Palisades-News-May-6-2015-

May 6, 2015 Palisades News Page 17An Afternoon ofPoetry and JazzNOTICE TO READERSThe Palisades News welcomes submissions of obituary noticesfor Palisadians, past and present. Notices must be 400 words orless. A photo may be sent for possible inclusion. There is no chargefor the notice, nor the photo. For questions, or to submit, pleasee-mail editor@palisadesnews.com. The desired deadline for submissionsis Thursday before the intended publication date (thefirst and third Wednesday of the month).Author and historian Robert A.Rosenstone will read from his firstcollection of poetry, Do People LookUp at the Moon Anymore?, at a gathering inPacific Palisades on Saturday, May 16, from3 to 6 p.m.Two accomplished jazz artists, guitaristPeter Curtis and pianist Joel Paat, will joinRosenstone at Sharq, a nonprofit art spaceat 537 Arbramar Ave. that was founded byhis wife, Nahid, in 2004.The music will begin at 3:30 p.m., followedby a reading and book signing. Admission($15 individuals, $20 for couples)includes a signed copy of the book (cash orcheck). Please RSVP to sharqart@gmail.com.Phone: (310) 459-6041.Rosenstone, professor emeritus of historyat Caltech, has published 15 books, includingworks of biography (John Reed),history (History on Film/Film on History),criticism and fiction (Red Star, CrescentMoon: A Muslim-Jewish Love Story).In his new book (the first publication ofSharq Press), Rosenstone views life on theeve of retirement with pathos, wonder andhumor. Laments for what has vanished andtaken its place, critiques of the self and theworld, questions about history in a culturethat rushes to erase the past, the mysteriesof aging, and celebrations of unexpectedlove—all mark his debut volume of poems.(Visit: rosenstone.com/.)Guitarist and composer Curtis, whoholds a Ph.D. in music from Indiana University,has played with many famous jazzmusicians such as James Carter, FreddyFriends(Continued from Page 16)in his father’s Oldsmobile. He attendedUniversity High and recalls the 1933 LongBeach earthquake that damaged the school.During World War II, Wolfe served inIndia, where he became ill with tuberculosis.Later, he graduated from UCLA andworked for many years as an auditor forthe Franchise Tax Board.At Gelsons, he shows pictures that Tanasescuhelped him load on his iPad, such asfamous tennis players he played with as ayoungster as well as humorous pictures thatTanasescu creates in Photoshop.Tanasescu is a movie director, web designerand tennis pro who was on the tennisteam at UCLA with Arthur Ashe. For 20years, he has been meeting for coffee in themornings after working out, although thelocation and group members have variedover the years. He joined this group aftermeeting Wolfe on the courts eight years ago.A former Palisadian who now lives inCole, Taj Mahal, Barbra Morrison andJames Moody. He has performed in clubsacross the U.S. and Europe, and his album,Swing State, can be found at cdbaby.comand on Amazon and iTunes.Pianist Paat, who has performed at variousjazz festivals and music venues in theU.S. and Europe, has played with the likesof Tom Scott, Bobby McFerrin, BrandonFields, Danny Reyes and Vinnie Colaiuta.He teaches jazz piano and jazz combos atRiverside City College.Guests on May 16 can also enjoy NahidMassoud’s stunning new succulent garden.Santa Monica, Tanasescu has also helpedthe others with their desktop computersand cell phones.Valentine and Wolfe also met on thetennis courts and have been part of a coffeegroup for almost 20 years. Valentine, aretired print-shop owner, has lived in thePalisades since the ‘60s, and met his wifeDebbie, a preschool teacher at VillageSchool, while playing tennis. He picks upitems from Costco for Wolfe including thechocolate to which Wolfe attributes hislongevity.Over the years, the four men, who allhappened to attend UCLA, have becomefriends with other groups who meet forcoffee in the morning such as Saturday’s“pickle boys” whose nickname refers to thepickles they bring from the San FernandoValley to share.They are also friendly with Andy andDaniela, who work at Viktor Benes; and withGelson’s employee Nancy, who brings cushionsout for them to soften the metal chairs.“It’s a very friendly atmosphere,” saysDembo. “We look out for each other.”