Day: December 30, 2007

music

Michael Feinstein

Christa Avampato

I’ve been hearing about Michael Feinstein for many years. My friend, Dan, is his publicist. Last night, Dan took my to see the “By Request” show at Feinstein’s at the Regency Hotel. Walking in, I felt as if I was stepping back in time to old world New York. No flashy lights, sets, or costumes – just an honest, warm performance by a man who is a generous, exceedingly talented artist who loves his audience.

Most of the songs were standards – Cole Porter, Gershwin, Sondheim. There were legendary musicians in the band – Bucky Pizzarelli (http://feinsteinsattheregency.com/bio.php?id=27) and Ken Ascher (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Ascher). It was a celebration of times gone by, and musicians working very hard to keep the music that they love alive. Of all the requests that were done, my favorite was a simple ballad, “Old Friend” that Mr. Feinstein performed solo, sitting at the piano. I learned from Dan that this is a staple that he has performed for decades. It’s become one of his hallmark performances.

I had never heard the song before, and found myself getting more choked up as the song went on. Even after so many years, its lyrics continue to resonate with people of all ages. It’s one of the things I love best about music and art – it lets those across generations share a common expereince. I googled it and found a You Tube video of Mr. Feinstein performing the song, the same way he did last night. A beautiful performance that renewed my belief that all of the flashy elements of so many of today’s shows are unnecessary so long as the talent on stage is at the level I saw last night.

See the video of “Old Friend” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsoJQeyyIbg.

art, creativity, museum, New York

Delightful Doodles: the art of William Steig

Christa Avampato

Yesterday I took a walk across Central Park to stop in to the Jewish Museum of Art at 92nd Street and 5th Avenue. There is a new exhibit there that celebrate the art work of William Steig, a cartoonist who achieved early fame as an illustrator of the New York and became a children’s book author at age 60. Though he is most famous for conceiving the idea for and creating the story of Shrek, that one work, as wonderful as it is, does not do justice to a career based on enchanting doodles.

Like many art exhibits, this one has multi-media components – a short film, narrated by Steig, about his life and work, models of the Shrek characters, letters he’s written to and received from monumental figures in the art world, interactive pieces such as a children’s library, and of course, his marvelous sketches. Immediately upon entering the exhibit, the greatest nugget to genius is written plainly on the wall. When asked about how he developed such a successful career, Steig said “I don’t think like other people. I never really did grow up.”

It’s his wonderful sense of honesty and childlike desire to connect with people on a very profound basis that had me smiling all throughout the exhibit. His doodling and intentional coloring outside of the lines kept me dreaming, entering his world of fair tales that had meaningful lessons to teach viewers about their real, everyday lives. Steig said his best work came from drawing with no direction, with no purpose. Drawing for the sake of drawing.

This had me wondering all the way home what works I could create if I had no agenda in my creations. How would I live my life if I just did what I wanted to do without any sense of having to do something “useful”? By letting go, we can break-through.