Dances of Vice invite you to a romantic Victorian summer promenade at the museum, inspired by the works of revered French Impressionist painter Pierre-August Renoir. Enjoy spectacular live performances by the enchanting performance artist Ms. Tickle and ballerina Miss Lixx, an interactive introduction to Victorian ballroom dancing and parlour games by Antonia Pugliese of the Commonwealth Vintage Dancers, and a unique phonograph DJ experience provided by Michael Cumella, who will be playing rare music from the early century on two period disc phonographs for your dancing pleasure.

Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School, founded by Brooklyn-based illustrator Molly Crabapple, is an endeavor that specializes in providing themed live models (coming from such diverse sources as the roller-derby, burlesque shows, and sideshow acts) to artists in order to spark creativity and provide an alternative to traditional drawing classes. The Philadelphia branch of Dr. Sketchy's will present a session on August 6 where the theme will be Renoir, with costumes influenced by Renoir’s palette and subject matter, as well as the Museum’s permanent collection.

 

Growing up in New York City, Kevin Valentine was exposed to many musical influences. He met future bassist Mike Boone when both were early members of the Boys Choir of Harlem, and has performed everything from jazz standards to R&B covers in venues such as the Apollo, Sweetwater's, the West End and Lennox Lounge. He continues to be inspired by musical greats ranging from John Coltrane and Miles Davis to Prince and Sarah Vaughn, as well as the legendary Nat King Cole, to whom he pays tribute in this performance of jazz standards

 

The Arpeggio Jazz Ensemble pays tribute to bebop and hard-bop pioneer John Coltrane with an inspired and varied program. Headed by Warren Oree, an acoustic bassist, producer and composer, the 1979-founded ensemble is known for its eclectic style and adventurous programs, which often feature a wide variety of acoustic- and electric-jazz styles. On August 27, the ensemble will play a mix of Coltrane’s well-known and more obscure compositions, while paying tribute to Coltrane’s memory with anecdotes and a history of the man and his music.

 

Born in Istanbul, award-winning composer and pianist Fahir Atakoğlu is well known for his ambitious symphonic works and music for film. He has composed music for many of Turkey’s top musicians, and earned a loyal international following through the release of nine albums, including the Grammy award-nominated release Istanbul in Blue (2008), which features jazz/rock fusion with traditional Turkish influences. Employing unique rhythmic, melodic and harmonic sensitivities, Atakoğlu’s music reflects his many different cultural influences, which combine to create compositions with striking originality that still play in tune with the culture of his motherland.

In between sets, enjoy a presentation of Turkish yastiks in the Van Pelt auditorium with renowned collector, lecturer, and author Dennis R. Dodds. The presentation will begin about 6:45.

 

Power of 10, an all-star Big Band ensemble from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, will take center stage this evening, with a mixture of new music and transformed jazz and pop music classics arranged by local composer/arranger Rick Lawn for the ensemble. Lawn, a saxophonist, is Dean of the College of Performing Arts at the University of the Arts.

 

Philadelphia native Sumi Tonooka has been described by The New York Times as “provocative and compelling, both in straight-out swinging situations and when she is developing fresh ideas for familiar ballads.” Throughout her 20-year career, Tonooka has been surprising and delighting audiences and piling up accolades from jazz writers and her fellow musicians. Working in trios or quartets with such noted jazz stalwarts as bassist Rufus Reid and drummers Akira Tana and Lewis Nash, Tonooka's recordings characteristically blend her own compositions with highly personal readings of jazz standards. In this performance, she pays tribute to Mary Lou Williams, whose compositions and recordings featured a wide array of genres, including religious jazz, spirituals, ragtime, blues, and swing.

 

Headed by Warren Oree, the Arpeggio Jazz Ensemble returns to pay tribute to the great improvisational musician Thelonious Monk. Often regarded as a founder of bebop, Monk made numerous contributions to the standard jazz repertoire, including “Epistrophy,” “Blue Monk,” and “Straight, No Chaser,” while experimenting with dissonant harmonies and angular melodic twists.

 

The band Khaossia travels from southern Italy to perform traditional music from the Salentina peninsula. Virtually untouched by tourists, this region is a gem with its own distinct cultural treasures. This performance is supported by The Consulate General of Italy in Philadelphia.

 

Argentine-born Pedro Giraudo leads a thirteen piece band that has captivated audiences around the world with its passion and energy. While the band’s underpinnings are Argentine, its big-band sound is in the tradition of such composers as Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus.

 

A New York City–based singer and songwriter, Jack Donahue has performed with the Duke Ellington Orchestra and headlined at such legendary clubs as Birdland and The Rainbow Room.

 

Swing and tap your toes at an enchanting Jazz Age– themed Halloween masquerade, featuring live jazz and swing by The Moonlighters and spectacular tap and swing performances by Gin Minsky, Dandy Wellington, and other fantastic dancers. Costumes are encouraged!

 

JP Jofre and his tango orchestra play songs from the golden age of tango. JP Jofre has been part of some of the most important tango shows from Buenos Aires in New York such as Tanguera: The Tango Musical, Romper el Piso (Break the Floor), Tango Connection, and Tango Noir.

 

London-born of Trinidadian and English parents, New York–based vocalist, composer, and lyricist Tessa Souter uniquely infuses jazz with the soul and passion of flamenco, Indian, and Middle Eastern music.

 

Saxophonist, composer, producer, and educator Greg Osby has made an indelible mark on contemporary jazz as a bandleader and guest artist with such acclaimed artists as Herbie Hancock and Dizzy Gillespie. His current focus is cultivating new artists on his label, Inner Circle Music.

 

Moroccan-Berber singer, composer, and producer Malika Zarra leaps effortlessly between seemingly unconnected languages and traditions, uniting them while utilizing each to further enrich the others. Her mezzo-soprano voice can communicate powerful and subtle ideas and feelings in Berber, Moroccan Arabic, French, and English.

 

Taking inspiration from the Museum’s Michelangelo Pistoletto exhibitions, Relâche chamber ensemble performs Strange Stone by Kamran Ince and Pleiades by Sophia Serghi.

 

Susie Ibarra and Roberto Rodriguez formed Electric Kulintang in 2005. Named after the eight-gong instrument featured in traditional Filipino music, the trip-hop duo presents a genre-bending mix of electronic, dance, and kulintang music.

 

The music of Canadian pianist Ron Davis is rooted in swing and post-bop idioms. Actively involved in the international jazz scene, Davis has played across the world and is known as both an entertaining musician and a dazzling performer.

 

A 2010 DownBeat magazine Rising Star poll winner, vocalist Sachal Vasandani has opened for such artists as trumpeter Chris Botti and pop singer Joan Osborne. Mentored by veterans of the jazz vocal realm, Vasandani is currently working on a project with lyricist and singer Jon Hendricks.

 

Tenor saxophonist and Central High School graduate Dahi Divine performed with the Dave Matthews Band at the 52nd Grammy Awards in February 2010, and was awarded first place in a national competition sponsored by the NAACP for his original composition “Choices.” He will be joined by renowned trumpeter Jeremy Pelt.

 

New York magazine’s “Best DJ” presents a bhangra blowout! Bhangra originated in the Punjab region of northern India, and since the 1970s British bands have capitalized on the 4/4 beat music. DJ Rekha has been spinning hip-hop–infused Indian dance rhythms for American audiences since the 1990s. This night also includes dancers, drummers, and a henna tattoo artist.

 

Celebrate Valentine’s Day early with an evening of romantic gypsy jazz and tango melodies. This Jazz Age– themed ball features the music of LES (Lower East Side) Hot Club and exciting performances by dancers, including tap and swing extraordinaire Gin Minsky.

 

Jazz guitarist Ben Monder has performed with a variety of artists, including Jack McDuff, Marc Johnson, and Lee Konitz. A regular member of the Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra and the Paul Motian Octet, he has conducted clinics and workshops around the world, and was a faculty member at the New England Conservatory.

 

Pianist and composer Kevin Hays has recorded over a dozen CDs, including three successful recordings for Blue Note Records. His 1997 album, Andalucia, was awarded four stars by DownBeat magazine.

 

South Korean vocalist Yeahwon Shin uses her deep graceful, fluid vocal range to make boundary-crossing music that is both individual and expressive. She will be joined by accomplished Brazilian composer and percussionist Cyro Baptista.

 

JD Walter is a purist and an innovator. Although his style has been compared to many vocal titans, it is in the same breath, uniquely his own, and he has become a singular phenomenon on the music scene. Respected and lauded by the great musicians of the contemporary circuit, JD has shared the stage with many legendary artists including: saxophonist Dave Liebman, singer/songwriter Bob Dorough, drummer Billy Hart, trumpeter Nicholas Payton, pianist Jean-Michel Pilc, saxophonist Bill Evans, bassist John Benitez, singer Mark Murphy, drummer Greg Hutchinson, drummer Ari Hoenig, drummer Bill Goodwin, trumpeter Randy Brecker, saxophonist Tim Warfield, pianist Jim Ridl, trumpeter John Swana, bassist Taurus Mateen, pianist Orrin Evans, trumpeter Randy Brecker, pianist Andre Kondokov, singer Miles Griffith and Poet Sonia Sanchez.

 

Take a front row seat to see clothing inspired by Italian designer Roberto Capucci debut on the catwalk. Local fashion students will unveil their creations and compete for fabulous prizes during a Project Runway–inspired fashion show. Guest judges include Jay McCarroll, season one winner of Project Runway.

 

Philadelphia’s Miro Dance Theatre will preview PUNCH, a bawdy and comic reimagining of Russian composer Igor Stravinsky’s ballet Pulcinella. The performance echoes Marc Chagall’s use of cultural mythology and fairy tales in his art.

The Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA), inspired by the Kimmel Center, will place Philadelphia’s cultural scene onto the world stage with a month-long festival offering performances, exhibitions, and events. PIFA takes place April 7–May 1, 2011.

 

Rebecca Coupe Franks is a talented trumpet player and composer from California who has worked with musicians such as Joe Henderson, Javon Jackson, Ben Riley, Herb Ellis, and Bill Cosby.

 

Conducted by upright bassist and composer Warren Oree, the Philadelphia Freedom Jazz Orchestra consists of sixteen innovative and adventurous local jazz musicians performing Oree’s original compositions.

 

Blending elements drawn from classical music and jazz, this ensemble performs acoustic arrangements of singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright’s compositions, combining saxophone, clarinet, flute, trombone, guitar, bass, drums, violin, and cello.

 

Kevin Baldwin, from the hip-hop group Jedi Mind Tricks, and vocalist-lyricist Liz Fullerton are Dutch. This Philadelphia-based duo combines touches of jazz, hip-hop, and orchestral undertones. Their 2010 album, A Bright Cold Day, has sparked comparisons to Portishead, Cat Power, and Aimee Mann.

This event is sponsored by the Young Friends of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

 

The legacy of late Museum director Anne d’Harnoncourt is celebrated across two Art After 5 events. World-renowned and critically acclaimed saxophonist-composers Joe Lovano (performing May 20) and Chris Potter (performing May 27) will premiere new compositions on separate nights, both inspired by Ellsworth Kelly’s Seine (1951). An important acquisition in the Museum’s modern and contemporary art collection, Seine was the first work obtained through the Anne d’Harnoncourt Fund for Art Acquisitions.

This program, including commissioning and presentation, has been supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage through the Philadelphia Music Project.

 

The legacy of late Museum director Anne d’Harnoncourt is celebrated across two Art After 5 events. World-renowned and critically acclaimed saxophonist-composers Joe Lovano (performing May 20) and Chris Potter (performing May 27) will premiere new compositions on separate nights, both inspired by Ellsworth Kelly’s Seine (1951). An important acquisition in the Museum’s modern and contemporary art collection, Seine was the first work obtained through the Anne d’Harnoncourt Fund for Art Acquisitions.

This program, including commissioning and presentation, has been supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage through the Philadelphia Music Project.

 

Opera meets cabaret in this night of lively, informal performances by vocalists from one of Philadelphia’s most exciting and critically acclaimed performing arts groups, the Center City Opera Theater. Performers will be stationed throughout the Great Stair Hall, interspersed with the crowd so the audience will find singers appearing from unexpected places.

 

Vocalist Joan La Barbara will perform “Three Voices,” a composition by Morton Feldman—the Jackson Pollock of music—for one voice and two prerecorded voices based on a Frank O’Hara poem.

 

Jazz vocalist Kathy Kosins pays tribute to singers Anita O’Day, June Christy, Julie London, and Chris Connor. The performance will also include anecdotes from the rich and colorful lives of these ladies.

 

Alto saxophonist Grace Kelly has performed with notable musicians including Wynton Marsalis, who notes that the eighteen-year-old “has a great amount of natural ability and the ability to adapt. That is the hallmark of a first-class jazz musician.”

 

Percussionist, singer, composer, bandleader, teacher, and multi-instrumentalist Dendê has been a professional musician since the age of 14, when he appeared in the frontline of Carlinhos Brown’s superstar percussion ensemble, Timbalada. For the past ten years, he has divided his time between New York and Bahia, and played with stars of world music including Mongo Santamaria, Giovanni Hidalgo, Zakir Hussain, David Byrne, and Vinicius Cantuária. Tonight's show will feature Dendê with his flagship band (formerly called Hãhãhães) with whom he has made his greatest musical impact as leader and principal songwriter. Known for seamlessly blending rhythms from Brazil with others of the African diaspora, Dendê will have you up and moving! Bring your dancing shoes!

 

For a decade, Oran Etkin has worked in the many musical worlds that harmoniously coexist in New York. He has cultivated a singular voice that is honest and effortless and infused with the constant presence of ancient influences. Resonating with reverberations from the Malian Empire and the ages-old cry of the Jewish prayer, Etkin’s voice simultaneously conveys the energy of the modern New York jazz scene. Kelenia, his debut recording on Motéma Music, features his working group of Malian, Israeli and American musicians, along with guest appearances by vocalist Abdoulaye Diabate and Grammy Award-winning artists Lionel Loueke and John Benitez. The album’s tracks are a testament to the essence of "kelenia," the Bambara word for love between people who are different from each other.

 

In 2009, the Cuban American jazz singer, Venissa Santi beguiled critics and fans with her magnificent debut record, Bienvenida (Sunnyside Records). The collection of songs was so well-formed and mature was that it has been likened to a musical miracle rather than a “first album.” This amazing chanteuse has now finished what is to become a stunning new record Big Stuff: Afro Cuban Holiday (working title).

 

Philadelphia’s summer heat soars and sizzles at Art After 5’s Salsa party. Dance instructors will have everyone moving to the music and rhythm of the Johnny Cruz Latin Ensemble, a band that hails from the barrio in the Centro de Oro or Golden Block District where Raíces Culturales Latinoamericanas, Inc. originated in North Philadelphia nearly 20 years ago to promote comradeship among local musicians.

 

In just a year, Fourth Wall Arts Salon has cultivated a significant new movement in Philadelphia. Bringing together the best of a broad range of eclectic artists and performers from the city’s underground, each month, Fourth Wall moves to a new venue, creating collaborations which provide value for local artists, citizens, and institutions. Ten-minute infusions of music, dance, theater, poetry, and topical presenters weave a beautiful and often awe-inspiring salon experience, with an emphasis on audience engagement and cultural diversity. On the heels of arts salons at the National Museum of American Jewish History, The Painted Bride, and the William Way Center, Fourth Wall comes to the Museum for the first time, promising an evening of inspiration and insight into Philadelphia’s dynamic avant-garde.

 

With a traditional jazz configuration of vocals, vibes, bass and drums, Paul Jost and the Modern Rock Ensemble performs covers by the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Allman Brothers, Eric Clapton and other great songwriters, exploring jazz through the music of the 1960s and 70s. The newly formed group features four top Philadelphia musicians whose individual careers have taken them around the globe. Together—Jost on vocals, Tony Miceli on vibes, Kevin Macconnell on bass, and Erik Johnson on drums—they bring a fresh and unique sound to jazz.

 

Take control of the music! Help create this evening’s Art After 5’s set list by voting on Facebook for your favorite jazz standards which will be performed by legendary chanteuse Denise King. With phrasing styles borrowed from Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat "King" Cole and Frank Sinatra, King draws the audience into her performances with great energy, spontaneity, and style.

 

Jessi Teich has spent the duration of her young life immersed in the soulful world of jazz and blues. Even before Teich learned how to speak, she sang. Raised in a household where rooms were stacked with records and the hi-fi always blared the likes of Miles Davis and Sarah Vaughan, Teich began singing short songs of her own, the first sign of her nurtured ability to create music.

 

Red Baraat With an explosive stage performance and compelling presence, the New York City-based group Red Baraat has been quickly gaining fans from around the world. Led by dhol player Sunny Jain, the band delivers a riveting new sound comprised of dhol (double-sided, barrel-shaped North Indian drum slung over one shoulder), drumset, percussion, sousaphone, and five horns, melding the infectious North Indian rhythm Bhangra with an array of rhythms from funk and go-go to Latin and jazz.

 

In January 2010, Artistas y Músicos Latino Americanos (AMLA) created a Latin jazz quintet under the direction of Cuban master percussionist Juan “Cuco” Castellanos. The group’s performances blend traditional and contemporary Latin jazz, inspiring everyone within earshot to get off their seats and dance.

 

In his first public performance since 1967, jazz pianist Jimmy Amadie celebrates the release of his new record, Something Special. Since the 1950s, Amadie has accompanied artists like Mel Tormé, Woody Herman, and Red Rodney in addition to overcoming tendinitis in both hands and fighting lung cancer. The Chicago Tribune notes, “the restrictions on Amadie have enabled him to express ideas with remarkable brevity and eloquence.”

 

The East Gipsy Band experiments with traditional Roma music while keeping improvisation and jazz central to its performances of French, German, Italian, Hungarian, and Roma tunes. The band recently released its debut album, which features the jazz saxophonist Tim Ries.

 

Brian Carpenter’s Ghost Train Orchestra will perform Halloween hot jazz and cartoon medleys from the 1920s, ‘30s, and ‘40s. Get a tarot-card reading, enjoy a spooky art tour, and wear your costume!

 

Jazz singer Gretchen Parlato, who has worked with Terence Blanchard and Esperanza Spalding, imparts an ethereal freshness and novelty to her compositions and covers. Parlato’s In a Dream was heralded as the best jazz vocal album of 2009 by the Village Voice.

 

Inspired by the Museum’s collection of works by Alexander Calder and Marcel Duchamp, Neil Leonard will perform music from his latest album, Marcel’s Window. A Philadelphia native, Leonard grew up admiring Calder’s and Duchamp’s artworks and has built a repertoire that comments on their unique character and presentation in the Museum. Leonard will be joined by Tom Lawton (piano), Lee Smith (bass), and Craig McIver (drums).

 

The legendary saxophonist/flutist Sonny Fortune returns to his native Philadelphia with his New York quartet to play a mix of standards and originals. Following stints with Mongo Santamaría, Miles Davis, McCoy Tyner, and Elvin Jones, Fortune has toured and recorded as a bandleader since the 1970s.

 

Celebrate the Festival of Lights with the magical exuberance of jazz and Latin-infused klezmer music from Eastern Europe, Yiddish songs, and Israeli dances. This program is supported by Bnai Zion Mid-Atlantic Region.

 

‘Tis the season for Art After 5 to commemorate the great rhythm and blues and doo-wop artists of the 1950s and 1960s! Spend the evening listening to classic holiday doo-wop, rock ‘n’ roll, and soul with Matthew Piazzi and the Debonairs.

 

Ring in the holidays Jazz Age–style with Drew Nugent and the Midnight Society as they play the best holiday hot jazz of the 1920s, ‘30s, and ‘40s. Also watch dolls spring to life in “toyland” with performances by the tap-dancing Minsky Sisters and Cassandra Rosebeetle of the theater dance troupe Desert Sin.

 

Join us for a romantic evening celebrating the golden age of Argentine tango. Dance to live music by JP Jofre New Tango Quartet and enjoy dance performances by Dances of Vice as well as Sergio Segura and the Strictly Tango Dance Company.

 

When the pianist Eldar Djangirov was signed to Sony Classical at the age of seventeen, he was already well-known for his pyrotechnics and knowledge of bebop. Along the way, he’s had the good fortune to work with jazz masters Dr. Billy Taylor, Marian McPartland, Dave Brubeck, and Wynton Marsalis, among others.

 

Join us for the first of three dance parties offered in conjunction with the exhibition Zoe Strauss: Ten Years. Mixing funk, hip-hop, house, and Afro-tech music, King Britt is the first DJ to receive a Pew Fellowship in the Arts. Radio legend Jerry Blavat (“The Geator with the Heater”) helped establish Philadelphia as a center of pop and R&B.

 

Inspired by the music of Django Reinhardt, guitarist Stephane Wrembel with musicians Biel Ballester, Kyle Dillingham, John Intrator, and Howard Alden offer an evening of French gypsy jazz—with no set break. Wrembel composed the theme to Midnight in Paris and the soundtrack to Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

 

Enjoy a night dedicated to Philadelphia music with celebrated DJ Cosmo Baker, who blends hip-hop, disco, rock, funk, and reggae while staying true to his Philadelphia roots. Now based in Brooklyn, he helped found The Rub, an internationally known DJ/remix collective.

 

Saxophonist/composer Marco Pignataro is a member of the Eddie Gomez Quintet and the leader of the Marco Pignataro Jazzet. He has performed with Danilo Pérez, Arturo Sandoval, and Paquito D’Rivera, among others. With Pérez, he leads the Berklee Global Jazz Institute at Berklee College of Music, Boston.

 

Ralph Peterson is one of the most distinctive drummers in jazz, his talents as a musician, composer, arranger, and bandleader setting him apart as a master. The Curtis Brothers present modern Latin jazz with a social and political consciousness.

 

Singer-songwriter Avi Wisnia finds inspiration in bossa nova, American folk music, 1950s West Coast jazz, and pop. He returns to Philadelphia after touring for his debut album, Something New, performing at the Kennedy Center, and sharing the stage with artists like Ani DiFranco and The Roots.

 

Organized by the artist duo Megawords, this dance party features the West Philadelphia Orchestra and drummer Chris Powell. The West Philadelphia Orchestra has been influenced by Eastern European brass bands, free jazz, punk, blues, and Middle Eastern and Brazilian music. Chris Powell leads Adventuredrum, an experimental band that combines sampled sound, percussion, synthesizers, traditional drums, and drum kits.

 

Since arriving in the United States in 1980 from Brazil, Cyro Baptista has emerged as one of the premier percussionists in the country. With Beat the Donkey, his percussion and dance ensemble, Baptista mixes music, humor, and theatricality with instruments from Brazil, the Middle East, Indonesia, Africa, and the U.S.

 

We often hear about “The Sound of Philadelphia” but there is another Philly sound: the innovative jazz of McCoy Tyner, Philly Joe Jones, John Coltrane, Lee Morgan, and The Heath Brothers. The Arpeggio Jazz Ensemble will explore the music and philosophy of some of these pioneers, offering entertaining histories and anecdotes.

 

According to the New York Times, jazz trumpeter Dominick Farinacci has “the ability to move through several moods, then drive an improvisation home with power.” He has performed and/or recorded with artists like Wynton Marsalis, Ron Carter, Peter Cincotti, Warren Vaché, and Renee Rosnes.

 

Saxophonist Korey Riker has played with The Roots, Esperanza Spalding, Jill Scott, and Queen Latifah. Pianist George Burton has performed with such renowned artists as Me’Shell Ndegéocello, the late Michael Brecker, Christian McBride, Joe Lovano, and Patti LaBelle. His style of playing features creative voicings, haunting melodies, and unrelenting rhythmic energy.

 

Magdaliz and Her Latin Band Crisol (Spanish for “melting pot”) has been performing in the Philadelphia area since 1997. This Latin ensemble is dedicated to the interpretation of folk and traditional music from Latin America. Dance the night away to Puerto Rican boleros, Cuban sones, Mexican mariachi music, Colombian cumbias, and Dominican merengues. This program is supported by the Mexican Cultural Center.

 

Backed by a stellar jazz ensemble, cabaret singer and songwriter Karen Gross performs classics from the Great American Songbook, fresh interpretations of contemporary favorites, and poignant original songs. Based in Philadelphia, she has delighted crowds at premier venues including the Kimmel Center and Lincoln Center.

 

Cuban-born drummer Francisco Mela is a favorite among jazz’s elite instrumentalists, including Joe Lovano, John Scofield, and McCoy Tyner, all of whom cite his charisma, sophistication, and life-affirming spirit as an extension of his incredible talents as a composer and drummer.

 

Legendary octogenarian guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli joins forces with Charlie Byrd’s longtime drummer and vibraphonist Chuck Redd and Australian bassist and vocalist Nicki Parrott for a swinging tour of the Great American Songbook.

 

Jennifer Dunning of the New York Times has called Brenda Dixon Gottschild’s new book on Joan Myers Brown, the founder of Philadanco (Philadelphia Dance Company), “a bracing mix of scholarship and unsentimental compassion.”Join us for a conversation between Gottschild and Brown, moderated by Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, and a book signing. Following the discussion, Philadanco will perform excerpts from their repertory. The Philadelphia Inquirer raves, “If you like your dance virtuosic, spiritually uplifting and socially conscious, don't miss Philadanco.”

 

Saxophonist Bobby Zankel gets an orchestral sound out of his ensembles, partly by mixing instruments, partly by moving them through composition into improvisation. The effect is sprawling but precise. His music speaks equally to the legacy of the past (Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, and Charles Mingus) and to the present.

 

Singer-songwriter Jessi Teich has immersed herself in jazz and blues since childhood. Raised in a household where rooms were stacked with records and the hi-fi blared the likes of Miles Davis and Sarah Vaughan, Teich began singing short songs of her own, the first sign of her ability to create music.

 

Serbian-born jazz guitarist and composer Rale Micic graduated from the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. He has developed a cultlike following with his mix of jazz and haunting melodies from the Balkans. His new release, a guitar trio record entitled 3, has garnered attention from critics and audiences alike.

 

Members of the critically acclaimed Argento Chamber Ensemble will perform a short "preview" set of varied music, including the work that will be performed later this summer at the Rodin Museum Concerts. Composer, violinist, and conductor David Fulmer will present a recital with works by W. A. Mozart, Matthias Pintscher, a recent work of his own (Philadelphia Premiere), and a premiere by John Zorn written especially for Fulmer. The florid program will explore traditional and more radical approaches to form and structure, creating a program filled with diversity of aesthetic.

 

Celebrate Bastille Day with Can-can dancers, confetti cannons and a cardboard tour of Paris punctuate such favorites as La Vie En Rose, Non Je Ne Regrette Rien, and Milord. The Bearded Ladies is an experimental cabaret group devoted to exploiting all the possibilities of intimate, homemade theater through beautiful songs, tricked-out costume changes, drag, and virtuosic cardboard prop construction. With wit and homespun sparkle, they tackle questions of popular culture, sex and gender politics, identity, and artistic invention.

 

Originating in Philadelphia in 1974, Orquesta La Paz is the only salsa band from the city to ever reach the final entry nomination list for the Latin Grammys in four categories, including “Album of the Year.” They have toured throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.

 

Firmly rooted in the tradition of jazz, Joanna Pascale has not only emerged as one of the premiere vocalists on the East Coast, but has been hailed as a "rising star" by fans and critics alike. "Stunning, sophisticated, and extremely soulful," raves the Philadelphia Weekly.

 

Siren Baroque, a New York-based all women chamber ensemble, along with special guests from the acclaimed Company XIV theater company, present a pastiche of classical music works about the earthly dreams of paradise, immortality, love, and illusions of grandeur by composers including Caldera, Vivaldi, Scarlatti, Purcell, and more in this special Arcadia themed program.

 

The Swinging Foxes draw inspiration from the romantic Hollywood musicals of the 1930’s and 1940’s, the Swing era of jazz and the soulful dance music of early 1950’s rhythm and blues. Vocalist Amber Rae and veteran guitarist Andy Buraz lead the five-member ensemble with the nostalgic essence of vocal-driven music, styled after the swingers such as Anita O’Day, the soul soothers like Billie Holiday, and the rockers like Ruth Brown. The Foxes have performed numerous times at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, as well as a variety of music and arts festivals in the greater Philadelphia area.

 

Philly tenor sax legend and musicians' musician Larry McKenna is a longtime favorite at Art After 5, and jazz fans throughout the region. He has performed as soloist with jazz stars such as Woody Herman, Clark Terry, Jon Faddis, Buddy DeFranco, Rosemary Clooney, Tony Bennett, Bootsie Barnes, Frank Sinatra and many more. Also an accomplished composer and arranger, McKenna’s recordings have received critical acclaim from reviewers throughout the United States and Canada. His solo performances showcase the veteran saxophonist in all his lyrical glory, interpreting unique versions classic standards.

 

New York City-based Eleanor Dubinsky writes soulful, heartfelt songs that express her passion for a diversity of people and cultures. Drawing on the genres of singer-songwriter, world music, and jazz, her music has a mellow groove that samples French pop, new American soul and Latin rhythms to tell a story that is both personal and accessible.

 

Vocalist, Rhenda Fearrington, a native New Yorker, has immersed herself in the rich tapestry of Philadelphia jazz. Once a back-up singer for Roberta Flack, she has toured internationally. Her Art After 5 performance will honor legends like Flack, as well as those who have most influenced Fearrington’s style including Phoebe Snow, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn and Nancy Wilson.

Performance rescheduled for Friday, November 23.

 

Celebrate Brazilian Independence Day by dancing the night away to popular Brazilian hits with live dancers and dance instruction.

 

The New York Times called Edmonson "a promising young jazz singer with a kittenish voice and an amiably relaxed style" while The Boston Globe said, "Edmonson might be the most promising American jazz singer to come along since Cassandra Wilson." Growing up in Houston, Edmonson credits her mother for getting her acquainted with music from the Great American Songbook. She began singing at age four, writing songs at age nine and at 19 she decided to try out for the second season of "American Idol" where she made it to the final 48 in Hollywood. She's gone on to perform with fellow Texan Willie Nelson, open for Smoky Robinson, tour with Boz Scaggs, perform at the Tanglewood Jazz Festival and headline the Taichung Jazz Festival in Taiwan.

 

Hailing from West Philadelphia, King sings pop and jazz standards with touches of the blues, soul, and gospel in a voice steeped in a sophisticated style, much like one of her idols, Sarah Vaughan.

 

In celebration of Full Spectrum: Prints from the Brandywine Workshop, Phoenix, the Philly-based DJ, otherwise known as Cheryl Gittings, formerly of girLParty, Fuse, . . . Any Questions? and Emerge, takes to the Great Stair Hall at 5:45 p.m. to get the vibe going with some music for your soul and opens the Philadelphia DJ Dance Party, spinning house, R&B, ambient, trip-hop, funk and jazz until 8:00 p.m. Next up, Rich Medina and The Marksmen will present JUMP N FUNK until midnight, taking crowds on a sonic and visual journey through Afrobeat, funk, soul and house, influenced by the music of Fela Kuti.

For a break from the dance floor, the Philly Youth Poetry Movement will share their literary expressions in the Museum’s Alter Gallery from 5:45 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Spoken word headliner Spoken Soul 215 will engage audiences until 9:00 p.m. They are a small collective of performing artists who tour and host the Philadelphia area's largest and most interactive monthly open mic: "The Harvest" at World Cafe Live. For those looking to participate in making great art, anyone can share their vision by adding to an interactive masterwork created by Philadelphia’s own renowned Pop artist Perry Milou. The four by eight feet night cityscape features the amazing city skyline viewed from atop our own Museum steps. Visitors can collaborate with Milou and add their own brushstrokes to this exciting kinetic project in progress in the Museum’s West lobby.

The Museum will stay open until midnight. Admission after 8:00 p.m. is half price.

 

After World War I, Weimar Berlin gained a reputation for decadence as avant-garde artists and intellectuals struggled to create a modern German culture. In this atmosphere of artistic ferment, nightclubs teemed with live jazz and dancing showgirls. Experience Art After 5’s own Weimar Berlin revue with Dances of Vice: Kabarett Berlin.

 

Deeply influenced by the experiments of Cuban musicians from the 1970s and ‘80s, Manuel Valera and the New Cuban Express mix elements of jazz, R & B, fusion, and funk with Cuban music styles.

 

The Johnny Cruz Latin Jazz Ensemble hails from the Centro de Oro, or Golden Block District, in North Philadelphia. Dance the night away or try free dance lessons! This program is supported by Raíces Culturales Latinoamericanas.

 

In anticipation of the exhibition Dancing around the Bride, pre-eminent Cage interpreter Margaret Leng Tan performs film music by John Cage live to projected videos of the original films as well as to Rob Dietz’s video of Cage’s artwork 10 Stones. Special thanks to Yamaha Artist Services and Jacobs Music for providing the pianos used in tonight’s performance and throughout the exhibition.

For more information please visit www.cagebeyondsilence.com.

 

Violinist Diane Monroe performs as a leader and sidewoman of various jazz ensembles while pursuing a career as a classical solo and chamber artist. She has performed with drummer Max Roach and cellist Yo-Yo Ma and has been a featured soloist at the Blue Note Jazz Club and Carnegie Hall. She will premiere her new band and project, which features protest songs from the 1960s and beyond.

 

Art After 5 is pleased to present a performance by John Dowell and his musical ensemble. Dowell, whose work is on view in the exhibition Full Spectrum: Prints from the Brandywine Workshop, has been exploring the relationships between the elements of composing and improvising music and painting since the mid-sixties. In his work, he focuses on the use of colors, rhythms, space, textures, shapes, harmony, linear development, and human feelings.

This program is offered in in celebration of Full Spectrum: Prints from the Brandywine Workshop, on view September 7– November 25.

 

Vocalist, Rhenda Fearrington, a native New Yorker, has immersed herself in the rich tapestry of Philadelphia jazz. Once a back-up singer for Roberta Flack, she has toured internationally. Her Art After 5 performance will honor legends like Flack, as well as those who have most influenced Fearrington’s style including Phoebe Snow, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn and Nancy Wilson.

 

The intersecting work of John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, and Marcel Duchamp explored the collision between chance, collaboration, and often the game of chess. Join the septet Morricone Youth for an interactive musical and dance performance generated by a chess game played by the audience. The chess game will determine the musical progression of the concert and the movements of the dancers. Matthew Caron and Rebecca Gaffney will create spontaneous visual juxtapositions for each move on the chess board using an array of live cameras, prepared video clips and "ready made" objects curated in the spirit of Marcel Duchamp. This program is offered in conjunction with the exhibition Dancing around the Bride: Cage, Cunningham, Johns, Rauschenberg, and Duchamp, on view October 30, 2012–January 21, 2013. Two time American Women’s Chess Champion Jennifer Shahade will emcee.

 

Get centered before the holidays with meditative exercises, yoga postures, and breathing techniques amid the beauty of the Museum’s collection. Yoga will be enhanced by the ambient electronic guitar sounds of Peter Biedermann. Afterward, dance to DJ-spun bhangra music, get a henna tattoo, or go on a gallery tour. Don’t forget to bring your yoga mat.

 

Celebrate Hanukkah with the drums and big brass sounds of West Philadelphia Orchestra! Dancing and singing along are encouraged.

 

Boogie to the rhythms of The Tickled Pinks, a New York–based swing vocal trio that brings a fresh, modern sound to authentic 1940s arrangements.

 

Before you ring in the New Year, set the mood with Matthew Piazzi and the Debonairs’ classic holiday doo-wop, rock ‘n’ roll, and soul.

 

DJ Rahsaan has been called “Philly’s Best World-ly DJ” by the Philadelphia City Paper. Through his AfroTaino Productions, he has presented numerous world music acts and continues to produce music, arts, and culture-friendly campaigns nationwide. For this performance, he channels the hot pulse of Middle Eastern nightlife with hypnotic bedouin dance beats and seductive melodies.

 

Location: Great Stair Hall

Relâche creates an evening highlighting Cage’s interest in connecting the listener with their immediate environment. Using projected visuals and live commentary, and featuring recordings of Cage himself, Relâche and guests will perform Cage composition including Hymnkus, co-commissioned by Relâche in 1986. The program will also include selections from Litany for the Whale, Apartment House 1776, and Lecture on the Weather. Performances will feature the unique ideas regarding amplification and usage of space that Cage explored throughout his artistic life

 

Founder of the Center City Jazz Festival, Ernest Stuart stud- ied jazz at Temple University in Philadelphia, where he began to make a name for himself as a versatile trombonist of jazz, salsa, R & B, neo-soul, and hip-hop with such artists as The Roots, Jaguar Wright, and Orrin Evans. Since moving to New York, he has played at the Village Vanguard, the Iridium, and Blue Note, and has shared the stage with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, among others. Stuart is also a member of the New York–based bhangra funk band Red Baraat.

 

Punjabi vocalist and performer Bikram Singh is well known in the bhangra scene, especially in North America, where he is the reigning “King of Bhangra.” Singh takes listeners on an incredible musical journey to India grounded in authentic folk beats. His heartfelt, imaginative lyrics and masterful vocals allow each song to reach beyond the realm of bhangra. This program is supported by NetIP (Network of Indian Professionals–North America).

 

Orrin Evans has been recognized as one of the most distinctive and inventive pianist of his generation. Described by the New York Times as “a poised artist with an impressive template of ideas at his command,” he is at the forefront of the music scene.

 

One of the top party DJs, Cosmo Baker is able to bring hip- hop, disco, soul, rock, reggae, and electronic music together in a cohesive and funky manner. This Philadelphia native cut his chops alongside contemporaries ?uestlove of The Roots and Rich Medina. In Brooklyn he helped found the DJ/remix collective The Rub. Now as a solo performer, he is bringing his show to larger audiences around the globe.

 

Razia Said is a Malagasy musician who lived in Madagascar until the age of seven. Her critically acclaimed songs, often performed with her musical collective Zebu Nation, center around a call-for-action against the plundering of Madagascar’s environment. Inspired by a return visit to her country, she has crafted a mixture of western and Malagasy rhythms and sounds.

 

Proclaimed a “standout on the indie front” by Billboard Magazine and “one to watch” by Essence, Ethiopian- born musician and singer Wayna is a chart-topper. She garnered a Grammy nomination in the Best Urban/ Alternative Performance category (2009) with her musical style, a blend of Minnie Riperton, Lauryn Hill, and Billie Holiday. Her soulful voice and dynamic stage show continue to wow critics and audiences, including the legendary Stevie Wonder, who has exclaimed, “She’s incredible.”

 

$10 Admission


Stick around following Art After 5 for a chance to preview "Great and Mighty Things": Outsider Art from the Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz Collection. Help celebrate the opening and keep the international sounds flowing into the weekend with a late night dance party featuring renowned World Music selector, DJ Rahsaan (of AfroTaino Productions). Shake your Friday blues to the sounds of AfroPop, French-Caribbean Rhythms, and more. From the dancehalls of Dakar to the nightclubs of Nairobi, with a touch of island life, DJ Rahsaan and his global soundtrack will keep you dancing into the night.

 

The Japan Times describes Praha Depart’s music as “irrepressibly danceable gypsy punk.” The Tokyo band’s swirling, almost psychedelic, postpunk groove signature sound is created by rich vocals, intense drumming, and multilayered guitars. This program is supported by the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia.

 

Larry McKenna is one of Philadelphia’s premier jazz tenor saxophonists. Aside from a few lessons from Anthony DiBenedetto early in his career, McKenna is essentially a self-taught musician. He has performed and recorded with countless bands and musicians, including Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Tony Bennett, and Rosemary Clooney.

 

Especially for Art After 5, cellist-composer-singer Melora Creager has created an “outsider” collection of music: songs about characters usually unnoticed on the edges. She founded the alternative/historical cello ensemble Rasputina in 1991. In nineteen recordings and countless public performances, Creager has led a twenty-year explo- ration in cello amplification, recording, and performance.

 

A Lorca Soundscape is a new work by bassist-composer Alexis Cuadrado, reflecting on Federico García Lorca’s book Poeta en Nueva York with a series of jazz pieces that use his poems as lyrics. Cuadrado’s music is a contemporary reflection of Lorca’s themes and cityscape. The lineup for this program features some of today’s most outstanding jazz performers whose original view of “new jazz” creates a unique dialogue across time.

 

Enjoy an evening of Turkish and French music and dance! Begin with a set of Turkish music and belly dancing, followed by French gypsy jazz and a performance by a French chanteuse and accordionist. Finish with a round of cancan. This program is presented in conjunction with the Turkish American Friendship Society of US and the Alliance Française de Philadelphie.

 

The Hot Club of Philadelphia’s style of gypsy jazz takes its inspiration from the music of guitarist Django Reinhardt, violinist Stéphane Grappelli, and their legendary Quintet of the Hot Club of France. Gypsy jazz, which has grown in popularity in the last few years, was featured in Sweet and Lowdown and Midnight in Paris, two films by Woody Allen.

 

Opera meets cabaret in this night of informal performances by vocalists from the Center City Opera Theater, who will be interspersed throughout the crowd and sing from unexpected places. Later on, enjoy a concert by DisCanto, a group of Italian conservatory-trained musicians who reinterpret traditional Abruzzese and ethnic southern Italian songs through contemporary and traditional instrumentation.

 

Sofia Tosello and Yuri Juárez’s album Tangolandó presents the penetrating passion of tango with the sensuality and mischievousness of Afro-Peruvian and creole music. From the bandonion’s melancholic sounds to the rogue beat of the cajón, Tangolandó re-creates timeless tangos through the freshness of Peru’s coastal contemporary music.

 

The queen of Philadelphia drag cabaret brings her campy cultural commentary to the Museum’s Great Stair Hall. Martha, whose vocal range is matched only by her witty banter, will perform with accompanist Victor Fiorillo.

 

Philly’s top young jazz artists gather at the Museum to kick off the Center City Jazz Festival, which spotlights our city’s thriving jazz scene. This evening features Venissa Santi, who will present songs from her exquisite album “Big Stuff” Afro-Cuban Holiday with an ensemble and special guest musician and Grammy Award–nominee Jane Bunnett.

 

The PRISM Quartet, composer and electric guitarist Nick Didkovsky, and sonic alchemist Thomas Dimuzio perform Ice Cream Time, an evening-length work by Didkovsky that explores the boundaries between human-generated and software-generated music. This program is presented in conjunction with PRISM Quartet, Inc.

 

The most-prized music of Portugal, fado (“fate”) is melancholy and often mournful. Fado’s stories of heartache and disappointment wrapped in guitar filigree will be reinterpreted for a special Art After 5 performance. This program is supported by the Philadelphia Portuguese Heritage Commission.

 

Legendary bassist Lee Smith brings together an all-star group of musicians to Art After 5. After forty years as a first-call bassist in the R & B and jazz worlds, Smith released his debut album, Sittin’ on a Secret, last year. The title refers to the compositions that Lee has been writing for decades, a half-dozen of which finally came to light on this record.

 

The Bearded Ladies Cabaret fuses cabaret and theater to tackle the politics of gender, identity, and artistic invention with sparkle and wit. Their presentation Marlene and the Machine combines the music of Marlene Dietrich and Lotte Lenya with the visual language of German Expressionism. Enjoy elaborate cardboard cityscapes, live re-creations of expressionist films, and a host of familiar songs sung just a little off-key.

 

Nina “Lyrispect” Ball is a dynamic award-winning artist, poet, organizer, multicultural teaching artist, and producer whose work has been featured in galleries, documentaries, classrooms, and sold-out concerts. Join Lyrispect and a lively and diverse lineup of performers for an evening of music and poetry.

 

Cuban master percussionist and composer Arturo Stable presents original jazz compositions inspired by the Museum’s collection. His diverse musical experiences and unique sound have allowed him to work in many environments, but he is best known as a Latin jazz percussionist.

 

Peter Beets is a Dutch pianist with impeccable technique and an incisive sense of swing. He has played with Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis, Elvin Jones, John Clayton, and Dee Dee Bridgewater, among others.