DEC '08 - The Nyack Villager

The Jazz Scene
by Michael Houghton
Jazz fans should be busy as Santa’s
elves this December. Guitarist Roni
Ben-Hur appears December first at
the Turning Point, fronting John
Richmond’s house band. e very
next night, December 2, catch trumpeter
Duane Eubanks at RiverSpace, with their
house band.
On Saturday the 6th, the Turning Point has a
special Latin night with Mayra Casales leading
on percussion, Nicki Denner on piano, Jennifer
Vincent bass, Hadar Noiberg flute, Reut Regeve,
trombone—and the great Cuban drummer
Ernesto Simpson. You’ll want reservations for
this one. You can also catch Mayra with her
all-female group CoCoMaMa at Casa del Sol,
in Nyack, on the 15th.
Fans face tough choices every Wednesday:
Bob Myer’s jam with Neil Alexander on keyboard
and John “X” Ray on bass, is ongoing
in Peekskill at “e New Yorker” (sophisticated
name for a comfortable dive). Also
Wednesdays, Kenny Lee’s jam in the Bronx at
“Connecting Bar” is always worth checking
out. And for a more low-keyed evening, catch
Carmine Leggio at the Red Hat in Irvington.
DayTrippin
Great stuff to do close to home
Not to be missed this month: evening candlelight
tours of Van Cortlandt Manor, a hop-skip
from the Tappan Zee Bridge. Guides in authentic
period clothing will show you through the
Manor House, decorated for Christmas and
featuring a harpist in the formal parlor. After
the tour, a guide with a candle lantern invites
you to the site’s Ferry House, where you’ll
enjoy a first-person account of Twelfth Night,
featuring the Lord of Misrule, who leads the
festivities. Inside the Ferry House, visitors are
encouraged to dance to fiddle music and toast
the season with cider and cookies near the
warmth of a bonfire.
12 The Nyack Villager December, 2008
’
is is not a jam, just come to listen
—and be wowed by the view!
ere’s a new jam every ursday, in
Nyack, led by guitarist Joel Newton
at the Old Fashion. e Village Voice
called the Joel Newton Situation
“…a sort of Medeski, Martin and
Mahavishnu thing that cuts loose
from tight heads to travel the spaceways…”
Say whaaat? Anyway, the jam is already
well-attended, with some excellent
musicians and new faces showing up. It’s a
pleasure to see the Old Fashion happening
again, (and the kitchen still passes the burgertest!),
so check it out.
Where were we? Mark this on your calendar:
Rudrest Mahanthappa and his “Indo-Pak
Coalition Trio, with Mr. Mahanthappa on alto
sax, Rez Abbasi on guitar, and Dan Weiss on
tabla appear at the Turning Point on Monday
the 8th. is must result from the cross-fertilization
of Indian and Western music, right?
Back in the ‘60s and ‘70s, Western musicians
were digging Eastern scales and Indian Classical
music; now it seems the influences were at
work in both directions. It’s another must-attend
show in my opinion, but easy does it, because
you need to go out the next night too,
the 9th, to hear the great tenor sax player
Ralph Lalama at RiverSpace!
Lower left: Sunnyside, Washington Irving’s
beloved home on the Hudson.
Center top & bottom: Van Cortlandt Manor
dressed for the holidays, with costumed guides.
Upper right: holiday table setting at Sunnyside.
Photos by Bryan Haeffele
e following Monday evening, the 15th, the
Turning Point is devoted to a CD release party
for Bill Moring’s new recording, Way Out East.
Bill leads on bass, with Jack Walrath on trumpet;
Tim Armacost, sax, & Steve Johns, drums.
You should know these cats. e next night,
the 16th, at Riverspace, the house-band sits
out as Erik Lawrence brings in his group,
Hipmotism. at’s Erik on saxes and flute,
Alison Miller on drums, Rene Hart on bass,
and trumpet master Steve Bernstein. It’s always
a lively night when these guys play.
ere’s more! Please plan to attend RiverSpace
on Friday night, the 19th, when new Nyack
resident Houston Person plays the café. As I
said last month, Mr. Person is a sax master
with a special feel for standards. I recommend
reservations for this one as well.
What else? Well, the fabulous Jacqui Naylor
returns to the Turning Point with her quartet
on Saturday the 20th. ose who missed her
first date there can finally stop kicking themselves,
but don’t miss this one. She really is an
incredible vocalist—the most original I’ve
heard in a long time. I hope to see you on the
scene.
Longtime jazz fan, Michael Houghton, owns the
Ben Franklin Bookshop on North Broadway. ✫
Historic Hudson Valley
Van Cortlandt Manor is on South
Riverside Avenue off Route 9 in
the village of Croton-on-Hudson.
Candlelight tours of Van Cortlandt
Manor take place Sat & Sun, Dec
21-22 & 27-28, 4—8pm each
evening.
Reservations are a must.
Tickets ($14 adults, $6 children
5-17 years of age). Purchase online
at www.hudsonvalley.org or by
calling (914) 631-8200 ext. 618.
While online, browse the other famous
historic houses: Washington
Irving’s lovely Sunnyside and
Philipsburg Manor, with its antique
water-driven grist mill. ✫
●
●
Tappan Zee Bridge
●
● Van Cortlandt
Manor
● Philipsburg Manor
● Sunnyside