25 WED • MUSIC Celtic Fiddle Festival — For more than a decade the inimitable threesome of fiddlers Kevin Burke (Ireland), Christian Lemaître (Brittany) and Johnny Cunningham (Scotland) combined their personal styles and musical heritages to create a musical repertoire that electrified audiences the world over. Originally conceived as a special one-time tour, the audience response to the trio was so incredible that it led to three CDs and subsequent world tours. Sadly, the effervescent Cunningham passed away in December 2003 … but with the helping hand of French-Canadian fiddler André Bruney (of La Bottine Souriante) the 2004 tour will carry on. Expect solo sets followed by a precision-filled collaboration. It’s a veritable United Nations of fiddlin’! At the Ark (316 S. Main, Ann Arbor), call 734-761-1451 or visit www.a2ark.org for more information. Tickets are $17.50.
26 THU • MUSIC Dave Holland Quintet — By several jazz thermometers — Grammy nominations, top honors in jazz magazine critics and readers polls — Dave Holland stokes one of the hottest bands around. That’s partly because Holland writes and recognizes great tunes, partly because he draws on lessons learned at the hands of leaders from Miles Davis to Anthony Braxton, and largely because this band of individual voices — saxophonist Chris Potter, trombonist Robin Eubanks, drummer Billy Kilson, vibraphonist Steve Nelson and Holland himself on bass — comes across like the fifth-power of its formidable parts. At 8 p.m. at Orchestra Hall (3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit). Call 313-576-5111.
26 & 29 THU & SUN • FILM Sankofa and Goodbye Uncle Tom — If you speak Akan, you know that the term sankofa means: “We must go back and reclaim our past so we can move forward.” If you don’t, well then, you can simply enjoy this term as the title for Ethiopian-born filmmaker Haile Gerima’s dramatic movie on the plight of enslaved West Africans. Both Sankofa and Goodbye Uncle Tom (by Italian filmmakers Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco Prosperi) will be showing as part of the Black Star Community Bookstore’s Black History Month events. These films, controversial and informative in their own right, tackle the often disturbing points of view of those who have enslaved other human beings and those who have been enslaved. There will be two showings: Thursday, Feb. 26, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 29, at 5 p.m. The Black Star Community Bookstore is located at 19410 Livernois, Detroit. Call 313-863-2665 for further information.
Ongoing • ART What’s New in Graphic Arts: Prints and Drawings Acquired Since 2000 — Looking for a diverse and inspirational art exhibit? Want to see the best in illustration and print making? The Detroit Institute of Arts is displaying more than 100 graphic illustrations from its permanent collection — most have never before been displayed. The show includes modern abstract and computer-altered works, as well as a Rembrandt and a Degas that show curator Nancy Sojka says is one of the most important prints in the museum’s collection. The exhibit is an example of the museum’s overall push to exhibit and collect African-American and female artists, as well as works by local Detroiters. Whether you’re an artist interested in the many painstaking methods of creating prints, or just a pleasure-seeking viewer, you’ll find delight here. At the Detroit Institute of the Arts (5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit). Call 313-833-7900 for further information.
28 SAT • COMMUNITY Release Event for The Furnace — Hey literary lovers, it’s time to celebrate the release of Volume 02, Issue 01 of Corktown Press’ The Furnace. With performances from blues woman Alberta Adams, folkie Audra Kubat and the trés chic Bisou Bisou; and food and drink supplied by such local faves as the Motor City Brewing Works and Café de Troit, support for this local mag can be a fun night on the town. Eat, drink and be supportive at Julian Scott Luxury Department Store (151 W. Fort St., Detroit). Visit www.furnacedetroit.com/even.html for further information. Tickets are $20 at the door or $15 in advance (strongly encouraged).
