The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
A look at music highlights
With the New Year upon us, this is the perfect time to reflect on the past year’s highlights and look ahead at what we can expect and hope for in 2019.
A selection of performers and music personalities featured in this column over the past year were asked just that. Here’s what they had to say:
Norwalk’s Riki Stevens was featured in a May column, prior to headlining “The Winners Show” of the CT’s Got Talent competition at the Wall Street Theater.
“My musical highlight of 2018 would have to be winning CT’s Got Talent,” said the singer-songwriter. “It has opened up so many opportunities for me and introduced me to some wonderful people who are helping me achieve my dreams.
“My goal for 2019 is to finish recording my first album. I’ve also started auditioning, and I’m looking forward to more performing and traveling.”
Dave Lindsay, another Norwalk resident, was featured in April when one of the many bands he drums in, The Straightjackets, played a benefit for pancreatic cancer awareness at Calf Pasture Beach.
In August, he also talked about the open mic jams he organizes and plays drums for at Norwalk’s Freese Park.
“It’s hard to pin down just one musical highlight for 2018, but if I have to pick one it would have to be The Straightjackets’ gig at the Levitt Pavilion in July. It was a perfect summer night, and the packed crowd on the lawn was fantastic.
“For 2019, I’m looking forward to playing more large venues. My next big stage will be with The Straightjackets at the Ridgefield Playhouse, opening up for Tommy James and the Shondells on April 13th. That should be a fun one.”
Wilton’s Chris Brubeck, an awardwinning composer, trombonist, bassist and son of late music icon Dave Brubeck, is often featured in this column.
“My biggest thrill for 2108 was the release, heavy airplay and good reviews for ‘TimeLine,’ the latest recording by the Brubeck Brothers Quartet,” he said.
“It was also rewarding to hear the premiere, with the Classical Tahoe Orchestra in August, of ‘Pas de Deux,’ a three-movement concerto I composed for violin, cello and orchestra.
I’m looking forward to performances of my current orchestral project, the creation of ‘The Time Out Suite,’ which will honor my father’s landmark recording ‘Time Out.’ 2019 is the 60th anniversary of its release.”
In March, singer-songwriter Will Baird, a longtime Norwalk resident, talked about his songwriting craft. His highlight?
“In early August, I played my first outdoor nighttime music festival,” he said. “As part of a song intro, I got the audience of over 200 people to howl like coyotes, and it was both eerie and hilarious.
“After the performance, two police officers were waiting backstage for me. They politely suggested that howling at night in a rural area populated with coyotes might not be prudent. Not sure if I’ll be back next year. “In 2019, I do want to keep connecting with more audiences, to keep creating moments of awe, to keep creating music that lets audiences forget their outside world.”
Carleigh Welsh, whose Levitt Pavilion concert series and Mellissa Etheridge benefit performance were featured in August, had this to say:
“For a musical highlight, I can’t pick just one,” said Welsh, the Levitt’s director of development and marketing. “Our free programming was more diverse and amazing than ever. It was a magical summer.
“In 2019, our goal is finding new sounds and sharing them, making sure our commitment to diversity and representation is more robust than ever, and giving our audience as many on-ramps to adventure as possible.”
Finally, Janet Crystal, marketing communications manager for the Wilton Library, whose many jazz and classical programs were featured throughout the year, added these comments:
“The Brubeck Brothers Quartet performance this past December was a thrill. If we’re fortunate to have them play in 2019, it is something that people will want to put on their calendars.
“February brings in the Allen Broadbent Trio, including Harvie S on bass and Billy Mintz on drums, and we always have fun at our Summer Music and More Concert Series. Our goal at Wilton Library is to connect people with world-class musicians.”
As for my own highlight for 2018 — too many to mention here. And looking ahead to the new year? For me, the best part of 2019 will be its unpredictability, but knowing it’s going to be another great musical year.