Q: Your album Got A Little Story comes out on April 14th, will you be doing anything special for the big release?
D'Amico: Actually we are still in the process of planning something right now, but it is unclear as to what coast I will be on to do it or if we are going to do both LA and NY. More to come on that!
Q: Peter Krause executively produced the album, how did you two team up?
D'Amico: I have known Peter Krause for many years. I met him while I was still in college and working at his talent manager's company. We kept in touch over the years and he has always been real supportive of me as an artist and vice versa. I was in the process of prepping my album and on my birthday I was given the news that my funding was delayed by my initial investor. Peter, who knew my voice, and has seen me perform live called to wish me Happy Birthday.
When I told him the status of my project being delayed, he swooped in to take over as executive producer because he believed in my talent as an artist and my music. It was shocking and an exciting blessing all at once. And now here we are.
Q: Who are some of your musical influences?
D'Amico: Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee, and Sarah Vaughn and so many other great ladies of the day who all sang the same songs but each from the most unique and honest place. It was their individual stamp of honesty with the lyric that set their vocal sound apart. I only know how to sing from the center of truth, from the most honest and emotionally naked part of my soul. When you first come out on the scene, listeners try to put you into a category and say you sound like such and such. I have my own sound that has been influenced by those ladies above but only in spirit.
I also am a great fan of the passionate talents of Stevie Wonder, Ludacris, and Luciano Pavarotti. It is this diversity in my tastes of music as an artist that keeps my outlook fresh. When you are an artist you get to take in everything and be inspired by the world, and not just musically speaking. Truly passionate people, in general, inspire me.
Q: How did the title of the CD come about?
D'Amico: For a while, I thought that I was going to call the album “The Girl in the Penthouse", because the album has a very classy yet provocative feel to it. After discussing many titles with my label LML Music, I turned toward Doug Haverty who actually did my CD artwork. He has worked on many well known albums in the marketing department and expressed that rather than having a random title or using a song title or my name to entitle the album, it was wiser to find a song lyric that fit what the entire album had to say.
In my personal life, I am very inquisitive by nature. I love meeting and learning about new people. Upon meeting someone new, I always ask, “So, what's your story?" Doug took the lyric “Got A Little Story" from one of the tracks on my album: “One For My Baby."
Within the lyric, it goes “Got a little story, you ought to know..." As soon as he mentioned it, I thought, “That's it!" This is MY story that I am telling. Each one of the songs on the album represents a person/personal experience to me and when I sat down with arranger Chris Walden we tried to infuse those emotions from my stories into each track in a very cinematic way so that each piece has a beginning, middle, and end emotionally and musically speaking. Those 10 tracks encompass a lot of personal stories for me which I often tell in my concerts.
Q: Do you have a favorite track off of the album?
D'Amico: All of the tracks hold a special place in my heart. “One For My Baby" is very important because it is a Sinatra classic and the first song that I chose for the album. I feel that I made it my own. I am most proud of “And I Love Him" because it is a Beatles tune that we turned around. I told Chris Walden that I was looking for an arrangement that would sound as if Count Basie was kissing Billie Holiday. I think we achieved that and I believe that it will have the most crossover appeal.
Q: Where did your love for Jazz come from?
D'Amico: I guess I was sort of an odd child. I used to watch The Judy Garland Show on New York’s Nostalgia Network instead of cartoons when I was about 4 years old. Lots of black and white programs from back in the day with jazzy big band swinging arrangements. It was a fantastical glamorous world that I wanted to be a part of.
More importantly, I am such a reincarnated old soul. I have always known this music that I sing. There is a saying that basically says something like, “One doesn't choose to sing Jazz, it chooses you." I know I was made for this. I have sung and recorded other genres, but Jazz is my heart and I have to be true to myself. Beyond that, I come from a very large Italian family where Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Bobby Darin and the like filled the soundtrack of our home. It's in my blood.
Q: How much hand in the production of the album did you have?
D'Amico: This was initially an independent endeavor. I am a big networker in the most genuine sense. I truly do keep up with everyone I meet, so in the beginning stages I flew back and forth between NY and LA researching what was happening and successfully working in the music business. I always shoot for the stars first and then climb back down the ladder only when I am absolutely forced to. I knew that I would have to utilize this album as a vehicle to launch my success, so I was very serious about doing this right.
I interviewed many well known record producers. I chose all the songs and what I wanted to say as an artist and then I was blessed with a connection to my producer Jimmy Hoyson, who had worked at Capitol records as an engineer and producer for many years. He is a Grammy Award winner who has worked with everyone who’s anyone. I had recorded with him a few years prior on a project and I totally trusted him to guide me. He understood what I am about.
The idea of my album was very ambitious; go in and record live with a Big Band in the old school ways of Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald at Capitol Records. Jimmy is a big thinker like me and has the innate ability to tap into an artist to find their strengths and use that as a launching pad for everything else. I am a very creative and strong personality and he nurtured me through the whole process. He hooked me into Chris Walden. So, I couldn't have asked for a better team. Peter Krause, Jimmy Hoyson, Chris Walden: a powerful creative male triad that fused forces with Lee Lessack at LML Music who has such a great belief in this music.
Q: What is it about the CD that you think will resonate with listeners?
D'Amico: You can play it at a large party or just during any relaxing Sunday. It just sort of fits.
We deconstructed the classics and present them in a fresh new way that has gone beyond the normal jazz demographic. If you checked 100 random iPods, you would probably find at least one Sinatra tune on 99 of them. People out there have started calling me “Sinatra in Heels" which is sort of a funny compliment because I am my own girl, but I will take it.
This CD is very warm and I realized that these songs are timeless because when I perform the majority of my crowd usually ranges in age from 16 to 85. Everyone loves jazz, whether they realize it or not, because at the end of the day it is pretty darn sexy!
Q: Why should listeners take the time to pick up the album?
D'Amico: This music is timeless, evocative, and sexy. Who doesn't want those three adjectives in their world? It is a true album in the old school sense. We wanted to create something that brought back fond memories of the vinyl days where you would sit and listen to an entire album over and over again from beginning to end because it told a story. It's a fresh spin.
Q: Where can those interested go to learn more about you?
D'Amico: www.myspace.com/tameladamico That will link you to many other sites, as well as my official website which is undergoing some changes at the moment.
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=32955
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Tamela D'Amico - Got a Little Story by Lisa Steinberg
Tamela D'Amico - Behind The Scenes of Got A Little Story
Track listing: The Gentleman Is a Dope; Charade; And I Love Him; Perfidia; One For My Baby; We Are In Love; When October Goes; He's a Tramp; They All Laughed; Perfect.
Personnel: Peter Krause:Executive Producer, Jimmy Hoyson: Producer, Tamela D'Amico: vocals; Chris Walden: conductor, trumpet, flugelhorn; Jim Cox: piano; Kenny Wild: bass; Ray Brinker: drums; Mitch Holder: guitar; Gary Grant: trumpet; Rick Baptist: trumpet; Pete De Siena: trumpet; Ron King: trumpet; Andy Martin: trombone; Bob McChesney: trombone; Arturo Velasco: trombone; Rick Bullock: trombone; Jeff Driskill: reeds; Kim Richmond: reeds; Rick Keller: reeds; Rob Lockhart: reeds; Tom Peterson: reeds; Bruce Dukov: violin; Caroline Campbell: violin; Darius Campo: violin; Pip Clarke: violin; Joel Derouin: violin; Armen Garaebedian: violin; Nicole Garcia: violin; Peter Kent: violin; Songa Lee-Kitto: violin; Calabria McChesney: violin; Anatoly Rosinsky: violin; Shari Zippert: violin; Evan Wilson: viola; Debyse Buffun: viola; Jorge Moraga: viola; Larry Corbet: cello; Mathew Cooker: cello; Stephen Erdody: cello; Vanessa Freebarin-Smith: cello
Ronnie Scott's - apr 02 - 04
has been well established as a singer of jazz, blues and soul, with a touch of pop and rock thrown in for good measure. Winning over audiences with her expressive vocal style that Morris herself likes to cite as being ‘Nina Simone meets Janis Joplin’
Eiffel Tower Gets a Makeover at 120....
The iconic Eiffel Tower celebrated its 120th anniversary Tuesday. It was inaugurated at the World's Fair in Paris in 1889 and, until 1929, was the tallest building in the world. It remains the tallest building in the city.
World famous now, the Eiffel Tower was a breath-taking novelty in March 31, 1889, when it was the centerpiece of the World's Fair in Paris. Engineer Gustave Eiffel constructed the Eiffel Tower to be the entrance arch to the Exposition Universelle -- or World's Fair-- in Paris in 1889. Eiffel expected about 500,000 visitors a year. In 2006, it drew more than 6.5 million people.
Tthe Eiffel Tower seen from the Champ de Mars in Paris is a familiar sight, although in the past the tower has been painted red, orange and yellow. It's maintained a signature brown color, which overseers say best accents the Paris skyline, since 1968. In the City of Light, nothing shines brighter than the Eiffel Tower.
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=32956
Concord Music Group to Release the Complete Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Recordings
The Concord Music Group will release The Complete Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Recordings on April 14th via Fantasy Records.
The sublime 2-CD collection spotlights the iconic song stylist Tony Bennett dueting with legendary jazz pianist Bill Evans from their two albums. Disc 1 combines the originally issued recordings, The Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Album and Together Again, with two bonus tracks, including a superb version of Cole Porter’s “Dream Dancing”; disc 2 features alternate takes from both sessions.
The first meeting of the vocalist and pianist, The Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Album (1975), featured the pair performing standards, as well as a moving rendition of Evan’s classic tune, “Waltz For Debby.” Other standards include “But Beautiful,” “The Days Of Wine And Roses” and “Young And Foolish.”
The first meeting established the Bennett-Evans chemistry, with the two having plenty of room to make their own personal statements. In 1976, the pair returned to the studio for Together Again, opening with Evan’s solo rendition of “The Bad And The Beautiful,” and continuing with moving renditions of “Lucky To Be Me” and “You Don’t Know What Love Is.”
Reflecting back, Bennett remains especially proud of these sessions with Bill Evans, citing them as the most satisfying projects of his long career. Nick Phillips produced the remastered compilation with new liner notes by Will Friedwald.
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=32963
Diana Krall....
“I do not obtain to write a letter in hypothesis some”, says Diana Krall
For Steve James
New York (Reuters) - Diana Krall can now be Mrs. Elvis Costello, but the artist awardee with the Grammy still is owner of an important proper career as jazzista, beyond having if launched as producing of records for nobody little than Barbra Streisand.
But Krall at any moment did not leave to reveal its side wife and mother when, recently, it spoke on its new album, “Quiet Nights”, that it arrives at the store in the tuesday, its work of studio with Streisand and its presentation in the White House.
“Perhaps either the dribble”, it said, excusing itself, when its cellular one touched during the interview to Reuters.
“The boys had lunchhed and now they are taking off its soneca. It is all good. Elvis is taking care of of them in Vancouver”, affirmed with a sigh, thinking about its twin children Dexter and Frank, of 2 years.
Its marriage with Costello in 2003 joined two musical forces, and the influence of the British rock musician seemed clear in the album of Krall “The Girl in the Other Room”, of 2004.
Diana Krall, 44 years, is known over all by its interpretations of standards of the jazz, but “Girl in the Other Room” included some songs that it wrote and composed with Costello. The puristas had not been total satisfied, because they had found that it moved away itself from what they waited, presenting materials that were more singer/composer contemporary of what properly jazz.
Krall remembered that some fans had left before the end a show it in that year in the Radio City Music Hall, in New York.
The singer and Canadian pianista said that it can want to collaborate with the man to who calls Elvis - at least in public - in place its real name, Declan, on a COMPACT DISC for children.
“I wait to be able to make a record for children. If I collaborated with Elvis, really I would be amused. We could make a rock maluco, and it would write on insects or something thus.”
But Krall said that it does not have plans to combine its talentos with the music of its husband in the albums of it. The two work independently in its records, but they hear ribbons demon one of the other to see the reactions of the other.
Later that it records, Costello can give to ideas on the sequência of the songs, the effect and other elements of the after-production, but Krall remembers that dom of it is for writing letters, while of it is to compose the melodies. “I do not obtain to write a letter in hypothesis some”, said it.
“It is therefore that Elvis and I combine so well. We have the same intensity and passion for the things, we want to be artists and to make what we feel that is the certainty”, said it.
http://musica.uol.com.br/ultnot/reuters/2009/03/30/ult279u7528.jhtm
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Tom Jobim....
"My father was born in São Paulo/My grandfather, pernambucano/my great-grandfather, mineiro/My great-great-grandfather, Bahiano/My sovereign teacher/Was Antonio Brasileiro."
In this song of Chico Buarque, Tone Jobim is cited as a species of arquetípic founder of the Brazilian nationality. Antonio Brazilian Carlos Jobim was born in the Tijuca, in Rio De Janeiro. To the four years of age, he changed himself with the parents for the South Zone, starting to live in the quarter of Ipanema and later in Copacabana. Attracted by music, he made studies of piano with professor Hans Joachim Koellreuter, in the college whose managing she was its mother, Nilza owner. He passed in the vestibular contest for architecture, but he attended a course only two years. In 1949, he was married Thereza Hermanny, with who he had two children, Pablo and Elizabeth. He arranged job as pianista of the Radio Club of Brazil and soon he started to touch in bars.
To guarantee the survival, he worked as arranjador for the Continental recorder. Its first compositions had included famous partnerships with Newton Mendonça, who would be its partner in " Desafinado" , and Billy Blanco, with who would compose its first great success, " Tereza of the Praia". Presented the Vinícius de Moraes for the critic Lucio Rangel, Tone Jobim was invited to compose the melodies of " Orfeu of the Conceição" , part that estreou in 1956. Elisete Cardoso recorded " Song of the Demais" Love; in 1958, that it signaled a prosperous partnership between Vinícius and Jobim. Already recognized as one of the biggest Brazilian composers, Jobim wrote a dedicated symphony Brasilia. In 1959, it received the Palm from Gold, in Cannes, and the Oscar for the sonorous track of the film " Orfeu Negro" , directed for Albert Camus, inspired by " Orfeu of the Conceição".
Tom Jobim composed with Vinícius de Morais, in 1963, the music would become that it world-wide famous, "The Girl of Ipanema" , a species of Brazilian hymn that received hundreds from writings. In 1967, it composed " Wave" , also a song of great impact. In the decade of 1970, Tone was married for the second time, with the photographer Ana Beatriz Otter, at the time with only 19 years, with who it had two children, João Francisco and Maria Luiza. With one well-succeeded career of shows, writings, interviews and homages, Tom Jobim were divided enter Brazil and the United States. In 1993, some composers, between them Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter, had made a tribute the Tone Jobim, in the Free Jazz Festival, São Paulo. Still in this year, Jobim launched a new album, " Antonio Brasileiro" , with participation of Dorival Caymmi and Sting. After if presenting in two occasions in the Carnegie Hall, in New York, Tone Jobim made its last show in Jerusalem, in 1994. Acometido of circulatórios problems, carried through a series of examinations, to the end of which a cancer in the bladder was evidenced. Jobim was operated in the Mount Medical Sinai Center, in New York, in day 6 of December of 1994. Two days later, it had a respiratory stop and it faleceu. Its body was transferred to embedded Brazil and in Rio De Janeiro.
Meredith D'Ambrosio....
Boston born Meredith d'Ambrosio, a renaissance woman of international critical acclaim, has successfully combined careers in the musical and visual arts. Her musical sojourn began in 1958 in Boston singing with small bands with Roger Kellaway on piano. Although she worked primarily as a jazz singer-pianist she is also known as a respected calligrapher, watercolorist, creator of eggshell mosaics, composer, lyricist, recording artist and teacher. She branched out into NYC in 1981, and since that time has been touring extensively throughout North America and Europe performing with such musicians as Harold Danko, Bob Dorough, Dave Frishberg, Fred Hersch, Eddie Higgins, Dick Hyman, Hank Jones, Lee Musiker, Mike Renzi, Richard Wyands, Milt Hinton, Major Holley, Jay Leonhart, Michael Moore, George Mraz, Rufus Reid, Leroy Vinnegar, Buddy DeFranco, Harry Allen, Lee Konitz, Ken Peplowski, Phil Woods, Jack Sheldon, Don Sickler, Al Grey, Johnny Frigo, Gene Bertoncini, Kevin Eubanks, Joe Ascione, Terry Clarke, Keith Copeland, Jake Hanna, Butch Miles and Ben Riley to name a few.
Meredith d'Ambrosio continues to delight those who have come to expect a high degree of proficiency in her artistic offerings and has shown herself to be, if not an iconoclast, one who is comfortable enough with her own sense of self to challenge the mainstream concept of popularity without sacrificing considerable talents and originality.
"To listen to d'Ambrosio is to abandon oneself to her charm. She leaves you spellbound with her impeccable diction, great sense of phrasing, intonation, and gentle swing, showing an unaffected simplicity and inner lyricism that expresses more than all the high-soaring excesses of scat singers." (Serge Baudot, Jazz Hot, France) "Her secret, one shared by very few singers, is her ability to deliver the meaning of a lyric in her understated and hip-as-can-be way." (George Fendel, Portland Jazzscene)
http://www.meredithdambrosio.com/
Jeremy Manasia >>>>
A native of Staten Island New York, Jeremy was born on the 28th of March 1971. He began playing piano at the age of seven, and immediate fell in love with the instrument and classical music. This started him on a journey that carried him through arts high school (where he found his passion in jazz) and conservatories in New York and Holland. Some of the teachers he has worked with extensively include: Chris Anderson, Barry Harris, Harold Danko, Harry Whitaker, and Dutch legend Franz Elsan.
Jeremy has toured the world with his music, and currently lives and teaches in New York City, where he has resided since 1997. Jeremy was a finalist in the Thelonious Monk Competition, the Great American Jazz Piano Competition, and the American Pianists Association Jazz Piano Competition.
Jeremy has performed with The Charles Owens Quartet, The Hotpants Funk Sextet, The David Gibson Quartet/Sextet, The Peter Bernstein Quartet, The Ryan Kisor Quintet with Chris Potter, The Joe Magnarelli Quartet, Nneena Freelon, Marlena Shaw, Diane Schur, Jimmy Cobb, John Boutte, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, the American Symphony Orchestra, Wayne Escoffrey, Rodney Green, Greg Hutchinson, and has recorded with Charles Owens, David Gibson, The Hotpants, Steve Santoro, Alex Graham, The Sickle Project, John Boutte, Five Up High and Melissa Morgan.
Jeremy's debut CD, "Witchery", was released in August 2007 by Canadian based CELLAR LIVE records and is available in stores and on the web. January 2009 saw the release of Jeremy's second CD as a leader, this time for Los Angeles based record label POSI-TONE records. The release entitled "After Dark" is a showcase for Jeremy's compositions, backed by the wonderful Barak Mori and Charles Ruggiero. The date includes special guest appearances by Jane Monheit and Ian Hendrickson-Smith.
Jeremy is an aspiring film composer with several short films scored, and has been on faculty at the Manhattan School of Music for the past 10 years.
www.jeremymanasia.com
Friday, March 27, 2009
Louis Armstrong, timeline....
1901Louis Armstrong is born on August 4th in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Mary (Mayann) and William Armstrong.
1901-1907
William Armstrong abandons the family during Louis’s infancy. Louis spends the first years of his life living with his paternal grandmother, Josephine Armstrong. After age five, Louis lives in a two room house near Liberty and Perdido Streets with his mother and sister, Beatrice (who was nicknamed Mama Lucy). The family lives in stark poverty.
c. 1907
Forms a vocal quartet with three other boys and performs on street corners for tips. The Karnofskys, a family of Russian Jewish immigrants, hires Louis to work on their junk wagon. Purchases his first cornet with money loaned to him by the Karnofskys.
1912
Fires a pistol in the street to celebrate New Year’s Eve. A nearby policeman arrests Louis and the next day he is confined to the Colored Waif’s Home for Boys.
1913-1914
While in the Waif’s Home, Louis receives musical instruction from the band director, Peter Davis, and eventually becomes leader of the Waif’s Home band.
1914-1917
Released from the Waif’s Home on June 16, 1914. Lives briefly with his father, William Armstrong, then returns to his mother. Joe Oliver, one of the finest trumpet players in New Orleans, becomes Louis’s teacher and mentor. Performs in New Orleans’s honky-tonks with local groups. Delivers coal and sells newspapers to help feed himself, his mother, and his sister.
1918
Joe Oliver moves to Chicago and Louis takes his place in the Kid Ory band, a leading group in New Orleans, and also performs occasionally with the Tuxedo Brass Band. Marries Daisy Parker, a prostitute from Gretna, Louisiana.
1919-1921
During the summers, band leader Fate Marable hires Louis to perform on river boats that travel the Mississippi River from New Orleans to St. Louis. Continues to perform with various New Orleans ensembles. Joins the Tuxedo Brass Band, led by Oscar “Papa” Celestin.”
1922
Separates from Daisy. Moves to Chicago in August to play second cornet in the band of Joe Oliver, now nicknamed ”King“ Oliver.
1923
Makes his first recordings on April 5th at the Gennett Studios in Richmond, Indiana, as a member of King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band. The band also records for Paramount, Columbia and Okeh.
1924
Marries Lil Hardin, the pianist in the King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band on February 5th. Moves to New York City in September to join the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra at the Roseland Ballroom. Records with Henderson, with Sidney Bechet, and with several blues singers, including Sippie Wallace, Clara Smith, and Ma Rainey.
1925
Records with blues singer Bessie Smith, and Clarence Williams, among others. In November, quits Fletcher Henderson and returns to Chicago. Billed at the Dreamland Café as “The World’s Greatest Jazz Cornetist.” On November 12th, Louis makes his first recordings as a leader of his own group, Louis Armstrong and His Hot Five.
1925-1928
Performs with Erskine Tate at the Vendome Theatre. Continues to record with the Hot Five (and with the Hot Seven in May, 1927). Performs at the Sunset Café with the Carroll Dickerson Orchestra. Meets Joe Glaser (who will later become Louis’s manager). Briefly leads a band, Louis Armstrong and His Stompers, at the Sunset Café. Records “West End Blues” on June 28, 1928, which is today considered one of the most famous recordings in early jazz.
1929
Moves to New York City. Performs at Connie’s Inn with the Carroll Dickerson Orchestra. Appears in the Broadway show, Hot Chocolates. Tommy Rockwell becomes Louis’s manager. Records “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and “I Can’t Give You Anything but Love.”
1930
Performs in Baltimore, Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Washington, D.C., setting a pattern of extensive touring that continues for the rest of his career. Appears at Frank Sebastian’s New Cotton Club (Culver City, CA) and the performances are broadcast on radio. Records “Blue Yodel No. 9” with Jimmie Rodgers (the “Father of Country Music”), and “Memories of You.”
1931
Separates from Lil Hardin in August. Appears in his first film, Ex-Flame. Johnny Collins becomes Louis’s manager, against Rockwell’s objections. Makes two extensive tours of the Midwest and the south. Performs at the Roof Garden of the Kentucky Hotel in Louisville, making Louis the first black American to do so. Makes a triumphant return to New Orleans—his first visit since he departed in 1922. Records “When It’s Sleepytime Down South,” which becomes his theme song.
1932
Appears for three months at Frank Sebastian’s New Cotton Club (Culver City, CA). Films “A Rhapsody in Black and Blue,” a one-reel short. Appears in a Betty Boop cartoon, “You Rascal, You.” Departs for England upon the S.S. Majestic on July 9th. Tours Great Britain for three months (July-November). Appears for two weeks at the London Palladium.
1933-1934
Performs in Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, and Nebraska. In July 1933, returns to England upon the S.S. Homeric. Tours Britain, Scandinavia, and Holland. Ten thousand people greet him at the railway station in Denmark. For much of 1934, Louis lives in Paris. Performs at La Salle Pleyel.
1935
Returns to the United States in January. Joe Glaser becomes Louis’s manager (and remains Louis’s manager until his death in 1969). Appears at Connie’s Inn in New York City (the ensemble is billed as “Louis Armstrong and His Orchestra”) and the performances are nationally broadcast over CBS radio. Esquire runs a feature story on Louis.
1936
Portrays a band leader in the motion picture Pennies from Heaven with Bing Crosby. Records “Swing That Music” (which amazed audiences by Louis’s hitting forty-two high Cs followed by a high E-flat). Publication of Louis’s first autobiography, Swing That Music.
1937
Hosts the Fleischmann’s Yeast Show, a national network radio program. Appears in the motion picture Artists and Models. Films Everyday’s a Holiday with Mae West.
1938
Performs throughout the deep south, including Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, as well as his hometown, New Orleans. Films Going Places. Divorces Lil Hardin on September 30th—they had been separated for years—and marries Alpha Smith on October 11th.
1939
Portrays Bottom in the musical Swingin’ the Dream, a jazz version of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream. Begins a six-month engagement at the Cotton Club (New York).
1940-1941
Performs in Illinois, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Canada.
1942
Films three “soundies” (3-minute films for coin-operated viewing booths) for RCM. Films Cabin in the Sky for MGM. Finalizes divorce from Alpha Smith on October 2nd, and marries Lucille Wilson on October 12th.
1943
Lucille purchases a house in Corona, Queens, New York City. Louis and Lucille live there for the remainder of their lives. Appears in the motion picture, Jam Session. 1944-1946
First Esquire All American Jazz Concert at the Metropolitan Opera House. Appears in motion pictures Atlantic City, Pillow to Post, and New Orleans. Records with Billie Holiday.
1947
Performs at Carnegie Hall with his big band and with a small group. Appears at Town Hall (New York City) with a small group. Breaks up the big band and forms a septet, The All Stars debut at Billy Berg’s Club in Hollywood on August 13th.
1948
Appears at the Nice Jazz Festival, the first international jazz festival. Performs at Carnegie Hall. Makes his television debut on one of the first television broadcasts; the show is called Toast of the Town (later to be known as the EdSullivan Show). There would be many more television appearances to come
1949
Appears on the cover of Time magazine. Returns to New Orleans to be King of the Zulus at Mardi Gras. Performs in Switzerland, Italy, and France. Private audience with Pope Pius XII.
1950-1951
Appears on the Big Show (a hit radio variety show) with Tallulah Bankhead. Films Glory Alley. Has a hit with “Blueberry Hill.” Records with Louis Jordan and with Sy Oliver.
1952
Tours Canada, Hawaii, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Scandinavia, Italy, and North Africa.
1953
Six-week concert tour with Benny Goodman cut short after Goodman becomes ill. Films The Glen Miller Story. Starts first tour of Japan in late December.
1954
Publishes second autobiography Satchmo: My Life in New Orleans, which covers his life up until 1922. Tours Australia. Records Satchmo: A Musical Autobiography for Decca Records. Records Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy for Columbia Records
1955
Performs in Los Angeles, New Orleans, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Italy. Appears on The Ed Sullivan Show. Records “Mack the Knife” and Satch Plays Fats (an album of compositions by Fats Waller) for Columbia Records.
1956
Appears in the motion picture High Society with Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly. Records with Ella Fitzgerald for Verve Records. Makes a brief visit in May to the Gold Coast (soon to be called Ghana), where he performs for more than 100,000 people at the polo grounds in the capital, Accra. Edward R. Murrow, who has traveled to the Gold Coast with Louis, includes the visit in his documentary Satchmo the Great.
1957
Tours South America and Europe. Speaks out strongly against racial injustice—especially the refusal of Little Rock, Arkansas, to integrate its schools—and cancels his U.S. State Department-sponsored tour of Russia in protest. Records second album with Ella Fitzgerald for Verve Records. Records Satchmo: A Musical Autobiography for Decca Records.
1958
Louis’s appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival is captured in the motion picture Jazz on a Summer’s Day. Appears twice on the Timex Show (NBC television). Films The Five Pennies with Danny Kaye. Films The Beat Generation.
1959
Performs in Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, and Italy. Has heart attack in Spoleto, Italy and is briefly hospitalized. Appears on The Ed Sullivan Show, and the Bing Crosby Oldsmobile Show.
1960-1963
Makes a major tour of Africa (Cameroon, the Belgian Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and many more countries), as part of a four-month tour sponsored by the U.S. State Department and Pepsi-Cola. Films Paris Blues on location in Paris. Appears at the Newport Jazz Festival each July. Records ten selections with Duke Ellington in 1961, their only collaboration in the recording studio. Performs at a birthday celebration for President John F. Kennedy on May 23, 1963. 1964
Co-hosts The Mike Douglas Show on television for one week. “Hello Dolly” becomes number one hit, knocking the Beatles from the number one slot that they had held for three consecutive songs. Appears as mystery guest on the television show What’s My Line? Performs in Las Vegas. Tours Puerto Rico. July 2 is declared “Louis Armstrong Day” at the World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, just blocks from Louis’s home.
1965
Tour of Eastern Europe. Returns to New Orleans and is given the Key to the City. Enjoys sold-out performances in Montreal, Toronto, and Las Vegas. Films When the Boys Meet the Girls andA Man Called Adam. Broadcasts over Voice of America from the Monterey Jazz Festival. Appears on television shows, The Dean Martin Show and Shindig.
1966
Performs the summer season (July-September) at Jones Beach Marine Theatre in Long Island. Appears on the cover of Life magazine. Appears on The Dean Martin Show and The Danny Kaye Show.
1967
Performs in Dublin, Antibes, St. Tropez, and Majorca. Appears on The Tonight Show, the Kraft Music Hall Show and the Jackie Gleason Show. Appears on Operation Entertainment, a television broadcast from Fort Hood (the US Army’s largest base, located in Killeen, Texas). Records “What a Wonderful World” for ABC Records.
1968
“What a Wonderful World” becomes a hit in Great Britain. Performs in Las Vegas, Pennsylvania, Maine, New York, and Mexico. Films a scene for the motion picture Hello Dolly with Barbara Streisand. Records Disney Songs the Satchmo Way. Private audience with Pope Paul VI. Out of respect for the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, refuses to appear at the Oscars and other entertainers follow his example. Is hospitalized at Beth Israel Hospital with heart and kidney ailments.
1969
From February to April at Beth Israel Hospital due to heart problems. Joe Glaser (Louis’s manager since 1935) dies. Travels to London and records on the soundtrack for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
1970
The Newport Jazz Festival presents a tribute to Louis Armstrong featuring Mahalia Jackson, Dizzy Gillespie, Bobby Hackett, and the Eureka Brass Band. Appears on many television shows, including: The Dick Cavett Show, The David Frost Sho, The Tonight Show, The Mike Douglas Show, and The Flip Wilson Show. Performs for two weeks in Las Vegas.
1971
Appears on many television shows, including The David Frost Show, The Dick Cavett Show, The Tonight Show, and a television special with Pearl Bailey. Records the poem “The Night before Christmas” in the den of his Corona home. (It is his last commercial recording.) Performs for two weeks in the Empire Room of the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City. One of the last photos ever taken of Louis Armstrong
July 1971
Louis Armstrong passes away peacefully in his sleep at his home in Corona on July 6th. On July 8th more than 30,000 mourners solemnly file past his casket at the Seventh Regiment Armory. A funeral at the modest Corona Congregational Church the next day attracts thousands more than the church can hold. He is buried in Flushing Cemetery in Queens, just a few miles away from his home in Corona.
http://www.louisarmstronghouse.org/timeline/time_1970.htm
The Complete Louis Armstrong Decca Sessions
http://www.jazzvideoguy.tv, in association with http://www.mosaic records.com presents a video preview of the Mosaic Records release featuring Louis Armstrong. Some of the performances are among the most significant of his life and a lasting gift to music - there isn't a trumpeter since who hasn't marveled at the brilliance of his tone, coherence of his soloing, and perfection of his execution on the 1938 "Struttin' With Some Barbecue." It is, plain and simple, a flawless record.
Al Foster....
"...for what I wanted in a drummer, Al Foster had all of it." - Miles Davis
Al Foster, master drummer, has been a major innovator in the world of jazz for several decades. As a member of the Miles Davis band for thirteen years, Foster's contribution to Davis' music is articulated by Davis himself in his 1989 autobiography, Miles: The Autobiography, where Davis describes the first time he heard Foster play live in 1972 at the Cellar Club on 95th Street in Manhattan: 'He [Foster] knocked me out because he had such a groove and he would just lay it right in there. That was the kind of thing I was looking for. AI could set it up for everybody else to play off and just keep the groove going forever."
Other artists Foster has performed and recorded with include Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, McCoy Tyner, Wayne Shorter, Bobby Hutcherson, John Scofield, Pat Metheny, Charlie Haden, Randy & Michael Brecker, Bill Evans (the pianoplayer), George Benson, Kenny Drew, Carmen McRae, Stan Getz, Toots Thielemans, Dexter Gordon and Chick Corea.
Over the years, Foster has toured extensively with Herbie Hancock, Sonny Rollins, and Joe Henderson, becoming a major attraction in all three bands as well as an integral part of them.
Respected and admired for his keen sensitivity, Foster is known for his unique ability to listen to and playoff others in an almost telepathic way, responding to them with a style that is at once both charismatic and understated. Al Foster, is a great believer in the purity of the music, a genuine artist who continues to push the boundaries of creativity again and again, devoted to preserving and perpetuating the highest standards in jazz today.
He is a magnificent all-round drummer, and his rhythmic chops are renowned in musical styles ranging from bebop to free form to jazz/rock.
http://www.drummerworld.com/drummers/Al_Foster.html
Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen....
Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen was born in day 27 of May of 1946 in Osted, Denmark. A virtuoso who almost always touched inside of the style bop, Niels Pedersen was a musician very looked since whom she was an adolescent. One of the great European stock exchange operators who emerged during the Sixties, Pedersen studied piano initially, before starting to touch low with groups of Danish jazz when it had 14 years. It was reluctant in accepting offers of the orchestra of Basie when he had 17 years, but continued working as stock exchange operator of the Club Montmartre and as integrant of the Danish Orchestra Radio. Whenever jazzmen American passed for Scandinavia, them they looked for Pedersen. During the Sixties it eletocou with Sonny Rollins, Bill Evans, Roland Kirk, Dexter Gordon, Bud Powell and Albert Ayler. In the Seventies, Pedersen recorded one duo with Kenny Drew. In middle of the Seventies, 0ccasional integrant it of the Peterson Oscar Trio and he recorded some times as leader of band for the SteepleChase stamp. Pedersen also recorded in many different occasions for the Pablo Records. It remains active very until the time of today.
Discography
1976 Double Bass Steeplechase
1979 Dancing on the Tables Steeplechase
1981 Just the Way You Are Sonet
1983 The Viking Pablo
1988 Breaking the Ice (live) BVHaast
1993 Hommage: Once upon the Polygram Teams
1993 The Art of the Duo Enja
1997 In Memory of Kenny Drew Milestone
1997 Those Who Were Polygram
1998 This Is all I Ask Polygram
http://www.clubedejazz.com.br/ojazz/jazzista_exibir.php?jazzista_id=296
Joachim Kuhn....
Boundaries, whether geographical or musical - for piano player Joachim Kühn they only exist to be passed. Boundaries between East and West, Europe and America, modern concert music and jazz and, more specifically, between various styles of jazz - during his career he has passed them all and still keeps doing so. Leipzig, Hamburg, Paris, Los Angeles, New York, and again Hamburg and Paris have been the stopping places of his journey; classical music, dixie, hard bop, free jazz, free rock, fusion, and European improvised music the stages of his artistic career. To him, changing places means giving expression to new stylistic positions and, at the same time, finding fresh sources of inspiration. However, Kühn is not a musical chameleon perfectly adapting itself to any given context. A virtuoso of the black and white keys, he is internationally considered one of the outstanding and most unique voices of European jazz.
Born in Leipzig on March 15, 1944, he gave his young-age debut as a concert pianist and studied classical piano and composition with Arthur Schmidt-Elsey. Influenced by his elder brother, clarinet-player Rolf Kühn, he simultaneously got interested in jazz and started leading traditional and mainstream combos very early. In 1961 he became a professional jazz musician. With a trio of his own, founded in 1964, he presented the first European-rooted free jazz in the GDR. In 1966 he did not return to his country from an international competition organized by Friedrich Gulda in Vienna. He settled in Hamburg where he formed a free-jazz quartet with his brother and they presented themselves at the Berliner Jazztage and the Newport Jazz Festival. In New York, produced by by Bob Thiele, the brothers Kühn recorded with Coltrane-bassist Jimmy Garrison for the Impulse label.
Living in Paris since 1968, Joachim Kühn worked with numerous musicians of different styles, e.g. Gato Barbieri, Don Cherry, Karl Berger, Slide Hampton, Philly Joe Jones, Phil Woods, Michel Portal, et al. A member of Jean Luc Ponty´s Experience and Association P.C., he turned to electronic keyboards in the early 70´s and became one of the protagonists of European rock-jazz. At the same time, he also led acoustic trios. One of these was completed by Jean-Francois Jenny-Clark (b) and Daniel Humair (dr), who were to cross his path again and again in years to come. Le Monde, in those days, called him "Europe´s most interesting commuter between jazz and rock".
Geographically and musically speaking, Kühn was furthest apart from Europe during the second half of the 70´s when he lived in California and joined the West Coast fusion scene. Crossover stars, such as Alphonse Mouson, Billy Cobham, Michael Brecker, and Eddie Gomez participated in his recordings. Simultaneously, he was frequently to be heard solo and in a duo with former Focus-guitarist Jan Akkerman from Holland.
After a short period in New York (1980), Kühn returned to Hamburg and, in 1981, got in touch with Bechstein piano company. This caused him to devote himself exclusively to the acoustic grand piano. Increasingly, he concentrated on blending jazz improvisation with the harmonic influences of European modernism.
Apart from the chamber-musical recording I´m not Dreaming (1983, with George Lewis, Mark Nauseef, et al.), he turned out numerous solo releases during 80´s which gave evidence of Kühn´s complex playing, his ponderous touch and his intense preoccupation with modern classical music.
Having settled near Paris again, he received his "French trio" with J.F. Jenny-Clark and Daniel Humair in 1985 and made it one of the leading acoustic piano trios in international jazz. With Walter Quintus, an outstanding expert at studio electronics, the artistic commuter produced Dark (1989), the music to a ballet of choreographer Carolyn Carlson. In 1990 Kühn was able to perform in East Germany again for the first time in 23 years; HiFi Vision readers polled him "jazz musician of the year".
1991, the year of his 30th anniversary as a professional, was crowned by two major projects: a coproduction of West German Radio and the CMP label; it included the Trio Kühn/Humair/Jenny-Clark, the WDR Big band, and an anniversary all star band consisting of the likes of Rolf Kühn, Randy Brecker, Palle Mikkelborg, Albert Mangelsdorff, Joe Lovano, Christof Lauer, and Adam Nussbaum. A composition for chamber orchestra and piano was commissioned to him by the Jazz festival of Grenoble.
After more than a decade, he released another album again that found him on electric keyboards besides the grand piano: Let´s Be Generous, with Miroslav Tadic (g), Tony Newton (b), and Mark Nauseef (dr/perc). Here, combining the influences of Béla Bartók, Eric Dolphy, Jimi Hendrix, Captain Beefheart, and Tony Williams´ Lifetime, he set new standards for a contemporary and distinctively European blend of concert music, rock, and jazz. Get Up Early, though another extraordinary duo project with Walter Quintus, saw the untiring experimenter back at the Bechstein. Using a digital soundboard, his partner treated, formed, and modified the classical piano sound directly, spontaneously, and live in the studio. Thus, he achieved iridescent and irritating sounds and effects hardly ever heard before which created the basis for the colaboration with the Cologne Dance Company for several live performances at the Cologne Opera in 1996/7.
In November 1991 he was producing Eartha Kitt´s Thinking Jazz where he confronted the legendary show singer with a modern jazz combo and, thus, practiced a new what he always attracted him most: passing another stylistic boundary.
His latest CD "famous melodies" - a work up of compositions of the 30´s - was regarded by the German Critics as the best released CD in the first half of 1994. Kühn continued his way of working up standards - in 1996 he puplished his first album for the label Verve, under the title "Threepenny Opera" - this time with his trio partners J. F. Jenny Clark and French master drummer Daniel Humair.
During Summer 1996, Kühn took the occasion to make a long-fostered wish come true. He joined Ornette Coleman during two festival concerts at Verona and Leipzig festivals which opened the way for new projects with the legendary saxophone player. The result of this duo colaboration will be publsihed for Verve records soon.
May the boundaries change, Joachim Kühn will stay a commuter between the territories.
Bert Noglik
http://www.joachimkuehn.com/artist_eng.html
Jazz Shredding over Donna Lee
A Heavy Metal approach to playing jazz guitar over the standard "Donna Lee" live at the Pony bar in Hamburg with the amazing:
Philipp Steen - electric bass
Boris Netsvetaev - keys
Kai Bussenius - drums
This tune was for pure laughs and fun only, no deep musical feelings, meanings or inspiring moments intended :-))))
Bon Vivant: Take the Coltrane
Bon Vivant is Chris Lomheim, Anthony Cox and Phil Hey at the Artists' Quarter on Friday, March 20, 2009. They performed Ellington's "Take the Coltrane"
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Sara Gazarek....
Sara Gazarek was born and raised in Seattle, Washington and moved to Los Angeles in 2000 to attend the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California. She would go on to win the Downbeat Student Music Award for Best Collegiate Vocalist in 2003. Gazarek released her first album, Yours, in 2005. The album was both a critical and commercial success with a top 10 ranking in the Billboard Traditional Jazz Charts as well as being the top album download in iTunes for Jazz in Germany and France. In a poll by the JazzTimes, readers voted Gazarek as the 3rd Best New Jazz Arist. She released her second album, Return To You in 2007 and is currently living in Los Angeles. Sara continues to make strides in the music world, and has been hailed by Don Heckman of the LA Times as "the next important jazz singer."
http://www.saragazarek.com
http://www.myspace.com/saragazarekband
http://www.youtube.com/jazgasm
Ken Peplowski....
The late Mel Torme´said, "Since the advent of Benny Goodman,there have been too few clarinetists to fill the void that Goodman left. Ken Peplowski is most certainly one of those few. The man is magic. "The New York Times pronounced a concert of men's "Goodman Straight Up, With A Twist Of Lightning. "These quotes only hint at Ken Peplowski's virtuosity - not only is he an outstanding clarinetist and saxophone player, but he's also a charismatic entertainer who has been delighting audiences for over 30 years with his warmth, wit, and musicianship.
"When you grow up in Cleveland, Ohio, playing in a Polish polka band, you learn to think fast on your feet", says Peplowski, who played his first pro engagement when he was still in elementary school. "From my first time performing in public, I knew I wanted to play music for a living."
Ken, and his trumpet-playing brother Ted, made many local radio and TV appearances and played for Polish dances and weddings virtually every weekend all through high-school. "That's where I learned to improvise, 'fake' songs, learn about chord changes, etc.- it's exactly like learning to swim by being thrown into the water!"
By the time Ken was in his early teens, he was experimenting with jazz by playing in the school "stage" bands, and also by jamming with many of the local jazz musicians. "By the time I hit high school, I was teaching at the local music store,
playing in our family band, and playing jazz gigs around town while still getting up early every day for school."
After a year of college, Ken joined the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra under the direction of Buddy Morrow. "Buddy heard me with my quartet at a Cleveland jazz festival along with Teddy Wilson's trio and the Dorsey band, and made an offer right then and there
for me to not only play lead alto, but to have a feature spot on the clarinet with the rhythm section. It was a great 'road-school' - we learned the discipline that goes with playing one-nighters every day for 48 weeks out of the year, and Buddy was a great, very generous bandleader."
Peplowski met Sonny Stitt while on the road with the Dorsey band, and studied with him. "He was, and is, an inspiration to all of of us who make a living 'on the road' - I've never heard anybody play with such amazing consistency as Sonny, through all kinds of settings."
In 1980, Ken moved to New York City,and was soon playing in all kinds of settings, from Dixieland to avant-garde jazz. "Everything's a learning experience in jazz music - there's always an element of the unpredictable." In 1984, Benny Goodman
came out of retirement and put together a new band, hiring Ken on tenor saxophone. "I think Benny was as great a figure to the clarinet as Louis Armstrong was to the trumpet. He was an extremely tough band leader, but he was as demanding on himself as he was on us - if you showed him respect and were there to play his music for him, he respected you back, and I have yet to work with anyone else that could get such great results out of a band. Part of the key to unlocking the enigma of Benny was that he thought about music pretty much 24 hours a day, and sometimes that was to the exclusion of personal relationships. I liked him a lot, though, and he actually tried to get me signed to a record deal (with him as producer!) before I'd signed with anyone else."
Peplowski wound up signing with Concord Records,under the tutelage of Carl Jefferson, the founder and president, and recorded close to 20 albums as a leader, including "The Natural Touch" in 1992 which won Best Jazz Record of the Year by the Prises Deutschen Schallplatten Kritiken, and "The Other Portrait", recorded in
Sophia Bulgaria with the symphony orchestra and highlighting Ken's classical side. His last two records were "Lost In The Stars" and "Easy To Remember" (on Nagel Heyer Records), the latter of which features Bobby Short on his last recording. "I loved Bobby Short's approach to the American songbook, and we'd talked about doing a record together for a while - I'm glad we got this one 'in the can.'"What's in the future? "Who knows? I love all kinds of music, and I'd like to find more oppurtunities to bridge the gaps between different musical styles - I consider myself an interpreter of material - if something interests me, I try to put my own spin on it, without thinking or worrying about playing in any particular style. Basically, I like a challenge, I'm a sucker for a good melody, and I love playing for audiences, big or small."
And he has certainly achieved these goals, be it in small clubs, the Hollywood Bowl (where he played a sold-out concert), headlining in Las Vegas, the Newport Jazz Festival, pops concerts, European festivals´ clubs, or at home in NYC doing everything from playing on the soundtracks to Woody Allen movies, to taking on the role of music director for interactive French and Italian cookbooks ("Menus And Music").
Frank Vignola....
Frank is one of the most accomplished, multi-dimensional players walking the planet today. Monster player, composer and improviser, Frank plays proficiently in every genre, from jazz to bluegrass, and works with everyone and their brother. Frank’s pedigree is a mile long, but a quick Google will illustrate why he is considered one of the best on the planet.
Whether he is featured on a Donald Fagen recording, a jam with David Grisman, as Les Paul's right hand man or leading his own groups throughout the years, he has proved himself to be in the elite creating his own unique sound.
Born on suburban Long Island, Vignola was raised in the New York area. The Italian-American started playing the guitar at the age of five and grew up admiring a variety of guitarists. Far from a jazz snob, Vignola never listened to jazz exclusively and was also a major fan of rock, R&B, and pop. The guitarists that he admires range from Django and George Barnes to rock icons like Frank Zappa and Eddie Van Halen. As a young adult, Vignola studied at the Cultural Arts Center of Long Island and went on to enjoy an enormous amount of sideman gigs in the 1980s including recording and touring with the likes of Madonna, Leon Redbone, Ringo Starr as well as coming into his own as a leader in 1988 with his famed Hot Club of France tribute which was hailed in the NY Times as one of the top ten acts in 1988 and forged the way for the many Django Hot Club groups that followed. The New Yorker was 27 when, in 1993, he signed with Concord Jazz and recorded his first Concord session as a leader, Appel Direct. Many more Concord releases followed in the 1990s as well as 3 releases for the Telarc label as co-leader of the group Travelin' Light. The early 2000's found Vignola recording for Acoustic Disc, Hyena Records as well as making featured appearances on Atlantic, Sony and Warner Brothers Records with the likes of Donald Fagen, Queen Latifah, Mark O Connor and Wynton Marsalis. Mr. Vignola has also recorded several DVD's for Mel Bay Records. "Gypsy Jam" features Jimmy Rosenberg and "Favorite Solo's" features Frank with one of his guitar heroes, Bucky Pizzarelli. Frank has written 18 guitar instruction books for Mel Bay Publications and has recorded several CDROM educational products for Truefire.com. He has performed hundreds of clinics and masterclasses at major universities and colleges throughout the country including Julliard and Boston University. Vignola is currently touring with his band in celebration of his new release DVD/CD combo titled "LIVE AT THE SHELDON" on the Mel Bay record label.
http://www.frankvignola.com/bio.html
Travis Sullivan's Björkestra....
Travis Sullivan's Björkestra is an 18-piece, genre-bending[1] jazz orchestra from New York City. Led by alto saxophonist Travis Sullivan and with arrangements by Travis Sullivan, Arun Luthra, Kevin Schmidt, and Kelly Pratt. The Björkestra performs the music of eclectic pop artist Björk, spanning her entire catalogue as a solo artist.
Lee Morgan - I Remember Clifford
Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers
Lee Morgan,Benny Golson
Bobby Timmons,Jymie Merritt
dvd"live in '58"
Lee Morgan....
The trumpeter Lee Morgan, was own of enormous technique and invention emerged in the scene of the jazz in middle of the 50 with a remaining sound of Clifford Browns. Quickly, it developed its proper style, fundindo the classic reasons of bebop with modern rhythms, harmonias and melodies.
Morgan was born in 10 of July of 1938, in the Philadelphia, inside of a musical family, learning through particular lessons and if it initiated professionally with the age of 15 years. In the summer of 1956 it combined to big band of Dizzy Gillespie, where he touched up to 1958 when it was for the Messengers Jazz.
Also in 1956, Morgan recorded its first session for the Blue Note, “ Presenting Lee Morgan ”, the first record enters thirty almost that it recorded for this stamp. It came back toward its native city in 1961 to work with the saxofonista Jimmy Heath, among others. Lee returned the New York in 1963 to develop its projects of writing with the Blue Note. After a new work with Blakey of 1964-65, it only worked as leader of group.
In the Blue Note, the biggest success of Morgan was in 1963, with “ Sidewinder ”, that it was followed by great albums as “ Search Will be The New Land ”, “ Cornbread ” and “ Delightfulee ”. It adds its work as leader, the presence of Morgan as sideman in classic albums of jazz as “Night In Tunisia” (Gillespie), “Moanin” (Blakey), “Blue Trane” (John Coltrane) and “Evolution” (Grachan Moncur).
When Morgan died to the 33 years and already it had its place in the history of the jazz. Namorada of much time, Helen More assassinated, it with a shot, in palco of “ Slug ”, one nightclub of New York, in day 19 of February of 1972. After committing this barbarity, It lives it left nightclub, it came back toward house and if it committed suicide with a shot in the heart.
Discography
1957 Candy Blue Note
1957 City Lights Blue Note
1957 The Cooker Blue Note
1960 Lee-Way Blue Note
1962 Take Twelve Original Jazz
1963 The Sidewinder Blue Note
1964 Search will be the New Land Blue Note
1965 Cornbread Blue Note
1966 Delightfulee Blue Note
1967 Sonic Boom Blue Note
1967 The Procrastinator Blue Note
1968 Taru Blue Note
1970 Live at the Lighthouse Blue Note
Clube do JAZZ
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Dianne Reeves.....
Blue Note recording artist Dianne Reeves is the pre-eminent jazz vocalist in the world today. As a result of her virtuosity, improvisational prowess and unique jazz and R&B stylings, Reeves was awarded the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Performance for three consecutive recordings—a Grammy first in any vocal category. Reeves has recorded and performed extensively with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. She has also recorded with Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Daniel Barenboim and was a featured soloist with Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic. Reeves was the first Creative Chair for Jazz for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the first singer to ever perform at the famed Walt Disney Concert Hall. Reeves worked with legendary producer Arif Mardin (Norah Jones, Aretha Franklin) on the Grammy winning A Little Moonlight, an intimate collection of ten standards featuring her touring trio. When Reeves’ first holiday collection Christmas Time is Here was released in 2004, Ben Ratliff of The New York Times raved, “Ms. Reeves, a jazz singer of frequently astonishing skill, takes the assignment seriously; this is one of the best jazz Christmas CD's I've heard.” Reeves appeared and performed in George Clooney’s “Good Night, and Good Luck,” the Academy Award nominated film that chronicles Edward R. Murrow’s confrontation with Senator Joseph McCarthy. The soundtrack recording of “Good Night, and Good Luck” provided Reeves her fourth Best Jazz Vocal Grammy in 2006. In 2007 Reeves was featured in a documentary on the remarkable and all-too-brief life of Billy Strayhorn and her next recording is expected in 2008.
Carmen McRae....
Singer. She studied piano privately in her early years and began her career as a singer with Benny Carter’s orchestra (1944). Her early and enduring influence was Billie Holiday. After performing with the bands led by Count Basie and Mercer Ellington (1946-7), she worked as an intermission pianist and stand-up singer at Minton’s Playhouse and other clubs in New York, where she listened to and absorbed the sounds of bop, and came under the influence of Sarah Vaughan. In 1954 she made her first recordings as a leader and was named "best new female singer" by Down Beat; the following year she signed a recording contract with Decca, which issued her superb renditions of "Suppertime," "Yardbird Suite," and "You Took Advantage of Me." From that time she has pursued an active career as a solo singer, performing in clubs, at concerts, and at festivals; she made several tours of Europe and Japan from the 1960s into the 1980s. In 1967 she settled in Los Angeles. She was married to Kenny Clarke and to Ike Isaacs. In 1988 she recorded an album of vocalese versions of compositions by Thelonious Monk at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco.
McRae is an important figure among the group of singers that was directly influenced by the emergence of bop. Her voice has an immediately recognizable "smoky" timbre, and she performs popular ballads and jazz numbers with bop phrasing and inflections. She is especially inventive as a scat singer and has an instinctive feeling for rhythm. She is also a thoroughly competent pianist.
http://www.carmenmcrae.com/biographygrovedictionary.htm
Friday, March 20, 2009
Red Callender....
Born: March 6, 1916 | Died: March 8, 1992
George Sylvester “Red” Callender was born in Haynesville, VA and at age 3 his family moved to Atlantic City, NJ. He first studied alto sax, then tuba, and then bass. After graduation in 1932, he moved to New York City. A tour of Canada and the west coast with Blanche Thompson and the Brownskin Models brought him to Los Angeles in 1936, where he remained. He played with a few local bands, and did arranging and teaching. Charles Mingus was one of his first students. His first recording date was in 1937 with Louis Armstrong, “Sunny Side of the Street” and “Once in a While.” By 1956 he had recorded over 5,000 sides, acquiring the distinction of being the most recorded bass player in the L. A. Musicians Union. His composition, “Pastel,” recorded by Erroll Garner was a commercial success, as was his hit tune “Primrose Lane,” recorded by Jerry Wallace. Red was the second black to be hired in a TV studio band for “The Life of Riley” show. (Buddy Collette was the first.) His album, “Callender Speaks Low,” was the first to feature tuba as a solo jazz instrument. Red played on many of the most popular TV shows, as well as many movie soundtracks. It would be easier to list those musicians with whom he did not play or record. Red continued to be very active, arranging, teaching, composing, touring, club dates and recording until shortly before his death.
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=3841
Lester Young & Red Callender - Jitterbug Jam
Lester Young,
Red Callender,
Harry Edison,
Marlowe Morris,
Sidney Catlett and many others.
Ayelet Rose Gottlieb....
Debut CD "Internal-External" was released in 2004 on Genevieve Records, and was chosen as "Best Debut of 2004" by All About Jazz. The sextet's next CD was recently recorded- you can check out some sound clips right here, and stay in touch regarding release date... "Mayim Rabim" came out in 2006 on John Zorn's Tzadik Records. It features ten of my compositions to text from the erotic biblical love poem "Song Of Songs". The videos below (and several others) are projected as part of the performance. You are hearing: Ayelet Rose Gottlieb - Voice, Composer; Michael Gottlieb - Voice; Deanna Neil, Michal Cohen - Voice; Michael Winograd - Clarinet; Anat Fort - Piano; Rufus Cappadocia - 5 String Cello; Take Toriyama - Drums; Galeet Dardashti- Persian Trope on tracks 4 & 10 of the CD. Video by Renate Aller, Edited by Tamar Singer. The show is directed by Franny
On my space
Ayelet Rose Gottlieb - Apple (Tapuah)
Video by Renate Aller, Edited by Tamar Singer. Made as part of the Mayim Rabim / Great Waters performance project, based on Ayelet Rose Gottlieb's song cycle Mayim Rabim (Tzadik, 2006), composed to Hebrew texts from the erotic biblical poem Song Of Songs. The Mayim Rabim / Great Waters performances are directed by Franny Silverman. Upcoming dates: May 3 + 5, 8pm, BRICStudio, Brooklyn, NY www.briconline.org
Ayelet Rose Gottlieb - Lead Voice, Composer
Deanna Neil, Michal Cohen - Voice
Michael Winograd - Clarinet
Anat Fort - Piano
Rufus Cappadocia - 5 String Cello
Take Toriyama - Drums
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Toronto bassist Don Thompson....
Toronto's Don Thompson dominated the nominations for Canada's eighth annual National Jazz Awards with seven nods, including musician of the year.
The B.C.-born Thompson, who performs on piano, bass and vibraphone, is in the running for several categories including bassist of the year, composer of the year, instrumentalist of the year, jazz recording of the year (For Kenny Wheeler ) and arranger of the year.
His Don Thompson Quartet is in competition for acoustic band of the year.
The Juno-award winning Thompson has lived and worked in Toronto since 1969. Once an artist in residence at the Royal Academy of Music in London in 1996, the musician has worked with the likes of Moe Koffman, Ed Bickert and Lenny Breau.
Right behind Thompson is another Toronto bassist, Roberto Occhipinti, who is up for six trophies including bassist of the year, guitarist of the year, instrumentalist of the year and musician of the year.
Cuban-born pianist Hilario Duran has five nominations while Vancouver's Brad Turner, a keyboardist and trumpeter, is competing in four categories.
Duran joins Occhipinti and Thompson in the arranger of the year category as well as musician of the year.
CBC Radio 2's Katie Malloch, who hosts Tonic, is up against Len Dobbin, Larry Green, Walter Venafro, Jaymz Bee and Heather Bambrick for broadcaster of the year.
Those in the running for female vocalist of the year are:
Diana Panton
Melody Diachun
Molly Johnson
Elizabeth Shepherd
Emilie-Claire Barlow
And for male vocalist of the year:
Joe Coughlin
Denzal Sinclaire
DK Ibomeka
George Evans
John Alcorn
Awards for 24 categories will be handed out May 14 at a gala in Toronto hosted by CBC Radio announcers Tim Tamashiro and Karen Gordon.
http://www.cbc.ca/arts/music/story/2009/03/18/jazz-award-nominations.html
An Uncertain Future for Jazz Festivals....
George Wein, the jazz pianist and impresario who invented the large outdoor jazz festival, is searching for sponsors to support the 55th annual Newport Jazz Festival. Wein recently announced that he would be attempting to stage the festival without the help of either Festival Network, the company that bought his own Festival Productions in 2007, or JVC U.S.A., which has been a major underwriter for jazz festivals worldwide for 24 years.
Festival Network pulled out of the 2009 Newport Festival, which became the first of its kind in 1954, amid reports of financial trouble. While Wein searches for sponsors for Newport, the fate of other large festivals, including New York's JVC Jazz Festival, remains uncertain.
http://jazz.about.com/b/2009/03/19/an-uncertain-future-for-jazz-festivals.htm
Blue Note Jazz....
The Blue Note 7 will perform Thursday night at the Missouri Theatre as part of a 51-city tour honoring the 70th anniversary of Blue Note Records, one of jazz's oldest labels. The septet includes, from left: tenor saxophonist Ravi Coltrane (son of John Coltrane), drummer Lewis Nash, pianist and musical director Bill Charlap, guitarist Peter Bernstein, trumpeter Nicholas Payton, bassist Peter Washington and alto saxophonist and flautist Steve Wilson.
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/multimedia/photo/2009/03/18/blue-note-jazz/
Alexander Shulgin....
By Michele Wilson-Morris, MusicDish e-Journal
A good massage, aromatherapy, sipping on a glass of chardonnay as you sit by the fireplace reading a book by your favorite author, and Triptych, Shulgin's Songbook Part 1. You might be asking yourself what these have in common. Here's your answer - they can all transform you into an oasis of blissful relaxation.
As I prepared myself to review the first of the three album compilation 'Triptych, Shulgin's Songbook' by Russian icon Alexander Shulgin, I really wasn't sure what to expect. He's certainly accomplished, having been part of the Soviet-era rock band "The Cruise" that sold 20 million copies of their debut album in 1985. Shulgin went on to work with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, compose music for various films and TV series, and collaborate with artists such as Valeria, Mumiy Troll, Dima Malikov and Gruppa.fm.
But when I sat down to take a listen, I had just had a very frustrating day, and to be perfectly honest, was not particularly anxious to critique anything. But, like a good girl, I sat back and began to listen to the CD. All I can say is, my mood totally and instantly changed from being stressed out to being totally relaxed.
'Triptych, Shulgin's Songbook, Part 1' is simply a phenomenal album! It's a jazz lover's paradise. While it's close to American jazz, it maintains its own distinct sound. This album is a fusion between jazz and easy listening, suitable for every situation - background music, cozying up with your lover, or just chilling out and relaxing. This is, of course, a tribute to the notable line-up of artists including guitarist Paul Drew, drummer John Howeels, keyboardist Simon Rushby, bassist Steve King, saxophonist Chris 'Beebe' Aldridge, and backing vocalist Laura Whittel. Shulgin rallied these talented artists to perform his compositions for Triptych, and let me tell you, they didn't disappoint.
My personal favorites off the 13 track album include "Primadonna", "Whether Was or Was Not", "Herself", and "My Moscow." Primadonna is the first track and whets your appetite for the remaining songs. With a smooth, melodic, and sometimes dual guitar lead, the song is funky to the very last note. It's classy and a bit provocative - teasing and taunting. Whether Was or Was Not romances you and reminds me of one's search for love in all its intensity and splendor. The keyboards, guitar, drums, and bass start off with a nice simple rhythm and become more intertwined and complex as they build into a very rich climax, complementing each other nicely.
Chris Aldridge's warm and raspy sax lead in and solo improvisations add a unique and colorful hue to My Moscow, all the while carrying the listener to a fresh and unexpected, yet somehow familiar destination. John Howells on drums provides a solid, yet sensitive and integrated foundation for the flowing counterpoint of Simon Rushby's keyboard and Steve King's bass on Herself. The last track, "Only You," has a Spanish feel to it and the music really reminds you of someone who is in "amore". This track has a beautiful piano solo and is so romantic, it should be rated LWL (listen with lover). Shulgin's style is somewhat similar to that of Lee Ritenour, of whom I am a big fan.
'Triptych, Shulgin's Songbook, Part 1' is so mellow, so relaxing and smooth, that I was and am still truly impressed. From the first track to the last, I was mesmerized. I closed my eyes and sometimes felt as if I were sitting in a jazz club with cozy lighting, my favorite drink in my hand, and my man by my side. At other times, I was taken away to the beach with the sound of the ocean and the wind blowing lightly across my face. I can't wait to hear the other two albums, and will definitely be adding it to my CD collection.
http://www.topix.com/forum/music/jazz/TN2OIDARGVV46NDSM
Chihiro Yamanaka
Since graduating with top honours from the Berklee College of Music, Japanese pianist Chihiro Yamanaka has been acclaimed as a most accomplished musician and composer with tremendous international potential.
While at Berklee, in 2000, she received Down Beat's Outstanding Performance Award and also won the Sisters In Jazz competition, organized by the International Association for Jazz Education.
She has since won the HMV Award for the Best Jazz Album of 2004 and, in 2005, was voted Best New Artist in the poll of the Japanese jazz publication, Swing Journal.
Chihiro Yamanaka began studying piano at the age of four and, when she was 12, won the Grand Prize at a new talent competition in Gunma, Japan.
After studying at the Royal Academy of Music in England, she moved to the United States and continued her studies at Berklee. Chihiro has performed with some highly distinguished jazzmen since graduating, including Clark Terry, Gary Burton, George Russell, Curtis Fuller, Ed Thigpen, Nancy Wilson, George Benson and Herbie Hancock.
She was resident pianist with the all-girl big band DIVA. She has performed at major venues in the United States, including the Kennedy Center in Washington and New York's Carnegie Hall and has also played in the Vienna State Opera House, in the JVC Jazz Festival in New York, the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival in Idaho, the Tokyo Jazz Festival and the Umbria Jazz Festival.
Her debut album, Living Without Friday, was released on the Japanese jazz piano label, Atelier Sawano, in October 2001 and achieved impressive sales. Her second Atelier Sawano CD, released in December 2002, was When October Goes, on which she was accompanied by Larry Grenadier on bass and Jeff Ballard on drums. This album made the No. 1 spot on the Japanese jazz chart. August 2003 saw the release of the DVD, Leaning Forward, recorded at a sell-out performance by Chihiro’s New York trio. The DVD made the top ten in the Japanese DVD chart. At the end of 2003, Chihiro again toured Japan with her New York Trio and drew packed houses everywhere. In February 2004 she recorded Madrigal for Atelier Sawano, with Larry Grenadier on bass and Rodney Green or Jeff Ballard on drums.
George Russell has hailed Chihiro as “a very gifted and imaginative musician” and the Japanese magazine, Jazz Life, has described her as “one of the greatest talents in jazz for decades.”
In January 2005, Chihiro signed with Universal Classics and Jazz, and has released 3 CDs, “Outside by the Swing” with Bob Hurst and Jeff “Tain” Watts in 2005 and “Lach Doch Mal” with Larry Grenadier and Jeff Ballard again in 2006. “Lach Doch Mal” is released from EmArcy in Europe in 2007, and the 3rd album “Abyss” is released on Aug. 2007. and has got Swing Journal magazine's "Jazz Disc Award 2007" and "Album of The Year 2007" of Readers' Poll. Her newest album is "After Hours" released in 2008.
All her CDs and DVD have got No.1 in Japanese jazz chart.
Now she resides in New York, and has been playing around the world.
http://www.myspace.com/chihiroyamanaka
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Roberto Magris....
Sobre Roberto Magris - jazz pianist & composer
Born in Trieste (Italy) in 1959 and began his jazz career in the late ‘70s. In the ‘80s, he led a jazz trio named "Gruppo Jazz Marca", whose recordings were reissued in 2006, as collector’s items, by the English label Arision. During the times of the "iron curtain", Magris was privileged to be one of the very few West European musicians to collaborate on a regular basis with the East European musicians on the jazz scene. He performed in the former Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, DDR / East Germany, Hungary and Romania. In 1987, he formed the "Roberto Magris Quartet” that continues to play, record and schedules tours all around the world. This unit has recorded several CD’s, among them the classic album "Maliblues".
From 1998-2002, Roberto Magris was bandleader for the "Europlane Orchestra", a central-European jazz venture sponsored by INCE-CEI (Central European Initiative) which performed and has recorded 3 CD’s: "Live at Zooest", "Plays Kurt Weill" with singer Ines Reiger and "Current Views" featuring guitarist Philip Catherine and vibraphonist Bill Molenhof.
In 2003, Magris continued to build bridges and forge close bonds of musical relationships as he formed the "Roberto Magris Europlane". This unit was designed to include a unique blend of the best European and American jazz artists in one musical context. This unit has recorded 2 critically acclaimed straight-ahead jazz CD’s entitled: "Il Bello del Jazz" (SoulNote) with saxophonist Herb Geller (the West-Coast jazz master) and "Check In" (SoulNote), featuring a saxophone duo of Tony Lakatos and Michael Erian. Both CD’s received stunning reviews from the International jazz critics. From these recordings and performances a compelling musical partnership has been formed with one of Europe’s finest soloist, world renowned jazz saxophonist, Tony Lakatos.
In 2006, Magris collaborated with musical icon, Art Davis (the legendary bassist for John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong and Max Roach as well as other notables). This same year Magris made his USA debut in Hollywood, California performing at such famous jazz venues as "The Jazz Bakery" and "Catalina’s Jazz Club".
In 2007 Magris returned to the USA for a performance at the Historic 18th and Vine Jazz District in Kansas City, Missouri. His performance at “The Blue Room" also included a jazz tribute to the late jazz and blues icon, Jay McShann. Magris took this opportunity to record the CD entitled "Kansas City Outbound", on trio with Art Davis, on bass and Jimmy “Junebug” Jackson (the 21 year veteran drummer for Jimmy Smith) and Zack Albetta (drummer for world renowned saxophonist, Bobby Watson).
In 2008, Magris returned to Los Angeles as bandleader for concerts and to record new material with an all-star USA quintet which included Paul Carr and Michael O’Neill on saxes, Elisa Pruett on bass and the legendary musical stylist, Idris Muhammad on drums. In the same year he also participated, as a guest soloist, composer and arranger, for the CD "Big Band Ritmo-Sinfonica Città di Verona plays the music of Roberto Magris / Restless Spirits" (Velut Luna).
Magris has recorded more than 16 albums with his own groups and has played concerts in more than 30 different countries in Europe, America, Asia, Africa and Australia, also performing at the top jazz festivals worldwide.
In the early years of his career he performed as a sideman with legendary jazz masters such as Kai Winding, Eddie Lockjaw Davis and Sal Nistico. Other outstanding musical collaborations include Franco Ambrosetti, Florian Brambock, Frantisek Uhlir, Darko Jurkovic, Richie Buckley, Janusz Muniak, Ricardo Cavalli, Achim Goettert, Fabio Jegher, the "Traditional Jazz Studio" from Prague, and the African percussionists from Gabon.
As a complementary musical experience, in the ‘90s Magris led the acid jazz group "DMA Urban Jazz Funk" which recorded 2 CD’s. In 2003, he formed and continues to perform with “Alfabeats Nu Jazz", a "progressive urban jazz" band, recording the CD "Stones", which has received high responses from the jazz critics and international community.
