Spoleto Today talks to Spoleto Festival USA’s contemporary music tastemaker John Kennedy on this morning’s show. Plus, the Spoleto Chamber Music series ventures into the world of Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels with a piece from Georg Philip Telemann. The Post & Courier’s Jack McCray stops by, too, previewing a weekend of Jazz Legends in Charleston.

On Carolina Classics, hear the terrific new acoustics of the freshly-refurbished Dock Street Theatre, with performances from the Chamber Music Series’ 2010 Opening Day.

Catch Spoleto Today at 11 a.m. and Carolina Classics at 1 p.m. on WSCI-FM Charleston 89.3.  Or visit SpoletoFest.org for live streaming, videos, podcasts and more! Brought to you by SCETV Radio and WDAV Classical Public Radio.

Written by Post & Courier reader Jimmy Parker

I went to the Norma Winstone concert on Friday night and was astounded by how bad it was.  Not only was the music style nowhere near the jazz genre, the compositions lacked in substance, went on too long, and the continuous endings were excruciating to listen too.  The pianist didn’t play a single jazz voicing all night.  The woodwind player noodled incessantly and the bass clarinet sounded like a kazoo.  When the soprano sax played in unison with the singer, it exposed her poor intonation.  I’m not sure how all this went unnoticed in the press…

The P&C review said they didn’t swing as hard as Tierney Sutton’s band last year.  That was correct.  They didn’t come close to attempting to swing.  Spoleto should make an effort to do better in the future for jazz musicians selections.  The ukulele show last year was ridiculous (although obviously entertaining for those lacking musical insight).  I have read multiple stellar reviews  on Heloisa Fernandes, but when I saw her play, she train wrecked twice.  I mean she stopped dead, had to
collect herself and figure out where to restart.  Nobody else seemed to notice.

Lest you think I am bashing everyone unconditionally, let me say that Enrico Pieranunzi, with John Patitucci, was fabulous.  This is an example of a great player who ACTUALLY PLAYS JAZZ.  It is also an example of the quality of performance you would expect for such a venue.  Also, Tierney Sutton’s band was teriffic last year (especially when she wasn’t singing).  I realize that people love female singers and
as far as they go, she is definitely one of the best, although she brought the level of the musicianship in the band down.  Was anyone else present at her Friday afternoon sound check when she chewed out her bass player for “not making it easy for her know when to come in”?

I also understand that this is a pop culture driven society and you are trying to feed that with gimmicks, but the quality of the music should not be diminished by this effort.  How about choosing someone like Toots Thielemans?  He plays the chromatic harmonica (there’s your gimmick), is Belgian (goes with the European slant) and plays jazz.

Wow, Spoleto-Piccolo just keeps coming at you. And I’m only barely involved.

Two nights of great Blues at DoughRe-Mi in Mt. Pleasant followed by two nights of Gypsy Jazz and Gypsy Swing at Charleston Music Hall and upstairs at Mistral.

The next night was smooth jazz and the next was  two back-to-back LOL comedy acts at Theatre 99.

Oh boy..a fantastic Punk Rock musical (I always carry my own ear plugs) and then my calendar noted “time out.”

Skip to the next evening, ukulele at The Cistern got me fired up again, followed by Miss Tess at Tin Roof, Little Feat at the Music Farm and, last night, back to festival fare: The Matt Walsh Blues Trio (two Matts and a Roger) at The Mill.

They had played an early set downtown at Mad River and were “relaxing” with another two sets near Park Circle.

Tonight I’ll see Tab Benoit at the Pour House.

Am I the only one who actually schedules a “time out” on their calendar during Spoleto?

Two days later, I’m still thinking about this performance - and it was just a ukulele.

Anyone sitting in the majestically lit Cistern Yard Saturday night would describe Jake Shimabukuro’s ukulele performance as awesome. Not “awesome” in a lack-of-a-better-word, “totally cool” context; but in an “awe-inspiring” context. But it was totally cool, too. This Hawaiian native admits, he knows what you’re thinking: How can a ukulele concert be awesome…much less impress everybody that filled the Cistern Yard?

But what Jake does with the four-string instrument is nothing short of pure genius. Definitely - he’s a genius. The crowd even got rowdy for Jake at times, which says a lot considering a big chunk was senior citizens. He was “discovered” on YouTube.com, with over 3 million hits of a clip of him playing George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” in Central Park. But watching YouTube doesn’t begin to do him justice. On the internet, his fingers move so fast on the little instrument that his hand becomes completely blurred because the computer screen can’t keep up. But watching his fast fingers, live, is hard to believe, too. The only thing more impressive and awe-inspiring than watching him play is listening to him play. His notes are so delicately precise at times that you’re amazed that you could hear such a soft, sweet note; and then they get so aggressively energetic that you wonder how the strings haven’t popped. Bottom line: I was moved to tears. And I won’t soon forget this one.

- Emily Lane

Jake Shimabukuro

A tip of the cigar to Garden & Gun, a favorite magazine in these parts, for its unbridled enthusiasm for “The Ukelele Unleashed” in an online Talk of the South feature of the same name. G&G mentions Spoleto Jazz Series artist Jake Shimabukuro’s week of gigs, including tonight in Nashville, Thursday night in Chattanooga, Friday night in Atlanta, and Saturday night here among we’uns at Spoleto.

He’s a busy guy.

I’ve lived in Charleston for ten years, and as much as I love Spoleto, I’ve never attended an opening ceremony.

While I must correct that blip on my radar, for now,  I’m more than content to let the The Seed and Feed Marching Abominable Band’s appearance at Marion Square yesterday signal the beginning of the festival.

As soon as I hear the rumble of drums and horns in the distance, I know that Spoleto is on.

The first thing that struck me is that the band was color-coordinated with a red and yellow theme.  While I prefer the all colors vibe of previous outings, they are still the same fun band, and they quickly won me over with a rendition of Earth Wind and Fire’s In the Stone, which I had been listening to earlier that morning.

I felt so prescient and ready to party.  Love it when they all “get on down.”

This majorette’s shoes are awesome–so very “We are not in Kansas anymore.”

It’s on my bucket list to get a pair.

I thoroughly enjoyed the music, dancing, and general lack of self consciousness of the band.

No matter your age, gender, or level of coordination, all are free to sing dance, and follow along.

It’s all about fun.

Catch them in the act today at the US Custom House.

All the Spoleto Today programming is coming together and helping each other out. The P&C’s Jack McCray, i.e. our jazz man and our overview critic Tim Page can be heard on the Spoleto Today program with Marcus Overton and Jennifer Foster. They will have lots of cool interviews and classical music.

Weekdays Friday, May 22 through Friday, June 5. The lineup includes:

11 a.m. – 12 noon - Marcus Overton & Jennifer Foster host Spoleto Today. This one-hour show will give listeners a daily tour of the art, the players, the sights and sounds of one of the world’s most comprehensive arts festivals

12 noon to 1 p.m., Jennifer Foster continues with The Mozart Café (available only on WDAV).

1 to 3 PM, Carolina Classics offers next-day broadcasts of Spoleto Chamber Music concerts, Piccolo Spoleto performances and more.

Here’s the link:

http://www.classicalpublicradio.org/site/

PICCOLO SPOLETO

“Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead.” Comedy at The Footlight Players. It’s about Snoopy, and anything with the words “teenage” and “blockhead” in the title has to be funny.

“The Islands.” PURE Theatre. Setting not so funny, a prison cell on Robben Island, South Africa, during apartheid. But anything by Athol Fugard has to be good.

“The Gentleman Pirate.” PURE Theatre at the Powder Magazine, a truly eccentric offering since the Powder Magazine is arguably Charleston’s strangest building. It’s about Stede Bonnet, in case the title didn’t give that away.

Skinny White Comics. Back and whiter than ever.

One Man Star Wars Trilogy. Oh, come on, you know you want to check this out. Try? There is no try. Only do. Or do not.

Improv marathon. 3 improv shows for the price of one — 12 bucks.

Smoky Weiner & the Hot Links. At Bowen’s Island.!At sunset! Does it get any better? Well, yes, it probably does. The entire Blues & Jazz series at Piccolo looks strong.

Read the rest of this entry »

SPOLETO

“Louise.” Boho Paris.  30 characters.  Another chance to hear French opera. What else do you need? I hear there’s a wow! costume entrance. Plus, you know the story already. June 4 at 5 p.m., “Louise” cast singers will give a recital of arias and art songs. (Intermezzi.)

“Don John.” The Cornwallish wacko Kneehigh Theatre returns. I hear the lead is really cute. Plus, you know the story already.

Pianist Andre von Oeyen. (Intermezzi.)

Mahler’s “Song of the Earth.”

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s golden anniversary retrospective. No matter how many times you’ve seen them, they’re always magic. This will sell out.

Mozart’s “Requiem.” Poulenc’s “Gloria.” Nice pair.

“Addicted to Bad Ideas: Peter Lorre’s 20th-Century” by the World/Inferno Friendship Society. Multimedia punk song cycle with style, range and attitude. Follow these guys around town. I hear they’ll be staying up late.

Celebrate Charles Wadsworth. Of the several opportunities to say farewell to the longtime maestro of the chamber series, I’d pick high tea on Sunday, June 7, if I could afford it. OK, it’s 100 bucks, but hey, there’s a concert and it’s tea! For the cheap crowd, Wadsworth will yak for free June 4 at 5 p.m. at Simons Center Recital Hall, C of C.

Chamber Music. Pick one. Or three. Any one. Any three.

Music in Time. All three of these performances … by Michael Harrison on just-intonation piano, Yumiko Tanaka on the trad. Japanese stringed instrument the shamisen, Phillip Bimstein on various human and animal sounds, including moo cows … sound fab.

Sarah Chang, violinist. On Brahms and Tchaikovsky. Sarah Chang has been around since she first auditioned for Zubin Mehta at age 8.  I’ve never had the pleasure of hearing her, but I have tickets. This will sell out.

Blues guitarist Beverly Watkins. Rules. (Jazz)

Florin Niculescu

Punch Brothers. Filling this year’s Carolina Chocolate Drops slot in the jazz series, sort of. They get their chops genetically, and it’s fair to say they’ve all put in their 10,000 hours. Plus, they blog. (Jazz)

Florin Niculescu. As a huge fan of the late Django Reinhardt and a huge fan and one-time dinner guest of the late, elegant Stephane Grappelli, I must hear this Gypsy fiddler in his American debut. (Jazz)

Ramberto Ciammarughi. As a piano fanatic, I must see this Italian heavyweight in his American debut. (Jazz … great Jazz lineup, Michael)

As promised, here are the latest videos from SpoJo Don D. Lewis. He’ll have more over at his site…

First up, Gradual Lean:

Gradual Lean at Holy City Homecomin’ from Don D. Lewis on Vimeo.

Next: Clay Ross’ Matuto…

Clay Ross’ Matuto at Holy City Homecomin’ from Don D. Lewis on Vimeo.