  Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 14231 Registered: 12-2003 |
This series continues, sorry I've not been proactive promoting it...but if you are free tonight and want to hear some great live music in a very comfortable home setting, please come to Woodbridge and visit Audra Kubat and Jean Wilson's House of Art and Music to see her, Tone and Nich, and Jeff Jablonski for yet another wonderful evening of 'parlor music'. Genre is folk/rock/experimental ethereal, and suggested donation is $10 at the door. BYOB Light vegetarian dinner included, starts around seven. Just BYOA out for some fun, and exercise those SMILE muscles. These shows are always the last Friday of every month... | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 14232 Registered: 12-2003 |
Thought I put up the link to her MySpace page, sorry: www.myspace.com/audrakubat Lincoln is one block east of Trumbull, and the house is on the corner approximately four blocks north of Mack/MLK. Immediately behind the Trumbullplex, for those who know them. Cheers! | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 14237 Registered: 12-2003 |
I am the luckiest guy in the world. I get to help others hear the wonderment that shows up whenever Audra asks any of her amazing musical friends to come visit her home for a show. I'm her soundguy...and am proud to be within her circle of friends, able to support her with MY gifts...something I will cherish forever. Last night, I was in awe of a fellow from the east side, Jeff Jablonski, as he gifted us with a collection of his musical 'sketches'. He plays the guitar in a fashion that is repeated only by a handful of famous players...using BOTH hands to create complex rhythms of harmonic beauty. If any of you have ever seen Stanley Jordan, Kaki King, or that amazing dude from YouTube who keeps winning the national guitar competition (wish I could remember his name, there is not enough caffeine in the world to fire up my synapses this morning)...you will get the idea. Only he is HOME GROWN Detroit musical genius...and while he may balk at the comparison to those other musicians, he will merely say he is just doing his thing, his technique is on that track. He said the trajectory of his learning curve is ever rising...and it echoes into his older work when he performs 'em...so the Home Growing and Grooming should lead to even more amazement in the future. I just realized that none of those other guitarists actually also SING along with their axial pyrotechnics as he does. Stirling warned me that he was fucking amazing, and I've learned through the past year of knowing this knowledgebase of musical treasures to pay attention when HE'S impressed! Halfway through his performance...I came to, snapped out of the mesmerization...and simply started planning the NEXT time we could have him out to play. That was the first time I started thinking of returning acts to this series, but in retrospect there are many others. Stirling and I talked of making a daylong concert with the talent that gravitates to our dear, resonant, ethereal Audra...we'll see what develops over the winter. (funny, Ian Cooke's disc just popped up in my CD changer rotation, he was the cello master from Denver who graced Audra's living room stage a few months back...who had a similar effect on me as Jablonski did...he's worth a looksee too, for those of you seeing melodic folk/rock/experimental musical communication from lovely souls) All of the musicians who've graced Jean Wilson's Woodbridge home through Audra's Dinner and a Show series have been stellar, and we've had a few choice surprises...many of which I've shared here. But Jeff Jablonski deserves a much greater recognition than he currently has, of that I cannot stress any more forcefully. This cat has 'it' in droves and droves, he is gifted...not merely talented. The other musical act (Audra always tries to book TWO, and then plays the evening bookends...opening and closing the night) was a duo by the name of Tone and Niche. I had no advance understanding of them, either. Had no idea what to expect. They were the sweetest musicians this side of the Lucas Sisters during soundcheck...just so darn nice and fun and happy, if you hung around them long enough you might develop diabetes! Then they got up for their performance, he on guitar...she on electric violin. The subtle communication between them, the sensitivity of interplay...as if they were finishing each other's sentences like an old couple who've spent a lifetime happily occupying the same bed...was so beautiful to behold. Tone went 'Johnny Cash' with his second song...and it was as if we all launched with him into some stratosphere of critical analysis of life within a tortured soul all too aware of the inequalities and imbalances of life. The song is 'conscious as I am', and is on their latest album, rust. I give great props to Anthony 'Tone' Retka and Nicole 'Niche' Varga, for letting their muse continue to tickle them...turns out they ARE a couple...and I got the chance to gush out that it was just too obvious to me from their communication onstage. So...if anyone gets the chance to witness Jeff Jablonski or Tone & Niche in the future...just get there. You won't be disappointed. Audra's vision of this Dinner and a Show series has solidified into quite the beautiful thing, kudos to her and also to Stirling...as he recognizes the trend with our little parlor music experiment. It is beginning to become the highlight of the month. I highly recommend that youse seeking live music in the most comfortable setting possible...just leave the last Friday in your monthly calendar open...come check us out. I'd bet that like a few of our regulars, you will INK this into your schedule after a few months! Cheers and more...still in the afterglow. | ||
Django Member Username: Django Post Number: 2030 Registered: 10-2003 |
Sorry I couldnt make it. I planned to, just didnt feel all that into going out. Hopefully next time Ill be in a better place. Snowbank would have loved to go if I told him. Apparently Sterling, Audra and him go way back. This time of year though theres just no snowbanks for roomie to fall into if he goes down. | ||
Servite76 Member Username: Servite76 Post Number: 84 Registered: 02-2008 |
Gannon, Great job with the review. I'd like to see them next time. | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 14276 Registered: 12-2003 |
Thanks, Servite. Jeff can be found occasionally playing at Trixie's CoffeeShop which is on Gratiot, I think, between Ten and Eleven Mile...and he is on MySpace. Same with Tone and Niche, actually if anyone heard his other band, Mourning Voices, on Craiggy's DetroitTODAY last week, they got at least a taste of this enigmatic fellow's songwriting and performing, albeit without his better half! They are on MySpace as well...and part of that eastside coffee shop circuit. I'll do what I can to assemble a listing of the musicians who've been through Audra's two associative venues, Cafe 1923's Open Mic on Thursday night and this Dinner and Show on the last Friday of the month. Off the top of my head, I'd share my memories of: JSB Squad (Jessie Shepard Bates' Merry Maniacs) Richard Sparks The Lucas Sisters Sky Covington Blair Jason and the Punknecks (from LA) Jaye Thomas Tarayl Santos (the ever-elusive guitar master) Keith Steele Ian Cooke (from Denver) oh, this could be fun... | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 14279 Registered: 12-2003 |
Oh MY, how could I forget one of my absolute favorites...Emily Rose, the Late Bloomer. Good Gosh, it's been a great last nine months gestating this 'baby'... (and it is Jesse ShepErd-Bates, sorry Jesse!) | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 14280 Registered: 12-2003 |
Also...David Whitaker, the blues guitar virtuoso from Windsor. Finger-pickin' fabulous... ...and all of the poets, although they will be harder to track down. This could become work, but work that I love... | ||
Norwalk Member Username: Norwalk Post Number: 372 Registered: 11-2006 |
Don't forget to put yourself on that list. I was there the night you got up there and played. | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 14311 Registered: 12-2003 |
Thanks Norwalk...Heh...but only under duress. I'm working on getting a fuller repertoire than James Taylor's version of 'Up on the Roof'! Fifteen years of chewing on my lip while concentrating during practice gets in the way of singing simultaneously. Met a couple at the Coffeehouse last week who were also enamored with Jason and the Punknecks...both he and his brother met members of the band at separate places in Hamtramck that week, the way he told it was pretty funny. We're going to promote the heck out of them next time they're through, and I hope to get down to New Orleans to visit Woody the guitarist during their break in touring. Do you think having another night's meeting among us fledgling guitarists, perhaps watched over by one or more experienced players who would give us licks to learn, would be a good thing? It could be maybe only once or twice a month...and we'd collectively pay them for the instruction. I think it could be worth it all around, make us learn a new song or two each time...and jumpstart our learning curves! I'm starting back up my Friday night Open House music circle in the loft for the Fall and Winter, too, and you are most certainly welcome. That might be the right venue to learn and study within, and we could still do something monthly at the Cafe, too. I did have a great time sitting in with the Blues Society when I stumbled upon their Sunday night meeting in the Library room at the end of April...although I only dared bring in my little drum. That was a blast, albeit only really one of the first times I'd jumped into a group of strangers to play anything. Plus, would you be interested in contributing a testimony of what you've encountered at the Cafe for our e-promotions in the future? I'm gathering feedback from some of our regulars, and the musicians and poets. It may end up only on a MySpace page, or an addendum to the 1923 Cafe website, or more. It is time to really launch this to the next level, and maybe even make some money on it, although you know that isn't my first focus ever. Cheers! | ||
Norwalk Member Username: Norwalk Post Number: 373 Registered: 11-2006 |
I can use all the help I can when it comes to my guitar playing. The Youtube thing just ain't cuttin it. Count me in on the testimonial as well. Being a Hamtramck resident I'm all for promoting our cities Jems. I am sorry I have not been to Open Mic nights in a while you know Summertime to much to do and so little time. My beloved Tigers finish up today. So I'll have lots of evenings free. | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 14324 Registered: 12-2003 |
Norwalk, You and me both, and I'm sure there are others. Happy to be part of your post-season support group. BUMP so a new friend can find this... |
