#941, Friday, February 6, 2004 ARTS + FEATURES chernov's choice Nat "King" Cole never performed in St. Petersburg, but this week there will be a chance to meet the late jazz legend's younger brother. Singer and pianist Freddy Cole has the talent, and a style, similar to his famous brother, whose fame overshadowed Freddy Cole's own career, but his voice has been described as "darker." He will play at the Jazz Philharmonic Hall on Saturday. Also on Saturday, Refree, the Barcelona-based band led by singer and guitarist Raul Fernandez, will appear at Fish Fabrique. See article, this page. Billy's Band, the amusing, Tom Waits-influenced local trio which has been in its heyday in the past year or two, will play a concert at Red Club this Friday. The show which the band jokingly dedicate to its "20th anniversary," will have at least two special features. The first will be a premiere of the band's video "Zimny Son" (Winter Dream), which is the band's gravel-voiced cover of what is probably pop singer Alsou's best-known song. The video was directed by the Purga club's co-owner Vadim Isayev, with some of the art bar's staff taking part. Alsou's video of the song featuring actor Sergei Makovetsky drew from Vladimir Nabokov's "Lolita," but Novik insists his band's version is not spoofing the pop nymphet. "It's not a parody to Alsou's video, it's totally different," he insisted. Secondly, closer to the end of the evening, Billy's Band plans to perform its recent song "Otorvyomsya Po-Pitersky" (Having Fun Petersburg Style) with the ska-punk band Besheniye Ogurtsy - or "The Mad Cucumbers," in English style. Local folk band Dobranotch will join forces with New York-based klezmer musician and songwriter Michael Alpert (see photo, page iii). Dobranotch which peforms East-European folk met Alpert at the local annual KlezFest event last year. Alpert, who sings and plays accordion, violin, guitar and percussion, has been described as a "pioneering figure in the current renaissance of East European Jewish klezmer music for over 25 years." A scholar and educator, he is coming to St. Petersburg for a seminar on the invitation of the local Jewish Community Center. He is also noted for his original Yiddish songs on contemporary themes. According to Dobranotch's violin player Mitya Khramtsov, Alpert will take part in several songs. Dobranotch will play Wednesday at Red Club. Wine, whose lineup seems to always be changing these days, will celebrate its frontman Alexei Fedyakov's, aka Winer's, birthday while premiering its first CD release "Wine Not?" at Red Club on Sunday. The other local concerts of note include Chirvontsy, the band formed by some ex-members of Leningrad (Fish Fabrique, Friday), the all-female folk-punk band Iva Nova (Manhattan, Saturday) and the Vermicelli Orchestra, the art-rock ensemble led by the former Akvarium player Sergei Shchurakov (JFC, Saturday). The bunker rock club Front abruptly followed the bunker techno club Tunnel this week and is now closed. While Tunnel's explanation was "technical reasons," Front refers to "renovation works," though late last month it sent out its program of concerts which runs to the end of February. Now they have been all canceled. - By Sergey Chernov More arts stories: free to be the 'catalan radiohead' | jazz legend honored at corner fete | better than your average mess | sad, funny ariadne falters | new music formed in the city | 'the last train' shows war at its worst| survivors inspire siege novel | the word's worth| Something to say? Write to the Opinion
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