ICON 12-2013

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Contents 10

DECEMBER ~ 2013

Filling the hunger since 1992

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS SEEKING SUSAN SEIDELMAN | 22 Philadelphia-born Seidelman was lauded as one of Hollywood's few "bankable" female directors after the blockbuster box office performance of “Desperately Seeking Susan.”

YOKO ONO | 24

Arthur F. Tait (1819–1905), American Speckled BrookTrout, 1864, chromolithograph. Courtesy of the Adirondack Museum, Blue Mountain Lake, NY

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City Beat | 5 Backstage | 5 About Life | 43 Sally Friedman | 45

EXHIBITIONS | 8 Allentown Art Museum of the Lehigh Valley Out of Hand Group The Snow Goose Gallery ART William Johnson | 9 Wild(life) Art | 10

KERESMAN ON FILM | 14 The Book Thief

KERESMAN ON DISC | 34 Volker Kriegel; Rhys Chatham John Abercrombie Quartet Big Star; The Bongos; Ben Allison NICK’S PICKS | 36 Miles Davis; Vince Ector; Rene Marie Houston Person; The Jamie Baum Septet Mack Avenue Vinyl Recordings

FOOD The Black Bass Hotel | 38 Zama | 40

WINE Return to Portugal | 42

ETCETERA Harper’s Index | 44 Harper’s Findings | 44 L.A. Times Crossword | 46 Agenda | 47

BAD MOVIE | 16 Kill Your Darlings REEL NEWS | 18 Stories We Tell; The Lone Ranger Museum Hours; Things Never Said

Raina Filipiak filipiakr@comcast.net

ADVERTISING 800-354-8776

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

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).

THE JAZZ SCENE | 28 SINGER / SONGWRITER | 30 Paul Simon; Neil Young; Boz Scaggs Tim Easton; Cyril Neville

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Classical Music Editor Peter H. Gistelinck

PO Box 120 • New Hope, PA 18938 (800) 354-8776 Fax (215) 862-9845

MUSIC

JAZZ LIBRARY | 32 Billy Eckstine

Fine Arts Editors Edward Higgins Burton Wasserman

IT / Audio Consultant Andy Kahn

FILM ROUNDUP | 20 The Armstrong Lie; The Great Beauty Philomena; Nebraska

Yoko Ono painting during her exhibit, Half-A-Wind, a retrospective of her work. Photo: Schirn Presse.

Assistant to the Publisher

Trina McKenna trina@icondv.com

City Beat Editor Thom Nickels / thomnickels1@aol.com

CINEMATTERS | 12 Dallas Buyers Club

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Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

COLUMNS

FILM

The Book Thief. Photo Credit: kernelscorner.com

fax: 215-862-9845

www.icondv.com

Entertainment Editor Bruce H. Klauber / drumalive@aol.com

Drawing to a Close | 7

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1-800-354-8776 • 215-862-9558

On December 8, 1980, as John Lennon walked toward his apartment building, Mark David Chapman shot him seven times. Lennon had a tape of Yoko Ono’s “Walking on Thin Ice” in his hand when he died. Today, Ono is still experimenting, still surprising, still walking on thin ice.

A THOUSAND WORDS

Jared Leto as Rayon, a transsexual and AIDS patient, in Dallas Buyers Club.

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

ON THE COVER: William H. Johnson, Aunt Alice, 1940. Courtesy Morgan State University. Page 9.

Copyright 2013 Prime Time Publishing Co., Inc.

City Beat

THOM NIICKELS

Backstage

BRUCE KLAUBER

ThomNickels1@aol.com

drumalive@aol.com

SURRENDER Wave your white hankies for Robinson Luggage, the Broad and Walnut superstore that kept Philadelphians happy for years. We shopped there a long time ago for a large wheelie that saw airports in Helsinki, Rome, Paris, Oslo, Copenhagen and Stockholm. The wheelie took quite a beating by rough airport (and TSA) handlers. When we headed back to Robinson’s last year for a replacement, we found that prices had doubled. Close to one thousand dollars for a new wheelie sent us straight to Macy’s where we found what we were looking for. Nancy Center, the store’s VP, told local media that the closure “was heartbreaking,” and blamed “declining sales” while posters on Philly.com complained of Robinson’s exorbitant prices. Founded in 1927, Robinson’s weathered a bad storm in 2008 when Phillies fans, drunk on a World Series win, looted the place. Prices at Robinson seemed to rise after the incident, as if the family-owned business imposed a (secret) penalty tax because of the rowdy violation. What we don’t understand is why sports thugs, who aren’t generally known for their good taste, wanted stylish luggage anyway. Perhaps they wanted to bag their bad character and carry it elsewhere.

GAMBLING RAMBLING Atlantic City does not close up shop in the winter. There are several world-class performers booked for December, including Jill Scott at Caesars on December 29 and Kenny G. at Harrah’s on December 20. Mr. G. will also perform at the Sands Event Center in Bethlehem the night before. At Sands in Bethlehem this month is the soulful Smokey Robinson December 27, and the always hilarious Larry The Cable Guy for two shows the following evening.

Good news for A.C.’s Borgota: Third quarter revenue is up seven percent, and their 21 percent market share is up three points.

Bad news for Atlantic City’s smallest casino, and one of the few to recently show a profit, The Atlantic Club Casino. The facility has filed for bankruptcy after a $15 million sale fell through last spring. In its previous incarnations as The Golden Nugget, later Bally’s Grand, this gem of a venue was the place to go. When Steve Wynn had The Nugget in Atlantic City, the joint was a class act, which is why many had high hopes that his bid to gain Philadelphia’s second casino license would be the winner. Shockingly, Wynn pulled out of the bidding war here. Some sources say he’s setting his sights on a casino license in Boston.

The beleaguered Revel Casino Hotel has done everything possible to reverse its fortunes, including one bankruptcy, a super-aggressive advertising campaign and a $3.99 breakfast special. Things still don’t look good, as the struggling behemoth recently announced that it is pursuing “strategic alternatives.” Wayne Purry of the Associated Press reports that the “pursuing strategic alternatives” phraseology actually means the property is being marketed for sale, or considering another bankruptcy filing. Purry maintains that a good part of Revel’s new ad campaign—a “you can’t lose” slots promotion—actually backfired. Slot players, it seems, didn’t read the small print and thought their losses would be refunded in cash.

The reality is that losses were credited to a “player account” over a period of months, with restrictions on when they could be used. The lesson here: Don’t fool with A.C. slot players.

Good news for the city: For only the forth time in five years, A.C.’s revenues—in this case the month of October—increased 3.6 percent over last year’s take. Not so great news: The reason for the increase was because Hurricane Sandy forced Atlantic City to virtually close down last year.

GLACIAL CHANGE We thought of The little Engine that Could while boarding the Diane Burko (rental) bus, to make our way to the Zimmerli Art Museum in New Brunswick to catch the artist’s latest exhibition: Freeze Frame: Art and the Cryosphere (until July 31). A glacier-cheeked Burko presented a stunning slide show of her photographs and paintings of glaciers negatively impacted by climate change. Loyal Burkoites filled the hall and delighted in the artist’s account of her five-week sojourn to the North Pole with husband Richard. We felt like shivering in the heated room (pictures of glaciers do that) while enjoying the artist’s tales of how she handled downtime in the land of the lost: editing a film while her sailing ship compatriots battled an onboard illness. The Zimmerli is an excellent small museum. We spotted a sculpture of Stalin as Michelangelo’s David (buff totalitarianism?) as well as a fascinating collection of French 18th and 19th century puppets. By the end of the night we were convinced that glaciers, like a good Baked Alaska, are indeed rare delights, especially when they’re capped with (conversational) ice floes like Elizabeth Osborne, grand dame of Philly painters, and Carol Saline of Philadelphia Magazine.

LESS FOOD FOR FEWER PEOPLE Is food the new gold? The cut in SNAP benefits/food stamps and the rise in food prices in general got us thinking about the city’s free food banks, where the less fortunate go for sustenance. We headed over to the PhilAbundance food dispensary at 601 W. Lehigh Avenue, one of many such free food banks in the city, where on designated days you can see long lines of people waiting to obtain very small amounts of canned goods, meats, milk and cheese. An official there told us that just a year ago the lines outside the Lehigh Avenue outlet were moderate in comparison to the serpentine lines one finds today. Taking in the scene, we noticed that a good many people were elderly, and that many brought portable stools or folding chairs (Diner en Blanc?) since the line moves at a snail’s pace. Volunteers stock the food bank and help guide participants through a small room packed with selections that vary from week to week: canned beans, lots of corn, plantains (not bananas), chicken soup and frozen pork sausage. While the PhilAbundance scene is enough to make uppity foodies hold their noses, if food prices in the future climb to the height of one of Burko’s glaciers, culinary snobbery will come to a screeching halt.

THE GUY WITH THE BALLS For this year’s Henri David Halloween Ball we dressed up as a long-haired hippie journalist (circa 1971) in a jean jacket, buttons and sunglasses, and danced the night away with Roman soldiers, zombie cowboys, biker chic sluts, mermaids, female impersonators, vampire seductresses, nuns in neon habits, hobo werewolves, and people dressed as boxes of Franzia

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Journalist Thom Nickels’ books include Philadelphia Architecture, Tropic of Libra, Out in History and Spore. He is the recipient of the 2005 Philadelphia AIA Lewis Mumford Architecture Journalism Award. thomnickels.blogspot.com

SUGAR SWEETENING Closer to home, the image of Philadelphia’s Sugar House casino as a Quonset hut with slot machines may change. The casino is ready to start work on a $155 million expansion.

“We want to engage the river,” says CEO Greg Carlin. The expansion will include a secondfloor banquet hall, a bike path, a seven-story parking garage and a bigger gaming floor.

Hopefully, Sugar House will think about upgrading its entertainment. Right now, the casino is booking The Exceptions, a middling lounge band that’s been around since the invention of the lounge, and a cheesy, staged version of “Let’s Make a Deal.”

AND THE MELODY LINGERS ON The popular Ardmore coffeehouse/live music venue that was called Milkboy lives on under new owners. It’s now called Melodies Café and continues its predecessor’s music policy of jazz jams, open mike nights and original music. For schedules and tickets, visit MelodiesCafe.com BUSTED Blockbuster Video has finally gone the way of West Coast Video and the rest of the country’s video chains. The company is closing its remaining 300 stores in the country, and is also shuttering its DVD-by-mail operation, their last-ditch and much-too-late attempt to compete with Netflix. At one time, the chain had nearly 40 locations in Pennsylvania alone.

WHAT’S IN THE DAILY NEWS? There is life after The Philadelphia Daily News for former editor Larry Platt, one-time

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Bruce Klauber is a published author/biographer, producer of DVDs for Warner Bros., CD producer for Fresh Sound Records, and a working jazz drummer. He graduated from Temple University and holds an Honorary Doctorate from Combs College of Music.

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(Merlot) and macaroni and cheese. Afterward, we headed home but took the wrong El shuttle bus so that we wound up at the Frankford Terminal, where more than one person assumed we were dealing drugs. When we made it home for real (and removed the wig), we vowed, “Never again,” although days later Henri called, asking “How’d you like it?” Of course, we said “fantastic,” leaving out the terminal part, as Henri went on to inform us that for his post-Ball respite he was taking his partner Paul to a B-52s concert and then later to meet former Philly Welcomat writer, Kiki Olson, now a London resident. “Kiki’s on her fifth husband,” Henri said, “and she’s as buoyant and slim and as full of life as ever!” Though we don’t know if Kiki went out for Halloween, Henri did remind us that his annual ball helped to get its start from Rittenhouse Square society ladies who told him initially that the idea reminded them of their own Masked Balls. He also confided that when he was invited to their fancy cocktail parties he met the likes of Fernanda Wanamaker and Hope Montgomery Scott (who lost vision in one eye when she “missed” while uncorking a champagne bottle).

SURREAL ANIMOSITY It’s always been true that one definition of cool is a love for surrealist art. One of our must-do jaunts last month, aside from taking in one of The Choral Arts Society’s memorable Bach at Seven concerts at St. Mark’s church at 17th and Locust Street (where we met Artistic Director Matt Glandorf) was a visit to the Museum of Art’s The Surrealists: Work from the Collection, on display until March 2014. Here we saw familiar pieces from the Museum’s holdings of Dali and Miro masterworks, a much larger display than we had anticipated. An even greater surprise was a Thomas Chimes panel portrait of poet Guillaume Apollinaire, looking as fine as it did in 2007 during PMA’s Thomas Chimes’ Adventures in Pataphysics exhibition, when Anne D’Harnoncourt announced, “Tom is a magician.” The exhibit reminded us that the founder of the Surrealists, André Breton, had a vehement dislike for one group of people.

Like poet Ezra Pound’s hatred of the Jews, it may be hard to conceive of a hatred of homosexuals in so revolutionary an art environment—but in Paris, on January 27, 1928, the Surrealists, under Breton, met in Paris for the first session of the “Researches sur la Thomas Chimes, Guillaume Apollinaire.

Sexualite” where Breton exclaimed, “I accuse homosexuals of confronting human tolerance with a mental and moral deficiency which tends to turn itself into a system and to paralyze every enterprise I respect.” Salvador Dali mustache wax indeed!

SURREAL DEVOTION From PMA, we headed to Green Street where we noticed busloads of French tourists pouring out of school buses. The well-coiffed, fashionably dressed crowd seemed to be husbands and wives, all chatting amiably while being escorted by cassocked Catholic clergy into the Chapel of the Convent of Divine Love. A tall monk from Belgium (in a blue habit) informed us that the event was the beginning service of a three-day event to celebrate a new reliquary of Therese de Lisieux (the Little Flower). The new reliquary, designed by French sculptor, Fleur Nabert, consists of three bronze cylinders, an artificial rose and two lilies in a transparent case shaped like a house. A cross sporting Dali-like sun rays dominates the background. Upon discovering the reliquary, our first impulse was to contact Timothy Rub or Norman Keyes and tell them that the boundaries of the PMA exhibit had mysteriously expanded.

BACCHANALIAN DELIGHTS We ended the month swinging from the rafters listening to sultry Peggy King and the AllStar Jazz Trio upstairs at Square on Square, 1905 Chestnut Street. We’d been searching for real jazz for a long time, not the squiggly incomprehensible anarchy sounds that sometimes passes for jazz. The style of pianist Andy Kahn, with Bruce Klauber on drums, had us believing we were in a Manhattan film noir setting. The music made us think of a lot of things, including another delight that week: PAFA’s Bacchanal celebration, where we chatted with Heike Hass (who good humouredly chided City Beat for last month’s take on KAWS. “Did you bring your paddle tonight?” she asked, before going on to describe how she wound up on The Colbert Report). Wonders never cease, as we also discovered at an Institute for Classical Art and Architecture (ICCA) talk at the Franklin Inn Club, where we learned all about Philly architect Thomas Ustick Walter, chief assistant to the architect of City Hall and the Fourth Architect of the Capitol. The talk was anything but a suffocating convention of scholar squirrels, for Walter was as real a person as any artist: He fathered ten children and often spent periods of time without employment besides going from house to house because he couldn’t pay his bills. n

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started a website called “The Philadelphia Citizen” (ThePhillyCitizen.com), dedicated to creating a nonprofit, non-partisan media organization that will “provide deeply reported jousnalism emphasizing solutions that can move our region forward.”

BUCKING UP Newly-installed at Bucks County Playhouse are noted Broadway producers Robyn Goodman (producer of the Tony-winning Avenue Q) and Tony winner Alexander Fraser, producer of 2011’s The Normal Heart. They replace BCP’s producing director Jed Bernstein, who moves to lead Lincoln Center. Bernstein joined BCP when it reopened last July after having shut down in December of 2010 because of financial woes.

THE BARRYMORE RETURNS Those who have missed the region’s Barrymore Awards for excellence in theater need wait no longer. The awards and attending ceremony ended last year when the original sponsor, Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia, ceased operations. The Barrymore’s resurrection is due to the efforts of Theatre Philadelphia, founded by 11 area theatrical groups.

RARE LEGEND CITING Woody Allen, who has been donating his works and his papers to Princeton University for more than 30 years, recently made a rare public appearance at that institution for a question and answer session at Richardson Hall. Despite the fact that almost no one outside of Princeton knew about it, the Allen appearance, naturally, was sold out.

STILL ROYAL South Street’s Royal Theater, built in 1919 and closed in 1970, was the first black-run theater in the city. This grand monument, which seated 1,200 and played host to dozens of jazz and big band legends through the ages—in addition to the films shown—has been sitting as a broken shell for years. Recording industry mogul Kenny Gamble has been interested in doing something with this property for years but nothing ever happened. He’s trying again, and his concept is to preserve the Royal’s brick façade, demolish the rest of what remains of the theater—which sits on South Street between 15th and 16th Street—and build 7,000 square feet of retail space, with 30 rental units above.

SONGS OF THE SEASON There cannot be a December “Backstage” column without at least one reference to a performance of The Nutcracker. The Philadelphia Orchestra’s “Christmas Kids Spectacular,” to be held on December 14 at Verizon Hall within the Kimmel Center, will present a program of seasonal favorites, including selections from The Nutcracker. Info: PhilOrch.org.

WE LOVES YOU PORGY News has come from the producers of the Tony Award-winning The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, that the national tour of this classic—complete with 23-piece orchestra—will reach Philadelphia for a limited run in February. The dates are February 18 to 23 and the location is The Academy of Music. PhiladelphiaBoxOffice.com.

A KOSHER CHRISTMAS On Christmas, what’s a Jew to do? Go out for Chinese food, of course. This time-honored tradition will be addressed in comedic fashion on December 24 with The Moo Shu Jew Show, created by comic Cory Kahaney. It’s described as an “all-star comedy show with great food and even better Jewish comics,” including Ms. Kahaney. Here’s how it works: After enjoying a multi-course Chinese meal at Ocean Harbor Restaurant in Chinatown, the fun begins. Advance tickets are $69, which includes everything except alcoholic beverages. This sounds like fun.

And a bargain. MooShuJewShow.com.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING NEW YEAR’S EVE? It may have been Humphrey Bogart who once said, “New Year’s Eve is for amateurs.”

Don’t believe it. Though almost every food-and-drink-serving venue in the region has some type of New Year’s package going, Backstage found out about one that gives revelers access to the best of everything. This is the second annual “New Year’s Eve Party Pass,” which the organizers say is “a once in a lifetime opportunity to party hop like a true VIP to some of the hottest bars, clubs, lounges and trendiest New Year’s parties in Philadelphia.” Though the details are still being worked out, the concept is this: A flat rate of $95 includes admission to more than ten events, access to premium open bars, live entertainment, hors d’oeuvres or buffet served from 9 to 11:30 p.m., comped coat check, and, of course, those dreaded party favors. For details on this and other December 31 events in the region, visit NYEPhilly.com More sedate celebrants should note that The Prime Rib plans an exquisite evening for December 31, which will include music by The All-Star Jazz Trio and, we’re told, the possibility of a surprise appearance by those who may or may not be playing banjos on Broad Street the following day. Make your reservations now at ThePrimeRib.com or 215-772-1701. n

A Thousand Words

STORY AND PAINTING BY ROBERT BECK

Drawing to a Close

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THE SUMMER SUNDAY SHUTS down quickly in New Hope. It stands up from the table with a comment about it getting late, zips up its jacket and is out the door without so much as a glance at the sink full of dishes. The party along Main Street loses its inertia as the dimming light reminds outlanders that Monday is just hours away, causing them to lift as one and return to their nests. It becomes possible to walk through town without stepping into the street every few feet to get past clots of people lost in their search for a weekend.

The Friday and Saturday passions are fed by the night but Sunday’s enthusiasm drains with the setting sun, leaving behind a scattering of those for whom every night of the week is pretty much the same.

While the die-hards and closers are burrowed in the bars, the streets are left to groups of young teenagers moving along the sidewalks in packs protected by numbers, talking in nervous bursts, boys waving hands when they speak, girls twirling their hair. They are exhilarated by new freedoms and the concealing dusk, but always with a glance to be sure something said, something done, is secure from unwanted gaze. The aroma of naughtiness has always been a part of New Hope’s allure, along with an imagined shelter from judgment. It’s a good place for those finding and feeling their oats.

Anyone who spends time in the New Hope area recognizes the intersection at Main as you come off the bridge from Lambertville—the only traffic light in town. It’s a place at which you have to pay acute attention. Tourists leave their brains at home.

Many times I’ve seen them wait at the curb

Robert Beck Maintains a Gallery in Lambertville, NJ. www.robertbeck.net

in a mindless daze only to step into the street when their light turns red. In high summer it is a roiling accumulation of inattentive shufflers with no regard for traffic.

When you are sitting at the light your main focus is on the building at the far corner, Love Saves The Day. It’s hard to say whether the store’s authentic funkiness is an ethos, a personality, or an attitude. The windows are filled with the odd and unusual, setting the tone and defining the rules for the next few blocks—a swing between the indelicate and the respectable. Many of the handsome, period structures located away from the center of town have been replaced by prosthetic architecture, but much of the business district has refused to surrender its eccentricity. Some towns have a face. Downtown New Hope has a puss, and likes it that way.

New Hope’s fortunes have always been bound to the river through the town’s role in building our nation and a natural beauty that inspires creative people. For most of the tourists, the river is merely a photo backdrop. For the locals, the moving mass of water is a quiet presence—a metaphor for life—and the reminder that the universe giveth and the universe can taketh away. It’s never that far from mind.

Since New Hope has hosted a significant creative community for more than a century, there exists a phenomenal trove of images documenting its history. Many towns have a library file with black and white photos of horse-drawn fire departments and workingmen standing next to barrels on dirt streets, but everyday life in New Hope has also been painted and photographed extensively by artists to add an extraordinary depth of interpretation. I’m often drawn to town when I want to just enjoy myself at work.

By eleven o’clock the ebb of evacuees slows to a trickle of strollers and stumblers. I’d been working on my painting for about two hours, having a few conversations with people in cars about three feet to my left as they waited for the light.

I was cleaning-up when I heard a guy fall over the barrier on the other side of the street, flat on his side with a clop of boots and a wallet-chain jangle. He picked himself up, adjusted the bandana on his head, and limped across the street to see what I was doing. We chatted a bit, me being cautious with my words and him trying to not show how much his right hip hurt as he weaved in a Sam Adams haze. He said he liked the painting, wished me well, and hobbled-off to catch up with his buds. There was still time to squeeze a last drop from the weekend’s residue. n W W W. FA C E B O O K . C O M / I C O N D V n W W W. I C O N D V . C O M n D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 3 n I C O N n 7

Peony.

Linda Rossin The Snow Goose Gallery 470 Main Street, Bethlehem, PA 610-974-9099 thesnowgoosegallery.com

Linda Friedman Schmidt, Run Riding Hood, 2005, recycled clothing, hooked. Courtesy of the artist.

Assemblage: Contemporary Fiber Art The Allentown Art Museum of the Lehigh Valley 31 No. 5th Street, Allentown, PA allentownartmuseum.org Through February 23, 2014 Six regional fiber artists express an edgy collective energy in new and older works that boldly blend media to produce images that occasionally flash dark. Featured in Assemblage are Regina Miller from Reading, PA, who incorporates drilled stones, shells, and advanced stitching techniques; Peggy Hobbs, a full-time fiber artist from the Lehigh Valley whose weavings can include digital elements; Barbara Schulman, currently creating intricate quilted works; Lizz Berry, a recent Kutztown fine-arts graduate who explores dyed fiber; Ted Hallman, whose large 3D pieces might include metal, glass, crystals, and plastic; and Linda Friedman Schmidt, whose reclaimed and reanimated clothing often deliver provocative sociocultural commentary. A key work in the exhibit is Hobbs’ “Inside Out” (1980s), a long-sleeved shirt made of horsehair. Says exhibit curator Kayla O’Connor, “Being confronted by things that make us uncomfortable keeps the art experience vital and alive.”

Out of Hand Group Holiday Pop-Up Shop 23 Race St., Frenchtown, NJ Daily, 11-6 Extended hours during the two weeks before Christmas The Out of Hand Group has opened its largest space yet—at 23 Race Street, the new home of Delaware River Trading. From a studio sale in 2009 to its present Holiday Pop-Up Shop, this mix of local artists and business creatives have become a familiar presence in Frenchtown.

Upon entering the store, one is struck by a beautiful mix of color and textures—marbleized paper, quilts of recycled saris, leather designed wristwear, the reds, greens and blues of earthenware pottery, framed screen prints and printed T-shirts, playful animal plaques, brightly felted handbags, metal jewelry, recycled bottle works, organic non-GMO local kettle corn, organic fair trade dark chocolate—all handmade.

According to Val Sivilli of Civilian Art Graphics, “we provide a retail venue for local artisans while giving our community an opportunity to see what amazing stuff is being made in the Delaware River Valley.”

Peggy Hobbs, Inside Out, 1980s, homespun wool, horsehair, rayon fringe, acrylic rod, woven, supported on metal armature.

Courtesy of the artist

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Linda Rossin is an award-winning artist who has been professionally painting poignant portrayals of birds and animals, landscapes and florals for over 25 years. Her focus for the last 15 years has been on creating hightly collectible miniature art. Her miniatures are included in the gallery’s annual Art of the Miniature exhibition held each May. Linda is a signature member of the Society of Animal Artists (SAA) and the Miniature Artists of America (MAA).

Other memberships include Artists For Conservation (AFC), Association of Miniature Artists (AMA), Cider Painters of America (CPA).

She has exhibited and won many awards in prestigious art exhibitions across the country. The Miniature Art Society of Florida awarded her Excellence in All Entries, and First Place in Birds And Animals. She was also awarded First Place in Birds and Animals at the Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers Society of Washington, DC for their 80th miniature exhibition.

Holiday Hours: Tues, Wed 10-5:30, Thurs, Fri, Sat 107, Sunday 11-4.

Beyond the Spruce Forest.

Made in the Shade.

Art

EDWARD HIGGINS

WILLIAM JOHNSON

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WILLIAM H. JOHNSON (1901-1970) IS EITHER the greatest American artist you’ve never heard of, or he’s one of your favorite secrets in the art world. Circumstances during his lifetime and after his death—in 1970 after 23 years confinement in a state hospital—account for his mysterious absence from the ranks of the masters of American art.

That omission is slowly being reversed as witness the US postage stamp issued in his honor as a major 20th century artist, the upcoming special exhibit at the Arthur Ross Gallery at the University of Pennsylvania, and a catalogue of his works being funded by a major foundation.

The Ross Gallery show opens January 17 and runs through March 23, 2014. The exhibit, William H. Johnson: An American Modern includes some 20 works from all stages of Johnson’s professional life.

Johnson was born in Florence, South Carolina, to a poor family. With hard work and a relative in New York, he managed to enroll in the National Academy of Design and impress his instructors—none more so than Charles Hawthorne, who felt that racism had kept Johnson from a European study grant. Hawthorne raised the needed funds.

In Paris, Johnson’s first residence was the former studio of James McNeill Whistler, and he was well aware of his membership in the American expatriate community He became involved in modern art during the 20s and 30s, and married a Danish sculptor.

He lived in Scandinavia, and while there painted landscapes which showed influences from Munch, Gauguin, Soutine, and Van Gogh. He also became interested in folk art, and in 1938 he and his wife, Holcha Krake, returned to the United States. Krake had always been interested in her native folk art and Johnson began to investigate his own African-American culture in a style he called, “primitive and cultured.” These works of rural and urban African-Americans in everyday life would become some of his most recognizable work. In his youth Johnson had copied newspaper comics—mainly Mutt and Jeff—and this is the source of the later “primitive” works.

By the time he and his wife returned to the United States in 1938, Johnson had a solid reputation and enjoyed many shows. The effects of the Depression were setting in, however, and it became difficult for an artist or anyone else to make a living. He eventually joined the WPA—a government arts project—and was assigned to a community center in Harlem to teach art to young children. Johnson lived in Harlem and Greenwich Village and was a part of the art movement riding the crest of the Harlem Renaissance. Over his lifetime he was acquainted with Henry Ossawa Tanner, Alain Locke, and Langston Hughes. He was nominated by George Luks, one of The Eight, for a Harmon Foundation award, and was, in general, a recognized member of the art world. Locke, a major scholar of the African-American experience especially held Johnson in high esteem, and Hughes owned a Johnson painting.

In 1944 Johnson’s wife died of cancer. After the war, he returned to her parents’ home in Denmark. That was not to last, and he returned to the United States in 1947 when it became obvious that his health was declining. He suffered from syphillis and it lead to his final madness. He spent the last 23 years in a Long Island mental hospital. He quit painting in 1956.

After Johnson’s death, a lifetime of work—literally thousands of works—was stored in a locker and scheduled to be destroyed when the Harmon Foundation stepped in and purchased the entire lot. Part of his work went to colleges and universities. The vast majority of Johnson’s body of work went to the Smithsonian Institute, which over time has attempted to mount exhibitions and give them wide distribution. This show includes samples from college and government collections.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art held an exhibition of his work on paper in 2007, but major shows of his paintings are few. Thus the Ross Gallery show gives the public an extraordinary opportunity to see Johnson’s work and to judge his ranking among American artists. The Gallery is also planning a series of public programs that will be directed toward Johnson’s works and his standing in the world of American art. n

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

Jitterbugs, 1941. Courtesy Morgan State University.

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Art

BURTON WASSERMAN

Wild(life) Art

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FOR CENTURIES, HUMANKIND HAS been attracted to the study of wildlife. Typically, to the present day, children of all ages enjoy visiting the zoo or attending the performance of a traveling circus. Maybe it’s because we see extensions of ourselves in Mother Nature’s grand scheme of things.

Like us, the creatures who dwell in the open must contend with such survival issues as procreation, freedom from hunger and long dry spells, protection from abuse by threatening competitors and predators and shortages of adequate shelter from fire, raging storms, menacing winds and excessive snow. Across the years, many gifted naturalist artists have explored animal anatomy, texture, color and shape. With thorough effort and objective analysis, scientifically oriented investigators have examined the nourishment needs, diseases, courage, aggressiveness, perception and camouflage of assorted forms of wildlife.

We know the desire for picturing the beasts of the field goes back in time to the Neolithic era when painted images of animals were put on the walls and ceilings of ancient caves. Perhaps this was done to implement a belief that placing a picture of an animal in a safe setting would ensure the success of a planned hunt. Possibly, it was done for other purposes. But, no matter what the reasons may have been, we still make images of wildlife for a variety of reasons and we continue to enjoy seeing them on display in various settings. An especially good example of this practice is the installation titled American Wildife Art, currently on view and set to run through December 29, 2013 at the Allentown Art Museum of the Lehigh Valley.

Chronologically, the exhibition begins with selections given shape by the English-born John White and Mark Catesby. They were active in the New World during the 16th and 17th centuries before and after the founding of Jamestown, VA. Catesby, who eventually returned to the mother country, also published his own etchings in a book of various flora, fish, birds, reptiles and mammals.

John James Audubon advanced the practice of representing birds in a very credible fashion. His collection of life-size, original prints are still the standard by which such examples of latter-day artworks are evaluated.

Arthur Tait played a prominent role in the popularization of wildlife art by creating pictures 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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of animals, birds and fish that were pursued as game by sportsmen. He also published relatively inexpensive reproductions of his paintings through the use of lithographic techniques for both the Currier and Ives and Louis Prang graphic printing companies.

Complementing the many works in two dimensions, the show also offers striking pieces of sculptured mammals, birds and sea creatures by a number of talented artists including Alexander Procter, Anne Hyatt Huntington, Charles M. Russell and Kent Ullberg. The exhibition also offers profusely detailed modern works by such masters as Carl Rungius, Francis Lee Jacques, Paul Manship, Robert Bateman and Stanley Meltzoff. Incidentally, it is fascinating to observe how successfully all of these talents brought an exceptionally distinctive, individually identifiable touch, to his or her oeuvre.

In the past, art and science were viewed as entirely separate areas of inquiry and concern.

However, with the advancing focus of attention on wildlife study, they have come to be ever closer. This development is very evident when you go through the exhibition catalog, American Wildife Art, prepared by Dr. David Wagner. It is an especally fine guide to the aesthetic factors undergirding the exhibition. It is also a rewarding source of scholarly information about the various species of natural life that provide the connoisseur with such an ample measure of artistic delectation. Available in the Museum’s bookstore at $75.00, this 395-page volume is well worth the price for such a handsomely printed, cloth-bound publication. It’s a book that surely deserves a place in every family library, especially as a reference work for children. This is particularly the case in an age when ecological conservation has come to be recognized as a truly significant area calling for thoughtful human consideration.

While reflecting on art and nature, I would be terribly remiss if I failed to call attention to another marvelous offering to be shown soon at the Allentown Art Museum: A solo presentation devoted to the ingenious accomplishments of Paul Harryn, a brilliantly imaginative artist who lives in the vicinity of the Lehigh Valley. Titled Essence of Nature, his work is a visually abstract, multimedia interpretation of processes and events that comprise nature in action. It is set to be on view at the Museum from January 19 to May 18, 2014. Daringly provocative, this combination of sight, light and sound is absolutely offbeat and infinitely rewarding. The only really worthwhile way to know what it’s all about and how it feels depends upon your making sure you don’t miss it. n Above: John White (1540/1550–1606), A Lande Crab, 1585–1593, watercolor. The Schiele Museum of Natural History, Gastonia, NC

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John James Audubon (1785â&#x20AC;&#x201C;1851), Whooping Crane (Plate 46), 1834, hand-colored aquatint and engraving on Whatman paper. Courtesy of The John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove, County of Montgomery, Pennsylvania

Jared Leto and Matthew McConaughey.

Cinematters

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DALLAS BUYERS CLUB IS a big, splashy parade about AIDS that grabs your attention but does little more than reveal obvious truths in a showy way. The film, based on true events, is fiery and engaging in spots but ultimately as wispy as its lead character’s build.

Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey, delivering another sturdy performance) is a hard-living Texas boy who learns he is HIV positive in 1985. He storms out of Dallas Mercy Hospital with 30 days to live and a fervent sense of denial.

HIV, AIDS, whatever you call it, is a gay disease. That’s not him. The bubble soon bursts after some library research reveals that unprotected heterosexual sex can lead to AIDS. “Fuck!” Woodroof screams upon seeing his death sentence.

An option exists as his health declines and his pariah status rises. The drug AZT is being fast-tracked by the Food and Drug Administration. Dallas Mercy Hospital is testing patients with it. Woodroof pleads with Dr. Eve Sacks (Jennifer Garner) for the drug. Instead, she suggests an AIDS support group, which he dismisses as “a bunch of hugs from faggots.” Woodroof brokers a connection with the hospital janitor, who illegally provides AZT for him until the supply runs dry. The janitor then recommends a Mexico-based doctor (Griffin Dunne) whose alternative treatments bolster Woodroof ’s depleted immune system.

Woodroof has an idea: He can sell these remedies to others who can’t get AZT. Teaming up with Rayon (Jared

PETE CROATTO

Dallas Buyers Club Leto), an AIDS-infected transsexual, who gives him access to a gay clientele, Woodroof starts his own business in a motel room complete with a desk, phone, and girlie photos on the wall. It’s the Dallas Buyer’s Club: a $400 monthly fee gets members an assortment of vitamins and minerals. People come in droves. Resistance mounts. The FDA objects, the IRS comes sniffing, and Woodruff becomes a tireless and unlikely health advocate as he steers a community toward natural options.

For all of its social significance and politically charged backstory, Dallas Buyers Club seems wayward. Director Jean-Marc Vallée (The Young Victoria) and screenwriters Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack invest so much time on setup that nothing they pursue is as intriguing as Woodroof establishing his business, which is when Dallas Buyers Club is at its rebellious best. The rest of the way is spent pinballing from Leto’s drug drama to Garner’s overworked doctor to McConaughey’s anti-hero.

It’s like Vallée can’t bother to find a narrative rhythm, especially since these diversions favor performances over building a story. It’s a mixed bag. Leto and McConaughey work well together, but it’s hard to understand how their relationship blossoms beyond the reluctant business partnership or why Garner’s no-nonsense doctor gets fed up with the traditional healthcare paradigm. Vallée hits the high notes, but they mean little without details. It doesn’t matter

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how gaunt Leto and McConaughey get or how passionately Garner curses out the hospital board.

The deeper you look into Dallas Buyers Club it becomes obvious that Vallée, Borten, and Wallack are working in neon. We hear a buzz every time Woodroof ’s suffers a health scare; the slack of his belt flaps in the wind like a dragon’s tail. The trio kicks a few tires—Rayon and Woodroof ’s relationship, big medicine’s greed in pushing AZT, Woodroof ’s business hustle—to show they’re trying, but there’s no compelling center, only a series of swift transitions that add superficial drama, obscuring how tumultuous the mid-1980s were for the AIDS community.

Unless you’re a supporter of the natural products industry, Vallée fails to convince us why this story matters now as opposed to 1989. Imagine if Lee Daniels’ The Butler only consisted of Cecil Gaines interacting with presidents as tragedies unfolded. That’d be a pretty empty movie, right? Dallas Buyers Club turns the AIDS crisis into dramatic gloss without asking why and how this movie should be made. 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

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FOR THE HISTORICALLY CHALLENGED among us, a bit of background: Germany in the 1930s was beset by Nazism, an extremely political philosophy based in Us Versus Them.

The “them” was defined by Jews, Communists, the handicapped, Roma/Gypsies, homosexuals, non-white peoples, and assorted others that did not “fit” the ideals defined by the Nazis, a group notorious for ruthlessly eliminating anyone they found “offensive.” The Book Thief takes us to this horror at grass-roots level, as seen through the eyes of a pre-adolescent girl. It’s not about the Holocaust, as some of my fellow critics seem to think it is (or should be). The concept of “Holocaust” wasn’t formed until after the end of World War II, when the world saw in his entirety what horrors the Nazi death machine had wrought. At the beginning, we—through the eyes of Liesel (Sophie Nélisse) and the couple that adopted her, Hans (Geoffrey Rush) and Rosa (Emily Watson)—see the beginnings of the Nazi Party’s attempts to re-shape Germany in the image of that crafty Schicklgruber feller (a.k.a.

Adolf Hitler), who, like some politicians and theologians, figured that his fellow countrymen needed some chunks of the population to be demonized in order for his country to become a better place. (Gosh, I’m certainly glad that humanity has evolved beyond such shallow, trivial concerns and such hubbub could never happen in the USA.) It begins with Liesel, whose mother was a Communist, being placed with adoptive parents Hans and Rosa. Hans is even-tempered and whimsical, wife Rosa perpetually sour,

MARK KERESMAN

The Book Thief dour, and practical but essentially kind-hearted, as if we’ve never seen this in a movie before…but I digress. Liesel is withdrawn and virtually illiterate, but she blossoms thanks to Hans (who teaches her to read) and Rudy (Nico Liersch), quite literally the spunky boy-next-door that takes a shine to her. As the Liesel’s family has barely enough food to eat, there’s no room in the budget to accommodate her growing interest in reading…so she, ahem, appropriates reading materials (hence the title).

Some critics have taken Thief to task for not displaying the horror of the Holocaust—but as this writer implied before (or tried to), that mega-event as what we now know hadn’t “happened” yet. We see pretty, almost idyllic scenes of asyet-unspoiled-by-war German countryside. We see what they see—everyday lives punctuated and then punctured by book burning (got to destroy that vile, decadent literature, y’know) and neighbors being rounded-up and “relocated.” A Jewish lad, Max (Ben Schnetzer) decided not to accept the Nazis’ offer of new living quarters and so took to the road—as he’s the son of a close friend/WWI buddy of Hans, he takes up residence in his basement. Rosa is at first hesitant but agrees to care for this reluctant guest and Liesel has a new friend.

This is not a movie about you-know-what—it’s about people struggling to keep their humanity (or to be more precise, the better aspects of same) in the face of their world that’s not-so-slowly and quite literally going to Hell. The acting, by Rush, Nélisse, and especially Watson is quite good—I felt

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these people. Nélisse’s Liesel came off as a youth, not a miniadult, being by turns shy, suspicious, awkward, spunky, rebellious, sad, and hopeful. The only distracting aspects of Book Thief is the inconsistent use of language—most of the movie (this is a UK/Germany co-production) is in spoken English with vaguely German “accents” and occasionally we hear German both with and without subtitles. Also, the movie is narrated by Death—or rather the personification of death, a reflective, not-quite-so-Grim Reaper—and as most reasonable people might assume, Death speaks with a cultured, measured British accent. (Personally, I’ve always thought Death would sound like Jason Alexander or Murray Hamilton, both of whom portrayed Death in two different Twilight Zone episodes.) Did we really need to be reminded that business for Mr. Death would be a-booming during WWII? Not exactly subtle. Also, movie Nazis tend to scowl lots and be more physically ugly than non- or anti-Nazis.

The Book Thief is of the Holocaust, but it’s not about it, not really. It’s a leisurely-told story about how books and literature—and their stories—are most necessary articles for human survival amid crappy situations, and about the human spirit and its resilience. n

In addition to ICON, Mark Keresman is a contributing writer for SF Weekly, East Bay Express, Pittsburgh City Paper, Paste, Jazz Review, downBeat, and the Manhattan Resident.

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Bad Movie

IT’S HARD TO MAKE movies about writers—as this writer can tell you, one must isolate one’s self to do the deed (hitting the keys or writing longhand), and nothing would be more boring to watch. So, the director and/or scriptwriter must show the “life of the writer” (assuming s/he has one, but I digress) and see how (or if, even) said life impacted his/her writing. Kill Your Darlings, the feature film debut by writer-director John Krokidas, attempts to do this for the Beats. The Beats were that literary configuration of Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and William Burroughs (among others) that changed literature by abandoning conventional structures (with influences of jazz and Eastern philosophy), embracing then-taboo subjects and rebelling against societal expectations, drugs, and bi-/homosexuality. Kill Your Darlings is the “origin story” of the Beats, taking place at NY’s Columbia University during the late years of World War II. The primary focus is on the young Allen Ginsberg (Daniel Radcliffe) and his ambiguous relationship with Lucien Carr (Dane DeHaan, very good here). Carr is a slick manipulator, an attention-whore who’s aware of his attractiveness and uses it as a tool and a weapon. The complication to, well, everything, is Carr’s relationship to the older gent

MARK KERESMAN

David Kammerer (Michael C. Hall), who is smitten with him.

Carr killed Kammerer and did a few years in jail for it. Kill… attempts to show the beginnings of a literary movement and how this crime impacted their friendship.

Long before sex, drugs, and rock and roll, there was sex, drugs, and jazz, and Kill works that holy trinity into the story.

Ginsberg is gay in a time when being at all “open” about such a thing was unthinkable…but in the company of truthseekers Kerouac (straight-leaning bisexual), Burroughs (gayleaning bisexual), and Carr (sexually fluid, but essentially in love with himself), Ginsberg is (indirectly) encouraged to embrace that side of himself. Radcliffe is doing his darnedest to leave Harry Potter behind, and he’s pretty good at conveying a youth awkwardly coming to grips with who he is.

The problem is the audience never gets to really know these people—naturally, we don’t “see” the creative process (except for a few amusing but overdone scenes of Ginsberg manically typing while, uh, chemically enhanced) but we do get to see the four lads engaging in some intellectually-oriented Animal House-like hi-jinx. We’re shown the frequently pathetic Kammerer interact with Carr (if that’s what it can be called—Carr keeps him at arm’s length unless he needs him

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to ghostwrite his assignments) and Ginsberg with Carr, Carr and Ginsberg with Kerouac, etc.—with all this shifting of focus, nothing seems to jell. Ginsberg—who’s tormented by his family life (his mother, played by Jennifer Jason Leigh, is mentally ill) and unrequited (?) feelings for Carr, is the only one who registers as a fully rounded character. Carr is all superficial charm with precious little else. Kerouac and Burroughs aren’t fleshed-out. We never get the notion that these lads would go on to influence at least one or two generations of readers and writers—they just seem like, well, college students, self-absorbed, irresponsible, and fun-seeking.

Krokidas bathes everything in drab sepia tones—which might be good for displaying the “normalcy” of American life way-back-when, but it also looks drab and blah. His attempts to render the “hep” life—the lads’ visits to jazz clubs—seem a little stilted, trying a little too hard to be surreal and trippy.

(Hey, Americans have been going to jazz clubs since the 1920s and are still going today.) Apart from the gay-triangle aspects of the story, someone unfamiliar with the Beats would likely come away from Kill Your Darlings wondering what the big freakin’ deal about them was. n

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Reel News

REVIEWS OF RECENTLY RELEASED DVDS BY GEORGE OXFORD MILLER

Stories We Tell.

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

Stories We Tell (2013) ★★★★ Cast: Sarah Polley, Diane Polley, Michael Polley Genre: Documentary Directed by Sarah Polley.

Rated PG-13 When Sarah Polley was 11, her mother, an acclaimed actress, died. Sarah followed her lead and is a twice Oscarnominated actress and director. Now she turns her camera inward to her own family. With a set of questions, she interviews relatives and friends to find out who her mother really was, her personal history, and what others thought about her. Her lens focuses on her father and siblings and her mother’s friends, producers, and fellow actors. And behold, the truth about her mother is as multifaceted as a kaleidoscope. Everyone has a story and perspective, and they don’t always agree. In the process of learning who her mother was, and by extension how she came to be who she is, Sarah discovers unexpected family secrets, mysteries, and mistakes. As in The Many Faces of Eve, who her mother was depends on who is telling the story.

The Lone Ranger ★★ Cast: Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer Genre: Western action Rated PG With Johnny Depp as Tonto, don’t expect a heroic John Ford western. The storyline embodies classic elements of good vs. evil, save the underdog, and bring the villain to justice in a poetically righteous manner. And the New Mexico vis-

tas are monumentally grandiose. But then we have clownish Tonto in extreme theatric makeup, flesh-eating rabbits, and a levitating horse. Think Pirates of the Caribbean gone westward and you won’t be disappointed. Audiences loved The Avengers (highest grossing movie ever), so seeing the Lone Ranger galloping Silver on the roof of a speeding train should be no stretch. The backstory and plot points are well finessed, but over-the-edge characterization and absurd action sequences turn the play into a retro western parody, not the masterpiece critics and the audience expected. (The $200+ million movie only grossed $89 million). So judge and enjoy the bizarre production for what is: an eccentric, kooky, ill-conceived debacle—the best bad movie of the year.

Museum Hours (2013) ★★★ Cast: Bobby Sommer, Mary Margaret O'Hara Genre: Drama Written and directed by Jem Cohen.

Rated PG In English and German with English subtitles.

Using the formula of a stranger adrift in a romantic European city, this not-quite-romance follows the meanderings of a Canadian woman, Anne (O’Hare), visiting her ill cousin in Vienna and a security guard, Johann (Sommer), at the city’s Kunsthistorisches Museum of Art. Like the paintings they admire, filmmaker Jem Cohen develops their relationship with broad brushstrokes, then gradually adds the fine details and texture that nuance their deepening friendship. With each new layer, their bond begins to reflect a beauty like the mas-

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terpieces in the Museum. But iconoclastic Cohen isn’t out to create a rom-com or happy-every-after fable. His art lesson forms the background for a meditation on the creative energy that sculpts the beauty, and also the pain, of the life we live.

Things Never Said (2013) ★★★ Cast: Shanola Hampton, Omari Hardwick, Elimu Nelson Genre: Drama, Romance Rated R Though stuck as a waitress, Kalindra (Hampton) faces her unsure life with high ambitions. Her husband Ronnie (Nelson), a service station attendant, lives in despair since an injury sidelined his basketball career. She finds solace not in their marriage, but in her spoken poetry. With this perfect setup for a love triangle melodrama, along comes handsome, tender, poet Curtis (Hardwick) and the chemistry goes nuclear. The two charismatic stars carry the performance, but a piece on poets demands outstanding poetry. The illicit lovers deliver with dramatic renditions, but the rants often slip into the preachy obvious. As does Kalindra’s choice between the romantic lover and downbeat, abusive husband. In this story of a woman empowered, the things said are more important than the things never said. n

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

Scene from The Great Beauty.

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

The Armstrong Lie (Dir: Alex Gibney). In 2009, veteran documentarian Gibney (Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, Catching Hell) followed Lance Armstrong’s return to the Tour de France. Four years later, the legendary cyclist confessed his doping to Oprah Winfrey in a ballyhooed prime-time event. Like millions, Gibney had rooted for Armstrong, who survived testicular cancer to win the Tour de France seven times. Gibney now felt he deserved an explanation, so he interviewed Armstrong and others to reconstruct the sordid story of the determined Texan’s ride to infamy. The most fascinating aspect about The Armstrong Lie isn’t the revelations from teammates and journalists, who expose how regular cheating was in professional cycling, it’s the remorseless Armstrong. The hunger to win every battle—whether it was in a race or with skeptical media members—drove him to sustain a massive charade for years. The Armstrong Lie demonstrates how an athlete’s drive can curdle into a sociopathic mania, leaving the athlete to live in glorious denial while the wounded masses ask angry questions that go unanswered. [R] ★★★1/2 The Great Beauty (Dir: Paolo Sorrentino). Starring: Toni Servillo, Carlo Verdone, Sabrina Ferilli. Dreamy, philosophical satire of modern life focuses on a famous novelist (Servillo) who since publishing his lone great book decades ago has pursued the good life in Rome. Now in his mid-sixties, the bloom is fading; the superficial has become a way of life for Jep Gambardella and his circle of friends. Older men pur-

sue young, clearly uninterested beauties. Bragging has become an acceptable substitute for accomplishments. Religious leaders would rather talk recipes than salvation. The party has gone on for way too long, and no one wants to leave. The characters in Sorrentino’s gorgeous, haunting ode to regret spend their time creating lives geared toward bliss without realizing that the truly beautiful moments come without agenda. We’re lucky to have one wonderful memory that exists without the baggage of expectation. Or if you’re Jep, the movie’s center, you spend your entire life recreating it. In Italian with English subtitles. [NR] ★★★1/2 Philomena (Dir: Stephen Frears). Starring: Judi Dench, Steve Coogan, Michelle Fairly, Mare Winningham, Sophie Kennedy Clark, Charlie Murphy. Unemployed—and pretty much unemployable thanks to a much-publicized scandal— former BBC journalist Martin Sixsmith (Coogan) reluctantly writes a human-interest story about Philomena Lee (Dench), a sweet, churchgoing old lady looking to reunite with the infant son she forcibly gave up for adoption over 50 years ago.

As the story unfolds and slinks into dark places, requiring Martin and Philomena to spend more time together, two things become evident: Philomena has substance underneath her perpetual cheer and Martin’s agnostic cynicism doesn’t make him a more enlightened person. The charm of Philomena lies in how it confidently straddles several genres (character study, investigative drama, light comedy), eschewing affirmations and braying, recycled stereotypes for well-

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rounded entertainment. An uplifting film with bite, this is a rare treat courtesy of veteran director Frears (The Queen, Dangerous Liaisons). As you would expect, Coogan and Dench are terrific. Coogan produced and co-wrote the script, based on Sixsmith’s book. [PG-13] ★★★★ Nebraska (Dir: Alexander Payne). Starring: Bruce Dern, Will Forte, Jane Squibb, Bob Odenkirk, Stacy Keach. Bitter old-timer Woody Grant (Dern) has reached the point in his long life where he cannot discern that a million dollar prize is a marketing scam. When Woody starts walking from Billings, Montana to Lincoln, Nebraska to claim his winnings, son David (Forte) decides to play chauffeur. Along the way, they stop in Woody’s downtrodden hometown for a family reunion. The news of Woody’s future “fortune” travels too quickly for David to stifle, but he has time to discover the twisted roots of his father’s churlish behavior. Payne and screenwriter Bob Nelson reveal the evolution (and redemption) of a crabby old man with restrained eloquence in this sobering comedy-drama where a useless sweepstakes prize represents an old man’s last chance at dignity. Fantastic performances all around, including Squibb as Woody’s necessarily abrasive wife, and Dern, whose wizened features (beautifully captured in Phedon Papamichael’s stark black and white cinematography) are an indescribable asset. Payne (Sideways, The Descendants) further cements his reputation as the quintessential unsentimental sentimentalist—and one of America’s best directors. [R] ★★★★1/2 n

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Exclusive Interview

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SEEKING SUSAN SEIDELMAN Philadelphia-born Seidelman was lauded as one of Hollywood's few "bankable" female directors after the blockbuster box office performance of “Desperately Seeking Susan.”

SUSAN SEIDELMAN WAS NEVER a suburban housewife, but like the main characters in her best known and most successful films, Smithereens and Desperately Seeking Susan, she couldn’t wait to escape her stifling suburban life and to cross the cultural bridge into Manhattan. “I just knew there was something on the other side of the ‘burbs I needed to get to,” she confided over chilled Chablis on the patio of Stonehedge, her stone house retreat in Stockton, New Jersey. Our two-hour conversation ranged over her growing up in Huntington Valley outside of Philadelphia, her thirty-seven year career which includes a Palm d’Or nomination at Cannes, multiple Emmy and Oscar nominations for films starring Meryl Streep, Roseanne Barr, Peter Falk, and John Malkovich among others, and ultimately her life back on this side of the bridge. In fact, we first met at a gala fundraiser screening of one of her films at the Acme Screening Room in Lambertville, where she was helping to promote a venue for independent films.

The women in your films are fiercely independent. They’re tough, resilient, and courageous. They get on with it. They don’t curl up and whimper and wither away.

I assume they reflect qualities you admire.

I was brought up with a pretty traditional view of what my life might be like. Suddenly things began to change with the “[Hollywood] is a boys’ club. Sam women’s movement. What I Goldwyn, Louis B. Mayer, and the thought would be the pattern of my life no longer had to be the other moguls may have been pattern on my or any other woman’s life. The issues of who crude and crass, but they actually am I as a woman, who am I supliked movies and they went by posed to be, who do I really feel I am came out of growing up durtheir gut. Now it’s all MBAs who ing that transitional time for women. They’re the questions do statistics on what kinds of many of the women in my films movies appeal to 13- to 21-yearare answering.

old boys who like comic books.”

You made a documentary, Confessions of a Suburban Girl, for BBC Scotland in which you confess that you were an unbearably good girl who idolized bad girls. You said one reason you wanted to be a filmmaker was to get others to act out your darker fantasies.

I wasn’t such a good girl. [Laughter] I was a rebellious teenager actually. I was the girl in 9th or 10th grade who would sneak out of the bedroom to go to the Catholic school dances where I wasn’t allowed. Literally, I’d say goodnight to my parents, wait fifteen minutes, open the bedroom door, climb out onto the roof, and walk a mile, which didn’t make my parents happy when they caught me.

I guess this was the late sixties.

Yes, mid-’60s. But in Huntington Valley, outside of Philly, it was still like the ‘50s. I While Jack Byer brings to interviews and reviews an extensive background in the Arts, he also brings the soul of a romantic who loves to dance and is seldom seen without his signature Basque beret.

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had a “good girl” family, and I was brought up with sort of old-fashioned expectations of what a good girl should be. But many times my mother got a phone call from school to bring a change of clothes because they still had dress codes. If I had worn my skirt any shorter, it wouldn’t have been on my body. I had so much eye make-up, I could have imitated a raccoon.

And are you still pushing the limits?

I don’t really have those limits anymore. If anything, I’m trying to re-define being a mother in some ways. Ozzie [Oscar], my 23-year-old son is a pretty cool kid. I’m trying to be his mother and his friend but also establish parental rules. I think he thinks I’m a pretty cool mom.

What is Oscar up to?

It’s funny. He grew up on film sets because I traveled all over and took him along.

I didn’t think he would want to be in the film business. But I’m proud to say he works for UNICEF as an editor and media coordinator. UNICEF does a lot of short films about drinking water in Africa or female education in Pakistan, and he edits them, puts the music in, or the narration. It’s his first job out of college, so it’s all new.

You took a break from filmmaking for about five years after his birth.

Yes, that was a real issue for me. I knew very few women in the film industry who were juggling work with a busy family life, except Nora Ephron. So I paid particular attention to the way Nora did it. I met her in 1987 when we worked together on Cookie based on a screenplay she had written with Alice Arlen. I remember script meetings at her apartment on the Upper West Side. Her young sons wandered in and out of the room casually and even joined in the conversation without it being a big deal. I learned from her that you can blend family life with professional life.

Ephron had a reputation for having a very sharp wit.

She hadn’t yet directed a movie. Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail, Julie and Julia were all in the future. But she had already been nominated two times for the Academy Award for her screenplays for Silkwood and When Harry Met Sally. I remember being nervous before our first script meeting. Worried I would be intimidated by her. Worried she would make me feel dumb. Worried that she would be a tough broad. But she was nothing like I expected. She was smart, funny, opinionated—but also earthy, collaborative, respectful, and generous. She taught me that you can age with style and grace and still be respected in an industry that worships youth.

Two of your most recent films—Boynton Beach Club and The Hot Flashes—certainly deal with that theme of growing older gracefully.

I’m well into the second half of my life [Seidelman is 61], so I now question things that deal with a different stage of life. I’m clearly no longer young, but I’m not ready to be old. So you have to redefine who you are. Those are the issues of Boynton Beach Club [about a Florida senior citizen dating scene] and The Hot Flashes.

Some critics regard you as a once innovative director whose best work is likely in her past. They seem to have turned away from you after the critical and box office disappointment of Making Mr. Right, Cookie, and She Devil.

Expectations play a huge part of your critical reception. If you start out being a cool director and then make films that are more sentimental, I think there’s a bias. If you’re cynical and snarky, that’s considered cool. Musical Chairs [set in the world of wheelchair ballroom dancing and on the sentimental side], which HBO has just

JACK BYER

picked up, is probably a good example. Audiences like it; those critics who are a little jaded don’t like it. I know the kinds of movies I could make for critics, but they might not be as popular with audiences. It becomes too confusing to try to calculate all of that. So I just use my instinct and hope there is an audience out there.

You began your career with a certain innocence. Were you aware how bleak the situation was for women directors in film?

I wasn’t. I had no female role models. I had heard of Agnes Varda, but I had never seen a Varda movie. The one female director who was an inspiration while I was in film school was Lina Wertmuller. I loved Structure of Mimi, Seven Beauties, Swept Away.

So what accounts for the inequity now?

The statistics are still horrible.

It’s a boys’ club. Sam Goldwyn, Louis B. Mayer, and the other moguls may have been crude and crass, but they actually liked movies and they went by their gut. Now it is all MBAs who do statistics on what kinds of movies appeal to 13- to 21-year-old boys who like comic books. Even now that more women are presidents of studios, they’re still responsible to the CEOs of their multinational parent company. So they just feed into the status quo.

It seems if a woman director’s movie doesn’t do well critically or at the box office, she might not get a chance to make another movie. You’ve managed to stay working for over thirty years and to make the kinds of movies you like to make.

You learn to get a tough skin. Some directors have some success and then have a flop or two and then they disappear. If you believe your success was totally based on luck and there was no skill or talent involved in it, then maybe you disappear.

What do you wish you knew at the start of your career?

Because I had success right off the bat, I didn’t realize how hard it is to get a movie, and the consequences of a commercial failure. So I would have spent more time in preproduction on certain scripts. Sometimes there’s pressure to start [a] movie…so you move ahead and yet you know you could use a little more time to work out some of the kinks. I didn’t know I could say, “Wait.’ I didn’t know the power I could have had.

Meryl Streep (L) and Susan Seidelman (R) on the set of She Devil.

You teach film directing at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. I doubt if film students today are so naive.

That’s true. They all know what movie was number one at the box office, what the gross was, what the critics said. They often don’t form their own opinions. Young people may limit themselves by being too aware of what they should be doing to try to be successful as opposed to what kind of movies they genuinely want to make.

Can you really know whether something will succeed or fail? So many elements may or may not converge before, during, or after production.

You can’t know. You have to trust your gut to some extent. I did the pilot for Sex and the City. When I read the script I thought, this is good. It pushes the envelope in a way that I felt would really appeal to a female audience that wanted something more than they were getting on network TV. But I never knew it would have the longevity that it did.

Tell me about your life in Stockton, New Jersey. I assume it’s a weekend and summer retreat when you’re not working. I know that you live in Manhattan.

I knew New Hope in the ‘60s and early ‘70s, but I didn’t really know this side of the river. Somebody from New York introduced Jonathan [Seidelman’s husband] to this area. And Jonathan, being English, loved it because there’s a lot about this area with its hills and old stone houses that’s very British. He re-introduced me to this area twenty-two years ago.

So how do you fill your time here?

Cook a lot, get together with friends, and look for cool things to do. Jonathan and our friends were talking about how this is a great area, with a lot of smart people, but there is not much in terms of the arts to do. That’s why I wanted to help promote the Acme Screening Room in Lambertville where you and I first met. For selfish reasons as well as not wanting to see such venues go away, I want to share what I love with other people. n 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 D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 3 n I C O N n 23

Exclusive Interview

A. D. AMOROSI

YOKO ONO “John and I felt that we were like people in an H. G. Wells story. Two people who are walking so fast that nobody else can see them,” Yoko Ono said. But on December 8, 1980, as John Lennon walked toward his apartment building, Mark David Chapman shot him seven times. Lennon had a tape of Yoko Ono’s “Walking on Thin Ice” in his hand when he died. Today, Ono is still experimenting, still surprising, still walking on thin ice.

LOOKING BACK ON 2013, IT’S been a grand time for veteran rockers on the avant garde tip. While the experimental likes of Scott Walker (Bish Bosch), Nick Cave (Push the Sky Away), and Wayne Coyne’s Flaming Lips (The Terror) made winter and spring 2013 a weird season with each of their new albums, Gary Numan (Splinter), Arcade Fire (Reflektor), and David Bowie (The Next Day, its 3-CD version in particular) made the rest of the year a merrily murky one with their individual twists and turns. Even in sadness—the death of minimalist icon Lou Reed—2013 was marked by geniuses of difficult listening. Few though stand as tall or as noisily in the avant-rock stakes as the oldest member of this club, 80-year-old Yoko Ono. At a time when most artists would consider stepping away from the limelight, Ono—the legendary Widow Lennon—intends to be more active than ever. Is retirement a dirty word? “I never think that way,” she says, softly. “I

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Yoko Ono is always moving into the next phase with a clean slate. “It always has to be new and fresh,” she says. “I believe that what I do pushes the barrier. Or is meant to.” might some day, I admit, but certainly not now. Definitely not now.”

On a political front, Ono has spent the last year as an activist against fracking. In January of this year, she and her son (and band leader) Sean Lennon, bussed to upstate Pennsylvania as part of the Artists Against Fracking group to protest the earth-scarring method of procuring natural gas. As a visual artist, last year’s winner of the Oskar Kokoschka Prize (Austria’s highest award for applied contemporary art), Ono is in constant motion, contributing as she did several new items to a recent retrospective of her work, Half-a-Wind Show, that has travelled to museums in countries such as Germany, Denmark, Austria, and Spain.

It is as a musician, though, that Ono has had the greatest impact—in the last several years in particular—starting with the fact that ever since 2003, twelve of her songs (her new track “Hold Me,” included, and counting) remixed for clubs and discotheques, have each hit No. 1 on the U.S. dance chart. She has collaborated with the one-time married Sonic Youth (Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore) on a recently re-

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

leased EP of cranky avant-doodlings, and played several rare shows this year, one of which hit Manhattan’s Bowery Ballroom for a sold out show of solidarity amongst that city’s angular New Wave lot (members of Cibo Matto fill Ono’s band led by her son, with special guests such as David Bowie guitarist Earl Slick stopping by for a lick) and audiences fond of her sonic freak outs. Most of all, there is the follow-up to The Plastic Ono Band’s fantastic 2009 album Between My Head and the Sky with 2013’s doubly daring Take Me to the Land of Hell, one heck of an 80th birthday present to her fans and, mostly, to her son, who kept pushing her to consider the artistic implications of such an auspicious occasion.

“I’m always working on something. Even if I just let it sit for a while, there’s always something musical going on,” says Ono. “Then Sean reminded me that I had better do an album for my 80th birthday.” She has a gentle, childish laugh that breathily punctuates the ends of her sentences (unless she turns deathly serious, which she did). “I had some songs, Sean had some songs, then there’s the studio. I told him not to worry. When I’m in the studio, the juices start flowing and things just come to me. Once we came up with three or four things, the rest came very quickly.”

That studio atmosphere isn’t just a place for Ono to shine and work. It’s a space where her son and trusted confidant Sean can steer her into directions close (and cutting) to both of them with its collaborators coming mostly from young Lennon’s camp—The Roots’ Questlove Thompson, Wilco’s Nels Cline, Lenny Kravitz, and Beastie Boys’ Mike D. In talking about Sean, she beams like a proud parent as much as someone who has discovered a rare talent. “He is a young man, but he is also very old. There is ancient wisdom in him. He truly sees what is going on around him. Now, he is not immune [to pain, to disappointment]. None of us are.

But we can change things. We are changing things.”

The collaborators roped into Take Me to the Land of Hell, are, according to Ono, Sean’s friends who were looking to leap into the bizarre. “When he introduced me to this band, I said OK. I like Sean’s music. I like his friends. I must admit that at first I wasn’t certain what kind of crew he was going to bring or what sort of music they might play but I do trust Sean. It’s a good thing that I did, because—surprise, surprise—he’s a genuine musical talent and has great taste.”

Considering that the original Plastic Ono Band was birthed primarily by her husband, John Lennon, in the wake of The Beatles’ split to personify his (and her) ever-widening (and ever weird-ening) musical and lyrical vision, Ono recalls that first group of players was a freer bunch in league with Lennon’s desires and friendship. Musical giants Eric Clapton, Klaus Voorman, Alan White, and Billy Preston made The Plastic Ono Band’s Live Peace in Toronto 1969 album and 1970’s releases, John Lennon Plastic Ono Band and Yoko Ono & Plastic Ono Band, dynamic.

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“The first group? It was just sheer love and interest in what we were up to,” says Ono. “The first albums…ah, were sheer inspiration, and I only had John, really, to be excited about such things. His friends? Well, they were kind of farout musicians to begin with. They didn’t have to do much, other than show up and express themselves. This new band?

Sean’s friends? They’re appreciative of what I do, and looking to break down their own barriers through me. They are very aware of what I do.”

Ask Ono if she’s carried a lot of her initial impulses—as a visual artist whose first works came courtesy of the Fluxus movement, or as John Lennon’s co-conspirator—into the present day of Take Me to the Land of Hell, and she says that, in reality, she’s always moving into the next phase with a scrubbed clean slate. “It always has to be new and fresh. I believe that what I do pushes the barrier. Or is meant to.

Otherwise, why would we do it? There’s so much repetition in the world. I don’t want to add to that.”

Go further and question Ono whether she and Lennon compared each other’s individual pasts/paths, and she nearly laughed it off. “We never thought that way about our work. I know that it might interest critics such as yourself, but we were just artists, just musicians who did what we wanted to do. I don’t know that it was so premeditated at the start.”

She does seem to have one revelation in regard to the advent of her own music in the beginning of the Plastic Ono Band: “My first attempt at doing it didn’t come out of me, alone; it was helped by John, alone or through his group who were interested in our ideals. Now, it is helped by Sean and his group of musical allegiances.”

Just saying.

“Though Take Me to The Land of Hell has several incisive, odd rockers such as ‘Bad Dancer,’ and ‘Cheshire Cat Cry,’ one song in particular, ‘Watching the Dawn,’ seems to look back cynically at the ideals of the ‘60s, many of the universal love and peace messages that you and John espoused.

That perhaps that time and those ideas weren’t all that they were cracked up to be,” I suggested.

“It is not cynical,” she says. ”It is emotional. I choked up when I sang it, because I honestly do not believe that we were expecting this kind of society. We always want society to become better. Beautiful ideals and beautiful teachers— somehow, things right now are not that beautiful. To change, we must have insurrection or a new direction. We must go back to being us, the good us.”

With that, Ono is looking forward to being the “good us,” with more live shows in 2014 (“I was so nervous about doing that first one. Now I don’t want to say no again”) along with art shows and perhaps another album. “I have so many things keeping me busy. I must improve my mind and body for the year ahead, especially if I want to do more shows. I want direct confrontation.” n

Yoko Ono, 1981. Photo: Schirn Presse, Frankfurt, Germany.

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Edgeboro Moravian Church Christmas Putz. Through Dec. 22, Mon.-Fri., 9-2 by appt. Walk-in hours: Thurs.-Sat., 6-8, and Sun., 3-6. 645 Hamilton Ave. The story of the birth of Christ through sight and sound. Free.

610-866-8793 edgeboromoravian.org.

Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts Through Dec. 22, Thurs.-Sun., 11.-4; Dec. 2631, Thurs.-Tues., 11-4. Historic Bethlehem Visitor Center, 505 Main St. Pass into History with a visit to the Kemerer Museum. $12 adults; $6 children; under 6 free. historicbethlehem.org 610-691-6055 Moravian Museum of Bethlehem Through Dec. 22, Thurs.-Sun., 11-4; Dec. 2631, Thurs.-Tues. 11-4. 66 W. Church St. $12 adults; $6 children; under 6 free. historicbethlehem.org 610-691-6055 Christmas City Stroll Through Dec. 23, Mon.-Wed., 4pm, Thurs.Sat., 4 & 6 pm, and Sun. 4 pm. Dec. 26-30, Mon. & Sat. 4 & 6pm, Sun. 4 pm. Enjoy “Christmas City, USA” on this tour as a guide in period dress shares the story of Bethlehem’s beginnings in 1741, explains the famous candles in every window, and sheds new light on the renowned Bethlehem Star. historicbethlehem.org 610-691-6055 Scenic Horse Drawn Carriage Rides Through Dec. 23. Thurs.-Sun., rides run every

20 minutes from 4-10 p.m. (No rides 7-7:20 for break). Dec. 26-31, Wed.-Mon., rides run every 20 min., 4-10. (No rides 7-7:20 for break). Historic Bethlehem Visitor Center, 505 Main St. Presented by Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites. $50. historicbethlehem.org 610-691-6055 Live Advent Calendar Through Dec. 23, daily at 5:30. 1810 Goundie House, 501 Main St. Visitors to Historic Downtown Bethlehem will enjoy this 7th annual, one-of-a-kind tradition. The merchants provide 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 among the crowd. Free. downtownbethlehemassociation.com 610-841-5862 Central Moravian Church Christmas Putz Through Dec. 29, before Christmas: Thurs. & Fri., 1-7, Sat., 10-8, Sun., 1-5. After Christmas: Thurs.-Sun. 1-5. (Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). The 76th year of beautifully retelling the Christmas story with lights, historic figurines and narration. Shows every half-hour. Christian Education Building 40 W. Church St. Free (donations welcomed). centralmoravianchurch.org 610-866-5661

Central Moravian Church Star and Candle Shoppe. Through Dec. 29. Before Christmas, Thurs. & Fri., 1-7, Sat., 10-8, Sun., 1-5.

(Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day).

After Christmas, Thurs.-Sun., 1- 5.

Christian Education Building, 40 W. Church St., The Shoppe operates across from Moravian Central’s Christmas Putz and offers Moravian gift items including stars, candles, cards, CDs and crafts. Free. centralmoravianchurch.org 610-866-5661 Ethnic Christmas Trees from Around the World Through 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. 610-882-9700 comfortsuitesofbethlehem.com Moravian Christmas Experience Dec. 5 and 7, 1:30 pm. 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, 610-332-3378, as well as at the church ticket office, 73 W. Church St, and at the concert, if not sold out. $20.

Christmas City Follies Dec. 5-22, Thurs.-Sat., 8pm, Sun., 2pm. *Additional performance, Dec. 21, 2 pm.

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Touchstone Theatre, 321 E. 4th St. Presented

by Touchstone Theatre. In a season dedicated to wonder, this sweet, irreverent variety show will lift your spirit and leave you with a smile. $25 adults; $15 students/seniors. touchstone.org 610-867-1689 An Oh So Acoustic Christmas Dec. 6, 7:30 pm, 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, PA. 610-432-6715 millersymphonyhall.org The Bang Group’s Nut/Cracked Dec. 6, Show: 8 pm, ArtsQuest Center, Musikfest Café, presented by Yuengling. 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. By the end of the show, the superb cast has danced their way to a new kind of childhood replete with a thumb-sucking fantasia to the Grand Pas de Deux. Tickets: $20-$25. artsquest.org 610-332-3378

Christmas City Village Dec. 6-8, Dec. 13-15, Dec. 20-22, Dec. 27-29.

Fri. & Sat., 11-8, & Sun., 11-6. Bethlehem’s Historic District. Located in the heart of historic downtown Bethlehem, the Christmas City Village features 35 wooden huts filled with Christmas gift ideas, sweets, hot-mulled wine, bratwursts. Free. 610-841-5862 downtownbethlehemassociation.com Breakfast with St. Nicholas Sponsored by Capital Blue Cross. Dec. 7 and 14, 9am. Christkindlmarkt, PNC Plaza at SteelStacks, 645 E. First St. Kids and their families are invited to enjoy a fun-filled morning featuring jolly, old St. Nicholas. A delicious hot breakfast, photo with St. Nick, admission to Christkindlmarkt, goodie bag, arts & crafts and more are included. $14.95 for ages 11 & older; $11.95 for ages 2-10; $6.95 under 2. artsquest.org 610-332-3378 Classic Christmas Movie Matinees Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas, ArtsQuest Center, Musikfest Café, 101 Founders Way. Dec. 7: The Shop Around the Corner (1940).

Dec. 21: White Christmas (1945) starring Crosby, Kaye and Clooney. $10; $8 for children 12 and under and ages 60 plus. artsquest.org 610-332-3378

Busy Workers Christmas Sale Dec. 7, 10-4. 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. Free. centralmoravianchurch.org 610-866-5661 48th Annual Community Advent Breakfast Dec. 7, 8:30am. 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. $10; $7 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. $34.95 adults; $11.95 children ages 6-12; ages 5 & under free (includes ticket to Christkindlmarkt) artsquest.org 610-332-3378

A Christmas Carol, The Musical Dec. 12, 7:30pm, State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton, PA. Nebraska Theatre Caravan presents its delightful stage production of Charles Dickens’ holiday classic.

Presented with a full array of traditional Christmas carols interwoven with the classic story of a tight-fisted, middle-class merchant Ebenezer Scrooge. 610-252-3132, 1-800-999STATE, or order online statetheatre.org Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker Dec. 14, 2pm & 5:30pm This magical and timeless holiday tradition comes to life. The production features new characters, handpainted sets and breathtaking scenic design.

Father Christmas and the Snow Maiden add to the whimsical and imaginative storytelling that sets this Nutcracker apart. State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton, PA. 610-2523132, 1-800-999-STATE, or order online statetheatre.org The Nutcracker Dec. 14, 1 & 4pm and Dec. 15, 2pm. Presented by the Ballet Guild of the Lehigh Valley, Inc./PA Youth Ballet. This year’s production will be performed in state-of-the-art Baker Hall at Zoellner Arts Center with a full orchestra, Lehigh University’s South Side Sinfonietta, conducted by Eugene Albulescu, and will feature a children’s chorus from area schools for the “Waltz of the Snowflakes.” bglv.org.

Tickets $27-$44. Purchase tickets through Zoellner Arts Center’s box office 610-7582787, ext. 0, or at zoellnerartscenter.org Nutcracker Dec. 14, & Dec. 15, 2pm. Miller Symphony Hall, North 6th St., Allentown, PA. Repertory Dance Theatre’s Nutcracker is a great way to get your family into the true holiday spirit.

Professional guest artists lead the cast of 100 dancers with choreography by Trinette Singleton and Jennifer Haltzman Tracy. With live music by The Allentown Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Ron Demkee and sung by the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts Touring Choir, directed by David MacBeth. This year’s production features new sets, choreography and costumes. A Land of the Sweets Party will follow the Sat. matinee.

610-432-6715 millersymphonyhall.org Swinging the Holidays with the Rob Stoneback Big Band Dec. 19, 7:30pm. 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. Discover Bethlehem’s rich history and architecture. Advance reservations required. Schedule and tickets available at artsquest.org 610-332-3378 Christmas at SteelStacks Daily at SteelStacks, first Street and 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 and music show on the historic blast furnaces on the weekends. Free. artsquest.org 610-332-3378 PEEPSFEST Dec. 30-31, Mon. 10-4, and Tues. 10-6. ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way. Experience two sweet days of family fun featuring those delicious marshmallow PEEPS. Children and their parents will enjoy live music, arts & crafts, movies, s’mores making, photos with PEEPS chick and more. artsquest.org/PEEPSFEST 610-332-3378

ter at SteelStacks, 101 Founders Way. Run, jog, or walk your way into the New Year with the PEEPSFEST 5k. Prizes awarded to the overall winners, as well as the winner in each age category. Runners can register in advance at artsquest.org/PEEPSFEST or register the day of the race at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks. Free. 610-332-3378 PEEPSFEST Chick Drop and Fireworks Dec. 31, 5:15pm. SteelStacks, First St. and Founder’s Way. Celebrate the end of PEEPSFEST and the coming of the New Year with the famous Just Born PEEPS Chick drop and fireworks. Free. Artsquest.org/PEEPSFEST 610-332-3378.

H.M.S. Pinafore Jan. 18, 8pm. Back by popular demand, New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players return. The rollicking, tuneful H.M.S. Pinafore was Gilbert & Sullivan’s first international hit.

Don’t miss the intrigue on the high seas and romance among very different classes in this charming, fully staged production, where “broad comedy and stylish singing carry the day” (The New York Times). Miller Symphony Hall, North 6th St., Allentown, PA. 610-432-6715 millersymphonyhall.org

PEEPSFEST 5k Dec. 31, 1 p.m. Throughout downtown Bethlehem. The race starts at the ArtsQuest Cen-

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The Jazz Scene A SWINGING YEAR This year has been a healthy one for jazz in these parts.

The Kimmel Center is upping its commitment to jazz (see details below), non-profits like Jazz Bridge and The Jazz Sanctuary are presenting almost 100 concerts per season, museums have hosted jazz programs, mini-jazz fests are popping up all over, new and old jazz jam sessions are doing above average business, and restaurants and clubs that never used live music of any kind are now booking jazz.

Destinations like The Prime Rib and Sullivan’s maintain a policy of booking jazz pianists seven nights a week. Even Atlantic City’s troubled Revel has gotten into the act, booking pianist Don Glanden and others nightly.

Despite the talk about CDs being phased out, singer Mary Ellen Desmond was able to raise over $10,000 for production of a new recording, and saxophonist Larry McKenna’s new effort has been on the charts for weeks and is now getting national play.

Yes, we do have only one club solely devoted to jazz, and we are sorely in need of a nationally-sponsored, week-long jazz festival. But by and large, there is more live jazz to be heard in this area then ever before.

To ensure continued growth, the jazz community must become more and more responsible for itself in terms of self-promotion and the creation of gigs that weren’t there before. No one is going to do it for you and it’s time to realize that, with rare exception, it’s a new day.

KIMMEL COMMITMENT Wonder of wonders: Kimmel Center now has “a jazz season.” Kicking off 2014 is ground-breaking guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel’s New Quartet on January 16. A stellar program, Newport Jazz Festival: Now 60, comes to town on March 8, featuring artists like Philly native Randy Brecker, singer Karrin Allyson and various others. Other artists booked throughout the spring include Latin jazz exponent/multi-instrumentalist Jon Batiste and Stay Human band on April 25, singer Concha Buika on April 10, and Ethan Lipton and His Orchestra premiering a musical theater piece called No Place to Go on April 11 and 12.

Kimmel is dedicated to the area jazz community as well via presentation of impressive free events, including the monthly “Sittin’ In” jam sessions. Trombonist Jeff Bradshaw leads this month’s jam on December 11. And participants in Kimmel’s “Creative Music Program” for music students age 11 to 19, will present their winter concert on December 21.

COOKING BOOKINGS It could be a new-found respect for jazz history and the jazz tradition, or that the publishing business has realized

BRUCE KLAUBER

that “jazz sells.” Whatever the reason, there have been more books on jazz published this year than ever before. As the year ends, four more titles have been published. All represent important contributions to jazz scholarship, and through the decades, all of the artists referenced in these books appeared regularly in our area.

Louis Armstrong charted the course of jazz. Charlie “Yardbird” Parker changed its course forever. Along with Dizzy Gillespie and several others, Parker literally invented modern jazz. There have been many books about Bird published through the years, but his early, pre-1945 years have never been fully documented. Musicologist/critic Stanley Crouch’s Kansas City Lightning: The Rise and Times of Charlie Parker (Harper Collins) has filled a major void in jazz history with this important work about Bird’s formative years. Crouch, a New York Daily News columnist and MacArthur Genius grant recipient, has been working on this, first in a projected two-volume set, for years. It shows.

There have been dozens of books published about Duke Ellington—including works by Duke’s son and an autobio— with the first one written circa 1946. While the majority of these fell into the “very good” category, few captured the real Duke, a musical genius but an enigmatic character who played it close to the vest in terms of his private life and the inner-workings of his singular ensemble. Terry Teachout, best known for his landmark bio of Louis Armstrong, has come very, very close to capturing the genuine article in Duke: A Life of Duke Ellington (Gotham). Ellington worshippers and defenders, and there are still zillions of them, may take issue with some of what is presented, but Teachout’s research is impeccable and those who have always wanted to know the truth about Maestro will come closer to knowing it after reading this. As for an area connection, Duke worked just about every venue in these parts that featured live music in a career that ran from the 1920s until his death in 1974. Truth be told, if the band had an open date, they would work just about anywhere. Not too long before he passed, Ellington and his merry group of foul balls played a one-nighter at a long-defunct place called the Conestoga Valley Inn, near Berwyn. Of the latter-day Ellington crew, it’s been said “they were either wonderful or awful.” At the Conestoga Inn that night, the band was somewhere in between.

Philadelphia guitarist Billy Bean was a shadowy legend, virtually unknown to the general public, but nonetheless tremendously influential. Bean, who passed away in 2012 after years of substance abuse, recorded only a few projects as a leader after his discovery by fellow Philadelphian Charlie Ventura, but those were enough to make an impact on players like Pat Martino and Larry Coryell (the latter wrote a song called “Billy Bean”). Bean’s life and music are chronicled with taste, accuracy and reverence by Seth Greenberg in a book called Billy Bean: The Life and Music of a Jazz Guitar Legend (SethGreenbergMusic.com).

There was a time when one record label had every major jazz player and singer in history under contract. The record label’s name was Verve, its owner/founder was Norman Granz, and the list of contractees included Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich, Lester Young and Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, Oscar Peterson, Billie Holiday, Lionel Hampton, Duke Ellington and Count Basie. And Granz’s Jazz at the Philharmonic (JATP) live touring group, which appeared annually at the Academy

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of Music from the late 1940s until 1957, paved the way for the acceptance of jazz on the concert stage. The Granz Verve and JATP empire has been chronicled in Verve: The Sound of America, by Richard Havers (with an introduction

by Herbie Hancock), published by Thames & Hudson. This phone book-sized coffee table project is a real stunner. It details, often day-by-day, the activities, artists, recording sessions, tour details of Verve, its imprints, and JATP tours, coupled with dozens of rare photographs that will have jazz fans salivating.

KILLIN’ DYLAN Philadelphia has long been home to the finest bassists and big bands in the country. Dylan Taylor is one those bassists and he will celebrate the release of a new CD, Sweeter for the Struggle, on December 13 at The Painted Bride Arts Center. Anybody who is anybody will on this outing, including legendary guitarist Larry Coryell.

PaintedBride.org/events/DylanTaylor.

In “big band land,” don’t miss trombonist Brian Pastor’s show at the Casino Deli in Northeast Philadelphia on December 17 (BrianPastorBigBand.com), drummer Phil Giordano’s fabulous ensemble at South Philadelphia’s LaStanza Restaurant on December 18 (LaStanza.com), and the marvelous crew under the direction of bone man Rob Stoneback at Bethlehem’s Musikfest Café on December 19 (Artsquest.org). Note that these organizations and their leaders have worked with everyone from Sinatra to Basie, and just because the label reads “big band,” don’t expect warmedover Glenn Miller. These are vital, contemporary ensembles that play modern, often exploratory orchestrations.

MILES OF MOVIES Many of the jazz-focused feature films produced through the years have been, shall we say, less than great. Certainly, pictures like Round Midnight and Bird had their moments, but let’s remember that Hollywood also produced charmers like The Gene Krupa Story. Still, Tinseltown won’t give up on jazz, and word has come that actor Don Cheadle will star/direct in a biopic about Miles Davis called Kill the Trumpet Player, for BiFrost Pictures. Many of those who knew and worked with Davis, also known as “The Prince of Darkness,” will just love the title.

GOODBYE FATHER JOHN Jazz has suffered a terrible loss with the recent death of pianist/composer/educator “Father John” D’Amico at the age of 74. A presence on the jazz scene for more than 40 years, and beloved by everyone, John was just one of those guys you thought—and hoped—would always be here. To read a fulllength tribute to this giant of a man and artist, visit AllAboutJazz.com/php/article.php?id=45821. n

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Singer / Songwriter Paul Simon ★★★★★ Paul Simon - The Complete Albums Collection Legacy Recordings Paul Simon - The Complete Albums Collection documents the progression of the master singer/songwriter, from fledgling folk singer to world music explorer. It’s a journey that spans 1965 to 2011 and encompasses 12 studio albums, two concert recordings (Paul Simon In Concert: Live Rhymin’ and Paul Simon’s Concert in the Park) plus 37 bonus tracks.

After his breakup with Art Garfunkel in the early 1970s, Simon had the freedom to explore sounds and musical genres that would work better outside the confines of the duo.

“Mother and Child Reunion” and “Loves Me Like a Rock,” two hit singles in the early 1970s, Paul Simon. show him delving into reggae and gospel, respectively. The albums Graceland (1986) and The Rhythm of the Saints (1990) found Simon traveling to South Africa and Brazil to incorporate the music of those lands into his own to produce a cultural hybrid. Simon has also worked in other media. The film soundtrack for One Trick Pony (1980) found him incorporating Latin swing on “Late in the Evening.” On Songs from The Capeman (1997), Simon tried his band at a Broadway musical, reaching back to the doo wop music of his youth in the 1950s.

The box set allows for the rediscovery of songs that slipped through the cracks. “Hearts and Bones,” the title track of his 1983 album, is an unflinching commentary on the mysteries of romance, while the spiritual “Wartime Prayers” from Surprise in 2006 was inspired by the U.S. war with Iraq. “Gone at Last,” from the 1975 album Still Crazy After All These Years, is a joyous marriage of the secular and spiritual, featuring vocal support from Phoebe Snow and the Jessy Dixon Singers. (201 songs; 13 hours and 15 minutes).

Neil Young ★★★★ Live at the Cellar Door Reprise Records Live at the Cellar Door, the latest installment in Neil Young’s Archives Performance Series, features the legendary singer/songwriter in concert in late 1970 at a small club in Washington, D.C. Young had just turned 25 and was enjoying one of his best years with the release of the single “Ohio” by Crosby Stills Nash & Young and After the Gold Rush, his third solo album. Working solo in concert, Young is clearly enjoying himself, bonding with the audience as he

tomwilk@rocketmail.com

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

delivers a spirited 13-song performance.

Accompanying himself on acoustic guitar and piano, Young throws in some surprises. “Cinnamon Girl,” normally a guitar-driven rocker, is performed on piano, giving the song a mellower feel. Young debuts “Bad Fog of Loneliness”

Neil Young. Photo: Gary Burden.

and “Old Man” in concert. The latter is a classic reflection on aging that wouldn’t see its release on a studio album until Harvest in 1972.

Young spotlights songs from his current album—the dreamy title track; the coming-of-age tale “Tell Me Why” and the romantic warning of “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” alongside selections from his Buffalo Springfield songbook (“I Am a Child” and “Expecting to Fly”). Live at the Cellar Door is a journey through the past worth taking, to borrow a title from one of Young’s songs. (13 songs; 45 minutes) Boz Scaggs ★★★1/2 The Essential Boz Scaggs Columbia/Legacy The Essential Boz Scaggs, a double CD, chronicles the musical journey of the Texas native from 1969 to 2013.

Scaggs, who started his career as a guitarist in the Steve Miller Band, has drawn inspiration from the blues, rhythm and blues and soul music while working under his own name.

“Loan Me a Dime,” the centerpiece of his 1969 debut solo album, revealed him to be an effective interpreter of the Fenton Robinson original. Lead guitarist Duane Allman lifted the performance into the stratosphere with a searing solo that pushed the song past the 13-minute mark.

In the mid 1970s, Scaggs hit his stride artistically with three hit singles from Silk Degrees. On “Lowdown” he was a soul balladeer working in the lower vocal register. “Lido Shuffle” was a tough-edged rocker, while “It’s Over” was a smooth slice of soul with his vocals riding the wave of the rhythm.

Scaggs also developed as a songwriter. “We’re All Alone” became the biggest hit of Rita Coolidge’s career. Scaggs has scaled back on his recorded output since the 1990s, but showed he could still deliver the goods. A 1996 live version of Albert King’s “As The Years Go Passing By” with backing

by Booker T. & the MGs, ranks among the best performances of Scaggs’ career. (32 songs; 155 minutes).

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Tim Easton ★★★1/2 Not Cool Thirty Tigers Tim Easton goes back to the roots on Not Cool, merging classic rock ‘n’ roll and country with contemporary lyrics for a compelling CD. “Don’t Lie,” which kicks off the album, is a cautionary tale for couples that has echoes of Johnny Cash’s Sun Records period. “Troubled Times” and “Lickety Split” both have a solid rockabilly feel, with the latter featuring guitar work in the style of Eddie Cochran. “Little Doggie (1962) quotes Elmore James and Hank Williams’ “Lovesick Blues” in an effective blend of country and blues.

On “Four Queens,” a raspyvoiced Easton serves up a Dylanesque tale of a quartet of mysterious women over a chugging blues rhythm. The title track is a reflective ballad on the need Tim Easton. Photo: Tyler McCay. to be true to one’s self that rises and falls in intensity.

“Knock Out Roses (for Levon),” an instrumental featuring fiddle and mandolin, concludes the album with a heartfelt tribute to Levon Helm that recalls The Band’s rootsy music. (11 songs, 30 minutes) Cyril Neville ★★★1/2 Magic Honey Ruf Records Like an investor expanding his stock portfolio, Cyril Neville has diversified his musical base. The longtime percussionist/vocalist for the Neville Brothers has branched out as a member of the Royal Southern Brotherhood with Devon Allman and Mike Zito and as a solo artist.

Magic Honey finds Neville capably filling the shoes of a front man, building upon the foundation of his roots in New Orleans music. The title track is a soulful blues with overtones of ‘60s soul legend Wilson Pickett, but Neville also branches out from his comfort zone. “Slow Motion” finds him venturing into a comfortable reggae groove, which he gets political on “Money and Oil” and “Working Man,” his take on surviving in the 21st century economy. “Got no time for living,” Neville observes, “‘coz I’m working all the time.”

Neville hasn’t abandoned his New Orleans roots.

“Swamp Funk” lives up to its name with the help of a pair of Crescent City music makers: Allen Touissant on piano and Dr. John on organ. Magic Honey is a tasty serving of musical gumbo from a Louisiana legend. (12 songs: 54 minutes) n

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Jazz Library

BOB PERKINS

BillyECKSTINE Most folks who are familiar with Billy Eckstine’s work as an entertainer in the middle of the last century, credit him with being “the singer with the big baritone voice.” They don’t know about the big band he fronted in the mid ’40s, or that he was a pretty fair musician—and on occasion played trumpet and valve trombone in the band.

Eckstine gets a hug from a fan after a show in 1949.

Martha Holmes/Time & Life Pictures-Getty Images.

He was self-taught as a singer and instrumentalist, and when his band folded after several years he became one of the nation’s top male balladeers, rivaling the likes of Frank Sinatra, and Perry Como in popularity.

Eckstine hailed from Pittsburgh, a city which, like Philadelphia and Detroit, can lay claim to having produced more than its share of great jazz artists. His fame began with the Earl Hines Band in the late ‘30s. Breaking away from Hines in 1943, he put together his own band some months later, after coaxing several Hines band members to join him— Sarah Vaughan among them.

Through the late 1940s and early1950s, Eckstine recorded hit after hit for the MGM label. His romantic voice, good looks and finely tailored clothes endeared him to female fans—black and white. (He had a fan club comprised of white teenagers—which in the early 1950s raised the eyebrows of their parents, and conservatives.)

During the height of his popularity in the early ’50s, there was talk of casting him on

screen as a leading man, opposite a white actress named Esther Williams. The suggestion went over like a lead balloon. When the film was made in 1952, instead of singing love songs to Williams, Eckstine crooned a ballad for Williams and leading man Barry Sullivan.

Although appreciated by many, Eckstine’s skin began to thin because of the snubs he’d received over the years—and from being called The Black Frank Sinatra. First, he had to give up his band because of poor bookings, which he attributed in part to racial bias. But his band, like himself, was ahead of its time. Racial bias may have played a part in the band’s demise, but the big band business was folding fast when Eckstine’s orchestra emerged—and that, more than anything else, sealed the band’s fate.

To compound his frustrations, the IRS raided his home and confiscated gold records and other valuable memorabilia to help satisfy a tax debt.

Eckstine’s popularity began to wane in the mid-’50s. He remained a top attraction to legions of African-American fans who knew his history as both singer and bandleader, and whose band boasted budding young talent like Art Blakey, Fats Navarro, Sonny Stitt, Dexter Gordon, Sarah Vaughan, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, and a host of others, many of whom went on to great fame.

I was privileged to meet, interview and introduce Eckstine on stage several times toward the latter part of his career. Our last meeting was at a Philly nightclub in which he appeared in 1985. He was no stranger to the city, having appeared often at the old Faye’s Theater at 40th and Market, and at the Earle Theater at 11th and Market. He had a great many friends in Philly, and after work hung out at the after-hour joints that flourished here in the middle of the century.

Eckstine was born William Clarence Eckstine, July 8, 1914, in Pittsburgh and died there at the age of 78. Like so many other talented souls, he never received the praise and accolades due him. But some souls are aware of his accomplishments—many of which were attained in the face of formidable odds.

I am one of those cognizant souls. ■

Bob Perkins is a writer and host of an all-jazz radio program that airs on WRTI-FM 90.1 Mon-Thurs.

6 to 9pm & Sun., 9am–1pm.

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Keresman on Disc Volker Kriegel ★★★1/2 The Lost Tapes Jazzhaus John Abercrombie Quartet ★★★★ 39 Steps ECM For jazz guitar fans, That Holiday has come early. Here are two packages of ace electric six-stringing, one from a past master and one still very much with us.

Volker Kriegel (1943-2003) was a German jazz whiz and one of the leading guitarists in the European scene in the 1970s and ‘80s while not getting wellknown this side of the Volker Kriegel. Photo: Evelyn Kriegel. pond. The double-CD, a collection of previously unissued recordings 1963-69, is an admirable cross-section of ‘60s jazz—while he started out as a mainstream player strongly influenced by Wes Montgomery, Jim Hall, and Barney Kessel, Kriegel was also open to the influences of rock, free jazz, and the onset/onslaught of fusion. In fact, he was one of Germany’s first fusion-ers, playing with Eberhard Weber and American violinist Don “Sugarcane” Harris. Anyway, Lost Tapes is a groovy mélange of too-cool mainstream bebop and proto-fusion—he even covers Frank Zappa’s “Mother People.” Kriegel has an attractive style—while not a “spare” player, his swinging-but-unhurried approach lets you almost “see” the strings vibrate against the pickup on his axe. (29 tracks; 135 minutes) arthausmusik.com/jazzhaus/cd.html John Abercrombie has long been affiliated with the ECM “sound” for many years and he’s not about to stop now— which is not to imply 39 Steps is same old, same old. Steps is relaxed, chilled-out, autumnal, and spacious, true, but Abercrombie has achieved a sublime, relaxed lyricism that approaches the level of pianist Bill Evans. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Marc Copland is at the piano, a fine Evans-esque keys-guy, and the bass/drum team is Drew Gress and Joey Baron, respectively. Baron can storm, yes he can, but here he takes after Evans drummer Paul Motian, playing with rare delicacy and empathy. There’s swing here too, but it’s more implied than outright. Makes for dandy late-eve listening.

(10 tracks, 59:42) Rhys Chatham ★★★★ Harmonie du Soir Northern Spy This Rhys Chatham guy has had an interesting career— before establishing himself as a composer/performer he tuned the keyboards of iconic proto-minimalist La Monte Young and legendary classical pianist Glenn Gould and studied under pioneering electronic composer Morton Subotnick. Beginning in the late 1970s, Chatham has been commingling aspects of minimalism (in the Terry Riley/Philip shemp@hotmail.com

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

Glass sense), 20th century classical music, and visceral rock and roll. The title piece of this collection, for several electric guitars, bass, and drums, combines the lean clangor of guitars—think Beatles, Ramones, Stones—with the melodrama of Beethoven. (A hefty claim, but ‘tis true.) “Harmonie de Pontarlier” is for a more conventionally “classical” orchestra featuring long, sustained lines, lurching and wistful melodies, and judicious swirls reminiscent of the exotic moments of Rimsky-Korsakov. It’s easy to imagine some listeners being annoyed by this disc and it’s also easy to imagine some—especially them that can enjoy Sonic Youth and Charles Ives in the same afternoon—being spellbound and enthralled. (3 tracks; 52 minutes) northernspyrecords.com

Big Star ★★★1/2 Playlist: The Very Best of Big Star Legacy The Bongos ★★★★ Phantom Train JEM Some bands/performers are too good for their time, dig?

While they’ve garnered some sincerely loyal fan-bases, these two outfits didn’t get their proper dues from, well, the world. Big Star: The name is legend, its sales minimal and influence massive. Big Star’s early 1970s albums sold diddly, due to record company difficulties and radio programmers’ myopia, yet such august outfits as the dBs, the Replacements, the Posies, and assorted others owe Big Star big-time for its synthesis of the bittersweet crackle of mid-1960s Beatles and Kinks and Memphis tuff-ness. (Their “In The Street” became the theme for That ‘70s Show as performed by Cheap Trick.) This Playlist edition is in essence a tasty hors d’oeuvre, presenting a crosssection of the Big Star catalog: Half the set is from the band’s heyday (1972-78), the other half from the band’s 1993 revival with two of the Posies subbing. While the reunion tracks are fine, the emphasis should’ve been on their crucial early ‘70s stuff. Get this but beware: It’ll just get you hungry for more. (14 tracks; 46 minutes) legacyrecordings.com Hoboken’s Bongos began as a trio in 1980, ended as a quartet 1987—in their time this band, along with the dBs, REM, and select others—founded the sub-genre indie pop.

The Bongos drew upon the melodicism of the mid-‘60s Beatles and Donovan, the quirky song-craft of T. Rex and David Bowie, and the wired intensity of the Velvet Underground

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for their sound, topped-off by the winsome, poignant vocals of main songwriter Richard Barone. Recorded in ’87, Phantom Train was to be their third full-length opus, but the band, alas, dissolved. It now sees the light of day. Barone had—has—a way with insinuating melodies that puts him in a class with Elvis Costello, Aimee Mann, Squeeze, and Paul McBeatle (in the latter’s less sugary moments). While the shades of the ‘late 80s hover—there are stylistic inklings of the Psychedelic Furs, XTC, and even a bit of Talking Heads— the Bongos still sound fab, now as then. (14 tracks; 51 minutes) jemrecordings.com Ben Allison ★★★★1/2 The Stars Look Very Different Today Sonic Camera NYC-based acoustic bass-ace Ben Allison delivers yet another winner in The Stars…, the debut offering on his own label. Before establishing himself as a bandleader/composer,

Ben Allison Band.

Allison played with the Herbie Nichols Project, Curtis Stigers, and Lee Konitz. Allison is of the more recent generation(s) of jazz players for whom non-jazz-ers Neil Young, Donny Hathaway, and Samuel Barber are as inspirational as Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk. Allison’s band is a tad unusual for most jazz combos, as it features two guitarists, Steve Cardenas and Brandon Seabrook, with the latter also on banjo, along with drummer Allison Miller, who’s made her considerable rep playing with such diverse swells as Michael Feinstein, Natalie Merchant, Ani DiFranco, and Dr. Lonnie Smith. Stars encompasses the ominous, Byrds-jangletinged “Neutron Star” (which has an almost symphonic build-up) to the vague Morricone-Western lope of “No Other Side” (with a beautiful pliant Allison solo that Charlie Haden would be proud to call his own) and languid, almost shimmering guitars. About the guitars: While driven by jazz suss they sear and smolder, having more commonality with Roger McGuinn, Tom Verlaine, and Jeff Beck than with Kenny Burrell or Jim Hall. Miller, like Matt Wilson, plays with the unadulterated whomp of a rocker and a jazz drummer’s flexible finesse. This is not “fusion” is the usual sense—it’s jazz infused with the captivating, companionable moodiness and dynamics of folk, rock, and film soundtracks—a TRUE American fusion music. Oh-so-excellent. (8 tracks; 42 minutes) benallison.com ■

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Nick’’s Picks Miles Davis ★★★★★ The Original Mono Recordings (available on CD and Vinyl) Columbia/Legacy You can’t define Miles Davis with one word. He was 29 in 1955, the year he signed with Columbia Records, and already known as a provocateur, a trendsetter and genius.

Today his brand is universally recognized, mostly as a prolific trumpeter and the quintessential jazz musician with a recording legacy that’s ripe for rediscovery with every

A young Miles Davis.

generation. That legacy, which took root and flowered in the 1950s, was cemented during his long-term tenure at Columbia Records where Davis’ creativity perhaps did more to advance jazz in the last half of the 20th century than any other single musician.

Evidence of the trumpeter’s dynamic artistry can be found from the outset on nine albums that Davis recorded at Columbia, spanning the years 1957 to 1964. Repackaged and assembled as a nine-CD box set or individually on 180-gram limited edition vinyl, Miles Davis: The Original Mono Recordings provide compulsively listenable music in a sonic format that’s mostly been forgotten. The albums themselves are classics: ‘Round About Midnight, Miles Ahead, Milestones, Jazz Track, Porgy and Bess, Kind of Blue, Sketches of Spain, Someday My Prince Will Come and Miles & Monk at Newport. The Jazz Track album adds three standout studio cuts to the collected music

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

Twitter: @countingbeats

cues that Davis improvised for Louis Malle’s 1958 thriller, Elevator To The Gallows, and Milestones and Porgy and Bess reunite Davis with his Birth Of The Cool collaborator, Gil Evans.

The recording sessions that yielded these albums were carefully produced in both monaural and stereo sound, but we learn from the set’s notes that mono recordings were the preferred way popular music was recorded and marketed in the 50’s and early 60’s to consumers. It wasn’t until 1959 that stereo LPs were sold by Columbia as a way to reach upscale buyers who had the requisite hi-fi systems.

There’s no doubt of the viability in the marketplace that physical boxed CDs has limitations given the shifting demographics of their potential buyers. As handsome as the set is (Legacy slips nine CDs into mini-LP replica jackets together in the box with a 40page annotated booklet) the vinyl editions of these mono recordings will be choice items for the flourishing turntable-owner set. Mastered from the original analog tapes by Mark Wilder, it’s worth noting that the audible difference between the mono CDs and vinyl is obvious.

Jazz fans have grown up hearing the stereo versions of these recordings, but their monaural counterparts, especially the vinyl, have a palpable depth-of-field with fine-grain instrumentation and a sonic richness that’s as satisfying as a timeless black and white movie. The experience of listening to the music is like being in the recording booth as Miles, Paul Chambers, Philly Joe Jones, John Coltrane and Red Garland play incomparable versions of standards and now classic jazz originals. It’s easier to describe this historic set in one word: cool, like Miles.

Vince Ector ★★★★ Organatomy American Showplace Records Meeting drummer Vince Ector for the first time, after attending singer Giacomo Gates’ unabashedly hip and swinging 2013 appearance at Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola in NYC in support of his Miles Davis tribute CD, was like reconnecting with an old friend. Humble and good-natured, Ector is a musician clearly in love with his art and an artist eager to share stories and experiences. The drummer invited me to listen to his third solo recording, Organatomy, which turns out to feature a burning organ/guitar/tenor/drum combo.

In conversation with Ector about his music, I asked him why he decided to make a record with such a distinctive lead instrument.

“I decided to do an organ date because

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of my history with [organist] Charles Earland. Charlie gave me my first record date on Ready & Able (Muse, 1995),” Ector tells me.

“We had a long history because we both grew up in South Philly. His niece worked for my childhood doctor and knew I was a kid who played drums from a young age. Every year she would show me her Uncle Charlie’s new LP. Little did I know he would give me my first major break. I toured Europe for the first time with him as well.”

Organatomy sets itself apart by including a Brazilian-flavored original, a spry Jobim cover and adds trumpeter Claudio Roditi and percussionist Café on several tracks. As a leader, Ector artfully balances his arranging skills with soulfully played compositions like Ellington’s “In A Sentimental Mood,” a version that swings with a hip bass and drum vamp. It’s part of a diverse playlist of spirited originals and fresh takes on Gillespie and Joe Henderson tunes. Organist Kyle Koehler has grooves for days, with a persuasive B-3 message and melodic flourishes that inject “Aries,” a Don Patterson and Sonny Stitt original collaboration, with beauty and brawn.

From an historical perspective, Ector reveals, “This CD is more of a homage to all of the great [jazz] organists I was fortunate enough to see as a kid including Don Patterson himself. Philly has a long B-3 history and I felt it was time to record an organ CD because I have always had a fondness and respect for the tradition. This time I decided to write a few pieces that I thought represented the many uncommon facets of the instrument such as a samba (“Karen’s Dance”) that’s typically not heard on organ.”

Organatomy ushers Vince Ector into the ranks of Philly’s Kings of Swing—a group that includes Larry McKenna and pianist Jimmy Amadie. His modern-leaning take on the classic jazz organ group has flow and plenty of percussive excitement, along with what Ector says is “swing, groove, excitement. Rhythmically, it takes chances—what makes a great organ CD.” (9 tracks; 48 minutes) Rene Marie ★★★★1/2 I Wanna be Evil (With Love To Eartha Kitt) Motema Moods collide in the most harmonious way on Rene Marie’s saucy homage to Eartha Kitt, I Wanna be Evil, an album of signature Kitt tunes and lesser-known songs that underscore Ms. Marie’s originality and strong point of view. While she doesn’t sound like or imitate Eartha Kitt, Marie unquestionably lets her spirit move her with evocative renditions of “I’d Rather Be Burned As A Witch”

and the title cut, both which succeed due to the scorching dynamic between Marie and her ace band, plus the high-octane horn arrangements by hot, young trumpeter Etienne Charles who rounds out the frontline trio along with trombonist Wycliffe Gordon and saxophonist Adrian Cunningham.

Marie’s own arrangement of the old Rosemary Clooney hit, “Come On-A My House” utilizes exotic percussion by Quentin Baxter to conjure up all kinds of illicit pursuits and her investment in the lyric gives this standard a modern sensual twist. The

Rene Marie.

band floats “C’est Si Bon” on a cottony cloud of rhythm, plush and inviting, as Marie coos the song with a sophisticated wink and nod.

Charles is highlighted again on “Santa Baby,” arranged by pianist Kevin Bales and sung at a Shirley Horn tempo—perhaps the best afterhours rendition of this classic tune you’ll hear.

The album concludes with “Weekend,” an original song by Rene Marie that carries the sort of emotional gravity of “Strange Fruit.” Only an artist as talented as Ms. Marie could write a song about sexual abuse that resonates so deeply, maybe because its message connects more easily with a soul-jazz groove. It’s a sobering closer to be sure, but points to the better musical choices that Marie makes and her production standards that make I Wanna Be Evil a truly great jazz vocal record. (10 tracks; 60 minutes)

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

Houston Person ★★★★ Nice ‘n’ Easy High Note Saxophonist Houston Person has one of the most dependable track records in jazz. A stout traditionalist who has produced and arranged a long list of solo recordings, many for his current label, High Note, Person is a tenor player in the mode of Gene Ammons and Stanley Turrentine, a musician whose style and irresistible honeyed tone epitomizes jazz for many listeners. Person’s album is inspired by Frank Sinatra’s original classic Nice ‘n’ Easy from 1960, right down to the pop-colored graphics, yet it’s set apart by a

not to compose or play in these styles, but to have my experiences inspire new ways of writing and improvising.”

I first saw Baum perform with her group over two years ago in a small now-defunct club and even then her creativity seemed larger than her small stature. On the Standard’s bandstand, she led a group that she’s remarkably kept assembled for 14 years,

like phrasing, reminiscent of Hubert Laws, one of Baum’s many teachers and influences.

As satisfying as it is heartfelt, Baum’s experiences vividly evokes many moods, especially the title cut that’s framed with the soft, medium tempo of a ballad and wistful licks by downtown guitarist Brad Shepik, but contains a jumpy mid-section that sports jagged piano lines and dramatic harmonies for brass. On the poetic and loving “While We Are Here” and the anthem-like “The Game” (dig that Dan Weiss tabla accompaniment), Baum sets herself free from the constraints of straight-ahead jazz, incorporating a range of subtle musical styles that ultimately gives In This Life its welcome contours. (11 tracks; 65 minutes) Mack Avenue Records Vinyl Recordings Assorted Artists

Houston Person.

selection of songs that suits Person’s breezy, soulful inclinations. Sophisticated swing with a beat, a melody and expressive accompaniment is what Person is all about. Louis Armstrong’s “Someday You’ll Be Sorry,” along with songbook standards “All My Tomorrows” and “Let’s Fall In Love” are perfectly suited to Person’s graceful and lyrical style.

Supporting the saxophonist is Houston’s familiar sidemen—the melodic pianist John diMartino, classic jazz bassist Ray Drummond and beats master Lewis Nash. A refreshing addition to the date, vibraphonist Chuck Redd provides the set list with sparkling harmonic textures. (10 tracks; 56 minutes) The Jamie Baum Septet+ ★★★★1/2 In This Life Sunnyside Appearing with her septet at the Jazz Standard in New York on November 19 in support of In This Life, an astonishing and beautiful album, I watched a busy and conscientious Jamie Baum dart about the club making last minute changes to her set list and double-checking the soloing order of her musicians before the first set. A determined and focused flute player, Baum’s recording was inspired by her travels to India and South Asia, and most directly the devotional music of singer Pakistani Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. But, as she explains “my goal was

Jamie Baum (first row, left) and Septet.

making resoundingly original music that’s warmly accessible and unerringly performed.

Currently comprised of some of New York’s finest jazz musicians (many with their own current solo projects), a testament to her leadership skill, Baum spoke in humble tones about the inspiration that resulted from her cultural experiences, both secular and religious that provided an existential epiphany that’s memorably expressed through In This Life.

Baum’s superior charts give the project a small big band sound—she layers waves of quietly majestic sound enriched by first-class trumpeters Amir ElSaffir and Taylor Haskins, and horn players Chris Komer and Douglas Yates. “Nusrat” is propelled by bustling rhythm and brass, a brief yet bracing feature for the entire septet. Bassist Zack Lober and conga player Samuel Torres lay a deep groove on “Ants and Other Faithful Beings,” a rhythmic gem with a riveting theme and gorgeous solo by pianist John Escreet.

Baum’s solo style favors warm, chamber jazz-

What is it about vinyl records that cause listeners to swoon? As a recent convert myself (I’ll cop to the fact that I’ve recently invested in a Clearaudio turntable rig), I can say that despite the slight nuisance of getting up every 15 minutes to turn over the platter, the sound of vinyl captures the essence of a performance in a way that digital media cannot. The warmth of analog sound, together with the depth and dynamic range of vinyl is sonically apparent to most listeners and even non-audiophiles. A welcome resurgence of interest of vinyl has not gone unnoticed by recording labels, since most of them offer a vinyl edition and CD to accompany their current digital releases.

To satisfy this renaissance of vinyl, the classy, independent label Mack Avenue Records, founded by Detroit businesswoman Gretchen Valade and Tom Robinson, have recently issued some of their best recordings on audiophile-quality 180-gram double-LP records: Cecile McLorin Salvant ★★★★★ WomanChild New Gary Burton Quartet ★★★★ Common Ground Christian McBride & Inside Straight ★★★★1/2 Kind Of Brown Christian McBride ★★★1/2 The Christian McBride Big Band Stanley Jordan ★★★★ Friends

Kenny Garrett ★★★★ Seeds From The Underground Kevin Eubanks ★★★1/2 Zen Food Yellowjackets ★★★★ Timeline So, back to the swooning thing—out of all of these Mack Avenue LP releases, two albums stand out in particular. Apart from getting extra-deluxe gatefold packaging on Christian McBride’s Kind Of Brown tworecord set, it’s the only one in this group that’s pressed on 210-gram vinyl, which results in a flatter LP and a lower noise floor when played on your own turntable. And it includes a link for a digital download of the full album. Like each of the Mack Avenue LPs, this sings with clarity and astonishing vividness—there’s a tangible feeling to McBride’s band as if you are sitting directly in front of them. Drummer Carl Allen, pianist Eric Reed, sax player Steve Wilson and vibraphonist Warren Wolf blend seamlessly across the soundstage.

The album from singer Cecile McLorin Salvant is a solid candidate for jazz vocal record of the year. Winner of the 2010 Thelonious Monk International jazz Competition, Salvant is accompanied by label mate and swinging pianist/arranger Aaron Diehl, bassist Rodney Whitaker, guitarist James Chirillo and drummer Herlin Riley, on beautifully crafted tunes that will make you think of singers like Ella and Sarah Vaughan, not stylistically, but rather in terms of originality and poise. Salvant’s version of “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was” is seized with a vitality that bursts out of your speakers. Not in a long while has one heard as captivating a performance, one that brings together groove and grace so beautifully. A once and future star, let’s hope that Ms. Salvant continues to light up the night in song for a long time to come.

Vinyl has come full-circle, no longer on life-support or sustained by handful of rebel labels, collectors and fringe audiophiles.

Mack Avenue Records is supporting the effort by partnering with the well-respected vinyl producer, RTI Technologies—the same company that produced the invaluable Miles Davis monaural LPs. Each of their eight initial offerings provides an exceptional reason to reinvest in vinyl. Perhaps it’s time to repurpose the phrase coined at the launch of CD technology back in the ‘80s, which promised “perfect sound forever”—turns out it never went away. ■

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Dining

ROBERT GORDON

THE BLACK BASS HOTEL MIMICKING THE SURROUNDING TERRAIN, the Black Bass Hotel has had its ups and downs over the years. Considering its 268-year-and-counting run, that’s not surprising. In the ‘70s it was a top-shelf dining destination. Its picturesque seclusion wooed romantics. A nascent foodie nation savored the Hotel’s classic European, upscale menu and its fairytale setting feathered in a hint of exclusivity.

We made our first venture to the Black Bass back in 1979, at its zenith on the regional dining scene. Between then and now, Black Bass capital has endured more than its share of peaks and valleys. Floods and road outages have shut it down at times. And the greening of the regional food scene has, for some, rendered it a destination too far.

In recent times, the Black Bass Hotel has rehabbed extensively, deftly preserving its endearing creak and charm. Black Bass is a working inn. The historic edifice boasts nine suites. Each lavishes the amenities of the here-and-now on the graciousness of bygone eras. Some afford stunning vistas across the Delaware.

A variety of dining venues await the hungry. The Lantern Lounge, is illuminated by a canapé of metallic lanterns. The Tavern has a gleaming pewter bar that was plucked from Maxim’s in Paris, as well as an extensive collection of porcelain, much of it historic. Finally there’s the elegant Main Dining Room and River Deck.

Chef John Barrett has captained the kitchen for over a dozen years. He keeps the menu contemporary and inviting.

The uninspired, fossilized fare that drags down restaurant operations at some historic showcases is absent. For those who have known the Black Bass for decades, the fabled Charleston Meeting Street Crab abides. Overnight guests (a good idea for any who log significant miles to get here) will see numerous menus from decades past hanging on the walls. Each includes Charleston Meeting Street Crab, a classic au gratin with reduced cream, sharp cheddar cheese and sherry.

Classic French influence pervades a mostly Contemporary American menu. Crispy Duck Confit appetizer rings with the same gusto as the French classic. But it’s the accompanying figs and port wine balsamic reduction that make the dish memorable. Even though the number of choices is relatively small, appetizers are suitable for grazing.

Salt and Peppered Crispy Squid piles up beside a dipping sauce—the tingle of citrus in the sauce gives the lightly breaded squid vibrancy. Spicy Beef Empanada is an explosion of flavors pitting plantains and sweet grilled tomatoes against the punch of roasted poblano peppers and salsa verde.

A balanced slate of entrées offers seven fish dishes, four meat dishes, and a vegetarian ravioli made with Brie and Mozzarella in a tomato-olive sauce.

Macadamia Crusted Mahi Mahi is another dish that packs subtle sweetness—a characteristic of the Chef ’s style. Chopped macadamia nuts, roasted pineapple salsa and fried sweet plantain are tasty touches, but it’s the luscious creamy smooth avocado purée layering the plate that brands the dish destination-worthy.

Several desserts stand out: S’mores re-imagined with lush chocolate ganache; Lemon Mascarpone Cheesecake with lavender-infused shortbread and blueberry compote; Salted Caramel and Chocolate Torte; and rich house-made ice creams and sorbets. The Sour Cherry and Pistachio Crisp is my favorite, bright and puckery sweet. I’ve enjoyed it on several previous occasions, but, like the Black Bass itself, some things never get old. ■ Black Bass Hotel, 3774 River Rd., Lumberville, PA (215) 297-9260 blackbasshotel.com

Email comments and suggestions to r.gordon33@verizon.net

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Dining

ROBERT GORDON

ZAMA “ZAMA IS WHERE LA famille Calmels eats on our days off. It’s the best sushi in Philly.”

That’s what Pierre Calmels, Chef-Owner of Bibou, told me. When one of the city’s premier chefs lends that kind of endorsement, I pay attention, particularly when Stephen Yaeger, former GM at Pod and current GM at Jones, seconds the emotion.

Unquestionably, Chef Hiroyuki “Zama” Tanaka’s sushi ranks near or at the city pinnacle.

Ironically, Tanaka picked up the Zama moniker while he was cooking burgers and pizza at Camp Zama, a US Army base near Yokohama, Japan. But the young chef honed his sushi skills not in his native Japan but here in Philly at the now-departed Genji.

One thing is certain: the Zama menu has a lot going on, much more than the typical sushi house. There are a couple of artfully conceived, and highly recommended, tasting menus for $55 and $75. They certainly whet and sate the palate. His tasting menus are the most balanced, diverse, and properly proportioned I recall…anywhere.

Tasting menus aside, choices abound on a delightfully extensive menu that surpasses the sushi-house paradigm. Zama’s collaborations with other 4-Bell city chefs are superb. He teamed up with Jose Garces, Marc Vetri, Pierre Calmels, and Michael Solomonov to push the sushi envelope in delectable directions. The Bibou Roll, concocted with Calmels, partners sautéed escargot with edamame and minty shiso in soy dashi butter with an open-face fennel and tempura haricot vert maki roll. It’s complex, harmonized and superb. But so are the special rolls created with the other chefs. A portion of the profits for each Chef-Inspired Charity Roll goes to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Creative, coherent compositions, a Zama hallmark, show clearly in dishes like Soft Shell Shrimp. The flash-fried crunch of the thin shells gives textural interest to the delicate shrimp.

Citrusy bursts of yuzu and Tuna Tataki pique the flavor. Honey miso sauce adds sweetness to sear-kissed tuna atop micro greens, radishes, and beets. Another outstanding dish is is Chawanmushi, a Japanese egg custard that uses Gingko seeds. Shrimp and mushrooms complement the Chawanmushi.

The delectably light cladding on Spicy Paiche Tempura (Amazonian cod) gives the dish an ethereal quality that pairs well with cashews and the crunchy broccoli and cauliflower sides.

Meat dishes, too, are splendidly prepared. Wagyu Tataki is marinated in oil and garlic, seared slightly, served with a zingy dipping sauce of red yuzu pepper ponzu, and sided with earthy edamame purée. Some Americana standards like Chicken Tenders find their way into the menu as well, always with a delectable spin that elevates the dish without straying too far from familiar territory. Yuzu Pepper Dipping Sauce gives lusty flavor swirls to Zama’s chicken tenders. Truffled cashews add class and crunch, while oven-fried Brussels sprouts make for a healthy, crunchy, comfort-food side.

Suffice it to say the menu sparkles with clever zigs and zags, refreshing takes on standards, and masterfully prepared tuna that scores in texture, color, freshness, and presentation. Zama combines the skills of the master sushi chef with the knack for inventiveness and imagination.

Courses are nicely spaced, thanks to the polished cast of energetic servers and Chef Zama’s skill in orchestrating meals. Between courses, my eyes trace the ubiquitous vertical motif of the walls. Wooden slats climb to an arched ceiling where straight lines give way to concentric circles and a series of arcs. It’s a fitting décor. All the elements here synergize harmoniously—and deliciously. ■ Zama, 128 S. 19th St., Philadelphia (215) 568-1027 zamaphilly.com Email comments and suggestions to r.gordon33@verizon.net 40 ■ I C O N ■ D E C 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

S WA N

HOTEL Modern Cuisine h Classic Comfort Corner of Swan & Main Lambertville, NJ 609-397-3552 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 ■ D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 3 ■ I C O N ■ 41

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First Sip

PATRICIA SAVOIE

Return to

PORTUGAL I HAD THE GOOD fortune to visit one of the more interesting nays and Merlots. I was particularly impressed with many of the wine regions in Portugal again—the Ribatejo region just northwest whites I tried—Fernao Pires and Arinto being standouts. In reds, the of Lisbon. I had first visited in 2007 and wrote an enthusiastic colTrincaderas and Touriga Nacional blends were impressive. umn on the wines. And now, the wines have gotten even better as Prices are still reasonable and make these wines from Tejo new technology is applied to the wineries, and they are more availgreat values. For $15.00 or less, you can get a fine, pleasing bottle able in the U.S. for dinner. They The region has crewill easily compleated a new name ment holiday dinthat is easier to reners as well. Here member: they now are a few specific go under the name wineries and of “Tejo” (prowines I like. nounced tay-jo) Quinta da and have been foAlorna: This is the cusing on exports oldest winery to the U.S. market. here. Their Arinto The Tejo wine is lovely. The citregion lies on both rus notes make sides of the river for a nice, crisp Tagus, from which wine. Also a nice, the name derives. spicy red Reserva It is the oldest blend of Touriga wine region, with Nacional and winemaking going Cabernet. back to the 13th Casa Cadaval: Century. It is the Padre Pedro Tinto second largest (red blend of wine region, Aragones, Trinspreading across a cadeira, Cabernet wide, flat plain— Sauvignon, Merwith some low lot) - Dark chermountains to the ries. Padre Pedro North—that has Reserva (same Castelo de Almourol, Praia do Ribatejo - Vila Nova da Barquinha three different soil blend but more types (terroirs): select grapes) chalky limestone, shows fetching clay and sandy and dry. In recent years, the wineries have been reaomas of violets. planting vines, moving them from the wetter plains to higher Quinta da Ribeirinha: Their Vale de Lobos blend of Fernao Pires ground, where drainage is better. and white Trincadeira has a perfumed nose with oriental spice hints.

When I last visited, I commented: “the local grape varieties are Pleasing and easy to drink. now being replanted and nurtured. In my recent visits to a dozen Aldega Coop de Cartaxo: Really liked their Bridao Reserva—a wineries…I felt like a child who had discovered an old trunk in the red blend of Touriga Nacional, Trincadera and Touriga Franca. Dark attic, which opened to reveal magnificent jewels. A tiara of Fernao plum notes and hints of orange rind.

Pires, necklaces of Alfrocheiro and Caladoc, earrings of Touriga NaFiuza & Bright Winery: Campo dos Frades Oceanus white (Fercional and Touriga Franca, cuffs of Castelao and Trincadera. These não Pires, Vital)—crisp, citrusy. The red Fiuza Native (Touriga Naare the national grape treasures of Portugal. Yes, vintners are growcional, Cabernet Sauvignon) is full and fruity. ing Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot and Pinot Noir, but it’s Casal Branco: Quinta do Casal Branco Blanco (100% Fernão the locals that dazzle.”

Pires)- White flowers over crisp acidity; Quinta do Casal Branco Well, that is still the case, and if I have one basic recommendaTinto (Castelão, Cabernet Sauvignon, Touriga and Alicante tion it is to look for the native varieties or blends with the internaBouschet) has dark berry and plum fruit. tional ones; skip the single-variety Cabernet Sauvignons, ChardonQuinta da Lagoalva: Some outstanding wines. A wihite blend under the Espirito brand is a tasty mix of Sauvignon Blanc, Alvarinho, Verdelho, Fernao Pires and Arinto. The 100% Alfrocheiro is dense and fruity. The Castellao and Touriga blend is full of raspberPatricia Savoie is a wine and culinary travel writer. She can be reached at ries and blackberries. ■ WordsOnWine@gmail.com

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About Life

“THE MASS OF MEN live lives of quiet desperation,” is probably the best known line in Henry David Thoreau’s Walden. While this may be true, more often than not it’s a sad testament to mankind that suffering may be one of the most common human experiences. Stuck in the chain of the mundaneness of everyday existence, the goal of life for all too many is to just survive. Humans have known how to survive through the millennia, enduring wars, famine, disease, pestilence. We’re hard-wired genetically to try to survive. We’re the descendents of those who survived the modern iceage. The ability to perceive and react to life-threatening conditions is deeply embedded in our DNA. Just surviving falls short of living a fuller life which falls short of fully thriving. Our true capacities of humans reach far deeper than survival, much broader than just living and can ascend to the heights of optimal development and functioning. To really come alive and thrive requires drinking fully from the cup of life—so fully that the cup overflows with joy, wonderment and abundance. What is rich in life-affirming experience is available to those who have grown, like old trees, a deep taproot that is always connected to the deeper sources of life; because it’s not in the experiences of life but in the person in whom this taproot lives.

The difference between just existing and fully thriving is analogous to the difference between black and white and the full spectrum of color. Those who seek to thrive strive for deep connections over ordinary conversation. A full life isn’t measured by the number of easy and light conversations but in the quality and depth of the connections made with other people. We’re social animals who vitally need each other to survive and thrive. Connecting for survival is not the same as connecting to thrive. Intimate connections are most often blocked by fears. Freud once defined intimacy as “The ability to be close with little or no defensiveness.” Defenses are fear-based and triggered by threats, real or perceived. The most frequent responses to attempts at intimate contact are defensive reactions. Defensive reac-

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

tions, like all fear-based responses constrict and shrink the world to limit stimulus. Creating limits on experiences effectively blocks coming fully alive and thriving. It’s the difference between taking a sip and drinking fully from the cup of life.

While fear may be crucial to survival, it’s the chief impediment to embracing the beauty and wonder life has to offer. Fear of the unknown tends to create a distance between what a person perceives and what is really available to him or her in each moment of existence. With abundant fear also comes a deepened, heightened kind of aloneness coupled with an unfulfilled longing for “more.”

This is akin to the full spectrum of light which is comprised of visible and invisible lightwaves. While the eyes see only the visible, invisible light also affects us. Living life in only the visible spectrum obscures the depth of others, as well as in the external world. Even black is much more than 50 shades of gray.

There’s no limit to how much two people can learn to love each other as long as they don’t accept the limits that fears impose on them.

The best experiences are not those in which there’s one foot in and one foot out. Tales of feeling fully self-actualized come from those who have tasted something deep in the taproot and flown to transcendent heights even in the worst of conditions. These individuals haven’t fallen into a confused trap triggered by fears. There is a legitimate function for fear to preserve life and all too often it is easy to confuse fear for survival with fear of the unknown. Uncovering the unknown assuages fear and brings forth the kind of immediacy that renders the richest of experiences.

Like ships, we’re not meant to stay in the harbor fearing what lies beyond the visible horizon. Ships are built to journey and pierce the veil of the unknown. We cannot simultaneously be afraid of life, and plumb its depths and heights. ■

Jim Delpino is a psychotherapist in private practice for over 33 years. jdelpino@aol.com (215) 364-0139.

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HARPER’S M

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INDEX Facts compiled by the editors of Harper’s Magazine

Date on which John Kerry called the crisis in Syria “our Munich moment” : 9/7/2013 On which Lyndon Johnson said that what “we learned . . . at Munich” committed us to intervention in Vietnam : 7/28/1965 Number of times the NSA violated court orders or internal rules on surveillance in 2011 : 2,776 Minimum amount venture-capital firms have invested in cybersecurity start-ups in the past two years : $1,600,000,000 Amount raised in March by Endgame, a company developing surveillance technology for private use : $23,000,000 Date on which former NSA director Kenneth Minihan joined Endgame’s board : 3/12/2013 Number of national governments that requested user information from Facebook in the first half of 2013 : 71 Minimum percentage of requests with which Facebook complied : 62 Number of Facebook users who were party to a class-action settlement after the company violated their privacy : 3,663,543 Total amount the class received in the settlement : $39,000 Total amount the plaintiffs’ lawyers received : $2,364,973 Minimum percentage of federal criminal defendants who qualify for court-appointed counsel : 80 Minimum number of furlough days federal public defenders have taken since March as a result of sequestration cuts : 12,500 Estimated percentage by which the cost to the government rises when private attorneys must be appointed : 28.6 Annual budget of the office of New York City’s Public Advocate : $2,300,000 Amount the city is spending on a runoff election to decide the Democratic nominee for the position : $13,000,000 Percentage of public-school teachers who spent their own money on school supplies during the past academic year : 99.5 Average amount they spent : $485 Percentage of all workers earning minimum wage who are adult women : 64 Chance that a working U.S. woman makes at least $75,000 a year : 1 in 11 That a working U.S. man does : 1 in 5 Percentage of long-term-unemployed Americans not receiving any federal unemployment benefits : 64 Portion of Americans with individual health-insurance plans who will receive subsidies under Obamacare : 1/2 Chance a middle-aged American woman takes antidepressants : 1 in 4 Average number of years an American suffering from depression waits before seeking treatment : 8 Estimated percentage of the general U.S. population that has attempted suicide at least once : 2.5 Of the U.S. transgender population : 41 Factor by which a U.S. military veteran is more likely than a member of the general public to be transgender : 5.3 Chance that a transgender person has experienced homelessness at some point in his or her life : 1 in 5 Estimated portion of homes in Gary, Indiana, that are abandoned and unoccupied : 1/3 Number of these homes the city has been able to sell to qualified buyers for one dollar : 12 Portion of the hundred tallest buildings currently under construction worldwide that are in China : 3/5 Minimum annual revenue of Silk Road, an e-commerce site for illegal drugs : $40,000,000 Estimated factor by which the amount of “Stuf ” in a DoubleStuf Oreo exceeds the amount in a regular Oreo : 1.86 Percentage by which the average NFL fan’s saturated-fat consumption goes up the day after a loss by the local team : 16 Rounds of golf Barack Obama has played since becoming president : 145 Percentage of those rounds in which he played with a woman : 2 Number of people Obama has pardoned since becoming president : 39 Number of turkeys : 8 Index Sources 1,2 Harper’s research; 3 National Security Agency (Fort Meade, Md.); 4 Thomson Reuters (N.Y.C.); 5,6 Endgame Systems (Arlington, Va.); 7,8 Facebook Inc. (Menlo Park, Calif.); 9–11 U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (San Francisco); 12 Administrative Office of the United States Courts; 13,14 Office of the Federal Public Defender (Alexandria, Va.); 15 Office of the Public Advocate (N.Y.C.); 16 New York City Board of Elections; 17,18 National School Supply and Equipment Association (Silver Spring, Md.); 19 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; 20,21 U.S. Census Bureau (Suitland, Md.); 22 National Employment Law Project (N.Y.C.); 23 Kaiser Family Foundation (Menlo Park, Calif.); 24 National Center for Health Statistics (Hyattsville, Md.); 25 Mark Olfson, Columbia University Medical Center (N.Y.C.); 26 John McIntosh, Indiana University (South Bend); 27 Jack Harrison-Quintana, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (Washington); 28 George Brown, East Tennessee State University (Johnson City); 29 Jack Harrison-Quintana, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (Washington); 30,31 Department of Redevelopment (Gary, Ind.); 32 Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (Chicago); 33 Harper’s research; 34 Dan Anderson (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.); 35 Pierre Chandon, INSEAD Social Science Research Centre (Fontainebleau, France); 36,37 Mark Knoller, CBS News (Washington); 38 United States Department of Justice; 39 The White House (Washington).

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FINDINGS

By Rafil Kroll-Zaidi

A compendium of research facts

ATTENTIVE FATHERS TEND TO have smaller testicles, pornography makes disagreeable Danish men more sexist, 61 percent of Papua New Guinean men are rapists, and 92 percent of Mexicans are relaxed by a pleasant-smelling bedroom. Swedish food officials confirmed that beavers’ anal secretions may be used in place of vanilla. The authors of “Isolated Ano-vaginal Fistulae Without Associated Vesicovaginal Fistulae Following Prolonged Labor: A Rare Entity” found that “[s]uch fistula is very bothersome to the patient because of the fecal discharge per vagina,” while the authors of “An Unusual Urethral Foreign Body” found that their “case warrants discussion given the great management challenge faced by the oddity and infrequency with which a fork is encountered in the penile urethra.” A Texas man suffering from autobrewery syndrome was reported to have made himself dangerously drunk by eating carbohydrate-rich meals. Israeli teenagers drive worse while listening to music they selected themselves, and middle-aged people are better than the elderly at tuning out their spouses’ voices. Those who hate some things tend to hate many things. The Laboratory of Neurophenomics described a possible blood test for suicide. “Suicide,” said the laboratory’s director, “is a big problem in psychiatry.”

DEPRESSED PEOPLE PERCEIVE TIME more accurately than happy people; in order to avert death by predation, small animals perceive time to pass more slowly than do humans. The wrongfully accused are less stressed than the correctly accused and so are prone to slip up and confess. Researchers determined that schizo-OCD patients can be distinguished from regular OCD patients by their schizophrenic behavior. Psychologists proposed that an evolved aversion to poisonous animals may be responsible for some people’s dread of aerated chocolate and lotus flowers. Graduate students violated the expectation of eight-month-olds that a novel, self-propelled object covered in beaver fur will possess internal organs. Antibrain antibodies were identified in one in ten mothers with autistic children.

Growing up with siblings reduces an American’s risk of divorce by 2 percent per sibling, and young white Americans feel more empathy for beaten puppies than for identically beaten adults. The television show EastEnders was blamed for changing Glaswegians’ “th”s to “f ”s. Bone stem cells are better than heart stem cells at healing the heart.

Sally Friedman

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Just a weekday supper… and so much more

T WAS JUST A mid-week supper with friends who had moved into a new community. Nothing more. But on a recent evening, sitting around the beautifully-set table at Judy and Pete’s charming digs with two other couples, both new to us, I came to an obvious but important realization: “Ordinary” people almost always turn out to be extraordinary.

Everyone has a story, everyone has a history worth knowing and best of all, these later years of life are a time for deeper understanding of that. When you’re not on the sunny side of the age spectrum, there’s time to dig a little deeper, to draw conclusions more wisely.

Of the eight of us gathered around the table marveling at Judy’s ability to prepare a glorious chicken dish worth every last calorie, nobody had made the pages of People Magazine. Chances are excellent that nobody will, either. Not one of us had won a distinguished prize for literature or science or economics. But there we sat, men and women who have lived our share of years, who have raised children and been raised to ecstasy by grandchildren, sharing ideas about life, about politics, about the state of the world and ourselves.

We could commiserate about the small things that drive us all nuts, not the least of which was one guest’s infuriating experiences with the modern healthcare bureaucracy, gatekeepers and all. We are all people who remember simpler times, and, we’d probably all argue, better times, but who have been swept into the 21st century, ready or not. We share cosmic concerns about the kind of planet our grandchildren will inherit—and we’re also bent on discovering the name of a good dry cleaner and carpenter.

Music, theater and art have enriched our lives—and so have trips to local farm mar-

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.

kets and fairs. And at our stage of life, it’s sometimes those fairs, holding a child’s hand in yours, that linger long after the finest concert or most intense drama have faded.

What came through to me, as we sat in the dwindling light of our hosts’ home was how fortunate we all were to be sharing a space of time on an ordinary Wednesday night, and learning new things about one another and the world. Pete, in retirement, is mastering new skills as a museum curator. Nancy is giving back to the community that she has known all her life in ways that frantic young people with daunting responsibilities can’t.

And for the eight of us, there was the astonishing thought that despite the demands of aging and ailing parents and unsettled adult children, we are liberated in many ways from the front lines. A strange notion. Also a challenging one.

We are all reinventing ourselves now, figuring out how we want to deal with a stage of life in which all things are possible, but not necessarily likely. We’ve heard that “the past is prologue,” but for some of us, particularly the men, that may not be true. In the course of our evening together, we spoke of others at our stage of life who are faced with daunting illnesses, terrible losses, and reminders that life is uncertain at best. The “golden years” are littered with tales of long and faithful executives being handed their walking papers, of children gone so wrong that their parents despair of ever knowing normalcy again, of renunciations that shout, not whisper, of life’s unfairness.

But then there’s the flip side: the chance, at our stage, to pause. To reflect. To rejoice.

To recognize that time is a gift not to be squandered.

The young can’t truly know that yet. And try as we may, we can’t teach them that lesson. One has to live it to know it.

It all came out at our Wednesday supper. And before we parted, we thanked our host and hostess for their hospitality, and tried to put into words what a joy it was to share food and fellowship, ideas and laughter, remembrances and hopes. It’s a lot to jam into two wan little words: “Thank you.” But somehow, we’d like to believe that Judy and Pete understood. n

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The Los Angeles Times SUNDAY CROSSWORD PUZZLE

AND 100 MORE!

By Jeff Chen Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

ACROSS 1 6 10 14 17 18 19 20 22 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 32 36 39 40 41 42 44 45 46 49 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 61 62 63 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 77 78 79 82 83 84 85 86 87 89

Brief regrets, maybe Agitated state Order from on high DJIA stock Nobelist Root Source of heat It’s for the dogs Campus center Big tips on cruises?

Chicken __ Many a jazz combo Willing to listen Peace Nobelist Wiesel One good at stretching?

Tubular carb source Green sage of films Beginning piano student’s first scale?

Stars and Stripes squad They’re noted for their neutrality Civil offenses LAX listing Sassy Fútbol cheer Panther’s color?

Nigerian people Shockproof battery?

Stumblebums Multiple millennia Latin 101 verb Code breakers’ cries Sugar bowl fans Capital of Belarus __ Aires Twosome in the news, or the news itself Appear eventually Channel for channel surfers?

Sitcom lover of Chachi Give up Start of a balcony delivery Queen __ lace Via, informally Locking horns City on the Arno Manufactured locks Startled cries Food problem at the front?

One of several H.S. subjects Black Friday event Owing Rough patch?

Slick, perhaps Hugo title word Deliveries at Lincoln Center

91 93 97 98 99 100 102 105 106 107 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117

“CHiPs” co-star Tech news site’s nefarious plan?

Sorority letters Nonspecific checkbox “Born Free” lioness Skye of film Classic muscle cars URI’s hoops conference “Sometimes you feel like __ …”

Painfully out-of-tune note?

Hamburger man Miller __ John Paul’s Supreme Court successor Out-and-out Playa del __: L.A. coastal region Pic to click Binds Arnold’s art

DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 18 21 23 28 29 31 33 34 35 36 37 38 43 45 47 48

HR dept. concern Err Oenophile’s vacation destinations Promising whiz California’s Big __ Vulcan in demeanor Tribal emblems Holiday preceder Director Craven Muslim ascetics Homer classic Appetite stimulants “Mazel __!”

Measure of brightness Color in the original “Crayola 48” It was admitted as a free state as part of the Missouri Compromise NBC staple Shaker, so to speak Quit Get shellacked, say Part of PRNDL Pigeon Delinquents of a sort, briefly Memorable climber George Foreman’s five Georges Record, in a way Historical periods Things known to a select few Knickknack He played Arnold on “Happy Days” Short deck hand?

Doing mil. drudge work

50 51 52 53 56 57 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 71 72 74 75 76 78 79 80 81 83 84 88 89 90 92

Fillets Hunters’ holidays A smidgen Preps for a snack, as corn Long-distance letters Ponder “Exodus” novelist Hot time in Quebec Like Beethoven’s Sonata Op. 109 Airer of vintage films NBAer until 2008 Motto on an inspirational cat poster URL tag Observe Steel-toothed Bond villain Like some anchors Early Indo-European Big 12 wrestling powerhouse Went after “__ boy!”

Make In Without a buyer lined up Belg. neighbor The cooler Span. miss Writer with an award named for him “Pride and Prejudice” novelist Grabbed “You betcha!”

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93 Father of Shem, Ham and Japheth 94 Aquatic frolicker 95 Belushi’s “Animal House” role 96 Cel mates?

101 Org. that sticks to its guns 103 Metal refinery input

104 Nimble 106 Frazier’s Fight of the Century foe 107 Clicker button 108 Microbrew selection 109 Slangy “How’s things?”

Answer in next month’s issue.

Answer to November’s puzzle, WORKING OVERTIME

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).

realism and impressionism by 25 acclaimed artists. 47 West State St., Doylestown. PA. PatriciaHuttonGalleries.com 12/19-1/4 Fuse art infrastructure presents “NOW,” 3rd Thursday Series at the Cigar Factory Artists Studios. Visual arts presented in individual spaces by regional, national and international artists.

707 N. 4th St., Allentown. Artists & information: allentownfuse.org

ART EXHIBITS THEATER THRU 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 THRU 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 THRU 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 Thru 12/27 Go-Wild Fridays. Every Friday at 2p.m., there is a guided tour of American Wildlife Art exhibit free with admission. Allentown Art Museum, 31 North Fifth St., Allentown. 610-432-4333.

AllentownArtMuseum.org

12/4-12/15 The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge, by Mark Brown, directed by Steven Dennis. Act 1 Performing Arts, DeSales University, Labuda Center for the Performing Arts, Main Stage, 2755 Station Ave., Center Valley, PA. 610-282-3192. desales.edu/act1 12/12 Myth Busters, Behind the Myths Tour, Adam Savage & Jamie Hyneman. Sands Bethlehem Event Center. 610-297-7400 Sandseventcenter.com 12/14, 1:00 and 4:00pm 12/15, 2:00pm Ballet Guild of the Lehigh Valley presents Pennsylvania Youth Ballet in “The Nutcracker.”

Live Music with full orchestra. Baker Hall, Zoellner Arts Center, Lehigh University, Bethlehem. 610-758-2787. zoellnerartscenter.org 12/28 Larry the Cable Guy, Git-R-Done. Sands Bethlehem Event Center. 610-297-7400.

Sandseventcenter.com 1/ 18 H.M.S. Pinafore, 8 p.m. Miller Symphony Hall, North 6th St., Allentown. 610-432-6715. millersymphonyhall.org DINNER & MUSIC

Thru 12/29 Brian Keeler, Verdute Italiane. The Quiet Life Gallery, 17 So. Main St., Lambertville, NJ. 609397-0880, www.quietlifegallery.com Thru 12/29 American Wildlife. An exhibition of animalthemed works by American artists past and present. Including the work of Mark Catesby, John James Audubon, Arthur Tait, Stanley Meltzoff, Robert Bateman, Kent Ullberg and many others. 31 North Fifth St., Allentown. 610-4324333. AllentownArtMuseum.org THRU 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 12/7 - 31 Holiday Open House 12/7, 5 - 8pm. Winter landscape, seasonal still life, and small paintings for gift giving along with our selection of

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.

12/4 Celtic Woman, Christmas Celebration. Sands Bethlehem Event Center. 610-297-7400.

Sandseventcenter.com

ARTSQUEST CENTER AT STEELSTACKS MUSIKFEST CAFÉ 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, PA 610-332-1300. artsquest.org

12/7 The Price is Right Live. Sands Bethlehem Event Center. 610-297-7400. Sandseventcenter.com

12/5-15 12/6 12/13 12/15

12/7 Twelve Twenty Four, holiday rock orchestra inspired by The TransSiberian Orchestra. Mauch Chunk Opera House, 14 West Broadway, Jim Thorpe, PA. 570-325-0249. mcohjt.com 12/9 Kenny G, 2013 Holiday Show. Sands Bethlehem Event Center. 610-297-7400.

Sandseventcenter.com 12/12 Twelve Twenty Four, holiday rock orchestra inspired by The TransSiberian Orchestra. Sherman Theater, 524 Main St., Stroudsburg, PA. 570-420-2808. shermantheater.com 12/14 Camerata Singers present Annual Christmas Concert, 7:30 pm. Magnificat, Music for an evensong. Anthems, Motets and Canticles by: Britten, Mendelssohn, Rutter, Durufle, SaintSaens, Tavener, Stanford, Walton, Howells, Murrill, Poston, Mathias and Wood. First Presbyterian Church of Allentown, 3231 W. Tilghman St., Allentown. 610-434-7811. pacameratasingers.org 12/17 A Festival of Nine Lesson and Carols. Choir, organ, harp, flute and candlelight. 7:30 p.m., Arts at St. John’s, St. John’s Lutheran Church, 37 So. Fifth St., Allentown. 610-435-1641. stjohnsallentown.org 12/19 Twelve Twenty Four, holiday rock orchestra inspired by The TransSiberian Orchestra. Sunnybrook Ballroom, 50 Sunnybrook Rd., Pottstown, PA. 484-624-5187. thesunnybrookballroom.net 12/25 Organ Noëls, Stephen Williams, organ. 3:00 p.m., Arts at St. John’s, St. John’s Lutheran Church, 37 So. Fifth St., Allentown.

610-435-1641. stjohnsallentown.org

Christmas 1954 The Bang Group’s Nut/Cracked Schythian 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 12/1 Ugly Sweater Tour 12/1 Dry Branch Fire Squad 12/5 Charter Arts Poetry 12/6 Stacey Earle & Mark Stuart 12/7 Zen For Primates 12/8 Justin Solonynka 12/12 Charter Arts Gospel Choir 12/13 The Kennedys 12/14 The Nighthawks 12/15 The Druckenmillers Christmas in the Mountains 12/15 Open Mike 12/19 Charter Arts Touring Choir 12/22 Dave Fry’s Carol Sing 12/27 Dave’s Night Out with Robbi K & Doug Roysdon 12/28 Mary Faith Rhoads 12/29 Open Mike 12/31 NYE with Dina Hall & Dave Fry 1/3 Jim Weider

READINGS 12/14 Panoply Books Reading Series 2013: Poet James Richardson, recipient of the 2011 Jackson Poetry Prize. His most recent book is By the Numbers: Poems and Aphorisms, which was a Publishers Weekly "Best Book of 2010" and a finalist for the National Book Award. He is also the author of many other works.

Awards include fellowships from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Arts. He is Professor of Creative Writing at Princeton University. 6 p.m., Panoply Books, 46 N. Union St., Lambertville, NJ. Free. 609-397-1145 Panoplybooks.com EVENTS

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 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.

12/26 Twelve-Twenty Four, A Resounding Recreation of the Great TransSiberian Orchestra. Zoellner Arts Center, Lehigh University, Bethlehem.

7:30 p.m. Tickets $22. Call 610-758-2787 or 570-328-1385 for ticket information. twelvetwentyfour.net zoellnerartscenter.org 12/27 Smokey Robinson. Sands Bethlehem Event Center. 610-297-7400. Sandseventcenter.com

THRU 12/20 2013 Holiday Gallery and Sale, Fine arts and crafts for sale by local artists. Gallery Reception: 12/11, 6-8 pm. The Baum School of Art, 510 Linden St., Allentown. baumschool.org THRU 12/25 For a 5th year, the Out of Hand Group comprised of local artists and business creatives, has opened another Holiday Pop-Up Shop at 23 Race St., Frenchtown, NJ. All hand-made gift items, food, clothing, something for everyone. Open everyday 11-6, extended hours two weeks before Christmas.

THRU 12/31 Karla’s, join us every Monday for Locals Night.

5pm-10pm, 3-course dinner $12-$19. 5 West Mechanic St., New Hope, PA. 215-862-2612.

Karlasnewhope.com THRU 12/31 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, PA. 610-865-9600, apollogrill.com THRU 12/31 Therapeutic Thursday, every Thursday from 57pm enjoy Apollo’s version of “happy hour.”

Stop in and enjoy a 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 THRU 12/31 Visit Downtown Bethlehem and enjoy Christmas City Village, boutique shops, great restaurants, Christmas tours & carriage rides, themed Christmas events and much more.

Bethlehem. VisitDowntownBethlehem.com 12/6 Christmas Parade, 7:00 p.m. Experience the Holidays in the charming town of Clinton, NJ. Explore over 40 shops, galleries, antiques, museums, fine dining and cafes! For more information, www.Clintonguild.com 12/12 Candle Light Night, dusk until 9 PM. Clinton, NJ. For more information, Clintonguild.com 12/14 Christmas Party, 6-9 p.m. Bret Cavanaugh Modern Design, 13 Race St., Frenchtown, NJ. 609-851-5606. Bretcavanaugh.com 12/15 Santa comes to Clinton, NJ, 1-2 PM. For more information, Clintonguild.com WORKSHOPS / LECTURES / CLASSES 12/7 Children’s Illustration Workshop (ages 9-14), with graphic-novel artists Eric Wight and Matt Phelan. 1-3 p.m., Allentown Art Museum, 31 North Fifth St., Allentown. 610-432-4333.

AllentownArtMuseum.org 12/8 Intersections between Science, Nature, and the Arts. A lecture given by Diane Husic, Chair of Biological Sciences, Moravian College. 1 p.m., Allentown Art Museum, 31 North Fifth St., Allentown. 610-432-4333.

AllentownArtMuseum.org Accepting applications for full-time programs in painting, drawing and career direction. Atelier Dualis, 91 W. Broad St., Bethlehem, PA. atelierdualis.com ■

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Carol C. Dorey Real Estate, Inc. Specialists in High-Value Property (215) 766-8834 • (610) 346-8800 www.doreyrealestate.com

STONECREST Warm and welcoming, this contemporary was built with the highest quality materials and craftsmanship, in the distinctive style of Frank Lloyd Wright.

Long admired as one of the loveliest homes in the Lehigh Valley, Stonecrest is now offered for sale for the first time. Possessing a rare blend of dramatic architectural elements, cozy well-appointed spaces, soaring spaces and a wealth of custom details. $1,250,000

MINUTES FROM SAUCON VALLEY Rarely does a home of this caliber become available for purchase. The design and execution are unquestionably beyond compare. The owners are asking to pass along their dream home to a new owner who will share in their experiences. Come enjoy the ambiance….come be a part of the Upper Bucks County environs….adrift in the magic, warmed by sunsets and the beauty of these surroundings. $1,750,000

THE GARDENS ON RIVERBEND Lush, private grounds, formal English gardens, and outdoor entertaining venues provide the backdrop for this elegant home on 2.5 acres. Spacious and flowing, the home boasts 5 bedrooms, including a lavish 1st fl master suite with spa room and wine bar, 2 home offices, and a skylit bonus room ideally suited for an au pair suite or children’s playroom. Lehigh Valley Hospital, I-78 and Lehigh Country Club are within close proximity. $1,250,000

PRESTIGIOUS LOCATION Stever Mills is an enclave of elegant homes where a carefree, low maintenance lifestyle can be enjoyed. The sophisticated and elegant interior boasts an open floor plan with rich moldings, hardwood floors, and architectural detail.

There are 3 bedrooms, 2 sitting areas, a custom kitchen and full basement plumbed for an additional bath. A four season, sunroom has an exposed stone wall and walls of windows to enjoy views of the beautiful environs. $799,900

HISTORIC BETHLEHEM GEM One of Bethlehem’s original colonial structures, Horsfield House was built in 1749 as a residence for the town’s first magistrate, Timothy Horsfield. According to the Moravian diaries, the stone walls of the house are 22 inches thick, and the girders, made of white oak, are 10½ inches square. This building can be seen on the earliest maps of Bethlehem and is now available for purchase… totally updated and romantically captivating. $949,000

WHISPERS OF HISTORY For well over 160 years this restored farmhouse has been welcoming the changing seasons. The carefully restored, thoughtfully updated original farmhouse, gracious with additions, is warm, inviting and in pristine condition. A gleaming mixture of random pine and exotic hardwood floors imbue the beautifully-appointed living, dining and family rooms with cozy warmth. Its original character has been preserved creating a sense of history and permanence. $369,900

WINDOWS TO THE WOODS This classic colonial highlights comfortable spaces and fine craftsmanship at every turn. Attractive rooms include a cherry kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances, two level island, a window-walled breakfast area and a sunroom with a view of the sculptured gardens. The office has access to a covered porch and the finished LL and 3rd fl offer space for a studio or retreat.

Set in desirable Weyhill Woods on 2.2 acres. $1,195,000

DELIGHTFUL LOG CABIN A 1.5-acre parcel with mature trees, gardens, and a pool lend a distinctly rural feel to this authentic 18th century log home with stylish additions.

Completely renovated in the past year, the residence boasts all new mechanicals and charming rooms with wood floors, exposed log walls, beamed ceilings and original walk-in fireplace. There are 3 to 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, a 2nd fl laundry, and a lovely brick terrace and pergola outside. $340,000

42 PRIVATE ACRES A meandering drive through a setting of fields and pastures brings you to this enchanting and private property in Upper Bucks County. The main house boasts a gourmet kitchen, random width oak floors and sun-filled rooms. Guests can dine al fresco on the patio or in the charmingly rustic dining pavilion. A large barn, pool, and custom-built outdoor bake oven are a few more of the delightful surprises Creekside Meadows has to offer. $1,285,000 M AY 2 0 0 9

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