Published: November 20, 2009
WATERBURY – Imagine an unlikely marriage of a dignified and seemingly somber Latin Mass with somebody like tenor jazz saxophonist Coleman Hawkins playing free-wheeling riffs at the breaks. It sounds impossible but perhaps plausible only in the minds of fans who have attended the last several concerts of the Mad River Chorale. [...]

Published: November 20, 2009
MONTPELIER – Pianist Ian Altman, a virtuoso in the “grand manner,” will perform music of Scarlatti, Chopin and Prokofiev, tonight at 7:30 p.m., at Bethany Church, 115 Main St. in Montpelier. Altman has performed throughout the United States and Canada.
Admission is by donation; for information, call (802) 563-2860.

One of the most lauded indie bands around visits Vermont on Sunday, when the Los Angeles folk-rock collective Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros brings its celebratory, dance-inducing live show to Club Metronome in Burlington.

Judging by recent reviews of the group’s current tour, the show should be one for the ages.

Wow, I hardly know where to begin this week. There are so many great offerings around the area this weekend, it’s hard to know where to start. Rest assured if you’re looking for quality live performance, there’s something for everyone, so, here we go!

The daughter of legendary Brazilian singer-guitarist Joao Gilberto and beloved Brazilian singer Miucha, the New York City-born Bebel Gilberto has made a major name for herself as one of the sultriest singers alive. A relative unknown at her solo debut, the now classic “Tanto Tempo,” was released in 2000, Gilberto, 43, is now a bona fide international superstar who tours all too infrequently.

A new Bebel Gilberto album is always cause for celebration, and her latest delivers in spades. “All in One,” released in September, conjures the classic bossa nova sound that’s clearly in Bebel’s blood, and continues her winning combination of samba and bossa with pop, jazz and electronic that has become her trademark.

John Gibbons, a previously unknown artist to this writer, has re- leased his first CD, “Small Town Dance,” and it highlights a musician with lots of promise.

For starters, Gibbons has gathered an excellent group of backup musicians and singers to add to the high quality of songs. He’s chosen a producer, Colin McCaffrey, whose work has graced many albums recently. All this gives this recording a very professional sound.

By Jim Lowe Times Argus Staff – Published: November 20, 2009
For more than a decade, the Art Resource Association has been showcasing the work of its membership – a diverse bunch of central Vermont visual artists – often at Montpelier’s T.W. Wood Gallery & Arts Center.
“I think that this is the best ARA show that [...]