When lights are low, bands get ready to show

College’s ‘twilight’ concerts get under way

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

The diverse program, offering folk music to Latin jazz, boogie piano to Dixieland, not only celebrates the community’s diversity, this year three of the bands will hold pre-show workshops to introduce the history and instruments used in their respective acts.

‘‘There is an educational aspect ... introducing people to new music,” said Nkeshi Free-King, CSM’s community relations coordinator.

The series was introduced in 2007 by CSM President Bradley Gottfried. Coming to Southern Maryland from New Jersey, Gottfried said similar concerts were held at Sussex County Community College in northwest New Jersey where Gottfried was once the school’s president.

After speaking with representatives from area arts groups, Gottfried learned that such a series would be welcomed in the area.

Organizers look for a mix of sounds when developing a roster.

‘‘The Twilight Performance Series is for everyone,” Free-King said. ‘‘We do serve a diverse community. That’s the beauty of CSM.”

Deanna Bogart, a Maryland-based blues and boogie pianist and saxophonist, kicked off the concert series Tuesday evening on the Leonardtown campus. A veteran of the 2007 series, Bogart performs tonight at the La Plata campus and Wednesday at Prince Frederick’s.

Folkies will want to mark their calendars for June 24 to 26 when Simple Gifts, a trio of women — Linda Littleton, Karen Hirshon and Rachel Hall — perform a mix of sounds that includes Romanian, klezmer, Greek, Irish, Bulgarian, Scottish, Appalachian, Swedish and other influences. The group will hold a pre-show workshop starting at 5:30 p.m. before each performance to introduce children to some of the instruments the group uses in a show. Then, during the concert, the children will be called on stage to join the group for a number.

Next up from July 15 to 17, the Tarnished Six Dixieland Band, or T6, will take the stage with their tubas, trombones, trumpets, saxes, banjos and percussion to perform ‘‘good time” Dixieland tunes.

The sizzling sounds of Salsamba Latin Jazz will stir things up July 22 to 24 when the quintet plays its blend of the traditions of American jazz with the ‘‘spicy rhythms” of Cuba, Brazil, and the Caribbean. Salsamba will hold a pre-show workshop at 6 p.m. to introduce different instruments and discuss the history of Latin jazz.

From July 29 to 31, the five-piece rock band the Barnstormers will close the concert series with its mix of rock, R&B standards and original songs. Among the band’s influences are the Eagles, Stevie Wonder, Jimi Hendrix and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Influences might be the topic of conversation during the band’s pre-show workshop beginning at 6 p.m.

The workshops are funded through a partial grant from Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour.

In addition to the concert series, the La Plata campus of CSM will host Chautauqua from July 7 to 10. This year’s ‘‘Civil Rights: Taking a Stand” theme features performances by historians and performers portraying civil rights pioneers Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Rosa Parks and the late Alabama governor and staunch segregationist George Wallace. The Chautauqua program is funded by the Maryland Humanities Council.

The free, outdoor concerts are family-friendly and are made possible by sponsors like the Calvert County Arts Council, the Charles County Arts Alliance and the St. Mary’s Art Council. Additional sponsors include Comcast Cable, the CSM Foundation, Raley, Watts & O’Neil, Computer Sciences Corp., M&T Bank, Bayside Toyota, Community Bank of Tri-County, W.M. Davis Inc. General Contractors, Charles County Economic Development Department, St. Mary’s Hospital and McDonald & Eady Printers Inc.

The Leonardtown campus is at 22950 Hollywood Road; the La Plata campus is at 8730 Mitchell Road; and the Prince Frederick campus is at 115 J.W. Williams Road.

For more information, go to www.csmd.edu⁄FineArts or call 301-934-2251.