The ‘music of our time’ adds a touch of romance
Tangletown Cabaret, an all-women trio from Seattle, will perform what they call the “music of our own time” — beloved and enduring art songs of the 20th and 21st centuries — at a special Valentine’s concert at the Blue Heron Saturday night.
The trio includes classically trained mezzo-soprano Sarah Mattox, who recently performed with Vashon Opera, violinist/violist Jo Nardolillo and pianist Judith Cohen.
And just what are those enduring songs of our time? Think “Moon River,” Irving Gordon’s “Unforgettable” (made unforgettable by Nat King Cole) and the works of George and Ira Gershwin and Cole Porter.
Champagne and chocolate served during the intermission will add to the evening’s romance.
The concert, which begins at 7:30 p.m., is part of Vashon Allied Arts’ Panache Jazz Series. Tickets, $15 and $25, are available at the Blue Heron, the Heron’s Nest, Vashon Bookshop, www.brownpapertickets.com or by calling 463-5131.
A Scotsman performs an intimate house concert
Jim Malcolm, a Scottish-born singer-songwriter, returns to Vashon for a house concert on Sunday at 3 p.m. The much-celebrated Scotsman plays the guitar and harmonica and sings both traditional songs of Scotland as well as his own numbers. He also laces his concerts with funny stories and a dry Scottish wit and puts on quite a show, according to Wally Bell, an Islander who booked Malcolm’s concert.
Malcolm currently performs solo and has 10 solo CDs to his name. For eight years, he was the lead singer with the multi-award winning Old Blind Dogs, a band considered on the cutting edge of Scotland’s roots revival.
“He’s one of the best folk musicians out there,” Bell said.
The concert, in a fine Vashon home, will include a small selection of appetizers; wine from a local winery will be for sale. Tickets are $20, and seating is limited. Call Bell at 408-7414 for tickets or more details.
Attend ‘Church’ for an afternoon of love
What sounds sweeter than “love in the afternoon”? That’s what the wild and wacky cast of the Church of Great Rain says they’ll offer up on Sunday when they put on their third show of the season — a special Valentine’s Day revue slated to begin at 4 p.m. at the Open Space for Arts & Community.
The show will feature two special guests who will croon and speak of love — Ian Moore, an acclaimed guitarist and singer-songwriter from Austin who lives on Vashon, and renowned storyteller and mythologist Michael Meade, also an Islander.
The skits — featuring the church’s 11 Holy Roller Radio Players — will also take a look at love and romance, from a decidedly comedic and maybe slightly twisted perspective. Head writer Jeff Hoyt, reached at home on Friday, said the topic has proven a rich one for the crew’s writers.
“All comedy is about conflict, and all relationships have tension,” he said. “So it makes it really easy to write pieces for Valentine’s Day.”
The church is also expected to release a new product on Sunday. For those who want to get a different kind of buzz, Church of Great Rain will sell not only Fupp’s Beer but also a special Church House Blend roasted by the Vashon Island Coffee Roasterie. One, Hoyt said, is called Heavenly High, a French Roast; the other is called Transcendental Decaf.
Shows — with audiences close to 600-people strong — have been selling out, Hoyt says. So advance tickets — $10 apiece — are suggested. Get them at the Vashon Bookshop or brownpapertickets.com.
Sample wine and listen to acoustic guitar at Luna
Ron Irvine will offer four romantic wines for $12 at February’s “Second Friday” wine tasting, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday at Café Luna. Slated for serving is a sparkling wine, a crisp, dry white wine, a full red wine and what Irvine calls “a lush dessert wine.”
The Valentine’s Day-themed tasting will be accompanied by the sounds of finger-style solo guitarist and composer Damon Buxton. Buxton works in the style of Windham Hill artists, and his 2007 recording “Forgiving Dreams” was produced by Will Ackerman, the Grammy-award-winning founder of Windham Hill Records.
