Westport Library Blue Sunday Concert Series Finale Spotlights Blues Legend
Famed keyboardist, noted producer and radio host, Westporter Mark Naftalin brought the fourth and final installment of the library's ultra-popular Blue Sunday series to a very appreciative audience, featuring headliner and Blues icon James Montgomery. Naftalin's band bright their usual high energy show once again to the Trefz forum and after a series of great, classic blues songs known nationwide Naftalin brought out the headliner to wild cheers from crowd.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Whether you call it a harmonica, blues harp, mouth organ or just plain harp, Montgomery dazzled with his mastery of blues harmonica and had the crowd on it's feet more than once. Later in the show he invited the audience to turn the Trefz forum into a dance floor and many seats quickly emptied as the crowd, already energized from the performances, showed off their dance moves in the library's isles. Naftalin's Blue Sunday Band included guitarists Paul Gabriel and JD Seem, drummer Nick Longo and Paul Opalach on bass, Also later in the show, Montgomery shared the stage with two other great harmonica players, Mark Zaretsky and Manny Foglio.
The show was a perfect fit for the Library's beautiful Trefz Forum which is a versatile, cutting-edge space. The Trefz Forum is a premier tri-state area venue for performances, concerts, film screenings, lectures, and more. It features a concert stage, an 18-foot x 10-foot Digital Projection Radiance LED screen, state-of-the-art sound, theatrical lighting, video and digital projection, and seating for 400+ people (600 standing).
Presented by The Westport Library and Verso Studios, this series is produced by Naftalin, a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame who rose to fame as the keyboardist with the influential Paul Butterfield Blues Band.
Photos By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Manna Toast Announces Closing: “we’ve chosen not to invest in scaling the business”
Manna Toast held a prominent storefront in Bedford Square and included an outdoor eating area (pictured at left). WestportLocal.com photoManna Toast Release:
Thank You
Manna Toast will be closing at the end of this year. To all our customers, partners, local farms and suppliers, and our myriad of supporters—thank you! Each and every one of you has been an integral part of Manna Toast.
We started in 2020, bravely opening during the height of the pandemic, with a mission and purpose. Since then we've served almost 30,000 customers and helped inspire a cultural shift towards plant-based eating. We’ve educated many about the value of supporting local food initiatives and lowering our collective impact on the environment by composting over 15,000 pounds of food waste and consistently investing in compostable and recyclable packaging. To say we're proud of what we accomplished would be an understatement.
In addition, we provided well-paying jobs during one of the most economically challenging times in our history and want to thank our loyal employees that have been with us since the beginning.
We also want to thank the Westport Community and the Town of Westport’s wide range of departments (health, building, P&Z, Fire, Police, Board of Selectman) who supported our new business launch and efforts to help revitalize downtown.
Initially, our operations were designed for rapid growth, with the intention of opening multiple cafes across Fairfield County, but unfortunately in the current labor market, in our segment of the restaurant industry, and due to varying priorities in our personal and business lives, we’ve chosen not to invest in scaling the business. It's our hope that others will go forward and build on the success we’ve had in serving this wonderful community.
Please enjoy your Manna favorites over the next 3 weeks—place a takeout or delivery order, or visit us in the cafe and let us thank you in person and end the year with health and happiness. (click here to order)
Sincerely, the Manna Toast Family
Morning Weather Report
Today
A 20 percent chance of snow before 9am. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 41. Wind chill values between 25 and 35. North wind 7 to 10 mph.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with a low around 21. North wind around 7 mph.
Tomorrow
Sunny, with a high near 40. Northwest wind 6 to 9 mph.
Tomorrow Night
Clear, with a low around 21.
Slow-go on Riverside Avenue
Traffic moved along Riverside Avenue as snow began to blanket the roadways. Treated by State DoT personnel and not overly frigid, the road surfaces remained liquid for the evening hours. WestportLocal.com photo