02-23-15 Jive

Good evening, it's Monday, February 23rd, and this is the Jive at Five, our daily community calendar and rundown of night time programming here on WESU 88.1 FM Middletown, your station for NPR, Pacifica, independent and local public affairs by day, and the best in free-form community programming week-nights and weekends.

I’m Helen Evrard, MD, host of Mind Matters….

Now here’s some of what’s going on in our area this week.

At the Buttonwood Tree in Middletown, tonight brings Moments of Gratitude at 7:45, followed by the Anything Goes Open Mic.  The Middlesex Drum Circle meets on Thursday at 7; bring your own, or use one from the onsite collection.  On Friday, celebrate Chinese New Year with traditional music by Ming Zhu, poetry by Lara Peng, and more.  The Aligned with Source workshop series with Annaita Gandhy continues this Saturday at 10:30. This week’s theme is Balancing Your Life.  Enjoy jazz with guitarist Dan Arcamone and friends Saturday night at 8. Sunday’s worship service at 10 is with Rev. Ronnie Bantum and at 11 with Pastor Sandra Steele. Food Not Bombs serves food outside the Buttonwood Tree every Sunday at about 1 p.m. Help prepare the meal at First Church on Court Street at 11:30. At 2:30, enjoy the Connecticut National Youth Poetry Slam Team tryouts, followed by comedy with the Great Make Believe Improv Show at 7.  The Wonder of Women art exhibit opens on Sunday and features a variety of women artists.  Next Monday morning at 10:30 the Hearing Voices Network meets. http://www.buttonwood.org

In New Haven tonight, at Cafe Nine, you can enjoy Calabrese, Biters, and The Naked Heroes at 8:30. Tuesday, they bring you Grass Hound, and Catalina Gonzalez at 8, and OCD: Moosh & Twist, and Ground Up at 9.  On Wednesday at 5, it’s Kings & Queens of East Rock.  On Thursday, Manic Productions brings you And The Kids, The Sun Parade, and Rudeyna.  On Friday at 5, Victor Roland takes the Café Nine stage, with Natalie Tuttle, Rusty Things, and Peter J Brail following at 9.  Saturday afternoon’s Jazz Jam session is with The George Baker Band, and at 9 you can catch MV & EE, Spectre Folk, and more.  Sunday afternoon brings you the Americana Songwriter Circle 3, followed by Sunday night’s Blues Boot Camp with Greg Sherrod at 8.   http://www.cafenine.com

Also this week in New Haven, at Toad’s Place, tonight it’s the usual Night of Smooth Jazz with Rohn Lawrence & Friends in Lilly’s Pad. On Thursday it’s Bright Night 14: Electro Glow Party, with music on two stages.  On Friday at 9:30 Partynextdoor takes the stage. www.toadsplace.com has the complete line-up.

Up in Hartford, at Blackeyed Sally’s, tonight is the usual Jazz Mondays at 8, with Truth Revolution Records showcasing the Eva Cortes CD Release Party.  On Tuesday, Michael Palins Other Orchestra, an 18-piece band, works out new material. Wednesday’s Blues Jam is with Tim McDonald.  Friday, enjoy the reggae/hip-hop fusion group The Alchemystics, along with Danny Pease & the Regulators.   On deck for Saturday is Caravan Of Thieves, with a blend of gypsy swing and popular music. www.blackeyedsallys.com for more.

Wesleyan’s Center for the Arts brings you “A Body in Places,” tonight at 10 at the Olin Library Lobby in Middletown.  This is dancer/choreographer Eiko Otake’s first project, and includes the photography exhibition “A Body in Fukushima.”  Their Artful Lunch series continues this Tuesday at noon with Artist in Residence Laurie Nussdorfer, who shares her favorite works at the Davison Art Center.

On Tuesday at 4:30 there’s a panel discussion on the “Picture/Thing” exhibition in the Zilkha Gallery.  On Wednesday in CFA Hall, there’s a panel discussion on “Expressing and Contesting Indonesia-Islam Encounters in Performing Arts:  Dance and Music in Aceh.”  On Wednesday at 8, The Russell House series presents poet Ron Padgett, with a reception and book signing following the presentation.  Thursday through Saturday they present the “Starfall” thesis theater production by Grace Herman-Holland, with actor-audience interactions and elements of Japanese Kabuki theater. On Friday and Saturday, Sara Guernsey presents her thesis theater production “The Visiting Room,” based on testimonials and interviews with five prison inmates.  On Friday in Crowell Concert Hall it’s the Connecticut premier of Tari Aceh! Music and Dance from Northern Sumatra, with traditional Indonesian dancers.  On Sunday, they sponsor the Stanley Maxwell Quartet, playing original arrangements of jazz at the Russell House.  Details at http://www.wesleyan.edu/cfa.

On Tuesday, at the Russell Library in Middletown, The Middlesex County Historical Society hosts author Elisabeth Petry for her talk, “Overcoming the Odds: Anna Louise James and Ann Petry Gamble and Win,” at 6.  The Connecticut Poetry Society meets this Wednesday at 6.  On Thursday, comic book historian Bill Foster discusses the changing image of African Americans in comic books at 7.  The Veterans Writing Group meets on Thursday at 7.  On Saturday, Connecticut author Beth Lapin launches her latest novel “Caravan of Dreams” at 2 p.m., with a book signing after the talk. Visit http://www.russelllibrary.org for details and information on more community activities. 

A panel discussion, “Drawing the Line:  Lessons From Charlie Hebdo” takes place this Tuesday at 7:30 at the Charter Oak Cultural Center in Hartford.  Details at http://www.charteroakcenter.org

At Infinity Hall in Hartford, on Wednesday it’s Trivia Night in the Bistro hosted by BaR Rated Trivia at 8.  On Thursday, pop star Mary Lambert takes the Infinity stage at 8.  Friday’s headliner is “The New Queen of Soul” and Broadway star Bettye Lavette at 8. On Saturday it’s Comedy Night: Battle of the Sexes, bringing you headliner stand-up comics from late night TV. On Sunday three-time Grammy winner and roots music storyteller Keb’ Mo’ takes the Infinity stage at 7:30. All details at http://www.infinityhall.com

On Wednesday, Manic Productions brings you the California X, Ovlov, and Dead Pines at Bar in New Haven.  On Friday they’ve got Yung Lean & Sad Boys at The Space in Hamden.  Saturday, they offer The Dodos, and Springtime Carnivore, also at the Space in Hamden.    Details at http://www.manicproductions.org

You can tour the Wadsworth Mansion every Wednesday at 2 p.m.  Details at http://www.wadsworthmansion.com

The Middletown Scottish Country Dancers meet Wednesday at First Church on Court St.  Partners not necessary.  Call 860-347-0278 for details.

The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center in Hartford brings you Hugh Howard in their Nook Farm Author Talk series, who will present “Houses of Civil War America,” this Wednesday at 7 p.m.  http://www.harrietbeecherstowecenter.org

Music at the Hubbard House presents a concert by BluesGrass  this Thursday at 7:30 at their Middletown location.  Proceeds benefit  the Artists for World Peace “Children of Peace,” along with the Amazing Grace Food Pantry.  Info at http://www.artistsforworldpeace.org

The Hartford Public Library presents “Hartford Renaissance: Celebrating the Art of Romare Bearden,” this Saturday from 9 to 12 a.m. in honor of Black History Month. There are panel and group discussions, and a performance by The Iron Poets.  Register at the library website.  Their Baby Grand Jazz series continues this Sunday at 3 p.m. with guest artist Laszlo Gardony. http://www.hplct.org

Now here's a rundown of cinema off the beaten track in Central Connecticut:

At Real Art Ways in Hartford, they continue their run of “Northern Borders,” the story of a young boy sent to live on his grandparents’ farm in Kingdom County, Vermont in 1956, through Thursday.  Also continuing is “Timbuktu,” a story of a cattle herder and his family who live near this ancient city that is now ruled by religious Jihadist extremists.  Improv’d Cinema happens this Thursday at 8, when Sea Tea Improv does the voiceover for the audience choice from five bad films.  This week they’ll open a run of “Magician:  The Astonishing Live and Work of Orson Welles,” in honor of the eve of his centenary.  Check website for dates and times.   www.realartways.com.

At Trinity College’s Cinestudio, the run of “The Passionate Thief,” a restored 1960 Italian classic about a seductive starlet who hooks up with a con man to pull off a robbery at a lavish party, continues through Thursday.  On Friday and Saturday they’re screening “Foxcatcher,” starring Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, and Mark Ruffalo, based on the true story of a DuPont heir who invites two struggling wrestlers to his farm for training.  On Sunday they open a run of the 1956 John Ford film “The Searches,” starring John Wayne and Natalie Wood, restored in Technicolor.  It was voted number 12 on the American Film Institute’s 100 Greatest American Films of All Time.  www.cinestudio.org.

Now here's what's on the air tonight on WESU:

Afternoon Jazz with Charles Henry follows the jive from 5 to 6

From 6 to 6:30 it’s Think Twice Radio with Al Robinson, which reasserts the “watchdog” role of media by ramping up coverage of Connecticut issues in a nonpartisan manner.

75% Folk with Michael Benson follows from 6:30 to 8, bringing you contemporary folk and acoustic music with side orders of blues, jazz, world, pop, movie soundtracks, readings and occasional live interviews.

From 8 to 9:30 it’s Unfocused Folk with Chip Austin, brings you Americana music from Nashville and around the world including Folk, acoustic Country, and roots-Rock from both emerging and veteran artists. 

The Attention Deficit Disk Jockey with Lee follows from 9:30 to 11, bringing you the music of yesterday’s future today.

Songs Without Words with Jacob Feder is on board at 11, with an eclectic mix of instrumental tunes from jazz to folk to electronic and back again.

At midnight it’s The Spice of Life with DJ Pretz, emphasizing Latin music, from folk to traditional to modern, with commentary on how aspects of Latin music have changed and styled American genres.

From 1 to 2 a.m. we bring you The Biz Marquee with Cole.  Like hip-hop?  Like movies?  Join DJ Cole for hip-hop and movie talk; you’ll hear a variety of music by rappers who love to act.

Next is All Mixed Up from Pacifica, airing until 3 a.m. for an eclectic mix of arts and information, featuring mood-driven music mixes and interviews.

We follow that with Maximum Rock and Roll Radio until 4, followed by BBC World News from 4 to 5 a.m., bringing you international news coverage from the famous British news network.  Morning Edition from NPR comes your way at 5. 

That’s all for today’s Jive At Five. Tune in each and every weekday at 4:55 p.m. to hear about what’s going on in the community and on the air right here at WESU 88.1 FM, a community service of Wesleyan University since 1939.

And if you value WESU as a source for information and entertainment in your life, how about supporting the station with a donation? You can make that donation online at http://www.wesufm.org anytime. Thanks for listening! Now stay tuned for Charles Henry.