Went with a friend last night to the second floor of the Hilton Hotel on 6th Avenue where every 20 minutes another music or dance performance was taking place. The venue was the APAP [Association of Performing Arts Presenters] Showcase 2012. What a wonder! Of course we saw the Dana Leong Trio: electric cello, guitar, turntablist. It was ‘hands down excellent’ to quote the new york magazine. Before and after we saw: The Doo-Wah Riders– 4 guys of a certain age in stylin’ coats and hats + a youngster on percussion all of whom could also play and sing. Minas Brazilian Adventure – very SA; Genticorum- 3 men from Montreal who played traditional Quebecois music which was captivating. The Second City Touring Company – crazy funny and left us wanting more. The Francois Bourassa Quartet – Canadian jazz ensemble, the perfect cap to our evening. Had we gone earlier in the day, on the docket was: The Harlem Gospel Choir, The Hunts, to name but two of many others. During this programming the free invitation provided an audience to play to which is far better than empty chairs. In addition to this we were given CD’s of the music and DVD’s of the live performances. How many evenings can you have in the City, where not only do you attend for free, but you take home what you saw and heard. All do to a chance meeting and my ogling a shawl.
Go to sharmusic.com to have a look at an electric cello. Might not be what you expected.