Spring is in full swing on the South Fork this weekend. Jazz Appreciation Month has infiltrated the East End, and we’re not mad about it as celebrating locales are putting their own twist and unique spins on the iconic musical style. Meanwhile, Sagaponack Farm Distillery partners with Sylvester & Co Modern General for a deliciously dreamy cocktail event and The Church in Sag Harbor hosts its first book festival… sort of.
Gear up for next week’s Earth Day (which falls on Saturday, April 22) with a planting session at a local library or a quick trek through the Long Pond Greenbelt. There’s even a lecture on how to channel your inner green thumb from a gracious Greenwich, Conn. based gardener.
Hear some jazz, African style, at the Parrish
Jazz and West African traditional styles blend at the Parrish Art Museum tomorrow at 6 p.m. in Water Mill. Featuring master kora player Yacouba Sissoko, along with percussionist Moussa Diabate, the concert is co-presented with Hamptons Jazz Fest. Native to West Africa, the kora is a 21-stringed, harp-like instrument that Sissoka’s been playing since he was 9. Tickets are $20 for non-members, $15 for members, $10 for students. Advance ticket purchase is recommended. To get yours, click here.
Also at the Parrish, the first installment of a year-long, three part series will be on view starting Sunday, April 16. “Artists Choose Parrish, Part I” features work by East End artists paired with their selection of other works from the museum’s permanent collection. Local artists slated to be featured include Nanette Carter, Pamela Council, Robert Gober, Mary Heilmann, Sam Moyer, Ugo Rondinone, Cindy Sherman, Leslee Stradford and Michelle Stuart.
Catch a movie at WHBPAC
Saint Omer screens at Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center tomorrow, April 14 at 7:30 p.m.. This French film shows Rama, a novelist, attending the trial of Laurence Coly, a young woman accused of abandoning her 15-month-old daughter on a beach, resulting in the child’s death. The drama will also screen Saturday, April 15, at 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday, April 16, at 4 p.m.. Tickets are $13. Save your seat here.
Plant some seeds for Earth Day
Sag Harbor’s John Jermain Memorial Library hosts an on-site “Family Funday,” at 11:30 a.m. this Sunday, April 16. All are welcome to celebrate planet Earth, as folks from the library plant seeds to be taken home and taken care of. Be sure to check out the seed library to plan your own garden. Reserve your spot here.
Attend an artists’ book fest at The Church
This Saturday and Sunday (April 15 and 16) The Church in Sag Harbor hosts “Artists, Books & Artists’ Books!” to benefit the locale’s first-ever exhibition catalogue for 2023. The event is a small book festival, of sorts, and will feature a discussion with Pulitzer Prize-winning art critic Jerry Saltz at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 15. Tickets are $25. On Sunday, April 16, the festival continues with a reading from artist-in-residence writer Drew Zeiba, concluding with a Q&A. Starts at 3 p.m. and tickets are $5 for non-members, members are free.
See the Truman Capote Stone
The Southampton Trails Preservation Society hosts a morning walk this Saturday, April 15, to view the Truman Capote Stone. The Truman Capote and Jack Dunphy Stone is located at Crooked Pond along the Long Pond Greenbelt, with a plaque featuring quotes from both late writers. All are welcome to meet at the Long Pond Greenbelt Nature Center, located at 1061 Bridgehampton/Sag Harbor Turnpike, on Saturday at 8 a.m. for a three-mile hike with views of Crooked Pond, Long Pond and Deer Drink.
Hear from a semi-pro gardener
The Horticultural Alliance of the Hamptons in Bridgehampton hosts a talk with Ted Landman titled “Sleepy Cat Farm: A Gardener’s Journey.” Over the past 20 years, Landman became a full-time gardener, transforming his originally simple backyard garden and expanding it into a 13-acre multi-faceted garden experience. The talk is $10 for non-members, free for members and is at the Bridgehampton Community House at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 16. Located at 2357 Montauk Highway. For more information call 631-537-2223.
Listen to a piano player at Rams Head
Listen to pro pianist William Cento at the Rams Head Inn. Hear Cento tickle the ivories this Sunday, April 16, from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m., as dinner begins being served at 5 p.m. at the Shelter Island resto and boutique hotel, located at 108 Ram Island Dr.. Call 631-749-0811 for more information.
Sing some classics at The Suffolk
Catch a show from musician and producer Jim Messina at The Suffolk in Riverhead Friday, April 14, at 8 p.m.. Tickets start at $65. Messina’s resume is pretty impressive, as his career has spanned five decades, three legendary musical groups and a killer solo career as well as endless producing credits. On Saturday, April 15, it’s Talking Dreads, a reggae-style Talking Heads cover band. Show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets start at $35.
Learn, laugh and listen at Bay Street
Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor hosts a slew of events on Saturday, April 15. There’s a workshop titled “Today’s Audition: Self-Tapes & Zoom” at 10 a.m., slated to teach participants how to make a self-tape that will stand out as well as tips on auditioning via Zoom. Call the box office for ticket info (631-725-9500). The Hamptons Comedy Festival’s first evening of stand-up is at 8 p.m., presented by the Long Island Comedy Festival, and featuring Kenda Cunningham, Bryan McKenna, Chris Roach and Rich Walker. Tickets are $35 and are available here. German composer Richard Strauss’s most famous opera, Der Rosenkavalier, screens live from the Metropolitan Opera House at Bay Street at noon. Tickets for the screening are available here.
Celebrate jazz with a quick concert
On Sunday, April 16, Southampton’s Rogers Memorial Library hosts Jeremy Ajani Jordan for an afternoon of piano music featuring the works of Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk and more in honor of Jazz Appreciation Month. Jordan is a classically trained pianist and has played all over the world, also specializing in chamber music, solo piano music, electronic music and orchestral music. Concert starts at 4 p.m., register here.
Drink dreamy coffee cocktails in Sagaponack
Sagaponack Farm Distillery hosts a weekend of dreamy cocktails from 1 to 7 p.m. starting Friday, April 14, and continuing through Sunday, April 16. Located at 369 Sagg Road in Sagaponack, the distillery’s tasting room will be serving cocktails fashioned from their own spirits and the now infamous Dreamy Coffee from Sylvester & Co. Modern General. Created and developed at the Sag Harbor locale in the late ’80s, Dreamy Coffee is the OG when it comes to local cold brew. Doughnuts will be on hand (courtesy of Bridgehampton’s Almond Restaurant), and there’ll be live music Friday and Saturday from 4 to 6 p.m..
