The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Concerts, events on tap
MIDDLETOWN — The Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts Center, 605 Main St., has scheduled a number of performances and events.
Concerts require tickets and reservations are encouraged.
Visit www.buttonwood.org or call 860-347-4957.
Friday: The Lost Tribe, 8 p.m., $10. The Lost Tribe is an afrofunk fusion band led by Jocelyn Pleasant.The band performs its own interpretation of traditional West African music and rhythms. Led by percussionist Jocelyn Pleasant and also featuring: Seny Camara, Grey Freeman, Matt Belliveau, Richard McGhee, Karim Rome, Joel Hewitt and Nathan Davis.
Saturday: Blues Jazz Soul Unit, 8 p.m., $15. Trumpeter and vocalist Ricky Alfonso has a style steeped in swing, blues and modern jazz. With a trumpet voice reminiscent of Miles, Freddie Hubbard and Lee Morgan, he has long since developed a very personal musicality on the trumpet and vocals. His current group, the Blue Soul Jazz Uni,t performs modern jazz standards and original compositions as he carries on the tradition of high quality swing and modern jazz improvisation. Always looking forward to future performing and recording projects, Alfonso can be found performing in many of New England’s best jazz venues.
The band also includes Chris Casey on piano, Steve Bulmer on bass and Tido Holtkamp on drums.
Dec. 8: Vision Board Workshop with Flo, 1-3 p.m. $15 all supplies. Reservations are suggested. No prior experience or artistic ability required, just a desire to get clear about what you really want in your life. Everything will be provided for you to make your unique creation, but if you have any special images or pictures that are personal, we highly recommend you bring them. Best of all, you get to take your Vision Board home with you and keep the dream alive all year. Flo Bartosiak is a collage artist who had a “Mystical Collage” show at the Buttonwood Tree last winter.
Dec. 8: The Tri Continential Trio, 8 p.m., $15. The Tri Continental Trio plays a mixture of Jazz from Argentina, Spain, and the USA. They are coming soon to Buttonwood Tree, ready to jam on a different flavor of jazz. The band features Guillermo Gregorio on the clarinet, hailing from and representing the unique sound of Argentina; Roman Lopez on drums, whose style is rooted in his home country of Spain; Joe Fonda on bass, representing American-styled jazz.