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Sunday, May 17, 2009
Wycliffe Gordon Quintet to perform with Quentin Baxter, CSO, and students
Posted by T. Ballard Lesemann on Sun, May 17, 2009 at 2:03 PM
World-famous jazz trombonist and educator Wycliffe Gordon will be in town this weekend for two special, free-of-charge Piccolo Spoleto performances at the U.S. Custom House (200 East Bay St.) — a collaboration between his quartet and members of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra called Sunset Serenade at the Custom House on Fri. May 22 at 8 p.m., and an event called All That Jazz: A Battle of the Best High School Jazz Bands in the Lowcountry at the Custom House on Sat. May 23 from 7-10 p.m.
Gordon, a native of Waynesboro, Ga., was a veteran member of the Wynton Marsalis Septet and still plays with the renowned New York big band collective the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. He has a ton of experience gigging and writing with top-shelf musicians, and he’s spent years conducting workshops, seminars, and lessons with young up-and-comers in the States and around the world. His intense experience with Marsalis was especially pivotal in his musical development
As part of the Piccolo Spoleto’s children's events and the Blues/Jazz Series kickoff, this set of standards and originals at the steps of the Custom House features Ehud Asherie on piano, on Herman Burney on bass, and acclaimed Charleston musician Quentin Baxter on drums — a mentor, master percussionist, and longtime educator himself. Baxter will be busy next week preparing for a concert at the Gaillard Auditorium with vocalist René Marie’s combo (see Spoleto listings).
“I thought it was important to have Quentin on board,” Gordon told City Paper last week, speaking during a brief tour of Israel. “I could have brought the drummer down from New York, but we’re right there with one of the great, masterful drummers and skilled educators in the town. Thought it’d be a shame to invite him out to just watch the group, so I invited him play with us instead.”
Look for more on Wycliffe Gordon and these festival events in this week’s City Paper Spoleto coverage.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Kenny Chesney’s Sun City Carnival at Coliseum, 9/12
Posted by T. Ballard Lesemann on Fri, May 15, 2009 at 10:27 AM
A Charleston date is solid for country music superstar Kenny Chesney: Sat. Sept. 12 at the North Charleston Coliseum. Vocalist (and Nashville Star veteran) Miranda Lambert will open the show.
Last spring Chesney’s “Poets and Pirates Tour” came to Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, where, during the first song of his set, a malfunction with the stage risers led to an unfortunate mishap — he got his foot caught in the platform as the stage was rising in the middle of the field. This year he leads the “Sun City Carnival” stadium and festival tour across the nation through the middle of September. 
“It seems like it’s time to get this thing started again,” Chesney stated in a press release this week. “By the time we’re done, I’m tired, but I’m never ready to be done. And after a few months off, all I can think of is when are we getting back out there. For me, I swear we have so many friends that we see when we look out every night... to be able to get out there and rock with them, well, it’s the reason me and the guys do this! I’m ready to move from the renderings to getting back into rehearsal, back into shape, back into making music and especially back to being out there with the fans.”
Tickets go on sale for $79.50, $49.50, and $29.50 on Fri. May 22 via the box office, Ticketmaster outlets, or by phone at (843) 554-6060. Visit coliseumpac.com for more info. Hopefully, he’ll make it through this S.C. portion free of further injury.
(second photo by Greg Hambrick)
Thursday, May 14, 2009
New Concert Series at Family Circle's Stadium and Veranda
Posted by T. Ballard Lesemann on Thu, May 14, 2009 at 2:13 PM
The folks at Daniel Island’s Family Circle Magazine tennis center (161 Seven Farms Drive, 843-849-5300) and event organizer Carter McMillan recently announced an impressive concert series with a handful of national country, rock, funk, and hip-hop acts set to perform on the stadium stage and the newly-assembled Veranda area in the grand lawn area behind the Family Circle Tennis Center Clubhouse. 
The Veranda can accommodate 2,500 fans with general admission floor and bleacher seating. Located. Concert-goers can access the venue through the main gate in front of Family Circle Stadium. Food and beverages will be available at all events.
Grammy-winning country music super duo Sugarland are set to share the stage with Billy Currington at the Stadium on Thurs. May 21. Showtime is 7 p.m. Tickets are available for $60 and $45.
Upcoming events include two big shows at the Veranda Stage next week — reggae legends the Wailers and Carolina funk/metal band Villanova play on Fri. May 22 at 7 p.m., and acoustic rock songwriter Corey Smith with opener Shane Hines & The Trance perform on Sat. May 23 at 7 p.m.
On Sat. June 13, “Funk Fest” will showcase the grooves and rhymes of MAZE (featuring Frankie Beverly), Aaron Hall, Doug E. Fresh, Deborah Cox, and other performers at the Stadium Stage at 4 p.m. Groove-rock band O.A.R. headlines the Stadium with opener Matt Nathanson on Sat. Aug. 22.
Tickets may purchased online at ticketmaster.com or by phone at 800-745-3000.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Banana Cabana launches live music series
Posted by T. Ballard Lesemann on Tue, May 12, 2009 at 2:13 PM
It’s getting pretty busy at the Pavilion area on the IOP these days. In addition to the live music events and commotion at the Windjammer, Coconut Joe’s, and the shops along Ocean Boulevard, the Banana Cabana (located downstairs from Huck’s at 1130 Ocean Blvd.) just kicked off it’s spring and summer music series. The casual beach club specializes in cold beer and frozen drinks, and they get hopping during tourist season.
Starting this week, they’ll feature live acoustic music on the patio just about every day during the spring and summer months. Such local acoustic singer/guitarists as Skip Sullins, Paul Jamison, Tyler Jones, Hunter Hill, Joel Fischer, and David Bethany will provide acoustic rock and beach tunes in the afternoons and evenings on weekends.
This week’s schedule just came in from the management’s fax machine:
Tues. May 12 — Doug Rucker, 6 p.m.
Wed. May 13 — Mark Shuler, 6 p.m.
Thurs. May 14 — Skip Sullins, 6 p.m.
Fri. May 15 —David Bethany, 7 p.m.
Sat. May 16 — Pete Ledbetter (noon) and David Bethany (7 p.m.)
Sun. May 17 — Mark Shuler (noon) and Lowcountry Jukebox (7 p.m.)
Mon. May 18 — Hugh Price, 6 p.m.
Tues. May 19 — Billy Kopel, 6 p.m.
Call 843-886-4361, and keep an eye on Music Board for more info.
(photo by T. Ballard Lesemann)
Sunday, May 10, 2009
The least appropriate Mother's Day tune
Posted by T. Ballard Lesemann on Sun, May 10, 2009 at 12:41 PM
What’s the least appropriate song for a day like today? I vote for “Mother,” a song composed by guitarist Andy Summers. The fourth track on the Police’s final studio album Synchronicity (1983), “Mother” churns away in 7/8 time signature, accented with harshly metallic cymbal sounds, and droning, minor-key progressions. Summers’ guitar lines resembled the more sinister work of Robert Fripp during his band King Crimson’s early-’80s era. Exotic, disturbing, kinda psycho … it’s funny that it even made it into Synchronicity in the first place.
Summers also provides the vocals, which are more hollered and screeched than sung. The first verse goes like this: “Well, the telephone is ringing — is that my mother on the phone?/Telephone is ringing — is that my mother on the phone?/The telephone is screaming … won’t she leave me alone?”
This one is a far cry from the pleasant and darkly romantic Sting-pop of “Every Breath You Take,” “Wrapped Around Your Finger,” or “King of Pain.” It really sounds nothing like the Police (in that, it’s remarkably unique). Here's a sample of the song:
Don’t play this one any time near Mom during Mother’s Day.
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