2013 Grammy Award Nominees in Jazz Includes Many Massachusetts Artists

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In case you missed the announcement, the 55th annual Grammy Award nominees were announced earlier this month.

Here are the Grammy nominations in the jazz category, which include artists with Massachusetts connections like Chick Corea, Gary Burton, Pat Metheny and Esperanza Spalding, all Grammy award winners in years past.

Also, Berklee College of Music alumni and faculty earned 27 Grammy nominations in a variety of categories, including jazz, Latin, pop, hip-hop and rock. 

And a number of alumni and faculty from the New England Conservatory were nominated, led by jazz vocalist Luciana Souza, who was nominated for three separate projects.

And the Boston Symphony Chamber Players group was nominated for best Chamber Music, Small Ensemble perfomance.

For year round information on jazz in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com.

For visitor information go to MassVacation.com. 

New Year's Eve with Nicole Nelson and Dwight Ritcher at Regattabar Jazz Club in Harvard Square

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American recording artists Nicole Nelson and Dwight Ritcher perform a New Year's eve concert at the Regattabar Jazz Club at the Charles Hotel in Harvard Square, Cambridge on Monday, December 31, 2012 starting at 9:30 p.m. Tickets to the show are $90 and include party favors and midnight toast.

Order tickets online. The duo blends jazz, R&B, soul and popular music together in a way the Boston Globe called "riveting and heavenly."

Here is a schedule of upcoming concerts at Regattabar in the New Year.

For year round details on jazz in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com.

For visitor information go to MassVacation.com and BostonUSA.com.

New Year's Eve with Shemekia Copeland, Blues Singer, at Bull Run Restaurant

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Blues singer Shemekia Copeland is performing at the Bull Run Restaurant in Shirley on Monday, December 31, 2012 at 8:00 p.m.

Tickets are $105 and include full course dinner, show, champagne toast, party favors, taxes and tip. Order tickets online or call 877 536-7190.

Juke Joint 5 opens the show. 

Here's a schedule of upcoming concerts at Bull Run Restaurant.

For year round news on live jazz and blues throughout Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com.

For visitor information go to MassVacation.com.

New Year's Eve with Greg Adams & East Bay Soul at Scullers Jazz Club in Boston

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Greg Adams, a founding member of Tower of Power, brings his amazing band, East Bay Soul, to Scullers Jazz Club in Boston to usher in New Year's on Monday, December 31, 2012, with shows at 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.

Tickets are $50 for the 8:00 p.m. show and $60 for the 11:00 p.m. show, and can be purchased online or by calling the box office at 617 561-4111.

Here is a full schedule of upcoming jazz performance at Scullers. 

For year round information on live jazz anywhere in Massachusetts visit MassJazz.com.

For visitor information go to MassVacation.com.

New Year's Eve on Cape Cod with Bart Weisman Jazz Group at Riverway in South Yarmouth

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The Bart Weisman Jazz Group is performing at the Riverway Lobster House Restaurant in South Yarmouth, Cape Cod, on Monday, December 31, 2012, from 8:00 p.m. to midnight.  There is no cover charge. 

Enjoy dinner and dancing to jazz, Latin, pop and rock. 

For dinner reservations call 508 398-2172, and here are directions.

For year round jazz in Massachusetts go to MassJazz.com.

For visitor information go to MassVacation.com or CapeCodChamber.org.

Lawley's Shipyard

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Launching at Lawley's yard, Neponset (BPL Flickr photo group).

This entry starts with the photo above, from the wonderful Boston Public Library Flickr photo group. It was this treasure trove that first revealed the existence of the Lawley shipbuilding business to me. And of course, as usual, one thing leads to another, and the story grows. I began with the intention of discussing the Lawley yard in Dorchester - a classic example of the kind of forgotten enterprise I enjoy sharing with you on this site . Once I got digging, it quickly became obvious that there was more to tell.



Lawley's Yacht yard, City Point, South Boston, 1899.

Remember that I said this story started with a yacht building yard in Dorchester. At the time, I didn't realize I was coming to the story late. George Lawley came from a shipbuilding family in London, and when he immigrated to the United States went to work for the famous Donald McKay in East Boston. Just after the end of the Civil War, Lawley and a partner opened a shipyard in Scituate, specializing in yachts. Success brought them back to Boston, where they set up shop in South Boston. On a site near City point, shown above, they built the winners of the 1885 and 1886 America's Cup, Puritan and Mayflower. One more move took them out of South Boston, and down to Neponset, at Port Norfolk. Over time, four generations of Lawleys would build boats in Boston.



Lawley & Sons shipyard on the Neponset River, Port Norfolk, Dorchester, 1918.



Satellite photo of the mouth of the Neponset river. Arrow points to former location of Lawley's shipyard. Also note above and to the left of the arrow at the mouth of the river, the gas tank that now sits along the Southeast expressway.

Beyond their work with yachts, Lawley & Sons also produced boats for the US Navy during both world wars. The built sub chasers, and, in WW II, landing craft. tank barges and tugs. Their last listed boat was a landing craft, January 3, 1945, the year the company went out of business.



Dorchester Reporter article
Some great photos of Lawley yachts here.
George Lawley & Sons Wikipedia page.
A list of boats produced by Lawley & Sons here with their history.

The Daniel Nason, and Roxbury's Locomotive Works

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I just stumbled on this video someone made at the St Louis Transportation Museum.







This locomotive is the Daniel Nason , built in 1858 for the Boston & Providence railroad line. She's a wood-fired locomotive designed by George S. Griggs and built at the Roxbury shop. The eponymous Daniel Nason was the Superintendent of Transportation at the Boston depot of the Boston and Providence line. I knew from maps that the shop facility was there, mostly on the west side of the railroad tracks just north of Ruggles street, but I didn't know that they built their own locomotives there.


Boston and Providence shop, 1849 (Charles Whitney, BPL).


Note the location of the locomotive works on this 1849 map. To orient yourself, Tremont street runs across the bottom of the map, the Boston and Providence tracks come through Roxbury on the left and cross the Back bay (the water, that is) to the right. And the peninsula pointing towards the upper right is Roxbury's Gravelly Point. Parker street runs out to the point. Today, the tip of Gravelly Point would be near the intersection of Boylston street and Massachusetts avenue.


Boston & Providence shop, 1852 (Henry McIntyre, BPL).


Boston had at least two dedicated locomotive manufacturers, the Hinkley Locomotive Works, between Harrison avenue and Albany street, and the Globe works in South Boston. Both were located along the South Bay, and before Albany street was laid out on fill, both had access to piers and the harbor. The Boston and Providence, on the other hand, was land-locked, and had to bring in raw materials overland. Of course, since they owned the track, the B&P could no doubt bring it its necessities at cost.

George S. Griggs was the master mechanic at the B&P shop, and designed the locomotives built there. Griggs was hired in 1934 just as the company was getting off the ground, and built his first locomotive in 1845. At this early stage, locomotive designers had to be inventors as well as mechanics, and Griggs owned multiple patents, including a critical one for using a brick arch inside the firebox, which allowed higher burning temperatures and the use of coal.


1852, wider view (Henry McIntyre, BPL).

George Griggs lived at Milford place, shown above. It ran from Tremont st (the main street from upper right to lower left) to Grinnell st, which ran along the railroad tracks. So as was common during the 19th century, Griggs could walk (and probably see the factory) from home. He died still living there in 1870, and the company was still producing locomotives at the time based on his designs.




B & P shops, 1873 (Wards Maps).


Repair shop, 1931 (Boston Atlas).


Notice that Columbus avenue has now been laid out through Milford place, where Griggs lived, and it is now Sarsfield st. To help orient yourself, Milford place/Sarsfield street is now the short connector between Columbus avenue and Tremont street, directly opposite Melnea Cass boulevard. And the old locomotive works is now part of the campus of Northeastern University.


For a look at a very early carriage that ran on the Boston & Providence line, check out a related post on my Jamaica Plain history blog.

Book Review: Sargent's Daughters - The Biography of a Painting

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In 2009, I published an article on my Remember Jamaica Plain blog about the Boit family. The hook for the post was John Singer Sargent's painting The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit, a favorite of mine. I've just learned that the same year, Erica E. Hirshler published a book on the painting, so I've taken a look at it. While Edward D. Boit did live in Jamaica Plain as a child, he spent much of his married life in Europe, and while in the United States stayed either on Beacon Hill or in Newport. Which means that the book itself says nothing about Jamaica Plain. It does, however, speak of Boston, so I thought I'd put this follow-up to the earlier blog post here.

The book does a good job giving a sense of the American expat life during the late 19th century. The book is the story of both the Boits and of Sargent, and shows how their lives were intertwined for many years. We get Sargent's development as an artist, observations by their mutual friend Henry James, and much information from the diary of Edward Boit's brother Robert. And of course, we get the daughters. Much has been made of the later lives of the girls, and Ms. Hirshler shines a good deal of light on what has long been a mystery.

Very little of the book features Boston, but the oldest daughter did have her 'coming out' while the family was on one of their rare return visits. And the painting was in and out of the Museum of Fine Arts - first as a loan, and then as a gift. Still, you do get a sense of Boston Brahmin life, even if most of it is in exile. One particular criticism grows out of the simple fact that very little is known about the genesis of the painting. Occasionally, the author falls into the 'what was he thinking?' rhetorical gimmick, in an effort to fill in the historical blanks. Of course, it's a shame we don't know certain things, but that doesn't give us license to impose upon real life characters. This extends to quoting from a contemporary of a character of whom little is known. The quoted passages may represent a window into the life of the person of interest, but then again, maybe it doesn't. This minor quibble aside, the book is definitely worth a look if you're a fan of the painting.

Let's Go To The Races!

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The trotters run at Readville (BPL Flickr photo group).


It's been a while since I posted. That's because I've suffered from a 'new improved!' version of Google Blogger. As with  other  social media software, Google has managed to scramble what was a perfectly good system, for no benefit that I can see. I won't bore you with the details, but the difficulties of learning the new layout have been great enough to make me walk away from the effort for many weeks. That being said.... back to Boston history.

Many people are familiar with Suffolk Down racetrack in East Boston. Fewer know that there was once a track in Readville at the southern tip of the city. The track, once cite of the civil war training Camp Meigs, famous for its role in the  history of  the black 54^th Massachusetts Regiment. After the war, it became home to an agricultural fairground in the then-new town of Hyde Park. With the fair came horse racing, and the racing stayed after the fairground closed.





Cars racing at Readville (BPL Flickr photo group).



The Readville track, at the Boston/Dedham border, 1918.


. 
In 1896, a new mile-long trotting track opened, with grandstands and a hotel. With a new century came a new form of transportation, and the first thing men did with automobiles was to race them.Trotters and automobiles shared the track. By the early 1930s, a new track had been laid, and cars were king. Nineteen thirty-seven saw the last official race, and during the war years, military pilots used the track to practice landings.




Cars at the starting line (BPL Flickr group).


Cars in the 'pit.'

Stop and Shop built a large distribution warehouse on the site along the railroad tracks, which sits empty today, waiting for redevelopment. As a final, threatened indignity, the town of Dedham once considered their strip of land at the site (much of it wetlands) as a dedicated 'adult' business district. The effort was, of course, an effort to scam their way out of Constitutional requirements, and wiser heads prevailed. 

Source: Boston Public Library, Sports Temples of Boston

Roxbury, the Horological Hub

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Expert Stephen Fletcher on a Simon Willard Roxbury Tall Clock.


 Simon and Aaron Willard were born in Grafton Massachusetts in the mid 18th century. They apprenticed as clock makers, and in 1780 came to live and work in Roxbury. Within ten years, Aaron would move his shop to Boston, but Simon stayed in Roxbury Simon's shop was on what is now Washington street (then the only road running across Boston Neck to Roxbury) near Eustis street. While Aaron is considered the lesser craftsman, he was the superior businessman, surrounded by a clockmaking colony around his Washington street shop, and retiring a well to do man. 



The Simon Willard Supreme Court Clock.

In Roxbury, Simon Willard's clock-making process also involved farming out work to surrounding shops. Simon himself made the cockworks. There would have been painters and engravers, and cases were made by various local craftsmen For a time after the Revolution when metal was dear, they actually imported British clockworks and put them into their own wood boxes. Simon would make clocks during the winter, and travel up the north shore of Massachusetts to peddle them, sometimes going as far as Maine.

 During their early years, the Willards built the standard tall clock - what we would call a grandfather clock. In 1801, Simon Willard invented the so-called banjo clock. This smaller clock, with its short pendulum, could be hung from a wall or put on a mantle.This made clock-owning available to many more people. The design was patented, with the help of Thomas Jefferson, who Willard met while  working in the capital, but Simon Willard did not fight to protect his patent, and many other clockmakers copied and profited from his design.Willard became Keeper of the Clocks at Harvard, and made clocks for the Old South Church and the Capitol building in Washington D.C., as well as the famous Supreme Court clock shown above. He retired in 1839, and lived with various sons and daughters until he died in 1848 at ninety six years old.




Advertisement for an E. Howard clock. As was traditional for the time, the Roxbury factory address is not given. Most such businesses had sales offices in Boston, and used their downtown address. This can cause confusion for the amateur historian.


 
 E. Howard watch.


Edward Howard, born 1813, apprenticed with Aaron Willard Jr in Roxbury. Starting in 1842 with a partner, the Howard and Davis company built high quality wall clocks, along with precision balances, sewing machines and fire engines(!). A factory was built in Roxbury in 1845. The company evolved over the years, with different partners and various reorganizations. Davis left, Howard Clock and Watch failed and became Howard Watch and Clock. The company had only two standard models, but made many others to order. They made regulator wall clocks and watchman's clocks for business, and tower clocks for buildings. The clock at South Station was made by E.Howard. During the late 19th century, their watches were among the best made in the country.



Howard and Davis Clock and Balance mfg., Hampden (East on this map) and Norfolk streets, Roxbury, 1852. They would later move across Hampden street to where Proctor street is on this map. Howard street would be laid out parallel to Norfolk street and just behind the Howard factory in 1859.



E. Howard Watch and Clock Co. 1884. Eustis, Prescott and Hampden streets, Roxbury (building shown below).




E. Howard Factory, 1888 (Smithsonian Institution Libraries)


Howard watches were among the finest in the nation. Edward Howard developed the stem wind watch, doing away with the need of key winding. Howard retired in 1881, with the business going on under his name. The watch business was sold in the early years of the 20th century, and manufacturing was moved to Waltham. It is claimed that the  Howard company remained in business in Roxbury until the 1930s, but the company was sold to Hamilton Watch company in 1927. The company name does show up on a 1931 map, so someone doing business as the E. Howard Clock Co. on Eustis street at the time.

So for a century, Roxbury was the home to some of the finest horological craftsmen and elite brands in the nation.



E. Howard Watch and Clock Company

The Simon Willard Supreme Court Clock 

The Willards and their Clocks

Makanda Project Jazz Ensemble Performs Free Concert at Mechanics Hall in Worcester on December 12

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Jazz ensemble Makanda Project is giving a free concert at Mechanics Hall in Worcester on Wednesday, December 12, 2012 at noon.   The public is invited to bring a lunch or purchase a lunch at  Eric's LaPatisserie Café. 

The group is dedicated to playing the compositions of the late Ken McIntre of Boston, a master musician, composer and educator from Boston.  The band consists of 13 musicians: 5 saxophones, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, a vocalist, piano, bass, and drums.
 
The free show is part of the Brown Bag Series produced by Mechanics Hall and WICN 95.5 FM Public Radio, which also streams the live concert.  Here is a schedule of this season's Brown Bag concerts.

You can find year round details on live jazz anywhere in Massachusetts by visiting MassJazz.com.

For visitor information go to MassVacation.com and CentraMA.org.

Blues Guitar Legend Ronnie Earl & Broadcasters Perform in Rockport on December 14

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Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters is giving a concert at the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport on Friday, December 14, 2012 at 8:00 p.m. Opening act is Tom "Satch" Kerans.

Tickets are $19, $29 and $39 and can be purchased online or by calling 978.546.7391.  You can also purchase tickets at the door the night of the concert.

B.B. King called Ronnie Earls "one of the most serious blues guitarist you can find today.  He makes me proud." 

Here is a schedule of upcoming concerts at Shalin Liu Performance Center, located at 37 Main Street in downtown Rockport.

For year round details on live jazz in Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com.

For visitor information go to MassVacation.com.

Aardvark Jazz Orchestra's 40th annual Christmas Concert at Emmaneul Church in Boston on Saturday, December 15

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Mark Harvey and his legendary Aardvark Jazz Orchestra celebrate their 40th annual Christmas Concert on Saturday, December 15, 2012 at 8:00 p.m. at Emmaneul Church in Boston's Back Bay.

Tickets to the show are $15, available at the door.  For information call 617 776-8778 or 617 452-3205. 

The Church is located at 15 Newbury Street and is readily accessible on the MBTA's Green Line, Arlington stop.

Find out more about live jazz in Massachusetts throughout the year by visiting MassJazz.com.

For visitor information go to MassVacation.com and BostonUSA.com.

Guitar Duo Nels Cline and Julian Lage Perform at Narrows Center for the Arts on Tuesday, December 18

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Innovative guitarists Nels Cline and Julian Lage are performing in concert at the Narrows Center for the Arts in Fall River on Tuesday, December 18, 2012 at 8:00 p.m.   Tickets to the show are $23 at the door.

The two master guitarists will be playing their original compositions along with a healthy amount of spontaneous improvisation.  Nels Cline is renowned as an innovative musician who spanned jazz, rock, punk and experiment music in his career, while Julian Lage has performed with Gary Burton, Jim Hall, Bela Fleck and other great musicians, while being nominated for a Grammy Award in 2009 for his debut album, Sounding Point. 

Here is a schedule of upcoming concerts at the Narrows Center for the Arts.

Find year round information on jazz concerts, clubs, campus events, radio programs, festivals and jazz groups throughout Massachusetts by visiting MassJazz.com.

For visitor information go to MassVacation.com.

Bart Weisman Jazz Group Performs in Hyannis on Friday, December 20

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The Bart Weisman Jazz Group is performing at the Grand Cru Restaurant at the Cape Codder Resort in Hyannis, Cape Cod, on Friday, December 20, 2012 at 8:00 p.m.

Vocalist Carol Wyeth is a guest performer, with Alan Clinger on guitar, Ron Ormsby on bass and Bart Weisman on drums.

For year round details on jazz concerts, clubs, campus events, radio stations and jazz groups throughout Massachusetts, visit MassJazz.com.

For tourism information visit MassVacation.com or CapeCodChamber.org.

I asked for it! Pantone's 2013 Color of the Year

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Last year when Pantone announced it's 2012 Color of the Year was Tangerine Tango I came across the above image of theirs which listed the last dozen Colors of the Year and I got to wondering if there was a discernible pattern in their selections, so I re-sorted by color family:


And realized that my favorite color, green, was not represented. I did a post here where I wondered how one of the most popular colors could be so overlooked. And I put together a few images making my case for the 2013 selection of green as the color of the year and included Tobi Fairley's Living Room, several gorgeous Veranda covers and my own kitchen.


And lo and behold, the 2013 color of the year is simply: Emerald

Says Pantone:

Most often associated with brilliant, precious gemstones, the perception of Emerald is sophisticated and luxurious. Since antiquity, this luminous, magnificent hue has been the color of beauty and new life in many cultures and religions. It’s also the color of growth, renewal and prosperity – no other color conveys regeneration more than green. For centuries, many countries have chosen green to represent healing and unity.

“Green is the most abundant hue in nature – the human eye sees more green than any other color in the spectrum,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “As it has throughout history, multifaceted Emerald continues to sparkle and fascinate. Symbolically, Emerald brings a sense of clarity, renewal and rejuvenation, which is so important in today’s complex world. This powerful and universally appealing tone translates easily to both fashion and home interiors.”

So, while this shade of green really isn't my favorite, I tend to prefer more muted yellow/greens to blue/greens (though an emerald wouldn't go overlooked should one come my way!) I am thrilled to have my favorite color family receive the recognition it deserves. I'd also like to send a shout-out to Steve Fuller of An Urban Cottage blog for his calling it early in this comment on last year's post:


We are Steve, we are!



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Gingerbread Houses: Good enough to eat

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I've always been in love with gingerbread houses and am simply amazed at how creative and complex these sugary masterpieces can be. From sweet little traditional gum-drop confections to full-on architectural masterpieces, there is something for everyone here:






Eiffel Tower, Paris

 Old State House in Boston

Falling Water, Pennsylvania
Sydney Opera House, Australia

The "Painted Ladies" San Francisco. Probably the most perfect subject to capture in gingerbread. 

The White House in some of its many sugary iterations. Note you can tell the vintage of pictures by which presidential dog(s) takes center stage: 






While gingerbread houses are very popular here in the States, their beginnings stretch back to medieval Europe. The German recipes tended towards harder cookies which made them sturdier for architectural use.  The city of Bergen, Norway holds an annual "Pepperkakebyen" or Gingerbread City build done by townspeople - it must be something to see:



 Additional images and all credits can be found here. 

Maybe if I start now, I'll build something by next year! Meanwhile, here are a few books to get us started.



If you would like my help on your design project, I would love to chat with you! Please email me. Thanks! Subscribe to ::Surroundings::