Category Archives: Music

Little Rock Look Back: Frank Sinatra at 100

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FAS 100Frank Sinatra never made a public appearance in Little Rock, or even Arkansas. But his musical genius continues to be felt throughout the state.

100 years ago today he was born in Hoboken, New Jersey.  Over the years he went from idol of the bobby-soxers to major Hollywood heavyweight and then to musical mentor.  He was also a businessman and record executive. Though sometimes in headlines because of his personal life, his talent was so overwhelming that any personal failings seemed to be quickly overlooked.

He came up as an admirer of FDR and was a close friend of JFK. In later years, he tended to be associated with GOP candidates, but usually befriended whoever was in the Oval Office.

Upon his death in May 1998, former Little Rock resident President Bill Clinton issued a statement.

Hillary and I were deeply saddened to hear of the death of a musical legend and an American icon, Frank Sinatra. Early in his long career, fans dubbed him ‘The Voice.’ And that was the first thing America noticed about Frank Sinatra: that miraculous voice, strong and subtle, wisecracking and wistful, streetwise but defiantly sweet. In time he became so much more. Sinatra was a spellbinding performer, on stage or on screen, in musicals, comedies and dramas. He built one of the world’s most important record companies. He won countless awards, from the Grammy — nine times — to the Academy Award, to the Presidential Medal of Freedom. And he dedicated himself to humanitarian causes.

“When I became president, I had never met Frank Sinatra, although I was an enormous admirer of his. I had the opportunity after I became president to get to know him a little, to have dinner with him, to appreciate on a personal level what fans around the world, including me, appreciated from afar.

“Frank Sinatra will be missed profoundly by millions around the world. But his music and movies will ensure that ‘Ol’ Blue Eyes’ is never forgotten. Today, I think every American would have to smile and say he really did do it his way.

FAS tieIn 2013, as part of an exhibit of photography and artifacts of jazz musicians, the Clinton Presidential Center featured one of Sinatra’s bowties. It is pictured here.

Hear the sounds of Arkansas at Arkansas Sounds Holiday Concert tonight

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RRT holiday concertThe Dave Rosen Big Band and the Maumelle High School Jazz Band will play Christmas and holiday favorites with jazz and swing arrangements at this free concert.

The Dave Rosen Big Band, led by local musical instrument store owner Dave Rosen, is an 18-piece big band jazz powerhouse. These top-notch musicians have been playing classics from the Big Band and Jazz eras since 2004.

Led by band director Carl Mouton, the Maumelle High School Jazz Band plays a variety of music, representing different styles of music and cultures. MHS Jazz Band students learn to improvise within a song using the given chords as a guide. They put these skills to work by performing at local holiday and spring concerts, as well as community events.

Friday, December 11, 7:00 p.m.
CALS Ron Robinson Theater
100 River Market Avenue
FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

LR Wind Symphony concert tonight including Rep. French Hill as guest conductor

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french-hill-161Congressman French Hill will be a guest conductor of the Little Rock Wind Symphony for the band’s Christmas concert 7:30 p.m. Thursday, December 10 at Second Presbyterian Church, 600 Pleasant Valley Drive, Little Rock.  Rep. Hill is the recipient of the conductor’s baton, which was auctioned off this summer at the band’s annual Flag Day concert.  Hill will lead the performance of “Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson.

This child-friendly concert includes other holiday favorites, including the LRWS’s traditional presentation of “O Holy Night”, this year sung by soprano soloist Suzanne Loerch.  The delightful Roberts Elementary School Children’s Choir returns to entertain and the LRWS Brass Choir will feature prominently on the program.  The concert will conclude with the audience sing-along.  Music Director Israel Getzov conducts.

There will be a silent auction before the concert, offering lots of items to fill those Christmas stockings. The auction opens at 6:30 p.m. and bidding will conclude at the end of the concert intermission.

Tickets are available at the door and are $10 for adults, $8 for adults 65 and over, and free for students.

 

Program

Christmas Festival

Jesse Ayers:                      Fanfare for Christmas Morning

                                          LRWS Brass Choir

Leroy Anderson:              Christmas Festival

Victor Herbert:                March of the Toys

Paul Carey:                       Peace on Earth…and lots of little crickets

Roberts Elementary School Children’s Choir

David Foster / Brown:     Grown-up Christmas List

Suzanne Loerch, mezzo soprano

Tchaikovsky / Curnow     Nutcracker Suite

J.S. Bach / Reed                 Sheep May Safely Graze

Lopez & Lopez / Bulla      Symphonic Highlights from “Frozen”

Adolph Adam / Lovrien    O Holy Night

Suzanne Loerch, mezzo soprano

Leroy Anderson:              Sleigh Ride

                                          U.S. Rep. French Hill, Christmas Conductor

Warren Barker:               It’s Christmas!

                                          Audience Sing-Along

 

 

MarQuis & MOOD headline tonight’s Oxford American Local Live at South on Main

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llsom marquisTonight (Wednesday, December 9) at 7:30 PM—Join the Oxford American magazine for this week’s Local Live concert at South on Main, featuring MarQuis & MOOD! As always, Local Live is free and open to the public. To guarantee a table/seat for this popular series, call ahead at (501) 244-9660.

 

Marquis Hunt, a.k.a. MarQuis, is a Stellar Award nominated recording artist most noted for his soprano sax ability. MarQuis has performed, written, and produced for Grammy and Dove Award-nominated albums. This Delta-born Arkansas native has gathered to himself a band of musicians called MOOD who together make up over fifty years of combined professional and skillful experience. His brand of jazz is soulful, sultry, spirited, and smooth—guaranteed to pierce the heart of his audience. MarQuis is also a published writer and poet, and he is known to combine elements of spoken word with his live performances.

Big Jingle Jubilee Holiday Parade today

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 Dust off your holiday wreaths, shine up the jingle bells and head down this afternoon to the 2015 Little Rock Big Jingle Jubilee Holiday Parade.

Sponsored by the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau, the parade starts today (December 5) at 3:00 p.m. in Downtown Little Rock.

The Parade will begin at 2nd and Broadway, follow Broadway to Capitol Avenue, then proceed down Capitol Avenue to the State Capitol.

This is a great opportunity to enjoy and celebrate the holiday season with your friends, so bring the entire family and join the fun!

Continuing this annual community tradition, this year’s parade is sure to be an afternoon of festive fun! Santa and Mrs. Claus will be joined by various entries such as marching bands, floats, cars, animals and much more!

Following the parade at dark (approximately 6pm), enjoy the Lighting of the State Capitol Ceremony (Sponsored by the Arkansas Secretary of State Office) with entertainment and fireworks)

Late Night at South on Main featuring Bijoux

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bijouxposter.jpg.190x140_q60_cropTonight, South on Main welcomes Bijoux back to their stage! Doors open at 4:00 PM, show begins at 10:00 PM. Wristbands can be purchased for $15 after doors open. Call ahead to reserve a table (501) 244-9660.

Bijoux—a native of Little Rock – is a sultry soul singer adept in various styles. The daughter of West African parents, Bijoux grew up in a household exposed to differing genres of music including folk, classic rock and roll, makossa, country, and R&B. Her jovial spirit, endearing vocals, vibrant entertaining, and musical versatility make her concerts engaging and fun.

 

Tonight at Clinton Center, Patterson Hood delivers latest Kumpuris Distinguished Lecture

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Over the course of ten albums with the Drive-By Truckers, the band he co-founded, and three acclaimed solo records, songwriter Patterson Hood has developed a style that blends a heart-rending observation of Southern culture with a healthy respect for the power of myth in ways that have placed him firmly in the company of great American storytellers like Twain and Welty.

“As a songwriter, I’ve spent the better part of my career trying to capture both the Southern storytelling tradition and the details the tall tales left out, putting this dialectical narrative into the context of rock songs,” Hood says of a career that has seen him turn his hand to prose with success as well. Last July, Hood’s op-ed piece, “The South’s Heritage Is So Much More Than Just A Flag,” appeared in the New York Times Magazine, shortly after Hood published the lyrics to a new song inspired by the events in Ferguson, Missouri.

Tonight, Friday, December 4, Patterson Hood tells stories and sings songs about living in (and leaving) the South and his life in Rock and Roll and the Drive-By Truckers in the next installment of the Frank and Kula Kumpuris Distinguished Lecture Series, in partnership with the Clinton School of Public Service and AT&T.

When: Friday, December 4, 2015
Doors Open: 6:00 P.M., Address begins at 7:00 P.M.

Where: Clinton Presidential Center Great Hall