The André Café Acoustique

The Philadelphia Inquirer · June 27, 2007

Cafe is an upbeat note for Chester

David Patrick Stearns, Inquirer Music Critic

A baby grand piano, a shelf full of books, Christmas tree lights, New Orleans food and live classical music by a living composer. Life is good - at least for a few hours - at the André Café Acoustique in blighted downtown Chester, amid what could be viewed as a whisper of an urban comeback.

The occasion was a benefit concert for the cafe, in its capacity as the Chester Performing Arts Project, by violinist Kurt Nikkanen and composer/pianist Steven Gerber, who drove several hours from New York. "An unusual and wonderful space" was Gerber's assessment of the cafe, decorated with paintings and photos by area artists.

Approaching the corner of Edgmont Avenue and Fifth Street in Chester, the usual urban rhythms are markedly different, if only because they're faint. Friday-night street traffic is eerily scant in this city where the population has dropped by half since 1950.

André Café Acoustique is a bright haven for the arts in Chester, a city with a generally gloomy outlook. The cafe was opened three years ago by jazz pianist Paul Fejko.

Violinist Kurt Nikkanen, who has played concerts around the world, joined in the benefit for the cafe.

Near the cafe's outdoor tables, sidewalk vendors quietly sell gold chains and artificial flowers. Because it's summer, all the cafe's windows are open; sounds of street basketball and smells of passing cigar smoke waft in. From the cafe's loudspeakers, the music wafts out. "I think downtown Chester is perfectly fine, but that's me. I'm not easily bothered by things. I'm a contrarian," says Paul Fejko, the noted jazz pianist in Philadelphia fringe circles who opened the cafe three years ago, and pads around the nearby sidewalk in bare feet and a tie-dyed

T-shirt. "I'm very much of the philosophy that if you build it, they'll come."

And they did on this recent night - 15 or so from Haddonfield, Philadelphia and Swarthmore. Jazz concerts, like the July 20 appearance of the sextet Infinity, are likely to be packed (the place will hold about four dozen); tonight, classical music has mainly attracted Fejko admirers from Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church in Philadelphia, where he's resident organist. But the program was one that those in the know would consider worth the drive.

Nikkanen's excellent Bartok recordings, concerts around the world with composer John Adams, and solo work with the New York City Ballet make the prospect of hearing him play Bach's Sonata for Unaccompanied Violin in G minor in a club setting appetizing. Gerber, who has collaborated for years with Nikkanen in recordings, responded to the freewheeling atmosphere with his own witty take on cocktail piano music as well as fantasies on Greek folk songs.

It was a heady, sophisticated concert, ending with what was probably the Chester premiere of Arvo Part's prayer-like Fratres.

The concert had two-way missions. Classical music has been a starting point for urban renewal in communities from Newark, N.J., to Camden thanks to its loyal, moneyed audience; like many musicians, Gerber is keen to support Fejko's new-music sympathies, which have been part of his many musical incarnations in and around Philadelphia.

The cafe, in return, was out to make audiences feel warmly welcome during the 40-minute intermission. Congenial and poised, cafe managing director Donald Newton announced he'd picked tomatoes from his garden that day and created a salad to serve alongside Creole dishes from L ' Essence de New Orleans, a restaurant opened up the street by Hurricane Katrina refugees. One of the town's assemblymen chatted outside.

How far Chester has to go is suggested by contrasts with relics of what it was: the majestic, WPA-era post office building down Edgmont Avenue, still bearing a "fallout shelter" placard from decades past, or the charmingly retro sign - "Chester Arms Pharmacy, Free Delivery" - that framed Fejko's building in the years before the shipbuilding industry declined and took the town with it. The city virtually gave the building to Fejko in 2002; it had simply been abandoned, and, thanks to broken windows, was only accumulating pigeon droppings.

Fejko's plan was to create as many as six performing arts spaces in the town, in hopes of forming the sort of artists' nucleus that has revitalized numerous urban neighborhoods, among them Philadelphia's Northern Liberties and Old City. That larger plan appears to be dead in the water for lack of money, he said. But in the meantime, "I've had a Swedish folk fiddler in here. I've had a theater group...." For information on programming at the André Café Acoustique: 609-462-9000 or www.andre-cafe.com

Contact music critic David Patrick Stearns at [email protected]. Read his recent work at http://go.philly.com/davidpatrickstearns

The Philadelphia Inquirer · August 16, 2005

Chester artists picture antidote to city's distress

Kathy Boccella, Inquirer Staff Writer

In a city that has trouble providing jobs, curbing crime and educating its children, establishing a six-theater arts district might seem an extravagance.

To Paul Fejko, who envisions doing just that in Chester, it's a necessity.

"Much of society has forgotten that the arts are part of a normal, civilized culture," he said last week, sitting in the first of his proposed theaters, a dollhouse-size cabaret at the corner of Fifth Street and Edgmont Avenue. "The arts are a way to solve many problems."

Solving his own problem, raising $35 million to turn his dream into reality, may be tougher.

"Does he have any money?" said Mayor Wendell Butler when asked about the proposal. "Let's be realistic."

Even Fejko's newly hired publicist, Don Newton, thinks his boss may be overreaching. "Where Paul says six [theaters], I say three."

If Fejko's idea of persuading city officials and big donors to help him turn abandoned buildings into a complex of theaters and concert halls seems overly ambitious, his vision of a thriving arts community in this distressed town may be closer to reality.

With a new 20,000-square-foot cultural arts center scheduled to open in 2007, local artists see the opportunity to put the arts front and center in the redevelopment of Chester's dodgy downtown.

They recently formed a new alliance, called Chester Arts Alive, to bring together local and regional performing-arts groups such as the home-grown Freeman Cultural Arts Complex and Malvern's People's Light & Theatre. Since December, it has presented a 12-day holiday festival and a Juneteenth celebration. A fall festival is planned for Sept. 16 to 18. There's also a new mural arts program with $10,000 from the city for the first two murals.

The goal is to "orient the community into this culture of the arts" before the new arts center is built, so that the group can hit the ground running, said Tara Jones-Stephens, interim director of Chester Arts Alive.

The center is part of the $20 million federal HOPE VI project, which will demolish decrepit public-housing towers on a tract near Interstate 95 and replace them with senior housing, apartments and affordable homes, as well as retail and office space. It's the third HOPE VI project, funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, scattered throughout Chester.

The developer is Robert Rosenberg, the federal court receiver for the Chester Housing Authority for the last decade.

The Andre Cafe, a live-music venue, was created from a run-down former pharmacy at Fifth Street and Edgmont Avenue. Acts ranging from the traditional to the avant-garde play every Friday. Owner Paul Fejko envisions opening five more theaters in Chester as part of an arts district.

Violinist MoonSun Lee warms up for a performance with Paul Fejko at his Andre Cafe in Chester. Fejko created the live-music venue out of a former pharmacy and plans to create five more theaters.

"This type of a facility can help revitalize the area by bringing people back to Chester. It's also a way to encourage young people to stay in school and get them off the streets," Rosenberg said.

"It will be the start of an arts renaissance. There's a lot of vacant former warehouse space. If this catches on, you'll find artists moving into those spaces," he said.

It's already happening at Fifth and Edgmont with the Freeman Cultural Arts Complex, a gallery and art school on one side of the street and Fejko's cafe on the other.

People like Stephens, a community organizer, and Fejko, a Curtis Institute-trained organ player, talk of collaboration and harmony, but this sweet melody belies less harmonic tones among various groups jockeying to decide who will run the new arts center.

"It's not a Chester focus," Stephens said of Fejko's grand plan. "We're trying to draw a different crowd. The things we're trying to do are more community-oriented."

Fejko, who supports his cafe with a day job as a lighting designer, said he was invited by a city representative to open his cabaret, which has hosted acts from the traditional to the avant-garde. He bought the run-down former pharmacy for $2,000 and spent a year cleaning pigeon droppings from the floors and walls.

The city, "has been supportive, at arm's length," the ponytailed Fejko said. "They did give me the building, but they say I have to have the requisite millions if I want any more."

He's trying to get grants and donations, but just paying for the shows, at $1,000 a pop, is tough.

David Sciocchetti, executive director of the Chester Redevelopment Authority, said he liked what Fejko has done with the Andre Cafe but whether there will be an actual arts district remained to be seen.

"You can't just draw a line on a map and say that's an arts district," he said. "Hopefully if Mr. Fejko and other artists agree this is a positive environment, we'll have an arts district."

And that may be harder than fixing up old buildings. For now, Chester Arts Alive is trying to put together a board of directors to run the new arts center. So far, it includes Jones-Stephens; Delores Freeman, owner of the Freeman Cultural Arts Complex; Newton; and Sonya Pappas, a spokeswoman for Rosenberg who is helping with the center.

Clearly the ones who benefit will be the people of this problem-ridden city. It's already starting to happen. On a recent afternoon as Fejko played his piano, a handful of elementary school-age boys wandered in to listen. Soon they were striking the keys and touching the piano strings, while Fejko gladly obliged their requests for things like "vampire" music.

"This," he said, while segueing into circus music to the delight of his audience, "is Chester's future."

Delaware County Daily Times · August 5, 2005

Chester's Culture Clubs

Jean Ignatuk, Times Correspondent

Struggling City inspires vibrant arts and cultural community

In what used to be an abandoned building with no windows and a solid inch of pigeon excrement caked to the floor, a grand piano now sits under spotlights. Folding chairs await an audience on brand-new hardwood floors at Chester's new live music venue, the André Café Acoustique at the corner of 5th Street and Edgmont Ave. The music venue is just one of several cultural venues that are springing to life in the Chester community. This struggling city is now home to an arts complex, a university art gallery, free jazz concerts and, this weekend, artists will perform in the Across Colors Cultural Festival.

The emergence of a strong arts community is a sign of hope for Chester residents who have talent, and want to cultivate that talent - in music, the arts and theatre.

*** Live Music at the André Café Acoustique *** André Café owner and jazz pianist Paul Fejko did most of the remodeling himself after 26 dump truck-loads of debris were removed from the space and the building's structure, which dates back to the 1840's was checked for soundness.

The city approached Fejko in 2000 with the idea of saving the historic building and using it to develop an artistic community in Chester.

Over the past couple of months, Fejko and Managing Director Donald Newton have staged several successful live performances, charging only $5 for a ticket - for now, while people are still getting used to the idea of live music in Chester.

Don Newton runs the André Café Acoustique with Paul Fejko, left, piano with Marion Salaam - saxophone, Vernon Lewis - bass and Tony 'Stickman' Wyatt - drums. André Café Acoustique is a new venue for live music, ranging from jazz and gospel to 'holy hip hop'. Photo by Robert Gorecki - Delco Times Staff.

"People are surprised," Newton said. "They say 'What? A Café? No. That ain't happening." "We do believe, once you get in here, hear the music, feel the space, it'll bring you back," Newton said.

Live performances over the past several weeks were given by gospel vocalist Susan Coe; jazz trio Tony Wyatt, Adam Faulk and Vernon Lewis; Swedish fiddler Alicia Bjornsdotter Abrams; classical flute and guitar duo Veronica Mascaro and William Newman; bagpiper Rufus Harley; and mimes Laura and Micha Bertin. "The entertainment is quite diverse," Newton said. With seating for only 45 people, the setting is intimate enough to allow Newton to cater the events with his own home-cooked treats.

Ticket prices do not cover the venue's expenses, and funding for the venture thus far has come from Fejko's back pocket. "I don't think anyone's in the arts for the money," Fejko said. Fejko is seeking funding for his non-profit organization, The Chester performing Arts Project, which was formed to promote and encourage the performing arts in Chester and bring life back into the community as a whole.

"Part of what we're trying to do is to get people to feel safe out on the street," Fejko said. "I see the arts as a way to uplift, heal, motivate and raise consciousness in a community," Newton said.

A spark of cultural resurgence was felt on Friday, June 17, when bagpiper Rufus Harley was performing at the André Café Acoustique while

Dr. Lovell Harris was signing copies of his book, "The Mad Doc," half a block away at the Freeman Cultural Arts Complex.

People were walking back and forth between the events. "There was activity on the street," Newton said.