Friday, April 3, 8:30 p.m.
JAZZ: Alex Collins Trio “First Fridays” Jazz Jam
Alex Collins and his rhythm section of Tom DiCarlo on bass and Chris Brown on drums (& tenor!) invite musicians of all types to perform jazz standards for an enthusiastic and appreciative audience. Featured guest musician for this monthly session is trumpet player Jim Rotundi, whose extensive recording experience most recently includes the release of his fifth date as a leader, titled Destination Up, for the Sharp Nine label following the successful release of four CDs on the Criss Cross Jazz label.

$5 suggested donation.
Reservations not available for JazzJams.

Saturday, April 4, 8:00 p.m.
JAZZ: Burton Greene Trio
The trio members, including veteran composer/pianist Burton Greene, and brothers Ed and George Schuller (acoustic bass and drums) have had vast experience in all jazz forms, from the 1940s and ’50s to present-day avant-garde improvised music. There is also a distinct feeling for Western Classical music, as well as ethnic influences from Balkan and other native folk sources that come naturally to the founder of the group Klezmokum, currently celebrating its 20th year of using Ashkenazic or Northern and East European Jewish source material composed between the two World Wars. The trio's 2007 CD, Ins and Outs, was enthusiastically reviewed by the All Music Guide as displaying the musicians’ “near-perfect synchronicity.” Their latest CD, Green Mansions, will be released by Konnex Records (Berlin) just in time for the Puffin concert, which will feature Greene’s original compositions as well as jazz standards and recent works by composer Jill McManus.

$10 suggested donation.
Reservations recommended.

Sunday, April 5, 12:00-2:00 p.m.
OUTDOOR INSTALLATION: Windows in the Meadow:
Public-Private Space
Is there a separation between public and private space? Or is it a mere construct of the mind? This exhibition is an exploration of the distances between. It is meant to unsettle the mental separation of inside and out, and challenge our definitions of where art belongs. The exhibition brings together the creative vision and year-round dedication of the Puffin Camera Club, a passionate group of photographers lead by Art of Nature Photography workshop instructor Rachel Banai that has been meeting weekly for seven years in the Teaneck Creek Conservancy. The installation uses window frames that have been removed from the secure walls of a home - walls that claim to protect an individual’s private space - and transplants them into the imaginary gallery walls of an open-air meadow in the park.
After parking in the lot, cross back over Puffin Way in front of the dead end sign and follow the trail for a few minutes walk to the “meadow.” The installation will be on display throughout the month.

Friday, April 10, 8:00 p.m.
FOLK: Joe Jencks on Paul Robeson
Singer/songwriter/troubador Joe Jencks returns to the Puffin Cultural Forum in a program celebrating the repertoire and spirit of Paul Robeson, who was born on April 9.  Robeson achieved worldwide fame and recognition during his life for his artistic accomplishments and his outspoken beliefs in the service of social justice.  Joe’s concert will feature several songs taken directly from Robeson's body of work, and will mix them with original and traditional pieces reflective of his spirit.  Like Robeson, Joe is widely respected for his unique merging of musical beauty, social consciousness, and spiritual exploration.

$10 suggested donation.
Reservations recommended.

Saturday, April 11, 12:00-4:00 p.m.
SPECIAL EVENT: Teaneck Latino Community Forum
The Puffin is pleased to host the first event by this new and important organization, R.E.A.L. (Resource, Education and Awareness by Latinos). The forum will have representatives from various organizations pertinent to the Latino community. Topics of relevance such as education, social services, and finance will be presented. All presentations will be followed by an open question and answer session. There will be cultural presentations throughout the day including music, dance, and poetry: Argentine Tango performance, world renowned writer and poet Antonio Porpetta, S.O.L.A. dance from Teaneck High School. There will also be food samples from a variety of Latin countries.

Free and opened to the public.
No reservations.

For more information about this event, please call Sebastian Rodriguez at 917-513-9213 or e-mail R.E.A.L. at realinteaneck@googlegroups.com

Friday, April 17, 8:00 p.m.
WORLD/JAZZ: The Hemiola Project 2.0
Four world class creators blend musical traditions and projected visuals from six continents into personal revelations. Fiery syncopations, moving colors, exhilarating rhythm chants, dreamlike animation, seductive melisma, and hypnotic overtones. Join 4-time Grammy Award winning percussionist Glen Velez (Paul Winter, Steve Reich), vocalist and specialist of South Indian rare
vocal art form known as Konnakol Lori Cotler (reached number one on YouTube’s ‘Top Featured Music Videos’), and composer/saxophonist/flautist Ken Field (Birdsongs of the Mesozoic, Revolutionary Snake Ensemble) for an unforgettable evening of unique trio compositions and improvisations. For the Puffin performance only there will also be a special selection of animated films by Karen Aqua (multi-award filmmaker and animator for Sesame Street since 1990).

$10 suggested donation.
Reservations recommended.

Friday, April 24, 8:00 p.m.
MUSIC&FILM: Devil Music Ensemble’s Nosferatu
The Devil Music Ensemble returns to present their original score live to the first/best Dracula film, Nosferatu, a symphony of horror (1922, 94 min.). The DME, formed in Boston in 1999, is comprised of Brendon Wood on guitars, lap steel, and synthesizer; Jonah Rapino on electric violin, vibraphone, and synthesizer; and Tim Nylander on drums, percussion and synthesizer. If you saw their last performance here of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, then you know this will be an inspiring production. No single description of the DME performance experience can accurately depict this groups versatile and genre spanning capabilities. In its 10 year history, the DME has been a rock trio, an Eastern European folk band, a country band, a 40 piece modern orchestral ensemble, a house band for live theater, and a multi-member ensemble performing live soundtracks to silent films.
Nosferatu, like The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari and Metropolis, descended from the same artistic wave of German cinema in the 1920s, is the definition itself of artistic film, where painting, architecture, literature, psychology, and politics meet in a work that gratifies both the eyes and the spirit. Director F.W. Murnau draws from a history that links Vampires to unexplained deaths. The term, “Nosferatu,” is of modern origin and derives from the Slavic “nosufur-atu” which is a derivation of the Greek “nosophoros” or “plague carrier.”

$10 suggested donation.
Reservations recommended.

Saturday, April 25, 7:00 p.m.
ART OPENING: Still Current:
WPA Art of the 1930s
Much like the severe global financial environment of today, the 1930s were a time of harsh economic duress throughout the world.  On the evening of April 25th the Puffin Gallery will have an opening of original Works Progress Administration art works from the collection of Teaneck resident Steven Hecht. The show consists primarily of artists who worked for the WPA and depicts many themes that are germane to the current uncertain economic climate.  President Obama’s recent stimulus plan to rebuild the nation’s crumbling infrastructure is eerily reminiscent in these evocative works from 75 years ago.  Lithographs, water colors, wood blocks show men pouring steel, repairing rails, as well as farm scenes, carnivals, oil wells, nudes, and abstractions from another time that has direct lineage to today’s world.
Curated by Steven Hecht and Marc Lambert.

Free and open to the pubic through June 19.
Regular gallery hours: Mon-Fri, 1-5 p.m.

April 28 & 30, 2:00 p.m.
KIDS EVENT: Party Mix Films from TIFF
Party Mix, a 75-minute program of a dozen outstanding live action and animated short films from around the globe, is a collaboration with the New York International Children’s Film Festival (NYICFF), which selects from audience and jury favorites of the past several years. Film from Argentina, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Mexico and the United Kingdom. See website for info re sensitive content.

Free for children aged 8 to 13. $5 for adults.
Reserve tickets: 800-811-2909.