Prepare to be Blown Away by Rodney Holmes

This Thursday, August 28th Flemington welcomes drummer Rodney Holmes to the steps of the Historic Courthouse on Main Street.    Rodney will appear with his band Lithium Tree and guest Glenn McClelland of Blood, Sweat and Tears and formerly Ween.

Rodney Holmes, who worked with Santana on the Supernatural Album has just returned from Brazil with jazz vocalist Al Jarreau and trumpeter Randy Brecker.  

So, what can we expect this Thursday?  

With Ken Dow on bass and Bill Titus on guitar, Holmes and his band Lithium Tree will create what he calls a “mix of genres with elements of dance music and progressive rock."
(excerpt via NJ.com)

Per ”Bruce Wittet , from Modern Drummer Magazine”

Drummer, composer, producer, RODNEY HOLMES is considered by many musicians as well as music fans to be one of the very best drummers in the world. Due to his humble attitude and modest demeanor, Rodney would never say this about himself. But after seeing and hearing him, it’s simply undeniable that he is in fact one of the best musicians on the planet.

Rodney has gone on to work with some of the most talented and respected musicians in both Rock and Jazz worlds. He has worked with Santana, Steve Lukather, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul, Rob Thomas, and many others. His work with Santana garnered Holmes a higher level of respect within the industry along with multiple Grammy Awards. Rodney played on the hit song “Smooth” from Santana’s “Supernatural” album. He’s also earned Grammys for his work on the Brecker Brothers ” “Out Of The Loop” album. Holmes’ jaw dropping solos have evoked standing ovations worldwide.

“Rodney Holmes isn’t all about chops. It’s also about scope. Simply put, Rodney Holmes blew people away. Reasons cited were his amazing technique, his intricate patterns, and his artsy sense of placement.”

“Funny thing about Rodney: Even when he’s unleashing the beast, he never appears as if he’s barely hanging on. He’s got firm grasp of the reins, still forging a groove that’s lush, steady, and comfortable.”

Wow, pretty cool for Flemington to have such a talent performing on the steps of the Historic Courthouse.

(VIA Rodneyholmes.com)

“Lithium Tree is a new band created by drummer, composer, producer, Rodney Holmes. Lithium Tree could fall into many different genres, but it’s mostly a hybrid of Electronica, Dance music, and what some would consider to be Progressive Rock. Sometimes it sounds like the coolest movie soundtrack you would ever want to hear, but Lithium Tree is a new band with many layers. Fat grooves, lush sounds, memorable songs and completely original.” – Anonymous friend !

People have asked me over and over what LITHIUM TREE is, and I’ve always struggled to answer that question. A very good friend of mine seemed to sum it up way better than I ever could in the description above, so I just copied what he wrote. Regardless of the description, we hope you take this musical journey with us. (via RodneyHolmes.com)

The current members of LITHIUM TREE are..

Jim Kost (Keyboards)
Bill Titus (Guitar)
Ken Dow (Bass)
Rodney Holmes (Drums, and occasional Vocals)

Let's not forget Glenn McClelland of Blood, Sweat and Tears and formerly the band Ween.

You may remember Ween's, Ocean Man from this 2003 Honda Civic Commercial and the 2004 Spongebob Movie.

Can't wait to see what these guys do this Thursday.

Whatever mix of genres they produce I think we can count on being blown away.

Rock on Flemington!

A Girl - A Trombone - A Band

Emily Asher's Garden Party is a versatile musical ensemble led by Asher's tenacious trombone and sweet vocals.  Called "red hot" and "very exciting" by the Wall Street Journal, this band of all-stars from New York City's vibrant early jazz scene performs coast to coast in the finest jazz clubs to the busiest swing dance halls. Drawing on the repertoire of Louis Armstrong's enchanting Hot Fives and Duke Ellington's sophisticated melodies to the funky and soulful music of New Orleans brass bands, and Hoagy Carmichael's masterpieces, Garden Party delights audiences of all ages and musical tastes. 

(via Emily Asher's Website)

I don't know about you but here in the BID office we are super excited about the Central Jersey Jazz Festival.  We've got a great line-up of artists including Emily Asher's Garden Party. 

 First, she had me at Girl and Trombone!

How cool is that?

Second, She's passionate about the old tunes.  Think Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington.

I love this band. I love it with all my heart. I love these guys and the music we make together. I love how songs written 100 years ago come alive like they were written yesterday and I love how new songs that I write are born into loving, fertile soil and can grow beyond what I had in my mind and wrote on the page.
...Emily Asher

“Emily and her friends have understood something deep about the delicate balance between honoring the originals and creating something new.” -Michael Steinman JAZZ LIVES   

Are you ready to Swing?

This band is FUN!

"Emily Asher certainly knows how to throw a party. And her brilliance isn’t a matter of laying in huge quantities of blue corn chips and IPA, nor is it because of those cookies she bakes. In fact, Emily comes to the party with little except her trombone, some sheet music, and her insistence that everyone have a good time and swing."

                                                                      -Michael Steinman

JAZZ LIVES

Hey Flemington, It is TIME to get your dancin' shoes outta the closet!

Let's show em how to swing!

September 12th
Central Jersey Jazz Festival
Flemington NJ 6pm
Four Hours = Four Great Bands

Enjoy additional video clips and read more about Emily Asher's Garden Party HERE.

Are you ready for The Wizard of Woo?

The Central Jersey Jazz Festival is coming to Main Street on September 12th and we've got a great line-up of performers to kick off the event in Flemington.

The lineup includes headliner, Bernie Worrell and his Orchestra.  Bernie's bio reads like a who's who in music and entertainment.  From Parliament Funkadelic, The Talking Heads, David Letterman, and even the classic TV series Car 54, Where are you?, Bernie's contribution to the world of music and entertainment is evident.  Bernie, a.k.a "The Wizard of Woo" wrote his first concerto at the age of eight and performed with the Washington Symphony Orchestra at ten.




Upon leaving the Conservatory, Worrell served for several years as Musical Director for Maxine Brown before joining the Parliament/Funkadelic crew. Worrell then proceeded to provide this freewheeling collective with a structural foundation which, while occasionally implied, was ever present.

At the same time, he explored and expanded his own musical ideas in every conceivable direction with a brazenness which was both revolutionary and evolutionary. From fanciful forays on clavinet which leaped without warning from guttural gulps to squiggly squeals to liquid Minimoog bass lines which herded listeners to the dance floor, it all represented new musical language. All the while, his rapid advancements of the synthesizer's potential were actually traceable to his classical foundation.

In 1997, Worrell was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with Parliament/Funkadelic (Talking Heads would follow five years later).

Lecture: Bernie Worrell (New York 2013) from Red Bull Music Academy on Vimeo.

Watching Bernie's lecture at Red Bull Music Academy you'll get a real sense of this humble musical genius and lover of music.

After departing Parliament/Funkadelic, Worrell resurfaced with the revamped Talking Heads lineup for several albums, including The Name of This Band Is Talking Heads, Speaking In Tongues and Jonathan Demme's dazzling concert film, Stop Making Sense. Worrell's ominous colorings, this time delivered via new digital keyboards such as the Prophet 5, were central to the recasting of group leader David Byrne's musical ideas through African rhythms. 

In the years since he left Talking Heads, Worrell has been a phenomenally prolific studio musician, serving as a primary change-agent in the many experimental works of producer Bill Laswell while contributing his singular flair to projects by the likes of Keith Richards, the Pretenders, Jack Bruce, Deee-Lite and Bootsy's New Rubber Band. At the same time, he has been among the most sampled musicians ever, with Digital Underground, De La Soul, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, DMX and countless others having acknowledged his timeless grooves by building their tunes around his signature riffs. 

"When the synthesizers came about, my having been brought up classically and knowing a full range of orchestra, tympanis and everything, I knew how it sounded and what it felt like. So, if I'm playing a horn arrangement on keyboard, or strings, it sounds like strings or horns, 'cause I know how to phrase it, how a string phrases, different attacks from the aperture for horns, trumpets, sax or trombones." - Bernie Worrell

The "Wizard of WOO" continues to wear many hats as effortlessly as he mixes musical forms, performing with both Mos Def's Black Jack Johnson band and Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains.

His newest collaboration is The Bernie Worrell Orchestra [link]. Their debut album launched in 2013 and the title track, "BWO is Landing" named the winner in the IMA (Independent Music Award) Funk/Fusion/Jam Song category.

Read more about Bernie Worrell on his website.

Let's give a big warm Flemington welcome to the Wizard of Woo September 12th!

Car Show Season starts Saturday, May 31st!

Ladies and Gentlemen....
Start your engines!

It's CAR SHOW SEASON IN FLEMINGTON!

What a great weekend to kick off the Flemington Car Show Season.  The weather is going to be great and there's lot going on around town.  The new community arts project will kick off at 90 Main at 3pm and then be followed by the Car Show at 5:30 pm.

The first show will be all Fords.  

We all have our favorite car memories, movie scenes, makes, or models.  America's, and Flemington's love affair with the car has been going on for a long time!

Who doesn't love Marisa Tomei's expert witness testimony from the movie My Cousin Vinny?

You're my idol Marisa!

Back to the Fords....
I for one love a good old Ford Pickup.

and that color!

 Come on out Saturday night for some food, fun, music, and some really cool cars!
The Car Shows are free to attend and enjoy beautiful historic Main Street in Flemington.

Fun for the kids...

There will be several trophies and trophy for best car.

2013 Music at Main Street Bagel

Live Music performed by Phoenix in front of 26 Main Street

• Great door prizes with DJ Chuck Leonard  who always entertains the crowd with a great mix of tunes.
• Outdoor dining with great food at reasonable prices
• Kids activities (hula-hoop, bean toss, putting), face painting, balloon characters, in lot next to Police station and in front of Union Hotel 

BIG BIG THANKS to OUR Main Car Show Series Sponsor

Fred Beans Toyota-Kia-Scion 

of Flemington 175 Route 202, for being the Main Sponsor for the Car Show Series 2014!

MORE BIG BIG THANKS to 

OUR CO-SPONSOR AND TROPHY SPONSOR FOR THE FIRST SHOW!

Co-Sponsor, Flemington Furs, operating in it's 93rd year, has the largest selection of furs under one roof!

Trophy Sponsor, Stems of Pleasure, 137 Main Street, Flemington.Stems of Pleasure boutique offers a unique combination of clothing, jewelry, and floral arrangements available to rent for your next event!

What's your favorite Car Show Movie Scene?

Have you seen the work of Inna?

I recently had the pleasure of seeing the work of Inna Dzhanibekova up close in person.  Each piece is an interesting little work of art with intricate details and materials.

What I find so fascinating is Inna's background.  She was born in Russia, grew up near Moscow and received a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences in 2002.  Since coming to the US, she has lived in several states and worked in her field as a research scientist.  I'm impressed!

 Inna's scientific knowledge, background,  and appreciation of the natural and microscopic world is so evident in her jewelry.   The layers and textures of materials are so unique, beautiful, delicate, and some times almost have an industrial feel.

In 2012, Inna opened the Small Joys Studio in Flemington, NJ where she creates one-of-a-kind and limited edition pieces in metal, enamels, beads and gemstones. Her work is a joyful reflection of the forms and colors found in the world around us.

You really wouldn't need much of an outfit to pair with this gorgeous piece.  Simple black with jewelry taking center stage.

An exhibition of Inna's lovely work is currently on display at the Flemington Public Library at 118 Main Street during the month of April.   The weather is finally getting nice providing the perfect opportunity for a stroll.

I highly recommend stopping in to see her nature-inspired collection of jewelry in metal and enamels.

I really love the warm welcoming message on the Small Joy's Studio Website.Sounds like a warm and wonderful place to create jewelry and make new friends.

Welcome to Small Joys Studio, LLC. Art Jewelry and Enamels.

I feel very lucky to be in the heart of the vibrant art community here, in historic Flemington, NJ. My studio is a primarily working space, shared with a wonderful art quilter and friend, Deb Labbadia, owner of the One Pebble Studio and Gallery.  Here I design, create and photograph my jewelry and enamels. 

Please check back often to see the Class Catalog and Calendar for new updates.

I hope this lovely studio will become a unique social setting, where crafts enthusiasts as well as professionals can come to learn and get inspired.

Inna

Spring 2014 Open House Show and Sale

Friday, April 25, 6-9pm

Saturday, April 26, 11am-3pm

Join Inna and five local artists.   A great opportunity to find unique gifts for Mother's Day!

A Real Bakery and Eatery

I recently sampled a selection of delectable, scrumptious, wonderfully delicious baked goods at Market Roost on Main Street.  Baked goods is probably not the right word for what I found.

I didn't know quite what to expect at this combination of fine pastry shop, eatery, and caterer.   My daughter was arriving home for spring break and I thought it would be the perfect excuse to grab a few treats.  After all, the poor dear must be famished.

I'm half Italian and really have a soft spot for canolis.  These look gorgeous!

I did't actually get the canoli because I'd been dying to try their creation called the Cronut.

I also grabbed a few of these Linzer tarts and some Carrot Cake to round out our dessert indulgence.  While I was there Carol was slicing up some kind of a brandy spice cake? or was it rum?  

It looked soooo good!

In fact everything looked like it was straight out of a magazine foodie shoot.  Carol and Norman Todd are the owners and hosts of Market Roost.  Carol is a Master Pastry Chef.

The interior reminds me of a French street cafe complete with market umbrella.

The large wood sideboard adds extra charm and warmth to the room.

Chef Norman, who is a Culinary Institute graduate, seems to really enjoy cooking and everything in the case looks super delicious. 

The Bistro Pizza looks so tasty.  I can't wait to go back and try some of the lunches and entrees.  Restaurant Week in Flemington starts next week and will be the perfect opportunity for a lunch out.

This chowder looks wonderful too.

Market Roost was  listed as one of NJ's Best Breakfasts this past January.  Hello Egg's Benedict!  yum...

You can really tell that Carol and Norman take great pride in their establishment.  Fresh flowers were everything and there's even a nice selection of accoutrements for your next gathering or hostess gift. 

So how were the Cronuts?

  

All I can say is that though this may have been my first Cronut, it will most certainly not be my last.  Carol told me to warm them in the oven briefly prior to serving. 

 They were quite simply the most divine, buttery, warm goodness.  In fact the description I gave my neighbor prompted her to run right over to Market Roost the next day.

 No trans fats or cookie cutter store bought cake here.  This is a fine pastry establishment.

  I wish I had taken a picture of the dessert plate before it was all polished off!  It was Simply Superb!

Flemington Arts and Great Greens

I popped in to The Somi Fine Art Gallery this weekend and I was so glad I did.  They just happened to be having an art opening for the work of Ann DeCamp later that day.

What a stroke of luck!

Ann's show was highlighted in the New York Times.

Her photographs are so full of life and color.   The name of the show is Havana: Rhythms of Life in Cuba.  I highly recommend visiting the gallery to see her works.  They also happen to be quite affordable.  

In fact I found many pieces of artwork that were beautiful and within my budget.  Do you ever find art galleries to be just a bit intimidating with art works priced higher than your car?

Somi is nothing like that and has a warm and welcoming atmosphere.  It felt like a wonderful little museum.  I'm still yearning for this little gem by Nancy Zarbock.

I also really love these pieces made by an Italian artist being featured inside the old kiln.

It's so much fun stepping inside the old kiln.  It feels quite magical, and the echo is great.    You must stand right in the center and look up.

This painting by artist Cara London is as fresh as a summer's day.  Art just makes you feel good and this one says relax and enjoy the sunshine to  me.

I fell in love with this guy by Dorothy Fine.  He has a certain je ne sais quoi, don't you think? 

You could design a whole room around this gorgeous painting by Tracy Fitzgerald.  So alive, it's definitely a room maker.

via pinterest

Somi also has a new artist C. Aubrey McWatt to stop in and see.  I'm adding Somi and the farmer's market to my weekly itinerary. 

The place was hoppin last Saturday!  The music was playing and there was a great selection of both edible and non edible local goods.  I felt like I had a nice little vacation right in my own backyard.  People were smiling and little kids were eating greens right out of the bag!  

I felt quite satisfied with my visit and proceeded to enjoy my fresh greens and delicious yogurt right out of the tub, yum.  

If you're at loose ends on a Saturday head over to the Stangl Market.

The Arts are Alive

and

so are the Greens!