Report: Summer Sessions at the Getty

I just got back from the Getty. They had the second of three sessions, Global Delights, which I previewed here. Although two of the performers were DJs, and another, Karsh Kale, is a percussionist, I was surprised that there was very little dancing. Maybe it's just me, but I don't get watching a DJ.

Although I came to see Kale play the tabla, I actually enjoyed it more when he played on a conventional drum kit. It must have a cultural thing for me. His trio, with bass and keyboards, played with great energy, and the audience seemed involved at every moment.

The crowd was a real mix; lots of families with young children, lots of couples, racially mixed, but fewer Indians that I expected. They had three stages, three or four bars serving beer, wine, and a few mixed drinks, and a snack bar and a hot dog cart.

The galleries were open until 9:00 PM, so we briefly toured the Rubens and Brueghel exhibit, which is on loan. I'm not capable of reviewing the art, architecture, or grounds. But to borrow a line from a priest friend of mine, the Getty is the way God would have done it if he only had the money.

The last session next Saturday starting at 5:45, is 21st-Century Roots, which includes polka, klezmer, folk, and folk-dancing lessons.