February 22, 2013

Maryland songbird Francis Scott Key called America “the land of the free and the home of the brave.”

But if Mr. Key were alive today, he may have added a line about “opportunity.” Entrepreneurship is alive and well, especially in Baltimore.

In fact, Forbes Magazine recently named Baltimore the number-two city in the country for high-tech jobs—second only to Seattle!

A Short, Sweet History of Baltimore’s Greatest Entrepreneurs

Charles Street has been host to many entrepreneurial minds. George Peabody started a hugely successful investment bank. He traded securities owned by the Eastern Railroad and then spent the rest of his life giving away his enormous wealth. Today, his Peabody Institute, located at 1 East Mount Vernon Place, prepares thousands of students to become professional musicians and dancers.

The George Peabody Library, Courtesy JHU

Enoch Pratt came to Baltimore with just $150 in his pocket. He eventually became one of the country’s richest men, founding the E. Pratt & Brothers Iron Commission Merchants right here on Charles Street. His $1 million gift to Baltimore to create a free library system ensured his lasting fame.

William Thompson Walters and his son, Henry made their fortunes managing railroads in Baltimore. The Walters family moved to Paris at the start of the Civil War and started collecting European Art – 22,000 pieces, to be exact! The Walters Art Museum, located at 600 N. Charles Street, opened its doors “for the benefit of the public” and is known the world over for its beautiful collections.

Today, you can walk down Charles Street and see the results of Mr. Peabody’s, Mr. Pratt’s and the Walters’ success.

But I often wonder about the quiet, everyday struggles these men faced in order to achieve so much. Did they sit at their kitchen tables at night, while their families were in bed, thinking up their next big idea?

There are hundreds of men and women on Charles Street refining and perfecting their business ideas today. I have a feeling these are the businesses that our grandchildren will remember – the ones that will be around 100 years from now.

After all, those entrepreneurs who are tenacious, flexible, and can anticipate trends are the ones who will stay ahead.

Meet Henry Wong.

Photo Brian V. Jones courtesy Baltimorejazz.com

Henry founded the music venue on Charles Street known as An Die Musik Live. Since opening in 2003, he and his staff of Sean Johnson and George “Doc” Manning have hosted over 1,500 performances – some years, nearly one concert every night!

But An Die Musik didn’t start out as a performance venue, and curiously enough, Henry didn’t begin his career as a music patron.

Henry was born in Hong Kong in the 1960s. His father designed oil tankers and his mother sang opera. When he was 15, Henry moved to Minnesota to attend prep school.  You could say he was driven: Henry completed high school in just one year, then enrolled at Penn State to study medicine.

Henry moved to Baltimore in the early 1980s for a medical internship at Johns Hopkins. But a membership to the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra changed everything.

”I went to a lot of concerts and developed my knowledge of the music,” he told Baltimore Magazine. “I got encyclopedia books, and I read a lot about it. I also bought a lot of records, and I found that my gravitation toward music was stronger than the pull of medical research.”

So he and George “Doc” Manning decided to open a record store. Back then, Tower Records was king. Henry followed their recipe and stocked all the popular artists on his shelves, but he made a point to showcase jazz and classical music as well.

“Music is part of a healthy lifestyle,” Henry says. “It’s as important as exercise. It cures the mind and the soul – after you listen to a performance, you feel differently. Better. And you don’t have to take a pill, either!”

Henry named the store An Die Musik – a phrase coined by German composer Franz Schubert that means ‘to the music.’

Surprisingly, Henry’s family was supportive of his new venture – they even gave him startup funds. Perhaps they noticed his entrepreneurial spirit.

Henry added innovations to his music store. He set up listening stations for his 25,000 titles. And he reduced waste by recycling the cardboard packaging that came with CDs. Soon, he opened a second location in Ellicott City.

But commercial success would prove fleeting. The mid-1990s witnessed the rise of ‘Big Box’ stores, like Borders and Best Buy. These giant retailers rolled into town, built warehouses for their merchandise and offered steep discounts. Mom-and-Pop music stores –no matter how successful they were– didn’t stand a chance. Within 5 years, An Die Musik’s luck had run out.

In 1996, Henry moved his suburban music store onto Charles Street. He refined his business model and limited his selection to a super-niche audience: jazz and classical music enthusiasts. He also sold music at BSO concerts. “I was always happy selling music the other shops didn’t seem to want,” he says. “And if I didn’t do it, who would?”

But in the early 2000s, CDs became eclipsed by mp3s and digital downloads. And with that, an 800-pound Gorilla had entered the room: iTunes.

“Fifty percent of income [at An die Musik] used to be from CD sales,” Henry told The Baltimore Sun. “Now it’s fifteen percent… Older people don’t buy CDs, and younger people download. I can’t even exchange CDs for shrimp fried rice at my favorite Chinese restaurant.”

Ever the entrepreneur, Henry had a new idea.

“In 2004, I decided not to just sell CDs, but to promote the people who make the CDs,” Henry said. So he converted the second floor of his CD shop into a performance space. He built a stage, bought a piano and began welcoming classical, folk and jazz performers.

Image courtesy Citypaper

An Die Musik Live, Henry’s current incarnation, has lasted for the past eight years.

“A lot can be said for pure survivability!” laughed Henry.

What Henry has done is create a house of music – literally. His venue at 409 N. Charles Street welcomes performers from all around the world. An Die Musik is not commercial or corporate in any sense. “Instead,” Henry says with a twinkle in his eye, “We are a corporation of people. A community.”

On any given night, you can listen to folk music, watch a silent movie, or hear a worldbeat singer. “Just like in school, you study history, math and literature to receive a ‘complete’ education, I try to do the same for our listeners – make them well rounded,” he adds.

All of the proceeds from ticket sales go to support An Die Musik’s programming. But Henry wasn’t satisfied just at that. In 2009, he created a nonprofit called MusikNOW that brings classical musicians into Baltimore schools. He often partners with UB, the Engineers Club, the Basilica and the Peabody for his performances, and has become a beloved fixture in Baltimore’s music scene. An Die Musik has earned top honors as a jazz venue from both Baltimore Magazine and Citypaper.

“I can honestly say that I work with people who love what they’re doing,” Henry says. “Music is not about things that money can buy. It’s IN you. My staff and I host so many performances because we believe in the goodness of doing it. And we want to empower other people to feel the same. Music makes culture and heritage survive. It’s important to a city.”

What’s Happening at An Die Musik This Weekend

The Ethnic Heritage Ensemble

To celebrate Black History Month, on Friday, February 22, An Die Musik is welcoming back the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble – for their ninth annual performance!

The Chicago-based trio use African percussion instruments plus the American genre of jazz to create a truly remarkable listening experience.

Kahil El’Zabar will be on the drums, voice and kalimba; Ernest Khabeer Dawkins, reeds; and Corey Wilkes, trumpet.

Showtimes are 8 pm and 9:30 pm and tickets are just $15. You can purchase them online through InstantSeats or by calling 410-385-2638. An Die Musik is located at 409 N. Charles Street. Website: http://andiemusiklive.com

Here’s to another eight years on Charles Street, Henry! Entrepreneurs like you truly are our city’s future.

Fun Things Happening on Charles Street This Weekend

On Friday, February 22 at 8pm, the SONAR New Music Ensemble plays at Old St. Paul’s Church! They’ll feature works inspired by songs and stories throughout history from ancient to slightly more modern times., Free. 233 N. Charles Street. Call  410-685-3404 for more details.

Also on Friday, Free live music is back at Homeslyce Pizza Bar! Check out Adryelle on Friday and Jacob Panic on Saturday. Homeslyce is located at 336 North Charles Street. Website: http://www.slycethebar.com/

Persian Chain Mail at Beadazzled

On Saturday, February 23, check out the African American Family Festival at the Walters Art Museum! Bring the kids and explore the rhythm, harmony and movement of Africa! Travel with us across the continent in search of mystical masks, jangling jewelry and colorful costumes. Create many musical instruments and come together as a community orchestra! 10 am-4 pm. Free. The Walters Art Museum is located at 600 N. Charles Street. Call 410-547-9000 for details. http://thewalters.org

On Sunday, February 24: learn to Make Persian Chain Mail at Beadazzled! From 2 pm-5 pm. This advanced class offers techniques in single-strand chains and one pattern of flat sheet links. Single strand chains lend themselves to charm and bangle bracelets while the flat sheet connections ca be used for boxes, baskets, and bags. The flat sheet looks like no other type of chainmail and can be used for 3-D objects. The class is $35 plus the cost of materials. To register, call 410-837-2323. Beadazzled is located at 501 N. Charles Street. http://www.beadazzled.net

Know someone who’d like to be a Charles Street Insider? Just send them this link:

http://historiccharlesstreet.com/signup   

And they’ll be on our email list! Thank you, now and always, for supporting our Charles Street community.

Until next time,

February 8, 2013

Every year, The Historic Charles Street Association devotes a special newsletter issue to Black History Month. In 2012, we uncovered evidence of the Underground Railroad in Baltimore. This year, we take a look at Jazz music – its important roots in Baltimore, and some of the country’s best jazz musicians living here, today  

Dear Reader,

You don’t need to drive to New York or Washington, DC to hear good jazz; Charm City has an amazing jazz music scene!

Baltimore is home to several historic firsts in jazz.  You might even say that we had a Jazz Renaissance. But for some reason, Baltimore’s fascinating jazz history has remained largely unsung.

Image Courtesy Ryan

Well, I’m hoping we can change that. This issue highlights the seismic musical shifts that happened within our city limits. It might just inspire you to seek out some ‘living history’ (i.e. a jazz performance) in Baltimore this weekend. So let’s begin!

A ‘Soul-Filled’ Song

To understand jazz’s beginnings, you have to start in church.

That’s because many jazz greats, such as Eubie Blake, Rivers Chambers and Marian Anderson, began their careers in the early 1900s by singing or playing the organ in the church choir.

Not a lot of people know this, but the musical form known as Gospel was attributed to a man from the Eastern Shore. In the sleepy marshes of Berlin, Maryland (just a few miles outside of Ocean City), Charles Albert Tindley was born in 1851.

The son of slaves, Tindley worked by day as a laborer, but at night, he taught himself to read by studying patterns on scraps of paper. After Emancipation, he graduated from a theological correspondence course and became a very popular minister, with parishes in Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania.

Photo courtesy Hymn Time

Tindley was a gifted composer who combined the choruses of work songs sung by slaves with simple lyrics and ‘hopeful melodies.’ His New Songs of Paradise was published in 1916 and included such standards as “Stand By Me”, “The Storm is Passing Over” and “I Shall Overcome Someday” (which, during the Civil Rights Movement, became “We Shall Overcome”).

At the same time Gospel music developed, so did Jazz. In fact, as NPR beautifully illustrates, jazz and gospel go hand in hand: Jazz musicians often improvised on gospel music.

The Afro American newspaper heralded the arrival of jazz in Baltimore in 1917. In 1919, a progressive social group called the Cosmopolitan Choral Society sponsored Marian Anderson’s performance at the Trinity A.M.E. Church. That church still stands at 2140 East Hoffman Street.

Baltimore and the ‘New Sound’

Photo courtesy New York Public Library

Eubie Blake, one of Baltimore’s best jazz legends, taught himself to play the family organ in the 1890s. He was captivated by the lively, syncopated sounds of Scott Joplin’s Ragtime.

Joplin, another African American composer, had sent shockwaves throughout America with his new style of music. He melded the compositional sounds of German, Polish and other European immigrants with the rhythms of African song.

“When my mother would go out and wash white folks’ clothes, I’d play music lessons the way I liked,” Blake said. “And when she came home and heard me, she’d say, `You take that ragtime out of my house. Don’t you be playing no ragtime.’ ”

Courtesy Smithsonian

“Anything that is syncopated is basically ragtime,” Blake said,  “I don’t care whether it’s Liszt’s ‘Hungarian Rhapsody’ or Tchaikovsky in his ‘Waltz of the Flowers.’” Blake improvised the right hand and let the left hand wander all over the keyboard, all while keeping the beat. This style would come to be called Stride.

Blake would sneak out of his parent’s house to a nearby bordello called Miss Aggie’s – located at the corner of Gay & Aisquith Streets – and play through the night. The Baltimore Sun says a passerby could tell if Blake was playing by ‘listening to the left hand.’

Blake moved to New York and brought Baltimore’s jazz sounds to Broadway. He wrote the songs for the 1921 musical Shuffle Along, which was a breakthrough for jazz music. Its runaway success led to better hiring practices of African American musicians and actors, and served to integrate theater companies across the country.

But even Eubie Blake wasn’t immune from segregation’s sting. When Shuffle Along came to Ford’s Theater, he was told he couldn’t bring his own mother. (He did anyway, the story goes – by sneaking her in through the back).

Baltimore’s Pennsylvania Avenue

I wish I could tell you about the jazz greats who played on Charles Street; but there were none. In 1930s  segregated Baltimore, jazz theaters were on the West Side. And Pennsylvania Avenue was the place to be. It was known throughout the city as “The Avenue.”

At its hub was the Royal Theatre. “It was a beautiful building, ” Lena Boone told The Baltimore Sun. “The curtains were gorgeous; the carpet was so thick and plush; the ushers were dressed in their uniforms… I remember as a kid, as soon as you would see the marquee, you would start running and get your ticket.”

The Royal was the Baltimore stop on a musician’s circuit from New York to Washington DC. In fact, it was known to have a more critical audience than Harlem’s Apollo Theater.  Cab Calloway, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Lena Horne and Charlie Parker played there, to name just a few.

The theater, both a landmark and a painful reminder of Baltimore’s segregated past, was demolished in 1971, but you can see images of the thriving shops and businesses along Pennsylvania Avenue at The Maryland Historical Society.

“Royal Theatre, Pennsylvania Avenue,” Paul Henderson, 1949, MdHS, HEN.00.B1-001

The Henderson Photograph Collection contains over six thousand negatives and several hundred prints taken by Paul Henderson, a staff photographer for the Afro American. He captured the every day moments of Baltimore’s African American community. But only a small fraction of the subjects in his photographs have been identified. The Historical Society is actively asking the community to help with the rest, so be sure to check them out.

Once More, With Feeling

Courtesy Enoch Pratt Library

Billie Holiday was born in Baltimore in 1915 and suffered a tragically violent childhood. She lived in New York for most of her life, but Baltimore embraces her as our own, for her lasting contribution to music as well as that powerfully emotive voice.

Before Holiday, singers rarely gave the impression they lived what they were singing. She changed that.

In the 1930s, music publishers kept the best songs for white singers and society orchestras, so Holiday and her band were left recording old Tin Pan Alley songs. But that didn’t matter. Her own, powerfully unique sound came through and mesmerized listeners the world over. I like how PBS describes her voice – both quiet and strong.

I also like to think that Baltimore is a city that embraces individuality. We’ve seen that now, in numerous Charles Street Insiders — throughout history, whether we’re standing up to the British in 1812 or refusing to enact Prohibition Laws, our city’s fiercely independent spirit showed through. And that’s why I think we love Holiday. Above all, she was an individual.

Forward Steps

The Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education declared segregation unconstitutional in 1954. But did you know that Baltimore’s musical institutions ended the practice more than a decade before that?

In 1938, Baltimorean Ellis Larkins became the first African American student at the Peabody Conservatory. (He’s most famous for his collaborations with Ella Fitzgerald). Larkin graduated from the piano program and attended New York’s Julliard School of Music. NPR has a nice profile about this soft-spoken man who touched the keys with a ‘rainbow of interwoven musical textures.’

From 1941-1958, the Peabody Conservatory was led by a progressive thinker named Reginald Stewart. He was also the conductor of the Baltimore Symphony. In 1946, Stewartinvited the African American composer A. Jack Thomas to conduct his Etude en Noir with the Symphony.

Jazz Greats in Baltimore Today

Hopkins Club photograph by Wasin Prasertlap

Don’t think Baltimore’s storied jazz history is behind us. There are a number of renowned jazz musicians living in Baltimore today. And the Peabody Institute is making sure they have a venue to perform in.

Last year, the Peabody partnered with Johns Hopkins University to launch a new jazz series called Jazz at the Johns Hopkins Club. It was a great success. Most of the shows sold out and to this day remain one of the hottest tickets in town!

“Through this concert series, the Johns Hopkins Club continues to tie together Baltimore’s rich history of jazz music, the Peabody Institute’s world class jazz program and the appreciation for live music felt across our campus and our city.” says JHU President Ron Daniels, “I look forward to welcoming jazz enthusiasts to the Homewood campus.” (President Daniels is a big jazz fan too.)

Performers and bands of the best caliber have been selected by artistic director Gary Thomas, with substantial financial backing provided by Daniels himself.

This year’s series begins next week! There will be monthly shows through May, culminating with a performance by the luminary pianist Chick Corea.

February’s event, taking place on Saturday, February 16, features Marcus Strickland and his Quartet.

Marcus Strickland photograph by Jati Linday

Since emerging on the scene, Strickland’s influential sound and steady acknowledgement from every credible jazz critic has earned him a rightful spot among the very best.

His latest release is Triumph of the Heavy: Volume 1 & 2, on the Strik Musik label. Jazz Times calls it “Serious play, imbued with the kind of tough-won joyfulness that bespeaks maturity-musical, personal, emotional-along with undiminished delight.”

You can hear the Marcus Strickland Quartet on Saturday, February 16th. Sets begin at 8:30 pm and 10:00 pm and super affordable tickets (we’re talking $25!) can be purchased by visiting this link.

In March, the Jazz at the Peabody series will feature Jason Moran and the Bandwagon. For complete program details – and information about the Chick Corea show, be sure to visit the Jazz at the Hopkins Club Website.

Jazz at the Hopkins Club is located at 3400 N. Charles Street. Free parking is available.

The Peabody’s Student Jazz Ensembles

Tomorrow’s jazz stars are playing today in the Peabody Jazz Orchestra. In fact, performance is the key objective of the Peabody Conservatory’s program.

Led by Director Michael Formanek (who has performed and recorded with Elvis Costello, Chet Baker, Mingus Big Band and more), the Jazz Orchestra will play on Friday, February 15 at 7:30 pm in the Peabody’s club-like East Hall. Tickets are $15 for adults and can be purchased online.

On Thursday, February 28 at 7:30pm in the East Hall, the Peabody Improvisation and Multimedia Ensemble will perform. It is made up of strings, brass, woodwinds, percussion and vocal talent – and the really neat thing is, they often incorporate other forms of creative expression, like dance, visual art and poetry, into their pieces.

Led by the Peabody Jazz Department’s Founder, Gary Thomas, an internationally known tenor saxophonist, flutist and educator, this is sure to be a great show. The box office number is 410-234-4800 (reserving your seat for either performance is a good idea, as they often sell out). The East Hall is located at 1 East Mount Vernon Place.

I hope you enjoyed our jazz discussion; this is just the tip of the iceberg. Our city has been on a remarkable musical journey that continues today. So the next time you hear about the world’s great love of jazz music, you’ll know where many of the very best got their start – Baltimore!

Until next time,

January 25, 2013

The Restaurant Week Issue – Winter Edition

It’s that time – that magical week when Baltimore’s finest restaurants roll out their red carpets and shine their nicest silverware: It’s the start of Winter Restaurant Week!

Beginning today thru February 3, 2013, participating restaurants are offering three-course prix-fixe dinner menus for $30.13.

Some restaurants even have two-course lunch menus for $15.13.

Lucky for us, many of these excellent restaurants are located right here on Charles Street. So I had to bring you the juicy details – just in time for lunch!

Let’s begin:

Brewer’s Art

Chef Dave Newman has quite a culinary range. From his Korean-style boneless short ribs to his French Ratatouille, I know when I head to Brewer’s Art, any cuisine I’m in the mood for will taste just perfect.

For Restaurant Week, Chef Newman has created a menu of warm Winter favorites, like parsnip bisque and duck prosciutto.

Pictured above is his Ozzy Brined Fried Chicken with Pickled Wax Beans, which will be served with German Style potato salad (not the potato salad shown), and ghost pepper honey.

Pair it with his Spinach Salad – made with pickled red onions, crispy mushrooms, cured egg yolk, and warm bacon vinaigrette, and you can call that dinner! Mmmm.

You can see Brewers Art’s full Restaurant Week menu here.

The Brewer’s Art is located at 1106 N. Charles Street and open Monday-Saturday from 4 pm and Sunday from 5 pm. (Dinner starts at 5:30). Call 410-547-6925 for reservations. Website: http://www.thebrewersart.com

Cazbar

The dish above is Cazbar’s signature entrée, called Doner Iskender. It’s made with spicy lamb that’s grilled on a skewer and served on toasted garlic bread.

The yogurt garlic butter you see dribbling across the photo is a mouth-watering finish.

“I’m constantly challenging my chefs,” says owner Haluk Kantar. “We serve Turkish food with a twist. I have a vision in my head – that sets us apart from the rest – and am always striving to reach it.”

Haluk created the lamb dish above by playing off another famous Turkish lamb dish made with cubed meat.

“Cazbar is my eighth restaurant…. I came to this building (at 316 N. Charles Street) with my Dad,” he continued. “I wasn’t planning on buying it, but I immediately fell in love with the space. I mean, what’s better than Charles Street in Baltimore?!”

For Restaurant Week, Cazbar is whipping up specialties like broccoli, squash, potatoes and eggplant baked in a bechamel sauce with homemade ziti pasta.

You can see the full list of Cazbar’s Restaurant Week specialties here.

Cazbar is located at 316 N Charles Street and is open Monday-Saturday for lunch and dinner, Sunday for dinner only. Call 410-518-1222 for reservations. Website: http://www.cazbar.pro

Creme Restaurant and Lounge

Creme Restaurant (also known as CR Lounge) is a special place. They cook up southern soul food (think shrimp & grits and banana pudding), but they do it in a sleek & contemporary, urban space.

Their food has also been compared to a work of art, according to The Baltimore Sun.

And their Restaurant Week menu is no exception. You can enjoy their pan-roasted chicken breast with jasmine rice and a vegetable medley (pictured above), and a wild mushroom dish that’s sauteed in an earthy truffle oil and topped with a manchego cheese. Full Restaurant Week details can be found right here.

Creme is located at 518 N. Charles St. They’re open for dinner Wednesday-Sunday and closed on Monday and Tuesday. Call 443-869-3381 for reservations. Website: http://crloungebalt.com.

Helmand

“Have you ever had cardamom ice cream?” I asked my seatmates. Shaking their heads no, I generously gave them a bite. They immediately placed an order. It’s hard to describe – a delicate warmth plus chilled, smooth & creamy confection. The dried figs and mango bits add a nice touch. Wow.

You can see The Helmand’s entire Restaurant Week menu here. The Helmand is open nightly for dinner and is located at 806 N. Charles St. Call 410-752-0311 for reservations. Website: http://www.helmand.com/

Sascha’s 527

Sascha calls this Baltimore’s Best Carrot Cake. Believe her. I was presented with a tower of moist carrot-y, raisin goodness, drizzled with caramel and served with fresh whipped cream. I’m looking forward to leftovers for the next few days. You can see their Restaurant Week menu here. Sascha’s is open Monday-Friday for lunch and Monday-Saturday for dinner. 527 N. Charles Street. Call 410-539-8880 for reservations. Website: http://www.saschas.com/restaurant.html

The Prime Rib

Okay, so I’ve So I’ve waxed poetic about The Prime Rib’s succulent steaks on more than one occasion.

Well, don’t blame this girl for being a carnivore – The Prime Rib is known for some of the best meat on the East Coast. They were even named as serving one of the top 20 Steaks in America by Esquire Magazine!

But did you know The Prime Rib also serves delicious seafood?

That’s right, and on their Restaurant Week menu, you can try their Crab Imperial (pictured above), served with huge chunks of lump crab meat, prepared with butter, a little salt, black pepper and that’s it – when the crab’s that fresh, you don’t need anything more!

The Prime Rib is located at 1101 N. Calvert St. They’re open nightly for dinner. Call 410-539-1804 for reservations. Website: http://www.theprimerib.com/bal/index.html

Enjoy Restaurant Week!

Fun Things Happening the Rest of This Week

The Hotel Monaco’s lobby

This just in – Our friends at the Hotel Monaco are extending their 25% discount on hotel stays through February!

They’re calling it the “401″ promotion. Click here for a calendar of rates – you can enjoy a ‘staycation’ for as little as $130 per night. Come see why Baltimore’s Hotel Monaco has been named as one of the top 200 hotels in America by Conde Nast Traveler.

The Hotel Monaco is located at 2 North Charles Street.  Call 888-752-2636 for reservations.

Website: http://www.monaco-baltimore.com/baltimore-luxury-hotel/index.html

Beginning in March (the 2nd of the month to be exact), The Walters Art Museum will present an exhibition on Jewish communities in the Islamic World. Entitled “Threshold to the Sacred: The Ark Door of Cairo’s Ben Ezra Synagogue” this exhibit will feature a decorated and inscribed medieval wood door from a Holy Ark—a special cabinet that holds the Torah scrolls, the sacred Jewish scripture. You won’t want to miss it! The Walters is located at 600 N. Charles Street. General museum information: 410-547-9000 or www.thewalters.org.

Mr. Warren

Tonight (Friday, January 25) at 8pm: beat the Winter blues with hot music at An Die Musik!

The jazz sounds of Butch Warren, Freddie Redd with Matt Wilson and Brad Linde will be on hand. Butch Warren’s first professional job was playing in his father Edward Warren’s group at age 14. Early on, the bassist worked locally in the Washington, D.C., area, most notably with Stuff Smith. In 1958, he moved to New York to play with Kenny Dorham at the Five Spot and stayed in town throughout most of his career. During the next six years, Warren was in great demand for club work and appeared on many recordings, particularly dates for the Blue Note label led by Joe Henderson, Jackie McLean, Stanley Turrentine, Donald Byrd, Herbie Hancock, Dexter Gordon, Sonny Clark, and Dorham. He was a member of Thelonious Monk’s quartet from 1963-1964 and then moved back to Washington, D.C., where he worked on a television show from 1965-1966. You can still find Butch playing at many local DC jazz venues.

Fredie Redd is a hard bop pianist and composer. Since the 1950s, he has worked extensively with highly regarded musicians and recorded several albums as leader.

Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online or by calling 410-385-2638. An Die Musik is located at 409 N. Charles Street.

On Sunday, January 27 – celebrate the conversion of St. Paul at Old Saint Paul’s Church! There will be a free harp concert performed by Fullbright scholar Jasmine Hogan at 5:30pm, followed by a festive Choral Evensong at 6:00, led by the choirs of Old St. Paul’s.

Old Saint Paul’s is located at the corner of Charles and Saratoga Streets. See their website for more information.

On Monday, January 28 – give our Baltimore Ravens football team the proper sendoff at 11:30 at the Inner Harbor Ampitheatre! Members of the Ravens’ 2000 Super Bowl XXXV team will also be in attendance, while current Ravens players and coaches – including head coach John Harbaugh and LB Ray Lewis – are scheduled to arrive at the rally at 12:15 pm. See you there!

It tries to hide, but we can see it

Finally, on Wednesday, January 30, at 6:30pm – our friends at Downtown Partnership of Baltimore invite all business owners, property owners and residents in the 300 block of Charles Street to attend a meeting to hear the Partnership’s plans to install light-emitting diode (LED) fixtures on the Charles Street façade of the Verizon building (323 North Charles Street)!

The LED lights will project multi-color light on the façade of the building during the evening hours. The Partnership’s intent is to give the Verizon building a lively nighttime appearance that greets pedestrians with an interesting light display. These light fixtures have red, green, and blue LEDs, allowing nearly any light color to be displayed during the evening or for special occasions – purple for the Ravens, red for Valentine’s Day, pink for breast cancer awareness or red, white and blue for Flag Day – which will create a new way of looking at the building.

Downtown Partnership’s offices are located at 217 North Charles Street.

The meeting will start with a brief presentation and then a light demonstration at the Verizon building. For questions about the meeting contact David Carrodine at dcarrodine@dpob.org and/or call 410.244.1030.

Trivia Time!

This week, in lieu of a question – I want you to check out the Restaurant Week website.

You can enter to win a $75 gift card at B&O Brasserie AND tickets to the new performance of August: Osage County at the new Everyman Theatre!

http://mix1065fm.cbslocal.com/baltimore-restaurant-week/

Good luck, and Good Eats!

Laura Rodini

 

The Historic Charles Street Association (HCSA) is a non-profit organization, 501 (c)(3),whose mission is to support and promote the businesses, cultural attractions, entertainment venues, restaurants and retail establishments along the Charles Street corridor. HCSA serves as a problem solving and information resource for its members, as well as provides a forum for networking, communication and collaboration.

January 18, 2013

The next time you have lunch at City Cafe, take a moment to peer into the window of the building next door at 1013 Cathedral Street – it just might take your breath away.

McClain Wiesand’s Showroom

Wait a moment and let your eyes adjust to the light. The 2-story, blueberry hued showroom is crammed with odds and ends that, somehow, pair perfectly together.

A bust of Marcus Aurelius watches over a Baltimore Chair that sits next to a heavy oak table displaying hand-colored drawings.

It’s the main showroom for McClain Wiesand, a custom furniture company and Baltimore institution for more than 25 years.

“In the late 80s and early 90s, I owned an antique shop on Howard Street,” David Wiesand told me, “I loved it. I ran the business by day, but at night, I built my own, custom designs.”

David graduated from MICA with a Master’s in Painting – he was the one who painted the beautiful murals that were part of the Tremont Grand’s restoration.

Eventually, he realized that his true passion was furniture design.

David particularly enjoyed a style known as Biedermeier, which catered to the German Middle Class of the early 19th Century. This style emphasized clean lines and minimal ornamentation, with a nod to the past. “The 19th Century Germans were looking at the French, who were an ornate team of architects looking back at classical Rome,” David explained.

“You can see the Classical influence in the scrollwork in their pieces, and the ‘X’ braces that support their chairs.”

Notice the ‘X’ beams

David also studied the work of Baltimore’s best craftsmen from the 19th Century: a pair of brothers named John and Hugh Finlay. Their work can be found in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Like David, the brothers Finlay followed the Biedermeier style and created high-style painted furniture masterpieces with classical motifs.

David revived the Finlay brothers’ most successful piece, which is affectionately known as the Baltimore Chair.

But for some, this very elegant design proved to be a precarious perch. Benjamin Latrobe, who worked with the Finlay Brothers, once complained that “three of the chairs have been broken by one man weighing a lot who has attempted at different times to lean back in them.”

David’s chairs, on the other hand, account for sitters of all sizes. In fact, his furniture business grew out of commissions from local designers to fabricate the Baltimore Chairs. “It was really my opportunity to talk them into something I wanted to make,” he said.

A Workshop, A Home

David Wiesand with a holiday creation

In 1999, David moved his antiques business into the old Reliable Tire building at 1013 Cathedral Street.

“The upstairs rooms were used to store tires – I could see the measurements written in pencil on the walls,” David said. He researched the building’s history at The Maryland Historical Society and then began a decade-long renovation. All of his artistic skills were called upon. With the help of friends, he raised the ceiling a few feet, moved the roof joists, built an enormous floor-to-ceiling column for the showroom and painted murals and stonework along the walls.

These days, his home is a spectacular work of art that has been featured in The Baltimore Sun and was even a stop along the Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage and Holly Tour. There are different themed rooms; one parlor, a throwback to the 1850s, is filled with historically accurate furniture David made by hand. Another is a ‘Moroccan Room,’ complete with hookahs and the exact tile motif found in the Tremont Grand’s Oriental Room. “I love to call it a giant confection,” David said.

A mind-bending array of possibilities

But for me, the most fascinating part of David’s old curiosity shop is the workshop itself.

David converted the Reliable Tire’s garage into his fabrication shop – it’s a treasure trove of new and reclaimed materials from places like Second Chance, Baltimore’s architectural salvage depot.*

In one corner sits a massive walnut cabinet that David & team are building for a customer in New York; David is currently perfecting the cremone latching system that allows the cabinet doors to effortlessly open and shut. In another corner, a man-sized sheet of rubber molds will become part of the design of a dining table for a customer up North. In still another corner, there is a mirror frame with a thousand different metal slots – into these, David’s craftsmen will carefully insert shards of colored glass.

Alexandra Wiesand with a chandelier ‘in progress’

McClain Wiesand has become a family business; David’s two daughters, Alexandra and Katie, both help their Dad out with his wildly creative projects. Here Alexandra works on of one of the company’s most popular items, called the Carousel Chandelier.

The gold circles dangling to the right of Alexandra may look familiar. Ever notice the large mirrors placed high on the wall in the back of clothing or grocery stores? The ones meant to catch shoplifters? Well, David figured out a way to elevate this everyday object into fine art. He removes the plastic surrounding the mirror, and then flecks the lens with acid, which eats through the mirror’s silver finish. Then he adds a top-secret recipe of finishes and voila!

Check out what the finished product looks like:

Stunning

David’s showrooms include the prestigious John Rosselli & Associates showroom in New York, Design Center of the Americas in Florida, Hinc and Company in San Francisco and Michael Smith’s Jasper showroom in Los Angeles, to name just a few.

New Inspiration

The Wiesand family has deep roots in Baltimore, and our city proves to be a source of constant inspiration for David. In fact, a trip David made to The Walters Art Museum a few years ago inspired him anew. “I remember standing in the Armor Room and seeing the displays of beautiful chain mail. I thought, ‘here’s one thing. Now if I put lots and lots of these things together, I can create a new thing.’”

Thus, his Tab table was born.

“I’m moving away from antique reproductions now,” David continued. “I’m focusing more on new, interesting art: on texture, on surfaces, and on form. I like to call it ‘Neo Baroque.’ The Baroque movement was grandiose and big, with gilt decoration. I like to think of our furniture as fashion, which is constantly changing. We want to give our clients something new to be excited about.”

I can’t help but think, that, by honoring the past – especially Baltimore’s craftsmen and the objects from days gone by – David’s own voice has emerged.

We are profoundly impressed, David! And so happy to have the McClain Wiesand workshop in our neighborhood. Your creativity adds something special to Charles Street. Here’s to reclaiming pieces of Baltimore’s past, and representing our city on the world stage of furniture design!

McClain Wiesand’s showroom is open Monday-Friday from 9 am-5 pm. It’s located at 1013 Cathedral Street. You can also call ahead to make an appointment; 410-539-4440. Website: http://www.mclainwiesand.com/

*Editor’s Note: Second Chance recently moved, but it’s still open and operating in Baltimore! Its new location is 1700 Ridgely Street.

Fun Things Happening the Rest of This Week

Michael Dale

Tonight, January 18 at 8pm, listen to the harmonies of East & West featuring G.I. Gudjieff at An Die Musik!

Gurdjieff, a seminal spiritual figure of the last century, introduced to the West an ancient yet unknown esoteric teaching of development and awakening, one that teaches how to creatively use the diverse impressions of ordinary life to come to real life.

In the 1920s Mr. Gurdjieff created a body of music that is the esoteric expression of the sacred. He was assisted by the Russian composer and pianist, Thomas de Hartmann, who said of Gurdjieff’s music “it helps to concentrate oneself, to bring oneself to an inner state when we can assume the greatest possible emanations.”

The works will be performed by Michael Dale, a composer-improviser and multi-instrumentalist residing in the San Francisco Bay Area. He performs regularly with many jazz and classical groups including New Keys and Death of Cool. Recently, he is featured on the recordings Sacred Music of the Eternal Present: Hymns and Prayers of G.I. Gurdjieff, and Perserverance, by the free-jazz group Sound Immersion. He is also a composer for film, having scored the award-winning short Milo’s Wheels. He maintains a full studio of private students in the East Bay. He is a student of William Patrick Patterson, a leading exponent and teacher of Gurdjieff”s Fourth Way.

There will be a wine reception following the performance. Tickets are $10; order yours online or by calling 410-385-2638. An Die Musik is located at 409 N. Charles Street.  Website: http://andiemusiklive.com

Courtesy BOPA

Due to the Inaugural Festivities, the Mayor’s Office decided this year to hold our 13th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade on Saturday instead of Monday.

So, the parade will be held on Saturday, January 19, 2013 beginning at 12:00 noon, rain or shine.

“The parade is to remind us Dr. King’s message of equality,” said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.

And this year’s grand marshal is Baltimore native and former Harlem Globetrotter, Charles “Choo” Smith.

The parade route starts at the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Eutaw Street, and proceeds south along Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard to Baltimore Street. Click here for a complete list of road closures. For all the details on the parade, click this link from the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts.

Brian Ganz

On Saturday night, join Peabody Institute Faculty member Brian Ganz as he continues his quest to perform every work by Chopin, on Saturday, January 19 at 8pm at Strathmore!

Brian will be performing with the National Philharmonic. He will be exploring the theme of “Small Worlds.”

His program will include Frédéric Chopin’s 5 Mazurkas, Op. 7; Trois Ecossaises, Op. 72, No. 3; Lento con Gran Espressione in C-sharp minor; Presto con Leggerezza in A-flat major; Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23; Ballade No. 3 in A-flat major, Op. 47; and the 24 Préludes, Op. 28.

The first of the Ballades holds a place of honor in Brian’s heart, as he considers it the piece that inspired him to become a pianist. “It is no exaggeration to say that Chopin’s Ballade No. 1 changed my life,” he says. “I like to say that Chopin ‘wounded’ me with the mysterious, inexplicable beauty of that piece.”

Brian is Artist-in-Residence at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and on the piano faculty of the Peabody Conservatory of Music. Tickets are expected to sell out – get yours now! http://nationalphilharmonic.org/

Know someone who’d like to be a Charles Street Insider? Just send them this link:

http://historiccharlesstreet.com/signup And they’ll be on our email list! Thank you, now and always, for supporting our Charles Street community.

Trivia Time!

Alright, Ravens fans! This week, I want you to test your knowledge of our team with this online trivia quiz (I thought it was hard!)

http://football.about.com/library/weekly/bl_triviaravens.htm

Best of luck to our boys in purple this weekend, and talk to you soon!

Laura Rodini

 

The Historic Charles Street Association (HCSA) is a non-profit organization, 501 (c)(3),whose mission is to support and promote the businesses, cultural attractions, entertainment venues, restaurants and retail establishments along the Charles Street corridor. HCSA serves as a problem solving and information resource for its members, as well as provides a forum for networking, communication and collaboration.

December 31, 2012

I want to thank you for making our Historic Charles Street community even more vital and vibrant in 2012.

We sure had a lot of fun this year.

Let’s Eat Charles Street

We organized two massive street festivals:

•Let’s Eat Charles Street, in May, which brought out over a thousand people and 40 restaurants and retailers!

Live music was sponsored by WTMD Radio – and even the Oriole Bird made an appearance.

•Then, in the fall, right before Halloween, we partnered with Station North Arts & Entertainment District to put on our Charles Street Fall Festival.

We couldn’t have picked a more amazing location, right in front of Penn Station (right).

This time our food and clothing vendors were lined up around the Man/Woman statue.  And as the sun set, musicians from The Baltimore Folk Festival put on a fantastic show.

Both Amtrak and the Mayor’s office were happy with the event – in fact, they’re applying for a grant to convert that area into a more usable public space.

Charles Street Fall Festival

It feels great to help make Baltimore an even better place!

Other Going’s On

•But we’re not just about parties; we also introduced our popular Charles Street Insider newsletters.

These weekly email newsletters (or eletters) cover all that’s happening on Charles Street, from the secrets of the Owl Bar to the secret recipe behind Shiraz’s chicken pomegranate lunch special.

Our readership doubled in 2012!

•We also served as an advocate on behalf of our member businesses on issues such as parking & loading and the Authentic Baltimore retail designation.

•We built a new website – http://www.historiccharlesstreet.com - and used online marketing techniques to triple page views. Check it out – all 44 Charles Street Insider issues (the complete archive) are now available for your viewing pleasure!

•We brought Charles Street into the 21st Century through Social Media – we now have over 600 Facebook friends, for instance…

•And I’m especially proud to say that we’ve gained the largest amount of support within the Baltimore business community in many years. We are now 85 members strong!

…But we couldn’t have achieved ANY of our successes this year, without

YOU!

Our friends at Southern Management were a big part of all of our events

So I want to thank you, for coming out & taking part in our events.

As Pete Seeger so artfully put it, “Participation is the only thing that’s gonna save the human race”

And I want to thank you, for opening your doors to us.

Frank Dittenhafer

Frank Dittenhafer, owner of Murphy & Dittenhafer Architects, was just one of the many businesses that were featured in the pages of our Charles Street Insider. They lost their business in the 2010 fire at 800 N Charles Street, but prevailed – by relocating their entire staff across the street and continuing their great architectural preservation work here in Downtown Baltimore.

And I want to thank you, for sharing your very personal, and very courageous stories.

Gina and Jonathan Davis

You might think someone who owns a flower shop might be as delicate as her arrangements, but it’s just the opposite with Gina Davis.

Gina owns one of the most successful flower shops in the city, but the story behind it is actually one of survival, faith and perseverance – through some of the most difficult circumstances imaginable.

I can’t walk past Gina’s cheerful window display without thinking about her incredible story, and that’s why I wanted to share it with you.

And I want to thank you, for sharing really cool facts we never knew about the businesses on Charles Street.

Marketing Director Roswell Encina demonstrates how you can check out art at the Enoch Pratt Library

Did you know, for example, that stacks of books are literally supporting the foundation of the Enoch Pratt Library?

Or that a group of neighborhood investors saved the MacGillivray’s building from becoming a parking lot?

Or that the late, and enormously talented rapper, Tupac Shakur, was said to have ‘found this voice’ in Mount Vernon?

Cazbar’s Haluk Kantar, Dogan Salis and Officer Rocks

And I want to thank you, for getting up for work each and every day on Charles Street, for opening wonderful new shops and restaurants, and for making our street safe.

I want to thank you for being around ‘since 1993’ and then some – and for working so hard to make Mount Vernon the best part of Baltimore!

We didn’t just build a business association this year; we created a community.
Until next week,

Laura Rodini
Executive Director, The Historic Charles Street Association

The Historic Charles Street Association (HCSA) is a non-profit organization, 501 (c)(3),whose mission is to support and promote the businesses, cultural attractions, entertainment venues, restaurants and retail establishments along the Charles Street corridor. HCSA serves as a problem solving and information resource for its members, as well as provides a forum for networking, communication and collaboration.