This coming week looks to be busy. As a service to those looking for ways to spend their time and money, here on some suggestions:
For those with ready airline miles, you can show your support for NOLA musicians by checking the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest this weekend and next. Looks like an interesting line-up, including the Hot 8 Brass Band, who brought down the house at the Jazz Foundation’s auction at B.B. Kings.
On Sunday, there are two notable shows. At 5:00 Deanna Witkowski will perform at St. Peters Jazz Vespers. She’s an excellent pianist, a supporter of the Jazz Foundation, and one of the best jazz artists exploring sacred music today.
Later, at 8:30 Manhattan Institute fellow John McWhorter will sing the Cole Porter songbook at Cornelia Street Café. For real. McWhorter has written several books, and is a regular contributor to NR and the Wall Street Journal.
Monday is May Day. Not surprisingly, the Communist outfit A.N.S.W.E.R. has joined in the call for a national general strike on this traditional day of Marxist demonstration. I suggest putting in a good day’s work and then treating yourself with some nice purchases. If you also want to support a good cause pick up A Great Night in Harlem, the Grammy winning CD of the Jazz Foundation’s first Apollo benefit concert. It will put you in the mood for Thursday’s concert. Readers can also show support for the bloggers whose sites were temporarily shut down by DOS attacks from Saudi Arabia this week, by purchasing Glenn Renyolds’ An Army of Davids and Hugh Hewitt’s Paint the Map Red.
On Wed. night, or anytime this week, I recommend you check out The Lost City, Andy Garcia’s epic set in Havana. Castro and the NY Times might not like it, but I highly recommend it. Try to see it soon, because there’s no guarantee how long it will be playing. Strong opening week numbers would help keep it in theaters, and let it develop an audience. In NY it’s playing at the Landmark Sunshine Theater on Houston and the AMC on 42nd Street.
Thur. (5/4) is the fifth Great Night in Harlem Jazz Foundation benefit concert at the Apollo. As always, it will be an excellent show featuring artists like Dr. Michael White, Clark Terry, Ron Carter, and Jimmy McGriff. JFA has helped hundreds of musicians displaced by Katrina. I’ve been honored to help with their instrument replacement efforts. If you can’t attend the concert, you can still send a donation to:
Jazz Foundation of America
6th Floor
322 West 48th Street
New York, NY 10036
Could be a costly week. Particularly if A.N.S.W.E.R. has its way. Buying tickets for Rough Rider, The Lost City, and a Great Night in Harlem will at least lead to positive things. A.N.S.W.E.R. however, seems bent on dividing people and crippling the economy. The Lost City shows what happens when people who share A.N.S.W.E.R.'s ideology take power. It’s a beautiful movie, but the results it shows are not a pretty picture.
