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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 28, 2017)
SEPTEMBER 28, 2017 // 7 Merry Time hosts ‘Comedy Cult Night’ PHOTO BY DANNY MILLER The RJ Marx Quartet: (from left) John Orr, R.J. Marx, Dave Gager and Joe Church RJ Marx Quartet jams in Manzanita MANZANITA — The RJ Marx Quartet, a saxophone and guitar ensemble, will perform at the Hoffman Center for the Arts (594 La- neda Ave.) 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30. Admission is $10. The band explores some of the most challenging and rarely performed compo- sitions of the major jazz artists from the 1940s to 70s, as well as an array of traditional favorites. The quartet is led by saxophonist R.J. Marx, who began his love affair with jazz while still in high school in 1971, followed by studies at Berklee College of Music in Boston, and later studies with celebrated jazz pianists and saxophon- ists. Marx, the editor of the Seaside Signal and Cannon Beach Gazette, maintained his lifelong interest in jazz, writing for the website Jazz Central Station and creating artist profiles for regional and national publications. Marx has been a member of the Jazz Journalists Association for more than a decade. Guitarist John Orr has played all over the west- ern states. Fluid in many styles of music, his main influences vocally include The Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Mose Allison, Louis Prima, and guitarist influences Django Reinhardt and Bar- ney Kessel. Bassist Joe Church start- ed playing guitar at 16, and by 18 had switched to bass. He plays many other instru- ments, including lap steel, flute, sax, ukulele, fretless electric bass, mandolin and banjo. Drummer Dave Gager started playing drums at 11, influenced by The Beat- les’ cartoons. Gager has recorded and performed with regional, national and world-class musicians, dividing his time between studio sessions and touring. He offers drum lessons to students of every skill level and musical style. FACEBOOK.COM Chris Khatami ASTORIA — The Merry Time Bar & Grill will host a series of monthly events called “Comedy Cult Night,” emceed by Sea- side’s Gideon For-Mukwai. The event will debut 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29, and feature Portland comics Chase Brockett and Chris Khatami. There will be a $5 entry fee. Guests must be 21 or older with valid ID. The establishment (995 Marine Drive) boasts a full bar and serves scratch-made food until 9 p.m. Limited seating will be available. Brockett grew up in Bakers- field, California, where being tiny and asthmatic forced him to become funny. After growing taller and ditching his inhaler, he moved to Southern Califor- nia, where he would begin per- forming all over the West Coast. Brockett explores subjects such as family, relationships, politics and science. His smart and endearingly frustrated comedic style fits well in any room. A fellow comedian describes him as “America’s nephew.” His affable charm has delighted audiences in all venue types, including bars, theaters, college campuses and clubs such as the Improv and Comedy Store. Khatami hosts one of Portland’s top-rated podcasts, “ Reboot, Reuse, Recycle.” The Comedy Cult is expect- ed to run for three months. YOUTUBE.COM Chase Brockett The Liberty welcomes Schubert Ensemble of London ASTORIA — The Schubert Ensemble of London, a world-renowned exponent of music for piano and strings, will perform at the Liberty Theatre 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4. Since its first concert in January 1983, the ensemble has performed in more than 40 countries, recorded more than 30 critically acclaimed CDs, has over 80 commis- sions to its name, and is familiar to British audiences through regular broadcasts on BBC Radio 3. In 1998 the Ensemble’s contribution to British musical life was recognized by the Royal Philharmonic Society when it presented the group with the Best Chamber Ensemble Award, for which it was shortlisted again in 2010. The Ensemble has also released recordings for the Chandos label of works by Martinu, Fauré, Enescu and Dvorák. The Dvorák disc and the most recent of two SUBMITTED PHOTO The Schubert Ensemble of London Enescu discs were chosen as CD of the month by the BBC Music Magazine. The Ensemble has recently released a new recording of piano quartets by Chausson and Saint-Saëns that received a double five-star review in BBC Music Magazine. The Ensemble plans to bring its 35-year career to a close at the end of June 2018. It will see out its final season in celebratory style, with roughly 50 concerts planned, including return visits to Romania and Luxembourg, and two tours of the U.S. Tickets for the Liber- ty show are available at libertyastoria.org, or in the theater’s box office 2 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.