I’m a child of the 60s. I wore my hair long with a center part. My uniform was a black turtleneck and slim pants, ala Audrey Hepburn. I listened to cool jazz and earnest folk music on my portable stereo and attended concerts at the local coffee house. My venue of choice was a church basement, but coffee houses were a common scene, scattered all over Philadelphia and the sprouting suburbs of southern New Jersey.
At my huge high school, I sometimes felt almost invisible among the sea of students. But, at the coffee house, I discovered other music lovers. Being there and sharing that passion made me feel like I was a part of something unique.
Regardless of who was playing, those shows felt special. Instead of watching from across a vast expanse, you experienced the music in an intensely personal way. And, while I definitely have reveled in my share of arena style shows – think The Who, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, and Springsteen, for example – I still prefer live music in a more intimate setting.
Over the years, many small music venues have disappeared. Coffee shops often feature live music and there are still places where the performer is the primary event. But, other than a handful of old-school jazz clubs, there aren’t that many options for those who yearn for a specific type of concert experience.
John “Bucky” Pizzarelli was born January 9, 1926 in Paterson, New Jersey and currently lives in Saddle River. The list of artists he’s played with reads like a who’s who in jazz history. He’ll be celebrating his 85th birthday with a concert on Tuesday, January 11th at the Bickford Theatre in Morris Township. I recently got the chance to wish him happy birthday and talk about his career…
GARY: How did you get the nickname Bucky? BUCKY: When my father was 16, he hitch-hiked down to Odessa, Texas. He was the first Italian cowboy! He was a cowboy for a couple of years. Later on when he got married – much later – his first born was me and he called me Bucky.
You’ve had such an amazing career that keeps on going. Do you still get as much of a kick out of playing as you did in the beginning?
I do, yeah. That’s what I wanted to do and I just keep going. It’s really not a job; it’s a lot of fun!
I know you’re aware of it, but not many people are aware that so many great jazz musicians came from New Jersey. You’ve certainly played and recorded with most of them. Any idea why this area has been so great for music?
Well there’s a big population of guitar players here. I can name a whole gang of them: Tony Gottuso, Al Casamenti, Tony Mottola, Al Caiola – all guitar players! Read the rest of this entry »
Hope you had a lovely New Year’s celebration, Arts Lovers! Here’s some New Year’s thoughts from John, Colleen, and Jonathan. Read on for more about branching out, taking personal stakes in the art in our lives, and the role of arts in communities.–CV
JOHN BECK, Our Dance Blogger:
I think my biggest resolution is to get out and see more- more dance, more galleries, more poetry. This first year in New Jersey has been a whirl, and now that I’m finally feeling settled (more or less), I’m starting to realize how much art I’ve been missing. I work down the street from Paper Mill Playhouse, and I live in Morristown, walking distance from the Community Theatre and the Morris Museum. So I resolve to make time in my schedule for more of the great things my community has to offer… right in between cooking a healthier dinner and my trip to the gym! Read the rest of this entry »
As we head towards the close of another trip ’round the sun, we wanted to share with you some of our reflections and thoughts on both 2010′s arts experiences and our hopes for what 2011 may hold. Here’s some resolutions from Shen, Gary, Patricia and Cat–check back for part 2 later this week. We hope you enjoy, New Jersey–and stay warm! –CV
SHEN SHELLENBERGER, our Blogger-at-Large:
When Twyla moves, you listen...
Twyla Tharp said that “art is the only way to run away without leaving home” and, really, isn’t that the truth?
I’ve always had art in my life – whether I was pounding out adolescent stories on the hulking Royal typewriter in my grandmother’s basement or listening to “West Side Story” and “Funny Girl” with my mother in the living room of our circa 1950s Cherry Hill ranch home.
Through writing for Culture Vultures this year, I’ve been more tuned in to art than I have for a long time. Not only have I gone to musical concerts, which I’d likely have done regardless, but I also visited a jewel of a cultural site, saw a marvelous art exhibition at an equally marvelous South Jersey museum, watched a remarkable theatre production and attended the WheatonArts fest.
And the conversations that I had with people who make art – or in the case of the Civil War reenactors, keep history alive – reminded me of how glorious it is to have that passion to create.
In the coming year, I want to hear more stories – told from the stage in theatre productions and from authors reading and discussing their work. I want to see more visual art, and maybe finally get my boyfriend to Grounds for Sculpture. And I’d love to be a student and challenge myself to learn a new skill or fine-tune something I once knew how to do. In short, my goal is to spend more time surrounded by art and the people who make it.
With the holidays fast approaching, we’re all searching for last minute stocking stuffers.
Tickets to a performance make a great gift because:
1) it’s not a fruitcake or a sweater;
2) it shows you know the person well enough to at least guess what he or she might like;
3) if you buy a matching ticket for yourself, it’s a great way to say, “you’re awesome, let’s spend some time together.”
So now that all my friends have a hint of what they’re getting, it’s just a matter of narrowing down the incredible range of art available in the Garden State. I’m the new dance blogger here at Culture Vultures, I’m going to focus on opening up the dance world to the casual dance watcher- someone like my mother, who regularly watches the television dance shows, who saw Nutcracker a decade ago, but who enjoys a wide range of arts. Read the rest of this entry »
Welcome, dear reader, to part two of our Holiday Stroll Down Memory Lane with our Bloggers. We hope you’ll check out part one below, if you haven’t already, and then scamper on over to our Holiday Guide. Happy Holidays, New Jersey! -CV
JESSE NORTH, Our Theater Blogger:
Not Quite Dylan Thomas...
A Holiday Memory: The holidays can be a confusing time. It was for me when my family took me to the 12 Miles West Theatre Company in Madison when I was in sixth grade for a Christmas-y afternoon of Dylan Thomas poems. First of all, I spent the entire afternoon confusing the Welsh poet with Bob Dylan. What did the Tambourine Man have to do with Christmas anyway? Well, even upon setting the record straight that Dylan Thomas was NOT Bob Dylan, I still didn’t know what he had to do with Christmas. But it wasn’t so much the subject matter, it was the presentation at the 12 Miles West Theatre. We all sat at wooden tables on wooden benches in the black box theater. Hot apple cider was served in mugs and the glow of large, old-fashioned Christmas lights glowed around the stage’s perimeter. A few Welsh carols were sung (yes, Welsh Christmas carols), and I remember rolling my judgmental, sixth-grade eyes in embarrassment. I didn’t think the show made a lot of sense, but all these years later, I remember it as one of the coziest Christmas events I’ve ever been to. And nowadays when I listen to my Bob Dylan Greatest Hits album, I always think of Dylan Thomas.
A New Tradition: Because I like my holiday traditions served with a side of sap, I was thrilled for the Kelsey Theatre’s reading of “It’s A Wonderful Life – A Radio Play” in West Windsor. The story of George Bailey and his selflessness toward his family and friends brings me to tears at least three times throughout its duration. And in this production performed as a radio show, there’s an old timey aspect added that makes me feel like I’m listening to the story during the characters’ time period. “No man is a failure if he has friends.” Ugh, here come the tears. Read the rest of this entry »
The Paper Mill Playhouse is soon to be at the center of national theatrical attention when it hosts the US premiere of Cameron Mackintosh’s revived production of Les Miserables. Essentially a reboot of the classic Boublil/Schonberg/Kretzmer musical, the production features new staging, set design, costumes, and orchestrations. Simply translated: there’s no turntable. Most musicals don’t have to explain themselves when undergoing a reimagining, but Les Miserables is like a Fourth of July hamburger—people have a clear idea of how they want it. Read the rest of this entry »
The lobby of the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick was a busy place on a recent Saturday afternoon. A congenial and chatty crowd there, waiting to see “Circle Mirror Transformation”, the Mainstage production starring Sandy Duncan. And, in the more intimate, black box theatre, there was a free performance of “IRL: In Real Life” as part of their as part of their Open Stage Series. The show, written by R.N. Sandberg, addresses the provocative hot-button topic of cyber-bullying.
Bullying is certainly nothing new among children and young adults, but the technological developments of the past decade or so have changed it up. Back in the day, being bullied might mean that some kid called you a nasty name or made a comment about your clothing choices or your eyeglasses when you were at recess. If the playground was particularly crowded that day, it was possible that a couple dozen friends and classmates witnessed the encounter. A few might mention it to you again later that day, or even tell others. And maybe the incident would resurface again. Some people might talk about it on the bus. Or your friends might joke about it and encourage you to plan a defensive action. But, most likely, the overall effect would not be too serious or long-lasting.
In today’s times, however, it is possible for an off-handed comment or an adolescent jab to escalate from minor and meaningless to something much more sinister at an astonishingly fast pace.
And this is the tale that unfolds – with texting and elaborate social media networking and computer-generated visuals – in this powerful show. Read the rest of this entry »
Call it the quirky, little play that inspired a world-wide cult following.
The Rocky Horror Show began as homage to horror films and science fiction at the Royal Court’s experimental Theatre Upstairs in London back in 1973 with a six-week workshop run. An immediate success, the show soon moved to the much larger King’s Road Theatre and was named “Best Musical of 1973” by the London Evening Standard’s annual poll of drama critics. Yet, the play’s early success was nothing compared to the madness that would take place shortly after the film version opened in America on September 26, 1975.
The film’s place in cinematic history was cemented just a few months later on April 1, 1976. That was the day the film became known as the ultimate midnight movie when it began its run at the Waverly Theatre in New York City. Soon theaters around the country began showing The Rocky Horror Picture Show at midnight and within three years the film was playing on hundreds of screens including over 20 in the New York City region alone. As the midnight showings spread, a strange phenomenon began taking place. It started when people began shouting out phrases to the characters on the screen, then people came to the theaters dressed up in costume; eventually, audience members began bringing props and throwing items like rice and toilet paper during specific parts of the film. It was clear the evolution was now complete — Rocky Horror had successfully shattered the fourth wall and invited everyone into its own world! The midnight showings continue to run while touring companies have brought the stage version of Rocky Horror to every corner of the globe. In fact, a special version is coming to New Jersey this week just in time for Halloween. Read the rest of this entry »
I was in a terrific mood on Saturday morning as I drove to WheatonArts for their annual Festival of Fine Craft. It was another gift-from-the-weather-deity day – brilliantly blue sky, warm sun and moderate temperatures – and I was grooving along to some tunes from a CD that came with a recent issue of the British music magazine, Uncut.
Aside from just anticipating the day, I was also looking forward to discovering for myself what all the fuss was about at the Wheaton festival. Many friends who KNOW – either as buyers or from an artist’s point of view – told me that the WheatonArts Festival of Fine Craft sets a fairly high bar. Read the rest of this entry »
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