One of the many famed phrases used by vocalist James Brown (1933-2006), the “Godfather of Soul,” was “give the drummer some.” It served as an instruction to the remainder of his ensemble to lay back and allow one of his great drummers, notably Clyde Stubblefield or John “Jabo” Starks, to solo unaccompanied or over a band vamp. Chris Peet, of the gifted area blues … [Read more...]
PB Opera tops itself with stellar ‘Figaro,’ jewel of the season
By Márcio Bezerra Palm Beach Opera closed its 2025 season with a outstanding production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro. Even by the higher standards set by the company since the pandemic, this one was exceptional, and for many reasons. First produced in 1786, The Marriage of Figaro, as it is known in English, is not only a masterwork in the operatic … [Read more...]
Lorenzo Da Ponte, Mozart’s all-American librettist
Editor’s note: In tandem with the Palm Beach Opera production of The Marriage of Figaro, here is an interesting history of Mozart’s librettist and his connections to the United States. By Rex Hearn Mozart’s librettist, Lorenzo Da Ponte, became an American citizen at age 79. He and Mozart worked together on three operas — The Marriage of Figaro (1786), Don Giovanni (1787) … [Read more...]
The Little Sparrow returns: Singer recreates the art of Edith Piaf
The evocative and haunting melodies of French singer Edith Piaf, known as the “little sparrow,” are brought to life by French chanteuse Annie Royer in her new cabaret show, Piaf! The Tribute, premiering at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday, April 8. Royer, who calls herself a “French cabaret chanteuse with a twist of jazz,” revisits Piaf’s musical career, … [Read more...]
Stuart’s Called brings Christian message to power pop
“Christian rock” is a relatively vague 20th-century description that crept into music ranging from pop stars (Irish group U2) to hard rockers (Missouri-launched trio King’s X) to metallic acts (California band Stryper), all of which rose to prominence between the late 1970s and early 1980s. Times have clearly changed. The current, rechristened Contemporary Christian … [Read more...]
South Florida Symphony, chorus deliver poignant Mozart Requiem
By Robert Croan Contrary to legend, and to Peter Shaffer’s iconic play Amadeus (along with the movie that followed), Italian composer Antonio Salieri did not murder Mozart — nor did he attempt to steal or to take credit for the composition of Mozart’s final, uncompleted Requiem (K. 622). The work was in fact commissioned by a wealthy nobleman, a Count Franz von Walsegg, … [Read more...]
London Symphony, violinist Jansen spectacular in Bernstein, Mahler
By Márcio Bezerra This writer had not had to park on the top floor of the garage of the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts for at least the past 10 years! After the big dip in attendance for classical music after the pandemic, it looks as audiences have come back to levels even higher than before the great recession. Thus, one should not feel annoyed, but rather … [Read more...]
Master of the vibraphone steeped in instrument’s history
Vibraphone. The mention of the instrument conjures up historic jazz figures from Lionel Hampton, Milt Jackson and Terry Gibbs to Cal Tjader, Bobby Hutcherson and Gary Burton. And as the latest recording by Baltimore native Warren Wolf (www.warrenwolf.com) proves, this younger vibraphonist is as steeped in the instrument’s history and tradition as he is in its technique and … [Read more...]
Cellist Drachman superb in Brahms, Beethoven at FilAm
By Robert Croan An excellent series that has garnered too little attention is FilAm Music Foundation’s Chamber Music@ Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, at The Community Church on Bougainvillea Drive. The most recent event, on Feb. 22, was a superb recital by cellist Evan Drachman and pianist Victor Santiago Asunción, who is also FilAm’s founder and director. Drachman happens to be … [Read more...]
‘Traviata’ again proves a winner for Palm Beach Opera
By Márcio Bezerra It is always a special occasion when Palm Beach Opera stages the work that it started it all: Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata. Since the company’s initial season in 1961, Verdi’s masterpiece has received a variety of treatments, from traditional to modernistic (anyone remember the mirrored stage?) with varied degrees of success. In its latest production, … [Read more...]