Westobou EVENTS :: Photos in Review

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings have come a long way since their humble beginnings nearly a decade ago. Steeped within the gilded and gritty sounds of gospel, soul and funk, this nine-piece collective has continued to electrify fans, disc jockeys, critics, record collectors, and bloggers the world-over with their authentic, heart-felt sound.

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings have truly become renowned thanks to their incredible live show, not to mention their relentless touring. And though it’s certainly no easy task to keep such a vast ensemble on the road, the band continues to pack hundreds of clubs worldwide, from legendary venues like New York’s Apollo Theater, Beacon Theater and Central Park’s SummerStage to their show-stopping sets at Coachella, Lollapalooza, Roskilde, Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits and WOMAD.

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The eldest child of country music legend Johnny Cash, Rosanne Cash’s music is equally influenced by rock, folk and the country music that is part of her famous DNA. Over the course of her career, she has charted 11 Number Ones on the Billboard Country Singles and Album charts. Her most recent album, The List (2009), inspired by a list her father gave her of 100 essential country tunes. It was nominated for the Best Americana Album Grammy in 2010. Cash is also a writer and her 2010 memoir Composed was a New York Times bestseller.

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Vocalist Lizz Wright delivers a sultry R&B performance that's divinely layered in gospel and jazz, and keenly similar to the work of Oleta Adams and Jill Scott. Wright was born in 1980 in the Georgia town of Hahira, and her musical tastes blossomed early on. Her father served as the pianist and musical director at the local church, and he encouraged his daughter to absorb the soulful dispositions of classic hymns. Eventually, blues and jazz were added to Wright’s musical plate, and by high school she was earning awards in countless choir competitions.

Her impressive singing style was captured on her 2003 debut Salt. Dreaming Wide Awake followed in June 2005 and her third album, The Orchard, was released in 2008. In 2010, she returned with Fellowship, featuring guest performances from bassist Me’Shell Ndegeocello and vocalist Angelique Kidjo.

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Branford Marsalis and Joey Calderazzo Duo: Join us for an inspired and intimate evening of duo performance from NEA Jazz Master, renowned Grammy Award-winning saxophonist and Tony Award nominee Brandford Marsalis and his Quartet's longtime pianist, Joey Calderazzo. While their paired evolution has been a brightness at the core of an adventurous band that itself has added light and heat to the music of its time, on their spectacular duo collaboration Songs of Mirth and Melancholy, Marsalis and Calderazzo reveal an ever deepening musical relationship and provide the listener with a glimpse into their musical journey. Please join us for this extraordinary experience.

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Founded in 2008, Quarteto Vivace’s uncommon composition – two guitars, flute and percussion – allows it the freedom to develop a repertoire that not only includes chamber pieces by Bizet and Saint-Saens, but also traditional sambas and choros, ragtime and Argentine tangos.

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Symphony Orchestra Augusta will present an evening of movie music by John Williams, the composer responsible for some of the most iconic film scores of the last 50 years. The performance will feature a 90-piece orchestra, 200 voice choir and more than a few heroic anthems.

The Social Canvas concerts have become a favorite among Augusta music fans. A study in automatic inspiration, they feature local visual artists creating new work to a soundtrack provided by a live band. Also featuring a public canvas and the Art Bar both nights.

Wednesday October 5
DJ Joycette 6pm
Shaun Piazza Band 7pm
art by Jay Jacobs
Night People 8pm
art by Ryan Davis
The Cubists 9pm
art by Blaine Prescott Tuesday October 4
DJ Joycette 6pm
Hope for Agoldensummer 7pm
art by Staci Swider
The Favors 8pm
art by Leonard "Porckhop" Zimmerman
Eat Lightning 9 pm
art by Jason Craig

A rising star in the Americana music scene, Langhorne Slim combines a folkie’s affection for traditional musical forms with rock attitude and delivery. He previous Augusta appearance was opening for Westobou alums the Avett Brothers at Bell Auditorium.

A professional ensemble dedicated to preserving and performing early music forms, the Cecilia Ensemble specializes in European Renaissance repertoire. Built on the belief that an appreciation of music’s history remains a contemporary concern, the group builds every concert around a variety of composers and styles.

Featuring the talented students of the Augusta State University music programs, this concert allows these young musicians an opportunity to perform and audiences the opportunity to engages with ASU’s fine art programs.

The Award-winning Savannah River Winds is a wind ensemble composed of more than 60 professional and semi-professional musicians. The group’s Westobou performance will provide a prismatic view of the selected music, with each section being offered an opportunity in the spotlight. The goal is not only to entertain but illuminate and educate, to offer a rare peek into the inner workings of a large wind ensemble.

Formed in 1994, this ensemble of conservatory-trained singers has become one of the world’s leading interpreters of traditional spirituals. The group has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, National Public Radio’s Performance Today and received critical acclaim for its debut recording Come Up Shouting.

The Davidson Chorale, under the direction of Dr. Timothy Powell, will follow up it’s Lincoln Center premier of Dr. Powell’s Incarnatio Mysteria with a performance of the piece at Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School. Joining the ensemble will be accomplished soprano soloist Dr. Tina Stallard, who will also join the Chorale at Lincoln Center. Featuring the Combined Choirs of Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School, Augusta State University Choirs, USC-Aiken Masterworks Chorale and the Columbia County Choral Society with the Davidson Chamber Orchestra.

Presented by the Morris Museum in conjunction with the Friends of Symphony Orchestra Augusta, the Petting Zoo exposes would-be musicians young and old to orchestral instruments and engages them with a variety of hands-on demonstrations and musical craft projects.

Putting significant music in intimate spaces has been a cornerstone of the Westobou Festival since the beginning. This year’s organ and chamber series offers a variety small ensembles and solo artists presenting spectacular music to appreciative crowds. See performance information below:
Monday October 3, 2011
Chamber - “Exotic Vocal Masterpieces” (including Ravel’s “Chansons Madécasses”) with Tonya Currier, soprano; Martin David Jones, piano; Robert Foster, flute; Ruth Berry, cello;
Organ - Christopher Jacobson
Tuesday October 4, 2011
Chamber - “French Modernism in Music and Art” (including works by Poulenc and Satie) with Martin David Jones and Clara Park, pianists
Organ - Matthew Manwarren
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Marya Orlowska-Fancey
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Chamber - “Across the Atlantic: Art Song from England and America” with Diane Haslam, mezzo soprano; Carol Cook, piano; Christine Crookall, cello;
Organ - Sarah Hawbecker