Arts & Culture
(Photo by Brainerd James)Two Ditmas Park musicians have invited a Grammy-nominated violinist to join them in a free concert at Qathra Cafe at 5pm on Sunday, July 10. Saxophonist Roy Nathanson [http://roynathanson.net/] and singer/bassist Tim Kiah [http://timkiah.com/] perform together regularly in Sotto Voce [https:
Arts & Culture
Neighbor Harriet Semegram has surprisingly deep and diverse roots in the Ditmas Park arts scene. More than 50 years ago, she compiled a visual history of Eastern European Jewish life that became the visual inspiration for Fiddler on the Roof. But before this groundbreaking project, Semegram had never made a
Arts & Culture
(Students Angelina, Maria, Alexis, Melanie, and Jayson prepare for the spring recital. Teacher Judy Brandwein and Ahyaan)The first spring recital of P.S. 217’s Afro Latin Jazz Alliance’s Academy of Music (ALJAM) ended on a high note. But perhaps the most impressive part of that May 31
Arts & Culture
Bennett Paster at the piano. (Photo: Scott Friedlander)You might think that for a small recording studio located in the basement of a house in Kensington, the presence of a Steinway grand piano would be the most extraordinary factor in the business’ success. But for Benny’s Wash N Dry
Arts & Culture
Photo: Brainerd JamesSeven months after quietly taking over at Qathra [https://www.facebook.com/Qathra], new owner Brainerd James is ready to make some noise. This Friday (5/13), the café on Cortelyou Road will host the second in what James hopes will become a regular series of live musical
Arts & Culture
(Photo: Bourbon Sprawl)Bourbon Sprawl [http://bourbonsprawl.net/] will bring a little bit of Brooklyn to the Bakersfield sound when the local band pays tribute this week to country-music legend Merle Haggard, who passed away April 6. In the mid-60s, Haggard was one of the pioneers of the Bakersfield sound,
Arts & Culture
Saxophonist Roy Nathonson. (Photo courtesy of Charna Meyers)The first place saxophonist and Ditmas Park native Roy Nathanson heard the song “Nearness of You” was at the house on East 19th Street his father bought in 1957 for $5,000. “Nearness of You,” written by Hoagy Carmichael in 1938, became
Arts & Culture
Photo: Scott Teplin / teplin.com.The path from Lascivious Biddy to PTA Mom is not immediately apparent, but Deidre Rodman Struck connects the dots with far fewer than six degrees of separation, ending up at the Second Annual Music Festival to benefit PS 130 [https://www.facebook.com/Ps130Pta/photos/
Arts & Culture
Dion. (Photo: the artist)Dion plays the Kings Theater on Saturday [http://www.kingstheatre.com/shows/dion-with-special-guest-ronnie-spector] on the heels of his umpteenth album, which was released in February. He’s had more than a dozen Top 40 singles since he started performing with Dion and the Belmonts in 1958,
Arts & Culture
The fabulous Kings Theatre. (Photo: Ditmas Park Corner)Not every artist from the 60s and 70s painted themselves into a corner as deftly as Pete Townsend, who wrote “Hope I die before I get old” and then had to figure out what to do when he didn’t. But plenty
Business
The Red Mist Lounge on Coney Island Avenue, near Beverley Road. (Photo: Red Mist Lounge)A centuries-old tradition — brought to our area by South Asian immigrants — is attracting attention from curious residents…and lawmakers. As it approaches its fifth anniversary, the Red Mist Lounge [http://redmisthookah.com/] enjoys a monopoly
Arts & Culture
The Condescending Liberals. (Photo: Shirley N. Lew)Sachin Shenolikar [http://www.sachinshenolikar.com/], guitarist for the Brooklyn-based Condescending Liberals, admits that the band’s name is tongue-in-cheek. “It comes from an incident at a dinner party the day after the 2008 vice presidential debate,” he told Emily Tan of the