City Week

Classical-music appreciation has never come easily to me. As a kid, I threw temper tantrums on the way to piano lessons. The only song I ever mastered on the piano was a Beach Boys hit. When I got to high school, I heard that listening to Mozart could make you smarter. Forget grades, I thought; I listen to rap!

For anybody else out there like me, the St. Andrew's Bach Society is here to help.

The society is celebrating its 10th anniversary this summer, beginning with a double concerti of works by J.S. Bach and Antonio Vivaldi, performed by Alexander Woods and Benjamin Nisbet, violins; and Rex Woods, organ, according to Christina Jarvis, artistic director for the event.

The Bach Society concert series was initially a year-round event, until 10 years ago, when Jarvis turned it into a summer concert series.

"We're able to get some great players during the summer, because they're not as busy as they are the rest of the year," Jarvis said. "Plus, there's kind of a lack of live music in the summer in Tucson, so this has really been quite successful."

In addition to the music, the event will feature a reception with food at the end, where audience members will get a chance to meet the performers, said Jarvis.

"It makes for a really neat, festive atmosphere and provides a great place to get out of the heat to enjoy some A.C. and classical music," she said.

The events can fill up, Jarvis said, so attendees should plan on arriving 15 to 30 minutes early. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $5 for students; tickets will be available at the door. --E.R.

Film, Food and Forum Sunday Night at The Movies: "Born Into Brothels"
5 p.m., Sunday, July 9
St. Francis in The Foothills Church, 4625 E. River Road
299-9063

Looking for a funny, lighthearted movie to see this weekend? Then don't read this.

As part of its Sunday Night at the Movies series, St. Francis in the Foothills will be showing documentary Born Into Brothels on Sunday, July 9.

The R-Rated film, which won an Academy Award in 2005 for Best Documentary, is a chronicle of two filmmakers' efforts to show the world of Calcutta's red-light district.

The filmmakers enlisted a group of prostitutes' children to photograph life in the area. As the film progresses, the kids excel in their newfound art, and the filmmakers try to help them move toward a better life away from the poverty of the district.

The evening will begin with a potluck dinner, which will be followed by the film. The event will culminate with a discussion, said Elizabeth Fimbres, facilitator of the event.

The multicultural event, which is sponsored by the Interfaith Unlearning Racism Task Force of Congregation Ner Tamid, the Islamic Center of Tucson and St. Francis in the Foothills, is one of many of its kind presented this summer, said Fimbres.

The task force has been in existence since 2001 and works to bring people of all faiths and backgrounds together, said Fimbres. While the movies are thought-provoking and entertaining, it really is the discussion that Fimbres believes is the most important aspect.

"It's a good opportunity to meet new people and have discussions about our differences, and learn to appreciate those differences," she said.

The event is free and open to the public. --E.R.

Big-Screen Stars Under the Stars Cinema La Placita: "The Outlaw Josey Wales"
7:30 p.m., Thursday, July 13
La Placita Village, Broadway Boulevard and Church Avenue
326-5282; www.cinemalaplacita.com

Grab a blanket, some lawn chairs and your picnic basket, and head over to La Placita Village for an evening under the stars (or, as the case may be, clouds) watching movies. The weekly outdoor-movie night next Thursday, July 13, will feature the 1976 Western The Outlaw Josey Wales.

The film, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, is a story of vengeance and guerilla rebels in the post-Civil War era. In true Eastwood style, Josey Wales is a Confederate outlaw, out to seek revenge on the Union soldiers who brutally killed his family and burned down his home.

This is the seventh season that Cinema La Placita has been showing outdoor films, says Erika O'Dowd, program director. The outdoor cinema is a program of the Loft Cinema, and the event needs donations to survive, she says. "If everyone gave a $3 donation, it would keep the film rolling."

Some lawn chairs are provided, but space gets taken up fast. Somewhere between 250 and 400 people usually attend, so patrons are encouraged to bring their own seating, O'Dowd says.

The July 13 shoot-'em-up, bang-bang film will be sponsored in part by Daisy Mae's Steakhouse, 2735 W. Anklam Road, so there's going to be a whole Western thing going on, O'Dowd says.

The films run May through October of each year. (If you pick this up on our publication date, the July 6 film is scheduled to be Being There.)

Well-behaved children accompanied by their parents are more than welcome to come for free, O'Dowd says, and there's even free popcorn to munch on, should you forget your picnic basket. There will be intermissions throughout the movie, and the surrounding restaurants in La Placita Village will be open if popcorn just isn't enough. --J.K.

Jazz, Arizona Style Tucson Jazz Society's "Jazz Guitar Odyssey"
6:30 p.m., Sunday, July 9
Westward Look Resort, 245 E. Ina Road
903-1265; www.tucsonjazz.org

Jazz guitar with flamenco and Spanish influences will be the highlight of the evening at the Westward Look Resort on Sunday, July 9. Two jazz-guitarist brothers, Thano and Demitri Sahnas, will be reuniting with former child-prodigy Gabriel Francisco for a sure-to-be-packed jam session.

The Sahnas brothers are guitarists for smooth-jazz group Turning Point, based out of Phoenix. The two draw musical influences from Greek, Spanish and jazz music; they used to jam with Francisco in the past, but have not played together in many years, says Patricia Possert of the Tucson Jazz Society.

The Jazz Society is hosting the concert as part of its Summerset Concert Series, which wraps up on July 16. The Jazz Society tries to create a theme each summer for their long-running annual concert series, Possert says.

"There's so many different types (of jazz); we try to present at least one of everything we can think of," Possert says. "This one is kind of an acoustic-jazz, Spanish-guitar theme."

Francisco, a Tucson native, recently returned to Tucson after a stint in Austin, Texas, and is pursuing a songwriting, composing, studio-musician and performing career. He performs at the Tequila Factory at Casino del Sol, at 5655 W. Valencia Road.

"During our annual SuperJam concert, which is a fundraising event, Gabriel (Francisco) performed one song, and the audience loved it," Possert says. "They bought out every single CD he had on hand. People hear his music and just go crazy; he's that fabulous."

Guests are encouraged to come early, because there's only seating room for 450 people, she says. Tickets are available at any Bookmans; at Hear's Music, 2508 N. Campbell Ave.; or through the Tucson Jazz Society by calling 903-1265. Tickets may still be available at the door, Possert says.

Tickets are $20 general admission, $15 for Jazz Society members and $10 for students with identification. --J.K.