Mardi Gras Mambo

If you can’t make it to Mardi Gras this year, you can celebrate here in Ann Arbor with Mardi Gras Mambo at the Michigan Theater on Wednesday, February 17th. This event will feature performances from Crescent City jazz legend Dr. John with Lower 911 and New Orleans’ First Family of Funk, The Neville Brothers. These performances will be a real treat to see during this time of year, without even traveling to The Big Easy!

Dr. John of New Orleans has been an iconic figure in music for over forty years, combining jazz, rock, blues and funk. Pianist and guitar player, he has worked with the likes of Eric Clapton, Mick Jagger, Al Hirt, and many Louisiana-based musicians. His early musical career in the late 1960s and early 1970s involved many voodoo influences, beginning with his psychedelic debut album Gris-Gris in 1968. The stage name Dr. John was inspired by a 19th century Louisiana voodoo practitioner, and Dr. John himself was Jim Henson's inspiration for the character of Dr. Teeth on The Muppet Show.

The R&B soul troupe, The Neville Brothers, have been recording since the late 1970s. Brother Aaron Neville has enjoyed a solo career of his own with some adult contempory hits, such as a cover of "Everybody Plays the Fool." The Neville Brothers were a consistent closing act at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival until Hurricane Katrina in 2005 when they relocated to Nashville. They returned to the festival in 2008.

It's snowing and the snowsuits are out. When you come back inside, and warm up, review the play with these books for very young children:
Mouse's First Snow by Lauren Thompson
Carl's Snowy Afternoon by Alexandra Day
Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
In The Snow by Huy Voun Lee
or ... choose from many other "snowy" titles in the online Catalog.

If you like historical fiction with a bit of whimsy, check out a new teen novel, A Brief History of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper. Sophia and her cousin, sister and brother are the last of the FitzOsbornes, a royal family, who live in a crumbling castle on an island off the coast of England. Also living in the castle is their reclusive uncle, the mad King John and his caretaker, Rebecca. The year is 1936. One day, they spy a boat with two Germans who declare themselves historians there to do research on the island. But the peace of the island is about to be broken. Sophie records daring escapes, romantic yearnings, murder and betrayals in her journal.

Looking to read a book and join a discussion on it? Check out Crazy Wisdom’s monthly book discussions, which take place at 7 p.m. at Crazy Wisdom Community Room. Titles to be discussed in the near future are:

February 12: Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears by Pema Chodron
March 12: How to Grow More Vegetables by John Jeavons
April 9: When Technology Fails by Matthew Stein

There is no registration, just show up! Check here for full details!Crazy Wisdom

Congressman John Murtha has died

Pennsylvania Congressman John Murtha (D) died 90 minutes ago at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington.

He was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives thirty-six years ago after serving with the United States Marine Corps in Vietnam, thus making him the first combat vet elected to Congress.

A tireless advocate for veterans' rights, he was Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense at the time of his death.

Murtha, who died of complications from gallbladder surgery, was 77.

The wave of boy + girl bands is reaching its crest right now, showcasing a rare depth of sub-genres in the rock pool. Riding this rising tide is Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward's band, She & Him, who are readying their follow up to 2008's critically acclaimed folk-rock release, Volume One, with (surprise!) Volume Two, which will be out this March.

On a darker current is the British group, The xx, whose shared sultry melancholy is balanced brilliantly between lead vocalists Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim on their self-titled debut. Musically, The xx relies on spare bass lines, deep keyboard tones, and the occasional drum machine to create slow, atmospheric, yet infectious rock.

For a more turbulent sound, check out the husband/wife duo, Handsome Furs, featuring guitarist/singer Dan Boeckner from Wolf Parade and keyboard/drum machine player Alexei Perry, whose dancier beats are given a crashing edginess by Boeckner's rust-toothed vocals and Perry's impassioned screams. All these bands are featured in the AADL's robust CD collection.

Manuscript Bible
Today I had the opportunity to visit the current exhibit in the Audubon room of the Hatcher Graduate Library, A History of the Bible from Ancient Papyri to King James. As a bibliophile, I loved seeing the ancient papyrus manuscripts dating back almost to the very beginning of Christianity, as well as the illuminated medieval manuscripts. The history of the Bible is a fascinating microcosm for the evolution of the written word. One of the highlights of the exhibit for me was a leaf from a Gutenberg Bible, which was printed in the 1450s by Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of movable type. I also enjoyed seeing the progression of the language in the English Bibles on display from Middle English into Early Modern English in the 15th century. Another interesting piece in the exhibit is a 1611 King James Bible, which had such an impact on the Christian world that it is still considered the standard translation of the Bible by many Protestant churches today. The exhibit will be open everyday until the end of March and is located inside the Library Gallery, which is just off the North Lobby of the Hatcher Library.

Naturalists and artists may also be interested in another codex on display in the Audubon room. It is John James Audubon's famous Double Elephant Folio, Birds of America. It contains hand colored, life sizes engravings of many American birds and is now worth more than $8 million, although when it was purchased new, as the first book in U of M's collection (before the University opened), it cost $970. If you want a closer look at some of the illustrations, check out The Audubon Society baby elephant folio.

Fuller Street Station

The City of Ann Arbor will host a second public meeting on the proposed Fuller Road Station transit center on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2010, 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. in the 2nd floor Council Chambers, City Hall . To learn more about the bus, rail and train hub envisioned for the region, read the AnnArbor.com article outlining Phase I of this joint project between the University of Michigan and the City of Ann Arbor.

A Southern debut novel sparkling with humor, heart and feminine wisdom, Beth Hoffman's Saving CeeCee Honeycutt* is about a vulnerable young girl who loses one mother and finds solace in the “perfume world of prosperity and Southern eccentricity, a world that seems to be run entirely by women".

12 year-old CeeCee Honeycutt finds it hard to grieve for her mother (a loony former beauty queen) who walks in front of an ice cream truck. Her father offers no comfort. In fact, he promptly packs her off to Savannah to live with Great Aunt Tootie.

In this Steel Magnolias (1989) meets The Secret Life of Bees, Saving CeeCee is "packed full of Southern charm, strong women, wacky humor, and good old-fashioned heart. It is a novel that explores the indomitable strengths of female friendship", and the promise of new beginnings. A feel-good read with wide appeal.

Teens will find it easy to relate to CeeCee's struggle to reclaim a "normal" childhood, anger of abandonment, and her yearning for a place to call home. Recommended. (100,000 first printing)

* = Starred review