More Musical Goodies for the Long Weekend, at the Van Dyke

Cleveland Jones Photography

​This isn't an intentional effort to get you out of the lines at the Muvico or Dolphin Mall to clear the way and hedge the odds of getting a better seat for Planet 51, Ninja Assassin or The Road, all opening this weekend. I'm the one person who skipped New Moon last weekend. It's just that there's so damned much to do over the holiday!  Take the Van Dyke, for instance.

They'll be powering through the long four-day weekend, offering many tasty musical treats to sample. Friday is looking particularly strong, with a double booking consisting of their Artist of the Month, the Grammy-nominated jazz great Ira Sullivan and a personal fav from among local fusionistas, Lanzallamas Monofonica, whose blend of world, Afro-Caribbean, Latin jazz and much more is always a solid soundtrack to any party. Saturday the offering comes in the form of Cuban jam band Conjunto Progreso, and you know what that means--lots of descarga and plenty of cubaneo. Thursday (yes, Thanksgiving) they've got the Leon Foster Thomas Quartet serving up Caribbean jazz, and Sunday there's a Latin songwriters series.

There you have it. More good reasons to get out this weekend. Now stay the hell away from the movies.