Aspen Sojourner Managing Editor Michael Miracle blogs:
Aspen saw an absolutely unforgettable performance last night at Belly Up by one of the most influential, important and legendary groups of all time: Public Enemy.
Continue Reading Add comment December 28th, 2009
Heading to the river...Old Pond Park
SATURDAY, AUGUST 15TH
OLD POND PARK, BASALT
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
6:15am Basalt Half Marathon registration begins. Bus leaves at 7:00am to begin the race from Ruedi Reservoir
7:30am Lions Club Pancake Breakfast starts
8:30am MUSIC: Heart of the Rockies
11am Basalt River Day Parade (line up starts at 10:30am)
11am Beer Garden opens
10:30am Pie Contest (drop off pies by 10:15am)
12pm MUSIC: Lizard Skinner
3pm MUSIC: Funky Munky and ThunderLuv
5pm MUSIC: Double Diamond Band
ACTIVITIES & ENTERTAINMENT
• Story Times from Basalt Regional Library District
• Arts & Crafts for all ages from Wyly Community Art Center and Aspen Art Museum
• Department of Wildlife Fishing Clinics
• Fun activities from the Roaring Fork Conservancy
• Growing Years Carnival Sponsored by KidsFirst
• Local Food Vendors including the Basalt Methodist Church Pie Sale, Challenge Aspen Cake Walk, Kiwanis Hamburgers & Brats, CJ Snaps hot dogs, Baked goodies and fresh garden veggies from the Andy Zanca Youth Empowerment Program, and many more!
• Local Merchants include Forever Living, Mountain Greenery, Isberian Rugs, Wild Bear Bee Farm, Skin to Soul Holistic Massage, Dye Works and many more!
• Food and Drink specials around town after the event!
For more information visit www.basaltchamber.com or call 970.927.4031
Add comment August 13th, 2009
As one of today's preeminent dramatic sopranos, superstar Deborah Voigt has garnered acclaim from both critics and audiences. This August 6, Voigt joins David Zinman in what will surely be one of the most memorable concerts of the summer. The program includes music of Beethoven and Strauss.
Also, please join us for the Festival and School's 60th Anniversary Celebration that will take place prior to this concert at 5pm. Come eat, drink, and reminisce about your favorite Festival memory. Celebration-only tickets are $35. Tickets with special seating at the Deborah Voigt concert with Celebration are $150.
This event is sure to be very popular, so get your tickets early by calling 970-925-9042.
Add comment March 30th, 2009
Click here for a symphony composed by nature
Your default MP3 player will launch. Click play to listen.
Add comment March 1st, 2009
Each winter the Aspen Music Festival and School enriches and deepens the winter Aspen experience with inspiring performances of classical music. The 2009 Artist Recital Series offers a luminous lineup of top classical artists, including Colorado Symphony Orchestra music director Jeffrey Kahane (Feb. 16) performing on the piano; flutist Marina Piccinini and piano virtuoso Andreas Haefliger (Feb. 25); and rising-star pianist Simone Dinnerstein (March 14) who returns after a triumphant and highly individual performance of Bach’s Goldberg Variation, here last summer.
On February 16 the CSO’s beloved music director Jeffrey Kahane playing a piano program which includes Schubert’s Piano Sonata in A major, D. 959 and movements from Rachmaninoff’s emotional Ten Preludes, op. 23 and 13 Preludes, op. 32. Kahane enters his twelfth season as music director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and is ending his successful tenure as music director of the CSO after this season. In addition to these posts, Kahane is a piano soloist of great acclaim. In 2008 in Aspen, he combined these talents by conducting the Aspen Chamber Symphony from the piano.
Pianist Andreas Haefliger takes the stage on February 25 with flutist Marina Piccinini for a colorful duo recital. Haefliger is a recitalist and chamber musician who was described in the Guardian as a “fascinating artist;” Piccinini is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading flute virtuosos. They will be performing the works of Prokofiev, Debussy, Marc André Dalbavie, and Franck, with the pianist playing unaccompanied on Liszt’s transcription of Isolde’s Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde by Wagner.
American pianist Simone Dinnerstein has fast been gaining international attention since making a triumphant New York recital debut at Carnegie Hall in 2005. Last summer, her Aspen audience enthusiastically confirmed the accolades she’s received and embraced her highly individual and dynamic style. The AMFS closes the winter series on March 14 with a Dinnerstein program including Schubert’s Four Impromptus, D. 899, op. 90 and Schumann’s Kreisleriana, op. 16, considered to be one of the composer’s finest compositions for the piano.
All Artist Recital concerts begin at 6:30 pm in the 500-seat Harris Concert Hall (960 N. Third Street, Aspen, CO). Single tickets are available at the AMFS Harris Concert Hall Box Office, by calling 970-925-9042 or online at www.aspenmusicfestival.com.
Add comment February 12th, 2009
A CELEBRATION OF ART, IDEAS AND THE HUMAN SPIRIT
June 25 to August 23, 2009
David Zinman conducts five concerts throughout the summer, joined onstage by superstar soprano and AMFS alumna Dawn Upshaw, alumnus and violinist Gil Shaham, European sensation Janine Jansen and renowned pianist Jeffrey Kahane
Aspen Opera Theater Center presents La bohème, The Rape of Lucretia and Don Giovanni
Dawn Upshaw performs a recital featuring works by acclaimed composer Osvaldo Golijov, including his critically acclaimed work written for the singer, “Ayre”
Nicholas McGegan conducts Bach’s complete Brandenburg Concertos over two special evenings
Continue Reading Add comment February 5th, 2009
Last week I heard my buddy Michael Conniff talking about all the traffic on Aspen Post about Colorado Christmas. I called him up and told him how happy I was that people still heard some love in that old song. Michael hadn’t read any of the blogs about this wonderful Steve Goodman song that I had sung lead on. He had never heard the song. He just read the title of the string of blogs, over the air. John Denver had us sing it on one of his Christmas TV Specials. We were set up around the campfire at T-Lazy 7. He ended up recording it.
Continue Reading 2 comments December 26th, 2008
“[Simone] Dinnerstein is a throwback to such high priestesses of music as Wanda Landowska and Myra Hess . . . She is touring. Go hear her, and get religion.” – Slate.com
ASPEN, Colo. — Each winter the Aspen Music Festival and School enriches and deepens the winter Aspen experience with inspiring performances of classical music. The 2009 Artist Recital Series offers a luminous lineup of top classical artists, including violin sensation Joshua Bell (Feb. 12), joined by pianist Jeremy Denk; Colorado Symphony Orchestra music director Jeffrey Kahane (Feb. 16) performing on the piano; flutist Marina Piccinini and piano virtuoso Andreas Haefliger (Feb. 25); and rising-star pianist Simone Dinnerstein (March 14) who returns after a triumphant and highly individual performance of Bach’s Goldberg Variation, here last summer.
Violinist Joshua Bell is quite simply one of the greatest classical stars of our time. For over two decades, he has enchanted audiences world-wide with his breathtaking playing and opulent tone. This year, Bell received the 2008 Academy of Achievement Award for exceptional accomplishment in the arts, but he has also won numerous other awards including Grammys. He is an alumnus of the festival and comes for his only Aspen concert of 2009 on February 12. Bell and pianist Jeremy Denk will present a program of violin sonatas by Janáček, Brahms and Franck.
The series continues February 16 with the CSO’s beloved music director Jeffrey Kahane playing a piano program which includes Schubert’s Piano Sonata in A major, D. 959 and movements from Rachmaninoff’s emotional Ten Preludes, op. 23 and 13 Preludes, op. 32. Kahane enters his twelfth season as music director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and is ending his successful tenure as music director of the CSO after this season. In addition to these posts, Kahane is a piano soloist of great acclaim. In 2008 in Aspen , he combined these talents by conducting the Aspen Chamber Symphony from the piano.
On February 25, pianist Andreas Haefliger takes the stage with flutist Marina Piccinini for a colorful duo recital. Haefliger is a recitalist and chamber musician who was described in the Guardian as a “fascinating artist;” Piccinini is widely recognized as one of the world’s leading flute virtuosos. They will be performing the works of Prokofiev, Debussy, Marc André Dalbavie, and Franck, with the pianist playing unaccompanied on Liszt’s transcription of Isolde’s Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde by Wagner.
American pianist Simone Dinnerstein has fast been gaining international attention since making a triumphant New York recital debut at Carnegie Hall in 2005. Last summer, her Aspen audience enthusiastically confirmed the accolades she’s received and embraced her highly individual and dynamic style. The AMFS closes the winter series on March 14 with a Dinnerstein program including Schubert’s Four Impromptus, D. 899, op. 90 and Schumann’s Kreisleriana, op. 16, considered to be one of the composer’s finest compositions for the piano.
All Artist Recital concerts begin at 6:30 pm in the 500-seat Harris Concert Hall ( 960 N. Third Street , Aspen , CO ). Single tickets are available at the AMFS Harris Concert Hall Box Office, by calling 970-925-9042 or online at www.aspenmusicfestival.com. Subscriptions for the four-concert series are $200 ― and sponsor $600 and patron $1400 winter packages are also available with benefits including discounted pricing and keeping your same seats in the Hall throughout the winter.
The Aspen Music Festival and School is America ’s premier music festival, presenting more than 400 musical events during its nine-week summer season in Aspen . The institution draws top classical musicians from around the world to this Colorado mountain retreat for an unparalleled combination of performances and music education.
Contact: Janice Szabo 970-205-5071 jszabo@aspenmusic.org
Add comment December 22nd, 2008
When I am at work I listen to Sirius satellite radio on my computer. I have a subscription to Sirius because Jimmy Buffett has his very own channel, Radio Margaritaville.Not all my co-workers fully appreciate Buffett, and since I work inside City Hall for the Police Department, the Chief wants me to keep some slight resemblance of professionalism for the public whom we protect and serve, who wander up to the counter with a question or a complaint. I guess Toots and the Maytals singing I Shall Be Free might not be the best song someone hears when they’re asking why their brother was just arrested.
So I keep the station tuned to one of two channels: Spa and Watercolors. I have it playing on my computer at a very low volume. Most of the time no one is aware that there is music playing at all. Now and then you might hear a flute tune by R. Carlos Nakai or some soft piano touches. Some could classify what I listen to during the day as elevator music, except we have an elevator and there is no music playing in it. To me, elevator music is that distinct lame attempt at taking a perfectly good song originally sung by Fleetwood Mac and turning it into an instrumental with musicians who once played in Lawrence Welk’s band. That kind of music should be illegal to reproduce in any form.
We were decorating our office for Christmas two weeks ago. I searched through the channel listings on Sirius looking for some Christmas music. I couldn’t find a channel that featured all Christmas music. I ended up tuning back to the Watercolors channel.
Watercolors is described as “cool grooves and jazzy vocals blend into a lush audio landscape.” It could fall into the category of New Age. Spa, on the other hand, is a channel with “sounds for the mind and soul”; otherwise known also as New Age, with an occasional song by Sarah McLachlan or Simon and Garfunkle tossed in.
What I really want to listen to is an all-Beatles station. Can you believe there isn’t one? I understand that Sirius and XM radio have recently combined forces, for the most part. Maybe XM has an all-Beatles channel, but if so, then why hasn’t it blended over into the Sirius list? I mean, if Elvis and AC/DC and Bruce Springsteen have their own channels, why not the Beatles? Sinatra has his own channel. The Grateful Dead, Willie Nelson and BB King have their own channels.
There is one channel called The Bridge. It features a limited engagement of various artists. Led Zepplin is their current choice. They had Neil Diamond several months ago. I never pay attention to which artist the channel is featuring, since I don’t do much channel surfing. It’s a lot like cable TV: hundreds of channels, but only half a dozen worth tuning to.
But AC/DC -- 24/7? Seriously? Yet no Beatles? Siriusly?? Come on. I’m not even going to get into the Howard Stern channel or Martha Stewart’s own channel. I suppose they both have their avid followers, but what the hell does Martha Stewart have to talk about 24 hours a day? I want to hear the Beatles, dammit!
A few years back Ric Rock, a bartender at the Woody Creek Tavern, declared every Tuesday ‘Beatles Day.’ Some of us would bring CDs in for him to play. We had some rare live recordings or studio cuts to listen to. We’d sit at the bar and sing along. Someone would walk in and make a comment about whatever Beatles song was playing, and how long it had been since they heard that song. We would always say, “You can’t go wrong with the Beatles.” I hope someday someone at Sirius will realize that.
2 comments December 21st, 2008
From: Steve Skinner
Sent: Tuesday, December 9, 2008 11:15:42 AM
Subject: Art Opening?
My Dear Friends -
After more than 25 years of writing, recording, filming and performing original music I have come to realize that, sometimes, for me, performing live is like an art opening. The opportunities for live, local music have been squeezed into some pretty tight, uncomfortable tubes. Sometimes I miss the days when my band played three nights a week to appreciative freaks all winter long in places like The Paradise, Dean Street, The Shaft, The Jerome, The Red Onion, The Slope, Andres, The Tippler, The Warehouse and countless parties, pubs an outhouses, valley-wide.
Those places are gone. Venues have switched from live performers to DJs. It's cheaper and in many instances, it's what the people of the iPod generation want. The Belly Up doesn't support local, original music and they are almost the only real music gig in the valley ... except Steve's Guitars in Carbondale. This small listening room has been the portal for many artists over the past ten years and I have had some memorable times both onstage and in the audience at Steve's.
Through this outsourcing and downsizing, I have continued my quest to write, record and whenever possible, perform original music for people with ears, hearts and minds. For me, it is not a choice. And maybe, if I were a better pimp or in another, bigger pond, there would be more opportunity and more people would hear my music.
That's why, for me at least, performing at a place like Steve's is almost as good as it gets. People come to LISTEN. As a songwriter, there is nothing more satisfying than someone spending that few minutes to really hear what you have crafted on the audio canvas. In past performances at Steve's I have tried many interesting and unusual things ... black lights and bug outfits ... performance in the round ... having the audience onstage ... using overhead projectors and umbrellas. I recorded a live album for Matt Johnson and have broadcast shows from many artists onto KDNK.
This Friday, December 12 at 8:30 pm I return to Steve's with my band, The Natives. Since releasing my 12th album, "Restless" earlier this year I have been working with the musicians in my band to craft new music that is rhythmic, melodic, nuanced, dynamic and catchy. I feel very fortunate to write and arrange with such incredibly talented players and singers. There will be harmonies, keyboard hooks, accordions and a rhythm section that feels cinched down to the cosmic confluence.
We will be recording the show and will also hand out the latest CD to all comers. I sincerely hope you can attend this "art opening." If not you, who? If not now, when? Let's get together!
"We the willing
Led by the unknowing
Are doing the impossible
For the ungrateful
We have done so much
For so long
With so little
We are now qualified
To do anything
With nothing
In no time at all"
- Unknown
Love!
Steve Skinner
Add comment December 10th, 2008
