A Quiet Moment at the Avant Garden Party

… a benefit for New Music Works, a local institution presenting a broad range of contemporary music for over 44 years. The annual fund raiser always features non-stop food prepared on site by India Joze, another local institution. If NMW presents world music, Joze is known for his innovative approach to world food—today he offered us a riff on an Ethiopian meal. This year’s musical performances included a jazz duo, a marimba ensemble, a Mediterranean ensemble with zither and accordion, and a violinist whose electronic compositions referenced her time in Ethiopia. All of this was set in a spectacular private garden with a shaded pond. The space easily accommodated a stage and dozens of dining tables. It was a lovely afternoon, full of good things we wouldn’t normally experience—unusual food and a variety of music genres.