DANCE - FINE ARTS - MUSIC - THEATER - WRITING

ARTBITS by Richard B. Harper


VOLUME 18 * * All Arts News On the Web * * February 20, 2014

STUFF YOU SHOULDN'T MISS

      ArtBits always features a calendar of the goings on of Franklin County artists. Check out these events around Franklin County. Each issue includes the entire text of our weekly newspaper column.


     Franklin County's arts and music gatherings bring new opportunities, gossip, "show-and-tell" and occasional workshops. There are also booked and acoustic Open Mic Nights that feature music, readings, and more from the best new artists in Vermont.

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SUPERCHARGED RELEASE

      Twiggs hosts the CD release party for Supercharged!, Carol Ann Jones' third new album of pedal-to-the metal, original Americana music on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
      The Georgia singer, songwriter, and recording artist is also a dairy farmer and an accountant who write songs about her own experiences. And she is a Summer Sounds favorite who performs rock, country, pop, jazz and blues, as a solo, duo or with her full band, The Superchargers.
      "The performers on the CD are the band you hear live," she said. "Andre [Maquera of West Street Digital] did a wonderful job" mixing and producing the album. Mr. Maquera, electric guitars; Will Patton, electric mandolin, mandolin, bass, steel guitar and dobro; Gary Spaulding, percussion; and Thom Carvey, bass and saxophone, form the Superchargers with help on this album from special guests Jon Sochin, Shila Boomhower, and six BFA students who sing as the chorus on She's So Seventeen.
      It's a bright, exciting album. "The first 11 songs are upbeat," she said.
      You're Gonna Fly (Cindy 's Song) she wrote for a friend who died of cancer. That track features Jon Sochin. She also included Can't Let Go, because they close shows with that song. There are also two bonus tracks. She wrote Yellow Field for a family member. Hummingbird Song came straight from the St Albans Health and Rehab where she sings every day. The music helps the residents tap into memories they couldn't otherwise find.
      Franklin County native Ellen Ross photographed the album cover. "The photo shoot was fun to watch," Ms. Jones said. They had painted the Cranberry for Jay Craven's movie Northern Borders. "It got left in the cuttting room but he did have the Model A in the movie."
      Her supercharged Cord has been featured in other releases so this time they used her 1953 Plymouth Cranbrook, a car designed to be practical and allow drivers to wear a hat. "We call it the Cranberry," she said.
      The show is on the big stage in the back of the restaurant. Dinner, snacks, deserts, and drinks will be available at the show.
      Admission is $10 or $20 with a CD. Call 802.524.1405 for a dinner reservation.
      Click here for additional copies of the CD.


ON STAGE LIVE

SHELDON--The Abbey holds a Karaoke singing competition every Thursday (except next week, February 27) at 10 p.m. Weekly winners pick up a cool $50 Abbey bucks and a shot at a $1,000 cash prize.
      Entry is free. Click here for more info.


SOUTH HERO--The Blue Paddle Bistro presents Carol Ann Jones in a solo show tonight at 6:30 p.m.
      The Blue Paddle has limited seating and a small bar so do call ahead (802.372.4814) to assure a seat.


FAIRFAX--The Country Pantry hosts Franklin County singer/songwriter Troy Millette solo and acoustic on Friday at 6:30 p.m.
      40+ degrees out. Call 849.0599 for more info.


FILM

FAIRFIELD--Kingdom County Productions presents the film, The Hungry Heart: The Prescription Drug Crisis in our Community, in the Fairfield Community Center this evening at 6:30 p.m. There will be a facilitated discussion with St. Albans Pediatrician Fred Holmes after the showing.
      The Hungry Heart: The Prescription Drug Crisis in our Community gives us Dr. Holmes' intimate look at world of prescription drug addiction and the connection he creates with each patient. Governor Peter Shumlin featured the film in his State of the State speech last month.
      Click here for more info about the film.


NATIONAL ENDOWMENT

     The White House has nominated Jane Chu to chair the National Endowment for the Arts.
      Dr. Chu is the current Chief Executive Officer of the Kauffman Center of Kansas City, Missouri. She is known to understand art at the community level and how the arts transform individuals as well as places.
      The NEA has been without a chair since Rocco Landesman left the post in 2012.


FRANKLIN COUNTY BOOKSHELF

ST. ALBANS--It's a busy Thursday today at the St. Albans Free Library.
      Mornings, Muffins & Mysteries Book Group meets at 10:30 a.m. to discuss Oscar Wilde and a Game Called Murder by Gyles Brandreth.
      The Writers' Medley begins at 2 p.m. to write and share work with peers. Each month a helpful prompt is provided.
      The Classic Movie Katherine Hepburn marathon continues this evening with Pat and Mike. The library shows a newsreel, cartoon, and trailer of coming attractions before each weekly movie. All films are shown on the 4' by 6' screen in the upstairs conference room "cinema." Admission is free, along with popcorn and a beverage.
      An Online Genealogy Workshop runs again on Saturday from 10 a.m. - 12 noon with a couple of volunteers to assist with the website familysearch.com.
      Call 802.524.1507 for details.


SWANTON--The Swanton Free Public Library February Book Club Selection is Deep Zone by James Tabor. That discussion will also be held this evening at 6 p.m.
      Call 802.868.5802 for more info.


CLICK HERE: ART SITE OF THE WEEK

     Fred X Brownstein of North Bennington sculpts contemporary figurative pieces in marble or bronze. He exhibits in New York City and New England and teaches in Arizona, Connecticut, and the Carving Studio in Vermont. His minimalist site is an online business card: an image and contact info. Perhaps he needs no more than that.


FRANKLIN COUNTY BOOKSHELF

      ArtBits features a quick weekly peek at the bookshelf or night stand of the folks you know in and around Franklin County. That popular feature has a page of its own at the Franklin County Bookshelf here on the AAC site.


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      This article was originally published in the St Albans Messenger and other traditional print media. It is Copyright © 2014 by Richard B. Harper. All rights reserved. Archival material is provided as-is. Links are not necessarily maintained (if a link in this article fails, try Google.com or your favorite search engine).
      Thanks to recent misuse of copyright material on the Internet by individuals and archival firms alike, we emphasize that your rights to this article are limited to viewing it and printing it for personal use only. You must receive explicit permission from the All Arts Council and the author before reprinting or redistributing this article in any medium.