Alverno Presents offering another well-mixed series

By TOM STRINI
Journal Sentinel music critic

Posted: May 15, 2006

They could call it the Niche and Edge Series, but it remains Alverno Presents.

Alverno Presents

Maybe you can think of a seventh. Andrew Bird, who will be at Alverno April 21, has a CD that includes six rhymes for "formaldehyde."

Jazz pianist McCoy Tyner, who has almost 80 albums to his credit, will be the first individual act of the new Alverno Presents season on Oct. 7.

The long-running mixed series at Alverno College returns next year with another slate of attractions that often reach out to other cultures, are sometimes hard to classify and sometimes have political overtones.

• "Global Union," Sept. 16-17, free: Festival of world music and culture will run 1-7 p.m. at the Humboldt Park Band Shell, 3000 S. Howell Ave. A variety of artists will demonstrate the free-roving, mix-and-match trends of the World Music movement.

• McCoy Tyner Trio, 8 p.m. Oct. 7; single tickets $35. Tyner made his name as pianist for the John Coltrane Quartet; he's the pianist on Coltrane's legendary recording of "A Love Supreme." Tyner has led his own bands since 1965 and has recorded nearly 80 albums. www.mccoytyner.com

• David Grisman Quintet with Old School Freight Train, 8 p.m. Nov. 4, $35. For more than 40 years, mandolinist-composer Grisman has created his "dawg" music, a blend of swing, bluegrass, Latin, jazz, gypsy and other sources. www.dawgnet.com

• Jon Langford and the Wee Hairy Beasties, 11:30 a.m. Nov. 5, $10. A non-subscription, family-oriented event. Langford, a punk/alt-country guru, seems an unlikely "rock for kids" crossover. But here he is, with his new band. Word is that the Wee Hairy Beasties have sold out shows all around Chicago.

• Cyro Baptista/Beat the Donkey, 8 p.m. Nov. 17, $25. Brazilian percussionist Baptista came to the United States in 1980. His credits include Yo-Yo Ma's Brazil Project, Trey Anastasio's band (Phish), John Zorn's Electric Masada, Herbie Hancock's "Gershwin's World" and Sting and Paul Simon's "Rhythm of the Saints." Baptista promises a surprise finale made just for Milwaukee. www.cyrobaptista.com

• The Roches/Holidays with a Twist, 8 p.m. Dec. 2, $30. Maggie and Suzzy Roche, on the heels of their well-received "Zero Church" concert at Alverno, will return with brother David, "honorary brother" Marlon Cherry and sister Terre. www.roches.com

• Rodrigo y Gabriela, 8 p.m. Feb. 10, $25. Rodrigo y Gabriela, Mexican-born and Dublin-based, are known for their virtuosic acoustic guitar work. They have appeared with such diverse acts as Courtney Pine, the Buena Vista Social Club, Murray Lachan Young and Damien Rice. www.rodgab.com

• Billy Childs Jazz Chamber Ensemble, 8 p.m. Feb. 17, $30. In February, Childs won Grammy awards for best instrumental composition (for "Into The Light") and for best arrangement accompanying a vocalist (for Chris Botti and Sting). His lush compositions mix traditional jazz with a modern sensibility. www.billychilds.com

• Carla Kihlstedt/Imaginary Beings: A Song Cycle, 8 p.m. March 3, $25. Alverno Presents, with the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, and the National Performance Network, has commissioned Kihlstedt to compose a new work, "Imaginary Beings: A Song Cycle." Kihlstedt, a classically trained violinist, vocalist and composer, was a founding member of Tin Hat Trio, 2 Foot Yard and Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. For this world premiere, Kihlstedt will create a song cycle based on selections from Jorge Luis Borges "Imaginary Beings." www.kihlstedt.net

• Stephen Petronio Company, 8 p.m. March 17, 1 p.m. March 18, $35. Petronio's modern-dance company, based in New York, has performed in 22 countries. The centerpiece for these two Alverno Presents performances will be "Bloom," a new work with an original score by Rufus Wainwright. The Milwaukee Children's Choir will sing Wainwright's score live at these concerts. www.stephenpetronio.com

• David Neumann's Advanced Beginner Group, 8 p.m. April 14, $30. Neumann's work draws on his experience in both theater and dance. Neumann and his company will commence a two-year collaboration with Alverno Presents with "tough, the tough." The evening-length work embodies imaginary connections between mind and body, person and culture, exploring both individual and societal existential paradigms.

Neumann appropriates movement from the Three Stooges, the Marx Brothers, pedestrian tasks and martial arts. While in residence, Neumann will begin work on "Feedforward," which Alverno Presents will commission and present as part of the 2007-'08 season. www.advancedbeginnergroup.org

• Andrew Bird, 8 p.m., April 21, $25. Singer-songwriter Bird, on his approach to the violin: "(It) just happens to be the instrument I have on hand to make the sounds that I hear. I like to abuse it and pull as many sounds out of it as I can." In 2005, he recorded "The Mysterious Production of Eggs," the only CD ever to include a song that rhymes "formaldehyde" six different ways. More: www.andrewbird.net.

Tickets and subscriptions

All Alverno Presents performances will be held in Alverno's Pitman Theatre, 3431 S. 39th St. Single tickets range from $25 to $35. Full-season subscriptions yield 50% discounts off single-ticket prices. Packages of three to nine shows come with 20% discounts. Call the Alverno Presents box office, (414) 382-6044.

To order tickets, hear samples of the music and link to the acts' Web sites, go to alvernopresents.alverno.edu. The box office is open Monday through Friday from noon to 6 p.m., and on the day of the performance from 2 to 8 p.m.

Alverno Debates series

To celebrate the inauguration of Alverno College's new MBA program and the 30th anniversary of the Business and Management program, the Alverno Debates series, an adjunct of Alverno Presents, will focus on "Global Economies/Global Lives."

The goal of Alverno Debates is to provide the political, social and historical context of the Alverno Presents' performances. Experts from across the spectrum discuss ideas with opportunity for audience participation. Admission is free. All debates will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Wehr Hall, S. 41st St. and Morgan Ave.

Sept. 14: "Global Economies/Global Lives: Who Benefits?" (re: Global Union). A substantive investigation of what's happening to various sectors of the world economy as a result of globalization, e.g., small vs. big business, industrialized vs. developing economies, consumers vs. producers.

March 1: "Who are the Innovators?" (re: Carla Kihlstedt). Analysis of the various sectors of the world economy and their contributions to growth and development; role of small business, micro-credit, progressive corporations.

March 15: "What about the Children?" (re: Stephen Petronio Company). An examination of the role of government and the social responsibility of business in terms of the welfare of our children and the future of our communities.

April 12: "Where is the Individual in the Market Place?" (re: David Neumann/advanced beginner group). An inquiry into the costs and benefits of family-friendly policies and practices. How does the routine of business work with the routine of private life?

E-mail Tom Strini at tstrini@journalsentinel.com.