PHOTO BY GREG CZNADEL

Saturday, July 5, 2025; Ben Franklin Community Garden: A branch in this maple tree cracked while those organizing a concert in the garden were setting up chairs under the tree. The seating area was moved to avoid a potential disaster.

by Greg Cznadel

   (Plain Press August 2025) Alla Boara and Mark Tapajna brought the best of local musicians to the Ben Franklin Community Garden in Old Brooklyn’s back yard on July 5^th.  Alla Boara sang ancient Italian folk songs reimagined through jazz, percussion, and passionate vocals.

   Did you know most Italian folk songs are in different dialects? Amanda Powell, vocals, not only has to learn the lyrics, but a new language when singing a song.

   Do you know what a Tamborello is? Percussionist Anthony Taddeo explained virtuoso triple-playing (rapid, triple strokes) by using different rotation techniques, where the hand rotates either over the horizontal or the vertical axis of the drum. If he didn’t explain it, and show us, you never would have caught his quick hand movements. 

   A catastrophe was averted that Saturday night by the quick thinking of Mark Tapajna and those helping with the setup. Usually, the concert is under the trees in the garden by the new pavilion. They heard a large crack, looked up, and saw this maple with a significant crack. The branch was hanging over the seating area. They moved the venue to the nearby parking lot. During the concert fireworks started going off that sounded like the branch falling.

   Anthony Taddeo was quick. He said, “Don’t worry. If the branch falls, we will stop to let everyone have a look, I know you would want to.” The next day the branch fell across where the seating would have been. Thanks all!