Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Entertainment

Live music is now a feature at York's own Coppertop Bistro

By Melissa Wood and Jennifer L. Saunders

YORK - With a warm and private atmosphere, the Coppertop Bistro is home to one of the town's most diverse menus of wine and culinary delights.

And now, for your dining and listening pleasure, Coppertop Bistro owner Ann Nahill has added a new feature to this hidden jewel of a restaurant: live music on Saturday and Sunday evenings.

Jazz guitarist Steve Carter will be playing at Coppertop Bistro beginning this Saturday, Sept. 23.

During his 25 years of teaching guitar at the renowned Berklee College of Music, Carter developed his pick-and-finger style playing, borrowing from both jazz and classical music. Listeners have described Carter's music as "the melody singing out over chords and bass lines, with a little percussion thrown in for good measure."

Whether he's playing a jazz tune by Duke Ellington, a popular standard by George Gershwin, a Latin tune by Antonio Carlos Jobim or one of his original compositions, Carter approaches each song with musical sensitivity and imagination.

"My goal is to make the guitar sing," Carter has said of his musicianship. "I always sing the lyrics in my head while I play. That helps me to convey the mood and story of the song through my instrument."

On his website, found at http://koka.phpwebhosting.com/~scarterfrogs, Carter keeps a journal of past and upcoming performances, including a Sept. 3 entry about the Coppertop Bistro.

"We went into Coppertop Bistro in York for dinner last night. The last time we'd been in there, we'd talked with the owner, Ann, and left a CD with her. She'd said she was interested in having live music," the entry reads. "Just as we were finishing our excellent dinners, Ann came in. She said they'd listened to the CD, loved my music and thought I'd be perfect for the room."

"The atmosphere is warm and private," he wrote. "It's a perfect place to meet for cocktails or a quiet intimate dinner."