Photos by Jim Lockridge

The Big Heavy World crew gathered photos and video at the July 27 Vermont Mozart Festival performance at The Ponds in Bolton. Here’s the pics:

Words by Justin Landau. Photo by Juliet Degree.

I was lucky enough to be able to attend the Fink and Free Louis show at Nectars this past Wednesday. It was a great atmosphere, and the crowd was full of friends and fans. Free Louis played first, and were excellent. Experimenting for the first time with vocals, their set was powerful and great. It was easy to tell the band were having a great time while playing, and the music showed it, playing lively and energetic songs.

After Free Louis finished their set, Fink set up the stage and began their set. Like Free Louis, Fink are a group of excellent musicians and can tell they truly love playing music together. Eric, Fink’s drummer had a great solo that lasted around 3 minutes, and played solid the entire night. Billy, the guitarist, excellent as always, wowed everyone I spoke to after the show. As per usual, Fink played their cover of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”, which the crowd went crazy for. Both acts were great, and next time they are playing in town everyone should be sure not to miss it.

Photos by Jim Lockridge.

Big “THANKS!!!!” to the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps and the VYCC crew that spent this week improving our L.S. Gordon Store “Creamery Park” project. The L.S. Gordon Store in Starksboro was built in 1907 and is being gradually restored to its original condition while we create a scenic overlook adjoining it. The overlook is located on property donated by Saputo on which a creamery stood for almost a hundred years. The lot had been unused for many years and was overgrown by brush… but not anymore! The VYCC crew cleared it out, leaving beautiful trees behind and making it possible for the sun to shine in! Before and after photos coming soon, but meanwhile, here’s photos of the crew in action!

Interview with Sam Ankerson, Radiator DJ, by Anthony Parshall. Photos by Jim Lockridge.

AP: So how did you come to BHW? How did you first get involved and start your radio show?

SA: I heard the station driving around, on the dial. After listening a few times, it jogged my memory—this was a few years ago—just from listening to it on the radio…I started listening regularly; I had done a show at St. Mike’s.

AP: How about the process of starting the show?

SA: It was really easy—I got in touch with Jim and submitted an idea for a show—this went through Lee Anderson—and they got back in touch about available slots—the process is reflective of [BHW]—you don’t have to jump through hoops.

AP: Tell me something about the format of the show. It’s centered around jazz?

SA: It’s an hour long—fifty minutes of music—and the rest is me talking—explaining the music, talking about shows coming up in the area and interesting web sites if you like jazz. Get guests into the music, talking about it.

AP: What makes jazz such a valuable form of music? This is a broad question, so feel free to give a stream-of-consciousness answer.

SA: I’m actually relatively new to jazz—I’ve been a serious listener for a little over ten years. One of the most appealing things is the skill required to execute [jazz]—you have to be a really good musician and have a real understanding of the music, which isn’t always required in other forms of music. It’s a uniquely American form of music—its roots combine indigenous American music forms—like the blues–with European music. Contemporary jazz has influences from around the world. When I’m listening, I like blues- and gospel-based jazz—jazz that brings up emotions from nostalgia to excitement. I also like listening to more loosely structured jazz based on folk or world music—bands like Oregon—other kinds of jazz can be more tranquil. Also, it’s flat-out exciting to listen to—the new ideas are exciting.

AP: How about favorite jazz artists? First favorite artists in general?

SA: I don’t have one… I would say Oscar Peterson, Pat Metheny, Jimmy Smith, and Roy Eldridge.

AP: These all seem like highly virtuosic musicians…I guess pretty much all jazz musicians are virtuosic…Do you have favorite contemporary musicians—Pat Metheny is contemporary…?

SA: There were a couple of great musicians at the jazz fest—Gerald Clayton, who’s an amazing piano player, and a guitarist, Stephane Wrembel, who plays Django-Reinhardt style music. I like Joey DeFrancesco, the organ player and an organist and piano player named Larry Golding. I wouldn’t call myself a jazz “expert”—the show is a way to self-educate.

AP: And Vermont musicians?

SA: Gabe Jarrett, the drummer… Michael Chorney—he led Viper House—now plays with the Michael Chorney Sextet…a composer-guitarist—he opened for Allen Toussaint at the jazz fest.

AP: Do we have enough jazz in Burlington? We have the jazz festival, of course.

SA: It would be nice to see more jazz on the club level—people bringing in national and regional artists—they’re trying at the FlynnSpace.

Radio Bean is an outlet, and Parima…it’s tough because jazz doesn’t sell like other forms of music…There’s no sense of a jazz club—maybe Burlington couldn’t support it…Do people just rally around the jazz fest?

The FlynnSpace has made a difference—the cabaret setting.

AP: Many—at least some—people seem to think that the spirit, the viability, of jazz has declined since the golden ages of bebop, Miles Davis’s great groups, Coltrane and the avant-garde. What would you say to this?

SA: On the one hand, it’s true—jazz was the most popular form of music—in the swing era, it was America’s music. People would say—you could make a case that rock ‘n roll killed or diminished many forms of music; certainly the boom years [of jazz] are commercially in the past. Creatively, I’m not totally up on what’s happening in jazz, but it seems to be pretty fragmented, which is maybe a good thing—people trying to blend genres—people are trying lots of different things—which is great, though a lot of them aren’t taking hold… If you start with Louis Armstrong-style jazz, jazz is getting more and more free…start with Dixieland on into free jazz—everything’s been deconstructed—the question is what to pick up and put together. There are the neotraditionalists—Wynton Marsalis and others—and others are trying to bring in electronica, which is very interesting and very challenging—but it’s hard to reach an audience. There has to be something that someone can come up with—I don’t know what…to the extent I know, the thing is to combine jazz with other genres—spoken word.

AP: The volume of high-quality jazz on record is so great. How would you recommend that a neophyte find his or her way into jazz? Any particular records to start with?

SA: I’d recommend the All Music Guide to Jazz—it’s amazing, it’s my bible—I’ve never disagreed with a five-star rating. I try to listen to as much radio as possible—George Thomas on NPR, WBGO in New York, WWOZ in New Orleans…when I hear something I like, I write it down.

AP: And records you would recommend to a beginner?

SA: Red Garland Quintet “All Mornin’ Long;” Oscar Peterson, “Night Train;” Jimmy Smith, “The Master;” Pat Metheny, “Travels;” The Ken Burns Jazz series is very good—the Coleman Hawkins disk in particular.

AP: What does jazz mean to you? Is there a “jazz aesthetic”?

SA: Jazz is a musical conversation…improvisation is critical to jazz…the fundamental existence of improvisation. Beyond that, I don’t think so.
There’s a degree of skill and improvisation.

AP: Does jazz have to swing?

SA: No, it doesn’t, there’s jazz that doesn’t.

AP: Can two people disagree about whether a piece of music is jazz?

SA: Definitely. The conversation about what is jazz gets more and more interesting. Me and my dad used to listen together—one person might say this is jazz and the other would disagree.

AP: Are there other types of music or specific musicians that you associate with jazz, that have qualities of jazz? Like Jimi Hendrix is in the Downbeat Hall of Fame.

SA: Like Jimi Hendrix—certainly he’s doing it.

AP: And the Grateful Dead.

SA: The Grateful Dead absolutely—the value of improvisation is very high—and by extension in lots of jam bands. There’s a fair amount of house music and electronica that builds the layers.

AP: Do you receive much feedback on your show?

SA: I get one or two comments a week—not much—there’s not much of a way to gauge if people are listening…it’s great to get good feedback… The show’s also a process of self-education, and I try to pass that on, place the music in context.

AP: Finally, where is jazz going? What will come to mind when one thinks of the word or the music in a decade?

SA: I have no idea—hopefully people will keep creating, keep innovating…in the music industry—recorded and live—the upheaval will settle and there’ll be a legitimate way for jazz musicians to work and create and find an audience.

AP: Do you think there’ll be someone who might be able to bring jazz to a mainstream audience?

SA: Probably someone will come along—Take 5 by Dave Brubeck was a big hit. Always a possibility.

Photos by Jim Lockridge

Big Heavy World and The Radiator are proud sponsors of Thursdays at the Intervale - a whole summer-long series of evenings of culture and local food at the Intervale. Every Thursday there’s something new to see, hear, eat or learn amid flowers, barns and a beautiful natural setting. Visit http://intervale.org/whats_happening/calendar.shtml for the Thursdays at the Intervale schedule. Here’s photos from last night:

Mike from Flabread.

Charlie Faye & friend.

Photos by Juliet Degree

Little Maxwell & The Malt Liquors joined us to perform in the studio tonight, on their travels from Montreal. Rocket Shop is Big Heavy World’s local music radio hour, broadcast on 105.9FM ‘The Radiator’ every Wednesday night from 8-9pm. Kelsey had the night off and Juliet Degree hosted the show.

Little Maxwell and the Malt Liquors, “K.C. Moan”
Little Maxwell and the Malt Liquors, “Make Me Down/Ain’t No Fellin’”
Little Maxwell and the Malt Liquors, “Sugarbabe”
Little Maxwell and the Malt Liquors, “Wake Up Sinners”
Little Maxwell and the Malt Liquors, “Goodnight Irene”

Declan Chesbrough has joined the crew, starting out with a fundraising project for the radio station. “My name is Declan. I’m fifteen years old. I am big into the hardcore scene in Burlington. I enjoy shows and many local bands such as Crucial Times and Unrestrained. I go to Burlington High School and I am a local. I also play LaCrosse for my school. My favorite music is hardcore and folk at the moment. When I am older I hope to be involved in the music business.”

Photos by Jim Lockridge

The south porch of Shelburne Inn, near the end of the concert.

Peaceful way to soak it up.

Mel Kaplan, Vermont Mozart Festival Artistic Director.

Governor Douglas welcomes concertgoers.

Festival crew Rachel Mullis and Christina Brooker at the VMF tent.

The concert started off with a dressage demonstration.

The sunset at Shelburne Farms can be breathtaking.

The weather and music was perfect.

Join Vermont Mozart Festival Orchestra musician and New York Chamber Soloist Allen Blustine in downtown Burlington during a live radio interview, performance and reception at the offices of Big Heavy World, SKI Magazine, and community radio station 105.9FM The Radiator on Thursday, August 5, 4-6pm.

Radio host Robert Ready will interview Mr. Blustine on-air at 4pm while guests will be welcomed to tour the radio station and offices of Big Heavy World, Vermont’s independent, volunteer-staffed music office. At 5pm our VMF artist will join everyone in an editorial office of SKI Magazine (adjoining the big Heavy World office and Radiator studio) for refreshments, conversation, and questions & answers. Seating on is limited and this will be a rare opportunity for casual interaction with the artist.

Refreshments will be provided by Cabot Cheese. This event is brought to you by Festival sponsors Big Heavy World and 105.9FM The Radiator.

About Allen Blustine: Allen Blustine (clarinet) is one of New York’s busiest and most versatile clarinetists. Mr. Blustine has performed with a broad spectrum of musical organizations in New York City, including the Brooklyn Philharmonic and the New York Philharmonic, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. He is a member of the Columbia University faculty, Director of Speculum Musicae, and a member of the North Country Chamber Players in New Hampshire.

Directions: Big Heavy World / 105.9FM The Radiator are located at 215 College Street, on the third floor. From Interstate 89: Exit 14W (ramp exits in one direction only onto Main Street). Continue on Main Street down the hill toward Lake Champlain. Turn right onto South Winooski Avenue. For parking, turn right at College and take the first right into the Fletcher Free Library parking area, a city parking lot. (We’re across So. Winooski Ave. from the Fletcher Free Library lawn). Other city parking areas can be located at http://www.ci.burlington.vt.us/parking/

Words by Julie Seger

The Vermont Mozart Festival has come to define summertime for Vermonters. Running July 18^th through August 8^th this year, the festival celebrates the 200^th anniversary of the birth of Frederic Chopin (1810-1849). Both of Chopin’s piano concertos and many of his renowned solo piano works will be performed; a repertoire this extensive his has never been undertaken by the festival. Be sure to enjoy this Vermont treasure and the chance to experience internationally acclaimed musicians doing what they do best in some of Vermont’s most breathtaking places. Visit www.vtmozart.org to help us support the festival this season; it will be Big Heavy World and The Radiator’s second year as a media sponsor for the Vermont Mozart festival.

The Vermont Mozart Festival began in 1974 after Melvin Kaplan and 8 other involved community members asked, “What could we dream up to do in the summer?” Inspired by Vermont’s beauty and its similarities to Mozart’s own Austria, Kaplan envisioned a European-style festival comprised of a variety of interrelated musical events in a variety of gorgeous settings. “It’s about what’s happening here, Vermont in the summertime, the lake, the mountains, and music. Simple universal music that expresses everything humanity has to do with.”

This season, the Vermont Mozart Festival welcomes featured pianists Philippe Entremont and Jean-Claude Pennetier from France; Jean-Francois Latour from Canada; Gil Shohat from Israel; and Reiko Aizawa from Japan. With such a diverse array of international performers, the festival is a rare opportunity to see some of the world’s finest musicians in a Vermont setting.

Outdoor concerts will take place at majestic venues including the Inn and Coach Barn at Shelburne Farms, the Trapp family lodge, Grand Isle Lake House, Kingsland Bay State Park, and a children’s series at Vermont Teddy Bear factory. Many of the outdoor venues invite picnicking before show time. Indoor venues include the Barre Opera house, the Essex, Middlebury Town Hall theatre, the Ponds at Bolton Valley Resort, Vergennes Opera house, and the West Monitor Barn in Richmond. With this selection, festival goers are welcome to tailor their experience according to their own needs and preferences.

And yes, the Vermont Mozart Festival will feature a number of Mozart’s masterpieces. As festival founder and artistic director Melvin Kaplan said, “With an appreciable amount of his work in this summer’s program, Mozart is taken care of as he should be.” Performances of other American favorites are also part of the program, including Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring, and Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Yeomen of the Guard.

Brought into the VMF press conference via Skype, featured pianist, composer, and conductor Gil Shohat reflected on the festival’s uniqueness all the way from Tel Aviv. “Every summer, I cross the ocean to Vermont to be with you. It truly feels like a family. This is the only festival I’ve known where the director [Melvin Kaplan] of the entire festival is also first oboe in the orchestra.” After making his debut performance at the Vermont Mozart Festival in 2007, Shohat has played every year since.

Be sure to take part in one of Vermont’s most cherished summertime traditions and support the Vermont Mozart Festival. For the complete summer calendar, venue information, and to purchase tickets, please visit www.vtmozart.org or call 802.862.7352.