Roger Brings Ecofunk to Lehigh Gap Nature Center

Latzgo's program, Ecofunkology at LGNC, will include many songs relating to ecology. His story-songs based on tales by Hans Christian Andersen and St. Exupery will be among them. For songs about nature, gardening and Pennsylvania’s environment, Roger will sing his musical settings of poems by Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost. During the program, the composer will also play his compositions “The Mushroom Song”, a magical look at fungi, and “A Tomato Called Paulina”, a song about heirloom seeds that his mother passed down from generation to generation.

Many of the songs appear on Latzgo’s CDs Swing Bohemienne, New Wine in Old Bottles, and Wild Nights. The recordings explore Latzgo’s Pennsylvania roots through the Central European folk music of his grandparents. His music, described playfully by American composer David Amram as ethnofunkology, is a blend of the flavorful folk traditions of Central Europe with Latzgo’s home-grown American influences. Latzgo’s commitment to ecological issues has sprouted into ecofunkology…jazzy songs celebrating the environment.

For over 40 years, Latzgo has been performing his music on stages throughout the world. He recently entered a publishing agreement with London-based Platinum Music to distribute his music worldwide. He’s performed his cycle of Hans Christian Andersen Story Songs at the American-Scandinavian Foundation in Manhattan and at Scanfest, Budd Lake NJ. He is the recipient of an International Angel Award for “Best Composer” which was presented in a ceremony in Hollywood. His latest projects include music based on his travels to Buenos Aires, Barcelona, and the Eastern Mediterranean.

Lehigh Gap Nature Center, 8844 Paint Mill Rd, Slatington PA 18080. 610-760-8889 www.lgnc.org _______________________________________________

Music from Roger's Garden

Music from Roger's Garden builds on generations of celebrating nature with song. Roger will accompany his vocals on guitar and piano as well as some exotic instruments brought back from his travels. His festive world music has playfully been called "ethnofunkology," a jazz-influenced sound based on folk traditions. The program focuses on songs of nature's bounty, the conquering sun and our connections to them. "I come from a family of farmers and winemakers so that's how I relate to life -- through the seasons of the garden," said Latzgo. "What better way to share it than through song?" Featured on the program will be his compositions "A Tomato Called Paulina", a song about an heirloom plant, and "Hot Pepper Jelly", a humorous look at a spicy condiment. Much of this music can be found on his CDs Swing Bohemienne, New Wine In Old Bottles and Wild Nights. Book This Event Now

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Music of the Mediterranean

Reflections In The Wine Dark Sea is inspired by Roger's lifetime of study and extensive travel throughout the Mediterranean. He will accompany his vocals on guitar and piano as well as the accordion, the Greek bouzouki and the Turkish baglama saz. The program focuses on songs inspired by places and legends from around the Mediterranean, ranging from Spain to Turkey. The title itself comes from a phrase frequently used by Homer in describing the maritime backdrop to his epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey. "Myths are magical--we can see ourselves in them, even though we are separated from them by millennia" said Latzgo. "They continue to inspire the arts and fascinate us all."

Featured on the program will be his compositions "A Rose From Homer's Grave", where Latzgo joins H.C. Andersen in honoring Homer, and "Swim The Hellespont", where the composer sings of his 2010 encounter with Poseidon while swimming from Europe to Asia. His festive world music has playfully been called ethnofunkology, a jazz-influenced sound based on folk traditions.

Latzgo has been performing world music since 1968 on stages throughout the US and Europe. "In my original compositions, I try to connect with metaphors such as wine, dance, nature and heroism found in epic poetry", says the Rutgers alumnus. Staying focused on these traditions is a unifying thread of Latzgo's work. "The experience of real places helps us understand things not written. And musically, we can cross boundaries, revisit those places and recognize our universal humanity." Roger brings schools and arts organizations a much-needed dose of timeless myth with this unique program.

When not in his studio, Dr. Latzgo is an avid cyclist and an occasional open-water swimmer. In 2010 he swam the Hellespont, the legendary strait separating Europe from Asia. To accompany his musical interests, he is also an amateur vintner and beer-maker. He grows his vines and resides in Heidelberg Township, Pennsylvania, with his spouse Rachel Roland and their daughter Roxan. Dr. Latzgo designed and built their residence from recycled vintage materials. We know you will enjoy his Reflections In The Wine Dark Sea. Book This Event Now 

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In the News

Dr. Latzgo's Bohemian Style Beer Recipe(tm)
Was featured a while ago in The Morning Call. We have posted a printable copy of the recipe here as a pdf file, so you can sample Roger's time tested brew for yourself.

BIOGRAPHY OF A BREWER

I began my career as a home brewer in college--with equipment inherited from my prohibition-busting grandfather. It was 1969, New Brunswick, New Jersey. As I reread my brewing log, I note that,...the attention given to aging, temperature, yeast strain and sterile procedure is not always the most conscientious due to the transient quality of [student] existence... the main concern is quantity and alcohol content (usually 8 to 9%).

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