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Elio Villafranca and the Jass Syncopators — Quite a Night!
By Suzanne Cloud
Last night was a special evening for the people in Philadelphia who love the Painted Bride Art Center and who love pianist/composer Elio Villafranca. One could say the concert by the Jass Syncopators was bittersweet, but the gloom was palpable since mostly everyone knew this performance was very likely the last at the beloved Bride. Even the outside of the building, all draped in black, stressed the sadness of the staff and the audience.
This revered arts organization started as a storefront on South Street in 1969, and eventually moved to a large industrial space in Olde City in 1982, covering itself with the gorgeous mosaic art of Isaiah Zagar. The Bride dreamed of big things and mostly achieved them booking programs created by all cultures and walks of life, from ADELANTE!, a celebration of Latin Arts, to Voices of Dissent, a consortium of multi-cultural, community-based organizations who together explored the arts as a vehicle for social change. The Bride featured African dance, clog tapping. jewelry making, ceramics, watercolors, and music from literally every part of the globe. Performances there included drama, mimes…
