When jazz goes on vacation, it goes to Martha’s Vineyard. So trumpets the tag line of the inaugural 2011 Martha’s Vineyard Jazz Festival, which officially takes place August 6-13, but enjoyed an unofficial kickoff at Lola’s in Oak Bluffs this past weekend. Throughout the summer, you can find jazz all over the Island leading to the weeklong festival in August.
There are bells for alarms, for church services, for the striking of noon. There are dinner bells, at least somewhere one still hopes, and school bells and maybe even bells when angels get their wings.
By NICK MOORHEAD
Imagine Tom Petty crossed with Carly Simon and a dash of Jack Johnson and you have Erich Luening, rock artist and well-known Islander. And this weekend he will release Red Flags, his debut solo album. A decade in the making, the CD has a stellar guest list that includes Evan Dando of the Lemonheads, who is also Mr. Luening’s childhood Island friend.
By NICK MOORHEAD
Originally designed to be accommodated in a palace chamber, music under the heading of chamber music has over the years moved out of the palaces and into the hearts and minds of the masses. Well, masses may be a slight exaggeration when comparing chamber music lovers to the throngs flocking to Lady Gaga. But gather all the fans and all the audiences of the past few hundred years or so and this specialized art form rises to the top of the music charts.
On Sunday, May 22 at 10:30 a.m., the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center will present Howard Frazin’s oratorio, The Voice of Isaac, as a retelling of the Abraham and Isaac story, from Isaac’s perspective.
KCT Concerts is whistling an Irish tune to ring in Memorial Day Weekend.
Laurence Nugent, a flute and whistle playing demigod from Ireland, kicks off the summer season.