All horned up

Hamilton, Greitzer, Roomful, Club 12, and more

by Michael Caito

Scott Hamilton

New York City and its short attention span has had ample time to chew up and expectorate tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton, so it's a testament to the Providence native's gargantuan swing skills that the reverse has happened. Fresh from another Euro tour, Hamilton is now in the midst of a recording stint with guitarist Charlie Byrd (top that for a jazz handle), but will take time to light up Bobby's Starlight Ballroom in Pawtucket on Saturday. Hamilton gained huzzahs from recent work with the London String Ensemble and conductor Ian Broadbent, with whom he recently released a sparkling Yule disc to join the 30 or so LPs he's already done for Concord. Joining Hamilton will be native North Attleboran guitarist Gray Sargent, current member of the Tony Bennett Quartet, whose past chronicles a stint with Illinois Jacquet and whose near future includes an album with his Bennettness -- a duo record, it should be noted, which Bennett asked Sargent to record. Area faves Marshall Wood and Jim Gwin propel a persuasive rhythm section. Buying in advance saves a fiver off day-of pricing, or, make it a full-belly night and go mit der prime rib or chicken. Details at 725-4260.

At a sold-out Doubletree on the Isle of Goat last weekend, Roomful of Blues debuted their new lineup, including singer McKinley "Mac" Odom and trombonist John Wolf. Prov-based Odom hits the road after five years of session work while Wolf brings experience on bass, tenor and alto 'bones and euphonium. URL of the week: look Wolf up at www.bonehenge.com.

Saturday's Rhode Island Philharmonic Classical Series includes Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante, K297b, which gives four principals an opportunity to share the solo spotlight in a piece which has enjoyed its share of mysterioso. Paris newcomer Mozart had in the spring of 1778 sold the piece to a man whom Mozart later accused of cancelling its performance due to pressure from another composer, Giovanni Cambini, who was in mortal fear of being upstaged by a genius. Mozart left Paris in the fall without the only written-out score. He later re-wrote it from memory, then both scores disappeared for almost a century, when one was found among a Mozart's biographer's papers with clarinet replacing the part originally written for flute. How the biographer got it and why the parts were switched no one has ever determined, so if you know, please see clarinetist Ian Greitzer afterwards.

Having interviewed two of the four soloists -- Greitzer and French hornist Kevin Owen -- I've been fortunate to learn first-hand that expressiveness, humor and elegance is not limited to their musical instruments. In the Sinfonia oboist Cheryl Priebe Bishkoff and bassoonist Ron Haroutanian are featured as well, and The Viennese Schools also includes Anton Webern's Five Pieces for Orchestra and Brahms' Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68. The performance will be reprised on Sunday at 3 p.m. in the revamped URI Fine Arts Recital Hall. Tickets are available by calling 874-2431 (not Vets). Full-time student rush tix, if any remain, go on sale Saturday at Vets after 7:30. Valid ID gets you in for five. All the skinny's at www.ri-philharmonic.org. Unbeatable.

New s'cool old school: Mark Cutler's Skylolo (Potters Field) is out next week, with distribution by Monolyth, the same folks representing the Royal Crowns, only spelled correctly this time. Joining MC are useful Jims Coyle (g/v) and Olson (b), plus Bob Giusti on drummin'. NewPaper alum Scott Duhamel shares two songwriting credits, and Tom Buckland produced with Dave Minehan. Guests include Klem, Geri Verdi, Dick Reed and more. Also in the can is the new one from the band that shook Planet Shannock, Plan 9, featuring Eric Stumpo, Deb DeMarco, Steve Anderson and Roger Vaughan. Pleasure Farm is up soon, but in case you were curious, of course there's killer cover art by RK Sloane and some snaky fiddle and lap steel work by peerless gent Kev Fallon.

"Beware the Ides of . . . " No, wait, that isn't it. "He that hath killed my king, and whored my mother, popp'd in between the election and my hopes; thrown out his angle for my proper life, and with such cozenage -- is't not a perfect conscience, to quit him with this arm? And is't not to be damn'd, to let this canker of our nature come in further evil?"

Actually that isn't it either -- that's Hamlet getting heated -- but the direction isthis: Shakespeare was and is popular because his dramas speak of the roiling emotions within everyone. Rap and hip-hop are not very different. The Bard's language usage was far more spectacular, certainly, but then his characters weren't always speaking and singing over melody lines which serve to heighten the effect . . . and tension.

Which may make this weekend's hip-hop version of Twelfth Night all the more engaging. Coming off their strong run of The Island, the Providence Black Repertory Company now plays host to some out-of-towners -- in this case, Concord, New Hampshire's St. Paul's School -- for Club 12, a hip-hop interp of Shakespeare's work. Friday's show is at the PBRC on Washington Street, and Saturday's moves to Kingston for a slot at Quinn Hall. Both are at 8 p.m., with admission $5 for the Prov show and $3 for Kingston. URI students go for the $0 at Quinn.

Rubble is the title of the inaugural literary collaboration of AS220, Perishable and Groundwerx, featuring plays, prose and poetry by several of these organizations' mainstays. Prose highlights include works by His Panic Band's Jonathan Thomas ("Tendrils in Formaldehyde" whetting our bibliophilic appetite for his upcoming Conjurines and Celtic Holidays) and poetry zoomer Matt Lowe. As is usual in these collections, there are ample dead spots and unexpected delights. One of the latter is the nifty, hilarious short poem "Ode to the Van Man" by artist Susan Clausen, another is a call-to-interactivity by Matt Obert, who solicits news of other cities' underground public art movements through his "Create Your Own Paste Logo Stencil" page. In keeping with the spirit of the Space, the tome comes with a sharpened pencil. Inclusivity is the operative word. Or in this case, words. The unjuried arts center celebrates with Rubble author readings this weekend.

Elseware: Erica Wheeler stops by Stone Soup Saturday, and here's to being one of the first kids on the block to notice this riveting new voice in folk via Northampton. 100th Monkey, featuring fiddler Rachel Maloney, harmonica necromancer Chris Turner and bodhran vet Mance Grady, also perform. Very slick folk twin bill. Dropkick Murphys join Arson Family and more at the Met Thursday next (2.26), the mighty Railroad Jerk hit Century Lounge tonight (2.19) and Delta Clutch arrive there tomorrow (2.20). Next door it's Janis' boys in Big Brother and the Holding Company (Geri Verdi opens) on Saturday at the Call before God Lives Underwater stops by for an all-ages show on Sunday.