My Blog

The End of an Era..... and a new beginning

Jeffrey — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 17:24:09 GMT

Sultana has been the home of the monthly Shahtazad's Showcase ahows for the past year, but that has come to an end. Ayman who owned Sultana in Williamsburg, Brooklyn with his partner Coco, sold Sultana to a new owner and it is just not the same venue. We had our last show scheduled for June 21st (last week) and had an elaborate functioned planned (it was Shahrazad's annual birthday show) and when we got there to set up the stage at 7 pm we were informed by the new owner that she decided to book the night to two other private party venues that had signed a contract with her. She knew of our show and gladly agreed to continue to host the show on a monthly basis, but it seems that when someone crossed her palm with some more green, that agreement went out the window. Ayman would have never treated us like that and although they (Coco and the new owner) blamed Ayman for erasing our venue from the book the previous week, that didn't ring true because Ayman had surrended his keys to the place the previous month. Ayman is a great guy and actually got us placed in another hookah lounge in Astoria for that evening, but we decided to just take our show to Shahrazad's studio in Carroll Gardens (because it was closer for people that were showing up at the Sultana space). We text messaged as many as we could about the venue change (and not all people got the message) and we left accurate directions with the wait staff and bartender at Sultana (who always loved our show and hated what happened). The show went on an hour later in the Albee Studios on the corner of Court St. and Carroll Street , and it was one of our best shows (although lightly attended). There was an outpouring of affection for Shahrazad and all of the dancers there in honor of her birthday (as well as Magdalena and Chrystine's birthday.............you missed Jon Hanley and I playing the Beatles birthday song for them :)). This show was and is what a belly dance show is supposed to be. A "hafla"! A party that celebrates dance and joy. A very friendly gathering full of comraderee and affection. That's what happened! We are taking a break for July and August (as usual) but Shahrazad's Showcase will be back in the fall at a new venue (either in Manhattan or Brooklyn) we are in the midst of finalizing the venue, but it will be in a bigger place for certain, So please keep an eye out for our announcements for the new shows. Shahrazad's Showcase is alive and well and will be back in full steam. We look forward to seeing you there.

Shahrazad's Showcase May 24th, 2008

Jeffrey — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 14:19:31 GMT

This show is and always has been a great show, but there was something just a little "extra special" about the May show. We were graced by the performance of that Tribal Fusion phenom Vorona. This magnificent dancer captured our hearts, and you know what? She is just about the most genuinely nice person you'll ever meet. She and Shahrazad hit it off immediately and Vorona instantly fell in love with the style and talents of young Julissa.(she dedicated her dance to her) I had Jon Hanley join me again on the North Indian Sarod and my friend and ex-wife Mary Nagin sat in with us on violin.My girlfriend Chrystine was there and sat in on bass doumbek for Shahrazad's solo. My friend Captain Zorihk was on the door and everyone had a great time. I had the opportunity to play drum solos for some of my very favorite dancers in the world all in one venue (I'm a fan as well as a performer). Shahrazad, Shir-El, and Vorona were joined by Teuta, Magdalena, Julissa, Tanya, Heather, Jennie and Tara as well as Shahrazad's company Arabian Knights. We do this show every month at Sultana at 160-2 North 4th Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The next show will be on June 21st and I can promise that it will be a great one............. but it will be hard to top the May show. Shahrazad, Shir-El and Vorona on one stage on one night...........it was drummer's heaven.

Tribe has self-destructed, exploded, had a meltdown or just a compete mental breakdown!!!

Jeffrey — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 19:36:19 GMT

Posts are lost. The server is frozen in one place and new topics aren't appearing, responses aren't appearing and I'm afraid that the cooling water isn't getting to the fuel rods................ run for your lives. If anyone is reading this message, it's been a pleasure knowing you all.....................................................

Happy New Years to all my friends

Jeffrey — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 01:46:28 GMT

I had a great New Years Eve celebration. My friend and drum mentor Amir Naoum needed somebody to fill in for him this past weekend at a Greek Restaurant on the upper east side so he threw the work my way. I saw New Years in at Trata Estiatoria on 2nd Ave and 70th playing with the Mylos All Star Band. If you've never been to a traditional Greek celebration then I suggest that you go sometime. It is no surprise to me that these wonderful people are the root of modern Western civilization and they stopped short of the nasty decadence that we seem to have added to it. Somehow we all got it wrong and got "off track" somewhere. The Greeks really know how to party. Everybody has fun. All people dance and dance and dance..... on chairs, on the floor, on tables, with handkerchiefs, throwing dollar bills all over the place. There was plenty of distilled spirits, yet not a one of them was sloppy drunk. This was like the kind of party you have dreams about, and OMG was the food ever wonderful. I got paid very well and I really feel like I came out ahead. These are some of the warmest and nice people that I've ever had the pleasure of working with and half the time I couldn't understand a word of what was being said (I don't speak a word of Greek), but they had no difficulty communicating their genuine joy of life. By the end of the night, there was a blanket of dollar bills in front of the band on the dance floor. By the time we counted it all, it was over $800 and after we tipped the wait staff, we each went home with over $150 in tips plus our very generous fee for the evening. We started playing at 9:45 pm and we didn't stop until 4:30 am. No break, and it flew by. I hope that Amir continues to get higher paying gigs and needs me to sit in for him more often because I had an absolute blast.

AN IDEAL WORLD!

Jeffrey — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 21:13:06 GMT

In an ideal world there will be people of different backgrounds joined together to act positively for a cause. In an ideal world each person has individual talents and specialties that they can bring to that cause. In an ideal world, each of those people will be respected and welcomed for their contributions. In an ideal world, the populace can witness all of this and be welcomed participants in the cause or event. In an ideal world, everyone will part knowing that they have been a part of something greater than themselves.....and long for the next time. Last night I was part of an ideal world. Night of 1000 Goddesses part 2 happened yesterday at 4:00pm and again at 7:00pm at Morrocco's studio at 6 West 20th Street in NYC. Morrocco herself opened the show with an extremely moving and uplifting traditional blessing dance that brought everyon's energy up. She is an international treasure. If you missed it, you really missed it. There were many individual companies and soloists performing and no two were alike..... and they all got along...... and they all helped each other..... and they all knew that they were a part of something special. It is possible to isolate favorites based upon personal taste, but it will be impossible and a lie to say that any one of those dance performances wasn't spectacular. I cannot decide if I loved this performance of Night of 1000 Goddesses more than last years or just as much. I don't think that it is "right" to rate a performance such as this, it is just a force of nature to behold. That's what this was. A force of nature. Of human nature reaching its highest calling. Gone were the politics and intrigues of an evil society, gone was the greed and animosity, and what remained was a community of artists working together and allowing themselves to really love one another. This show is the brainchild of Zan Asha (another treasure) and she and her company Chovexani performed perhaps their most powerful dance to date as well as hosting this event. Every dancer shined. Every performance was an important brick in the fabric of the structure. All contributed much. All encompassed each other in good fellowship. When it works like this, it gives us a flickering view of what a perfect world can be, and it gives us hope. Both Casey and I were both honored and moved to be a part of it. ................................... There has to be a Night of 1000 Goddesses #3. Our world needs it!

Back from Pennsic War XXXVI

Jeffrey — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 20:12:55 GMT

Okay, we finally made it back. Pennsic was great! It was hot, sunny, humid, soaking wet. stormy, muddy, dry, raining cats and dogs, windy, still, but no snow. Our tent went down and was trashed at the end of Pennsic. All of our thin gs got wet. Our air mattress leaked, our bedding sucked and we forgot to bring our clothes rack (a blessing in disguise we later discovered because we had much of our clothes in waterproof plastic tubs). We had a great time. We taught two classes on rhythm arrangements and creating a layered drum song and the students all "got it" and performed beautifully. We played a couple of pieces in the Mid-East Dance Expo, one with one of our very favorite dancers: Shahrazad/Sage and another with a new friend from the Middle Kingdom that created a very moving and accurate Zar Trance Dance. We played a whole bunch of parties. Got to hang out with some of our favorite people. I shot War Points for the first time with perfect vision. Casey was able to attend the classes that Melissa and Carmine offered playing traditional Turkish melodic music and she absolutely loved it. There was a performance/hafla in the European Dance Pavillion and I've never seen her so energetic and alive. She was great. We got to see people from all over the "known world" that we only get to see at Pennsic, and that alone is enough reason to go. I got a chance to jam along with the first person to teach me doumbek, Master Salvanis/Billy Woods who was able to get to Pennsic this year after a 9 year hiatus. We went on half a shoe-string and still managed to have a great time and ate very well. Our Camp mates at House Crossbow are just about the best people that you can ever meet and we always enjoy just hanging out with them. We played a private bachelorette party at Tuchux camp (What happens at Pennsic stays at Pennsic). We had a roast venison one night at camp that Greg the Archer from Atlantia made. We lost the war, We were outnumbered about ten to one and it was very close............. ah well. I picked up a new Kaval and flute. Our friend Ocean at Marrakech did real well this war and is giving the other merchants a real run for their money, YAY! I like to see good things happen for good people. Touch The Earth remains one of the big supporters of Middle-Eastern Music and Dance and they did well also. another YAY! I'm not 100% happy with the time change of the War but it certainly wont keep me away If you were there, you know it was a great time. If you've never been, why not come on down next year, same "Bat-time, same Bat-station".

Sundays at Figaro

Jeffrey — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 04:53:14 GMT

So, on our way back from Raquy's retreat, we decided that we would go to one of our favorite places: Cafe Figaro on the corner of MacDougall and Bleeker in Greenwich Village. Every Sunday Night there is a Bellydance night in the back room. This is hosted by Scott Wilson and his lovely bellydancer wife, Leni. Scott is the son of legendary dancer Serena (who recently passed on) and Scott is one of the most respected virtuossos on oud, saz and bazouki. Joining him on the stage are often Raquy Danziger on doumbek, Rami on riq and doumbek and Carmine on bass doumbek and sometimes lead doumbek. Also there are often a kanoon player, a clarinet and any other assortment of musicians. They are great no matter what the line-up. There are three dancers scheduled for each of these Sunday nights. One of the dancers that was performing on the 8th was Samira from the DC area. She is am exceptional dancer and a real pro. She knows just how to work her audience and is very expressive in her movements. I have only seen her perform one other time at Pennsic and I was glad to be able to get back to NY in time to catch this show. She is a Tribe friend and everytime that she had a gig here in NY, I was out of town, but this time it all worked.Casey was quite taken with her dancing. Raquy was playing doumbek and Rami was on riq (they also came straight from the retreat). Carmine played bass doumbek and played lead doumbek for a drum solo for Samira. This was a fantastic show. We sat with Sarah Skinner and Blanca (two of the sweetest people and great dancers) and traded quips with our new friend Ginger (who also came from the retreat). Sundays at Figaro are more like a "house party" than anything else. Scott and Eleni are very generous and warm hosts and there is that family gathering feeling. They are very much mourning the passing of Scott's mom and he feels that continuing to play these Sunday night shows brings him close to his mom..... it must work, because there is such warm feeling there. There is no cover charge, but a $20 minimum per person at a table. That's not bad and the food is always good........ and the coffee is good. You will see a world class performance of Mid-East music and dance and be well fed and it all costs about $20 per person (seldom more unless you drink a lot of booze........... Casey and I don't drink. so it is often very inexpensive). Try to get there, you'll thank me for it. :-)

Raquy's Retreat in the Catskills July 5th - 8th 2007

Jeffrey — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 04:01:45 GMT

Okay.... we were there again. One of the main reasons for going to this type of retreat besides the wonderful rhythms and techniques that are learned, is for the people that are there.... we made good new friends and had the chance of visiting with older friends. Just check out the pictures I posted here. I dare you to tell me that those people aren't having a great time. :-) We had a very rare privilege of learning a new rhythm/composition that Raquy had written for an original piece of music that was composed by her Rebaba teacher, it is called: "Saiidi Ana". On the Saturday evening performance, all of the workshop students performed the percussion part of the piece while Raquy played the melody on her Kemenshe. It worked out okay. We played it again on Wednesday Evening July 11th at Galapagos in Williamsburgh and it went even better. These retreats are a real pleasure and very valuable. If you are looking to immerse yourself in the study of Middle-Eastern percussion under the tutelage of a very gifted and talented teacher, why not come to one of these retreats? You'll also meet a bunch of great people and make new friends

I lost a dear friend and the NY art world lost a star

Jeffrey — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 00:49:17 GMT

Today I found out that an old friend has passed on and lost his battle with cancer. Richard Pionk was the president of The Salmagundi Club and was a teacher at The Art Students League. Richard passed on Tuesday, June 5th 2007 and not many people were notified. I found out because I was contacted to take over his classes at the National Arts Club and I asked the Director how Dick was doing because I hadn't spoken to him in over a month and then I found out. Below is a copy of what I posted on his memory page at The New York Times: I've known Richard for over 30 years and considered him a friend. I remember when Richard first became a member of the P.S.A. when we were still a fledgling organization. Richard brought his gentle manner and artistic insights into all that he did. He was a fine artist and a true gentleman of the old school. He was respectable and quietly worked towards the benefit of those around him. He was a generous man and quietly and kindly gave to fellow artists in need. I had the priviledge of knowing him and calling him a friend. I only heard of his passing earlier today and I cried like a baby. I had spoken with him a couple of months ago and he had said that he wasn't doing that well, but we all expected him to bounce back. This is a great loss to the NY art community and a great personal loss to any of us that knew him. I can't imagine our NY world without his presence. God Bless you Richard. Jeffrey Webb (Huntington Station, NY)

Eastwinds new web-site is launched

Jeffrey — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 10:25:21 GMT

Thanks to the work of our friends, Zan Asha and Wes Murray of Morrigan Productions and Chovexani we have a new website. They did a great job of putting this together for us and we really love what they did with the page. Check it out at: http://www.chovexani.com/eastwinds Now we have a place where we can send people to read about us, our current projects and performances, sample some videos of our past performances and also sample some tracks from our CD's as well as purchase Eastwinds products (CD's, T-shirts, etc.). Thank you Zan and Wes.

Raquy's Retreat in Goshen NY Winter '07

Jeffrey — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 01:13:12 GMT

Wow! My head is still reeling! I just returned home after an intense few days at a drumming workshop with Raquy Danziger in upstate NY. This is one of those programs that emmerses you so deeply into the craft that you barely come up for air. Casey and I had a real BLAST with some great people that we hope to continue to keep in touch with. (There's a comraderee' that happens at events like this). There was so much challenging information that I think it will take me a while to mull it all over. These kinds of things are very good and Raquy is a great communicator and a phenominal musician. She has a very specific (and probably classic) way of doing things and it may take a while to adjust if you're used to doing things differently. Casey and I are real good together and sometimes we feel like we're "all thumbs" at one of these retrerats but after a time working out the bugs, it broadens and sharpens the abilities and perceptions. (I feel rather clumsy after the performance on saturday night, but I feel as though I'm finally figuring out the feel of the pieces we learned ..... 24 hours after we performed it). Raquy gives these retreats several times a year and they are well worth it. If you want to dive in for few days and be totally absorbed in Middle-Eastern Rhythms and music, you MUST go. Rami is the chef , providing great meals for us each day (and he's also a "kickass" musician. His doumbek solo at the performance was world class and awesome.) . We had the priviledge of welcoming a master oud player named Haig that was kind enough to play with all of us in different pieces. This was quite the event. (There was an "over-the-top" knock-out after-party drum jam last night and......... well, you just had to be there.

Life sure looks a lot better now.......actually, everything does

Jeffrey — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 04:58:05 GMT

I actually thought that I'd never see out of my right eye again. Because I am a diabetic, the type of cataract that I had was early symptomatic and my eyesight diminished rapidly, seemingly overnight and I was left seeing through what seemed like two layers of heavy waxed paper. I couldn't distinguish anything but very foggy color shapes and my night vision was zip. Fortunately, my left eye was pretty good and that's what I've relied on for the past few years. My health insurance was lost about 4 years ago and I owe a small fortune from when I had my heart attack so the prospects of getting cataract surgery seemed slim. I had a lot of help, and I have a lot of angels surrounding me; maybe not the spiritual beings, though I don't doubt their presence either, but certainly the very mortal kind of dear souls that I am fortunate to know. Casey was an absolute "rock" that offered the most dedicated and firm support as well as a lot of TLC. There was a doctor friend that was upset that I no longer had binocular vision and pulled a lot of strings to get me into a program where I could be used as a teaching case for opthamologists working on their surgery residence. I qualified for a very very reduced rate at the hospital clinic and I was operated on Friday October 27th by a leading eye surgeon and his prize protege. Even my ex-wife stepped up and helped out giving me a ride while Casey had a very important task at work. The surgery was virtually painless (except for a sore hand from the anesthesiologist trying to get that damned needle through my leather thick hide) and the surgery was a complete success. Later on that night when the bandage came off, I beheld something miraculous (besides Casey's beautiful face) and that was vision out of both eyes. Not only vision, but better vision than I've had since I was a child. I no longer need to wear glasses. I see better with my right eye than I've seen since I was an 8 year old kid and got my first pair of glasses. Many of you know me as a musician which I have been in one way or another since I was a youngster. Some of you know that my primary trade is as a visual artist of a certain amount of notoriety and then some of you know that I am also a competitive archer with quite a few awards and honors to my name. Well, my painting has suffered a bit the last few years and I all but gave up hope of ever shooting competitively again..............but,......I'm BACK!! Lots of things in the world may have turned to crap, but I'm feeling a whole lot more positive about things, because I can see. People have been very kind and supportative to me and I just want to tell you how much I appreciate it. The world can't be all that bad with so many good people around. Have I mentioned how beautiful Casey is? I finally got a good look at myself.......there's some work that has to be done..... ;-/ No more "old man" sunglasses and now maybe only reading glasses on occassion (I'm still not getting any younger y'know), but other than that everything is just absolutely fine and beautiful. I have mentioned how beautiful Casey is, haven't I? Thank you my friends for your good wishes and I look forward to seeing you all real soon. And I do mean seeing you. Cheers, -Jeff

Cabaret Macabre at Lafayette Grill

Jeffrey — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 22:43:00 GMT

We didn't know if we were going to be able to make this performance because I had eye surgery on Friday, but I figured that I haven't seen out of one eye in so long that even if it was bandaged (which it wasn't), I really didn't want to miss this performance. It seems that any time that I make an entry onto my blog it is a rave review, well this will be no exception. If I don't like something, I won't waste my time writing about it , I figure I've already wasted enough time already (future note.) This performance was an event and not just on the stage area but in the audience as well. We had an opportunity to socialize with some great folks and friends in the music and dance community as well as witnessing a spectacular performance that hinted of nostalgia and was also "cutting edge". Now, don't get me wrong, there were parts of it that I would have changed if I were staging it, but I wasn't, so I just accept certain things and enjoy another artist's interpretations. Mariyah and Darshan of "bellydance" fame are members of this company and proved that "a dancer is a dancer'. Great training and artistry translates into any other form. This was certainly not a bellydance performance, but a great dancer is a great dancer. There was a potpourri of different dances ranging from powerful and moody to humorous and ribald to touching and sweet. This is Dalia Carella's company and bears her mark (a beautiful sensual Spanish influenced veil dance was her solo). I found myself drifting into images from "I and the Camera", Jean Cocteau and German Expressionist paintings as well as the obvious Surrealist and Dada genre. It was a theater experience as well as a dance with a touch of Burlesque as well as the over all scenario of a Cabaret. You are destined to not "like" all of it, but you will absolutely "love" a lot of it. And isn't that what "real art" is supposed to do to us? The dancers and performers can all be proud of being a part of something this big. I only know Mariyah and Darshan from the Middle Eastern dance world (Darshan did a heart pounding sensual fire dance that was breath taking and Mariyah was center stage with a saber as the rest of the company danced with 14th century misericords (mercy daggers) in a very powerful and moody dark piece.All of the dancers were wonderful. The puppet dance featured music by Raquy Danziger which was kind of thrilling because I remember her working on that piece and she played it in an earlier form at one of her retreats. We loved it then. Souren Baronian played the sax and frame drum. This man has some of the most incredible "chops" on a sax that I've ever heard (and I've heard and worked with some of the greatest jazz sax players out there). I applauded so hard that I broke my watch strap. Oh yeah, I liked it.

Night of 1000 Goddesses a roaring success

Jeffrey — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 17:20:50 GMT

Well, if you weren't there............ha ha ha ..........you missed THE show. I knew it was going to be good, but I had no idea how good it was going to be. Sure, it was in a small cramped theater upstairs on West 44th Street (but it was right in the heart of the theater district), sure the stage was a bit too small and the ceiling was a bit too low (especially for an "over the top" phenomenal theatrical wing dance, but "Oh my God", did they ever make it work!!! I went in expecting and anticipating certain dancers and dances that were favorites of mine, but then I was overwhelmed by the total creative quality and skills of EVERY dance and dancer. Casey and I made a real effort to be there for this (this is how important that we knew it was going to be). I was at a gala art opening at the National Arts Club (where I was being honored for my work with a specific art organization that I am a member of) and I politely begged out of the after dinner at the club so that I could meet Casey to go to this. Casey had plans to be at a very important family event (christening) in central New Jersey in the afternoon, which she was unable to attend after all because she injured her back and spent the morning in the hospital, but after enough pain-killers and some rest, she also decided she would not miss this event. Lots has been said about "Gothic Bellydance" on a lot of the blogs. Some "old timers" have been very cruel and blind to the merits of this exciting art-form. I just wish they could have been there to see. After Ariellah's performance I heard an old friend that has been involved in traditional bellydance for many years (she was sitting behind us) just let out with a very audible but "breath taken away"....WOOOOOW! That could sum up the responses of most everybody in that room to almost every dance. Zan Asha and Chovexani performed three dances during the show and Zan's solo starting in a birka, and a very experimental and cutting edge final dance by the company were spectacular. Zan and company were the producers and work crew for this event and she must be bathing in the afterglow today because.....WOOOOOOOOW! Shakra did one of the freakiest modern dance/afro-orientale fusion raqs that you're likely to see. It was sharp, and awesome. Yay Hilary and Na'la (as well as the other great dancer that I don't really know). Sarah Locke did a theatrical piece where she drew from her love of classical Indian Dance and raqs sharki and it was beautiful. Casey said on the way home that anybody that wants to see how Indian movement can blend so beautifully with Middle Eastern dance must see Sarah perform. Kittarina and Elisheva performed a dance that I had seen them do before but they've changed and refreshed some of the choreography and staging. It is a piece that would be just as appropriate as part of "Cirque de Soliel" as a part of a bellydance performance. It is acrobatic, graceful and they moved together as one being...it was breath taking. This is the first time that I've had the pleasure of seeing Asharah perform, and it was a pleasure. I see a lot of bellydance and I always appreciate it on all sorts of levels and I'm seldom surprised. Asharah stepped onto the stage and made it hers. Great presence, great technique and a wonderful performance, Yay! Gothic bellydance is all about being dark and moody, right? Well....Sera and company premiered a dance as a tribute to motherhood and specifically Sera's impending motherhood. This dance was touching, sweet, loving and still managed to keep a raqs gothique flavor (How'd she do that?). A comment was made (I won't say by who) that Sera (who is 7 months pregnant), can do shimmies and move better to the dance than the majority of dancers that are not pregnant. I would very much like to see this dance again. I hope they still perform it well after her beautiful baby (come on, you know it's going to be) is born. Ayshe performed that incredible dance that she performed on the Gothic Bellydance DVD. I could see it hundreds of times and it is a spectacle. It was only during this dance that I wished that the theater was much larger. This is a large dance and needs a lot of air, but she managed to compensate and make it work really well. It added a different dimension to the dance and I was able to focus on different parts of it. And Ariellah. What can I say? This little dancer just knocked my socks off. What an incredible talent! She is the music when she dances. The sharpest and cleanest technique that I think I've ever seen on any dancer (and BTW she's modest and nice too) . What I just said about Ariellah above can be said about all of the dancers that were in this performance./ They weren't just doing moves to music, they became a part of the music and helped to visualize through their own vision what the music looked like. Well folks.......they're promising to do this again next year. (I'm thinking it should be in the Garden, Felt Forum, Joyce Theater, Beacon, Lincoln Center....ah ....dreams....) Did you hear me? They're thinking about doing this as an annual event (.....pause for loud cheers......). Plan on being there! If you weren't there, go to confession, give some alms to the poor, a day of self flagellation, cry out loud like a baby (something tells me Sera's baby's gonna come out doing a Zaghareet), and make sure you don't miss the next one. Casey and I were there for this one and if you weren't.......... HA HA HA ;-P (Let us not make this mistake again)

NY Renaissance Faire is still going strong

Jeffrey — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 21:20:11 GMT

Well, yesterday Casey and I went for the second time this season to the NY Ren Faire and we had a great time again for the second time this season. I can't even count the number of times that I've been to the fair over the years, but still I am drawn to it and keep going back. It is always a good time with things to do for the whole family. We had the opportubity to see our friends Karpathos (Paul Ash, et al) and they had the spectacular dancer Mariyah performing with them. Karpathos was kind enough to invite me to sit in on a couple of pieces and I had the opportunity to see my sweetheart Casey dance with the other dancers and solo. Usually Casey is next to me holding down the rhythms on her drum, but this was a special day, the temperature, the weather and the company was perfect, so Casey danced. Divinely I wish to add. Karpathos is wonderful. They are very comfortable doing what they do and can think on their feet. What can I say about Mariyah other than this is a world class pro and anyone that was there to see got a real treat. The scenario of the faire changes from year to year a little bit, but the fight choreography gets better all of the time. It was a slighly shorter joust show than usual, but real classy and well done. If you stay late, be sure to check out The Crimson Pirates on the Fool's Stage. It is a very fun and casual show that can get a wee bit bawdy (but not so much that the young ones will catch on), they really tear the place up and it's a hoot. In a time that many things seem to be going downhill, it is comforting that there are things like this that seem to continue to grow in a positive way. Check it out or just go on back for another visit. It runs through Sunday September 24th......so hurry. ;-)

The "Fairy Fest" is now a fond memory

Jeffrey — Sun, 16 Jul 2006 15:31:02 GMT

Well, it happened yesterday in Park Slope, Brooklyn. A day of fun and frolicking, shopping, performances and enough good fellowship to make even a pessimist giggle and feel good. Zan Ashe surrounded by a very loving support group hosted (and I MEAN hosted) a fundraiser event that charmed entertained and enlightened the summer "brain fried" NY community. Truly wonderful merchants, wonderful performers, humor, magic,friendship and some drama (two adorable children fighting a "duel to the death" ala Errol Flynn/Basil Rathbone with party balloon swords in front of and all around a seemingly un-scathed Zan Ashe as she forged on ahead with the auction.....uh.....ya hadda see it to understand) What a wonderful hostess Zan is. Sha has a vision and a passion (besides a whole lot of talent) and her dream is to bring this type of performance dance that she and other members of Chovexani do to another level: as a theatrical balletic performance complete with narrative and theme and featured in a theatre setting. This event was to serve as a fundraiser for one of those efforts, the Sept 17th performance of "Night of 1000 Goddesses". This was a laborious effort and although she had a lot of help, she must be fried today. One of my favorite quotes (and it concerns the visual arts) is from the notebooks of American painter Charles W. Hawthorne: "The world is waiting for men of vision, it is not interested in mere pictures." That could be said of Zan and her efforts. This young lady has a vision and she wants to take everybody along with her. It's a positive thing, this vision, and it comes in a time when we could use more positive visions in the world. So......if you are reading my blog and you heard about the Fairy Fest, but couldn't come to it, why not make a point of getting to any of the other performances featuring Chovexani, and while you're there, why not slip a bill or two (currency that is) into an envelope and give it to Zan with the directions that this is to support her future efforts to bring her style of enrichment to the dance community. She's also VERY generous with her gratitude and inclusion. If you are a performer, you know this, Zan and the other members of Chovexani are very warm and inviting and are more than willing to share the stage with others. They also do a "kickass" performance. BTW I hear that after all was said and done, they wound up in the black with the event(somewhat appropriate color for goths don't you think?). So if you weren't there, it's your loss. Don't make that mistake again. Cheers! :-)

Okay....Tomorrow is the day!!!!!

Jeffrey — Sat, 24 Jun 2006 03:02:19 GMT

This is it! Our big bash is tomorrow and we're hoping to see a lot of friends and interested people there. "What?" you may ask...... Ah well, unless you have been living in a vacuum here on tribe.net, you have read and heard that Jeff (that would be me) and Casey (the much prettier) are hosting a Middle-Eastern ONLY dance and drum circle which is also a release party for our newest CD "Full Circle"....and....there will be vendors. Of course we will be selling our CD's and T-shirts (tank tops too), some drums and zills and a few other related items, Zan Asha and other members of Chovexani will be performing and also they have some great items for sale. We are being generously hosted by The Ethical Humanist Society in Garden City, NY (that's on Long Island) and they will be vending food at the event. Carmine has promised to show up with his cumbus and I'm sure we'll also have a drum or two that he can play, and I'm expecting a number of other dancers and drummers there that have promised to be there. So....come and join in. This is the first such event that I know of like this to take place on Long Island and we're planning on trying to run a Middle-Eastern dance and drum circle here on a fairly regular basis. There are MANY drum circles that feature mostly West-African and Latin style of drumming, we know because we go to them and love them, but this will be the first Middle-Eastern one. There are probably as many if not more people here that are interested in Middle-Eastern rhythms and dance, yet nobody has ever done this. We think it's going to work. Come on by and check us out if you are in the area. The following night we will definitely be going to The Shadows of the Harem event hosted by Zan Asha at the Remote Lounge in the lower east side of New York. This is going to be a great weekend. Eastwinds Tribal Drumming Jeff Webb & Casey Bond Invites you to join in the celebration at the Release Party for their highly anticipated CD FULL CIRCLE at Long Island’s new Bellydance & Drum Circle Saturday, June 24, 2006 4 – 9 PM Ethical Humanist Society 38 Old Country Road Garden City, NY Free rhythms workshop with Jeff & Casey of Eastwinds Special Guest Dancers and Musicians Eastwinds will be joined by our buddy Tracy Hamilton Zan Asha and the company "ChoveXani" will perform Middle Eastern drum circle (doumbek, zills, frame drums please) Shopping Bazaar: dancewear and great deals on CDs & Drums Dance to live drumming and cuts from “Full Circle” Admission: Free! For directions and more information, please visit www.Circle Beat.com

Raquy and the Cavemen at Lafayette Grill, April 20th, 2006

Jeffrey — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 07:57:26 GMT

What can I say other than it is such a pleasure being there and enjoying the work of people that are "just that good" at what they do. There was a real good spirit there. There was an exhibition earlier in the evening of Raquy's students and it was great. They must have been thrilled (if not a wee bit nervous). I had the pleasure of seeing Mariyah dance. I'm ashamed to admit that this is the first time I've seen her dance and it was magical. She combines all the fluidity of movement with a very lyrical feeling that almost seems effortless, but it is also obvious that this is a consumate professional with incredibally good technique. It was also wonderful seeing Oreet dance again. Very energetic. If you were there, you know I speak the truth and it was a great show with a real warm sense of fellowship. If you haven't been to see them perform, then go........as soon as you can.....don't hesitate.....just GO.

Mary Zimmerman's ARABIAN NIGHTS

Jeffrey — Fri, 07 Apr 2006 03:50:35 GMT

Last night my sweet Lady Casey and I went over to John Jay College (10th ave. in the high 50's) to see a FREE play performance of an original play by Mary Zimmerman loosely based on 1001 Arabian Nights. I didn't know quite what to expect. I've been to too many college plays and some are worthwhile, but most are total amateur night.....and this one is free, so how good could it have been? We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and were very impressed by the quality. There were live musicians on stage playing oud, riq,deff and nay and they helped to set the mood and provide very effective and professional performances (the bass doumbek player (Rami) from Raquy and the Cavemen is credited as playing with the musicians, but he was not there the night we saw it). It was funny in places, ribald, touching and in places powerful. The acting was uneven, but none of it inadequate and in some places, riveting. It will play only one more night, Friday April 7th at 8:00pm. So......if you have nothing to do and would like some enlightening entertainment, check it out. (Parking on 61st St was only $16) The total cost for the evening was $16 plus gas and that's less than most movies.