details of the man’s pitiful personal biography were brilliantly counterpointed by an incredible command of impeccably supreme draftsmanship. Truly, there is much to savor aesthetically, emotionally and intellectually in the solo exhibition currently on view. The catalog of the exhibition discusses and illustrates many of them with an excellent text and first-rate images in both black and white and full color. At $35.00 for a hardbound copy, it’s a most attractively priced publication and is available in the Museum store. ■ 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

■

JUNE 2013

■

ICON

■

ICON

■

JUNE 2013

■

W W W. I C O N D V. C O M

■

W W W. FA C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V

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

■

JUNE 2013

■

ICON

■

regional theater Crazy for You

39 Steps

6/12-6/30 Tony Award-winning Crazy for You is the story of Bobby Child, a well-to-do 1930s playboy, whose dream in life is to dance. Despite the serious efforts of his mother and soon-tobe-ex fiancee, Bobby’s dream comes true! The score’s standout hits include “I Got Rhythm,” “Nice Work if You Can Get It,” and “Someone to Watch Over Me.” It’s a high-energy musical comedy that features virtuoso tap dance numbers, mistaken identity, plot twists, and classic Gershwin tunes. Music & lyrics by George & Ira Gershwin. Baker Theatre, Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre, Allentown, PA. 484-664-3333. www.muhlenberg.edu/SMT

6/19-7/14 A maze of murder and espionage entangles the innocent, mild-mannered protagonist as he navigates a flirtatious blonde, an on-stage plane crash, and death-defying spectacles. Winner of two Tony and Drama Desk awards and the The Olivier Award for Best New Comedy, this madcap spin on the Hitchcock masterpiece adds a splash of Monty Python, and 150 characters played by only four actors. The perfect love-letter to the magic of the theatre. Recommended for ages 6+. The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Schubert Theater, 2755 Station Ave., Center Valley, PA. 610-282-WILL(9455). www.PaShakespeare.org Venus in Fur 5/24-6/16 This wicked and demented play is subversive and a wild-roller coaster of emotions. Playwright David Ives (All in the Timing) tells a darkly seductive tale introducing us to Vanda, an

Booty Candy THRU 6/16 Behind a tall church pulpit, a fire-and-brimstone preacher delivers a shocking sermon to his congregation. On the tropical sands of a deserted island, two lesbians come together. And at the home of a young Sutter, his mother scolds him for reading Jackie Collins romance novels. This is just a taste of playwright Robert O’Hara’s wildly imaginative anthology of Jocelyn Bloh, Phillip James Brannon, Lance Coadle Williams. sassy lessons in sex ed, a Photo: Alexander Izillaev kaleidoscope of sketches that interconnect to portray growing up gay and African-American. With variety-show vivacity, outrageous humor, and real heart and soul, it tests how we talk about human desire and racial stereotypes at home, in church, and on the corner. The Wilma Theater, 265 So. Broad St., Phila. (215) 893-9456. www.wilmatheater.org

Mark Alhadeff and Jenni Putney.

unusually talented young actress determined to land the lead in Thomas’ new play based on the erotic novel, Venus in Fur. Vanda’s emotionally charged audition for the gifted but demanding playwright/director becomes an electrifying game of cat and mouse that blurs the lines between fantasy and reality, seduction and power, love and sex. In a mere ninety minutes tables are turned and reality shifts in kinky ways that leave audiences stunned. This play is not unlike a Rorschach Test, which leaves each theatergoer with his or her own interpretation of what has just happened. Philadelphia Theatre Company, The Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 So. Broad St., Phila. (215) 985-0420. www.PhiladelphiaTheatreCompany.org

Oklahoma! 6/12-6/30

The Addams Family 6/10 & 6/11

A vibrant musical celebration of the pioneer spirit that built America. With a rousing score, exuberant dances, and passionate love story, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s first collaboration resonates with themes of progress, community and freedom. Iconic songs that capture all the joy and hope beyond the struggles of the settlers’ life in the Midwest. Recommended for ages 6+. The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Main Stage, 2755 Station Ave., Center Valley, PA. 610-282-WILL(9455). www.PaShakespeare.org

■

ICON

■

JUNE 2013

■

W W W. I C O N D V. C O M

■

A smash-hit new musical comedy that brings the darkly delirious world of Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, Grandma, Wednesday, Pugsley and, of course, Lurch to spooky and spectacular life. This magnificently macabre comedy is created by Jersey Boys authors Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice. Come meet the family. We’ll leave the lights off for you. State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton, PA. 610-252-3132, 1-800-999-STATE. www.statetheatre.org ■

W W W. FA C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V

cinematters

THE KINGS OF SUMMER tries to be serious and funny and sentimental and dramatic. I’m sure there are other adjectives that I have momentarily forgotten, all of which are trotted out like sales techniques. Every time we know what we’re watching, director Jordan Vogt-Roberts rolls up his sleeves and starts another pitch that further obscures the movie’s identity. Joe Toy (Nick Robinson) is a suburban teenager on the brink. He lives with his dad (Nick Offerman), a widower who uses sarcasm and brusqueness as emotional armor. They’re not getting along. Example: Joe wants to go out. Dad, who has reinstated family game night to impress his girlfriend, says no. Monopoly ends with a visit from two police officers. It’s not the first time they’ve played mediator. Joe doesn’t care. He goes to a rowdy late-night party that gets broken up. While finding his way home, Joe and a random weirdo, Biaggio (Moises Arias), encounter a patch of verdant forest that practically glows. It’s a place where a kid can get away from everything, especially angry adults. When Mr. Toy hijacks Joe’s phone flirtation with the school babe (Erin Moriarty), a switch flips. Joe knows the woods can provide a better home than his dad. The proposal is equally appealing to Joe’s best friend, Patrick (Gabriel Basso), whose parents’ non-stop blather gives him hives. Biaggio joins the group, because according to Joe, “I don’t know what he’s capable of.” Joe draws up blueprints, and the boys pick up a mailbox here, a plank of wood there. Before you know it, a house is built. There are no parents, no rules, and infinite freedom. At least until the authorities get involved.

PETE CROATTO

The Kings of Summer Where did the boys get building materials? How long did it take them to erect this glorified, earth-bound tree house? The answers don’t matter when you’re profiling a boyhood utopia built on a foundation of pluck and naivety. Chris Galletta’s script lacks the awareness and whimsy found in Wes Anderson’s growing-up tales so The Kings of Summer keeps collapsing from the weight of its own disbelief. Joe’s dad and Patrick’s parents (Megan Mullally and Marc Evan Jackson) exist in sitcoms. Kids do not run away from people they’ve laughed at since age five. They roll their eyes or ignore them. If that doesn’t work, they may distract themselves with recreational drugs and unprotected sex. Convenience store parking lots and bedrooms stocked with video games and DVDs also work. Running away and voluntarily going all Mosquito Coast is ludicrous. We know that. Presumably, so do Galletta and Vogt-Roberts, who, instead of acknowledging that, turn every adult character into a weirdo or a dope. We’re asked to take this youthful retreat seriously only to have that intent diminish with every goofy diversion— and there are a lot of them. Admittedly, it’s easier to bring the funny than deal with being 14 or 15 and feeling trapped as your parents’ tag-along. But when you’re heartfelt from a distance and sarcastic at close range, you breed contempt. We’re bombarded with easy laughs, yet no one considers how to work them into a tender story about boys being boys. So we’re subjected to poor Alison Brie (playing Robinson’s sister) sporting an effeminate, desperate-to-please boyfriend who sings “The Band Played On.” And a delivery guy who brings wonton soup with wonW W W. FA C E B O O K .C O M / I C O N D V

tons the size of throw pillows. There’s even a doofus police officer. Come to think of it, the children don’t get away clean either. Biaggio is transparent comic relief, a miniature, autistic Christopher Walken. He serves no purpose other than to keep Galletta and Vogt-Roberts from challenging us. Or themselves. There is a good movie here, if anyone wanted to dig a little. The rapport between Robinson, Offerman, and Brie during family game night is wonderful. We know these three have endured a rough patch, but have enough love to fill the holes. Vogt-Roberts could have used that history as a platform to examine the rift between Offerman and Robinson’s characters or to explore how Brie’s boyfriend sticks around. Joe’s fascination with one of his sister’s friends is a ripe subplot if everyone decides not to take the T&A highway. So many options exist that are more rewarding—and far less irritating— than what’s presented. The Kings of Summer skirts the issues that cause teenagers to rebel and parents to hold tight. Vogt-Roberts hopes you’ll relish the puckish courage that comes in being young and not recognize that his movie is a long shimmering, laugh-desperate diversion. ■

Pete Croatto also writes movie reviews for The Weekender. His essays, features, and humor pieces have appeared in Philadelphia, New Jersey Monthly, The Christian Science Monitor, Grantland, Deadspin, and MAD. petecroatto@yahoo.com or follow him at Twitter, @PeteCroatto.

■ W W W. I C O N D V .C O M

■

JUNE 2013

■

ICON

■

keresman on film

MARK KERESMAN

Ray Liotta.

The Iceman “That’s when I began to relax. Only cops talk like that. If it had been wiseguys, I wouldn’t have heard a thing. I would’ve been dead.” — Henry Hill, Goodfellas THERE ARE MANY MOVIES based on real-life career criminals and The Iceman is one such, a biography of Richard Kuklinski, a New Jersey contract (that is, a professional/for-hire) killer who, fact-based legend has it, killed in excess of over 100 people, and possibly many more. The Iceman stars Michael Shannon, a fine actor with the most intimidating jawbone next to James Remar (Dexter’s dad), as Kuklinski, a loving family man whose brood has no idea of his profession. The Iceman has some affinities with Goodfellas, not least of which both star Ray Liotta, here as mid-level mob-boss Roy DeMeo, a chap affiliated with the Gambino crime organization/family, the guy who sees “potential for greatness” in Kuklinski. (DeMeo was a formidable/scary presence in his own right—in the movie Boss of Bosses, a biopic of mob boss Paul Castellano, Castellano refers to him as “that maniac DeMeo.”) We get to see Kuklin16

■

ICON

■

JUNE 2013

■

ski’s meteoric “rise” from small-time criminal associate to murderer-for-hire, mainly due to his icy, intrepid, and sociopathic nature. My fellow critics-in-arms will likely accuse this movie of not really getting beneath the surface of the character, but this critic says perhaps “surface” is all there was to him. Kuklinski was little more than a seething ball of rage, a character that by comparison makes De Niro’s Jake LaMotta seem practically easygoing and Dennis Hopper’s Frank Booth seem cheerful. He was a man that had virtually no feeling(s) for anyone or anything except his wife (portrayed by Winona Ryder) and two daughters. Iceman hints (via some dialogue and very brief flashbacks) that Kuklinski was “incubated” by that good old American method of producing sociopaths—he was brutally abused by his father, and also his mother, who was...wait for it...religious. (His mother’s religious leanings were left out of

W W W. I C O N D V. C O M

■

W W W. FA C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V

this film, as were Kuklinski’s youthful torturing of neighborhood dogs and cats.) Kuklinski was also an altar boy—make of that what you will. Early in the movie we get to see RK was a killer of people before he did it for a living, slitting the throat of someone that pissed him off. (The real-life Kuklinski was also a serial killer, albeit one that eventually “channeled” his penchant for murder for financial gain, recalling how Dexter Morgan channeled his demons toward 86-ing Miami’s criminal element for the general betterment of society.) Kuklinski also acquires a partner-in-crime, striking a partnership with fellow pro-killer/sociopath Mr. Freezy (Mr. Softee in real life), played by an unrecognizable Chris Evans (Captain America). These two gents kill, dissect, and freeze human beings with the bland dispassion of slaughterhouse workers—at no point does Kuklinski show any emotion for anyone or anything save his wife and daughters, who are happily oblivious to anything wrong. Which is a little odd, considering that one not be Doctors Drew or Phil to notice RK was a little on the emotionally remote side, to put it mildly. Shannon is intense throughout, his portrayal virtually radiating the inner coldness of barely controlled menace, someone who’d kill you as soon as look at you. The real RK needed very little reason to kill—while Joe Pesci’s Nicky Santoro, to name one notable screen/real-world thug, killed for a reason, the real Kuklinski killed people simply for practice. Kuklinski is a joyless person, yet someone who seems to be two people: The Polite, Content Family Man and the Fearless, Cold-Hearted Killer. His performance never seems labored or over-the-top. Ryder, on the other hand, is merely okay as his wife, trying to be all “Joisey.” (Why didn’t director Ariel Vroman get Debi Mazar, who played Henry Hill’s girlfriend/drugbiz partner in Goodfellas?) Liotta is excellent as usual. Friends star David Schwimmer oozes a mixture of hapless sleaziness and wannabe-tough guy bravado as DeMeo’s protégé. The direction is suitably straightforward, with brief documentarylike touches—Iceman, set mostly in the 1970s, has the look and feel of a 1970s drive-in movie (flat colors, slightly drab) without being a Tarantino wannabe. It would have been fascinating, perhaps, to see exactly what Ryder’s character saw in Kuklinski in the first place, to see how and why they fell in love. In some ways, she was as blank and vacant as RK—she needed someone to take care of her, he needed someone to take care of, to fill a hole in himself. The Iceman is a engaging film, but it is almost a horror film—while there are mob elements to it, it has none of the “allure” of and for the underworld of, say, Casino or Goodfellas. It is less about a mob hitman than a true monster in human form, a malevolent mutation that hid among us in plain sight. ■

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.

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

■

JUNE 2013

■

ICON

■

bad movie

MARK KERESMAN

Greenberg

IT DOESN’T TAKE A genius or a film aesthete to realize that Woody Allen is an incredibly influential filmmaker. Whereas Allen used to be really funny on a consistent basis, he became one of America’s most European filmmaker, giving voice and images to neurotic white people with six-figure incomes that never seem to (really) work. [Before some of you mail in death threats, I will say Midnight in Paris was and is a charming and excellent film.] Perhaps I’m blaming Allen—fairly or unfairly—for the plethora of films that shine cinematic light on upper-middle-class (and higher up the food chain) white neurotics talking/whining about their gosh-awfully so-difficult lives. This, Dear Reader, bring us to Greenberg. Directed by über-hip auteur Noah Baumbach, Greenberg is the “story” of Roger Greenberg, played by Ben Stiller, a mostly whiny, unlikeable putz that gets out of a mental hospital and goes to house-sit in Los Angeles for his vacationing brother. Of course, being an unlikeable but somewhat good-looking guy (this is Ben Stiller we’re talking 18

■

ICON

■

JUNE 2013

■

about, after all), he attracts a nice but exceedingly neurotic lady played by Greta Gerwig, the brother’s housekeeper (now the squeeze of Baumbach). That’s pretty much it, folks—some day you could look up “navel-gazing” on Wikipedia and it will have a link to this movie. Greenberg says (I paraphrase but it’s close), “I’m into doing nothing,” which as we all know is a veritable magnet for attracting the artistic, sensitive ladies. Well, not “nothing” exactly—Greenie writes nasty letters to the Starbucks corporation bemoaning their wrecking of American culture. Sock it to ‘em, O brave Greenberg! There are many movies in which the central character is unlikeable—Hud, Goodfellas, A Clockwork Orange, and many others besides. But the reason these movies are memorable is because their rather loathsome characters are rendered to some degree interesting, or said creepy character is placed in an interesting context. Greenberg is simply annoying, period—a creep that doesn’t seem to grow or…let’s see, what’s that called…oh yes, learn from the conse-

W W W. I C O N D V. C O M

■

W W W. FA C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V

quences of his mostly irresponsible actions. Plus did I mention he’s something of a condescending, narcissistic, insensitive, somewhat antagonistic, and unlikeable prick? Naturally, he treats Gerwig’s character like doo-dee, and when Greenie takes his brother’s seriously ill dog Mahler (oh come on!) to a veterinarian, he shows touching empathy for the situation by asking the vet if there’s any chance he could contract the dog’s disease. Like some art-y films, there are long empty pauses between lines of dialogue—to what end, I do not know. I’m not saying Greenberg is “talky,” but by comparison, Lincoln is quite nearly Robocop by comparison. The point of this thoroughly mediocre movie was seemingly to provide former comedic actor Ben Stiller with a context where he can “shine” dramatically. Sorry Ben, but I keep flashing on that scene in Family Guy wherein Stiller flaps his oversized ears and flies away from Peter Griffin who then says beatifically, “His movies are terrible.” ■

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

■

JUNE 2013

■

ICON

■

reel news

REVIEWS OF RECENTLY RELEASED DVDS BY GEORGE OXFORD MILLER ★=SKIP IT; ★★=MEDIOCRE; ★★★=GOOD; ★★★★=EXCELLENT; ★★★★★=CLASSIC

Scene from The Last Ride.

Starlet (2012) ★★★★ Cast: Dree Hemingway, Besedka Johnson Genre: Drama Unrated, contains explicit sex, some language. Running time 103 minutes. Sometimes you just need a little help from your friends, if you have any. Jane (Hemingway), a drop-dead-beautiful blond, doesn’t and seemingly doesn’t care. She dresses frumpily, has a no-future job in adult films, and lives with two no-brain roomies. Perusing a yard sale, she buys a beat-up thermos from Sadie (Johnson), a crotchety, anti-social octogenarian who lives dismally alone. “No refunds!” Sadie churlishly informs. Then Jane discovers a stash of $100 bills in the thermos. Driven by guilt, sympathy, and maybe boredom, she wants to return the money but decides first to find out what’s up with the old lady. The story develops as the hapless blond and bitter old lady, vastly different but alike in so many ways, forge an unlikely but heart-felt friendship. With powerful, stand-out performances, these two newcomers to the screen develop authentic, deeply empathetic characters. The Last Ride (2012) ★★★★ Cast: Hugo Weaving, Tom Russell Genre: Drama Unrated, no objectionable material. Running time 90 minutes No, this is not the newly-released Hank Williams biopic of the same title, it’s an Australian father-son, hard-love story. Combining elements of a road-trip and aboriginal walkabout, Kev (Weaving) absconds with his ten-year-old

■

ICON

■

JUNE 2013

■

son Chook (Russell) on a coming-of-age journey across the vast Outback. Both emotionally and visually stunning, the man-against-nature, son-against-father odyssey plays out like a jail break from a prison without walls. Kev isn’t the typical father figure or role model. Kindness, understanding, or empathy are not tools in his parenting toolbox. His love for Chook is enduring but more like a thorny burr when his son needs a teddy bear. The pair muse on the infinite stars, steal cars, money, food, and struggle with the complexities of the father-son relationship. With sparse dialogue and telling flashbacks, the reason for the harrowing journey gradually reveals itself as Kev searches both the unforgiving landscape and his parched soul for a place where he can be a father. Side Effects (2012) ★★★ Cast: Jude Law, Rooney Mara, Channing Tatum Genre: Drama, Suspense, Thriller Directed by Steven Soderbergh Rated R for sex, violence and language. Running time 106 minutes. Clinical depression suffocates Emily Taylor (Rooney) like a “poisonous fog bank rolling in on my mind.” So her shrink, Jonathan Banks (Law), does the American thing and prescribes a pill. But not one of the many FDA-approved antidepressants advertised on TV with a litany of scary side effects. Big pharma is paying Banks to test an experimental drug. Sure enough, the pill blasts away the fog like a lightning strike, but with some intense Jekell-Hyde side effects. Sex with her husband Martin (Tatum), recently released from prison for insider trading, goes off the charts. But her reoccurring suicidal impulses turn homicidal. Hang tight as the

W W W. I C O N D V. C O M

■

W W W. FA C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V

plot careens like a carnival horror ride through the dark tunnels of Emily’s tormented mind. Though the plot logic begins to unravel, the ride would make even Hitchcock envious. Brooklyn Castle (2012) ★★★★ Cast: Brooklyn IS 318 students Documentary Rated PG for some language. Running time 101 minutes. The chess team at Brooklyn Intermediate School 318 wants only one thing: to continue the legacy of 26 national championships their middle school has won. They have great talent. They have expert training from a nationallyranked teacher whose after-school class drills the kids. Superstar Rochelle Ballantyn aims to become the first female African-American U.S. Grandmaster. The film follows the school year as the students find themselves pawns on a bigger game board. Seventy percent of the school’s students live below the poverty level and education options are limited. Ballantyn faces intense pressure at home to get into a top-ranking high school. Another player’s mother dies and he must help support the family. Then the city moves to cut funding for the after-school program and travel to tournaments. The drama focuses on the kids’ personal challenges, determination, and hope as they grapple with the realities of life. ■

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.

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

■

JUNE 2013

■

ICON

■

film roundup

PETE CROATTO

Greta Gerwig in Frances Ha.

★=SKIP IT; ★★=MEDIOCRE; ★★★=GOOD; ★★★★=EXCELLENT; ★★★★★=CLASSIC

Shadow Dancer (Dir: James Marsh). Starring: Andrea Riseborough, Clive Owen, Aidan Gillen, Domhnall Gleeson, Brid Brennan, David Wilmot, Gillian Anderson. Established documentarian Marsh (Man on Wire, Project Nim) nimbly directed this character-driven spy tale set in 1993, when tensions in Northern Ireland are starting to fade. After a failed bomb attempt in London, reluctant IRA participant and Belfast single mother Collette (Riseborough) is captured by MI5 and promised protection in return for information on her IRA headliner brothers (Gillen, Gleeson). Collette agrees, but the influence of her government contact (Owen) gradually erodes, placing her and her family at risk while he scrambles for answers. The twists and turns don’t hold our attention as much as the characters’ inability to go beyond their assigned roles. The movie’s color scheme is defined by dreary, optimism-draining browns and grays; Owen and Riseborough (who are excellent) look tired and withered. Subtle and introspective, Shadow Dancer shows the working-class grind behind the cloak and dagger excitement. The burden of real life affects everyone. Tom Bradby adapted the script from his novel. [R] ★★★ Triumph of the Wall (Dir: Bill Stone). Usually when someone tells you a movie, or anything for that matter, doubles as a “metaphor for life,” it’s a cue to roll your eyes. Here’s an exception, a low-key film with emotional heft. Filmmaker Stone meets Chris Overing, a laconic handyman who resembles Josh Duhamel, in a coffee shop. Overing is building a 1,000 ft. 22

■

ICON

■

JUNE 2013

■

dry-stone wall in rural Quebec for a client’s property. The project, he estimates, will take eight weeks; Stone agrees to film it. Years later, Overing and a rotating door of assistants are still working on the damned wall, which has Stone approaching his film from a more philosophical perspective. One of the assistants, Paul, notes how you take a few days off from the wall only to return confused. But as Overing observes, even though the project is taking forever, he’s making something with inherent value. That’s why he keeps coming back, and why Stone keeps the camera rolling. Both men want to build something that lasts. We all do. [NR] ★★★1/2 Frances Ha (Dir: Noah Baumbach). Starring: Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner, Michael Zegen, Adam Driver, Patrick Heusinger. “I’m not a real person yet,” says the film’s title character (Gerwig), a young New Yorker whose life is in perpetual almost. She’s not quite in a relationship with a burgeoning alcoholic before they (kind of) break up. She’s an apprentice at a modern dance company. Her friendship with Sophie (Sumner) would qualify as a marriage if they weren’t interested in men. When life starts changing—Sophie moves on, money dries up—Frances finds herself slipping into the twentysomething mire: she’s too old to be an artsy ingénue but too young to settle for what isn’t her ideal. Baumbach, shrewdly avoiding an indictment on entitled Generation Yers, illuminates the awkwardness of transitioning from young adult to adult. It’s Gerwig who breathes heart and soul into that concept, delivering an effervescent, guileless perform-

W W W. I C O N D V. C O M

■

W W W. FA C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V

ance as a young woman finding her place at the adult table. (Literally. When she asks a dinner guest what he does for a living, it sounds like she’s play-acting.) Gerwig and Baumbach, who both wrote the acridly funny script, create a character we love—for better or for worse. [R] ★★★★ The English Teacher (Dir: Craig Zisk). Starring: Julianne Moore, Michael Angarano, Greg Kinnear, Nathan Lane, Lily Collins, Jessica Hecht, narrated by Fiona Shaw. High school teacher Linda Sinclair (Moore) has loved books from an early age, contributing to a reader’s passiveness where she’s content to let others create the excitement. When a former student (Angarano) reluctantly returns home with a brilliant play, Linda campaigns to have the school premiere it. Her passion for the work, and the playwright, causes her prudent judgment to unravel. Soon, she’s in hot soup with the school and the writer’s father (Kinnear). Solid cast makes the movie work for about 40 minutes until the major plot twist is revealed. At that point, screenwriters Dan and Stacy Charlton abandon internal struggle for a strained lunacy that prevents us from knowing the characters beyond selfish irritants that cement Sinclair’s undeserved martyr status. There’s no logic anywhere, especially from the lead character. It’s hard to root for a 45-year-old woman who doesn’t know the difference between self-sacrifice and manipulation, never mind one whose behavior cannot be reasonably explained outside of a psychiatrist’s office. [R] ★1/2 ■

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

■

JUNE 2013

■

ICON

■

exclusive interview

BRUCE H. KLAUBER

WILD ABOUT

Harry

AS A PERFORMER, THERE just isn’t much that Harry Connick Jr. hasn't done. He’s conquered almost every existing medium and has done a good deal of what he does without compromise and with integrity intact. Connick will be coming to the Kimmel Center on June 25 in support of an extraordinary new CD, Every Man Should Know. And other than jazz drummer Gene Krupa, he is the only “matinee idol”—if there still are such things—ever produced by the world of jazz. Since first breaking through as a jazz pianist when he signed with Columbia Records in 1988, he has reached an incredible level of fame as a concert attraction, star of Broadway, television and motion pictures; recording artist, jazz pianist, vocalist, and as used to be said, star of stage, screen and television. He has carried this considerable fame with When I was 18 I got signed to do a jazz modesty, dignity, confidence, record and I stopped playing classical, grace, humility, sincerity, passion, good humor and a stopped playing rock. And then a few dedication to his craft and to years down the road I made a couple of his first love, jazz. All of this came through New Orleans funk records and then people during a recent and widelooked at me as though I was from Mars. ranging conversation that And that was about the time that I said, covered everything from “talking technical shop,” to screw it, you know, who am I answering the future of jazz, to his to? I know the rules, I know how to play, present, past and future in the business. why can’t I play what I want to play? By his own admission, he is an intensely private person and consequently, to his credit, may be the first mega-star in history to not have become tabloid fodder. Until recently that is, by way of a “situation” played out on national television, on American Idol, no less, one of the most-watched television programs in the country. For those who missed it, Connick was a “guest mentor” on the program, meaning that his role was to give advice to some of the up-and-comers. The timing of his appearance was appropriate, as in that episode, the singing competitors were asked to perform an American pop song classic. Among the songs sung were “My Funny Valentine” and “Stormy Weather.” Connick was, shall we say, a bit hard on the contestants and their “renditions,” strongly pointing out that a singer must know what the song is about before it is sung. The guest mentor made it quite clear that, from what he heard, it was obvious they had no idea. The next day, the national jazz community went wild on social media, saying in part that it was about time someone said this. And that Harry Connick Jr. was the man to say it. “I didn’t plan on saying what I said,” he remembers, “and I had no idea the jazz community was so happy about what I said. What I did hear was that I got in a fight with [judge] Randy Jackson, and I think that’s hysterical. First, it wasn’t a fight. Talking like this stimulates people and that’s what we love to do: talk about music. The last I checked, that show is about music. I like Randy Jackson. I’ve known him for years. I just disagreed with him. With the whole mentoring thing, what I believe is that there

■

ICON

■

JUNE 2013

■

W W W. I C O N D V. C O M

■

are a couple of ways to learn how to play. You listen to records, you go out on gigs, and whenever you have an opportunity to learn from the older cats, you do. In this case, I was the older cat and was teaching them what I thought would help them. But what they didn’t show was the half-hour that I spent with each of them, when I said, ‘Take this stuff with a grain of salt. This is what I think, but you all have to do what you have to do. Which I think they all ended up doing anyway. “Right after I did that, I called my mentor and teacher Ellis Marsalis on the phone and said ‘thanks.’ I’d be playing a tune in his class, and he would ask, ‘What are the lyrics?’ I’d be playing it, and not singing it, but he still wanted me to know what the lyrics were. He would say, ‘What’s the tune about?’ I would say, ‘I don’t know’ and then he would say, ‘Well, then you can’t play it. You need to learn the lyrics. You need to know what you’re playing about. And that goes for the verses, too.’ He was brutal with us. That’s how you learn. “What you also didn’t see on the air was that I was trying to explain to them that you can’t sing ‘runs’ unless you know harmonically what you’re ‘running’ over. So a lot of these young women just didn’t know harmony. I wasn’t trying to squelch their individuality, but you can’t do what they were doing unless they knew exactly what chords were going on underneath them. But it was fun and I had a good time. No, we haven’t talked about me coming back, but I’d do it—mentoring—on TV or off TV.” And of today’s crop of Connick wannabes? “You know, I really don’t listen,” he says. “If there were a clone of me, I would be so happy, but that would mean they would have to do what I do. And I haven’t seen anybody do that yet. I’ve seen people singing tunes, but I haven’t seen those people doing the orchestrations and conducting. I haven’t seen anybody present the music the way I present it. Not that I’m better than anyone else. Just because somebody sings a standard doesn’t mean I’m going to stop in my tracks and check it out. This isn’t a slight to any of the people out there. I honestly just don’t listen.” “Passion” is one thing that comes through when speaking with him, and for him, this passion for music began in his native New Orleans when he first started taking piano lessons at the age of three. Two years later, he made his first public appearance and five years after that made his first jazz record. He fell under the spell of the elder Marsalis when he attended the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. What has happened in his career—helped in no small measure to his marvelous soundtrack to the 1989 film, When Harry Met Sally—is unparalleled in show business history. When and if a history book about such things is written, it will say that only Mel Torme almost came close to Connick’s utter completeness. Now 46, he is again tackling new territory—and a sensitive territory it is, with the making of his new CD, Every Man Should Know. This stands as the first album of alloriginal Connick songs, and the first ever he has written that tell of the real man, his emotions and his vulnerabilities. And he does it with a stellar group of songs that explore almost every style of music there is, including jazz, Latin, country, gospel and funk. It is impossible not to hear how deeply he is feeling about what he is singing. If Sinatra wrote songs, they might have sounded like a few of these. Why is he opening up now? At this point in the interview Connick took a rather personal and introspective detour:

W W W. FA C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V

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

■

JUNE 2013

■

ICON

■

exclusive interview

A. D. AMOROSI

David Ives

A PLAY ABOUT AN audition for a play in which the text comes from a book that came from another book, each with increasingly twisted takes on sexuality and sensuality: that’s the darkly comic and keenly beguiling Venus in Fur from playwright David Ives. Here in this two-person theater piece, Ives pits an ambitious, adroit actress (the character of Vanda) against a smartly rambunctious and demanding stage director (Thomas) and cattily turns the tables on their roles while blurring the lines between apparition and the absolute. Taken from Ritter von Leopold Sacher-Masoch’s classic Venus in Furs which itself stemmed from Histoire d’O, suivi de Retour A Roissy by Pauline Reage, Venus in Fur represents another in a series (albeit his most erotic) of Ives’ works that are dexterous in their language, quirky in their invention, as well as furiously and caustically humorous. Venus in Fur also represents the third production by Ives that the Philadelphia Theatre Company has taken on, after having produced All in the Timing and the world premiere of The Lives of the Saints since PTC’s inception. “I had a very good time some years ago at the Philadelphia Theatre Company with Lives of the Saints,” says Ives while mentioning that Venus in Fur also happens to be currently in production in “Frankly, talking about humor only puts me in four dozen theaters throughout the United a bad mood. I’m sure there’s a Conservation of States. Humor Principle in the universe which says Along with PTC, Ives wrote a libretto for an opera there’s always an equal amount of humor in based on Frances Hodgson the cosmos, it’s just differently distributed at difBurnett’s The Secret Garden in 1991 at the Pennsylvania ferent times. Sometimes it’s in theater, someOpera Theatre. “As far as I recall—and it’s a long time times it’s in movies. Right now it seems centered ago—I was in a music thein Eastern Latvia. ater workshop at New Dramatists in New York where I did some writing with a composer named Greg Pliska. Barbara Silverstein, then running Pennsylvania Opera Theatre, commissioned us to write a children’s opera, or family opera, and we chose The Secret Garden. So Greg and I would go to Philadelphia off and on over the next couple of years to work on it with Barbara.” Ask him about his feelings regarding this town and Ives suggests that I consult his play called “The Philadelphia,” written around 1991 and currently onstage in New York as part of the 20th anniversary production of All in the Timing, a series of one-act comedies that in its time of origin won the Outer Critics Circle Playwriting Award, ran for two years Off-Broadway, and in the 1995-96 season was the most performed play in the country after Shakespeare productions. “‘The Philadelphia’ came out of going to a Philadelphia newsstand to buy a copy of Time and the guy didn’t carry it,” says Ives. “I went from there to a diner to have a cheese omelet for breakfast and after asking me what kind of cheese I wanted, and me naming several kinds, the waitress said they only had one kind—American cheese.” In “The Philadelphia,” just like our daily lives, everything is slightly askew and mundanely surreal. Here’s a sample:

■

ICON

■

JUNE 2013

■

W W W. I C O N D V. C O M

■

W W W. FA C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V

AL: Don’t panic. You’re in a Philadelphia. MARK: I’m in a what? AL: You’re in a Philadelphia. That’s all….You see, inside of what we know as reality there are these pockets, these black holes called Philadelphias. If you fall into one, you run up against exactly the kinda stuff that’s been happening to you all day. MARK: Why? AL: Because in a Philadelphia, no matter what you ask for, you can’t get it. You ask for something, they’re not going to have it. You want to do something, it ain’t gonna get done. You want to go somewhere, you can’t get there from here.

9 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

■

JUNE 2013

■

ICON

■

24 / EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW / HARRY CONNICK JR.

This is the first time you’ve let your inhibitions down and allowed the vulnerability to show and share personal experiences. Let me tell you, it really comes across.

songs hurt.’ I think as you get older you realize life’s too short and you start letting the silly stuff go and you cut down to the common denominator of who you are— and that’s pretty scary, because you start cryin’ about stuff.”

“Wow, thank you. That means so much, man.” What possessed you to do this now?

I’m hearing things in your voice—there’s emotion here, it’s heavy. They’re beautifully written tunes, but it’s how you sound on them, which is what you’re saying to me.

“Like when I go in the studio—you ever see those photographs of Frank Sinatra in the studio and all these celebrities are there—I never did that. I don’t feel comfortable with a bunch of people standing around. It’s so focused...when I’ve written the orchestrations and arrangements and I go to conduct, I have to focus. I don’t want to be distracted. I don’t want cameras in there, I don’t want people in there; so I go in the studio and I mix it and there’s nobody there. It’s just me and my friend Tracy and the engineer.

“I really want to go in the studio and do a record that’s all ballads, kind of under the umbrella of [Frank Sinatra’s album] Only the Lonely. It’s just ballad after ballad of, you know, sad songs. I would like to see how I’d sound on that, because I’m definitely able to access different emotions now. Sometimes if you start letting that stuff go, other kinds of performances come out.”

“I’ve been in this bubble and my wife tells me all the time, ‘Why don’t you ever let people in? Like nobody knows what you do.’ I said, ‘Because that doesn’t matter,’ and she said, ‘No it does matter. Harry, I’m frustrated because I know what you can do, but nobody gets to see it.’ My record company said I should open a Twitter account, something I have no interest in. And I asked my wife, ‘What do you think?’ and she said, ‘Yeah, let people into your life a little bit.’ So, today—so weird that we’re talking today—I posted a video of myself in the studio— today!—and my wife said, ‘You need to do more of that, let people into your world.’” You got a nice lady there, Har. “Oh, she’s great, man. And I realized how can people know what I’m doing if I don’t let them into the process. I’ve always made up stories with my songwriting—I found it to be more fertile ground because there were no limits on what I could make up. But on this record, when you deal with personal experiences, it has a tendency to pull the boundaries way in. I started from that point with the lyrics and then sometimes they stayed right in the wheelhouse, but on the third track called ‘I Love Her,’ a bossa nova tune—that’s just straight up about my wife. And then there’s another song called ‘Come See About Me,’ which is me thinking about what it would be like not to have my wife. I never wanted to let anyone in my life before.”

I’m just curious—was there ever a time when you were a musical snob? I mean, today if it ain’t “Night in Tunisia,” forget about it. “Oh, man, I’m so glad you asked about that. That’s another thing that Branford and I were talking about. We all were under the Winton spell, and I don’t think even Winton’s under the Winton spell anymore. If it wasn’t clean, it was blasphemy. I would have never put a tune like the first one [‘What Every Man Should Know’] on this record. I mean, there’s no way. I would never have even used an electric bass. I still have a problem with keyboards. But those were the years that it was about honing my craft. I couldn’t hone my craft unless I spent all my waking hours working on it. What I didn’t realize in that snob phase was I forgot about my history. When I was 18 I got signed to do a jazz record and I stopped playing classical, stopped playing rock. And then a few years down the road I made a couple of New Orleans funk records and then people looked at me as though I was from Mars. And that was about the time that I said, screw it, you know, who am I answering to? I know the rules, I know how to play, why can’t I play what I want to play? So this record is a testament to that. The tunes kind of wrote themselves. It’s like the old Michaelangelo story when they asked him how he carved the horse out of a block of marble, he said ‘I just chipped away everything that wasn’t a horse.’”

How does it feel? Does it take a load off? “I don’t know, man. Again, it’s been a very personal process. Like on that one song, ‘Come See About Me,’ I started to cry because, you know, something clicked in my head when I was singing the lyrics, which is something you want to do...and I looked over at my buddy Tracy and he’s like, ‘Man, maybe you should do it again,’ because, you know, there’s nothing more heartbreaking than watching someone try not to cry. So I did it again and I really struggled and I’m wondering, man, when I go on the road—as an actor, when you’re singing someone else’s lyrics or something that doesn’t apply to you, you can get very close to those emotions. But when they’re your personal experiences...I don’t know how I’m going to get through some of these tunes.” In ‘Come See About Me,’ isn’t there something about I’ll pay your cab fare and letting the meter run? “Yeah, how pathetic. The first line of the tune is ‘I don’t want to bother you’ and the next line he says, ‘But can you come over’” I’m sure you’ll feel it, the intensity, but as time goes on... “Yeah, you’d think so. But I’m just wondering how I’ll get through the first ten times. I was talking with Branford [Marsalis] the other day and I asked him, ‘You ever cry when you play?’ He said, ‘Yeah,’ and I asked, ‘Is it hard?’ And he said there’s a technique to it—’I’ve cried when I’m playing and I’ve learned how to develop that sound and use it when I want to use it if I can’t access those emotions.’ When you’re singing, though, it’s almost impossible. When you’re playing the piano you can cry all you want. He said, ‘Why do you ask?’ and I said, ‘Man, some of these

ICON

JUNE 2013

W W W. I C O N D V. C O M

he only critical barbs he’s endured through the years, however mild they were, came from that group of self-righteous musical purists who were not thrilled about his forays into funk or anything else that didn’t have to do with jazz. “Hey, I was playing with the funk band, The Meters, when I was growing up, and was playing rock and roll gigs. But when I got to New York and signed with Columbia, I stopped doing everything but jazz. So this new project is a testament to that.” He is still unsure about the exact program that will be performed on his extensive tour, which kicks off in mid-June and runs through August. “I don’t know exactly what we’ll be playing yet, but I can promise to Philadelphians that they will never see a more enthusiastic performer,” he says. “I am so excited to play. The band I have is just off the chain. We’ll be playing stuff from the new record, old tunes, and in the last two weeks, I’ve probably written 15 charts for songs that I’ve never recorded.” As for the future? He’s open to anything, including writing something he describes as a “long form, symphonic, big band hybrid.” And for those who need to know such things, he will not be conducting a Pops orchestra, Philly or otherwise, though he is a friend and admirer of Peter Nero “It just wouldn’t do much for me,” he says. “I spend so much time conducting my own stuff.” “No rules, no limits,” is how Connick describes the songs on his new CD. Though the “no rules, no limits” line certainly applies to this touching and heartfelt group of new compositions, it also applies to the artist, to the man and his music. Indeed, there was a song once sung by one of Connick’s influences, that may sum up the life and art of Harry Connick, Jr. best. The name of the song is “My Way.” n

W W W. FA C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V

26 / EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW / DAVID IVES

For Philly’s drama lovers, Ives is best known as the author of the nattering Spinoza-debates-God masterpiece New Jerusalem that the Lantern Theater brought to its stages several times in the last three years. When asked to compare and contrast his work and rank his favorites, he mentions that he holds “Venus in Fur in high regard,” he said, “coming after New Jerusalem and before School for Lies, the former being a play about the excommunication of Spinoza, the latter being my version of Moliere’s Misanthrope.” Life began for Ives on the first day of January 1950 in Chicago. He earned his MFA in Playwriting from The Yale School of Drama, became a Guggenheim Fellow in playwriting, and his professional stage career began in 1971 with a small play called Canvas in Los Angeles. Before the productions and before the acclaim, Ives’ theater writing goes back to his childhood in the windy city. “I wrote my first play when I was nine or ten for my scout troop, and continued to write plays through high school and college, thrust along by seeing Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy in the touring production of A Delicate Balance in Chicago, my hometown,” says Ives. I remember that Ives, back in 1999, held a conversation at the PTC where he mentioned the importance of George S. Kaufman to his work, as well as that of the Marx Bros for whom Kaufman sometimes wrote. Overly enthusiastic, I asked Ives about Kaufman’s lingering influence on him (Ives recalled during that 1999 chat Kaufman’s joke that he wouldn’t open even a can of sardines anywhere but in Philadelphia) and asked if his was a chalice to behold. “I like George S. Kaufman’s work and I have no idea what you mean by a chalice. Are you drunk?” To get back on good and solid footing with Ives, I mention the legendarily satirical and downright cutting Spy magazine where Ives once worked with delicious regularity. I don’t usually play the nostalgia card, but now, more than ever—in a climate where The Onion magazine must apologize for its humor too often for comfort—I yearn for Spy. “Everyone [with] any taste, wit or intelligence misses Spy magazine. But Spy had its day, that day being the boom-boom 80s, and that day is past. People don’t want social and political satire these days. They want restaurant recommendations. So where then, in his opinion, does caustic humor stand in 2013? Can writers of humor only really get away with political incorrectness in the theater? Was his move toward the theater as a full-time career one of prescience? “Frankly, talking about humor only puts me in a bad mood. I’m sure there’s a Conservation of Humor Principle in the universe which says there’s always an equal amount of humor in the cosmos, it’s just differently distributed at different times. Sometimes it’s in theater, sometimes it’s in movies. Right now it seems centered in Eastern Latvia. The real question about political correctness is: why are people always so eager to flout it? Whom do you want to insult that you can’t at the moment? And why do you want to insult them?” A regular adapter for New York’s Encores! series, working on two or three plays a year, Ives has collected a Charles MacArthur Award for Outstanding New Play for his adaptation of Pierre Corneille’s comedy The Liar, a Joseph Jefferson “Jeff ” Award for his adaptation of A Flea in Her Ear, and a Hull-Warriner Award for New Jerusalem. Where Venus in Fur is concerned, his sadomasochistic theatrical is no slouch, two Tony nominations (and a win for Best Actress), two Drama League nominations and was named one of the Top 10 Best Plays of 2011 by The New York Times. Sadomasochism is automatically funny to me because I can’t tie good knots. Ives didn’t think of Histoire d’O (or Venus in Furs) as funny either, at first. “I didn’t consider The Story of O as a backdrop to anything, certainly not to anything humorous. I thought I could turn it into an interesting evening of theater, and luckily for me the rights weren’t available.” Instead, he found his own story, one with the theatricality of the book’s characters Severin and Vanda intact with their circumstances radically altered. “I first adapted Sacher-Masoch’s novel in straight-ahead fashion and when that didn’t work as a play I changed his two main characters to what they are in Venus In Fur,” says Ives.” It didn’t solve any puzzle. I just thought their relationship would make for rich drama.” n David Ives’ Venus in Fur, a co-production with New Brunswick, NJ’s George Street Playhouse, gets its Philadelphia premiere at Philadelphia Theatre Company through June 23 at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre, Broad and Lombard Streets. Performances run Tuesday through Sunday until June 23. Tickets starting at $46 are available by calling the PTC Box Office at 215-985-0420 or visiting www.PhiladelphiaTheatreCompany.org.

W W W. FA C E B O O K .C O M / I C O N D V

n W W W. I C O N D V .C O M

JUNE 2013

ICON

Whoopee! Winner of the

ICON

sally friedman

Unsung Heroes

monthly drawing for

DINNER FOR 2: DAVID SEARLES You can win, too. Here’s how: Send an email with the subject line

Glorious Food Write YOUR FULL NAME and send to

trina@icondv.com

Whoopee! Winner of the

ICON monthly drawing for

DINNER FOR 2: ROSEMARY FRANK-VITALE You can win, too. Here’s how: Send an email with the subject line

Glorious Food

WHEN WE BROUGHT OUR first baby home from the hospital, I thought I was ready for her. During my “confinement” in the maternity wing of the hospital—five days back then—I’d been carefully shown the how-to’s. But one hour alone with screaming Jill and I was ready to surrender. Terrified, I counted the minutes until my husband—her father—would be home. And sure enough, it was he who calmed Jill’s unexplained rage. Forget about maternal instinct— paternal instinct was awesome then, and still is. My husband was born to be a father. He is by nature a caregiver, a protector, a man who thrives on anchoring our family. And although he might deny it, he is superb at nurturing. Some of those qualities shine through in the jumble of family photos of a man standing proudly with his three daughters in the traditional poses. But there are other pictures in our archives that I love far more. They are the candids, snapped at a moment when this father is caught off-guard and a bit off-kilter. So long ago, on prom night for Nancy, our baby, I snapped a photo of her father watching her fuss with her ultra-sophisticated upswept hairdo. Etched on his face is a look of mingled astonishment (“When did this one grow so lovely?”) and sadness (“Soon she’ll be gone…”) that reveal a father’s dilemma at watching his daughters come of age. There are graduation pictures in which he is standing in the background, looking both proud and wistful as a daughter in cap and gown holds her diploma. And more recently, there are wedding pictures in which a father of the bride is caught trying valiantly to smile as he escorts a daughter to the man who will become her husband, then gently lifts her veil and kisses her goodbye.

I can’t imagine what that feels like for a father. This I know: my husband loved his role as adored advisor/mediator/voice of sanity in a household in which sparks flew, hormones raged and four women—one of them old enough to know better— waged their mother-daughter wars. “Talk to her!” I would beg my husband as this or that daughter symbolically slammed a door in my face. And he would somehow time it perfectly, letting the madness of the moment pass before he attempted reason and/or reconciliation. His daughters came to know that from their father, they could expect if not all, at least many, of life’s answers. So in this Father’s Day season, I’ll be remembering that while mothers seem to get most of the credit for nurturing, there are fathers who are masters of the art. They generally go unsung, because our culture still doesn’t get it. Of course fathers nurture and mold and model. Better than some mothers. Of course they care as deeply. The sight of that man bending down now to scoop up one of our seven grandchildren can melt me on the spot. Knowing how much he cares about his children—and now their children—deepens my love for him in ways that I’d never expected back in the days when it was all about hearts-on-fire romance. I once read that being a mother means knowing how it feels to feel everything. I humbly suggest that being a father means the very same thing. And I am so very grateful that our children and grandchildren are blessed with a man who does just that—and with a love that defies mere words. So how do you thank and honor all those men who give so much because somebody is lucky enough to call them “dad?” Not easily. But for now, “Happy Father’s Day” will have to suffice. ■

Write YOUR FULL NAME and send to

trina@icondv.com

■

ICON

■

JUNE 2013

Sally Friedman contributes to the New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, AARP Magazine and other national and regional publications. She is the mother of three fierce daughters, grandmother of seven exceptional grandchildren and the wife of retired New Jersey Superior Court Judge Victor Friedman. Email: PINEGANDER@aol.com.

■

W W W. I C O N D V. C O M

■

W W W. FA C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V

about life

JAMES P. DELPINO, MSS,MLSP,LCSW,BCD

Lies and the liars who tell them Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive. —Sir Walter Scott (Marmion, Canto VI. Stanza 17, 1808)

WHILE THE OLD ADAGE suggests that honesty is the best policy, lies may be more common than truths. There’s more than one kind of lying and not all lies are equivalent. Lies may be sometimes more helpful or even kinder than truths. Lies may also have the power to destroy and injure deeply. Below are several examples of different kinds of lies. WHITE LIES; These are little lies told from the spirit of politeness. Perhaps telling a sick person he looks better than he does or telling someone old how young she looks are the most common type of lies. Miss Manners suggests the following lie, “By definition, all babies and all brides are beautiful.” This is a lovely etiquette-bound suggestion, even though it is a lie. Encouraging another person by lying about their abilities, is often a helpful tool in coaching and sales. There are times when individuals are told these lies, believe them and actually perform better. PROTECTIVE LIES: Protecting someone’s feelings may be a good reason to lie in certain circumstances. Perhaps someone is ill or highly stressed and the decision to protect him or her from more pain or stress results in withholding or bending the truth. This is often filed under the rubric of “Let’s not upset mom,” or “We’d better not tell grandpa, he has a heart condition.” Withholding truth for the sake of another person’s feelings can be viewed as a compassionate lie. A variation of a protective lie might be waiting until the time is right to share a difficult truth. This kind of lie also gives power to the one who is holding the truth. This power is easy to misuse because it assumes a reaction on the part of another and can become an attempt to control another person by means of controlling information. HURTFUL LIES: Lies of this sort are intended to injure and cause suffering. Sometimes these are lies told only to one other person. At other times these kinds of lies are used to destroy a career or reputation and bring shame upon someone innocent. These lies are also sometimes told in the course of legal proceedings to damage another person’s credibility in court before a judge and jury. Consider the legal oath, “to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” The act of slander, which has to do with uttering false statements, is a punishable offense and can carry high monetary fines because of the damage that can be done. Even the Judea-Christian tradition addresses this twice in the Ten Commandments: “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor” and “Thou shalt not lie.”

NOT GET INTO TROUBLE LIES” Ask any child why he lies to his parents and 99 percent of the time he’ll tell you he lied because he didn’t want to get into trouble. Most parents respond by saying something like, “You’re in more trouble because you lied.” This may be a chief reason why people lie to the police or investigative arms of the government like the IRS or FBI. It’s also the most common lie a cheater tells to his or her significant other to avoid being chastised, vilified or divorced. Lying to avoid trouble is considered to be an example of low moral development. (Kohlberg, L.) It is clear that many in this category of lies are told to gain and maintain approval in the eyes of others. DECEPTIVE LIES: These lies have an underlying wish for personal gain, power or money. Deceptive advertising is a good example of this in that it’s commonly done. Representing a service or product to be better than it is, is a kind of deceptive lying. Politicians and lawyers are famous for this kind of lie that concerns itself with the appearance of truth as opposed to the truth itself. In business, over-promising is a manifestation of this kind of lie. Men and women often use this kind of lie to entice or maintain affections, attention and sex from one another. It can be argued that elective surgeries for the sake of appearance fall into the category of a deceptive lie. THE LIES WE TELL OURSELVES: These may be the least observed and potentially the most damaging lies. Denial, which is a form of lying to ourselves, is the cornerstone of addiction. Denial, in this sense, has ruined many individuals, many relationships and many families. Pride, as in “Pride goeth before a fall,” can be at the base of an exaggerated or bloated self-image. Perhaps in the course of a job or career lying to ourselves about what good practice is may result in a pink slip. In the case of a narcissist, this kind of lie is used to bolster the self at the expense of another’s feelings. Narcissistic individuals have an inherent belief that their feelings are more important than others and also tend to expect special treatment. The more unselfish of those among us are sometimes known to blame themselves too frequently by lying to themselves about the degree of responsibility they may have when something goes wrong. We have all lied at some point or in some situation in the course of our lives. We can aspire to tell the lies that are the most kind and loving and avoid choosing to lie for the sake of our own benefit at the sacrifice of our own character. n

Jim Delpino is a psychotherapist in private practice for over 30 years. jdelpino@aol.com (215) 364-0139.

W W W. FA C E B O O K .C O M / I C O N D V

n W W W. I C O N D V .C O M

JUNE 2013

ICON

5 / BACKSTAGE

be described as folk music. “Sure,” Luigi replied. “I always play for the folks.” Fans of the real thing will be happy to know that the legendary Philadelphia Folk Festival, celebrating it its 52nd anniversary this year, has announced its lineup. Headliners appearing during the course of the August 16 through August 18 event at the Old Pool farm in Upper Salford Township, Montgomery County, include British guitarist Richard Thompson, country swingsters Asleep at the Wheel, rocker Ben Vaughn and blues man Otis Taylor. For the entire lineup, visit PFS.org. The Web of Culture CultureBlocks.com, a new Philadelphia-based web site funded by the NEA and ArtPlace, is now live. On first glance, it appears to be a rather complex system with a lot of features. The focus is on hooking up arts-based funders, organizations and/or individuals with appropriate locations in the city based on everything from neighborhood demos to mass transit access. To simplify matters, if an entrepreneur wants to open anything from an art gallery to a jazz club, CultureBlocks.com will suggest the place to do it. Frankly Speaking HBO plans a four-hour documentary on Frank Sinatra, which the cable network claims will be “the definitive portrait of our era’s greatest performer.” It will be directed by Oscar winner Alex Gibney, a veteran documentary filmmaker. Perhaps this one will tell the truth. “Ol’ Blue Eyes” has not left the building, as Frank Sinatra impersonators keep popping up. Last month it was “Sean Sinatra.” This month it’s someone named Frank Hartman. Hartman, along with George Burns impersonator Al Long, recently appeared in a benefit performance for the Shriners Hospital in Philadelphia with a show titled “A Tribute to George Burns and Frank Sinatra.” The little material available on Hartman reveals that he’s an okay singer who, with the exception of a few surface stylistics, sounds nothing at all like Mr. S. As for Al Long’s version of George Burns, it works, but only if you believe Burns was born and raised near the Italian Market. She’s No Dummy Ventriloquism on radio? You betcha. Those of a certain age may remember voice-thrower Edgar Bergen, more widely known today as Candice’s dad, who parlayed a great sense of humor with a modest technical talent to become one of the biggest stars of the 1930s and 1940s on radio and in motion pictures. Bergen, who died in 1975, will be the subject of a biopic produced by his daughter, based on her best-selling book of 1984, Knock on Wood. The wood, by the way, refers to Edgar’s dummy, Charlie McCarthy. McCarthy ended up being a bigger star than either Bergen or his daughter. As Yakov Smirnoff might have said about this: “What a country!” Flipping Out You don’t hear the name Flip Wilson much these days, which is a shame. He was, as Time called him, “television’s first black superstar,” a description earned via his 1970-1974 television variety show. Wilson won every major award, was an absolute trailblazer, gave future stars like George Carlin and Richard Pryor their starts, helped revitalize the career of Bobby Darin, and opened the door for almost every comic of color who came after him. Sadly, his star burned out more quickly than you can say “Stanley Myron Handleman.” Though Wilson never wanted for money, his drug use and bitterness at history passing him by contributed to his downfall, and possibly his early death at the age of 64. All this is chronicled in a beautifully written and thoroughly researched book titled Flip: The Inside Story of TV’s First Black Superstar, written by Kevin Cook and published by Viking. Lehigh-Lites The Zoellner Arts Center at Lehigh University has announced its 2013-2014 season and it’s impressive. We’ll have more on this in upcoming columns—tickets go on sale July 11 at noon—but here are some advance highlights: In pop music, Aaron Neville kicks things off on September 14; Classically, look for the comedically-oriented Mnozil Brass on October 20; Jazz is represented on April 5, courtesy of pianist Ramsey Lewis; And in the area of world music, look for—direct from Mali—Vieux Farke Toure on October 13. Future “Backstage” columns will detail upcoming events from Lehigh’s Music and Theater departments, but on July 11 at noon, get your tickets at ZoellnerArtsCenter.org. King for a Day Our area’s fabled songstress, pretty, perky, Peggy King—as she was known on the George Gobel television show from 1954 to 1960—is still very much in the business. King, who made a big splash in the tabloids not long ago by revealing a torrid affair with Sammy Davis Jr., is hosting a radio program on internet radio. The nostalgia-focused station is called “Yesteryear Radio,” devoted to, as they say, “the greatest music from our greatest generation.” It’s free and can be accessed by visiting WYYR.com. n Join me “Backstage” by mailing your news and items to DrumAlive@aol.com 32

ICON

JUNE 2013

W W W. I C O N D V. C O M

5 / CITY BEAT

runners bringing the city to a standstill. It’s no fun to have to wait for Septa detour buses when no schedules are posted. Such was the case the night before the run when we found ourselves with a group of people waiting for the Route 15 on Girard Avenue. Lost passengers forced to hail buses going in the opposite direction, were told, “You need to board this bus!” Who knew? It was worse the following day, May 5, the day the runners ran from Broad and Olney to the Navy Yard as heavily armed police, bomb detection dogs, low flying helicopters, and Septa transit police scanned adoring fans for Boston-style red flags. In other parts of town, it was Beehive Central as Cinco de Mayo celebrators in Fishtown— mainly drunk Anglo Saxon hipsters, faces half hidden in cheap wind-blown sombreros— mixed with exhausted Equality Forum Sunday Out stragglers, fresh from the Piazza in Northern Liberties. We spotted grandmother types in PRIDE T-shirts and lots of other happy people (sans those mad at Septa) as well as an unusual number of public drunks falling down in the street, one fellow even losing an entire bag of take-out as he crash landed in the middle of a trolley island. Stranger still, Septa seemed to get worse as the day progressed, reminding us of the relative harmony of winter when there were few disruptions in the city’s transportation schedules. Is Philly Pop artist Perry Milou the next Andy Warhol? We headed to Trust at 2nd and Arch for a 20-year retrospective of Milou’s work. Milou, of course, is the son of Striped Bass and Rouge restaurateur, Neil Stein—so as artists go he’s probably never starved in a loft. Since starving is no passport to genius, we resolved to overlook the “privileged son” angle when we joined hundreds of Milou fans at an all-out Pop and Wham bash that included a PAWS dog on a leash with an “Adopt Me” sign. The sock-it-to-you audacity of Milou’s art brought us face to face with a huge Liz Taylor (that somehow reminded us of Sylvia Brown); a heavily bejeweled Marilyn Monroe; a strikingly beautiful Frida Kahlo; a remarkable full-faced—and very distressed looking—Geronimo; as well as a few large iconic portraits of TV’s The Sopranos. The LeRoy Neiman-like sports paintings caught us off guard, as did the kitschy but powerful Yo Philly Rocky icon portrait. Milou, who really isn’t a talkative type, made the rounds, alternating between the first floor and the balcony exhibition area before we caught up with him at the lower level bar. “We like the beautiful Saint Mark’s Venice paintings” we said, referring to a large, golden, sun-drenched impressionistic image of the cathedral that seems to bleed off the canvass. At the end of the evening—while noticing how close someone on the balcony had come to sending Kahlo’s unibrow flying off the wall—we recalled the times we’d spot Milou painting outdoor scenes with Philly artist Charles Cushing. In those days, the word was that Milou “was just learning.” What a difference 20 years—and emboldened tenacity—makes. When we chatted with Clare Stuempfig, a member of the PAFA Women’s Committee, at the 112th PAFA annual student exhibition preview, we learned how at one time students in the show were not allowed to mingle with the preview crowds of potential buyers. Clare informed us she wasn’t sure how or why this rule ever came to be. We came to the conclusion that it was probably based on unfounded fears and sensationalistic stereotypes of how artists might behave among mature patrons. Were the student artists deemed too rustic to rub shoulders with the high and mighty? Would there, for instance, be a replay of Van Gogh slicing off an ear, a Willem De Kooning alcoholic binge, or an absinthe-toting Toulouse-Lautrec knocking over a tray of liver paté? Clare told us that the ban was lifted over a decade ago, meaning that not only do the student artists mingle freely, they even speak to patrons and guests before being spoken to. We got an arty dose of that when we were enveloped—nay, nearly overtaken—by one young artist/entrepreneur, Charles Schultz, whose rapid fire pitch had us pinned against the wall and feeling as if we were being mowed down by 1920s gangster, Al Capone. Schultz good naturedly showed us a sample of his hand-drawn artistic comic books while urging us to visit (the often forgotten) “basement” gallery. Before calling it a night, we said a brief hello to Philly artist Bill Scott, a PAFA alum while looking in the direction of Gerry and Marguerite Lenfest, who sat with Derek Gilman, former PAFA head who (as we overheard in the crowd) “… absconded to head the Barnes…” The fashion industry, it’s often said, can be a vicious and narcissistic world, a kind of spiraling Revel’s Bolero in which models spin in a scheming, backstabbing vortex while some of the women that age are thrown out of the loop and left, like feral cats, along the side of the road. Models with a thick skin survive, while those with a thinner epidermis may get so fed up they’ll do the unthinkable, like jump off the George Washington Bridge, just as 22-year-old model Ashley Riggitano did in February after leaving a note to survivors to make sure that two scheming peers were not invited to the funeral. None of this behavior was evident at the annual Art Institute of Philadelphia’s Student Fashion Show. Packed to the gills, students and parents of students, many in high fashion attire, eyed the stage of Locust Street’s Arts Ballroom as the lines of models began their mesmerizing robotic dance. Awards to top student designers were presented from sponsors such as Neiman Marcus, Nicole Miller and Joan Shepp. Nicole Cashman was also honored for her contributions to the local fashion industry. n

W W W. FA C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V

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

■

JUNE 2013

■

ICON

■

the jazz scene

BRUCE KLAUBER

PAINTING A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR JAZZ Let’s just call this “Here is something we need more of.” The “this” in question is a newly-formed organization called Philadelphia Jazz Project, put together by our famed Painted Bride Arts Center, backed by funding from the Wyncote Foundation. Their mission is “to inspire a network to support, promote, archive and celebrate the diverse elements within the Philadelphia jazz community, with the larger goal of connecting to the global community.” Lofty? Yes. But good. PJP is headed by Homer Jackson, one-time WRTI host, an artist, performer, producer and fundraiser of some note. Things are understandably in the early stage right now and we will report updates as they come in. Their in-development website, with some good articles and comprehensive listings, is www.PhilaJazzProject.org. NOW APPEARING Area bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma, veteran of Ornette Coleman’s Prime Time, among many other groups worldwide, is doing a somewhat rare Philadelphia area performance. His group, called the Funky Freqs and featuring guitarist Vernon Reid and drummer G. Calvin Weston, will be celebrating the release of their new CD, Bon Vivant upstairs at World Café Live, 3025 Walnut Street, on Friday, July 12 at 8 p.m. Though not heavily promoted, World Café has a hot jam session every Monday night from 5:30 to 7:00, hosted by Latin jazz pianist Jeff Torchon. For World Café info, visit www.WorldCafeLive.com The ageless and always swinging saxophonist Larry McKenna, recently interviewed in these pages, is busier than ever. This month—and there are bound to be many more dates booked by the time this is read—here’s where “the tenor master” can be heard: On June 3 at the Sandi Pointe Bistro in Somers Point with the Ed Vezinho/Jim Ward Big Band (7 to 10 p.m.); at Philadelphia’s SugarHouse casino on June 13 with Tom Adams’ trio (8 to 11:30 p.m.); on June 21 at The Barnes Museum with singer Najwa Parkins (6 p.m. start); and at Chris’ Jazz Café on June 28 with that other tenor giant, Bootsie Barnes (8 and 10:00 p.m.). Guitarist/vocalist/composer Phyllis Chapell is a tremendously talented artist and something of a pioneer in these parts—and elsewhere—in the World Music genre, and as one of the first female bandleaders in an art form long dominated by males. Her long-time group, Siora, has a repertoire that includes the music of Brazil, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, all with an improvisational focus. As Chapell says, “Siora takes you on a world jazz journey of the soul.” She has, quite deservedly, been at the center of our area’s jazz scene for some time, and is one of few artists who is seemingly always working. Among her many dates this month is a June 7 show with the swinging Hot Club of Philadelphia at Woodmere Art Museum in Chestnut Hill (WoodmereArtMuseum.org). Chapell and Siora are gearing up for a big appearance, which we will focus on in next month’s “The Jazz Scene,” but here’s some advance info: The date is July 24 and the location is Pastorius Park in Chestnut Hill. It’s a part of their summer concert series, and guest stars will include pianist Dave Posmontier, saxophonist Kenny Ulansey, bassist Rob Swanson and drummer Jimmy Coleman. For details on 34

ICON

JUNE 2013

all Phyllis Chappell’s dates, and to order her superb CDs, go to www.SioraJazz.com. BOOKINGS The late singer, Johnny Hartman, will be forever identified as the only singer to have recorded with John Coltrane, and for his one-of-a-kind rendition of “Lush Life.” Hartman, who died in 1983, never reached true stardom during his lifetime despite endorsements from folks like Bennett and Sinatra. But Hartman, rest his soul, may have had the last laugh, however posthumously. In 1995, actor/director and major jazz fan Clint Eastwood used several of the Coltrane/Hartman recordings on the soundtrack to his film, The Bridges of Madison County, and don’t you know it— Hartman became gigantic, 12 years after his death. The Last Balladeer is a wonderfully written and very well-researched book about the master of the jazz ballad, written by educator and jazz pianist/singer Gregg Akkerman and published by Scarecrow Press. It’s already been nominated for the “Jazz Book of the Year” by the Jazz Journalists Association. For comprehensive information on Hartman, the book’s author and ordering details, visit www.JohnnyHartmanBook.com. There is a local connection to Hartman. He was always popular in the Philadelphia area, mainly to the efforts of area broadcast personality, Sid Mark, extensively interviewed in The Last Balladeer. Publishing is hardly dead (or dying) as some reports like to say, especially when it comes to jazz. Brand new or coming soon are books on Benny Goodman’s 1938 Carnegie Hall Jazz Concert, a bio of the vastly under-appreciated arranger, Tadd Dameron; a limited edition set of art prints from legendary jazz LP cover designer David Stone Martin; and a guitar instruction book, Modular Phonetics, written by area jazzer Chuck Anderson. AND PAPERINGS Shaun Brady is one of the country’s finest jazz journalists. In this area, he writes frequently for the City Paper, Metro and wherever else journalism is served. Brady’s recent CP interview with trumpeter/educator Terell Stafford, in which Stafford outlines plans for the newly-formed “Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia” (first written about in this space several issues ago) is well worth accessing. Philadelphia has never had a shortage of big bands—Brian Pastor, Phil Giordano, the late Al Raymond, Clef Club—but this could be a winner with the proper support. As Stafford said, “There’s so much talent and so much music that comes from this city…People need to hear it.” The City Suburban News, at one time called The City Line News, is a neighborhood weekly that has been around since for 28 years. Serving the Overbrook area with local news and entertainment features, they do what they do very well which is presumably why CSN is one of the only weekly publications of its kind to be around for so long. And, other than the publication you’re now reading, no other publication of any kind in this area has been so supportive and so consistently devoted to jazz. Here is a salute to Editor/Co-Publisher Leslie Swan and all those involved in The City Line News. Access them on the web at www.Issuu.com/CitySuburbanNews.

W W W. I C O N D V. C O M

W W W. FA C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V

AND YET MORE BIG BANDS In other big band news, “The Jazz Scene” was recently contacted by Jerry Zucker, who is one of the leaders of a 23piece jazz orchestra based in Pennington, NJ and called the “Monday Blues Jazz Orchestra.” Though it’s been around since the 1960s, the group hasn’t done much in the Greater Delaware Valley until now. In an effort to appeal to as wide an audience as possible, Zucker has added a vocal group to the outfit, which includes Philly favorite Jeannie Brooks. “We’re redefining the ability of a big band to entertain and remain relevant to younger crowds in the 21st century,” says Zucker. You be the judge: The jazz orchestra will appear on June 9, from 3 to 7 p.m. in the Crystal Ballroom of northeast Philadelphia’s Cannstatter Club, 9130 Academy Road. MUSIC MARKETING 101 “Making Music Work: Music Technology from Concept to Consumer” is a unique event, presented by The Drexel University Music Program, that features a panel of internationally known music industry experts who will explain how to get your music and/or music product on the market. The program, free and open to the public, will take place on June 5 beginning at 6:30 p.m at Drexel’s Mandell Theater, 33rd and Chestnut Street. Information: 610-453-1959. Making the evening especially singular is that the festivities will open with the panel of experts “guest starring” with the extraordinary musical group, The Drexel University Mediterranean Ensemble, under the direction of bassist/educator and good colleague Bruce Kaminsky, who also put this entire program together. JAZZ BRIDGING Latin jazz piano sensation Elio Villafranca and Orlando and Patricia Haddad of area Brazilian music favorites Minas, will be headlining the annual fundraiser for Jazz Bridge—the Philadelphia non-profit devoted to assisting jazz and blues musicians in need—to be held at Chris’ Jazz Café (1421 Sansom Street in Philadelphia) on Friday, June 14. Sets begin at 8 p.m. and tickets are $25. Info on the event, program sponsorships and donations for the silent auction: Info@JazzBridge.org or call 215-517-8337. Elio Villafranca, who will be accompanied by bassist Mike Boone and drummer Francisco Mela, is at the forefront of the latest generation of remarkable Cuban pianists, composers and bandleaders. In the 2010 Grammy Awards he was nominated in “Best Latin Jazz Album of the Year” category for his performance, composition and co-production of the recording by percussionist/educator Chembo Corneil, “Things I Wanted To Do.” THINGS THAT WEREN’T HERE “The Jazz Scene” has received several calls and emails about omitting mention of the recently held “Center City Jazz Festival.” The reason why is simple: We were made aware of it too late. ICON, you see, is not published daily or weekly. It is published monthly. Bet those behind the fest won’t let that happen again. n Send your items—the moment you know about them—to DrumAlive@aol.com

classical notebook

PETER H. GISTELINCK

Fifty Shades of Grey – The Classical Album ★★★ Music selected by author E. L. James released on Capitol Records www.greatestclassical.com/fiftyshades Although this CD was released last year, it did catch my eye (and ear!), one year later. It is a 15-track album featuring classical music personally selected by author E.L. James herself and referenced in her bestselling Fifty Shades book trilogy. Says James of the new album: “I am thrilled that the classical pieces that inspired me while I wrote the Fifty Shades trilogy are being brought together in one collection for all lovers of the books.” The three novels in the Fifty Shades trilogy (Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifth Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed) have sold more than 20 million copies in the U.S and more than 31 million worldwide. The books’ various references to classical music have spurred sales of the pieces mentioned—even going so far as to cause “Spem in Alium,” a 16th century motet for 40 voices by Thomas Tallis, to jump to the top of the charts in the UK. Fifty Shades of Grey – The Classical Album aims to provide the perfect accompaniment to the reading of the trilogy, setting a mysterious and alluring atmosphere with just the slightest hint of danger… as mentioned before, the music on the album includes The Tallis Scholars’ sweeping version of “Spem in Allium” featured in the first novel, along with 14 other musical works from the books, such as “Flower Duet” from Lakmé, Pachelbel’s “Canon in D,” the aria from Bach’s “Goldberg Variations” and more. The recording artists include world-class performances from Sir Simon Rattle, King’s College Choir, Barbara Hendricks and Alexandre Tharaud, and the album features cover art based on the novels. Basically, the Fifty Shades books are a bona fide cultural phenomenon, and they offer an exciting new way to present timeless music to audiences who might not otherwise be exposed to it. Let’s keep in mind that through this original book/CD recording project, not only music lovers, but definitely book readers, too, are hearing—maybe for the very first time—he music of composers like Lakmé, Bach, Villa-Lobos, Verdi, Pachelbel, Tallis, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Vaughan Williams, Canteloube, Fauré and Debussy, and that on its own is remarkable. Enjoy the music (and don’t forget to read the books). Eternal Echoes: Songs and Dances for the Soul ★★★★ Itzhak Perlman, violin and Cantor Yitzchak Meir Helfgot released on Sony Music Masterworks www.sonymasterworks.com

course I said yes, right away, when I heard about this project! I am very happy this dream became real.” To craft the arrangements and play the piano parts, Perlman called upon Netsky, with whom he had collaborated on past klezmer recordings. Netsky aimed for “a beautiful chamber orchestra sound, nothing too ostentatious, to really let the soloists shine.” For five of the pieces he developed orchestral arrangements, and for the rest, other combinations that reflected the traditions of his music. “Cantorial music really developed almost like opera for people who didn’t have opera,” the pianist-arranger explains. “The text is the religious text, and you paint a picture with it musically.”

Itzhak Perlman and Cantor Yitzchak Meier Helfgot.

“It’s so easy for him… it’s just effortless” said legendary violinist Itzhak Perlman, explaining what led him to pursue his inspired collaboration with Israeli-born and celebrated Cantor Yitzchak Meir Helfgot. The melding of Perlman’s soulful tone and virtuosic technique with Cantor Helfgot’s spellbinding tenor come together perfectly on this album Eternal Echoes: Songs and Dances for the Soul. While rooted in the cantorial-liturgical tradition of Jewish music, the ten tracks on this album encompass a wide range of sonic modes and musical moods. Perlman has said that his idea was to do “‘Jewish comfort music’—everything that I recognize from my childhood is in this program.” The recording grew out of musical conversations with Helfgot and longtime collaborator Hankus Netsky. The two masters began to explore the confluences of sound between the violinist’s famed classical technique (informed by a longtime interest in Jewish traditional music—Perlman has recorded a number of klezmer albums) and Helfgot’s magnificent golden voice, which has made the cantor a star of today’s liturgical music revival. “I always find that there is a real communication between voice and violin,” says Perlman, who also has recorded with Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti. Like Perlman, Cantor Helfgot has performed globally to rave reviews. Says Helfgot: “This was the fulfillment of a dream. When I was a child growing up I always knew about Itzhak Perlman, so of

These exquisitely crafted musical pictures include a stately and dramatic arrangement of “Sheyibone Bays Hamikdosh,” a tune Perlman remembers from Shabbat morning prayers in Israel; the operatic “Shoyfer Shel Moshiakh,” written by Abraham Goldfaden, father of the Yiddish theater; the shepherd’s lament “Romanian Doyne”; “Dem Trisker Rebn’s Nign,” a song Perlman learned from his klezmer collaborators; “Mizmor L’Dovid,” a setting of Psalm 23 which may be the most famous piece on the album; and “A Dudele,” which comes from the folk rather than the liturgical tradition. The album wraps up with “Kol Nidrei,” the famous prayer for Yom Kippur, in a simple chamber-music setting that contrasts tastefully with past grandiose arrangements familiar to fans of singers like Richard Tucker and Jan Peerce. As reflected in its title, Eternal Echoes: Songs and Dances for the Soul evokes both history and permanence: “There is so much history in this music,” says Perlman, “For me, every little musical groan or sob that happens is Jewish history. It makes you think.” n

Peter H. Gistelinck is the Executive Director of The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. Prior to joining the Orchestra, he was the Director of Sales and Marketing and Co-Artistic Director for the Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra and Flemish Radio Choir in Belgium. Mr. Gistelinck is a member of the Kimmel Center Resident Advisory Committee, The Recording Academy, American Film Institute, Musical Fund Society, Philadelphia Arts and Business Council, International Academy of Jazz and International Society for the Performing Arts.

W W W. FA C E B O O K .C O M / I C O N D V

n W W W. I C O N D V .C O M

JUNE 2013

ICON

nick’s picks Noah Haidu ★★★★ Momentum Posi-tone

Pascal Le Boeuf ★★★★ Pascal’s Triangle Nineteen Eight Records

Brooklyn-based pianist Noah Haidu brings his estimable talent and fleet lyricism to his sophomore release, Momentum, an above-average trio recording of old and new standards and three well-crafted originals. A gifted interpreter who appreciates the melodic structure of songs, Haidu digs into pliable tunes like the charming opener, “I Thought About You,” which swings gracefully. Further on, he navigates fast changes on a shifty arrangement of “The End Of A Love Affair” with an impressive skill that embodies the essence of post-bop piano masters like former teacher, Kenny Barron. Haidu’s rising star is propelled by a sure technique that brings out a welcome emotive quality in his playing—attributes he brought to bear on a previous quintet album, Slipstream (Posi-tone, 2011.) An equally strong effort like Momentum hinges on the interplay between the musicians, and the in-the-pocket accompaniment by bassist Ariel de la Portilla and drummer McClenty Hunter gives the recording an urbane modern twist. Listening to this collection reminds one of trio recordings by Wynton Kelly, yet the pianist isn’t derivative. He does, however, give a tip of the hat to McCoy Tyner on his own spiffy tune called “Cookie Jar” that is instilled with a harmonic freshness and degree of modernism that is all Haidu. (9 tracks; 44 minutes)

Le Boeuf Brothers ★★★1/2 Le Boeuf Brothers Remixed Nineteen Eight Records

Keith Jarrett ★★★★1/2 Somewhere ECM There are not many more superlatives to heap upon the legendary Keith Jarrett Trio, now celebrating its 30th year, except to say that the group represents the pinnacle of modern jazz trios. Sure, Jarrett’s attention to detail and demand for perfection makes the occasional audience wince when they’re reprimanded for their concert-going behavior, but when everything clicks as it does on Somewhere, the result is magical and all is forgiven. Recorded in July 2009 at the KKL Luzern Concert Hall in Switzerland, Somewhere captures the pianist, bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Jack DeJohnette at the height of their talents. The live gig weaves rapturous passages (the improvisation entitled “Deep Space” shape shifts into an electrifying version of Miles Davis’ “Solar”) with straight-ahead swing (“Between The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea”). Indeed, the title track, coupled with Leonard Bernstein’s “Tonight,” gives the concert its center with a tender reading that bypasses sentimentality and manages to open a deeper emotional vein. Not since the exuberant six-disc collection, Keith Jarrett At the Blue Note/The Complete Recordings (1994, ECM) has there been a collection of affecting and relatable performances from the KJ trio. Though some may quibble over which gigs and recordings best exemplify the Trio, Somewhere is a recording that gets back to basics, just challenging enough to keep hardcore Jarrett fans happy yet honest enough to wear its heart on its sleeve. (6 tracks; 65 minutes)

Nick Bewsey has been writing about jazz for ICON since 2004. A member of The Jazz Journalists Association, he blogs about jazz and entertainment at www.jazzinspace.blogspot.com. Twitter: @countingbeats 36

■

ICON

■

JUNE 2013

■

W W W. I C O N D V. C O M

■

The La Boeuf brothers are identical twins, saxophonist Remy and pianist Pascal, who relocated to NYC from California in 2004, seemingly with a plan in hand. Pascal himself has described he and his brother as “always interested in electronic based music production…anything with programmed drums and scratched vinyl.” In 2011, they put out the buzz-worthy In Praise Of Shadows, a high-flying collection of original tunes and electro-tinged jazz that featured bassist Linda Oh and rightly gave the energetic twins the props they deserved. As a follow up they’ve headed in two different directions. For Pascal’s solo project launch, the original concept behind Pascal’s Triangle was to create a jazz/electronic crossover recording, but somewhere along the way the interaction between the pianist, bassist Linda Oh and drummer Justin Brown revealed an honest musical conversation that Pascal found convincing, and so the recording was released sans synthetic tinkering. Triangle has eight acoustic tracks composed by Le Boeuf and written to give the tunes enough space for Oh and Brown to stretch out. “What Your Teacher,” a gratifying jam with a killer piano hook and an evocative percussive feature entitled “The Key” are among the picks here. The most involving track is Pascal’s lovely ballad, “Song For Ben Gelder,” that spotlights his affecting piano style, one that’s flavored with a Brad Mehldau vibe. The La Boeuf brother’s ambition aims high for a project that tapped their fan base with Remixed, a collection that invited musicians, friends and DJs to have at their existing tracks, derived mostly from their 2011 release, In Praise Of Shadows, to create new sonically enhanced versions of their songs. The result is twitchy, loosely strung together collection that merges trip-hop, ambient rhythms and jazz-enabled rap (David Binney’s remix of “Falling Apart.”) It’s generally entertaining, but LA bassist Tim Lefebvre nails the concept’s intent on his tightly wound remix of “Calgary Clouds.” The Le Boeuf Brothers see their compositions as continuously evolving, tweaking the original tracks just so, adding or changing up original vocals and inserting horns and beats where necessary. Whether you’re feeling turbo-charged or chilled, Remixed and Pascal’s Triangle exploit opportunities that other jazz musicians leave alone. (8 tracks; 31 minutes /10 tracks; 37 minutes) Joe Locke ★★★★ Lay Down My Heart/Blues and Ballads, Vol 1 Motema An accomplished leader, producer and composer, the industrious vibes player Joe Locke combines the spirited styling of Bobby Hutcherson with the soul of Roy Ayers, and rarely stays still as a recording artist. He pushes his boundaries from project to project, keeping multiple bands together (Force of Four, Storms/Nocturnes,) and in 2012 launched another, the Joe Locke/Geoffrey Keezer Group, which resulted in the excellent groove-based Signing (Motema). Lately, Locke has pursued a more romantic side of his art with Wish Upon A Star where the Lincoln Nebraska Symphony Orchestra backs him. Thankfully, for jazz fans everywhere, I have a feeling that Joe Locke is nowhere near the end of his “to do” list. Locke’s Lay Down My Heart/Blues and Ballads, Vol 1 features a new band that includes pianist Ryan Cohan, bassist David Finck and hot drummer-of-the-moment, Jaimeo Brown, and it doles out its soulfulness in chunks. The simmering groove on Bill Wither’s “Ain’t No Sunshine” has an awesome low-slung funkiness that gives the quartet a chance to swagger, while the Weather Report-style downbeats kick “Bittersweet” into gear. Other highlights include a smooth, straight-ahead read of Frank Foster’s “Simone,” that chugs along and Locke’s own “This New October,” a misty ballad buoyed by the vibist’s sensitive soloing. The

W W W. FA C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V

NICK BEWSEY ★=SKIP IT; ★★=MEDIOCRE; ★★★=GOOD; ★★★★=EXCELLENT; ★★★★★=CLASSIC

song named after the gentle bear of a bartender at Bar 55 in New York’s West Village, the Tyner-inspired runs by Gonzalez on “Kirby” flow with good feeling, a sentiment that runs throughout Killian’s work. As a player, Killian seems destined to join the ranks of jazz greats, but you don’t need to be a jazz critic to appreciate how good Killian is. When I reviewed Unified, I called Killian “a force to reckon with,” and the music and playing on this current collection continues to show that Killian is a saxophonist and composer who’s going places. (7 tracks; 42 minutes) Bob James/David Sanborn ★★★★ Quartette Humaine Okeh/Sony Masterworks

arrangements provide the group with a generous amount of harmonious interplay; particularly pianist Ryan Cohan who impresses with his beefy way with the keys and often brings a Ramsey Lewis feel to his solos. Whether or not Locke is signaling what’s to come on “Volume 2,” the CD closes with a heartfelt rendering of “Dedicated To You,” evoking Coltrane/Hartman while achieving its own level of transcendence. (9 tracks; 54 minutes) Stan Killian ★★★★1/2 Evoke Sunnyside

In 2013, pianist/keyboardist Bob James and alto saxophonist David Sanborn are likely to be considered contemporary jazz royalty since their respective careers helped usher in the smooth jazz trend. James has fashioned an exceptional career as solo artist, producer (Paul Simon, Kenny Loggins) and mentor (Kirk Whalum) and currently gets his groove on making music as part of the remarkably durable smooth jazz super group, Fourplay. Sanborn has released 24 albums of his own and won six Grammy Awards, one of which was the huge selling collaboration with James, the slick and soulful Double Vision (1986, Warner Bros.) that also featured star turns by Al Jarreau and Marcus Miller (“Maputo”). Fast forward to present day and the re-animated Okeh label, which took the opportunity to reunite James and Sanborn, inviting them to rekindle the fire that burned so brightly back in the day. To their credit they didn’t take the easy route and, instead, defy all expectations with Quartette Humaine, an all-acoustic program featuring Double Vision’s original drummer, the illustrious Steve Gadd, and bassist James Genus.

It’s easy to lean on hyperbole to describe saxophonist Stan Killian, a musician with a keen ear whose originality and strength as a leader is evident throughout Evoke, his fourth release of self-penned material. You can trace Killian’s sound back to the glory days of 1960s Blue Note and the exuberant records by Sonny Rollins and Dexter Gordon that must have made an impact on the saxophonist. We know from his bio that Killian grew up in a jazz household—his father, jazz pianist Joe Killian took his son to his many gigs and later played on his first recordings. A breakout on the NY jazz club scene, Killian retains the sleek rhythm team of Venezue-

lan pianist Benito Gonzalez, bassist Corcoran Holt and drummer McClenty Hunter that made his 2011 effort Unified so gratifying. Killian adds VIP jazz guitarist Mike Moreno to the line-up and as a band, they make a formidable quintet that fuels this dazzling—and swinging—post bop collection of seven tunes with the perfect amount of go power. The tunes themselves (there’s not a weak track in the bunch) are progressive yet earthy, and Killian promotes eager interplay between his band mates, especially Moreno and Gonzalez whose tasty licks and chord changes respectively yield some of the album’s best moments. For a

Can two smooth jazz veterans make challenging, gutsy music together? Absolutely, yes, and right from the start of James’ delightful “You Better Not Go To College,” you know this won’t be a nostalgic retread. James and Sanborn achieve a live, in-studio sound—polished, for sure—but the original tracks, four by James and three by Sanborn, leave the door open for atonalities and a few knots (Sanborn performs much further “outside” than what you’re accustomed to hearing; his sound tart and pitched.) James’ uncanny ability for memorable songwriting makes tunes like “Montezuma,” the classical-tinged “Follow Me” and “Deep In The Weeds” swing with straight-ahead heft. The quartet injects “Geste Humain” by French singer/songwriter Alice Soyer with a mysterious, poetic beauty. And it’s especially great to hear Gadd again in context with these musicians. Genus, who has collaborated with James on his other acoustic projects, lays down bass lines with polished efficiency, at once soulful and grounding. Produced in part as a tribute to Dave Brubeck and with the spirit of Paul Desmond floating above, it sounds as if James and Sanborn finally got a chance to make a record their way, and its success rests squarely on the superb four-way dynamic the quartet affectionately shares. (9 tracks; 54 minutes) ■

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

■

JUNE 2013

■

ICON

■

keresman on disc Bobby Whitlock ★★★★ Where There’s A Will There’s A Way Future Days/Light In the Attic Chris Darrow ★★★★1/2 Artist Proof Drag City More “obscure” music from the ether? Well, yes and no—if you’re over, uh, 30 (or so) and actually read the fine print on albums, you know these cats have lots of shared history between them. By shared I mean shared by a few

generations of music fans—singer, keyboardist, and guitarist Bobby Whitlock was a member of Derek & the Dominos (that Clapton fellow’s early 1970s combo) and played on some enduring classic rock-type albums, such as George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass and Delaney & Bonnie’s On Tour With Eric Clapton. Chris Darrow was a member of Kaleidoscope, a ‘60s combo that mixed/combined blues, psychedelic rock, and world music which also included David Lindley. He was also sideperson of choice for Linda Ronstadt, Leonard Cohen, and others. Both of these sets, from circa 1972, make their (American) CD debuts here. Whitlock’s sounds of its time (not a bad thing, mind you) while Darrow’s could’ve been recorded last month. Where… contains his first two solo albums in their entirety, Bobby Whitlock and Raw Velvet—despite the presence of rock royalty (Clapton, Harrison, Beatles/Lennon bassist Klaus Voorman, etc.) on each, both sank into the obscurity of the bargain bins. Perhaps they weren’t promoted properly, or maybe it was his albums had more in common with deep-South, gospel-laced soul/R&B than the 1972 rock mainstream. Whitlock’s throaty, passionate singing is evocative of Solomon Burke, William Bell, Bobby “Blue” Bland, and (imagine a deeper, less-raspy) Joe Cocker. There’s plenty of sharp, tasty, terse guitar (Clapton fans need to hear his solo on “The Scenery Has Slowly Changed”) and keys and loads of Southern grit. If you enjoy (or miss) the homey

shemp@hotmail.com

■

ICON

■

JUNE 2013

■

MARK KERESMAN ★=SKIP IT; ★★=MEDIOCRE; ★★★=GOOD; ★★★★=EXCELLENT; ★★★★★=CLASSIC

vibes and unaffected fervor of, say, Clapton’s and Leon Russell’s solo debuts, Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs and Englishmen, and of course the soulful sounds of the Stax label, oy, are you in luck here. lightintheattic.net Darrow’s Artist Proof stands with that other watershed of Los Angeles countryrock, the Flying Burrito Brothers’ Gilded Palace of Sin, albeit with more folk leanings (note the Cajun-charged “Alligator Man”)—musically accomplished and somewhat mellow but sidestepping insipidness. Darrow’s voice has a cozy, plainspoken quality that will appeal to fans of Gram Parsons, Gene Clark, and Son Volt’s Jay Farrar, and there be lots of gorgeous diaphanous harmonies and dandy acoustic pickin’ throughout—a gem. dragcity.com Various Artists ★★★★★ The Best of Ripsaw Records Vol. 3 Part People have been decrying and/or bemoaning the “death” of rock & roll since…well, pick almost any time period. It never died, although it’s periodically suffered from severe anemia and terminal solemnity. But there have always been guys and gals drawing from the roots of rock— rockabilly, blues, roadhouse/honky tonk country, Western swing, etc.—and serving them sunny-side up (and unencumbered by commercial considerations) in outta-the-way joints across the USA. Many of the performers on The Best of Ripsaw Records Vol. 3 are from the DC/Maryland area, but heck, their brands o’ rockin’ makes them all citizens of the world (and of course, some of these folks are popular in other countries, as Europeans dig American “rhuts” more than Americans do). Billy Hancock’s “Marie, Marie” rocks with such focus ‘n’ fury it almost eclipses the Blasters’ timeless version. Imagine the great Patsy Cline cutting loose and swingin’ robustly and you have Marti Brom’s “I Get the Blues When It Rains.” There’s even some bluegrass and the Uptown Rhythm Kings’ “Gonna Have to Send You Back” is suave jazzy R&B in the tradition of Billy Eckstine, Big Joe Turner, and Johnny Ray. As good as Vol. 2 is (previously reviewed here), Vol. 3 leaves it in the dust—this platter is an Instant Party. part-records.de The Breakup Society ★★★★ So Much Unhappiness, So Little Time Get Hip To paraphrase Frank Zappa’s quote “The modern day

W W W. I C O N D V. C O M

■

W W W. FA C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V

composer refuses to die”: The present day power pop-er refuses to die! We all get older, naturally, but not everyone ages gracefully, especially rock & rollers. This Ed Masley fellow, main-man of The Breakup Society, has achieved a nifty balance of sorts. So Much Unhappiness… retains the cheery bluster and witty, angst-edged exuberance of classic power pop—mid-1960s Kinks and Who, and their contemporary

acolytes Cheap Trick and Young Fresh Fellows—plus the maturity that comes with, well, the getting of maturity. More simply put, Masley maintains the Catchy/Crunchy Rock Factor (replete with boyish vocals, ringing, brash, terse guitars, and Phil Spector-like production) but doesn’t sound stuck in ‘gonna-get-you-gurl’ perpetual adolescence. The droll “She’s Waiting for the Bubble to Burst” has some of the wistful song-craft-savvy of Harry Nilsson, and “She Doesn’t Cross Against the Light” has some of dense grandeur of the Beatles’ “She Said She Said.” Masley is the Arizona/male counterpart to Amy Rigby—growing pains wrapped in a nigh-on-irresistible pop package. gethip.com Frank Wess ★★★★ Magic 101 IPO At the risk of sounding grim, tenor saxophonist Frank Wess is one of the last of his breed. That noble breed being, of course, the jazz musicians that emerged from the big band era (a.k.a. Swing era, circa 1935-48)—Mr. Wess’ presence graced the big bands of Count Basie and Billy Eckstine, and that makes him a contemporary of tenor icons Ben Webster, Stan Getz, Lester Young, and others. His playing is firmly of that sphere—big, shiny tone; unabashedly romantic, lyrical, and economical (no 15-minute solos here), with just a touch of affectionate coarseness. Magic 101 is Wess accompanied by a trio featuring pianist Kenny Barron (who could no doubt make the Justin Bieber songbook sound golden) on a program of mostly achingly familiar chestnuts (“Easy Living,” “Come Rain or Come Shine”). The latter isn’t a concern really, as Wess reinvents such tunes with such sublime excellence it’s hard to carp about “over-familiarity.” Just listen to the bluesy brusqueness he brings to “Blue Monk” and the unaccompanied Ellington relative rarity “All Too Soon.” Give him the flowers while he’s living. iporecordings.com ■

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

■

JUNE 2013

■

ICON

■

singer / songwriter The McCrary Sisters ★★★1/2 All The Way McC Records Gospel music comes as naturally to the McCrary Sisters as breathing. The four women—daughters of the Rev. Samuel McCrary, one of the founders of the legendary gospel group the Fairfield Four—carry on the family tradition with All The Way. The quartet’s second CD finds them expanding their sound while keeping the focus on the spiritual message. The soul-drenched “Come On” opens the album with with a spirited invitation to follow God and has echoes of the Staple Singers hits of the early ‘70s.

TOM WILK ★=SKIP IT; ★★=MEDIOCRE; ★★★=GOOD; ★★★★=EXCELLENT; ★★★★★=CLASSIC

as a vehicle for his versatile guitar work. Otis shows another side of his music with the acoustic “Black Belt Sheriff,” recorded live in 2000 Like Wings of Love, Inspiration Information finds Otis in one-man band mode, with the exception of horns and strings. The songs range from the title track, which recalls an early ‘70s Hall & Oates recording, to a series of dreamy instrumentals, including “Rainy Day” and “XL-80.” While not a commercial hit, other artists, including OutKast and Beyonce, sampled the songs for “Ms. Jackson” and “Gift from Virgo,” respectively, demonstrating the album’s staying power. Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes ★★★ Playlist: The Very Best of Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes Epic/Legacy

“Right Where You Are,” co-written by singer/songwriter Bonnie Bishop, is an uplifting number about the spiritual journey. “You Can Make It” is a reminder that with God all things are possible with its lyrical message of “Never give up or give in.” Producers Tommy Simms and Kevin McKendree have added a modern feel to the music, adding horns and strings to Ann McCrary’s “Train” and synthesizers on Regina McCrary’s “Victory,” which recalls the work of the Pointer Sisters, another family act.

The music of Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes has been synonymous with the Jersey Shore for more than 35 years. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, it’s fitting that a new anthology of the band’s work is coming out as summer begins. Playlist, a 14-song compilation, focuses on the years 1976-1980, and illustrates their roots in 1960s-era rhythm and blues and soul music. As part of the Asbury Park music scene, the band benefited from the songwriting and production contributions of Bruce Springsteen and Steve Van Zandt. “The Fever,” one of Springsteen’s best romantic ballads, sizzles with passion and urgency in the Jukes’ rendition. Lead singer Southside Johnny Lyon made “I Don’t Want to Go Home,” a Van Zandt composition and title track of the band’s 1976 debut LP, an anthem for last call in Shore bars. Van Zandt also penned the dynamic “This Time It’s For Real” while Lyon emerged as a songwriter on “Trapped Again” and “All I Want is Everything.” The group pays tribute to its musical influences with Solomon Burke’s horn-powered “Got to Get You Off My Mind” and a celebratory reading of Sam Cooke’s “Having a Party.”

Shuggie Otis ★★★1/2 Inspiration Information/Wings of Love Epic/Legacy

The Duke Robillard Band ★★★ Independently Blue Stony Plain Records

This double CD from guitarist Shuggie Otis could also have been called “Then and Now.” Otis, then 21 originally released Inspiration Information, an album of psychedelic soul, in 1974, and retreated into the recording studio for nearly 40 years. Otis, the son of rhythm-and-blues pioneer Johnny Otis, has re-emerged on the music scene with a reissue of Inspiration Information with four bonus tracks and Wings of Love, a second CD of 13 previously unreleased songs recorded between 1975 and 2000. Wings of Love, shows the breadth of his musical experimentation, from the Philadelphia Soul-styled lushness of “Walkin’ Down The Country,” with multi-tracked vocal harmonies, to the jazz/rock hybrid of “Doin’ What’s Right.” The title track is a lush, if overly extended workout, that serves

From his tenure in Roomful of Blues and the Fabulous Thunderbirds to his work as a solo artist and touring guitarist for Tom Waits and Bob Dylan, Duke Robillard has made the blues his musical foundation. Robillard continues in that vein with Independently Blue but also extends his range. The swaggering “I Wouldn’t-a Done That” starts the album with an electric jolt of Robillard’s guitar and growling vocals. Both “Groovin’ Slow” and “I’m Still Laughing” offer humorous observation on aging from Robillard, who’s on the north side of 60. Robillard branches out on “Patrol Wagon Blues,” utilizing Dixieland horn arrangement while he switches from guitar to banjo on a classic New Orleans song recorded by Red Allen in 1929. “You Won’t Ever,” one of seven Robillard originals on the 12-song CD, ventures into jazz and Latin territory. Robillard stays away from the

McCrary Sisters.

tomwilk@rocketmail.com 40

■

ICON

■

JUNE 2013

■

W W W. I C O N D V. C O M

■

W W W. FA C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V

vocal microphone for a pair of instrumentals. “Strapped to the Chicken’s Neck” is a good-time boogie, while “Struttin with Lowell and B.B.” features Robillard and guitarist Monster Mike Welch paying tribute to bluesmen Lowell Fulson and B.B. King. John Mellencamp and Assorted Artists ★★★★ Ghost Brothers of Darkland County Hear Music Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, a collaboration between John Mellencamp and novelist Stephen King, is a gripping musical about a family stretched to the breaking point by sibling rivalry over two generations. Mellencamp’s songs and King’s libretto deal with lust, rage, jealousy, murder and family secrets.

The recording comes both as a music-only CD or a CD that alternates dialog from King’s play and Mellencamp’s 17 songs. It’s performed by a top-flight cast that includes Kris Kristofferson, Rosanne Cash, Sheryl Crow, Dave and Phil Alvin and Neko Case and actors Matthew McConaughey and Meg Ryan. Elvis Costello portrays The Shape, a devilish figure, who kicks off the music with “That’s Me,” evoking both menace and a dry sense of humor. He sets the stage for a tale of bickering brothers, Jack and Andy, (portrayed by the Alvins), who died under mysterious circumstances connected to a Mississippi cabin. The powerful “So Goddamn Smart” captures their pugnacious nature. Their blood feud continues in their nephews, Frank and Drake, sung by Ryan Bingham and Will Dailey on the ironic “Brotherly Love.” Each of the main characters gets a chance to shine: Kristofferson on the rueful “How Many Days,” Cash on the soul-searching “You Don’t Know Me” and Taj Mahal on “Tear This Cabin Down,” a thunderous blues. King and Mellencamp and musical director T Bone Burnett spin a tuneful and suspenseful story that works even without the visual element. ■

jazz library

BOB PERKINS

Grappelli on violin, Django Reinhardt, third from left.

IF YOU LIKE TO read the liner notes of LP’s, and the inserts in the jewel boxes of jazz CD’s, you’ve probably read the word “virtuoso” many times, as writers apply the lofty tag to various artists. I’ve seen it applied to violinist Stephane Grappelli a number of times—and to me, the word goes with Grappelli like icing on a triple-layer, vanillacoconut cake. The man’s playing is indescribably delicious. Violinists once had to elbow (and shoulder) their way into jazz, but today the instrument is not as strange or as unique as it once was viewed by other jazz instrumentalists and jazz fans. Violinists the caliber of Joe Venuti, Stuff Smith, Eddie South, Ray Nance, Claude “Fiddler” Williams, Grappelli, and a handful of others, could hold their own in the best company, and could not be denied entry into orchestras, small groups and jam sessions. Stephane Grappelli was born the January, 26, 1908, in Paris. Hs father was from Italy and his mother from France. In the first several decades of his professional career, his surname maintained the Gallicised spelling: Grappelly. He later took on the Italian spelling, and that spelling has remained constant. Grappelli’s mother died when he was four, and his father left home to fight in World War I. He was left alone. At age six he was accepted into Isadora Duncan’s dance

Stephane Grappelli school, where he was introduced to French Impressionistic music. He learned to play a small violin his father gave him, by watching street violinists. By age 14 he was working in the pit bands of Parisian movie houses. When he heard the music of Louis Armstrong, he said, “It changed my life.” He said that later on he listened to the music of Duke Ellington, Eddie Lang, George Gershwin, Billie Holiday, Coleman Hawkins and Fats Waller, adding that, “I’ve been inspired by orchestras and black music, but never by instrument. Of course I’ve had some musical loves in my life, like Bix Beiderbecke and Art Tatum, and so many other beautiful people, but I was never influenced by any individual, not even Joe Venuti.” Before blossoming into the talk of Paris music circles, Grappelli received four years of formal music education at the Conservatoire de Paris. During the mid and late 1930s, Grappelli and guitarist Django Reinhardt formed the renowned Hot Club of France, a group comprised of violin, three guitars and a bass. Over the years, Grappelli had concertized and recorded with other jazz giants like Oscar Peterson, Toots Thielemans, Barney Kessel, Joe Venuti, Yehudi Menuhin and George Shearing. He and Shearing made music together in England during World War II. Shearing headed for the U.S. after the

W W W. FA C E B O O K .C O M / I C O N D V

war, and Grappelli remained in Europe. Some thirty years after the war, Grappelli came to these shores on tour, and the two men recorded an album titled Reunion. Stephane Grappelli was the ultimate jazz violinist. He could play like a man on fire, but it wasn’t just sound and fury—his music had meaning. His ballad style was a massage for the heart. Pianist Errol Garner, who knew a little about playing ballads, was just about on his death bed when he gave Grappelli a ballad he’d written titled “Nightwind,” because he believed the violinist could play the heck out of it. Grappelli did record it, and the song is on a Columbia CD titled Uptown Dance. In the twilight of his years, a devilish little smile seemed to play at the corners of the old gent’s mouth… as if he was privy to some juicy tidbit no one else was in on. Perhaps he always knew he had captive audiences before him, and just couldn’t wait to mesmerize them. And after each performance, the smile was probably even broader. Stephane Grappelli passed away in December of 1997. He was 89. n

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.

n W W W. I C O N D V .C O M

JUNE 2013

ICON

dining

ROBERT GORDON

Jake’s NO, THE FIVE P’S are not an arcane doo-wop group. The Five P’s are Bruce Cooper’s road map. A few years ago, he told me the success of his restaurant, Jake’s, was rooted in the Five P’s: “Proper planning prevents poor performance.” “Yeah, I’ve added some new ones, but I still toss that one out,” Bruce chuckled when I reminded him of that saw recently. “But the five P’s are as important as ever.” A quarter-century ago, Cooper debuted Jake’s. He opened Jake’s on Black Monday, the ignominious day that Wall Street suffered its worst one-day plunge ever—prior to the recent Wall Street shenanigans that shattered that record many times over. But Cooper navigated his enterprise through that downturn. Jake’s star rose quickly, and has remained consistently bright in the Philly firmament of eateries. But the Jake’s of today is not your parents’ Jake’s. Cooper has calibrated his operation to the times. Jake’s has not only merged but also synergized with the storefront next-door, the eponymic Cooper’s Wine Bar, which Cooper also owns and operates. Cooper’s Wine Bar is a casual watering hole—the kickback brother of the duo. The Wine Bar is dominated by a glistening wood bar that stretches out parallel to a series of dining booths. The atmosphere is festive without being raucous. And Jake’s, the Manayunk legend, has throttled back its formal persona. The white linen tablecloths have been retired, as have the gallery of paintings that once graced the walls. Jake’s former haut cuisine is still “haut,” but not haughty. Most important, the creativity that always defined Cooper’s cooking remains. The Jake’s menu, which is also available at Cooper’s Wine Bar (and the Bar’s at Jake’s), has changed. A decade ago, pizza would have been an improbable rave. Today it is. In fact, Jake’s has landed a top-ten berth in MSN & Gayot’s 2013 ranking of the country’s best pizzas. Impressive. Jake’s focus has shifted from entrées to a smorgasbord of small-plate choices. Diners can select from the Raw Bar, a full slate of Snacks & Soups, a list of Small Plates, and, of course, Pizzas. The Raw Bar features a Jake’s signature dish, Tuna Twins, a savory pairing of Tuna Tartare and Tuna Sashimi. At one end of an elongated oval dish, the soft mince of tuna tartare mounds atop a gaufrette and props up a green crescent of avocado. At the other end, five chunks of tuna sashimi glisten inside a pool of soy pineapple glaze rimmed by a long arc of togarashi seasoning (a Japanese mix of black sesame seeds and dried chili peppers). The tartare and sashimi can be ordered individually, but I suggest treating yourself to the ensemble. The interplay is sublime. Chicken Liver Mousse is ethereal. Portobello Mushroom Soup is a cocoa-colored bowl of earthy Portobellos scented with truffle-oil. The Gorgonzola cream sauce that clads Polenta Gnocchi harmonizes with sautéed spinach and shiitake mushrooms. A dozen escargots—a more generous portion is hard to find anywhere—amidst a tangle of sautéed spinach are presented in a light buttery garlic cream capped with an herbed profiterole. The portion size is terrific, but the recipe pulls back the spicing and spark that distinguishes Garlic Shrimp whose heady garlic aroma announces its arrival well before it reaches the table. Jake’s Prime Burger boasts plenty of fans. Served on brioche, layered with house-made horseradish aioli, capped with a cheddar cheese melt-over of mushrooms and onions, the $15 burger holds its own among Philly’s suddenly-numerous upscale hamburger recipes. The Parmesan fries on the side are addictive. Notwithstanding the emphasis on small plates, Jake’s entrées still beckon. From a superb $20 bistro-classic Hangar Steak fired up on vinegar-garlic chimichurri sauce to the more elegant $27 Pan-Seared Scottish Salmon, washed in apple cider sauce and chive ginger sauce, the entrées are as properly conceived and prepared as ever. And getting back to Jake’s pizzas, they are tasty. The crust has been engineered in-house to stand up to muscular, savory toppings like BBQ Pork, Short Rib, and Spicy Meatball. The Five P’s and now a sixth, Pizza, are alive and well at Jake’s. ■ Jake’s, 4365 Main Street, Philadelphia PA (215) 483-0444 Please send comments or suggestions to r.gordon33@verizon.net 42

■

ICON

■

JUNE 2013

■

W W W. I C O N D V. C O M

■

W W W. FA C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V

S WA N

HOTEL Modern Cuisine h Classic Comfort Corner of Swan & Main Lambertville, NJ 609-397-3552

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

■

JUNE 2013

■

ICON

■

dining

ROBERT GORDON

THE NATIONAL HOTEL NEW JERSEY HAS THIS thing for rats with discriminating palates. J. Seward Johnson, Jr., heir to New Jersey-based Johnson & Johnson, owns Rats in Hamilton Township, an upscale salute to French country cuisine. Rats takes its name from the character in The Wind in the Willows. The other New Jersey Rats is in Frenchtown, but you won't find it in any listing. Rats is slang for Rathskellar in The National Hotel. Rathskellar in German means “cellar under City Hall.” Rathskellar’s brings the beat, the offbeat, and a full measure of fun to the charming, remote hamlet of Frenchtown. “The Frenchtown Underground” is a popular weekly Wednesday Open Mic night. But in addition to more de rigeur activity like karaoke, Rats’ entertaining slate includes Tuesday Trivia nights and poetry nights. Folks come from miles around, not only to participate, but for the unusual fare. The tavern menu features a number of uncommon items like Seitan & Plantain Sliders, Baba Ganoush Wraps, Kheema Chili, Moroccan Stew, and Lotus Root & Paneer Fritters. Yes, standard tavern noshes like nachos and wings are available. But the more adventurous choose to dive into rarer fare like Lamb Kofta Slider or Turkey & Pear Butter Panini. Upstairs from the Rathskellar, there’s an attractive dining room with a relaxing, refined air. The Rathskellar dishes are on the menu plus a number of others, with a greater emphasis on entrées. Former National Hotel Chef Ron Rittenhouse’s menu included empanadas and samosas as well as some less commonly used ingredients—in the USA at the time—like quinoa, which has now become all the rage. Chef Lisa Frederich has migrated Rittenhouse’s mostly U.S.-centric fare and expanded into Indian and other traditions. Her style is refreshing and healthy rather than purposefully exotic. Furthermore, given that the National Hotel is an historic structure of note, Lisa’s menu is a welcome, if not daring, departure from the stodgy, mundane fare at many other historic venues. There’s a healthy array of $6-$12 salads. Among the soups, Red Lentil Dahl is a peppery perker-upper, while Kheema Chili is a winning collaboration of lentils and green chili loaded on basmati rice filled with red onions and flecked with cilantro. The Paratha Bread that accompanies it is fluffy and delicious. Calamari is crusted with toasted cumin and garlic and served with scallions and preserved lemon aïoli dip. Sashimi-grade tuna is served with lotus root chips which has a texture that’s practically dainty. Creamy house-made wasabi dressing adds spark. Empanada de Pino is a vegan delight: A flaky pastry stuffed with ground seitan (substituting for ground beef), olives and raisins, and ignited with Chilean spices. The costliest entrée on this moderately priced menu is a $32, 12-ounce Delmonico Lancaster County Aged Rib Eye. You have your choice of three house-made sauces: House Steak Sauce, Sriracha Honey, and Smoked Chili Rub. The latter two have depth and vibrancy that exceeds most sauces I’ve found at premier chophouses. Lisa and the National Hotel are also committed to local sourcing of ingredients and supporting sustainable harvesting. Half-Chicken ($22) is brined in a mix of fruit juices, roasted, and served with fig and lemon jam over saffron and pine nut couscous. Kadal fish, an Indian standard, is drizzled with Indian coconut sauce and served with grilled scallions over tamarind and mustard seed basmati rice. A $16 rendition of Fish ‘n Chips brings beer-battered cod on a plate with French fries and a tub of house-made Tartar sauce. Save room for dessert. All are made on premises, and the Raspberry-Linzer Tart and Chocolate Polenta tart both merit the calories. The National Hotel dates back to 1833—the Hotel’s distinguished guests boast names like Buffalo Bill Cody and Annie Oakley. One Victorian guest, I’m told, remains behind in Room 304. (Incidentally, the National’s B&B rooms are lovely and cheekily appointed. Do take a tour if possible.) But if you decide to stay in Room 304, brush up on your science. The room’s unseen occupant queries tenants about how their fascinating new-fangled gadgets work. That’s just another example of how the National Hotel has given new life to Frenchtown and all its residents. ■ The National Hotel, 31 Race Street, Frenchtown NJ (908) 996-3200 www.thenationalhotelnj.com Email comments and suggestions to r.gordon33@verizon.net 44

■

ICON

■

JUNE 2013

■

W W W. I C O N D V. C O M

■

W W W. FA C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V

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

■

JUNE 2013

■

ICON

■

The Los Angeles Times SUNDAY CROSSWORD PUZZLE

HAIR MAJESTY By Mark Bickham Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

1 9 15 20 21 22 23 24 26 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 39 41 44 45 47 50 51 53 56 57 58 59 61 62 64 66 69 71 73 76 78 80 82 85 87 89 90 93 95 96 97 98 100 101 103 106 108 109

ACROSS Profitable venture Bombay bigwigs Fox role “My pleasure!” Region north of Morocco Finnish architect Alvar __ Punkish accessory Leader of the Wild Bunch gang Plush floor covering Asian region, with “the” Lhasa __ Wilmington’s st. Short “Silent Spring” subj. “Bossypants” writer Fey Loses one’s cool She played Molly in “Ghost” Ready to shoot Contact, nowadays Walton of Walmart Two bells, in the Navy Old pool ball material Oahu’s __ Stadium Greet from a distance Hotel team Apportioned, with “out” Nickname for Margaret Start of something big? Devotee Safari sightings Is aware of Star Notes comprise them It’s over a foot Amazingly enough Mythical giants Newspaper section Hardly a guffaw Graceful male swimmer Aware of Double-check Burns a bit “Our Gang” series creator Hal Dreaded musician? Common newspaper name Bother Video game pioneer Site of heavy traffic, with “the” Wind indicator City on the Tigris Acronym that includes middle sch. Tinactin alternative Evidently are Engine housing

■

ICON

■

JUNE 2013

111 Takes too much 113 Xi preceders 114 “Madama Butterfly” wardrobe items 116 Did perfectly 118 Low-altitude delivery agent 122 Fetal metaphor 125 Uncommon thing 127 Playground rejoinder 128 Company promoted by a ninemonth-old financial wizard 129 Theft target 130 Beach shoe 131 Pastry-making aid 132 Like some loafers

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 25 27 32 34 35 36 37 38 40 41 42 43 46 48 49 52

■

DOWN Sling ingredient Zoo animales Like some lawns Hopes it never happens Big deal Winter spikes “Peter Pan” pooch Many Caltech grads Outback order Be next to Fast flier Like a parabola Percussion kit item Egg holders Parental nicknames Eponymous 18th-century adventurer One way to decide Old Fords Toy on a string Envelope abbr. Postgrad degree More than just eat “__ any judge of character ...” Philatelist’s find Catchers with pots Strikingly strange “Hi and Lois” pooch Scenic Massachusetts route Daughter in Shakespeare’s “Cymbeline” Pakistani language Part of CBS: Abbr. Blemish Lumber tree Blind-from-birth pianist Templeton British singer with the age-related albums “19” and “21”

W W W. I C O N D V. C O M

■

54 55 60 63 65 67 68 70 72 74 75 77 79 81 82 83 84 86 88 91 92 94 99 102 104 105 107 109 110

__ cava Berkshire jackets Almost all the time “The X-Files” org. More sneaky Put in power Four Corners nickname Sailor from Basrah It has both Hebrew and English letters on its planes Medicine man Still Stains on a red suit? Perfect place Cambridgeshire neighbor Grump O’Neill’s daughter Rams Pistons’ org. Added highlights to, in a way Strong team quality Stevenson villain TV role for Bamboo Harvester Grants academic security to Latin trio member Good boy of verse Response known to preclude its question Lazy __: trays Golfer Calvin Reasons to clean

W W W. FA C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V

112 114 115 117 118 119 120

Sail-extending pole Late notice? Foundation plant Stylish eatery word Give up Anti-art movement Bad doings

121 123 124 126

Altar event Holiday quaff Piece of winery equipment Guitarist Barrett

Answer in next month’s issue.

Answer to May’s puzzle, HACKER

agenda CALL TO ARTISTS ARTISTS CALL: Artist of the Month Series Tredyffrin Township Building in Chesterbrook, 1100 DuPortail Road, Berwyn, PA. Monday-Friday 8 AM-4:30PM. Closed Weekends. To be considered, contact Monique Kendikian-Sarkessian at monique.kendikian. sarkessianfineart@hotmail.com. Must be a member of Delaware Valley Art League. DVAL, founded in 1947, is a non-profit association of professional artists that exists to promote interest in the fine arts within the community & to advance the skill and creativity of its membership. Check for more exhibits, workshops and information about membership: delawarevalleyartleague.com facebook.com/delawarevalleyartleague Portfolio submissions requested for consideration to participate in a new event in downtown Bethlehem this September. ArtINplace, an event that offers a window into the process of developing fine art by giving viewers the opportunity to see a work in development. Merchants design vignettes from which the artist will draw their inspiration for an original artwork. ArtINplace, Sat. Sept. 14,12-5:30. Submissions to atelierdualis.com/search/art or erin@atelierdualis.com. ART EXHIBITS THRU 6/9 An Artist’s World. The Studio & Gallery of Materese Roche, 5113 Anderson Rd., Buckingham, PA. matereseroche.com THRU 6/15 Martha Jackson Jarvis: Ancestor’s Bones. Drawings, paintings, digital imagery, and sculpture. Williams Center Gallery, Lafayette College, Easton, PA. M-W & F 11-5; Th. 11-8; Sat. & Sun.12-5. 610-330-5361. http://galleries.lafayette.edu THRU 6/16 21st Invitational Exhibition of Fine Art Miniatures from Around the World. Opening recep. 5/4, 1-5. Live music/hors d’oeuvres. The Snow Goose Gallery, 470 Main St., Bethlehem, PA. 610-974-9099. thesnowgoosegallery.com

6/5 Gallery Talk: The Beautiful Bodice: Fashions for the 1890s. Noon-1pm, Allentown Art Museum of the Lehigh Valley, 31 North Fifth St., Allentown, PA. 610-432-4333, allentownartmuseum.org 6/7-7/21 Summer Exhibit, Quiet Life Gallery, 17 South Main St., Lambertville, NJ. Open Wed.-Sun. 609-397-0880, www.quietlifegallery.com 6/7-8/30 French Fridays! Lautrec tour at 2pm, Café plats du jour. Allentown Art Museum of the Lehigh Valley, 31 North Fifth St., Allentown, PA. 610-432-4333. allentownartmuseum.org 6/7-7/5 Manufactured Consent: An evolution in Collaboration. Join us for this important art event and exhibit featuring oil painters Chris Kosztyo, Marlow Rodale, Darrell George, and filmmaker Daniel Paashaus. For additional details on the event please email darrell. unstopgallery@yahoo.com. Opening reception, 6/7, 5-10PM. The Fowler Center, 511 east 3rd Street, Bethlehem (near Steel Stacks). 6/9 Lisa Norris: Paris during the Belle Epoque. 13 pm, Allentown Art Museum of the Lehigh Valley, 31 North Fifth St., Allentown, PA. 610432-4333. allentownartmuseum.org 6/15-7/31 Patricia Hutton Galleries opening reception for Summer Vacation: Artists' Destinations is 6/15, 5 - 8pm. The show will feature some of our gallery artist’s favorite places to paint including Europe, New England and Bucks County and will run through the summer. 47 West State Street, Doylestown, PA 215-3481728. www.PatriciaHuttonGalleries.com 6/16 Annette Blaugrund: Dispensing Beauty. 13pm, Allentown Art Museum of the Lehigh Valley, 31 North Fifth St., Allentown, PA. 610432-4333, allentownartmuseum.org

FESTIVALS & AUCTIONS THRU 6/28 La Tauromaquia: Carnicero, Goya and Picasso. Arthur Ross Gallery, inside the Fisher Fine Arts Library, University of Pennsylvania, 220 So. 34th St., Philadelphia, PA upenn.edu/ARG Thru 7/7 “Retrospective”, featuring multiple artists, and Wendy Paton & Stephen Perloff: Two for the Road” continues in Gallery ll. Red Filter Gallery, 74 Bridge Street, Lambertville, NJ. Thur.-Sun.125. 347-244-9758. inquire@redfiltergallery.com. http://redfiltergallery.com

6/15 Stahl’s Pottery Preservation Society presents its 26th Annual Summer Pottery Festival, 9:004:00. Sales by 30 contemporary potters, tour pottery site, demonstrations, refreshments & baked goods. Admission $3/adult; under 18 free. Free parking-held rain or shine. 6826 Corning Rd., Zionsville, PA. For directions and information, stahlspottery.org. 610-965-5019.

THEATER

THRU 9/7 Summer Juried Show. Penn Medicine at Radnor, 250 King of Prussia Rd., Radnor, PA. Delaware Valley Art League. delawarevalleyartleague.com

6/2 Menopause The Musical, Sands Bethlehem Event Center. Contact the box office about our luxury suites. Box office: 610-297-7400, Sandseventcenter.com

6/2-9/1 “Toulouse Lautrec & His World:” The art and life of one of the most fascinating artists and personalities of the Belle Époque in France. Preview Party, 6/1, 6-8pm. Allentown Art Museum, 31 North Fifth St., Allentown, PA. 610-432-4333. allentownartmuseum.org

6/10 & 6/11 Addams Family, 7pm. State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton, PA. $60/$55. 610252-3132. statetheatre.org 6/12-6/30 Crazy for You, The New Gershwin Musical!

Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre, Allentown, PA. 484-664-3333. muhlenberg.edu/smt 6/12-6/30 Rodgers & Hammerstein’s, Oklahoma! Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, DeSales University, 2755 Station Ave., Center Valley, PA. Tickets: 610-282-9455. PaShakespeare.org 6/19-7/27 Seussical, the Dr. Seuss Musical! Theatre for Young Audiences Edition. Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre, Allentown, PA. 484-6643333, muhlenberg.edu/smt

DINNER & MUSIC Saturday nights: Sette Luna Restaurant, 219 Ferry St., Easton, PA. 610-253-8888. setteluna.com Thursday nights: DeAnna’s Restaurant & Bar, 54 N. Franklin St., Lambertville, NJ. Live music and 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

CONCERTS Some organizations perform in various locations. If no address is listed, check the website for location of performance. 6/2 An Afternoon of Jazz and Classical Music: A Benefit for Musicopia. 3PM. Presented by ICON, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, WRTI.FM, Jacobs Music and Drum Workshop. Philadelphia Ethical Society, 1906 Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia. Tickets: icondv.com or 215-730-1789. 6/9 Valley Vivaldi chamber music concert by principal instrumentalists of Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra. Music by Vivaldi, Bach, Boccherini, Tartini and more, featuring trumpet, flute and a Brandenburg concerto, 7:30 p.m. Christ Lutheran Church, 1245 W. Hamilton St., Allentown, PA. Tickets: $15-$35 in advance/at door. 610-434-7811. www.PASinfonia.org

7/13 Dave Koz and Friends, Summer Horns Tour 2013, featuring special guests Mindi Abair, Gerald Albright, and Richard Elliot.7:30 pm, State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton, PA. $60/$50. 610-252-3132, 1-800-999STATE, www.statetheatre.org 7/21 Valley Vivaldi chamber music concert by principal instrumentalists of Pennsylvania Sinfonia

6/1-6/30 Experience history aboard Coryell's Ferry Historic Boat Rides located along the banks of The Delaware River in New Hope Pa. New Hope was instrumental in winning freedom for The US in 1776. Safety was provided for our Continental soldiers and finally a victory for George Washington! Visit us at coryellsferry.com and facebook

7/26 Tony Bennett, Sands Bethlehem Event Center, Contact the box office about our luxury suites. Box office: 610-297-7400, Sandseventcenter.com

6/8 & 6/15 Sample Niagara mixed drinks, listen to Caribbean music playing in our tasting room and enjoy a glass of your choice! 1-5pm, samples are free, Niagara drinks are $8 a glass. Chaddsford Winery, Peddler’s Village, Shop #20, Lahaska, PA. 215-794-9655. www.chaddsford.com

ARTSQUEST CENTER AT STEELSTACKS (Musikfest Café) 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, PA 610-332-1300. artsquest.org 6/7 6/13 6/14 6/17 6/18 6/20 6/21 6/28 6/29 7/5 7/11 7/12 7/13 7/17 7/18 7/19 7/23 7/25 7/26 7/27 8/22 8/23 8/31

Marc Cohn Keller Williams Tig Notaro John McLaughlin & The 4th Dimension David Murray Infinity Quartet Featuring Macy Gray XPN welcomes Delta Rae DJ Dominic Germano Craig Thatcher & Mike Dugan Rusted Root For fans of Dave Matthews Band Popa Chubby Bill Miller The Music of Simon & Garfunkel by AJ Swearingen & Jonathan Beedle Latin Dance Night The English Beat Dennis DeYoung: Music of Styx Splintered Sunlight Andrew McMahon The Temptations Philadelphia Funk Authority Nick DiPaolo Classic Albums Live: The Beatles Kenny Vance & The Planotones Big Shot: The Ultimate Billy Joel Experience

6/22 Wine and Ice Cream Social, 2pm. Pair Ice cream & wine together! RSVP, $20 per person. Chaddsford Winery, Peddler’s Village, Shop #20, Lahaska, PA. 215-794-9655. www.chaddsford.com 6/22 Rice’s Market is holding its first Wow, I Painted That! event. Join a local artist in a class and become the next Picasso. 10:00-11:30; rain date 6/29. Afterward, stay and shop Rice’s for great prices on all of your summer needs. Contact info@rices.com for more information. www.rices.com 6/23-6/30 Bethlehem Restaurant Week, The Most Delicious Week of Summer! A great opportunity to get out and enjoy many of the fine restaurants in Bethlehem.Win $2,000 in restaurant gift certificates. For more information, www.DowntownBethlehemAssociation.com

READINGS 6/8 Panoply Books Reading Series 2013: Poet Sharon Olson. Her work has appeared in such journals as Kalliope, The Seattle Review, and Crab Orchard Review. Clouds Brushed in Later, was selected as the winner of the Abby Niebauer Memorial Chapbook award in 1987. The Long Night of Flying, published recently by Sixteen Rivers Press. Book signing, Q & A, refreshments. Free, 6PM, Panoply Books, 46 N. Union St., Lambertville, NJ. 609-397-1145, www.panoplybooks.com

MAUCH CHUNK OPERA HOUSE One of America’s oldest vaudeville theaters, built in 1881. 14 West Broadway, Jim Thorpe, PA. 570-325-0249. mauchchunkoperahouse.com 6/2 6/14

6/30 Valley Vivaldi chamber music concert by principal instrumentalists of Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra. Music by Vivaldi, Bach, Boccherini, Tartini and more, featuring trumpet, flute and a Brandenburg concerto, 7:30 p.m. Christ Lutheran Church, 1245 W. Hamilton St., Allentown, PA. Tickets- $15-$35 in advance/at door. 610-4347811, www.PASinfonia.org

EVENTS

Orchestra. Music by Vivaldi, Bach, Boccherini, Tartini and more, featuring trumpet, flute and a Brandenburg concerto, 7:30 p.m. Wesley Church, 2530 Center St., Bethlehem, PA. Tickets- $15-$35 in advance/at door. 610-4347811, www.PASinfonia.org

6/15 6/22 6/28 6/29 7/6 7/12 7/13 7/19 7/20 7/26 7/27 8/2 8/10 8/15 8/17

W W W. FA C E B O O K .C O M / I C O N D V

Tea Leaf Green and special guests, The Spring Standards Dave Matthews Tribute by Billy Bauer Band Craig Thatcher’s Salute to the Fillmore, Volume III The Felice Brothers Cabinet w/East Bound Jesus The Jerry Garcia Show by Dead On Live Ben Taylor The New Riders of the Purple Sage Kashmir-The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Show Todd Snider Incendio Bennie & The Jets The Elton John Show The Vagabond Opera Marrakesh Express: A Crosby, Stills Nash & Young Experience Forward Motion The Dustbowl Revival An Evening with Larry Coryell, Victor Bailey and Lenny White

■ W W W. I C O N D V .C O M

CLASSES Summer Arts Programs at DeSales University. Summer Video Institute: desales.edu/svi, ext. 1732; Summer Theatre Institute:desales.edu/sti, ext. 1320; and Summer Dance Intensive: desales.edu/sdi, ext. 1663. DeSales University, 2755 Station Ave., Center Valley, PA. For more information, 610-282-1100 or desales.edu/svi 6/10-7/26 Banana Factory Art Classes, Summer Camps, ages 4-17. Full and half-day camps in painting, ceramics, photography, drawing, glass and many more. 25 W. Third St., Bethlehem, PA. For full schedule and to register artsquest.org, 610332-3378.

■

JUNE 2013

■

ICON

■