We're very proud at Connect Savannah to have been a key sponsor of the Savannah Music Festival for the past several years. In conjunction with our owner Charles H. Morris, we're happy to have helped in our own way to bring some of the hottest musicians in the world to Savannah during that time.
While generally I don't devote this space to very many overtly promotional messages, I have to say that this year the list of Connect-sponsored concerts is even more impressive than usual. My head is frankly spinning going over these names.
We're sponsoring the uber-buzzworthy appearance of our cover subjects this week, hipmeisters Pink Martini, at the Lucas on March 29.
Other notable performers we're helping to bring to town include the legendary Preservation Hall Jazz Band of New Orleans, The Head and the Heart with Justin Townes Earle, a fun Cajun dance show with the Lost Bayou Ramblers, a jazz show with Joshua Redman and Brad Mehldau, Bela Fleck and the original lineup of the Flecktones (read Bill DeYoung's talk with beloved Flecktone bassist Victor Wooten this issue), and last but not least, the immortal Paco de Lucia, commonly regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of all time.
As great as all those performers undoubtedly are, I also want to bring your attention to the remarkable slate of classical performances at this year's Savannah Music Festival, which go above and beyond even the usual high level of excellence to which we've been accustomed.
For the first time, the great Takács Quartet performs at the Festival. World-class performers such as Jonathan Cohen, Josephine Knight, Lorenza Borrani and Menachim Pressler are also featured.
SMF associate artistic director and acclaimed violinist Daniel Hope in particular is a busy bee this Festival. He will perform, by my count, in at least 10 separate concerts, including a particularly adventurous evening of three, count ‘em, three Brahms violin sonatas.
See my talk with Hope in this issue.
Longtime Festival favorites Emerson String Quartet return, this time sans longtime cellist David Finckel, who nonetheless performs here with his wife Wu Han in an evening of Mendelssohn. I had a fun chat with David for this issue as well.
