But can he do "Franklin Shepard, Inc."?

Singer Jubilant Sykes has a lower register that can be rumbling, husky, or as wide-open as a resonant well. Then he jumps up the keyboard and shows his clarion-clear higher tones. You could hate him, if you were a fellow vocalist trying to keep up. (I was hoping for some voice tips when I interviewed him last week, but he just said to drink a lot of water.)

Or you could take a minute-forty out of your day and listen to these clips of him singing Bruce Springsteen's "If I Should Fall Behind" and the gospel-blues piece "John the Revelator." Beautiful.

A personalized performance

Everyone knows that iconic photo from the ‘50s, the one of the crowd in 3-D glasses watching a movie. I’m picturing something just as vivid in Memorial Auditorium this Friday night. Only this time audience members will be wearing iPod earphones.

As part of the 8 p.m. Stanford Lively Arts program, the Merce Cunningham Dance Company is integrating interactivity into its 2006 work "eyeSpace." Audience members get to choose what they listen to while the dancers are on stage: either the ambient sounds in the theater, or a score by Mikel Rouse on their iPods. They can jump from track to track while the performance is going on, which means the person sitting next to you could be experiencing a very different show indeed.

As the dancers move in blue unitards, you could be listening to the urgent “America’s Secrets,” hearing a pulsing beat and singers chanting, “We must protect America’s secrets.” Meanwhile, your neighbor is hearing the strumming guitars of “My Love’s Gone Remix” or the minor-key intro of “How I Stayed Blind.” What an intriguing way to put your own stamp on your arts experience.

The dance company is also performing a different version of "eyeSpace" as part of Saturday night's program. It’s a 2007 iteration with music by Annea Lockwood (no iPods this time). The score includes “improvised instrumentals and electronics over immersive recordings of bowed metal instruments and underwater insects,” as the company’s Web site describes it. Ticket info is here.

Pictured: Dancers from the Merce Cunningham Dance Company; photo from www.merce.org.

Powerful pair

With this posting, I try to impart some of the flavor of my fascinating chat last week with pianist Ric Louchard and soprano Yolanda Rhodes. During our interview for this week's cover story, the duo performed three songs: "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child," an aria from Catalani's "La Wally," and "Summertime."

Through the magic of video, you can see some of the moments from this impromptu performance. You can also experience camera flashes courtesy of Weekly photographer Norbert von der Groeben (jiggly video courtesy of me). Or maybe it was lightning from the storm outside. Either way, good show all around.

Everybody's got a right to their dream

"Wants to play violin like Miles plays trumpet."

That is an excellent (if, strictly speaking, unattainable) life goal to have. Infinitely better than any of those answers you whipped up during a job interview after being asked where you see yourself in five years.

I'm quoting Los Altos jazz musician Marty Honda, who plays violin and bass, and is scheduled to host a "Community Jazz Jam" this Saturday evening at the Red Rock cafe in downtown Mountain View. I'm betting he sounds better in person than on my tinny headphones.