Performing in the “Great-American Big-Band” tradition, Jeremy Davis and his 16-piece orchestra will entertain with music from the likes of Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble, Harry Connick Jr. and more. Jeremy has described the band as “The Rat Pack meets ‘The Dean Martin Variety Show,’ with a touch of ‘A Prairie Home Companion’ in between.” This is not your grandfather’s big band!

As in previous years, the Daniel Island Community Fund will host a picnic competition for concertgoers. Prizes will be awarded for the most elaborate and creative picnic spread. Guests are invited to come grab a spot and set up their spreads throughout the day on Saturday.

Picnic judging will be at 6:00 pm on Saturday evening with the concert beginning at 7:00 pm.

Don’t miss this fun and free opportunity to enjoy a spring evening of live music with neighbors and friends under the oaks in Smythe Park!

"Island Sonata" is a commissioned work by local artist David Springer.

After an extensive search, the Daniel Island Garden Club recently commissioned Mt. Pleasant artist David Springer to design and create a sculpture of an osprey in flight as a central focal point for the island’s Osprey Trail, a garden oasis located in front of the Daniel Island School on Daniel Island Drive. The piece is an 11-foot tall copper and stainless steel design titled “Island Sonata” that incorporates a huge nest and two magnificent birds. An unveiling and dedication ceremony is scheduled for Friday, May 11 at 11:00 a.m.

Springer’s sculpture is a copper and stainless steel interpretation of an osprey approaching the nest with a new branch clamped firmly in strong copper and steel talons. Its mate is watching from a perch on the other side of the nest. The contrast of shiny stainless steel and the colors of the copper patina repeat throughout the piece and reflect the common unity of bird, water and fish.

Planning for the Osprey Trail – which is named after the Daniel Island School mascot and the several osprey nests located in areas near the school property – began in 2008 when members of the Daniel Island Garden Club set out to improve an overgrown wooded area that served as a buffer between the Daniel Island School and Daniel Island Drive. With funding provided in part by the Daniel Island Community Fund, the two-acre site was transformed into a series of beautiful gardens connected by a meandering trail. The gardens showcase a variety of plants that thrive in the conditions of the Lowcountry: A Woodland Shade Garden, Southern Garden, Rose Garden, Bird and Butterfly Garden, Children’s Garden and a Japanese Garden.

“Once the initial plantings and elements of the trail were in place, we set out to raise money for a sculpture that would serve as a primary focal point for the trail,” says Melody Bundschuh, project coordinator for the Daniel Island Garden Club. “We knew we wanted to use a local artist, and we knew that a priority was to raise enough money for a significant piece that would draw attention to the name of the garden oasis that has been created on this site.”

Funds for the continued expansion of the Osprey Trail – including the addition of the new sculpture – have come from proceeds of house and garden tours organized by the Garden Club, along with additional contributions from the Daniel Island Community Fund.

“We’d also like to offer a very special thank you to the artist, David Springer, for working with us to help make the dream of adding a ‘real’ osprey to the trail become a reality,” said Bundschuh.

Although the Garden Club has worked on several community beautification projects over the years, the group is particularly proud that this trail and series of gardens have become an educational resource and tranquil retreat for students at the Daniel Island School, as well as residents and visitors to the community. Most plants along the trail are identified with name plates, a detail that is intended to help educate visitors about the area’s native plants.  Over the years, additional plantings and special features have been added to enhance the site.

Musicians from the Charleston Symphony Orchestra will perform a unique concert at Providence Baptist Church on Thursday, April 26. The program will mingle the eclectic sounds of American roots music with classical masters. The performance begins at 7:00 pm, and refreshments and a reception will follow the concert.

Concert Program:
Isaac Albéniz – Two Movements from Suite Espanola
Haydn  Divertimento – #1 in B-flat Major
Arthur Foote – Nocturne & Scehrzo for Flute & String Quartet
Debussy – Arabesque No. 1 from Deux Arabesques for Piano

Selections by the CSO Brass Quintet:
Bei Mir Bis Du Schein – Sholom Secunda, arranged by Zack Smith
Requiem for Jake – Zack Smith
St. James Infirmary Blues – Traditional American Song, arranged by Zack Smith
Tango for Jam-Jam – Zack Smith

Tickets are available in advance for $15 ($10 for students) at www.charlestonsymphony.org or by phone at (843) 723-7528. Subject to availability, tickets will be available at the door one hour prior to show time.

Caitlin Kelly (Pastry Chef), Chris White (Sous Chef), Tyler Dudley (Executive Chef) and Marc Smolinski (Banquet Chef) participated in this year's Charleston Wine + Food Festival.

Earlier this month, the annual Charleston Wine + Food Festival presented its three-day extravaganza highlighting our city’s renown local cuisine and award-winning restaurants, along with celebrity chefs and vintners from around the country. The Festival took place March 2-4, and once again, the Daniel Island Club‘s culinary team was in on the action.

For the forth year in a row, Executive Chef Tyler Dudley and his team participated in the closing day Gospel Brunch, a Festival favorite. The lucky guests dining at Chef Tyler’s tables enjoyed local heirloom beet salad, house-smoked pork shoulder with poached local egg, and decadent bananas foster bread pudding, all while taking in live gospel music on the scenic grounds of downtown’s historic Lowndes Grove Plantation.

Also this year, the team participated in Bubbles and Bites at The Restoration on King, a loft-style boutique hotel on King Street. Chef Tyler was one of six featured chefs who prepared bites featuring South Carolina seafood to pair with sparkling wines. The Daniel Island Club offerings: Blackened local shrimp with “pate of the south,” and clam and yellowfin tuna ceviche with lime and chipotle gelee.

“It was an honor to participate in the Festival again,” said Chef Tyler. “It was our fourth year being part of this amazing event — we look forward to participating next year and in years to come.”

Check out these delicious-looking shots from the Gospel Brunch, taken by Lauren Whetsell of the Daniel Island Club:

Looking to extend your Valentine’s Day festivities? Celebrate music with your loved one as string and brass quintets from the Charleston Symphony Orchestra perform Masters of the Romantic Era at Providence Baptist Church on Saturday, February 18. This romantic evening will feature the music of Puccini, Schubert, Dvorak and Victor Ewald.  The concert starts at 7:00 pm. Following the performance, a reception will offer the opportunity for audience members to meet and mingle with the musicians. Light refreshments will be served. Tickets cost $15 and can be purchased at www.charlestonsymphony.com.

Marking their ninth anniversary of the Homegrown benefit concert on Daniel Island, world-renowned Hootie & The Blowfish will come together for their only public appearances in 2011 during a two-night musical engagement at the Family Circle Tennis Center beginning Friday, August 12.  This year, it’s a weekend-long event, with evening concerts on Friday and Saturday and a daytime festival on Saturday, August 13 featuring live music from national and regional acts and activities for the entire family. The “Homegrown Weekend” is a benefit for Charleston area public schools.

As in past years, Hootie & The Blowfish ask audience members to bring a donation of school supplies with them to the events. All supplies collected will be donated to the local schools with the most need.

With the rich, bluesy vocals of Darius Rucker and gleeful harmonies of guitarist Mark Bryan, Hootie & The Blowfish has sold over 25 million records worldwide with hits such as “Hold My Hand,” “Let Her Cry” and “Only Wanna Be With You.”

Weekend festival packages start at $47.50 and are available through www.ticketmaster.com and www.familycirclecup.com/concerts or by calling the Family Circle Tennis Center Box Office at (843) 856-7900.

The Family Circle Stadium will host the popular band, O.A.R., on Saturday night. The band’s music, a rock/reggae fusion, has sold over 1.2 million albums and is known to attract fans from across the country. Their latest album, “All Sides”, is expected out this week and critics say it is certain to be yet another milestone in O.A.R’s career.

The Family Circle Stadium Gates open at 6:00 pm and the concert will begin at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $34 and can be purchased at www.livenation.com. For more information click on www.familycirclecup.com

With springtime in full-swing, residents on Daniel Island are facing some tough choices these days when it comes to recreation and entertainment: The pools are open, it’s perfect golf and tennis weather, and our Lowcountry beaches and waterways are hard to resist at this time of year. And if that all weren’t enough, a dizzying array of special events of all kinds are filling up the calendars of area residents and visitors.

If you’re looking to get out and enjoy Charleston and Daniel Island this month, here are our picks for the top three May events you won’t want to miss:

Concert in the Park
Saturday, May 14 | Daniel Island
A favorite Daniel Island tradition, the Concert in the Park takes place each May on the banks of the lake at Smythe Park. Pack a picnic and grab a spot early: Daniel Island residents take their picnics very seriously (click here for pictures of some of last year’s spreads), and the best spots will go quickly. The highlight of the evening is a performance by Jeremy Davis and The Equinox Jazz Orchestra, who are sure to have the crowd dancing under the stars once again this year. A picnic contest will be judged starting at 6 pm (prizes, including a donation to the grand prize winners’ charity of choice, will be awarded for the best spreads). The concert starts at 7 pm. The event is free and open to the public.

Charleston Harbor Fest
May 12-15 | Charleston Harbor
Visit Charleston’s magnificent and historic working waterfront and experience the sights and sounds of ships and tugs, rowboats and tall ships, sea birds and dolphins. Among the highlights of this year’s festival will be numerous tall ships from around the world open for public tours, including the Spirit of South Carolina pilot schooner. And for the first time, Harbor Fest will coincide with the restart of the VELUX 5 OCEANS, one of the most exciting and challenging around-the-world-solo sailing races. Tour the ultra-fast ECO 60 fleet and cheer on the current first place skipper, Charleston’s own Brad van Liew, as he gets ready to begin the final leg of the race. This family-friendly event will also include a Kids’ Zone and plenty of land- and water-based activities for all ages. Visit charlestonmaritimefestival.com for further details.

Spoleto Festival USA & Piccolo Spoleto
May 27 – June 12 | Various Charleston Locations
Considered one of the best arts festivals in the country, Spoleto Festival USA takes place over 17 days, featuring world-class opera, dance, classical music, jazz and theater performances – plus visual arts exhibitions – at indoor and outdoor venues throughout Charleston. Its companion festival, Piccolo Spoleto, takes place simultaneously, showcasing hundreds of performances and exhibits by the  best local and regional talent. Combined, the festivals showcase an outstanding variety of cultural offerings morning, noon and night. For schedules and more information, visit the festival websites at spoletousa.org and piccolospoleto.com.

Many of the herbs in Chef Tyler's Festival menus will come from his garden at the clubhouse.

The BB&T Charleston Wine and Food Festival comes to town this weekend, showcasing the talents of the nation’s most celebrated chefs, culinary professionals and winemakers. Among them will be the Daniel Island Club‘s very own Chef Tyler Dudley, who will be featured in two festival favorites: “Wine Around the Garden” and the “Lowcountry Gospel Brunch.” Both events highlight local chefs using local ingredients. Chef Tyler is the only chef from a local private club participating in this prestigious, nationally-acclaimed festival.

“It’s a true honor to be asked to participate in the Charleston Wine and Food Festival,” said Chef Tyler.  “This is my third year as a guest chef and I really enjoy creating menus inspired by fresh, local ingredients.”

At “Wine Around the Garden” guests will visit the national landmark, Middleton Place Plantation, where they will be joined by four featured chefs who will each prepare a lunch menu paired with a specific winery.

Chef Tyler’s menu will feature smoked salmon rillettes with local green onion and a Charleston favorite – roulade of BBQ pulled pork complimented by spicy southern slaw and Carolina BBQ jus.

“The menu is definitely French, but inspired by southern ingredients, creating an interesting pairing for the wine provided by Chapel Down,” explains Chef Tyler.

A table from the Gospel Brunch at the 2010 Festival

Next up is the Lowcountry Gospel Brunch where guests will be served a three-course Lowcountry–style brunch while listening to the traditional sounds of a live gospel ensemble. Ten chefs will be participating and serving their Sunday best, including local favorites such as John Ondo from Lana Bar & Restaurant and Andrew Chadwick from the Woodlands Inn.

Chef Tyler will offer a lump crab and house smoked salmon cake with aged white cheddar grits as a first course, and a braised veal short rib hash with fingerling potatoes and tasso hollandaise for the second course.  The meal will finish with a buttermilk tart served with local berry compote and a mint anglaise.

“It’s all about using local ingredients that are popular in Lowcountry that will also appeal to guests that are not from this area,” said Chef Tyler. “I like to invent a menu that provides a creative sampling of the unique cuisine that Charleston has to offer.”

For more information about the BBT Charleston Wine and Food Festival, go to charlestonwineandfood.com

The crowd had a great time at the Sugarland concert last summer.

Take a look below at the amazing line-up below and purchase your tickets today!

Train | August 26 | www.trainline.com

Grammy Award-winning rock band Train will make their Family Circle Stadium debut on Thursday, August 26th.

Train has made its mark on music history for more than 15 years. With wildly popular singles like “Drops of Jupiter”, “Meet Virginia” and “Calling All Angels”, they have earned legions of fans around the globe.

In 2009, Train released its most successful chart-topping single “Hey, Soul Sister” which reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard Digital Hot 100, their highest position on the chart to date, #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and #1 in the U.S. iTunes music store.

Local South Carolina band NeedToBreathe will open the show.

The Black Crowes | September 10 | www.blackcrowes.com

The Black Crowes will appear in Charleston as part of their “Say Goodnight to the Bad Guys” 2010 Tour this summer. The shows are being billed as “Acoustic Hor D’oeuvres followed by an Electric Reception With The Black Crowes,” and will consist of a full hour and a half acoustic set followed by a full hour and a half electric set.