Sam Farkas

SILENT STRUM The Capital Region jazz scene, and fans and musicians throughout the area, are mourning the recent loss of two area greats. Pianist Sal Maida passed away on June 10 after a long illness. Maida was a fixture on the jazz circuit for most of his 77 years. And June 12 saw the sudden passing of Sam Farkas at the age of 56. He was a respected jazz and classical guitarist, and a teacher to many young players. Farkas was perhaps best known as the longtime owner of Central Avenue mainstay Adirondack Strings. His family is asking that donations be made in his memory to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Upstate New York/Vermont Chapter, 5 Computer Drive West, Suite 100, Albany, NY 12205.

FREE TO BE The Albany Public Library is making serious inroads into the live-music market. The successful monthly program Garage Bands in the Garage continues for another summer—its third—at the library’s main branch, on Washington Avenue (the newly reactivated Charmboy and Beware! The Other Head of Science play next on July 16). But this year you can add the new Acoustic Sidewalk series to the schedule. A half-dozen solo and duo performers bring their tunes to the entranceways of other APL branches for early-evening performances (and a pair of nooners) between now and September. More music in random places? All for it. More details are available at albanypubliclibrary.org.

—John Brodeur

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