SPAC’s Hall of Springs Jazz Bar is the After Show, After Hours Place to Be!
Editor’s Note: On this evening, Saturday August 12, I had lent my camera to Mandy Mittler and Lisa Champagne so that the ladies could cover the National Museum of Dance’s 30th Anniversary Gala (look for their post on that, and a ton of photos in a few days).
But I was off to something different inside Spa State Park- a treasure hunt, if you will… the photos in this post were taken with my flashless, primitive phone camera, which given the darkened setting, made the resultant photos look like an Edward Hopper/David Arsenualt painting mashup… not unpleasant, but different. The festive atmosphere comes through as strong as ever, though, I believe. – AG
SARATOGA SPRINGS – In tonight’s episode, we encounter an evening that has distilled the essences of entertainment – and variety: Combining an orchestral music score, a classic movie, cubano music and dancing. Perfect.
My first stop was a great performance at SPAC by those Fab Philadelphians – The Philadelphia Orchestra supplying the dynamic score to the classic movie Raiders of the Lost Ark – the classic family-friendly film (save perhaps for one snippet where a Nazi gets a too-close-for-comfort bloody ‘haircut’ at the hands of a propeller – but, he is, or was, a Nazi after all…) starring Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones with Karen Allen as Femme Fatale.
These movie nights have worked their way into being a highlight on the August Orchestra schedule, and with good reason. They’re fun, challenging, and give both kids and adults appreciation as to the hard work it is to write the music of a good movie score, let alone play it.
Then, after Indiana saved the day yet again, we strolled up an illuminated path from the lawn to the Hall of Springs, where at the Jazz Bar, Alta Havana had gotten the after party started.
Spac.org describes Alta Havana’s music as “The richness and exuberance of traditional Cuban music and its many variations comes alive in the talented hands of Alta Havana members, Gerardo Contino (vocals), Itai Kriss (flute), Keisel Jimenez (percussion) and Jorge Gomez (keyboard/piano). All highly acclaimed musicians who have performed independently and with other ensembles on major festival stages around the world, the collaboration of their unique styles is a fresh, exciting take on Cuban music.”
In other words, muy bueno!
Tonight was the sixth of seven “Live at the Jazz Bar” events scheduled for this year. The next, and final one is this Friday, August 18. The Philadelphians will be playing again – the second night of their French Festival. But if you cannot make that performance. Admission to the Jazz Bar is free and does not require a ticket to the SPAC show of the evening. On the bill Friday night? An all-star jam session with a 9:30 p m start.
That promises to be muy MAS bueno…. in other words, I can’t wait.
Arthur Gonick
August 13, 2017
