Shaw's Inn was the place to be on Monday afternoon, with the second Cafe Concert featuring pianist Judith Lynn Stillman.

The concert opened with Maestro Gary Sheldon welcoming everyone and introducing Stillman, who explained the context of the first piece, Mozart's Violin Sonata in B-flat Major, K. 378. Stillman then introduced Jiachi Huang, the featured violinist from Taiwan. Stillman said the piece was a dialogue between the composer and his pet parakeet.

The second piece was Debussy's "L'lsle Joyeuse," meaning Island of Joys, said Stillman. Debussy wrote this piano work after being inspired by a painting that depicted couples waiting to go on a boat trip. Full of chromatic coloring and unpredictable rhythms, this selection showcased Stillman's virtuosity and expression as a pianist.

She capped the performance with a story about a particular pianist who played the piece so vigorously that on the final note, which is the last key on the keyboard, he missed the key and broke his finger.

The third piece, "Variations on a Theme of Paganini" by Piatagorsky, featured Igor Zubkovsky, a cellist from Moscow.

The final work was a funky, bluesy rendition of Baroque music. In Stillman's words, it was what would happen if Bach met Duke Ellington. The flute player, Karla Kvam, and Stillman wore feather boas and Paul Robinson the bass player, wore a hat and sunglasses. The variation's style — the theme would go from Bach-esque sounds to Ellington-esque music — kept the crowd interested. The piece was composed by Bolling and is dedicated to the world renown flautist Jean-Pierre Rampal.The bluesy parts colored by the percussion of Glen Wilkofsky and Robinson's bass. Stillman and Kvam highlighted the Baroque sections.

The third Cafe Concert already is sold out, according to Shaw's owner Nancy Cork. "I think people like it that the musicians are right there (in the room)," said Cork.

Cafe concerts are a popular Festival event probably because the crowd is much smaller, and the proximity of the musicians makes the concerts more intimate and personal compared to a performance on a large stage.

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