Concert Benefits Plants and Animals

Concert Benefits Plants and Animals

Mezzo-soprano opera singer Lia Kahler-Littlefield and pianist Richard Gordon are coming to the Island to perform a benefit concert entitled, Songs for My Father. Ms. Kahler is dedicating the concert of songs and arias about flowers, plants and animals to the memory of her father, Albert Littlefield, who was born and grew up on what is now the Polly Hill Arboretum.

The concert benefits both the arboretum and the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard.

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Fasten Seatbelts, Prepare for Lift Off

Fasten Seatbelts, Prepare for Lift Off

Motivation comes in many forms. But rarely do you hear the words, like a cow before slaughter, as a singular muse. But then again, David Parker is not your ordinary choreographer.

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Harmonic Convergence at Ballfield
Nina Tarnawsky

You never know when that tap on your shoulder is going to come. We’ve been watching you for a while, they say, as you look around bewildered. No, this isn’t a Skull and Bones initiation. It’s a cappella.

The Vineyard Sound have been delighting Island ears since 1992. From June to August they can be found wearing their trademark look of shorts, oxford shirts, ties, and sandals or boat shoes at various churches and private events around the Vineyard.

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The Saucy, Latin Side of Chappaquiddick

Fiesta time! The Latin musical ensemble Sol y Canto brings their pan-Latin, bilingual, joyful and very interactive concert to Chappaquiddick on Wednesday, August 17, at 7:30 p.m. at the Chappaquiddick Community Center. Adults and kids alike are welcome.

Puerto Rican/Argentine singer Rosi Amador, New Mexican guitarist/composer Brian Amador, and their 15-year-old twin daughters, Alisa and Sonia, will perform after patrons enjoy chips, guacamole, salsa and even slushies at a meet-the-artists gathering prior to the concert, at 6:30 p.m.

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Taj Mahal and Tosh 1 Play Nectar’s

Taj Mahal and Tosh 1 Play Nectar’s

This Sunday night, July 24, Taj Mahal is playing Nectar’s. Taj is huge and Nectar’s is small. Not small in taste or talent, mind you, but small in square footage. This is a very good thing. You will be just footsteps away from guitar greatness, rather than sniffing clouds while seated a football field away as at some arena stadium.

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Bee Eaters Make Some Musical Honey

The name conjures up many questions but few answers; the Bee Eaters. What that means is anybody’s guess. What they do, however, is on the record.

The Bee Eaters are rocking musicians who trace their roots back to Celtic, jazz, bluegrass and old-time flavor. They have been called “bodaciously brilliant” by well tuned listeners. Renowned bassist Edgar Meyer enthused that the experience is “a joy to hear both the exploration of this music.. and the emphasis on the simple beauty of the acoustic instruments.”

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Jazz Musicians Share Key Language
Remy Tumin

A group of Island musicians was in the key of comfort Friday night at Nancy’s in Oak Bluffs, mixing old school tunes with a little new school funk. The Martha’s Vineyard Jazz Quintet was performing together for the first time. The group is a mix of jazz cats young and old — the three members of the Vineyard high school group Ramblin’ Tides and three members of the Brian King Nelson Sextet. Different ages, same passion.

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Country With Bite, Deer Tick Vibe Infects
Nick Moorhead

By NICK MOORHEAD

Deer Tick is not just a really nasty strain of insect you could find attached to your leg after too much time spent at South Beach. It is also the name of John McCauley’s folk/punk/blues band playing at Nectar’s this Saturday night.

Mr. McCauley has carved out a reputation for his band within the crowded genre of indie rock bands with the prefix Deer (see: Deerhunter, Deerhoof) through raucous live shows.

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Paying Homage to Jerry Garcia, Grateful Dread Follows Fondly
Jonah Lipsky

Tuesday, August 9, was the 16th anniversary of the death of Jerry Garcia, the lead singer of the Grateful Dead. In honor of the late songwriter and musician, the Grateful Dread, a band of Island musicians who play Grateful Dead songs with a reggae flair, and play every Tuesday night at Nectar’s, decided to pay homage not with a moment of silence, but with an extra long guitar solo.

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On Tour, Sidra Dumont Sings With Choir in Europe

Sidra Dumont of West Tisbury, a 2011 graduate of Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, is currently touring Europe with the Sound of America Honor Band and Chorus. The tour began July 1 and wraps tomorrow, July 23. It has included St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Luxembourg.

She was chosen to join other select student musicians from across the nation after auditioning and passing a rigid character and musical evaluation. Sidra has been selected to sing two solos during the performances.

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