The Air Department — aka Roger Ebacher and Dennis Pelletier — is teaming up with Newburyport's Exit Dance Company to present "Airshow" tomorrow and Saturday at 8 p.m. in the black box studio space at The Dance Place in The Tannery mall, 50 Water St., Newburyport.
Known for his Latin and jazz music, Ebacher is traveling in a different direction these days, influenced by music from around the world. Built around the concept that "the sky's the limit," the multi-instrumentalist and composer's new original works are a mix of global rhythms. He said it's music that people in the area don't get to hear very often.
"It's a walk around the park culturally," said Ebacher, who released two digital-only albums last year. "You'll hear some atmospheric music and some groove."
The "Airshow" will feature Ebacher performing about nine or so instruments, accompanied by Pelletier on percussion, rounded out by some recorded music. The show will also include two pieces by Exit Dance set to Ebacher's music
"The sound is going to be a lot bigger than just two people," he said. "It's not like people are going to be listening to a recording. It's very kinetic, very live."
Ebacher said the space holds about 100 people, and the audience will have the opportunity to get up and move to the rhythms. He encourages people who are adventurous in their listening to give it a try.
"This isn't club material. It's somewhere between a show and a concert," he says. "It's guerilla style in a way."
He also admits it's a bit conceptual. Even the way he's promoting the show on posters and other materials is different. You won't see his face anywhere, just an image of the sky filled with puffy white clouds.
"There aren't any genre limitations. There aren't any orchestral limitations," he said. "We're thinking outside the box."
Tickets are $8 and available in Newburyport at Dyno Records on Middle Street and The Dance Place. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Exit Dance and Theater in the Open at Newburyport's Maudslay State Park. Visit www.myspace.com/theairdepartment, or call 978-465-1485.
Familiar jazz favorite returning to Maudslay
The Paul Broadnax Quintet jazzes up Maudslay Arts Center in Newburyport on Saturday night with a program filled with familiar, toe-tapping standards. The concert in the outdoor amphitheater within Maudslay State Park on Curzon Mill Road starts at 7 p.m.
The popular jazz vocalist, pianist and recording artist who has been a regular performer on the Maudslay stage will be joined by sax man Fred Haas and former Newburyport resident Les Harris Jr. on drums.
Tickets are $20 for patio seats and $18 for a spot on the lawn. Children 12 and under are admitted free to the lawn. Concert-goers are encouraged to bring along a picnic and dine at either the patio tables or on a blanket or chair on the lawn. Drinks and desserts will be sold. In the event of rain, the shows are held in the adjacent barn.
After Saturday's concert, Maudslay Arts Center will take a midsummer break in celebration of Newburyport's Yankee Homecoming celebration. Performances will resume Saturday, Aug. 8, at 7 p.m. with Shirim Klezmer Orchestra, followed on Sunday, Aug. 9, at 2 p.m. with the 16-piece Gerry Barrett Big Swing Band specializing in swing, jazz and standard songs of today and yesteryear. For tickets or information, visit www.maudslayartscenter.org or call 978-499-0050.
Music fest benefit at Amesbury Spots Park
Amesbury Sports Park at 12 South Hunt Road in Amesbury presents Musical Soup Fest 2009 on Saturday starting at 2 p.m.
The lineup features the Bruce Marshall Group, Ed Sheer and Mario Perrett of the Love Dogs, Liz Frame and the Kickers and Ken Clark of Ken Clark Organ Trio, plus additional performances by Sweet Willie D, Toni Knott Band, Hillary Reynolds, Lucia, Lisa Marie and All Shook Up, Thomas "Bummah" Gurney and more.
Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Proceeds will support Amesbury for Africa and its sister city of Esabalu, Kenya.
The sports park is also hosting Wifflemania on Saturday starting at 10 a.m. Teams of one to five people can enter for $100 and are invited to compete for the $1,000 grand prize. A home run derby is also planned for a chance to win $5,000. Visit www.backyardball.net for details.
For more on either event, see www.amesburysportspark.net.
Free summer concert series heat up in region
Several free summer concert series continue this week throughout the area. Here is what's on tap:
Bellevue Cadillac takes the beachfront stage at Salisbury Beach on Saturday from 7 to 10 p.m. Combining guitar, bass, horns and vocals, the band performs everything from jazz and gospel to blues, swing and rock 'n' roll. The concert will be followed by a fireworks show. The whole program is part of Salisbury Beach's Merrimack River Maritime Festival this weekend featuring the display of three Tall Ships Saturday and Sunday. Visit www.beachfests.org or call 978-462-SBPI (7274).
Singer/songwriter Bill Morrissey performs tonight for the West Newbury Community Bandstand series on the gazebo behind the 1910 Building at 381 Main St. (Route 113), West Newbury. Staines is a perennial favorite on the summer music scene. The show goes from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The rain location is the adjacent annex. The Nick Goumas Jazz Quartet is up at the gazebo on Thursday, July 30. Call 978-363-1100 or visit www.town.west-newbury.ma.us.
Soul Robot closes out Amesbury's Music in the Millyard series tonight from 6 to 8. The free show takes place in the Upper Millyard amphitheater. Call 978-388-3178.
The Alley's Blues delivers a program of blues, ballads and contemporary tunes Sunday from 5 to 7 p.m. as part of the Georgetown Summer Concert Series at American Legion Park off Prospect Street in Georgetown. The rain location is the Penn Brook School on Elm Street. The series wraps up Sunday, Aug. 2, with the soul and roots music of Jesse Dee. Visit www.gtownculture.org.
Plum Island inspires photographer's exhibit
Emily Corbato was first inspired to become a photographer on Plum Island 15 years ago. Now she's offering a retrospective of some of her early Plum Island photos, including two new portfolios never before exhibited.
The retrospective, titled "Absolution of the Wind," opens Monday at the Rubin-Frankel Gallery at Boston University, 213 Bay State Road, Boston.
In keeping with the mission of the gallery, Corbato's black-and-white images are inspired by her spirituality, filtered through her love of nature and reflecting on Jewish tradition. Corbato, who still maintains her studio on Plum Island, displays her early ocean series as well as her most recent work, including a set of images of trees that led to the exhibit's title.
Corbato has been a resident artist/scholar at Women's Studies Research Center at Brandeis University since 2001. Her work has been shown throughout New England and beyond and is featured in numerous museum and college collections.
An artist's reception is planned for Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. A lecture and reception is also scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 6 p.m. The exhibit runs through Dec. 21. Admission is free. Call 617-353-7634 or visit www.corbato.com or www.bu.edu/hillel/gallery.
'Heart Sounds' play for a summer night
The Rev. Ross Varney, pastor of Belleville Congregational Church in Newburyport, highlights his recent CD, "Heart Sounds," at a concert on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the church meeting house at 300 High St.
Varney's original songs focus on faith, hope and love, and are designed to provide a lift to the summer. He will also perform some classic favorites and audience sing-alongs, and will be joined by some guest singers and instrumentalists on a few selections.
Admission is free. An offering will be taken to benefit renovations at Belleville Church. Call 978-465-7734.
Shipwreck tale unfolding at Jabberwocky Bookshop
Hobson Woodward, author of "A Brave Vessel: The True Tale of the Castaways who Rescued Jamestown and Inspired Shakespeare's 'The Tempest,'" shares his story tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Jabberwocky Bookshop in The Tannery mall, 50 Water St., Newburyport.
Woodward's book is a tale of shipwreck and survival, when The Sea Venture bound for the New World and its first colony at Jamestown was separated from its fleet and wrecked on uninhabited Bermuda. The tale of how the survivors finally reached Jamestown and then returned to England was told by one of the survivors and became a popular story in England in the early 1600s. It was used by Shakespeare as the basis for "The Tempest."
Admission to tomorrow's reading is free. For more, call Jabberwocky at 978-465-9359 or visit http://jabberwocky.booksense.com.
Two humor writers head to The Book Rack
Comedy writer Steve Hely discusses his first book, "How I Became a Famous Novelist," on Saturday at 7 p.m. at The Book Rack, 52 State St., Newburyport. Hely skewers the literary world with the tale of his quest to write the "great American novel."
Next Wednesday, Newburyport's Richard Doyle highlights his humorous memoir, "Winston Churchill was a Catholic Priest," highlighting his many years teaching at Newburyport High at 2 p.m. Doyle spent almost 40 years as a high school teacher in New England. He'll share crazy answers to test questions, like the book's title, and insight about the state of education today.
Admission to both readings is free. For more, call 978-46 or visit www.bookrackbookstore.com.
Sweeping views atop Port Harbor Light
Newburyport Harbor Light on Plum Island Point, which offers views as far off as Cape Ann and the Isles of Shoals, will be open for tours on Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m., weather permitting.
There is a short ladder to climb to the top, so sneakers are required. Children must be at least 5 years old and 42 inches tall to travel to the top. Tours are free. However, donations to support the Friends of Plum Island Light, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and restoring the lighthouse, are appreciated.
'High School Musical' screening in Byfield
Free Friday Family Movie Nights continue tomorrow at 7 p.m. at Community United Methodist Church, 11 Central St., Byfield.
"High School Musical" is on this week's marquee. Movie-goers are invited to dress up and sing and act along. A sing-along will follow. Popcorn and drinks will be provided.
Family movie night continues every Friday through August. Call 978-465-5946 or visit www.cumcbyfield.org.
Port library branch Book and Bake Sale
The Emma Andrews Branch Improvement Association holds its annual Book and Bake Sale on Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Newburyport library branch at 77 Purchase St.
The day will also offer a chance to join the association or renew one's membership. Proceeds will benefit the library.
Donations of books in good condition (no textbooks) are being sought for the sale. They may be dropped off today and tomorrow from 6 to 8 p.m. at the branch library. Volunteers are also needed to help set up and work the sale.
The Emma Andrews Branch is open Wednesdays from 1 to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. Call 978-465-4430 for more on the sale.
Film fundraiser for Amesbury Relay for Life
Enjoy a screening of the movie "Bolt" while benefiting Amesbury's Relay for Life tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at the Amesbury Cultural Center in the Carriage Loft Condos on High Street in downtown Amesbury.
The film is being presented by the Amesbury Public Library. There will also be raffles and food. Admission is $2.
Call Margie Walker, the young adults/reference librarian in Amesbury, at 978-388-8148.
History tour, final Kidleidoscope at Maudslay
The final Kidleidoscope program of the summer for preschoolers ages 3 to 6 heads into Maudslay State Park on Curzon Mill Road in Newburyport tomorrow from 10 to 11 a.m. The event will feature a story, craft, activity as well as outdoor exploration.
A family nature exploration program will replace Kidleidoscope for the remainder of the summer on Fridays at 10 a.m. starting Aug. 7. Kidleidoscope will return in the fall.
Also at Maudslay this weekend, a history tour of the estate sets out Saturday from 2 to 3:30 p.m. The park interpreter will lead the outing to view the former house sites, gardens and farm complex area within the property and talk about their historical significance. Ages 8 and up are invited.
Admission to all park programs is free. They start from the park headquarters. Children 12 and under must be accompanied by adults.
No programs are scheduled at the park next week. Activities will resume the week of Aug. 3. Call the park at 978-465-7223 for more.
'Cruising through the '50s' at Amesbury Playhouse
Entertainer Jimmy Mazz is set to take listeners on a ride through the music of the 1950s next week at Amesbury Playhouse, 194 Main St., Amesbury.
Mazz's playlist features covers by the greats like Buddy Holly, Dion, Fats Domino, Chubby Checker, Chuck Berry and Bill Haley, with a few surprises to boot.
He'll be on stage Wednesday, July 29, through Sunday, Aug. 2. Performances are Wednesday and Thursday, July 29 and 30, with dinner at noon and the curtain at 1:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, July 31 and Aug. 1, with dinner at 7 p.m. and the curtain at 8:30; and two shows Sunday, Aug. 2 — a matinee with the meal at noon and performance at 1:30 p.m. and an evening offering with dinner at 5 p.m. and the curtain at 6:30.
Tickets for the dinner and show are $35. Reservations are required and may be made by calling the Playhouse at 978-388-9444. Visit www.amesburyplayhouse.com.
Fire engine fundraiser for Guatemalan city
Long Way Home, a community development organization, is holding a fundraiser Thursday, July 30, at Mission Oak Grill in Newburyport to raise funds to ship a fire engine to San Juan Comalapa, Guatemala.
The fully functioning fire engine was purchased by Joe Hull of Georgetown from the Essex Fire Department, which replaced it with a newer model. San Juan Comalapa currently fights fires with plastic buckets and hand-held fire extinguishers. It will cost $6,000 to ship the engine to the Guatemalan city.
Long Way Home specializes in helping recycled materials stay out of landfills and continue to fulfill functions within society that protect and enhance the environment.
Next week's fundraiser takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. at the restaurant at 26 Green St. It will feature live music led by local pianist Bob Allison and the Lighthouse Trio, food, an art auction and cash bar. Magician Darren Young will perform, and free trade Guatemalan textiles will be for sale, and the firetruck being donated to San Juan Comalapa will be on display outside the restaurant.
The art auction will include an original portrait of the fire engine donated by Newburyport artist Alan Bull, who is best known for his nostalgic portraits of vehicles in New England scenes; and three oil paintings donated by Guatemalan painter Oscar Peren, creator of the familiar "Guatemalan Bus" painting who has donated two paintings depicting fires in San Juan Comalapa and also a portrait of the fire engine in front of the Comalapa church, the center of life in the indigenous town of 39,000.
Local artists Paula Estey, Renee Schneider, Jill Herrick-Lee, Janet Parker, Zsuzsanna Donnell, Cheryl Noyes and Meg Alfoni are also donating pieces to the event.
Admission is $5, with a maximum fee of $15 per family. Visit www.longwayhomeinc.org or e-mail elizabethrose@longwayhomeinc.org or joehull777@yahoo.com for more.
Maritime history at twilight tours
The circa 1808 Cushing House Museum in Newburyport and circa 1690 Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm in Newbury are teaming up to present historic twilight tours on Thursday, July 30, at 7 p.m.
Each property has their own tales to tell of Newburyport's maritime heyday. The candlelight tour starts at 7 p.m. at the Cushing House at 98 High St., and then travels to the Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm at 5 Little's Lane,
Admission is $10. Refreshments will be served. Reservations are required. Call 800-742-5306 or visit www.escapesnorth.com/maritime_mansions.
Tall Ship fundraiser for Port Art Association
The Newburyport Art Association is making plans for a sunset fundraiser aboard the Black Dog's pilot schooner Alabama on Thursday, Sept. 3, from 7 to 10 p.m.
The "All Hands on Deck!" benefit cruise will feature cocktails and hors d'oeuvres at sunset. There will be three drawings from a treasure chest of booty, plus a special guest captain.
The Alabama will be docked on the Newburyport waterfront behind the Black Dog store Sept. 1 through 3, and be open for tours during the day.
Tickets for the fundraiser are $75. Proceeds will support the Newburyport Art Association's community outreach programs. Seating is limited to 45 people, and reservations are required. Call 978-465-8769 to save a seat.
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