Smooth Jazz with Bobby Watson and His Quartet

Bobby Watson and his jazz quartet performed at 222 on Sunday night in Healdsburg.  Art gallery by day, improvised night club by nightfall, 222, located at 222 Healdsburg Avenue is about to embark on its first full year as a multi-cultural venue for live arts performances in the evening.  The season opened on a high note with the grammy winning jazz composer and sax player extraordinaire, Bobby Watson and his quartet.  Classical music as well as jazz will be featured for the 2022-23 season.  Authors and poets will be spotlighted as well as Indie movies.  A silent film night will be shown with live piano accompaniment.  The art gallery represents 50+ artists showcasing oil paintings, collages and sculptures. The cabaret tables set for four were low lit. The ambiance was intimate and relaxing.  Every table had a bowl filled with individually wrapped Godiva chocolate hearts.  The 100 guests were comprised of mainly local residents who welcomed one another.  The artworks are priced from $500-40,000 and are purchased by Sonoma soused tourists searching for souvenirs aside from spirits.  Bien sur, beer, wine and spirits were available for purchase.  Watson took to the improvised 3' high stage, an arm's length from the front tables.  Behind the quartet hung a massive oil painting of kaleidoscope, colors.  The painting was the perfect backdrop for the lively performance.  (It is the priciest piece in the gallery.)  The first bright, upbeat number featured solos from drummer, Akira Tana and bassist, Essiet Essier.  Veteran dummer, Tana has recorded with legendary artists; Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz and Zoot Sims.  Essier's solo featured him plucking the neck strings while simultaneously strumming the bass.  This achieved a hollowed, percussive sound.  It wasn't until after their second number that Bobby Watson addressed the audience, "I thought I'd get right down to the business of making some music."  His jovial banter and warm manner was infectious within the group and those gathered.  Watson spoke about marrying into a musical family and co-writing with his wife and his wife's sister.  My favorite piece had a mellower pace and blended in some Ellington'e musical phrases  and riffs from popular tunes such as "Favorite Things," The second to last piece was entitled "ETA," named when his wife was 8 months pregnant with their daughter.  The last piece of the night was "In Case you Missed It," which brought the music full-circle to the jaunty and timber rich sounds of their first pieces. The entire evening maintained an upbeat, celebratory vibe that heralds in a welcomed season ahead. 

Doc. FIRE of LOVE Volcanoes up Close and Personal

The visually stunning and hypnotic doc. "Fire of Love" is a compilation of videos and interviews of Maurice and Katia Kraft, a French couple who were professional volcanoes "chasers".  Much of the footage has never before been seen.  The scientific couple flicker on screen in front of majestic, volcanic eruptions.  Viewing the footage we can appreciate why they dedicated their lives to studying volcanoes throughout the world.  The film starts with footage on June 2, 1991.  The couple is seen on Mount Unzen in Japan just hours before they're killed instantly by the volcano's explosion.  Earlier, Maurice prophetically predicted his own death by such an explosion.  Katia explained she follows Maurice everywhere he goes because if he were to die there would be no reason to continue living.   Their passion for one another and their joint life's work is understandable and enviable but for a seeming death wish.  Regardless, the compilation of photographs, films and scientific notations amassed are immensely valuable.  In 1985, the couple made an impassioned plea to the government of Columbia to order an evacuation of citizens around the Nevado del Ruiz volcano because of its impending explosion.  Tragically, their warnings were unheeded.  The resulting devastation was staggering with an estimated loss of 25,000 lives.  Maurice and Katia vowed to make it a mission to alert nations to forewarn nations to avoid such needless tragedies in the future.  Their vigilance didn't prevent protecting themselves, their friends and crew filming on Mount Unzen.  "Fire of Love" is a fascinating and compelling film.  It's a charming, love story of two like minded individuals with a shared passion.  They met as college students, married soon after graduating and agreed not to have children and devote their energy towards documenting and understanding volcanoes and lava flows.  They traveled around the globe  pioneering the study of volcanoes and sharing their findings.  The film is also a breathtakingly, beautiful National Geographic expose of nature's destructive, omnipotent prowess. The movie works on both burners.  The narration deters from the film with sanguine quotes and its melancholic, monotone.   However, the score serves to intensify the magnificence of lava flows and volcanic eruptions.  This is a must see film to be seen on the big screen.   Its haunting imagery will emblazon molten memories into your cerebrum.   Maurice and Katia fell victim to their need for notoriety and funding which fueled their zeal to take their studies to the precipice.  "I prefer an intense and short life to a monotonous, long one." (M. Krafft) 

Jim Broadbent Helen Mirren Star THE DUKE Droll and Dame Mirren Shines in Her Role

THE DUKE (2020) is a perfectly charming film based on a true, albeit unbelievable, crime caper.  The unlikely hero is 60 year old Robin Hood wanna be, Kempton Bunton.  Bunton (the indomitable Jim Broadbent) incredulously steals a Goya painting, the of Duke Welling, from the National Gallery in 1961.  He attempts to ransom the painting for a peculiar amount.  The precise amount that would pay the license fees for all the working class veterans in his area.  Bunton was arrested and sent to jail for hooking his telly to the BBC without paying for the required license.  Incarceration rates would escalate in the US if citizens were arrested for clandestine cable connections.  Bunton, can't hold onto any sort of paying job  due to his incessant, pompous chatter or ill advised idealism.  Bunton's is a grandiose, blowhard and a wanna be playwright.   Bunton's persevering, long suffering and hard working wife, Dorothy, is portrayed  by Dame Helen Mirren.  If Mirren were to run for Queen she'd win, easily.  (Oh, I guess that's not how it works). Nonetheless, Mirren is acting royalty.  She gives the the film its heart and soul and the viewer their money's worth.  Mirren's love and frustration for her husband is endearing as well as perplexing.  Just when we've become frustrated with Bunton, he manages to ingratiate himself with his ideals or disarming unflappability.  Bunton is arrested upon returning the painting to the Gallery after realizing the ransom plan is flawed.  His court appointed attorney, Matthew Goode, admits a defense seems futile.  Goode is also one of Englands gifts to acting.  The courtroom drama is somewhat reminiscent of "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" with a British flair.  You'll root for Bunton's acquittal.   Director Roger Michell (b S Africa 1956) directed Helen Mirren in "Elizabeth, A Portrait" and Julia Roberts in "Notting Hill". Sadly, the film was released posthumously after Michell's unexpected death in 2021.  THE DUKE makes a jolly good rental for watching at home on the telly.       

The BEAR-Hulu Series Puts Heat into the Kitchen WATCH IT!

Christopher Storer's new drama series, THE BEAR is an enticing ensemble drama set in a working class, Chicago neighborhood sandwich shop.  The central character, Carmyn "Carmy"(Jeremy Allen White) is a celebrated, top NYC restaurant chef.  Carmy returns to Chicago to take over his brother's popular sandwich shop shrouded in debt.  The story is told partly in flashback where we learn Michael, Carmyn's brother committed suicide and bequeathed the shop to him.  Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) plays "Cousin Richie" Michael's best friend and partner in the business.  Most of the heat in the kitchen steams from Richie's resentful reluctance to adapt Carmyn's changes to running the business, managing the staff to convert the place into a polished, profitable dining establishment.  Richie's persona is a foul-mouthed, know-it-all tough with more soft spots than a wheel of Swiss.  Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) is a fine dining chef who seeks employment at The Bear, bearing her honed skills in the kitchen mired with top notch business acumen.  The two other main characters are Natalie "Sugar" Carmyn and Michael's loving and forbearing sister and Uncle Jimmy (the formidable Oliver Platt) as the wealthy, seemingly benevolent ally that wants to buy the business.  Michael was in debt to Uncle Michael for a $300K business loan.  The ingredients for a savoring soap opera are brewing but the taste de resistance is the mix of the actors from top to bottom that brings the pot to a simmer each episode.  Each episode leaves us craving for more.  The motley mix of employees with big hearts and stuffed inside a tiny space include pastry chef Marcus (Lionel Boyce), stubborn but dependable sous chef Tina (Liza Colon-Zayas) and Somalian chef Ebrahim (Edwin-Lee Gibson) a battle of Mogadishu survivor.   Shown in flashbacks is an unrecognizable Joel McHale as a villianous chef and former boss to Carmyn at the swanky NYC restaurant Eleven Madison.  The mixture is heavily laden with the cream of the crop actors.  The filming catches the intensity behind the scenes in restaurants, piques the salivating glands of foodies, pays homage to the Windy City and cooks up a souffle of suspense for what happened and mainly, for what the next course will serve up.  I give THE BEAR an A rating.   C'est Magnifique!  

The STARLING-Starring Melissa McCarthy, Chris O'Dowd and Kevin Klein

Lily (Melissa McCarthy) and her husband Jack (Chris O'Dowd) are a loving couple in this comedy-drama whose lives are shattered with the sudden death of their infant daughter, Katie.  The devastating loss is too much for Jack to bear.  Jack attempts to asphyxiate himself but thankfully saved by his wife.  Lily is left alone to manage her grief while Jack receives professional help in a group mental institution.  Grief is a very individual process for everyone; even couples must process alone.  The STARLING, directed by Oscar nominated Theodore Melfi ("Hidden Figures" and "St. Vincent") is an earnest film of coping with loss.  The unconsolable loss of a child and the demands it makes upon a couple's union are convincingly portrayed by the talented, comedic actors McCarthy and O'Dowd.  Lily is striving to function through her grieving while maintaining her sanity.  Gardening was a passion Lily returns to with a vengeance only to be physically embattled with a bird that is fighting for territory.  The bird's attacks on Lily are silly but serve to navigate the film.  The bird, a starling, gashes Lily's forehead.  Lily turns to the aid of a local vet, Dr. Larry (Kevin Klein) for first aid, bird tutorials and physiological support.  The preposterous connection between Dr. Larry and Lily would falter in less capable hands if not for the exceptional performances of the stellar actors Klein and McCarthy.  There's murmurings of compassion nestled within understandings that we are not meant to live alone.  Relying on others and offering aid is healthy and natural.  Brilliant minor casting with Daveed Digs and Skyler Gisondo give loft to what might have proven a clunky melodrama.   The STARLING is a film that could get easily looked over but is worthy of watching. 

Doc. ACCEPTED-Unconventional School Broke Rules to What End?

The doc. ACCEPTED, follow students and Mike Landry, founder of TM Landry school in LA.  Trailers show the exuberance of gaining Ivy League admissions shared by students, peers and Landry.  These viral videos boast TM Landry school with 100% college admission and 30% admission into top Ivy league schools wound their way into top TV spots, spouting triumphant work ethic proving a success story. The sanctioned news exposes exposed fraud and abuse used to gain access.  Landry proves to have an Icarus mentality which has landed him in hot water.  More damning is the collateral damage to hard working teens whose dreams became deferred.  Four former students in the class of 2019 chose to leave before graduating with the four other students from their class.  Those departing students were interviewed in Dan Chen's documentary.  The euphoria of the school dissipates quickly when these young people give credible testimony to their experiences and glimpses into their lives.  Mike Landry is a wanna be minister and reveals himself to be a sinister Svengali.  Landry has the students chant back, "I am somebody!" This is representational of the racial protests of the 50s when black men wore signs,  "I am a man."  The students respond by rote, "I love you" in the foreign language Landry calls out.  More impressive would've been Landry's speaking using correct grammar.  A pithy complaint in comparison to the hardships faced by these students.  Especially, those and their folks who put their faith, and limited means into Landry's pricy and misleading promises.  Landry avows fear tactics and humiliation as motivational tools.  He forewarns of poverty, incarceration or early death.  Currently Landry is charged with battery by a former student and under federal investigation for fraud. "I'm only interested in winners," Landry says, interrupting a student trying to share her struggles.  It appears the ends justify the means.  Falsifying transcripts, fraudulent activities and subjects and embellished bios are alleged as typical ammo used to appease admittance boards.  This unconventional school has no set schedules and no homework.   School days are from 9AM to 7:30AM.  No video was taken in classrooms or from teachers.  This class year coincided with celebrity parents being charged with using bribes or false test scores to gain acceptance for their privileged progeny.   Affluent parents' criminal behaviors tilting an unbalanced playing field more in their children's direction is heinous.  Mike Landry's actions fester like rotten meat.  What happens to these students whose dreams have been deferred.  How do those who got into the Ivies vie?  What will happen to Mike Landry and his school?   

CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH - Uh Meh

The likable but forgettable film CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH has its tender moments nevertheless it manages to slips under the radar.   Andrew (Cooper Raiff) is a millennial in denial of future plans past the partying stages of college days.   After graduating Andrew returns home to his mother (an iridescent Leslie Mann) and step father's (Brad Garrett) home without having secured a job.  His 13 year old bro David (Evan Assante) is on the precipice of puberty while Bar Mitzvah parties are getting into high swing.  The parallels between dawning manhood between preteen and post grad are prevalent. The problem being David's maturation is nascent and Andrew's absent.   The movie moves beyond your flailing 20 something searching for direction, albeit not arduously, when familial bonds are scrutinized.  Andrew agrees to take David to a Bar Mitzvah party where he empathizes with awkward adolescence keeping timid teens from the dance floor.  With nothing to lose Andrew gets the party started to great success and a burgeoning career as a party starter is born.  At the party Andrew meets Domino (Dakota Johnson) whose there with her 16 year old daughter, Lola (Vanessa Burghardt in a brilliant performance.)  Lola has autism and was held back in school 3 years and in the same class as David.  Lola's socialization with her peers has its unique challenges apart from those of her younger classmates.  Andrew's confidence or perhaps lack of, flourish under attention and adoration.  He ingratiates himself into Lola and Domino's lives as he's  attracted to Domino.  Andrew is fond of giving advice to his younger brother eager to gain his attention and wisdom.   Andrew's self-importance turns to arrogance and he presumes to advise Domino on what she wants from life.  Topics of mental illness and alcoholism are mentioned but not given overt attention.  This serves the film's meandering focus as our hero lacks a driving sense of purpose.   Domino's fiancé Joseph (Raul Castillo) appears brutish.  However, Joseph delivers the most poignant line in the movie when he thanks Andrew for looking out for his family.  The terrific performances by Leslie Mann, Dakota Johnson and Vanessa Burghardt are disarming.  Cooper Raiff wrote, directed and starred in CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH.  It's is a coming of age film that's charming in the teenage years but off-putting in 20 something millennials.  Andrew is not detestable nor as likable as he considers himself to be.  It's questionable whether to see or not to see.  Seems to me to be - meh.    

Norwegian Film WORST PERSON in the WORLD Pretention to Perfection

The Norwegian Film The WORST PERSON in the WORLD is pretentious, garrulous and engaging.  Julie (a beguiling Renata Reinsue) is a talented, beautiful 20 something.  She is a feckless ingenue who only wants what's elusive.   She is brilliant and very much in love with being adored and too easily bored.  Her hard work and top grades earn her a coveted med school spot.  In med school she realizes it's not the body but the mind that fascinates her and changes her major to psychiatry.  Julie would make a great case study as she traverses her indecisive career and love paths.  The film stars and all Norwegian cast.  Director and screenwriter Joachim Trieh received an Acad. Award for Best Screenplay.  The film won the Acad. Award for Best Int'l Feature in 2021.  The 2 hour+ Norwegian language film will appeal to the artsy audience who can trudge through hours of verbose angst.  The voiced narrative takes a fond view of its heroine; an adult with commitment issues with relationships and career paths.  The millennial milieu of reinventing oneself and a healthy disregard to the future are topics explored.  Julie leaves one admirer for another with seeming little regard.   Aksel (Andes Lie) a successful, somewhat older comic book writer.  In the aftermath of lovemaking Aksel breaks up with Julie telling her that their relationship is doomed for failure.  She appears ambivalent at the moment only to release as she's leaving she's in love and reignites their affair.  The magical montage of a happy couple ensues but is marred when they go to visit Aksel's married friends with kids.  The topics of marriage and family are brought up by Aksel and rebuffed by Julie who isn't sure that is what she wants in life.  There's an interesting visual effect where everything and everyone is frozen in time except for Julie when she runs to be with someone whose in a relationship with someone else.  It's obvious the world revolves Julie and major life decisions can remain on hold perhaps indefinitely.  The film meanders leisurely without a sense of urgency.  Julie discovers she is pregnant and is unsure if she's happy to be pregnant or involved with the father whose merely a barista.  For film buffs who find the quandaries of quotidian life for attractive millennials engaging if less than meaningful, there is plenty to mull over perhaps over wine.  There are many relatable character flaws for the viewer to find fault and whine about.  This is an intriguing film about pretty people's petty problems which help you to escape your own for awhile.  I recommend this seemingly facetious feature as fun and worthwhile.   

HUSTLE Starring Adam Sandler is Cliched Drivel

HUSTLE is the latest Adam Sandler movie using the rehashed formula of the likable underdog overcoming the odds.  Sandler and Stallone are not alone in the tried, true and tired "Rocky" storyline.  Sandler stars as Stanley Sugarman, a devout scout for the 76ers but his real dream is to a coach a team.  Stanley's dream to coach finally came true thanks to the team's owner Max Merrick (Robert Duvall).  Unfortunately for Stan and the movie, Duvall dies the day he gives Stan his big chance and a closet size office.  Merrick's son, Vince (Ben Foster) plays Stan's nemesis with Simon Legree smarminess. Stan is sent back out again on as a scout on an endless medley of airports, fast food and sleepless nights.  One of the few winning shots in the movie is Queen Latifah cast as his charming wife, Teresa, and Jordan Hull as his teenage daughter.   Stan stumbles upon a pickup game in Spain where he salivates over the raw talent of Bo Cruz (Juancho Herman Gomez) hustling the hotshot while wearing construction boots.  Stan chases down Bo's bus and follows him to the squalid home Bo shares with his mother and adorable young, daughter.  His mom runs interference and wants to be shown the money.  The starting NBA salary is plenty to convince Bo and his mom to agree to tryout for a spot on the team.  Once in the states, things don't go according to plan.  Vince relishes and humiliating Stan by dismissing Bo on the first go.  Stan finally tells Vince where he can go.  Bo is a fish out of water and Stan a man without a job.  Stan's new plan is to put all his hoops and dreams in Bo's basket.  Stan wakes Bo in the middle of the night to train in the rain with the aid of his bullhorn.  If it all sounds familiar, it should.  Stan's "loves this game, lives and breathes this game."   The film needs new life breathed into this rehashed script.  It's a harmless feel good film with few surprises that delivers the same old drivel. 

Dave Holland Performs with Kevin Eubanks in Healdsburg Jazz Festival

The final evening of jazz for the Healdsburg Jazz Festival ended on a high note.  It was held at the new Jackson Theater last evening.  The first half of the program was a free style performance with legendary jazz bass player and composer Dave Holland and Kevin Eubanks on electric guitar.  Holland said he and Eubanks were "...going to play free style and take us on a journey."  For the next hour the jazz artists riffed on their instruments.  Their technical techniques were on display.  Sadly, the showmanship did not compensate for a cacophonous, atonal and arrhythmic sound.  It wasn't until the last 15 minutes that Holland and Eubanks connected with each other's playing in a way that aesthetically pleasing.  Holland's bass playing didn't entirely mesh with Eubanks playing.  Eubanks' sound was a pastiche of Hendricks and  B.B. King.  Holland's sound varied between classical and jazz.  His fingering were often below the neck on the body of the bass.  The deep tone of his double bass was not a match for Eubanks playing or vice versa.  It's interesting to watch great artists collaborate.  Still, I would have found it more enjoyable had they played a shorter improvisational set and set about sounding like a polished duet.  The parts fell short of a harmonious jazz performance that was bewildering and not bewitching.  After a break, Holland returned to the stage with pianist Kenny Barron and drummer, Obed Calvaire.  The program featured music of the trio's recent album, "Without Deception".  In March of 2020, the trio was in Paris where they had two performances when Covid shut everything down.  They were thrilled to be back together and performing live in Sonoma.  Pianist/composer Barron shared with us that his friend sent him a photo while he touring saying she was without makeup.  This lead him to name the single and album he was working on, "Without Deception."   Holland and Barron both composed on the album.  Calvaire received the lion share of solos to the delight of everyone.  Holland's bass playing underscored the drums and piano.  The relaxed tempo and energetic melodies flowed with a swing jazz sound mixed with Latin fusion.  Intricate keyboard melodies and upbeat tempo on percussion kept the music lively and richly layered.   Listening to the jazz trio allowed the listener to appreciate each of the instruments apart and as an ensemble.  Holland is a multi-Grammy winning bassist whose played and recorded with Miles Davis and Stan Getz.  He's lead his own jazz orchestra and big band.  Now in his mid-70s, Holland's style continues to evolve.  Without a doubt, I'm going to listen to "Without Deception" and attend another Dave Holland live performance.