THE UNFETTERED CRITIC

By Paula Block Erdmann & Terry Erdmann

 The Britt Festival: Half a century, and just getting started.

             In 1963, the number one chart-topper was “Go Away Little Girl” by Steve Lawrence. The top-grossing movie was Cleopatra starring Elizabeth Taylor. The Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series, William Faulkner accepted the Pulitzer Prize for Literature, Sidney Poitier won the Best Actor Oscar, The Beverly Hillbillies scored as the most popular television show—and, for the first time, a soft summer breeze carried music from a plywood stage on Britt hill into the town of Jacksonville.

Orchestra conductor John Trudeau and his friend Sam McKinney had wandered into Jacksonville the previous year while searching for a spot to hold a concert. We suspect that Peter Britt would have been delighted when they chose his property for their project, just as we’re delighted that their dream still rings forth. Cue a forty nine-year round of applause, please. And another for the upcoming season—Number Fifty!

For its first fifteen seasons, the annual Britt Festival featured classical music only. It wasn’t until l978 that other tuneful sounds were added to the mix; and throughout the mid-l980s, the venue continued to expand its pop offerings. Loyal fans have come to think of a trip up the hill as “the Britt Experience,” no matter what genre of entertainment reigns for the evening. The Classical Festival, of course, remains the centerpiece, and we’ll share our thoughts on this year’s performers as August nears. For now, please allow us to serenade you with just a few of the other eclectic highlights:

         For the youngsters—Inside the mind of every musician lives a child, but no one lets his out to play like former alt-country singer Jason Ringenberg. These days, Ringenberg channels his memories of growing up on an Illinois hog farm into a kid-friendly musical character named Farmer Jason. His albums have earned the Parents’ Choice Gold Award, and been named the LA Times’ Children’s Record of the Year. With an 11 a.m. start time, and $9.50 ticket price (children aged two and under are free), this June 23 show is just what the family ordered.

Rock/Blues—This is a tough choice. We’ll discuss Heart, Huey Lewis and others next month, but right now we want to salute the magnificent Tedeschi Trucks Band. Derek Trucks rules on the slide guitar, and Susan Tedeschi’s haunting vocals demand your attention and your applause. They recently won the 2012 Grammy Award for Best Blues Album (“Revelator”). You’ll learn why on June 16.

            Pop—Calling Natalie Merchant with the Rogue Valley Symphony a “pop program” may be a disservice to this songbird, but categories are vague by nature. Nothing, however, is vague about Ms. Merchant, one of the finest singers on the planet. If you aren’t aware of her work post-10,000 Maniacs, please check out her vocals on youtube. And at the Britt, on June 24.

Country—It almost seems that singer/songwriter Kris Kristofferson has always been an American music icon. Sure, he was a Rhodes Scholar first, but once his compositions—“Me and Bobby McGee,” “Help Me Make it Through the Night,” “Sunday Morning Coming Down,” etcetera—were recorded by artists like Roger Miller, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Janis Joplin, etcetera (again), there was no forgetting him. Nor should you forget about his evening on the hill, July 13.

Comedy—How do you define a comic legend? Two words: Bill Cosby! While the Britt was building its classic beginning in our backyard, Cosby was becoming a classic in America’s living rooms, thanks to his groundbreaking appearances courtesy of Jack Paar, Ed Sullivan, and the iconic

Bill Cosby

adventure-comedy series I Spy. The man who delivers such insights as “Sex education may be a good idea in schools, but I don’t believe the kids should be given homework,” will brighten the Britt, July 21.

Yeah, we know—we’ve left out a formidable number of performers headed our way to celebrate Britt’s 50th Anniversary 2012. But fear not—we’ll be back. See you next issue.

Paula and Terry Each have long impressive-sounding resumes implying that they are battle-scarred veterans of life within the Hollywood studios. They’re now happily relaxed into Jacksonville.