NIGHTLIFE NOTES
for April 2002
by Jonathan King

Toshi Reagon
April 5 ~ Toshi Reagon delivers a musical feast of rock, soul, funk, blues, and folk, with a powerful dynamic voice and soulful guitar playing. This Brooklyn native has been known to incite audiences into hand-clapping and foot-stomping with her charismatic stage presence, so consider yourself warned. At the Towne Crier in Pawling. 9pm. $17.50. 855-1300.

James Reams and Barnstormers
April 6 ~ James Reams and the Barnstormers bring a taste of down-home Kentucky bluegrass to the Rosendale Café for a night of frenetic fingerpicking goodness. 9pm. $10. www.rosendalecafe.com. 658-9048.

Town and Country
April 8 ~ Performing alternative progressive chamber music at the Black Swan Pub in Tivoli. Instrumental minimalism, somewhere between Morton Feldman and John Fahey. 8pm. 757-3777.

Maura Ellyn & Elizabeth Panzer
April 12 ~ Featuring a night of classical, jazz, and Celtic music in a duet concert for voice and harp. At the Holy Cross Church, Kingston. 8pm. $12. 331-6796.

Spring Blues & Roots Festival
April 19 ~ Legendary blueswoman Odetta and ragtime enigma Leon Redbone will headline the Spring Blues and Roots Festival at the Columbia-Greene Community College in Hudson. Bluesman Michael Burks and
80-year-old chanteuse Alberta Adams round out the bill. 7pm. $22. (518) 828-4181.

Fakoli
April 19 ~ Cora master and djembe sensation Fode Sissoko brings his Mandinka magic to El Coqui in Kingston for a West African dance party. Descended from the griot tradition in Senegal, Fode leads a funky original world beat band that gets people dancing. 340-1106.

Danielle Woerner and Barbara Speer
April 20 ~ Cabaret at the Kleinert/James Arts Center as Danielle Woerner, voice, and Barbara Speer, piano, perform music by Gershwin, Weill, and French salon songs from the jazz age. 8pm. $15. $10 members. 679-2079.

Jay Ungar and Molly Mason with Swingology
April 20 ~ Hudson Valley folk icons who play a wide repertoire of 19th-century classics, Appalachian, Cajun, and Celtic fiddle tunes, swing and country as well as their original compositions. Catch them at the Colony Café in Woodstock. 8pm. $15. 679-5342.

Ani DiFranco
April 21 ~ Folk-punk singer guitarist who has made a success of herself and her indy label, Righteous Babe Records, without ever selling out to the industry. She’ll be playing at the Civic Center in Poughkeepsie with a five-piece touring band that plays a mélange of folk, rock, funk, and jazz. 8pm. 454-3388.

Laurie Anderson
April 27 ~ Performance artist/musician/philosopher Laurie Anderson has carved out a unique niche with her fusion of music, video, and spoken word. Her new solo work, which she will perform at the Egg in Albany, will feature stories and simple, mainly acoustic instruments. Topics to be touched on include synthetic language, love songs, animal communication, and techno burn out. 8pm. $28. (518) 473-1845.

Tony Levin and Friends
April 27 ~ This prolific bass guru has played with King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon, and I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say everybody else in the biz. He will be performing at a show sponsored by WDST for his home crowd at the Bearsville Theater. 9pm. $20 in advance. $22 at the door. 679-7600.