The Beat

Concert review: Common and NERD in Miami Beach

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 16:37:42 -0500

Singers and MCs who come here to perform almost never pass up the chance to sound like tourists.

No surprise, then, that rapper Common and N*E*R*D* frontman Pharrell Williams would pay the usual compliments in concert on Friday night at the Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater. The sexy, multicultural allure of (greater) Miami is a win-win talking point for bandleaders working an audience. And in their respective sets, Common and Williams with N*E*R*D* were dutiful on the subject, and probably sincere. For visiting pop, rock and rap royals, Miami is all excitement.

Still, to hear one not sound like Will Smith would be something.

Destination Miami had an extra strong hold on Williams, the promiscuously talented singer, rapper, songwriter and producer. He was absolutely stoked to be here "in the coolest ... city on the continent," as he put it, with his seven N*E*R*D*mates, on the tour's last night, afterparties pending.

And you could have inferred a more interesting portrait of South Florida living from the band's music, a shirttails-out hybrid of rap, rock, punk, Prince-ly funk, and spacey soul. Lapdance and Rock Star, with their blunt beats and lyrics about excess, captured a slice of the Elmore Leonard Miami that calls out to con artists and sex tourists. Everyone Nose (All the Girls Standing in the Line for the Bathroom) was basically a cocaine party set to a sprinting, Miami bass hook.

For a hedonist, Williams also did heartbreak convincingly. The letdown in Maybe was audible in the I've-been-had lyric ("The laugh's on me") and the melancholy, Brit-pop mix of piano and guitar.

Williams' music demands versatility, and he got all he needed from a skilled crew of fellow rappers (two), drummers (also two) and other instrumentalists. The checklist included spy-movie adrenaline (Kill Joy), disco Chic (You Know What) and Dirty South Santana variations (She Wants to Move). Weeks' worth of dates produced an impressive finale, the kind that sometimes prompts a band to stay on the road.

An onstage dance party with women plucked from the audience slowed the set's pace some, but it amused Williams and reminded everyone else what he loves about Miami.

Common mostly played to his reputation as the gentleman and soft-talking nurturer who addresses women as "ladies." But he opened with a party track, Announcement, that he recorded with Williams (who wasn't onstage for this version). Then he settled into slow-jam therapy (Respiration) and Vandrossian seduction (Come Close).

He also let it be known that he's not just rap's backpack Romeo. A battle-worthy freestyle rap cited Miami gangstas Trick Daddy and Rick Ross. A version of Gladiator seemed intended to hammer home the I-contain-multitudes point.

But Common was at his best, and least defensive, being smooth and a little self-deprecating -- the guy who doesn't always close the deal. His stage's centerpiece was a small bar populated by two ladies and a "bartender" doubling as a keyboardist and backing vocalist. And when last call went up, Common replied, "How is it last call for alcohol? This is Miami."

Weekend Blues

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:55:58 -0500

The Ritz Chamber Players isn’t exactly a blues group, but this ensemble combines a standard classical repertoire with the works of contemporary African-American composers. Billed as the nation’s first all-black ensemble, the Ritz performs tonight as part of Festival Miami 2008. Show starts at 8 p.m., Gusman Concert Hall, 1314 Miller Dr., Coral Gables. Tickets: $15-30. music.miami.edu/festivalmiami

Also on Friday, Iko Iko brings its Louisiana-flavored, swamp rock sound to the Back Room, 7200 N. Dixie Hwy., Boca Raton, 9:30 p.m.; consummate bluesman Joey Gilmore performs from 6-10 p.m. at the Village Pump, 4404 El Mar Dr, Lauderdale by the Sea; blues rock guitarist Albert Castiglia with Kilmo and guests, 10 p.m., at Alligator Alley, $5, cover; blues-gypsy jazz guitarist JP Soars solo, 5-7 p.m., at the Downtowner, 408 S. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale.

Saturday: Blues vocalist and guitarist Poppa E. returns to Sushi Blues, 2009 Harrison St., Hollywood; Funky Blu Roots, 10:30 p.m., Elwood's Dixie BBQ, 301 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach; Nucklebusters at Orange Door, 798 10th St., Lake Park.

Sunday: The South Florida Blues Society hosts its first annual Guitar Showcase from 3-9:30 p.m. (and beyond), Buzz Bar, NW corner of W. Oakland Park Blvd. and Pine Island Rd., Sunrise, Thirteen guitarists from South Florida do their thing, with a guest backup band. General admission, $8, SFBS members, $6.

For more information on events check out Showtime in today's Sun-Sentinel, The South Florida Blues Society and Hot House Florida Magazine.

Festival Miami 2008, Chopin meets Robert Johnson

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 09:00:01 -0500

What does chamber music have in common with delta blues, jazz or salsa? The answer is Festival Miami 2008, a three-week celebration of good music that kicks off tonight at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami. The series, now in its 25th year, comes courtesy of the University of Miami Frost School of Music, under the tutelage of Dean (and jazz pianist and maestro) Shelly Berg.

Berg (in the photo above, left) and his team have put together a classy and sassy lineup that seems intent on pleasing a most diverse bunch of music lovers. The eclectic blend includes: An evening of Chopin (with pianist Ning An, 2000 Chopin Piano Competition winner), Tierney Sutton and Jazz Vocal Ensemble, blues legend Honeyboy Edwards, Spam Allstars (Latin electronic funk) and mambo king Eddie Palmieri.

So if music is your thing — classical, rumba, samba, swing or 12-bar blues, don’t miss the groove at Festival Miami 2008.

TO GO: Opening Night Gala: Music by award-winning composer John Corigliano, with violinist Jennifer Koh, Frost Symphony Orchestra, Frost Chorale and others. 8 p.m., tonight, Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. Tickets: $15-$75. arshtcenter.org, 305-949-6722. Concerts at Gusman Concert Hall, 1314 Miller Dr., Coral Gables, unless otherwise noted. See full festival schedule at: music.miami.edu/festivalmiami

Muddy Waters, Folk Singer

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 09:00:51 -0500

As in love, some albums are just meant to be.

That's how I feel after listening, for the first time, to "Muddy Waters, Folk Singer," a 1963 Chess album the famed bluesman made at the height of the folk music revival, while trying to revive his own recording career.

My good friend and colleague David Cazares (who writes a music column in Showtime on Fridays) turned me on to Folk Singer after telling me that it had further inspired him to press on with the guitar, an instrument that he's learning to play.

By coincidence, or fate, blues-jazz guitarist JP Soars had just told me, in an interview, about his experience with a Muddy Waters recording that had turned him on to the blues in a serious way. The seminal album: "The Real Folk Blues," also recorded by Chess as a follow-up to Folk Singer.

It was time to decide for myself. I borrowed David's copy of Folk Singer this week (Real Folk Blues is next on my list). And I haven't been able to stop playing it or looking at it.

In Folk Blues, Waters returns unplugged, but in full force, to his Delta roots and delivers a history lesson in American roots music. I recognized some songs: "Good Morning Little School Girl" (by the legendary Sonny Boy Williamson) and "You Can't Lose What You Never Had" (a bit of blues wisdom by Waters, which appears under his real name, McKinley Morganfield). Other songs were new to me and have since become favorites: the playful and jazzy "Short Dress Woman" (a 1914 Chess single by John T. Brown) and "Put Me In Your Lay Away (a 1921 Chess single by L.J. Welch).

As if the music wasn't good enough, reading the liner notes was like discovering a hidden treasure. The remastered CD has photos of the 1963 recording sessions that show, along with Muddy, the great blues composer Willie Dixon on the upright bass and a young blues guitarist by the name of Buddy Guy. I'm a big fan of Dixon's music, but I had never seen his photo (Dixon died in 1992), nor did I know that Guy, now revered as a living blues legend, had played with Muddy as a young man.

Since listening to Folk Singer, I can tell friends about my own experience with a Muddy Waters' album. Why don't you tell me yours?

Tigertail/Eric Vloeimans: Special offer

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:53:10 -0500

About a year ago, I attended my first Tigertail concert: blues-jazz artist James "Blood" Ulmer was set to make his Miami debut at the Colony Theater in South Beach. The offer was too good to pass up.

At the time, Ulmer had a new CD, "Bad Blood in the City: The Piety Street Sessions," about his interpretation of post-Hurricane Katrina events and, as a result, Ulmer had gotten a lot of attention in the press, including a couple of blues magazine covers. "Blood" was suddenly hot in the roots music world.

That night, Ulmer and the two musicians who accompanied him, Mark Peterson and Aubrey Dayle, didn't disappoint. I left the theater aglow from having experienced a first-rate performance in an intimate setting at a bargain price -- $20.

Well, Tigertail Productions is beating that price on its next concert: Dutch jazz trumpeter Eric Vloeimans & his Trio Fugimundi perform Friday at the Byron Carlyle Theater in Miami Beach. The arts and culture group is offering a two-day sale, today and Tuesday, on general admission tickets, slashed from $25 to $15, and students/seniors, reduced from $15 to $10. This is incredible value for an artist like Vloeimans, regarded as one of Europe's finest jazz performers, now on his debut U.S. tour.

Jazz lovers should regard this as a gift. Mary Luft, Tigertail's founder and executive director, calls her outfit "Florida's pioneer of innovative arts." I would add "value art."

To Go:
Eric Vloeimans Trio: Fugimundi perform at 8:30 p.m. Friday, at the Byron Carlyle Theater, 500 71st St., Miami Beach. Sales prices available Tuesday, by calling Tigertail Productions at 305-545-8546 and using code JAZZ (limit four tickets). Offer not available online or through ticketmaster.

Charlie Pickett & the Eggs: "Overtown" video

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:30:00 -0500

One of Charlie Pickett's bandmates wrote "Overtown" before that Miami neighborhood went through the 1980s as a conflict zone. The song, eventually released on the 1984 Pickett EP, Cowboy Junkie Au-Go-Go, was basically about stupid white suburban kids trying to score drugs in the inner city. Circumstances would give "Overtown" a different cast, and Pickett & the Eggs - being punks - just had to pick that scab.

Most know the basic history: Starting in 1980, and continuing on and off into 1989, tensions between black Miamians and city police escalated into a string of riots and disturbances, some bloody and near-catastrophic. Not every flareup was confined to one district, but as the flashpoint, Overtown became shorthand for city-wide troubles.

Like any punk band with an interest in anarchy, nihilism and horror, Pickett & the Eggs exploited the current-events connection to "Overtown" when they commissioned this clip. A videographer name Chuck Azar trailed Pickett, Dave Froshneider, Johnny Salton and John Galway as they roamed that traumatized neighborhood, as if looking for their man. Azar then cross-cut that walkaround with footage of the disturbances.

The result is disturbing and weirdly disconnected, like newsreel of one story using voice-over from another, distantly related item. Froshneider (the songwriter) drawls, "Overtown, don't let me down," and the irony is hard to miss, but it feels backhanded, even though it's set to throes of violence. Maybe this was an approximation of a junkie's eye-view, where events register but don't quite puncture the high. "Overtown," the song and video, could be grim addiction comedy: "This is your brain on drugs ... and your city in flames."

Pickett plays a record-release show 7 p.m. Tuesday at Radio-Active Records in Fort Lauderdale. A Pickett compilation, Bar Band Americanus, comes out that day on Chicago's Bloodshot Records.

Here's an article about Pickett and a newer clip of the cowboy-punker-turned-lawyer playing a solo blues number. The video was shot last month by Sun Sentinel's Mike Stocker at Jim Kalamasz's Spectrum Recording Studios in Pompano Beach.

Juan Luis Guerra and Berklee College of Music

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 08:00:23 -0500

Fresh from the Berklee College of Music and armed with a degree in jazz composition, Juan Luis Guerra returned to the Dominican Republic to experiment with the roots music of his homeland. By 1988, Guerra and his band, 440 (Cuatro Cuarenta) had successfully fused merengue, bachata, perico ripiao, Latin pop ballads and jazz into a huge commercial hit.

I was living in Puerto Rico when Guerra and 440 took the Latin music scene by storm. Until then, Dominican music was confined mostly to noisy, bad merengues on the radio. But Guerra's songs were different; they were poetic and poignant, as well as fun to dance to. My favorite is still Guerra's first big hit: "Ojala que llueva cafe" (May it rain coffee), a prayer for ending hunger and poverty. His songs had a message without being preachy or ideological, like some "protest" music my generation had listened to on college campuses. With Guerra it was possible to have a social conscience and boogie all night.

An Associated Press story this weekend jogged my memory about Guerra's impact on tropical music. In the interview, the singer-songwriter and Grammy winner talked about wanting to return to teach at his alma mater. I don't know if the renowned Boston music school wants or need Juan Luis Guerra on its faculty. I do know that Berklee played a role in expanding Guerra's musical horizons and helped him transform his country's roots and pop music into something fresh and exciting.

Maybe Guerra is ready to return the favor.

O.A.R. paddles to Pompano and other weekend retorts

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:03:38 -0500

- The jam band O.A.R. has moved its 7 p.m. concert tonight to Pompano Beach Amphitheatre. So don't show up at the previous location (Mizner Park Amphitheater) unless you prefer silence to O.A.R. ... Tickets already purchased will be honored. The show is general admission. Tickets at the gate are $32. Between the Trees and Matt Hires open. The address is 1806 NE 6th Street, Pompano Beach. Call the box office at 954-946-2402.

- The mightiest of the twee, our very own Humbert rises from a sabaatical-ish nap (no shows since March) to play the annual Hialeah Fest. This celebration of all things both rockin' and Hialeah commences tonight and continues tomorrow at Churchill's Pub, 5501 NE 2nd St., Miami, 305-757-1807, churchillspub.com. Doors open 9 p.m. both nights.

Hialeah Fest 2008 also boasts the reunion of the pre-Humbert power-pop combo I Don’t Know, plus more debuts, special guests, one-night-onlys and all-star encounters than an episode of General Hospital. Check the Friday schedule and the Saturday schedule for details.

- Rapper Jay-Z has scheduled a second free concert and voter registration drive in Miami to support Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. Tickets for the second show, which takes place on Monday afternoon at Bayfront Park Amphitheater, are available at noon tomorrow at the candidate's nine South Florida campaign offices. The event is for people ages 18 and older. Gates open 11 a.m. Monday and the concert starts at 12:30 p.m. Tickets for the 7 p.m. Sunday concert and Obama rally at Bayfront with Jay-Z and rapper Wyclef Jean are gone, except for some radio-station giveaways, an Obama campaign spokesman said on Friday.

Weekend Blues

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 09:00:36 -0500

This is the time of year when not only the weather starts to improve, but also the variety of music at clubs and concert halls. This weekend, for example, you can see a couple of music legends perform in South Florida -- Bobby "Blues" Bland and Milton Nascimento, plus homegrown talents, like Hep Cat Boo Daddies and the Downtown Posse.

A few recommendations:

Friday: Poppa E brings his old-school blues and funky soul to Sushi Blues Cafe, 2009 Harrison St., in Hollywood. Show starts at 9:30 p.m.

The Hep Cat Boo Daddies, fresh from their 10th anniversary concert last weekend, perform their brand of high-energy blues-rock-roots music, from 7-9p.m., at Riverland Park, 950 SW 27th Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Free concert.

Saturday: Legend Bobby “Blue” Bland appears at City Limits, 19 NE 3rd Ave., Delray Beach. At 78, the "lion of the blues" still attracts crowds with his powerful vocals and mix of blues, gospel and R&B. The Nucklebusters Blues Band opens, starting at 8 p.m. Cover: $23.

Milton Nascimento and the Jobim Trio perform at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., in Miami. Nascimento is a Grammy Award winner, famous for his falsetto and songwriting skills. The Jobim Trio is composed of Paulo and Daniel, son and grandson of bossa nova legend Antonio Carlos Jobim, and drummer Paulo Braga. Together, these performers salute Jobim and 50 years of bossa nova. Tickets: $38.50-$78.50. Show starts at 8 p.m.

Sunday: The Downtown Posse with JP Soars, Kilmo, and Billy Vazquez return to Tarpon Bend, 200 SW 2nd St., Fort Lauderdale. 3-6 p.m. Swampy blues-rock and roots music.

If you happen to be on Florida’s West Coast, harp player Dennis Gruenling pays tribute to Little Walter, the famed harmonica player for Muddy Waters, 7 p.m., at Aces Lounge, 4343 Palma Sola Blvd., in Bradenton. Gruenling represents a new generation of harp players who are keeping the blues alive. His latest album "I Just Keep Lovin' Him" is, in fact, a tribute to his mentor, Little Walter. With special guests Steve Guyger and Doug Deming. Cover: $12 at door, $10 in advance.

For more show listings and great music, check out the Sun-Sentinel's Showtime on Friday, the South Florida Blues Society and Hot House Florida magazine.

Phish reunites, generational split widens

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:28:11 -0500

An actual e-mail exchange among editors regarding the news of Phish's reunion:

Editor 1: Not sure who to send this to, but Phish is reuniting.

Editor 2: Can we get a quick post up on this?

Editor 3: Sean, I order you to do this, and make sure the phrase "dirty hippies" is not left out.

Editor 2: hey, that's my generation you're insulting!

Editor 3: No, in fact it's my own. There was a time when I went to many, many Phish shows.

Below the fold, the press release ...

Milton Nascimento and Jobim Trio honor bossa nova master Antonio Carlos Jobim

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 09:00:19 -0500

When Antonio Carlos Jobim introduced the hyper-cool, jazz-tinged sounds of bossa nova to the world half a century ago, he put Brazilian music on the map. Jobim’s “Girl from Ipanema” became an international hit and the composer-arranger-guitarist-pianist found himself influencing the likes of Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Carlos Santana.

Now another Brazilian legend, singer-songwriter Milton Nascimento teams with part of the Jobim family to pay tribute to the great bossa nova master. Nascimento and the Jobim Trio take the stage Saturday at the Adrienne Arsht Center to celebrate 50 years of bossa nova.

It will be tough to get any closer to the source of the genre. The Jobim Trio is led by Paulo and Daniel Jobim, son and grandson of the great composer, along with drummer Paulo Braga. Nascimento is a Grammy Award winner who, like Jobim, has internationalized Brazilian music and has recorded with the who’s who of the music industry, including Paul Simon, Cat Stevens and Duran Duran.

For hardcore Jobim fans, the Antonio Adolfo School of Music in Hollywood offers a unique, 90-minue workshop Sunday, titled Jobim: His life and music. During the session, Paulo and Daniel Jobim will play examples of Jobim’s music and answer questions (in English) about the composer's life and work.

TO GO:

The Nascimento-Jobim Trio concert starts at 8 p.m. Satuday at the Adrienne Arsht Center, 1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. Tickets: $38.50-$78.50. Reservations at ticketmaster.com, arshtcenter.org or 305-949-6722.

The Jobim workshop starts at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at the Antonio Adolfo School (Hollywood Productions building), 2040 Sherman St. Admission is $25. Reservations at 786-566-1527 or antonioadolfo.net.

New Music: August/September round up

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:50:00 -0500

Summer is over, so it's high time you check out four promising early fall indie rock releases:

Marching Band - Spark Large: I've been listening to this album endlessly. Marching Band is a Swedish duo that crafts deliciously layered, sunny pop songs. The songs are clever and charming and if you're twee like me, then you'll love them. If it provides any context whatsoever, the CW's remake of 90210 (a cavity-inducing, watered-down Degrassi wannabe, to be sure) featured a Marching Band song in last week's episode.

Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line: Ra Ra Riot takes orchestral pop to a new level, which is sort of hard to do in the indieverse at the moment. But, Ra Ra Riot's doing their own thing. They mesh driving, crashing rock percussion with soaring strings, pulsing organ and earnest vocals. The result is urgent, full-bodied indie pop -- Vampire Weekend meets Arcade Fire -- with bonus points for an awesome Kate Bush cover.

The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound: Everyone and their moms have brushed off the Springsteen comparison for these guys, so I won't bother. The Gaslight Anthem definitely has a working class aesthetic. They're rock balladeers. They're even from Jersey. Anointed much? But, if you're (gasp) not a Springsteen fan, the real key here is that TGA songs are infinitely sing-alongable and dance-your-butt-off-in-your-bedroomable.

Okkervil River - The Stand Ins: If you like Okkervil River, which I do, you'll like their latest. The Stand Ins is basically a continuation of The Stage Names thematically and musically. There are some wicked driving bass lines on this album, some searing guitars, some horns and the ever-present brainy Will Sheff lyrical genius. The Stand Ins isn't a surprise, but it is rewarding to hear indie rock simply written and performed at its highest level.

So, no real surprises from me, I guess. But all four albums are worth a sit-down. Happy autumn listening!

Weekend Blues

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 08:00:26 -0500

This is one of the best weekends for blues, jazz and roots music that I can remember since I began writing Weekend Blues about five month ago. Here are some incredible weekend highlights:

Friday, Saturday and Sunday -- Treat yourself to the 7th Annual Clambake Hollywood Beach, a seafood and music festival with a FREE entertainment lineup that's seems too good to be true. National acts include: Grammy-nominated vocalist Shemekia Copeland, New Orleans brass and funk bands Bonerama, Big Sam's Funky Nation and the festival's closing act on Sunday, Ivan Neville (of the Neville brothers) & Dumpstaphunk. Local bands include Oriente and David Shelley & the Bluestones. The fun starts at 5 p.m. Friday and ends at 9 p.m. Sunday. Talk about value.

If you have any energy left after the Clambake, you may want to head over to Alligator Alley, 1321 E. Commercial Blvd., in Oakland Park for a little late-night after-party. On Friday: blues-rock guitarists Albert Castiglia and David Shelley team with Kilmo, John Yarling and other guests. On Saturday: New Orleans musicians Jeff Watkins, Eric Bolivar and Bert Cotton from Bonerama play with Bendy Pastorius group and other special guests, followed by a "super session" with James Brown/Joss Stone sax player, members of Bonerama, Kilmo and other local musicians. Music starts at 10 p.m.; $5 cover.

In Miami, Latin funk group Spam Allstars appear at Tobacco Road (cabaret), 626 S. Miami Ave., starting at 9 p.m.

Saturday: JP Soars has a release party for his new and first blues CD, "Back Of My Mind," at The Back Room Blues Bar, 7200 N. Dixie Highway, Boca Raton. Soars wrote four of the tracks on this album, combined with blues standards from Muddy Water, Willy Dixon, T-Bone Walker and others. The band: Chris Peet on drums, Gary Rimmington on bass, Mark Doyle on keys and Scott Ankrom on horns. Show starts at 9:30 p.m., $5 cover charge.

Also on Saturday, Hep Cat Boo Daddies celebrate 10th anniversary with a concert at Hollywood Playhouse, 2640 Washington St, Hollywood. Special guests: Jeff Watkins, Dr. Lee and Frank Ward. Opening act: David Shelly and the Bluestone. Show starts at 8 p.m., tickets $15.

Sunday: This is a good day to visit Fort Lauderdale's O'Hara's, the landmark club at 722 E. Las Olas Blvd. Besides the great lineup, this is reportedly O'Hara's last Sunday at this site. The club is soon moving to make way for renovations on Las Olas. Appearing from 3-7 p.m., diva Nicole Henry and her jazz quartet, and from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., David Shelly & Bluestone. No cover; two drinks minimum.

For more show listings and great music, check out the Sun-Sentinel's Showtime on Friday, the South Florida Blues Society and Hot House Florida magazine.

JP Soars CD release party, "Back Of My Mind"

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:00:09 -0500

In the early '60s musicians made the transition from blues to rock. In JP Soars' case, the 39-year-old guitarist from Boca Raton evolved in the opposite direction - from heavy metal rock to blues and gypsy jazz.

Soars has a release party Saturday for his first blues CD, "Back of My Mind," a recording that showcases his searing riffs, Mississippi-style vocals and songwriting skills. The CD also includes standards by T-Bone Walker, Johnny "Guitar" Watson and Muddy Waters, whose music first inspired Soars to get serious about the blues. "It was just raw with emotion, that's what got me," he said.

Soars' other music idol is 1930's gypsy jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, who inspired him to form the Gypsy Blue Acoustic Revue three years ago. He also performs with his blues band, the Red Hots (every Thursday night at The Back Room), and occasionally with West Coast saxophonist Terry Hanck.

TO GO:

JP Soars CD release party, Saturday, Sept. 26, The Back Room, 7200 N. Dixie Hwy., Boca Raton. Cost: $5. Contact: 561-988-8929, thebackroombluesbar.com

'American Carol' director David Zucker: Hollywood Conservatives are 'the new gay'

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:55:35 -0500

EW has a good story on An American Carol, a movie made by the apparently preciously teensy minority of Republicans in Hollywood. South Florida is among the markets in which the film will open on Oct. 3. Here's an excerpt:

"Most political comedies say both sides are bad," says Zucker. "We're saying, F--- it. We're taking a side." Indeed, there is shtick in this flick that would offend even a pig in lipstick. There's a jaw-dropping spoof of suicide-bomber training videos, and a bit about "radical Christians" hijacking planes with weaponized crucifixes. Like Oliver Stone's W., which opens two weeks later, Carol could be an October surprise that ignites huge controversy just before the election--or it could be ignored by moviegoers of both parties.

The Beat

Concert review: Common and N*E*R*D* in Miami Beach

Weekend Blues

Festival Miami 2008, Chopin meets Robert Johnson

Muddy Waters, Folk Singer

Tigertail/Eric Vloeimans: Special offer

Charlie Pickett & the Eggs: "Overtown" video

Juan Luis Guerra and Berklee College of Music

O.A.R. paddles to Pompano and other weekend retorts

Weekend Blues

Phish reunites, generational split widens

Milton Nascimento and Jobim Trio honor bossa nova master Antonio Carlos Jobim

New Music: August/September round up

Weekend Blues

JP Soars CD release party, "Back Of My Mind"

'American Carol' director David Zucker: Hollywood Conservatives are 'the new gay'

Concert review: Common and NERD in Miami Beach