South Main Music Series
6:30pm – 7:30pm
The Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society is pleased to announce a brand-new music series at the museum. Join us on select dates (below) and enjoy performances from some of the area’s most talented acts. Tickets on sale soon.
December 12, 2024 – John Brighenti feat. Gail Lumpkin Present: “Lullaby of Broadway”
Join us for a masterful piano and vocal presentation of the most memorable songs of Broadway’s Golden Age. Featuring John Brighenti & Gail Lumpkin, “Lullaby of Broadway,” offers a selection of classic songs from the early days of the Great White Way to the present! Enjoy selections from classic composers like Ira & George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Marvin Hamlisch, and more! Relive your favorite songs from Broadway’s finest musicals, including My Fair Lady, A Chorus Line, South Pacific, and West Side Story… and maybe some holiday favorites.
About the Musicians:
John Brighenti graduated from the Hartt School of Music and went on to study privately with noted jazz musicians Ray Cassarino, Lennie Tristano, and Jerry Bergonzi. His professional experiences as a pianist include performing with numerous orchestras (1977 toured the U.S. with the Glenn Miller Orchestra), lounge groups, jazz ensembles and vocalists in the New England states, Atlanta, Phoenix, and Las Vegas.
Gail Lumpkin performs throughout New England with the six-piece band “Celebrity” and Pianist/arranger John Brighenti. She also performs with Walter Gwardyak and has performed with the late Donn Trenner. She was the featured vocalist with the Paul Landerman Orchestra, performing for Three U. S. Presidents and a multitude of local political and charitable events and was invited to sing the National Anthem at Yankee Stadium. She has also performed with the Ed Bant Trio and the Hot Cat Jazz Band. She currently works as a consultant and music mentor at the Kinsella Magnet School of Performing Arts.
February 13, 2025 – Esperanto Duo
Musicians Dave Giardina (guitar) & Chris Payne (violin) are Esperanto Duo! Enjoy an evening of musical flavor – including old time jazz in the style of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappeli along with familiar Irish, Italian, Spanish and American standards.
Enjoy an extensive repertoire featuring the clarity and precision of classical technique, the explosive and exotic sound of flamenco, the smoothly shifting harmonies of jazz, the exuberant energy of traditional Latin music and the classic power chords and riffs of rock ‘n roll.
About the Musicians:
Giardina is an award recipient member of the CT Commission on Culture and Tourism, he has performed extensively throughout the Northeast at schools, bandshells, major festivals, First Nights, clubs and both Connecticut casinos as a soloist and with ensembles he has formed such as Fiesta del Norte, Bamboleo, and Goza.
His compositions are featured on two releases by the CT Classical Guitar Society of which he is a founding, professional member.
