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Jazz pianist presents gala concert
Muriel Havenstein celebrates birthday with Waldo Theatre
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Jazz pianist Muriel Havenstein
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WALDOBORO — Jazz pianist Muriel Havenstein will celebrate her 80th birthday in a special gala concert at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 3, at the Waldo Theatre in Waldoboro. The show is produced by local fans in cooperation with the Waldo Theatre and will feature Havenstein in performance with a star-studded cast of jazz greats, many of whom will have traveled miles to pay her tribute.
Gathering from as far away as New York City and Atlanta, Ga., the cast of musicians and singers includes: Melissa Hamilton, The Jazz Babies with Bobby Page, Noel Kaletsky and Scottie Philbrick, Leila Percy, The AI Doane Group, Les Harris Jr., Jim Howe, Ralph Norris, Al Delgado, Charlie Jennison, Dave Pierce and many more. Carole Stone will host the event.
Havenstein’s swinging pianoforte has delighted Maine audiences for decades. She performs regularly in venues such as the DownEast Jazz Festival, the Maine Festival and in Maine Jazz Alliance Concerts. She has also been a fixture in club and restaurant entertainment throughout the state. Dubbed the “Midcoast Monster,” by the Humble Farmer in the 1970s, Havenstein earned the name with her relentlessly powerful style of playing, coupled with a sense of humor and irresistible charm.
Born in NYC, Havenstein began her career with the all-girl jazz group, Estelle and the Brunettes. Marriage and family temporarily interrupted a fast-paced life of music and touring, leading to a home in rural Maine. Eventually, she resumed a professional career, joining the Midcoast Jazz Society and jamming with innumerable jazz artists, including Don Doane. In the 1980s, she began her long association, both playing and recording, with Randy Bean and Company and still hasn’t stopped.
The Waldo Theatre is located on Main Street in Waldoboro. Tickets are $15 each, on sale at the Maine Coast Book Store, in Damariscotta; Treat’s, in Wiscasset; MacBean’s, in Brunswick; and Second Read, in Rockland. Call 832-6060 for information.