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World Music/CRASHarts: Thrills, chills and ragas

Visits from Ravi Shankar and his daughter Anoushka (left), Salif Keita, Dulce Pontes and the Warsaw Village Band mark the globe trotting nature of the World Music/CRASHarts 15th anniversary fall season announced today. But some of the most fun stuff comes from closer to home, including a Halloween chiller with Boston's own Alloy Orchestra, roots rock for the whole family from former Del Fuego Dan Zanes and Friends and a production by the Double Edge Theatre from Ashfield.

Highlights definitely start with the Oct. 2 Symphony Hall performance by legendary sitar master Shankar, his daughter  and an ensemble of musicians and dancers. Tix: $30-$100. Malian singer Keita is at the Somerville Theatre Sept. 25 ($30-$35). On Oct. 1, World Music simultaneously hosts jazz heroes The Bad Plus at the Somerville ($22-$28) and fado singer Mariza at the Berklee Performance Center ($28-$37). Fado's Pontes is at Berklee Oct. 29 ($28-$37), while the Warsaw plays the Somerville Dec. 2 ($25).

Among hometown heroes, the Alloy will offer the Boston premiere of its "creepy" soundtrack to the original 1929 Lon Chaney "Phantom of the Opera" at the Somerville on Oct. 28 ($18). Zanes and friends will offer  FOUR SHOWS at the Somerville on Nov. 12 & 13, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. ($20). And the Double Edge will offer the Boston premiere of its circussy Quixotic fantasy "The unPOSSESSED" (right) in seven performances at the Zero Arrow Theatre Nov. 16-20 ($30). The annual Boston choreographers' group outing "Ten's The Limit" will play at the Green Street Studios for four shows Dec. 9-10 ($15).

There's much, much more, from Savion Glover to acrobats from China and musicians from the Congo. The  full schedule is available on the site, and you can buy your tickets online there as well.

Music: Open Source Miles

Sounds like a Frequent Flier program, but no. Publicist Sue Auclair advises that jazz impresario and Newport festivals king George Wein is going to be on "Open Source" tonight with Chris Lydon to talk about Miles Davis. How they're going to find an internet-related angle on Miles I'm not sure, but they ought to get a good audience, if not on the air than at least for the podcast. Because the show got written up in the N.Y. Times today. The reporter seems a little at sea - is "from P.R.I." really part of the show's name?? - but the basics are  right.

Dance: Boston Ballet is Finn-tastic

I have no idea how far back the two Finnish natives go. But Boston Ballet Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen today announced the appointment of Jorma Elo as the company’s Resident Choreographer through the 2008-09 Season. Elo has choreographed two world premieres for Boston Ballet - "Plan to B" in 2004 and"Sharp Side of Dark" in 2002. Agrant from The Carl & Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation is funding the appointment. “It is very exciting for Boston Ballet to establish a formal partnership with Jorma at this stage in his rapidly rising career," Nissenen said in a statement. "As a dancer and choreographer, Jorma has worked closely with some of the world’s greatest artists, including William Forsythe and Jiøí Kylián, and he has developed a unique choreographic style."

Elo will create three world premieres for Boston Ballet during his tenure, stage productions and work with Boston Ballet II and Boston Ballet School.  He also will create a new "Carmen" to premiere in May 2006, as previously announced, and the Company will revive his "Plan to B" in March 2006. Elo was born in Finland and trained with the Finnish National Ballet School and the Kirov Ballet School in Leningrad. Prior to joining Netherlands Dance Theater in 1990, he danced with Finnish National Ballet from 1978 through 1984 and with Cullberg Ballet from 1984 through 1990. 

The morning papers

Click here to check out the Patriot Ledger's coverage of the Plymouth Independent Film Festival. ... In the Lowell Sun, Kathleen Deely talks to blues singer Nora Jean Bruso (left), who'll be featured at next weekend's Lowell Folk Festival.

In the Herald, Bob Young briefly updates the status of renovations at Scullers. The $250,000 project is supposed to be finished this fall, in time for the club's anniversary, and should lay to rest concerns about its future after Harvard bought the Doubletree Hotel where it's located. ... In the Berkshire Eagle,  Andrew Pincus has an admiring review of James Levine protege Jens Georg Bachmann's debut concert at Tanglewood. Following one's mentor to the podium can be a daunting exercise but wasn't in this case, even with Levine watching from the audience. ... Also in the Eagle, Jeffrey Borak reviews "Rat in the Skull" at Berkshire Theatre Festival.

Woof

I've generally steered clear of criticizing the local media. Too much potential for conflict. I signed some papers on my way out the door at the Herald that forbid me from disparaging my former place of work. And if I write anything nice about other local publications, it'll look like I'm sucking up to potential employers. Plus, this blog is called HubArts, not HubMedia.

But I've just gotta say it. Whatever the Globe intends to provide with its new Sidekick section, however much it hopes the tabloid insert will attract young readers, I have to believe that PICTURES OF DOGS WEARING SUNGLASSES ISN'T THE ANSWER!!!

Phew. That felt good.

The morning papers

OK, this was in yesterday's N.Y. Times, but you should read Daniel J. Wakin's long piece "Tanglewood Enters the Age of Levine." It really gives a feel for the place and for the conductor's impact there. Wakin apparently trailed Levine around for several days, and there's actual detail of his instructions to students and fellows, giving insight into what he does that makes everyone gush. ... The Globe's Names & Faces reports that Bronson Arroyo's "Covering the Bases" CD is a hit locally, and at least a chart entry elsewhere. Coincidentally, Bella English has a nice profile of Fenway Park organist Josh Kantor.

Theater: Hey NSMT kids put on benefits

The North Shore Music Theatre's Youth Performance Academy's Summer Stages program - phew, lotta words, pant-pant - will act to benefit the theatre in the wake of last week's devastating fire. The premieres of the kids' productions of  "Seussical" on Aug. 11 and "Disney's Aida: School Edition" on Aug. 12 have been turned into  fundraisers for the NSMT.  Tix for the benefits are $25 for adults (usually $15) and $10 for kids, and are available at the box office and at the door. Performances are held at the Mary Weld Pingree Center for the Performaing Arts, 537 Highland St. South Hamilton.

Music: She's the one that they want

I figured she'd be busy with whatever the Aussie version of QVC is, but no. Olivia Newton-John is coming to Lowell Memorial Auditorium Oct. 20. Tix, $35.50-$55.50, go on sale Aug. 1 at 10 a.m. at the box office, at 978-454-2299, and via the usual Ticketmaster channels.

Music: Kooper on a roll

Sign up for email updates from Al Kooper at his web site and you'll get some interesting stuff - the list of his June iTunes downloads makes fascinating reading by itself.

Better than Ezra?! Rock's Zelig - the man who played on "Like a Rolling Stone" AND "You Can't Always Get What You Want" AND started Blood, Sweat & Tears AND produced "Freebird" and did about a million other cool things - is spending his free time downloading Better Than freakin' Ezra???

But the missive Hub resident Kooper sent out this week was chock full of good news about his new album, "Black Coffee," and tour plans. Recent pieces in the Herald and the New York Times are just the beginning for this underappreciated artist. Mojo and Rolling Stone will feature the album. A short Japanese trip produced 25 interviews and plans for a short tour there in October, people like Little Steven and Jerry Ragovoy turned up when Kooper and his Berklee pals in the Funky Faculty played New York on July 13, and Kooper is going to be all over the upcoming Martin Scorsese documentary on Bob Dylan, coming on PBS in September.

So - if you're thinking clearly - you'll want to get out to Lowell on Sept. 3 to see Kooper and the Rekooperators play a Mike Bloomfield tribute show. Details here.

Gotta love his email kicker, too: "And remember, if everyone in Boston gave one dime, then one starving child could get one ticket to The Rolling Stones concert in Fenway Park."

The morning papers

The Globe's Scott Alarik profiles all-female string band Uncle Earl, a Rounder Records act that plays Johnny D's next Thursday. ... Ed Siegel is alas underwhelmed by the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company's "Hamlet" on the Common, starring Amesbury native Jeffrey Donovan. But the Herald's Terry Byrne liked Donovan's "refreshingly contemporary" take on the role. ... The Globe's Sandy MacDonald says the 1925 musical "No, No Nanette" at the Cape Playhouse is a "fizzy" "perfect summer refreshment." Despite the presence of the delightfully insane Fred Willard in the cast, I find that hard to believe. Maybe that's why I keep getting "connection refused" when I try to link to www.capeplayhouse.com.

The Herald's Bob Young offers a far more convincing idea of a "Carribbean perfect summer's evening," namely listening to Eguie Castrillo and his Latin Jazz Ensemble outdoors in the South End last night. ... Sean McCarthy talks to Jimmy Tingle about "American Dreams," his current one-man show.

In the Berkshire Eagle, Allison Tracy likes Garth Fagan Dance at Jacob's Pillow. But surprisingly there's no review of "Tops Girls," which opened Thursday night at Williamstown. The Globe's Maureen Dezell does have an interview with the director. ... The Lowell Sun posts rather late in the day, so I've just now noticed Andrew Ravens' eye-opener about film shoots in Lowell, i.e. there have actually been some.

The Patriot Ledger has a whole package on the First Annual Plymouth Independent Film Festival.