Author: mattlang

Fall feels particularly frenetic to me this year. I love this time of year for the colors and the crisp air. The frosty mornings that give way to warm afternoons. The smell of leaves on the ground and wood stoves kicking into gear. The other thing I love about fall is that it’s always a great creative time of year. Lots of ideas popping into the noggin…everyone is working on stuff for school or for groups that they didn’t have time/energy/desire to tackle in the steamy summer months. I guess the harried feeling for me is the fact that in the fall, there is a firm schedule in place that will be there until next spring! YIKES!
Truthfully, I’m way less harried than last year at this time because I don’t have to go to “work”. No day job…ahhhh…repeat…ahhh…there, the angst is fading. Now I’m living my work. I don’t have a “job”. I love teaching, playing, rehearsing, writing charts, coaching ensembles, learning from my students and fellow musicians. I’m very lucky and I will stop whining about frenetic fall foibles right now. Thanks for working through that with me! Bring on the saturated schedule, bunches of bands, day and night driving delirium. I’m ready to hit it! Okay, for some music…
PMAC Faculty Concert: Arts Matter – Friday October 22, Rye Congregational Church. Come on out and support the arts! PMAC faculty members donate their time to present a great show featuring all types of classical, jazz and contemporary ensembles and all types of music. Tickets are available by calling PMAC or the night of the concert.
Scott Solsky Quartet – The Barley House, Concord, NH – Monday October 25th. Guitarist, Scott Solsky, drives the Barley House bus tonight with co-pilots Langley, Jared Steer and Jesse Stearn. This is a funky band that has been playing regularly for a while now and has started to develop  nice group sound. The Barley House is becoming the monday night jazz hang in Concord, NH by featuring great music, and wine specials each week to compliment your meal. Come on in and bring your instrument if you would like to sit in! The more the merrier!
Matt Jenson’s I-Level – Halloween Party! – The Press Room, Portsmouth, NH – Saturday, October 30th. Jenson’s I-Level is a reggae/latin dance party waiting to happen and this year it happens on Halloween Eve! Get your ghoul on an DANCE! Special line-up this year includes Woody Allen on Guitar, Pablo Bencid on drums and Fez on bass. We’ll get the PR rockin’ so please don’t miss it!
Charlie Kohlhase’s Explorer’s Club – Woodford’s Congregational Church, 202 Woodford St., Portland, ME – Saturday November 6th. Paul Lichter’s Dimensions in Jazz Series presents the Explorer’s Club on a long overdue visit to Portland Maine! We’ll have Charlie, Myself, Jeff Galindo, John Funkhouser on Bass, Mike Connors on Drums and Eric Hofbauer on Guitar. This is a great sounding room and the EC has been performing fairly regularly so this should be a very special show. Join us!
That’s it for now. Let’s all go out and hear some live music or see a local show or go to an art opening or…

That’s it. Kids go back to school and it starts getting dark earlier and the leaves turn colors and, and, and, and…so it goes. Hi Ho. This has been the summer of the vegetable at the Langley household. Miss Pam kicked some major compost and turned out tomatoes extraordinaire, cucumbers colossus, string bean wizardry, basil bountifitude, maine melonary magic, edible eliot jalapenos…the list goes on and on. We’re already planning MORE for next year! Is there no end to our gluttony or have we finally discovered how to use some of the land around here to feed ourselves? Hmmm. Some music fer ya?…
Saturday, September 11th – FTET at Concord City Arts 11AM – This day too shall go down in infamy. The first FTET gig without Klaxton proves to be a great one with Nick Mainella filling the chair. OK, I don’t mean to belittle the memory of those who lost their lives on 9/11……silence…..we will spread cheer.
Sunday, September 12 – Jazz Service at 2nd Christian Congregational Church in Kittery 10AM – The Jazz Services at 2nd Christ Congo are BACK! Effenberger directs the choir, Jim Rudolph and Myself in musical accompaniment to pastor Brad Hirst’s inspiring sermons. Join us and enjoy!
Sunday, September 12 – FTET at the Barley Pub, Dover NH 8PM – The FTET in their natural habitat. Surrounded by good beer and such. You simply have to try all the beers at the Barley Pub, not all tonight mind you, but over time. This will be a perfect night to start, or continue, your conquest. Eff on the B3, Jim Rudolph on the tubs, Nick Mainella on reeds and Langley on saxamaphones. Mmmm, good with beer.
Monday, September 13 – David Tonkin Quartet at the Barley House, Concord, NH 6PM – The planets align and I get to do the New Hampshire Barley tour once again. Tonight with Tonkey’s Marauders at the sumptuous Barley House in Concord NH. There will be wine specials and hearty music on tap with David Tonkin twangin the geetahhh, Don Williams molesting the basses, Tim Gilmore caressing the skins and Langley filling the brass tubes with tepid air. Sounds enticing, eh?
Monday, September 27th – Scott Solsky Quartet at the Barley House, Concord, NH 6PM – Back to the Barley for another great night with guitarist Scott Solsky. This is a fun band that stretches the jazz Quartet repertoire in unexpected directions. Scot on Guitar, Jared Steer on Drums and Jesse Stearn on Bass. Wine specials and tasty music make for a great capper to manic monday!
That’s it for now…hope to see you at one of these gigs or at someone else’s gig. Thanks for supporting live music!