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Big Band gives
PAC a helping hand
ASTORIA — The North
W.C. Handy, Fats Domino,
Coast Big Band will perform Wes Montgomery and Mar-
vin Gaye. Soloists
a benefit concert for
include David Drury,
the Clatsop Commu-
nity College Per-
Ken Kirby, Bob Wal-
ters, Terry Dahlgren,
forming Arts Center
Mike Evans, Judy
2 p.m. Sunday, April
Shatto, Rachel Lake
15. Doors open at
and Peter Hinsbeeck.
1:30 p.m. Tickets will
The North Coast
be available at the
Big Band is dedicated
door.
Ken Kirby
The concert will
to preserving music
feature music from the big
from the Big Band Era to the
band era, as well as the music present. For additional infor-
mation, call Lee Stromquist
of Thelonious Monk, Chuck
at 503-861-1328.
Mangione, Gerry Mulligan,
North Coast Big Band
David Drury
High-octane Irish music at the Liberty
ASTORIA — The Press Gang,
a group based in Portland,
Maine, that performs Irish-in-
spired music, plays the Lib-
erty Theatre 7 p.m Saturday,
April 14, as part of a CD
release party.
General admission tickets
are $25.
The Press Gang fuses the
talents of squeezebox player
Christian “Junior” Stevens,
fiddler Alden Robinson,
flute-player and vocalist Hanz
Araki, and guitarist Owen
Marshall into a high-octane
musical partnership. The
quartet blends their skill and
fluency in traditional Irish
music with their curiosity and
aptitude for other styles. The
joy that these musicians pour
into playing music together is
unmistakable and infectious.
The result is a unique sound,
at once energetic and sensi-
tive, innovative and reverent.
The Liberty Theatre is lo-
cated at 1203 Commercial St.
Make a night of it by din-
ing at Carruthers Restaurant,
a Liberty sponsor, beforehand.
For a package price, you can
get a prix fixe and a ticket to the
show. Purchasers must call to
make a reservation: 503-975-
5305. Gratuity is not included. The Press Gang
COURTESY LIBERTY THEATRE
Guitarist goes for
baroque – and beyond
ASTORIA — Classical-world
guitarist Aaron Larget-Ca-
plan performs “Baroque &
Beyond” 3 p.m. Sunday,
April 15, at Grace Episcopal
Church, in Astoria.
The Astoria Music Fes-
tival presents this afternoon
of chamber music, including
concertos, fandangos and oth-
er music from Vivaldi, Bach
and John Cage. Members
of the Astoria Music Festi-
val Orchestra — including
Grammy-nominated violinist
Adam LaMotte — will also
perform. The church, ad-
mired for its rich acoustics, is
located at 1545 Franklin St.
Noted for his “astound-
ing technical proficiency
and artistic delicacy” by the
Boston Musical Intelligencer,
Larget-Caplan is on a solo
two-week 10-concert tour
in Oregon and California.
An international touring and
recording artist based in Bos-
ton, he has performed solo
and chamber music in Russia,
Europe and across the U.S.
He is on the faculty of the
University of Massachusetts
Boston.
At 16, Larget-Caplan
made his debut at the Tabor
COURTESY ALCGUITAR.COM
Guitarist Aaron Larget-Caplan
Opera House. He first
performed in Astoria while
a student at New England
Conservatory. Since then he
has premiered more than 65
solo and chamber composi-
tions, commissioned dozens
of pieces for his New Lullaby
Project, directed concert
series and brought classi-
cal music into schools and
community settings. A gifted
performer and speaker, he is
sought for his deft program-
ming of new and standard
repertoire while connecting
with audiences with a Bern-
stein-esque ease.
General admission tickets
are $20 and available through
the Liberty Theatre — in
person at the box office,
online at libertyastoria.org, or
by phone.