At my ripe-but-not-old age, I have finally, yet reluctantly, concluded that mothers know best. This message was brought home to me Saturday night by the mother of the famous clarinetist Derek Bermel. She whispered (entre nous) to me “I told him not to play the trumpet.” Thus, she took credit for his world renown as […]
I cheered to myself when I heard Bob Dylan was chosen for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Days later, I was crushed when he didn’t accept the honor. His answer is probably still “blowin’ in the wind.” But, OMG, what a missed moment for the arts! My delight at first was due to the “bravo” […]
It’s going to be a tough choice no matter how you slice it. No, I’m not talking about the election. I’m talking about the weekend. Jazz Fest is sizzling this weekend in White Plains with a terrific line-up of musicians from Brazil, Africa and New Orleans. Two outstanding evenings are Friday with the Gary Smulyan […]
My first piano came with the house that my mother rented, with an option to buy, on Deerfield Road in the Wavecrest section of the Rockaways. The landlord, Mr. Silverstein, insisted that the piano was key to the deal (no pun intended there). It was a George Steck baby grand, which took up half of our […]
This week’s post is by guest blogger Rocío De La Roca, Communications Associate at ArtsWestchester. To fans all around the world, Steve Pollak is “the Dude of Life,” lyricist and singer behind numerous hit songs by the jam-band Phish. Since his songwriting days for Phish, the “dude,” who toured with the Vermont band in the […]
The world and the music world lost its Prince. He was an original… a one of a kind… an innovator who spanned many generations. We salute his legacy with some quotes from our multi-generational staff. He touched them all with his brilliance. “The profound impact of Prince’s influence on the entertainment industry is deeper than […]
Harry Bolick is somewhat of a national treasure in that he is one of a handful of fiddlers keeping this tradition alive in our country. The genius of this musician is not just his skill with a fiddle but his pursuit of his roots and musical traditions in his home state Mississippi. On the theory […]
Summer TV re-runs give me the ho-hums. They drive me to Netflix for excitement. That’s how I happened upon “What Happened, Miss Simone?” Nina Simone was a jazz, blues, folk, gospel and pop artist, as well as a song writer and activist. She was famous in the sixties for her sultry voice, piano prowess and soulful […]
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