This past Easter weekend I was at Killington, yes skiing! It was a bright sunny day and as Spring had arrived so had Spring skiing. On that Saturday it was 75 degrees, yes the snow was just like mashed potatoes but I was skiing and it was good, so good. The following day was much cooler (65 degrees) but it was still outstanding. As I packed up my skis at the end of the day, I lamented the end of ski season. Yes, it will be a long eight months before I can pack up again for parts north and enjoy this crazy sport which I love so much. Then, right on cue, the thought of warm weather and all that it brings came to mind.

As we all know, there are so many things to do over the next few months, trips to the beach, cookouts with friends and family, pool parties, lounging in the yard, soaking up the Sun and just being outside. That also means summer jazz concerts! It seems no matter where you are in Connecticut a concert will not be too far away for a picnic basket filled with your favorite goodies, a little nosh, a few beverages, you may also bring blanket, a few chairs, , and a few friends or maybe just one. That is a recipe for a great time! So what concerts should we attend? Well here are two.

Now of course there is the Litchfield Jazz Festival, the undisputed centerpiece of the Litchfield Performing Arts, which usually runs for three days in Kent, CT. Litchfield Performing Arts celebrates twenty-nine seasons this year. Over many years the festival has had many jazz giants James Moody, Dave Brubeck, Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter just to name a few. As always they will have a very nice line up of talent which, more than likely will include local talent and may feature performances by students. Well, after all it is held at the Kent School. Now if you are heading off in that direction you simply have to stop into this little gem called Belgique Pâtisserie & Chocolatier, they have some of the best treats you ever want to sink your teeth into. Not to mention, hello, chocolate!

There is also the Hot Steamed Jazz Festival right at the Essex Steam Train and that also runs for three days. This festival started in 1992 and their stated mission is “to bring for a full weekend, the best of Greater New England’s traditional jazz, swing and blues to Connecticut”. Not only do they host a great festival but proceeds from the festival benefit The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp founded by Paul Newman, a camp for children with cancer or serious blood diseases. If you are going and you haven’t packed you basket, fear not because Olive Oyl’s has got you covered. Right there in Essex they feature a great selection of salads, sandwiches, box lunches everything you need to fill you up while you feast on great music!

I know, skiing waits later this year but it’s warm weather season out there people! Cast off those winter clothes, put that rock salt in the way back of the garage, it’s time to get out and get your groove on!

As always, if you know of a place or function serving good food or fun let us know!

Litchfield Jazz Festival http://www.litchfieldjazzfest.com

Belgique Pâtisserie & Chocolatier 1 Bridge St., Kent, CT 860-927-3681

Hot Steamed Jazz Festival http://www.hotsteamedjazz.com/index.shtml

Olive Oyl’s 77 Main Street Essex, Ct. 06426 860-767-4909 http://www.oliveoylscarryout.com/contact.htm

With that in mind I thought about the history of this odd celebratory day and what is it we are celebrating? What can or perhaps should we do on this auspicious day as well? History, frivolity or a combination of any and all possibilities, could that be the combination. Let me say this before anything else, I am proud to say that when it comes to the practical joke side of this, I over shoot the mark or fall woefully short so as to lose any hope of actually hitting the mark, whatever that may be.

That being said I divert your attention to the history of this celebration. Believe it or not the origin of which is at best debatable. The first being references to April Fool’s Day, some suggest did not appear in any great numbers until the 1800’s. Yet many agree by that time the tradition was well established throughout northern Europe and was regarded as being of great antiquity. Still others suggest references to April Fool’s Day can be found as early as the 1500s. Again others argue that these references were uncommon and not very clear.

One of the more popular theories I’ve found stems from the change of the French Calendar during the 16^th century (yes I researched this). It goes a little something like this: France changed its calendar, moving the start of the year from the end of March to first of January. Now we know there are always those who are slow to accept change. Those poor souls had jokes played on them by, those more mainstream, placing paper fish on their backs. The victims of this prank were thus called Poisson d’Avril, or April Fish—which, to this day, remains the French term for April Fools—and so some say began the tradition.

The above theorem is complicated by well documented changes to the calendar. For instance

The Julian Calendar, established by Julius Caesar in 46 BC, made January 1 the first day of the year.

In 1563 King Charles IX decreed January 1 to be the first day of the year, thus aligning legal convention with what had become the popular practice.

Then there is the British Calendar Change in 1752. So while it may be unclear where it started many believe it started because of a change to someone’s calendar. See and you thought it was all tomfoolery!

Now if your into just the frivolity of the day then by all means don’t do what I do and point to someone’s shirt and when they look down simply flick their nose, so lame. There are a host of web sites with ideas on how to bait someone in to a trap on April Fool’s Day. Or try the Westport Arts Center. They start a new exhibition series based on the theme of storytelling, beginning with an exhibition of cartoon art, entitled “Divine Comedy: Drawings by R. Crumb & Roz Chast.” The show is on view from April 1-May 30, and will open with a public reception on Thursday, April 1, from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Prefer something a little more outdoorsy? Well the Literacy Volunteers Valley Shore, CT Inc., train volunteer tutors to teach basic reading and English as a second language primarily to adult residents of the Valley Shore area who cannot read, write or speak English. They are hosting the 3rd Annual April Fools’ 5K Run/Walk & Backwards Mile race. Now to I don’t want to make light of anyone willing to walk or run a race backwards but that’s got to be a sight!

So, there we have a little history, frivolity, and healthy activities for a good cause (aside from catching someone in your April Fool’s Trap) to help you enjoy this celebration that is seemingly without origin!

http://www.connecticutplus.com/cplus/information/news/Art/Divine-Comedy-opens-at-WAC-This-April-Fools-Day77837783.shtml

http://www.vsliteracy.org/race_2010.htm

Most people would agree jazz is popularly regarded as purely an American Art form in its origin. I should note that it is not the only contribution – let’s not forget Rock & Roll, R&B, Blues, and Country. However, we are speaking about jazz here, how to understand it and where to find it. Having said that it is also important to note the difference between jazz and the other aforementioned styles of music. To that end it is quite simple. Aside from the overall sound the major difference is improvisation, how the music is played not necessarily the written music itself. It is one thing that sets jazz apart from all other music though many other styles borrow the art of improvisation.

The act of improvisation is to take what was originally written and impart a personal touch keeping the original structure (chord structure for the most part) but playing different notes than originally scored. Within this improvisation is the connection with everyone else playing and or listening. Now within this “structure” exists rules if you will. Certainly the notes must be in agreement with the other components of the song (not to mention the audience and other players), that is to say it must be in tune. Moreover, it should follow, though one can what?, improvise, the same or similar beat so as not to lose anyone.

To understand jazz and improvisation (bearing in mind we can’t cover it all here) it is my suggestion to get something that is appealing to your ear and listen to it, in a general sense. Get a feel for the song, its rhythm, changes in music etc. Then listen to it several times and each time focus on something different. Another approach is to get out and hear it live in CT. There are many places to achieve this, we’ll name a few later on.

A few friends came with me a few weeks back (Valentine’s Day) where I sat in with the band (played with the band) according to them (a couple of them were new to jazz), it brought new understanding. That understanding (I like to think) was helped by selecting an apt (for the day) and recognizable song. I sat down to play a couple tunes but it was the first tune “My Funny Valentine” that lends itself best to what we are talking about here, understanding jazz. We started with an intro by the pianist then I picked up the melody and as we progressed a quite fell over the room. Prior to that the place was abuzz with conversation and clinking glasses but now you could almost hear a pin drop. I took a few liberties soloing around the melody before a singer came in to anchor the melody, words, emotion, and translate for those maybe unclear on the solo concept or song. The guitarist came in to echo what the singer was saying and when we returned to the singer I added a little contrast to his voice. When the song ended peoples stood cheering and clapping, it was a very nice experience. Returning to my friends I could see in their eyes an attraction of this music and the environment. So much so that they called me two weeks later as they were going back and wanted to know if I would come with them!

So if you inclined, grab a few songs that you find interesting and listen to them. You can find many variations of most songs by many artists and you may find a different version you like better. Then get out there and go see it live and don’t be afraid to make a request whilst there. As my friends said to me when we were leaving that evening, their impression of the place, people, and jazz had changed greatly after spending the afternoon there. I submit yours too may change after spending some time listening to and discussing with other fans of this great American art form you can find fresh right here in CT. Some places you may want to visit are below.

If you have ideas on places to see jazz or particular interests in jazz let us know.

Szechuan Tokyo. 1245 New Britain Avenue. Hartford, CT Tel: 860 561 0180 A Chinese Restaurant featuring Szechuan Home Food, Japanese Food, and Sushi Bar. Currently offering top notch jazz performances on Thursday evenings from 7:30 to 10:30, No Cover charge]

Firehouse 12. 45 Crown St. New Haven, CT Tel: 203-785-0468

The performance space at Firehouse 12 is the recording studio – and all performances happen in an acoustically balanced, soundproofed space with installed sound reinforcement and stage lighting systems.

The Red Door. 675 Main St. Tel: 860-945-6688 Watertown, CT

Every Wednesday at the Red Door means Jazz and Sushi. With some of the top New York players Sushi is served from 6 pm until it runs out, usually around midnight. Music starts at 9:00 and goes to Midnight.

Today we are going to talk about burgers! Yes, burgers, with or without cheese, broiled, grilled, stuffed however you like them. Why burgers? Recently, I played a gig in Tribeca, (lower Manhattan) NY. The Hors D’oeuvres served that evening included little mini burgers that were so tasty me and the boys in the band put on our best starving artist faces to keep the waiters bringing a fresh supply. Now you may be wondering why that is of any significance, I’ll tell you. The gig was in a very nice loft condo in, of all places, the old meat packing district! Since just about everyone loves a good burger I thought this could be interesting!

Okay before we bite into this endeavor it might be important to note that according to Theodora Fitzgibbon in her book The Food of the Western World – An Encyclopedia of food from North American and Europe: The Hamburg steak (chopped and seasoned meat some say is the predecessor of the modern day hamburger) originated on the German Hamburg-America line boats, which brought emigrants to America in the 1850s. There was at that time a famous Hamburg beef steak which was salted and sometimes slightly smoked, and therefore ideal for keeping on a long sea voyage. As it was hard, it was minced and sometimes stretched with soaked breadcrumbs and chopped onions. It was popular with the passengers, who continued to make Hamburg steaks with fresh meat when they settled in the U.S.

Now the question here is where can we find good burgers in CT and have some fun getting there? As for the fun part I thought keeping the activity vigorous so as to work up an appetite would serve us well. So, let’s start with somewhat of a new comer to this age old tradition of devouring burgers. They are Five Guys Famous Burgers located in Farmington, CT. Now before you jump in the car and run off remember the activities!

Maybe your interests involve an outside activity, check out The Farmington Valley Greenway for a list of outdoor fun activities. Or, if you prefer something a little more cultural, try the Hill-Stead Museum which features Art, History, Architecture, and Historic homes. So after some or all of that you know what you’re supposed to do…it’s time to reward yourself by grabbing one maybe even two of the Five Guys Burgers. According to the folks at Five Guys there are 250,000 ways to have one of their burgers, well here is one, straight no chaser!

Next up, let’s go to Colchester, CT. Yes, Colchester where you can sightsee, fish, bike, hike, go antique shopping do whatever to spend a wonderful day. Did you know that in colonial times a pond was created to provide water for a sawmill, where they turned chestnut, maple, and oak logs into lumber. By the 1870s horses were hauling wagons across a covered bridge over the nearby Salmon River. Today the beautiful area in Colchester is known as Day Pond State Park, and it offers lots of opportunity for exploring. Now once you have worked up that appetite you simply have to stop at Harry’s Place, a real roadside burger stand complete with wooden shutters, park benches, and good juicy two-fisted burgers.

Last and certainly not least, one of my favorite towns New Haven. Maybe you’ve heard of Sleeping Giant State Park? Sleeping Giant State Park (not in New Haven but close enough) gets its name because the two-mile rocky ridge in Hamden, Connecticut looks like a giant man lying on his back. Sleeping Giant State Park is 1,439 acres and offers over 30 miles of hiking trails. So, after a nice walk or hike (whichever you prefer) make your way to this little gem called Louis’ Lunch. It is a very inauspicious little building on Crown Street in New Haven. It serves one of the most barren yet tastiest burgers you could want. By the way, Louis’ Lunch claims the first hamburgers in U.S. history were served right there at Louis’ Lunch sandwich shop in 1895.

But, don’t take my word for it check out this link http://prod.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/es/ct/burger_1 its from the Library of congress.

So there we have it, a few places we can go and get our adventure on, so to speak, and have a great meal as a reward afterwards. If you know of a place serving great food or a fun or adventurous place worth visiting let me know.

Destinations:

Farmington, CT http://www.fvgreenway.org/ http://www.fiveguys.com/history.aspx

Hill-Stead Museum:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g33782-d106104-Reviews-Hill_Stead_Museum

Colchester, CT http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.aspx?trailid=XFA032-028

Harry’s Burgers http://roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=672

New Haven, CT

Sleeping Giant: http://www.outdoorplaces.com/Destination/stateparks/connecticut/sleeping_giant/

Louis’ Lunch http://www.louislunch.com/lore.html

Now I’m sure many of you already know of some of Connecticut’s more famous attractions and you may be familiar with fantastic 5-star restaurants and perhaps some without such distinguished ratings. But in this column we are going to chat about all kinds of neat spots that serve tasty food. Moreover, because sometimes you may not want to travel very far for a good meal, we’ll explore interesting places that may entice you to venture out and about, giving you good reason to visit a local eatery as a nice way to cap off the day.

So let’s talk travel and food in Connecticut! And let’s start with Norwalk. Yes, many of you may already know about the Maritime Center, which is a great place to… but you may not know about the wonderful eateries in and around the Norwalk area. You may aslo remember the Peabody Museum in Bridgeport but you may not know about the outstanding unassuming restaurant that sits right across the street. I’ll come back to specific names later.

Are you a breakfast-lover with a penchant for shopping? Check out the Danbury Mall. After—or before—your bargain hunting, stop into the Marcus Dairy Restaurant, this is just down the road a bit from the mall. Yes, Marcus Dairy, it has been a destination spot for motorcyclists and breakfast-lovers for years, but don’t worry, you don’t need to ride one to enjoy a good meal there. It’s just that on Sunday mornings many people come from all over to stop commiserate and have a delicious breakfast.

For those who live a little more north than south, how about Middletown? Did you know about the Wadsworth Mansion or how about the Center for Arts at Wesleyan University? “In 1900 Colonel Clarence S. Wadsworth began preparing plans for the site of his future country summer residence “Long Hill” in the rolling hills of western Middletown. Today, the Mansion sits on 100 acres of wooded parkland, and is the quintessential country estate reflective of the Gilded Age when the art of entertaining was perfected.” The Center for the Arts at Wesleyan University “serves as a cultural center for the campus, Middletown and the region by presenting a wide variety of events and exhibitions.”

Now since we’re on a breakfast kick, while you’re in Middletown, you must have a bite to eat at O’Rourke’s—otherwise known as the greatest little breakfast nook you’ll ever find. All their food is fabulous, much of it inspired by Louisiana-style flavors and their omelets are nothing short of sinful (but worth every extra calorie!).

So, there you have it, a couple places to check out on a weekend. Get up, leave the coffee and paper at home, strike out on an adventure for the day (or at least half a day), and go somewhere a little out of the ordinary. Add to that some outstanding food that is out of the ordinary and you’ve got a recipe for a great day.

Locations:

Dinner

Valencia Luncheria 172 Main Street, Norwalk, CT 06851 (203) 846.8009 www.valencialuncheria.com

Ralph ‘n’ Rich’s 815 Main Street Bridgeport CT, 06605 (203) 366-3597

www.ralphnrichsct.com

Breakfast

Marcus Dairy Restaurant 5 Sugar Hollow Rd Danbury, CT 06810 (203) 748-9427 www.marcusdairy.com

O’Rourke’s Diner 728 Main Street Middletown, CT 06457 (860) 346.6101

www.orourkesdiner.com

If you’d like to share some of your favorite travels and noshes, let us know.

You too can experience this unique phenomenon right in your back yard right here in Connecticut, where jazz has deep roots. Yes deep roots. Did you know that many well known artists like Dave Brubeck and Gerry Mulligan called Connecticut home? In fact, Connecticut was once well known as a hotbed of jazz musicians, and that vibe still reverberates through the state today. Yes, that is to say there are quite a number of places where you can (as a veteran or newbie) cozy up to the stage and see first hand, close up, at arm’s length the fresh creation of this true American Art Form. If you are a veteran you may want to catch some of the hot new artists from the Hart School of Music or other well known schools. Even if you are a newbie, have no fear — by the time you walk out you will find it hard to stop your foot from tapping or that song from repeating in your head, that is until you return for more freshly brewed jazz. Below a brief list of places where the music is live and always created new, just for you.

Opium Jazz Lounge: 2716 Fairfield Ave., Black Rock, CT, 331-9669 Friday and Saturday live jazz and blues

Cafe Nine: 250 Sstate Street, New Haven CT., 203-789-8281 Saturdays 4-7pm jazz jam

Tapas Bloomfield 852 Cottage Grove Rd, Bloomfield, CT 06002 Jazz Brunch Sundays : 11 a.m.