Syracuse Area Music Awards Hall of Fame guitarist Mark Hoffmann will present his acoustic combo, Swing This, from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, March 23, at Sitrus on the Hill, at the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel.
Performing revved-up acoustic versions of standards from the Great American Songbook, Swing This also features fiddler Diamond Joe Davoli, bassist Bob Purdy and vocalists Jo Anne Bakeman and Becky Keefe.
CNY Jazz Central hosts the Friday-evening series called Jazz @ Sitrus which will present the Jef Houston Experience on April 13. Jazz @ Sitrus continues April 27, May 11, May 25, June 1 and June 15; cnyjazz.org.
The Sheraton University Hotel is located at 801 University Ave., on the SU Hill; Admission is free; 475-3000.
‘Infinite Possibilities’
Cheryl Wilkins Mitchell likes to dance “from the inside out.” The Syracuse choreographer who teaches at the State University College at Oswego collaborates with composer Diane Jones as the Society for New Music presents “Vision of Sound: New Music and Dance” at 4 p.m. Sunday, March 25, at the Carrier Theater, Mulroy Civic Center, 411 Montgomery St., downtown.
“Vision of Sound” is an annual program presented by the Society for New Music in which composers and choreographers collaborate to produce new works for music and dance.
This program will mark the world premiere of Diane Jones’ “Between Lies Infinite Possibilities” for violin and piano, featuring dancer Cheryl Wilkins Mitchell. It will also present the world premiere of a new work for piano trio by Paola Marquez with choreography by former Cuban Ballet soloist Candy Aguilera.
Admission costs $15, $12 for seniors, and $10 for students
Silly and serious
A humorist and a political activist will share the stage when Jeffery Pepper Rogers and the Words and Music Songwriter Showcase returns to Jazz Central, 441 E. Washington St., at 8 p.m. Friday, March 30. Admission costs $10; 4798-JAZZ.
The show will feature Colleen Kattau, a guitarist and peace-activist whose songs include “Not Another War to Win” and “Borderlines.” Also on the bill will be Dana “Short Order” Cooke, a songwriter whose tunes feature titles such as “Beer Fix” and “My Father’s Bald.”
Words and Music is an intimate concert series at which local musicians showcase their talent and interact with the audience. Its creator, Jeffery Pepper Rogers, is a singer-songwriter, author and contributor to National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered.”
MOST rocks March 31
Tap into the MOST, a beer-tasting fundraiser, is returning to the MOST for its eighth year, and you’d be wise to get your tickets early.
Beers from Brooklyn Brewery, Cortland Beer Co., Cooperstown Brewery, Ithaca Beer Company Saranac and Syracuse’s own Middle Ages Brewery, will be available for tasting rom 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., Saturday, March 31, at the MOST, 500 S. Franklin St., in Armory Square.
Entertainment will be provided by the blues-rock trio Jam Bones and the oldies band, the Baby Boomers.
Guests will nibble on food from regional restaurants and sip classic beers and sample new ones. Advance-sale tickets cost $50 ($55 at the door), while VIP packages cost $80 in advance ($85 at the door). VIP ticket-holders will be admitted at 6 p.m., have access to private presentations, a separate entrance and their own VIP area; 425-9068
Westcott welcomes Deputy
Raised in South Carolina, soul singer Zach Deputy incorporates plenty of Latin, Caribbean and African elements into his music. Citing Al Green, Taj Mahal and Stevie Wonder as inspirations, Deputy showcases his neo-R&B vibe on his recent disc, “Another Day.”
Deputy performs live at 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 28, at the Westcott Theater, 524 Westcott St., on Syracuse’s East Side.
Admission costs $15; 424-4973; thewestcotttheater.com.
Ice Hockey: Amerks here Saturday
The Syracuse Crunch continues its woeful 2011-12 American Hockey League season with two home games this weekend at the Onondaga County War Memorial.
The Crunch host the St. John’s IceCapes at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 23. Then, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 24, the Syracuse skaters face off against Thruway rivals the Rochester Americans, The Crunch is affiliated with the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks, while Rochester is the top farm club of the Buffalo Sabres and the IceCaps are affiliated with the Winnipeg Jets. The War Memorial is downtown at State and Harrison streets. Ticket prices for home games range from $14 to $21; 473-4444.
Stage: Syracuse Stage turns ‘Red’
The 2010 Tony Award-winning play, “Red” by John Logan, runs through Sunday, March 25, at Syracuse Stage, 820 E. Genesee St.
This intense bio-drama about abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko has two characters, Rothko and his young assistant. On stage, however, the paintings themselves become characters adding a stunning visual presence.
Directed here by Penny Metropulos, “Red” stars Joseph Graves as Rothko and Matthew Amendt as Ken.
Performances are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 22; 8 p.m. Friday, March 23; 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday, March 24; and closes at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 25. Ticket prices range from $18 to $50; 443-3275; SyracuseStage.org.
Book Sale: Pulp fiction plus
Before Kindles were invented, people used to read books.
Thousands of those old-fashioned artifacts will be sold at bargain prices when the Friends of Liverpool Public Library host their Super Saturday Paperback Sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 24, in the Carman Community Room and lobby at the Liverpool Public Library, 310 Tulip St. at the corner of Second Street in the village of Liverpool.
Gently used paperbacks will be on sale for 25 cents each or five for $1; LPL.org; 457-0310.
