MUSIC AT THE MEADOWS
Roy Sutton

On Thursday, December 22, at 4:30 p.m. in the Mt. Ashland Room, we will once again join together in holiday songs with vocalist Leslie Kendall, accompanied by guitarist Ed Dunsavage. (Please note the late starting time.) They will perform a tasty mix of jazz standards and some holiday favorites like “The Christmas Song,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” and “What a Wonderful World.” Leslie will also lead us in some familiar sing-alongs.

Leslie is always a hit with our residents. She has appeared in nightclubs and concert venues nation-wide, including Caesar’s Palace, and she was acclaimed as “female vocalist of the year” by the Detroit News. Locally, she was a featured artist at the Craterian and has made many appearances at the
Medford Jazz Jubilee with The Jump Daddies. She has recorded for Warner Brothers, MCA, and Columbia Records where she was the featured soloist with the Percy Faith Orchestra.

Ed Dunsavage studied at Rutgers University with jazz guitar legend Ted Dunbar. He performed in the New York area for several years before moving west, ending up in the San Francisco Bay Area where he performed and taught for seven years. Ed moved here around 21 years ago and performs at many venues and festivals in Oregon and northern California. His own groups are the Ed Dunsavage Trio and the Latin Jazz Quartet. Many of you know him as the Artistic Director of the Siskiyou Institute, which produces the wonderful concert series – often classical – at the Old Siskiyou Barn south of Ashland and at the Paschal Winery in Talent. He accompanied vocalist Christine Williams here this past October – our audience loved his playing.

Don’t miss Leslie and Ed in this holiday performance.

Previous concerts :

November is Thanksgiving month, and our two concerts will make us thankful for both the new, young musicians in our area and the mature, professional ones close at hand.

We will have a debut at Mountain Meadows of young musicians Alison Dresser, French horn, and cellist Paul Shubat on Thursday, November 10, at 4:00 p.m. in the Mt. Ashland Room. They are the co-winners of the 2011 Concerto Competition of the Youth Symphony of Southern Oregon (YSSO).

Alison, a junior at Ashland High School, will be playing Richard Strauss’s “Horn Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major” at the November 12 and 13 concerts of the YSSO. She will preview that for us, accompanied by pianist Daniel Swayze. Alison is the principal French horn player with the YSSO. She also plays the cello, piano, and trumpet, and is in her school’s symphonic band and chamber orchestra. She has been playing since she was 4 1/2, thanks to having a dad who is a trumpet player with the Rogue Valley Symphony. Her college dreams include a music conservatory or the University of Oregon, plus graduate school, to set her up for a career in a major symphony orchestra -- maybe in Europe. This summer Alison played with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Pirates of Penzance. She loves playing orchestral music, and especially enjoys the music of Edvard Grieg and John Williams.

Paul Shubat is a freshman at Ashland High School, and he will be playing Edouard Lalo’s “Cello Concerto in D Minor” at the February 17, 18, and 19 concerts of the YSSO. He will play the first two movements of that piece for us, accompanied by Daniel Swayze. Also on the program will be the Bach Cello Suite III, with Paul on cello and Alison on French horn. Last summer Paul attended the National Cello Institute’s Advanced Residency Program at the Pioneer School of Music in Orange County, California.

On Tuesday, November 22, at 4:00 p.m. in the Mt. Ashland Room our own Alan Berman will bring his mature musical gifts. His accompanying bass player will be identified in a Weekly Update before the concert. He has established a solid reputation as an outstanding jazz pianist and vocalist in the greater Ashland music scene. His song styling is as smooth as silk. Alan has become a regular performer as soloist at the Avalon Bar & Grill in Talent, and as pianist/ vocalist with the Southern Oregon Jazz Orchestra. Before moving here, Alan, a professional musician, performed extensively in the Monterey Bay area of California. Alan sings and accompanies himself on the piano, featuring songs of the 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, and more. The Monterey Herald Weekend Magazine wrote: “Alan’s voice, blending with block chords, is soft, sure, intimate, reminiscent of the whispered confidentiality of Page Cavanaugh or the Nat ‘King’ Cole Trio.”

EARLY FRIDAY MORNING RECITAL
Roy Sutton

Announcing a special recital! SOU Chamber Music Concerts has offered us the opportunity to enjoy The Rose Ensemble on Friday morning, November 11, at 10:30 a.m. in the Mt. Ashland Room. That evening they will give a concert at SOU titled “Music from the Land of Three Faiths: Ancient Christianity, Judaism and Islam.” This group of about a dozen performers features voices and a fascinating array of instruments from the Arab-Andalusian, Sephardic, Spanish, Hebrew, and Galician traditions. Not to be missed!

October brings us another musical harvest. The first “bounty” of the
month will be the second appearance here of vocalist Christine Williams with guitarist Ed Dunsavage on Thursday, October 13, at 4:00 p. m. in the Mt. Ashland Room. Their performance last year captivated us. Last month, they were the headliners with pianist Alex Tutunov at the Siskiyou Barn in a special fundraising concert for the Ashland Hospital Foundation—at $150 a ticket. It was an all-Gershwin program, and Chris displayed her ability to master it all: ballads, jazz, and up-tempo Gershwin tunes. For us, she’ll be singing Gershwin songs such as “Summertime” and “How Long Has this Been Going On?” as well as songs from other composers of the “Great American Songbook,” such as lyricist Johnny Mercer’s “Midnight Sun.”

Ed has been performing and promoting music in the Rogue Valley for 20 years in a number of different groups and settings, including two seasons at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Ed is also the artistic and education director for the Siskiyou Institute.

Christine is on the voice faculty of Southern Oregon University. Her performance credits include: eight seasons with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, productions at regional theatres and on concert stages across the country and around the world.

Our second concert of the month features the amazing young cellist Chas Barnard on Thursday, October 27, at 4:00 p.m. in the Mt. Ashland Room, accompanied by pianist Cynthia Stauffer. Chas moved here from Ohio almost three years ago. Having won many honors as a cellist in the Midwest, he broke the age barrier of the Rogue Valley Symphony Orchestra when he was accepted into that group at age 14. Now 17, he started playing the cello at age 11—surprisingly late for someone of his current ability. Last year Chas played the Shostakovich Cello Concerto for us just before he played it in Oregon’s statewide solo competition—and won. This year, the highlight of his performance for us will be the Saint-Saens Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, which he will play as the featured soloist with the Rogue Valley Symphony Orchestra. Chas is applying to colleges now, so come be inspired by his youthful brilliance while he is still in Ashland.

It’s hard to believe,but it’s been five years since vocalist Presila Quinby and her husband, guitarist Bil Leonhart, performed here. (The last time here, her name was spelled Priscilla.) Their long-awaited return will be Thursday, September 8, at 4:00 p.m. in the Mt. Ashland Room, when they Photo from Ashland Theater blog.will perform an eclecticcollection of jazz standards and show tunes. Some you’ll recognize, and others will be a pleasant surprise. Songs will include “When I Fall in Love,” “Our Love Is Here To Stay,” and “When You Wish Upon a Star,” and Presila Quinby some fun up- tempo numbers like “I’m Beginning to See the Light” and “I Wish I Were In Love Again.”

Presila danced professionally in New York for 15 years and has appeared on Broadway. You may have seen her at Camelot Theatre as both an actress and singer. She just finished acting in Camelot’s production of “Sweeney Todd” and is currently director of the Spotlight Series and helping create the “Spotlight on Barbara Streisand,” due to open September 15. Bil is a guitarist’s guitarist who has had lengthy solo engagements at hotels in San Francisco and New York. You might have seen him as an OSF Green Show musician or in local appearances with guitarist Cyd Smith in their duo, Hartsmith, and with Pat O’Scannell in her show, “Off the Charts.”

The second concert of the month will feature one of our favorite young pianists, Daniel Swayze, on Thursday, September 22, at 4:00 p.m. in the Mt. Ashland Room. Daniel had a 4-year scholarship to SOU and graduated summa cum laude this year, honored with the Schneider Outstanding Music Student Award. Now he is expanding his repertoire and applying to graduate schools, and has succeeded Joseph Yungen as accompanist for the Siskiyou Violins. This talented pianist didn’t start the piano until age 14—self-taught! He started taking lessons two years later when entering his junior year of high school. There’s no telling how far this young man will go.

Daniel’s program here tentatively includes “Three Sonatas” by D. Scarlatti, the Liszt concert etude “Gnomenreigen,” a “Prelude and Fugue” by Bach, Beethoven’s “Sonata in D Op. 10 #3,” Chopin’s “Ballade #3,” and Beethoven’s “32 Variations in C Minor.”

The last Ashland City Band concert of the summer is August 11, so we’ll have our August Music at the Meadows concert Thursday, August 18, at 4:00 p.m. in the Mt. Ashland Room. This will feature one of our favorite vocalists, Gayle Wilson, accompanied by the talented pianist, Dal Carver.

Gayle’s jazz program will include songs from the 1930s and 40s like “Pick Yourself Up,” tunes from more recent years such as “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” and a few fun jazz numbers like David Frishberg’s  “I’m Hip.”

Gayle can be seen each weekend on cable channel 9 guiding us to the Rogue Valley’s attractions on her show, “Southern Oregon Travelogue.” A frequent soloist in Camelot Theatre’s ever-popular Spotlight Series, Gayle has performed songs sung by Billie Holiday, Helen O’Connell, Rosemary Clooney, Patti Page, The Andrews Sisters, Doris Day, Karen Carpenter, Dusty Springfield, and Petula Clark. Gayle
can do it all!

Dal Carver is in much demand locally for his piano playing in small groups and as an accompanist and arranger. As the owner of the Wild Goose Café and Bar and former co- owner (with his wife Rene) of the Avalon Bar & Grill, he has greatly supported the area music scene by hosting regular live performances at both venues.

Our July concert will feature a first-timer at Mountain Meadows! Pianist Charley Pagani will team up with guitarist Ed Dunsavage on Wednesday, July 6, at 4:00 p.m. in the Mt. Ashland Room. Their concert will be a “Tribute to Jim Hall and Bill Evans,” a famous guitar-piano duo who performed together and recorded great jazz albums. They also were fine composers.

Ed has been here many times, and has earned our respect and appreciation as an outstanding accompanist and soloist. Among his many activities, he is the Artistic Director of the Siskiyou Institute, bringing many outstanding musicians to perform in this area from all over the United States. While here, these musicians are scheduled by Ed to conduct workshops for area schoolchildren, thus greatly enhancing their music education.

Charley is new to our concert stage, but is known to many of us through his OLLI courses at SOU on music theory and styles. Although he graduated from California State University, Chico, as a music major and has played piano for decades, he never quit his day job—a 40-year career in computers doing applied programming, system design, etc. He was trained in classical music and didn’t get bit by the jazz bug until his late 40’s. It became an obsession and has resulted in his becoming a masterful jazz pianist.

Their program, which sold out at the Avalon Bar & Grill last February, will include the following classic tunes: “Waltz for Debby,” “All the Things You Are,” “Young and Foolish,” and “Some Other Time.”

Whether summer weather arrives or not, the Thursday evening Ashland City Band concerts in Lithia Park will begin on June 16 and run until August 11. Music at the Meadows will avoid Thursdays and have just one concert in June. It’s a return of one of our favorites, the Young Family Trio. They will be here on Saturday, June 11, at 4:00 p.m. in the Mt. Ashland Room. They are guitarist father Dave Young, violinist daughter Abby Young, and saxophonist/oboist son Gabe Young – a charming, extremely talented family group. The music will be a fun, eclectic mix of styles: Celtic, jazz, Klezmer, and popular—plus a few surprises! Look forward to hearing them playas a trio, and maybe in duets and solos. In addition to playing in this trio, Dave Young leads the well-known dance band Jerry Attrick & The Pacemakers and The Bar Misfits Klezmer Band. He will be leading the trio in several Green Show appearances this summer. Abby Young has just completed her third year of music studies at the Robert D. Clark Honors College at the University of Oregon in Eugene. Gabe Young has finished his first year at Ashland High School with great distinction. He won first place for oboe in the Oregon State competition for high school students, and second place in saxophone! This youngster has a band that’s been performing from time to time at the Avalon Bar and Grill.

MEADOWLARKS CONCERT!
Harriet Berman

Spring is here, and the Meadowlarks are singing. We have some lovely new selections as well as some of our favorites from previous concerts. Join us on Wednesday, May 18, at 3:30 p.m. in the Mt. Ashland Room. Mark the date on your calendar. We hope to see you there.

MUSIC AT THE MEADOWS
Roy Sutton

Our first May concert will bring Sarah Jane Nelson, a favorite vocalist, back to us on Thursday, May 12, at 4:00 p.m. Her program, "Soulful Acoustic Blues," will include classics like "Summertime," "You're No Good," and "Stormy Blues." She and her husband, OSF actor Rene Millan, appeared together in the New York production of Octavio Solis's "El Paso Blue," a five-character play. That's where she met Michael "Hawkeye" Herman—see below—who wrote the music for that production. She starred in the Broadway and national tour productions of "Swing!" (to rave reviews) before accompanying Rene to Ashland and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. This year she will be an understudy in "Pirates of Penzance" and two other OSF plays.
Her accompanist, here for the first time, will be guitarist Hawkeye Herman. A solo performer in his own right, Hawkeye enjoys a very active touring schedule at festivals, concerts, school programs, and workshops. His travels as a blues storyteller include much of the United States, Canada, and Europe, but he lives just up the road in Talent. Hawkeye co-founded the annual Rogue Valley Blues Festival and is an active educator—he initiated the "Blues in the Schools" program over 30 years ago and is still active in it, introducing the blues to students from pre-school through college. He was inducted into the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame in 2005. If we're lucky, maybe he'll do a solo or two for us.

The performers in our second May concert need no introduction. They are SOU students Lisa Nichols on flute and Wenjun Qi on guitar. Both hold scholarships from SOU Chamber Music Concerts; Lisa's scholarship is sponsored by the Mountain Meadows Community. (Her picture is featured in the ad for SOU in the Rogue Valley Symphony Orchestra's playbill.) The performance will be on Thursday, May 26, at 4:00 p.m. These two SOU students are really looking forward to being back with us, and they have prepared a delightful program for the occasion. It will include "Duo Concertante Op. 85" by Giuliani, "Sonatina Op. 205" by Castelnuovo-Tedesco, "Snow Dreams for Flute and Guitar" by John Tower, and "Nocturnes" by Mark Eliot Jacobs. There may be more pieces if time allows.
 

April 2011:  This month we have some classical concerts to light up your spring!

The Stauffer Duo will be back on Thursday, April 14, at 4:00 p.m. in the Mt. Ashland Room. Tom and Cynthia Stauffer retired from their music faculty positions at San Diego State University and moved here to stay a couple of years ago. They perform here and elsewhere in the Rogue Valley, and they are teachers extraordinaire. Tom teaches cello to Chas Barnard, and Cynthia teaches piano to Ashley Hoe—see more about Chas and Ashley below in the description of the April 28 concert here.

Cellist Thomas Stauffer, Professor Emeritus at San Diego State University, is a noted recitalist, chamber musician, and coach. He has served on a number of faculties including those of Stanford and the University of California, Berkeley, and was a long-term member of the Bloch Quartet, an ensemble-in-residence at the University of California, Davis.

Pianist Cynthia Darby Stauffer is a recitalist and chamber musician, and has been a guest of several orchestras. She has served on a number of faculties including MIT, the Boston Community Music School, University of San Diego, and San Diego State University.

Tom and Cynthia have performed together for over 30 years! Their program here will consist of the Sonata in D major by Bach, Pohadka (A Tale) by Janacek, and Sonata in A Major by Beethoven.

Wow! You may wonder why we have invited the Schoenard Trio to return on Thursday, April 28, at 4:00 p.m. in the Mt. Ashland Room. (In case you forgot, the trio consists of Eleanora Schaer on violin, Ashley Hoe on piano, and Chas Barnard on cello.) We’re inviting them back so soon— less than 6 months after their last appearance—because these three high school students were just accepted for the Junior Division of the world’s largest chamber music competition, the annual Fischoff Competition in South Bend, Indiana, on May 13-15. Their Mountain Meadows performance will provide them with a trial run.

The Schoenard Trio is one of only 24 instrumental ensembles accepted nationally to compete in the Junior Division, and are among an even smaller pool of piano/violin/cello groups— ensembles can include woodwind, brass, string, etc. This is significant to Mountain Meadows because this trio had their debut concert here last April, and their November 11, 2010, appearance here marked the first anniversary of their formation. They will play for us the pieces they will use for the competition—Schumann, Heiden,
and Beethoven—and there will also be some solo pieces to round out the hour-long concert here. Come support our local kids!

March is a jazzy month this year! First off, we are pleased to report that Ashland’s Django band,
the Back Porch Swing Jazz Band, will be back on Thursday, March 10, at 4:00 p.m. in the Mt. Ashland
Room. Their members are Linda Powers on violin and vocals, George Rubaloff on rhythm guitar,
Jeff Addicott on stand-up bass, and Dennis Freese on woodwinds. If you don’t know what “Django”
refers to, you’re not alone. Back in the 1930’s, a Belgian Gypsy guitarist/composer named Django
Reinhardt—Django was his gypsy nickname—and Stephane Grappelli, a French violinist, formed one
of the most innovative bands in the history of jazz, “The Hot Club of France.” It disbanded in 1939
due to World War II, but their music is still played here and throughout the world in movie soundtracks
and in live performances for enthusiastic audiences. Those of us who’ve heard Ashland’s Django band
here the last two years know it’s very enjoyable!

And now for some rather cool, laid-back jazz: the Grooveyard Trio will be back to perform
for us after a two-year absence. They were a big hit here and at their weekly performances at the
now-defunct Ashland Bistro Café. Then their pianist took a break from the group and was greatly
missed. Now they are back together in order to entertain us at Mountain Meadows! Leader Joe Cohoon
on standup bass, Dave Swan on piano, and Gary “Chicken” Hirsch will reunite to play here
on Thursday, March 24, at 4:00 p.m. in the Mt. Ashland Room. Some of their fine selections will
be Duke Ellington’s “Take the ‘A’ Train,” Thelonious Monk’s “Well, You Needn’t,” and Bill Evans’
“Some Other Time.”

A piano celebration! Once again we will be entertained by SOU’s Advanced Piano Students, led by Dr.
Alexander Tutunov. This time it’s on this Thursday, February 24, at 4 PM in the Mt. Ashland Room.
The “international” group of students will consist of one senior: Daniel Swayze; four sophomores:
Tatsiana Asheichyk, Jon Hays, Alicia Polendey, and Nik Wright; and three freshmen: Zhan Le, Nick
Temple, and Tin Yat Wan. It looks like Dr. Tutunov has been on a recruiting spree, and we’re the
beneficiaries.

This Wednesday, January 19 at 400 PM the Schoenard Trio will return to give a concert in the Mt.
Ashland Room. They are pianist Ashley Hoe, violist/violinist Eleanora Schaer, and cellist Chas
Barnard. If you haven’t heard this group of highly talented high school musicians, don’t miss this
chance. If you have heard them, we know you’ll be there! The trio will be performing works by Haydn,
Heiden, and Albert. Ellie Schaer will play a viola piece by Walton, and Ashley will play piano solos by
Bach and Schumann. The Appreciation Jar will be there.
EARLY WEDNESDAY EVENING RECITAL

We're celebrating the New Year with a renewed appearance and a first-timer. On Thursday, January 13, at 4:00 p.m. in the Mt. Ashland Room, David Gabriel and LauraDerocher will be back after more than three years. Accompanying them will be our own Alan Berman on piano, Joe Cohoon on bass, and Steve Sutfinon percussion. Don't forget a generous donation for the Appreciation Jar.

When David and Laura last appeared here, their renditions of Broadway and vocal standards was the best I have ever heard, anywhere! In keeping with their life goals, they are calling this concert "Higher Standards." They'll perform from the Great American Songbook with positive, upbeat lyrics like "Get Happy," "Pick Yourself Up," and "If I Ruled the World." Let's get a big turnout to encourage them to perform here more often!
The couple have appeared in many productions at the Camelot Theatre in Talent, including the knockout Spotlight production, "It Takes Two." David and Laura were co-founders of the SASSY! monthly sing-a-longs held at Mountain Meadows a year ago.

Now for something exciting and new for the New Year. On Monday. January 31, at 4:00 p.m. in the Mt. Ashland Room, we'll have Trine, a trio consisting of Michal Palzewicz (cello), his wife Cecily Palzewicz (voice), and Jason "Cedar" Miller (percussion, didgeridoo). Several Mountain Meadows residents recommend them strongly, and I concur. Trine's website describes their music as "a passionate weaving of world rhythm, Celtic melodies and middle-eastern themes, fused with classical and virtuosic elements....Trine is storytelling through music." Cecily's voice appears in their pieces as an instrument, so don't expect to hear words being sung -just beautiful, evocative sounds. Watch our Weekly Update for more information.

Michal, originally from Poland, moved here with Cecily about three years ago, and they now have a two-year-old daughter. He teaches cello (and yoga!). One of his first music students in Ashland was young Ian Greenberg, who as an Ashland High School junior enthralled our residents with his playing of Dvorak's Cello Concerto two years ago. This past year, Michal was the orchestra cellist for Oregon Shakespeare Festival's production of "She Loves Me," and Trine was a featured performer at OSF's annual Daedalus Project show in August. Let's give them a warm, enthusiastic welcome!

NOTES FROM THE MEADOWLARKS
Harriet Berman

A big THANK YOU to everyone who attended our Holiday Concert on December 8. Apologies to those who sat in the lobby area where the sound system wasn’t working. It has been repaired and will be working for our Spring Concert. And that’s the good news–THERE WILL BE A SPRING CONCERT! Rehearsals will begin Wednesday, January 26, at 3:30 p.m. in the Rogue Room. New members are welcome to join us; the only requirement is that you can carry your part.
 

the Meadowlarks of Mountain Meadows give a concert:

MUSIC AT THE MEADOWS:
Roy Sutton

Happy Holidays! One of the benefits that we receive from college vacations and holiday breaks is that we
often get return visits by some of our favorite performers. Pianist Joseph Yungen and violinist Paul
Grobey will be performing here this Thursday, December 30 at 4:00 PM in the Mt. Ashland
Room. A June graduate of SOU, Joseph started graduate studies this fall at the Eastman School of Music
in (brrr!) Rochester, New York. Before leaving us, he was an accompanist for both the Siskiyou Singers
and the Siskiyou Violins, and was in great demand as a soloist and accompanist for many other Rogue
Valley performers. Earlier this year, Paul Grobey graduated as a music major from the University of North
Texas in Dallas – the fine university that Alexander Tutunov was at prior to coming here. Although Paul
dislikes – intensely – the Dallas weather, he is staying there another year because of an opportunity to
study conducting with a gifted teacher. Their program will consist of solos and duets. Joseph will play
Haydn’s “Piano Sonata No. 5 in C Major”. They will join together for Prokofiev’s “Five Melodies, Op. 35a”
and Ravel’s “Sonata in G Major for Violin and Piano”.

Put on your festive outfits – with bells on if you wish – and come to the Mt. Ashland Room at
4:30 PM

this Thursday, December 16. Singer Leslie Kendall and the extremely talented guitarist Ed Dunsavage will once again bring us holiday songs and a few jazz standards – plus some sing-alongs – including “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”, Mel Torme’s “The Christmas Song”, and “What a Wonderful World”. Leslie Kendall’s achievements include being the featured soloist with the Percy Faith Orchestra and being named the “female vocalist of the year” by the Detroit News. Her warm style is a perfect fit for Mountain Meadows. Ed Dunsavage appeared here in October as the accompanist for singer Christine Williams. Their enchanting performance was met with great appreciation. Ed is the Artistic Director of the Siskiyou Institute – promoting quality artistic events – and appears frequently in the area with the Ed Dunsavage Trio.

                                                                                           Photo by Hawk Starkey

Tuesday,

 November 23, at 4 PM in the Mt. Ashland Room we’ll have two slightly-older young violinists than at our last concert: Aaron Moffatt and Trinity Tippin. They will be accompanied on the piano by Mikiko Petrucelli. Aaron will be here for the fifth time, and he has always amazed us with
challenging, beautifully played music. His principal solo will be the first two movements of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto – a concerto as popular as any ever written! It has been said that this concerto, written
just two years before his early death at age 38, was Mendelssohn’s greatest creation. Aaron’s duets with Trinity will include the exciting “Navarra” by Sarasate, and the impelling and moving “Sonata for Two
Violins” by Prokofiev. They will conclude with three very popular pieces from the repertoire of the Siskiyou Violins: “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”, “The Theme from Schindler’s List”, and “Joke – Souvenir”. Please read more about this concert in the November Mountain Meadows News.

What luck! Our first concert this month is by Mountain Meadows' own, beloved Alan Berman on Thursday, September 9, at 4:00 p.m. in the Mount Ashland Room. Alan has established a solid reputation as an outstanding jazz pianist and vocalist in the greater Ashland music scene, and his song styling is as smooth as silk.

Alan has become a regular performer at the Avalon Bar & Grill in Talent, where we can enjoy him while munching on those delicious sweet potato fries. (See "Upcoming Bus Trips" in this issue.) Those appearances are sometimes as a soloist with one or two highly talented backup musicians, and sometimes as pianist/vocalist with the Southern Oregon Jazz Orchestra.

Before moving here, Alan, a professional musician, performed extensively in the Monterey Bay area of California. Alan sings and accompanies himself on the piano, featuring songs of the 20's, 30's, 40's and more. The Monterey Herald Weekend Magazine wrote: "Alan's voice, blending with block chords, is soft, sure, intimate, reminiscent of the whispered confidentiality of Page Cavanaugh or the Nat 'King' Cole Trio!" Watch the Weekly Updates for more details about Alan's concert here.

Our second September concert brings back the delightful songstress Heather Hutton, accompanied by multi-instrumentalist Richard Williams. They will be here on Thursday, September 23, at 4:00 p.m. in the Mount Ashland Room.

THE MEADOWLARKS ARE REHEARSING!

Harriet Berman, director

If you are new to Mountain Meadows, you may not know that we have a resident choral group called the Meadowlarks. We have been singing together for four years and perform two concerts a year, one in May, and one in December.

We have just begun rehearsals for our winter concert. We meet every Wednesday afternoon from 3:30p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Rogue Room. All residents are invited to join in the fun—all you need is the ability to carry your part. Come and give it a try. Singing is good for the spirit!


I
Photo by resident Hawk Starky