Friday, February 2, 2018

Red Poppy Art House: March, 2018

Given the “incremental” approach that this site took to keeping the schedules for both the first half and second half of this month at the Red Poppy Art House up to date, I have decided that it will be simpler to create a single Web page for the month of March and then announce all subsequent updates on my “shadow” Facebook site. That way those making their Poppy plans for March will not have to consult more than one Web page. The Red Poppy is located in the Mission at 2698 Folsom Street on the southwest corner of 23rd Street. Tickets are now being sold in advance online through Eventbrite. As a result, the dates provided below will be hyperlinked to the Eventbrite event pages for purchasing tickets.

Given the demand for these concerts, it is likely that only a limited number of tickets will be available at the door. Remember, the Poppy is a small space. Even those who have purchased their tickets in advance should probably make it a point to be there when the doors open one half-hour before the performance is scheduled to begin. Here are the specifics for those events that have been posted thus far:

Thursday, March 1, 7:30 p.m.: This is the Dreamy Nighttime Music & Visuals concert, which was described on this site somewhat over a week ago.

Friday, March 2, 7:30 p.m.: This will be a duo performance by Gary Haggerty and Faisal Zedan entitled Classic & Contemporary Melodies from the Eastern World. Almost all of the instruments will be from that “Eastern world.” Haggerty plays oud, saz (the Persian variant of the lute-like Turkish bağlama), the European mandocello, and the tarhu. (This last is a relatively new instrument invented in Australia about a quarter-century ago. It is another variation on the lute, which combines the influences of the Chinese erhu and the Turkish yaylı tambur, both of which are bowed.) Zedan plays a variety of different hand drums, including the so-called “goblet” drum, the Arabic riq, and frame drums of different sizes. Admission will be on a sliding scale between $20 and $25.

Saturday, March 3, 7:30 p.m.: The title of the evening will be Cinematic Folk Cabaret, and it will present two sets by groups that assimilate folk styles into more contemporary settings. Brother Spellbinder features three vocalists, each of whom is also an instrumentalist. Alzara Getz plays both ukulele and harmonica, Jaime Wilson plays guitar, and Helena Tietze plays cello. They are joined by violinist Zoe Atlas and a rhythm section of Sean Griffin on electric guitar and Steve La Porta on drums. Wolf & Crow is a quartet with two vocalists, both of whom accompany themselves on guitar, Mathieu Stemmelen and Zachary Vieira. Rhythm is provided by Oscar Westesson on bass and Shawn Lozan on drums. Admission will be on a sliding scale between $15 and $20.

[added 2/11, 9:25 a.m.: The program originally scheduled for March 4 has been moved to March 23.]

Thursday, March 8, 7:30 p.m.: This will be an acoustic guitar performance by Justin Ancheta. The title of his program will be Folklyrico Americana; and he describes his style as “Latin reggae flamenco.” He also accompanies his own singing. He will be joined by Garcia Scammon on saxophone and percussionist Jesse Weber playing the boxlike cajón and conga drums. Admission will be on a sliding scale between $15 and $20.

[added 2/5, 9:20 a.m.:

Friday, March 9, 7:30 p.m.: Brian Andres and the Afro-Cuban Jazz Cartel will present their own arrangements of compositions by well-known jazz drummers and Latin percussionists, as well as original music. Andres will lead from his drum kit, joined by Javier Cabanilas on conga drums. Steffen Kuehn's trumpet will take the front line, and the rest of the rhythm will be provided by Christian Tumalan on piano and Aaron Germain on bass. Admission will be on a sliding scale between $15 and $20.

[added 2/25, 9:20 a.m.:

Saturday, March 10, 6:45 p.m. and 8 p.m.: Sounds Inside will be a full-length site-specific dance and sound score created explicitly to be performed at the Poppy. It is a product of a mini-residency that brought the musicians of WaterSaw together with dancers Sonsherée Giles and Megan Lowe. Giles is the choreographer, while Lowe is a more eclectic performance artist. Sounds Inside will be preceded by solo cellist-singer-songwriter Erica Mulkey, who performs as Unwoman. As can be seen in the hyperlink, this show will be given two separate performances; but tickets for both performances may be purchased from the same Eventbrite event page. Tickets will be $25 at the door but $20 if purchased in advance.]

Sunday, March 11, 7:30 p.m.: Vocalist Stephanie Bruce will present a program entitled True Stories: Original Notes & Letters. These will be her own original songs, but her influences range from Claude Debussy to Bob Dylan. Germain will return on bass for her rhythm section, which will also include John R Burr on piano and Kendrick Freeman on drums. Admission will be on a sliding scale between $20 and $25.]

[added 2/16, 3:50 p.m.:

Thursday, March 15, 7:30 p.m.: The Luminance Ensemble is a musical group based here in San Francisco. It is a trio organized around Amelia Romano playing an electric level harp. She is joined by Matt Ebisuzaki playing a C rotary-valve trumpet. (The only place that I see rotary-valve trumpets consistently in on my visits to the San Francisco Symphony in Davies Symphony Hall.) Rhythm is provided by Tim Renner on bass. The repertoire is about as eclectic as one is like to encounter. Romano's harp work includes South American styles, while Ebisuzaki does not conceal the symphonic domain of his instrument. Expect anything along the spectrum that includes post-bebop, minimalism, and nostalgia for the soundtracks of the old Spaghetti Western flicks. Admission will be on a sliding scale between $20 and $25.]


[added 2/11, 9:20 a.m.:

Friday, March 16, 7:30 p.m.: Renegade Duo was formed last year by two students at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, guitarist Jon Mendle and mezzo Melinda Becker. They will bring to the Poppy an eclectic 21st-century salon program entitled Historically (In)appropriate. The scope of the selections will reach back to the Renaissance with Becker singing John Dowland with Mendle accompanying her on lute. Mendle will also use a historically-appropriate instrument to play compositions by two little-known nineteenth-century composers Salvador Castro de Gistau and Karl Eulenstein. Contemporary composers will include Dušan Bogdanović and Gary Eister. There will also be a selection of jazz standards arranged for voice and banjo. Tickets will be $20, contingent on online sales.

Saturday, March 17, 7:30 p.m.: Cosa Nostra Strings is a spinoff from (as might be guessed) the Jazz Mafia. As might be guessed from the name, the group distinguishes itself with a string trio consisting of Shaina Evoniuk on violin, Keith Lawrence on viola, and Lewis Patzner on cello. Adam Theis doubles on trombone and bass, and percussion is provided by Aaron Kierbel. Much of the repertoire is original, but they also play covers of familiar works. Admission will be on a sliding scale between $15 and $20.

Sunday, March 18, 7:30 p.m.: Guitarist Karl Evangelista will bring his own characteristic Filipino-American approach to the avant-garde to the Poppy. He will be joined by keyboardist Rei Scampavia and other players to be announced at a later time. Admission will be on a sliding scale between $15 and $20.

Thursday, March 22, 7:30 p.m.: HERMANO is a duo that brings together wind player Dillon Baiocchi (saxophones, clarinet, and flute) with M Michailidis on electronically-enhanced guitar. The title of their program will be Improvised Soundscapes & Ambient Music, which pretty much says it all. Admission will be on a sliding scale between $15 and $20.]

[moved 2/11, 9:25 a.m.: This program was originally scheduled for March 4.

Friday, March 23, 7 p.m.: The Arpege Band will present a program of Persian contemporary classical music. The group has a “resident composer,” Amaan Mehrabian, who also plays santur, the Persian version of the hammered dulcimer. The vocalist is Amirhossien Kiani; and the instrumentalists are Farhad Fathieh on the bowed kamancheh, Siavash Bakhtiary on bass, and Sina Dehghan on a variety of Persian percussion instruments. Admission will be on a sliding scale between $20 and $25.]

[added 2/25, 9:30 a.m.:

Saturday, March 24, 7:30 p.m.: Saxophonist and composer James Brandon Lewis will share the program with the Android Trio, whose members are Eric Klerks on bass, Max Kutner on guitar, and Andy Niven on drums. Lewis and Android will present their latest albums, No Filter and Road Songs, respectively. They will be followed by special guest Kevin Robinson, who will perform with his KREation ensemble. Admission will be on a sliding scale between $15 and $20.

Sunday, March 25, 2 p.m.: This will be the next installment of the free Monthly Community Rumba, with music provided by Rumberos de Radio Habana. While this is a free event, donations are warmly accepted. All donated money goes to the performing musicians, and a recommended amount is between $5 and $10.]

[added 2/26, 7:20 a.m.:

Thursday, March 29, 7:30 p.m.: The main event of the evening will be chamber music that combines elements of jazz, classical, and folk music in a highly personal and organic way. The performance will be by the Portrait Maker ensemble, formed by Roger Kim, who plays both guitar and banjo. The other instrumentalists are Ryan Pate on guitar, Debbie Gold on flute, Jason Gillenwater on clarinet, and Kyle Beard on bass clarinet. The group also has two vocalists, Marica Petrey and Andrea Wang. They will also take the opening set, performing as the duo Girl Swallows Nightingale, in which Wang also plays piano. Admission will be on a sliding scale between $15 and $20.

Friday, March 30, 7:30 p.m.: The Levoná Ensemble is a quintet that combines flamenco, Arab, Jewish, and other musical traditions and weaves them together with stories, both ancient and new. It features two percussionists Josh Mellinger and Faisasl Zedan, the latter also providing vocal work. The other vocalist Asaf Ophir, when he is not playing a variety of different woodwind instruments. David McLean performs on flamenco guitar, and Patrick Kelly plays bass. Admission will be on a sliding scale between $15 and $20.

Saturday, March 31, 7:30 p.m.: The month will conclude with the Tango BC Quartet presenting a program entitled Tango from Buenos Aires. The members of the group are Mariano Barreiro on piano, Santiago Cursach on guitar, Charles Gorczynski on bandoneon, and Hector Pineda on bass. Admission will be on a sliding scale between $15 and $20.]

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