Aisle Be Seeing You

Christian Tetzlaff in the Globe

Christian Tetzlaff

The Globe's David Weininger interviewed violinist Christian Tetzlaff for today's edition. Tetzlaff, you'll remember, is half of tomorrow night's duo (Leif Ove Andsnes is the other half) concert at Jordan Hall. Here's a snippet of Weininger's column:

"'Intelligent,' 'rigorous,' 'serious-minded' are common descriptions of his playing, and his interpretations of such 20th-century heavyweights as Schoenberg, Berg, and Ligeti have drawn wide acclaim.

But don't call him an intellectual.

'Ouch!' he says over the phone from Madrid when that label is proposed. 'You picked the meanest and the worst word. I think I don't deserve that.' He's laughing, but also quite serious that to him it conveys something dry and soulless - certainly no compliment. In fact, to hear him talk about his own artistry, he sounds like nothing so much as an old-fashioned romantic.

Read all of He has beauty on the mind.

The Boston.com pothole chart

Maybe it will lead us to trying Byzantine alternate routes around The Hub, but I'm more inclined to think it's just an interactive way to vent. I can appreciate both the effort required and attentiveness to our needs this entails on the part of Boston.com. It's kind of cute, actually, especially the relatively few potholes accounted for in Belmont, dollar for dollar the Greater Boston pothole kings. Check out the Boston.com map of potholes in greater Boston.

Globe on The Romeros Guitar Quartet

The Romeros Guitar Quartet played Friday evening at Jordan Hall before a packed house. Ethan Gilsdorf reviewed for today's Boston Globe: Virtuosity Across Generations.

Pepe Romero backstage and quote

Pepe Romero (foreground) and Celin Romero warm up prior to the second half of The Romeros Guitar Quartet performance at Jordan Hall on January 24, 2009. Alan McLellan of WGBH radio looks on (WGBH radio recorded the concert for future broadcast).

"Every note has the right to live a happy life."
-Pepe Romero

A nice little quote from Pepe Romero's master class at New England Conservatory on Friday, January 23, 2009.

The Blind Boys of Alabama sing and chat (video)

Some singing and interviews with The Blind Boys of Alabama from Avon, Colorado. The Blind Boys of Alabama meet up with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band at Boston's Symphony Hall on March 27 for a program called "Down By the Riverside." The concert is co-presented by the Celebrity Series Series of Boston (yours truly) and World Music.

Stefanie Lubkowski receives special commendation

I do enjoy plugging the good deeds and accomplishments of our own staff at the Celebrity Series of Boston when I can. In this case the good deed(s) took place before the party in question was a member of La Familia Celebrity Series. Stefanie Lubkowski, our Publicity and Communications Manager, was recently given a special commendation by the Boston Society of Film Critics for her work as the Friends of Film Coordinator for her previous employer, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Congratulations, Stefanie!

Philharmonia Quartett Berlin performance cancelled

Due to the illness of one of the Quartett's members, the Philharmonia Quartett Berlin performance scheduled for Friday, January 23 at Jordan Hall, has been cancelled.

Ticket holders will be contacted by mail as to options to donating, exchanging or returning tickets for refund. The options available depend on the method of purchase.

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago on tour, a travelogue

This video footage is from Hubbard Street Dance Chicago on tour in Portugal, Ireland and Los Angeles. The well-traveled company visits Boston and the Celebrity Series February 6-8.

Here are 2 more from the same set:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJWVoX4AZDU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkn21QJgLHs&feature=channel

The Night James Brown Saved Boston - check it out

The Night James Brown Saved Boston, part I

Not sure if this is in the original form, yet it looks like the whole thing is here – 8 PARTS. 

This documentary should be required viewing for everyone who has lived in Boston long enough to consider themselves more than a visitor. Regardless of whether James Brown's music moves you or what you think his place in musical history is, when one considers his actions on April 5, 1968 (not to mention thereafter in D.C., etc.), it seems to me that the city should honor him in some way. Bostonians need to know what Brown did for our city. He wasn't the only player in the events of that night, but he took a huge risk that he did not have to take.

Maybe a statue on Comm. Ave.?

Part II:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_je9eAoyio

Part III:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ag5JMlbennA

Part IV:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-hyU9p6r9s

Part V:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylC0vdGz27g&feature=related

Part VI:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsHZakDPDvo

Part VII:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0IdEB4Svto

Part VIII:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7JUzrkQZkQ

There were some other key players that night, including WGBH and the late Boston City Councilman Thomas Atkins.

Photo of supersize snowman/woman

Check him/her out. That's a big snowperson:

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/8665733

My guess is that thing's going to be around for a long time.