News, events and insights at Caffe Portico.
Caffe Portico is well known for its Jazz Nights, but less well known are the Art History talks given by Lydia Bauman. These Talks are perfect for art lovers who are keen to learn more about influential artists and the history of their work. We would like to invite you on Tuesday 16th August at 6.30pm to Caffe Portico for one of Lincoln’s hidden gems.
Our summer talk will be “Eugene Boudin – The Man Who Inspired Monet.”
“Eugene Boudin (1824 -1898) was a native of Honfleur who liked to paint the beaches of Deauville and Trouville. It was he who introduced young Claude Monet (1840-1925) to the idea of painting in the open air, setting the scene for the revolution which was Impressionism. We will look at the remarkable work of this unsung hero of Impressionism and examine his influence on the young Monet.”
After the talk a dinner will be served for all those who would like to dine and discuss.
Tickets will be £10 on the door and this includes a hot drink or a glass of wine (at a small supplement)
You can call 07956653156 for more details
See you soon!
We’d like to invite you to a talk Lydia has given recently in St Petersburg – Russian Art – an Overview which will give a useful background to the current exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery of a collection of portraits from the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow called “Russia and the Arts – Age of Tolstoy and Tchaikovsky”
The talk is about the development of art in Russia from the time of Peter the Great ( 18th century) under the influence of European artists and onto the truly Russian group called the Wanderers who in the 19th century turned their attention to scenes of Russian history, myths and contemporary society and some of the best landscape painting you are ever likely to see. Little known but fascinating and magnificent in many ways.
Tuesday 3rd May 6.30 at Cafe Portico – tickets £10 on the door with a complimentary hot drink (or wine at a small supplement).
Hope to see you there.
This exhibition is a celebration of bronze on a scale never attempted before. Discover the compelling stories behind some of the world’s greatest masterpieces, from Ancient Greek, Roman and Etruscan bronzes, to era-defining Medieval and Renaissance treasures and works by iconic figures such as Rodin, Picasso, Jasper Johns, Henry Moore and Louise Bourgeois.
Lydia Bowman discusses this exhibition of the major works from the Sterling and Francine Clark Institute in Williamstown, Massachusets, in association with the Royal Academy of Arts. The exhibition comprises of the Clarks holdings of French 19th century, pre and post impressionist masterpieces by Corot, JF Millet, Monet, Manet, Degas, Pissarro, Renoir and more.
54 North (Heather and Crauford) will delight you with truly uplifting music to engage ears, hearts and feet simultaneously visiting traditional and experimental folk songs, light jazz classics with a classical influence combined with a smattering of popular tunes. Their ever-changing instrumentation covering at least half a dozen instruments between them will keep you spellbound for an evening’s entertainment.
Boat to Row is a collection of instrument swapping, harmony sharing friends from the Midlands; meandering through all that life and love have to offer. From its beginnings as a solo university project Boat to Row has evolved into a band confident with delivering intelligent, intricate folk. Gaining a reputation for delivering an infectious, uplifting set, Boat to Row have been busy touring many festivals this summer including 2000 Trees, Truck and Larmer Tree.
As an award-winning artist with an international CV spanning 20 albums, Robin Auld has performed and recorded in New York, London, Glasgow, Nashville and played events like Womad, the SA National Arts Festival and Cambridge Folk Festival. Robin plays an eclectic and vibrant mix of blues, roots and funky country songs incorporating slide guitar, harmonica, African blues guitar and soul vocals.
Hailing from Lincoln, Norfolk, ‘Lovely’ Dorset and southern France; The Treehouse are a collaboration of musicians with their foundations in styles as varied as their roots. Putting personal experiences into a wider perspective The Treehouse create their sound with powerful vocals, beautiful harmonies and intelligent musical interplay.
It’s time to share the next series of events at Café Portico. We have a range of fantastic music nights coming up covering piano and guitar, indie, funk, soul and jazz. And, if that didn’t whet your musical appetite, there’s also an evening with Lydia Bauman where we’ll be discussing the life and works of landscape and Oxfordshire artist, Turner.
Tickets can be purchased directly from the café during opening hours or by calling 07956 653156 or emailing events@cafeportico.co.uk.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
The team @ Café Portico
The Freeloaders Quintet play cool jazz with a hint of funk and soul, creating a unique blend of jazz standards from the classic era of cool and modal jazz with a fresh and contemporary feel, mixing original arrangements to bring the music up to date so it’s emergent and full of flavour.
Turner created a revolution in painting at the beginning of the 19th century, responding to a modern industrial landscape with a freer style and new approaches to composition.
This completely unique duo has stretched the boundaries of what can be done in the acoustic blues genre by creating the sound of a five piece band played by only two members. How?
The idea is simple – Chris loops the double bass played live on the first 12 bars, thus giving him the opportunity to pick up the harps on the second round. Simultaneously, Aidan is providing guitar, vocals and floor stomp box to give a full band sound to an otherwise conventional acoustic duo. This original idea has never been seen before in the blues genre and the band hopes to set a precedent for what can be done live with only two musicians. We’re impressed!
Acoustic roots duo, Mambo Jambo, will take you on an intriguing and joyous musical journey mixing elements and sounds from world, folk and jazz; featuring music from New Orleans, Cuba, Brazil and Eastern Europe, as well as Cajun, bluegrass, boogie, and their own compositions. Between the two of them, this duo carry with them more instruments than the average orchestra with Pete on guitar, vocal, banjo, percussion, tres (traditional Cuban guitar), ukulele, accordion, suitcase (!) and Frankie on saxophone, clarinet, flute, guitar, vocal, and percussion.
With the backing of top producers and a newly-won place on Fearne Cotton’s Radio1 playlist, Billy Lockett’s flair for piano and guitar has landed him a distinctive style, aided by a soulful voice, charming lyrics and enough allure to leave crowds muttering choruses into the night… and you thought Northampton only made good shoes?
Following another acoustic tour of the UK, That’s Not Me will be playing an intimate, acoustic gig at Café Portico, bringing their mix of country and blues with a modern indie feel. You can look forward to a variety of music from foot stomping banjo action to rough blues and harmonious acoustic folk/indie tunes. Lincoln’s own NME-reading hillbillies will be sure to entertain!
The Karl Svarc Trio smoothly blends elements of blues, country and world music, creating organic rhythms with the lyrical sensibility of a poet. Singer/songwriter Karl Svarc is provides vocals and guitar; Sean South is on lead guitar, and ‘Easy’ Bob Reid plays the harmonica. Expect a laid back evening of superb harmonies born of musical kinship and shared delight.
This is a night not to be missed!