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UKIAH, Calif. – On Jan. 10, 11 and 12, the 28th Professional Pianist Concert will hit the stage with three concerts featuring nine different pianists at the Mendocino College Center Theatre in Ukiah.
Performers letting the keys fly this year are Spencer Brewer, Elena Casanova, Wendy deWitt, Barney McClure, Frankie J, Tom Ganoung, Elizabeth MacDougall, Ed Reinhart and Charlie Seltzer.
The musical styles range from classical to jazz, boogie-woogie to Cuban, Broadway to ragtime. Each performance will be different.
This utterly fun and stimulating series features the finest regional pianists on stage in a living room environment throughout the performance trading stories and melodies with two pianos on stage to accommodate impromptu collaborations.
The event is an annual sellout because of the diversity, quality in a multitude of styles of music and humor that takes place throughout the evening.
A special sculpture art show benefitting fire victims featuring Spencer Brewer and Esther Siegel will also be on display at the Mendocino College Art Gallery throughout the weekend. It’s not to be missed.
The performance on Friday, Jan. 10, at 7 p.m. will feature Spencer Brewer, Elena Casanova, Elizabeth MacDougall, Ed Reinhart, Barney McClure, Frankie J and Charlie Seltzer.
On Saturday, Jan. 11, at 7 p.m. the performance features Spencer Brewer, Elena Casanova, Wendy DeWitt, Tom Ganoung, Elizabeth MacDougall, Barney McClure and Ed Reinhart.
The performance at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12, will include Spencer Brewer, Elena Casanova, Wendy deWitt, Charlie Seltzer, Tom Ganoung, Frankie J and Elizabeth MacDougall.
No two concerts are the same, so if you love piano and piano music, enjoy more than one performance.
The concert benefits the Ukiah Community Concert Association, Mendocino College Recording Arts & Technology Program and the Allegro Scholarship Program.
Tickets are on sale at Mendocino Book Co. in Ukiah, Mazahar in Willits and online www.UkiahConcerts.org.
Tickets are $20 general admission and $30 "I Wanna See the Hands" limited seating. For more information call 707-463-2738.
There will be autographed CDs by the artists for sale in lobby.
Sponsors are Sparetime Supply, Ken Fowler Auto, Savings Bank of Mendocino, Flow Kana, Yokayo Ranch, Mendocino College Recording Arts, Willits Furniture Center, Waterman Plants, K-WINE/MAX, KOZT-The Coast and KZYX/Z. Wine & refreshments will be provided by Ukiah Community Concert Association.
The Center Theatre is located at 1000 Hensley Creek Road in Ukiah.
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lakeport Christian Center will host “An Evening of Devotion” featuring Raj Sodhi, Matt and Jill Rothstein, and Jazz Mirage on Wednesday, Jan. 8.
The concert will begin at 7 p.m. at the church, 455 S. Forbes St.
Admission is free, and donations will be appreciated.
From 2004 to 2017, Jazz Mirage was one of the most prominent improvising ensembles based in the wine country, featuring a blend of jazz, popular and folk music that delighted clients and audiences throughout Northern California, including gigs at Google, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Beringer Vineyards, Francis Ford Coppola Winery and the Mystic Theatre.
On the morning of Oct. 8, 2017, bandleader and bassist Raj Sodhi lost his Santa Rosa home to the Tubbs Fire, and the experience led to a period of searching.
As months passed, Sodhi found himself revisiting some of his earliest musical experiences – listening to his grandmother sing Indian Ragas.
“Those melodies are deeply embedded in my musical ear and consciousness,” acknowledged Sodhi, “and there is great peace and joy that comes from breathing new life into this material through jazz improvisation.”
The result is “An Evening of Devotion,” an arresting program emphasizing traditional Indian melodies, while retaining the jazz, pop and folk elements that previously made Jazz Mirage an enduring success.
“Only Raj could have been the impetus for this music, and that is what excites me most about this project,” noted longtime Jazz Mirage saxophonist Matt Rothstein. “This is a program with great depth, and speaks to themes both specific and universal; themes of displacement, perseverance, hope and love.”
Keyboardist Greg Schlaepfer first worked with Sodhi and Rothstein as a teenager, and is the founder of Orange Tree Samples.
“Greg has mastered a tremendous range of musical disciplines, and appreciates the physics and aesthetics of harmony at an extraordinarily high level,” said Rothstein. “It is a privilege to introduce him to Lake County’s community of astute jazz fans.”
“We are also thrilled to be working with master percussionist Kendrick Freeman,” said Sodhi. “Kendrick routinely creates textures that are otherworldly and engaging, and it is inspiring to play this material with him.”
Enrapturing and insightful vocalist and composer, Jill Rothstein, will join Jazz Mirage on four of the program’s selections.
“There is a different level of focus in the group when Jill is singing,” said Sodhi. “She has an intuitive melodic concept, and brings a sense of order and unique beauty that is unusual in improvising musicians. It really raises the bar for the whole group.”
“An Evening of Devotion” is a 100-minute program that will intrigue and satisfy a diversity of music enthusiasts. Richly textured and compellingly percussive, the music rewards close listening.
All are encouraged to attend, and the program will be appropriate and enjoyable for adults and children, alike.
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
