Faith In Brooklyn for Sept. 4

September 4, 2015 By Francesca Norsen Tate, Religion Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle

The Afro Latin Jazz Fat Cats. Photo courtesy of The Afro-Latin Jazz Alliance

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Arturo O’Farrill’s Fat Afro Latin Jazz Cats Launch New Season of Jazz Vespers at EBC

Emmanuel Baptist Church (EBC) will raise the curtains for its fourth season of Jazz Vespers with the highly acclaimed Fat Afro Latin Jazz Cats, an ensemble of Arturo O’Farrill’s Afro Latin Jazz Alliance.

The first Jazz Vespers takes place on Sunday, Sept. 13 at 3 p.m. in the historic EBC at 279 Lafayette Ave. in Clinton Hill.

The EBC Jazz Vespers series aims to build a cross-generational appreciation for jazz and faith, one neighborhood at a time. Based in Clinton Hill, EBC’s motto for Jazz Vespers is “Experience the presence of God through the sounds of jazz.”

In less than five years, EBC’s Jazz Vespers has built a loyal following of jazz admirers throughout all boroughs and has established itself as a neighborhood staple.

Davella, a past attendee, remarked, “I love the concept of a vesper service in a church. The talent, combined with being at Emmanuel with our neighbors and friends, makes it the best place to be on a Sunday afternoon.”

The roster of renowned, highly respected jazz musicians performing at the EBC Jazz Vespers continues to grow. Legends such as NEA Jazz Masters Jimmy Heath and Barry Harris, established artists such as Antonio Hart and rising stars like Jazzmeia Horn, bring an unmistakable celebration of God and the art of jazz.

The Fat Afro Latin Jazz Cats, an ensemble of the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance, includes some of the city’s finest young Afro Latin jazz performers from high schools across the five boroughs. These talented teens study, free of charge, with Grammy Award-winning pianist and bandleader Arturo O’Farrill, trumpeter Jim Seeley, percussionist Zack O’Farrill and saxophonist Chad Lefkowitz-Brown at the Fat Cat jazz club. Under the direction of ALJA Education Manager David Cordeiro, they study theory and learn and perform classic works from the Latin jazz repertory, including selections from the repertory of the Grammy Award-winning Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra.

The ensembles have performed around New York at the Birdland Jazz Club, St. Peter’s Jazz on the Plaza, the Third Annual Afro Latino Festival and other venues. Program graduates have pursued advanced study at leading music colleges and conservatories such as Oberlin, SUNY Purchase, Berklee College of Music and the Hart Conservatory of Music.

For more information on the Jazz Vespers, go to http://ebcconnects.com/jazzvespers/, or call (718) 622-1107.

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Brooklyn Hosts World Premiere of New Jewish Music

Program Features New Material From ‘Book Beriah — World of Creation’

American composer/saxophonist John Zorn returns to Roulette in Boerum Hill to perform new materials from “Masada Book III, The Book Beriah (World of Creation).”

Launched in 1993 with the idea of expanding the definition of Jewish music, Zorn’s Masada project has become a touchstone of new Jewish music for the last three decades.

This marathon concert will feature the world premiere of many compositions interpreted by four exciting bands from the extended Masada family: Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista and his quartet Banquet of the Spirits; the psychedelic ambient experimental rock band Cleric; the klezmer trio Nigunim with Frank London on trumpet, Uri Caine on piano and Lorin Sklamberg on vocals; and guitarist Jon Madof leading the Jewish/Afrobeat ensemble Zion 80, joined by John Zorn and Cyro Baptista. Each ensemble will perform a 30-minute set.

The first decade of Masada (1993-2003) focused on the repertory of “Masada Book One.” The year 2004 saw the birth of “Masada Book Two, the Book of Angels,” which has been mined by more than 20 different ensembles across 25 CDs.

In March 2014, Zorn performed the first 20 pieces of “Masada Book Three, The Book Beriah” at Town Hall, NYC, thus launching the third decade of the Masada dynasty. The number of compositions in “Book Three” is 92, which brings the total number of Masada compositions to 613, an important number in Jewish mysticism.

Performed by some of today’s foremost cutting-edge musicians, this latest addition to “The Book Beriah” promises to be an unforgettable evening of radical Jewish music that runs the gamut of emotions, influences and styles.

The marathon concert begins at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 10, at Roulette, 509 Atlantic Ave. in Boerum Hill near Downtown Brooklyn (entrance at the corner of Third Avenue).

Roulette had its origins in 1978 as a spontaneous presentation of work by artists in a loft on West Broadway. Now an internationally recognized experimental contemporary art center, Roulette fulfills its mission to support artists through presenting a substantial and diverse program of experimental music, dance and Intermedia, commissioning new work, paying the artists professional fees and finding artists an audience interested in learning about traditions and developments in these art forms. In September 2011, Roulette took up residency in an Art Deco concert hall on Atlantic Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn.

General admission for the concert is $35; $30 for members/students/seniors; and $35/$40 at the door (The door opens at 7 p.m.). To order tickets, visit roulette.org or call 917-267-0363.

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‘Bee Space’ Exhibit Opens New Season of The Forum @ St. Ann’s

The Forum @ St. Ann’s will present “Bee Space,” an installation of glass works by Emma Stein in the sanctuary of historic St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church.

The exhibition, which runs from Sept. 13 through Nov. 8, inaugurates the 2015-16 season of The Forum, which seeks to engage the community in conversation about the arts, ideas and civic life.

An artist’s talk and reception are scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 12, from 6-8 p.m. on the evening prior to opening day, in the church sanctuary at Clinton and Montague streets.

Emma Stein — a glass artist, educator and new beekeeper — says she is influenced by the beauty of nature, the need to honor plant diversity and bee survival. The artist created two works specifically for St. Ann’s historic landmark sanctuary.

“The Hive,” which will hang from the organ loft near the church entrance, is an oversized, uninhabited beehive made of clear glass panels. Ephemeral, larger-than-life clear bees will accompany the centerpiece of the exhibit: a nine-foot relief panel made of dozens of glass flowers in the pattern of a rose window to be mounted behind the high altar. The flowers represent species that are being supplanted by a monocrop culture, causing the destruction of bee populations. The work is a celebration of the beauty of our diverse natural world.

Stein earned an MFA in glass from Rhode Island School of Design and a BFA at Alfred University. She has taught glass at the John Michael Kohler Art Center in Wisconsin, Urban Glass in NYC, Ox-Bow in Michigan and currently works at GlassRoots in Newark, N.J. She has been awarded a residency at The Corning Museum of Glass Studios this fall, where she will further explore the theme of rose windows inspired by the St. Ann’s show. She started blowing glass at the age of 14 and has been passionate about the material ever since, while also experimenting with numerous other media, such as fibers, drawing and plants. She draws inspiration primarily from the natural world and has recently become intrigued by honeybees and the impact they have on our environment.

“Bee Space” will be on display for public viewing Tuesdays through Thursdays, noon to 3 p.m., and on Sundays, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., or by prior arrangement. For this, readers may contact St. Ann’s via email or phone: [email protected] or 718-875-6960. For further information, visit stannholytrinity.org.

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Invisible Dog Hosts Faith-Based Exhibits in September

“Chapel,” by Steven and William Ladd, will be presented at The Invisible Dog Art Center this fall. The ground floor will be transformed into a space for reflection with a confessional, a glass wall and drawings. “Chapel” draws on the medieval gothic glass windows of the Sainte Chapelle in Paris, and the vivid memories many have of entering confessionals in church as kids. “Chapel” creates a space to reflect, relax or be inspired.

“Chapel” will be on exhibit from Sept. 12 through Oct. 17.

Later this month, another exhibit will celebrate the autumnal Jewish holidays. Opening after the High Holy Days will be “Assembly Required: A Wandering Sukkah,” by Danielle Durchslag and Ryan Frank. That exhibit runs from Saturday, Sept. 26 through Oct. 4.

According to the Hebrew calendar, Sukkot begins on Sept. 28 and concludes on Oct. 4. Simchat Torah is celebrated two days later.

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Brooklyn Diocese Welcomes Pope Francis With Largest Painted Billboard in NYC

DeSales Media Group, the communications and technology arm of the Diocese of Brooklyn, will welcome Pope Francis to the New York metropolitan area with a 225-foot tall billboard in the middle of the Big Apple.

Last week, from sunrise to sunset, a team started hand-painting a welcoming message at one of New York’s busiest intersections, the corner of Eighth Avenue and 34th Street in Manhattan. The corner is conveniently located outside Pennsylvania Station and the iconic Madison Square Garden arena, which will host the Holy Father’s Sept. 25 Mass. The billboard will generate more than 700,000 impressions each week and will be visible throughout September.

“This is our way to say ‘welcome’ and evangelize in the heart of this culturally diverse city,” said Monsignor Kieran Harrington, chairman of DeSales Media Group. “I am convinced that Pope Francis’ apostolic visit will impact everyone, touching hearts across different backgrounds and beliefs.”

Israel Ochoa of DeSales Media designed the billboard, which showcases a photo of Pope Francis waving to a crowd. Italian photographer Giulio shot the photograph.

Of course, social media is a visible aspect of evangelizing and celebrating the Pope’s visit to the United States. Napo-litano’s photography is viewable on shutterstock.com. The billboard photo is accompanied by the words “Welcome Pope Francis” and the public hashtags #PopeInUSA and #Papa-EnUSA, inviting people to engage in conversation. The painting process will take up to two weeks to complete and will be fully captured on time-lapse video.

DeSales Media publishes Catholic news, information, entertainment and religious programming across all media. Its properties include the weekly diocesan newspaper The Tablet, the monthly Hispanic newspaper Nuestra Voz, the cable network New Evangelization Television (NET TV) and the Catholic Telemedia Network (CTN).