Icon 11 2013 by ICON Magazine

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NOVEMBER ~ 2013

Filling the hunger since 1992

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS The thirty-three-year-old Juilliard-trained actor delivers a breakout performance in Ethan and Joel Coen’s new film, Inside Llewyn Davis, in which he plays a down-on-his-luck folk singer (with a guitar and cat in tow) in New York’s 1960s-era West Village.

The iconic actor has had one helluva year in Sin City, landing kudos for his work in HBO’s Behind the Candelabra, and now, joining some fellow screen legends for the surprisingly winning comedy Last Vegas. Right in the heart of Nevada’s hell-raising haven, Douglas sat down to talk aging, acting, and making the most of it all.

City Beat | 5 Backstage | 5 About Life | 42 Sally Friedman | 45

SINGER / SONGWRITER | 30 David Bromberg; Allen Toussaint; Nick Lowe; Fats Kaplin

Last Boat Home | 7

The Horse’s Ha; Buddy Emmons; Dialeto; Claudia Lennear; Carol Kleyn; Juan Blanco; Jennifer Higdon NICK’S PICKS | 36

ART

Marquis Hill; John Escreet;

Grace Kelly | 9 Hidden Treasures | 10

Larry McKenna; Alexis Cuadrado

CINEMATTERS | 12 About Time KERESMAN ON FILM | 14 All is Lost

KERESMAN ON DISC | 34

Trisha Vergis Gallery Red Filter Gallery Baum School of Art

FILM

Robert Redford in About Time. Photo: Daniel Daza.

Tommy Potter

EXHIBITIONS | 8

Tom Hollander in a scene from About Time.

FOOD Tiramisu | 38 Jones | 41

ETCETERA L.A. Times Crossword | 46 Agenda | 47

BAD MOVIE | 16 Machete Kills

Raina Filipiak filipiakr@comcast.net

Entertainment Editor Bruce H. Klauber / drumalive@aol.com City Beat Editor Thom Nickels / thomnickels1@aol.com Fine Arts Editors Edward Higgins Burton Wasserman Classical Music Editor Peter H. Gistelinck Music Editors Nick Bewsey Mark Keresman / shemp@hotmail.com Bob Perkins Tom Wilk Food Editor Robert Gordon / rgordon33@verizon.net 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 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).

FILM ROUNDUP | 20 Mother of George; Spinning Plates; Let the Fire Burn; A.C.O.D.

MUSIC THE JAZZ SCENE | 28

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Assistant to the Publisher

Trina McKenna trina@icondv.com

IT / Audio Consultant Andy Kahn

REEL NEWS | 18 Renoir; Frances Ha; Computer Chess; Blackfish

Oscar Isaac in a scene from Inside Llewyn Davis.

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

Michael Martin Murphey JAZZ LIBRARY | 32

A THOUSAND WORDS

fax: 215-862-9845

ADVERTISING 800-354-8776

MICHAEL DOUGLAS | 24

COLUMNS

1-800-354-8776 • 215-862-9558

www.icondv.com

OSCAR ISAAC | 22

Grace Kelly on her wedding day. Gown by Helen Rose

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

ON THE COVER: Michael Douglas. Page 24.

city beat

THOM NIICKELS

ThomNickels1@aol.com

PUTTIN’ ON THE MEAL We hope that the Mural Arts Project’s “The Meal,” on October 5, an extravaganza staged to celebrate the organization’s 30th anniversary, becomes an annual event. Imagine eating art off the walls “and putting it into a public space in the form of a table setting?” That’s how French artist Lucy Orta referred to The Meal. “In a sense, the murals on the wall will be found on a table runner and the plates of The Meal,” Orta said. This was Philadelphia’s first free collective dining experience, but the 34th for Paris-based artists Jorge and Lucy Orta, who created The Meal as an art event. Many of the 904 guests were selected by a lottery system. The vegetarian fare was created by Chef Marc Vetri. Guests got to take home a rather spectacular Orta art plate. We ate with Amy Johnson, Media, Pennsylvania, City Council candidate, and muralist Ben Volta and his young son Milo. Jane Golden gave a speech that had the airborne pounce of an Olympic discus throw. Onlookers beyond the perimeter of the Thomas Paine Plaza at the Municipal Services Building were surprisingly sedate when spotting so many people chewing on Black Krim, Dabinett, Celtuce, Spitzenberg and lots of cubed carrots. “What I want to know,” Amy Johnson asked, “is who cut all of these carrots into such tiny cubes?” Since vegetables, like Chinese food, leaves the stomach fast, we headed out to a fast food restaurant afterward for something meatier to chew on. INTELLIGENT PRINTING At Drexel University’s second TedX symposium last month we led the pack with a 9 AM presentation on how technology affects human interaction. Later, we answered questions from students about the value of cursive writing, and were taken aback when one seemingly smart woman asked, “Isn’t advocating for cursive retrograde thinking?” What? We let it be known that cursive writing is a kind of poetry, a basic skill like learning the alphabet. We said that intelligent people who can only print block letters make most observers think of the developmentally disabled. It’s much like the argument we got into last year with a woman who announced that she was starting a movement to abolish the use of the semicolon. We love the semicolon, just like we love cursive writing—and just like we love astronauts like Paul Richards, another TedX speaker who was part of the eighth Shuttle Mission to the International Space Station. Richards told us at lunch that astronauts who travel in space are given so much to do that they often forget to look outside at the ball of earth, or at the stars within arm’s reach. MUSICAL CHAIRS We don’t usually attend film screenings. Philly’s film world, like the Philly poetry circuit, can be an odd feudal kingdom. We ventured to the Kimmel Center anyway to see the 2012 Susan Seidelman film, Musical Chairs, about two New Yorkers and their love for ballroom dancing (even after one becomes physically disabled), as part of a benefit for the Mayor’s Commission on People with Disabilities. The red carpet affair included “I am a camera” HughE Dillon who took posed and random shots of Mayor Nutter, Governor Ed Rendell, and Joan Bressler of the Greater Philadelphia Film Office. Seidelman was also present, but tracking her down at the post-film reception was not easy. We wanted to ask her about her film, Desperately Seeking Susan, with then rising star Madonna, but like Governor RenScene from Musical Chairs.

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

backstage

BRUCE KLAUBER

drumalive@aol.com

MORE RINKY DINKY INKY At the Philadelphia Inquirer, winning a couple of Pulitzer Prizes does not guarantee permanent employment. Case in point is the recent firing of two-time Pulitzer winner, editor Bill Marimow, who was unceremoniously let go after serving in the editor’s chair for a mere 18 months. Seems Marimow, who was fired once before several years ago, had “philosophical differences” with publisher/CEO Robert J. Hall. It’s been said that Marimow refused an order to fire several editors, which is odd, because those behind “Backstage” understood there were not any editors left to fire. The now ex-ed also evidently did not agree with the direction of the paper, now geared increasingly toward local coverage and a web presence. Both, presumably, will not include more coverage of the arts or re-instituting the weekly Op-Ed page. But give the Inquirer credit: the story about the firing made the paper’s front page. It was, after all, “local news.” Not everyone is happy within the beleaguered daily. As this is being written, those representing two owners with a 42 percent stake in the Inquirer have filed suit in Common Pleas Court to reinstate Marimow. Good luck with that one. THE BOYD DESTROYED? Philadelphia’s Boyd Theatre, built in 1928 and said to be the last of the city’s “premier movie palaces” is yet again set for demolition, despite being listed by the National Historic Trust for Historic Places in 2008 as “one of America’s 11 most endangered historic places.” Reports say that The Boyd, at 1908 Chestnut Street, and vacant since 2003, will have its interior gutted to make room for an eight-screen theater under the aegis of a company called iPiC. An organization called “Friends of The Boyd,” which has been around since 2002, is opposed to the demolition. For information and to help the cause, visit FriendsOfTheBoyd.org. FOR ART’S SAKE Michael Norris is the Interim Executive Director of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance. In recent remarks at the Independence Seaport Museum on the occasion of the Alliance’s annual member meeting, Norris said, among other things, that “now is the time to renew our efforts for dedicated funding to ensure that a vibrant cultural community will continue to improve our communities, educate our children and stimulate our economy.” There are also long overdue and much-needed plans to revamp the Alliance’s “PhillyFunGuide” website. The Alliance has big and great ideas for the coming year and for the future. As for Norris, who would make a good permanent Executive Director, he has his work cut out for him. HERE’S JOHNNY. AGAIN Eight years after his death, late-night legend Johnny Carson is still front page news. That’s to be taken literally, as the rumored affair of Carson’s second wife with Frank Gifford, which supposedly happened decades go, just made the cover of the New York Post. That tidbit and other purported truths are contained in a new book by Carson’s long time lawyer, Henry “Bombastic” Bushkin,” titled Johnny Carson. Beware of the works’ contents, however. “Bombastic” Bushkin was dumped by Carson in 1988 and then sued for, among other things, making bad investments. In other words, hell hath no fury than a disgruntled celebrity lawyer with a literary agent. A more credible Carson source is writer Bill Zehme, something of an expert in the latenight television wars, who has just completed his bio of Carson, a project that was first scheduled for publication in 2007. The buzz is that NBC television will produce a mini-series based on the Zehme’s Carson the Magnificent: An Intimate Portrait. Don’t hold your breath. Hollywood is littered with purchased book rights that were supposed to be theatrical or television films. Madonna, for instance, long held the rights to jazz singer Anita O’Day’s life story, and Bob Dylan, believe it or not, for years owned book rights to drummer Buddy Rich’s story. Carson’s nephew, Jeff Zotzing, who was named to handle the Carson video legacy after

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.

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dell and the Mayor, she either skipped the reception or was being held hostage by admirers. The film had many in the Kimmel wiping their eyes. “What a tear jerker,” Dillon said, still wiping an eye. A HIDDEN TRAGEDY When you go to lunch at a restaurant like Nineteen atop the Bellevue, you expect to dine in pleasant surroundings, not witness a man in his 60s get up from a table when his wife goes to the ladies’ room, walk over to a window and jump out. That’s what a friend of ours saw weeks ago as he dined there. “I haven’t been able to sleep for three days,” he said, fairly distraught. “The man just walked over to the window and jumped out, after which one of the waitresses fainted.” After the tragedy, management closed the restaurant and escorted diners out. “But there was nothing on the news,” our friend added. “A man jumps out onto Broad Street at lunchtime and it goes unreported!” We researched the incident but getting the facts wasn’t easy. Nineteen had no comment, while Bellevue management confirmed that someone had indeed died out on the sidewalk in front of the hotel, adding, “You’ll have to call the police for the rest of the story.” The police were “sort of ” forthcoming. They took our information with a promise to call back but it took a reminder call from us two days later to get them to say that we had to call the City Medical Examiner’s Office. When we did that we were told to phone another number and then wait for a return call. We finally received the confirmation we were looking for five days after the original request: a 66-year-old man from Ventor, New Jersey, had indeed committed suicide from Nineteen on that fateful September afternoon. MAKING POLITICAL POINTS WITH HUMOR Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist Tony Auth was on hand at the Philadelphia History Museum for a retrospective of some of his best work in The Philadelphia Inquirer. Auth was everything to political progressives during the Ronald Reagan era. An engaging man in a perfectly contoured John Steinbeck beard, Auth greeted well-wishers and chatted with Museum Executive Director Charles Croce about his career and the glory days of the Inquirer. We learned, among other things, that when he lacked inspiration, he’d head to the movies for ideas, and that during his tenure at the paper he only had one cartoon rejected. While the Inquirer gave Auth complete artistic freedom, it also reminded him that it held editorial veto power. During the Q and A with Croce, Auth made several inferences that the once great Inquirer has indeed fallen from grace. At the reception he elaborated further when he told us that a young Tony Auth looking for a newspaper venue in 2013 wouldn’t stand a chance at his alma mater. KAWS’ CAUSE? What’s going on with PAFA, one of our favorite institutions, and its fascination with cartoon characters? We tried to get into the mouse-like blow up doll, the “Companion” statue by artist Brian Donnelly (aka KAWS) last spring when PAFA plunked it down in 30th Street Station. We know that times are tough and that people need laughter, but are blow up dolls the answer? KAWS has found a good Red Grooms-style gimmick, although the whole thing makes us think of a children’s circus. The new KAWS @ PAFA exhibit suggests to us that cartoons masquerading as art are propagating like bed bugs: from the single 30th Street blow up doll there are now three more KAWS, one a nearly ten-foot-tall sculpture entitled “Born to Bend,” as well as cartoon character portraits hung salon-style in the venerable halls of PAFA. Since there’s no telling what might happen next in the world of art, how about an inflatable KAWS PAFA building—the Museum as a pop-up, moveable rubber raft? LEGER AT PMA We talked shop with The Philadelphia Tribune’s Bobbi Booker during the Museum of Art’s press reception for Ledger: Modern Art and the Metropolis. Leger, who studied architecture, was, like Warhol and Jean Cocteau, an artist who engaged painting with the popular arts. The exhibit includes “The City,” one of the greatest works in the collection, at least according to the Museum’s CEO, Timothy Rub. Check out the PMA gift shop for Leger goodies as well— there’s resin jewelry, ceramic kitchen and dinnerware, and more. HIGH ON AIR Marty Moss-Coane was born on Valentine’s Day, 1949. The host and executive producer of Radio Times With Marty Moss-Coane, started as a volunteer at Philadelphia’s WHYY-FM studios in 1983. From her role as associate producer of Terry Gross’ Fresh Air, she became the host of Radio Times when Gross went national in 1987. In the beginning of her career she was “terrified of making a mistake, of sounding like a fool, of not being as good as Terry Gross.” In another interview, she talked of her radio guests. “We’ve had lousy guests,” she said. “The lousy guests are ponderous talkers. We’ve had hostile guests; we’ve had guests who were drunk or high. We had one guy who was as high as a kite. The truth is, that’s the rare guest. Most of them are pretty good and we’re pretty choosy who we have on.” Well, maybe not choosy enough if some of these high recognition “names” are snorting in the back aisles. ■ 6 ■ I C O N ■ N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3 ■ W W W . I C O N D V. C O M ■ W W W . F A C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V

5 / BACKSTAGE

the star’s death, has done little to perpetuate the legend of his famous uncle since the release of the cheesy Best of Carson DVDs years back. It appears, however, that this book hype has finally lit a fire under the nephew. Zotzing has recently announced that two volumes of Tonight Show material will be available through the iTunes store. But wait...there’s more. For 99 cents, iTunes folks can purchase ring tones that say things like “Hi-Oh” and “How warm was it?” PERFECTLY FRANK AGAIN It’s almost impossible to keep up with the Frank Sinatra impersonators who keep popping up. Latest is area native Brandon Tomasello, who recently appeared with Philadelphia’s City Rhythm Orchestra at Atlantic City’s Golden Nugget. The show is called “The Kid Sings Sinatra,” named thusly because the show’s star clocks in at about 20 years of age. The youngster has a certain charm and is trained well enough—he was a student at the Philadelphia Performing Arts Charter School and spent two years with Philadelphia Boys Choir—but part of the “original Sinatra’s” artistry was that he knew what the heck he was singing about. That is something only the years, and life, can bring. NAKED FEET TREAT For a town that has often seemed to embrace traditional values when it comes to culture—don’t forget, Philadelphia was the first city to bust Lenny Bruce and Billie Holiday—experimental theater has managed to flourish. A good example of this would be Naked Feet Theatrical Productions and B. Someday Productions, who are presenting something called Hands Across Vernonica: A Phat Lady Comedy, described as “a biting comedy about women and their relationships to men, food and their bodies.” The production, written by Gin Hobbs, will run at the Walking Fish Theatre, 2509 Frankford Avenue, from November 6 to 30. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased in advance from WalkingFishTheatre.com. This production, first staged here in 2003 by the Theatre Catalyst/Eternal Spiral Project, is indicative of Naked Feet’s commitment to creating original works and recreating old ones that specifically challenge, they say, “Who we are in regards to the expectations put upon us by ourselves, our religion and our culture.” B. Someday Productions is non-profit theater/arts corporation, established in 2007, and the recipient of a Barrymore Award in 2010 for its “Mythic Proportions” outreach program in 2010. THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR? The event is called “Running of the Santas,” and this unique, annual Christmastime event which started in 1998, is basically a three-block, day-long pub run, with revelers suited up in holiday garb ala Mr. and/or Mrs. Claus. The warm-up for the December 7 run begins at Finnegan’s Wake (537 North 3rd Street) at 11 a.m. By 4 p.m. the actual pub-hopping “fun run” begins, with the goal being the Electric Factory at 421 North 7th Street, where the headliners will be the Grammy-nominated band, Tonic. This gala has grown over the years in terms of attendees—7,000 participated here last year—and run also takes place in 20 other cities. Tickets are now available via RunningofTheSantas.com, and range in price from $15 to $125. The promoters note that a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Elle Koerner Leukemia Fund and the FOP Lodege #5 Survivors Fund. MAIN LINING The Ardmore/Bryn Mawr/Narberth areas of the Main Line are on fire, with outdoor festivals, the opening of the Ardmore Music Hall, renovations to the Bryn Mawr Film Institute theater, new restaurant openings, and more. On the downside, the popular MilkBoy coffeehouse, long home to those performing original music and a weeky jazz jam, has been sold. Co-owner Jamie Lokoff says the franchise wants to concentrate its time and efforts on the MilkBoy locale at 1100 Chestnut Street and the MilkBoy owned and operated recording studio. Also closed, in neighboring Bala Cynwyd, is the Chops steakhouse. Their 7th and Walnut Street locale in Center City is also shuttered. For a time, the Bala Cynwyd Chops was wildly popular, with a backed bar nightly and celebs dropping in by the moment. Owner Alex Plotkin, veteran of The Four Seasons, The Palm, and other venues, claims to have “other deals in the works.” And just declared Chapter 11 is the parent company of Philadelphia’s Marathon Grills, with several Center City locations in operation since 1984. THERE SHE WENT, MISSED AMERICA Thanks to the Miss America Pageant’s return to Atlantic City in September, the troubled resort did get thousands of visitors, as well as national, network television exposure. City fathers were hoping all this would translate into increased casino revenues. It did not, and, in fact, September gaming revenues overall declined 12.9 percent from last September’s numbers. The big surprise is that the only one of Atlantic City’s 12 casinos showed an increase— up four percent—that being the smallest of all the town’s casinos, the Atlantic Club Casino Hotel. This classy place proves that bigger is not always better. ■

a thousand words

STORY AND PAINTING BY ROBERT BECK

Last Boat Home

STANLEY BEAL'S WHARF SITS on Barney Cove. Take the bridge to Beals Island, turn right, drive over the rise and then go right again onto the gravel lane marked Wharf Rd. The Barney Cove Lobster Company is a small weathered building next to some sheds, tanks, totes, traps, and a gray wharf that stretches out toward Western Bay. You’ll probably find Stanley on the dock or in the office. He’s coming up on his 80th birthday and still at it most every day—something not uncommon among those who make their living off the land or the sea. Stanley sells bait and fuel to the fishermen; they sell their lobsters to him. Accounts are kept or checks are written on the spot. When Stanley is off getting some hardware or running an errand for a friend the company operates on the honor system, and in times of tight money and ill fortune his arrangements with some of the fishermen can be elastic. Mornings are a time for getting things in order and packing bait in buckets. The boats have gone out early—maybe at four or five—to check the traps. The first ones return around noon, pull up to the wharf for the bait hoist and fuel hose, then swing around to the floating dock where Stanley sorts and weighs their catch. The lobsters come off the boat in lidded, plastic cartons onto a roller track where Stanley takes a count. He writes up a tag and clips it to the lid, threads a line through the handle and slides the carton down a ramp into the water on the other side of the dock. That line runs through the handles of all the cartons from all the boats—a floating daisy chain of lobster crates in the cold waters of Barney Cove. Stanley pays the fishermen based on what his buyer pays him, minus twenty-five cents a pound. Nowadays, that is about $2.50. The fishermen spend a long day hauling the heavy traps, removing the lobsters, putting in new bait, throwing the traps off the back, and then they return to the wharf to drop off the catch, get supplies, moor and wash their boats. Stanley is out on the dock almost continuously from noon until the boats are back. I've stopped by at six in the evening and found him waiting for the last one. When I started this painting at eight in the morning it took an hour and a half to place the drawing and block in the area surrounding the chair. Then I gave Stanley the sign and he came in to sit for me. He had to get up to tend to business occasionally, but overall he sat in the stuffed recliner for nearly an hour. The morning lull when the boats are out is when friends stop by to register opinions, so occasionally we had company. I was set up in an alcove at the rear of the office looking out toward the front door. My easel couldn't be seen from the main room. The first guy who came in saw Stanley in the

chair and me standing in the back doorway and wasn’t quite sure what was going on. He stood quietly for a minute then asked, “Whatayuh doowin Stanley?” Stanley had trouble finding where to start, so I said, “Mr. Beal is working for me this morning.” That confused the visitor but pleased Stanley. He made sure everyone else who stopped by knew he was working for me. Stanley is a wonderful man who has lived a long and at times difficult life. He won the State High School Basketball Championship, as did his boy, and his grandson. He was in the military, worked hard, was a leader in his community, and keeps himself busy in order to cover the heartbreak of having

his 43-year-old son die suddenly a year ago. I had few conversations with him where it didn't come up. I tried to keep Stanley talking about the lobster business while he was sitting for me, but there would be periods when I’d notice him staring out the dirty window to the boats moored in the cove. Once I asked him how he was doing and he replied, “I’m thinkun’ about my son and tryun’ not to cry. That wouldn’t do for yowah paintin’.” A rhythmic burble grew louder as the Ashley N eased into Barney Cove. Stanley Beal turned his ear to the sound, lifted himself from the chair and made his way out the screen door toward the wharf. ■

Robert Beck Maintains a Gallery in Lambertville, NJ, where his current exhibition, Witness, may be viewed through November 17. His guest artist is Katherine Hackl, exhibiting sculptural pieces made of bronze, iron & clay. Weekends 12-4. www.robertbeck.net and www.katherinehackl.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 ■ N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3 ■ I C O N ■ 7

a White House, SC

Down South by Brian Lav

Jan K Lipes, “Promenade II,” 6"X 6"

First Look – New Painting Debut Trisha Vergis Gallery Laceworks Complex, Suite 11 287 S. Main St., Lambertville, NJ 609-460-4710 trishavergisgallery.com November 16–December 15 Opening reception 11/16, 4:30–9:30 The First Look – New Painting Debut features recent works by eight outstanding artists: David Hahn, Kay King, Richard Lennox, Jan Keith Lipes, Jim Lukens, Nancy Shill, Jas Szygiel, and Trisha Vergis. These local artists will feature pieces influenced by beautiful Bucks County and recent travels. The diverse collection includes traditional impressionism, through modern representation to ephemeral abstractions. Especially exciting is the Jan Keith Lipes collection of over 30 small works representing his life and travels to France. Each artist shares the insatiable passion to make fine art, and in doing so creates a quiet relationship lost in time. The viewer walks into the story of the artwork and is swept away in the magic of supreme awe. This transportation awakens curiosity, promotes thought, and generates conversation—a theme that is woven into the fabric of our culture and will continue to be a part of history for years to come. This is what the Trisha Vergis Gallery is all about.

Jan K. Lipes, “Garden,” 6"X 8"

Red Filter Gallery 74 Bridge Street, Lambertville, NJ Friday-Sunday afternoons 347-244-9758 redfiltergallery.com November 7 - January 5 Down South breaks the Red Filter Gallery’s tradition of black and white photography by including color work by Brian Lav, long known for his brilliant monochrome work. Gallery owner Forrest Old says, “Brian’s work encompasses a broad evolution of style with substance. His new ventures into color work are exciting and worth experiencing by the viewing public”. Down South includes documentary images from a summer 2013 “voyage” through America’s great South Land. Over 4,000 miles on the journey provided Brian, and now the Red Filter Gallery audience, a keen insight into current conditions in this remarkable part of the United States. Brian Lav teaches photography at Parsons the New School for Design, an institution he has taught at since 1974. He has been photographing and teaching since 1969, and earned Parsons’ Distinguished Teaching Award in 1988. He has had over forty one-man and group exhibits of his work and is represented in many permanent collections including The International Center for Photography, The Rochester Institute of Technology, The New Jersey State Museum, The Newark Museum, and The Museum of Art and History in Fribourg, Switzerland. Brian Lav is recognized as a prominent contemporary photographer, a master printer, and an exceptional educator. An extended viewing of The Hudson River: An Inspiration by Joseph Squillante continues in upstairs Gallery II.

Oasis Hot Tamales, Arabie, LA

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Pear, by Renzo Faggioli.

2013 Holiday Gift Gallery Baum School of Art 510 W. Linden Street, Allentown 610-433-0032 baumschool.org Mon-Thurs 9-9; Fri & Sat 9-3 November 20-December 20 Beautifully displayed in the school’s David E. Rodale and Rodale Family Galleries, the Holiday Gift Gallery is a perfect destination for all your holiday shopping. Stop by The Gift Gallery anytime from November 20 – December 20, 2013 and be sure not to miss the opening reception on November 20 from 6-8pm. However, if you do, there will be a special second reception on December 11 from 6-8 pm. Choose from paintings, jewelry, ceramic pieces, stained glass, knitwear, and much more. The Baum School of Art will also be having a book sale November 20-23, 2013. Over 350 books will be available for purchase at bargain prices. Also, visit our neighbor, the Allentown Art Museum, for their book sale at the same time.

Stained Glass, by Jean Lehmann.

art

Wedding dress by Helen Rose.

Grace Kelly

THE MEGA-EXHIBIT THAT IS From Philadelphia to Monaco: Grace Kelly—Beyond the Icon is an oft told tale, nonetheless exciting, shimmering and glamorous in its fairy tale enchantment. It is currently on display at the Michener Art Museum in Doylestown through January 26. The show has been well refined: based on an exhibit in the Albert and Victoria Museum in London put together by the Grimaldi Forum and Montreal’s McCord Museum, this venue is the only one in the United States. The focus is primarily on Princess Grace, the royal, and not Grace of East Falls, Pennsylvania. For the most part, the exhibit is a fashion show which reminds us that what Grace wore was as important in its day as what Kate Middleton wears today. The latest buzz is that Kate can play field hockey and volleyball in heels. There is nothing new to the Grace Kelly aficionado, especially those from Philly. Still, it’s fun to read Prince

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

EDWARD HIGGINS

Ranier’s love notes, gaze at the shoes Grace wore at her civil ceremony, and wonder if the $2 million dowry Mr. Jack B. Kelly was forced to come up with was all worth it. Often forgotten in the fairy tale is that the Kelly family was part of the non-WASP upper crust back in the day. Her father was a three-time gold medalist in the Olympics, the owner of the largest construction company on the East Coast, and somewhat of a mover and shaker. John Jr., after whom the Kelly Drive is named, was also a medalist. Grace’s uncle George was a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, and got her into acting school after being turned down by Bennington College. Her mother was the first women’s athletic coach at the University of Pennsylvania after a college career as a competitive swimmer. Another uncle was a famous vaudevillian. Sadly, several siblings suffered from drink. It is often sad that lacking its own royalty the American audience elevated its media stars into ersatz royals. The choice of Grace Kelly as icon is a slam dunk. She had a beauty, a style, an elegance, and a reputation as a bit of a maverick that we Americans love. She was a class act with a great fashion sense and knew how to manage her public image. The exhibition reflects those qualities, and no matter that she was advised and fitted by some of the most talented designers of the time, she knew how to present the clothes and had the physical type to show them to best advantage. Who else has their wedding gown in the permanent collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art? Lisa Tremper Hanover, director of the Michener, noted Kelly’s influence: “The opportunity to bring together a comprehensive exhibition that focuses on the depth and breadth of Grace Kelly’s extraordinary life is an important acknowledgement of her impact on so many facets of 20th century history. Throughout the years, interest in Grace— her compassion, her radiance, her individuality and her dignity5—has never waned.” The array of items is surprising as there are illustrations, letters, and all items of a wardrobe, jewelry, palace documents, her film costumes, photographs, and film clips (she only made 11.) The dress designers include Dior, Chanel, YSL, Lanvin, Givenchy, Oleg Cassini, and Balenciaga. There is also a handbag by Hermes called the “Kelly Bag” that is part of a display of bags, shoes, gloves and hats. The Museum is staging a number of public programs to accompany the exhibit including lectures and the screening of High Society, the remake of The Philadelphia Story which also starred Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby. Grace Kelly won the Oscar for her 1955 role in The Country Girl. The Museum has also partnered with the Philadelphia Society of Goldsmiths to present Grace Kelly’s style focusing on jewelry, metalsmithing, and personal adornment. The Michener has set special-pricing for timed tickets and recommends that they be purchased in advance. Prices are $18 for adults, and $17 for seniors. As part of the marketing for the exhibit, the Museum is using a 1954 portrait of Kelly by Philippe Halsman, used as a cover for Life magazine. The serenity and glamour, yet utter simplicity, make it one of the most powerful explanations for the popularity of the “girl next door” who went on to be a sophisticated, elegant woman of the world. n

Fitted suit by Helen Rose.

Gown by Lanvin.

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art

Winslow Homer, North Road, Bermuda, 1900, watercolor and graphite on white wove paper, 13 15/16 x 21 in., Partial Gift and Bequest of Bernice McIlhenny Wintersteen, 1978.19

BURTON WASSERMAN

Hidden Treasures

A SHEET OF PAPER is so ubiquitous a staple in our society we tend to take its ordinariness for granted. We forget how basic a material it has been over the years for making works of art that are alive with profound meaningfulness and enduring expressiveness. Coming to terms with these aesthetic facts of life, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts has established the Richard von Hess Foundation of Works on Paper Gallery as a setting in which to showcase selections on paper from its permanent collection. Along these same lines, one may also ask “What can be done with the age-old medium of water-soluble pigments applied by artists to the surface of an otherwise blank piece of paper? A superb answer to the question is the exhibit currently on display titled Hidden Treasures Unveiled: Watercolors in the landmark building of the Academy, designed by Frank Furness, on Broad Street in Center City Philadelphia. It’s a show rich with diversity and vibrant with examples from the distant past to the present day Above all, it offers a visitor access to excellent artworks from the 9500 items on paper owned by the Academy, but which were formerly kept in

Dr. Burton Wasserman is a professor emeritus of Art at Rowan University, and a serious artist of long standing. His program, Art From Near and Far, is on WWFM in NJ and Bucks County and WGLS in South Jersey.

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cinematters

N THE ENDLESS DEBATE over the validity of reboots and remakes, few realize that some films would benefit from a second chance. I would like to nominate Richard Curtis’ About Time for a do-over. Here’s a movie with a ton of comedic and romantic potential ignored or underused by the writer-director of Love Actually. It’s not bad, but it can be much more than “cute” or “fit for senior center screenings.” We meet the narrator and protagonist of About Time, Tim (Domhnall Gleeson), at age 21—the apotheosis of lovelorn ginger awkwardness. There is, however, a silver lining. The men in the family, his father (Bill Nighy) reveals, can travel back in time. All Tim has to do is find a dark, enclosed space, ball his fists and think of the moment he wants to revisit. Whammo! He’s blasted to the past. There are limitations. Tim can’t return to a time when he didn’t exist so he can’t take credit for the polio vaccine or inventing the airplane. And he should not use this amazing ability to get rich—that never works out well. The best strategy, Dad says, is to use it for things you really want, such as love. “It’s going to be a complicated year,” Tim says. “It’s going to be a complicated life,” his father replies. Not really. Tim moves to London to practice law and

PETE CROATTO

L-R: Domhnall Gleeson and Bill Nighy

About Time struggles as a single guy for about five minutes. Once he gets the timing right in wooing the love of his life, Mary (Rachel McAdams, the grand dame of wrinkle-in-time romances), and settles things with his first crush (Kate Upton clone Margot Robbie), we see that Curtis doesn’t know what the main conflict of About Time is. Or that he may not even have one in mind. Initially, we think it’s Tim trying to save himself by finding love, except Curtis doesn’t deliver the ever after. Mary is smart and funny and totally agreeable—there are few problems for Tim to hash out with her, even as their life together progresses. And the time travel element becomes the bestkept secret of all time so nothing dramatic or comedic looms over Tim and Mary’s fate. We’re resolved to watching two nice people in a nice, normal relationship. Many of us experience that every day. What makes these two special? Tim is an amiable chap who gets along with everyone, including his father. Their time is complete with epic tennis table matches and heartfelt conversations, yet Curtis revs up the old time machine to provide closure. If tension existed between the two men—perhaps an unspoken burden in the past that had to be revisited and conquered—then you’d welcome Curtis’ extensive attention to the father-son bond. But

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the cracks are non-existent, which is a credit to Gleeson and Nighy’s tender chemistry. About Time is so aggressively pleasant you pray for someone to be placed in harm’s way, including Tim, whom Curtis shields from bad news at every turn. His gift is not the bane of his life or a great manipulative pleasure or even a mild inconvenience. No, time travel serves as a way for Tim to appreciate life in the now. You may call that viewpoint enlightening. I call it bullshit or, perhaps more eloquently, a refusal to challenge the audience beyond what they’ve seen in commercials for engagement rings. Curtis gives us cute moments between Gleeson and McAdams (restoring the girl-next-door charm she’s been smashing to bits with a hammer since 2007) and characters that are lovably daft or lovably profane. Sweet is great, but it’s damn near intolerable without the occasional shot of sour. About Time is oh so charming—and oh so boring. [R] n Pete Croatto also reviews film for The Weekender (Scranton, PA) and blogs about pop culture daily at EntertainmenTell.com. His writing has also appeared in The New York Times, Grantland, Philadelphia, Publishers Weekly, New Jersey Monthly, MAD, and The Christian Science Monitor. petecroatto@yahoo.com

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keresman on film Robert Redford in a scene from All is Lost. Photo: Richard Foreman.

MARK KERESMAN

ALL IS LOST MAY be one of the most avant-garde movies to hit American cinema in years—wait, don’t turn the page, it’s not a David Lynch/Andy Warhol nightmare-scenario. It’s très avant in that it tossed out some of movie “basics” to present a tale of (hu)man vs. the elements. We duh Audience are plopped right next to our unnamed protagonist, played by Robert Redford. There is NO back-story, no whys or wherefores—Redford is A Guy on a boat sailing through the Indian Ocean, PERIOD. We know NOTHING about him. Further, there are NO other actors to be seen; almost NO DIALOGUE (or narration), and precious little music. First off, all I know about seamanship/sea-person-ship is: 1) JFK drove one during World War II; 2) It is a good thing if they do not sink (like The Titanic). Some nautically-minded folks may very well have issues with Our Man’s abilities to navigate the sea in the face of major-league Murphy’s Law. It’s One Man Against Fate, and we don’t even know if he knows what he’s doing, when: A stray storage container collides with his boat, letting the sea leak in. Even I know this is not a good thing. His radio gets soaked, and THEN things go from bad to worse. As we’ve no idea how seasoned of a

sailor he is, we (unless you’re a boater) have little idea if he’s doing right by himself. He merely tries to keep fear and apprehension at bay…as he goes about trying to salvage the situation. Until Murphy’s Law smacks him ‘round some, and slaps him some more…and then Daddy Despair comes to call. Will our Mystery Man make it? J.C. Chandor (Margin Call) puts us RIGHT IN THE BOAT with Redford…almost too close for comfort, actually. Like a truly good horror film—which All Is Lost IS, in a way—we experience the claustrophobic anguish of Redford’s seaman first-hand…and his character is not a “movie hero” in any way. True, he keeps his cool at first—the innermost survival mechanism is a powerful thing. He makes mistakes (but he doesn’t know it, not at first) and he goes from “trying to keep it together by acting as normal as possible” (he shaves!) to skirting the abyss of Despair. He’s soaking wet, he’s hungry, he navigates…it almost becomes monotonous…almost. We see—feel—the numbing tedium of Survival. We see Hope, and then we see Hope dashed to pieces…we wonder, how long before he cracks? Therein lies the tale. Redford is not afraid to look

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“weathered” for the camera (unlike many “stars,” RR hasn’t ruined his kisser with bad plastic surgery, unlike a certain former America’s Sweetheart), and while I’m sure a stuntman did the “dangerous” stuff, this was a very physical role and for a guy pushing 80, he done darn good. We don’t really “see” the storm itself, but we see how it hits (literally) Redford’s character and his craft—the special effects are used to actually enhance the story (from Our Hero’s perspective) rather than being the icing on the cake. (Or, in many cases, being the cake itself—let’s face it, if you removed all the CGI and special f/x from RIPD, the movie would be 17 minutes long, if that…but I digress.) We—like Redford’s character—hit the ground running, and it’s a harrowing ride. I’d like to know what seafaring types would say about this movie—not to sound like a snob, but, for example, hardcore fans of science fiction were a lot more critical of the turkey Prometheus than were folks not sci-fi fanboy/girls. But as a movie—factually-based or not—it is a true thrill-ride, a Regular Rob…er, Joe vs. not the volcano but Poseidon’s Trident itself. Joe Bob Me says check it out. n

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bad movie

MARK KERESMAN

Machete Kills

KIDS, YOU MAY WANT to take notes. In this writer’s semi-humble opinion, the main difference between Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez is the former has “digested” the influences and inspiration of B-movies, grindhouse fare, and oddball and exploitation cinema and the latter has swallowed them whole and gone swimming right after the meal. (In other words, digestion was seriously impaired.) This explains why Inglorious Basterds and Django are great movies and Machete Kills is rubbish…slight amusing rubbish, but rubbish nonetheless. The setup: Machete (Danny Trejo) is one bad mofo, a notoriously hard-to-kill Fed who’s recruited by the President (Carlos Estavez, a.k.a. Charlie Sheen) for a Serious Mission: Mexican madman Mendez tries to blackmail the USA into going into Mexico to take out the drug cartels that are making parts of that nation unlivable. A missile is aimed at Washington DC as an incentive—Machete’s job is to find Mendez and permanently suspend his breathing privileges. Things aren’t so simple—Mendez has a “detonator” wired into his heart, and if his heart were to stop beating, the missile will automatically launch. As the heart-gizmo was made in the USA (as if), Machete must get Mendez back here to the manufacturer to get it disconnected. Naturally, every badass in Mexico and some corrupt cops in Arizona aim to stop Machete…but if you’ve seen the previous Machete movie or ANY movie featuring Danny Trejo (who was once a career criminal in real life), you know NOTHING stops Machete. Complicating things even further is the company that manufactured the gizmo is run by Voz (Mel Gibson), an American techno-whiz madman with a twisted agenda of his own. Needless to say, a reasonable person might think this sounds absurdly over-the-top, and if a reasonable person knows anything of Robert Rodriquez’s filmography—including From Dusk To Dawn, Spy Kids, Once Upon A Time in Mexico, and Sin City—then said person KNOWS the resulting movie will be so over-the-top as to be zany, violent, bloody, foul-mouthed fun. The good news is Machete Kills is indeed zany, violent, bloody, and foul-mouthed—the bad news is it’s not that much fun at all. The over-the-top aspects that are fun at first become tiresome as Rodriguez throws them from the screen into your face with the delicacy of an East Coaster trying to dig out his/her car from a snowbank on a Monday morning. What Rodriguez forgot—if he ever learned in the first place, that is—the B-movies that were shown in drive-ins and crummy theaters in the 1970s (which eventually made it to latenight TV and eventually became the direct-to-video market) were not intentionally crummy/cheesy movies. Like the patron saint of bad movies, Ed Wood, the makers of these movies tried to do their best (to create crassly fun entertainment) with what they had to work with. Many of these movies were unintentionally funny—see The Thing With Two Heads (1972), starring Rosey Grier and Ray Milland as two heads sharing one body if you don’t believe me—but when someone tries to replicate what was done by accident in the first place, it does not bode well. It’s as if Rodriguez was trying to make a “bad” movie—silly dialogue, improbable situations, and terrible acting—and he succeeded, but in the wrong-est way. The over-the-top aspects don’t hurt the movie so much as the incessant cameos—Lady Gaga, Cuba Gooding Jr., Antonio Banderas, the intentionally silly dialogue (which isn’t all that funny), and the bad acting. Trejo is fine as the slightly droll, virtually indestructible strong silent type—“Machete don’t tweet”—and Mel Gibson is fun as Voz, the Evil Mad-man with the Plan. Gibson pours delicious, hi-calorie William Shatner Sauce over his performance, and Demian Bichir almost matches his daffy intensity as Mendez, a ruthless baddie with two (maybe three) distinct personalities. Amber Heard and Michelle Rodriguez cannot act to save their lives. One speaks in an indifferent monotone, the other speaks her lines as if reading from a teleprompter. (Michelle R’s range remains limited to Surly and Even More Surly.) Vanessa Hudgens and Alexa Vega (Spy Kids) show up to get killed and look hot, respectively. Tarentino can be just as over-the-top as Rodriguez but works some gravitas into the mix in his movies—and spotlights some fine acting, too. Robert Rodriguez’s grindhouse/supposed to be so-bad-it’s-good shtick feels played out, like it’s running on empty (in more ways than one). Machete Kills is recommended for diehard Rodriguez fans only. ■ In addition to ICON, Mark Keresman is a contributing writer for SF Weekly, East Bay Express, Pittsburgh City Paper, Paste, Jazz Review, downBeat, and the Manhattan Resident.

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reel news

REVIEWS OF RECENTLY RELEASED DVDS BY GEORGE OXFORD MILLER

Michel Bouquet as Renoir

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

Renoir (2013) ★★★★ Cast: Michel Bouquet, Christa Theret, Vincent Rottiers. Rated R for art-related nudity, adult themes, and some graphic images. French with English subtitles. Every painter needs a muse, and the 74-year-old Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir (Bouquet) finds his when beautiful, Andrée (Theret) becomes his nude model. Confined to a wheelchair with brushes bound to this arthritic hands, he paints the vivacious, outspoken teen with revived inspiration. His wounded son Jean (Torriers) returns home to convalesce from a war wound and is even more inspired by the free-spirited newcomer. Household tensions rise as Renoir criticizes Jean for his fascination with the emerging art of film (It’s not for the French!). But Jean, like his father, finds solace and inspiration in Andrée. In true life, they eventually married and he became the greatest film director of his generation. Filmed with lush, rich colors and dazzling light befitting Impressionism, the film captures the beauty and passion of a painter who tells his suffering son, “The pain passes, but beauty is forever.” Frances Ha (2013) ★★★ Cast: Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner, Adam Driver Genre: Drama Rated R for profanity and adult themes. Reminiscent of the hapless characters in the 1991 film Slacker, Frances (Gerwig) drifts through life unaffected by the conventional cares of adulthood. She’s 27, out of college

but forever jobless, carefree, and with no ambition to be any more than what she already is. Her career-driven New York acquaintances think she’s an air-head, but maybe she’s discovered that the secret of life is to be totally absorbed by the Now. Or maybe she just gave up on her unfilled dreams of being a dancer and decided to go with the flow to the extreme. When her longtime best friend and roommate Sophie (Sumner), goes to live with a banker, Frances bounces from one set of roommates to another, unconcerned, or maybe unburdened, about the future. Innocent, naive, living in denial or fantasy, or wise beyond her peers? Take your choice. Filmed in black and white, the film captures the New York noir mix of hopelessness and promise. Computer Chess (2013) ★★★ Cast: Patrick Riester, Myles Paige, Wiley Wiggins Genre: Parody/comedy Unrated, brief sensuality. Like peering through a window to the past, this indie niche film gives us a glimpse into the unimaginably geeky past that produced today’s self-absorbed, social media-obsessed society. Shot in faux documentary, found-footage style with a shaky, black-and-white camcorder, the film beams us back to the 1980s to an annual competition between human and computer chess players. But the CalTech/MIT techies are not alone. Contrasting the machine vs. human obsession of the students, a know-thyself, adult rebirthing group and a swinging couples club are sharing the conference facilities. While one group seeks to get in touch with the repressed emotions of their inner child, the adoles-

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cent nerds unwittingly craft the future of the human race in their own socially-inept image. Blackfish (2013) ★★★★ Genre: Documentary Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements including graphic descriptions of killer whale attacks and animal abuse. In 2010, a captive orca named Tilikum at SeaWorld Orlando killed trainer Dawn Brancheau. He has been involved in two other human deaths yet continues to be a star performer at the park’s 5,500-seat Shamu Stadium. Director Cowperthwaite follows Tilikum from his capture as a baby through his life of captivity. With interviews of orca trainers and scientists who study whales in the wild, she probes the ethical questions of capturing marine mammals and the dangers of forcing them to perform. We know whales and dolphins are highly intelligent with lifelong family bonds, a language, acute senses, and complex social relationships. They can travel 100 miles a day and migrate thousands of miles, yet theme parks confine them in small tanks and train them to perform for food. The film makes a strong case that human exploitation of marine mammals must stop. Orcas and dolphins may look like they’re smiling, but after a life of captivity, they’re more likely psychotic. ■ George Miller is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers and believes that travel is a product of the heart, not the itinerary. See his webmagazine at www.travelsdujour.com.

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film roundup

PETE CROATTO

Let the Fire Burn.

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

Mother of George (Dir: Andrew Dosunmu). Starring: Danai Gurira, Isaach De Bankolé, Tony Okungbowa, Bukky Ajayi, Yaya Alafia. A Nigerian couple hasn’t consummated their marriage before they’re tasked with giving birth to a gaggle of kids, specifically a boy named George. When Adenike (Gurira) cannot get pregnant, the pressure mounts. Her domineering mother-in-law (Ajayi) says her son (De Bankolé) is owed a child, yet he refuses to investigate their conception issues. Adenike’s anguish blooms, forcing her to take desperate measures. The acting is first-rate in this insightful, bracing character study, yet the visual composition strikes us. Dosunmu employs a moody, opaque color scheme while cinematographer Bradford Young frequently boxes in the characters, isolating them to the screen’s edge. Though they’re in modern-day Brooklyn, Adenike and her contemporaries are restrained, perhaps crushed, by the burden of expectations. Really, Mother of George is a dramatic treat because it’s the rare movie about families where the common ground isn’t parental wackiness. Our hearts are fully invested. Previously screened at this year’s Philadelphia Film Festival. [R] ★★★★ Spinning Plates (Dir: Joseph Levy). Levy takes an intimate look at the people behind three very different restaurants across the United States. At Alinea, the acclaimed, high-end Chicago eatery, chef Grant Achatz’s intricately constructed dishes—using equipment usually found in a chemistry lab—aren’t mere puffery. Slightly west in tiny Balltown,

IA, Breitbach’s Country Dining serves as the community center: a group of regular customers own keys and open up shop every morning at the family-run establishment. Finally, in Tucson, AZ the struggling La Cocina de Gabby appears to be perpetually half-empty, though husband and wife proprietors, Mexican immigrants Gabby and Francisco Martinez, remain grateful and unflappable. What’s the link here? As Levy’s eloquent subjects reveal, food is an unsuppressed passion that must be shared with others. It doesn’t matter if it’s a room of well-funded Chicagoans or a gaggle of stoic Midwesterners eager to dig into the Mother’s Day buffet. You can easily group Spinning Plates with Big Night and Like Water for Chocolate in the “food is love” category. Only this time it’s not a fictional contrivance, which makes this lovely documentary special. [NR] ★★★★ Let the Fire Burn (Dir: Jason Osder). On May 13, 1985, the city of Philadelphia set out to drive the radical (and largely African American) urban group MOVE from its headquarters on Osage Ave. The eviction plan included the police dropping four pounds of explosives on the rooftop. That started a massive fire that killed 11 people and scorched 61 homes. Osder recreates the day and the events leading up to it through previously existing material. What is revealed is both fascinating and sickening. MOVE’s greatest crime, according to the film, was its lack of conformity; members lived according to the teachings of its leader, John Africa. That made the powers-that-be uncomfortable, so they

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reacted with excessive force. (During a police raid in 1978, MOVE was armed with weapons that were not functional.) There are some aspects of the conflict I wish Osder had explored more thoroughly, such as why MOVE built a towering bunker, with slots for firearms, at its headquarters. But I think that’s also the point. When authorities rely on assumptions, instead of knowledge, the potential for sanctioned menace and destruction is staggering. [NR] ★★★1/2 A.C.O.D. (Dir: Stu Zicherman). Starring: Adam Scott, Richard Jenkins, Catherine O’Hara, Clark Duke, Jane Lynch, Amy Poehler, Jessica Alba, Ken Howard, Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Adult child of divorce Carter (Scott) has spent the last 20 years playing go-between to his parents (Jenkins, O’Hara). When his younger brother (Duke) gets engaged, Carter is tasked with bringing the sparring parties together, a job he does a little too well: soon, they’re having an affair. This causes a stressed Carter, who has just discovered he was profiled in a classic book about divorced children, to hide this development from everyone and reevaluate his own life. If it sounds like a ton happens in A.C.O.D., you’re right. Zicherman and co-writer Ben Karlin introduce characters and subplots like it’s a compulsion. Eventually, the sheer weight of material and its bafflingly inconsistent tone—including a late is this really happening? stretch straight from a 1970s sitcom—cause the whole unwieldy enterprise to collapse. Jenkins, as always, is aces. Winstead is wasted in a thankless role as Scott’s longtime girlfriend. [R] ★★ n

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exclusive interview

Inside Oscar Isaac

WITH HIS DEEP-SET AND soulful eyes, slightly pointed nose and a screen demeanor that radiates deep empathy, Guatemalan thespian Oscar Isaac has been a standout side man and warmly emotive character actor in film’s such as the 2010 version of Robin Hood, the prickly Sucker Punch, the riveting crime drama Drive (2011) and that same year’s oddly haunting W.E. from director Madonna. Strange then, that the 33-year-old Isaac’s first lead role is that of Llewyn Davis, the self-involved, careless sensualist and careerist whose messy, bumming manner, but uniquely piercing voice, puts him front and center of Joel and Ethan Coen’s upcoming film about Greenwich Village’s early ‘60s folk scene, Inside Llewyn Davis. “I’d definitely say that I was in the right place at the right time,” says Isaac the day after he, Llewyn Davis stars John Goodman, Adam Driver and Carey Mulligan, and singers Joan Baez, Marcus Mumford, Elvis Costello, and Patti Smith appeared at Manhattan’s Town Hall in a live celebration of the film’s soundtrack with the directors and the soundtrack’s producer, T. Bone Burnett, in tow. “I loved absolutely everything about “I had had enough time in [the business] and plenty of credtheir script,” says Isaac. “Its sparseness, its ible roles to feel comfortable with humor, the darkness of it, the complexity, the idea of leading a film,“ says the Julliard School-trained Isaac. all the emotional punches that are part of “At the same time, I also felt grateful and lucky to get the audithe songs they used. That was not evident tion in the first place for the castwhen reading the script, but as a musician, ing director.” Two other things worked in Isaac’s favor: the first is I knew the structure and it was exquisite.” that he was anonymous enough to disappear into a character whose face is on screen in every frame of the film. “As far as the Coens were concerned, they were looking for unknowns. They had already looked at a couple of musicians who might be able to act but I don’t think they had seen any new actors that could sing. They wanted a new face to play this character.” The other thing about Isaac is that he’s a singer/songwriter who has spent time in bands, as well as having appeared in the film 10 Years as a musician in which his own song, “Never Had,” is played. “Funny thing, but the Coens don’t work from an intellectual place,” says Isaac. “Rather, they’re more instinctual about things, more about their gut feeling [and Burnett’s after that] than anything else. I think that when I sat down and played, my songwriting abilities came through as much as acting, singing and playing.” Isaac stops to admit how difficult a career in music is, as brutal as acting to be sure. “There’s just something about the nakedness of singing. In acting, you’re behind a script; there are directors and such, and it is a more collaborative thing. Ultimately, being a singer and songwriter is so alone—an isolating thing. I usually feel pretty humiliated after I play live.” He doesn’t seem humiliated in Inside Llewyn Davis. With that, Isaac is just right for the Coen folk flick, a film already so different from their usual. Inside Llewyn Davis, is itself a rarity among the Coens’ works, a film richly dedicated to much of the precise spirit of New York City’s folk scene pre-Dylan, and all of its nuances—smoky coffeehouses, earnest emotionalism—at the cusp of a revolution. By no means is Inside a genre flick, kitsch and full of retro flash. It’s just that Inside Llewyn Davis’ communion

If A.D. Amorosi can’t be found writing features for ICON, the Philadelphia Inquirer or doing Icepacks, Icecubes and other stories for Philadelphia’s City Paper, he’s probably hitting restaurants like Stephen Starr’s or running his greyhound

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with its settings—unlike the Coens’ American West of the late 1800s (True Grit), the deep South of the 1930s (O Brother, Where Art Thou?), the cracking-wise Depressionera 20s (The Hudsucker Proxy) and the Prohibition (Miller’s Crossing) or the literary Hollywood of the 40s (Barton Fink)—is less surreal than their other works. There’s a dreamy mist to every sun-dappled morning and nicotine stained cloud along MacDougal Street. Part of the film’s reality stems from the fact that the Coens’ bare-bones text comes very loosely from the real-life tall tales of Dave Van Ronk, one of many Greenwich Village folkies making a name for themselves, building the scene, before the entrance of Bob Dylan, and the explosion that his crackling prose and sinewy vocal delivery would bring to a group of players and listeners rapt with their own brand of protest and tumult. While the film barely scratches the surface of the real Mayor of NYC’s 60s folk scene, Isaac did manage to cull one thing from the great Van Ronk. “I took something from Chronicles, Bob Dylan’s autobiographical book, where Dylan describes first meeting Dave. That he came with the wind at his back as he barged into a music shop; how surly he was and how fallen a man he had become, sullen. I [merged] that physicality of the wind pushing behind a character with the idea of a man always walking uphill.” That New York City folk scene’s immersion in all things potent, mossy, and epically historic—be it the urban blues, the gospel lament, the Americana-lite, the Spanish Civil War hold-outs or the wayfaring Celts, the seafaring Scots and vice versa—has made for an earnestness that’s become mythological since that time. With that, Isaac found his character not through Van Ronk, but by living through his perception of the fictional Davis, wearing his clothes, putting on his shoes, learning his intended repertoire. “I think what really did it—made me get him—was when T Bone told me to ‘play like you’re playing to yourself.’ T Bone was talking about the music, but for me that became the mantra for getting the character, playing like he was playing for himself, existing as if he was existing for himself.” The relationship then with T Bone was his closest on set, the older man taking to him as an actor and musician. When T Bone checked out Isaac after the Coens did, it was he who gave the big seal of approval. “‘He’s a good actor, he’s not a square,’” is what he told the Coens about me,” says Isaac with a laugh. “There’s not a lot of vanity about the guy. I approached him with humility and he did [the same with]me. He’s obsessive about knowing the repertoire. He puts the time in. He appreciated my work ethic.” Isaac was also immensely impressed (what actor wouldn’t be?) by everything that Joel and Ethan Coen had to offer—from their unpretentious manner to their gut instincts as writers and directors. The actor felt an exhilarating rush from Inside Llewyn Davis’ script as soon as he got it, and then he auditioned for the role. “I loved absolutely everything about their script,” says Isaac. “Its sparseness, its humor, the darkness of it, the complexity, all the emotional punches that are part of the songs they used. That was not evident when reading the script, but as a musician, I knew the structure and it was exquisite. I loved the circular aspect of the whole thing. The script itself has the feel of a folk song, with a verse, a chorus, a verse and a chorus, where at the end you have the same verse again.” Remarkably, as Isaac relives that circular ideal, you can see Inside Llewyn Davis’ first scene in a smoky Village coffeehouse with a hungover Davis looking at the stage in the first scene, then again in the last scene with a certain simple twist of fate. “They’re really something,” says Isaac, acknowledging the wonder of the Coens’ art and their focus on a moment in history. “That’s their aesthetic—that they work from an instinctual, rather than an intellectual place. And this is, by far, the best experience I’ve ever had creating something with someone else. They are so incredibly generous with their thoughts about directing and acting and life. Most of the time we just talked about some of the people they worked with, great stories about Paul Newman when he was working with Elia Kazan. Joel and Ethan, they create a mood, a vibe. It coaxes the performance out of you in such an organic way—it’s not about an intellectual process, or symbolism. All that is beside the point.” ■

A. D. AMOROSI

Oscar Isaac at the Palme D'Or Winners Press Conference at the 66th Annual Cannes Film Festival in May.

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exclusive interview Hitting the Vegas Strip and Memory Lane with Michael Douglas The iconic actor has had one helluva year in Sin City, landing kudos for his work in HBO’s Behind the Candelabra, and now, joining some fellow screen legends for the surprisingly winning comedy Last Vegas. Right in the heart of Nevada’s hell-raising haven, Douglas sat down to talk aging, acting, and making the most of it all.

MICHAEL DOUGLAS IS SURROUNDED by an entourage. It’s midday on a weekend at the lavish Aria Hotel and Casino, right in the heart of Las Vegas’ sleek and spankin’ new City Center. Courtesy of his team of suited men, the inimitable actor and two-time Oscar winner is being ushered past blinking slot machines and countless onlookers, many of whom point before turning to their companions with expressions that say, “Wasn’t that...him?” Cut to a few hours later, and I’m seated across from Douglas, in a convention center space that, in this epic resort, is a couple of football fields away from where I first spotted him. It’s also comparatively deserted. Save for a bustling team of publicists, the 69-year-old icon’s posse has essentially dwindled down to one: Jon Turtletaub, director of Douglas’s new comedy, Last Vegas. Indeed, Douglas is meeting

“I had a little break, ya know?” Douglas says. “It’s a point where you think you’re never going to work again, then lo and behold, I’m getting some of the best material I’ve ever been handed in my life, between Candelabra and Last Vegas.”

me in familiar territory. Sin City was the setting of Steven Soderbergh’s HBO bio-drama Behind the Candelabra, which just won Douglas deserved raves and an Emmy for his turn as Liberace, and it’s also, of course, the shooting location for Turtletaub’s film, which, to boot, takes place primarily within the Aria’s decked-out walls. There’s no question that Last Vegas is something of a lark, and anyone who’s seen the trailer has likely gathered that the movie isn’t awards bait. If anything, prospective audiences have probably joined the inevitable chorus, pre-

R. Kurt Osenlund is the managing editor of Slant Magazine. He is also the film critic for South Philly Review, and a contributing writer for ICON, Esquire, Slant, Details, Filmmaker Magazine and IndieWire. Follow him on Twitter @AddisonDeTwitt. Email: rkurtosenlund@gmail.com.

sumptively summing up the film as “The Hangover for old folks.” And yet, this genuinely funny romp with four men of a certain age deserves far better than crude simplifications. The biggest plus is that the four men are played by four legends of the screen, whose mammoth acting chops help to continually steer the film toward rewarding, unexpected ends. Joining Douglas in the all-star quartet are fellow Academy Award winners Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Kline, and along for the ride as a sweet-natured lounge singer is Mary Steenburgen, also Oscar-anointed. Adding heart to the movie’s laughs, the Last Vegas gang falls somewhere between The Hangover’s Wolf Pack and the immortal Rat Pack, and Douglas is quick to observe what gives the cast—and the film—its unique flavor. “I love The Hangover,” the actor says. “I thought it was really funny. But I realized we had this whole other level going on, which was basically incorporating our age in both a humorous way and in a deeper way, so there was more meaning. I mean, look, I love entertainment as much as the next person, but making a movie costs a lot. And there are movies that are like fast food restaurants, right? If you can add a couple more layers there, then you can make people go out of the movie and maybe have a couple of other thoughts in their minds besides ‘That was a good two hours.’ I really like that. I like to think that there’s something in this picture that gives you a little food for thought, which lasts a little bit longer once you get out of the theater.” As Douglas states, that food for thought primarily deals with how we grapple with the passage of time, whose oftunforgiving nature is something with which the actor is all too familiar. Over the past three years, Douglas has fought a very public battle with stage IV cancer, which was first believed to have been in his throat, but was recently revealed to have affected his tongue (reportedly, doctors advised him to lie in case any potential, post-treatment disfigurement might affect his career). As of now, the actor is cancer-free with a clean bill of health, and if things stay that way over the next two years, the odds are in Douglas’ favor that the disease won’t return. Though Douglas has also felt the weight of other personal and publicized issues, such as the legal troubles of his eldest son, Cameron, and problems with his 13-year marriage to actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, he says that toughing it through the illness has surely revitalized his career. “I had a little break, ya know?” Douglas says. “It’s a point where you think you’re never going to work again, then lo and behold, I’m getting some of the best material I’ve ever been handed in my life, between Candelabra and

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Last Vegas. And I also just finished another picture with Rob Reiner directing, and Diane Keaton co-starring, called Shadow of Your Smile. I feel much freer. I know I’m acting better, just because I have nothing to hide. In terms of questions or doubts, and going through all that, I just have much more of a freedom with acting. And I’m enjoying it much more. For a long time, I can’t say that I was one who really enjoyed acting. I was always censoring it, or editing it, or analyzing it, rather than just going with it.” Douglas looks free, and relaxed. Though he’s known for his iconic costuming, from Gordon Gekko’s ‘80s business chic in Wall Street to Liberace’s impossibly decadent garb in Behind the Candelabra, the man of the hour is simply rocking sneakers, dark jeans, and a loose Hawaiian shirt, a far cry from the dapper duds his Last Vegas counterpart, Billy, wears while strutting through the Aria. Billy allows Douglas to play up his popularized, playboy image, which has followed him through leading-man roles in everything from Romancing the Stone and Basic Instinct to Disclosure and Solitary Man. Perpetually suited and spray-tanned, the Last Vegas character is the one who rounds up the boys (his lifelong friends) after proposing to a girlfriend decades his junior and throwing a bachelor party on the glitzy Vegas strip. According to Turtletaub, Billy is more the sort of guy he thought he’d be working with when Douglas, the first actor to join the cast, signed on. “You know, there’s a Yiddish word called ‘hamish,’” the director says. “And the most surprising thing was to realize that this ultimate, archetypal, American power symbol was such a hamish guy—so down to earth, and warm, and funny. I was not expecting that. I was thinking I was getting this big Hollywood power broker, and I didn’t realize I’d be getting such an open person. Michael is very honest and happy to share his feelings.” Douglas was born in New Brunswick, NJ, not far from where you may be reading this. However, he didn’t stay in the area for long. The story of his birth is actually something straight out of a Hollywood movie. As Douglas tells it, his Aunt Ruth, sister to his mother, Diana Love Dill, was going through a divorce from Seward Johnson, the founder of Johnson & Johnson. On weekends, Douglas says, Dill and Douglas’ father, Kirk, “got to go out, as young actors, to this incredible New Brunswick estate that [Ruth and Seward] weren’t living in. And on one of those weekends I just happened to be born.” Douglas wound up spending most of his

R. KURT OSENLUND

L-R: Morgan Freeman, Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro and Kevin Kline in a scene from Last Vegas. Photo credit: CBS Films.

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Christmas with the von Trapps Nov. 21-22, 2 p.m. ArtsQuest Center, Musikfest Café, presented by Yuenglin. Don’t miss the world-renowned von Trapp Children performing timeless holiday classics and songs from The Sound of Music. Tickets: $35 artsquest.org 610-332-3378 Holiday Cocktail Trail Nov. 23, noon-6 p.m. Along Main and Broad Streets. Enjoy a passport that will lead you into different businesses completely decorated for the holidays and ready to give you a sample of a fabulous New Year’s Cocktail. Receive a Bethlehem-branded wine glass with each passport purchase, multiple locations serving delicious samples of cocktails, map/brochures including specials from downtown locations. Must be 21 years or older to participate. Admission $25. 610-841-5862 downtownbethlehemassociation.com, Holiday Open House Nov, 23, starting at noon, city-wide. Take a walk through Bethlehem’s Historic Downtown and Southside shopping districts and get an early start on your Christmas shopping. Enjoy entertainment, in-store specials and Christmas magic. 610-841-5862 downtownbethlehemassociation.com, Ethnic Christmas Trees Around the World Nov. 23-Jan. 5. Comfort Suites of Bethlehem,

120 W. Third St. Experience this beautiful display of Christmas trees representing many of the cultures that settled on Bethlehem’s south Side. comfortsuitesofbethlehem.com. 610-882-9700 Christmas City Village Nov. 29-Dec. 1, Dec. 6-8, Dec. 13-15, Dec. 2022, Dec. 27-29. Fri. & Sat., 11 a.m.-8 p.m., & Sun., 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Bethlehem’s Historic District. Located in the heart of historic downtown, the Christmas City Village features 35 wooden huts filled with Christmas gift ideas, sweets, hot-mulled wine, bratwursts and more. Free. 610-841-5862 downtownbethlehemassociation.com, Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts Nov. 29-Dec. 22, Thurs.-Sun., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 26-31, Thurs.-Tues., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Historic Bethlehem Visitor Center, 505 Main St. Pass into history with a visit to the Kemerer Museum. Admission $12 for adults; $6 for children; under 6 years free. historicbethlehem.org, 610-691-6055 Moravian Museum of Bethlehem Nov. 29-Dec. 22, Thurs.-Sun., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 26-31, Thurs.-Tues. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Moravian Museum of Bethlehem, 66 W. Church St. Admission $12 for adults; $6 for children; under 6 years free. historicbethlehem.org, 610-691-6055

Christmas City Tree Lighting Ceremony Nov. 29, 4:30-6:30 p.m. Payrow Plaza, New and Church Streets. Annual Christmas City Tree Lighting Ceremony. Guests sing Christmas carols, light the tree and Advent Candle, and kick-off the best time of year in the Christmas City. Free. 610-841-5862 downtownbethlehemassociation.com Scenic Horse Drawn Carriage Rides Nov. 29-Dec. 23, Thurs.-Sun., rides run every 20 minutes from 4-10 p.m. (No rides 7-7:20 p.m. for break). Dec. 26-Dec. 31, Wed.-Mon., rides run every 20 min., 4-10 p.m. (No rides 7-7:20 p.m. for break). Historic Bethlehem Visitor Center, 505 Main St. Enjoy a carriage ride through downtown historic Bethlehem. Admission $50. historicbethlehem.org. 610-691-6055 Central Moravian Church Christmas Putz and Church Star & Candle Shoppe Nov. 29-Dec. 29, before Christmas: Thurs. & Fri., 1-7 p.m., Sat., 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun., 1-5 p.m.. After Christmas: Thurs.-Sun. 1-5 p.m.. (Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). The 76th year retelling the Christmas story with lights, historic figurines and narration. Shows every 30 min. Christian Education Bldg, 40 W. Church St. Free (donations welcomed). centralmoravianchurch.org 610-866-5661. The Shoppe operates across from Central’s Christmas Putz and offers Moravian gift items including stars, candles,

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cards, CDs and crafts. Admission Free. centralmoravianchurch.org. 610-866-5661 Advent Organ Concert Nov. 30, 2 p.m. Central Moravian Church Sanctuary, Church and Main Streets. Rebecca Kleintop Owens, director of music, plays favorite songs and Moravian hymns to welcome Advent and the Christmas season. Suggested donation $10. 610-866-5661. centralmoravianchurch.org. Snow White’s Christmas Nov. 30, 1 p.m. Capital Blue Cross Family Series. Miller Symphony Hall, 23 North 6th St., Allentown. Come along as Snow White discovers that true love is the most potent magic of all. Tickets: $10 Child, $20 Adult plus fees. 610-432-6715. miller symphonyhall.org Breakfast with St. Nicholas Sponsored by Capital Blue Cross. Nov. 30, Dec. 7 and 14, 9 a.m. Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem, PNC Plaza at SteelStacks, 645 E. First St. Kids and their families are invited to enjoy a fun-filled morning featuring St. Nicholas. A delicious hot breakfast, photo with St. Nick, admission to Christkindlmarkt, goodie bag, arts & crafts and more are included. Tickets: $14.95 for ages 11 & older; $11.95 for ages 210; $6.95 for ages under 2. artsquest.org 610-332-3378

Classic Christmas Movie Matinees Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas, ArtsQuest Center, Musikfest Café presented by Yuengling. 101 Founders Way , Bethlehem, PA. Nov. 30: Miracle on 34th Street (1947) starring Jimmy Stewart. Dec. 7: The Shop Around the Corner (1940). Dec. 21: White Christmas (1945) starring Crosby, Kaye and Clooney. Admission $10; $8 children 12 and under and ages 60 plus. 610-332-3378 artsquest.org. Advent Lovefeast Dec. 1, 11 a.m. Central Moravian Church Sanctuary, Church and Main Streets. Presented by Central Moravian Church. The Lovefeast is a favorite Moravian service of sweet rolls and coffee, served during a service of hymns and anthems to welcome the Advent season. Free. 610-866-5661 centralmoravianchurch.org Edgeboro Moravian Church Christmas Putz Dec. 1-22, Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-2 p.m. - showings by appt. Walk-ins welcome. Thurs.-Sat., 6-8 p.m.; Sun., 3-6 p.m. 645 Hamilton Ave. The story of the birth of Christ through sight and sound. Free. 610-866-8793. edgeboromoravian.org. Live Advent Calendar Dec. 1-23, daily at 5:30 p.m. 1810 Goundie House, 501 Main St. Visitors will enjoy this 7th annual tradition. Merchants of the Down-

town Bethlehem Assoc., in conjunction with Historic Bethlehem Partnership, provides a special treat to visitors every day. Visitors gather outside the door of the Goundie House, and one visitor will be asked to walk up to the door and open it. When the door is opened, a special guest from a local business or organization will appear and distribute treats. Free. 610-841-5862 downtownbethlehemassociation.com German and English Advent Singstunde Dec. 3, 7 p.m. Old Chapel of Central Moravian Church, 44 W. Church St. A service of hymns for the season, in German and English, presented by Dr. Paul Peucker of the Moravian Archives and sponsored by the Moravian Music Foundation and Central Moravian Church. Admission. Free. centralmoravianchurch.org. 610-866-5661 The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Christmas Rocks - 10th Anniversary Tour. Dec. 4, 8 p.m. The concert will include legendary guitar magic on hits such as “Rock This Town,” “Stray Cat Strut”, and “Jump, Jive and Wail” and lots more, as well as his reimagined Holiday Classics. Tickets: $56/$51. State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton. 610-252-3132. statetheatre.org A Christmas Carol with Mr. Dickens Dec. 5, 7 p.m. Moravian Book Shop, 428 Main

St. Presented by Moravian Book Shop & Byers’ Choice Ltd. Join Gerald Charles Dickens for a presentation of his great-great grandfather’s beloved story, A Christmas Carol. Tickets available at Moravian Book Shop. moravianbookshop.com. 610-866-5481

Moravian Christmas Experience Dec. 5 and 7, 1:30 p.m. Central Moravian Church Sanctuary, Main and Church Streets. Majestic pipe organ and a stunning choir greet you as you experience the Moravian Christmas traditions and learn about the founding of Bethlehem. Tickets at christmascity.org, as well as at the church ticket office, 73 W. Church St, and at the concert, if not sold out. Admission $20. Christmas City Follies Dec. 5-22, Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m., Sun., 2 p.m. *Additional performance, Dec. 21, 2 p.m. Touchstone Theatre, 321 E. 4th St. Presented by Touchstone Theatre. This sweet, irreverent variety show will lift your spirit and leave you with a smile. Admission $25 for adults; $15 for students/seniors. touchstone.org, 610-867-1689 Christmas 1954 Musical Revue Dec. 5, 12:15 p.m. (includes lunch and 1:30 p.m. show), ArtsQuest Center, Musikfest Café, 101 Founders Way. Don’t miss the pre-

miere of this delightful musical revue featuring some of the most beloved holiday songs of all time. Tickets: $57. 610-332-3378 artsquest.org. An Oh So Acoustic Christmas Dec. 6, 7:30 p.m, Miller Symphony Hall. Presented by International Artists Agency. Starring Winners of NBC’s, Voice, Javier Colon & Jermaine Paul, and Michael Grimm, America’s Got Talent. Tickets $40-$50 plus fees. 23 North 6th St., Allentown. 610-432-6715. millersymphonyhall.org The Bang Group’s Nut/Cracked Dec. 6, Show: 8 p.m., ArtsQuest Center, Musikfest Café. 101 Founders Way. Featuring more than 30 students from Muhlenberg College dance department and The Lehigh Valley Charter School, Nut/Cracked is a journey into innocence through sustained fantasy, incorporating an enterprising mix of tap, ballet, contemporary, disco and even toe tap. The work is set to a mix of popular, jazz and novelty versions of Tchaikovsky’s orchestral suite. Tickets: $20-$25. 610-332-3378. artsquest.org, Busy Workers Christmas Sale Dec. 7, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Old Chapel of Central Moravian Church, 44 W. Church St. Discover Moravian crafts, delicious baked goods and unique handmade items. Sale benefits various

missions of the Central Moravian Church. Admission Free. centralmoravianchurch.org. 610-866-5661 48th Annual Community Advent Breakfast Dec. 7, 8:30 a.m. Moravian Village, 526 Wood St. For decades, the Community Advent Breakfast has provided an opportunity for people of our community to gather and celebrate the Advent season. This year Shelly Brown, President and CEO of the State Theater Center for the Arts, will be the speaker and Mayor John Callahan will bring greetings. The breakfast will feature an extensive and varied buffet; the Bethlehem Moravian Trombone Choir; and traditional beeswax candle lighting. Admission $10; $7 for youth under 16. Tickets must be purchased in advance, see locations at downtownbethlehemassociation.com. 610-841-5862 Holiday Brunch Dec. 8. ArtsQuest Center, Musikfest Café, presented by Yuengling, 101 Founders Way. Enjoy a delicious holiday brunch with live holiday music and a visit from jolly, old St. Nick. Tickets: $34.95 for adults; $11.95 for children ages 6-12; ages 5 & under free (includes a free ticket to Christkindlmarkt) artsquest.org. 610-332-3378

Swinging the Holidays with the Rob Stoneback Big Band Dec. 19, 7:30 p.m., ArtsQuest Center Musikfest Café, presented by Yuengling, 101 Founders Way. Ring in the holidays with the sounds of the big band. Rob and his band have been playing together since the ‘80s and have performed with stars including Natalie Cole and The Temptations. Tickets: $15 and $20. artsquest.org. 610-332-3378. SouthSide Horse Drawn Carriage & Wagonette Guided Christmas Tours See the lights and sites of the Christmas City in a horse-drawn carriage or wagonette. On these guided tours, you’ll discover Bethlehem’s rich history and architecture. Advance reservations are required. Schedule and tickets available at artsquest.org 610-332-3378 Christmas at SteelStacks Daily, SteelStacks, First Street & Founders Way. Enjoy a magical holiday experience as the SteelStacks campus comes alive with the sights and sounds of Christmas. Stroll the campus draped in holiday lights and 1930sera decorations reminiscent of the days when Bethlehem first became known as The Christmas City, plus check out Gingerbread House Display at the ArtsQuest Center and the holiday light & music show on the historic blast furnaces on the weekends. Free. 610-332-3378. artsquest.org.

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the jazz scene BLUES FOR ISRAEL: THE SIXTH ANNUAL ISRAELI JAZZ PHEST Until relatively recently, stateside music fans rarely saw the words “Israeli” and “jazz” in the same sentence. Certainly there have been well known Jewish jazz musicians throughout history—from Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw to Buddy Rich and Stan Getz—and contemporary players like reedman Don Byron have explored the roots of Jewish music and applied them to jazz. But until about the last 15 years or so, there were virtually no players on the international front who were born, bred and trained in Israel. That changed with the 1996 arrival of, among others, bassist/composer Avishai Cohen, who exploded on to the scene by way of his work with Chick Corea. “He gave us the foretaste of a generation of Israeli prodigies soon to take New York on,” said one music writer. Cohen became something of a superstar and opened the door to a host of other creative players. Lest anyone thinks that Israeli jazz players only explore ethnic themes and the Klezmer legacy, some musicologists believe that the Israeli players have been trained with more grounding in the jazz tradition than many of their American counterparts. Hence, whatever they are playing, though often exploratory, comes from a learned perspective. Several of these young giants will perform in the Sixth Annual Israeli Jazz Phest, November 8 to 18, at various locations in the region. And they are proof positive that jazz has evolved beyond 1967. The lineup: On November 8, in a free event at Temple Sholom in Broomall, flutist/composer Mattan Klein and his Ensemble (Ensemble is in caps as that’s the name of the band) pay tribute to composer Naomi Shemer, known as the “Israeli icon of song.” In a noon brunch concert at World Café Live, it’s the Israeli/Latin group, the Itai Kriss Sextet, led by critically acclaimed flutist/composer Kriss, which combines, if you can believe it, jazz, Middle Eastern and Latin styles. Tickets: $15. Another group of fusionists, a quintet led by trumpeter Itamar Borochov, combines, among other things, Arab and Pan-African sounds, along with the leader’s traditional jazz influences. The concert, at the Painted Bride Art Center, begins at 8 p.m. and tickets are $25-$30. World Café Live hosts another noon jazz brunch on November 12, featuring the Reut Regev Trio, in a program subtitled “R*Time: Exploring the Vibe.” Ms. Regev’s group goes the non-ethnic route for the most part, incorporating elements of blues, funk, rock and free jazz, featuring the Regev's trombone and compositions. Tickets are $15. The Phest climaxes on November 18 at 7 p.m. with a free event at the International House, the United States debut of vocalist Ayala Ingedshet, the first Ethiopian-born Israeli singer ever to get a major record deal. Advance reservations are required for this one, and can be obtained from Ticketfly.com/Event/372265. For details about this festival, visit JazzPhest.com. AND BORN IN THE USA American jazz artists are getting a good deal of play this season as well. The Kimmel center continues its support of jazz with the booking of vocal gymnast Bobby McFerrin on November 10 (KimmelCenter.org), progressive saxophonist Joshua Redman and his quartet at Annenberg Center November 9 (AnnenbergCenter.org), and crossover singer/song-

BRUCE KLAUBER

writer Will Downing at the Keswick Theatre on November 24 (KeswickTheatre.com). At Montgomery County Community College on November 16, it’s the composer/pianist/world music/fusionist Omar Sosa and his Afri-Lectric Experience (MC3.edu). DIFFERENT DRUMMERS Just about every legendary jazz drummer throughout history credited William Henry “Chick” Webb as one of the most influential jazz percussionists who ever lived. Though known today mainly as the man who discovered Ella Fitzgerald, the reality is that Webb still stands as the father of what we know as big band drumming. Though he couldn’t read a note, he was an unequaled powerhouse at the traps, and never let the fact that he suffered from tuberculosis of the spine since childhood stand in his way. He died at the age Chick Webb. of 34 in 1939—but his influence can still be heard. Listen to Krupa or Rich and you’ll hear Webb. There is a superb documentary on Webb, spearheaded by filmmaker Jeff Kaufman, called The Savoy King: Chick Webb and the Music That Changed America, that will hopefully become commercially available next month. Kaufman enlisted the participation of celebrities like Bill Cosby, Janet Jackson, John Legend, Billy Crystal and many others to lend their voice-over talents, playing the roles of various stars in jazz history, such as Krupa, Ellington and Basie. “The Jazz Scene” spoke to Kaufman recently, who said that commercial release depends on raising funds to secure music rights. Interesting. Why couldn’t Janet Jackson, Cosby or Crystal kick in a couple of hundred grand so this beautiful project—voted as a critic’s pick at the New York Film Festival, by the way—could see the light of day? Another drum history project—this one in print and 12 years in the making—is The Roots of Rock Drumming, edited by Daniel Glass and Steve Smith (the latter of Journey fame). The book, with accompanying CD, has incisive interviews with Louis Prima’s Bobby Morris, Bill Haley’s Dick Richards, session men like Hal Blaine and Earl Palmer, Elvis’ D.J. Fontana, and the interview of the century with the elusive Sandy (“Let There Be Drums”) Nelson. The Roots of Rock Drumming is essential reading for everyone who ever picked up a pair of sticks. Or wanted to. (HudsonMusic.com). ALL-STAR LIGHT, ALL-STAR BRIGHT The region’s All-Star Jazz Trio and Quartet may likely be the among the area’s busiest permanent jazz combinations, with their frequent visits to Chris’ Jazz Café (November 16), and regular stands at The Prime Rib each Saturday in their “Late Night Lounge” series, at Square on Square on Wednesdays (1905 Chestnut Street) and via their eagerly-anticipated concert appearance with legendary jazz songstress Peggy King at the Philadelphia Ethical Society on December 1. For info, advance tickets and other details, visit AllStarJazz.net.

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TOMORROW IS THE QUESTION Jazz, at its best, is a constantly evolving art form, and like the aforementioned Israeli artists, there are those on the scene innovating and taking chances while still respecting and incorporating elements of the tradition. Bassist Moppa Elliott is one of those, and his Mostly Other People Do the Killing CD was a Down Beat magazine Critic’s Poll-winner. Elliott will celebrate the release of a new CD, Red Hot, on November 9 at the Philadelphia Art Alliance. The show is presented by Ars Nova Workshop. Of the ensemble, Nate Chinen said in the

Bassist Moppa Elliott.

New York Times that the “young free-bop” ensemble is “impudent but wickedly proficient, often inspired by the style of 1920s and 1930s jazz, but with its own repertory.” How can you go wrong with all that? Info: PhilartAlliance.org. SECOND ENDINGS Pamela Heatherington is reviving and reinventing a lost art: jazz tap dancing. Heatherington appears November 2 at LaRose in Germantown at 8 p.m., for her “bi-yearly tap and jazz music show” (TakeItAwayDance.com), and at The Cheltenham Center for the Arts on November 6 for a Jazz Bridge performance (JazzBridge.org). Singer Mary Ellen Desmond is happy to report that the fundraising efforts on behalf of her projected Comfort and Joy CD have exceeded expectations, with over $10,000 in contributions. Few deserve this more. Tenor man Larry McKenna is getting recognition due him. One of the tracks off his new CD, One Falling Tree, featuring singer Joanna Pascale, has been on WRTI’s “Hot 11 Countdown” for weeks. Join Larry, Joanna and the group for a celebration of the new CD at Chris’ Jazz Café on November 2. Tickets and details: ChrisJazzCafe.com. SONG FOR OUR “FATHER” Get well wishes are in order for veteran pianist “Father” John D’Amico. John has been a joyous, integral and essential part of the area’s jazz community for well over 40 years. Long may he continue. SEE YOU ON THE RADIO A personal note: My new weekly radio program, Classics in Jazz, begins airing on the University of the Arts’ radio station WRTZ on Friday, November 8, and can be accessed via WRTZRadio.com. Tune in early and often. To be a part of “The Jazz Scene” and the radio show, send an email to DrumAlive@aol.com. ■

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Whoopee! Winner of the

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

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singer / songwriter

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

David Bromberg ★★★1/2 Only Slightly Mad Appleseed Recordings David Bromberg has an open-door policy when it comes to music. On Only Slightly Mad, the Delaware-based musician incorporates folk, country, bluegrass, blues, gospel and rock to create a rich musical tapestry. Working with producer Larry Campbell, Bromberg demonstrates how his eclectic approach results in a coherent whole. The one-two punch of “Nobody’s Fault but Mine” and “Keep on Drinkin’” pay tribute to blues legends Blind Willie Johnson and Big Bill Broonzy, respectively. On “I’ll Take You Back,” Bromberg adopts a vocal style that alternates between acerbic and David Bromberg. Photo by Jim McGuire. playful in swearing off a faithless lover. While a tad long at just over eight minutes, the song recalls Bromberg’s version of “I Will Not Be Your Fool.” He ventures into country (Floyd Cramer’s “Last Date”) and bluegrass on Carter Stanley’s “The Fields Have Turned Brown.” Bromberg’s four original songs fit in nicely from the gospel-flavored “I’ll Rise Again” to the heartfelt romanticism of “You’ve Got to Mean It Too.” Allen Toussaint ★★★★ Songbook Rounder Allen Toussaint has been a mainstay of the music scene in New Orleans since the 1950s. Occasionally overlooked is Toussaint’s talent as musician and performer in his own right. Songbook, a live CD that also is available as a deluxe edition with a companion DVD, features Toussaint alone at a piano, performing 25 songs from his expansive catalogue at a 2009 concert at the intimate Joe’s Pub in New York City. This is a master musician at work, opening with “It’s Raining” and “Lipstick Traces,” hits for Irma Thomas and Benny Spellman, respectively. Toussaint also shows his knack for composing memorable melodies on such songs as “Brickyard Blues” and “Holy Cow,” the latter one he wrote for Lee Dorsey. Socially conscious songs—“Who’s Gonna Help Brother Get Further” and “Yes We Can”—recall the work of Curtis Mayfield. “St. James Infirmary,” one song Toussaint didn’t write, is an acknowledgment of his roots. “Southern Nights,” a hit for Glen Campbell, is transformed into an extended dialog on Toussaint’s life in Louisiana as a boy. At 75, Toussaint is a vital artist whose songbook is so deep there is enough material for a sequel to this album. Nick Lowe ★★★1/2 Quality Street Yep Roc Christmas is the holiday most associated with music and Nick Lowe offers a dozen songs for the season with Quality Street, named

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after a popular Christmas confectionery in his native Great Britain. Best known for his hit single “Cruel to Be Kind,” Lowe brings a creative approach and good-natured feel to the music, a mix of original songs and holiday standards. “Children, Go Where I Send Thee” receives a fast-paced, rockabillystyled treatment while “Silent Night” is served up New Orleans style. “Christmas at the Airport,” one of three Lowe originals, focuses his trademark wit on stranded holiday travelers. “I’m doing Santa’s sleigh ride on the baggage carousel,” he cheerfully observes. Lowe gets serious on “I Was Born in Bethlehem,” a retelling of the first Christmas from the viewpoint of the Christ child. “Just to Be with You (This Christmas)” is a tale of yuletide romance delivered as a samba, highlighted by Geraint Watkins’s organ. Lowe’s version of Roger Miller’s “Old Toy Trains” captures the sentimentality of the holiday and is delivered with a hushed delicacy. “Quality Street” is an album that breathes new life into the holiday music genre. Fats Kaplin ★★★1/2 The Fatman Cometh and World of Wonder (Deluxe edition) Pulp Country Fats Kaplin lets his instruments do the talking on The Fatman Cometh and World of Wonder, a pair of CDs originally released in 2006 and 2009. Instrumentals form the backbone of the 24-song collection, which features a pair of bonus tracks. “Shakin’ down the Acorns” gets The Fatman Cometh off to a rollicking start, featuring Kaplin’s nimble fiddle work. The peaceful “Waltz of the Ohio” would be a good fit as soundtrack music for a Ken Burns documentary. Kaplin’s use of the baglama, a Turkish stringed instrument, creates a Middle Eastern feel on “Osman Pehlivan,” one of ten traditional songs featured. Kaplin shows he’s a serviceable vocalist on “John Brown’s Dream” and “The Fatman Cometh,” a humorous takeoff on his name. On World of Wonder, Kaplin enlists the help of his wife, Kristi Rose, who turns in a haunting vocal performance on the traditional murder ballad “Pretty Polly,” while “Monkey in a Dogcart,” a tune celebrating county fairs, features some fine interplay between Kaplin’s fiddle and Kieran Kane’s banjo. Michael Martin Murphey ★★★ Red River Drifter Red River Entertainment With Red River Drifter, veteran singer/songwriter Michael Martin Murphey serves up a mix of country, bluegrass, folk and pop. Best known for such hits as “Wildfire” and “Carolina in the Pines,” Murphey, at 68, stays true to his musical roots. “Peaceful Country” starts off the album with an up-tempo bluegrass number on the need for a quiet place amid the push-and-pull of everyday life. Troy Engle’s banjo adds a driving force to the song. “Sweet Smile” is a heartfelt ballad written for his wife, Karen, on making love last. The bluesy “Shake it Off ” serves as a musical change-up as Murphey duets with Pauline Reese on overcoming life’s obstacles. Despite occasionally veering into cliché (“turn that frown upside down”), it’s a solid effort. “Hardscrabble Creek” serves as Murphey’s tip of the cap to those who survived the Great Depression. “Faded Blue” is a celebration of the tried and true, a recognition of staying with what works in life. ■

tomwilk@rocketmail.com

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jazz library

BOB PERKINS

TommyPOTTER

OMMY POTTER’S NAME WOULDN’T get much attention in jazz circles these days…unless the gathering were comprised of musicians and jazz fans with high-mileage on their odometers. But there was a time when the mention of his name brought smiles and nods of recognition, along with enthusiastic approval. As a young person getting acquainted with jazz, I heard the name mentioned by the few jazz DJs with radio programs at the time. Potter was always a supporting bassist to this or that small group leader. The first DJ I heard speak Potter’s name was Sid Torin, known to many as “Symphony Sid,” via his popular late night broadcasts from New York City’s Birdland and Royal Roost night clubs. Charlie (“Yard Bird”) Parker, for whom Birdland was named, played both clubs quite often, and Potter was Parker’s bassist in the late 1940s, as was a young trumpeter named Miles Davis. Even prior to working with the celebrated Parker, Potter was much into the up-and-coming new music, dubbed be bop, when he was the bassist in Billy Eckstine’s progressive big band, where his band mates were blossoming jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey and Parker. Although he more than held his own on stage and in recording studios with the legends-to-be, he also enjoyed making music with those in the swing-era of jazz, like Earl Hines and Artie Shaw. He was a member of both their bands in the early 1950s Tommy Potter became one of the most sought after jazz bassists of the latter 1940s, and his popularity as a sideman remained constant well into the 1960s. But he stopped playing regularly in the mid ‘60s, and took a nine-tofiver, as he said, “To be at home with my family. I have a 15-year-old boy, and I want to be around him while he’s growing up.” He continued to play on weekends and odd days, saying, “I’d go back to full time, if it could reward me sufficiently.” That day never came, so Potter continued playing only when it was convenient. He eventually dropped music altogether when he contracted arthritis. The Tommy Potter story is a rather strange one, in that although born and raised in Philadelphia, and going on to play with jazz greats, he is not celebrated like other jazz musicians who did the same and claim Philly as home. It’s also odd—and somewhat heroic—that although he suffered a massive heart attack at age 16, and was confined to bed for two years, he managed to recover, took up the bass, and ultimately became proficient enough on the instrument to move to New York, where he made music with the aforementioned musicians, and a good number of other jazz stalwarts. These are a few of the puzzling reasons why Potter’s name is not spoken of more often in enlightened jazz circles—because he was there, just about at the beginning of modern jazz, and active for the next two decades. To be sure, his ability as a sideman helped many jazz musicians to become stars. But to be realistic, not many remember musicians who play supportive roles in jazz, until they break out on their own and unfortunately, Potter never did.

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.

Tommy Potter, foreground, with Charlie Byrd in NYC in the late 1940s.

I don’t know why I remember his name over so many others. Maybe it’s because I can still hear Symphony Sid calling Potter’s name as he cited members of the Parker quintet at Birdland. And from time to time, while leafing through my books on jazz, I come across photos of various jazz group leaders—and there’s Tommy Potter in the background, the dutiful sideman, in his support role, peering out from behind the neck of his bass. Since the name has been in my noggin for many moons, I thought I’d pay my respects to the storied bassist (storied at least in my mind) by writing a column in tribute. Charles Thomas Potter, was born in Philadelphia, September 21, 1918, and passed on in New York City, March I, 1988. n

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keresman on disc

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

The Horse’s Ha ★★★★★ Waterdrawn Fluff & Gravy Records

Dialeto ★★★★1/2 The Last Tribe MoonJune

Waterdrawn is one of those albums that seems from another time—circa 1967-69, to be un-exact—yet sounds as if it belongs to no time but its own. The Horse’s Ha (the moniker comes from Dylan Thomas) is Janet Bean, known

A trio from Brazil, Dialeto get their first international presentation with The Last Tribe, and like their homeland, it’s a bracing mélange of sonic swell-ness. This combo interlaces the “heavy rock” wallop of the early 1970s—the fire of Jimi Hendrix (albeit his subdued side), the saturnine, protogrunge-y aggression of Ozzy-era Black Sabbath—with the feverish progressive (“prog,” these daze) rock of King Crim-

The Horses Ha. Photo by Iwona Biedermann.

for her work in the bands Freakwater and Eleventh Dream Day, and James Elkington, a member of The Zincs, weave a delicate yet sturdy tapestry from strands of early Joni Mitchell (especially when jazz influences were just asserting), the Pentangle, Steeleye Span, Sandy Denny-era Fairport Convention, Donovan, and very early Simon & Garfunkel. Bean has a plaintive, willowy voice (like unto Emmylou Harris) and Elkington has a deep, smooth, comforting one (slightly similar to early Gordon Lightfoot)—their harmony is gently arresting, like the very first chill winds of November. Acoustic guitars roll (a la Burt Jansch and Leo Kottke) divinely, the cello is warm and woody, the melodies cozy and yet slightly foreboding—this set is an ideal companion for reflective moods as the last vestiges of autumn fade. fluffandgravy.com Buddy Emmons ★★★★★ The Big E: A Salute To Steel Guitarist… MPI Now officially retired, Buddy Emmons was one of the most influential pedal steel guitarists ever. Emmons’ playing impacted country music first as a member of the bands of Little Jimmy Dickens and Ray Price, and later rock and pop as a session player with Ray Charles, Gram Parsons, Henry Mancini, and many others. The Big E finds several modern steel players—including Jay Dee Maness, Dug Dugmore, and Greg Leisz—paying homage to Emmons. Beyond that, this album is a virtual homage to traditional country music—the program is mostly country and folk standards sung by Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, and Raul Malo, among others and ace pickers such as Albert Lee and Duane Eddy. This is pure (though not purist), no-frills country music uncorrupted by Nash Vegas-ism, with heartfelt vocalizing (if Nelson’s “Are You Sure” doesn’t move you a little, see a doctor pronto) and sharply surreal steel wizardry. The Big E gets my vote as country disc of ‘13. musicpi.com shemp@hotmail.com

Dialeto.

son and Bebop Deluxe and the early fusion onslaughts of the original Mahavishnu Orchestra and Larry Coryell, plus a dash of the cinematic side of legendary instrumental-ers The Ventures and Shadows. With just two guitars and drums, the all-instrumental Tribe is a cornucopia of haunting, somewhat doom-y riff-age that evokes early Sabbath and 1960s film music for Spaghetti Westerns and B-spy movies but delivered with the suss and flair of early ‘70s fusion (when it was still cool) and power-trio jamming (but minus the excessive excess ‘n’ wank). The guitars of Nelson Coelho and Jorge Pescara soar and cleanly sear like the lathe of Heaven when they should and lay down slabs of gregarious menace when they ought. Dialeto maps out the cool common ground between old-school early ‘70s rock, newer-schoolers such as Mogwai and Don Caballero, and the prog-scene. moonjune.com Claudia Lennear ★★★ Phew! Read Gone Music Carol Kleyn ★★★★ Return of the Silkie Drag City Let us now pause to praise the Indiana Joneses of music, those intrepid souls that excavate lost treasures for all to hear. While Claudia Lennear has a resume to die for— singing backup for Ike & Tina Turner, George Harrison, Joe Cocker, and many more, and she was the inspiration for the Rolling Stones’ hit “Brown Sugar”—she released but one

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album in 1973 and, alas, it was not a hit. Coinciding with the documentary movie 20 Feet From Stardom, in which she appears, Phew! has aged mostly very well. Half of this set is rock, featuring the legendary guitarist Ry Cooder, the other sultry New Orleans R&B, produced and arranged by the equally legendary Allen Toussaint. Lennear sounds a bit like a deeper-voiced Tina Turner with some Jagger-esque swagger thrown in, fronting a set equal parts Stonesy raunch, slippery Little Feat-like Southern-fried funk-rock, and slightly raw, bristly N’awlins wail. Phew! will raise the temperature in your roots-rockin’ domicile by a few degrees. realgonemusic.com Carol Kleyn is a harpist (the big kind w/ strings, not the “mouth harp”) and singer from Seattle. Kleyn self-released a few albums in the 1970s and early ‘80s, which gradually acquired a cache among fans of folk (and unusual) music. Originally released in ’83, Return of the Silkie (alternate spelling: selkie, as “seen” in the 1994 John Sayles film The Secret of Roan Inish) consists of Kleyn’s achingly pure soprano voice, her crystalline harp, and some seals and sea lions wailing in the background. Silkie seems at first a bit too starry-eyed, then one realizes Kleyn is not only utterly sincere but utterly talented. Her singing and harp are so beautiful, her songs possessed of a serene inner calm as she fashions a bridge betwixt humanity and a love of the sea and the creatures/myths therein. dragcity.com Juan Blanco ★★★★1/2 Nuestro Tiempo/Our Time Innova Jennifer Higdon ★★★★ An Exultation of Larks Bridge It’s easy to dismiss classical music—notated music based in the ancient-to-20th century tradition—as that of a bunch of dead but venerated white guys irrelevant in the age of Miley. WRONG—“classical music” is as hard-hitting as anything by, well, anybody. Juan Blanco (1919-2008) was a Cuban composer who pioneered electro-acoustic music in Cuba, combining the folk, popular, jazz music(s) of Cuba with modern/avant-garde methods of generating and altering sound. (1942 saw Blanco design a keyboard that would “trigger” pre-recorded bits, prefiguring the Mellotron and sampler by decades.) Nuestro Tiempo/Our Time is the first widely available hunk of Blanco available, and it’s what the ancient ones called “a doozy.” If you were to compile a collection of “spacey” and “creepy” music— including Pink Floyd circa their first five albums, soundtrack music from Hitchcock’s films and trippy electronica such as the Orb, Time would fit in just fine. innova.mu Jennifer Higdon (b. 1962) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning, Philadelphia-residing composer whose style can be called neo-Romantic. Over-simply put, Higdon’s music utilizes language of such swell dead honkies as Brahms and Tchaikovsky, but in a completely contemporary fashion. Larks is mostly music for string quartet (played by the all-femme Lark Quartet) that presents an elegant, unforced loveliness (occasionally evoking Arvo Pärt) infused with some wiry, delicately doledout dissonance for a gloriously, deceptively easy listen. bridgerecords.com ■

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nick’s picks Marquis Hill ★★★★ The Poet Skiptone Music Blowing in from Chicago is a hot recording from trumpeter Marquis Hill, a rising regional star in Chicago whose third release, The Poet, is a skillfully played modern jazz record that’s steeped in retro styling. His band, the Blacktet, knows their business, easily facilitating the post-bop changes and soul-jazz grooves that characterize Hill’s marvelous original compositions. Reminiscent in style to Roy Hargrove at the start of his career, Hill dives into sturdy rhythmic waters, swinging with confidence and chops, leading his sextet through a dozen tunes that have a pleasing rawness despite the rich, cozy sound that gives all the instruments, especially the bass, an analog warmth. The fleet tempo on “B-Tune,” anchored by a subtle Latin clave rhythm, flaunts a swaggering frontline with Hill and alto saxophonist Christopher McBride weaving their sound into pleasing textures. Another highlight, “The Color Of Fear,” flows with an emphatic bassline, along with taut, punchy solos from Hill and McBride. Vibraphonist Justin Thomas is a revelation in the sonic mix, rolling his notes in a rich, buttery tone. In addition to Thomas, Hill assembles an equally topnotch group of collaborators and a particularly astute rhythm section—bassist Marquis Hill. Joshua Ramos, drummer Makaya McCraven and understated pianist, Josh Moshier. Solid and well-crafted, the album is bookended by Kevin Sparks’ cogent poetry set against Hill’s jazz/hip-hop bounce track, the drums and bass locked in counterpoint that fuels an undulating beat. (15 tracks; 45 minutes) John Escreet ★★★★1/2 Sabotage and Celebration Whirlwind Recordings Ever since he released his debut recording, Consequences on Posi-Tone Records in 2008, British pianist John Escreet has persisted in pushing at boundaries. On his subsequent recordings you can hear the influence of avant-pianist Andrew Hill and former teacher Jason Moran, but as beguiling as those recordings were, they were more like really good composition sketchbooks with ideas for days and musician line-ups where everyone, none more so than the pianist, played their ass off. Sabotage and Celebration, his fifth album, finds Escreet in his element. His inspiration comes from a vortex of musical styles, sounds and instrumentation— he’s a passionate enthusiast for disparate composers like Ligeti, Stevie Wonder, avant-garde jazz saxophonist Evan Parker, McCoy Tyner and the ultra-modern pop group, Knower, as well as current events that transpired during his composing process and the album’s production. These are very good things because the finished music on Sabotage makes it Escreet’s most cohesive and rewarding work. Since settling in Brooklyn, Escreet has maintained a durable work ethic, releasing four solo albums in six years, playing many sideman gigs, touring with trumpeter Christian Scott throughout Europe and, most importantly, continuing as the pianist in drummer Antonio Sanchez’s group, Migration. In May 2013, Escreet had the distinction of performing a commissioned piece at The Jazz Gallery in New York, and consistent gigs leading groups at various jazz venues around New York and Brooklyn. If you’ve heard any of his previous four recordings, you’ll recognize the heady mix of jazz fusion, avant-garde improv, alt-rock and rhythm and blues, all of which come together on Sabotage and Celebration in a most effective way. Since the double blast of Escreet’s small group

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

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recordings in 2011, The Age We Live In (Mythology) and Exception To The Rule (Criss Cross), the pianist professes that he listens to a lot of string albums, both classical and jazz, and admits he got carried away once the writing process took flight—these tunes were written during the suspension of normalcy in New York after Hurricane Sandy and refined in the studio on November 7, 2012, the day after the US re-election of President Obama. When a youthful jazz musician (Escreet is just under 30) describes his creative process as being driven by making new music, you listen to his records with an ear tilted for the unexpected and Escreet confidently delivers a from-beginning-to-end listening experience that’s boldly expressive. The album begins with a simmer of live strings, a gentle wave of harmony that dissolves into an off-kilter melody. A darker mood is established, the dramatic element a distinct Escreet trademark, and this brief prologue comes to its end, unresolved and unrequited, before shifting to the funky rhythm that drives track two, “He Who Dares.” This excellent tune is thrillingly cohesive with a sweet front end of blended horns. Tenor saxophonist Chris Potter and alto player Davis Binney make for a slippery duo, their horn parts characterize the staccato melody and flow-through to Escreet’s proud theme. Here, the leader has one of his sharpest and most pleasurable solos, flavored with Hancocklike licks, yet certainly Escreet’s own. The 11-minute+ centerpiece of the album, the title track, has its own definitive arc fueled by the pianist’s frustration with oppressive American voter ID laws, the disenfranchisement of a huge swath of American voters, the tension on election night and the literal celebration of its outcome. This composition covers these many moods and feelings—it’s outrageously ambitious and challenging. Escreet teases with a spare, haunting theme, rolls in a fog of strings, ominous and pregnant with suspense, which mutate into a thrash of horns, an aural pummeling from Potter and Binney whose dueling instruments shriek in tandem until they fade into Escreet’s placating piano. This section, an ode to the avant-garde, shifts to a modern jazz vein, albeit fast-pitched and lifted by bassist Matt Brewer, the John Escreet. authentically soulful drummer Jim Black and a killer piano hook. There’s the tuneful pop-flavored “Laura Angela” with a buoyant Fender Rhodes feature for Escreet, pegged with a back-in-the-day CTI/Bob James-derived groove. His “Animal Style” jumps out with a skewed melody, fierce Jim Black beats, elastic Brewer bass and a tight blend of horns. The last track is perhaps the album’s best. “Beyond Your Wildest Dreams” is an hallucinatory fantasy that combines the beauty of Escreet’s writing with guest guitarist Adam Rogers’ sinewy fretwork, the ethereal vocals of LA pop-performance artists Louis Cole and Genevieve Artadi, a glorious ocean of multi-tracked strings, extra bleats of brass from trumpeter Shane Endsley and trombonist Josh Roseman, a funky backbeat of handclaps, a rapturous soprano sax solo from Binney, all the while with Escreet moving and grooving on harpsichord(!). Is it too much? Not when so many distinct elements seamlessly flow together and it ultimately crowns Sabotage and Celebration as a singular achievement that spotlights John Escreet at his best. This album is definitively the proper way to experience his outsized talent. (7 tracks; 51 minutes) To read more about John Escreet, read my interview with the pianist/composer on my blog, JazzInSpace.blogspot.com Larry McKenna ★★★★ From All Sides self-produced Saxophonist Larry McKenna is the reigning king of Philly swing, but he’s a modest musician and a guy who probably wouldn’t consider himself to be that at all. Though McKenna has been playing and teaching jazz ever since he hit the road gigging in 1959 with Woody Herman’s Big Band, it wasn’t until 1997 that he recorded his first solo CD, My Shining Hour: Larry McKenna

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

Plays Harold Arlen. His workman-like attitude, sheer talent and full-bodied tone has endeared him to countless musicians throughout the Philadelphia area and, doubtless, his is often the first name mentioned when talking about the best tenor sax players in the city. McKenna’s latest recording From All Sides is a follow-up to his 2009 release, Profile (Dream Box Media), and builds on McKenna’s gifts as a songwriter and composer, putting music to lyrics by his writing partner, Melissa Gilstrap. In the delightful and incisive liner notes, McKenna explains how the songwriting process and his own ambition as a musician intersected quite organically. Their four originals are brought to life by the stunning Philadelphia vocalist, Joanna Pascale, whose crystalline voice and soulful delivery pulls out the tender, evocative feeling in the lyrics. Even the unexpected inclusion of a Christmas-themed song on the playlist gets a pass thanks to Pascal’s artistry. Give this tenor player a standard or ballad and that’s when McKenna’s rich bluesy sound radiates outward. Supported by an all-star band of fellow Philadelphians, McKenna plays with the exuberance of an up-and-coming newcomer. The smooth swing on “Everything I Got” percolates over a bubbling rhythmic brook and McKenna’s tenor soars, improvising through the changes with a relaxed and supple charm. To his credit, McKenna’s band restores the 1940s dance club feel with Johnny Mercer’s “That Old Black Magic,” a tune first recorded by Glenn Miller. Most recommended is McKenna’s arrangement of Kurt Weill’s “September Song,” which features an endearingly casual tempo, yet gorgeous multi-layered instrumentation. And one more as guitarist Pete Smyser and McKenna’s frontline (flugelhorn player George Rabbai and trombonist Joe McDonough) harmonize beautifully over the lilt of McKenna’s original “Samba De Else.” Whether playing on strong instrumentals or underscoring sweetly rendered songs, Larry McKenna always displays first-class musicianship and consummate urbanity. (12 tracks; 76 minutes) Alexis Cuadrado ★★★★ A Lorca Soundscape Sunnyside Ever inventive and searching, bassist Alexis Cuadrado fearlessly navigates crosscurrents of modern jazz, Latin and world music to underscore the relation between today’s economic disparities with those of the past on A Lorca Soundscape, based on Federico García Lorca’s poems about 1929 New York. Vocalist Claudia Acuña gives the poet’s words a robust and emotional reading that surge with feeling and an appreciated efficacy. But the heavy lift is accomplished by Cuadrado (along with a band of sharp-eared and extremely talented musicians) who gives resounding shape to the material by translating the fire and passion of Lorca’s language into a work that’s resonant and sonically engaging. Putting together a project like this benefits tremendously from Cuadrado’s fellow musicians—as a collective charged with interpreting this splendid work, pianist Dan Tepfer, alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón, drummer Mark Ferber and percusAlexis Cuadrado. sionist Gilmar Gomes make an exemplary sonic impression. Precisely recorded up close and with resounding depth, A Lorca Soundscape is adept at conveying the sentiment of Lorca’s poetry, delicately yet emphatically shaped by Cuadrado’s carefully delineated bass. Credit for Cuadrado’s success here would be shared with engineer Mike Marciano, the man behind the soundboard on most of New York’s best jazz recordings. Despite omitting the translation of the song’s lyrics, Lorca’s passionate words are duly interpreted through Cuadrado’s effective arrangements and his exceptional band. (7 tracks; 50 minutes) ■ W W W . F A C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V ■ W W W . I C O N D V . C O M ■ N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3 ■ I C O N ■ 37

dining

ROBERT GORDON

TIRAMISU WALKING INTO CHEF SAMI’S Trattoria Tiramisu in Newtown was better than a return to old times. For years, I extolled his now-departed Tutto Mario in Chalfont as our personal dining choice whenever my wife and I were not on a restaurant assignment. However, Sami vacated the Chalfont location a while ago. He has now quietly reopened in Newtown. Sami is not a self-promoter; he’s a chef, an excellent one. So it was a delight to celebrate his return— and an even greater delight to discover that Tiramisu is even better than Tutto Mario’s. Credit the more foodie-oriented group at his new digs—a group that’s more receptive to venturing beyond the familiar as he does with Lamb Meatballs fired up with crushed mint and capped with a slab of Reggiano Parmigiano Cheese. Based in solid Mediterranean tradition, the dish typifies Tiramisu compositions. Complex but not obtuse, Tiramisu’s dishes unite myriad tastes, colors and textures into delicious coherence. Pastas are all homemade, as are desserts. But Sami’s culinary instinct is his forte, and that instinct is manifest in his choice of orecchiette to complement a toothsome aggregation of scallops, roasted tomatoes and broccoli rabe swimming in garlic wine sauce. The orecchiette sops up and delivers the full flavor combination in every bite. Ravioli filled with roasted beets and ricotta is clad in a light, fresh oregano Chardonnay sauce and topped with toasted, crushed hazelnuts. The textural interplay between the silky delicate ravioli and the beets augments the balance and harmony among the ingredients. In Salmon alla Mario, intensely reduced plum sauce pools around the fish, combining with pesto and olive oil to enhance the complexity. A slate of choices for fans of traditional American dishes complements the Mediterranean fare. A recent special: a bone-in aged NY strip steak capped with fried onions was hearty, tender, and prepared rare, exactly as I ordered it. The menu is extensive with several selections each in categories like Risotto, Crudo (the carpaccio di carne and timbale di tonno are exceptional both in serving size and taste), Pasta, Frutti di Mare Pasta, and Fish. The lunch menu includes burgers, sandwiches, subs, hoagies, wraps and scrumptious paninis—which are available all the time. Having logged years on cruise lines and cooking in Europe, Sami thrives on tailoring and calibrating dishes to individual tastes. HIs relentless focus on all things culinary can, occasionally, be a drawback—as it was in choosing signage. Tiramisu is in the space formerly occupied by Justin Kaplin’s Palate. The interior is understated, stylish, and classy. Beige walls sporting paintings and icons of Italy lend the room a soothing cheerfulness. But the outdoor signage undercuts the eatery’s culinary excellence. Several guests have told me how surprised they were, after seeing the outside sign, to find such upscale, outstanding cuisine inside—so don’t be fooled or put off. Notwithstanding the signage, no restaurant deserves its name more than Tiramisu. The tiramisu here is the best I’ve ever eaten. Four different to-die-for flavors are available. I’ll leave it to you to discover what those flavors are. After all, I just enjoyed one of the more pleasant rediscoveries I’ve had in recent years at Tiramisu. Why should I have all the fun? n Trattoria Tiramisu, 31 S State Street, Newtown, PA (215) 860-2898 www.trattoriatiramisunewtown.com Email comments and suggestions to r.gordon33@verizon.net

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S WA N

HOTEL Modern Cuisine h Classic Comfort Corner of Swan & Main Lambertville, NJ 609-397-3552 40 ■ I C O N ■ N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3 ■ W W W . I C O N D V . C O M ■ W W W . F A C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V

dining

ROBERT GORDON

JONES REVITALIZATION OF THE HISTORIC 700 block of Chestnut Street is a work in progress. A bevy of empty buildings haunt the ‘hood. And the demise of Union Trust Steak House’s magnificent premises coupled with Chifa’s closure for renovations has trimmed street traffic further. The area is not yet flourishing as Stephen Starr envisioned when he placed his trendsetting Jones at the corner of 7th and Chestnut, diagonally across from the decidedly unexceptional La Scala. Nonetheless, Jones and Morimoto, the two Starr entries on the block, remain impervious to the block’s stagnation. Both restaurants remain popular and successful. Jones is a casual comfort-food lounge with a laid-back ambiance that beckons with a unique blend of retro hominess and cosmopolitan confidence. Jones’ veteran GM, Stephen Yaeger, is savvy both at cultivating and calibrating the Jones vibe and tweaking its iconic menu. Thus, regulars are still jonesing about the well-known, year-round Thanksgiving Dinner entrée. The dish always sells big, transcending its campy appeal, by delivering on a revered touchstone of Americana. A generous serving of turkey is accompanied with a mound of whipped potatoes, cranberry sauce, and stuffing—all for the terrific price of $17.75. Ditto for Chicken Pot Pie ($19.95), another familiar dish that brings multiple chunks of chicken and vegetables together inside a flaky pastry shell. Meatloaf, the ultimate comfort food, is sided with whipped potatoes and tender, buttered peas. And Fried Chicken and Waffles slathered with chicken gravy is another sure-toplease, down-home choice. But comfort food is not the only arrow in Jones’ quiver. Orecchiette Pasta with crabmeat is mined with red pepper flakes that lend surprisingly spunky bite and fresh roasted tomatoes bring a sweet finish to each forkful. Chock full of fresh crabmeat, Maryland-Style Crab Cake with zippy Old Bay tartar sauce is made almost entirely of crabmeat with very little fill. Tilapia with pecan crust, which gives it delightful crunch, is dressed in orange vinaigrette. The Jones menu also makes successful forays into vegetarian fare. Buf-Faux-Lo Tofu Wings is artfully worked tofu that masterfully mimics the taste of the meat. Another veg winner is the ALT, a BLT in which Avocado provides a flavorful ALTernative to the Bacon. Jones’ popular “all-day” menu is an institution in the Quaker City. Friends whose refueling schedules are not synchronized choose Jones to meet because the all-day menu allows the hungry members to order a multi-course dinner, and the not-so-hungry to snack on a sandwich, Matzo Ball Soup, or one of Jones’ classic desserts. Desserts rock. Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Sundae and Banana Bread Pudding are updated, revved-up takes on old standards—as is the deconstructed version of ‘Smores: cinnamon sugar graham crackers are topped with warm chocolate ganache, toasted homemade marshmallow and chocolate sauce. Stephen Yaeger keeps the Jones brand relevant and appealing with customer-focused, customer-driven menu innovations like the Market Salad. For $14, guests build their own salad from a veritable bonanza of meats, fishes, greens, nuts, seeds, cheeses, fruits, and more. Booths, banquettes, and plush lime- or scarlet-colored chairs side tables with aqua tops. Tall towers and walls of rough stone dramatize the smartly illuminated space. The ambiance is sufficiently homey for chowing down Thanksgiving dinner anytime of the day or year, while still being sufficiently cosmopolitan for a late-night cocktail after a night on the town…even though the night on the town was most likely spent in a different part of town. ■ Jones, 700 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. (215) 223-5663 www.jones-restaurant.com Email comments and suggestions to r.gordon33@verizon.net W W W . F A C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V ■ W W W . I C O N D V . C O M ■ N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3 ■ I C O N ■ 41

about life

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

The Most Common Variable Among Successful People PEOPLE HAVE ALL KINDS of relationships, because we are essentially relational beings. We have relationships with friends, family, co-workers, pets, neighbors, Facebook and, most important of all, we have a relationship with ourselves. How we relate to our selves significantly affects the way we run our lives both internally and externally. How we relate to ourselves determines the kind and quality of our experience of others and life in general. How we relate to ourselves shapes the way we relate to other people. Our capacity to love and appreciate who we are is the same as our capacity to love and appreciate who others are as well. The well-known adage about being our own worst enemy speaks volumes about how we can undo our successes and minimize our accomplishments should we fail to have a positive relationship with ourselves. This is far too often the case with very good people who have become accustomed to being hyper-critical of themselves. Being overly harsh generally does very little to improve us as individuals; in fact, harshness makes us less able to withstand the stressors and challenges presented to us in life. Self-negativity, whether it’s in thoughts, feelings and or behaviors, diminishes who it is we could become. Self-deprecation manifests in many forms, from being overly harsh to engaging in high-risk behaviors that can lead to problems like addictions and disease and even early death in the most extreme cases. Being overly negative in our thoughts tends to generate negative feelings and these negative thoughts and feelings often contribute to poor behavioral choices which in turn contribute to more negative thoughts and the cycle repeats. Over the course of time this creates an existential death spiral. Having a more genteel, kind and loving relationship with ourselves begets all sorts of positive outcomes. One example of this positivism in the business world is how positive thinking affects career success and monetary success. For many decades now it is understood that PMA (positive mental attitude) is the most shared common variable of successful individuals. In the world of medicine the exceptional patients who beat the odds and have successful outcomes are known to be resilient because of their positive belief system. In the world of psychology those folks who have a positive outlook live happier and more fulfilling lives. They also handle the

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deep tragedies of life much better than cynical and pessimistic people who drown in their negativity when the great challenges in life are at their door. The results of mega-studies—the combined results of at least a thousand studies—indicate that happy people live longer and have fewer incidences of heart attacks, strokes and cancers. It would seem that even our own personal biology responds to having a good relationship with ourselves. One way to increase our selflove is by being much more loving to others. By this we understand the power of kindness. We learn also the insight about forgiveness for the shortcomings and failures of others which we can then apply to ourselves. We can appreciate more how being supportive of others in times of crisis can remind us to be more loving to ourselves when we face difficult times. As we become more able to value and prize others we can also hold ourselves in a more appreciative light. Clearly, when we extend love to ourselves we are more capable of being more helpful to those around us. Each positive interaction, even in the smallest moment in life, can have great emotional impact. Because we do not know the burdens that people carry internally, a moment of kindness or even a smile might be the only smile or kindness that person experiences that day. Good manners and kindness are always in fashion, regardless of place, time or circumstances. The kindness we extend to others increases our general well being. It’s been found that volunteers experience increased immunological functioning and therefore fight off all sorts of disease and pathogens. Learning self-love may be one of the more difficult tasks that we face. Many, many people never arrive at this point. The path to self-love is littered with obstacles of all sorts. A good way to proceed is to begin to notice negative thought patterns and negative feelings when they occur. This increases awareness. With awareness we can spot when these undesirable experiences are occurring internally and begin to reduce them in frequency, depth and duration. These last variables—frequency, depth and duration—are how we can track our progress in becoming more forgiving, more accepting and ultimately more loving to and with ourselves. ■ Jim Delpino is a psychotherapist in private practice for over 33 years. jdelpino@aol.com (215) 364-0139.

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24 / MICHAEL DOUGLAS

childhood in various private and prepratory schools in New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, before getting his B.A. in drama from the University of California. And like Billy, whose friendships in Last Vegas go back 60 years, Douglas still has pals from way back when with whom he keeps in touch. “I have friends whom I’ve known since sixth grade,” Douglas says. “A couple of friends. Henry Kravis from [private equity firm] KKR being one of them. We went to school together in seventh grade and we’ve been friends ever since. And there’s three or four good college buddies. There’s something about those friends you’ve had, who knew you before you achieved success, that allows you to trust them much more. There’s a paranoia that a lot of celebrities have, where you’re never quite sure if there’s a secondary intent. Not that you’re walking around paranoid all the time, but sometimes. And it’s just harder to make new friends when you’re in the spotlight.” During production of Last Vegas, Douglas says he bonded most with De Niro, whom he’d only known loosely in the industry, and whose tough public persona was shot down by a guy who, in actuality, “wanted to give you a big hug and a kiss every morning.” As for the cast mate Douglas already knew most, that would be Morgan Freeman, whom Douglas describes as “a rascal and a total flirt.” With these four 60- and 70somethings steering the ship, Last Vegas is the latest in a string of recent popular films to star, and be marketed toward, older members of the population, coming on the heels of such diverse successes as The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and The Expendables. “Personally, I think that the movie theater market that everybody wanted to go to has gone into their iPhones, and video games, and ondemand, and all of L-R: Last Vegas director Jon Turtletaub, ICON writer R. Kurt Osenlund, that,” Douglas oband Michael Douglas. serves. “And their parents are desperate to get out of the house. And they’re starting to go the movies. So you’re getting that baby-boomer group now who wants to go see a good movie on the big screen. Even some of the good cable stuff is geared toward the somewhat younger set. So I just think there’s a desire there to get out and see these types of movies.” As always, the movies are also one of the things in which Douglas finds solace, particularly as the clock continues to to tick. The actor is candid and bittersweet when it comes to aging, but he has the joys and comforts to which he’s firmly tethered, like family, wisdom, and, yes, film. “It’s the magic of our business that actors of our ages [in the Last Vegas cast], between 66 and 76, can still work, and enjoy it,” Douglas says. “But I find few benefits about getting older. Very few. Even your golf handicap increases. I’d love to lie and say there’s some great inspiration. One thing I’ve come up with is that I was fortunate enough to have children later. I have an older boy, but I had children later in life, so I have a 13-year-old and an 11-year-old. And since I’m not as immersed in my career, or as ambitious as I used to be when I was younger, to be able to have the time and love to share with them gives me great, great pleasure. There’s a Hebrew expression in the Old Testament, and it’s really one of the basics of Judaism, and it’s called Tikkun olam. It means ‘to make the world a better place.’ And, as you get older, you really feel that responsibility in a good way. It’s not a huge effort, it’s just what you can do to make things better around you. That’s what I find these days. Plus, there’s a movie like this, where you can just fantasize that 30-year-old girls just love you to death.” ■

10 / HIDDEN TREASURES

storage. It will close to the public on January 5, 2014. One of the most decidedly dynamic pieces in the show is Robert Motherwell’s “Lyric Suite.” As a painter, he was one of the most heroically brilliant masters of the American abstract expressionist movement that flourished during the middle of the 20th century. His extraordinary intellect not only supported the making of spectacularly expressive artworks, often featuring bold black elements in a field of other colors, but also made him one of the leading writers, theorists and activists of that stylistic movement. It was the Chilean painter, Roberto Matta, who introduced Motherwell to the notion of automatic drawing which was used by some of the artists associated with surrealism. This process of non-consciously directed image invention sought to help them tap into their ultimate intuitive resources. In Motherwell’s case, it liberated ideas that were otherwise lockedup and inaccessible, inside himself. As a process of visual free association, it allowed him to utilize a psychoanalytic approach to generating configurations that were courageously daring, highly original and intensely dramatic. Most of all, his non-pictorial images come across collectively as an art of deeply personal poetry. Often, they emerge as composites of staccato notes, given voice in the language of design. In a manner distinctly their own, areas of differentiated color scrape against each other with an air of emotionally nervous intensity. Sooner or later, spectators will ask, “What distinguishes Motherwell’s unique visual forms from mere decoration, no matter how appealing such applied designs may be?” I believe the difference lies in the degree of deeply felt human investment he manRobert Motherwell, Lyric Suite, 1965, Black ink with orange halo and royal aged to impart to blue ink on rice paper, 11 x 9 in., Gift of the Dedalus Foundation and the his work. However, John Lambert Fund, Art © Dedalus Foundation, Inc./Licensed by VAGA only those with a prepared readiness and interested willingness to acknowledge, respond and accept this ambiguously mysterious presence, will be able to identify and experience what it has to offer. While there may be design in both a textile pattern and a Motherwell artwork, there is also a great divide between the hauntingly human, occult presence he has planted in an artwork and the lack of such a presence in the piece of cloth. A very different example, from pictures by the 19th century American painter, Winslow Homer, is titled “North Road, Bermuda.” A languid combination of damp atmosphere and high temperature gives the scene a mood of sticky humidity and tropical geography. While pigments in paste form supplied Homer with chromatic notes of transparent color, the most pale tones of all were provided for the picture by the whiteness of the paper on which the landscape composition was actually painted. The overall arrangement is silent, as clouds in the distance hover above an azure ocean, sandy beach and grassy foreground. The emptiness of the overall setting makes the out-of-doors subject matter feel like a stage in a theatre production just before the actors enter from the wings. As you study the picture, you can’t help wondering what will ensue when they actually appear. Perhaps their presence will address darker purposes than the otherwise bland landscape offers. Specimens by other artists fill out the modest scale of the Gallery space. On the other hand, this very factor encourages close critical concentration on the pieces in place. Truly, it’s an exhibition not to be overlooked. ■

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sally friedman

T WAS JUST A casual conversation, one lightly tossed across the cocktail party conversation. But it lingered with me for days. A proud father was sharing his delight in both his own children and their children, and marveling that, at last, there is real harmony on the home front. That, Joe and I agreed, is as good as it gets. And although neither of us would admit it, we both probably felt a stab of guilt about our lack of confidence in our individual kids’ ability to flourish…together. I thought ours would kill each other before they even reached their teens, and I’d wager that Joe sometimes felt the same way. But children do not remain children forever. And parents, while we retain the title, slip into “emeritus” status at some point. That’s when we stand back and watch what we’ve done—in living color and in all its sound and fury. “Will the lessons take? Will they care about each other in the ways that count?” we wonder as we watch from the sidelines. In Joe’s world— and ours—there was doubt. When you’ve lived through stormy adolescences with your kids—when you’ve heard them say the tender words “I hate you!” to one another over the long, tumultuous years of what doesn’t look anything like family life ala Norman Rockwell, you do begin to wonder. And our girls fought gorgeously. I often wondered whether it was because there were three of them—when that’s the number there’s often friction in the alliances. That’s when I would say to my husband, “We should have stopped at two!” or “Why didn’t we go for four?” But as it turned out, they had actually heard all those lectures about how sisters need to be there for each other—how they need to be lifetime companions, especially when the going gets tough. Even though there were those raised eyebrows and that “tuned out” look on their faces, they were listening. Fancy that! Our daughters, like Joe’s grown children, now celebrate their ties. The years of taunting, teasing, testing and yes, epic battles, are behind them as they tiptoe across the chasms to discover each other as allies, confidantes, and closest friends. Now that it’s their decision as to whether to spend time together, and now that they are no longer forced into the

dreaded “family time,” they create it for themselves. While their father and I are now bit players in their daily lives, they are leading ladies to one another. Jill, Amy and Nancy watch out for each other. Simple…and simply wonderful. And they also look out for each other’s children. As aunts, they’ve taught the seven cousins who have now noisily and joyfully joined our clan that cousins, too, are for life. It’s hard to imagine all this harmony. And yes, there are occasional skirmishes that sometimes make it all play out of tune. But it’s been a long time since the accusatory screams of “She RUINED my sweater!’’ resonated through our daughters’ lives. The wars of yesterday have yielded to the peace treaties of today—and with no help from parents, thank you. I worried for years that Jill and Amy would never forgive each other for having totally different temperaments and habits: Jill, all logic and order; Amy, raw nerve endings, impulses; and Nancy, the placid pacifist who was accused of being too neutral. And lo and behold, these three now celebrate and rejoice in their differences. And here, I’d used up so much energy wondering whether this era of a peaceable kingdom would ever come. What relief and pure gratitude I feel that in times of trouble and need these sisters have each other. So when Joe and I talked about this latter-day stage of parenting, and its enormous satisfactions, we found common ground. Joe’s kids, now in families of their own, can’t wait to see each other. I see the same remarkable phenomenon when our three have been separated by circumstance. And I struggle to re-invent language for grown-up sibling/friends that doesn’t sound hokey. “Close’’ is too trite. “Devoted’’ is too elderly. “Loving’’ is lovely, but not quite it. So I’ll settled for no adjective at all to describe what feels like a gift. And I’ll just say that those of you out there who are still in the thick of “He hit me first!’’ or “I HATE her!’’ may be shocked, some years from now, to learn that these kids you’ve pulled apart and begged and cajoled to be nice to each other are finally doing just that. Trust me—there are still miracles. n

UNIMAGINABLE HARMONY

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 . F A 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 n N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 3 n I C O N n 45

The Los Angeles Times SUNDAY CROSSWORD PUZZLE

WORKING OVERTIME By Gail Grabowski Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

1 5 9 14 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 29 31 32 33 34 37 39 43 44 45 47 48 49 52 53 54 55 56 58 60 62 63 64 68 69 72 73 77 78 79 81 82 83 87 88 90 91 92 93

ACROSS Tournament exemptions Sourpuss Evaluate Leaves at the last minute, in a way Fly, at times Trendy berry Australian exports Cat Nation people Overlook Registered, with “in” __ Bell: Emily Brontë pen name Up to this point Chocolate source One working with hammers Bold move Suit Enthusiasm Cath. church eponym Heart container Probate concerns Qualifying races Scored 75, say Stretched to the max “Don’t think so” Spread unit Pest-snaring device Cartoon dog Flyers’ org. Sealing supplies Museum opening? Gathered Anka song with the phrase “kiss me mucho” Shot with lots of English Underline, say Work on an arm, maybe Classroom reminder Flaky fish African hot spot APB targets Galena, for one Big name in food safety P.I. Captain’s reference Daly of “Wings” CD-__ Cold War concept advanced by Eisenhower Starkers, across the pond Snap up Vessels at banquets Golfer’s choice Cotton thread Like attached baths, in Bor-

95 96 97 98 100 101 104 109 110 111 112 113 114

115 116 117 118 119 120

deaux Ends of the earth Sunday best Retired boomer Image Awards org. “What __ could I do?” Outdoor furniture piece Martial arts maneuver Ripley’s closing words Cousteau’s realm Rush job letters O’Neill’s daughter O’Neal’s daughter “I can’t go all my life waiting to catch you between husbands” speaker Lowers Created fiction? Whack, biblically Rainy day brand Not a challenge Fraternal group

DOWN 1 Voting coalition 2 Arizona county or its seat 3 Stonestreet of “Modern Family” 4 Begin wedding plans 5 Baklava, e.g. 6 Comforting comment 7 Roped-off pool area 8 Facebook option 9 “Casino” co-star 10 Elevate 11 __ Lama 12 Sun-on-ocean effect 13 Canadian pump sign 14 Like Boston College, say 15 Certain triathlete 16 “... a tale / Told by an idiot”: Macbeth 17 Forgo scissors 18 Outdated geopolitical letters 28 They’re secured in locks 30 Emmy winners, often 32 Inamorato 34 Western classic 35 Geek Squad pros 36 “That Girl” actress 37 Discounted buy 38 Command posts: Abbr. 39 Where to leave Port. 40 Naval weapons launcher 41 Duel tools 42 Ships

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Biker’s welcome Many sculptures When some folks retire Postgrad degrees They may be assigned Family adoptee The classical elements, e.g. Yankee slugger, familiarly False god Florida’s __ Island, near Naples Wildspitze, for one Agree to join Typical Nome winter highs Driving hazard Twilled fabric Squash variety On the verge of doing it Hatch back? Subway patron Rough stuff Turn over Fails to share One of a G.I.’s three squares Unsolicited opinion Toolbar offering Like a short golf round Escape, as a con Ring weapon “Am I the problem?” It’s a matter of taste Sister of Peter Chip with cheese

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Red as __ Coated cheeses Bath buggy Foe Civil wrong Shade of green Old Voice of America org.

106 107 108 109

Muddy up .62 mi., in a race Rolls of notes NFL tiebreakers hidden in this puzzle’s nine longest answers Answer in next month’s issue.

Answer to October’s puzzle, EPICENTERS

agenda CALL TO ARTISTS PENNSYLVANIA, BETHLEHEM (Historic District). Bethlehem Fine Arts Commission’s 49th Annual Fine Art & Craft Show, A Juried Exhibition. May 10-11, 2014. Outdoors. Artist reception & award ceremony. Over $1300 in prizes. Image Deadline February 10, 2014. Download prospectus from www.bfac-lv.org. For additional information, call 610-865-3924 (after 5pm). ART EXHIBITS THRU 11/10 Frank Arcuri: Small Paintings. Beginning 11/29 in addition to our selection of fine paintings, we’ll also have small paintings, locally hand made one-of-a-kind collector Santas, handdecorated wooden bowls and pottery. We are participants in the American Express Small Business Saturday promotion November 30. Patricia Hutton Galleries, 47 W. State St., Doylestown. 215-348-1728. PatriciaHuttonGalleries.com2 11/1-12/21 Robert Petersen Captiva Daybooks. Reception and artist’s talk: 11/10, 3-5pm. Williams Center Gallery, Williams Center for the Arts, Lafayette Art Galleries, 243 No. 3rd St., Easton. 610-330-5361. galleries.lafayette.edu 11/2-2/1 Bryn Mawr Medical Arts Winter Show. Bryn Mawr Medical Arts Pavilion, 130 South Bryn Mawr Ave, Bryn Mawr, PA. Delaware Valley Art League. 11/7-1/5 Down South, new work by Brian Lav. The Hudson River Inspiration, Joseph Squillante, exhibition continues in Gallery II. Red Filter Gallery, 74 Bridge Street, Lambertville NJ 08530. Thur.Sun. 12-5. 347-244-9758. redfiltergallery.com 11/8-12/29 Brian Keeler, Italian Sojourn. The Quiet Life Gallery, 17 So. Main St., Lambertville, NJ. 609-397-0880. quietlifegallery.com 11/9-12/8 Works in Wood, 12th Annual Exhibition. Reception, 11/9, 6-8PM. New Hope Arts Center, 2 Stockton Ave., New Hope. Newhopearts.org 11/16-12/15 The “First Look, New Painting Debut” features recent works by eight outstanding artists: David Hahn, Kay King, Richard Lennox, Jan Keith Lipes, Jim Lukens, Nancy Shill, Jas Szygiel, and Trisha Vergis. Opening Recep. 11/16, 4:309:30. Trisha Vergis Gallery, Laceworks Complex, 287 S. Main St., Suite 11, Lambertville, NJ. 609-460-4710. trishavergisgallery.com 11/20-12/20 2013 Holiday Gift Gallery, fine arts and crafts for sale by local artists! Two special receptions: 11/20 & 12/11, 6-8pm. Gift Gallery hours: Mon.-Thu., 9am-9pm, Fri. & Sat., 9am-3pm. Book Sale, 11/20-11/23, over 350 books including art, craft, fashion and more. 510 West Linden St., Allentown, PA. 610-433-0032. baumschool.org

11/21-12/2 Fuse art infrastructure presents “NOW,” 3rd Thursday Series at the Cigar Factory Artists Studios. Invention and innovation in the visual arts presented in individual spaces by regional, national and international artists. Opening Recep. 11/21, 5:30-8:30 pm. Catalogue available. 707 N. 4th St., Allentown, PA. allentownfuse.org 11/29-12/1 19th Annual Fall Studio Tour, Fri. & Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4. Visit seven open artists’ studios and eleven artists in the Sergeantsville Cultural Arts Center. A free, self-guided tour in southern Hunterdon County, NJ. For a tour map, go to coveredbridgeartisans.com or facebook.com/CoveredBridgeArtisans

Hope, PA. 215-862-2612. karlasnewhope.com CONCERTS Some organizations perform in various locations. If no address is listed, check website for location of performance. 11/9 Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra, Kaleidoscopic Sounds with guest pianist Dudana Mazmanishvili, music by Saint-Saens, Mozart, Zelenka. 7:30pm, First Presbyterian Church, 3231 W. Tilghman St., Allentown. Tickets $15-$35. 610-434-7811. LVArtsBoxOffice.org 11/9 Frankie Valli, Sands Bethlehem Event Center. 610-297-7400. Sandseventcenter.com

THEATER 11/8-11/10 Accelerate, Emerging Choreographers Concert. Act 1 Performing Arts, DeSales University, Labuda Center for the Performing Arts, Schubert Theatre, 2755 Station Ave., Center Valley, PA. 610-282-3192. desales.edu/act1 11/10 50 Shades. The Musical, The Original Parody, Sands Bethlehem Event Center. 610-297-7400. Sandseventcenter.com 11/14-11/16 Moving Stories, original dance works by student choreographers. Muhlenberg College Theatre & Dance, 2400 Chew St., Allentown. 484-664-3333. muhlenberg.edu/dance 11/14-11/17 Touchstone Theatre presents Sandglass Theater’s D-Generation, An Exhaltation of Larks. Bethlehem. Touchstone.org 11/16 John Lithgow, Stories by Heart. Family-Friendly show. 8PM, Zoellner Arts Center, Lehigh University, Bethlehem. 610-758-2787. zoellnerartscenter.org 11/20-11/24 The Winter’s Tale, by William Shakespeare, adapted by Troy Dwyer. Muhlenberg College Theatre & Dance, 2400 Chew St., Allentown 484-664-3333. muhlenberg.edu/theatre 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 Every Monday, Live guitar with Barry Peterson, 7-10pm. Karla’s, 5 West Mechanic St., New

11/13 America’s Got Talent Live, Sands Bethlehem Event Center. 610-297-7400. Sandseventcenter.com 11/17 Fall Choral Concert, Featuring St. John’s Chancel Choir and Muhlenberg College Choir. 4:00 PM, St. John’s Lutheran Church, 37 So. Fifth St., Allentown. Suggested $10 donation. 610-435-1641. stjohnsallentown.org 11/17 Terry Fator, Sands Bethlehem Event Center. 610-297-7400. Sandseventcenter.com 11/22 Denise Donatelli, On-stage Cabaret. 7 & 9PM, Zoellner Arts Center, Lehigh University, Bethlehem. 610-758-2787. zoellnerartscenter.org 11/22 Organ Re-Dedication Concert. Stephen Williams organist. 7:30 PM, Arts at St. John’s, St. John’s Lutheran Church, 37 So. Fifth St., Allentown. Suggested $5 donation. 610-435-1641. stjohnsallentown.org 11/23 Elvis Costello, Solo. 8PM, State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton, PA. 610-252-3132. statetheatre.org 11/29 Trace Adkins, The Christmas Show, Sands Bethlehem Event Center. 610-297-7400. Sandseventcenter.com

Choir of Bethlehem performs Christmas music with organ, piano, brass, and percussion. First Presbyterian Church of Allentown. 888-743-3100. Bach.org

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. coryellsferry.com

12/12 Myth Busters, Sands Bethlehem Event Center. 610-297-7400. Sandseventcenter.com

Thru 11/30 Karla’s. Monday is Locals Night. 5pm-10pm, 3 course dinner $12-$19. 5 West Mechanic St., New Hope, PA. 215-862-2612. Karlasnewhope.com

ARTSQUEST CENTER AT STEELSTACKS MUSIKFEST CAFÉ 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, PA 610-332-1300. artsquest.org 11/8 11/10 11/15

Marty Stuart & Roger McGuinn Bacontopia: A Bacon Celebration Latin Dance Night: Hector Rosado Y Su Orquestra 11/16 Chef Robert Irvine LIVE - VIP 11/21 The von Trapps 11/22 The von Trapps 11/22 Ben Bailey 11/23 The Large Flowerheads 11/27 Enter the Haggis 12/3 WXPN welcomes Hot Tuna Acoustic 12/5-15 Christmas 1954 12/6 The Bang Group’s Nut/Cracked 12/13 Schythian 12/15 Swearingen & Kelli GODFREY DANIELS Original live music listening room since 1976 Free music jams every Tue. and Wed. evening. 7 E Fourth St, Bethlehem 610-867-2390 godfreydaniels.org 11/1 11/2 11/3 11/7 11/8 11/9 11/14 11/15 11/16 11/17 11/21 11/22 11/23 11/24 11/27 11/29 11/30 12/1

First Friday Series Coffeehouse of the Absurd Open Mike Charter Arts Vocalist Café Small Potatoes WhiskeyHickon Boys Charter Arts Women’s Choir David Wilcox Joe Crookston & Michael Braunfeld Open Mike Charter Arts Woodwind Ensemble James Supra Band Heather Maloney Craig Thatcher Dave’s Night Out Kim & Reggie Harris Roy Book Binder Dry Branch Fire Squad READINGS

12/1 “A Lehigh Valley Christmas in Concert” returns to Miller Symphony Hall on at 7pm. Celebrating 17 years, this holiday classic features area musicians singing holiday tunes in a variety of musical genres – Folk, Jazz, Blues, Gospel. Tickets $30. 610-432-6715 allentownsymphony.org/LVxmas.aspx.

11/9 Panoply Books Reading Series 2013: Poet J.C. Todd, 6PM. Todd’s most recent poetry collection is What Space This Body (Wind, 2008). Her work has appeared in journals, including The Paris Review. Awards include Pennsylvania Council on the Arts fellowship for poetry. Todd teaches at Bryn Mawr and Rosemont Colleges. 46 N. Union St., Lambertville, NJ. Free. 609-397-1145. panoplybooks.com

12/4 Celtic Woman, Sands Bethlehem Event Center. 610-297-7400. Sandseventcenter.com

EVENTS

12/7 and 12/8 Carols Across the Centuries & Around the World. 12/7 at 8PM, 12/8 at 4PM. The Bach

Thru 11/30 Experience history aboard Coryell's Ferry Historic Boat Rides located along the banks of The Delaware River in New Hope Pa. New

Thru 11/30 Treat Yourself Tuesday. Every Tuesday night at the bar and in the dining room, Apollo offers an additional menu. The menu includes a variety of appetizers, and martinis for $7 each. Apollo Grill, 85 West Broad St., Bethlehem. 610-865-9600. apollogrill.com Thru 11/30 Therapeutic Thursday, every Thursday from 57pm enjoy Apollo’s version of “happy hour.” Signature martini of the week for $7, and $5 glasses of chosen wines and tasty appetizers at the bar. Apollo Grill, 85 West Broad St., Bethlehem. 610-865-9600. apollogrill.com 11/20-12/20 2013 Holiday Gallery and Sale. Fine arts and crafts for sale by local artists! The Baum School of Art. Opening Reception: Wed., Nov. 20, 6-8pm, Second Reception: Wed., Dec. 11, 6-8pm. 510 Linden St., Allentown. baumschool.org 11/29 Rice’s Market will be open on Black Friday, 11/29. Great deals will be found throughout the entire market. Gifts for all ages and perfect stocking stuffers. Come to Rice’s for GREAT prices. 6326 Greenhill Rd., New Hope. 215-297-5993. rices.com 11/29-12/1 19th Annual Fall Studio Tour, Fri. & Sat. 10-5, Sun. 10-4. Visit seven open artist studios and eleven artists in the Sergeantsville Cultural Arts Center. A free, self-guided tour in Hunterdon County, NJ. coveredbridgeartisans.com or visit facebook.com/CoveredBridgeArtisans 11/29-12/1 Old Fashioned Christmas, horse & carriage rides, carolers, roasting chestnuts and more. Explore over 40 shops, galleries, antiques, museums, fine dining and cafes. Clinton, NJ. For more information. Clintonguild.com 12/6 Experience the Holidays in the charming town of Clinton, NJ. Christmas Parade, 7 PM. For more information, Clintonguild.com 12/12 Candlelight Night, dusk until 9 PM. Clinton, NJ. For more information, Clintonguild.com 12/15 Experience the Holidays in the charming town of Clinton, NJ. Santa comes to Clinton, 1-2PM. Clintonguild.com n

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