Military and music: Two events have much to offer

Richard Frost
A Day Away

May 05, 2008 06:09 am

— Two events from last spring and summer are already on our "must-do" list for 2008.
The Battle of Plattsburgh Association holds its second-annual Military Timeline on the grounds adjacent to its War of 1812 Museum on the former Air Force Base. Though the organization generally keeps its focus on the eponymous local conflict, on this occasion it extends that mission.
Engagements from the arrival of Samuel de Champlain through the present get attention. Strolling the encampments last year, I talked to re-enactors who explained the use of black powder, listened to a woman in a billowing pink dress talk about fashions of the early 19th century and scrutinized a bazooka up close.
WEAPONS OF WAR
On one table was laid out all that had to fit into a typical World War II knapsack. It's an amazing array: field rations of chocolate and vitamins (made by Hershey), a portable razor, ampules of morphine, a latrine shovel, a Gamon bomb to throw into tanks. You get the picture.
Participants offered short indoor talks during which they described their uniforms and discussed issues relevant to the period they were re-enacting. These people were terrific, full of detail for the history devotee but able to make concepts relevant for those in the audience such as my wife, Marty, normally not one to listen to stories of battle.
Thus, a man dressed in the bright red uniform and tricorne hat of the British Army during the Seven Years' War (1756-63) explained that, in this era before standardization and uniform caliber, each weapon came with its own bullet mold. He displayed a 1757 "over and under" smooth bore rifle. It held two shots at a time, with a swivel for switching to the second one.
Europeans, long accustomed to battle on open fields, had to adapt to the forested terrain on which the French and Indian War was fought. Portraying the legendary Robert Rogers, one speaker described the development of ranging units skilled in concealment and raiding. Rogers' rules are still part of standard military training manuals today.
The New Orleans business community financed the Washington Artillery during the War Between the States. A soldier showed us his sidearms. His short musket used mercury pellets as primer, a response to the unreliability of flint in wet weather. The American South lacked iron, so his standard issue .45-caliber revolver featured a brass frame.
1812 FASHION SHOW
One man dressed as a marine taught us about the Boxer Rebellion in China at the turn of the 20th century. Another portrayed a World War II paratrooper, a soldier intended to fall behind enemy lines in anticipation of an infantry attack. His paraphernalia represented barely a third of the 500 pounds a typical paratrooper carried during a jump.
This year's Timeline, on May 24 and 25, will again feature an encampment with re-enactors from around the region. Visitors will have opportunities to examine artifacts and reproductions from each time period, plus plenty of time to talk with the re-enactors. Black-powder shootings, plus bazooka and jeep demonstrations, will also be included in the program.
Be sure to attend some of the presentations in the War of 1812 Museum's Press-Republican auditorium. Also on the agenda are an 1812-period fashion show, a medical tent and an herbal display. Sunday's activities will include a memorial service at the Post Cemetery.
Events run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 24, and 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, May 25. The museum's exhibits, including its newly installed "Secrets Beneath the Surface," with artifacts recovered from Lake Champlain, will also be open both days.
JAZZ FESTIVAL
Regular readers know that we make the Montreal Jazz Festival one of our destinations every summer.
It may be North America's most wonderful block party. Parts of Rue St. Catherine and nearby streets are closed off for the 10-day event, occurring this year from June 26 through July 6. Bands play on 10 outdoor stages from noon until past midnight. Best of all, the festival brings in acts from all over the world, exposing us to remarkable talent we'd otherwise never see.
There's a roster of indoor performances requiring tickets. We made decisions too late last year to get seats for such legends as Van Morrison and Bob Dylan. But the chance to see Buddy Guy, one of America's great blues players, helped compensate. And we saw why George Thorogood and his Delaware Destroyers have been one of the continent's most popular rock attractions over the past three decades.
All the outdoor concerts are free. Last year, during the afternoons, we listened to traditional Dixieland music by the likes of Denny's Dixieland Clan. Early evening, we enjoyed Streetnix, an all-horn Canadian ensemble that we've heard in the past.
The main stage, on Rue St. Catherine, usually features terrific international music at night. One night, an act from France, Le Sacre du Tympani, offered a big band and a big beat. On another, American singer Ryan Shaw belted out solid rhythm and blues. I also wandered over to Scene Loto Quebec, usually the site of blues shows. I caught Burnside Style, a group of performers who learned their craft playing with Mississippi bluesmen.
MEET THE ARTISTS
The festival also offers parades, street performers, workshops and Meet the Artist opportunities. Last year, I urged readers to seek out these opportunities for interaction with performers. The schedule gets buried deep in the thick festival program, but it's well-worth finding.
That's how we happened upon the highlight of our 2007 visit, an hour or two listening to Bela Fleck and Victor Wooten speak with fans in a hotel salon. As members of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, these two create unique and wonderful music. It's equally impressive listening to them so articulately discuss their craft.
Bela Anton Fleck (named for Bela Bartok and Anton Dvorak) must have felt destined for a life in music from an early age. But I doubt his parents ever dreamed he would become world famous for virtuosity on the banjo. He demonstrated techniques on his 1937 Gibson Mastertone (the Stradivarius of bluegrass"), while urging aspiring players to "learn tradition, but then speak with your own voice."
Wooten spoke about music conveying a feeling and a message, arguing that technical prowess might speak to one generation, but it takes emotion and story to bridge generations. He enjoys experimenting with new techniques, much as one would try to learn new words.
"You can always go back to the metronome to check yourself," he said, using it like the yellow line in the middle of the road.
Later on, watching Fleck, Wooten and their bandmates on stage, we felt like insiders, with greater appreciation for the range of sounds Fleck can cajole from his banjo or that Wooten can coax from the electric bass.
FREE OUTDOOR SHOWS
This year's full roster of indoor performances will be announced this coming Tuesday. Among those already scheduled are Steely Dan, Aretha Franklin and Chick Corea. Woody Allen will appear with his jazz combo. James Taylor will also give a concert.
Remember, however, one can have a terrific time without buying any of those tickets. The list of free outdoor shows doesn't get released until June 3, but you can be certain it'll include plenty of talent. Wander around and listen to people you've never heard before.
You'll likely be pleased.
rbforiole@aol.com

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